Sfi«iL«?iyTw>:f^{^j^»?7'>':.'.V: ;  ■^^^;'^v♦^■:. 


# 


THE 


COMPLETE    WORKS 


REV.  ANDREW  FULLER, 


MEMOIR    OF    HIS    LIFE. 


B  Y 


ANDREW  GUNTON  FULLER 


IN    TWO    VOLUMES. 


VOL.    I. 


MEMOIR— CONTROVERSIES      ON     DEISM,    SOCINIANISM    AND     UNIVERSALISM- 
CONTROVERSY    ON    FAITH EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


BOSTON: 
GOULD,    KENDALL    AND    LINCOLN 

NO.    59    WASHINGTON   STREET. 

1836. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE 
ADVERTISEMENT  TO  THE   ENGLISH  EDITION. 


The  editor,  in  presenting  to  the  public  what  has  been  long  call- 
ed for,  viz.  a  complete  edition  of  the  works  of  his  revered  fa- 
ther, thinks  it  unnecessary  for  him  to  offer  any  remarks  on  the 
character  of  writings,  most  of  which  have  for  many  years  been 
before  the  public,  and  must  now  be  supposed  to  stand  on  their 
own  merits.  It  may,  however,  be  proper  to  state,  that  the  present 
edition  not  only  contains  a  great  number  of  valuable  pieces  which 
had  before  been  unavoidably  omitted,  but  also  a  portion  of  original 
manuscript,  part  of  which  is  interwoven  in  the  memoir,  and  part 
inserted  in  the  miscellaneous  volume.  He  is  not  unaware  of  the 
fact  that  some  individuals,  of  whose  judgment  he  entertains  a 
high  opinion,  would  have  preferred  a  selection  of  those  pieces  pos- 
sessed of  the  greatest  permanent  interest.  Yet,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  extreme  difficulty,  or  perhaps  impracticability,  of  making  such 
a  selection  as  should  afford  general  satisfaction,  ample  opportuni- 
ties have  presented  themselves,  during  the  last  few  years,  of  as- 
certaining that  such  a  course  would  by  no  means  meet  the  public 
wishes. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  does  not  profess  to  have  inserted  every 
fragment  of  Mr.  Fuller's  writings,  some  pieces  being  totally  des- 
titute of  present  interest,  and  others  superseded  by  the  insertion 
of  the  substance  of  them  in  another  form  by  the  author.  Of  the 
latter  description,  indeed,  are  the  letters  to  the  late  Dr.  Ryland, 
relative  to  the  controversy  with  Mr.  Booth,  published  in  the 
Baptist  Journals  in  1827;  and  in  the  insertion  of  these  the  ed- 
itor confesses  he  has  rather  consulted  what  he  thought  to  be  the 
wish  of  the  public  than  his  own  private  judgment. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


In  the  compilation  of  the  memoir  little  more  is  professed  than  a 
selection,  arrangement,  and  compression  of  the  ample  materials  to 
which  the  editor  has  had  free  access. 

In  concluding  this  brief  announcement,  the  editor  cannot  omit 
his  grateful  acknowledgments  to  those  friends  who  have  kindly 
furnished  him  with  original  manuscript  sermons  and  other  valua- 
ble materials. 

West  Drmjton,  Oct.  5,  1831. 


N.  B.  The  references  made  by  the  author  to  different  parts  of 
his  own  writings,  were  adjusted  to  the  pages  of  the  last  English 
edition  of  his  works;  but  could  not  be  adapted  to  this  edition. 


MEMOIR. 


PART  I. 


Section  I.  1754  to  1776.  Mr.  Fuller's  birth 
— ancestry — narrative  of  iiis  early  religious 
impressions,  conversion,  theological  diffi- 
culties, and  entrance  on  the  jiastoral  fharg-5 
of  Soham — gradual  Change  of  Sentiments — 
narrative  of  the  progress  of  his  mind  on  Jus- 
tification— Marriage       -  -  -  17 

Section  II.  1777  to  1783.  Change  in  his  man- 
ner of  preaching—  alienation  of  some  of  his 
hearers — embarrassment  in  his  temporal  cir- 
cumstanees — distressing  agitation  of  mind  in 
the  prospect  of  leaving  Soham — extracts  from 
his  diary — letters  to  Mr.  Wallis — removal  to 
Kettering — mutual  testimonies  to  and  from  the 
church  at  Soham— statement  at  his  ordination    30 

Section  III.  1784  to  1792.  Labors  at  Ket- 
teri-.ig — Noilhamptonshire  Association — Un- 
ion of  ministers  for  prayer  and  conference  rel- 
ative to  the  promotion  of  vital  religion — ex- 
tracts from  his  diary — publication  of  his  trea- 
tise on  the  Universal  Obligation  of  Faith — 
controversies  arising  out  of  it — diary  resum- 
ed— letters  to  Dr.  Ryland  on  the  illness  and 
death  of  his  daughter  Sarah — further  extracts 
from  his  diary — illness  and  death  of  his  wife      41 

Section  IV.  1793  to  1814.  Formation  of 
Baptist  mission — departure  of  missionaries — 
Letters  on  Socinianism — second  marriage — 
preaching  in  Brabrook  church — ^journey  to 
Scotland — trouble  relative  to  his  eldest  son — 
publications  on  deism,  universal  salvation, 
backsliding,  spiritual  pride — -second  Journey 
to  Scotland — ^journey  to  Ireland — correspon- 
dence with  America — diplomas — third  jour- 
ney to  Scotland — correspondence — publication 
of  Dialogues,  &c. — attack  on  the  mission — 
fourth  journey  to  Scotland — charge  of  perse- 
cution— Joseph  Fuller — journey  to  Wales — 

fire   at   Serampore East   India  charter — 

death  of  ftlr.  Sutcliff,  &c.  -  -  60 

Section  V.  1814,  1815.  Journeys  into  va- 
rious  parts  of  England — ordination  of  Mr. 

Yates  at  Leicester commencement  of  last 

illness — attempted  excursion  to  the  north  of 
England — last  visit  to  London — publication 
of  Sermons — preparation  of  MSS.  on  the 
Revelations  and  on  communion — return  of  dis- 
order— ordination  of  Mr.  Mack — aggravated 
,  symptoms  of  di.^ease — last  serjnon,  and  di.-^tri- 
bution  of  the  Lord's  Supper — visit  to  (Jhel- 
tenham  contemplated  and  relinquished — last 
letter  lo  Dr.  Ryland — dying  expressions — 
concluding  scene — funeral — extract  from  Mr. 
Toller's  sermon — marble  tablet — testimonies 
of  the  Rev.  R.  Hall,  Dr.  Newman,  and  Bi- 
ble ciety — letter  of  Mrs.  Fuller  to  Dr.  Ry- 
land -Appendix,  containing  notices  of  his 
fdmi'y,  &c.        -  -  -  -  87 

THE  GOSPEL  ITS  OWN  WITNESS. 


the  holy  nature  of  the  christian  reli- 
gion CONTRASTED  WITH  THE  IMMORALITY 
OF  DEISM. 

Chapter 

I.  Christianity  reveals  a  God  glorious  in  Holi- 

ness; but  Deism,  though  it  acknowledges 
a  God,  yet  denies  or  overlooks  his  Moral 
Character     -  -  -  -  107 

II.  Christianity  teaches  us  to  acknowledge  God, 

and  to  devote  ourselves  to  his  service ;  but 
Deism,  though  it  confesses  one  Supreme  Be- 
ing, yet  refuses  to  worship  him  -  109 

III.  The  Christian  standard  of  morality  is  en- 
larged, and  free  from  impurity  ;  but  Deism 
confines  our  obligations  to  thoseduties  which 
respe('t  our  own  species,  and  greatly  palli- 
ates vice  with  regard  to  a  breach  even  of 
them  .  -  -  -  112 

IV.  Christianity  furnishes  motives  to  a  virtuous 
life,  which  Deism  either  rejects,  or  attempts 

to  undermine  .  .  _  117 

V.  The  lives  of  those  who  reject  the  gospel  will 

not  bear  a  comparison  with  the  lives  of 
those  who  embrace  it 

VI.  Christianity  has  not  only  produced  good  ef- 
fects in  those  who  cordially  believe  it,  but 
has  given  to  the  morals  of  society  at  large  a 
tone,  which  Deism,  so  far  as  it  operates, 
goes  to  counteract     -  .  - 

VII.  Christianity  is  a  source  of  happiness  to  in- 
dividuals and  society ;  but  Deism  leaves  both 

the  ona  and  the  other  without  hope       -         139 


PART  II. 

THE  HARMONY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  RELIGION 
CONSIDERED  AS  AN  EVIDENCE  OF  ITS  DIVIN- 
ITY. 

Chap. 

I.  The  harmony  of  Scripture  with  historic  fact 

evinced  by  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy     -  146 

II.  The  harmony  of  Scj-ipture  with  truth  evinc- 

ed from  its  agreement  with  the  dictates  of 
an  enlightened  conscience,  and  the  result  of 
the  closest  observation  -  -  150 

III.  The  harmony  of  Scripture  with  its  own 
professions  argued  from  the  spirit  and  style 

in  which  it  is  written  -  -  154 

IV.  The  consistency  of  the  Christian  doctrine, 
particularly  that  of  salvation  through  a  Me- 
diator, with  sober  reason      -  -  158 

V.  The  consistency  of  the  Scripture  doctrine  of 

redemption  with  the  modern  opinion  of  the 
magnitude  of  creation      -  -  166 

CONCLUDING  ADDRESSES. 


122 


130 


Preface 
Tntroduction 


101 
104 


To  Deists 
To  the  Jews 
To  Christians 


176 
ISO 
181 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


THE  CALVINISTTC  AND   SOCINIAN    SYS-    Gloss  on  John  xiv.  28,  "  My  Father  is  greater 
TEMS  EXAMINED  AND   COMPARED  AS         than  1."  -  -  -  -  828 

TO  THEIR  MORAL  TENDENCY.  Review  of  the  Reviewers  -  -  329 


Preface  .... 

Letter 

I.  Introduction  and  general  remaiks 

II.  The  systems  compared  as  to  their  tendency 

to  convert  profligates 

III.  Tendency  to  convert  profes-ed  unlielievers 

IV.  The  arjinment  from  the  nnniber  of  coiiveits 
to  Socinianism  exiniiiied 

V.  On  the  staiidaid  (if  molality 

VL   Pi(imnti(in  iif  nioralily  in  general 

VII.  Lo\e  to  God  .  -  - 

VIII.  Candor  and  benevolence  to  men 

IX.  Humilily      -  .  -  - 

X.  Charity  ;   in  which  is  considered  the  charge 

of  bigotry     .... 
XL  Love  to  Chri.-it  ... 

XII.  Veneration  for  the  Scriptures 

XIII.  Happiness,  or  cheerfulness  of  mind 

XIV.  Motives  to  gratitude,  obedience,  and  heav- 
enly-mind^diiess        -  -  - 

XV.  On  ihe   resemblance  and  tendency  of  So- 
cinianism  to  Inf.delily 

Postscript.  Establishing  the  principle  of  the 
'A'ork  against  the  (^.\ceplions  ol  Dr. 
T'julniin,  Mr.  Belsham,  &c.       - 


187 
191 

193 

201 

205 
210 
213 
222 
229 
235 

239 
249 
254 
263 

269 

274 


283 


SOCINIANISM  INDEFENSIBLE,  &c.  CON- 
TvINING  A  REPLY  TO  DR.  TOULMIN 
AND  MR.  KENTISH. 


Introduction 


294 


REPLY  TO  DR.  TOULMIN. 


REFLECTIONS  ON  MR.  BELSHAM'S 
REVIEW  OF  MR.  WILBERFORCE'S 
TREATISE  ON  CHRISTIANITY.  331 

LETTERS  TO    MR.  VIDLER    ON  UNIVER- 
SAL SALVATION. 

Advertisement  ....         336 

Letter 

I.  Expostidation  ...  337 

II.  Reasons  fir  not  continuing  the  controversy, 

and  replies  to  Mr.  Vidler's  objections  to  the 
fnegding       ....  338 

III.  DilhcuUies  attending  Mr.  Vidler's  scheme, 
and  its  inconsistency  with  Scripture  341 

IV.  Replies,  and  defences  of  former  reasonings    344 

V.  Evidences  of  endless  punishment  from  Scrip- 

tures describing  the  future  states  of  men  in 
contrast — future  punishment  described  by 
the  terms  '•  ever  lasting,  eternal,  forevir, 
and  forever  a'ld  ever  " — Scri[)lure  phrase- 
oliigy  implying  the  doctrine — passages  inti- 
mating that  the  present  is  the  only  state  of 
probation      ....  347 

VI.  Replies  to  objections       ...        351 

VII.  Examination  of  .Mr.  Vidler's  system,  and 

his  arguments  in  support  of  it  -  356 

VIII.  Farther  examination,  with  replies  to  ani- 
madversions ...  360 

THE  GOSPEL   WORTHY  OF    ALL  ACCEP- 
TATION. 


Section 
I.   Ground  of  argument  stated  and  defended        295 

II.  Further  remarks  on  Dr.  Toulmin,  with  re- 
plies to  his  animadversions,  viz.  his  com- 
plaint of  the  attack  not  being  made  on  the 
fundamental  principles  of  his  systein— prin- 
ciples of  Calvinism  not  essential  to  tlevo- 
liijn. — Want  of  piety  tacitly  admitted  by 
Dr.  T. — His  method  of  accounting  for  it 
ruinous  to  his  cause. —  His  method  of  ac- 
counting for  the  unsuccessfiilness  of  their 
preaching. — Complaint  of  the  appellation 
Sociniais,  and  plea  for  that  of  Unitarians. 
— Socinianism  leads  to  Deism. — Ca.se  of 
the  Puritans  and  Socinians  dissimilar. — 
Grounds  of  love  to  Chi  ist. — Complaint  of 
injustice. — Criminality  of  error  and  judg- 
ing the  heart  -  -  -  298 

Appendix.     Remarks  on  Dr.  Toulmin's  Re- 
view of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  207 

REPLY  TO  MR.  KENTISH. 

On  the  title  of  his  discourse. — On  his  declining 
a  full  discussion  of  the  subject. — The  conclud- 
ing passage  of  the  "  Systems  Compared  "  de- 
fended against  .Mr.  K.  and  the  Reviewers. — 
Reply  to  Mr.  K.'s  Six  Preliminary  Remarks    311 

Mr.  Kentish's  four  heads  of  iii(|uiry  examined. 

I.  On  the  divine,  the  social,  and  personal  vir- 

tues— love  to  God — love  to  Christ — fear  of 
God — confidence  in  tiod — liusiing  in  Christ 
' — his  appeal  to  fact — innocence  of  error — 
further  appeal  to  fact 

II.  Support  and  consolation  afforded  in  teinpta- 

tion,  affliction  and  death 
III     Conversion  of  profligates  and  unbelievers 
IV.  Veneration  for  the  Scriptuies,  and  confirm- 
ation of  faiili  in  Christianity  -  327 


Advertisement  to  the  second  edition. 
Preface       -  - 

PART   I. 


368 


THE  SUBJECT  SHOWN    TO    BE    IMPORTANT,  STA- 
TED, AND  EXPLAINED.  372 

PART    II. 

ARGUMENTS  TO  PROVE  FAITH  IN  CHRIST  TO  BE 
THE  DUTY  OF  ALL  WHO  HEAR,  OR  HAVE  OP- 
PORTUNITY TO   HEAR,  THE    GOSPEL. 

Prop. 
I.  Unconverted   sinners   are  commanded,  &c. 

to  believe  in  Christ  -  -  379 

II.  Every  m  m   is   bound  cordially   to   receive 

v\'ha\  God  reveals  -  -  -  383 

HI.  The  Gospel,  though  strictly  speaking  not  a 

law,  vir'ually  requires  obedience,  and  such 

as  includes  saving  faith         -  -  386 

IV.  Unbelief  is  ascribed  to  men's  depravity,  and 

is  itself  a  heinous  sin  -  -  388 

V.  God  has    threatened  and  inflicted   the  most 

awful  punishments  on  sinners,  for  their  not 
ljelie\ing  on  Jesus  Christ  -  390 

VI.  Other  spiritual  exercises,  inseparably  con- 
nected with  faith  in  Christ,  are  represent- 
ed as  the  duty  of  men  in  general  -  392 


314 


325 
326 


PART  HI. 

OBJECTIONS     ANSWERED. 

On  the   principle  of  holiness  possessed  by  man 

in  innocence  ...  398 

Concerning  the  decrees  of  God  -  400 

On  Particular  Redemption  -  -  402 


CONTENTS. 


VU 


On  sinners  being  under  the  covenant  of  works  403 
On  the  inability  of  sinners  to  believe  in  CIn'ist  404 
Of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  -  407 

On  the  nccsssity  of  a  divine  principle,  in  order 

to   believing  ...  408 

CONCLUDING  REFLECTIONS. 

On  the  warrant  to  believe  -  -         409 

On  the  influence  of  faith  on  justification  410 

On  the  alarming  situation  of  unbelievers  411 

On  the  duty  of  Ministers   in  dealing  with  the 

unconverted         .  -  .  .  414 

APPENDIX. 

On  the  question.  Whether  a  holy  disposition  of 
heart  be  necessary  in  order  to  believing  417 

DEFENCE  OF  THE  "GOSPEL  WORTHY  OF 
ALL  ACCEPTATION,"  IN  REPLY  TO  MR. 
BUTTON,  AND  PHILANTHROPOS. 


REPLY  TO  MR.  BUTTON. 


439 


Preface  .... 

Section 

I.  Introduction  and  general  remarks  -  443 

II.  On  the  nature  and  definition  of  faith  445 
HI.  On  faith  being  commanded  by  God               449 

IV.  On  the  obligation  of  men  to  embrace  what- 
ever Gi.d  reveals;  on  Mr.  B. 's  charge  of 
illiberality,  &c.         -  -  -  451 

V.  On  the  causes  to  which  the  want  of  faith  is 

ascribed  ....         454 

VI.  On  punishments  being  threatened  and  in- 
flicted for  unbelief        ...         456 

VII.  On  spiritual  dispositions  -  458 

VIII.  IX.  On  the  state  of  man  in  innocence  460,  462 

X.  Divine  decrees,  use  of  means,  particular  re- 

demption, &c.  ...  4g5 

XI.  Tendency  of  these  principles  to  establish 
the  doctrines  of  hum  in  depravity,  divine 
grace,  work  of  the  Spiiit,  &c.  -  468 

XII.  Considerations  recommended  to  Mr.  B. 
and  the  reader  ...  470 


REPLY  TO  PHILANTHROPOS. 


473 


Introduction         .... 
Section 

I.  Whether  regeneration  is  prior  to  our  coining 
to  Christ  ....         475 

II.  Whether  moral   inability  is,  or  is  not,  ex- 

cusable        ....  482 

On  our  being  Ijorn  in  sin  .  -         483 

On  our  moral  inability  being  insuperable  486 

On  grace  being  provided  to  deliver  men  from  it  487 

III.  Whether  faith  is  required  by  the  moral  law  491 

IV.  On  the  death  of  Christ  -  -  495 

1.  Whether  it  included  an  abs"liife  design 

to  save  some         ...         496 

2.  The   arguments   of  Philanthropes  con- 

sidered -  -  .  500 

3.  Universal  calls  consistent  with  its  limit- 

ed extent  ...  504 

4.  General  reflections  -  .  508 

REALITY  AND  EFFICACY  OF  DIVINE 
GRACE,  &c.  BY  AGNOSTOS. 

Advertisement  from  Dr.  Ryland's  edition  of  the 

works      -  -  -  -         516 

Letter 
I.  General  remaiks         ...  517 


II.  On  the  work  of  the  Spirit  -  -    518 

111. to  VH.   On  inability  to  do  the  will  of  God 

Mr.  Taylor's  notions  of  free  agency  523 

Confounds  the  subject  of  natyral  and  moral 
ability,  by  a  inisapplicalion  of  terms         523 

His  plea  for  a  joint  consideration  of  his  ar- 
guments       ....         524 

Evil  propnnsilics  blameworthy  though  de- 
rived from  the  fall  -  -  ib. 

If  not  blameworthy,  in  themselves  consid- 
ered, those  circumstances  mentio.ied  ijy 
Mr.  T.  cannot  render  them  so  526 

The  bringing  in  the  grace  of  the  gospel  to 
this  end  subversive  of  both  law  and  gospel  520 

Natural  ability  sufficient  to  render  men  ac- 
countibie  beings,  with  respect  to  moral 
and  s|)iritual  exercises  -  -  535 

VIII.  On  faith  being  a  requirement  of  the  mor- 
al law       ....  537 

IX.  On  the  death  of  Christ — statement  of  the 
sui)ject — argument  of  divine  goodness  con- 
sidered        ....  538 

X.  Proof  that  all  who  are  saved  are  saved  in 

consequence  of  a  special  design  -  540 

XI.  Mr.  T.'s  answer  to  Mr.  F.'s  arguments  for 

a  limitation  of  design  considered  -  543 

XII.  Reply  to  Mr.  T.'s  defence  of  his  former 
ai  gtinieuts  for  the  universal  extent  of  Christ's 
demh  ....  545 

XIII.  Defence  of  arguments  for  the  consistencv 
of  a  general  call  with  necessity  of  special 
and  efficacious  srrace  -  -  550 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANTSM, 
TWELVE  LETTERS  TO  A  FRIEND. 


IN 


Letter 
1.  Introduction  ...  555 

II.  General  view  of  the  system,  with  its  leading 

points  of  difference  from  the  systems  which 

it    opposes  ...  555 

III.  Consequences  of  Mr.  Sandeman's  view  o/" 
jii.sti lying  faith  ...  566 

IV.  Faiih  ot  devils  and  nominal  Christians  572 

V.  Connection  iietween  repentance  and  faith  576 

VI.  Connection  between  knowledge  and  dispo- 
sition ....  582 

VII.  Connection  between  regeneration  and  faith  589 

VIII.  Influence  of  tliese  principles  on  the  doc- 
trine of  free  justification  by  faith  in  die 
righteousness  of  Christ  -  -  599 

IX.  On  certain  New  Testament  practices  fi02 

X.  Constitution  of  apostidic  churches  606 
XL  Of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  -  612 
XII.   The  spirit  of  the  system  compared  with 

that  of  primitive  Christianity  -  615 

DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS     BETWEEN 
CRISPUS  AND  GAIUS. 

Dialogue 

I.  On  the  peculiar  turn  of  the  present  age  623 

II.  Importance  of  truth  -  -  625 

HI.  Connection   of  doctrine,  expei-ience,   and 

practice        -  -  .  .  626 

IV.  Moral  ciiaracter  of  God  -  -       628 

V.  Free-agency  of  man  -  .  629 

VI.  Goodness  of  the  moral  law  -  -  631 
V'll.  Antinomianism  .  -  .  6''2 
Vlil.  Human  depravity  ...  634 
IX  Total  (l('pia\  ity  of  human  nature  -  (-,^5 
Let.  I.  II.  111.  'I'olid  dcpiavilv  of  liuin;in  niiture 

6:i7,  C;J8,  640 
IV.  V.  Consequences  resulting  from  this   doc- 
trine -  -  -  642,  644 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


CONVERSATIONS    BETWEEN     PETER, 
JAMES,   AND   JOHN. 


Conversation 

I.  On  imputation 
II.  On  substitution 
HI.  On  ])articular  redemption 


651 
656 
660 


LETTERS  ON  THE  CONTROVERSY  WITH 
THE  REV.  A.  BOOTH. 


Letter 
I.  Narrative 

II.  Imputation 

III.  Substitution 

IV.  Change  of  sentiments 

V.  Calvinism 

VI.  Baxterianisni     - 


667 
669 
672 
674 
676 
678 


LETTERS  RELATIVE  TO  MR.  MARTIN'S 
PUBLICATION  ON  THE  DUTY  OF  FAITH 
IN  CHRIST. 


Letter 
I.   Mr.  Martin's  accusations 

II.  General  observations 

III.  Love  to  God 

IV.  Divine  efficiency 

V.  Human  endeavor 


683 
6S6 
690 
693 
695 


Postscript.      Mr.   Martin's   treatment   of  Mr. 

Evans  ...  -  698 

ANTINOMIANISM  CONTRASTED  WITH 
THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIP- 
TURES. 

Introduction        .  -  -  -  701 

Part 
I.  Brief  view  of  Antinomianism,  with  argu- 
ments against  the    leading  principle    from 
wiiich  it  is  denominated        -  -  706 

II.  Its  influence  in  perverting  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal doctrines  of  the  gospel  -  711 

EXPOSITORY     DISCOURSES      ON      THE 
BOOK   OF   GENESIS. 

Dedication           ...  -             723 
Discourse 
I.    On  the  book  in  general,  and  the  first  day's 

creation  (chap.  i.  1 — 4)        -  -             725 

II.  On  the  last  five  days'  creation  (chap.  i. 
6—31)         -            -            -  -             726 

III.  Creation  reviewed  (chap,  ii.)  -             728 

IV.  The  fall  of  man  (chap.  iii.  1—7)   -  731 

V.  The  trial  of  the  transgressors  (chap.  iii. 
8—14)         -  -  -  -  732 

VI.  The  curse  of  Satan,  including  a  b]e.«sing  to 
man — Effects  of  the  fall  (chap.  iii.  15 
—24.)  -  -  -  -  734 

VII. The  offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel  (chap.  iv. 

1—8)  -  -  -  -  737 

VIII.  Cain's  punishment  and  posterity  (chap. 

iv.  9— 24)  -  -  -  739 

IX.  Tlie  generations  of  Adam    (chap.  iv.  25, 

26;   chap,  v.)  -  -  -  740 

X.  The  cause  of  the  deluge  (chap.  vi.  1 — 7)     742 
XL  Noah  favored  of  God,  and  directed  to  build 

the  ark  (chap.  vi.  8—22)     -  -  744 

XII.  XHI.  The  flood  (chap.  vii.  viii.)         747,749 

XIV.  God's  covenant  with  Noah  (chap.  ix.  1 
—24)  ....  751 

XV.  Noah's  prophecy  (chap.  ix.  25—27)  752 

XVI.  The  generations  of  Noah  (chap,  x.)  755 


XVII.  The  confusion  of  tongues  (chap.  xi.  1 
—9)  -  -  -  -  757 

XVIII.  The  generations  of  Shera,  and  call  of 
Abram  (chap,  xi    10—32;  xii.  1—4.)  760 

XIX.  Abram  in  Canaan — removal  to  Egypt 
(chap.  xii.  6—20)  -  -  762 

XX.  The  separation  of  Abram  and  Lot  (chap 
xiii.)  -  -  -  -  763 

XXI.  Abram's  slaughter  of  the  kings  (chap, 
xiv.)  -  -  .  .  765 

XXII.  Abram  justified  by  faith  (chap.  xv.  1 
—6)  -  -  -  -  768 

XXIII.  Renewal  of  promises  to  Abram  (chap. 

XV.   7—21)  ...  770 

XXIV.  Sarai's  crooked  policy  (chap,  xvi.)         771 

XXV.  Covenant  with  Abiain  and  liis  seed 
(chap,  xvii.)  ...  773 

XXVI.  Abraham  entertains  angels — intercedes 

for  Sodom  (chap,  xviii.)       .  .  777 

XXVII.  The  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
monai)  (chap,  xix.)  .  .  779 

XXV'HI.  Abraham  and  Abimelech  (chap.  XX.)   782 

XXIX.  The  birth  of  Isaac,  &c.  (chap,  xxi.)     784 

XXX.  Abraham  commanded  to  ofler  up  Isaac 
(chap,  xxi i.)  -  -  -    .         787 

XXXI.  The  death  and  burial  of  Sarah  (chap, 
xxiii.)  ....  796 

XXXII.  XXXIII.  Abraham  sends  his  servant 

to  obtain  a  wife  for  Isaac  (chap,  xxiv.)  791,  793 

XXXIV.  Abraham  marries  Keturah — dies — 
Ishmael's  posterity  and   death — birth,  inc., 

of  Esau  and  Jacob  (chap,  xxv.)        .  796 

XXXV.  Isaac  and  Abimelech  (chap,  xxvi.)        800 

XXXVI.  Jacob  obtains  the  blessing  (chap, 
xxvii.)  ...  -  804 

XXXVII.  Departs'from  Beersheba'(ch.  xxviii.)  807 

XXXVIII.  Arrives  at  Haran  (chap,  xxix.)         810 

XXXIX.  Residence  in  Haran  (chap,  xxx.; 
xxxi.  1—16)  ...  812 

XL.  Departs  from  Haran  (chap.  xxxi.  17—55)  815 
XLI.  Is  afraid  of  Esau — wrestles  with  the  an- 
gel (cha;i.  xxxii.)    ...  819 
XLII.  Interview   with    Esau — arrives   in    Ca- 
naan (chap,  xxxiii.)              ■              -  821 
XLIII.  Dinah    defiled,   and   the    Shechemites 

murdered  (chap,  xxxiv.)       -  -  824 

XLIV.  Jacob  removes  to  Bethel — covenant  re- 
newed— death  of  Deborah,  Rachel,  and 
Isaac — Esau's  generations  (chap.  xxxv. 
xxxvi.)         ....  827 

XLV.  Joseph  sold  for  a  slave  (chap,  xxxvii.)      831 
XLVI.    Judah's   conduct — Joseph's   promotion 

and  temptation  (chap,  xxxviii.  xxxix.)  834 

XLVII.  Joseph  in  jirison  (chap,  xl.)       -  837 

XLVHI.  Joseph's  advancement  (chap,  xii.)       '839 
XLIX.    First  interview  Ijetween  Joseph  and  his 

brethren  (chap,  xlii.)  -  -  842 

L.  Sec(jnd    interview  between  Joseph  and  his 

brethren  (chap,  xliii.)  -  -  846 

LI.  The    cup    in  Benjamin's   sack  (cliap.  xliv. 

1—17)         -  .  .  .  849 

LII.  Judah's  intercession  (chap.  xliv.  18 — 34)  851 
LIII.     Joseph    makes    himself    known    to    his 

brethren  (chap,  xlv.)  -  -  853 

LIV.  Jacob  goes  down  into  Egypt  (chap,  xlvi.)  856 
LV.   Joseph's  conduct  in  the  settlement  of  his 
brethren,  and  in  the  aflairs  of  Egypt  (chap, 
xlvii.)         -  -  -  -  858 

LVI.   Interview  with  his  dying  father — blessing 

of  his  sons  (chap,  xlviii.)     -  -  861 

LVII.  Jacob's   blessing   on   the    tribes  (chap. 

xlix.)  .  ^  .  -  863 

LVIII.    Jacol)'s   burial — Joseph   removes    the 
fears  of  his  brethren — death  of  Joseph  (chap.  1.)  867 
Conclusion  ....  870 


^C^'TOIi 


'iMW^jfcfeL 


OF      THE 


REV.     ANDREW      PULLER. 


SECTION  I.— 1754  to  1776. 


His  Birth — Ancestry — Narrative  of  his 
early  Religious  Impressions,  Conver- 
sion, Theological  Difficulties,  and  En- 
trance on  the  Pastoral  Charge  at  Soham 
— Gradual  Change  of  Sentiments — Nar- 
rative of  the  Progress  of  his  Mind  on 
Justification — Marriage. 

The  celebrity  attained  by  the  subject  of 
the  following  memoir  was  in  no  degi-ee 
attributable  to  adventitious  aids  of  birth 
or  education.  Possessing  no  other  ad- 
vantages than  were  open  to  the  son  of  any 
farmer  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century, 
Mr.  Fuller  was  indebted  to  no  one,  ex- 
cept for  the  barest  rudiments  of  English 
instruction,  as  many  of  his  earlier  manu- 
scripts sufficiently  evince.  He  was  born 
February  6th,  1754,  at  Wicken,  near  Ely, 
Cambridgeshire,  for  several  centuries  the 
residence  of  his  paternal  ancestors,  some 
of  whom,  as  well  as  those  on  his  mother's 
side,  had  been  distinguished  for  piety  and 
sufferings  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  In  or- 
der to  avoid  the  persecutions  of  the  heart- 
less and  profligate  Charles  II.,  they  wei-e 
accustomed  to  meet  in  the  Avoods  of  Cam- 
bridgeshire, with  Holcroft  and  Oddy,  two 
eminent  ejected  ministers,  the  former  of 
whom  had  been  the  medium  of  conversion 
to  one  of  them.* 

His  father,  Robert  Fuller,  married  Phi- 
lippa,  daughter  of  Andrew  Gunton,  by 
whom  he  had  three  sons,  Andrew  being 
the  youngest.  The  others,  Robert  and 
John,  followed  the  occupation  of  their 
ancestors,  the  former  at  Isleham,  Cam- 
bridgeshire, w^here  he  died  in  1S29  ;  the 
latter  at  Little  Bentley,  Essex,  where  he 
still  resides  ;  both  having  been  for  many 
years  pious  and  respectable  deacons  of 
Baptist  churches. 

The  account  given  by  Mr.  Fuller  of  his 
early  religious  impressions  affords  an  in- 
teresting exhibition  of  the  mysterious  op- 

*  Palmer,  in  his  NonconformisV s  Memorial, 
informs  us  tlint  these  excellent  men,  who  both  suffer- 
ed a  long  imprisonment  in  Cambridge  castle,  were 
the  founders  of  nearly  ail  the  congregational  chuiches 
in  that  county. 

VOL.  I.  3 


orations  of  divine  grace  in  the  midst  of 
youthful  depravity,  while  it  also  shows 
the  gradual  development  of  those  traits  of 
character  which  aftei'wards  excited  such 
admiration  and  esteem,  and  led  to  results 
of  such  importance  to  the  religious  world, 
and  especially  to  his  own  immediate  con- 
nection. The  system  of  doctrine  which 
had  at  that  time  prevailed  to  a  consider- 
able extent  was  a  caricature  of  Calvinism, 
exercising  under  some  of  its  forms  a  pe- 
culiarly degrading  and  pernicious  influ- 
ence. From  this  he  was  the  happy  means 
of  rescuing  many  of  the  churches,  and  of 
leading  them  to  recognize  the  perfect  con- 
sistency of  the  most  elevated  views  of  the 
sovereignty  of  Divine  grace  with  the  most 
extensive  obligations  of  men  to  moral  and 
spiritual  duties,  and  the  most  unlimited 
invitations  to  unconverted  hearers  of  the 
gospel. 

The  following  extracts  comprise  the 
substance  of  two  series  of  letters,  which, 
being  written  to  friends  at  different  peri- 
ods and  consequently  containing  in  many 
cases  a  repetition  of  the  same  incidents, 
it  is  judged  most  expedient  to  reduce  to  a 
uniform  and  continuous  narrative,  pre- 
serving at  the  same  time  a  scrupulous  ad- 
herence to  the  words  of  the  writer. 

"You  need  not  be  told,  my  dear  friend, 
that  the  religious  experience  of  fallible 
creatures,  like  every  thing  else  that  at- 
tends them,  must  needs  be  marked  with 
imperfection,  and  that  the  account  that 
can  be  given  of  it  on  paper,  after  a  lapse 
of  many  years,  must  be  so  in  a  still 
greater  degree.  I  am  willing,  however,  to 
comply  with  your  request ;  and  the  rather 
because  it  may  serve  to  recal  some  things 
which,  in  passing  over  the  mind,  produce 
interesting  and  useful  sensations,  both  of 
pain  and  pleasure. 

"  My  father  and  mother  were  dissent- 
ers, of  the  Calvinistic  persuasion,  and 
were  in  the  habit  of  hearing  Mr.  Eve,  a 
Baptist  minister,  who  being  what  is  here 
termed  high  in  his  sentiments,  or  tinged 
with  false  Calvinism,  had  little  or  noth- 
ing to  say  to  the  unconverted.     I  there- 


18 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER- 


fore  never  considered  myself  as  any  way 
concerned  in  what  I  heard  from  the  pul- 
pit. Nevertheless,  by  reading  and  reflec- 
tion I  was  sometimes  strongly  impressed 
in  a  way  of  conviction.  My  parents  were 
engaged  in  husbandry,  which  occupation, 
therefore,  I  followed  to  the  twentieth  year 
of  my  age.  I  remember  many  of  the  sins 
of  my  childhood,  among  which  were  lying, 
cursing,  and  swearing.  It  is  true,  as  to 
the  latter,  it  never  became  habitual.  I 
had  a  dread  upon  my  spirits  to  svich  a  de- 
gree that,  when  I  uttered  an  oath  or  an 
imprecation,  it  was  by  a  kind  of  force  put 
upon  my  feelings,  and  merely  to  appear 
manly,  like  other  boys  Avith  whom  I  asso- 
ciated. This  being  the  case,  when  I  came 
to  be  about  ten  years  old,  I  entirely  left  it 
off,  except  that  I  sometimes  dealt  in  a  sort 
of  minced  oaths  and  imprecations  when 
my  passions  were  excited. 

"  In  the  practice  of  telling  lies,  I  con- 
tinued some  years  longer ;  at  length, 
however,  I  began  to  consider  this  as  a 
mean  vice,  and  accordingly  left  it  off,  ex- 
cept in  cases  where  I  was  under  some 
pressing  temptation. 

"  I  think  I  must  have  been  nearly  four- 
teen years  old  before  I  began  to  have 
much  serious  thought  about  futurity. 
The  preaching  upon  which  I  attended  was 
not  adapted  to  awaken  my  conscience,  as 
the  minister  had  seldom  any  thing  to  say 
except  to  believers,  and  what  believing 
was  I  neither  knew,  nor  was  I  greatly 
concerned  to  know.  I  remember  about 
this  time,  as  I  was  walking  alone,  I  put 
the  question  to  myself.  What  is  faith  1 
there  is  much  made  of  it ;  What  is  it  1  I 
could  not  tell,  but  satisfied  myself  in 
thinking  it  was  not  of  immediate  concern, 
and  I  should  understand  it  as  I  grew 
older. 

"  At  times  conviction  laid  fast  hold  of 
me,  and  rendered  me  extremely  unhappy. 
The  light  I  had  received,  I  know  not  how, 
would  not  suffer  me  to  go  into  sin  with 
that  ease  which  I  observed  in  other  lads. 
One  winter  evening,  I  remember  going 
with  a  number  of  other  boys  to  a  smith's 
shop,  to  warm  myself  by  his  fire.  Pres- 
ently they  began  to  sing  vain  songs.  This 
appeared  to  me  so  much  like  revelling, 
that  I  felt  something  within  me  which 
would  not  suffer  me  to  join  them,  and 
while  I  sat  silently,  in  rather  an  unpleas- 
ant muse,  those  words  sunk  into  my  mind 
like  a  dagger,  '  What  doest  thou  here, 
Elijah  1'  I  immediately  left  the  company; 
yet,  shocking  to  reflect  upon,  I  walked 
home,  murmuring  in  my  heart  against 
God,  that  I  could  n.ot  be  let  alone,  and  be 
suffered  to  take  my  pleasure  like  other 
young  people  ! 

"  Sometimes  I  was  very  much  affected, 


in  thinking  of  the  doctrines  of  Christiani- 
ty, or  in  reading  such  books  as  Bunyan's 
Grace  abounding  to  the  Chief  of  Sinners, 
and  his  Pilgrim's  Progress.  One  day 
in  particular,  I  took  up  Ralph  Erskine's 
Gospel  Sonnets,  and  opening  upon  what 
he  entitles  A  Gospel  Catechism  for  young 
Christians,  or  Christ  All  in  All  in  our 
Complete  Redemption,  I  read,  and  as  I 
read  I  wept.  Indeed  I  was  almost  over- 
come with  weeping,  so  interesting  did  the 
doctrine  of  eternal  salvation  appear  to 
me  :  yet,  there  being  no  radical  change 
in  my  heart,  these  thoughts  passed  away, 
and  I  was  equally  intent  on  the  pursuit  of 
folly  as  heretofore. 

"  Yet  I  often  felt  a  strange  kind  of  re- 
gard towards  good  people,  such  of  them 
especially  as  were  familiar  in  their  beha- 
viour to  young  persons,  and  would  some- 
times talk  to  me  about  religion.  I  used 
to  wish  I  had  many  thousand  pounds, 
that  I  might  give  some  of  it  to  those  of 
them  who  were  poor  as  to  their  worldly 
circumstances. 

"  I  was  at  times  the  subject  of  such 
convictions  and  affections  tliat  I  really 
thought  myself  converted,  and  lived  under 
that  delusion  for  a  long  time.  The  ground 
on  which  I  rested  that  opinion  was  as  fol- 
lows : — One  morning,  I  think  about  the 
year  1767,  as  I  was  Avalking  alone,  I  be- 
gan to  think  seriously  what  would  become 
of  my  poor  soul,  and  was  deeply  affected 
in  thinking  of  my  condition.  I  felt  that  I 
was  the  slave  of  sin,  and  that  it  had  such 
power  over  me  that  it^  was  in  vain  for  me 
to  think  of  extricating  myself  from  its 
thraldom.  Till  now,  I  did  not  know  but 
that  I  could  repent  at  any  time  ;  but  now 
I  perceived  that  my  heart  was  wicked, 
and  that  it  was  not  in  me  to  turn  to  God, 
or  to  break  off  my  sins  by  righteousness. 
I  saw  that  if  God  would  forgive  me  all  the 
past,  and  offer  me  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
on  condition  of  giving  up  my  wicked  pur- 
suits, I  should  not  accept  it.  This  con- 
viction was  accompanied  with  great  de- 
pression of  heart.  I  walked  sorrowfully 
along,  repeating  these  words  : — Iniquity 
will  be  my  ruin !  Iniquity  will  be  my 
ruin  !  While  poring  over  my  unhappy 
case,  those  words  of  the  apostle  suddenly 
occurred  to  my  mind,  '  Sin  shall  not  have 
dominion  over  you,  for  ye  are  not  under 
the  law,  but  under  grace.'  Now  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  text  of  scripture  to  the  mind, 
especially  if  it  came  with  power,  was 
generally  considered  by  the/eligious  peo- 
ple with  whom  I  occasionally  associated,  as 
a  promise  coming  immediately  from  God. 
I  therefore  so  understood  it,  and  thought 
that  God  had  thus  revealed  to  me  that  I 
was  in  a  state  of  salvation,  and  therefore 
that  iniquity  should  not,  as  I  had  feared. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


19 


be  my  ruin.  The  effect  was,  I  was  over- 
come with  joy  and  transport.  I  shed,  I 
suppose,  thousands  of  tears  as  I  walked 
along,  and  seemed  to  feel  myself  as  it 
were  in  a  new  world.  It  appeared  to  me 
that  I  hated  ray  sins,  and  was  resolved  to 
forsake  them.  Thinking  on  my  wicked 
courses,  I  remember  using  those  words 
of  Paul,  '  Shall  I  continue  in  sin,  that 
grace  may  abound  1  God  forbid  !'  I  felt, 
or  seemed  to  feel,  the  strongest  indigna- 
tion at  the  thouglit.  But,  strange  as  it 
may  appear,  though  my  face  that  morning 
was,  I  believe,  swollen  with  weeping,  yet 
before  night  all  was  gone  and  forgotten, 
and  I  returned  to  my  former  vices  with  as 
eager  a  gust  as  ever.  Nor  do  I  remem- 
ber that  for  more  than  half  a  year  after- 
wards I  had  any  serious  thoughts  about 
the  salvation  of  my  soul.  I  lived  entirely 
without  prayer,  and  was  wedded  to  my 
sins  just  the  same  as  before,  or  rather  was 
increasingly  attached  to  them. 

"  Some  time  in  the  following  year  I  was 
again  walking  by  myself,  and  began  to 
reflect  upon  my  course  of  life,  particu- 
larly upon  my  former  hopes  and  affec- 
tions, and  how  I  had  since  forgotten  them 
all,  and  returned  to  all  my  wicked  ways. 
Instead  of  sin  having  no  more  dominion 
over  me,  I  perceived  that  its  dominion 
had  been  increased.  Yet  I  still  thought 
that  must  have  been  a  promise  from  God 
to  me,  and  that  I  must  have  been  a  con- 
verted person,  but  in  a  backsliding  state  ; 
and  this  persuasion  was  confirmed  by  an- 
other sudden  impression,  which  dispelled 
my  dejection,  in  these  words  :  '  I  have 
Vtlotted  out  as  a  thick  cloud  thy  transgres- 
sions,and  as  a  cloud  thy  sins.'  This,  like 
the  former,  overcame  my  mind  with  joy. 
I  wept  much  at  the  thoughts  of  having 
backslidden  so  long,  but  yet  considered 
myself  now  as  restored  and  happy.  But 
this  also  was  mere  transient  affection.  I 
have  great  reason  to  think  that  the  great 
deep  of  my  heart's  depravity  had  not  yet 
been  broken  up,  and  that  all  my  religion 
was  without  any  abiding  principle.  Amidst 
it  all,  I  still  continued  in  the  neglect  of 
prayer,  and  was  never  that  I  recollect  in- 
duced to  deny  myself  of  any  sin  when 
temptations  were  presented.  I  now 
thought,  however,  surely  I  shall  be  better 
for  the  time  to  come.  But,  alas  !  in  a  few 
days  this  also  was  forgotten,  and  I  return- 
ed to  my  evil  courses  with  as  great  an  ea- 
gerness as  ever. 

"  I  was  now  about  fifteen  years  of  age  ; 
and  as,  notwithstanding  my  convictions 
and  hopes,  the  bias  of  my  heart  was  not 
changed,  I  became  more  and  more  addict- 
ed to  evil,  in  proportion  as  my  powers 
and  passions  strengthened.  Nor  was  I 
merely  prompted    by  my  own  propensi- 


ties ;  for,  having  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  other  wicked  young  people,  my  pro- 
gress in  the  way  to  death  became  gi-eatly 
accelerated.  Being  of  an  athletic  frame, 
and  of  a  daring  spirit,  I  was  often  engaged 
in  such  exercises  and  exploits  as,  if  the 
good  hand  of  God  had  not  preserved  me, 
might  have  issued  in  death.  I  also  fre- 
quently engaged  in  games  of  hazard, 
which,  though  not  to  any  great  amount, 
yet  were  very  bewitching  to  me,  and 
tended  greatly  to  corrupt  my  mind. 
These,  with  various  other  sinful  practices, 
had  so  hardened  my  heart,  that  I  seldom 
thought  of  religion.  Nay,  I  recollect  that 
on  a  Lord's-day  evening  about  that  time, 
when  my  parents  were  reading  in  the 
family,  I  was  shamefully  engaged  with 
one  of  the  servants,  playing  idle  tricks, 
though  I  took  care  not  to  be  seen  in  them. 
These  things  were  nothing  to  me  at  that 
time  ;  for  my  conscience,  by  reiterated 
acts  of  wickedness,  had  become  seared  as 
with  a  hot  iron  :  they  were,  however, 
heavy  burdens  to  me  afterwards. 

"  Notwithstanding  various  convictions 
and  transient  affections,  I  was  pressing 
on  in  a  lamentable  career  of  wickedness  ; 
but  about  the  autumn  of  1769  my  convic- 
tions revisited  me,  and  brought  on  such  a 
concern  about  my  everlasting  welfare  as 
issued,  I  trust,  in  real  conversion. 

"  It  was  my  common  practice,  after  the 
business  of  the  day  was  over,  to  get  into 
bad  company  in  the  evening,  and  when 
there  I  indulged  in  sin  without  restraint. 
But,  after  persisting  in  this  course  for 
some  time,  I  began  to  be  very  uneasy, 
particularly  in  a  morning  when  I  first 
awoke.  It  was  almost  as  common  for  me 
to  be  seized  with  keen  remorse  at  this 
hour  as  it  was  to  go  into  vain  company  in 
the  evening.  At  first  I  began  to  make 
voios  of  reformation,  and  this  for  the  mo- 
ment would  afford  a  little  ease  j  but,  as 
the  temptations  returned,  my  vows  were 
of  no  account.  It  was  an  enlightened 
conscience  only  that  wkis  on  the  side  of 
God  :  my  heart  was  still  averse  to  every 
thing  that  was  spiritual  or  holy.  For 
several  weeks  I  went  on  in  this  way  ;  vow- 
ing, and  breaking  my  vows,  reflecting  on 
myself  for  my  evil  conduct,  and  yet  con- 
tinually repeating  it. 

"  It  was  not  now,  however,  as  heretofore ; 
my  convictions  followed  me  up  closely. 
I  could  not,  as  formerly,  forget  these 
things,  and  was  therefore  a  poor  misera- 
ble creature  ;  like  a  drunkard,  who  ca- 
rouses in  the  evening,  but  mopes  about 
the  next  day  like  one  half  dead. 

"  One  morning,  I  think  in  November, 
1769,  I  walked  out  by  myself  with  an  un- 
usual lead  of  guilt  upon  my  conscience. 
The  remembrance  of  my  sin,  not  only  oxk 


20 


MEMOIRS  OF    MR.    FULLER. 


the  past  evening,  but  for  a  long  time  back, 
the  breach  of  my  vows  and  the  shocking 
termination  of  my  former  hopes  and  af- 
fections, all  uniting  together,  formed  a 
burden  which  I  knew  not  liow  to  bear. 
The  reproaches  of  a  guilty  conscience 
seemed  like  the  gnawing  worm  of  hell. 
I  thought  surely  that  must  be  an  earnest 
of  hell  itself.  The  fire  and  brimstone  of  the 
bottomless  pit  seemed  to  burn  within  my 
bosom .  I  do  not  write  in  the  language  of 
exaggeration.  I  now  know  that  the  sense 
which  I  then  had  of  the  evil  of  sin  and  the 
wrath  of  God  was  very  far  short  of  the 
truth  ;  but  yet  it  seemed  more  than  I  was 
able  to  sustain.  In  reflecting  upon  my 
broken  vows,  I  saw  that  there  was  no 
truth  in  me.  I  saw  that  God  would  be 
perfectly  just  in  sending  me  to  hell,  and 
that  to  hell  I  must  go  unless  I  were  saved 
of  mere  grace,  and,  as  it  were,  in  spite  of 
myself.  I  felt  that,  if  God  were  to  for- 
give me  all  my  past  sins,  I  should  again 
destroy  my  soul,  and  that  in  less  than  a 
day's  time.  I  never  before  knew  what  it 
was  to  feel  myself  an  odious  lost  sinner, 
standing  in  need  of  both  pardon  and  puri- 
fication. Yet,  though  I  needed  these 
blessings,  it  seemed  presumption  to  hope 
for  them,  after  what  I  had  done.  I  was 
absolutely  helpless,  and  seemed  to  have 
nothing  al)out  me  that  ought  to  excite  the 
pity  of  God,  or  that  I  could  reasonably 
expect  should  do  so  ;  but  every  thing  dis- 
gusting to  him,  and  provoking  to  the  eyes 
of  his  glory.  '  What  have  I  done  1  Avhat 
must  I  do  V  These  were  my  inquiries, 
perhaps  ten  times  over.  Indeed  I  knew 
not  what  to  do  !  I  durst  not  promise 
amendment,  for  I  saw  that  such  promises 
were  self-deception.  To  hope  for  for- 
giveness in  the  course  that  I  was  in  was 
the  height  of  presumption  ;  and  to  think 
of  Christ,  after  having  so  basely  abused 
his  grace,  seemed  too  much.  So  I  had  no 
refuge.  At  one  moment  I  thought  of  giv- 
ing myself  up  to  despair.  '  I  may  (said  I 
within  myself)  even  return  and  take  my 
fill  of  sin ;  I  can  but  be  lost.'  This 
thought  made  me  shudder  at  myself!  My 
heart  revolted.  What,  thought  I,  give 
up  Christ  and  hope  of  heaven  !  Those 
lines  of  Ralph  Ersldne's  then  occuiTed  to 
my  mind — 

'But  say,  if  all  die  gusts 

And  grains  of  love  be  spent — 
Say,  farewell  Christ,  and  welcome  lusts — 

Stop,  stop  ;    I  melt,  I  faint.' 

I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  plunging 
myself  into  endless  ruin. 

"  It  is  difficult  at  this  distance  of  time 
to  recollect  with  precision  the  minute 
workings  of  my  mind  ;  but  as  near  as  I 
can  remember  I  was  like  a  man  drowning. 


looking  every  way  for  help,  or  rather 
catching  for  something  by  which  he  might 
save  his  life.  I  tried  to  find  whether 
there  were  any  hope  in  the  divine  mercy 
— any  in  the  Savior  of  sinners  ;  but  felt 
repulsed  l)y  the  thought  of  mercy  having 
been  so  basely  abused  already.  In  this 
state  of  mind,  as  I  was  moving  slowly  on, 
I  thought  of  the  resolution  of  Job, '  Though 
he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him.'  I 
paused,  and  repeated  the  words  over  and 
over.  Each  repetition  seemed  to  kin- 
dle a  ray  of  hope  mixed  with  a  deter- 
mination, if  I  might,  to  cast  my  perishing 
soul  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  sal- 
vation, to  be  both  pardoned  and  puri- 
fied ;  for  I  felt  that  I  needed  the  one  as 
much  as  the  other. 

"  I  was  not  then  aware  that  any  poor 
sinner  had  a  warrant  to  believe  in  Christ 
for  the  salvation  of  his  soul,  but  supposed 
there  must  be  some  kind  of  qualification 
to  entitle  him  to  do  it ;  yet  I  was  aware  I 
had  no  qualification.  On  a  review  of 
my  resolution  at  that  time,  it  seems  to 
resemble  that  of  Esther,  who  went  into 
the  king's  presence  contrary  to  the  law, 
and  at  the  hazard  of  her  life.  Like  her,  I 
seemed  reduced  to  extremities,  impelled 
by  dire  necessity  to  run  all  hazards,  even 
though  I  should  perish  in  the  attempt. 
Yet  it  was  not  altogether  from  a  dread  of 
wrath  that  I  fled  to  this  refuge  ;  for  I  well 
remember  that  I  felt  something  attracting 
in  the  Saviour.  I  must — I  will — yes,  I  will 
trust  my  soul — my  sinful  lost  soul  in  his 
hands.  If  I  perish,  I  perish.  However 
it  was,  I  was  determined  to  cast  myself 
upon  Christ,  thinking  peradventure  he 
would  save  my  soul ;  and,  if  not,  I  could 
but  be  lost.  In  this  way  I  continued 
above  an  hour,  weeping  and  supplicating 
mercy  for  the  Saviour's  sake  (my  soul 
hath  it  still  in  remembrance,  and  is  hum- 
bled in  me) :  and,  as  the  eye  of  the  mind 
was  more  and  more  fixed  upon  him,  my 
guilt  and  fears  were  gradually  and  insen- 
sibly removed. 

"  I  noAv  found  rest  for  my  ti'oubled  soul ; 
and  I  reckon  that  I  should  have  found  it 
sooner,  if  I  had  not  entertained  the  no- 
tion of  my  having  no  warrant  to  come 
to  Christ  without  some  previous  quali- 
fication. This  notion  was  a  bar  that 
kept  me  back  for  a  time,  though  through 
divine  drawings  I  was  enabled  to  over- 
leap it.  As  near  as  I  can  remember  in 
the  early  part  of  these  exercises,  when 
I  subscribed  to  the  justice  of  God  in  my 
condemnation,  and  thought  of  the  Saviour 
of  sinners,  I  had  then  relinquished  every 
false  confidence,  believed  my  help  to  be 
only  in  him,  and  approved  of  salvation  by 
grace  alone  through  his  death  ;  and,  if  at 
that  time  I  had  known   that  any  poor  sin- 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


21 


ner  mis^ht  warrantably  have  trusted  in  him 
for  salvation,  I  conceive  I  should  have 
done  so,  and  have  found  rest  to  my  soul 
sooner  than  I  did.  I  mention  this  because 
it  may  be  the  case  Avilh  others,  who  may 
be  kept  in  darkness  and  despondency  l)y 
erroneous  views  of  the  gospel  much  longer 
than  I  was. 

"  I  think  also  I  did  repent  of  my  sin  in 
tlie  early  part  of  these  exercises,  and  be- 
fore I  thought  that  Christ  would  accept 
and  save  my  soul.  I  conceive  that  justi- 
fying God  in  my  condemnation,  and  ap- 
proving the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ,  necessarily  included  it  ;  but  yet  I 
did  not  think  at  the  time  that  this  was  re- 
pentance, or  any  thing  truly  good.  In- 
deed I  thought  nothing  about  the  exer- 
cises of  my  own  mind,  but  merely  of  my 
guilty  and  lost  condition,  and  whether 
there  were  any  hope  of  escape  for  me. 
But,  having  found  rest  for  my  soul  in  the 
cross  of  Christ,  I  was  now  conscious  of 
my  being  the  subject  of  repentance,  faith, 
and  love.  When  I  thought  of  my  past 
life,  I  abhorred  myself,  and  repented  as  in 
dust  and  ashes  ;  and,  when  I  thought  of 
the  gospel  way  of  salvation,  I  drank  it  in, 
as  cold  water  is  imbibed  by  a  thirsty  soul. 
My  heart  felt  one  with  Christ,  and  dead 
to  every  other  object  around  me.  I  had 
thought  I  had  found  the  joys  of  salvation 
heretofore  ;  but  now  I  knew  I  had  found 
them,  and  was  conscious  that  I  had  pass- 
ed from  death  unto  life.  Yet  even  now 
my  mind  was  not  so  engaged  in  reflecting 
upon  my  own  feelings  as  upon  the  object 
which  occasioned  them. 

"  From  this  time,  my  former  wicked 
courses  were  forsaken.  I  had  no  man- 
ner of  desire  after  them.  They  lost  their 
influence  upon  me.  To  those  evils,  a 
glance  at  which  before  would  have  set 
my  passions  in  a  flame,  I  now  felt  no  in- 
clination. My  soul,  said  I,  with  joy  and 
triumph,  is  as  a  weaned  child  !  I  now 
knew  experimentally  what  it  was  to  be 
dead  to  the  world  by  the  cross  of  Christ, 
and  to  feel  an  habitual  determination  to 
devote  my  future  life  to  God  my  Saviour, 
and  from  this  time  considered  the  vows  of 
God  as  upon  me. 

"  In  recollecting  the  early  exercises  of 
my  mind,  I  see  a  great  difference  between 
respect  and  love.  I  never  knew  the  time 
when  I  did  not  respect  good  men  ;  but  I 
did  not  always  love  them  for  Christ's  sake. 
There  was  one  poor  man  in  particular, 
who  used  to  travel  about  three  miles  on  a 
Lord's  day  morning  to  worship,  and,  as  I 
often  attended  at  the  same  place,  I  was 
frequently  very  eager  to  get  his  company. 
I  have  run  miles  to  overtake  him,  though 
when  I  was  with  him  I  had  nothing  to  say. 
In  the  autumn  of  this  year  he  became  my 


faiacr's  thresher,  and  I  was  delighted  on 
account  of  it,  though  I  scarcely  knew  for 
what  reason.  My  mind  was  now  at  rest 
in  Christ ;  yet  I  had  never  sjtoken  to  any 
one  on  the  subject,  nor  did  I  think  of  do- 
ing so  for  the  present.  But  wlictlicr  the 
threslier  perceived  some  alteration  in  me 
as  I  went  about  my  business,  or  how  it 
was,  I  know  not,  he  talked  to  me  rather 
freely,  and  I  told  him  all  my  heart.  After 
this,  other  Christians  conversed  with  me, 
and  invited  me  to  their  prayer-meetings, 
and  I  engaged  with  them  in  prayer,  and 
other  religious  exercises.  It  was  in  this 
accidental  way,  and  not  from  my  own  in- 
tention, that  i  became  known  among  se- 
rious people.  But,  having  opened  my 
mind  to  tlic  thresher,  I  often  visited  him  in 
the  barn  ;  and,  because  I  hindered  him  in 
his  work,  I  made  it  up  by  threshing  for 
him  sometimes  for  an  hour  or  two  to- 
gether. 

"  From  the  month  of  November,  1769, 
I  had  entirely  bi-oken  off  all  my  ungodly 
connections  and  courses  ;  yet,  being  a  boy 
under  sixteen,  I  found  at  times  boyish  in- 
clinations and  strong  struggles  of  mind 
respecting  youthful  follies.  At  Shrove- 
tide, in  particular,  when  the  young  men 
met  together,  and  practised  various  ath- 
letic exercises,  their  shouts,  which  were 
witliin  my  hearing,  would  throw  me  into 
agitations  which  rendered  me  very  un- 
happy. But  my  good  friend,  the  thresher, 
warned  me  tenderly  and  solemnly  to  keep 
out  of  the  way  of  temptation,  and  I  was 
enabled,  though  with  some  difficulty,  to 
follow  his  counsel.  As  the  spring  of  1770 
came  on,  the  young  people  of  the  town,  as 
usual,  would  meet  every  evening  for 
youthful  exercises.  This  w^as  especially 
the  case  at  the  wake  or  feast ;  and,  though 
I  always  kept  at  a  distance,  yet  I  found 
such  times  very  ensnaring  to  mv  mind. 
To  avoid  this,  I  began  a  practice  which  I 
continued  with  great  peace  and  comfort 
for  several  years.  Whenever  a  feast  or 
holiday  occurred,  instead  of  sitting  at 
home  by  mvself,  I  went  to  a  neighboring 
'••Hage  10  visit  some  Christian  friends,  and 
returned  when  all  was  over.  By  this  step 
I  was  delivered  from  those  mental  partici- 
pations in  folly  w^hich  had  given  me  so 
much  uneasiness.  Thus  the  seasons  of 
temptation  became  to  me  times  of  re- 
freshing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

"In  March,  1770,  I  witnessed  the  bap- 
tizing of  two  young  persons,  having  never 
seen  that  ordinance  administered  before, 
and, was  considerably  affected  by  what  I 
saw  and  heard.  The  solemn  immersion 
of  a  person,  on  a  profession  of  faith  in 
Christ,  carried  such  a  conviction  with  it 
that  I  wept  like  a  child  on  the  occasion. 
The  words  of  the  Psalmist,  in  Psal.  cxi. 


22 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.     FULLER. 


10,  'A  good  understanding  have  all  they 
that  do  his  commandments,'  left  a  deep 
and  abiding  impression  on  my  mind.  I 
was  fully  persuaded  that  this  was  the 
primitive  way  of  baptizing,  and  that  every 
Christian  was  bound  to  attend  to  this  in- 
stitution of  our  blessed  Lord.  About  a 
month  after  this  I  was  baptized  myself, 
and  joined  the  church  at  Soham,  being 
then  turned  of  sixteen  years  of  age. 

"  Within  a  day  or  two  after  I  had 
been  baptized,  as  I  was  riding  through 
the  fields,  I  met  a  company  of  young  men. 
One  of  them  especially,  on  my  having 
passed  them,  called  after  me  in  very  abu- 
sive language,  and  cursed  me  for  having 
been  '  dipped.'  My  heart  instantly  rose 
in  a  way  of  resentment ;  but,  though  the 
fire  burned,  I  held  my  peace  ;  for  before  I 
uttered  a  word  I  was  checked  with  this 
passage,  which  occurred  to  my  mind,  '  In 
the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation.'  I 
wept,  and  entreated  the  Lord  to  pardon 
me  ;  feeling  quite  willing  to  bear  the  ridi- 
cule of  the  wicked,  and  to  go  even  through 
great  tribulation,  if  at  last  I  might  but  en- 
ter the  kingdom.  In  this  tender  frame  of 
mind  I  rode  some  miles,  thinking  of  the 
temptations  I  might  have  to  encounter. 
Amongst  others,  I  was  aware  of  the  dan- 
ger of  being  drawn  into  any  acquaintance 
with  the  other  sex,  which  might  prove 
injurious  to  my  spiritual  welfare.  While 
poring  over  these  things,  and  fearful  of 
falling  into  the  snares  of  youth,  I  was  led 
to  think  of  that  passage,  '  In  all  thy  ways 
acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy 
paths.'  This  made  me  weep  for  joy  ;  and 
lor  forty-five  years  I  have  scarcely  enter- 
ed on  any  serious  engagement  without 
thinking  oi'  these  words,  and  entreating 
divine  direction.  I  have  been  twice  mar- 
ried, and  twice  settled  as  the  pastor  of  a 
church  ;  which  were  some  of  the  leading 
ways  in  which  I  had  to  acknowledge  the 
Lord  :  and  in  each,  when  over,  I  could 
say,  as  Psalm  cxix.  26,  '  My  ways  have 
I  declared,  and  thou  heardest  me.' 

"  In  reviewing  the  early  years  of  my 
life,  I  see  much  ignorance,  vanity  and 
folly.  I  feel  the  force  of  Paul's  consider- 
ing the  terms  carnal,  and  babes  in  Christ, 
as  synonymous.  But,  amidst  all  my 
youthful  follies  and  sins,  I  bless  God 
that  I  was  always  kept  from  any  unbe- 
coming freedom  with  the  other  sex,  or  at- 
tempting to  engage  the  affections  of  any 
female,  except  with  a  view  to  mar- 
riage. 

"  The  summer  of  1770  was  a  tinie  of 
great  religious  pleasure.  I  loved  my  pas- 
tor, and  all  my  brethren  in  the  church  ; 
and  they  expressed  great  aifeetion  to- 
wards me  in  return.  I  esteemed  the 
righteous  as  the  excellent  of  the  earth,  in 


whom  was  all  my  delight.  Those  who 
knew  not  Christ  seemed  to  me  almost 
another  species,  towards  whom  I  was  in- 
capable of  attachment.  About  this  time 
I  formed  an  intimacy  with  a  Mr.  Joseph 
Diver,  a  wise  and  good  man,  who  had 
been  baptized  with  me.  He  was  about 
forty  years  of  age,  and  had  lived  many 
years  in  a  very  recluse  way,  giving  him- 
self much  to  reading  and  reflection.  He 
had  a  great  delight  in  searching  after  truth, 
which  rendered  his  conversation  peculiar- 
ly interesting  to  me ;  nor  was  he  less  de- 
voted to  universal  practical  godliness.  I 
account  this  connexion  one  of  the  greatest 
blessings  in  my  life.  Notwithstanding  the 
disparity  as  to  years,  we  loved  each  other 
like  David  and  Jonathan.  My  life  this 
summer  resembled  the  description  given 
by  Dr.  Watts  :— 

'  The  day  glides  swiftly  o'er  tlieir  heads. 
Made  up  of  innocence  and  love; 
And  soft  and  silent  as  the  shades. 
Their  nightly  minutes  gently  move.' 

But  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  an 
unhappy  affair  occurred  in  the  church, 
which  occasioned  a  breach  between  our 
pastor,  Mr.  Eve,  and  the  people,  whicli 
terminated  in  his  leaving  them  ;  and,  what 
rendered  it  the  more  afflicting  to  rae,  I 
was  much  concerned  in  it.  The  case  was 
this  :  one  of  the  members  having  been 
guilty  of  drinking  to  excess,  I  was  one  of 
the  first  who  knew  of  it.  I  immediately 
went  and  talked  to  him,  as  well  as  I  could, 
on  the  evil  of  his  conduct.  His  answer 
was  '  He  could  not  keep  himself  :  and  that 
though  I  bore  so  hard  on  him,  I  was  not 
my  own  keeper.'  At  this  I  felt  indignant, 
considering  it  as  a  base  excuse.  I  there- 
fore told  him  that  he  could  keep  himself 
from  such  sins  as  these,  and  that  his  way 
of  talking  was  merely  to  excuse  what  was 
inexcusable.  I  knew  not  what  else  to  say 
at  that  time  ;  yet  the  idea  of  arrogating  to 
be  my  own  keeper  seemed  too  much.  He, 
however,  was  offended,  and  told  me  that 
I  was  young,  and  did  not  know  the  deceit- 
fulness  of  my  own  heart.  Well,  I  went 
and  told  my  pastor,  who  highly  commend- 
ed me,  and  said,  '  We  certainly  could 
keep  ourselves  from  open  sins.  We  had 
no  power,'  he  observed,  '  to  do  things 
spiritually  good  ;  but,  as  to  outward  acts, 
we  had  power  both  to  obey  the  will  of 
God  and  to  disobey  it. 

"  The  business  soon  came  before  the 
church,  and  the  offender  was  unanimously 
excluded  :  the  excuse  which  he  had 
made,  too,  was  considered  by  all,  I  believe, 
as  an  aggravation  of  his  offence.  But, 
this  affair  being  disposed  of,  the  abstract 
question  of  the  power  of  sinful  men  to  do 
the  ivill  of  God,   and  to   keep   themselves 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


23 


from  sin,  was  taken  up  by  some  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  churcli,  amongst 
whom  was  my  friend  Josej)h  Diver. 
They  readily  excused  me,  as  being  a  babe 
in  religion  ;  but  thougiit  the  pastor  ought 
to  have  known  better,  and  to  have  been 
able  to  answer  the  offender  without  be- 
traying the  truth.  They  alleged  that  the 
greatest  and  best  of  characters,  as  record- 
ed in  Scripture,  never  arrogated  to  them- 
selves the  power  of  keeping  tiicmselves 
from  evil,  but  constantly  prayed  for  keep- 
ing giace  ;  that,  were  it  not  for  the  re- 
straining goodness  and  constraining  grace 
of  God,  earth  would  be  a  hell,  and  the 
best^of  men  incarnate  devils  ;  in  short,  that 
though  we  are  altogellier  blameworthy 
for  our  evil  propensities,  yet,  if  they  were 
restrained  or  conquered,  it  was  altogether 
to  be  ascribed  to  God,  and  not  to  us.  To 
support  these  ideas,  they  alleged  the 
prayers  of  the  faithful  to  be  kept  from 
evil,  even  from  presumptuous  sins,  Ps. 
xix.  43  ;  the  declaration  of  the  prophet, 
that  '  the  way  of  man  is  not  in  himself : 
it  is  not  in  him  that  walketh  to  direct  his 
steps,'  Jer.  x.  23  ;  the  case  of  Hezekiah, 
whom  the  Lord  left,  that  he  might  try 
him,  that  he  might  know  all  that  was  in 
his  heart,  2  Chron.  xxxii.  31  ;  and  the  ac- 
knowledgments of  such  men  as  John  Brad- 
ford the  martyr,  who,  on  seeing  a  man  go 
to  be  publicly  executed,  said"'  There  goes 
John  Bradford  by  nature.' 

"  On  the  other  hand,  the  pastor  distin- 
guished between  internal  and  external 
power.  He  allowed  that  men  had  no 
power  of  themselves  to  perform  any  thing 
spiritually  good  ;  but  contended  that  they 
could  yield  external  obedience,  and  keep 
themselves  from  open  acts  of  sin.  In 
proof  of  this  he  alleged  a  great  number  of 
Scripture  exhortations  ;  asking,  If  we  had 
no  power  to  comply  with  them,  why  were 
they  given  us  1  The  opponents  did  not 
deny  our  being  exhorted  to  do  good  and 
to  avoid  evil,  nor  that  it  was  our  duty  to 
do  both  and  our  sin  to  act  otherwise  ;  but 
they  denied  that  this  implied  our  being 
sufficient  of  ourselves  to  do  any  thing, 
even  to  think  a  good  thought. 

"  In  these  disputes  I  continued  for 
some  time  on  the  side  of  my  pastor ; 
but  after  a  few  months  I  felt  difficulties 
on  the  subject  which  I  could  not  answer, 
and  which  rendered  me  unhappy.  I  per- 
ceived that  some  kind  of  power  was  ne- 
cessary to  render  us  accountable  beings. 
If  we  were  like  stocks  or  stones,  or  liter- 
ally dead,  like  men  in  a  burying  ground, 
we  could  with  no  more  propriety  than 
they  be  commanded  to  perform  any  duty  : 
if  we  were  mere  machines  there  could  be 
no  sin  chargeable  upon  us.  Yet,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  Scriptures  expressly  affirm 


that  '  the  way  of  man  is  not  in  himself,' 
and  represent  the  godly  as  crying  to  heav- 
en for  preservation  from  evil,  ascribing  all 
the  good  that  was  in  them  to  Him  who 
worketh  in  us  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  own 
good  pleasure.  I  prayed  much  and  labor- 
ed hard  to  solve  this  difficulty. 

"  My  worthy  friend  Joseph  Diver,  who 
sustained  a  high  character  for  wisdom  and 
integrity  would  reason  thus  with  me  : — 
'  We  ought  to  hate  evil,  and  love  the 
Lord  :  but  it  is  the  grace  of  God  alone 
that  can  make  us  what  we  ought  to  be.' 
He  would  often  speak  of  the  equity  of  the 
divine  requirements  in  the  words  of  Da 
vid,  '  I  esteem  all  thy  precepts  in  all 
things  to  be  right ;  and  I  hate  every  false 
way.'  And  again,  '  Thou  hast  commanded 
us  that  we  should  keep  thy  precepts  dili- 
gently :  O  that  my  ways  were  directed  to 
keep  thy  statutes  !'  '  Thus  it  is,'  said  he, 
'  that  we  should  turn  every  precept  into  a 
prayer,  instead  of  ini'erring  from  it  a  suf- 
ficiency in  ourselves  to  conform  to  it.  All 
our  conformity  to  the  divine  precepts  is  of 
grace:  it  will  never  do  to  argue  from  our 
obligations  against  our  dependence,  nor 
from  our  dependence  on  grace  against  our 
obligations  to  duty.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
restraining  goodness  and  preserving  grace 
of  God,  we  should  be  a  kind  of  devils, 
and  earth   would   resemble  hell.' 

"In  October,  1771,  our  pastor,  Mr. 
Eve,  left  us.  I  loved  him,  and  he  loved 
me,  and  took  it  hard  that  I  had  in  some 
respects  changed  my  views.  I  learned  af- 
terwards that  he  had  entertained  thoughts 
of  me  as  being  formed  for  the  ministry, 
but  this  contention  damped  his  hopes  on 
that  subject.  He  settled,  when  he  left 
Soham,  with  a  people  at  Wisbeach.  I 
never  look  back  upon  these  contentions 
but  with  strong  feelings.  They  were  to 
me  the  wormwood  and  the  gall  of  my 
youth  :  my  soul  hath  them  still  in  remem- 
brance, and  is  humbled  in  me.  But 
though,  during  these  unpleasant  disputes, 
there  were  many  hard  thoughts  and  hard 
words  on  almost  all  hands,  yet  they  were 
ultimately  the  means  of  leading  my  mind 
into  those  views  of  divine  truth  which 
have  since  appeared  in  the  principal  part 
of  my  writings.  They  excited  me  to  read 
and  think,  and  pray,  with  more  earnest- 
ness than  I  should  have  done  without 
them  :  and,  if  I  have  judged  or  written 
to  any  advantage  since,  it  was  in  conse- 
quence of  what  I  then  learned  by  bitter 
experience,  and  in  the  midst  of  many 
tears  and  temptations.  God's  way  is  in 
the  deep. 

"About  this  time  I  met  with  a  passage  in 
Dr.  Gill  (I  think  it  was  in  his  Cause  of  God 
and  Truth),  in  which  he  distinguished  be- 
tween a  thing  being  '  in  the  power  of  our 


24 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    PULLER. 


hand,  and  in  the  power  of  our  heart.' 
This,  thought  I,  is  the  clue  to  our  dispute. 
Every  man  has  it  in  the  power  of  his  hand 
to  do  good  and  abstain  from  evil ;  and  this 
it  is  wliich  makes  us  accountable  beings. 
We  can  do,  or  forbear  to  do,  this  and 
that,  if  we  have  a  mind  ;  but  many  have 
not  a  mind,  and  none  would  have  such 
a  mind  but  for  the  restraining  goodness 
or  constraining  grace  of  God.  We  have 
it  in  the  power  of  our  hands  to  do  good, 
but  we  are  disposed  to  do  evil,  and  so  to 
do  good  is  not  naturally  in  the  power  of 
our  hearts. 

"  It  was  some  time  after  this  that  I 
became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Robert  Hall 
of  Arnsby,  who,  in  conversation  on  the 
subject,  recommended  Edwards  on  the 
Will.  On  reading  this  work,  and  some 
other  pieces  on  physical  and  moral  im- 
potence, I  saw  the  same  things  clearly 
stated,  in  other  words,  which  I  had  learn- 
ed by  bitter  experience. 

"Mr.  Eve  having  removed,  and  the 
church  being  divided  into  parties,  it  was 
thought  by  some  that  we  should  be  dis- 
solved ;  and  I  went  several  Lord's-days 
to  hear  an  Independent  ministci  in  the 
neighborhood.  Those  members,  however, 
who  were  of  one  mind,  and  who  formed 
the  majority,  met  together  on  Lord's- 
days  ;  and  having  no  minister,  and  being 
situated  too  far  from  other  Baptist 
churches  to  get  supplies,  they  carried  on 
the  worship  by  singing,  prayer,  reading, 
and  expounding  the  Scriptures.  They 
also  appointed  a  day  for  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  invited  all  the  meml)ers  to  unite  in  it. 
I  went  to  this  meeting,  and  from  that 
time  continued  to  assemble  with  them. 
My  friend  Joseph  Diver  was  at  that  time 
chosen  to  be  Deacon  ;  and,  having  some 
talent  for  expounding  the  Scriptures,  he 
used,  at  the  request  of  the  church,  to 
take  up  a  part  of  every  Lord's-day  in 
that  exercise. 

"As  the  disputes  in  the  church  were 
the  occasion  of  turning  my  thoughts  to 
most  of  those  subjects  on  which  I  have 
since  written,  so  were  they  the  occasion 
of  my  engaging  in  the  Christian  ministry. 

"  In  November,  1771,  as  I  was  riding 
out  on  business,  on  a  Saturday  morning, 
to  a  neighboring  village,  my  mind  fell  in- 
to a  train  of  interesting  and  affecting 
thoughts,  from  that  passage  of  Scripture, 
'  Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night ;  but 
joy  Cometh  in  the  morning.'  I  never  had 
felt  such  freedom  of  mind  in  thinking  on 
a  divine  subject  before  ;  nor  do  I  recol- 
lect ever  having  had  a  thought  of  the  min- 
istry, but  1  then  felt  as  if  I  could  preach 
from  it,  and  indeed  I  did  preach  in  a  man- 
ner as  I  rode  along.  I  thought  no  more 
of  it,  however,  but  returned  home  when 


I  had  done  my  business.  In  the  after- 
noon of  tlie  same  day,  I  went  to  meet  my 
mother,  who  had  been  to  London,  to  see 
her  mother,  who  was  then  very  unwell. 
As  we  rode  a  few  miles  together,  she 
told  me  she  had  been  thinking  much 
about  me  while  in  town,  and  added,  '  My 
dear,  you  have  often  expressed  your  wish 
for  a  trade  ;  I  have  talked  with  your  un- 
cle at  Kensington  about  it,  and  he  has 
procured  a  good  place  in  the  city,  where, 
instead  of  paying  a  premium,  you  may, 
if  you  give  satisfaction,  in  a  little  time 
receive  wages,  and  learn  the  business.  I 
thought,  (continued  she)  that  as  we  had 
now  lost  the  gospel,  and  perhaps  shall 
never  have  it  again,  you  could  have  no 
reason  for  wishing  to  continue  here.  In 
London  you  can  hear  the  gospel  in  its  pu- 
rity.' That  which  my  mother  suggested 
was  very  true  ;  I  had  always  been  inclined 
to  trade  ;  but,  hoAv  it  was  I  cannot  tell, 
my  heart  revolted  at  the  proposal  at  (his 
time.  It  Avas  not  from  any  desire  or 
thought  of  the  ministry,  nor  any  thing 
else  in  particular,  unless  it  were  a  feeling 
towards  the  little  scattered  society  of 
which  I  was  a  member,  a  kind  of  linger- 
ing to  see  what  would  become  of  the  city. 
I  said  but  little  to  my  mother,  but  seem- 
ed to  wish  for  time  to  consider  of  it.  This 
was  Saturday  evening. 

"  The  ne>iT  morning,  as  I  was  walking 
by  myself  to  meeting,  expecting  to  hear 
the  brethren  pray,  and  my  friend  Joseph 
Diver  expound  the  Scriptures,  I  was  met 
by  one  of  the  members  whom  he  had  re- 
quested to  see  me,  who  said,  '  Brother 
Diver  has  by  accident  sprained  his  ancle, 
and  cannot  be  at  meeting  to-day ;  and 
he  wishes  me  to  sa)'  to  you,  that  he  hopes 
the  Lord  will  be  with  you.'  '  The  Lord 
be  with  me  .' '  thought  I,  '  what  does 
brother  Diver  mean  1  He  cannot  sup- 
pose that  I  can  take  his  place,  seeing  I 
have  never  attempted  any  thing  of  the 
kind,  nor  been  asked  to  do  so.  It  then 
occurred,  however,  that  I  had  had  an  in- 
teresting train  of  thought  the  day  before, 
and  had  imagined  at  the  time  I  could 
speak  it,  if  I  were  called  to  it.  But  though 
I  had  repeatedly  engaged  in  prayer  pub- 
licly, yet  I  had  never  been  requested  to 
attempt  any  thing  further,  and  therefore  I 
thought  no  more  of  it. 

"We  walked  on  to  the  meeting,  and  took 
our  places,  when,  after  singing,  one  of  the 
brethren  went  to  prayer.  After  which, 
the  eldest  deacon  asked  me  if  I  would 
read  some  part  of  the  Scriptures,  and,  if  I 
found  liberty,  drop  any  remarks  as  I  went 
on,  which  might  occur.  At  first  I  was 
startled,  but,  conscious  of  what  had  passed 
in  my  mind  the  day  before,  I  thought  as 
brother  Diver  was  absent  it  might  be  my 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


25 


duty  to  try,  and  therefore  making  no  ob- 
jections,   which    as    it    appeared    to    ine 
would  have  l)ecn  mere  aflcctation,   I   rose 
and  spoke  from  Psalm  xxx.  5,  for  about 
half  an  hour,  with  considerable  freedom. 
After  this  I  was  asain  invited  by   brother 
Diver  to  speak,  and  I  did  so  ;  but,  not  en- 
joying  that   lil>erty  whch   I  did   the  first 
time  I  was  discouraged,  and,  though  fre- 
quently asked,  declined  all  such  exercises 
for  more  than  a  year.     But  early  in  1773, 
I  think  it  was,  brother  Diver  was  absent 
again  through  an  affliction,  and  I  was  in- 
vited once  more  to  take  his  place.     Being 
induced  to   renew  the   attempt,   I   spoke 
froiji  those  words  of  our  Lord,  '  The  Son 
of  Man  came  to  seek  and  save  that  which 
is  lost.'     On  this  occasion,  I  not  only  felt 
greater  freedom  than  I  had  ever  found  be- 
fore, but  the  attention  of  the  people  was 
fixed,  and  several   young  persons  in  the 
congre;gation    were    impressed    with    the 
subject,  and  afterwards  joined  the  church. 
"  From  this  time  the   brethren  seemed 
to  entertain  an  idea  of  my  engaging  in  the 
ministry,    nor     was    I     Avithout     serious 
thoughts  of  it  myself.     Sometimes  I  felt  a 
desire  after  it  :   at  other  times  I  was  much 
discouraged,    especially    through   a    con- 
sciousness of  my  want  of    spirituality  of 
mind,  which  I  considered  as  a  qualification 
of  the  first  importance.     As  to  other  qual- 
ifications, it  certainly  would  have  been  of 
great  use  to  me,  if  for  a  few  years  I   had 
had  the  instructions  of  some  father  in  the 
ministry  ;  and  I  have  often  since  regretted 
that  from  1771  to  1774,  I  lived  to  so  little 
purpose.    But  none,  of  my  connexions  had 
any  idea  of  the  kind,  and,  being  conscious 
of  knowing  about  as  much  as  those  around 
me,  I  myself  thought  nothing  of  it.     At 
one  time  when  seriously  reflecting  on  my 
own  defects  and  insufficiency,  I  was  great- 
ly relieved  and  encouraged   by  that  pas- 
sage, Psa.  Ixxxiv.   11  T' The    Lord  will 
give  grace  and  glory.'     It  was  now  usual 
for  my  friend  Diver  to  speak  on  one  part 
of  the  Lord's-day,  and  for  me  to  be  en- 
gaged the  other;  and  these  exercises  ap- 
peared to  be  blessed  to  several  young  peo- 
ple who  afterwards  joined  the  church. 

"  In  January,  1,774,  an  elderly  lady,  a 
member  of  the  church,  died,  and  left  a  re- 
quest that,  if  the  church  did  not  think  it 
disorderly,  I  might  be  allowed  to  preach 
a  funeral  sermon  on  the  occasion.  As 
the  members  were  nearly  of  one  mind  re- 
specting me,  they  agreed  to  set  apart  the 
twenty-sixth  of  that  month,  which  was 
previous  to  the  funeral,  for  fasting  and 
prayer,  and  they  then  called  me  Xo  the 
ministry.  From  that  time  I  exercised 
from  the  pulpit. 

"  Being  now  devoted  to  the  ministry,  I 
took  a  review  of  the   doctrine  I   should 
VOL.    I.  4 


preach,  and  spent  pretty  much  of  my 
time  in  reading  and  in  making  up  my 
mind  as  to  various  things  relative  to  the 
gospel.  Impressed  with  the  importance 
of  the  connexions  I  should  probably  form 
in  a  few  years,  both  as  a  man  and  as  a 
minister,  to  my  future  happiness  and  use- 
fulness, I  earnestly  i)esought  the  Lord  to 
be  my  guide  ;  and  those  words  in  Prov. 
iii.  G,  were  very  sweet  to  me,  '  In  all  thy 
ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  di- 
rect thy  paths.'  In  most  of  the  important 
turns  of  my  life,  I  have  thought  of  that 
passage  with  renewed  tenderness,  as  one 
would  think  of  a  friendly  hint  given  him 
in  early  life,  and  make  it  a  rule  of  con- 
duct. 

"Settling  in  a  town  where  I  had  lived 
from  the  age  of  six  years,  I  could  not  ex- 
pect to  be  much  respected  by  the  inhabit- 
ants. In  this,  however,  I  had  no  occa- 
sion to  complain.  I  had,  indeed,  more 
respect  shown  me  than  I  looked  for; 
partly  owing  to  the  prevalence  of  an  opin- 
ion when  I  was  at  school,  of  my  being 
more  learned  than  my  master  ;  an  opinion 
which  I  am  certain  was  far  from  being 
true.  But  it  indicated  a  partiality  in  my 
favor,  which  perhaps  was  of  some  use  in 
leading  people  to  hear  the  word. 

"With  respect  to  the  system  of  doc- 
trine which  I  had  been  used  to  hear  from 
my  youth,  it  was  in  the   high  Calvinistic, 
or  rather  hyper  Calvinistic  "strain,  admit- 
ting nothing  spiritually  good  to  be  the  du- 
ty of  the  unregenerate,  and  nothing  to  be 
addressed  to  them  in  a  way  of  exhorta- 
tion, excepting  what  related  to  external 
obedience.       Outward   services   might  be 
required,   such    as  an  attendance  on  the 
means  of^  grace,  and  abstinence  from  gross 
evds  might  be  enforced  ;  but  nothing"  was 
said  to  them  from  the  pulpit,  in  the  way  of 
warning  them  to  tlee  from   the  wrath  to 
come,  or  inviting  them  to  apply  to   Christ 
for  salvation,  and  though  our  late  dis})utes 
had  furnished   me  with   some  few  princi- 
ples inconsistent  with  these  notions,  yet  I 
did    not   perceive  their   bearings  at  first, 
and  durst  not  for  some  years  address  an 
invitation   to   the  unconverted  to  come  to 
Jesus.    I  began,  however,  to  doubt  wheth- 
er I  had  got  the  truth  respecting  this  sub- 
ject.    This  view  of  things  didnot  com- 
port with  the  ideas  which  I  had  imbibed 
concerning  the  power  of  man  to   do  the 
will  of  God.     I  perceived  that  the  will  of 
God  was  not  confined  to  mere  outward  ac- 
tions, but  extended  to  the  ininost  thoughts 
and  intents  of  the  heart.     The  distinction 
of  duties,  therefore,  into  iiilernfil  and  ex- 
ternal, and  making  the  latter  only  concern 
the   unregenerate,  wore   a   suspicious  ap- 
pearance.    But   as   I   perceived  this  rea- 
soning would  affect  the  whole  tenor  of  my 


26 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


preaching,  I  moved  on  with  slow  and 
trembling  steps;  and,  having  to  feel  my 
way  out  of  a  labyrinth,  I  was  a  long  time 
ere  I  felt  satisfied. 

"  My  mind  was  frequently  diverted  to 
other  subjects  of  inquiry.  In  the  first 
year  of  my  ministry,  books  were  put  into 
my  hands  which  led  me  to  consider  cer- 
tain questions  in  divinity,  which  it  might 
easily  be  thought  were  improper  for 
me  at  the  age  of  twenty.  One  of  these, 
by  Mr.  Stockell,  was  on  the  pre-existence 
of  Chrisfs  human  soul,  before  he  was 
born  of  the  virgin.  Another,  by  Mr.  Al- 
len, was  on  the  SonsJnp  of  Christ,  or 
whether  the  character  of  the  only-begot- 
ten Son  of  God  would  ever  have  belong- 
ed to  him  if  he  had  not  been  the  son  of 
Mary  1  These  things  would  not  have  oc- 
cupied my  mind  had  they  not  been  sug- 
gested by  others.  Yet  I  have  reason  to 
thank  God  that  they  were  the  occasion  of 
fixing  my  judgment :  and  I  have  since 
perceived  that  every  thing  pertaining  to 
the  person  of  Christ  is  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary importance. 

"  As  to  the  pre-existence  of  Christ's  hu- 
man soul  it  seemed  to  me,  in  itself,  a 
strange  conceit,  and  such  as  I  should  never 
have  thought  of  in  reading  the  Scriptures. 
The  texts  on  which  it  was  founded  seem- 
ed to  be  forced  into  the  service,  especial- 
ly Prov.  viii.  and  Ps.  cxxxix.  15,  16 ; 
and  though  some  who  professed  to  believe 
in  the  divinity  of  Christ  were  partial  to 
the  notion,  yet  I  suspected  it  was  invent- 
ed to  undermine  that  important  doc- 
trine. It  is  true,  this  notion  was  held  by 
Dr.  Watts,  and  I  examined  his  reasoning, 
but  without  obtaining  satisfaction.  In 
consequence  of  the  examination  I  made 
at  that  time,  I  was  enabled  afterwards  to 
repel  an  attack  from  a  company  of  minis- 
ters, who  were  warm  for  that  opinion. 
When  they  put  it  to  me,  I  offered  to  prove 
that  it  led  to  atheism,  or  relinquish  the 
argument.  They  accepted  my  offer.  I 
began  by  saying,  '  You  suppose  the  hu- 
man soul  of  Christ  to  be  a  party  in  the  ev- 
erlasting counsels  of  God  1  ' — '  Yes,  God 
could  not  take  counsel  with  himself,  for  a 
council  implies  more  than  one ;  but  God 
is  one.' — '  Yet  you  do  not  suppose  the 
soul  of  Christ  to  have  always  existed  1 
'No;  it  was  created,  and  therefore  could 
not  be  eternal.' — '  Then  you  must  suppose 
that,  till  the  gi-eat  God  had  a  creature 
to  take  counsel  with,  he  had  no  plan 
— prior  to  the  act  of  creation  he  was  with- 
out counsel,  without  plan,  without  design  ! 
But  a  being  without  plan,  purpose,  or  de- 
sign, is  not  God !  !  !  Thus  you  are  land- 
ed on  atheism.  The  truth  is,  God  never 
was  without  his  plan,  purpose,  or  design. 
By  applying,  too,  those  passages  of  Scrip- 


ture which  express  the  pre-existence  of 
Christ,  and  thereby  prove  his  divinity,  to 
the  pre-existence  of  his  human  soul,  you 
undermine  his  divinity,  and  favor  the  Ari- 
an  hypothesis.' 

"  Concerning  the  Sonship  of  Christ,  I 
had  more  hesitation.  I  conversed  upon  it 
with  my  friend  Diver,  who  was  favorable 
to  Mr.  Allen's  idea,  namely,  that  Christ  is 
called  the  Son  of  God,  not  as  a  divine 
person,  but  as  assuming  human  nature, 
and  being  both  God  and  man.  He,  how- 
ever, very  generously  advised  me  to  read 
the  New  Testament  with  an  eye  to  the 
question,  and  to  observe,  as  I  went  along, 
whether,  in  any  instances  where  Christ  is 
represented  as  the  Son  of  God,  it  re- 
spected him  as  a  divine  person  antecedent 
to  his  incarnation ;  and  whether  the 
scripture  name  for  Chist's  pre-incarnate 
person  was  not  the  Word  rather  than  the 
Son  of  God.  In  reading  and  thinking 
on  the  subject,  I  found  such  proof  as  quite 
satisfied  me  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God, 
antecedently  to  his  being  born  of  a  wo- 
man, and  that  in  calling  God  his  own  Fa- 
ther he  made  himself  equal  with  God. 
The  following  passages  appeared  to  me  to 
admit  of  no  other  fair  interpretation  than 
that  which  I  Avas  invited  to  reject: — John 
V.  18;  Gal.iv.  4;  Heb.  i.  8,  v.  8,  9  ;  and  1 
John  iii.  8.* — Had  I  not  been  initiated  into 
these  pi-inciples  at  an  early  period,  I 
should  not  have  been  able  to  write  the 
treatise  against  Socinianism,  which  I  have 
no  cause  to  regret  having  written. 

"Besides  these,  I  was  much  perplexed 
about  the  same  time  with  the  writings  of 
Mr.  John  Johnson,  of  Liverpool,  and  for 
some  time  favored  his  sentiments.  There 
was  something  imposing  in  his  manner,by 
which  a  young  and  inexperienced  reader 
is  apt  to  be  carried  away  :  my  pastor  had 
also  been  one  of  his  admirers.  His  de- 
nial of  God's  having  decreed  to  permit 
sin,  and  his  notion  of  the  purposes  of 
grace  being  executed  upon  the  elect,  even 
though  sin  had  never  intervened,  much  en- 
tangled me.  It  seemed  as  if  he  were 
concerned  to  vindicate  his  Creator  from 
being  the  author  of  sin;  and  in  this  view 
I  could  not  but  approve ;  but  on  the  other 
hand,  it  appeared  to  me  idle  to  speculate 
on  what  God  could  or  would  have  done 
concerning  his  elect,  if  sin  had  never  in- 
tervened, when  all  his  revealed  counsels 
went  on  the  supposition  of  its  existence  ; 
even  the  incarnation  of  his  Son  was  '  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.'  And  all 
the  grace  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  sup- 
posed the  intervention  of  sin  :  his  scheme, 
therefore,  appeared  to  have  no  foundation 

*  For  further  remarks  on  this  subject,  see  Index, 
Art.  Sonship  of  Christ. 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.     PULLER. 


27 


in  the  Scriptures.  And, respecting  the  de- 
cree to  permit  sin,  I  was  one  day  convers- 
ing with  a  friend  upon  it,  who  observed, 
'It  is  a  fact,  is  it  not,  that  God  has  per- 
mitted sin?  And  can  it  be  a  reproach  to 
his  character  that  he  shoukl  have  decreed 
to  do  what  he  has  done?' 

"Tiiis  remark  carried  conviction  to  my 
mind.  I  saw  (hat,  if  there  were  any  thing 
inconsistent  with  tlie  divine  perfections  in 
the  affair,  it  must  be  in  permitting  evil, 
and  not  in  the  decree  to  permit  it.  If  the 
one  were  right  the  other  coukl  not  be 
wrong,  unless  it  were  wrong  to  deter- 
mine to  do  what  is  right.  But  to  say  that 
it  is  wrong  for  God  to  permit  evil,  is  ei- 
ther to  arraign  the  divine  conduct  or  to 
maintain  that  evil  exists  without  being  per- 
mitted. I  perceived,  too,  ti\at  Mr.  John- 
son availed  himself  of  the  ambiguity  of  the 
word  permit,  and,  because  it  signifies  on 
some  occasions  to  give  leave,  would  have 
it  thought  that  God  could  not  be  said  to 
permit  it.  After  this  I  thought  but  little 
more  of  it,  but  rested  in  this.  The  Judge 
of  the  whole  earth  will  do  right. 

"In  reviewing  some  of  these  questions, 
which  occupied  my  attention  at  so  early  a 
period,  I  have  seen  reason  to  bless  God 
for  preserving  me  at  a  time  when  my 
judgment  was  so  immature.  When  I  have 
seen  the  zeal  which  has  been  expended  in 
maintaining  some  such  peculiarities,  I 
have  thought  it  a  pity.  Bunyan  would 
have  called  them  'nuts  which  spoil  the 
children's  teeth.'  They  have  appeared  to 
me  as  a  sort  of  spiritual  narcotics,  which, 
when  a  man  once  gets  a  taste  for  them, 
he  will  prefer  to  the  most  wholesome  food. 
It  was  in  recollection  of  these  things  that 
I  lately  wrote,  in  an  Essay  on  Truth,  as 
follows  : — 'A  man  who  chews  opium,  or 
tobacco,  may  prefer  it  to  the  most  whole- 
some food,  and  may  derive  from  it  pleas- 
ure, and  even  vigor  for  a  time;  but  his 
pale  countenance  and  delnlitated  consti- 
tution Avill  soon  bear  witness  to  the  folly 
of  spending  his  money  for  that  which  is 
not  bread.' 

"  In  the  spring  of  1775,  I  accepted  the 
invitation  of  the  church  at  Soham,  and 
was  ordained  their  pastor.  The  pastors 
of  the  other  churches,  who  attended  the 
ordination,  took  that  opportunity  to  in- 
quire into  the  controversy  wjiich  had  divi- 
ded us  from  our  former  minister,  and  re- 
quested me  to  state  the  difference.  Mr. 
Robert  Hall,  of  Arnsby,*  who  was  one  of 

*  This  great  and  excellent  man  was  tlie  father  of 
the  late  Robert  Hall,  A.  M.,  and  author  of  "  Help 
to  Zion's  Travellers,"  &c.  Mr.  Fuller  alluding  to 
the  commencement  of  his  acquaintance  with  him, 
obser\es,  "  He  came  seventy  miles  to  my  ordina- 
tion, and  continued  my  father  and  friend  till  his 
death." 


them,  expressed  his  satisfaction  in  the 
statement,  but  recommended  Edwards  on 
the  Will  to  my  careful  perusal,  as  the  most 
able  performance  on  the  power  of  man  to 
do  (lie  will  of  God.  Not  being  much  ac- 
quainted with  books  at  that  time,  I  con- 
founded the  work  of  Dr.  John  Edwards,  of 
Caml)ridge,  an  episcopalian  Calvinist,  en- 
titled Veritas  Redux  with  tliat  of  Jona- 
than Edwards,  of  New  England.  I  read 
the  former,  and  thought  it  a  good  book; 
but  it  did  not  seem  exactly  to  answer  Mr. 
Hall's  reconunendation.  Nor  was  it  till 
the  year  1777  that  I  discovered  my  mis- 
take. Meantime,  however,  I  was  greatly 
exercised  ui)on  the  subject,  and  upon  the 
work  of  the  Christian  ministry. 

"  The  principal  writings  with  which  I 
was  first  acquainted  were  tliose  of  Bun- 
yan, Gill,  and  Brine.  I  had  read  pretty 
much  of  Dr.  Gill's  Body  of  Divinity,  and 
from  many  parts  of  it  had  received  consid- 
erable instruction.  I  perceived,  however, 
that  the  system  of  Bunyan  was  not  the 
same  with  his  ;  for  that,  while  he  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  election  and  pre- 
destination, he  nevertheless  held  with  the 
free  offer  of  salvation  to  sinners  without 
distinction.  These  were  things  which  I 
then  could  not  reconcile,  and  therefore 
supposed  that  Bunyan,  though  a  great  and 
good  man,  was  not  so  clear  in  his  views  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  as  the  writers 
who  succeeded  him.  I  found,  indeed, 
the  same  things  in  all  the  old  writers  of 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries 
that  came  in  my  way.  They  all  dealt,  as 
Bunyan  did,  in  free  invitations  to  sinners, 
to  come  to  Christ  and  be  saved;  the  con- 
sistency of  which,  with  personal  election, 
I  could  not  understand.  It  is  true,  I  per- 
ceived the  Scriptures  abounded  with  ex- 
hortations and  invitations  to  sinners  ;  but 
I  supposed  there  must  be  two  kinds  of  ho- 
liness, one  of  which  was  possessed  by  man 
in  innocence,  and  was  binding  on  all  his 
posterity — the  other  derived  from  Christ, 
and  binding  only  on  his  people.  I  had  not 
yet  learned  that  the  same  things  which  are 
required  by  the  precepts  of  tlie  law  are 
bestowed  by  the  grace  of  the  gospel. 
Those  exhortations  to  repentance  and 
faith,  therefore,  which  are  addressed  in 
the  New  Testament  to  the  unconverted,  I 
supposed  to  refer  only  to  such  external 
repentance  and  faith  as  were  within  their 
powe»,  and  might  be  complied  with  with- 
out the  grace  of  God.  The  eflfect  of  these 
views  was,  that  I  had  very  little  to  say  to 
the  unconverted,  indeed  nothing  in  a  way 
of  exhortation  to  things  spiritually  good, 
or  certainly  connected  with  salvation. 

"But  in  the  autumn  of  1775,  being  in 
London,  I  met  with  a  pamphlet  by  Dr. 
Abraham  Taylor,  concerning   what*  was 


28 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


called  The  Modern  Question.  I  had  never 
seen  any  thing  relative  to  tliis  controversy 
before,  although  the  subject,  as  I  have 
stated,  had  occupied  my  thoughts.  I  was 
but  little  impressed  by  his  reasonings 
till  he  came  to  the  addi'esses  of  John  the 
Baptist,  Christ,  and  the  apostles,  which 
he  proved  to  be  delivered  to  the  ungodly, 
and  to  mean  spiritual  repentance  and  faith, 
inasmuch  as  they  were  connected  with 
the  remission  of  sins.  This  set  me  fast. 
I  read  and  examined  the  Scripture  pas- 
sages, and  the  more  I  read  and  thoua;ht 
the  more  I  doubted  the  justice  of  my  for- 
mer views. 

"  Aliout  the  same  time,  I  met  with  a 
sermon  by  Mr.  John  Martin,  from  Rom. 
X.  3,  On  the  Causes  and  Coiisequences  of 
not  submitting  to  the  Righteousness  of 
God.  The  drift  of  this  discourse,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  remember,  was  to  show 
that  submission  to  the  righteousness  of 
God  was  the  same  thing  for  substance  as 
believing  in  Christ  for  righteousness  ;  and 
that  non-submission  to  it  was  owing  to 
wilful  ignorance,  pride,  prejudice,  and 
unbelief.  I  was  equally  unable  to  answer 
this  reasoning  as  that  of  Dr.  Taylor,  and 
therefore  began  more  and  more  to  suspect 
that  my  views  had  been  anti-scrii)tural. 
I  was  very  unhappy.  I  read,  thought, 
and  prayed.  Sometimes  I  conversed  on 
these  subjects  with  my  friend  Joseph 
Diver,  and  some  others.  He  was  nearly 
as  much  at  a  loss  as  myself.  I  made  a 
point  however  of  not  introducing  the  ques- 
tion in  the  pulpit  till  my  judgment  was 
fixed. 

"  In'1776  I  became  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Sutcliff,  who  had  lately  come  to  Olney, 
and  soon  after  with  Mr.  John  Ryland, 
jun.,  then  of  Northampton.  In  them  I 
found  familiar  and  faithful  brethren  ;  and 
who  partly  by  reflection,  and  partly  by 
reading  the  writings  of  Edwards,  Bellamy, 
Brainerd,  &c.,  had  begun  to  doubt  of  the 
system  of  false  Calvinism  to  which  they 
had  been  inclined  when  they  first  entered 
on  the  ministry,  or  rather  to  be  decided 
against  it.  But,  as  I  lived  sixty  or  sev- 
enty miles  from  them,  1  seldom  saw  them, 
and  did  not  correspond  upon  the  subject. 
I  therefore  pursued  my  inquiries  by  my- 
self, and  wrote  out  the  substance  of  what 
I  afterwards  published  under  the  title  of 
The  Gospel  worthy  of  all  Acceptation  ;  or 
the  Obligations  of  Men  cordially  to  be- 
lieve ivhatever  God  makes  linown. 

"My  change  of  views  on  these  subjects 
never  abated  my  zeal  for  the  doctrine  of 
salvation  by  grace,  but  in  some  respects 
increased  it.  I  never  had  any  predilec- 
tion'^for  Arminianism,  which  appeared  to 
me  to  ascribe  the  difference  between  one 
sinnef  and  another,  not  to  the  grace  of 


God,  but  to  the  good  improvemnt  made 
of  grace  given  us  in  common  with  others. 
Yet  I  saw  those  whom  I  fliought  to  be 
godly  men,  both  among  Arminians  and 
high,  or,  as  I  now  accounted  them,  hyper 
Calvinists.  I  perceived  that  men's  char- 
acters were  not  always  formed  by  their 
avowed  principles  ;  that  we  may  hold  a 
sound  faith  without  its  having  such  hold  of 
us  as  to  form  our  spirit  and  conduct ;  that 
we  may  profess  an  erroneous  creed,  and 
yet  our  spirit  and  conduct  may  be  formed 
nearly  irrespective  of  it ;  in  short,  that 
there  is  a  difference  between  principles 
and  opinions  ;  the  one  are  the  actual  mov- 
ing causes  which  lie  at  the  root  of  action, 
the  other  often  float  in  the  mind  without 
being  reduced  to  practice." 

On  the  important  and  responsible  work 
of  the  ministry  Mr.  Fuller  entered  with 
that  humility  and  devotedness  which  it  de- 
mands, and  which  the  peculiar  exigences 
of  the  people  among  whom  he  labored 
called  for  in  no  ordinary  degree. 

Though  his  acceptance  of  the  pastorate 
added  somewhat  to  the  pressure  of  those 
theological  difficulties  by  which  his  early 
engagements  were  embarrassed,  as  giving 
to  them  more  of  a  practical  aspect,  it  had 
nevertheless  a  favorable  influence  on  their 
solution,  as  prompting  him  to  more 
vigorous  efforts  of  thought,  a  more  rigid 
examination  of  the  word  of  God,  and  more 
strenuous  applications  at  a  throne  of  grace, 
and  also  bringing  him  into  contact  with 
eminent  individuals  who,  like  himself,  were 
accustomed  to  pursue  inquiries  with  a 
view  to  a  practical  purpose,  and  whose 
means  of  information  had  been  more  ex- 
tensive than  his  own.  Owing  however  to 
the  distance  of  their  residence  from  his, 
as  well  as  to  the  independence  of  his  own 
mind,  they  might  be  said  to  have  done  lit- 
tle more  than  give  an  impetus  to  his 
thoughts,  of  which  they  were  afterwards 
happy  in  acknowledging  the  benefit. 

Among  the  investigations  which  occu- 
pied his  attention  at  this  period,  that  on 
the  subject  of  justification  was  not  the 
least  important.  The  following  record  of 
the  progress  of  his  mind  on  this  topic, 
written  in  1796,  may  not  be  uninterest- 
ing :— 

"  ^Vhen  I  first  set  out  in  the  ministry  I 
had  no  other  ideas  of  justification  than 
those  which  are  stated  by  Dr.  Gill. 
'Justification,'  he  says,  'may  be  distin- 
guished into  active  and  passive.  Active 
justification  is  the  act  of  God.  It  is  God 
that  justifieth.  Passive  justification  is 
the  act  of  God  terminating  on  the  con- 
science of  a  believer,  commonly  called  a 
transient  act  passing  upon  an  external  ob- 
ject.    The  former  is  an  act  internal  and 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


29 


eternal  taken  \ip  in  the  divine  mind  from 
eternity,  and  is  an  immanent  abiding  one 
in  it.  It  is,  as  Dr.  Ames  expresses  it,  a 
sentence  conceived  in  tiie  divine  mind  by 
the  decree  ofjustifying.' 

"In  his  Bod.  Div.  vol.  ii.  p.  797,  the 
doctor  speaks  of  justification  as  it  'ter- 
minates in  tiie  conscience  of  a  believer, 
and  which  (he  says)  the  Scriptures  style 
justification  by  faiih.' 

"  These,  till  within  a  few  years,  were  my 
views.  But,  thinking  over  these  subjects 
I  felt  dissatisfied  ;  I  felt  that  my  views  did 
not  quadrate  witli  the  Scriptures  ;  I  en- 
deavored, thereibre,  to  examine  the  mat- 
ter closely.  It  occurred  to  me  that,  what- 
ever disputes  had  arisen  on  this  subject, 
all  parties  that  I  had  read  were  agreed  in 
considering  justification  as  the  opposite  of 
condemnation.  I  found  this  idea  also 
plentifully  supported  by  the  Scriptures, 
Deut.  XXV.  1,  1  Kings  viii.  32,  Rom. 
viii.  33,  34  ;  I  therefore  set  myself  to 
examine — What  is  condemnationl  Is  it, 
said  I,  the  decree  of  God  finally  to  con- 
demn a  sinner  1  No  ;  for  every  unbe- 
liever, elect  or  non-elect,  is  under  con- 
demnation, John  iii.  18,  36  ;  '  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him.'  Believers  '  were 
by  nature  children  of  wrath,  even  as 
others;'  Saul,  therefore,  while  a  perse- 
cutor, was  a  child  of  wrath,  or  was  under 
condemnation;  yet  God  '  had  not  appoint- 
ed him  to  wrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ.' 

"  Hence  I  concluded,  if  condemnation 
be  not  the  decree  of  God  finally  to  con- 
demn,jnstification  is  not  the  decree  of  God 
finally  to  acquit.  It  also  appeared  to  me 
inconsistent  Avith  the  nature  of  things  to 
conceive  of  justification  as  Dr.  Ames  ex- 
presses it,  namely,  as  '  a  sentence  con- 
ceived in  the  divine  mind;'  for,  whatever 
purpose  may  be  conceived  in  a  judge's 
mind  in  favor  of  a  prisoner,  it  is  not  justi- 
fication till  it  is  declared  in  open  court. 

"  Further  :  does  condemnation,  said  I, 
consist  in  any  sense  or  persuasion  which 
a  sinner  possesses  that  he  shall  be  con- 
demned 1  No  ;  for  many  who  are  under 
condemnation  according  to  the  Scriptures 
have  no  such  persuasion,  but  the  reverse, 
as  was  the  case  with  the  Jews,  who  were 
persuaded  that  God  was  their  Father  while 
in  fact  they  were  of  their  father  the  devil : 
and  others,  who  are  not  under  condemna- 
tion according  to  the  Scriptures,  are  yet  at 
times  under  apprehension  that  they  are 
so.  But  if  condemnation,  continued  I, 
consists  not  in  a  sense  or  persuasion  that 


we  are  or  shall  be  condemned,  justifica- 
tion consists  not  in  a  sense  or  persuasion 
that  we  are  or  shall  be  justified. 

"  On  the  whole,  it  seemed  evident  that 
the  sentence  of  justification  was  neither 
a  purpose  in  the  di\ine  mind  nor  a  sense 
or  persuasion  in  the  human  mind.  The 
question  then  returned,  What  is  it  1  Still 
keeping  hold  of  my  clue,  I  proceeded  to 
inquire,  Is  not  condemnation  that  state  or 
condition  of  a  sinner  in  which,  accordino- 
to  the  revealed  will  of  God  in  his  holy 
law,  all  the  threatenings  and  curses  stand 
against  him  1  Is  it  not  the  same  thing 
as  a  l)eing  under  the  curse,  which  all  are 
who  are  of  the  works  of  the  law,  whether 
they  be  elect  or  non-elect  1  And,  if  so, 
is  not  justification  that  state  or  condition 
of  a  sinner  lieljeving  in  Jesus,  in  which, 
according  to  the  revealed  will  of  God  in 
the  gospel,  all  the  promises  and  blessings 
of  the  new  covenant  belong  to  him  "?  Isit 
not  the  same  thing  as  a  being  under  grace 
(Rom.  vi.  14),  and  which  is  true  only  of 
believers  1  The  sentence  of  justification 
is  not  a  revelation  or  manifestation  of 
something  to  the  mind  which  was  true 
before,  though  unknown  to  the  party; 
but  consists  of  the  voice  of  God,  in  the 
gospel,  declaring  that  whosoever  believeth 
shall  be  saved.  In  this  court  believers  in 
Jesus  stand  acquitted  from  all  things  from 
which  they  could  not  have  been  acquitted 
by  the  law  of  Moses." 

The  above  may  be  regarded  as  an  ele- 
mentary sketch  of  the  writer's  sentiments 
on  this  great  subject :  the  reader  will  find 
it  amplified  and  exhibited  in  its  several  re- 
lations in  various  parts  of  his  works,  partic- 
ularly in  three  discourses  on  Rom.  iii.  24 

On  the  23d  December,  1776,  Mr.  Fuller 
married  Miss  Sarah  Gardiner,  a  membo- 
of  the  church  at  Soham,  and  daughter  jf 
Stephen  and  Sarah  Gardiner,  of  Burw&l. 
This  was  esteemed  one  of  those  impor- 
tant events  of  his  life  on  which,  as  he  spid, 
he  never  entered  without  a  reference  to- 
the  divine  direction,  "  In  all  thy  ways  ac- 
knoAVledge  him,  and  he  shall  direc  thy 
paths  ;"  and  in  the  retrospect  of  wh'ch  he 
could  say,  "My  ways  have  I  dedared, 
and  thou  heardest  me."  An  aflecting^ 
narrative  is  given  in  this  memoir  of  the 
last  hours  of  this  truly  pious  woman^ 
whose  valuable  domestic  qualities  were- 
augmented  by  a  more  than  ordinary  dis- 
play of  "  the  ornament  of  a  meek  and  qui- 
et spirit." 


30 


MEMOIRS  OF    MR.    FULLER. 


SECTION    II. 

Change  in  his  Manner  of  Preaching — 
Alienation  of  some  of  his  Hearers — Em- 
barrasfment  in  his  temporal  Circum- 
stances— Distressing  Agitation  of  Mind 
in  the  Prospect  of  leaving  Soham — Ex- 
tracts from  his  Diary — Letters  to  Mr. 
Wallis — Removal  to  Kettering — Mutual 
Testimonies  to  and  from  the  Church  at 
Soham — Statement  at  his  Ordination. 

Mr.  Fuller's  strain  of  preaching, 
>vhich  at  first  nearly  corresponded  with 
the  views  which  he  had  early  imbibed, 
soon  underwent  a  change  of  the  most  im- 
portant and  valuable  character;  for,  al- 
though, as  he  himself  tells  us  in  relation 
to  a  kindred  subject,  "he  made  a  point  of 
not  introducing  the  question  in  the  pulpit 
till  his  judgment  was  fixed,"  he  was  not 
-the  man  to  reserve  a  store  of  speculative 
sentiments  at  variance  with  the  character 
of  his  public  ministrations. 

Though  he  was  not  without  cheering 
instances  of  success,  it  was  no  matter  of 
surprise  that  many,  especially  those  whose 
lethargy  was  disturbed  by  the  searching 
and  practical  character  which  his  ministry 
had  now  begun  to  assume,  should  express 
their  dissatisfaction  in  a  manner  that 
served  to  depress  a  mind  naturally  sus- 
ceptible of  the  tenderest  emotions,  and 
the  earliest  religious  sensibilities  of  which 
had  grown  up  among  them.  The  in- 
creased disposition  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town  to  attend  his  ministry  was  not 
met  by  a  corresponding  concern  on  the 
part  of  the  church  to  afford  them  the  ac- 
(tommodation  which  their  place  of  wor- 
ship would  not  supply  ;  though  an  increase 
it  their  rent,  at  that  time,  furnished  an  in- 
ducement to  some  effort  for  securing  it  in 
;ariOther  direction. 

To  these  causes  of  unhappiness  was 
added  the  extreme  depression  of  his  tem- 
poral circumstances — his  whole  yearly  in- 
com-e  from  the  people  having  never  ex- 
ceeded thirteen  pounds  and  his  attempts 
to  derive  support,  first  from  a  small  shop, 
and  then  from  a  school,  both  proving  un- 
successful ;  so  that,  notwithstanding  all 
his  exertions,  he  could  not  prevent  an  an- 
nual inroad  upon  his  little  property,  most 
distressing  to  himself  and  ruinous  to  the 
future  prospects  of  a  rising  family.  Un- 
der such  complicated  trials  his  health 
suffered  a  shock  from  which  he  with  diffi- 
culty recovered.  He  was,  hoAvever,  des- 
tined by  the  providence  of  God  yet  to  un- 
dergo an  ordeal  not  less  trying  to  his  phys- 
ical powers  than  to  his  religious  principles. 
With  him  the  question  of  leaving  a  sta- 
ftJon  which  he  thought  the  providence  of 


God  had  assigned  hira,  in  which  he  had 
experienced  tokens  of  divine  approbation, 
and  which  was  especially  endeared  to  him 
by  early  associations,  was  not  very  easily 
disposed  of.  It  has  been  thought,  and 
perhaps  not  without  reason,  that  he  car- 
ried his  conscientious  scruples  on  this 
point  to  an  unjustifiable  extent  Be  that 
as  it  may,  this  important  era  of  his  life  is 
allowed  on  all  hands  to  have  elicited  two 
features  the  most  characteristic  and  the 
most  godlike  ;  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether 
his  integrity  or  his  love  was  the  more 
conspicuous,  whether  his  conscience  or 
his  feelings  appeared  the  more  exquisitely 
tender.  "Men  who  fear  not  God,"  ob- 
serves the  late  excellent  Dr.  Ryland, 
"  would  risk  the  welfare  of  a  nation  with 
fewer  searchings  of  heart  than  it  cost  him 
to  determine  whether  he  should  leave  a 
little  dissenting  church,  scarcely  contain- 
ing forty  memliers  besides  himself  and  his 
wife."  That  distressing  and  protracted 
hesitation,  which  enslaved  a  miiid  after- 
wards distinguished  for  a  promptitude  and 
decision  equal  to  the  most  varied  and 
complicated  difficulties,  marks  an  impor- 
tant peculiarity  in  the  present  case.  Here 
he  feared,  "  lest  haply  he  should  be  found 
even  to  fight  against  God  :"  there,  satis- 
fied that  God  was  on  his  side,  it  was  ut- 
terly beyond  the  compass  of  human  power 
to  baffle  or  daunt  him.  A  selection  from 
his  diary,  kept  during  the  last  two  years 
of  his  residence  at  Soham,  while  it 
furnishes  a  history  of  the  progress  of 
events  ,  will  exhibit  the  exercises  of  his 
mind  on  this  subject,  as  well  as  others 
relative  to  his  experience  and  the  dis- 
charge of  his  pastoral  functions  ;  and,  as 
it  is  not  so  much  the  object  of  this  me- 
moir to  hasten  through  the  narrative  of 
events  as  to  convey  a  correct  portraiture 
of  the  subject  of  it  during  their  progress, 
no  apology  is  deemed  necessary  for  the 
miscellaneous  character  of  these  extracts. 

"  1780,  Jan.  10. — A  solemn  vow  or  re- 
newal of  covenant  with  God. 

"O!  my  God  (let  not  the  Lord  be 
angry  with  his  servant  for  thus  speaking) 
I  have,  thou  knowest,  heretofore  sought 
thy  truth.  I  have  earnestly  entreated 
thee  that  thou  wouldest  lead  me  into  it ; 
that  I  might  be  rooted,  established,  and 
built  up  in  it,  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  I  have 
seen  the  truth  of  that  saying — '  It  is  a 
good  thing  to  have  the  heart  established 
Avith  grace;'  and  now  I  would  this  day 
solemnly  renew  my  prayer  to  thee,  and 
also  enter  afresh  into  covenant  with 
thee. 

"  O  Lord  God  !  I  find  myself  in  a  world 
where  thousands  profess  thy  name  ;  some 
are  preaching,  some  writing,  some  talking 
about  religion.     All  profess  to  be  search- 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLKR. 


31 


inji  after  truth  ;  to  have  Christ  and  the 
inspired  writers  on  their  side.  I  am 
afraid  lest  I  should  be  turned  aside  from 
the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.  I  teel  my 
understanding  full  of  darkness,  my  rea- 
son exceedingly  imperfect,  my  will  ready 
to  start  aside,  and  my  passions  strangely 
volatile.  O  illumine  mine  understanding, 
'teach  my  reason  reason,'  my  will  rec- 
titude, and  let  every  facidty  of  which  I  am 
possessed  be  kept  within  the  bounds  of  thy 
service. 

"  O  let  not  the  sleight  of  wicked  men, 
who  lie  in  wait  to  deceive,  nor  even  the 
pious  character  of  good  men  (who  yet  may 
be  under  great  mistakes)  draw  me  aside. 
Nor  do  thou  suffer  my  own  fancy  to  mis- 
guide me.  Lord,  thou  hast  given  me  a 
determination  to  take  up  no  principle  at 
second-hand ;  but  to  search  for  every 
thing  at  the  pure  fountain  of  thy  word. 
Yet,  Lord,  I  am  afraid,  seeing  I  am  as 
liable  to  err  as  other  men,  lest  I  should 
be  led  aside  from  truth  by  mine  own  im- 
agination. Hast  thou  not  promised,  '  The 
meek  thou  wilt  guide  in  judgment,  and 
the  meek  thou  wilt  teach  thy  way  1  ' 
Lord,  thou  knowest,  at  this  time,  my  heart 
is  not  haughty,  nor  are  mine  eyes  lofty. 
O  '  guide  me  by  thy  counsel,  and  after- 
wards receive  me  to  glory.' 

"  One  thing  in  particular  I  would  pray 
for;  namely,  that  I  may  not  only  l)e  kept 
from  erroneous  principles,  but  may  so 
love  the  truth  as  never  to  keep  it  back.  O 
Lord,  never  let  me,  under  the  specious 
pretence  of  preaching  holiness,  neglect  to 
promulge  the  truths  of  thy  word ;  for  this 
day  I  see,  and  have  all  along  found,  that 
holy  practice  has  a  necessai-y  dependence 
on  sacred  principle.  O  Lord,  if  thou  wilt 
open  mine  eyes  to  behold  the  wonders  of 
thy  word,  and  give  me  to  feel  their  trans- 
forming tendency,  then  shall  the  Lord  be 
my  God;  then  let  my  tongue  cleave  to 
the  roof  of  my  mouth,  if  I  shun  to  declare, 
to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  the  whole 
counsel  of  God. 

"June  14. — Went  out  to  visit  some 
fallen  brethren.  Convinced  that  no  art 
was  necessary  in  religion,  resolved  to  pro- 
ceed with  all  plainness  and  openness. 
Did  so;  and  hope  for  good  effects.  Left 
each  party  with  weeping  eyes.  But,  oh, 
how  liable  to  sin  myself  ! 

"11. — I  think  I  have  seen  one  thing  to- 
day— that  speaking  ostentatiously  of  any 
thing  laudable  in  ourselves  is  the  way  to 
mar  all  the  peace  or  pleasure  that  we  en- 
joy in  it.  I  think  I  see  that  this  is  a  sin 
which  easily  besets  me,  and  which  needs 
being  guarded  against. 

"  2L — What !  have  the  powers  of  grace 
and  sin  concluded  a  truce  1  I  feel  to-day 
as  if  both  lay  nearly  still,  as  if  I  were 


strangely  destitute  of  all  thought ;  devoid 
of  pleasure,  carnal  or  spiritual ;  ol  sorrow, 
whether  godly  or  worldly. 

"21. — I  see  what  a  strait  course  it  ii* 
to  steer  between  legality  and  libertinism. 
I  have  been  for  some  time  trying  to  walk 
more  closely  with  God  ;  and  now  I  find 
tiie  sparks  of  self-righteous  pride  liegin 
to  kindle — yet  I  think  I  have  tasted  a 
sweetness  in  that  plan  of  redemption 
which  .stains  the  pride  of  all  flesh. 

"  28. — Have  found  my  heart  tenderly 
affected  several  times,  esj)ecial]y  to  night, 
in  prayer  respecting  my  critical  situation. 

0  providence,  how  intricate!  If  rough 
roads  are  marked  out  for  me,  may  iny 
'  shoes  be  iron  and  brass.'  I  found  a  pe- 
culiar sympathy  towards  poor  people  un- 
der trying  providences,  thinking  I  may 
have  to  go  that  road. 

"  29. — It  is  good  to  visit  the  poor,  that 
we  may  know  their  cases,  exercise  sym- 
pathy and  charity  towards  them,  and  learn 
gratitude  and  many  a  lesson  in  the  doc- 
trine of  providence.  O  what  a  horrid 
depth  of  pride  and  hypocrisy  do  I  find  in 
my  heart !  Surely  I  am  unfit  for  any 
company.  If  I  am  with  a  superior,  how 
will  my  heart  court  his  praise,  by  speak- 
ing diminutively  of  myself,  not  forgetting 
to  urge  the  disadvantages  under  which  I 
have  labored,  to  excuse  my  inferiority  ; 
and  here  is  a  large  vacancy  left,  in  hope 
he  will  fill  it  up  with  something  like  this  : 
Well,  you  must  have  made  good  improve- 
ment of  what  advantages  you  have  en- 
joyed !  On  the  other  hand,  when  in  com- 
pany with  an  inferior,  how  full  of  self  am 

1  !  While  I  seem  to  be  instructing  him, 
by  communicating  my  oliservations,  how 
prone  to  lose  sight  of  his  edification,  and 
every  thing  but  my  own  self-importance — 
aiming  more  to  discover  my  own  know- 
ledge than  to  increase  his  !  While  I  make 
these  observations  I  feel  the  truth  of  them. 
A  thought  has  been  suggested  to  write 
them,  not  as  having  been  working  in  my 
heart  to-day,  but  only  as  discovered  to- 
day. Oh  horridly  deceitful  and  despe- 
rately wicked  heart  I  Surely  I  have  little 
else  in  my  religious  exercises  but  these 
workings.  I  am  afraid  of  being  deceived 
at  last.  If  I  am  saved,  what  must  the 
Son  of  God  have  endured  ! 

"  30. — Much  affected  to  day  in  thinking 
on  my  situation.  I  prayed  to  the  Lord 
earnestly  that  if  there  were  any  thing  in 
his  word  which  might  direct  me,  he  would 
lead  my  mind  to  it.  Here  I  must  wait. 
The  Lord  may  have  designed  to  lead  me 
in  a  way  that  I  have  not  known. 

"July  L — My  soul  has  been  dejected 
to-day  in  thinking  on  the  plague  of  the 
human  heart.  Had  a  sweet  time  in 
prayer   to-night.    Through  the  glass   of 


32 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


my  depravity  I  see,  O  I  see  the  precious- 
ness  of  that  blood  which  flowed  onCalva- 
Ty!  O  that  the  ideas  I  have  liad  to-night, 
were  indelibly  written  on  my  heart!  But, 
alas  !  one  hour  of  sin  will,  I  fear,  efface 
them  all. 

"  2. — Surely  my  views  of  myself,  of  di- 
vine love,  and  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  never 
were  clearer,  nor  yielded  me  greater  sat- 
isfaction, than  last  night  and  to-day.  I 
retained  the  savor  throughout  this  fore- 
noon, though  it  seems  abated  this  after- 
noon. Well,  it  lias  been  a  time  of  refresh- 
ment to  my  soul  !  But  perhaps  I  may  have 
somewhat  at  hand  to  balance  it.  O  that 
I  could  retain  the  ideas  I  have  had  to- 
<i!ay  !  I  thought  God  was  such  an  infi- 
nitely  lovely  Being,  that  it  was  a  great  sin 
not  to  love  him  with  our  whole  hearts.  I 
thought  one  perpetual  flame  of  supreme 
love  was  his  natural  due  from  every  intel- 
?igent  creature,  and  that  the  want  of  such 
love  merits  damnation. — And  I  am  under 
peculiar  obligations  to  love  him. 

"  4. — Alas,  how  strange  it  is  !  Those 
things  of  which  a  day  or  two  ago  I  could 
not  think  without  a  flood  of  tears,  I  now 
feel  make  little  impression  un  my  mind  ; 
which  seems  in  a  sluggish,  jaded,  and  al- 
most sceptical  frame.  Ah,  how  soon  are 
those  ideas  effaced  !  When  shall  my  love 
be  one  eternal  flame  1  I  fear  some  trial 
is  at  hand.     O  may  the  Lord  keep  me. 

"  5. — I  found  some  pleasure  to-day  in 
preaching  from  Hos.  xiii.  9,  '  O  Israel, 
thou  hast  destroyed  thyself,  &c.'  I  love 
to  open  the  purity  and  extent  of  God's 
righteous  law,  and  thereby  the  depravity  of 
human  nature.  Here  1  see  the  greatness 
of  grace. 

"  6. — Dull  and  unaffected.  I  some- 
times feel  a  spirit  of  idle,  sceptical  des- 
pair ;  as  if  the  difficulties  that  attend  the 
finding  out  what  is  truth  and  duty  were 
insurmountable.  O  Lord,  keep  up  in  me 
a  spirit  of  acti\ity,  and  teach  me  to  know 
and  do  thy  will.  May  I  know  what  is 
that  good,  perfect,  and  acceptable  will  of 
God. 

"  10. — I  had  an  affecting  time  to-night, 
in  going  a  road  where,  several  years  ago, 
I  had  many  a  season  of  sorrow  and  joy. 
O  here  I  saw  myself  lost,  there  I  had  a 
sight  of  the  Saviour  ;  here  I  went  bowed 
down  with  fear  and  despair,  there  I  was 
sweetly  checked  with  a  view  of  the  faith- 
fulness of  God  ;  in  this  place  I  mourned 
my  desolate  state,  in  that  the  state  of  the 
church  lay  heavily  upon  me  ;  yonder  my 
hopes  respecting  the  church  were  excited 
by  thinking  of  Psa.  cxxii.  1,  2.  8,  9.  O 
what  strange  events  since  !  By  the  help 
of  God  I  have  continued  to  this  day. 
When  my  soul  is  cast  down  within  me, 


may  I  remember  thee,  from  Hermon,  and 
Jordan,  and  the  hill  Mizar. 

"  12. — '  O  wretched  man  that  I  am  I 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of 
this  death  1  '  O  mine  iniquity  !  Surely 
I  had  rather  die  than  feel  again  what  I 
have  felt  of  the  odious  risings  of  this  un- 
holy heart.  O  the  wormwood  and  the 
gall !  Tremble,  my  soul,  at  the  rising  of 
that  which  has  so  often  filled  thy  cup  with 
bitterness  ;  that  which  made  thy  Lord  as 
it  were  shrink  back  from  suffering.  O 
may  the  remembrance  of  this  make  thee 
shrink  back  from  sinning.  Surely  the  re- 
newal of  a  fresh  conflict  with  old  corrup- 
tions is  not  the  trial  I  feared.  Lead  me 
not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  me  from 
evil,  O  Lord. 

"15. — Alas  !  with  what  can  I  go  forth 
to-moiTow  1  My  powers  are  all  shackled, 
my  thoughts  contracted.  Yesterday  and 
this  morning  1  seemed  to  feel  some  savor, 
but  now  all  is  gone  ;  like  the  seed  by  the 
way  side,  which  the  fowls  of  the  air  de- 
voured. 

"  Bless  the  Lord  !  To-night  I  have  felt 
a  melting  sense  of  the  heinous  nature  of 
backsliding  from  the  Lord,  while  thinking 
on  Jer.  ii.  5.  31 — 33.  Bless  the  Lord,  O 
my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 
his  holy  name  :  he  maketh  me  to  renew 
my  strength  like  the  eagle,  dissolves  my 
hardness,  disappoints  may  fears,  and 
touches  my  lips  as  with  a  live  coal  from 
his  altar.     Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul. 

"  17. — O  my  dear  brother  Diver  !  When 


shall  we  recover  our  loss  in    losinu 


you 


What  disorders  have  we  now  in  the  church! 
Our  hands,  heads,  and  hearts,  how  full  ! 
O  my  father,  my  father,  the  chariots  of 
Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof  ! — Me- 
thinks  I  shall  go  all  my  days,  at  times,  in 
the  bitterness  of  my  soul. — Ah!  we  took 
sweet  counsel  together,  and  walked  to- 
gether to  the  house  of  God — but  all  is 
over.  As  he  said  on  his  dying  bed,  '  I 
have  done  with  that  life.' — Alas,  he  has 
done  his  all  with  us. 

"Ah,  woe  is  me,  I  am  a  man  of  unclean 
lips,  and  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of 
unclean  lips.  My  heart  is  ready  to  sink 
beneath  its  load.  More  bad  conduct 
among  my  brethren.  The  Lord  have 
mercy  on  them  and  me !  Surely  I  labor 
in  vain,  and  spend  my  strength  for  nought. 
All  my  warnings,  instructions,  reproofs, 
&c.  whether  in  or  out  of  the  pulpit,  seem 
to  have  no  effect. 

"  18. — Great  part  of  this  day  sadly 
mispent ;  but  have  had  a  sweet  evening, 
in  views  of  the  latter-day  glory,  from 
reading  Isaiah  xi.  xii.  How  dark  the  day 
in  which  1  live!  Watchman,  what  of  the 
night '!     Watchman,  what  of  the  night  1 


3ii:moiiis  of  .mk.   fullhr. 


33 


"  20. — O  peace,  thou  inestimable  jewel ! 
The  Lord  grant  I  may  never  enter  the 
polemical  lists. 

"21. — Dejected  through  worldly  and 
church  concerns,  but  had  some  relief  to- 
night in  casting  all  my  care  upon  tlie  Lord, 
hoping  tliat  he  careth  for  me.  Tiie  Lord 
undertake  for  me  !  O  thou  that  managest 
worlds  unknown,  without  one  disappoint- 
ment, take  my  case  into  thy  hand,  and  fit 
me  for  thy  pleasure.  If  poverty  must 
be   my  portion,  add  thereto   contentment. 

"  22. — Ah  how  heavily  do  I  drag  on 
without  the  Lord  !  I  can  neither  think 
nor  do  any  thing  to  purpose.  Lord,  help 
me.  Sin  how  deceitful !  While  we  may 
obtain  an  apparent  victory  over  one  sin,  we 
may  be  insensibly  enslaved  to  another  :  it 
may  seem  to  flee  before  us,  like  the  Benja- 
mites  before  Israel,  and  yet  retain  an  am- 
bushment  to  fall  upon  our  rear. 

"  27. — O  what  an  ocean  of  impurity 
have  I  still  in  me  !  What  vain  desires 
lodge  in  my  sinful  heart !  Rich  must  be 
the  blood  that  can  atone,  infinitely  effica- 
cious the  giace  that  can  purify,  and  in- 
conceivable the  love  that  can  remain  with- 
out the  shadow  of  turning  amidst  all  this 
vileness.  O,  had  every  creature  in  heaven 
and  earth  joined  in  assuring  me  of  God's 
love  to  me,  I  could  never  have  believed  it 
but  for  the  assurances  grounded  on  his 
own  word. 

"  29. — Surely  I  do  not  study  the  cases 
of  the  people  enough  in  my  preaching.  I 
find  by  conversation  to-day,  with  one 
seemingly  in  dying  circumstances,  that 
but  little  of  my  preaching  has  been  suited 
to  her  case.  Visiting  the  sick,  and  con- 
versing sometimes  even  w  ith  the  unconvert- 
ed part  of  my  hearers  about  their  souls,  and 
especially  with  the  godly,  would  have  a 
tendency  to  make  my  preaching  more  ex- 
perimental. 

"  Am  not  I  a  fool  and  slow  of  heart  to 
believe  1  Notwithstanding  all  the  Scrip- 
ture says  of  my  impotency,  all  the  expe- 
rience I  have  had  of  it,  and  all  my  settled 
and  avowed  prinriiples,  how  hard  is  it  for 
me  to  believe  that  I  am  nothing .'  Ah  ! 
can  I  live  near  to  God,  set  or  keep  the 
springs  of  godliness  a-going  in  my  soul,  or 
investigate  the  things  of  God  to  any  pur- 
pose 1  No,  I  cannot ;  '  When  I  am  weak, 
then  (and  then  only)  am  I  strong!' 

"Aug.  6.  Lord's-day. — Alas!  how  dis- 
consolate this  morning  !  What  a  fool  am 
I  to  lay  God  under  a  necessity  (if  I  may 
use  such  an  expression)  of  leaving  me  to 
myself  to  let  me  and  otliers  see  that  I  am 
nothing ! 

"  30. — I  found  my  soul  drawn  out  in 
love  to  poor  souls  while  reading  Millar's 
account  of  Elliott's  labors  among  the 
North  American  Indians,   and  their  effect 

VOL.    I.  5 


on  those  i)oor  barbarous  savages.  I  found 
also  a  susj)icion  that  we  shackle  ourselves 
too  much  in  our  addresses  ;  that  we  have 
bewildered  and  lost  ourselves  by  taking 
the  decrees  of  God  as  rules  of  action. 
Surely  Peter  and  Paul  never  felt  such 
scruples  in  their  addresses  as  we  do. 
They  addressed  their  hearers  as  men — 
fallen  men ;  as  we  should  warn  and  ad- 
monish persons  who  were  blind  and  on  the 
brink  of  some  dreadful  precipice.  Their 
work  seemed  plain  before  them.  O  that 
mine  migiit  i)e  so  before  me  ! 

"  Sept.  5. — I  longed  in  prayer  to-night 
to  be  more  useful.  O  that  God  would  do 
somewhat  l)y  me !  Nor  is  this  I  trust 
from  ambition,  but  from  a  pure  desire  of 
woi'king  for  God,  and  the  benefit  of  my 
fellow  sinners. 

"  10. — Earnest  in  prayer  with  God  this 
afternoon.  Humbled  for  our  little  love  : 
yet  found  such  desire  that,  could  I  olitain 
my  wish,  the  brightest  seraph  should  not 
outvie  me  in  love  to  my  Lord.  1  saw 
plainly  that  my  salvation  must  be  from 
first  to  last  oi'frce  grace. 

"  12. — Very  much  in  doubt  respecting 
my  being  in  a  state  of  grace.  I  cannot 
see  that  I  have,  or  ever  had,  for  any  con- 
stancy, such  an  idea  of  myself  as  must  be 
implied  in  true  humility.  The  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  me  ;  for  I  know  not  how  it  is 
with  me.  One  thing  I  know,  that,  if  I  be 
a  Christian  at  all,  real  Christianity  in  me 
is  inexpressibly  small  in  degree.  O  what 
a  vast  distance  is  there  between  what  I 
ought  to  be  and  what  I  am !  If  I  am  a 
saint  at  ail,  I  know  I  am  one  of  the  least 
of  all  saints  :  I  mean,  that  the  workings  of 
real  grace  in  my  soul  are  so  feeble  that  I 
hardly  think  they  can  be  feebler  in  any 
true  Christian. 

"  There  is  not  only  an  inexpressible 
distance  between  what  I  ought  to  be,  and 
what  I  am,  but  between  what  primitive 
believers,  yea  the  scripture  saints  in  all 
ages,  seem  to  have  been,  and  what  I  am. 
I  think,  of  late,  I  cannot  in  prayer  con- 
sider myself  as  a  Christian,  but  as  a  sin- 
ner casting  myself  at  Christ's  feet  for 
mercy. 

"22. — I  was  somewhat  moved  this 
morning,  in  thinking  of  the  mercy  of  God, 
how  it  was  a  hedge  about  us,  preserving 
us  from  the  ravages  of  the  ver}-  beasts 
and  birds,  nay  from  the  very  stones.  The 
whole  creation  groans  and  suffers  through 
us,  and  would  retaliate  the  injuries  we 
have  done  them,  were  not  a  covenant 
made  on  our  behalf  with  them. — See  Hos. 
ii.  18;  Job.  v.  13." 

23. — After  recording  a  season  of  mental 
darkness,  he  adds — "O  blessed  be  God, 
he  has  appeared  once  again.  To-night, 
while    I  prayed  to  him,   how   sweet  has 


34 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.    FULLER. 


Col.  i.  19  been  to  me.  That  which 
has  pleased  the  Father,  pleases  me.  I 
am  glad  all  fulness  dwells  in  him.  It  is 
not  fit  it  should  dwell  in  me,  nor  that  I 
should  have  the  keeping  of  my  own  stock. 

0  for  some  heavenly  clue  to  guide  me  to 
the  fulness  of  Christ ! 

"  Oct.  24. — Observed  our  proneness  to 
think  of  ourselves  as  others  speak  of  us. 
For  example,  if  I  am  praised  at  any  par- 
ticular place  as  a  preacher,  how  prone  am 

1  at  that  place  to  keep  pace  with  their  es- 
teem, if  not  to  outgo  it  in  the  estimation 
of  myself !  On  the  other  hand,  at  places 
where  I  have  felt  myself  embarrassed, 
how  prone  to  despair,  and  to  take  no  de- 
light in  the  work !  O  how  much  of  self 
have  I  in  me  !  how  far  from  that  excellent 
character  of  being  dead  to  the  smiles  and 
the  frowns  of  men  ! 

"  27. — My  heart  often  aches  in  think- 
ing of  my  situation.  Lord,  what  is  dutyl 
'  O  that  my  ways  were  directed  to  keep 
thy  statutes  !' 

"  30. — Had  some  view  to-night  of  the 
hardships  of  poverty.  What  mercies  do  I 
enjoy,  yet  how  ungrateful  am  I  !  what  a 
world  of  self-sufficiency  is  there  in  our 
hearts !  Whence  springs  our  desire  of 
riches,  dominion,  &c.,but  from  an  idea  of 
our  sufficiency  to  manage  each  as  we 
ought !  at  least  this  is  implied  in  those  de- 
sires. Were  we  truly  emptied  of  self-suffi- 
ciency we  should  be,  like  Agur,  afraid  of 
these. 

"Nov.  4. — How  apt  are  we  to  think 
ourselves  rather  pitiable  than  blamable 
for  having  such  remains  of  corruption  in 
us  !  Perhaps  one  cause  of  this  may  be 
our  viewing  sin  in  us  as  an  army  or  some- 
thing we  have  to  oppose  and  press  through. 
These  ideas  are  good,  provided  we  re- 
member that  they  are  figurative,  and  that 
this  army  is  nothing  external,  but  inter- 
nal ;  and  that  the  opposition  is  not  like 
that  wherein  the  combatant's  inclination 
is  all  one  way,  but  he  finds  himself  over- 
come wholly  against  his  will  :  were  this 
the  case,  we  should  be  wholly  pitiable. 
But  it  is  as  if  a  debtor  were  going  to  pay 
his  creditor ;  but  by  the  way  found  great 
struggles  Avhether  he  should  go  forward, 
and  behave  like  an  honest  man,  or  whether 
he  should  turn  aside,  and  spend  his  money 
in  riot  and  luxury.  In  this  case,  he  cer- 
tainly ought  to  have  had  no  struggle,  nor 
to  have  made  a  moment's  scruple.  Nei- 
ther ought  we  to  make  a  moment's  scru- 
ple about  loving  the  Lord  with  all  our 
hearts,  and  refraining  wholly  from  sinning 
against  him.  We  may,  indeed,  be  pitia- 
ble with  respect  to  each  other  ;  but  in  the 
sight  of  God  we  are  wholly  blamable. 

"  A  hard  heart  is  a  symptom  of  distance 
between  God  and  us.  As  the  Lord  is 
nigh  to  those  who  are  of  a  broken  heart, 


so  he  is  far  from  those  who  are  of  a  hard 
heart. 

"  17 — 25. — Have  been  under  very  heavy 
affliction  for  above  a  week,  and  incapable  of 
writing.  One  day  I  dreamed  that  I  was 
dead  :  waking,  and  finding  it  but  a  dream, 
I  trembled  at  the  thought  of  what  would 
become  of  such  a  sinful  creature  were  this 
dream  realized  !  Here  I  stopped — pain- 
fully stopped.  At  length  I  answered. 
Lord,  I  have  hoped  in  thy  salvation. 
Here  I  wept  and  thought  1  would  hope 
still.     O  that  it  may  not  be  in  vain  ! 

"28. — For  some  days  past,  have  been 
tenderly  concerned  about  my  situation. 
O  that  the  Lord  would  bestow  upon  me 
his  counsels  and  his  care  !  I  am  afraid  of 
pride  being  in  my  motives  both  ways.  O 
that  God  would  hear  and  help  me  !  The 
parable  of  the  talents  has  been  something 
to  me.  I  am  frequently  told  that  my  tal- 
ents are  buried  here  ;  but  I  do  not  know. 
O  that  I  may  not  have  to  go  upon  this 
principle,  that  some  plainer  path  might 
appear,  if  I  must  go  ! 

"Dec.  26 — 29. — Afflictions  having  re- 
turned, I  think  I  might  make  too  light  of 
the  former;  this,  though  lighter  on  the 
body,  yet  seems  heavier  on  the  mind.  I 
am  sometimes  pressed  with  guilt  for  my 
lightness  under  the  other  :  sometimes 
ready  to  sink  into  a  kind  of  despondency 
almost  like  that  of  Jonah, — '  it  is  better 
for  me  to  die  than  to  live.' 

"1781.  Jan.  1.— Alas!  my  affliction, 
instead  of  taking  away  sin,  seems  to  be 
attended  with  new  risings  of  evil.  Q 
wretched  man  that  I  am  !  Surely  it  does 
not  seem  consistent  that  a  heart  so  full  of 
stupidity  and  unholiness,  and  in  so  con- 
stant a  manner  too,  can  be  the  residence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Surely  those  great 
things  said  to  be  done  in  the  hearts  of  the 
godly  are  not  done  in  me  !  Yet  I  have 
found  some  out-goings  of  soul  to  God  after 
keeping  and  quickening  grace. 

"  15. — Much  disheartened  in  seeing  the 
coolness  of  some  in  providing  for  the  fu- 
ture welfare  of  the  church. 

"  26. — Much  affected  to-day  for  my 
dear  father,  Avho  I  fear  will  die.  Oh  his 
immortal  soul !  How  can  I  bear  to  bury 
him  unconverted  1  Father,  if  it  be  possi- 
ble, let  this  cup  pass  from  me  !  I  have 
had  many  earnest  out-goings  of  soul  for 
him,  and  some  little  conversation  with 
him.  '  Have  you  any  out-goings  of  soul, 
father,  to  the  Lord  V — 'Yes,  my  dear,  I 
have.' — '  Well,  father,  the  Lord  is  rich  in 
mercy  to  all  that  call  upon  him  :  this  is 
great  encouragement.' — 'Yes,  my  child, 
so  it  is  ;  and  I  know,  if  I  be  saved,  it  must 
be  by  him  alone.  I  have  nothing  to  re- 
comnaend  me  to  his  favor  :  but  my  hopes 
are  very  small. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


85 


"27. — Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this 
cup  pass  from  me  !  Give  me  some 
good  hopes  of  the  welfare  of  his  soul  ; 
then  I  couhl  almost  be  willing  to  part 
with  him.  This  would  be  lettina;  tiie  cup 
pass  from  me.  '  But  O,  the  soul  that  nev- 
er dies!'  The  woman  of  Canaan  made 
her  daughter's  case  her  own,  and  cried, 
'  Lord  help  me  !'  Surely  I  may  do  like- 
wise by  my  father. 

"28.  Lord's  day. — Affected  with  noth- 
ing else  to-day  but  the  tlioughts  of  my 
father's  death.  This  I  know  not  how  to 
bear. — Preached  somehow  from  Job  xiv. 
1,  and  Heb.  ii.  14. 

"  29. — O  he  is  gone  ! — he  is  gone  ! — for- 
ever gone  ! 

'  His  course  is  finished  now,  bis  race  is  o'er ; 
The  place  which  knew  him  know.s  him  now  no  more; 
The  tree  is  fall'n,  and  ever  tliere  must  lie, 
To  endless  ages  of  eternity.' 

"  Feb.  3. — I  think  I  have  never  yet  en- 
tered into  the  true  idea  of  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  If  I  had,  surely  I  should  be  like 
Aaron,  running  between  the  dead  and  the 
living.  I  think  I  am  by  the  ministry,  as  I 
was  by  my  life  as  a  Christian  before  I 
read  Edwards  on  the  Affections.  I  had 
never  entered  into  the  spirit  of  a  great 
many  important  things.  O  for  some  such 
penetrating,  edifying  writer  on  this  sub- 
ject !  Or^  rather,  O  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
would  open  my  eyes,  and  let  me  into  the 
things  that  I  have  never  yet  seen  ! 

"  5. — A  pulpit  seems  an  awful  place  ! 
— An  opportunity  for  addressing  a  com- 
pany of  immortals  on  their  eternal  inter- 
ests—O  how  important  !  We  preach  for 
eternity.  We  in  a  sense  are  set  for  the 
rising  and  falling  of  many  in  Israel.  And 
our  own  rise  or  fall  is  equally  therein  in- 
volved. 

"  8. — O  would  the  Lord  the  Spirit  lead 
me  into  the  nature  and  importance  of  the 
work  of  the  ministry  !  Reading  a  wise 
and  spiritual  author  might  be  of  use  ;  yet 
could  I,  by  divine  assistance,  but  penetrate 
the  work  myself,  it  would  sink  deeper  and 
be  more  durable. 

"  13. — I  think  when  we  are  in  company, 
and  address  ourselves  to  any  one  in  particu- 
lar, it  too  often  happens  that  the  applause 
of  the  company,  rather  than  the  edification 
of  the  person  or  ourselves,  is  the  object. 
Hence  witticism  and  such  sayings  as  sting 
the  party  addressed,  are  introduced.  Pride, 
how  pernicious  ! 

"  March  5. — To-night  it  seems  as  if 
it  would  break  my  heart  to  remove.  The 
seal  and  fruits  of  my  ministry  are  dear  to 
me,  yet  how  it  can  be  otherwise  I  cannot 
8€e. 


"26. — My  soul  is  discouraged  because 
of  the  way  ;  I  am  full  of  confusion  ;  see 
thou  mine  affliction.  O  that  I  knew  what 
was  my  duly  !  Let  me  not  err  for  want 
of  knowledge,  and  pierce  myself  through 
witli  many  sorrows.  I  think  my  soul  is 
like  the  body  of  an  aged  man  :  even  a 
grasshopper  becomes  a  burden.  I  seem 
unable  to  do  any  thing  more.  I  had  an 
affecting  time  in  prayer  on  these  subjects. 
I  thought  what  an  immense  fulness  of  light 
and  happiness  dwelt  in  God  !  how  easily 
coidd  lie  inform  my  mind  and  comfort  my 
heart  ! 

"  29. — What  a  wonder  am  I  to  myself! 
Compared  with  what  I  deserve  to  be,  how 
happy  !  compared  with  what  I  desire  to 
be,  how  miserable  ! 

"April  1. — It  seems  as  if  the  church 
and  I  should  break  each  other's  hearts  ! 
To-night  I  have  been  but  truly  charged 
with  having  'an  irregular  mind.'  How 
heartily  could  I  embrace  death,  if  it  pleas- 
ed God  to  send  it !  How  far  are  peace  and 
happiness  from  me ! 

"  2. — Affected  in  prayer.  O  for  an  un- 
erring guide  !  O  that  I  knew  the  Lord's 
will !  Verily,  if  I  know  mine  own  heart, 
I  would  do  it.  I  had  rather,  I  think, 
much  rather  walk  all  my  days  in  the  most 
miserable  condition,  than  offend  the  Lord 
by  trying  to  get  out  of  it. 

"  10. — The  thoughts  of  ray  situation 
now  return,  and  overpower  me!  To- 
night I  was  exceedingly  affected  in  prayer, 
earnestly  longing  that  I  might  know  the 
will  of  God.  I  have  entered  to-night  into 
a  solemn  vow,  which  I  desire  it  may  please 
God  to  accept  at  my  worthless  hands. 
With  all  the  powers  of  my  soul,  with  the 
utmost  effusion  of  feelings,  I  have  vowed 
to  this  effect  before  the  Lord  : — '  O  Lord! 
If  thou  wilt  give  me  so  much  light  as 
plainly  to  see  in  this  case  what  is  my  duty, 
then,  if  I  do  not  obey  the  dictates  of  con- 
science, let  my  tongue  forever  cleave  to 
the  roof  of  my  mouth  ;  let  my  ministry  be 
at  an  end  ;  let  me  be  made  an  example 
of  thy  displeasure  against  falsehood  !' 

"  The  case  of  those  who  asked  coun- 
sel of  Jeremiah  (chap,  xlii.)  seemed  to 
excite  in  me  a  jealousy  of  my  own  heart ; 
but,  so  far  as  I  know  any  thing  of  myself, 
I  am  resolved  to  stay  or  go  as  it  should 
please  God,  did  I  but  know  his  will. 

"  18. — Earnest  out-goings  to  God  in 
prayer.  To-morrow  seems  a  day  of  great 
importance.  Then  I  must  give  my  rea- 
sons to  the  church  for  what  I  have  inti- 
mated concerning  my  removal.  The 
Lord  guide  and  bless  them  and  me  ! 

"  19. — I  went  to  meetijig  to-day  with 
very  little  premeditation,  thinking  an  up- 


36 


MEMOIRS     OF    MR.     FULLTR. 


Tight  heart  would  be  prepared.  I  assign- 
ed two  reasons  for  my  removal — the  com- 
plaints some  have  made  of  non-edifica- 
tion, and  my  wasting  my  property  every 
year.  Neither  of  these  objections  being 
answered,  the  church  despairs, — all  is  in 
confusion  !  Ah  !  what  can  I  do  1  what 
can  they  do  1  My  heart  would  say, 
Stay  ;  would  freely  go  and  gather  them 
together,  and  pour  oil  into  their  wounds. 

My  judgment  only  forbids  me No 

No  !     Surely    I   cannot   go  !     My 

heart  is  overv/hehned — lead  me  to  the 
rock  that  is  higher  than  I !  Have  been 
pouring  out  my  heart  to  the  Lord  since  I 
came  from  the  meeting  :  think  I  could 
rather  choose  death  than  departure.  My 
heart  is  as  if  it  would  dissolve.  It  is  like 
wax  ;  it  is  melted  in  the  midst  of  my 
bowels. 

"  21. —     Vast  are  the  trials  tied  to  time, 

And  all  my  thoiigiits  confusion  still 

My  spirit  is  overwhelmed  within  me  :  my 
heart  within  me  is  desolate.  Now  my 
mind  seems  to  lean  as  if  I  must  stay,  even 
though  it  terminate  in  my  temporal  ruin. 
O  fluctuating  soul ! 

"Mayl. — Have  been  praying  to  the 
Lord  tliat  I  may  keep  to  that  direction 
which  has  been  so  much  to  me  ten  or 
eleven  years  ago.  '  In  all  thy  ways  ac- 
knowledge him,'  &c.  This  passage  has 
been  several  times  like  a  present  help  in 
time  of  need.  O  that  it  may  be  such 
now  ! 

"  4. — All  my  powers  of  body  and  mind 
absorbed  in  my  extreme  ailliction.  I 
thought  towards  night  that,  as  these  limbs 
had  been  ingloriously  employed  in  the 
service  of  sin,  how  reasonable,  though 
pardoning  mercy  be  extended,  that  they 
should  be  blasted,  confined  by  a  series 
of  affliction,  and,  at  last,  ingloriously  re- 
duced to  dust  I  Can  think  of  little  else 
now  but  that  I  must  leave  Soham  :  yet  it 
seems  an  affair  of  so  much  importance,  I 
dread  it. 

"6. — Confined  by  bodily  affliction  from 
public  worship  this  Lord's-day.  To-night 
my  heart  me!ts  with  compassion  towards 
the  church.  I  think  after  all,  if  I  go 
from  them,  it  is  as  if  it  must  be  in  a\ 
coffin. 

"  14.— O  my  heart !  it  as  if  it  must 
break.  Thought,  this  morning,  '  There  is 
a  way  that  seemeth  right  to  a  man,  but 
the  end  thereof  is  death.'  This  makes 
me  jealous  lest  specious  appearances 
should  beguile  me.  My  load  seems  hea- 
vier than  i  can  bear  !  O  Lord,  for  thine 
own  sake,  suffer  me  not  to  act  contrary  to 
thy  will.     O  for  an  uncrrins;  guide  ! 


"  20. — To-night  I  stopped  the  churcli, 
and  asked  them  if  they  could  prove  it 
wrong  for  me  to  leave  them,  and  assured 
them  if  they  could,  I  would  abide  with 
them,  whatever  was  the  consequence. 

"  ■22. — One  thing  I  desire  of  the  Lord, 
whatever  be  my  portion  here,  if  it  be  to 
wear  out  my  years  in  pining  sadness,  let 
me  so  walk  as  to  enjoy  his  approbation. 
Into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit." 

So  much  were  Mr.  Fuller's  thoughts 
absorbed  in  the  welfare  of  the  church  at 
Soham,  that  throughout  this  diary  no 
mention  appears  to  be  made  of  that  at 
Kettering,  which  being  at  this  time  desti- 
tute of  a  pastor,  and  acquainted  Avith  Mr. 
Fuller's  difficulties,  had  repeatedly  sug- 
gested to  him  their  wishes  for  his  removal 
thither.  This,  it  appears,  was  at  the  in- 
stance of  Mr.  Hall,  a  man  whose  piety 
and  wisdom  eminently  qualified  him  to 
advise,  in  cases  of  difficulty,  especially 
where  opposing  claims  seemed  to  present 
themselves ;  and  who  also  judged  his 
young  friend  to  be  possessed  of  talents 
suited  to  a  more  enlarged  sphere  of  la- 
bor. 

In  May,  1781,  Mr.  Fuller  attended  the 
association  with  which  both  of  these 
churches  were  connected,  and  which  this 
year  assembled  at  Kettering.  Here  he 
referred  his  case  to  the  opinions  of  the 
following  ministers,  Messrs.  Booth,  Evans, 
Gill,  Guy,  Hall,  Hopper,  Ryland  senior, 
Ryland  junior,  and  Sutcliffe,  who  unani- 
mously advised  his  removal. 

This  was  not,  however,  esteemed  by 
him  a  sufficient  indication  of  his  duty. 
"  O  my  soul,"  he  exclaims,  "  what  shall 
I  do  1     O  for  an  unerring  guide  !" 

"June  26. — Have  been  reading  Mos- 
sheim,  cent.  xiii.  and  xiv.,  to-day.  Really 
I  am  sick  in  reading  so  much  about  monks, 
mendicant  friars,  &c.:  I  could  have  wish- 
ed the  history  had  more  answered  to  its 
tifle — a  history  of  the  church;  but  it 
seems  little  else  than  a  history  of  locusts. 

"  28. — Some  sacred  delight  in  reading 
more  of  Mosheim,  on.the  coming  forth  of 
those  champions  of  the  Reformation — Lu- 
ther, Melancthon,  Zuinglius,  Calvin,  &c., 
nto  the  field.  I  think  I  feel  their  gener- 
ous fervor  in  the  cause  of  God  and  truth. 
How  were  the  arms  of  their  hands  made 
strong  by  the  mighty  God  of  Jacob  ! 

"  29. — The  conduct  and  condition  of 
some  wicked  people  make  me  bless  God  for 
conscious  integrity.  Christ's  yoke  is  truly 
easy.  Purity  carries  its  own  reward  with 
it.  O  the  guilt,  the  misery  that  results 
from  a  submission  to  the  yoke  of  Satan  ! 
Well,  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.    FULLER. 


37 


I  am ;  nor  is  any  sin  so  black  or  so  de- 
testal)le  hut  that  1  am  liable  to  fall  into  it. 
Lord,  keep  me  ! 

"  July  3. — I  was  occupied  to-day  with 
Mosheim,  whose  partial  account  of  the 
English  Baptists  would  lead  me  to  in- 
dulge a  better  opinion  of  various  sects  who 
have  been  deemed  heretics. 

"  1*2. — Have  been  trying  to-day  to  ex- 
amine my  heart,  by  putting  such  questions 
as  these  to  myself:  Would  it  be  most 
agreeable  to  my  conscience,  after  all,  to 
continue  with  my  people  1  Is  it  likely  in 
so  doing  I  should  please  God,  and  con- 
tribute to  the  welfare  of  his  cause  on  the 
whole  1  To  these  questions  I  could  not 
see  how  I  could  in  any  degree  answer  in 
the  affirmative.  But  God  knows  my 
heart.  I  have  been  trying  to  pray,  and 
surely  it  is  my  sincere  desire,  if  I  am 
wrong,  to  be  set  right.  I  am  now  going 
to  the  church-meeting.  The  meeting- 
house has  been  a  Bochim  to-day,  a  place 
of  weeping!  I  have  told  Ihe  church  to  ex- 
pect my  removal  in  a  quarter  of  a  year's 
time.  O  my  soul,  I  seem  unable  to  en- 
dure such  attacks  on  my  feelings. 

"  August  11.— Have  been  ravished,  as 
it  were,  to-day,  in  reading  the  account  of 
the  council  held  by  the  apostles  and  el- 
ders, Acts  XV.  O  the  beauty  and  simpli- 
city of  primitive  Christianity  ! 

"  27. — I  had  pleasure  in  conversing  on 
Rom.  viii.  33.  Methought,  it  indicated 
the  fulness  of  the  Redeemer's  righteous- 
ness ;  partly  from  the  character  of  the 
justified,  and  partly  from  that  of  the  jus- 
tifier — God,  the  all-scrutinizing  impartial 
Judge. 

"  September  15. — What  a  difference 
between  the  book  which  I  keep,  and  that 
which  God  keeps  !  O  what  an  awful  black 
diary  could  he  produce  against  me  in 
judgment !" 

An  attempt  being  made  about  this  time 
to  determine  the  question  of  Mr.  Fuller's 
removal  by  a  reference,  both  on  his  part 
and  that  of  the  church,  to  the  arbitration 
of  three  ministers,  he  writes  thus  : — 

"  September  21. — Earnestly  affected  in 
prayer,  that,  if  it  would  be  most  pleasing 
to  God  for  me  to  stay,  I  might  do  so  after 
all.  I  should  not  be  sorry  if  the  arbitra- 
tors should  judge  this  to  be  my  duty.  My 
soul  trembles  for  the  ark  of  God.  What 
will  betide  the  interest  of  Christ  here  1 
Unto  thee  I  lift  up  mine  eyes,  O  thou  that 
dwellest  in  the  heavens  ! 

"  22.— O  God,  thou  knowest  that  I  am 
willing  to  be  any  thing.  It  is  my  un- 
feigned desire  that  not  my  will  but  thine 
be  done.  Let  not  my  ease,  but  thine 
honor,  be  consulted.  Yes ;  O  thou 
searcher  of  hearts  !  I  humbly,  earnestly, 


and  unfeigncdly  desire  of  thee,  that,  if  my 
departure  would  issue  in  tlie  failure  of 
thine  interest  here,  never  let  me  depart. 
Let  me  rather  go  mourning  all  my  days  in 
the  bitterness  of  my  soul." 

From  this  arbitration,  however,  noth- 
ing was  elicited,  and  Mr  Fuller  thus  ex- 
presses himself: — 

"  October  6. — Very  heavy  in  heart. 
Be  not  far  off,  O  Lord,  for  trouble  is  near  ! 
Exceedingly  melted  in  thinking  on,  "O! 
Ephraim,  what  shall  I  do  unto  thee  !  " 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  let- 
ter written  about  this  time  to  Mr.  Wallis, 
a  deacon  of  the  church  at  Kettering  : — 

"  We  then  agreed  that  I  and  an  officer 
of  the  church  should  take  the  letters  from 
all  parties  on  the  subject,  and  lay  them 
before  Mr.  Robinson  of  Cambridge,  and 
that  which  he  should  judge  duty  in  the 
case  we  would  follow,  unless  it  should 
appear  to  both  parties  that  he  was  wrong. 
We  waited  on  Mr.  R.  yesterday,  and,  af- 
ter an  investigation  of  the  affair  for  three 
or  four  hours,  he  gave  it  as  his  opinion, 
'  That  Mr  Fuller  ought  to  continue  pastor 
of  the  said  church  for  one  whole  year 
from  this  day,  and  after  that  time,  "if  it 
should  appear  that  he  can  live  on  his  in- 
come ;  and  that  the  people  ought  to  abide 
by  their  proposal  to  raise  Mr.  Fuller's  in- 
come to  twenty -six  pounds  a-year,  as 
they  had  proposed,  clear  of  all  deductions.' 

"  On  the  3d  of  October  I  received  a 
note  from  Mr.  Hall,  who  was  in  London, 
wherein  he  wishes  me  not  to  enter 
into  an  engagement  to  be  governed  by 
the  arbitration  ;  and  suggests  that,  if  my 
continuance  at  Soham  should  be  thus  de- 
termined, it  would  be  a  reflection  either  on 
the  wisdom  or  integrity  of  the  nine  minis- 
ters whom  I  consulted  at  Kettering,  or 
else  on  myself  for  having  related  a  partial 
tale,  tending  to  lead  them  into  a  decep- 
tion. As  to  the  former,  I  have  only  to 
say,  however  it  may  look,  that  I  have  cer- 
tainly no  inferior  opinion  of  the  wisdom 
or  integrity  of  the  nine  ministers  to  that  of 
the  arbitrators.  I  impute  it  wholly  to  their 
hearing  the  matter  but  from  one  party  ; 
and,  as  to  the  partiality  of  my  tale,  I  re- 
fer you  to  what  I  said  in  my  last  to  you. 

"  I  dare  not,  indeed  I  dare  not,  go  con- 
trary to  the  above  decision.  I  think  it 
would  be  mocking  God  and  the  arbitra- 
tors to  be  previously  resolved  what  way 
to  take.  Would  it  not  be  like  Ahab's 
asking  counsel  of  Micaiah  1  or  the  Jews 
of  Jeremiah]  (chap,  xlii.) — I  therefore 
must  not  comply  with  your  invitation. 
Mr.  Robinson  referred  me  to  what  it  is 
that  approves  a  minister  of  God,  in  2  Cor. 
vi.  4 — 8,  and  such  things  have  no  small 
impression  on  my  heart. 


38 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


"  I  am  at  this  time  a  compound  of  feel- 
ings. I  feel,  dear  brethren,  I  painfully 
feel  for  you.  I  am  distressed  that  a 
church  whose  troubles  were  many  before, 
should  have  them  increased  through  me. 
I  feel  myself  unhappy  lest  my  worthy 
brethren  and  fathers  in  the  ministry  should 
think  themselves  slighted,  of  which  there 
is  nothing  that  I  am  less  conscious  :  and, 
should  they  on  this  account  slight  me,  it 
will  very  much  grieve  me,  but  I  cannot 
help  it.  I  hope  they  will  consider  what 
must  necessarily  be  my  motives  in  this 
matter,  and  excuse  me.  I  am  not  with- 
out feelings  on  my  own  account,  but  these 
are  not  so  great  as  those  for  you.  Blessed 
be  God,  I  feel  peace  within,  let  things  is- 
sue as  they  will.  I  enjoy  a  conscious- 
ness of  having  done  every  thing  in  this 
matter  as  in  the  sight  of  Christ ;  at  least 
to  the  best  of  my  knowledge.  A  passage 
in  Mr.  Hall's  letter  to  me  of  April  28, 
1780,  has  both  yesterday  and  to-day  been 
sweet  to  me. — '  How  awfully  mysterious 
are  divine  providences  !  The  Lord  help 
us  to  approve  and  adore  with  cordial  af- 
fections the  dispensations  of  God.  We 
shall  one  da)^  see  we  could  not  liave  been 
so  well  in  any  other  condition  as  in  that  in 
which  the  Lord  has  placed  us,  nor  with- 
out the  various  afflictions  we  meet  with 
by  the  way.  I  have  lately  thought  that 
religion  is  not  designed  to  please  us  now, 
but  to  profit  us — to  teach  and  dispose  us 
to  please  God.  And  those  who  please 
him,  he  will  please  them  hereafter.' 

"  I  am  not  without  some  fears  that,  as 
the  time  of  trial  is  limited  to  one  year, 
you  should  some  of  you  be  hankering  still 
in  your  minds  after  me,  which  if  you 
should  it  will  make  me  exceedingly  un- 
happy. I  do  not  mean  to  spend  what  I 
have,  but  if  possible  to  live  according  to 
what  I  shall  have  coming  in,  and  to  bow 
my  shoulder  to  the  yoke  with  content- 
ment. It  is  therefore  likely  I  shall  stay 
longer,  perhaps  all  my  life.  I  therefore 
humbly  and  most  earnestly  beseech  you, 
by  all  that  belongs  to  your  own  welfare, 
and  my  future  peace,  to  drop  all  thoughts 
whatever  of  my  removal,  and  to  look  up 
and  look  out  for  some  other  person  to  be 
your  pastor :  the  Great  Head  of  the 
church  direct  your  choice  I 

"  Great  happiness  is  what  I  do  not  look 
for  now  ;  but  it  would  serve  to  increase 
the  little  I  have  remaining  to  receive  one 
more  letter  from  the  church  at  Kettering, 
or,  if  that  is  too  much  trouble,  from  Mr. 
Wallis,  by  the  church's  consent,  express- 
ing these  two  things — That  you  entertain 
no  hard  thoughts  of  me,  as  if  I  had  in  any 
respect  used  you  ill ;  and  that  you  give 
up  all  thoughts  of  my  removal,  and  intend 
lo  look  out  elsewhere.     Give  my  love  to 


any  of  the  ministers  whose  judgment  I 
consulted,  and  tell  them  what  I  say.  Ac- 
cept the  same  to  yourselves.  That  Je- 
hovah-jireh  may  see  and  provide  for  you, 
is,  my  dear  brethren,  the  prayer  of 
"  Yours  very  affectionately, 

"A.  F." 

Thus  the  decision  appeared  to  be 
thrown  further  off  than  before.  Tlie 
church  at  Kettering  satisfied  Mr.  Fuller 
on  the  subject  of  liis  conduct,  and  en- 
deavored without  effect  to  procure  a  suit- 
able minister  iVora  the  institution  at  Bris- 
tol. Their  minds  being  still  directed  to 
him,  Mr.  Fuller,  in  July,  1782,  thus  re- 
plies to  a  letter  of  Mr.  Wallis  : — 

"  You  ask  in  yours,  '  Will  the  Lord 
raise  desires  in  his  own  people  merely  to 
disappoint  theml'  You  think  not,  see- 
ing that  God  hath  said,  The  desires  of  the 
righteous  shall  be  granted.  Certainly  if 
God  doth  excite  desires,  and  then  disap- 
point tliem,  it  is  for  some  higher  end  than 
merely  their  disappointment.  You  will 
not  think,  dear  Sir,  that  I  mean  to  dis- 
courage you,  if  I  should  say  the  above 
explanation  of  the  text  in  Proverbs  is  in- 
consistent with  truth.  I  once  heard  a 
sermon*  from  Psa.  cxlv.  19.  The  minis- 
ter proposed  first  to  explain  his  subject, 
and  in  so  doing  he  delivered  something 
like  this  : — '  God  will  not  srant  us  every 
desii'e.  That  is  our  mercy  ;  for  (1)  Some 
of  them  are  sinful.  David  desired  to  be 
revenged  on  Nabal  and  his  innocent  fami- 
ly. Jonah  desired  Nineveh's  ruin.  (2) 
Others  would  not  be  for  our  good.  Da- 
vid desired  the  life  of  the  child  he  had  by 
Bathsheba ;  David  also  desired  the  life  of 
Jonathan ;  neither  of  which  would  have 
been  for  his  good.  (3)  Nay,  not  every 
righteous  desire.  It  is  a  righteous  desire 
for  a  minister  to  desire  the  salvation^of 
those  that  hear  him.  So  Paul  declared,  I 
would  to  God  that  all  that  are  here  pres- 
ent were  altogether  such  as  I  am — Acts 
xxvi.  29.  So  again,  /  could  loish  myself 
accursed  from  Christ,  for  my  brethren's 
sake,  my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh. 
— Rom.  ix.  1.  David  desired  to  build  a 
house  for  God,  and  it  was  a  righteous  de- 
sire, for  God  took  it  well  at  his  hands  : 
yet  he  did  not  grant  it.  Kings  and  pro- 
phets desired  to  see  the  Lord  Messiah, 
and  yet  did  not  see  him.  How  then  are 
we  to  understand  if?  Answer.  The 
sum  or  substance  of  their  desires  shall  be 
fulfilled.  What  is  the  main  desire  of  a 
seaman  1  that  he  may  arrive  at  the  haven. 
So  saints  will  be  brought  to  their  desired 
haven.      What  of  a  pilgrim  1 — See  Heb. 

*  Since  ascertained  to  have  been  his  own. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


39 


xi.  16.  So  all  the  desires  of  a  christian 
are  summed  up  in  this,  Tliat  he  may  eter- 
nally enjoy  God  and  be  like  him. — See  2 
Sam.  xxiii.  2.  Doulilless  there  is  great 
mystery  in  these  thinirs.  However,  I 
think  it  certain  that,  when  God  raises  a 
spiritual  desire  in  a  person,  it  is  often, 
though  not  always,  witli  an  intention  to 
bestow  the  object  desired." 

On  the  20th  of  August,  17S2,  after  a 
visit  from  Mr.  Wallis,  he  thus  addresses 
him  : — "  Since  I  saw  you,  though  it  is  but 
a  little  time,  yet  I  have  had  great  exer- 
cises. The  day  I  parted  with  you,  calling 
in  the  evening  on  one  of  my  friends,  my 
feelings  were  tried  by  what  you  know  is 
the  most  effectual  battery  on  my  lieart  of 
any  thing  ;  I  mean  bitter  weeping.  The 
Lord's -day  following,  the  meeting-house, 
to  say  all  in  one  word,  was  a  Bochim  ! 
The  most  unfeigned  sorrow  I  believe  pre- 
vailed in  almost  every  heart.  For  ray 
own  part,  I  found  it  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  go  on  in  preaching,  and  keep 
from  weeping  quite  out.  I  hastened  as 
soon  as  worship  was  over  to  get  alone, 
and  there  give  full  vent  to  all  iny  sorrow. 
We  had  a  private  evening  meeting,  which 
was  more  trying  to  me  than  the  day.  I 
saw  a  spirit  in  the  church  in  general, 
which  had  I  seen  half  a  year  ago,  I  could 
never  have  left  them,  come  w  hat  would, 
whatever  I  do  now.  I  went  home  to  my 
house  with  a  heart  full  of  distress,  and  my 
strength  nearly  exhausted  with  the  Avork 
and  weeping  of  the  day. 

"  The  next  day,  August  12,  I  devoted 
to  fasting  and  prayer  :  found  special  out- 
goings of  heart,  and  encouragement  to 
pray  from  many  Scriptures.  1  scarcely 
remember  such  a  day  for  tenderness  and 
importunity  in  prayer  in  my  life.  Two 
days  after,  I  felt  my  spirits  all  the  morn- 
ing exceedingly  depressed  ;  got  alone,  and 
found  a  heart  to  pray,  with,  I  think, 
greater  importunity  than  I  had  done  be- 
fore. O,  it  seemed  as  if  I  must  have  my 
petitions  granted,  or  I  could  not  live. 
This  last  Lord's-day,  was  a  tender  day, 
but   not  like  the  Lord's-day  preceding. 

"  Truly,  Sir,  nothing  but  the  thoughts 
of  an  open  door  for  greater  usefulness  in 
Christ's  cause  (surely  this  is  not  illusion  !), 
and  my  having  been  so  engaared  to  pray 
for  the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom,  could 
have  kept  me  from  dropping" all  o])posi- 
tion,  and  yielding  to  the  church's  desire. 
All  their  former  treatment  towards  me  I 
cannot  remember.  I  am  constrained  not 
only  to  forgive  it,  but  to  forget  it.  And 
as  to  profit  or  reputation,  things  at  which 
I  have  been  charged  with  aiming,  these 
seemed  no  more  to  me  than  the  mire  in 
the  streets.  I  cannot  say  what  I  shall  do. 
I  desire  to  be  governed  by  judgment,  and 
mean  to  be  so ;  but  these  things  influence 


my  judgment,  and  that  which  appeared' 
clear  before  has  appeared  doubtful  since. 
Some  of  my  friends  also,  who  thought  my 
way  clear  before,  think  it  doubtful  now. 
Oh!  it  pains  me  to  the  heart  to  i)ut  you 
and  my  dear  friends  to  so  much  pain.  I 
have  often  of  late  lamented  before  the 
Lord  my  unhappy  situation,  that  it  should 
be  my  lot  to  be  reduced  to  the  painful  ne- 
cessity, to  say  tne  least,  of  injuring,  at  one 
place  or  other,  that  cause  which  of  all 
things  in  the  world  I  most  dearly  love! 
My  dear  friend,  I  must  beg  of  you  not  to 
have  your  expectations  raised  too  much. 
Indeed,  I  am  ashamed  to  mention  their 
being  raised  at  all  by  the  thoughts  of  my 
coming;  only  I  know  how  you  are. 
Truly  I  am  not  without  a  dread  of  being 
made  a  curse  to  you  if  I  come.  I  feel 
such  barrenness  and  carnal-mindedness 
habitually  prevail,  as  often  has  made  me 
think  my  labors  would  be  blasted,  be 
where  I  might.  I  know  not  but  such  is 
your  partial  opinion  of  me  that  you  will 
be  apt  to  impute  this  to  a  peculiar  sensi- 
bility of  the  plague  of  my  own  heart;  but 
verily  this  is  not  the  case.  My  soul  is  in- 
deed, like  the  lands  of  Jericho,  barren; 
and  almost  all  my  services,  like  its  wa- 
ters, naught:  and  unless  something  ex- 
traordinary be  done  to  the  spring-head  of 
all,  to  heal  the  waters,  like  what  was 
done  by  the  prophet  Elisha,  my  barren- 
ness will  be  my  plague  and  the  plague  of 
those  about  me. 

"  I  must  farther  beg  of  you  not  to  move 
it  to  the  church  to  give  me  any  further 
call.  If  I  leave  Soham,  I  shall  come,  not 
doubting  their  willingness  to  receive  me  ; 
and,  if  not,  the  more  there  is  done  by  the 
church,  as  a  church,  towards  it,  the  great- 
er will  be  their  disappointment.  For  my 
own  part,  the  language  of  my  heart  is, 
'  Here  am  I,  let  him  do  with  me  as  seem- 
eth  good  to  him.'  I  do  not  expect  nor 
wait  'for  extraordinary  directions.  All  I 
look  for  is  to  have  my  way  plain,  my  judg- 
ment clear,  and  my  conscience  satisfied. 
Pray  to  the  Lord,  my  dear  Sir,  earnestly, 
yet  submissively.  I  thought  it  right  to  give 
you  an  honest  account  of  things  as  above  ; 
and  I  think  it  but  right  as  honestly  to  say' 
on  the  other  hand,  that,  all  things  consid- 
ered, notwithstanding  the  check  I  have 
lately  met  with,  the  evidence  for  removino- 
rather  preponderates  than  that  for  contin- 
uing. Meanwhile,  till  we  see  the  issue  of 
things,  may  we  each  become  dead  to  all 
created  good,  any  further  than  as  it  may 
subserve  the  glory  of  God.  So  desires 
"  Your  affectionate  but  distressed  friend, 

"A.  F." 

To  a  farther  invitation  Mr.  F.  gave  the. 
following  answer : — 


40 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


TO     THE      CHURCH    OF      CHRIST    AT    KET- 
TERING. 

Soham,  Sept.  22,  17S2. 
"  Dear  Brethren, 

"  Yours  I  received,  and  quite  approve 
of  your  devoting  a  day  to  fast  and  pray 
to  the  Lord  on  such  a  soleinn  occasion. 
I  thank  you  for  your  remembrance  of  me, 
and  the  church  at  Soham,  on  that  day,  as 
well  for  your  kind  and  repeated  invitation  ; 
to  which  I  can  only  say,  that,  if  I  should 
leave  Soham  at  the  time  you  expect,  I 
have  no  other  thoughts  than  to  comply. 
God  only  knows  how  it  will  be  with  me  when 
the  time  comes.  True  it  is,  I  give  the  church 
here  no  reason  to  expect  any  thing  but  my 
removal ;  but  such  a  spirit  of  tenderness 
now  takes  place  among  them  that  it  shakes 
my  confidence,  and  threatens  to  destroy 
my  happiness  if  I  remove.  It  is  true  I  do 
habit  ally  think  of  removing,  but  do  not 
you  expect  it  too  much.  Hold  Christ  and 
your  religion  with  a  close  hand,  but  me 
and  every  other  creature  with  a  loose  one  ! 
God  can  bless  you  without  me,  and  blast 
you  with  me.  If  I  come,  O  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  may  come  with  me  !  Surely 
it  is  my  habitual  prayer — '  If  tliy  presence 
go  not  with  me,  carry  me  not  up  hence." 
With  great  respect  and  esteem,  I  remain. 
Dear  Brethren, 

"  Yours  in  the  gospel,  A.  F." 

Mr.  Fuller  removed  to  Kettering  in 
October,  1782,  and  in  the  following  Octo- 
ber was  ordained  pastor  of  the  church. 
He  was  succeeded  at  Soham  by  his  friend 
Mr.  West,  one  of  the  deacons,  who  sub- 
sequently became  pastor  of  a  church  in 
Dublin. 

An  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the 
church  at  Soham  to  that  of  Kettering,  re- 
specting his  dismission,  will  show  their 
estimation  of  him  : — 

"  Dear  Brethren, 

"  Inasmuch  as  you  have  requested  that 
our  brother  and  former  pastor,  Mr.  Andrew 
Fuller,  should  be  dismissed  to  you,  we  ac- 
cordingly comply  therewith,  though  it 
pains  our  hearts,  and  renews  our  former 
grief.  On  the  thoughts  of  such  a  request 
we  are  ready  to  give  ear  to  the  voice  that 
cried  in  Ezekiel's  hearing,  O  ivheel ! 
His  ways  are  in  the  great  deep,  and  his 
footsteps  past  finding  out. 

"  O  that  Peter's  wish  may  be  accom- 
plished in  us,  '  That  the  trial  of  our  faith, 
being  much  more  precious  than  that  of 
gold  which  perisheth,  might  be  found  to 
praise  and  glory  at  the  appearing  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 

"  With  regard  to  Mr.  Fuller's  conduct 
as  a  Christian,  Avhile  Avith  us,  we  have 
nothing  to  lay  to  his  charge.     It  was  in 


many  respects  very  amiable.  Relative  to 
his  ministerial  character,  his  faithfulness, 
wisdom,  tenderness,  and  freeness  with  his 
friends,  &c.,  were  the  things  which  capti- 
vated our  hearts,  and  united  our  atfections 
to  him,  which  make  our  parting  the  more 
trying.  But  we  wish  that  our  loss  may 
be  your  gain.  We  therefore  consent," 
&c.  &c. 

While  the  above  demonstrates  the  feel- 
ings of  the  church  towards  their  late  pas- 
tor, a  letter  to  a  friend  at  Soham,  written 
by  him  a  few  weeks  after  his  ordination 
at  Kettering,  will  testify  the  deep  inter- 
est he  still  felt  in  their  concerns  : — 

"Dear  Brother, 

"  How  deep  are  the  designs  of  Provi- 
dence !  '  Too  deep  to  sound  with  mortal 
lines.'  Since  I  have  been  here,  I  had  va- 
rious exercises  of  mind  ;  but  the  state  of 
the  church  at  Soham  has  lain  nearest  of 
any  thing !  Such  has  been  the  union  of 
affection  between  them  and  me,  that  I 
suppose  no  events  in  time,  and  I  hope 
none  in  eternity,  will  ever  dissolve  it. 
This,  I  know,  some  would  think  to  be 
scarcely  reconcilable  with  my  conduct  iu 
leaving  them ;  but,  however  it  may  aj)- 
pear,  so  it  is.  I  can  truly  say,  '  Who 
among  them  is  afflicted,  and  I  burn  not  1 ' 
My  earnest  prayers  have  been  in  their  ca- 
lamity. I  have  not  yet  seen  any  reason 
to  repent  of  what  I  have  done.  The  Lord, 
I  think,  has  been  with  me  hitherto,  in  my 
work,  and  in  my  private  retirements.  But 
alas,  poor  people,  they  are  destitute! 
Oh  !  this,  after  all,  wounds  me.  O  may 
He,  whose  name  is  Jehovah-jireh,  see 
and  provide  for  them !  I  trust  in  God 
they  will  be  provided  for.  I  hear  that 
they  keep  together,  and  are  in  a  good  spirit. 
The  Lord,  who  loves  his  cause  better 
than  we  can,  will  not  suffer,  I  think,  peo- 
ple of  such  a  spirit  to  fall  to  the  ground. 
I  have  many  other  things  to  say  to  you  ; 
but  I  trust  shoi'tly  to  see  you.  Meanwhile, 
farewell.     The  Lord  be  with  you  ! 

"A.  F." 

The  following  summary  of  the  preced- 
ing circumstances,  addressed  by  Mr.  Ful- 
ler to  the  congregation  on  the  occasion  of 
his  ordination  at" Kettering,  will  be  read 
with  interest  : — 

"  For  me  to  enter  minutely  into  this 
affair  might,  perhaps,  be  attended  with 
too  great  a  revival  of  feelings  for  me,  at 
this  "time  and  place,  to  sustain;  and,  as 
the  affair  is  so  well  known  by  many  here 
present,  I  must  beg  to  be  indulged  in  be- 
ing short. 

"  It  seems  a  strange  thing  that  is  come 
upon  me  !     I  seem   still,  at  times,  as  if  I 


ME.M0IK3    OK    MK.     FLLJ.EK. 


41 


could  scarcely  believe  it  to  be  true !  I 
was  always  averse  to  removals,  and  had 
inured  myself  to  look  upon  them  with  a 
jealous  eye.  I  do  not  therefore  wonder 
that  others  have  done  the  same  by  mine. 
I  suppose  there  was  a  time  when,  if  any 
one  had  suggested  the  idea  of  my  removal, 
it  would  have  seemed  to  me  a  strange, 
unlikely  thing.  But,  however,  it  was  so 
it  is  come  to  pass. 

"I  imagine  it  will  not  be  expected  that 
I  should  enter  upon  a  vindication  of  my 
conduct  in  tliat  affair.  I  only  say  this  : 
several  things  concurred  to  make  me,  lirst, 
hesitate  whether  it  was  my  duty  to  abide 
where  I  was  ;  and,  afterwards,  to  think  it 
was  not.  Desirous,  however,  of  doing 
nothing  rashly,  I  was  determined  to  wait 
a  considerable  time  before  I  did  any  thing. 
My  chief  desire,  I  think,  w  as  to  preserve 
a  conscience  void  of  offense,  towards  God 
and  towards  man.  I  had,  all  along,  much 
jealousy  of  my  own  heart,  and  many  fears. 
I  frequently  laid  my  case  before  God  in 
prayer,  with  much  more  importunity  than 
I  usually  feel.  J  sometimes  devoted  days 
on  purpose  for  fasting  and  prayer,  on  the 
occasion.  On  some  of  those  days,  partly 
for  the  church  at  Soham,  and  partly  for 
myself,  I  had,  I  think,  the  most  earnest 
out-goings  of  heart  to  the  Lord  that  ever  I 
felt  in  my  life.  I  consulted  many  friends, 
ministers,  upon  the  spot,  (who  knew  the 
case)  and  ministers  at  a  distance.  I  think  to 
nine  of  them,  some  of  whom  are  here  pres- 
ent, I  told  the  case  as  impartially  as  I  was 
able,  and  asked  their  advice.  Still  my 
heart  felt  reluctant  at  the  thoughts  of  a 
removal.  I  submitted  the  case  to  three  or 
four  indifferent  persons,  who  heard  the 
particulars  on  both  sides.  The  issue  was, 
I  staid  another  year.  At  that  time,  it  w'as 
my  purpose  to  remain  for  life.  I  told  the 
church  at  Kettering,  in  a  letter,  to  that 
effect.  But  I  soon  found  that  reproach 
— reproach  unlamented — had  broken  my 
heart !  The  bond  of  my  affection  was 
dissolved.  I  could  not  feel  a  union  of 
spirit  ;  without  which  I  could  not  contin- 
ue. In  proportion  as  I  despaired  of  this, 
I  felt  my  heart  incline  towards  the  church 
at  Kettering.  At  length,  impelled  by 
several  motives  (of  some  of  which,  es- 
pecially, I  think  I  shall  not  be  ashamed 
at  the  day  of  judgment),  I  removed! — a 
painful  event  to  me.  I  have,  however, 
one  consolation  remaining — that,  as  far 
as  I  know,  I  acted  herein  to  the  best  of  my 
judgment  and  conscience.  Yet,  after  all, 
I  have  had  many  relentings,  and  many  re- 
flections upon  some  {)arts  of  my  conduct ; 
as  well  as  fears  lest  the  Lord  si)ould  blast 
me  in  the  future  part  of  my  life :  for 
though  I  have  never,  to  this  day,  thought 
the  tiling  itself  to  be  wrong  ;  yet  I  have, 

VOL.    I.  6 


upon  review,  seen  a  great  deal  of  vanity 
mixing  itself  in  my  motives,  and  a  great 
deal  of  folly  in  some  parts  of  my  conduct, 
for  all  which  I  desire  to  be  ashamed. 

"  Since  my  removal  hither,  I  have 
found  much  out-going  of  heart  ibr  the  wel- 
fare of  Christ's  kingdom,  particularly  in 
this  part  of  Zion.  When  repeatedly  re- 
quested to  take  this  office  upon  me,  I 
have  not  been  without  my  fears ;  and, 
might  I  have  indulged  that  sort  of  feeling, 
I  suppose  I  should  not  have  accepted  their 
invitation  for  the  present.  But  I  wish  to 
attend  to  the  voice  of  duty.  Duty  seemed 
to  call  for  my  compliance.  I  therefore 
applied  for,  and  received,  a  dismission 
from  the  church  at  Soham  to  the  church 
at  Kettering  ;  and  have  resigned  myself 
up,  to  serve  them  in  the  Lord.  I  wish 
it  may  be  lor  the  glory  of  Christ  and  their 
good  :  though,  I  must  own,  the  pleasure 
of  this  day  is  marred  to  me,  because  a 
union  with  the  one  church  cannot  be  effcct- 
edbut  by  a  disunion  with  the  other." 


SECTION  III. 

Labors  at  Kettering — Northamptonshire 
Association — Union  of  Ministers  for 
Prayer  and  Conference  relative  to  the 
Promotion  of  vital  Religion — Extracts 
from  his  Diary — Publication  of  his 
Treatise  on  the  Universal  Obligation  of 
Faith — Controversies  arising  out  oj  it 
— Diary  resumed — Letters  to  Dr.  Ry- 
land  on  the  Illness  and  Death  of  his 
Daughter  Sarah — Further  Extracts 
from  his  Diary — Illness  and  Death  of 
his  Wife. 

Conscious  of  having  entered  on  a 
more  extended,  and,  consequently,  a 
more  responsible  field  of  labor,  Mr.  Fuller 
addressed  himself  to  his  work  with  his 
constitutional  ardor.  The  increase  of  oc- 
cupation which  he  had  anticipated  was 
chiefly,  if  not  altogether,  of  a  local  na- 
ture ;  but  the  Great  Disposer  of  events 
rendered  his  removal  to  Kettering  sub- 
servient to  engagements  to  which  those 
of  his  pastoral  office  bore  a  small  pro- 
portion, whether  viewed  in  relation  to 
their  bearing  on  the  interests  of  man- 
kind, or  on  his  own  personal  exertions. 

The  first  two  years  of  his  residence  at 
Kettering  were,  however,  distinguished 
by  no  operations  beyond  the  immediate 
sphere  of  pastoral  labor^  if  we  excepl 
those  arising  out  of  his  connection  Avith  the 
churches  of  the  Northamptonshire  Aseo- 


42 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


ciation,*  a  register  of  whose  statistics  and 
history,  for  a  succession  of  years,  forms 
the  subject  of  a  private  memorandum,  ac- 
companied with  remarks  on  their  circum- 
stances, indicative  of  a  heart  devoted  to 
their  welfare.  The  influence  of  liis  tal- 
ents and  character  began  early  to  be  felt 
among  them.  His  assistance  was  claimed 
in  their  public  services,  his  advice  sought 
in  their  difficulties  :  nor  is  it  too  much  to 
say  that  his  judgment  became  the  stand- 
ard of  appeal  to  an  extent  altogether  un- 
precedented. 

The  friendship  which  Mr.  Fuller  had 
previously  commenced  with  those  excel- 
lent men,  the  late  Messrs.  Sutclifif,  of  01- 
ney,  and  Ryland,  of  Northampton,  was 
now  cemented  by  frequent  intercourse,  by 
which  the  interests  of  their  respective 
churches,  as  well  as  those  of  the  cause  of 
Christ  at  large,  were  materially  benefited. 
A  pamphlet,  written  by  the  celebrated 
President  Edwards,  on  the  importance  of 
general  union  in  prayer  for  the  revival  of 
true  religion,  having  found  its  way  into 
their  hands,  was  printed  and  diligently 
circulated.  This  was  followed  by  a  small 
publication,  entitled  "Persuasives  to  ex- 
traordinary Union  in  Prayer  for  the  Re- 
vival of  Real  Religion,"  appended  by  Mr. 
Fuller  to  a  sermon  which  he  published 
about  this  time  "  On  Walking  by  Faith  :" 
periodical  meetings  for  prayer  were  insti- 
tuted among  the  ministers  in  their  imme- 
diate neighborhoods  ;  resolutions  were 
also  passed  at  a  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion, at  Nottingham,  and  subsequently  at 
similar  meetings  in  other  districts,  recom- 
mending the  setting  apart  of  the  first 
Monday  evening  in  every  month  for 
prayer  for  the  extension  of  the  gospel.  It 
is,  perhaps,  not  too  much  to  say,  that 
these  gave  the  impetus  to  that  missionary 
spirit  which  afterwards  extended  itself 
successively  through  c  .ery  denomination 
of  the  Christian  world,  and  with  which  tlie 
origin  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  is  closely  identified  :  be  that  as  it 
may,  the  importance  of  these  meetings 
became  more  and  more  obvious  in  con- 
nection with  missionary  efforts,  the  prac- 
tice being  almost  universally  adopted 
by  the  various  communions  of  dissenters, 
and  continuing  in  existence  to  the  present 
day.  A  few  extracts  from  Mr.  Fuller's 
private  memorandums,  about  this  time, 
will  show  with  Avhat  singleness  of  heart  he 
entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  apostolic 
aphorism — "  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself." 

"  17S4,  April  11. — A  tender  forenoon 
in  public  prayer.  My  heart  aches  for 
the   congregation,  young  and  old,  espe. 

*  This  association  embraced  at  that  period,  the 
churches  in  several  adjoining  counties. 


with   Robert   Hall 
Some    tenderness 


cially  for  some  who  seem  to  be  imder 
concern.  O  if  Christ  might  but  be  form- 
ed in  them  !  But  I  am  so  carnal  that  I  fear 
God  will  never  do  any  thing  by  me. 

"25. — Expounded  Matt.  iv.  this  eve- 
ning, on  Christ's  temptation;  noticed 
its  importance,  time,  circumstances,  and 
issue,  inferring  that  as  Christ  did  not  run 
into  temptation,  but  was  led  up,  so  we 
must  not ;  but  pray,  as  he  has  directed, 
that  we  enter  not  into  it. 

"  30. — Very  little  exercise  to-day. 
What  reason  have  I  to  pray  for  a  revival 
in  my  soul !  Surely  I  am  to  a  sad  degree 
sunk  into  a  spirit  of  indifference  :  '  My 
soul  cleaveth  to  the  dust.' 

"  May  3. — Some  tenderness  in  preach- 
ing at  Stagsden :  endeavored  to  speak 
plain  and  liome  to  the  understandings  and 
consciences  of  some  poor,  plain  people,  on 
ChrisVs  being  a  way  that  men  know  not. 

"7.— Heard  Mr.  Robert  Hall,  jun., 
from  '  He  that  increaseth  knowledge  in- 
creaseth  sorrow.'  Felt  very  solemn  in 
hearing  some  parts.  The  Lord  keep  that 
young  man ! 

"  8. — Conversation 
on  various  subjects, 
and  earnestness  in  prayer  after  his  depar- 
ture. O  could  I  but  keep  more  near  to 
God !  How  good  is  ft  to  draw  near  to 
Him ! 

"  11. — Devoted  this  day  to  fasting  and 
prayer,  in  conjunction  with  several  other 
ministers,  who  have  agreed  thus  to  spend 
the  second  Tuesday  in  every  other  month, 
to  seek  the  revival  of  real  religion,  and  the 
extension  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the 
world.  Feel  very  unhappy,  to  think  that 
my  heart  should  be  no  more  in  it.  But 
very  little  of  the  true  spirit  of  prayer 
throughout  the  whole  day. 

"  16. — A  good  forenoon :  tender  in 
prayer  for  the  revival  of  religion,  and  the 
carrying  on  of  a  good  work  among  our 
young  people.  Very  tender  to-night,  at 
Tlirapston,  and  greatly  concerned  for  the 
salvation  of  souls  while  preaching  on  sin- 
ners being  like  Moab — at  ease  from  his 
youth.  Here  I  am  child  enough  to  think 
— surely  some  good  must  be  done. 

"  26. — Some  sense  of  the  importance  of 
everlasting  things,  occasioned  by  hearing 
the  conversation  of  some  wicked  men. 
Oh  !  if  I  had  an  abiding  sense  of  the  dan- 
ger and  worth  of  souls,  surely  I  should  feel 
more  like  Aaron,  when  he  ran,  with  his 
censer,  between  the  living  and  the  dead. 

"  June  11. — Spoke  to-night  from 
'  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly 
in  heart.'  Indeed,  I  have  need  to  learn 
more  of  this.  I  find  applauses  to  be  fiery 
trials. 

"  13. — At  Olney.  A  poor  cold  day, 
except  in  the   evening.     I   am  weary  of 


MEMOIRS    or    MK.    FULLER. 


43 


being  out  from  home  so  much.  I  want  to 
be  more  at  liomc,  that  I  may  be  more 
with  God. 

"  "21. — Much  affected  to  day  in  visiting 
some  j)oor  friends  ;  especially  in  going  to 
see  a  bltic  I'oy,  of  seven  or  eight  years 
old,  in  a  decline,  not  likely  to  continue 
long.  My  heart  lelt  Ibr  his  everlasting 
state.  Conversed  with  him  a  little  on 
divine  sulyects. 

"  July  9. — Some  serious  tenderness  of 
spirit  and  concern  tor  tlie  carnality  of  my 
heart,  for  some  days  past.  Read  to  our 
friends,  this  evening,  a  part  of  Mr.  Ed- 
wards's Attempt  to  promote  Prayer  for 
the  Revival  of  Religion,  to  excite  them 
to  the  like  practice.  Felt  my  heart  pro- 
fited and  much  solemnized  by  what  I 
read. 

"  11. — A  good  forenoon  in  preaching  on 
fellowship  ivith  Christ.  Felt  some  ten- 
derness of  heart  several  times  in  the  day, 
longing  for  the  coming  of  Christ's  king- 
dom and  the  salvation  of  my  hearers. 

"12. — Read  part  of  a  poem,  by  John 
Scott,  Esq.,  on  the  cruelties  of  the  Eng- 
lish in  the  East  Indies,  causing  artificial 
famines,  &c.  My  heart  felt  most  earnest 
desires  that  Christ's  kingdom  might  come, 
when  all  these  cruelties  shall  cease.  O 
for  the  time  when  neither  the  sceptre  of 
oppression  nor  heathen  superstition  shall 
bear  the  sway  over  them  !  Lord  Jesus, 
set  up  thy  glorious  and  peaceful  kingdom 
all  over  the  world  !  Found  earnest  de- 
sire this  morning,  in  prayer,  that  God 
would  hear  the  right,  as  to  them,  and 
hear  our  prayers,  in  which  the  churches 
agree  to  unite,  for  the  spread  of  Christ's 
kingdom. 

"  13. — Spent  this  day  in  fasting  and 
prayer,  in  conjunction  with  several  of  my 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  for  the  revival  of 
our  churches  and  the  spread  of  the  gospel. 
Found  some  tenderness  and  earnestness 
in  prayer,  several  times  in  the  day.  Wrote 
a  few  thoughts  on  the  desirableness  of  the 
coming  of  Christ's  kingdom. 

"  16. — Rode  to  Arnsby,  this  morning  ; 
had  some  profitable  conversation  with  Mr. 

Hall.     Returned   and  heard   Mr.  ,  of 

-,   with   grief.     Surely  the  system  of 

religion  [false  Calvinism]  which  he,  with 
too  many  others,  has  imbibed,  enervates 
every  part  of  vital  godliness. 

"  18. — A  good  forenoon  in  preaching 
from  'AH  my  springs  are  in  thee;'  but 
a  better  time  in  prayer.  Found  my  heart 
go  out  for  the  children  and  youth  of  the 
congregation ;  owing,  perhaps,  to  my 
having  spoken  last  night  at  the  grave  of 
the  little  boy  mentioned  June  21.  Poor 
child  !  he  seemed  to  like  that  I  should 
talk  with  him  before  he  died. 


"19. — Chiefly  employed  in  writing  and 
visiting  poor  friends.  Think  1  get  good, 
and  hope  I  do  some  good,  by  the  latter. 

"27. — Dull  and  unaffected.  Nothing 
seems  to  lay  hold  of  me.  Some  fear  to- 
night in  prayer.  An  accident  that  has 
befallen  my  youngest  child  now  lays  suffi- 
cient hold  of  me  ;  I  fear  lest  he  should  he 
taken  from  me.  Very  much  moved  in 
prayer  for  him.  O  Lord  I  must  have 
something  trying  to  move  me.  How  I 
shall  endure  this,  I  know  not.  O  prepare 
him,  and  prepare  me  !  Feel  my  heart 
tender  to-day,  and  some  thankfulness  of 
heart  for  hope  aflbrded  of  the  child.  Ah, 
how  easy  to  speak  of  resigning  our  whole 
selves,  and  all  that  pertains  to  us,  to  the 
Lord  ;  but  how  difficult  to  do  so  when 
it  comes  to  the  trial !" 

A  more  extended  sphere  of  labor  began 
now  to  open  itself,  and  more  varied  and 
painful  exercises  of  mind  awaited  Mr. 
Fuller,  than  those  indicated  in  the  pre- 
ceding extracts  ;  it  was  not  for  him  to 
enjoy  that  freedom  from  polemical  engage- 
ments for  which  he  had  so  ardently  longed 
and  prayed.  The  change  of  sentiments 
which  took  place  during  his  residence  at 
Soham  had  not  been  lightly  effected,  and 
a  manuscript  on  this  subject,  which  had 
lain  by  him  from  that  time,  though  writ- 
ten at  so  early  a  period  of  his  life,  bears 
evident  marks  of  an  acuteness  of  percep- 
tion, and  a  patience  and  candor  of  inves- 
tigation, rarely  combined  in  the  produc- 
tions of  those  of  riper  years.  The  preface 
to  this  essay  is  characterized  by  beauti- 
ful simplicity  of  statement,  and  anticipates 
the  distinguishing  feature  of  the  work, 
which,  though  not  less  remarkable  than 
his  other  productions  for  logical  acumen, 
assumes  less  of  a  polemical  aspect,  and 
more  of  the  altitude  of  honest  inquiry. 
The  difference  between  them,  however, 
originated  only  in  the  circumstances  under 
which  they  were  respectively  produced ; 
the  one  being  written  expressly  for  pri- 
vate use,  the  others  as  a  defense  of  truth. 

The  value  of  the  sentiments  contained 
in  this  manuscript,  and  the  methodical 
and  masterly  manner  in  which  the  subject 
was  argued,  were  too  obvious  any  longer 
to  admit  of  its  suppression  ;  and  the  per- 
suasion of  friends,  aided  by  the  sincere 
desire  of  doing  good,  at  length  prevailed 
over  the  native  modesty  of  the  author. 

The  leading  sentiment  advocated  is,  the 
Universal  obligation  of  the  hearers  of  the 
gospel  to  its  cordial  and  entire  reception 

This  was  argued  on  the  general  princi- 
ple that  man  is  bound  to  approve  and  re- 
ceive whatever  God  presents  to  his  atten- 
tion, a  principle  supported  not  less  by  the 


44 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


sanctions  of  Scripture  than  the  dictates  of 
reason — on  the  testimony  borne  to  the 
claims  of  the  gospel  in  particular,  by  the 
commands,  exhortations  and  invitations, 
abounding  both  in  tlie  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments— on  the  obedience  required  to  the 
gospel  necessarily  involving  previous  ob- 
ligation— on  Mn6eZie/"  being  represented  as 
a  heinous  sin,  subjecting  to  the  most  awful 
punishments — and,  finally,  on  other  spir- 
itual exercises,  inseparably  connected 
with  faith,  being  represented  as  universal 
duties. 

The  leading  objections  to  these  views 
are  fully  considered  :  these  chiefly  relate 
to  the  decrees  of  God — to  the  particular- 
ity of  redemption — the  inability  of  the  car- 
nal mind  to  receive  spiritual  tilings,  and 
the  consequent  necessity  of  divijie  influ- 
ence. These  doctrines  were  not  only  be- 
lieved by  Mr.  Fuller,  but  invested  with 
great  importance  in  his  esteem.  The 
conclusion  drawn  from  them  against  the 
universal  obligation  of  faith  is,  however, 
shown  \o  be  fallacious.  That  from  the 
first  position  would  equally  exculpate  men 
from  any  moral  delinquency,  and  also 
render  means  for  the  attainment  of  tem- 
poral subsistence  vain  and  inconsistent. 
The  inference  from  the  second  is  shown 
to  arise  from  an  overstrained  comparison 
of  the  atonementof  Christ  to  the  discharge 
of  a  debt,  the  extreme  of  which  view  is 
shown  to  be  at  variance  with  the  doctrine 
of  free  forgiveness,  and  with  the  applica- 
tion of  sinners  as  suppliants  rather  than 
as  claimants.  In  correcting  this  notion, 
Mr.  Fuller  insists  that  the  atonement  pro- 
ceeds not  on  the  principle  of  comjuercial, 
but  of  moroZ  justice,  and  that  the  reason- 
ing thereon  must  correspond  with  this 
view.  The  objection  founded  on  the  ina- 
bility of  man,  Mr.  F.  meets,  by  showing 
that  this  inability  is  no  where  represented 
in  Scripture  as  of  a  proper  or  physical,  but 
of  a  figurative  or  moral  kind,*  an  umvil- 
lingness  so  inveterate  as  to  require  a  di- 
vine influence  to  overcome  it,  which,  so 

*  Mr.  F.  ill  reply  to  an  opponent,  thus  explains 
Ills  views  of  this  .subject  : — "  All  such  terms  as  ne- 
cessary, cannot,  impossible,  &c.,  when  applied  to 
these  subjects  are  used  improperly  :  they  always  de- 
note, in  strict  propriety  of  speech,  an  obstruction 
arising  from  something  distinct  from  the  state  of  the 
will.  This  view  "  represents  man  as  not  only  pcs- 
sessing  great  advantages,  but  as  able  to  comply 
■with  every  thing  that  God  requires  at  his  liand; 
and  that  all  his  misery  arises  from  his  voluntary 
abuse  of  mercy,  and  his  ivilful  rebellion  against 
God.  It  is  not  a  want  of  ait/j^!/,  but  of  inclina- 
tion,ihat  proves  his  ruin. — Vol  IL  pp.  310 — 312. 
In  a  note  in  the  latter  page,  he  adds,  "  I  maintain 
th-at  men  have  the  samepower,  strictly  speaking,  be- 
fore they  are  wrought  upon  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
after,  and  before  conversion  as  after  ;  that  the  work 


far  from  excusing  an  inattention  to  the 
claims  of  the  gospel,  is  in  itself  a  gross 
aggravation  of  the  evil — that  the  argu- 
ments used  to  justify  it  on  the  ground 
of  alleged  incapacity  annul  a  distinction 
founded  not  less  in  reason  than  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  would  equally  justify  any  grade 
of  moral  delinquency  and  a  total  disregard 
of  the  law  of  God,  and  at  once  exculpate 
men  from  the  imputation  of  sin.  The 
subtle  distinction  of  duties  into  moral  and 
spiritual,  by  which  the  force  of  this  rea- 
soning is  evaded,  is  proved  to  have  no  ex- 
istence in  Scripture — and  it  is  shown  that, 
in  fact,  there  can  be  no  true  morality 
which  is  not  spiritual,  nor  can  God 
require  an  insincere  or  defective  obedi- 
ence. 

Powerful  as  were  the  arguments  ad- 
vanced by  Mr.  Fuller  in  this  treatise,  it 
Avas  not  to  be  expected  that  a  view  of  re- 
ligion so  practically  identified  Avith  the 
Avhole  system  of  theology  which  had  pre- 
vailed nearly  half  a  century,  and  had  been 
partially  embraced  and  defended  by  men 
of  acknowledged  talenl  and  piety,  would 
readily  surrender  its  claims  on  the  public 
regard.  Some  excellent  men  of  the  same 
connection  as  Mr.  F.  were  grieved  that  the 
doctrines  of  tree  grace  should,  as  they 
considered,  sustain  an  injury  from  one 
who  professed  an  adherence  to  them. 
One  of  these  addressed  himself  respect- 
fully in  reply  ;  while  others,  less  mindful 
of  the  interests  of  truth  than  of  their  own 
personal  importance,  poured  forth  torrents 
of  illiterate  abuse,  unaccompanied  with 
the  shadow  of  an  argument. 

A  neighboring  minister,  whom  we  must, 
in  the  judgment  of  charity,  hope  to  have 
been  in  some  measure  influenced  by  the 
former  of  these  feelings,  but  who  cannot 
claim  an  exemption  from  a  portion  of  the 
latter  imputation,  earnestly  importuned  a 
sight  of  the  MS.  With  this  request  Mr. 
Fuller  complied,  at  the  same  time  obser- 
ving that  any  animadversions  he  might 
make  should  receive  a  serious  and  candid 
attention,  provided  they  Avere  accompanied 
by  evidence.  The  manuscript  was  soon 
returned,  accompanied  with  a  letter  re- 
plete with  illiterate  abuse,  while  all  argu- 
ment was  declined,  on  the  pretext  that 
"enough  had  been  said  already."  He  char- 
ges Mr.  F.  with  having  *'  gathered  those 
Scriptures  used  by  Arminians"  to  the  neg- 
lect of  those  parts  which  "  speak  distinctly 
and  clearly  the  Jews'  language,  and  not  the 
language  of  Ashdod."  He  further  charges 
him  with  disrespect  to  Drs.  Gill,   Owen, 

of  the  Spirit  endows  us  with  no  new  rational  powers, 
nor  any  powers  that  are  necessary  to  moral 
agency." 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLKR. 


45 


Ridgely,  &c.  ;  and  concludes  by  expross- 
ing  Ills  comiclion  that  "  lime  was  when 
no  such  call" would  ever  ha\e  heen  sulVei- 
ed  to  he  horn  or  nourished  at  the  little 
meeting  at  Kettering  " 

The  respect  Mr.  Fuller  hore  to  the  pri- 
vate character  of  this  individual  induced 
him  to  re[)ly.  "  If,"  he  writes,  "  a  friend 
of  mine  had  called  on  me  j)urely  in  a  way 
of  respect;  if  he  liad  written  any  thing 
that  I  did  not  approve  ;  if  1  had  requested 
and  even  imi)orluned  a  sight  of  it  upon  the 
footing  of  IViendship;  il  he  had  desired 
me  with  all  the  iranknessof  a  Christian  to 
point  out  any  of  his  mistakes,  promising 
to  rectify  or  suppress  any  thing  that  siiould 
he  found  amiss,  adding,  however,  this 
caution,  that  I  should  not  harely  call 
them  mistakes  hut  prove  them  so  ;  if,  on 
perusing  his  papers,  I  had,  instead  of  mak- 
ing any  candid  remarks  tending  to  convic- 
tion, written  a  letter  frauglit  with  re- 
proachful sneers  and  low  in\ective,  unac- 
companied hy  any  kind  of  evidence,  I 
should  have  thought,  had  I  thought  right, 
that  I  had  acted  beneath  the  minister,  the 
Christian,  or  the  man. 

"  Texts  of  Scripture  are  none  the  worse 
for  having  been  quoted  by  Arminians. 
You  wonder  that  any  who  call  themselves 
Cahinists  should  talk  thus;  and  I  won- 
der any  should  call  themselves  Cahinists 
who  talk  otherwise.  It  is  very  singular 
to  charge  me  with  disrespect  to  Drs.  Gill 
and  Owen,  when  there  is  not  a  single  ani- 
madversion on  their  writings  in  the  whole 
MS.  As  to  the  former,  I  have  not  taken 
a  single  quotation  from  his  writings,  nor 
spoken  a  syllable  about  his  sentiments, 
but  barely  icritten  his  name  on  a  blank 
page  for  the  purpose  of  transcribing  some- 
thing from  his  tending  to  conjirm  what  I 
have  written,  when  I  should  copy  it  again. 
As  to  the  latter,  I  never  met  with  any 
thing  of  importance  in  his  writings  on 
which  I  saw  any  reason  to  animadvert ; 
so  far  from  it  that  I  know  of  no  writer 
for  whom  I  have  so  great  an  esteem ;  it 
would  be  a  faint  expression  for  me  to  say 
I  approve  his  principles — I  admire  them. 
I  suppose  you  saw  the  names  of  these 
worthies,  and  observed  that  I  said  or  in- 
tended to  say  something  about  them,  and 
you  concluded  it  must  be  against  them. 
This  reminds  me  of  an  old  woman,  w  ho, 
hearing  her  clergyman  frequently  preach 
against  popery,  exclaimed,  '  Our  parson  is 
certainly  a  ^fl;jtsA ;  for  he  talks  so  much 
about  the  pope.'  Alas!  into  what  mis- 
constructions and  misrepresentations  will 
not  a  partial  spirit  insensibly  betray  us  ! 
I  believe  if  Drs.  G.  and  O.  were  living, 
they  would  defend  their  principles  against 
some  things  which  certain  writers  since 
their  death  have  attempted  to  father  upon 


them ;  the  same  may  be  said  of  Dr. 
Ridgely  :  I  never  saw  more  than  one 
passage  in  his  writings  unia\oral)le  to  my 
views,  and  could  produce  twenty  ibr  them. 

"  But  I  have  '  treated  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures with  partialiiy,  by  collecting  those 
parts  wliich  suit  my  turn,  and  omitting 
others  that  clearly  speak  the  Jews',  and 
not  my  Ashdod  language.'  Truly,  sir,  I 
never  thought  it  necessary  to  collect 
Scriptures  irrelative  to  the  purpose  for 
which  I  was  writing.  I  suppose  you 
would  have  had  me  occupy  half  the  work 
in  proving  tiie  doctrine  of  election,  as  Mr. 
Wayman  did — a  doctrine  believed  by  his 
antagonist  as  much  as  himself.  I  assure 
you,  sir,  I  never  observed  a  studied  silence 
of  any  one  argument  or  Scripture  that 
might  be  thought  to  make  against  me.  It 
seems,  according  to  your  account,  that 
one  part  only  of  the  Scripture  speaks 
clearly  and  distinctly  what  you  call  the 
Jcics'  language.  1  used  to  think,  sir,  the 
Scriptures  were  all  of  a  piece,  but  I  un- 
derstand you — that  part  whicli  does  not 
agree  whhyour  creed  does  not  speak  Jeivs' 
language.  This  comes  too  from  the  pen 
of  the  man  who  in  the  same  letter,  and 
even  the  same  sentence,  was  charging  his 
friend  with  treating  the  sacred  Scriptures 
with  partiality  ! 

"You  must  go  on,  sir,  if  you  choose, 
calling  me  Arminian,  Baxterian,  or  any 
thing  else  it  may  please  you  best.  These 
are  things  which  I  hope  will  not  move  me. 
I  only  say  that  though  I  verily  believe  it  is 
every  man's  duty  to  be  of  a  right  spirit — 
such  a  spirit  as  cordially  to  embrace  tchat- 
ever  God  makes  knoum,  yet  such  is  my 
opinion  of  human  nature  that  I  have  not 
the  most  distant  idea  of  either  the  proba- 
ble or  possible  salvation  of  any  one  but 
those  w  ho,  '  according  to  God's  purpose,' 
are  '  made  tcilling  in  the  day  of  his  pow- 
er,' and  this  you  must  have  fully  known, 
had  you  with  any  candor  attended  to  what 
I  have  written. 

"I  desire  to  seek  both  '  truth  and  peace,' 
and,  so  far  as  I  can  enjoy  the  latter  with- 
out sacrificing  the  former,  I  hope  it  will 
be  one  chief  object  of  my  pursuit.  Should 
what  I  have  written  be  published,  and 
should  any  number  of  persons,  instead  of 
seriously  attending  to  evidence,  take  fire, 
call  names,  and  set  their  churches  in  a 
flame — and  should  they  after  this  upbraid 
me  with  having  'stirred  up  divisions  in 
the  churches,'  for  all  or  any  of  this  I  hope 
I  shall  never  be  thought  accountable." 

This  reply  called  forth  a  second  and  a 
third  letter  equally  abusive  ;  but,  as  for 
evidences,  the  demand  for  them  is  a  mere 
"  come  off."  "  Are  there  not,"  he  asks, 
"  reasons  enough,  evidences  in  plenty,  al 
ready  extant  1" 


46 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR,    FULLER. 


Mr.  Fuller's  polemical  propensities 
were  hardly  strong  enough  to  l)e  attract- 
ed, by  this  sagacious  reference  to  "  evi- 
dences already  extant,"  to  the  continu- 
ance of  a  correspondence  in  which  he 
could  gain  nothing  but  scurrility ;  he 
therefore   respectfully  declined  it. 

This  correspondence  would  not  have 
been  thought  deserving  of  notice,  but  that 
it  fairly  represents  the  temper,  talents, 
and  information  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
opposition  it  was  Mr.  Fuller's  fate  to 
encounter  in  private  intercourse  ;  while 
no  small  degree  of  it  actually  struggled 
into  print  in  the  shape  of  various  pam- 
phlets, some  of  which  are  fraught  with 
doggerel  of  the   very  lowest  grade. 

It  was  i-efreshing  amidst  all  this,  to  find 
a  few  opponents  capable  of  observing  the 
rules  of  civilized  intercourse,  and  of  ad- 
dressing themselves  for  the  most  part  to 
the  consideration  of  the  points  in  dispute  ; 
such  were  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Button,  A. 
Booth,  A.  Maclean,  and,  on  the  Armin- 
ian  side,  Dan  Taylor.  It  was  a  matter, 
however,  of  grave  complaint  that  much 
misconception  and  consequent  misrepre- 
sentation of  his  views  was  to  be  found  in 
each  of  their  publications,  a  considerable 
portion  of  which  was  devoted  to  the  ela- 
borate proving  of  doctrines  cordially  re- 
ceived by  their  opponent ;  nor  was  there 
any  thing  in  the  course  of  his  polemical 
career  Avhich  furnished  Mr.  Fuller  with 
so  much  cause  of  grief,  as  the  reiterated 
disingenuousness  of  conduct  manifested 
towards  him  by  a  man  so  deservedly  es- 
teemed for  learning,  integrity,  and  holi- 
ness of  character,  as  Mr.  Booth,  between 
whom  and  himself  there  was  moreover 
but  a  slight  difference  of  opinion.  The 
circulation  of  certain  incorrect  and  injuri- 
ous representations  of  Mr.  Fuller's  senti- 
ments, the  subsequent  publication  of  the 
same,  after  a  distinct  avowal  of  their  in- 
correctness, and  their  republication  after 
a  serious  and  respectful  letter  of  remon- 
strance, of  which  Mr.  B.  takes  no  notice, 
furnish  evidence  of  the  power  of  prejudice 
over  even  an  upright  mind.  Impartiality 
requires  the  admission  that  Mr.  Fuller 
was,  in  more  than  one  instance,  charge- 
able with  misrepresentation,  the  discovery 
of  which  was,  however,  followed  by  the 
most  prompt  and  unqualified  acknowl- 
edgment. 

The  reply  to  Mr.  Button  was  accompa- 
nied by  an  answer  to  "  Observations,  &c., 
by  Philanthropos,"  afwork' in  which  the 
Rev.  D.  Taylor  attacks  with  considerable 
spirit  and  ingenuity  the  Calvinistic  posi- 
tions of  "  The  Gospel  worthy,"  &c.  "  It 
may  appear  somewhat  extraordinary," 
says  Mr.  Fuller,  in  his  reply,  "  that  the 
same  sentiment  should  be  liable  to  oppo- 


sition from  gentlemen  of  such  contrary 
principles  as  Mr.  Button  and  Philan- 
thropos. It  may  be  less  surprising,  how- 
ever, when  it  is  considered  that  there  are 
certain  points  in  which  the  most  opposite 
extremes  are  known  to  meet.  An  atten- 
tive reader  will  perceive  a  great  affinity 
in  the  tendency  of  their  reasonings  on 
various  subjects.  If  I  am  not  greatly 
mistaken,  they  both  particularly  agree  in 
denying  faith  in  Christ  to  be  a  duty  re- 
quired by  the  moral  law;  and  in  excusing 
the  sinner,  unless  grace  is  bestowed  upon 
him,  in  his  noncompliance  with  every 
thing  spiritually  good." 

The  exceptions  taken  by  Mr.  Maclean 
were  of  a  complexion  different  from  ei- 
ther of  those  before  stated,  and  were 
grounded  on  certain  views  of  the  nature 
of  faith,  and  its  priority  to  regeneration  and 
repentance,  peculiar  to  the  bulk  of  the 
Baptist  churches  in  Scotland  and  parts  of 
Ireland.  Mr.  M.  argued  that  Mr.  Ful- 
ler's position  of  a  holy  change  of  heart 
being  requisite  in  order  to  true  faith  in 
Christ,  was  "  subversive  of  the  great  doc- 
trii>e  of  justification  by  grace  alone  with- 
out the  works  of  the  law,"  and  maintain- 
ed that  faith  was  a  mere  intellectual 
exercise,  ascribing  to  it,  nevertheless,  all 
the  fruits  of  a  holy  principle. 

To  this  view  of  things  Mr.  Fuller  first 
replied  in  an  appendix  to  the  second  edi- 
tion of  his  work,  which,  giving  rise  to 
farther  observations  on  the  part  of  his 
opponent,  resulted  in  the  production 
of  "  Strictures  on  Sandemanianism,  in 
Twelve  Letters  to  a  Friend,"  a  work 
worthy  alike  of  the  talents  of  its  author 
and  of  the  powerful  antagonist  against 
whose  writings  it  was   directed. 

The  controversy  on  faith,  which  in  all 
its  branches  extended,  with  some  inter- 
vals, to  a  period  of  more  then  twenty 
years,  was  by  far  the  most  considerable 
in  which  Mr.  Fuller  was  engaged  ;  and  it 
being  that  which  was  the  most  identified 
with  his  name,  and  which  gave  rise  to 
the  grossest  misrepresentations  of  his 
character  and  views,  especially  in  his  own 
denomination,  no  apology  will  be  offered 
for  the  peculiar  prominence  given  to  it 
in  this   memoir. 

A  continuation  of  the  diary  from  which 
extracts  have  already  been  made,  while 
it  exhibits  the  feelings  under  which  Mr. 
Fuller  commenced  and  continued  these 
engagements,  will  serve  to  fill  up  the 
portraiture  of  his  character  at  this  period 
of  his  life. 

"  Aug.  10,  1784. — Occupied  in  writing 
for  the  press  some  persuasives  to  united 
prayer  for  the  revival  of  real  religion. 

"20. — Many  misgivings  of  heart,  about 
engaging  in  defense  of  what  I  esteem  truth, 


MEMOIRS     OF    MR.      FULLER. 


47 


lest  the  cause  of  Christ  should  be  injured 
through  me.  Surely,  if  I  did  not  believe 
that  in  defense  ol  which  I  write  to  he  i7?i- 
portant  truth,  I  would  hide  iny  head  in 
obscurity  all  my  days. 

"21. — Much  pained  at  heart  to-day, 
while  reading  in  Dr.  Owen.  Feel  almost 
a  sacred  reverence  for  his  character. 
Surely  I  am  more  iirutish  than  any  man, 
and  have  not  the  understanding  of  a  man! 

0  that  I  might  be  led  into  divine  truth! 
'Christ   and   his   cross   be  all   my  theme.' 

1  love  his  name,  and  wish  to  make  it  the 
centre  in  which  all  the  lines  of  jny  minis- 
try should  meet  !  The  Lord  direct  my 
Avay  in  respect  of  publishing.  Assuredly 
he  knows  my  end  is  to  vindicate  the  ex- 
cellence of  his  character,  and  his  w  orthi- 
ness  of  being  loved  and  credited. 

"23.— The  weight  of  publishing  still 
lies  upon  me.  I  expect  a  great  share  of 
unhappiness  through  it.  I  had  certainly 
much  rather  go  through  the  world  in 
peace,  did  I  not  consider  this  step  as  my 
duty.  I  feel  a  jealousy  of  myself,  lest  I 
should  not  be  endued  with  meekness  and 
patience  sufficient  for  controversy.  The 
Lord  keep  me !  I  w  ish  to  suspect  my 
own  spirit,  and  go  forth  leaning  on  him 
for  strength.  I  heard  yesterday  that  Mr. 
William  Clarke  is  likely  to  come  to 
Carlton  :  the  Lord  grant  he  may  !  O 
that  I  were  of  such  a  meek  and  lowly 
spirit  as  that  good  man  ! 

"24. — Some  tenderness  in  prayer  of 
late,  yet  fear  lest  I  should  be  blasted  in 
my  ministry  on  account  of  my  barrenness. 
Conversation  with  Mr.  Toller  on  various 
subjects  affecting  to  me.  The  Lord  keep 
me  and  lead  me  into  all  truth. 

"25. — Enjoyed  delight  for  some  days 
in  reading  over  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
before  family  prayer.  Sweet  times  in 
that  duty. 

"  26. — I  felt  some  tenderness  to-day  at 
the  church-meeting  ;  but  much  depression 
of  spirit  generally  now  attends  me.  I  feel 
a  solid  satisfaction  that  the  cause  in  which 
I  am  aliout  to  engage  is  the  cause  of  truth 
and  righteousness  ;  but  I  am  afraid  lest  it 
should  suffer  through  me. 

"  29. — A  very  tender  and  affectionate 
time  in  prayer  for  the  congregation,  espe- 
cially the  young  people. — Finished  ex- 
pounding Christ's  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
Some  cautions  I  had  given  me  to-night  I 
wish  I  may  attend  to.  The  Lord  lead 
me  into  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  and  keep 
me  from  extremes. 

"  Sept.  3. — Very  earnest  and  fervent 
this  evening,  preaciiing  on  love  to  Christ's 
salvation.  O  if  God  w  ould  but  make  use 
of  it! 

"  6. — Feel    myself    vile    before   God. 


My  vileness  is  as  if  it  were  restless,  and 
could  never  be  still,  night  nor  day. 

"  19. — A  letter  from  Soham  much  de- 
presses me  to  hear  of  their  jarrings. 
Know  not  how  to  preach. 

"  21. — Occupied  all  day  in  writing  let- 
ters into  Cambridgeshire.  O  may  God 
bless  them  to  their  good  !  Very  tender  in 
writing  them. 

"  22. — Chiefly  employed  in  preparing  a 
MS.  for  the  press  on  the  obligations  of 
men  in  respect  to  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
Felt  some  pleasure  in  the  sentiments  I 
have  written. 

"26. — Deeply  affected  this  morning  in 
thinking  and  preaching  on  the  poor  and 
needy  seeking  water  and  findingnone,  &c. 
Some  tenderness  too  in  the  afternoon  : 
this  thought  was  moving,  that  our  hard- 
ness of  heart  broke  Christ's  heart,  and 
our  stupidity  made  his  soul  exceedingly 
sorroivful,  even  unto  death. 

"Oct.  4. — To-morrow,  minister's  meet- 
ing ;  the  Lord  meet  with  us.  The  min- 
isters met  to-night,  it  being  the  monthly 
exercise  of  prayer  for  the  revival  of  re- 
ligion. 

"  7. — Spent  the  day  chiefly  in  the  com- 
pany of  some  of  the  ministers.  Much 
depressed  in  spirit,  and  grieved  at  seeing 
such  levity  and  wanton  folly  in  a  certain 
person.  My  heart  is  sick  of  all  knowl- 
edge and  accomplishments,  unless  made  to 
subserve  the  cause  of  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer. How  empty  and  frothy,  unless 
sanctified  by  the  grace  of  God  !  Felt  my 
heart  go  out  in  prayer  for  that  person. 

"  18. — Much  depressed  in  spirit  on  ac- 
count of  my  w  ant  of  spirituality  :  prayed 
with  tenderness  of  heart.  Sensibly  felt 
my  entire  dependence  on  the  Spirit  of  God 
for  the  continuance  of  the  work  of  grace 
as  well  as  for  the  beginning  of  it. 

"21. — Feel  some  pain  in  the  thought 
of  being  about  to  publish  On  the  Obliga- 
tions of  Men  to  believe  in  Christ,  as  sup- 
posing I  shall  thereby  expose  myself  to 
much  abuse,  which  is  disagreeable  to  the 
flesh.  Had  I  not  a  satisfaction  that  it  is 
the  cause  of  God  and  truth,  I  would  drop 
all  thoughts  of  printing.  The  Lord  keep 
me  meek  and  lowly  in  heart. 

"  22. — [In  allusion  to  the  termination 
of  a  domestic  trial.]  This  day  the  Lord 
has  been  merciful.  A  saying  of  Mr.  Hall, 
which  I  heard  him  use  in  prayer,  has 
been  much  to  me  of  late.  '  Lord  we  are 
bound  this  night  to  love  thee  more  than 
ever  we  did  before.' 

"  24. — I  have  many  fears  concerning 
certain  flesh-pleasing  doctrines  lately  agi- 
tated, particularly  that  of  the  final  salvation 
of  all,  men  and  devils.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  this  notion  will  have  a  great  spread 


48 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


in  twenty  years'  time,  however  contrary 
to  the  word  of  God,  seeing  it  is  what  just 
suits  the  flesh. 

"31. — Preached  this  afternoon  on  the 
dimensions  of  the  love  of  Christ.  Great 
delight  at  the  Lord's  supper.  O,  to  know 
more  of,  and  live  upon  Christ !  he  must 
be  our  daily  bread.  Sweet  pleasure  to- 
night. Can  hardly  forbear  singing  as  I 
go  about, 

"  O  for  diis  love  let  rocks  and  hills 
Their  lasting  silence  break,"  &c. 

"  Nov.  12. — Feel  my  mind  earnestly 
engaged  in  longing  for  the  salvation  of 
souls";  earnest  in  prayer  for  this.  O  what 
an  awful  thing  it  seems  to  me  for  sinners 
under  a  fatal  disease  not  to  desire  a  rem- 
edy ! 

"22. — Walked  to  Northampton.  Some 
prayer  that  God  would  bless  that  about 
which  I  am  going,  namely,  the  printing  of 
a  manuscript  on  faith  in  Christ  being  the 
duty  of  unregenerate  sinners. 

"  Dec.  18. — Feel  myself  to-day  a  poor 
carnal  wretch  !  Casting  my  eye  on  '  Wo 
to  the  idol  shepherd,'  &c.,  thought  that 
was  my  character.  Reading  in  James, 
*  with  meekness  receive  the  ingrafted 
loord,'  methought  there  was  something  in 
that  which  I  could  not  reach.  Felt  my 
heart  go  up  to  God  that  I  might  under- 
stand it. 

"  22. — Some  tender  feelings  under  my 
frequent  indisposition  of  body.  Thought 
how  I  should  bear  it,  if  God  should  lay 
me  by  from  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

"31. — Deeply  affected  on  Wednesday 
night,  in  singing  with  little  R.  in  my 
arms  : — 

"  O  raayst  thou  live  to  reach  the  place,"  &c. 

If  I  should  die  before  him,  let  him  re- 
member this,  and  S.  the  verses  in  the 
diary,  &c. 

"  1785.  Jan.  2.  Lord's-day.  Preach- 
ed this  afternoon  a  new-year's  sermon  to 
young  people,  from  '  Come  ye  children,' 
&c.  Some  sweet  and  solemn  feelings,  as 
I  sat  in  the  vestry,  while  a  hymn  for  the 
new  year  was  sung  :  felt  my  heart  very 
tender,  and  a  longing  desire  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  young  people  :  preached  to 
them  with  some  earnestness.  Felt  much 
also  this  day  in  reading  Bunyan's  Holy 
War,  particularly  that  part  where  the 
four  captains  agi-ee  to  petition  the  Kiiig 
for  more  force  :  felt  a  great  satisfaction  in 
my  principles  concerning  preaching  to  sin- 
ners, and  a  desire  to  pray,  like  them,  for 
help  from  on  high,  to  render  the  word  ef- 
fectual. 

"  8.— Much  affected  to-day  in  hearing 
my  little  girl  say,  '  How  soon  sabbath-day 
comes  again!'     Felt  grieved  to  see  the 


native  aversion  of  the  carnal  heart  to  God 
so  early  discovering  itself.  Was  led  to 
importune  God  at  a  throne  of  grace  on  her 
behalf. 

"  9. — This  evening  expounded  Acts  vi. 
One  verse  in  particular  carries  in  it  con- 
viction to  me  :  That  we  may  give  our- 
selves wholly  to  prayer  and  the  ministry 
of  the  word. 

"  11. — Some  out-goings  of  heart  in 
prayer  to-day  for  the  revival  of  real  re- 
ligion, first  in  my  own  soul,  and  then  in 
the  churches  in  general.  My  own  men- 
tal departures  from  God  have  been  long 
and  great!  Went  several  times  to  the 
Lord,  with  some  satisfaction,  but  found 
not  such  nearness  of  access  as  I  could 
wish. 

"  14. — Spoke  to-night  with  some  free- 
dom on  Psa.  cxvi.  9, — '  I  will  walk  be- 
fore the  Lord,'  &c.  Explained  it  as  con- 
sisting in  viewing  ourselves  always  as  in 
God's  sight,  and  not  merely  in  the  sight 
of  creatures,  whether  godly  or  ungodly  ; 
in  striving  to  please  God  ;  and  in  attend- 
ing in  a  constant  way  to  the  most  spirit- 
ual duties.  Observed  the  goodness  of  the 
resolution  ;  because  this  course  was  safe, 
honorable  and  happy. 

"  Feb.  8.— Visited  Mr.  Toller  to-day 
who  has  been  very  ill  :  some  serious  con- 
versation with  hina  on  the  importance  of 
real  religion  in  a  dying  hour. 

"  11. — Read  part  of  the  life  of  J.  Jane- 
way  to-day,  with  much  conviction  and 
tenderness.     O  my  life,  how  low  to  his  ! 

"  13. — Some  earnestness  to-day  in 
preaching  on  pressing  forward,  and  on  the 
desire  accomplished  being  siveet  to  the 
soul;  but  little  spirituality.  Very  ear- 
nest to-night  in  preaching  from  '  What 
will  ye  do  in  the  end  thereof?' 

"  16. — In  the  company  of  Christian 
friends.  Some  good  conversation,  but  no 
free,  tender  talk  on   things   spiritual  and 

experimental.     I  find    Mr. and   the 

people  at carry  their  resentments  very 

high,  on  account  of  what  they  reckon  my 
erroneous  principles.  I  need  grace,  not 
so  much  at  present  to  keep  me  from  re- 
senting again,  as  to  keep  me  from  re- 
joicing in  their  iniquity.  Undoubtedly 
they  could  not  take  measures  that  would 
more  conduce  to  the  reputation  of  what 
I  have  written  and  of  what  I  preach,  as 
well  as  to  their  own  detriment. 

"  19. — Feel  an  earnest  desire  that  my 
mind  might  be  well  furnished  with  gospel 
sentiments.  Found  encouragement  in 
observing  several  in  the  congregation  who 
are  likely  soon  to  join  the  church. 

"  22. — Tenderness  in  private  prayer, 
attended  with  shame.  An  agreeable  visit 
with  Mr.  B.  W.  at  Mr.  T.^'s.  Conver- 
sation very  serious  and  profitable,  chiefly 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


49 


on  closet  prayer  and  experimental  sub- 
jects. 

"  March  11. — Feel  a  general  lowness 
of  spirits  ;  partly  occasioned  by  the  bit- 
ter spirit  of  some  neiuhboring  ministers, 
respecting  my  late  pul)lication  and  my 
preaching;  and  partly  l)y  sympathy  with 
some  of  my  iricnds  under  trials. 

"  16. — Visited  Mr.  Toller  to-day,  and 
had  some  good  conversation. 

"21. — Have  been  somewhat  stirred  be- 
yond due  bounds  to-day,  in  talking  with 
a  member  of  the  church  who  has  sinned. 
It  would  have  been  better  for  me  to  have 
thought  more  of  myself,  and  to  have  spok- 
en to  him  with  more  humility. 

"  25. — Returning  from  Woodford  (where 
I  preached  last  night,  with  earnestness 
and  solenniily  of  spirit,  on  the  ways  of  sin 
being  movable,  like  those  of  the  adul- 
teress), I  was  led  into  a  profitable  strain 
of  meditation,  on  our  good  Shepherd's 
care  of  his  flock,  occasioned  by  seeing 
some  lambs  exposed  to  the  cold,  and  a 
poor  sheep  perishing  for  want  of  care. 

"28. — Some  heaviness  of  heart,  be- 
cause some  of  my  friends  do  not  take  that 
freedom  with  me  which  I  wish  they  did  ; 
at  least  it  seems  so  to  me. 

"April  19. — Preached  at  Wellingbo- 
rough, with  some  freedom,  on  Christ's 
commanding  us  to  watch.  Some  convic- 
tion by  conversing  with  Mr.  Carver,  whose 
carefulness  not  to  circulate  an  evil  report 
I  admiie. 

"28. — I  tind  it  is  often  observed  that 
persons  in  ray  condition,  without  greater 
advantages  as  to  learning,  are  generally 
apt  to  be  more  censorious  than  others 
whose  learning  is  far  greater.  I  wish  I 
may  li«  always  on  the  watch  here. 

"29. — Somewhat  unhappy  to  see  the 
disrelish,  as  I  think,  of  one  of  my  friends 
to  the  doctrines  of  sovereign  grace.  O 
that  I  may  not  only  believe  the  truth  but 
love  it ! 

"  30. — Thought  to-day  I  could  wish  to 
die  if  I  had  but  done  my  generation  work. 
Last  Monday  I  heard  a  young  man  at  N. 
speak  of  the  advantage  of  mixing  prayer 
with  reading  tlie  word.  This  morning  I 
have  been  trying  to  read  in  that  way. 
Read  the  second  chapter  of  Hosea  thus  ; 
longing  to  use  that  sweet  and  holy  free- 
dom which  the  Lord  designs  to  encour- 
age, when  he  directs  the  church  to  call 
him  not  Baali,  but  Ishi.  O  that  I  could 
dwell  nearer  to  God  !  I  fear  some  trials 
in  the  church ;  but,  were  I  kept  near  to 
him,  I  should  be  able  to  bear  any  tiling. 

"  May  1 . — Found  earnestness  in  preach- 
ing on  the  loords  of  God  doing  good  to  the 
upright,  and  on  Chrisfs  being  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  aiid  forever.  Felt  my 
heart  drawn  out  in  prayer  this  morning, 
VOL.    I.  7 


that  God  would  make  some  use  of  me  for 
good.  Praying  that  I  miglit  not  labor  in 
vain  and  spend  my  strength  for  nought,  I 
felt  a  clieck  of  this  kind — What  then  is 
7ny  labor,  and  of  what  account  is  7ny 
strcngtli  1  On  tliis  I  found  mucii  out- 
going of  heart,  in  pleading  Christ's  merits 
as  the  ground,  and  the  welfare  of  souls  as 
the  e7id. 

"  2. — Returning  from  Brigstock,  where 
I  preached  last  night,  some  conversation 
with  Mr.  Porter,  of  Thrapston,  makes 
me  reflect  on  myself  for  imprudence.  I 
feel  how  far  off  i'rom  a  right  spirit  I  often 
am.  This  evening  I  felt  tender  all  the 
time  of  the  prayer-meeting  for  the  revi- 
val of  religion  ;  but,  in  hearing  Mr.  Beeby 
Wallis  pray  for  me,  I  was  overcome  :  his 
having  a  better  opinion  of  me  than  I  de- 
serve cuts  me  to  the  heart !  Went  to 
prayer  myself,  and  found  my  mind  en- 
gaged more  than  ordinarily  in  praying  for 
the  revival  of  religion.  I  had  felt  many 
sceptical  thoughts  ;  as  though  there  were 
room  to  ask.  What  profit  shall  I  have  if  I 
pray  to  God  ]  for  which  I  was  much 
grieved.  Find  a  great  satisfaction  in  these 
monthly  meetings  :  even  supposing  our 
requests  should  not  be  granted,  yet 
prayer  to  God  is  its  own  reward.  Felt 
many  bitter  reflections  for  my  stupid,  car- 
nal way  of  living. 

"8. — Impressed  this  morning  in  think- 
ing of  the  wants  of  the  people,  how  they 
would  probably  be  coming  from  many 
places  round,  in  quest  of  spiritual  food, 
while  I  was  barren,  and  scarcely  knew 
what  to  say  to  them.  Affected  in  think- 
ing of  Micah  vii.  '  Feed  thy  people  with 
thy  rod,'  &c." 

After  alluding  to  a  journey  to  Soham, 
and  giving  the  details  of  a  week's  exer- 
cise in  preaching  and  conversation  in  that 
neighborhoot-1,  he  adds — 

"June  2. — To-day  I  go  for  home,  laden 
with  the  burdens  of  others  as  well  as  some 
of  my  own. 

"  4. — An  uncommon  load  lies  all  day 
on  my  spirits.  I  am  incapable  of  all  pro- 
fitable meditation  :  feel  pained  for  the  peo- 
ple to-morrow.  Some  few  exercises  on 
subjection  to  the  Father  of  spirits;  but 
very  heavy  in  heart. 

"  0. — Feel  myself  quite  ill  with  sorrow 
of  heart :  had  a  very  tender  forenoon  on 
the  subject  mentioned  above  ;  but  a  poor 
wretched  afternoon  :  very  much  depress- 
ed all  day. 

"  6. — IBut  little  exercise  till  towards 
night,  when  the  sorrows  of  yesterday  re- 
turned, and  for  two  hours  preyed  upon 
my  heart  stronger  than  ever,  so  as  to 
make  me  very  ill.  Darkness  and  confu- 
sion of  mind  overwhelm  me. 


50 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


"7. — Engaged  in  writing  out  the  circu- 
lar letter  on  Declensions  in  Religion,  for 
the  press  :  found  some  very  tender  feel- 
ings towards  the  latter  part  of  it ;  and  en- 
joyed a  good  deal  of  pleasure  on  the  whole 
in  writing  it. 

"14. — Taken  up  with  the  company  of 
Mr.  Robert  Hall,  jun.  :  feel  much  pain 
for  him.  The  Lord,  in  mercy  to  him  and 
his  churches  in  this  country,  keep  him 
in  the  path  of  truth  and  righteousness. 

"  25. — Some  pain  of  mind  through  a 
letter  from  Mr. ,  of  London,  express- 
ing his  fears  lest  my  publication  should 
occasion  some  uncomi'ortable  disputes. 
Some  out-goings  of  heart  to  God  that  this 
might  not  be. 

"  But  a  poor  day  yesterday  in  medita- 
tion ;  yet  this  day  has  been,  I  think,  one 
of  the  best  I  have  experienced  for  years. 
Most  tenderly  and  earnestly  atfected, 
both  in  prayer  and  in  preaching.  In  the 
morning  I  could  scarcely  go  on  for  weeping, 
while  preaching  from  Acts  iv.  33  :  '  Great 
grace  was  upon  them  all ! '  Not  quite  so 
Avell  in  the  afternoon,  though  I  was  upon 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 
Yet  I  felt  a  sweet  serenity  at  the  Lord's 
supper,  and  spoke  of  it  under  the  idea  of 
a  feast. 

"  29. — Pleasant  conversation  with  some 
persons  newly  awakened.  Heard  Dr. 
Addington  to-night,  on  our  light  afflictions, 
with  pleasure  and  profit ;  but  walked 
alone  in  the  fields  exceedingly  disconso- 
late. 

"July  3. — Another  exceedingly  melt- 
ing Sabbath  :  very  tender  and  earnest  in 
prayer,  and  in  preaching  on  casting  our 
care  on  the  Lord  ;  and,  in  the  afternoon, 
on  the  caution  given  to  glory,  not  in  wis- 
dom, strength,  or  riches,  but  in  the  knoivl- 
edge  of  God.  Preached  in  the  evening 
from  '  Turn  away  mine  eyes  from  behold- 
ing vanity;'  occasioned  by  my  own  past 
exercises,  and  applied  to  the  warmna;  of 
people  against  the  vanities  of  the  world, 
particularly  against  improper  behavior  at 
their  feast,  which  is  to-morrow  ;  found 
great  tenderness,  particularly  in  warning 
the  youth  from  the  example  of  the  young 
woman  who  last  week  came  to  such  an 
awful  end. 

"  5. — Rode  to  Wal grave  :  somewhat 
discouraged  to  see  disunion  :  attempted  a 
reconciliation,  which  I  hope  may  be  ef- 
fected :  felt  tender  and  much  concerned. 

"6. — This  morning  a  reconciliation 
was  brought  about,  and  Mr.  Payne  was 
ordained  their  pastor.  Mr.  Ryland,  jun., 
delivered  the  charge,  and  I  had  much 
profit  in  hearing  him. 

"  16. — Some  pleasure  in  thinking  on 
God's  power  to  do  abundantly  more  than 
we   ask  or  think.     Surely  he   had  need 


have  more  power  in  giving  than  I  have  in 
asking. 

"  25. — I  was  much  impressed  this  morn- 
ing in  reading  Mason's  Remains.  Felt 
much  affected  and  very  solemn  in  praying 
and  conversing  with  a  poor  woman  at 
Barton,  who  seems  not  likely  to  be  here 
long,  and  is  much  in  the  dark  as  to  her 
state. 

"Aug.  1. — Some  affectionate  emotions 
of  heart  in  prayer  to-night  at  the  monthly 
prayer-meeting.  Surely  unbelief  damps 
our  near  addresses  to  God,  and  something 
of  that  ungrateful  suspicion  which  asks, 
'  What  profit  shall  we  have  if  we  pray 
unto  him  1 '  lies  at  the  bottom  of  our  in- 
difference in  this  duty. 

"  3. — Chiefly  employed  to-day  in  visit- 
ing poor  friends.  I  have  been  too  defi- 
cient in  this  practice. 

"  4. — Visited  several  more  poor  friends  ; 
some  conversation  profitable ;  but  I  mix 
all  with  sin. 

"  6. — Some  tenderness  in  thinking  on 
Jonah  iii.  4  :  '  I  said,  I  am  cast  out  of  thy 
sight ;  yet  will  I  look  again,'  &c.  We 
have  had  some  awful  providences  of  late. 
Mr. ,  a  clergyman  of  C ,  has  hang- 
ed himself,  and  a  poor  woman  of  B.  seems 
in  the  very  jaws  of  desperation.  These 
things  have  led  me  to  think  on  something 
that  may  be  an  antidote  to  despair. 

"  8. — Some  exercise  of  mind  this  week 
through  an  advertisement  of  Dr.  Withers, 
wherein  I  think  he,  in  a  very  vain  manner, 
threatens  to  reduce  to  dust  my  late  publica- 
tion. I  wish  I  may  be  kept  in  a  right  spirit. 
I  find  myself,  on  seeing  what  I  have  hith- 
erto seen,  much  subject  to  a  spirit  of 
contempt ;  but  I  wish  not  to  indulge  too 
much  of  that  temper.  Doubtless,  I  am 
wrong  in  some  things.  I  wish  I  may  be 
all  along  open  to  conviction  :  found  some 
desires  go  up  to  heaven  for  such  a  spirit 
as  this. 

"26.— A  letter  from  Mr.  Thomas,*  of 
Leominster,  on  the  piece  I  lately  publish- 
ed, bus  some  effect  upon  my  heart  in  a 
way  of  tender  grief  and  fear. 

"  Sept.  30. — We  had  a  ministers'  meet- 
ing at  Northampton.  I  preached,  and 
brother  Sutcliff,  and  brother  Skinner. 
But  the  best  part  of  the  day  was,  I  think, 
in  conversation.  A  question  was  discuss- 
ed, to  the  following  purport: — To  what 
causes  in  ministers  may  much  of  their 
want  of  success  be  imputed  ?  The  an- 
swer turned  chiefly  upon  the  want  of  per- 
sonal religion ;  particularly  the  neglect 
of  close  dealing  with  God  in  closet  prayer. 
Jer.  X.  21.  was  here  referred  to:  'Their 
pastors  are  become  brutish,  and  have  not 

*  It  appears  that  this  venerable  minister  after- 
wards fully  embraced  Mr.  Fuller's  views. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


51 


sought  the  Lord  ;  therefore  they  shall  not 
prosper,  and  tlicir  Hocks  shall  he  scatter- 
ed.' Another  reason  assigned  was  the  want 
of  reading  and  studying  the  Srciptures 
more  as  Christians,  for  the  edification  of 
our  own  souls.  We  are  too  apt  to  study 
them  merely  to  find  out  something  to  say 
to  others,  without  living  upon  tlie  truth 
ourselves.  If  we  eat  not  tlie  hook,  be- 
fore we  deliver  its  contents  to  others,  we 
may  expect  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not  much 
accompany  us.  If  we  study  the  Scrip- 
tures as  Christians,  the  more  familiar  we 
are  with  tiicm,  the  more  we  shall  feel 
their  im})ortance ;  but,  if  otherwise,  our 
familiarity  with  the  word  will  be  like  that 
of  soldiers  and  doctors  with  death — it  will 
wear  away  all  sense  of  its  importance 
from  our  minds.  To  enforce  this  senti- 
ment, Prov.  xxii.  17,  18,  was  referred  to 
— '  Apply  thine  heart  to  knowledge — the 
words  of  the  wise  will  be  pleasant  if  thou 
keep  them  within  thee  :  they  shall  withal 
be  fitted  in  thy  lips.'  To  this  might  be 
added,  Psa.  i.  2,  3.  Another  reason  was, 
Our  want  of  being  emptied  of  self-suffi- 
ciency. In  proportion  as  we  lean  upon 
our  own  gifts,  or  parts,  or  preparations, 
we  slight  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  and  no  won- 
der that,  being  grieved,  he  should  leave 
us  to  do  our  work  alone.  Besides,  when 
this  is  the  case,  it  is,  humanly  speaking, 
unsafe  for  God  to  prosper  us,  especially 
those  ministers  who  possess  considerable 
abilities.  Reference  was  also  had  to  an 
ordination  sermon  lately  preached  by  Mr. 
Booth  of  London,  to  Mr.  Hopkins,  Dr. 
Giflford's  successor,  from  '  Take  heed  to 
thyself.'  O  that  I  may  remember  these 
hints  for  my  good! 

"  Oct.  3.— Preached  at  Corby  with 
much  tenderness  :  felt  some  encourage- 
ment on  hearing  of  one  person  to  whose 
conversion  it  is  hoped  my  ministry  has 
been  made  instrumental. 

"7. —  Some  tremor  of  mind  in  hearing 
that  Dr.  W.'s  book  is  in  the  press.  What 
I  fear  is,  lest  his  manner  of  writing  should 
be  provoking ;  and  lest  I  should  fall  into 
an  unchristian  spirit. 

"  9. — A  miserable  afternoon.  After 
service  I  was  told  of  a  young  man,  to 
whom  I  had  been  made  useful  about  two 
years  ago,  having  a  desire  to  join  the 
church.  I  have  for  some  time  felt  a  kind 
of  despair  in  preaching  to  sinners  ;  think- 
ing that,  on  account  of  my  being  so  car- 
nally minded,  God  would  never  bless  any 
thing  I  said.  This  instance,  and  that  of 
last  Wednesday,  seem  to  afford  some  en- 
couragement, and  to  make  me  think  that 
it  is  possible,  however,  for  God  to  work 
even  by  me  !  and  that  when  I  think  noth- 
ing can  be  done,  then  it  is  possible  for  God 
to  work.  I  have  long  sown  in  tears  :  O 
that  I  might,  in  some  degree  at  least,  reap 


in  joy  !  Preached  at  night  with  an  unusual 
affection  of  lieart,  and  sense  of  everlast- 
ing things,  from  Job  xvi.  22  :  '  When  a 
few  years  are  come,'  &c. 

"  30. — After  baptising  several  persons, 
preached  on  the  fellowship  of  christians 
affording  joy  to  ministers,  from  Phil.  i. 
3—5. 

"  Nov.  21. — For  above  a  fortnight 
past   have  been  chiefly  out  on  journeys. 

At  Bedford,  saw  Mr. ,  of : 

glad  to  see  his  spirit  softened,  and  his 
prejudices,  I  hope,  giving  way.  Much 
grieved  to  find  tlie  spirits  of  people  about 
the  neighborliood  of  G hurt  by  con- 
troversy. I  find  there  are  several  whose 
conversation  almost  entirely,  and  on  all 
occasions,  turns  on  these  subjects.  It 
seems  to  be  one  of  Satan's  devices,  in 
order  to  destroy  the  good  tendency  of 
any  truth,  to  get  its  advocates  to  hackney 
it  out  of  its  senses,  dwelling  upon  it  in 
every  sermon  or  conversation,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  other  things.  Thus  the  glori- 
ous doctrines  of  free  and  great  grace  have 
been  served  in  the  last  age,  and  so  have 
fallen  sadly  into  disrepute.  If  we  employ 
all  our  time  in  talking  about  what  men 
ought  to  be  and  to  do,  it  is  likely  we  shall 
forget  to  put  it  into  practice,  and  then  all 
is  over  with  us. 

"  Dec.  7. — This  week  received  a  trea- 
tise written  by  Mr.  Button  in  answer  to 
mine.  There  seems  to  be  an  abundance 
of  things  in  it  very  foreign  from  the  point, 
and  very  little  evidence. 

"  16. — Set  off  for  home  with  my  little 
girl,  who  has  been  ill  at  Northampton. 
My  heart  greatly  misgives  me.  If  God 
should  take  either  of  my  children  from 
me,  I  seem  as  if  I  could  scarcely  sustain 
it.  On  this  account  I  have  many  fears. 
O,  I  could  give  up  their  bodies,  but  I 
want  to  see  piety  reigning  in  their  souls, 
before  they  go  hence  and  are  no  more 
seen.  I  tried,  as  I  rode  home,  to  con- 
verse with  my  child,  and  to  instil  reli- 
gious principles  into  her  mind.  O  that 
God  would  bless  my  endeavors  to  that 
end  ! 

"  18. — To-day  I  had  a  very  tender 
forenoon,  in  preaching  from  Jer.  i.  4,  5. 
O  how  my  heart  went  forth  in  desire  af- 
ter the  salvation  of  souls,  for  some  of  the 
gi-eatest  of  sinners ;  particularly  for  a 
poor  wretched  young  w  oman,  the  daugh- 
ter of  one  of  our  members.  She  had 
been,  through  her  own  wicked  conduct, 
kept  away  from  public  worship  for  a  year 
past.  I  lately  heard  that  she  was  in  a 
state  of  despair,  and  had  resolved  never 
to  come  to  meeting  again.  But  this 
morning  she  appeared  in  the  meeting. 
The  sight  of  her  much  affected  me,  and 
was  the  means  of  a  very  tender  forenoon. 
In  the  afternoon,  I  preached  on  the  great 


62 


MEMOIRS   OF    MR.    FULLER. 


things  of  God's  law  being  counted  as 
strange  things  ;  but,  alas  I  my  heart  seems 
as  strange  and  as  alien  from  the  spirit  of 
true  religion,  as  any  thing  I  can  talk 
about !  O  what  a  poor  mutable  creature 
am  I !  Somewhat  revived  to-night  in 
hearing  more  about  a  Mrs.  D.  I  hope 
she  is  a  godly  woman.  I  find  she  had  a 
daughter  who  died  about  twelve  months 
ago,  and  who  gave  strong  evidence  of  her 
piety,  while  her  father  and  motlier  were  in 
ignorance.  The  mother  now  says,  that 
she  believes  the  means  of  her  daughter's 
conversion  Avas  her  attending  on  a  child's 
burial,  with  some  other  children,  and 
hearing  me  speak  to  the  young  people 
present  on  that  occasion.  It  seems  a 
strange  thing  that  God  should  do  any 
thing  by  me  ! 

"  1786,  Jan.  1. — Some  painful  i-eflec- 
tions  in  thinking  on  my  vast  deficiencies. 
Another  year  is  gone,  and  what  have  I 
done  for  God  1  O  that  my  life  were  more 
devoted  to  God  !  I  feel  as  if  I  could  wish 
to  set  out  afresh  for  heaven,  but,  alas  ! 
my  desires  seem  but  too  much  like  those 
of  the   sluggard. 

"  8. — Veiy  earnest  this  morning  in 
public  prayer.  O  that  God  may  work  on 
the  minds  of  our  youth  and  children.  I 
hope  there  is  somewhat  of  a  work  of  God 
going  on  amongst  us.  I  have  been  visited 
by  a  young  man  who  gives  very  promising 
evidence  of  being  a  subject  of  true  reli- 
gion, so  far  as  can  be  judged  by  a  conver- 
sation. Also  a  young  woman  has  been 
with  me  who  appears  to  be  very  tender- 
hearted, meek,  and  lowly  in  mind.  Ex- 
ceedingly distressed  on  Wednesday  night. 
I  fear  God  will  take  away  iny  cliild.  I 
have  reason  to  fear  some  awful  chastise- 
ment is  at  hand,  either  spiritual  or  tetn- 
poral.  Methought  I  was  like  the  Israel- 
ites, who  had  little  or  no  heart  to  call 
upon  God,  except  in  times  of  trouble.  I 
tried,  however,  to  pray  to  him  now.  I 
think  I  could  willingly  submit  to  God  in 
all  things,  and  bear  whatever  he  should 
lay  upon  me,  though  it  were  the  loss  of 
one  of  the  dear  parts  of  myself,  provided 
I  could  but  see  Christ  formed  in  her.  I 
know  also  that  I  have  no  demand  on  the 
Lord  for  this  ;  but  surely  I  ought  to  bless 
his  name  that  he  does  not  require  me  to 
be  willing  to  be  lost  myself,  or  that  this 
should  be  the  end  of  any  whom  he  has 
put  under  my  care.  The  chief  exercise 
of  my  mind  this  week  has  been  respecting 
my  poor  child.  Methought  I  felt  some 
resignation  to  Divine  Providence.  '  The 
Lord  liveth,  and  blessed  be  my  rock.' 

"  19. — I  hear  that  a  piece  is  coming 
out,  against  what  I  have  written,  on  the 
Arminian  side.  I  have  no  fears  as  to  the 
cause  itself,  but  many  as  to  my  capacity 
to  defend  it. 


"20. — Had  some  very  aflfecting  con- 
versation with  Miss  M.  W.  I  feel  reluc- 
tant in  being  obliged  to  attend  to  contro- 
versy. My  heart  seems  to  delight  in  my 
work,  and  I  hope  the  Lord,  in  some 
measure,  is  owning  it. 

"  This  week  I  received  Dr.  Withers 's 
treatise  against  what  I  have  written. 
What  horrid  sentiments  does  he  advance  ! 

"  Feb.  5. — Our  dear  little  girl  has  this 
week  much  alarmed  our  fears.  On 
Thursdajr  morning  the  measles  came  out  : 
we  hope  the  illness  may  be  carried  off  here- 
by. As  I  sat  by  her  that  morning  alone, 
she  requested  me  to  pray  with  her,  saying, 
though  she  was  greatly  afflicted  witli  pain, 
yet  she  would  try  to  lie  still.  I  did  so, 
and  found  some  tenderness  of  heart  on 
her  behalf.  My  mind  is  generally  much 
engaged  now  in  perusing  the  treatises 
which  are  published  against  what  I  have 
written.  This  morning  I  received  anoth- 
er, written  by  Mr.  Dan  Taylor. 

"  6.  Monday. — I  read  the  above  piece. 
The  author  discovers  an  amiable  spirit, 
and  there  is  a  good  deal  of  plausibility  in 
some  things  that  he  advances.  My  mind 
has  been  much  employed  all  the  week 
on  this  piece.  The  more  I  examine  it, 
the  more  1  perceive  that  it  is  open  to  a 
solid  and  effective   reply. 

"  10. — Some  edifying  conversation  this 
morning  with  Mr.  Jones,  a  clergyman 
lately  come  to  Creaton. 

"  12. — Great  are  the  mercies  of  the 
Lord  towards  us,  who  has  now  given  me 
another  daughter.  Mercy  and  judgment 
both  visit  us.  Now  my  fears  chiefly 
turn  on  the  child  that  is  afflicted. 

"  19. — My  Sabbaths,  I  fear,  are  spent  to 
little  purpose,  I  have  so  little  love  to  God 
and  the  souls  of  men ;  but  I  felt  much 
impressed  to-night  in  catechising  the  chil- 
dren. I  thought  and  spoke  to  them  about 
my  own  dear  little   girl. 

"  26. — Except  Thursday,  all  this  week 
has  been  miserably  spent.  I  sin  against 
God  repeatedly,  and  yet  remain  wretch- 
edly insensible.  I  tremble  at  myself, 
and  have  reason  to  do  so  much  more. 

"  April  16. — For  this  month  past  I 
have  had  great  exercise  of  heart,  on  ac- 
count of  my  poor  little  daughter.  Some- 
times pleading  hard  with  God  on  her  ac- 
count ;  at  other  times  ready  to  despair, 
fearing  God  would  never  hear  me. 

"  Lord's-day,  March  19,  was  a  distress- 
ing day  to  me.  My  concern  for  the  loss 
of  her  body  is  but  trifling,  compared  with 
that  of  her  soul.  I  preached  and  prayed 
much,  from  Matt.  xv.  25, — '  Lord,  help 
me  ! '  On  Monday  I  carried  her  towards 
Northampton;  was  exceedingly  distress- 
ed that  night;  Avent  to  prayer  with  a 
heart  almost  broken.  Some  encourage- 
ment from  conversation  with  dear  broth- 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


65 


er  Ryland.  I  observed,  that  '  God  had 
not  l)oiiiul  himself  to  hear  tlie  prayers  of 
{iny  one  ibr  the  salvation  of  the  soul  of 
another.'  He  replied,  '  But  if  he  has 
not,  yet  he  frequently  does  so  :  and 
hence,  perliaps,  though  grace  does  not 
run  in  tlie  blood,  yet  we  frequently  see  it 
runs  in  the  line.  Many  more  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God's  children  are  gracious  than 
of  others.'  I  know  neither  I  nor  mine 
have  any  claim  upon  the  Almighty  for 
mercy ;  but,  as  long  as  there  is  life,  it 
shall  be  my  business  to  implore  his  mercy 
towards  her. 

"  Methought  I  saw,  on  Tuesday,  (21), 
the  vanity  of  all  created  good.  I  saw,  if 
God  were  to  cut  otf  my  poor  child,  and 
not  to  afford  rae  some  extraordinary  sup- 
port under  the  stroke,  that  I  should  be 
next  to  dead  to  the  whole  creation,  and 
"all  creation  dead  to  me  I  O  that  I  were 
but  thus  dead,  as  Paul  was,  by  the  cross 
of  Christ. 

"On  the  27th,  riding  towards  North- 
ampton, I  think  I  felt  greater  earnestness 
and  freedom  with  God  than  I  ever  had 
before  in  this  matter.  I  seemed  likewise 
more  willing  to  leave  her  in  the  hands  of 
God.  Some  tender  opportunities  in  pray- 
er with  her  and  for  her.  I  now  feel  more 
of  an  habitual  resignation  to  God.  If  I 
could  take  the  reins  into  my  own  hand  I 
.would  not.  I  feel  a  satisfaction  that  my 
times,  and  the  times  of  all  that  pertain  to 
me,  are  in  the  Lord's  hands.  This  also 
I  have  felt  all  along,  never  to  desire  the 
life  of  the  child,  unless  it  be  for  her  pi'es- 
ent  and  eternal  good.  Unless  she  should 
live  to  the  Lord,  I  had  rather,  if  it  please 
God,  she  might  not  live  at  all. 

"  To-day  I  felt  some  encoui'agement 
in  my  work  from  hearing  of  a  young  man 
hopefully  converted  in  hearing  me  preach. 

"My  time  and  attention  are  now  much 
taken  up  with  my  poor  little  girl,  partic- 
ularly on  tlie  28th.  Exceedingly  affect- 
ed and  importunate  with  God  in  prayer 
for  her. — I  felt,  indeed,  the  force  of  those 
words,  'To  whom  shall  we  gol  thou  liast 
the  words  of  eternal  life.'  O,  of  what 
worth  to  an  immortal  creature,  sul)ject  to 
eternal  death  !  My  heart  seemed  to  be 
dissolved  in  earnest  cries  for  mercy. 

"May  7. — I  was  tolerably  supported 
under  the  approaching  death  of  my  poor 
child,  which  I  saw  drawing  on  apace.  I 
saw  I  must  shortly  let  her  fall.  With 
floods  of  tears,  with  all  the  bitterness  of 
an  afflicted  father  mourning  for  his  first- 
born, I  committed  her  to  God,  to  his  ev- 
erlasting arms,  when  she  should  fall  from 
mine. 

"2L— Death!  Death  is  all  around 
me!  My  friends  die.  Three  I  have  bu- 
ried  within   a  fortnight,  and   another   I 


shall  have  to  bury  soon!  Death  and 
judgment  are  all  I  can  tliink  about !  At 
times  1  feel  reconciled  to  whatever  may 
befall  me.  I  am  not  without  good  hopes 
of  the  child's  piety,  and  as  to  her  life,  desi- 
ral)Ie  as  it  is,  the  will  of  the  Lord  l)e  done. 

"30. — But  at  other  times  I  am  distres- 
sed beyond  due  bounds.  On  tlie  25th, 
in  particular,  my  distress  seemed  beyond 
all  measure.  I  Jay  before  the  Lord, 
weeping  like  David,  and  refusing  to  be 
comforted.  This  l)rought  on,  I  have  rea- 
son to  think,  a  bilious  cholic;  a  painful 
affliction  it  was,  and  the  more  so  as  it 
prevented  my  ever  seeing  my  child  alive 
again !  Yes,  she  is  gone  !  On  Tuesday 
morning.  May  30,  as  I  lay  ill  in  bed,  in 
anotlier  room,  I  heard  a  whispering.     I 

inquired,   and  all  were   silent all 

were  silent ! but  all  is  well !  I  feel 

reconciled  to  God!  I  called  my  family 
round  my  bed.  I  sat  up,  and  prayed  as 
well  as  I  could ;  I  bowed  my  head  and 
worshipped,  and  blessed  a  taking  as  well 
as  a  giving  God. 

"  June  L — I  just  made  a  shift  to  get  up 
to-day,  and  attend  the  funeral  of  my 
poor  child.  My  dear  lirother  Ryland 
preached  on  the  occasion,  from  2  Kings 
iv.  26, — 'It  is  Avell.'  I  feel,  in  general 
now,  a  degree  of  calm  resignation.  I 
think  there  is  solid  reason  to  hope  that 
she  has  not  lived  in  vain ;  and,  if  she  is 
l)ut  reared  for  God,  it  matters  not  when 
she  died.  I  feel  a  solid  pleasure  in  re- 
flecting on  our  own  conduct  in  her  edu- 
cation :  we  endeavored  to  bring  her  up 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,  and  I  trust  our  endeavors  w  ere  not 
in  vain.  Her  visit  to  Northampton,  too, 
was  blessed  for  her  good  :  she  has  cer- 
tainly discovered  ever  since  great  tender- 
ness of  conscience,  and  much  of  the  fear 
of  God  ;  great  regard  for  the  w  orship  of 
God,  especially  for  the  Lord's-day  ;  and 
great  delight  in  reading,  especially  ac- 
counts of  the  conversion  of  some  little 
children.  But  all  is  over  now,  and  I  am 
in  a  good  degi'ee  satisfied. 

"3. — To-day  I  felt  a  sort  of  triumph 
over  death.  I  went  and  stood  on  her 
grave  with  a  great  deal  of  composure  ! 
Returned,  and  Avrote  some  verses  to  her 
memory. 

"  4. — H^d  a  good  day  in  preaching  on 
these  light  afflictions.  My  mind  seems 
very  calm  and  serene,  in  respect  of  the 
child  :  but  alas !  I  feel  the  insufficiency 
of  trouble,  however  heavy,  to  destroy  or 
mortify  sin.  I  have  had  sad  experience 
of  my  own  depravity,  even  while  under 
the  very  rod  of  God  !  * 

*  A  narrative  of  this  interesting  child  w:is  writ- 
ten by  lier  father,  but,   as   it  contains   little   more 


54 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


ccg  _Rode  to  Northampton,  to  our  an- 
nual association.  I  am  glad  to  find  the 
state  of  the  churches  upon  the  whole  en- 
couraging. The  next  day  I  and  Mr. 
Hopper  and  Mr.  Sutcliff  preached;  but 
I  wanted  more  spirituality. 

«  8. — We  had  a  very  affecting  time  in 
communicating  experiences.  For  my 
part,  I  fear  something  more  awful  than  the 
death  of  the  child  awaits  me.  Though  I 
have  been  in  the  fire,  yet  my  dross  is 
not  removed  ;  nay,  it  seems  to  be  increas- 
ed. My  family  is  now  afflicted  nearly 
throughout !  '  For  all  this  his  anger  is 
not  turned  away,  but  his  hand  is  stretch- 
ed out  still.' 

"11.  Lord's-day. — Had  a  good  day, 
on  the  Lord's  giving  us  peace  by  all 
means.  I  know  not  how  I  go  on.  Oh 
the  Lord's-days  I  am  tender-hearted  and 
seem  disposed  to  lie  low  before  God,  and 
to  be  more  watchful  and  spiritual ;  but 
alas,  how  soon  do  I  forget  God!  I  have 
a  fountain  of  poison  in  my  very  nature. 
Surely  I  am  as  a  beast  before  thee  !  I  have 
been  preaching  at  Moulton  and  Harding- 
stone  this  week,  and  seemed  to  feel  at 

than  a  detail  of  the  events  which  are  recorded  in  a 
more  irapre.ssive  form  in  the  above  diary,  it  will  only 
be  necessary  to  give  the  following  extract  :  "  At 
the  time  of  her  birth  I  committed  her  to  God,  as  I 
trust  I  have  done  many  times  since.  Once  in  par- 
ticular, viewing  lier  as  she  lay  smiling  in  the  cradle, 
at  the' age  of  eight  months,  my  heart  was  much 
affected.  "l  took  her  up  in  my  arms,  retired,  and  in 
that  position  wrestled  hard  with  God  for  a  blessing; 
at  the  same  time  offering  her  up,  as  it  were,  and 
solemnly  presenting  her  to  the  Lord  for  acceptance. 
in  this  exercise  1  was  greatly  encouraged  by  the 
conduct  of  Christ  towards  those  who  brought  little 
childen  in  their  arms  to  him  for  his  blessing." 
Speaking  of  her  residence  a  short  time  at  North- 
ampton," he  adds  :—"  During  this  fortnight  I  \vent 
two  or  three  times  to  see  her  :  and  one  evenmg, 
bein"  with  her  alone,  she  asked  me  to  pray  for  her. 
'  What  do  you  wish  me  to  pray  for,  my  dear  V  said 
I.  She  answered,  '  That  God  would  bless  me,  and 
keep  me,  and  save  my  soul.'  '  Do  you  think,  then, 
that  you  are  a  sinner  1 '  Yes,  father.'  Fearing  lest 
she  did  nut  understand  what  she  said,  I  asked  her, 
'  What  is  sin,  my  dear  1 '  She  answered,  '  Telling  a 
story.'  I  comprehended  this,  and  it  went  to  my 
heart.  'What,  then,'  I  said,  'you  remember,  do 
you,  my  having  corrected  you  once  for  telling  a 
story  V  'Yes,  father.'  And  are  you  grieved  for 
having  so  offended  God  ?'  '  Yes,  father.'  I  asked 
her  if  she  did  not  try  to  pray  herself.  She  answer- 
ed, '  I  sometimes  try,  but  I  do  not  know  how  to 
pray;  I  wish  you  would  pray  for  me,  till  I  can  pray 
for  myself  As  I  continued  to  sit  by  her,  she  ap- 
peared much  dejected.  I  asked  her  the  reason. 
She  said,  '  I  am  afraid  I  should  go  to  hell.'  '  My 
dear,'  said  I,  '  who  told  you  so  V  '  Nobody,'  said 
slie,  '  but  I  know  if  I  do  not  pray  to  the  Lord,  I 
must  go  to  hell.'  I  then  went  to  prayer  with  her, 
with  many  fears. 

"She  was  accustomed  to  pray  over  the  hymn 
which  Mr.  Kyland  composed  for  her.*     I  used  to 

*  The  well-known  hymn,  "  Lord,  teach  a  little  child 
o  pray,"  &c. 


both  places ;  and  yet  I  am  far  from  a 
spiritual  frame  of  mind.  Had  a  pretty 
good  day,  in  preaching  from  Jer.  xxxi. 
2, — 'The  people  that  were  left  of  the 
sword  found  grace  in  the  Avilderness.'  I 
heard  last  week  that  Mr.  Hall,  of  Arnsby, 
had  been  preaching  from  Prov.  xxx.  2, — 
'  Surely  I  am  more  brutish  than  any 
man,'  &c.  I  am  sure  that  passage  is 
more  applicable  to  me  than  it  can  be  to 
him  :  I  therefore  preached  from  it  to-day. 
At  night  I  preached  a  very  searching  dis- 
course, from  Lam.  iii.  40,  chiefly  for  the 
purpose  of  self-conviction." 

Several  leaves  are  here  wanting,  which 
have  been  destroyed  ;  nor  is  any  further 
entry  made  for  upwards  of  three  years. 

The  following  short  extracts  from  let- 
ters written  to  Dr.  Ryland,  during  the 
illness  of  the  child,  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest : — 

"I  have,  for  a  day  or  two  past,  been 
greatly  afraid  of  her  recovering  just  so 
much  as  to  raise  my  expectations,  so  that 
I  should  have  all  the  work  to  do  over 
again.  But  perhaps  that  is  best.  If 
there  is  a  need  be  for  trials,  then  there 
is  a  need  for  such  circumstances  to  attend 
the  events  which  befall  us  as  shall  make 

carry  her  in  my  arms  into  the  fields,  and  there  talk 
with  her  upon  the  desirableness  of  dying  and  being 
with  Christ,  and  with  holy  men  and  women,  and 
with  those  holy  children  who  cried,  Hosanna  to  the 
Son  of  David.  Thus  I  tried  to  reconcile  her,  and 
myself  with  her,  to  death,  without  directly  telling 
her  she  would  soon  die.  One  day,  as  she  lay  in 
bed,  I  read  to  her  the  last  eight  verses  of  Rev.  vii. 
'  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  nor  thirst,'  &c,  I 
said  nothing  upon  it,  but  wished  to  observe  what 
effect  the  passage  might  have  upon  her;  I  should 
not  have  wondered  if  she  had  been  a  little  cheered 
by  it.  She  said  nothing,  however,  but  looked  very 
dejected.  I  said,  '  My  dear,  you  are  unhappy.'  She 
was  silent.  I  urged  her  to  tell  me  what  was  the 
matter.  Still  she  was  silent.  1  then  asked  her 
whether  she  was  afraid  she  should  not  go  to  that 
blessed  world  of  which  I  had  been  reading  7  She 
answered,  '  Yes.' — '  But  what  makes  you  afraid,  my 
jg^p'?' — 'Because  (said  she,  with  a  tone  of  grief 
which  pierced  me  to  the  heart,)  I  have  sinned 
against  the  Lord.'— '  True,  my  dear,  (said  I,)  you 
have  sinned  against  the  Lord ;  but  the  Lord  is  more 
ready  to  forgive  you  if  you  are  grieved  for  of- 
fending him,  than  I  can  be  to  forgive  you  when  you 
are  gneved  for  offending  me;  and  you  know  how 
ready  I  am  to  do  that.'  I  then  told  her  of  the  great 
grace  of  God,  and  the  love  of  Christ  to  sinners.  I 
told  her  of  his  mercy  in  forgiving  a  poor  wicked 
thief,  who,  when  he  was  dying,  prayed  to  him  to 
save  his  soul.  At  tliis  slie  seemed  cheered,  but 
said  nothing.  ,.    ,     ,  ,     ,  , 

"  A  few  weeks  before  she  died,  she  asked  her 
aunt  to  read  to  her.  '  What  shall  I  read,  my  dearl ' 
said  her  aunt.  '  Read  (said  she)  some  book  about 
Christ.'  Her  aunt  read  part  of  tlie  twenty-first 
chapter  of  Matthew,  concerning  the  children  who 
shouted  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David ."  She  died 
May  30, 1786,  aged  six  years  and  a  half. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


55 


them  trials.  And  one  of  David's  trials 
was,  '  Thou  hast  lilted  me  up  and  cast 
me  down.'  I  ieel,  however,  how  much  I 
am  indebted  to  mercy  for  many  things 
whicli  attend  this  affliction.  I  sometimes 
think  how  if  my  two  other  children  sliould 
be  left,  and  grow  up  wicked,  and  then  be 
cut  oft"  like  Eli's  sons!  Ah,  in  many  of 
my  prayers  /  knoio  not  what  I  ask.  May 
God  in  mercy  do  tliat  for  me,  and  those 
that  pertain  to  me  wiiicli  is  best !  I  feel 
a  sweet  satisfaction  in  the  reins  being  in 
his  hand,  the  government  upon  his  shoul- 
ders. I  have  just  now  been  preaching 
from  Matt.  xx.  20—24.  I  fear  I  am  not 
yet  able  to  drink  the  cup,  and,  if  not  to 
drink  the  cup,  perhaps  I  am  less  able  to 
bear  a  deliverance  from  it. 

"  Yesterday  my  wife  had  pretty  much 
talk  with  her,  and  seemed  much  satisfied 
of  her  piety,  and  resigned  to  her  death. 
For  my  part,  I  teel  very  different  at  dif- 
ferent times.  But  generally  speaking, 
except  when  my  feelings  are  attacked  by 
the  child's  heavy  afflictions,  or  any  fresh 
symptom  of  death,  I  find  a  far  greater 
degree  of  composure  and  resignation  to 
God  than  ever  I  could  have  expected. 
I  can  easily  see  it  may  be  best  for  us  to 
part.  I  have  been  long  praying,  in  I 
know  not  what  manner,  that  1  might  be 
brought  nearer  to  God ;  find  some  par- 
ticular ei;i7s  in  my  heart  subdued;  have 
my  mind  enlarged  in  experimental  knowl- 
edge, and  my  heart  more  iiieaned  from 
things  below,  and  set  on  things  above. 
Perhaps  by  'terrible  things  in  righteous- 
ness,' God  may  answer  these  petitions. 
O  that  it  may  be  so  indeed  !  I  feel, 
however,  that  it  must  be  something  more 
than  affliction  to  effect  that.  I  have  long 
found,  to  my  shame,  that  though  drawing 
and  living  near  to  God  are  the  happiest 
things  in  the  world,  yet  such  is  the  car- 
nality of  my  heart  that  I  have  long  been 
in  a  habit  of  despairing  of  ever  attaining 
them.  I  have  olten,  of  late,  said  of  holi- 
ness what  Solomon  said  of  wisdom — '  I 
thought  to  be  holy,  but  it  was  far  from 
me.' 

"  Some  time  ago  I  spoke  at  a  child's 
grave,  and  addressed  the  children.  It  ap- 
pears that  a  little  girl  was  wrought  upon, 
who  is  since  dead.  At  that  time  her  fa- 
ther and  mother  were  very  ignorant.  She 
talked  much  to  them  before  her  death.  I 
hope  the  Lord  has  lately  wrought  upon 
her  mother.  She  seems  very  tender- 
hearted, and  in  real  earnest  after  the  sal- 
vation of  her  soul.  Her  husband  has  op- 
posed her  coming  to  meeting,  but  in  vain. 
He  beat  her,  but  to  no  purpose.  He  then 
despaired,  and  began  to  think  her  right, 
and  himself  wrong.  '  If  it  had  not  been 
of  God,'  said  he,  '  I  had  overcome  it  be- 


fore now.'  The  man  invited  me  to  visit 
his  wife.  I  went,  expecting  him  to  dis- 
pute with  me,  as  he  had  threatened  to 
stop  me  in  the  street  for  that  purpose  : 
accordingly  I  gave  him  an  opjjortunity ; 
but,  says  the  poor  man,  '  I  have  done  with 
that  now  ;  my  chief  concern  is,  What  must 
/do  to  be  saved  1'  I  cannot  tell  how  it 
may  issue  as  to  him  :  he  comes  sometimes 
to  meeting,  and  sometimes  goes  to  hear 
Mr.  Lydiat,  at  Warkton.  Last  Tuesday 
I  was  visited  by  a  lad  who  has  lately  been 
observed  to  weep  very  much  under  the 
word.  He  appears  to  have  every  mark 
of  true  and  deep  contrition,  and  says  a 
sermon  I  preached,  two  or  three  months 
ago,  on  sinners  being  under  the  curse  of 
the  Almighty,  was  first  of  use  to  him. 
The  Lord  carry  on  his  work. 

"  Last  night  I  preached  a  funeral  ser- 
mon for  one  person,  and  buried  two  oth- 
ers within  nine  days.  Can  I  be  supposed 
to  be  otherwise  than  dejected"?  We  at- 
tend all  we  can  to  our  own  health,  but  is 
it  to  be  wondered  at  that  we  should  be 
sensibly  affected  and  very  ill  1  To  nurse 
a  child  with  her  afflictions  is  great  work 
for  the  hands  ;  but  to  nurse  altogether 
without  hope  is  far  greater  work  for  the 
heart.  '  But  the  hope  of  a  better  world.' 
— True — and  I  never  felt  the  worth  of 
that  consideration  so  much  as  now.  Ten 
thousand  worlds  seem  nothing  in  con- 
sideration of  the  hope  of  the  gospel. 
Surely  I  know  something  more  than  I  did 
of  the  meaning  of  '  Tiianks  be  to  God  for 
his  unspeakable  gift !  '  and,  '  Underneath 
are  the  everlasting  arms  ! '  with  many  oth- 
er passages.  And  yet,  after  all,  O  what 
shall  I  say  1  I  am  not  without  hope — 
hope,  as  I  said,  with  which  I  would  not 
part  for  ten  thousand  worlds  ;  but  I  have 
as  well  painful  fears.  My  dear  brother, 
the  matter  is  of  too  great  importance  to 
be  thought  of  lightly.  However,  the 
nearer  I  am  to  God,  the  better  it  is  with 
me.  I  thought  last  night  it  was  some  re- 
lief that  God  had  enjoined  us  to  train  up 
our  children  in  the  nurture  and  admoni- 
tion of  the  Lord.  Methought  there  was 
never  a  command  but  what  liad  a  promise 
connected  with  it ;  for  God  does  not  say 
to  the  seed  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye  my  face  in 
vain.  I  also  felt  some  satisfaction  in 
reflecting  on  my  conduct  towards  the 
child,  and  thought  of  the  Psalmist's  words 
— '  Lord,  I  have  hoped  in  thy  salvation, 
and  have  done  thy  commandments.' 

"  I  enjoy  great  satisfaction  and  pleas- 
ure whenever  I  think  of  her  being  at  North- 
ampton. If  there  is  any  change  in  her, 
I  think  your  conversation,  or  the  instruc- 
tions she  received  at  Northampton,  were 
the  means.  Those  few  verses  you  wrote 
for    her    she    will    still    repeat,    though 


56 


MEMOIRS    OF   ME.    FULLER. 


obliged  to  rest,  for  want  of  breath,  be- 
tween almost  every  word.  She  says,'  Mr. 
Ryland  told  me,  when  I  had  got  them,  he 
would  make  me  some  more,'  and  re- 
quested I  would  write  to  you  for  them." 

Mr.  Fuller  thus  resumes  his  diary  : — 

"  October  3,  1789. — For  above  a  year 
and  a  half  I  have  written  nothing.  It  has 
seemed  to  me  that  my  life  was  not  worth 
writing.  Two  or  three  years  ago  my 
heart  began  wretchedly  to  degenerate  from 
God.  Soon  after  my  child  Sally  died,  I 
sunk  into  a  sad  state  of  lukewarmness  ; 
and  have  felt  the  effects  of  it  ever  since. 
I  feel  at  times  a  longing  after  the  lost  joys 
of  God's  salvation ;  but  cannot  recover 
them.  I  have  backslidden  from  God ; 
and  yet  I  may  rather  be  said  to  be  habit- 
ually dejected  on  account  of  it  than  ear- 
nestly to  repent  of  it.  I  lind  much  hardness 
of  heart,  and  a  spirit  of  inactivity  has  laid 
hold  of  me.  I  feel  that  to  be  carnally- 
minded  is  death.  My  spiritual  enemies 
have  been  too  much  for  me.  Some  time 
ago  I  set  apart  a  day  for  fasting  and 
prayer,  and  seemed  to  get  some  strength 
in  pleading  with  God.  The  very  next 
day,  as  I  remember,  I  found  my  heart 
so  wandering  from  God,  and  such  a  load 
of  guilt  contracted,  that  I  was  affrighted  at 
my  own  prayer  the  preceding  day,  lest  it 
should  have  provoked  the  Lord  to  punish 
me,  by  leaving  me  so  suddenly  ;  and  I  have 
not  set  apart  a  day  to  fast  and  pray  since. 
But  surely  this  was  one  of  Satan's  de- 
vices, by  which  I  have  been  imposed  up- 
on. Perhaps,  also,  I  trusted  too  much 
to  my  fasting  and  praying,  and  did 
not,  on  that  account,  follow  it  with  suffi- 
cient watchfulness. 

'•In  the  month  of  May  I  preached  with 
some  feeling  from  Job  xxix.  2, — '  O  that 
it  were  with  me  as  in  months  past,'  &c. 
During  this  summer,  I  have  sometimes 
thought  what  joy  Christians  might  possess 
in  this  world,  were  they  but  to  improve 
their  opportunities  and  advantages.  What 
grounds  of  joy  does  the  gospel  afford ! 
What  joy  was  possessed  by  the  primitive 
Christians  !  I  have  preached  two  or  three 
times  upon  these  subjects.  Once  from 
John  XV.  11, — 'These  things  have  I  spo- 
ken unto  you,  that  my  joy  might  remain 
in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might  be  full  !' 
Another  time  from  Neh.  viii.  10, — 'The 
joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.'  And 
again,  from  Mark  xi.  24, — 'Whatsoever 
things  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe 
that  ye  shall  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 
receive  them  :'  in  which  the  chief  senti- 
ment on  which  I  insisted  was,  that  confi- 
dence in  GoiVs  goodness  was  necessary  to 


our  success  in  prayer.  Another  time  I 
preached  from  '  Count  it  all  joy  when  ye 
fall  into  divers  temptations.' 

"These  subjects  have  tended  sometimes 
to  make  me  long  after  that  joy  and  peace 
in  believing  which  I  have  heretofore 
found.  But  joy  of  heart  is  a  feeling  I 
cannot  yet  recover." 

"January  20,  1790. — During  the  last 
quarter  of  a  year  I  seem  to  have  gained 
some  ground  in  spiritual  things.  I  have 
read  some  of  Jonathan  Edwards'  sermons, 
which  have  left  a  deep  impression  on  my 
heart.  I  have  attended  more  constantly 
than  heretofore  to  private  prayer,  and  feel 
a  little  reneAved  strength.  Sometimes 
also  I  have  been  much  affected  in  public 
prayer,  particularly  on  Monday,  January 
the  4th,  at  the  monthly  prayer-meeting. 
I  felt  much  afraid  lest  some  uncomfortable 
debates  which  we  have  had  in  the  church, 
though  now  finished,  should  have  grieved 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  quenched  our  affec- 
tion lor  each  other,  and  so  lest  our  spir- 
itual welfare  as  a  church  should  be  essen- 
tially injured. 

"  Sometimes  I  have  been  discouraged, 
and  afraid  that  God  would  never  bless  mc 
again.  In  my  preaching,  though  I  am  id 
times  affected  with  what  I  say,  yet,  as 
to  doing  good  to  others,  I  go  on  as  if  I 
had  no  hope  of  it.  Repeated  disappoint- 
ments, and  long  Avant  of  success,  make 
me  feel  as  if  I  were  not  to  expect  suc- 
cess. 

"Last  Friday  evening  I  was  affected 
with  the  suliject  of  divine  withdraioment, 
and  especially  with  the  thought  of  being 
contented  in  such  a  state.  If  we  lose  our 
daily  bread  we  cannot  live ;  if  we  lose 
our  health  we  are  miserable ;  if  we  lose 
a  dear  friend  Ave  are  the  same  :  and  can 
we  lose  the  bread  of  life,  the  health  of 
our  souls,  and  the  best  friend  of  all,  and 
be  unconcerned  1  Last  Lord's-day  I 
preached  upon  the  desirableness  of  near- 
ness to  God,  from  Psa.  xxA'ii.  9, — 'Hide 
not  thy  face  from  me ;  put  not  thy  servant 
aAvay  in  anger ;  thou  hast  been  my  help  ; 
leave  me  not,  neither  forsake  me,  O  God 
of  my  salvation.' 

"  Feb.  16. — For  these  last  three  weeks 
I  have  too  much  again  relapsed  into  a 
kind  of  thoughtlessness.  I  have  felt  a 
little  in  preaching,  but  not  much.  One 
day  I  Avas  looking  over  Dr.  Owen  on  the 
Mortification  of  Sin.  Speaking  of  the 
evil  of  sin  in  the  soul  unmortified,  he 
says, — '  It  Avill  take  aAvay  a  man's  use- 
fulness in  his  generation.  His  Avorks,  his 
endeavors,  his  labors  seldom  receive  a 
blessing  from  God.  If  he  be  a  preacher, 
God  commonly  bloAvs  upon  his  ministry, 
so  that  he  shall  labor  in  the  fire,  and  not 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


57 


be    honored   with    success.'      This,  in    a 
great  degree,  is  realized  in  me. 

"  March  27. — Some  weeks  ago  I  thought 
I  felt  myself  to  gain  ground  by  closet 
prayer;  but  I  have  lately  relapsed  again 
too  much  into  indiflerence.  Yesterday 
I  read  Jonathan  Edwards's  two  sermons 
On  the  Importance  of  a  thorous;h  Knowl- 
edge of  Divine  Truth,  from  Hel).  v.  12. 
I  felt  this  effect, — a  desire  to  rise  earlier, 
to  read  more,  and  to  make  the  discovery 
of  trutli  more  a  business.  This  morning 
I  have  read  another  of  his  sermons,  on 
God  the  Christian's  Portion,  from  Psa. 
Ixxiii.  25.  The  latter  part  comes  very 
close,  and  I  feel  myself  at  a  loss  what  to 
judge  as  to  God's  being  my  chief  good. 
He  asks,  whether  we  had  rather  live  in 
this  world  ricii,  and  without  God,  or  poor 
and  with  him  1  Perhaps  I  should  not  be 
so  nmch  at  a  loss  to  decide  this  question 
as  another;  namely,  had  I  rather  be  rich 
in  tills  world,  and  enjoy  but  little  of  God ; 
or  poor,  and  enjoy  inuch  of  God  1  I  am 
confident  the  practice  of  great  numbers 
of  professing  Christians  declares  that  they 
prefer  tlie  former ;  and  in  some  instances 
I  feel  guilty  of  the  same  thing. 

"  In  the  course  of  this  summer  (1790)  I 
have  sometimes  enjoyed  a  tenderness  of 
heart  in  preaching.  On  June  27th,  at  the 
Lord's  supper,  I  was  atfected  with  this 
subject,  '  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me,' 
I  was  also  greatly  affected  on  Sept.  5,  in 
preaching  from  Gal.  vi.  7,  'Whatsoever  a 
man  soweth,  that  sliall  he  also  reap.' 
But  yet  in  general  I  have  but  little  of  the 
joys  of  salvation.  I  do  not  feel  tempted 
to  evil  as  heretofore,  but  yet  all  is  not 
right.     '  O  for  a  closer  walk  with  God!' 

"  At  the  close  of  this  year  the  review 
of  my  life  afforded  me  neither  pleasure 
nor  what  may  be  called  pain ;  but  rather 
a  kind  of  discouragement  too  common  of 
late  with  me. 

"  From  last  April  I  have  been  expound- 
ing the  book  of  Psalms,  and  sometimes 
have  enjoyed  pleasure  therein." 

"  1791. — In  the  spring  of  this  year 
there  appeared  a  religious  concern  among 
some  of  our  young  people.  I  proposed  to 
meet  them  once  a  Aveek  at  the  vestry,  to 
talk  and  pray  with  them.  I  hope  this  has 
iieen  of  use  both  to  mc  and  them.  I  find 
tliere  are  some  hopeful  appearances  at 
Northampton.  The  Lord  revive  his 
own  work. 

"  I  feel  some  return  of  peace,  but  am 
not  as  I  would  be.  Reading  Owen  on 
Spiritual-mindedness,  I  feel  afraid  lest  all 
should  not  be  right  with  me  at  last. 
What  I  have  of  spirituality,  as  I  account 
it,  seems  rather  occasional  than  habitual. 

"Towards  the  latter  end  of  this  sum- 
mer, I  heard  of  some  revival  of  religion 

VOL.    I.  8 


ai)out  Walgrave  and  Guilsborough ;  and 
tliat  tlie  means  of  it  were  their  setting 
apart  days  for  fasting  and  prayer.  Hence 
I  tiiought  we  had  been  long  praying  for 
the  revival  of  God's  cause,  and  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  among  tlie  heathen,  &c., 
and  perhaps  God  would  begin  with  us  at 
home  first.  I  was  particularly  affected 
with  tliis  tiiought,  by  finding  it  in  the  six- 
ty-seventh Psalm,  which  I  was  expound- 
ing about  the  same  time  :  O  that  God's 
being  merciful  to  us,  and  blessing  us, 
migiit  be  the  means  of  his  way  being 
made  known  upon  earth,  and  his  saving 
health  among  all  nations;  at  least  among 
a  part  of  them. 

"  O  to  lie  spiritually  alive  among  our- 
selves !  One  Monday  evening,  I  tliink  in 
October,  I  told  our  friends  of  some  such 
things,  and  prayed  with  them  with  more 
than  usual  affection.  I  was  particularly 
encouraged  by  the  promise  of  giving  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask.  Surely  if 
ever  I  wrestled  with  God  in  my  life  I  did 
so  then,  for  more  grace,  for  forgiveness, 
for  the  restoration  of  the  joys  of  salva- 
tion; and  that  not  only  for  myself,  but 
for  the  generality  of  Christians  among  us, 
whom  I  plainly  perceived  to  be  in  a  poor 
lukewarm  state,  when  compared  with  the 
primitive  Christians.  I  have  lately  been 
reading  several  Socinian  writers  ;  viz. 
Lindsey,  Priestley,  Belsham,  &c.,  and 
have  employed  myself  in  penning  down 
thoughts  on  the  moral  tendency  of  their 
system.  I  felt  an  increasing  aversion  to 
their  views  of  things,  and  feel  the  ground 
on  which  my  hopes  are  built  more  solid 
than  heretofore. 

"  The  27th  of  December  I  set  apart 
for  fasting  and  prayer.  I  felt  tender  in 
the  course  of  the  day.  Thought  with 
some  encouragement  of  Ps.  cxix.  176, — 
'  I  have  gone  astray  like  a  lost  sheep  ; 
seek  thy  servant,  for  I  do  not  forget  thy 
commandments.'  I  employed  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  day  in  reading  over 
Owen  on  the  Mortification  of  Sin.  A  re- 
view of  the  past  year,  and  of  several  past 
years,  tended  to  humble  me. 

"  I  felt  tender  on  Friday  evening,  Dec. 
30,  in  addressing  my  friends  from  Psa.  xc. 
14,  on  the  mercy  of  God  as  the  origin  of 
all  solid  joy. 

"  1792.— This  year  was  begun,  or  near- 
ly so,  with  a  day  of  solemn  fasting  and 
prayer,  kept  by  us  as  a  church.  It  was 
a  most  affecting  time  with  me  and  many 
more.  Surely  Ave  never  had  such  a  spirit 
of  prayer  amongst  us  ! 

"  On  the  2d  of  April  we  lost  our  dear 
and  worthy  deacon,  Mr.   Beeby  Wallis.* 

*  Some  interesting  particulars  of  tills  excellent 
man  will  Ije  found  in  a  funeral  sermon,  entitled  "  Tbo 


58 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


The  next  church  meeting  was  kept  as  a 
day  of  solemn  fasting  and  prayer,  and 
a  very  tender  occasion^  it  was.  Dur- 
ing this  and  the  last  year  Ave  have  had  a 
good  deal  of  religious  concern  among  the 
young  people  of  the  congregation.  I  set 
up  a  private  meeting  in  which  I  might  read 
and  pray  and  converse  with  them,  and 
have  found  it  good  both  to  them  and  me. 
This  spring  several  of  them  joined  the 
church. 

"June  1. — I  seem  to  have  trials  before 
me  in  the  afflictions  of  my  family.  It 
has  of  late  been  a  thought  which  has 
much  affected  me,  that  our  conduct  in 
this  world  under  the  various  afflictions 
and  tempations  of  life  is  the  seed  of  eter- 
nity !  Have  dwelt  upon  these  thoughts 
in  preaching  from  Matt.  vi.  19,  20. 

"  It  was  a  thought,  likewise,  v/hich  lately 
struck  me,  that  lue  have  no  more  religion 
than  what  roe  have  in  times  of  trial.  On 
this  subject  I  preached  from  Ex.  xvi.  4. 
It  seems  as  if  these  things  were  prepara- 
tive to  a  time  of  trial  to  me. 

"July  10. — My  family  afflictions  have 
almost  overwhelmed  me,  and  what  is  yet 
before  me  I  know  not !  For  about  a 
month  past  the  affliction  of  my  dear  com- 
panion has  been  extremely  heavy.  On 
reading  the  fourth  chapter  of  Job  this 
morning,  the  3d,  4th,  and  5th  verses,  af- 
fected me. — '  My  woi'ds  have  upholden 
many.  O  that  now  I  am  touched  I  may 
not  faint !  ' 

"  25. — O  my  God,  my  soul  is  cast 
down  within  me  !  The  afflictions  in  my 
family  seem  too  heavy  for  me.  O  Lord, 
I  am  oppressed,  undertake  for  me  !  My 
thoughts  are  broken  off,  and  all  my  pros- 
pects seem  to  be  perished  !  I  feel,  how- 
ever, some  support  from  such  Scriptures 
as  these  :  '  All  things  work  together  for 
good,'  &c. — '  God,  even  our  own  God 
shall  bless  us.' — '  It  is  of  the  Lord's  mer- 
cies that  we  are  not  consumed.'  One  of 
my  friends  observed,  yesterday,  that  it 
was  difficult  in  many  cases  to  know  where- 
fore God  contended  with  us.  But  I 
thought  that  there  was   no   difficulty   of 

Blessedness  of  the    Dead   mIio  die    in  the  Loid." — 
The  following    inscription,    by    Mr.  Fuller,   was 
placed  on  his  tomb,  which  stands  under  a  sycamore, 
planted  by  his  own  hand  : — 

Kind  Sycamore,  (^reserve  beneath  thy  shade, 
The  precious  dusf  of  him  who  cherish'd  thee: 
Nor  thee  alone;  a  plant  to  him  more  dear 
He'cherish'd,  and  with  fost'ring  hand  uprear'd.  ^ 
Active  and  generous  in  virtue's  cause. 
With  solid  wisdom,  strict  integrity. 
And  unaffected  piety,  he  liv'd 
Belov'd  amongst  us,  and  belov'd  lie  died. 

Beneath  an  Allon-Bacuth  Jacob  wept  : 
Beneath  thy  shade  we  mourn  a  heavier  loss. 


this  kind  with  me.  I  have  sinned  against 
the  Lord  ;  and  it  is  not  a  little  affliction 
that  will  lay  hold  of  me.  Those  words 
have  impressed  me  of  late  :  '  It  was  in  my 
heart  to  chastise  them.'  " 

A  record  of  the  death  of  his  amiable 
and  pious  wife  forms  the  last  entry  in  the 
diary  for  nearly  two  years.  The  follow- 
ing affecting  letter  to  her  father,  Mr. 
Gardiner,  furnishes  the  melancholy  details 
of  the  concluding  scene  : — 

Aug.  25,  1792. 
"  Dear  and  Honored  Father, 

"  You  have  heard,  I  suppose,  before 
now,  that  my  dear  companion  is  no  more! 
For  about  three  months  back  our  afflic- 
tions have  been  extremely  heavy.  About 
the  beginning  of  June  she  was  seized 
with  hysterical  affections,  which,  for  a 
time,  deprived  her  of  her  senses.  In 
about  a  week,  however,  she  recovered 
them,  and  seemed  better  ;  but  soon  re- 
lapsed again  :  and  during  the  months  of 
July  and  August,  a  very  few  intervals  ex- 
cepted, her  mind  has  been  constantly  de- 
ranged. In  this  unhappy  state,  Iier  atten- 
tion has  generally  been  turned  upon  some 
one  object  of  distress  ;  sometimes  that 
she  had  lost  her  children  ;  sometimes  that 
she  should  lose  me.  For  one  whole  day 
she  hung  about  my  neck,  weeping ;  for 
that  I  was  going  to  die,  and  leave  her  ! 
The  next  morning  she  still  retained  the 
same  persuasion  ;  but,  instead  of  weeping 
for  it,  she  rejoiced  with  exceeding  joy. 
'  My   husband,'    said   she,    '  is    going   to 

heaven and  all   is    well ! — I   shall 

be  provided  for,'  &c.  Sometimes  we 
were  her  worst  enemies,  and  must  not 
come  near  her^;  at  other  times  she  would 
speak  to  me  in  the  most  endearing  terms. 
Till  very  lately,  she  has  been  so  desirous 
of  my  company,  that  it  has  been  with  much 
difficulty  that  I  have  stolen  away  from  her 
about  two  hours  in  the  twenty -four,  that 
I  might  ride  out  in  the  air,  my  health 
having  been  considerably  impaired.  But 
lately  her  mind  took  another  turn,  which 
to  me  was  very  afflictive.  It  is  true  she 
never  ceased  to  love  her  husband.  '  I 
have  had,'  she  would  say,  '  as  tender  a 
husband  as  ever  woman  had  ;  but  you  are 
not  my  husband  ! '  She  seemed  for  the 
last  month  really  to  have  considered  me 
as  an  impostor,  who  had  entered  the 
house,  and  taken  possession  of  the  keys 
of  every  place,  and  of  all  that  belonged  to 
her  and  her  husband.  Poor  soul !  for  the 
last  month,  as  I  said,  this  and  other  no- 
tions of  the  kind  have  rendered  her  more 
miserable  than  I  am  able  to  describe ! 
She  has  been  fully  persuaded  that  she  was 
not  at  home,  but  had  wandered  some- 
where from  it  :  had  lost  herself,  and  fallen 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


59 


among  strangers.  She  constantly  wanted 
to  make  her  escape,  on  which  account  we 
Avere  obliged  to  keep  the  doors  locked, 
and  to  take  away  the  keys.  '  No,'  she 
would  say  to  me,  with  a  countenance  full 
of  inexpressible  anguish,  '  this  is  not  my 
home  ....  you  are  not  my  husband  .... 
these  are  not  my  children.  Once  I  had 
a  good  home  ....  and  a  husliand  who 
loved  me  ....  and  dear  children  .... 
and  kind  friends  ....  but  where  am  I 
now  1  I  am  lost !  I  am  ruined  !  What 
have  I  done  1  Oh  !  wliat  have  I  done  1 
Lord  have  mercy  upon  me  !'  In  this 
strain  she  would  be  frequently  walking  up 
and  down,  from  room  to  room,  bemoan- 
ing herself,  without  a  tear  to  relieve  her, 
wringing  her  hands,  first  looking  upwards, 
then  downwards,  in  all  the  attitudes  of 
wild  despair  !  You  may  form  some  con- 
ception what  must  have  been  my  feelings, 
to  have  been  a  spectator  of  all  this  an- 
guish, and  at  the  same  time  incapable  of 
affording  her  the  smallest  relief. 

"  Though  she  seemed  not  to  know  the 
children  about  her,  yet  she  had  a  keen 
and  lively  remembrance  of  those  that 
were  taken  away.  One  day,  when  I  was 
gone  out  for  the  air,  she  went  out  of  the 
house.  The  servant,  missing  her,  imme- 
diately followed,  and  found  her  in  the 
grave-yard,  looking  at  the  graves  of  her 
children.  She  said  nothing,  but  with  a 
bitterness  of  soul,  pointed  the  servant's 
eyes  to  the  wall,  where  the  name  of  one  of 
them,  who  was  buried  in  1783,  was  cut  in 
the  stone.  Then  turning  to  the  graves 
of  the  other  children,  in  an  agony,  she 
with  her  foot  struck  off  the  long  grass, 
which  had  grown  over  the  flat  stones,  and 
read  the  inscriptions  with  silent  anguish, 
alternately  looking  at  the  servant  and  at 
the  stones. 

"  About  a  fortnight  before  her  death, 
she  had  one  of  the  happiest  intervals  of 
any  during  the  affliction.  She  had  been 
lamenting  on  account  of  this  impostor  that 
was  come  into  her  house,  and  would  not 
give  her  the  keys.  She  tried  for  two 
hours  to  obtain  them  by  force,  in  which 
time  she  exhausted  all  her  own  strength 
and  almost  mine.  Not  being  able  to  ob- 
tain her  point,  as  I  was  necessarily  obliged 
to  resist  her  in  this  matter,  she  sat  down 
and  wept — threatening  me  that  God  would 
surely  judge  me  for  treating  a  poor  help- 
less creature  in  such  a  manner !  I  also 
was  overcome  with  grief:  I  wept  with 
her.  The  sight  of  my  tears  seemed  to 
awaken  her  recollection.  With  her  eyes 
fixed  upon  me,  she  said  .  .  .  .  '  Why  are 
you  indeed  my  husband  1 ' — '  Indeed  my 
dear,  I  am  !  ' — '  O  !  if  I  thought  you  were, 
I  could  give  you  a  thousand  kisses  !  ' 
'  Indeed,  my  dear,  I  am  your  own  dear 


husband  ! '  She  then  seated  herself  upon 
my  knee,  and  kissed  me  several  times. 
My  heart  dissolved  with  a  mixture  of 
grief  and  joy.  Her  senses  were  restored, 
and  she  talked  as  rationally  as  ever.  I 
then  j)ersuaded  her  to  go  to  rest,  and  she 
slept  well. 

"  About  twom  the  morning  she  awoke, 
and  conversed  with  me  as  rationally  as 
ever  she  did  in  her  life  :  said  her  poor 
head  had  been  disordered  ;  that  she  had 
given  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  fear- 
ed she  had  injured  my  health ;  begged  I 
would  excuse  all  her  hard  thoughts  and 
speeches  ;  and  urged  this  as  a  consider- 
ation— '  Though  i  was  set  against  you, 
yet  I  was  not  set  against  you  as  my  hus- 
band.' She  desired  I  would  ride  out 
every  day  for  the  air ;  gave  directions  to 
the  servant  about  her  family ;  told  her 
where  this  and  that  article  were  to  be 
found,  which  she  wanted;  inquired  after 
various  family  concerns,  and  how  they 
had  been  conducted  since  she  had  been 
ill :  and  thus  we  continued  talking  togeth- 
er till  morning. 

"  She  continued  much  the  same  all  the 
forenoon  ;  was  delighted  with  the  conver- 
sation of  Robert,  whose  heart  also  was 
delighted,  as  he  said,  to  see  his  mother  so 
well.  '  Robert,'  said  she,  '  we  shall  not 
live  together  much  longer.' — '  Yes,  moth- 
er,' replied  the  child,  '  I  hope  we  shall 
live  together  forever!'  Joy  sparkled  in 
her  eyes  at  this  answer  :  she  stroked  his 
head,  and  exclaimed,  '  O  bless  you,  my 
dear !  how  came  such  a  thought  into  your 
mind  1 ' 

"  Towards  noon  she  said  to  me,  '  We 
will  dine  together  to-day,  my  dear,  up 
stairs.'  We  did  so.  But,  while  we  were  at 
dinner,  in  a  few  minutes  her  senses  were 
gone :  nor  did  she  ever  recover  them 
again.  From  this  happy  interval,  how- 
ever, I  entertained  hopes  that  her  senses 
would  return  when  she  was  delivered,  and 
came  to  recover  her  strength. 

"On  Thursday,  the  23d  instant,  she 
was  delivered  of  a  daughter  ;  but  was  all 
the  day  very  restless,  full  of  pain  and 
misery,  no  return  of  reason,  except  that 
from  an  aversion  to  me,  which  she  had  so 
long  entertained,  she  called  me  '  my  dear,' 
and  twice  kissed  me  ;  said  she  '  must  die,' 
and  '  let  me  die,  my  dear,'  said  she,  '  let 
me  die  ! '  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock, 
as  there  seemed  no  immediate  sign  of  a 
change,  and  being  very  weary,  I  went  to 
rest ;  but  about  eleven  was  called  up  again, 
just  time  enough  to  witness  the  convul- 
sive pangs  of  death,  which  in  about  ten 
minutes  carried  her  off. 

"  Poor  soul !  What  she  often  said  is 
now  true.  She  was  not  at  home  ....  I 
am  not  her  husband  ■  .  .  .  these  are   not 


60 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


her  children  .  .  .  but  she  has  found  her 
home  ....  a  home,  a  husband,  and  a 
family,  better  than  these  !  It  is  the  cup 
which  my  Father  hath  given  me  to  drink, 
and  shall  I  not  drink  it  1  Amidst  all  my 
afflictions  I  have  much  to  be  thankful  for. 
I  have  reason  to  be  thankful  that,  though 
her  intellects  were  so  deranged,  yet  she 
never  uttered  any  ill  language,  nor  was  ever 
disposed  to  do  mischief  to  herself  or  oth- 
ers :  and  wlien  she  was  at  tlie  Avorst,  if  I 
fell  on  my  knees  to  prayer,  she  would  in- 
stantly be  still  and  attentive.  I  have  also 
to  be  thankful  that,  though  she  has  been 
generally  afraid  of  death  all  her  life  time, 
yet  that  fear  has  been  remarkably  remov- 
ed for  the  last  half  year.  While  she  re- 
tained her  reason,  she  would  sometimes 
express  a  willingness  to  live  or  to  die,  as 
it  might  please  God  :  and  about  five  or 
six  weeks  ago  would  now  and  then  pos- 
sess a  short  interval  in  which  she  would 
converse  freely.  One  of  our  friends,  Avho 
staid  at  home  with  her  on  Lord's-days, 
says,  that  her  conversation  at  those  times 
would  often  turn  on  the  poor  and  im- 
perfect manner  in  which  she  had  served 
the  Lord,  her  desires  to  serve  him  bet- 
ter, her  grief  to  think  she  had  so  much 
and  so  often  sinned  against  him.  On  one 
of  these  occasions,  she  was  wonderfully 
filled  with  joy  on  overhearing  the  congre- 
gation while  they  were  singing  over  the 
chorus,  '  Glory,  honor,  praise  and  power,' 
&c.  Slie  seemed  to  catch  the  sacred  spirit 
of  the  song. 

"  I  mean  to  erect  a  stone  to  her  memory, 
on  which  will  jjrobably  be  engraved  the 
following  lines  : — 

The  tender  parent  w.iils  no  more  her  loss. 
Nor  labors  more  beneath  life's  heavy  load ; 
The  anxious  soul,  released  fiom  fears  and  woes. 
Has  found  her  home,  her  children,  and  lier  God. 

"To  all  this  I  may  add,  that,  perhaps, 
I  have  reason  to  be  thankful  for  her  re- 
moval :  however  the  dissolution  of  such  a 
union  may  affect  my  present  feelings,  it 
may  be  one  of  the  greatest  mercies  both 
to  her  and  me.  Had  she  continued,  and 
continued  in  the  same  state  of  mind, 
which  was  not  at  all  improbable,  this,  to  all 
appearance,  would  have  been  a  thousand 
times  worse  than  death. 

"  The  poor  little  infant  is  yet  alive,  and 
we  call  her  name  Bathoni ;  the  same 
name,  except  the  difference  of  sex,  which 
Rachel  gave  to  her  last-born  child.*  Mr. 
West  preached  a  funeral  sermon,  last 
night,  at  the  interment,  from  2  Cor.  v.  1." 

Several  months  afterwards,  Mr.  Fuller 
composed   the   following  plaintive   lines, 

*  Gen.  XXXV.  16—18. 


during   a    solitary    ride    through    Corby 
woods  : — 

"  I,  who  erewhile  was  blessed  with   social  joys. 
With  joys  that  sweetened  all  the  ills  of  liie. 
And  shed  a  cheerful  light  on  all  things  round. 
Now  mourn  my  days  in  pensive  solitude. 
There  once  did  live  a  heart  that  c.ired  for  me; 
I  loved,    and  was  again  beloved  in  turn; 
Her  tender  soul  would  soothe  my  rising  griefs, 
And  wipe  my  tears,  and  mix  them  with  her  own: 
But  she  is  not;  and  I  forlorn  am  left. 
To  weep  unheeded,  and  to  serve  alone. 

"  I  roam  amidst  the   dreary  woods. — Here   once 
I  walk'd  with  her  who  walks  no  more  with  me. 
The  fragrant  forest  then  with  pleasure  smiled. 
Why  wears  it  now  a  melancholy  hue  1 
Ail  me  !   nor  woods,  nor  fields,  nor  aught  besides. 
Can  grateful  prove  where  grief  corrodes  the  heart  ! 

"  Gcd  of  my  life,  and  guide  of  all  my  years. 
May  I  again  to  thee  my  soul  commend, 
And  in  thee  find  a  friend  to  share  my  griefs. 
And  give  me  counsel  in  each  doubtful  path. 
And  lead  me  on  through  every  maze  of  life. 
Till  I  arrive  where  sighs  no  more  are  heard  1" 


SECTION   IV.— 1793  to  1814. 

Formation  of  Baptist  Mission — Departure 
of  Missionaries — Letters  on  Socinian- 
ism — Second  Marriage — Preaching  in 
Braybrook  Church — Journey  to  Scot- 
land—  Trouble  relative  to  his  eldest  Son 
— Publications  on  Deism,  Universal 
Salvation,  Backsliding,  Spiritual  Pride 
— Second  Journey  to  Scotland — Jour- 
ney to  Ireland — Correspondence  toith 
America — Diplomas — Third  Journey  to 
Scotland — Correspondence Publica- 
tion of  Dialogues,  &fc. — Attack  on  the 
Mission — FourthJourney  to  Scotland — 
Charge  of  Persecution — Joseph  Fuller — 
Journey  to  TVales — Fire  at  Serampore 
— East  India  Charter — Death  of  Mr. 
Sutcliff,  Sfc. 

The  employments  of  life  have  been 
ranked  among  its  greatest  blessings  ;  and 
never  does  their  value  appear  more  strik- 
ing than  when  they  are  directed  to  the  re- 
lief of  a  mind  overwhelmed  with  distress. 
In  conjunction  with  a  few  individuals, 
who  had  united  with  him  in  strenuous  ef- 
forts to  induce  compassion  on  behalf  of 
the  heathen  world,  Mr.  Fuller  was,  in  the 
midst  of  his  afflictions,  occupied  in  matur- 
ing plans  which  issued  in  the  formation  of 
the  "Particular  Baptist  Society  for  pro- 
pagating the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen." 
A  meeting  was  convened  for  that  purpose, 
at  Kettering,  on  the  2d  of  October,  1792, 
on  which  occasion  the  contributions 
amounted   to  £13.    2s.    6d.,   which   then 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


61 


constituted  the  whole  of  its  pecuniary  re- 
sources 

Tiie  mcetinjis  for  prayer  and  conference, 
established  in  1784,  contained  the  germ  of 
tiiis  institution  ;  Init  tiic  specific  design  of 
a  missionary  undertaking  originated  witii 
the  veneral>le  Dr.  Carey,  at  tiiat  time 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Leicester.  Tfiis 
distinguisiied  individual,  though  of  oliscure 
origin,  displayed  at  an  early  period  an  as- 
tonishing facility  in  the  accpiirement  of 
languages,*  which,  united  with  eminent 
piety  and  enthusiastic  ardor  in  the  most 
sacred  of  causes,  and  aided  liy  tlie  associ- 
ation and  counsels  of  sucii  men  as  Ryland, 
Sutcliff,  Pearce,  and  the  subject  of  these 
memoirs,  led  to  results  truly  astonisiiing. 
The  Baptist  mission  has  extended  its  oper- 
ations over  a  large  portion  of  tiie  continent 
of  India,  having  circulated  in  tiiat  vast  tract 
of  country  copies  of  the  New-Testament 
in  nineteen  different  languages,  and  of  the 
whole  Bible  in  six,  established  schools  for 
the  instruction  of  the  heathen  youth,  and 
already  resulted  in  the  hopeful  conver- 
sion of  several  hundreds  of  Hindoos  and 
Mussulmans,  besides  upwards  of  20,000  of 
the  negro  population  of  the  West  Indies. 
In  this  mighty  enterprise,  the  commence- 
ment of  which  was  distinguished  by  ex- 
traordinary modesty  of  pretension  and  si- 
lence of  operation,  Mr.  Fuller  found  am- 
ple scope  for  the  exercise  of  those  pow- 
ers of  mind  with  which  he  was  endowed  ; 
and  to  this,  beyond  a  doubt,  he  sacrifi- 
ced his  life. 

The  characteristic  qualities  severally 
displayed  by  Mr.  F.'s  associates  in  this 
-work,  illustrate  an  interesting  peculiarity 
in  the  divine  procedure.  In  the  accomplish- 
ment of  any  great  design,  men''  of  various 
and  even  opposite  temperament  are  se- 
lected (as  was  strikingly  exemplified  in 
the  Reformation,)  to  operate  as  a  mutual 
check  upon  that  tendency  to  extremes 
which  too  often  neutralizes  individual  ef- 
forts.— Thus  the  singular  wisdom  of  Sut- 
cliff, and  the  scrupulous  integrity  of  Ry- 
land, served  not  only  to  strengthen  and 
develop  those  qualities  already  so  con- 
spicuous in  Mr.  Fuller,  but  happily  to 
temper  that  constitutional  ardor  which 
might  otherwise  have  betrayed  him  into 
indiscretions.  That  Providence  which 
had  for  so  many  years  guided  the  work- 
ings of  these  elements,  and  at  length 
brought  them  into  such  happy  contact, 
now  marked  out  the  scene  of  operations, 
and  opened  a  way  for  the  departure  of 
Carey,  who,  from  the  first,  appears  se- 
cretly to  have  resolved  on  a  consecration 


of  himself  to  this  work. — Mr.  John  Thom- 
as, a  gentleman  recently  returned  from 
Bengal,  was  introduced  to  the  Society  by 
the  veneralile  Al)raham  Booth  ;  and  it  was 
ultimately  agreed  that  he  and  Mr.  Carey 
sliouid  proceed   forthwith  to  India. 

In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Ryland,  Mr.  Fuller 
says,  "  You  see  things  of  great  conse- 
quence are  in  train.  My  heart  fears 
wiiile  it  is  enlarged.  I  have  this  day 
been  to  Olney  to  converse  with  brother 
Sutcliff,  and  to  request  him  to  go  with 
nie  to  Leicester  this  day  se'nnight  to 
conciliate  the  church  there,  and  to  sound 
Mrs.  Carey's  mind,  whether  she  will  go 
and  take  the  family.*  ....  I  am  much 
concerned  with  the  weight  that  lies  upon 
us  ;  it  is  a  great  undertaking,  yet  surely 
it  is  right.  We  have  all  felt  much  in 
prayer.  We  must  have  one  solemn  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer  on  parting  with  our 
Paul  and  Barnabas." 

This  meeting  took  place  at  Leicester, 
and  was  truly  affecting.  In  concluding 
his  charge  to  the  missionaries,  Mr.  Ful- 
ler thus  addressed  them  :  "  Go,  tiien,  my 
dear  brethren,  stimulated  by  these  pros- 
pects. We  shall  meet  again.  Crowns 
of  glory  await  you  and  us.  Each,  I 
trust,  will  be  addressed  in  the  last  day, 
'  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  enter 
ye  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord.'  " 

A  difficulty  now  arose  as  to  the  propri- 
ety of  making  formal  application  for  a 
passage  in  one  of  the  company's  ships  ; 
but  as  this  might  be  followed  with  a  refu- 
sal, compelling  them  to  go  in  a  less  direct 
form,  it  was  judged  most  advisable  to 
wave  it,  and  to  proceed  unobserved. 
Matters  being  adjusted,  the  missionaries 
embarked  amid  tlie  prayers  and  tears  of 
their  friends. 

They  iiad  waited  three  weeks  at  the 
Isle  of  Wight  for  a  convoy,  when  the  sec- 
retary received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Carey, 
dated  Ryde,  May  21,  1793,  in  which  he 
says,  "  I  have  just  time  to  inform  you 
that  all  our  plans  are  entirely  frustrated 
for  the  present.  On  account  of  the  irreg- 
ular manner  of  our  going  out,  an  informa- 
tion is  laid  against  the  captain,  for  taking 
a  person  on  board  without  an  order  from 
the  company  :  the  person  not  being  spe- 
cified, Mr.  T.  and  myself  and  another 
passenger  are  ordered  to  quit  the  ship. 
I  leave  the  island  to-day  or  to-morrow, 
and  on  Thursday  the  ship  sails  without 
us. 

Though  Mr.  Fuller  had  rather  yielded 
to  this  method  of  going  out  than  approved 
it,  yet  the  disappointment  deeply  affected 


*  Evidence  of  this  is  afforded  in  his  early  appoint-  *  3Iis.  Carey's  circumstances  did  not  admit  of  her 
ment  to  the  professorsliip  of  Sanscrit  in  the  College  accompanying  lier  husband,  but  she  contemplated  fol- 
"*"  '^"-*  ■vv:n:.,™  lowing  him  at  an  early  period. 


of  Fort  WiUiam. 


62 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.     FULLER. 


him.  He  lost  no  time  in  forwarding  the 
above  epistle  to  Dr.  Ryland,  accompa- 
nied with  the  following  : — 

"  Perhaps  Carey  has  written  to  you. 
We  are  all  undone  !  I  am  grieved  ;  yet, 
perhaps,  't  is  best.  I  am  afraid  leave  will 
never  be  obtained  now  for  Carey  or  any 
other,  and  the  adventure  seems  to  be  lost. 
He  says  nothing  of  the  £250  for  voy- 
age— 't  is  well  if  that  be  not  lost." 

The  delay  thus  occasioned  was  not,  how- 
ever, without  its   advantages,  as  will   be 
seen  by  Dr.   Ryland 's   description  of  an 
interview    with     Messrs.      Thomas    and 
Carey.    "  At  seeing  them  I   said,   'Well, 
I  know   not  wliether  to   say  I  am  glad  or 
sorry   to  see   you!'      They  replied,    'If 
you     are    sorry,    your    sorrow    may    be 
turned  into  joy;  for  it  is   all  for  the  best. 
We    have   been  at   Hackleton,   and  have 
seen  Mrs.   Carey;  she  is  well  recovered 
from  her  confinement,  and   is  now  al>le  to 
accompany  her  husband,  and  is  willing  to 
go.'     I  think  they  said  that  she  had  at  first 
refused :    they  left    the    house,  and    had 
walked  half  a  mile,   when   Mr.    Thomas 
proposed  to  go   back  again,  an  additional 
argument  having  struck  his  mind  to  use 
with  her.     They  went  back  :  she  said  she 
would  go,  if  her  sister  would  go  with  her. 
They  then  pleaded  with  the  sister  that  it 
depended    on    her    whether    the    family 
should  be   separated  or  not.     Since  Mrs. 
Short's   return   from   India,  she  has   told 
me  that   she  hastened  up  stairs   to    pray, 
and,  when  she  came  down,  told  them  she 
was  willing  to    go.     Having    related  the 
above,  they  told  me  they  had   heard  of  a 
Danish     ship    which     would    be     in    tlie 
Downs  in  four    days,  and    had  room  for 
them  all.     Having  taken  a  second  and  final 
leave  of  the  missionaries,  Mr.   Fuller  ad- 
dressed himself  with  redoubled    ardor    to 
the  promotion  of  the  domestic    interests 
of  the  mission.     His  intense    application 
to  these  important  objects    occasioned  a 
paralytic  affection  most    alarming  to    his 
friends,  during  which  his  indefatigable  pen 
was  engaged  in  the  defense  of  evangelical 
religion  at  home.     In  the  course  of  this 
year  he    produced    his   "  Calvinistic    and 
Socinian    Systems    Compared,"    a    Avork 
justly  entitled  to  a  principal  place  among 
his  polemical  writings.     The  ground  ta- 
ken was  new,  and  was  suggested  by  the 
tedious    iteration    of   the  stale  charge  of 
licentiousness    made   by    the    "  Unitari- 
ans "  against  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism. 
The  sentiments  of  the  late  Rev.  R.  Hall 
relative  to  this  treatise  are  thus  expressed 
in   a  letter    to    the    author  : — "You   will 
please  to  accept  my  hearty  thanks  for  your 
book  ;  which,  without  flattery,  appears  to 
me  by  far  the  most  decisive  confutation 
of  the  Socinian  system  that  ever  appear- 


ed. There  are  some  particulars  in  which 
I  differ  from  you  ;  but,  in  general,  I  ad- 
mire the  spirit  no  less  than  the  reasoning: 
it  will  be  read  not  merely  as  a  pamphlet 
of  the  day,  but  for  years  to  come." 

Notwithstanding  the  acknowledgment 
of  several  leading  persons  among  the 
Socinians,  that  these  letters  were  "  well 
worthy  of  their  attention,"  it  was  not 
till  after  the  lapse  of  three  years  that  an 
answer  appeared,  in  the  publications  of 
Dr.  Toulmin  and  Mr.  Kentish.  The 
former  of  those  gentlemen  undertook  to 
prove  '  The  Practical  Efficacy  of  the  Uni- 
tarian Doctrine,'  from  the  successes  of 
the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians  ! 
Mr.  Fuller  replied  to  both.  Some  pas- 
sages in  his  dairy,  written  in  1794,  exhib- 
iting the  influence  of  these  labors  on  his 
character  and  happiness,  and  furnishing  a 
pious  record  of  an  important  domestic 
occurrence,  may  here  be  transcribed. 

"  July  18. — Within  the  last  year  or 
two,  we  have  formed  a  Missionary  Soci- 
ety ;  and  have  been  enabled  to  send  out 
two  of  our  brethren  to  the  East  Indies. 
My  heart  has  been  greatly  interested  in 
this  work.  Surely  I  never  felt  more  gen- 
uine love  to  God  and  to  his  cause  in  my 
life.  I  bless  God  that  this  work  has 
been  a  means  of  reviving  my  soul.  If 
nothing  else  coroes  of  it,  I  and  many 
more  have  obtained  a  spiritual  advantage. 
My  labors,  however,  in  this  harvest,  I 
have  reason  to  think,  brought  on  a  paralytic 
stroke,  by  which,  in  Januaiy,  1793,  for  a 
Aveek  or  two,  I  lost  the  use  of  one  side 
of  my  face.  That  Avas  recovered  in  a 
little  time;  but  it  left  behind  it  ahead- 
ache,  Avhich  I  have  reason  to  think  Avill 
never  fully  leave  me.  I  have  ever  since 
been  incapable  of  reading  or  Avriting  Avith 
intense  application.  At  this  time,  I  am 
much  better  than  I  was  last  year,  but, 
even  noAv,  reading  or  Avriting  for  a  few 
hours  Avill  bring  on  the  headache.  Upon 
the  Avhole,  however,  I  feel  satisfied.  It 
Avas  in  the  service  of  God.  If  a  man 
lose  his  limbs,  or  his  health,  by  intemper- 
ance, it  is  to  his  dishonor;  but  not  so  if 
he  lose  them  in  serving  his  country. 
Paul  Avas  desirous  of  dying  to  the  Lord  : 
so  let  me  !" 

"  The  reflection  I  made  on  June  1,  1792, 
— that  Ave  have  no  more  religion  than  we 
have  in  times  of  trial,  has  again  occurred. 
God  has  tried  me,  Avithin  the  last  Iavo  or 
three  years,  by  heaA'y  and  sore  afflictions 
in  my  family,  and  by  threatening  com- 
plaints in  my  body.  But,  of  late,  trials 
have  been  of  another  kind  :  haAing  print- 
ed "Letters  on  Socinianism,"  they  have 
procured  an  unusual  tide  of  respect  and 
applause.  Some  years  ago  I  endured  a 
portion  of  reproach,  on  account  of  what 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


68 


I  had  written  against  false  Calvinism; 
now  I  am  likely  to  be  tiied  with  the  con- 
trary :  and,  periiaps,  good  report,  though 
more  agreeal)le,  may  prove  not  less  trying 
than  evil  report.  I  am  apprehensive  that 
God  sees  my  heart  to  he  too  much  elated 
already,  and  therefore  withholds  his  bles- 
sing from  my  ordinary  ministrations.  I 
conceive  tilings  to  be  very  low  in  the 
congregation.  It  has  been  a  thought 
which  has  aftected  me  of  late — The  church 
at  Leicester  have  lost  their  pastor,  as 
have  also  the  church  at  Northampton; 
but  neither  of  them  have  lost  their  God  : 
whereas,  at  Kettering,  the  man  and  the 
means  are  continued;  we  have  the  man- 
tle, but  '  where  is  the  Lord  God  of 
Elijah  1'  God  has,  as  it  were,  caused  it 
to  rain  upon  those  places,  but  not  upon 
us.  Though  without  pastors,  yet  they 
have  had  great  increase ;  whereas  we 
have  had  none  of  late,  and  many  disor- 
ders among  us.  I  am  afraid  I  am  defec- 
tive as  to  knowing  the  state  of  my  own 
church,  and  looking  well  to  their  spiritual 
concerns. 

"  Within  the  last  two  years,  I  have 
experienced,  perhaps,  as  much  peace  and 
calmness  of  mind  as  at  any  former  period. 
I  have  been  enabled  to  walk  somewhat 
nearer  to  God  than  heretofore ;  and  I 
find  that  there  is  nothing  which  affords 
such  a  preservative  against  sin.  '  If  we 
walk  in  the  Spirit,  we  shall  not  fulfil  the 
lusts  of  the  flesh.'  This  passage  has  been 
of  great  use  lo  me  ever  since  I  preached 
from  it,  Avhich  was  on  June  3,  1792. 
The  idea  on  which  I  then  principally 
insisted  was,  that  sin  is  to  be  overcome, 
not  so  much  by  a  direct  or  mere  resistance 
of  it,  as  by  opposing  other  principles  and 
considerations  to  it.  This  sentiment  has 
been  abundantly  verified  in  my  experi- 
ence :  so  far  as  I  have  walked  in  the  Spirit, 
so  far  has  my  life  been  holy  and  happy ; 
and  I  have  experienced  a  good  degree  of 
these  blessings  compared  with  former 
times,  though  but  a  very  small  degree 
compared  with  what  I  ought  to  aspire 
after.  I  have  lately  spoken  some  strong 
language  against  the   sin  of  covetousness. 

0  that  I  may  never  be  left  to  that  spirit 
myself!  I  have  been  concerned  this 
morning  lest  I  should.  We  know  but 
little  of  what  we  are,  till  we  are  tried  ! 

1  dreamed  last  night  that  a  person  of  a 
religious  and  generous  character  was 
making  his  observations  upon  dissenters 
— that  there  were  but  few  eminently  holy 
and  benevolent  characters  among  them. 
On  waking,  my  thoughts  ran  upon  this 
subject.  I  felt  that  there  was  too  much 
truth  in  it  (though,  perhaps,  no  truth,  if 
they  were  viewed  in  comparison  with 
other  denominations);    and  possessed  an 


ardent  desire  that,  let  others  do  what 
they  would,  I  and  mine  might  live,  not  to 
ourselves,  l)ut  to  Him  who  died  for  us  ! 
It  seems  a  lovely  thing,  which  is  said  of 
Christ — 'He    went    about    doing   good!' 

0  that  whatever  I  may  at  any  time  pos- 
sess of  this  world's  good,  it  mi;iht  be 
consecrated  to  God!  The  Lord  ever 
preserve  me  from  the  mean  vice  of  cov- 
etousness ! 

"  Of  late  my  thoughts  have  turned  upon 
another  marriage— that  passage  which 
has  been  witii  me  in  all  my  principal  con- 
cerns tlnough  life—'  In  all  thy  ways  ac- 
knowledge him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy 
paths  '—has  recurred  again.  I  have  found 
much  of  the  hand  of  God  in  this  con- 
cern. 

"  Oct.  27.— Of  late  I  have  been  greatly 
employed  in  journeying  and  preaching, 
and  endeavoring  to  collect  for  the  East 
India  Mission.  I  find  a  frequent  removal 
from  place  to  place,  though  good  for  my 
health,  not  good  for  my  soul.  I  feel  wea- 
ry of  journeys  on  account  of  their  inter- 
fering so  much   with  my  work  at  home. 

1  long  to  visit  my  congregation,  that  I 
may  know  more  of  their  spiritual  concerns, 
and  be  able  to  preach  to  their  cases. 

"  I  devote  this  day  to  fasting  and  prayer 
on  account  of  my  expected  marriage,  to 
entreat  the  blessing  of  God  upon  me  and 
upon  her  that  may  be  connected  with  me, 
and  upon  all  that  pertains  to  us." 

On  the  30th  Dec,  1794,  Mr.  Fuller 
married  Ann,  only  daughter  of  the  late 
Rev.  W.  Coles,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  at  Maulden,  near  Ampthill,  on 
which  occasion  he  thus  writes  : — 

"This  day  I  was  married;  and  this 
day  will  probably  stamp  my  future  life 
with  either  increasing  happiness  or  misery. 
My  hopes  rise  high  of  the  former ;  but 
my  times  and  those  of  my  dear  compan- 
ion are  in  the  Lord's  hand.  I  feel  a 
satisfaction    that   in  her  I   have   a   godly 

character  as  well  as  a  wife I  bless 

God  for  the  prospect  I  have  of  an  increase 
of  happiness.  It  is  no  small  satisfaction 
that  every  one  of  our  relations  was  agree- 
able ;  that  there  are  no  prejudices  to 
afford  ground  for  future  jealousies.  Two 
days  after  our  marriage  v\  e  invited  about 
a  dozen  of  our  serious  friends  to  drink 
tea  and  spend  the  evening  in  prayer." 

About  this  period  an  incident  occurred 
which  introduced  Mr.  Fuller  into  one  of 
the  pulpits  of  the  establishment,  and  which 
he  thus  describes  in  a  letter  to  Ur.  Ry- 
land  : — 

"  Oct.  26,  1796. 

"  The  report  of  my  preaching  in  Bray- 
brook    church    is    true;    but  that  of  the 


64 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.    FULLER. 


clergyman,  or  myself,  having  suffered  any 
inconvenience,  is  not  so ;  nor  have  I  any 
apprehensions  on  that  score.  The  fact 
was  thus  :  Mr.  Broughtoa,  of  Braybrook 
Lodge,  had  a  son,  about  twenty  years  of 
age,  who  died.  The  young  man's  desire 
was  that  I  should  preach  a  funeral  sermon 
at  his  interment,  from  Jer.  xxxi.  18 — 20. 
Mr.  Ayre,  the  Baptist  minister,  came  to 
me  the  day  before  his  burial,  to  inform 
me.  I  said  to  him,  '  And  where  are  we 
to  be  1  the  meeting-house  will  not  liold 
half  the  people.'  He  said,  he  did  not 
know.  'I  do  not  know,'  said  I,  'where 
we  can  be,  unless  they  would  lend  us  the 
church.'  This  I  said  merely  in  pleasan- 
try, and  without  the  most  distant  idea 
of  asking  for  it.  Mr.  A.,  however,  went 
home,  and  told  the  young  man's  father 
what  I  had  said.  'I  will  go,'  said  he, 
'  and  ask  the  clergyman.'  He  went.  'I 
have  no  objection,'  said  the  old  man  (who 
is  a  good-tempered  man,  but  lies  under 
no  suspicion  of  either  evangelical  senti- 
ments or  of  being  righteous  overmuch), 
'  if  it  could  be  done  with  safety ;  but  I 
reckon  it  would  be  unsafe.'  Mr.  B.  took 
this  for  an  answer  in  the  negative.  But, 
the  same  day,  the  old  clergyman  rode 
over  to  Harborough,  and  inquired,  I  sup- 
pose, of  some  attorney.  He  was  told  no 
ill  consequences  would  follow  towards 
him :  if  any,  they  would  fall  upon  7ne. 
He  then  came  back,  and,  just  before  the 
funeral,  told  Mr.  B.  what  he  had  learned, 
adding,  '  I  do  not  wish  Mr.  F.  to  injure 
himself;  but,  if  he  choose  to  run  the 
hazard,  he  is  welcome  to  the  church.' 
Mr.  B.  told  me  this.  We  then  carried 
the  corpse  up  to  the  church,  and  the  old 
man  went  through  the  service  out  of 
doors.  It  was  nearly  dark,  very  cold 
and  damp  ;  and  about  500  or  600  were 
gathered  together.  The  meeting-house 
would  not  hold  above  100,  and  I  should 
have  taken  a  great  cold  to  have  been 
abroad.  I  did  not  believe  the  attoney's 
opinion,  that  they  could  hurt  me,  unless  it 
were  through  the  clergyman.  I,  therefore, 
went  up  to  him,  thanked  him  for  his  offer, 
and  accepted  it.  He  staid  to  hear  me  ; 
and  I  can  truly  say,  I  aimed  and  longed 
for  his  salvation.  After  sermon  he  shook 
hands  with  me  before  all  the  people ; 
saying,  'Thank  you.  Sir,  for  your  serious 
pathetic  discourse  :  I  hope  no  ill  conse- 
quences will  befal  either  thee  or  me.' 
Next  day  I  rode  with  him  some  miles  on 
my  way  home.  '  I  like  charity,'  said 
he  ;  '  Christians  should  be  charitable  to 
one  another.'  I  have  heard  nothing 
since,  and  expect  to  hear  no  more  about 
it."* 

,   *  The  venerable  clergyman  was  however  summon- 


Without  any  disparagement  of  the  la- 
bors of  his  coadjutors  in  the  mission, 
it  may  with  truth  be  affirmed  that  the 
increasing  weight  of  the  Society's  con- 
cerns mainly  devolved  on  Mr.  Fuller, 
whose  gratuitous  services,  on  its  behalf, 
engrossed  the  greater  part  of  his  time  for 
about  twenty  years.  Much  of  this  was 
spent  in  journeys  to  Scotland,  Ireland, 
Wales,  and  various  parts  of  England, 
where  he  used,  as  he  says,  to  "  tell  the 
mission  tale,"  and  leave  the  results. 
These,  in  most  cases,  far  exceeded  his 
anticipations  ;  Avhich,  though  never  san- 
guine, were  equally  removed  from  des- 
pondency. "  Only  let  us  have  faith," 
said  he,  "and  we  shall  not  want  money." 
In  addressing  a  congregation  he  has 
sometimes  expressed  himself  to  this 
effect  : — "  If  I  only  wished  for  your 
money,  I  might  say,  Give,  whatever  be 
your  motive  !  No ;  I  am  not  so  concerned 
for  the  salvation  of  the  heathen  as  to  be 
regardless  of  that  of  my  own  countrymen  ! 
I  ask  not  a  penny  from  such  a  motive  ; 
and,  moreover,  I  solemnly  warn  you  that, 
if  you  give  all  your  substance  in  this  way, 
it  will  avail  you  nothing."  He  was  not, 
however,  always  successful ;  and  some  of 
the  less  frequented  streets  of  the  metrop- 
olis afforded  him  a  temporary  asylum,  in 
which  his  tears  bore  witness  to  the  la- 
mentable coldness  of  religious  professors. 

There  was  at  that  time  little  or  no  pre- 
cedent for  the  management  of  the  affairs 
of  such  institutions,  nor  had  Mr.  Fuller 
any  predilection  for  that  business-like 
apparatus  which  the  more  extended  con- 
cerns of  the  society  at  length  imperatively 
demanded,  and  for  the  want  of  which  they 
suffered  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life. 
Besides  his  utter  repugnance  to  that  pa- 
rade which  has  in  too  many  instances  been 
made  an  appendage  to  the  business  of  re- 
ligious institutions,  he  entertained  serious 
objections  of  another  kind.  "  Friends," 
said  he,  "  talk  to  me  about  coadjutors  and 
assistants,  but  I  know  not  Iioav  it  is,  I 
find  a  difficulty.  Our  imdertaking  to  In- 
dia really  appeared  to  me,  on  its  com- 
mencement, to  be  somewhat  like  a  few 
men,  who  were  deliberating  about  the  im- 
portance of  penetrating  into  a  deep  mine, 
which  had  never  before  been  explored. 
We  had  no  one  to  guide  us  ;  and,  while 
we  were  thus  deliberating,  Carey,  as  it 
were,  said,  '  Well,  I  will  go  down  if  you 
will  hold  the  rope.'  But,  before  he  went 
down,  he,  as  it  seemed  to    me,  took  an 

ed  before  his  superior,  and  interrogated.  "  Did  he 
pray  for  the  king  1" — "Yes,  very  fervently." — "And 
what  did  he  preach  about  1  " — "  The  common  sal- 
vation." Here  the  matter  ended,  with  an  admo- 
nition not  to  repeat  the  offense. 


Mli.MOIKS    OF    MR.      Fl.'LLKR. 


G5 


oath  from  eacli  of  us"  at  the  mouth  of  the 
pit  to  this  clFect,  that  while  loe  lived,  we 
should  never  let  go  the  rope.  You  un- 
derstand me.  There  was  great  responsi- 
bility attached  to  us  who  began  the  busi- 
ness." 

In  addition  to  the  numerous  collections 
made  in  various  j)ar(s  of  tlic  em])ire,  and 
the  management  of  the  accounts,  the  cor- 
respondence of  the  society  increased  rap- 
idly on  his  hands.  To  him  was  cliielly 
committed  the  drawing  up  of  oflicial  let- 
ters to  the  missionaries,  all  of  whom  re- 
ceived additional  tokens  of  his  affection  in 
private  communications.  The  interests 
of  the  institution  demanded  a  still  more 
extensive  correspondence  at  home :  its 
cause  required  a  frequent  advocacy  witii 
cabinet  ministers,  members  of  parliament, 
and  East  India  directors  ;  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  procuring  exclusive  privileges,  but 
for  securing  a  legal  passage  for  the  mis- 
sionaries, and  the  protection  justly  due  to 
every  peaceable  subject  of  the  colonial 
governments.  Nor  were  there  wanting 
bitter  and  subtle  enemies  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  wiio  left  no  means  untried  to 
accomplish  the  ruin  of  the  mission,  and 
whose  machinations  were  successively 
exposed  and  defeated  by  the  unwearied 
pen  of  the  secretary. 

The  labors  connected  with  the  immedi- 
ate object  of  his  journeys,  were  probably 
exceeded  by  those  to  wliich  they  inciden- 
tally gave  rise.  This  was  especially  the 
case  in  Scotland  and  Ireland,  wdiere,  not 
to  mention  the  frequent  appeals  to  his 
judgment  in  cases  of  ecclesiastical  disci- 
pline, by  those  of  his  own  connection,  he 
was  led  into  tedious  controversies,  chiefly 
originating  in  certain  views  of  faith  at  va- 
riance with  the  sentiments  maintained  in 
his  first  polemical  treatise,  and  to  which 
their  advocates  attached  an  importance 
that  led  to  constant  discussion  in  the  par- 
lor, in  the  pulpit,  and  from  the  press. 

The  first  of  these  journeys  into  the 
north  was  undertaken  in  1799,  at  the 
pressing  solicitation  of  some  highly  re- 
spectal)le  individuals  in  Edinburgh  and 
Glasgow  who  had  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  mission,  and  by 
whom  Mr.  Fuller  was  much  esteemed  on 
account  of  his  publications,  particularly 
that  on  Socinianism.  In  anticipation  of 
this  visit  is  the  following  entry  in  his 
diary : — 

"  Oct.  2,  1799. — I  am  going  out  for  a 
month  altogether  among  faces  which  I  have 
never  seen.  My  spirits  revolt  at  the  idea, 
but  duty  calls.  I  go  to  make  collections 
for  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into 
Bengalee. 

"  I  am  subject  to  many  faults  in  compa- 
ny, and  often  incur  guilt.     The  Lord  keep 

VOL.    I.  9 


me  in  the  way  I  go,  and  enable  me  to  keep 
my  heart  with  all  diligence.  Oh  that  I 
may  l)c  spiritual,  humble,  and  watchful 
in  all  companies.  May  the  God  and  Fa- 
ther of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  prosper  my 
way  !  May  the  God  of  Israel  preserve 
my  family,  friends,  and  connections,  du- 
ring my  absence  !" 

His  reception  was  truly  generous  and 
gratilying,  and  conveyed  to  his  mind  a 
high  idea  of  the  intelligence  and  princi- 
ple of  his  northern  friends.  He  particu- 
larly mentions  in  his  journal,  interviews 
with  Dr.  Stuart,  Mr.  M'Lean,  Dr.  Ers- 
kine,  Messrs.  Haldanc,  Innes,  Ewing, 
and  the  venerable  David  Dale. 

It  was  at  Glasgow  that  he  received  the 
mournful  tidings  of  the  death  of  his  "  be- 
loved Pearce."  "  Oh  Jonathan,"  he  ex- 
claims, "  very  pleasant  hast  thou  been  to 
me.  I  am  distressed  for  tliec,  my  brother 
Jonathan  !  Oh  Jonathan,  thou  wast  slain 
upon  thy  high  places!" 

He  describes  the  congi-egations  at  Ed- 
inburgh and  Glasgow  as  exceedingly  large. 
"  My  heart  was  dismayed  at  the  sight,  es- 
pecially on  a  Lord's-day  evening.  Nearly 
5000  people  attended,  and  some  thousands 
went  away  unable  to  get  in."  He  returned 
after  collecting  upwards  of  £900,  and 
preaching  nearly  every  evening  during 
his  journey. 

To  Mr.  Fuller  was  assigned  the  mel- 
ancholy task  of  furnishing  tiie  public  with 
memoirs  of  the  excellent  Pearce,  of  which 
invaluable  piece  of  biography  it  was  re- 
marked by  the  late  Sir  H.  Blosset,  Chief 
Justice  of  Bengal,  that  he  scarcely  knew 
which  most  to  admire — the  lovely  charac- 
ter of  Mr.  Pearce,  or  the  happy  talent 
displayed  by  Mr.  Fuller  in  sketching  it. 
The  overwhelming  pressure  of  this  and 
numerous  other  avocations,  is  thus  de- 
scribed in  his  reply  to  the  solicitations  of 
the  editor  of  a  periodical  work  : — "  My 
labors  will  increase  without  any  consent 
on  my  part.  As  to  magazines,  there  are 
several  to  which  I  contribute,  for  the  sake 
of  the  mission  and  other  public  interests, 
and,  through  such  a  number  of  objects  as 
press  upon  me  daily,  my  own  vineyard, 
my  own  soul,  my  family  and  congrega- 
tion, are  neglected.  Every  journey  I 
take  only  makes  way  for  two  or  three 
more  ;  and  every  liook  I  write  only  occa- 
sions me  to  write  others  to  explain  or  de- 
fend it.  'All  is  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit !'  '  I  gave  my  heart  to  know  wis- 
dom ;  I  perceived  that  this  also  is  vexa- 
tion of  spirit.  For  in  much  wisdom  is 
much  grief;  and  he  that  increaseth 
knowledge  increaseth  sorrow.'  Some  are 
pressing  me  to  write  more  largely  on  the 
mediation  of  Christ,  and  others  to  review 
the  second  edition  of  Mr.  Booth's  Glad 


66 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


Tidings.  Controversies  perplex  me; 
and  I  am  already  engaged  with  a  gross 
and  subtle  sophist.*  My  northern  corres- 
pondents are  ever  raising  objections 
against  my  views  of  faith,  &c.;  all  of 
which  I  could  answer,  but  cannot  get  time. 
I  have  sent  your  remarks  to  my  friend  at 
Edinburgh  ;  they  will  serve  as  a  tub  for 
the  whale  to  play  with,  and  perhaps  for  a 
time  he  will  let  me  alone. 

*'  Pearce's  memoirs  are  now  loudly  call- 
ed for. — I  sit  down  almost  in  despair,  and 
say,  '  That  which  is  crooked  cannot  be 
made  straight,  and  that  which  is  lacking 
cannot  be  numbered.'  My  wife  looks  at 
me,  with  a  tear  ready  to  drop,  and  says, 
'  My  dear,  you  have  hardly  time  to  speak 
to  me.'  My  friends  at  home  are  kind, 
but  they  also  say,  '  You  have  no  time  to 
see  or  know  us,  and  you  will  soon  be 
worn  out.'  Amidst  all  this,  there  is 
'  Come  again  to  Scotland — come  to  Ports- 
mouth— come  to  Plymouth — come  to 
Bristol.' 

"  Excuse  this  effusion  of  melancholy. 
My  heart  is  willing  to  do  every  thing  you 
desire,  that  I  can  do,  but  my  hands  fail 
me.  Dear  brother  Ryland  complains  of 
old  age  coming  upon  him,  and  I  expect 
old  age  will  come  upon  me  before  I  am 
really  old.  Under  this  complicated  load 
my  heart  has  often  of  late  groaned  for 
rest,  longing  to  finish  my  days  in  com- 
parative retirement." 

It  has  not  unfrequently  been  the  lot  of 
men  the  most  eminently  pious,  to  be  tried 
with  misconduct  in  their  families.  In 
this  respect  the  case  of  Mr.  Fuller,  though 
in  some  of  its  details  much  more  afflic- 
tive than  that  of  his  excellent  friend  Legh 
Richmond,  in  others  strongly  resembled 
it.  Each  lamented  over  the  supposed 
loss  of  his  first-born  under  most  distress- 
ing circumstances,  yet  to  both  of  them 
God  was  gracious,  enabling  them  to  say, 
"  This  my  son  was  dead  and  is  alive  again, 
was  lost  and  is  found,"  and  giving  them 
cheering  hope  in  the  end. 

On  no  point  has  the  writer  of  these  me- 
moirs felt  such  painful  hesitation  as  in  de- 
termining relative  to  the  presentation  of 
the  following  records.  Desirous  on  the  one 
hand  of  avoiding  any  exposui'e  of  the 
faults  of  so  near  a  relative,  and,  on  the 
other,  of  exhibiting  every  circumstance 
strikingly  eliciting  the  virtues  of  his  re- 
vered parent,  he  would  have  suffered  the 
former  feeling  to  predominate,  had  not  the 
details  of  the  unhappy  event  already  been 
given  to  the  public.  It  is  due,  however, 
to  the  character  of  the  departed  youth,  to 

*  Mr.  Fulfer  was  at  that  time  engaged  in  the  uni- 
versaljst,  as  well  as  other  controveraies. 


remove  an  impression,  too  generally  con- 
ceived, that  he  possessed  an  inveterate 
propensity  to  vicious  and  abandoned  cour- 
ses. This  was  not  the  case  :  his  disposi- 
tion was  in  many  respects  amiable,  and 
amid  all  his  wanderings,  •  which  arose 
from  a  restless  instability  of  character,  it 
does  not  appear  that  he  abandoned  him- 
self to  any  of  those  grosser  vices  incident 
to  a  naval  and  military  life. 

In  May,  1796,  a  respectable  situation 
was  procured  for  him  in  London,  which 
circutnstance,  with  its  result,  is  thus  no- 
ticed in  Mr.  Fuller's  diary  : — 

"May  12.  This  day  my  eldest  son  is 
gone  to  London,  upon  trial  at  a  ware- 
house belonging  to  Mr.  B.  My  heart  has 
been  much  exercised  about  him.  The 
child  is  sober  and  tender  in  his  spirit  :  I 
find,  too,  he  prays  in  private;  but  wheth- 
er he  be  really  godly  I  know  not.  Some- 
times he  has  expressed  a  desire  after  the 
ministry,  but  I  always  considered  that  as 
arising  from  the  want  of  knowing  himself. 
About  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  I  felt  a  very 
affecting  time  in  pleading  with  God  on  his 
behall\  Nothing  appeared  to  me  so  de- 
sirable for  him  as  tliat  he  might  be  a  ser- 
vant of  God.  I  felt  my  heart  much  drawn 
out  to  devote  him  to  the  Lord,  in  whatever 
way  he  might  employ  him.  Since  that 
time,  as  he  became  of  age  for  business, 
my  thoughts  have  been  much  engaged  on 
his  behalf.  As  to  giving  him  any  idea  of 
his  ever  being  engaged  in  the  ministry,  it 
is  what  I  carefully  shun ;  and  whether  he 
ever  will  be  is  altogether  uncertain ;  I 
know  not  whether  he  be  a  real  Christian 
as  yet,  or,  if  he  be,  whether  he  will  pos- 
sess those  qualifications  which  are  requi- 
site for  that  work  ;  but  this  I  have  done,  I 
have  mentioned  the  exercises  of  my  mind 
to  Mr.  B.,  wlio  is  a  godly  man,  and,  if  at 
any  future  time  within  the  next  five  or  six 
years  he  should  appear  a  proper  object  of 
encouragement  for  that  work,  he  will  read- 
ily give  him  up. 

"  I  felt  very  tenderly  last  night  and 
this  morning  in  prayer.  I  cannot  say, 
'  God,  before  Avhom  my  fathers  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac  did  walk;'  but  I  can  say, 
'  God,  who  hath  fed  me  all  my  life  long 
unto  this  day,  the  Angel  which  redeemed 
me  from  all  evil,  bless  the  lad.' 

"  Jvdy.  I  perceive  I  have  great  unhap- 
piness  before  me  in  my  son,  whose  in- 
stability is  continually  appearing;  he  must 
leave  London,  and  what  to  do  with  him  I 
know  not.  I  was  lately  earnestly  engag- 
ed in  prayer  for  him  that  he  might  be 
renewed  in  his  spirit,  and  be  the  Lord's ; 
and  these  words  occurred  to  my  mind — 
'  Hear  my  prayer,  O  Lord,  that  goeth  not 
forth  out  of  feigned  lips  ;'  and  I  prayed 
them  over  many  times." 


MEMOinS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


67 


Other  situations  were  successively  pro- 
cured, but  in  none  of  tlicni  could  he  feci 
satislied  to  remain.  In  a  letter  to  a 
friend  about  this  time,  his  father  thus  ex- 
presses himself : — 

"My  heart  is  almost  broken.  Let 
nothing  that  I  said  grieve  you  ;  but  make 
allowance  for  your  alllicled  and  distressed 
friend.  When  I  lie  down,  a  load  almost 
insupportable  depresses  me.  Mine  eyes 
are  kept  waking,  or  if  I  get  a  little  sleep 
it  is  disturl)ed ;  and  as  soon  as  I  aw  ake 
my  load  returns  upon  me.  Oh  Lord,  I 
know  not  what  to  do  ;  but  mine  eyes  are 
up  unto  thee.  Keep  me,  oh  my  God, 
from  sinful  despondency.  Thou  hast 
promised  that  all  things  shall  work  to- 
gether for  good  to  them  that  love  thee ; 
fulfil  tiiy  promise,  on  which  thou  hast 
caused  thy  servant  to  hope.  Oh,  my  God, 
this  child  which  thou  hast  given  me  in 
charge  is  wicked  before  thee,  and  is  diso- 
bedient to  me,  and  is  plunging  himself  into 
ruin.  Have  mercy  upon  him,  oh  Lord, 
and  preserve  him  fi-om  evil.  Bring  him 
home  to  me,  and  not  to  me  only,  but  also 
to  thyself. 

"  If  I  see  the  children  of  other  people 
it  aggravates  my  sorrow.  Those  who 
have  had  no  instruction,  no  pious  example, 
no  warnings  or  counsels,  are  often  seen  to 
be  steady  and  trusty  ;  but  my  child,  who 
has  had  all  these  advantages,  is  worthy  of 
no  trust  to  be  placed  in  him.  I  am  afraid 
he  will  go  into  tlie  army,  that  sink  of  im- 
morality ;  or,  if  not,  that  being  reduced 
to  extremity  he  will  be  tempted  to  steal. 
And  Oh,  if  he  should  get  such  a  habit, 
what  may  not  these  weeping  eyes  witness, 
or  this  broken  heart  be  callecl  to  endure  ! 
Oh,  my  God,  whither  will  my  fears  lead 
mel  Have  mercy  upon  me,  a  poor  un- 
happy parent :  have  mercy  upon  him,  a 
poor  ungodly  child." 

The  former  of  these  fears  was  realized  ; 
in  179S  he  entered  into  the  army,  on  which 
occasion  his  father  thus  writes  to  Dr. 
Ryland  : — 

"I  have  indeed  had  a  sore  trial  in  the 
affair  you  mention  :  but  I  do  not  recollect 
any  trial  of  my  life  in  which  I  had  more 
of  a  spirit  of  prayer,  and  confidence  in 
God.  Many  parts  of  Scripture  were  pre- 
cious, particularly  the  following  : — '  O 
Lord,  I  know  not  what  to  do ;  but  mine 
eyes  are  up  unto  thee. — O  Lord,  I  am 
oppressed,  undertake  for  me. — Commit 
thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  bring 
it  to  pass. — Cast  thy  burden  on  the  Lord, 
and  he  shall  sustain  thee. — All  things 
work  together  for  good,'  &c.  Even  while 
I  knew  not  where  he  was,  I  felt  stayed  on 
the  Lord,  and  some  degree  of  cheerful 
satisfaction  that  things  would  end  well. 
I  know  not  what  is  before  me;  but  hith- 


erto the  Lord  hath  helped  me  ;  and  still  I 
feel  resolved  to  hope  in  his  mercy." 

His  discharge  from  the  army  was  ob- 
tained on  the  ground  of  his  being  an  ap- 
prentice, but  he  subsequently  enlisted  in 
the  marines,  soon  after  which  he  appear- 
ed sensible  of  his  folly.  The  influence  of 
early  religious  education  was  felt.  Shock- 
ed at  the  heathenism  of  his  present  situa- 
tion, and  calling  to  remembrance  the 
peaceful  Sabbatlis  and  pious  instructions 
of  home,  he  addressed  his  fatlier,  earnest- 
ly entreating  him  to  use  efforts  for  his  lib- 
eration. This  appeal  to  the  piety  and  af- 
fection of  a  Christian  j)arent  was  prompt- 
ly responded  to.  His  father's  heart  went 
forth  to  meet  him,  and  he  was  once  more 
restored  to  the  bosom  of  his  family. 

Notwitstanding  the  influence  of  his 
mother-in-law,  to  whom  as  well  as  to 
every  other  branch  of  the  family  he  was 
fondly  attached,  a  dislike  to  business,  in- 
creased by  habits  recently  contracted, 
once  more  induced  his  departure. 

"The  sorrows  of  my  heart,"  says  his 
father,  "  have  been  increased,  at  differ- 
ent times,  to  a  degree  almost  insupport- 
able :  yet  I  have  hoped  in  God,  and  do 
still  hope  that  I  shall  see  mercy  for  him 
in  the  end.  The  Lord  knows  that  I  have 
not  sought  great  things  for  him,  and  that 
I  have  been  more  concerned  for  the  wick- 
ed course  he  was  following  than  on  ac- 
count of  the  meanness  of  his  taste.  O 
may  the  Lord  bring  me  out  of  this  hor- 
rible pit,  and  put  a  new  song  in  my 
moutli ! 

"  My  heart  is  oppressed  ;  but  yet  I  am 
supported.  Yesterday  I  fasted  and  pray- 
ed the  day  through.  Many  Scriptures  were 
sweet  to  me ;  particularly  Matt.  xv.  25. 
— '  Lord,  help  me  !' — a  petition  in  which  a 
parent  was  heard  for  a  child,  after 
repeated  repulses.  And  Psa.  xxxiii. 
22.  I  believe  I  shall  live  to  see  good,  in 
some  way,  come  out  of  it.  My  soul  is  at 
rest  in  God." 

Finding  that  he  was  bent  on  a  seafaring 
life,  his  father  procured  him  a  comfort- 
able situation  on  board  a  merchant  ship, 
apparently  much  to  his  satisfaction.  The 
hopes  which  this  new  arrangement  raised 
in  the  minds  of  his  friends  were,  however, 
suddenly  destroyed,  before  he  could  join 
his  ship,  by  the  operation  of  the  savage 
laws  of  impressment.  Thus,  against  his 
inclination,  he  found  himself  once  more 
on  board  a  man-of-war,  in  the  capacity  of 
a  common  sailor. 

In  a  few  months  an  account  was  receiv- 
ed by  his  friends  of  his  having  been  tried 
for  desertion,  and  sentenced  to  a  most 
severe  punishment,  after  the  infliction  of 
which  he  immediately  expired ! 

"  Oh  !"  says  his  agonized  parent,  "this 


6S 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


is  heart-trouble  !  In  former  cases,  my  sor- 
rows found  vent  in  tears  :  but  now  I  can 
seldom  weep.  A  kind  of  morbid  heart- 
sickness  preys  upon  me  from  day  to  day. 
Every  object  around  me  reminds  me  of 
him  !  Ah !  ....  he  was  wicked ;  and 
mine  eye  was  not  over  him  to  prevent  it 
....  he  was  detected,  and  tried,  and  con- 
demned ;  and  I  knew  it  not  ....  he  cried 
under  his  agonies ;  but  I  heard  him  not 
....  he  expired,  without  an  eye  to  pity 
or  a  hand  to  help  him  !  .  .  .  .  O  Absalom  ! 
my  son  !  my  son  !  would  God  I  had  died 
for  thee,  my  son  ! 

"  Yet,  O  my  soul  !  let  me  rather  think 
of  Aaron  than  of  David.  He  'held 
his  peace '  in  a  more  trying  case  than 
mine.  His  sons  were  6o//t  slain,  and  slain 
hy  the  wrath  of  heaven;  were  probably 
intoxicated  at  the  time  :  and  all  this  sud- 
denly, without  any  thing  to  prepare  the 
mind  for  such  a  trial  !  Well  did  he  say, 
'  Such  things  have  befallen  me.'  " 

A  few  days  brought  the  joyful  intelli- 
gence that  the  report  was  an  entire  fabri- 
cation. "Blessed  be  God,"  says  his 
father,  "  I  tind  the  above  report  is  vni- 
founded  !  I  have  received  a  letter  from 
my  poor  boy.  Well,  he  is  yet  alive,  and 
within  the  reach  of  mercy." 

Other  and  painful  vicissitudes  befel  this 
unhappy  young  man,  whose  last  station 
was  among  the  marines,  with  whom  he 
went  on  a  voyage  to  Brazil.  On  his  re- 
turn he  addressed  his  father  in  the  most 
pathetic  terms,  entreating  one  more  writ- 
ten testimony  of  his  forgiveness,  urging 
that  he  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for 
Lisbon,  "whence,"  says  he,  "I  may 
never  return." 

This  was  answered  by  an  affecting 
epistle,  of  which  the  following  extracts 
are  all  that  can  be  found  : — 

"  My  dear  Robert, 

"  I  received  with  pleasure  your  dutiful 
letter,  and  would  fain  consider  it  as  a 
symptom  of  a  returning  mind.  I  cannot 
but  consider  you  as  having  been  long  un- 
der a  sort  of  mental  derangement,  piercing 
yourself  through,  as  well  as  me,  with  many 
sorrows.  My  prayer  for  you  continually 
is,  that  the  God  of  all  grace  and  mercy  may 
have  mercy  upon  you.  You  may  be  as- 
sured that  I  cherish  no  animosity  against 
you.  On  the  contrary,  I  do,  from  my 
heart,  freely  forgive  you.  But  that  which 
I  long  to  see  in  you  is  repentance  towards 
God  and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  without  which  there  is  no  forgive- 
ness from  above. 

"  My  dear  son  !  you  had  advantages  in 
early  life  ;  but,  being  continually  in  prof- 
ligate company,  you  must  be  debased  in 
mind,  and,  in  a  manner,  reduced  to  a  state 


of  heathenism.  In  some  of  your  letters, 
I  have  observed  you  dashing,  as  it  were, 
against  the  rocks  of  fatalism  !  suggesting 
as  if  you  thought  you  were  appointed  to 
such  a  course  of  life.  In  others  I  find 
you  flattei-jng  yourself  that  you  are  a  pen- 
itent ;  when,  perhaps,  all  the  penitence 
you  ever  felt  has  been  the  occasional 
melancholy  of  remorse  and  fear. 

"  My  dear  son  !  I  am  now  nearly 
fifty-five  years  old,  and  may  soon  expect 
to  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth  !  But,  be- 
fore I  die,  let  me  teacli  you  the  good  and 
the  right  way.  '  Hear  the  instructions  of 
a  father.'  You  have  had  a  large  portion 
of  God's  preserving  goodness,  or  you  had, 
ere  now,  perished  in  your  sins.  Think 
of  this,  and  give  thanks  to  the  Father  of 
mercies,  who  has  hitherto  preserved  you. 
Think,  too,  how  you  have  requited  him, 
and  be  ashamed  for  all  that  you  have  done. 
Nevertheless,  do  not  despair !  Far  as 
you  have  gone,  and  low  as  you  are  sunk  in 
sin,  yet  if  hence  you  return  to  God,  by 
Jesus  Christ,  you  will  find  mercy.  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  Avorld  to  save  sin- 
ners, even  the  chief  of  sinners.  If  you 
had  been  ever  so  sober  and  steady  in 
your  behavior  towards  men,  yet,  without 
repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in 
Christ,  you  could  not  have  been  saved  ; 
and,  if  you  return  to  God  by  him, 
though  your  sins  be  great  and  aggravated, 
yet  will  you  find  mercy " 

This  affecting  narrative  cannot  be  bet- 
ter concluded  than  in  the  words  of  the 
late  Dr.  Ryland  : — "As  this  poor  young 
man  foreboded,  this  teas  his  last  voyage. 
He  died  off  Lisbon,  in  March,  1809,  after 
a  lingering  illness,  in  which  he  had  every 
attention  paid  him  of  which  his  situation 
would  admit. 

"  From  the  testimony  of  his  captain, 
and  one  of  his  messmates,  we  learn  that 
his  conduct  was  good,  and  such  as  to  pro- 
cure him  much  respect ;  and,  from  letters 
addressed  to  his  father  and  his  sister,  a 
short  time  before  his  death,  we  hope  still 
better  things  ;  Ave  hope  he  was  led  to  see 
the  error  of  his  way,  and  to  make  the  Lord 
his  refuge  from  the  tempest  and  the  storm. 

"  His  death,  under  such  circumstances, 
was  less  painful  to  his  friends  than  it 
would  otherwise  have  been  ;  and,  in  a  ser- 
mon preached  the  Lord's-day  after  the 
intelligence  was  received,  in  allusion  to 
this  event,  from  Rom.  x.  8,  9,  his  father 
seemed  to  take  comfort  from  three  ideas  : 
that,  '1.  The  doctrine  of  free  justification 
by  the  death  of  Christ  is  suited  to  sinners 
of  all  degrees.  It  asks  not  how  long,  nor 
hoAV  often,  nor  how  greatly  we  have  sin- 
ned :  if  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful 
and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins.     2.  It  is 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER. 


69 


suited  to  the  helpless  condition  of  sin- 
ners. We  have  only  to  look  and  live.  3. 
It  is  suited  to  sinners  in  the  last  extremity. 
It  answers  to  the  promised  mercy  in  Deut. 
iv.  29 — If  krom  thexce  thoii  seek  the 
Lord  thy  God,  thou  shall Jijid  him.  Some 
are  far  from  home,  and  have  no  friend,  in 
their  dying  moments,  to  speak  a  word  of 
comfort  ....  but  this  is  near  !  When 
Jonah  was  compassed  about  by  the  floods, 
when  the  billows  and  waves  passed  over 
him,  he  prayed  to  tlie  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
lieard  him.'  .... 

"  Here  he  was  obliged  to  pause,  and 
give  vent  to  his  feelings  by  weeping;  and 
many  of  the  congregation,  who  knew  the 
cause,  wept  with  him!  His  heart  was 
full,  and  it  was  witii  difficulty  lie  could 
conclude,  •with  solemnly  charging  the  sin- 
ner to  apply  for  mercy  ere  it  was  too  late  ; 
for,  if  it  were  rejected,  its  having  been  so 
near,  and  so  easy  of  access,  would  be  a 
swift  witness  against  him." 

But  to  return.  It  was  in  the  midst  of 
these  afflictions  and  overwhelming  engage- 
ments that  Mr.  Fuller,  in  the  year  1800, 
produced  his  celebrated  treatise  in  de- 
fense of  the  Christian  religion,  under  the 
title  of  "  The  Gospel  its  own  Witness,  or 
the  Holy  Nature  and  Divine  Harmony  of 
the  Christian  Religion,  contrasted  with  the 
Immorality  and  Absurdity  of  Deism." 

He  was  at  the  same  time  engaged  in 
writing  a  succession  of  letters  on  the  sub- 
ject ol  Universal  Salvation,  the  first  of 
which  consisted  of  a  private  remonstrance, 
written  in  1793,  to  an  individual,  once  re- 
sident in  his  own  family,  who  had  em- 
braced the  views  above  mentioned.  After 
a  lapse  of  four  years,  some  reply  to  this 
letter  was  made  in  a  periodical  work,  of 
which  the  person  to  whom  it  was  address- 
ed was  the  editor,  the  letter  having  been 
in  the  mean  time  inserted  in  the  Evan- 
gelical Magazine,  under  a  private  signa- 
ture. The  series  of  letters  which  follow- 
ed were  published  in  1S02. 

In  1801  Mr.  Fuller  published  his  small 
but  valuable  work,  entitled  "  The  Back- 
slider," which  was  soon  followed  by  an- 
other on  "Spiritual  Pride."  In  refer- 
ence to  these,  he  thus  writes  to  Dr.  Ry- 
land  : — "  A  respected  friend  has  repeat- 
edly pressed  me  to  write  a  treatise  on 
'  Spiritual  Pride,'  on  the  same  plan  as  the 
'Backslider.'  I  have  thought  somewhat 
on  the  subject,  and  begun  writing.  This 
would  tend  to  detect  that  subtle  spirit 
which  is,  I  am  persuaded,  fostered  by  San- 
demanianism — '  Stand  V)y  thyself,  for  I  am 
holier  than  thou.'  But  1  feel  myself  much 
more  capable  of  depicting  Antinomian 
pride  than  the  other.  For  this  purpose  I 
have  procured  Huntington's  works.     But 


in  reading  them  I  am  stopped  for  a  time. 
I  have  eight  or  nine  volumes  !  I  never 
read  any  thing  more  void  of  true  religion. 
1  do  not  intend  to  name  him  or  his  works, 
or  those  of  any  other  person,  but  merely 
to  draw  pictures  and  let  the  reader  judge 
who  they  are  like." 

His  allusion  to  Sandemanianism  is  thus 
illustrated  in  another  letter  to  the  doc- 
tor : — 

"  Sept.  9,  1801. 

"  I  had  a  letter  about  a  week  ago  from 
one  of  the  Scotch  Baptists  about  order, 
discipline,  &c.  Ill  as  I  was,  I  scratched 
out  the  following  parable.  Dr.  Stuart* 
saw  it,  and  he  w  as  so  much  amused  with 
it  that  he  must  needs  copy  it.  '  In  one 
of  the  new  Italian  republics,  two  inde- 
pendent companies  arc  formed  for  the  de- 
fense of  tlie  country.  Call  the  one  A. 
and  the  other  B.  In  forming  themselves, 
and  learning  their  exercise,  they  each 
profess  to  follow  the  mode  of  discipline 
used  by  the  ancient  Romans.  Their  of- 
ficers, uniforms,  and  evolutions,  however, 
are  after  all  somewhat  different  from  each 
other.  Hence  disputes  arise,  and  B.  re- 
fuses to  march  against  the  enemy  with  A. 
as  being  disorderly.  A.  gives  his  reasons 
w  hy  he  thinks  himself  orderly  :  but  they 
are  far  from  satisfying  5.,  who  not  only 
treats  him  as  deviating  from  rule,  but  as  al- 
most knowing  himself  to  do  so,  and  wilfully 
persisting  in  it.  A.,  tired  of  jarring,  march- 
es against  the  enemy  by  himself.  B.  sits 
at  home  deeply  engaged  in  studying  order 
and  discipline.  '  If  your  form  and  rules,' 
says  A.,  'are  so  preferable  to  ours,  why 
do  you  not  make  use  of  them  1  Disci- 
pline is  a  means,  not  an  end.  Be  not  al- 
ways boasting  of  your  order,  and  re- 
proaching others  for  the  want  of  it ;  let  us 
see  the  use  of  it.  It  is  true,  like  the 
Quakers  in  1745,  you  have  bought  waist- 
coats for  our  soldiers,  and  we  thank  you 
for  them  ;  but  we  had  rather  you  would 
fight  yourselves.'  " 

Notwithstanding  the  difference  of  views 
between  Mr.  Fuller  and  some  of  his  nor- 
thern friends,  who  were  tinctured  with 
some  of  Mr.  Sandeman's  peculiarities,  he 
accepted  a  pressing  invitation  to  revisit 
Scotland  in  1S02. 

A  journal  of  this  excursion  is  preserved 
in  letters  to  Mrs.  Fuller,  from  which  the 
following  are  extracts  : — 

"  Barton  on  the  Humber,  Aug.  25. 
"At  ten  we   arrived   here.     My  sleep 
having  been  regular,  I  w  as  not  weary,  and 

*This  gentleman,  a  physician  of  considerable 
practice  in  Edinburg,  was  induced  by  his  friendship 
for  ]Mr.  Fuller  to  visit  him  during  his  atfiiction. 


70 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


am  now  very  well.  With  tenderness  and 
earnest  solicitude,  I  have  importuned  pre- 
serving mercy  for  my  dear  family,  and 
that  I  may  visit  it  in  due  time,  and  not 
sin. 

"  I  begin  to  feel  awkward,  having  re- 
duced my  four  guineas  to  four  shillings  ; 
I  am  afraid  I  should  be  in  the  situation  of 
a  number  of  small  sliips  hereabouts,  at 
low  tide — run  aground  I  I  am  thinking 
whether  I  must  not  take  a  walk  before 
dinner,  instead  of  having  one  !  If  I  could 
but  get  over  the  water,  I  should  do. 

"26. — I  was  detained  last  night  till 
half  past  six,  and  so  strong  a  westerly 
wind  blew  that  it  was  thought  the  hoy  or 
daily  passage-boat  could  not  have  come 
out,  in  which  case  I  must  have  staid  longer 
still.  It  did  come,  however,  but  a  num- 
ber of  the  passengers  were  sick,  through 
our  being  tossed  about.  There  were 
nearly  sixty  of  us  on  board,  and  we  ar- 
rived safely  at  Hull  about  half  past  seven. 
It  was  a  fine  sight  to  see  the  waves,  each 
as  large  as  the  roof  of  a  small  house,  con- 
tinually beating  against  our  vessel,  while 
she  rode  triumphantly  above  them  all. 
I  felt  no  sickness,  but  stood  above  deck, 
having  hold  of  a  rope  with  my  hand,  and 
gazed  all  the  time  with  a  kind  of  sublime 
pleasure  at  the  majestic  scene.  I  had 
eleven-pence  in  my  pocket  when  I  came 
to  the  house  last  night.  I  am  to  spend 
my  Sabbath  in  the  two  Baptist  churches. 
I  have  hitherto  been  mercifully  preserved 
in  all  respects.  My  mind  is  peaceful  and 
happy ;  and  my  approaches  to  a  throne  of 
grace,  at  which  I  do  not  forget  you  all, 
have  been  fi'ee  and  tender." 

"  York,  Aug.  31. 
"  Arrived  here  last  night  at  nine  o'clock. 
Determined  to  stop  a  day  here,  and  try 
what  I  could  do  among  the  serious  church 
people.  Dissenters  there  are  none,  ex- 
cept a  few  Socinian  Baptists.  Went  im- 
mediately to  the  liouse  of  Hepworth  and 
Crosby,  who  have  for  some  time  been  sub- 
scribers to  our  mission.  Met  with  a  kind 
reception.  Supped  there  with  Mr.  Over- 
ton, the  author  of  'The  True  Church- 
man,' who  is  a  clergjnnan  of  tliis  city. 
Much  mutual  pleasure.  I  am  here  well 
known  by  the  evangelical  clergy,  of  whom 
there  are  three,  if  not  more  :  Richardson, 
Graham,  and  Overton.  Among  other 
things  in  our  conversation,  Avere  the  fol- 
lowing: O.  'In  the  course  of  my  work  I 
have  said  some  things  which  some  dissent- 
ers have  thought  severe.' — F.  'I  suppose 
you  mean  in  calling  them  schismatics.' — 
O.  'Yes,  in  part.' — F.  'I  never  felt  it; 
for  it  did  not  appear  to  be  aimed  to  hurt 
us,  but  merely  to  screen  yourselves  in  the 
view  of  your   bishops  from  the  suspicion 


of  favoring  us.'  He  admitted  this  a  fair 
construction.  I  added,  '  it  did  not  hurt 
me,  because  I  perceived  no  justice  in  it. 
The  term  schism  is  relative,  and  has  ref- 
erence to  the  society  from  which  sep- 
aration is  made.  Before  you  can  fix 
the  guilt  of  schism  upon  us,  you  must 
prove — 1.  That  the  church  of  England  is 
a  true  church.  Yea,  more.  2.  That  it  is 
the  only  true  church  in  this  kingdom.'  He 
did  not  go  about  it,  and  we  were  very 
sociable  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  I  went 
to  bed  at  Mr.   Hepworth 's. 

"  This  morning,  when  I  have  breakfast- 
ed, I  shall  call  on  old  Mr.  Richardson, 
who  is  here  a  man  of  weight  and  renown. 
Mr.  Overton  asked  me  if  I  had  seen  the 
account  of  the  York  Baptists. — F.  '  Yes  ; 
I  have  it.' — O.  '  And  Mr.  Graham's  an- 
swer 1  ' — F.  '  I  have  read  that  also.' — O. 
'  Wliat  do  you  think  of  it  1  '—F.  '  I  think 
he  has  answered  them  in  some  things,  but 
not  in  all.'  I  had  once  written  a  private 
letter  to  Mr.  G.,  pointing  out  some  things 
wherein  I  conceived  he  was  wrong;  but 
I  destroyed  it,  lest  it  should  involve  me  in 
more  work  and  more  correspondence  than 
I  knew  how  to  discharge.  I  presently 
found  that  those  things  in  which  I  had 
thought  G.  in  the  wrong  were  so  consider- 
ed by  O. 

"At  Hull  I  visited  two  evangelical 
clergymen,  who  very  readily  contributed 
to  our  case,  and  several  of  their  people 
followed  their  example.  I  had  one  if  not 
both  of  them  for  hearers  on  Friday  even- 
ing. Their  names  are  Dykes  and  Scott: 
the  latter  is  the  son  of  Mr.  Scott  of  the 
Lock. 

"  I  cannot  help  mentioning  the  singular 
kindness  I  received  from  a  Mr.  Kidd,  an 
independent  minister  of  Cottingham,  four 
or  five  miles  from  Hull.  He  not  only 
walked  over  on  Friday  to  see  and  hear 
me,  and  stopped  all  night  for  an  evening's 
conversation,  but  came  again  with  some  of 
his  friends  on  the  Lord's-day  evening,  and, 
luisolicited,  brought  with  him  £4.  15s. 
He  is  a  modest  intelligent  man. 

"  Tuesday  night.  I  have  collected 
about  £12.  12s.  in  York.  Have  had  a 
great  deal  of  Mr.  Overton's  company  ;  al- 
so of  Mr.  Richardson's  and  Mr.  Gra- 
ham's ;  and,  what  is  surprising,  was  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Overton  in  the  afternoon, 
that  a  little  Baptist  church  had  lately  been 
formed  here.  He  told  me  this,  as  sup- 
posing I  should  like  to  call  upon  some  of 
them.  I  thanked  him,  and  soon  after 
went  in  search  of  them.  I  found  the  prin- 
cipal persons,  and  they  would  have  been 
very  glad  of  a  sermon  this  evening  if  they 
had  known  in  time.  I  gave  them  all  the 
good  counsel  I  could,  prayed  with  them, 
and   then   returned   to    the  company    of 


MEMOIRS    OF    MU.     FULLER. 


71 


Messrs.  Overton,  Graliam,  &c.,  witli 
whom  I  have  enjoyed  uuuli  Irec  an<l  friend- 
ly conversation.  Tlioy  cheerfully  went 
round  with  luc  to  their  friends  for  a  few 
guineas,  and  also  subscribed  themselves." 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  Mr.  Fuller  de- 
tails a  conversation  at  the  dinner  table 
with  the  three  clergymen  above  men- 
tioned. 

"Mr.  Richardson,  after  saying  many 
friendlv  and  respectful  things,  added,  in  a 
tone  of  familiarity,  '  I  had  almost  thrown 
your  Gospel  its  own  IVilness  aside,  owing 
to  what  you  said  against  cstalilishments  in 
the  Preface.' — F.  'Why,  sir,  could  you 
not  have  construed  it  as  tlie  British  Critic 
iiasl  '—R.  'How  is  that  1  '— F.  'I  think 
they  say  to  this  eflect  :  The  author  pro- 
tests against  establishments  of  Christian- 
ity/or /^o/iV/cfl/ j:;»r/Jost's;  but,  as  ours  as- 
suredly is  not  for  such  ends,  he  cannot 
mean  that ;  and,  therefore,  we  recommend 
it  to  our  readers.' — Both  replied,  '  We  ap- 
prehend they  construed  you  more  favor- 
ably than  you  deserved.' — F.  'Well;  it 
seems  then  I  should  have  put  it  at  the  end 
instead  of  the  beginning  of  the  book.' — R. 
'  I  see  you  do  not  approve  of  establish- 
ments.'—f'.  'I  do  not,  sir.'— i?.  'Well;  I 
am  persuaded  we  are  greatly  indebted  to 
ours.' — F.  'The  friends  of  Christ  would 
l)e  such  without  it.' — R.  'True;  but  the 
enemies  would  not  be  kept  in  such  decen- 
cy.'— F.  '  I  was  riding  last  night  from  Hull 
to  York,  with  a  drunken  sea-otlicer ;  pass- 
ing through  Beverly,  he  pointed  to  the 
cathedral  and  said,  'That  is  our  relision; 
....  we  are  all  Cor  relision  .' ' — O.  'Ah! 
that  was  honey  to  you.' — F.  'I  felt  for  the 
poor  man.' — O.  '  You  think  hard  of  bishop 
Horsleyr- i^.  'I  do.'— O.  'I  think  his 
remarks  about  Sunday  schools  have  been 
made  too  much  of;  he  does  not  condemn 
the  institution,  but  the  abuse  of  it.' — F. 
'  He  represents  village-preaching  as  a  po- 
litical measure,  and  as  pursued,  under  the 
newly  assumed  garb  of  zeal  and  spirituali- 
ty, by  the  same  men  as  formerly  cried  up 
rationality;  which  is  absolutely  false.' — 
R.  '  He  had  heard  some  things  of  dissent- 
ers.'— F.  'Yes;  and  1  have  heard  some 
things  of  Yorkshiremen.' — O.  '  What,  that 
they  are  bites?' — F.  'Well;  you  would 
not  be  willing  I  should  condemn  you  all 
on  hearsay  1  ' — R.  '  He  is  a  man  of  a  bad 
temper.' — F.  '  I  have  heard  that  he  is,  af- 
ter all,  an  infidel  :  I  do  not  know  how 
true  that  may  be  ;  but  he  is  a  violent  man, 
and  full  of  misrepresentation.' — R.  '  What 
he  has  said  of  the  body  of  the  dissenters 
being  turned  from  Calvinism  is  true  of  the 
old  dissenters  :  those  that  you  now  call 
the  body  of  your  people  have  come  from 
the  church.' — F.  'That  may  be  true,  in 


part,  especially  respecting  the  Presbyte- 
rians, but  not  of  the  Independents  or  Bap- 
tists ;  and  we  can  account  for  the  decline 
of  Presbyterianism  in  England,  on  the 
ground  of  their  P;edobaptism.' — [All 
laughed,  as  though  thev  should  say,  '  Bra- 
vo l'  How  is  that']  '  ]—F.  '  The  old  ortho- 
dox English  Presbyterians  made  so  iiuich 
of  their  see(i,  and  tlie  dedication  of  them 
to  God,  as  they  called  it,  by  baptism,  that, 
jDresujrtin^  on  their  conversion,  they  sent 
them  to  seminaries  of  learning,  to  be  min- 
isters, before  they  were  Christians  ;  and 
as  they  grew  up,  being  destitute  of  any 
principle  of  religion,  they  turned  aside  to 
any  thing  rather  than  the  gospel.  The  ef- 
fect of  this  was,  some  of  the  people,  es- 
pecially the  young  and  graceless,  ibllow- 
ed  tlicm  ;  the  rest  have  become  Indepen- 
dents or  Baptists.' — R.  'AH  your  old 
places  that  were  opened  at  the  Revolu- 
tion are  now  Socinianized.' — F.  '  The 
Presbyterian  places  are  mostly  so  ;  but 
we  do  not  mind  the  places  being  Socinian, 
so  long  as  the  people  have  left  them.  As 
to  the  body  of  our  people  coming  from  the 
church,  it  is  little  more  than  fifty  years 
since  the  church  was  almost  destitute  of 
serious  ministers  and  people ;  yet  there 
were,  at  that  time,  perhaps,  nearly  as  ma- 
ny serious  dissenters  as  now.' 

"  Conversation  on  Doctrine, 

"  R.  '  There  are  different  shades  of  Cal- 
vinism, I  suppose,  amongst  you  1  ' — F. 
'  Yes  ;  there  are  three  by  which  we  com- 
monly describe  ;  namely,  the  higJi,  the 
moderate,  and  the  strict  Calvinists.  The 
first  are,  if  I  may  so  speak,  more  Calvinis- 
tic  than  Calvin  himself;  in  other  words, 
bordering  on  Antinomianism.' — R.  '  Have 
you  many  of  these  1  ' — F.  '  Too  many.' — 
O.  '  Do  they  not  reckon  you  a  legal 
preacher  1  ' — F.  '  Yes ;  at  this  very  time 
I  am  represented,  throughout  the  religious 
circles  of  London,  as  an  Arminian.' — R. 
'  On  what  ground  1  ' — F.  '  What  I  have 
written  in  a  note  in  the  Gospel  its  own 
Witness.' — R.  '  I  remember  that  note. 
We  all  approve  of  it,  and  think  it  agrees 
with  the  doctrine  held  by  our  church.  But 
what  do  you  call  a  moderate  Calvinist  I  ' 
— F.  '  One  that  is  a  half  Arminian,  or,  as 
they  are  called  with  us,  Baxterians.' — R. 
'  And  w  hat  a  strict  Calvinist  1  ' — F.  '  One 
that  really  holds  the  system  of  Calvin.  I 
do  not  believe  every  thing  that  Calvin 
taught,  nor  any  thing  because  he  taught 
it;  but  I  reckon  strict  Calvinism  to  be  my 
own  system.'  " 

"Glasgow,  Sept.  19. 
"  The  pastor  of  a  church   which  pro- 
fesses to  be  in  fellowship  with  the  Eng- 


73 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


lish  Baptists  brought  a  message  from 
them,  tliat  they  would  be  glad  to  hear  my 
faith,  and,  if  it  accorded  with  theirs,  to 
have  me  preach,  and  join  them  at  the 
Lord's  supper.  I  told  him,  he  had  sent 
their  faith  to  me,  and  I  approved  of  it  : 
but  I  should  make  no  other  confession  of 
faith  than  that ;  that  I  did  not  come  to 
Glasgow  as  a  candidate  for  their  pulpit, 
and  it  was  inditferent  to  me  whether  I 
occupied  it.  I  said,  I  had  no  objection 
to  answer  him  any  question  he  thought 
proper  to  ask  me  as  a  Christian  ;  but  I 
had  no  notion  of  being  interrogated  as  a 
condition  of  preaching,  &c.  At  nearly 
eleven,  a  deacon  came  with  their  deci- 
sion, that,  if  I  would  not  make  a  confes- 
sion, they  could  not  admit  me.  '  Very 
well,  then  I  shall  go  to  the  Tabernacle, 
and  consider  your  conduct  as  a  renuncia- 
tion of  connection  with  us,  as  English 
churches  ;  for  it  implies  you  have  no 
confidence  in  us.'  He  said,  it  was  all 
owing  to  two  or  three,  and  that  the 
church  in  general  wished  it  to  be  other- 
wise. I  heard  at  Tabernacle,  in  the 
morning,  notice  was  given  that  I  should 
preach  in  the  afternoon  and  evening. 
The  Baptists  repented  ;  but  it  was  too 
late.  I  preached  in  the  afternoon  to  4000 
people  ;  in  the  evening  to  nearly  -5000. 
Collected  £200." 

"  Liverpool,  Sept.  25. 

"  I  have  just  arrived  here,  and  found 
yours,  after  a  long  and  tedious  journey  of 
225  miles  ;  in  which  I  put  off  my  clothes 
only  for  two  hours  since  Thursday  morn- 
ing. 

"  On  Monday,  Sept.  20,  I  was  seized 
at  Glasgow  with  violent  sickness  and 
vomiting  of  bile,  and  kept  my  bed  till 
three  in  the  afternoon.  While  in  bed, 
I  was  visited  by  Mr.  L.  and  the  deacons 
of  the  Baptist  church.  I  learnt  that  the 
refusal  of  their  pulpit  was  against  the 
will  of  the  church,  except  two  members  ; 
that  the  church  at  P.,  with  which  they  are 
in  connection,  had  sent  deputies  to  oppose 
my  being  admitted  to  preach  and  com- 
mune with  them  ;  and  these,  with  the  two 
members,  carried  their  point :  but,  on 
Lord's-day  noon,  the  church  were  so  hurt 
at  my  being  refused,  that  they  resolved 
to  invite  me.  The  two  deacons  Avere 
deputed  to  request  tliat  I  would  look 
over  the  atfair  of  Lord's-day,  and  consid- 
er them  as  one  with  us.  Accordingly  I 
preached  there  in  the  evening,  and  col- 
lected £45,  after  about  £200  had  been  col- 
lected, on  Lord's-day,  at  the  Tabernacle. 
Tuesday  morning  set  off  in  a  chaise  for 
Greenock  :  preached,  and  collected  £33. 
Wednesday  returned,  and  preached  at 
Paisley  :  have  not  yet  received  their 
collection,  but  suppose  it  may  be  about 


£40.     I  found  myself  getting  better  daily, 
though  traveling  and  preaching. 

"  On  Thursday  morning,  I  met  with  all 
the  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  who 
appeared  to  be  a  simple-hearted  people, 
and  regret  my  not  preaching  and  com- 
muning with  them.  They  wished  for  a 
connection  with  the  English  churches. 
I  told  them  that  the  distance  was  such 
that  our  connection  could  answer  but 
few  ends.  We  might,  once  in  a  while, 
hear  from  each  other,  might  pray  for  one 
another,  and,  if  the  minister  or  members 
of  either  came  to  the  other,  they  might 
be  admitted  to  conuiiunion ;  but  that 
was  all.  They  assented  to  this.  I  then 
told  them  that  I  had  heard  of  the  Baptists 
in  Scotland  being  negligent  of  free  preach- 
ing to  the  unconverted,  and  of  family- 
religion.  Whether  this  charge  was  true, 
or  not,  I  could  not  tell  ;  but  I  earnestly 
exhorted  them  to  make  it  evidently  ap- 
pear that  they  were  far  more  anxious 
that  those  around  them  should  become 
Christians  than  that  they  should  embrace 
our  opinion  as  to  baptism  :  if  sinners 
were  converted  to  God  among  them,  and 
made  Christians,  they  would  probably  be 
Baptists  also,  of  their  own  accord ;  but  I 
reminded  them  that,  if  family -religion 
was  neglected,  Pjedobaptists  would  be 
furnished  with  the  most  weighty  objec- 
tion against  our  sentiments  as  Baptists. 
They  seemed  to  receive  what  I  said  in 
love,  and  to  approve  of  it.  I  prayed 
with  them,  and  so  we  parted. 

"  Thursday  noon,  Sept.  23. — Being 
disappointed  of  a  place  in  the  mail,  I 
ordered  a  post-chaise,  and  advertised  for 
a  partner  to  Liverpool.  A  Jcio  wanted 
to  go  thither,  and  we  took  a  post-chaise 
together.  He  proved  an  intelligent,  but 
rather  profane  man.  We  had  much  talk 
on  Christianity,  and  sometimes  I  thought 
him  somewhat  impressed.  We  had  scarce- 
ly got  out  of  Glasgow  before  he  observed 
something  of  the  dissatisfaction  we  found 
in  all  our  enjoyments.  I  acquiesced,  and 
suggested  that  there  must  be  some  defect 
in  the  object,  and  thence  inferred  a  future 
state.  He  did  not  seem  free  to  pursue 
the  subject,  but  said,  '  I  am  a  Jew,  and  I 
consider  you  as  a  Christian  divine :  I 
wish  to  do  every  thing  to  accommodate 
you  during  the  journey.'  I  thanked  him, 
and  said  I  wished  to  do  the  same  towards 
him  in  return.  I  presently  found,  how- 
ever, that  he  was  a  Sadducee,  holding 
with  only  the  Five  Books  of  Moses,  and 
those  very  loosely ;  suggesting  of  Moses 
that,  though  he  was  a  great  and  good  man 
in  his  day,  yet,  it  was  his  opinion,  there 
had  been  much  more  learned  men  since. 
He  also  began  'accommodating'  me 
with  curses  and  oaths   on   the   most   tri- 


MEMOIRS    OF    MK.    FULLER. 


73 


fling  occasions.  Finding  I  had  a  com- 
pound of  infidelity  and  profligacy  to  con- 
tend witli,  and  about  a  fifty-hours'  jour- 
ney Vicfore  me,  in  which  I  should  be  coop- 
ed up  with  him  night  and  day,  I  did  not 
oppose  him  much  at  first ;  but  let  him  go 
on,  waiting  for  fit  occasions.  I  asked  lor 
a  proof  of  Moses's  ignorance. — Jeic.  'lie 
spoke  of  the  earth  as  stationary,  and  the 
sun  as  rising  and  setting.' — Fuller.  'And 
do  not  those  that  you  call  learned  men 
speak  the  same  in  their  ordinary  conver- 
sation]'— J.  'To  be  sure  they  do.' — 
F.  '  They  could  not  be  understood,  nor 
understand  themselves,  could  they,  if 
they  were  to  speak  of  the  earth's  rising 
and  setting  1' — J.  'True.'  After  a  while, 
he  praised  the  ten  commandments.  I  ac- 
quiesced, and  added, 'I  have  been  not  a 
little  hurt,  sir,  in  observing,  since  we  have 
been  together,  how  lightly  you  treat  one 
of  them,  Thou  shall  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain  .'' — J.  '  I  must 
own  that  is  a  bad  habit :  I  have  been  told 
of  it  before.'  AVe  had  no  more  swearing. 
"  He  talked,  after  this,  of  the  merit  of 
good  w'orks,  and  told  me,  at  my  request, 
much  about  their  worship  and  ceremonies  ; 
particularly  their  great  day  of  atonement, 
which  he  said  was  very  impressive. — F. 
'Do  you  ofifer  sacrifices  ]' — J.  'No:  not 
since  the  destruction  of  the  temple  ;  ex- 
cept it  be  a  fowl  or  so,  just  as  a  repre- 
sentation of  what  has  been.' — F.  'And 
do  you  really  think  that  the  blood  of  any 
animal,  or  any  of  those  ceremonies,  can 
take  away  sin!' — /.  '  If  you  deny  that, 
you  deny  the  laws  of  Moses.' — F.  'No  : 
the  sacrifices  of  Moses  were  not  designed 
to  take  away  sin,  but  to  prefigure  a  great- 
er sacrifice.'  He  paused I  ad- 
ded, '  Sir,  you  are  a  sinner,  and  I  am  a 
sinner  :  we  must  both  shortly  appear 
before  God.  I  know  not  upon  Avhat  you 
rest  jour  hopes.  You  have  talked  of 
human  merit.  I  have  nothing  of  the  kind 
on  which  to  place  my  trust.  I  believe 
we  have  all  merited  the  displeasure  of 
our  Creator,  and,  if  dealt  with  according 
to  our  deserts,  must  perish  forever.  Sir, 
if  our  sins  be  not  atoned  for  by  a  greater 
sacrifice  than  any  that  were  offered  under 
the  law  of  Moses, we  are  undone.'  He 
seemed  impressed  by  this,  and  owned  that 
according  to  their  law,  and  confessions  on 
the  day  of  atonement,  they  were  all  sin- 
ners, and  that  their  good  works  could  not 
save  them.  I  then  endeavored  to  point 
him  to  Christ,  as  the  only  hope  :  but  he 
began  to  make  objections  to  his  concep- 
tion by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — F. 
'  That  was  no  more  impossible  than  God's 
making  the  first  man  and  woman.' — J. 
'  True  :  but  God  having  made  these,  the 
rest  are  born  by  ordinary  generation.' — 
VOL.    I.                                  10 


F.  '  You  might  as  well  say  that  God  hav- 
ing given  the  sea  its  laws,  it  moves  in  fu- 
ture according  to  them,  and  therefore  the 
Red  Sea  could  not  have  been  divided. 
Your  argument  goes  to  deny  all  miracles.' 
— /.  '  We  think  charitably  of  you,  but 
you  do  not  of  us.' — F.  'How  can  you 
think  well  of  us,  when  you  consider  us  as 
deluded  by  an  impostor]' — J.  'We  think 
well  of  all  that  do  good.' — F.  '  So  do  we. 
But  what  a  singular  impostor  must  Jesus 
have  been,  if  he  was  one  !  Did  you  ever 
know  or  read  of  such  a  one,  either  as  to 
doctrine  or  manners'?  ' — J.  'Who  wrote 
the  life  of  Jesus  ]  '—F.  'Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke  and  John.' — J.  'Very  well:  were 
not  they  his  disciples,  and  therefore  par- 
tial to  him  ]  ' — F.  '  You  might  as  v.ell 
object  to  all  the  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment :  they   were   not  written  by  adser- 

saries.' J.  '  Ah  !  he  should  have 

come  down  from  the  cross,  and  then  all 
would  have  believed  on  him  !  ' — F.  '  If 
evidence  had  been  the  thing  that  was 
wanted,  why  did  not  the  resurrection  of 
La/arus  satisfy  them]' — J.  'That  was 
a  doubtful  matter.  I  reckon  Jesus  was 
a  learned  man :  Lazarus  might  not  be 
dead,  but  only  apparently  so ;  and  he 
might  make  an  experiment  upon  him,  as 
many  have  done  since,  and  restored  sus- 
pended animation.' — F.  'Did  you  ever 
read  the  New  Testament  ]  ' — /.  '  Yes,  I 
read  it,  when  a  boy  of  eight  years  old.' — 
F.  'And  not  since]'—/.  'No.'— F. 
'  What  then  can  you  know  about  it  ]  You 
only  take  up  the  objections  of  your  Rab- 
bies,  (whom  he  had  ^a  little  before  ac- 
knowledged to  be,  many  of  them,  no  bet- 
ter than  learned  knaves) :  if  you  had  read 
and  considered  the  history  of  the  resur- 
rection of  Lazarus,  you  could  not  object 
as  you  do.' 

"After  this,  I  asked  him  what  he  thought 
o{ prophecy  7  '  Prophecy  !'  said  he,  '  I  have 
often,  when  a  boy,  looked  at  the  clouds, 
and  seen  in  them  horses  and  chariots, 
and  I  know  not  w  hat  I  ' — F.  '  I  under- 
stand you ;  but  it  is  strange  that  imagina- 
tion should  find,  in  the  prophecies,  the 
substance  of  all  succeeding  history. 
Were  not  all  the  great  empires  that  have 
been  in  the  world,  from  the  times  of  Dan- 
iel to  this  day,  namely,  the  Babylonian, 
the  Persian,  the  Grecian  and  the  Roman, 
with  their  various  subdivisions,  clearly 
foretold  l-y  him  ]  '  He  would  make  no 
answer  to  this,  but  treated  it  all  as  fa- 
ble. '  They  talk,'  said  he,  'of  our  being 
restored  to  the  promised  land.  I  will  tell 
you  the  whole  mystery  of  it.  Those  of 
us  who  have  plenty  wish  for  no  other  pro- 
mised land  ;  but  those  that  are  poor  would 
be  glad  enough  to  better  their  condition.' 

"  He   complained   of    the  persecutions 


74 


MEJl  OIRS    OF    MR.     I'ULLER. 


that  the  Jews  had  undergone  from  Chris- 
tians. I  disavowed  all  such  treatment, 
as  the  conduct  of  wicked  men.  '  But, ' 
said  he,  '  yovi  have  been,  even  in  this  war, 
fighting  for  your  religion.'  I  answered, 
'  Those  who  profess  to  fight  for  religion, 
fight  for  the  Avant  of  it ;  and  Christianity 
employs  none  but  spiritual  w^eapons.'  I 
also  assured  him  that  real  Christians  felt 
a  tender  i-egard  towards  them,  and  loved 
them  for  their  fathers'  sake.  '  Yes,' 
said  he,  sneeringly,  '  the  good  people  at 
Glasgow  pray,  every  Sunday,  for  our  con- 
version!' I  answered,  'Very  likely:  it 
is  what  I  have  often  done  myself.' 

"  When  we  got  to  Liverpool,  he  re- 
quested that,  when  I  came  to  London, 
I  would  call  and  see  him.  I  told  him  I 
would,  on  one  condition,  which  was  that 
he  would  permit  me  to  present  him  with  • 
a  New  Testament,  and  promise  to  read 
it  cai'efully.  He  consented;  but,  that 
he  might  put  far  from  him  the  evil  day, 
proposed  that  if,  when  I  called  to  see  him, 
I  would  bring  one  with  me,  he  would 
read  it.  I  saw  no  more  of  him  :  but 
meeting  with  a  '  Gospel  its  own  Witness,' 
in  Liverpool,  in  which  is  an  '  Address  to 
the  Jews,'  I  wrapt  it  up  in  paper,  and 
sent  it  to  him  at  his  inn,  having  written 
Vithinside  as  follows  :  '  A  small  token 
of  respect  from  the  author,  to  Mr.  D.  L. 
A.,  for  his  friendly  attentions  to  him  on 
a  journey  from  Glasgow  to  Liverpool, 
Sept.  23,  24,  25,  1802.' 

"After  all,  in  reflecting  upon  it,  I  felt 
guilty  in  having  said  so  little  to  purpose  ; 
and  was  persuaded  that,  if  I  had  been 
more  spiritually-minded,  I  should  have 
recommended  my  Lord  and  Savior  better 
than  I  did." 

On  returning  home,  Mr.  Fuller  made 
the  following  memorandum  : — 

"In  riding  from  Manchester  to  Har- 
borough,  in  the  mail,  I  found  myself  in 
very  profane  company.  I  therefore,  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  journey,  composed 
myself,  as  if  asleep.  Near  Loughbor- 
ough, two  gentlemen  followed  us  in  a 
post-chaise,  one  of  them  wishing  to  take 
my  place  when  we  got  to  Harborough. 
We  dined  at  Leicester,  and,  the  gentle- 
man being  in  the  inn-yard,  I  went  to  him, 
and  otfered  him  my  place  from  Leicester, 
proposing  to  ride  on  the  outside  as  far  as 
Harborough.  He  thanked  me,  but  de- 
clined it.  He  added,  '  I  think  I  have 
seen  you,  sir,  before.'  He  dined  with 
us  ;  and,  while  at  dinner,  seeing  my  port- 
manteau marked  A.  F.  K.,  he  asked  me, 
before  our  company,  if  my  name  was  not 
Fuller!  I  told  him  it  was.  He  then 
tlianked  me,  not  only  for  my  kind  offer 
of  my  place  but  for  a  late  publication, 
which  he  had  read  with  unusual  satisfac- 


tion. I  made  but  little  answer;  only 
inquiring  his  name,  which  I  found  to  be 
Lee,  of  the  Old  Jewry,  a  hearer  of  Mr. 
Newton.  As  soon  as  we  had  got  into 
the  coach  (Mr.  Lee  was  not  with  us,  but 
followed  in  a  post-chaise),  my  former 
swearing  companions  were  all  mute,  and 
continued  so  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
journey.  One  of  them,  however,  who 
had  been  more  civil  and  sober  than  the 
rest,  addi'essed  himself  to  me  :  '  I  per- 
ceive, sir,'  said  he,  'by  what  was  said  at 
dinner,  tliat  you  are  an  author.  Will  you 
excuse  me  if  I  ask  what  it  is  that  you 
have  published'?'  I  told  him  I  was  a 
Christian  minister,  and  had  published  a 
piece  in  defense  of  Christianity.  He  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  see  it.  He  then  talked 
to  me,  as  one  vv^ould  talk  to  a  literary 
man,  on  the  English  language,  composi- 
tion, &c.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  an  Eng- 
lishman! He  answered,  'No;  I  am  a 
Prussian.'  He  inquired  if  I  had  read 
Junius 's  Letters  1  I  told  him  I  had  heard 
pretty  much  of  them,  but  had  not  read 
them,  as  they  were  not  particularly  in  my 
way.  'O,'  said  he,  'you  must  read 
them,  by  all  means  ;  I  will  send  you  a 
copy  of  them.'  I  thanked  him,  and,  as 
he  had  expressed  a  wish  to  see  what  I 
had  written,  we  would,  if  agreeable  to 
him,  make  an  exchange.  To  this  he 
agreed,  and  we  exchanged  addresses. 
His  was  Count  D.,  at  the  Prussian  am- 
bassador's, London.  Finding  him  to  be 
one  of  the  Prussian  ambassador's  suite,  I 
asked  him  many  questions  about  the  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  Prussia. 
Respecting  the  former,  he  said,  what 
advantages  we  had  by  the  law  they  had, 
in  a  good  measure,  by  custom ;  that, 
though  the  king's  will  was  law,  yet  cus- 
tom so  swayed  it  as  to  make  it  very  little 
oppressive.  He  mentioned  the  king's 
having  a  desire  for  a  poor  man's  field 
that  lay  near  his  ;  that  the  owner  was 
unwilling,  and  the  matter  was  referred  to 
the  College  of  Justice,  who  advised  the 
king  not  to  insist  upon  it ;  and  he  did  not. 
He  spoke  of  religious  matters  as  attended 
with  toleration.  The  Menonites,  who  I 
suppose  are  antipsedo-baptists,  he  de- 
scribed as  enthusiasts,  much  like  the 
Quakers,  who  have  no  regular  clergymen, 
but  any  of  them  get  up  and  speak,  as  they 
feel  thejnselves  inspired.  How  far  his 
account  is  to  be  depended  upon  I  cannot 
tell.  On  parting  with  my  company,  I 
came  home,  and  found  all  well.  Thanks, 
as  dear  brother  Pearce  said  after  his 
journey  to  Ireland,  thanks  to  the  Preser- 
ver of  men !  " 

Though  the  journeys  thus  undertaken  on 
behalf  of  the  mission  introduced  Mr.  Ful- 
ler to  scenes  of  controversy,  their  advan- 


MEMOIRS    OK    MR.    FULLER. 


tages  soon  became  sufficiently  apparent, 
irrespective  of  the  promotion  of"  the  mis- 
sionary cause;  for,  besides  the  tendency 
of  free  discussion  to  elicit  and  establish 
truth,  the  intercourse  maintained  exercis- 
ed a  favorable  influence  on  the  minds  of 
many  who  had  suflered  themselves  to  be 
carried  away  by  partial  representations  of 
his  sentiments.  Not  only  was  this  the 
case  in  Scotland  and  the  north  of  England, 
but  a  visit  to  the  southern  coast,  in  the 
beginning  of  1S04,  also  furnished  qi  re- 
markable example  of  it. 

Mr.  Fuller  mentions  a  person  at  Port- 
sea,  where  he  met  with  much  unexpected 
kindness,  as  thus  accosting  him:  "  '  Sir,  I 
was  greatly  disappointed  in  you.' — 'Yes, 
and  I  in  you.' — '  I  mean  in  hearing  you  last 
Lord's-day  morning  ;  I  did  not  expect  to 
hear  such  a  sermon  from  you.' — '  Perhaps 
so  :  and  I  did  not  expect  such  treatment 
from  you.  I  had  heard  things  of  the  Port- 
sea  people  which  gave  me  but  a  mean  opin- 
ion of  them;  but  I  have  hitherto  no  cause 
to  complain  ;  so  that  we  are  both  agreeably 
disappointed.' — '  Well,  but  I  do  not  like 
your  book.' — '  You  do  not  understand  it.' 
'  O,  I  cannot  believe  faith  to  be  a  duty  : 
we  cannot  believe.' — 'You  seem  to  think 
we  ought  to  do  nothing  but  what  we  can 
do.' — '  True.' — '  And  we  can  do  nothing.' 
— '  True.' — '  Then  we  ought  to  do  noth- 
ing. .  .  .  and  if  so  we  have  no  sin,  and 
need  no  Savior.' — 'O  no,  no,  no!  I  want 
to  talk  more  with  you.' — 'Yes,  but  the 
mischief  is,  you  cannot  count  five.' — 
'  What  do  you  meanl  ' — '  First,  you  say, 
we  ought  to  do  nothing  but  what  we  can 
do.  Secondly,  we  can  do  nothing.  Then 
I  say,  thirdly,  we  ought  to  do  nothing. 
Fourthly,  we  have  no  sin.  Fifthly,  we 
need  no  Savior.'  After  all,  this  person, 
and  all  of  that  stamp,  were  greatly  inter- 
ested in  the  preaching,  and  pi'essed  me  to 
go  to  their  houses  ;  would  have  it  that  I 
was  of  their  principles,  &c.,  and  were 
much  concerned  when  I  went  away.  I 
told  them  I  thought  very  differently  from 
them  in  various  respects  ;  but  they  took 
all  well ;  and  I  prayed  with  them  before 
we  parted." 

His  attention  was  this  year  drawn  to 
one  of  those  intolerant  enactments  for 
which  the  Jamaica  legislature  has  so  pre- 
eminently distinguished  itself.  He  imme- 
diately drew  up  a  memorial  on  the  subject, 
which  being  presented  to  the  privy  coun- 
cil was  favorably  received. 

It  was  in  June,  1S04,  that  Mr.  Fuller 
visited  Ireland,  hoping  not  only  to  receive 
pecuniary  aid  for  the  mission  from  the 
wealthy  professors  of  religion  in  Dublin, 
but  to  confirm  the  important  services  ren- 
dered to  the  churches  of  that  city  and 
neighborhood  by  the    lamented    Pearce, 


and  establish  a  connection  which,  while  it 
tended  to  remove  from  those  churches  the 
frigid  influence  of  Sandemanianism,  might 
prove  mutually  beneficial  to  tlie  spiritual 
interests  of  both  countries. 

Writing,  soon  after  his  arrival,  to  his 
friend  Dr.  Ryland,  he  says, — "  My  heart 
is  dismayed  to  see  the  state  of  things  here. 
The  great  body  of  the  people  arc  Papists. 
Even  the  servants,  in  almost  every  family, 
are  Papists.  The  congregations  ore  only 
a  few  genteel  people  scattered  about  the 
place.  They  appeared  to  me  like  the 
heads  at  Temple  Bar,  without  bodies.  A 
middle  class  of  people  is  wanting  ;  and  the 
poor  arc  kept  distinct  by  what  appears  as 
strong  as  the  caste  in  India.  I  preached 
at  the  Baptist  meeting,  in  Swift's  Alley, 
morning  and  evening,  and  for  Dr.  M'Dow- 
al,  at  the  Presbyterian  chapel  :  I  might 
preach,  perhaps,  to  fifty  in  the  morning  ; 
to  two  hundred  in  the  afternoon,  in  a 
place  that  would  hold  a  thousand  ;  and  to 
fift}'  more  in  the  evening. 

"  I  have  been  much  engaged  in  compa- 
ny, yesterday  and  Monday.  I  was  visited 
yesterday  by  Mr.  W^alker,  a  Sandemanian 
clergyman,  who  has  considerable  influence 
in  this  city,  and  who  pronounces  of  one  of 
the  dissenting  ministers  here  that  he 
preaches  the  gospel  (because  he  seems 
likely  to  embrace  Sandemanianism;)  but 
the  Baptist  and  the  Moravian  ministers  do 
not!  I  found  him,  like  most  of  the  sect, 
calm,  acute,  versed  in  the  Scripture,  but 
void  of  feeling.  He  reminded  me  of  Dr. 
Byron's  lines  : — 

['Tis]  Athens'  owl,  and  not  mount  Zion's  dove, 
Tlie  bird  of  leainingj  not  the  l)ird  of  love. 

"  I  am  told  that  one  of  this  stamp  lately 
prayed  in  public,  '  Lord,  give  me  head 
knowledge;  the  rest  I  leave  to  thee.' 
The  clergyman  said  to  me,  '  There  are 
many  who  call  themselves  Calvinists  who 
are  as  far  from  the  truth  as  Arminians.' 
I  asked  what  Calvinists  he  referred  to,  and 
what  sentiments  1  He  said,  '  Those  who 
hold  with  qualifications  as  necessary  to 
warrant  a  sinner's  believing.'  I  answer- 
ed, I  did  not  know  who  they  were  that  be- 
lieved so.  Mr.  Stennett,  who  sat  by, 
said,  'Some  of  the  high  Calvinists  might.' 
I  assented  to  this,  but  said  I  utterly  dis- 
approved of  it;  though  I  could  not,  as  Mr. 
W.  seemed  to  do,  condemn  all  as  grace- 
less who  held  it.  He  seemed  surprised, 
and  expressed  his  pleasure  that  I  disap- 
proved of  the  principle  ;  plainly  proving 
that  he,  with  other  Sandemanians,  con- 
founds our  pleading  for  a  holy  disposition 
as  necessarv  to  believing  (or  necessary  to 
incline  us  to  believe)  with  pleading  for  it 
as  giving  us  a  warrant  to  believe." 


76 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


In  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Coles, 
Mrs.  F.'s  father,  he  thus  alludes  to  this 
visit : — "  I  have  enjoyed  but  little  com- 
fort in  Ireland ;  yet  I  hope  I  have  derived 
some  profit.  The  doctrine  of  the  cross 
is  more  dear  to  me  than  when  I  went.  I 
wish  I  may  never  preach  another  sermon 
but  what  shall  bear  some  relation  to  it.  I 
see  and  feel,  more  and  more,  that  except  I 
eat  tlie  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  the 
Son  of  man  I  have  no  life  in  me  either  as 
a  Christian  or  as  a  minister.  Some  of 
the  sweetest  opportunities  I  had  in  my 
journey  were  in  preaching  Christ  cruci- 
fied :  particularly  on  those  passages,  '  Un- 
to you  that  believe  he  is  precious' — '  This 
is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased,  hear  ye  him' — 'He  that  hath 
the  Son  hath  life,' &c.—' That  they  all 
may  be  one,'  &c.  But  I  feel  that  if  I 
were  more  spiritually-minded  I  should 
preach  better  and  bear  trials  better." 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  objects  of 
his  visit  to  this  country  were,  at  that  time, 
in  any  considerable  degree  realized.  He 
was  grieved  to  find  the  principal  Baptist 
community  in  Dublin  under  the  influence 
of  the  most  pernicious  errors  in  doctrine 
and  practice.  Many  of  the  members  had 
imbibed  principles  which,  to  say  the  least, 
verged  on  Socinianism,  while  the  amuse- 
ments of  the  theatre  and  the  card-table 
were  tolerated,  and  even  defended.  Hav- 
ing refused,  under  these  circumstances,  to 
comply  with  their  invitation  to  the  Lord's 
table,  he  encouraged  the  more  godly 
portion  of  the  church  to  form  themselves 
into  a  separate  community,  who,  on  their 
secession,  left  behind  them  this  assurance, 
"that,  if  at  any  future  time  the  church 
should  restore  that  purity  of  communion 
which  is  essential  to  a  christian  society, 
they  should  be  ready  to  join  heart  and 
hand  with  them." 

Having,  on  his  return,  written  some 
"  Remarks  on  the  State  of  the  Baptist 
Churches  in  Ireland,"  with  especial  ref- 
erence to  the  disorders  above  alluded  to, 
a  reply  to  them  was  made  in  the  Irish 
circular  letter  addressed  to  the  members 
of  those  churches  respectively,  and  ac- 
companied with  an  ambiguous  declaration 
of  the  theological  sentiments  of  the  par- 
ties. This  was  inserted  in  a  monthly 
Journal,  in  which  Mr.  Fuller  offered 
some  observations  in  reply ;  particularly 
noticing  the  absence  of  all  mention  of  the 
vicarious  sacrifice  and  imputed  right- 
eousness of  Christ — of  the  distinct  per- 
sonality of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit — and  of  any  avowed  intention  of 
supplying  their  acknowledged  deficiency 
in  discipline.  He  further  remarked  that, 
if  his  construction  of  their  statement,  as 
it  related  to  these   particulars,  was   not 


founded  in  truth,  he  knew  of  no  obstacle 
to  the  re-union  of  the  seceding  portion  of 
the  church. 

Though  this  was  not  effected,  consider- 
able good  was  elicited  by  the  discussion ; 
and  the  subsequent  operations  of  the 
"Baptist  Irish  Society"  have  been  ac- 
companied in  a  remarkable  degree  by 
the  divine  blessing,  not  only  in  reviving 
the  drooping  interests  of  religion  in  the 
churches  already  established,  but  in  the 
formation  of  others,  chiefly  by  accessions 
from  the  Roman  catholic  portion  of  the 
community,  multitudes  of  whom  have 
been  truly  converted  to  God  by  the  in- 
strumentality of  itinerant  readers  of  the 
Scriptui'es. 

Greatly  as  Mr.  Fuller  was  esteemed 
in  the  various  parts  of  the  British  empire, 
in  no  country  were  his  talents  and  char- 
acter more  fully  appreciated  than  in  the 
United  States,  where  his  writings  obtain- 
ed an  extensive  circulation ;  while  some 
of  the  divines  of  that  country,  of  whose 
piety  and  talents  he  cherished  the  highest 
possible  opinion,  were  in  frequent  habits 
of  communication  with  him. 

As  early  as  179S  the  college  of  New 
Jersey  had  conferred  on  him  the  honor- 
ary degree  of  D.  D.,  the  use  of  which, 
however,  he  respectfully  declined,  alleg- 
ing his  deficiency  of  those  literary  qualifi- 
cations which  would  justify  the  assump- 
tion of  academic  honors,  as  well  as  his 
conscientious  disapprobation  of  such  dis- 
tinctions in  connection  with  religion.  In 
May,  1805,  he  received  a  similar  testi- 
mony from  Yale  College,  accompanied  by 
the  following  letter  from  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Dwight : — 

"New  Haven  (Conn,)  March  18,  1805. 
"  Sir, 

"The  corporation  of  Yale  College,  a^ 
the  last  public  commencement,  conferred 
on  you  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity. 
The  diploma,  which  is  the  evidence  of 
this  act,  you  will  receive  with  this  letter. 
Both  will  be  conveyed,  and,  if  it  should 
not  be  too  inconvenient,  handed  to  you  by 
Benjamin  Sillmian,  Esquire,  professor  of 
chemistry  in  this  seminary. 

"  As  this  act  is  the  result  of  the 
knowledge  of  your  personal  character  and 
your  published  works  only,  and  as  such 
degrees  are  not  inconsiderately  given  by 
this  body,  I  flatter  myself  that  it  will  be 
regarded  by  you  in  the  light  of  a  sincere 
testimony  of  respect  to  you. 

"  The  gentleman  who  is  the  bearer  of 
this  letter  is  holden  in  high  esteem  here, 
as  a  man,  a  scholar,  and  a  Christian. 
Such  civilities   as  you  may  think  proper 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


77 


to   render  to  him  will  be  gratefully   ac- 
knowledged by  me. 

"  Please  to  accept  my  best  wishes  for 
your  personal  welfare  and  your  success  in 
your  ministerial  laliors,  and  be  assured 
that  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  affec- 
tionate friend  and  brother, 

"Timothy  Dwight, 
President  of  Yale  College. 

"Reverend  Doctor  Fuller." 

To  this  communication  Mr.  Fuller 
returned  the  following  answer  : 

"  Kettering,  June  1,  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  yesterday  received,  inclosed  in  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Silliman,  a  diploma  from 
Yale  College,  with  a  letter  from  your- 
self. Considering  it  as  a  token  of  respect, 
and  expressive  of  approbation  of  wliat  I 
have  published,  I  feel  myself  greatly 
obliged  by  it;  and,  could  I  reconcile  it  to 
my  judgment  and  feelings  to  make  use  of 
such  a  title  of  distinction  from  any  quar- 
ter, there  is  none  which  I  should  prefer  to 
that  which  you  have  done  me  the  honor 
to  communicate.  Eight  years  ago  I  re- 
ceived the  same  expression  of  esteem 
from  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  and  ac- 
knowledged it  in  much  the  same  manner 
in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Hopkins.  With  this  it 
is  possible  you  are  unacquainted  ;  and,  if 
so,  I  may  presume  you  and  your  colleagues 
meant  it  purely  as  a  token  of  respect, 
witiiout  supposing  that,  after  having  de- 
clined it  in  one  instance,  I  could  with  any 
propriety,  even  were  I  so  disposed,  accept 
it  in  another. 

"  The  writings  of  your  grandfather, 
president  Edwards,  and  of  your  uncle,  the 
late  Dr.  Edwards,  have  been  food  to  me 
and  many  others.  Our  brethren  Carey, 
Marshman,  Ward,  and  Chamberlain,  in 
the  East  Indies,  all  greatly  approve  of 
them.  The  president's  sermons  on  justi- 
fication have  afforded  me  more  satisfac- 
tion on  that  important  doctrine  than  any 
human  performance  which  I  have  read. 
Some  pieces  which  I  have  met  with  of 
yours  have  afforded  me  much  pleasure. 

"  I  have  requested  Mr.  Silliman  to  pro- 
cure of  my  bookseller  all  that  he  can  fur- 
nish of  what  I  have  published,  which  I 
hope  you  will  accept  and  furnish  with  a 
place  in  the  college  library,  as  a  token  of 
my  grateful  esteem. 

"  I  am,  dear  Sir,  yours  with  res- 
pect and  aflfection, 

"  Andrew  Fuller." 

In  June,  this  year,  the  interests  of  the 
mission  again  called  Mr.  Fuller  to  Scot- 
land. His  journal  of  this  visit  records 
the  following  interesting  occurrences  : — 


"  Saturday,  July  12th,  reached  Aber- 
deen at  about  six  in  the  evening.  Paid 
my  respects  to  several  of  tlic  ministers, 
professors,  &c.,  and  adjusted  the  work  of 
the  Sabl)ath.  I  agreed  to  spend  the  fore- 
noon with  a  few  Baptists,  who  meet  in  an 
upper  room  ;  the  afternoon  to  preach  and 
collect  among  the  Independents  in  Mr. 
Haldane's  connection  ;  and  in  the  evening 
at  the  Independents'  place  called  the  Lock 
Chapel. 

"  Lord's-day. — At  the  morning  meeting 
I  found  eight  or  ten  Baptists,  residing  in 
Aberdeen.  They  were  not  in  a  state  of 
fellowship  ;  and  whctlier  they  were  suffi- 
ciently united  to  be  formed  into  a  church 
appeared  rather  doui)tful.  At  the  same 
time  three  persons  applied  to  me  for  bap- 
tism. The  first  was  a  young  man  who 
had  been  a  Socinian,  but  professed  of  late 
to  be  convinced  of  the  way  of  salvation 
through  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and  of 
all  the  other  corresponding  doctrines. 
The  next  was  a  simple-hearted  man,  with 
whose  religious  profession  I  was  well  sat- 
isfied. The  third  was  a  woman,  and  hers 
was  a  singular  case. 

"  As  I  was  going  to  the  morning  meet- 
ing, I  was  called  aside  by  a  respectable 
minister,  and  told  to  this  effect — '  You 
will  be  requested  to  baptize  a  woman  be- 
fore you  leave  Aberdeen.  I  have  no  pre- 
judice against  her  on  account  of  her  being 
a  Baptist ;  but  I  think  it  my  duty  to  tell 
you  that  she  was  a  member  of  one  of  our 
churches  in  this  neighborhood,  and  was 
excluded  for  bad  conduct.' — '  What  con- 
duct 1' — '  Dishonesty  towards  her  credit- 
ors.'— '  Very  well ;  I  thank  you  for  the  in- 
formation, and  will  make  a  proper  use 
of  it.' 

"  Though  I  was  applied  to  at  the  morn- 
ing meeting  to  baptize  these  persons,  I 
did  not  hear  their  personal  professions 
till  after  the  evening  sermon.  They  then 
came  to  my  inn,  where  I  conversed  with 
each  one  apart.  When  the  woman  was 
introduced,  the  following  is  the  substance 
of  what  passed  between  us. — '  Well  Mar- 
garet, you  have  lived  in  the  world  about 
forty  years ;  how  long  do  you  think  you 
have  known  Christ  1  '— '  A  little  more 
than  a  year.' — 'What,  no  longer  1' — 'I 
think  not.' — '  And  have  you  never  pro- 
fessed to  know  him  before  that  time  V — 
'Yes,  and  was  a  member  of  an  Independ- 
ent church  for  several  years.' — 'A  mem- 
ber of  a  church,  and  did  not  know  Christ ! 
— How  was  that  1 ' — '  I  was  brought  up  to 
be  religious,  and  deceived  myself  and 
others  in  professing  to  be  so.' — '  And  how 
came  you  to  leave  that  church  1  ' — '  I  was 
cut  off.' — '  What,  because  you  were  a 
Baptist  1  ' — 'No,  because  of  my  bad  con- 
duct.'— '   Of    what,  then,    had   you    been 


78 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


guilty  1' — '  My  heart  was  lifted  up  with 
vanity — I  got  in  debt  for  clotlies  and  other 
things ;  and  then  prevaricated,  and  did 
many  bad  things.' — '  And  it  was  for  these 
things  they  cut  you  oil']  ' — '  Yes.' — '  And 
do  you  think  they  did  right  1 ' — '  Oh  yes.' 
— '  And  hoAv  came  you  to  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  at  last  I  ' — '  When  I  was  cut  off 
from  the  church,  I  sunk  into  the  deepest 
despondency — I  felt  as  an  outcast  from 
God  and  man — I  wandered  about,  speak- 
ing, as  it  were,  to  nobody,  and  nobody 
speaking  to  me.  My  burden  seemed 
heavier  than  I  could  bear.  At  that  time 
a  passage  or  two  of  Scripture  came  to  my 
mind,  and  I  v/as  led  to  see  that  through 
the  cross  of  Christ  there  was  mercy  lor 
the  chief  of  sinners.  I  wept  much,  my 
sin  was  very  bitter.  But  I  saw  there  was 
no  reason  to  despair ;  for  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  It  is 
from  thence  I  date  my  conversion.' — '  And 
do  the  minister,  and  the  church  of  which 
you  were  a  member,  know  of  all  this  1  ' — 
'  Yes.' — '  Wiiy  did  you  not  go  and  con- 
fess it  before  them,  and  be  restored  1 ' — 
'  Partly  because  I  have  removed  my  sit- 
uation some  miles  from  them  ;  and  partly 
because  I  felt  in  my  conscience  that  I  was 
a  Baptist.' 

"  After  the  conversation,  I  saw  the 
minister  who  had  told  me  of  her,  and  in- 
formed him  of  the  whole  ;  adding  that  the 
church  in  his  connection  had  done  well  in 
excluding  Margaret,  and  the  Lord  I  hoped 
had  blessed  it  to  her  salvation.  He  could 
not  object  to  the  propriety  of  my  conduct 
in  baptizing  her,  on  my  own  principles. 
Next  morning  I  rose  at  five  o'clock,  and 
baptized  the  three  persons  at  a  mill-dam, 
about  tive  miles  from  the  city  ;  whither 
we  went  in  a  post-chaise,  and  returned 
about  eight  o'clock.  There  were  upwards 
of  a  hundred  people  present." 

"  Thursday,  July  24,  traveled  nearly 
forty  miles  to-day  along  the  western  coast, 
bearing  southward.  About  six  o'clock 
we  reached  Saltcoats.  Here  I  found  that 
the  parish  minister,  on  hearing  that  I  was 
to  collect  at  the  burgher  meeting-house, 
resolved  to  have  a  sermon  at  the  same 
hour  in  the  church,  and  a  collection  for 
the  Bible  Society.  He  said,  however, 
that  if  I  chose  to  preach  the  sermon  in  the 
church,  and  let  the  collection  be  applied 
to  the  Bible  Society,  I  was  welcome  to  do 
so.  As  soon  as  this  was  mentioned  to  me 
by  another  person,  I  immediately  sent  to 
the  clergyman,  offering  to  relinquish  my 
own  object,  and,  if  he  was  agreeable,  to 
preach  the  sermon  in  the  church,  in  fa- 
vor of  the  Bible  Society.  This  he  ac- 
ceded to,  and  I  called  on  him  before  wor- 
ship. I  then  observed,  that  he  must  be 
aware   of  what  he    had   proposed   being 


contrary  to  the  rules  of  the  Assembly  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland;  and  that  I  should 
be  sorry  if  any  ill  consequences  were  to 
follow  on  my  account.  He  replied  that 
his  presbyters  were  well  disposed,  and  he 
had  no  fear*  on  that  head.  I  then  preach- 
ed the  sermon,  and  pleaded  with  all  the 
energy  I  could  for  the  Bible  Society.  Af- 
ter worship,  I  went  to  my  inn  :  then  call- 
ed to  sup  and  lodge  with  the  clergyman. 
(Such  is  the  custom  in  Scotland.)  While 
sitting  in  his  house,  I  told  him  I  felt  hap- 
py in  the  opportunity  of  expressing  my 
regard  for  the  Bible  Society,  and  request- 
ed him  to  add  my  guinea  to  the  collection. 
Bat  during  my  call  at  the  inn,  after  wor- 
ship, he  had  consulted  with  his  friends  on 
the  subject  of  my  having  been  deprived  of 
a  collection.  He  thei'efore  answered  me 
by  saying,  '  I  cannot  accept  your  guinea  ; 
and,  moreover,  I  must  insist  on  your  ac- 
cepting half  the  collection  for  your  object ; 
and  you  must  make  no  objection  v/hatever 
to  it.  Such  is  the  conclusion  of  our  ses- 
sion.' Finding  him  quite  resolute,  I 
yielded,  and  took  half  the  collection, 
which,  however,  did  not  amount  to  £6." 

The  departure  of  some  missionaries 
with  their  wives,  early  in  ISOu,  gave 
occasion  to  a  valuable  epistolary  commu- 
nication from  Mr.  Fuller,  an  extract 
from  which  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of 
the  affectionate  correspondence  which  he 
maintained  with  his  missionary  brethren. 

"i\lY  VERY  DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  SiSTERS, 

"  There  is  the  greatest  necessity  for  us 
all  to  keep  near  to  God,  and  to  feel  that 
Ave  are  in  that  path  of  which  he  approves. 
This  will  sustain  us  in  times  of  trial. 
The  want  of  this  cannot  be  supplied  by 
any  thing  else.  Beware  of  those  things 
which  draw  a  veil  between  him  and  you, 
or  that  render  a  throne  of  grace  unwel- 
come. If  God  be  with  you,  you  shall  do 
well ;  you  shall  be  blessings  among  the 
sailors,  among  the  brethren  in  India,  and 
among  the  natives.  Be  very  conversant 
with  your  bibles.  The  company  we 
keep,  and  books  we  read,  insensibly  form 
us  into  the  same  likeness.  I  love  to  con- 
verse with  a  Christian  whose  mind  is 
imbued  with  the  sentiments  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. I  find  it  advantageous  to  read  a 
part  of  the  Scriptures  to  myself  before 
private  prayer,  and  often  to  turn  it  into 
prayer  as  I  read  it.  Do  not  read  the 
Scriptures  merely  as  preachers,  in  order 
to  find  a  text,  or  something  to  say  to  the 
people,  but  read  them  that  you  may  get 
good  to  your  own  souls.  Look  at  the 
Savior  as  he  walks,  as  he  walks  before 
you;  and  then  point  others  to  hira. — John 
i.  35. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


79 


"Next  to  communion  with  your  Gotl 
and  Savior,  cherisli  love  to  one  another. 
Good  sense  and  jrood  temper  may  pre- 
serve you  IVoin  faliins^  out  by  the  way,  and 
exposing  yourselves  to  the  censure  of 
spectators  :  hut  this  is  not  enougli.  The 
apostolic  precept  wliich  is  so  often  re- 
j)eatcd — '  Little  children,  love  one  anoth- 
er,' includes  more  than  an  abstinence 
from  discord,  or  the  routine  of  civility. 
You  must  know  one  another,  and  love 
each  other  in  the  Lord.  To  do  this,  you 
must  often  think  of  the  dying  love  of 
Christ  towards  you.  When  I  have  some- 
times surveyed  the  church  of  which 
I  am  pastor,  individually,  my  mind  has 
revolted  from  this  member  for  tliis  fault, 
and  from  another  for  that;  but,  when  I 
have  met  them  at  the  table  of  the  Lord, 
one  thought  has  dissipated  all  these  hard 
things  : — '  Feed  the  church  of  God, 
which  he  hath  purchased  with  his  own 
blood!'  O  (thought  I,)  if  my  Savior 
could  find  in  his  heart  to  lay  down  his  life 
for  them,  who  am  I  that  I  should  with- 
hold the  tenderest  regards  from  them  'I  If 
he  can  forgive  them,  shall  I  be  unforgiv- 
ing 1     Nay    more If  he  could   lay 

down  his  life  for  ine,  and  forgive  7ne,  who 
am  I  that  I  should  cherish  a  hard  and  un- 
forgiving heart  towards  my  brethren  1 

"  My  dear  brethren,  know  nothing  but 
Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.  Be  this 
the  summit  of  your  ambition.  For  you 
to  live  must  be  Christ.  You  may  never 
be  of  that  literary  consequence  which 
some  are;  but,  if  you  possess  a  savor  of 
Christ,  you  will  be  blessings  in  your  gen- 
eration; and,  when  you  die,  your  names 
will  be  precious  not  only  in  India  and 
Britain,  but  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord. 

"My  dear  sisters,  it  is  not  much  that  I 
have  known  of  you;  but  what  I  have  has 
tended  to  endear  you  to  me.  ]My  heart  is 
toward  those  young  people  in  our  Israel, 
of  both  sexes,  who  have  offered  them- 
selves willingly  in  this  divine  war! 
Treat  your  husbands  with  an  attentive, 
respectful,  and  obliging  carriage,  as  I 
trust  they  will  treat  you.  Treat  eaeh 
other  as  sisters,  and  the  young  woman 
that  goes  out  with  you  too.  Compel  her, 
when  she  parts  w ith  you,  to  part  weep- 
ing. Tears  of  this  sort  are  worth  more 
than  thousands  of  compliments.  Do  not 
make  confidants  of  one  another  in  matters 
of  offense;  but,  in  a  gentle  and  tender 
way,  get  into  the  habit  of  communica- 
ting to  the  party  her  faults  ;  and  encour- 
age her  to  do  the  same  by  you.  This 
rule  will  be  necessary  not  only  on  your 
voyage,  but  through  life.  The  God  of  all 
grace  be  with  you !  Present  my  kind 
love  to  the  dear  captain  Wicks.  Accept 
the   same   to  yourselves.     My   wife  and 


daughter  unite  in  wishing  you  prosperity 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

The  limits  of  this  memoir  will  not 
admit  of  an  extended  selection  from  Mr. 
Fuller's  correspondence  with  his  friends  ; 
but  the  following  will  suffice  to  show  how 
feelingly  he  was  accustomed  to  enter 
into  their  circumstances,  and  how  deeply 
he  was  concerned  to  promote  their  best 
interests. 

"  My  dear  Friend, 

"I  find,  by  a  letter,  that  you  are  in 
constant  expectation  of  losing  your  son. 
Since  the  time  that  you  and  I  correspond- 
ed, our  circumstances,  temptations,  afflic- 
tions, and  almost  every  thing  else  pertain- 
ing to  us,  have  undergone  a  change. 
We  have  each  had  a  portion  of  parental 
care  ;  and  now,  having  passed  the  merid- 
ian of  life,  we  begin  to  taste  the  cup  of 
parental  sorrow.  W^e  often  talk  of  trials, 
without  knowing  much  of  what  we  say  : 
that  is  a  trial,  methinks,  which  lavs  hold 
of  us,  and  which  we  cannot  shake  off. 
If  we  say,  'Surely  I  could  bear  any  thing 
but  this  ! '  this  shall  often  be  the  ill  that 
we  are  called  to  bear;  and  this  it  is  that 
constitutes  it  a  trial.  And  why  are  afflic- 
tions called  trials,  but  on  account  of  their 
being  sent  to  try  what  manner  of  spirit 
we  are  of]  It  is  in  these  circumstances 
our  graces  appear,  if  we  are  truly  gra- 
cious, and  our  corruptions,  if  we  be  under 
the  dominion  of  sin  ;  and  too  often,  in  some 
degree,  if  we  be  Christians.  When  I 
have  experienced  heavy  trials,  I  have 
sometimes  thought  of  the  case  of  Aaron. 
He  had  two  sons,  fine  young  men,  col- 
leagues with  their  father;  God  accepted 
of  their  offering,  and  the  people  shouted 
for  joy  :    every   thing   looked    promising 

when,  alas  !      in  the  midst  of 

their  glory,  they  sinned  ;  and  there  went 
out  a  fire  from  the  Lord,  and  devoured 
them.  Well  might  the  afflicted  father  say 
as  he  did  :  '  And  such  things  have  befal- 
len me!'  yet  he  '  held  his  peace.'  I 
say,  I  have  sometimes  thought  of  this 
case,  when  I  have  been  heavily  afflicted; 
and  have  employed  my  mind  in  this  man- 
ner : — Such  things  befel  Aaron,  the  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord,  a  much  better  man  than 
I  am  :  who  am  I  that  I  should  be  exempt- 
ed from  the  ills  which  are  common  to 
good  men,  to  the  best  of  men  ?  Such 
things  befel  Aaron  as  have  not  yet  befal- 
len me.  He  had  two  children  cut  off  to- 
gether ;  I  have  never  yet  lost  more  than 
one  at  once.  His  were  cut  off  by  an  im- 
mediate judgment  from  heaven,  and 
without  any  apparent  si)ace  being  given 
for  repentance  :  thus  have  not  mine  been. 
Yet  even  Aaron  held  his  peace ;  and 
shall  /  murmur  1     '  The  just  shall  live  by 


80 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.   FULLER. 


faith.'  God  is  telling  us,  in  general,  that 
all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  him ;  but  he  has  not  informed 
us  how  :  nor  is  it  common,  under  afflic- 
tions, to  perceive  the  good  arising  from 
them.  It  is  afterwards  that  they  yield  the 
peaceable  fruit»  of  righteousness.  If  the 
Lord  should  remove  your  son,  perhaps 
you  are  not  without  hopes  of  his  salva- 
tion ;  and,  if  the  event  should  cause  you 
to  feel  more  than  you  have  yet  felt  of  the 
perishable  nature  of  all  things  under  the 
sun,  and  draw  your  heart  more  towards 
himself  and  things  above,  where  Jesus  is, 
you  may  have  occasion  in  the  end  to  bless 
God  for  it.  God  knows  we  are  strange 
creatures ;  and  that  we  stand  in  need  of 
strange  measures  to  restrain,  humble,  and 
sanctify  us. 

"  Give  my  love  to  your  afflicted  child, 
and  give  me  leave  to  recommend  to  him, 
Him  in  whom  alone  he  can  be  saved.  I 
doubt  not  but  you  have  recommended 
Christ  to  him,  as  the  Savior  of  the  chief 
of  sinners  ;  yet  you  will  not  take  it  amiss 
if  I  address  the  following  few  lines  to 
him  : — 

"  My  dear  young  Friend, 

"  You  know  but  little  of  me,  nor  I  of 
you ;  but  I  love  you  for  your  parents' 
sake.  While  health  and  spirits  were  af- 
forded you,  you  thought,  I  presume,  but 
little  of  dying;  and  perhaps  what  you 
heard  by  way  of  counsel  or  warning,  from 
the  pulpit  or  from  other  quarters,  made 
but  little  impression  upon  you.  A  future 
world  appeared  to  you  a  sort  of  dream, 
rather  than  a  reality.  The  gratification 
of  present  desire  seemed  to  be  every  thing. 
But  now  that  Being  against  whom  you 
have  sinned  has  laid  his  hand  upon  you. 
Your  present  affliction  seems  to  be  of  the 
nature  of  a  summons :  its  language  is, 
'  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  sinner  !  ' 
Perhaps  you  have  thought  but  little  of 
your  state  as  a  lost  sinner  before  him  ; 
yet  you  have  had  sufficient  proof,  in  your 
own  experience,  of  the  degeneracy  and 
dreadful  corruption  of  your  nature.  Have 
you  learned  from  it  this  important  lesson  1 
If  you  have,  while  you  bewail  it  before 
God,  with  shame  and  self-abhorrence,  you 
will  embrace  the  refuge  set  before  you  in 
the  gospel.  The  name  of  Christ  will  be 
precious  to  your  heart.  God  has  given 
him  to  be  the  Savior  of  the  lost;  and, 
coming  to  him  as  worthy  of  death,  you  are 
welcome  to  the  blessing  of  eternal  life. 
No  man  is  so  little  a  sinner  but  that  he 
must  perish  forever  without  him ;  and  no 
man  so  great  a  sinner  as  that  he  need  des- 
pair of  mercy  in  him.  He  has  died,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  may  bring  us 
to  God.     His  blood  cleanseth  from  sin, 


and  the  benefits  of  it  are  free.  The  invi- 
tations of  the  gospel  are  universal. 
Though  God  would  never  hear  the  pray- 
ers or  regard  the  tears  of  a  sinner,  like 
yon,  for  your  oion  sake  ;  yet  he  will  hear 
from  heaven,  his  dwelling-place,  that  pe- 
tition which  is  sincerely  offered  in  the 
name  of  his  Son.  Repent  of  your  sin,  and 
you  shall  find  mercy  ;  believe  his  gospel 
with  all  your  heart,  and  you  shall  live. 
Plead  the  worthiness  of  Christ  as  the 
ground  of  acceptance,  to  the  utter  rejec- 
tion of  your  own,  and  God  will  gracious- 
ly hear,  forgive,  and  save  you.  Every 
one  that  thus  asketh  receiveth  ;  and  he 
that  seeketh  findeth  ;  and  to  him  that 
knocketh  the  door  of  mercy  shall  be  open- 
ed. In  all  your  supplications  for  mercy, 
be  sure  you  found  your  petitions  on  the 
worthiness  of  Christ  alone.  But  if  you 
can  see  no  loveliness  in  him,  nor  beauty 
that  you  should  desire  him,  depend  upon 
it  you  are  yet  in  your  sins,  and,  so  dying, 
you  must  perish.  I  do  not  know  whether 
you  have,  at  any  time,  been  inclined  to 
listen  to  the  abominable  suggestions  of  in- 
fidels ;  but,  if  you  have,  you  now  perceive 
that  those  are  principles  that  will  not 
stand  by  you  in  the  near  approach  of 
death.  If  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world,  be  not  now  a 
comfort  to  you,  you  are  comfortless. 
Look  to  him,  my  dear  young  friend,  and 
live." 

To  a  member  of  tlie  church  : — 

"My  dear  Friend, 

"  I  received  your  letter,  and  was  affect- 
ed in  reading  it.  Ah !  is  it  so,  that  you 
have  indulged  in  secret  sin  for  seven  or 
eight  years  past,  and  that  God,  the  holy 
and  the  jealous  God,  has  now  given  you 
up  to  open  sin,  and  that  you  have  in  a 
manner  lost  all  power  of  resistance! 

"  It  is  not  in  my  power,  nor  that  of  any 
creature,  to  enable  you  to  decide  upon 
your  former  experience,  while  you  are  in 
this  state  of  mind.  If  an  apostle  stood  in 
doubt  of  a  backsliding  people  (Gal.  iv.  20,) 
we  must  do  the  same — and  even  of  our- 
selves, or,  which  is  worse,  our  confidence 
will  be  delusion.  The  tree  can  only  be 
known  by  its  fruits.  If  the  reproaches  of 
the  world,  and  the  censures  of  the  church, 
lead  you  to  repentance — if  you  not  only 
confess  but  forsake  both  your  secret  and 
open  sins,  and  return  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ — you  wdll  yet  obtain  mercy ;  and 
these  visitations  of  God  will  prove  to  have 
been  the  '  stripes'  of  a  Father  on  a  diso- 
bedient child.  But,  if  you  persist  in  your 
sins,  you  will  prove  yourself  an  enemy, 
and  '  God  will  wound  the  head  of  his  ene- 
mies :  and  the  hairy  scalp  of  such  a  one 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


81 


as  goeth  on  still  in  his  trespasses.' — Ps. 
Ixviii.  2]. 

"  Tliere  certainly  is  such  a  thing  as  for 
a  man  to  'hear  the  word  and  not  do  it,' 
and  this  is  compared  to  the  case  of  one 
who  seeth  his  natural  face  in  a  glass,  and 
straightway  goeth  away  and  Corgctteth 
what  manner  of  man  he  was,'  and  such  are 
descrilied  as  '  deceiving  their  own  selves.' 
James  i.  •22 — 24.  Perhaps  there  are  few 
who  have  long  sat  under  the  preaching  of 
the  truth,  hut  have  at  times  liehcld  tlicir 
own  character  and  condition  liy  it.  Simon 
trembled,  (Acts  viii.  24)  and  Felix  trem- 
bled.— xxiv.  25.  Often  will  conscience 
answer  to  the  truth  of  what  is  spoken, 
even  while  some  lust  has  the  dominion 
over  the  soul.  If,  instead  of  producing  a 
change  of  heart  and  life,  these  convictions 
be  only  transient — if,  on  going  from  the 
means  of  grace  and  plunging  into  worldly 
cares  and  company,  all  is  forgotten — it  is 
as  when  the  seed  was  '  picked  up  liy  tiie 
fowls  of  the  air.'  And,  where  these 
transient  impressions  are  mistaken  for  the 
grace  of  God  in  the  heart,  there  men  '  de- 
ceive their  own  selves.' 

"  In  your  present  condition  do  not  at- 
tempt to  decide  upon  your  past  experi- 
ences. Your  immediate  concern  is, 
whether  you  have  ever  repented  and 
believed  in  Jesus  l)efore  or  not,  now  to 
repent  and  come  to  him.  You  may  not 
be  able  to  come  as  a  backsliding  Christian, 
but  come  as  a  guilty,  perishing  sinner. 
The  door  of  mercy  is  not  jet  shut  upon 
you.  Read  and  pray  over  the  130th 
Psalm  ;  also  the  32d  and  51st.  When 
we  think  of  the  aboundings  of  sin,  it 
would  seem  as  if  none  could  be  saved  ; 
yet  when  we  think  of  the  superaboundings 
of  grace,  and  of  the  preciousness  of  that 
blood  tiiat  was  shed  upon  the  cross,  and 
which  cleanscth  from  all  sin,  we  must 
acknowledge  that  none  need  despair.      O 

friend retrace  your  steps  !  Come  back 

— come  back  !  lest  you  plunge,  ere  you  are 
aware,  into  the  pit  whence  there  is  no 
redemption. — Read  Jer.  xxxi.  IS — 21. 

"  When  a  parent  loses,  or  is  in  danger 
of  losing  a  child,  nothing  but  the  recov- 
ery of  that  child  can  heal  the  wound.  If 
he  could  have  many  other  children,  that 
would  not  do  it.  Thus  it  was  with  Paul 
and  the  Corinthians  : — '  If  I  make  you 
sorry,  who  is  he  that  raaketh  me  glad ; 
but  the  same  that  is  made  sorry  by  meV 
— 2  Cor.  ii.  2.  Thus  it  is  with  me  to- 
wards you.  Nothing  but  your  return  to 
God  and  the  churcli  can  heal  the  wound. 
What  is  my  hope  or  joy  or  crown  of  re- 
joicing] Are  not  ye?  Do  not  bereave 
rae  of  my  reward  !  But,  if  it  be  so,  the 
loss  will  be  yours  more  than  mine.  If  I 
have  but  the  approbation  of  God,  I  shall 

VOL.     I.  11 


l)e  rewarded;  my  loss  will  be  made  up; 
but  wiio  is  to  repair  yours  1 

"  I  am  still  afTcctionately  yours, 

"  A.    FULLKH." 

In  1808  Mr.  Fuller  published  his  "Di- 
alogues, Letters,  and  Essays  on  various 
Subjects."  The  latter  part  of  this  pub- 
lication, under  the  title  of  Conversations 
between  Peter,  James,  and  John,  person- 
ating Mr.  Booth,  himself,  and  Dr. 
Rylaiul,  was  designed  to  furnish  the 
public  with  the  substance  of  a  series  of 
l)rivate  letters  to  Dr.  R.  on  the  to|)ics  in 
discussion  between  himself  and  Mr.  Booth, 
which,  as  they  contained  some  pointed 
animadversions  on  the  conduct  of  Mr.  B., 
he  had  no  wish  to  pul)lish.  The  "Con- 
versations "  were  distinguished  not  only 
by  the  absence  of  asperity,  but  l)y  the 
developement  of  the  tenderest  feelings  of 
christian  affection. 

It  had  been  more  than  once  insinuated 
that  the  views  which  Mr.  Fuller  had  so 
long  and  so  strenuously  advocated,  res- 
pecting the  universal  obligation  to  a  cor- 
dial reception  of  the  gospel,  would  not 
admit  of  a  practical  application  to  the 
consciences  of  ungodly  persons,  without 
a  compromise  of  other  imporant  doctrines 
not  less  explicitly  avowed.  To  evince 
the  incorrectness  of  this  surmise,  as  well 
as  with  the  general  design  of  doing  good, 
he  wrote  the  tract  well  known  under  the 
title  of  the  "  Great  Question  answered." 
This  address,  which  now  forms  one  of 
the  publications  of  the  Religious  Tract 
Society,  has  been  translated  into  several 
of  the  continental  languages,  and  obtained 
a  most  extensive  circulation ;  it  has  been 
rendered  eminently  useful  in  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners,  and  has  not  been  wanting 
in  testimonies  of  approbation  from  some 
of  his  most  strenuous  opponents. 

In  the  same  year,  he  published  his 
"  Expository  Discourses  on  the  Book  of 
Genesis,"  a  portion  of  sacred  history 
which  his  own  patriarchal  simplicity, 
united  with  his  deep  knowledge  of  human 
nature,  enabled  him  to  illustrate  with 
great  felicity,  and  which  the  richness  of 
evangelical  sentiment  pervading  his  mind 
qualified  him  to  invest  with  peculiar 
charms. 

It  has  been  already  intimated  that  the 
missionary  undertaking  had  to  encounter 
violent  hostility,  with  which  the  secretary 
more  than  once  successfully  grappled.  A 
remarkable  example  of  this  occurred  in 
1807.  Certain  individuals,  not  content 
with  exciting  apprehensions  in  the  minds 
of  the  authorities  in  India,  circulated 
among  the  proprietors  at  home  pamphlets 


82 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER. 


of  an  alarming  and  inflammatory  charac- 
ter. These  were  written  by  Mr.  Twining, 
Major  Scott-Waring,  and  a  Bengal  offi- 
cer, and  were  followed  hy  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  subject  in  a  general  court  of 
proprietors.  Having  speedily  replied  to 
these  pamphlets,  Mr.  Fuller,  who  had 
received  intimation  of  the  meditated  at- 
tack, attended  the  court  for  the  purpose 
of  watching  the  enemies'  proceedings. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  their  attempts 
were  triumphantly  defeated,  leaving  them 
no  alternative,  but  to  seek  new  Aveapons 
of  attack.  In  the  mean  time  an  applica- 
tion to  the  Marquis  Wellesley,  who  had 
recently  retired  from  the  presidency  of 
India,  secured  to  the  Society  his  lord- 
ship's cordial  and  powerful  support.  It 
was  not  long,  however,  before  a  favora- 
ble pretext  was  afforded  to  the  enemies 
of  religion  for  renewing  the  subject  of 
their  hostility  before  a  court  of  proprie- 
tors. An  expression  reflecting  on  the 
character  of  Mahomet  had,  by  the  inad- 
vertency or  maliciousness  of  a  native 
translator,  found  its  way  into  one  of  the 
tracts  circulated  by  the  missionaries  in 
Bengal.  This,  for  a  time,  brought  them 
into  disagreeable  contact  with  the  gov- 
ernment abroad,  till  a  candid  explanation 
and  apology  fully  satisfied  the  governor 
in  council.  At  the  period  of  the  intro- 
duction of  this  business  to  the  court  at 
home,  which  was  early  in  1808,  Mr. 
Fuller  received  communications  from 
the  missionaries,  giving  a  complete  detail 
of  the  case,  the  circulation  of  which, 
accompanied  by  powerful  appeals  to  the 
pulilic,  had  the  effect  of  once  more  de- 
feating the  projects  of  the  enemy.  The 
pamphlets  written  by  Mr.  Fuller,  during 
this  contest,  appeared  under  the  title  of 
"An  Apology  for  the  late  Christian  Mis- 
sions to  India." 

Under  date  of  January  27,  1808,  he  thus 
addresses  his  friend,  Dr.  Ryland  : — "  I  last 
night  i-eturned  from  Leicester,  with  a 
strong  fever  upon  me,  through  excess  of 
labor.  I  am  a  little  better  to  day.  My 
Apology  for  the  Mission  would  have  been 
finished  by  this  time  ;  but  there  are  new 
pieces  come  out,  as  full  of  wrath  as  possi- 
ble, which  I  am  told  I  must  notice.  I  am 
really  distressed  with  public  and  private 
labors." 

Towards  the  close  of  this  year,  the 
generous  and  pressing  calls  of  his  northern 
friends  once  more  brought  him  to  Scot- 
land.— •"  I  have  been  enabled,"  said  he, 
on  his  return,  "to  collect  as  much  as 
£2000  in  the  course  of  six  weeks,  after  a 
journey  of  1200  miles.  God  be  praised 
for  all  his  goodness,  and  for  the  abundant 


kindness  shown  towards  me  and  towards 
the  mission." 

In  1809  a  case  occurred  in  relation  to 
which  the  most  strenuous  efforts  have 
been  made  to  involve  Mr.  Fuller  in  the 
charge  of  persecution.  To  these  efforts 
the  gratuitous  admissions  of  some  of  his 
friends  have  given  considerable  counte- 
nance. An  attempt  having  been  made  by 
certain  Socinians  resident  at  Soham  to  ob- 
tain possession  of  the  place  of  worship 
belonging  to  the  Calvinistic  dissenters,  an 
appeal  was  made  by  the  latter  to  the  quar- 
ter sessions,  which  Mr.  Fuller,  upon  the 
footing  of  former  friendship,  was  request- 
ed to  aid  in  conducting.  It  was  discover- 
ed in  the  course  of  the  action  that  such 
was  the  ambiguity  of  the  legal  tenure  by 
which  their  chapel  was  held,  that  no  ef- 
fectual method  presented  itself  of  main- 
taining their  just  right,  but  an  appeal  to 
certain  statutes  at  that  lime  in  force 
against  "  impugners  of  the  Holy  Trinity." 
This,  it  appears,  was  made  by  some  of 
Mr.  Fuller's  colleagues,  less  versed  than 
himself  in  the  principles  of  religious  lib- 
erty. He  was  certainly  chargeable  with 
indiscretion  in  placing  himself  in  such  a 
position  as  that  others  should  be  able  to 
act  without  his  knowledge,  while  he  bore 
the  principal  share  in  the  general  proceed- 
ings and  the  responsibility  connected  with 
them.  His  "Narrative  of  Facts,"  pub- 
lished a  considerable  time  afterwards, 
when  the  pressure  of  other  matters  had 
intervened,  probably  conveyed  to  the  pub- 
lic mind  a  less  favorable  impression  than  a 
more  distinct  recollection  of  some  minor 
particulars  would  have  enabled  him  to 
make  ;  but  the  charge  of  loilful  falsehood 
must  be  added  to  that  of  persecution,  if 
his  own  solemn  declaration  is  not  to  be 
received,  that  he  no  sooner  learned  from 
his  attorney  the  grounds  on  which  the  case 
ivas  proceeding  than  he  most  unequivocally 
refused  to  advance  another  step,  alleging 
his  unqualified  disapprobation  of  the  laws 
in  question.  Had  the  writer  of  these  lines 
the  slightest  demur  respecting  the  truth  of 
this  statement,  he  would  deem  it  most  ad- 
visable to  omit  all  reference  to  the  sub- 
ject. On  the  other  hand,  he  can  see  no 
reason  why,  in  order  to  escape  the  charge 
of  partiality,  he  should  suffer  a  character 
so  beloved  to  lie  under  an  unjust  imputa- 
tion, the  more  especially  as  one  of  his  bi- 
ographers, who  at  first  labored  under  the 
impression  that  Mr.  Fuller's  reputation 
must  in  this  particular  be  sacrificed  to  jus- 
tice, has  since  unequivocally  declared, 
upon  the  most  competent  authority,  that 
the  onus  of  this  proceeding  lay  upon  an- 
other and  not  upon  him — that  the  charge 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


88 


against  Mr.  Fuller  is  transferred  "  from 
his  characlor  to  his  discretion,  from  his 
principles  to  iiis  prudence  ;  and  that  it  is 
to  the  latter  only  lluil  any  imputation  can 
fairly  attach." 

From  this  ungracious  contest  Mr.  Ful- 
ler found  relifil  in  the  most  cheerinjr  proofs 
of  the  success  of  his  ministry.  Writing  to 
Dr.  Ryland  in  ISIO,  lie  says,  "  There  ap- 
pears to  he  so  mucli  of  an  earnest  inquiry 
after  salvation  amontr  our  youn>r  i)eople, 
tiiat  I  leel  it  necessary  to  be  absent  from 
tiiem  as  short  a  time  as  possilile.  We 
have  a  weekly  meeting  in  the  vestry  for 
all  who  choose  to  come  for  conversation. 
.  .  .  Our  Monday  and  Friday  night  meet- 
ings are  much  thronged — the  discourses  in 
the  latter  have  been  mostly  addressed  to 
persons  under  some  concern  about  their 
salvation." 

It  was,  nevertheless,  during  these  pleas- 
ing domestic  engagements,  in  which  his 
soul  delighted,  that  lie  produced  one  of  his 
most  elaborate  controversional  pieces,  en- 
titled "  Strictures  on  Sandemanianism." 
This  publication,  which  closes  a  twenty 
years'  controversy  on  faith,  was  suggest- 
ed by  the  repeated  attacks  he  had  sustain- 
ed from  the  followers  of  Messrs.  Glass 
and  Sandeman  in  Scotland  and  Ireland, 
and  contains,  in  addition  to  the  main  ques- 
tions in  debate,  some  animadversions  on 
the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  that  body, 
which  had  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  in- 
fluenced the  organization  of  most  of  the 
Baptist  churches  in  those   countries. 

In  March,  1812,  Mr.  Fuller  received 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  nephew, 
Joseph  Fuller,  of  whose  future  eminence 
and  usefulness  in  the  cause  of  God  he  had 
cherished  the  fondest  hopes.  The  follow- 
ing account  of  this  extraordinary  youth  is 
communicated  in  a  letter  to  his  beloved 
preceptor,  Dr.  Ryland  : — 

My  dear  Brother, 

"  I  have  just  received  vours,  and  by  the 
same  post  one  from  Little  Bentley,  dated 
the  23d,  of  which  the  following  is  an  ex- 
tract : — '  This  morning,  about  a  quarter 
after  seven  o'clock,  our  dear  Joseph  left 
this  world  of  sin  and  sorrow,  and  we 
trust  is  entered  into  rest.  He  could  not 
talk  much  ;  but  said,  That  gospel  which 
I  have  recommended  to  others  is  all  my 
support  in  the  prospect  of  death.  He 
was  sensible  to  the  last.'  Thus  God  has 
blasted  our  hopes  concerning  this  lovely 
youth.  He  was  eighteen  years  old  last 
October. 

"Now  it  is  fresh  upon  my  mind,  I  will 
give  you  a  few  particulars  of  such  things 
concerning  him  as  fell  under  my  no- 
tice : — 


"In  July,  1806,  I  took  Mrs.  Fuller  to 
Bentley,  on  a  visit  to  my   brother  and  his 
family.     Joseph  was  then  under   thirteen 
years  old.     We  observed  in  him  a   talent 
ibr  learning  :  and  his   parents  seemed   to 
think  him   not  much  suited  to    their  busi- 
ness.    Mrs.   Fr.  therefore  proposed   that 
he  should  come  and  live  with  us,  and  im- 
prove his  learning.     The  following  Octo- 
ber he  came,  and   we  sent  him  to  school, 
to    our  friend    Mr.  Mason,    of  Rowell. 
After  being  there  three  months,  he  spent 
the  winter   holidays   at  our  house.     One 
day  he  was   looking  over  the   Greek  Al- 
phabet, and  soon  got  it  l>y  heart.     He  ob- 
tained a  few  instructions  before   the  holi- 
days were  ended  ;  and,  on  his  returning  to 
school,  I  spoke  to  my  worthy  friend,    the 
Rev.  Mr.    Brotherhood,    of  Desborough, 
near  Rowell,  resquesting  the  favor  of  his 
teaching  him  the  Latin  and  Greek  langua- 
ges.     With   this  request  Mr.  B.  not  only 
readily  complied,  but  generously  declin- 
ed any  recompense  for  his  trouble.  On  an 
evening,  after  the  school  hours  at  Rowell, 
Joseph   would   walk  over  to  Desborough, 
and  spend  an   hour  or  two  with  Mr.  B., 
who  with  Mrs.  B.  treated  him  as  a  young 
friend,  rather  than  as  a  pupil.     His   dili- 
gence,  sobriety,   and  good   sense,    raised 
him  in  their  esteem  ;  and  he  had   a  great 
respect   and   esteem    for   them.      In    this 
course   he    continued    through    the    years 
1807  and  1808.     He  could  talk  of  religion, 
and,  I  lielieve,    from   his    childhood,    had 
thoughts  of  the  ministry;  but,  as  I    saw 
no  signs   of  real   personal    Christianity,    I 
never  encouraged  any   thing  of  the    kind. 
In  the  autumn,   I  think,  of  1808,  we  per- 
ceived an  evident  change   in  his  sjiirit  and 
behavior.     This  was  o1  served,  not  only  at 
Kettering,    but  at  Rowell.     I   found,  too, 
that  he    wished   to  open  his  mind  to  me  ; 
and  I  soon  gave  him  an  opportunity.    The 
result  was,  we  were  satisfied  of  his  being 
the  subject  of  repentance  towards  God  and 
faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     On 
April  30, 1S09,  I  baptized  him,  and  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  church  at  Kettering. 
.  Under  these  circumstances,  I  could  not  but 
think  of  his  being  employed   in  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  provided   his    own   heart 
was  in  it.     On  gently  sounding  him  upon 
it,  I  found  it  was.     He  was  too  much  of  a 
child   to   be    asked    to   speak   before    the 
church  ;  and  yet  we  thought  no  time  should 
be  lost  in  improving  his  talents.     A  letter 
was  therefore  sent  ^o  the  Bristol   Educa- 
tion Society  through  your  hands,   recom- 
mending him  as  a  pious  youth  of  promis- 
ing talents  for  the   ministry.     In  August, 
the  same  year,  he  went  to  Bristol.     At 
the  vacation,  in  the  summer  of  1810,  he 
went  home,  and  on  his  return,  towards  the 
end  of  July,  came  by  Kettering.     At  the 


84 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


church-meeting,  he  preached  from  1  Cor. 
ii.  2,  '  For  I  determined  not  to  know  any 
thing  among  you  save  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified.'  He  was  then  under  sev- 
enteen years  of  age  and  a  mere  lad  in  ap- 
pearance;  but  his  thoughts  were  just  and 
mature. 

"  From  the  first  of  his  religious  impres- 
sions, he  expressed  a  desire  to  go  to  India 
as  a  missionary,  if  he  were  thought  a  suita- 
ble person.  I  did  not  discourage  him,  but 
told  him  he  was  too  young,  at  present,  to 
determine  on  a  matter  of  such  importance. 
On  the  above  visit  to  us,  in  July,  1810,  I 
inquired  wliether  his  mind  continued  the 
same  on  that  subject.  He  answered,  it 
did. 

"  His  journey  from  Kettering  to  Bristol, 
which  (being  very  fond  of  walking)  he 
principally  performed  on  foot,  was,  I  fear, 
injurious  lo  him.  He  got  wet,  as  I  after- 
v/ards  learned,  several  times  on  the  road. 
Towards  the  following  Chi-istmas,  he  told 
me,  he  began  to  feel  the  complaint  on  his 
lungs.  It  is  now  nearly  a  year,  I  suppose, 
since  he  left  Bristol  to  go  to  his  father's 
house.  After  he  had  been  there  the 
greater  part  of  the  summer  of  1811,  he 
paid  a  visit,  for  a  month  or  two,  to  the 
new  academy  at  Stepney,  where  he  was 
treated  with  great  kindness  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newman,  as  he  had  been  in  the 
spring  of  the  same  year,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burls.  Indeed,  I  may  say,  at  every  place 
he  '  grew  in  favor  with  God  and  man.' 

"  Being  myself  in  London,  early  in  No- 
vember, I  took  him  with  me  down  to  Ket- 
tering. Here  he  stopped  about  six 
weeks  ;  dui'ing  which  we  used  means  for 
the  recovery  of  his  health,  but  without 
effect.  So  far  as  his  affliction  would  per- 
mit, he  here  enjoyed  the  company  of  his 
friends.  He  got  over  to  Rowell,  and  to 
Desboi'ough,  to  see  his  dear  friends,  Mr. 
Mason  and  Mr.  Brotlierhood.  About 
Dec.  20,  1811,  I  took  him  to  Cambridge, 
whence  he  was  conducted  home.  On 
parting,  we  both  wept,  as  not  expecting  to 
see  each  other  again  in  the  flesh.  So  it 
has  proved.  His  father  informs  me,  that, 
on  the  last  Lord's-day  in  January,  he  was 
very  desirous  of  going  with  him  to  Thorpe 
to  join  in  the  Lord's  supper ;  which, 
though  with  much  difficulty,  he  accom- 
plished. His  death  is  one  of  those  mys- 
teries in  providence,  not  of  very  unfre- 
quent  occurrence,  wherein  God,  after  ap- 
parently forming  and  fitting  an  instrument 
for  usefulness  in  this  world,  removes  it  to 
another.'  But  '  it  is  well.'  I  do  not  re- 
member to  have  known  a  lad  of  his  years, 
who  possessed  more  command  of  temper, 
or  maturity  of  judgment,  or  whose  mind 
seemed  more  habitually  directed  to  the 
glory  of  God." 


Dr.  Ryland,  speaking  of  the  first  dis- 
course delivered  by  this  youth,  in  the  lec- 
ture-room of  the  college,  says,  "I  was 
obliged  to  suppress  my  feelings  and  hurry 
out  of  the  room,  that  I  might  not  let  a  lad 
of  sixteen  see  how  much  I  was  delighted 
with  what  he  had  been  uttering." 

A  pulmonary  attack  during  the  prece- 
ding summer,  had  seriously  affected  Mr. 
Fuller's  health  ;  and,  though  he  was  so 
far  restored  as  to  undertake  a  journey  of 
600  miles,  his  exhausted  powers  and  in- 
creasing labors  suggested  the  necessity  of 
stated  assistance  in  his  pastoral  duties,  a 
service  which  was  supplied  by  the  Rev. 
J.  K.  Hall,  a  nephew  of  the  late  Rev.  R. 
Hall. 

Early  in  May,  Mr.  Fuller  took  a  jour- 
ney into  ^Wales.  From  Abergavenny  he 
wrote  to  Mr.  Sutcliff.  After  speaking  of 
the  low  state  of  his  health,  and  alluding  to 
some  malicious  censures,  against  the  Bap- 
tists and  their  missionary  undertaking,  he 
thus  concludes  :  "  Our  wisdom  is  to  be 
still  and  quiet,  and  to  mind  our  own  busi- 
ness. For  my  own  part,  my  afflictions 
say  to  me,  '  Study  to  shoio  thyself  approved 
unto  God.'  What  empty  things  are  the 
applauses  of  creatures,  and  how  idle  the 
pursuit  of  them  !  I  seem  near  the  end  of 
my  course,  and  hope,  through  grace,  and 
grace  only,  to  finish  it  with  joy.  I  have 
no  transports,  but  a  steady  hope  of  eter- 
nal life,  on  the  ground  of  my  Saviour's 
death.  I  feel  some  freedom  in  my  appli- 
cations to  God  in  his  name.  If  I  should 
die,  I  shall  be  able  to  say  to  the  rising 
generation,  '  God  ivill  surely  visit  you.' 
A  work  is  begun  that  will  not  end  till  the 
world  be  subdued  to  the  Saviour.  We 
have  done  a  little  for  him,  accompanied 
with  much  evil  ;  the  Lord  grant  that 
this  may  not  be  laid  to  our  charge  in  that 
day . ' ' 

The  close  of  this  year  brought  the  af- 
flictive intelligence  of  the  destruction  of 
the  printing  establishment  at  Serampore 
by  fire.  The  loss  occasioned  by  this 
calamity  was  estimated  at  upwards  of 
£12,000.  Much  as  this  news  affected 
Mr.  Fuller,  he  predicted  the  speedy  re- 
paration of  the  injury.  Being  then  on  a 
tour  in  Norfolk,  he  hastened  home  to  ar- 
range for  a  general  appeal  to  the  benevo- 
lence of  the  christian  public.  This  was 
answered  by  prompt  and  liberal  sub- 
scriptions in  all  parts  of  the  United  King- 
dom, and  in  the  United  States  of  America, 
which  in  a  few  weeks  more  than  repaired 
the  loss.  On  this  occasion  Mr.  Fuller 
received  the  following  testimony  of  chris- 
tian liberality  from  an  eminent  minister  of 
the  establishment,  now  deceased  : — 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


85 


"  From  the  lime  I  heard  of  the  fire  at 
Serampore,  I  felt  desirous  to  assist  in  re- 
pairiiiji  the  loss,  and  promoting;  the  im- 
portant work  of  translating;  the  Scriptures 
into  the  oriental  laniruagcs.  I  view  the 
subject  as  presenting;  a  common  claim 
upon  the  christian  world,  and  rejrard,  with 
highest  estimation,  the  lal)ors  of  your  so- 
ciety in  the  East  Indies. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  to  state  that,  in- 
cUidina;  a  donation  remitted  to  me  hy  my 
respected  friend.  Dr.  Kihington,  our  col- 
lection at  Bentinck  Chapel,  on  Sunday 
last,  has  produced  £1.30. 

"  With  my  unfeigned   prayer   that   the 
eternal  God  may  prosper   all  these  exer- 
tions to  tlie  promotion  of  his  glory  and  the 
benefit  of  his  church,  I  am,  dear  Sir, 
"  Yours  very  faithfully, 

"  Basil  W'oodd." 

On  communicating  to  the  late  Rev. 
Legh  Richmond  some  pleasing  intelli- 
gence from  India,  accompanied  with  spe- 
cimens of  type  recast  from  the  materials 
found  in  the  ruins  at  Serampore,  Mr. 
Fuller  received  the  following  affectionate 
reply  :— 

"Rev.  and  dear  Brother, 

"  I  received  your  papers  with  thankful 
pleasure — they  seem  like  specimens  drop- 
ped from  the  midst  of  heaven  by  the  angel 
in  his  flight  with  the  everlasting  gospel  in 

his  hand Happy  are  those  that  can 

cultivate  true  brotherly  love  and  respect, 
although  they  cannot  in  every  thing 
think  and  act  together.  There  is  still  a 
wide  field  for  mutual  operation — there  may 
be  a  few  hedges  and  ditches  to  separate 
portions  of  the  land  ;  but  it  is  all  one  farm 
— Glory  be  to  the  chief  Husbandman  and 
great  Shepherd  ! — His  grace  and  mercy 
be  on  such  subordinate  husbandmen  and 
shepherds  as  you,  and  far  more  so 
"  Your  unworthy  fellow-laborer, 

"  Legh  Richmond." 

It  will  he  seen  from  the  preceding  pages 
that  it  was  Mr.  Fuller's  happiness  to 
be  acquainted  w  ith  many  of  the  most  em- 
inent and  pious  of  the  established  clergy. 
Besides  those  to  whom  reference  has  al- 
ready been  made,  we  may  mention  Drs. 
Erskine  and  Chalmers  in  Scotland  ;  and 
in  this  country  the  Rev.  John  Owen  and 
the  venerable  Berridge  :  in  a  letter  to  his 
friend  Ryland,  he  thus  describes  an  inter- 
view with  the  latter  : — 

" As  to  my   Everton  journey,  I 

wrote  something,  as  it  was  then  fresh 
upon  my  mind,  better  than  I  can  now.  I 
greatly  admired  that  divine  savor  which  all 
along  mingled  itself  with  Mr.  Berridge's 
facetiousness,    and   sufficiently   chastised 


it.  His  conversation  tended  to  produce 
a  frequent,  but  guiltless  smile,  accompa- 
nied with  a  tear  of  j)leasure.  His  love 
to  CJirvt  appears  to  be  intense.  I  re- 
quested him  to  give  us  a  few  outlines  of 
his  life  and  ministry.  These  were  inter- 
esting, but  too  long  to  write.  They  will 
enrich  an  e\ening's  conversation,  i(  1  come 
to  Northampton.  When  he  had  gone 
through,  I  asked  him  to  pray  for  us.  He 
said  he  was  so  faint  he  could  not  yet,  and 
requested  me  to  pray.  I  prayed,  and  con- 
cluded as  usual  fy  asking  all  in  Christ's 
name.  He,  without  getting  off  his  knees, 
took  up  the  prayer  where  I  had  left  it,  in 
some  such  manner  as  this  : — '  O  Lord 
God  !  this  prayer  has  been  offered  up 
in  the  name  of  Jescs  :  accept  it,  I  be- 
seech thee,'  &c.,  for  five  or  six  min- 
utes, in  a  most  solemn  and  savory  man- 
ner. We  then  took  leave,  with  solemn 
prayer  for  blessings  on  each  other,  as  if 
we  had  been  acquainted  for  forty  years, 
and  were  never  to  see  each  other  again  in 
this  world.  The  visit  left  a  strong  and 
lasting  impression  on  my  heart  of  the 
beauty  of  holiness — of  holiness  almost 
matured." 

In  1813,  on  the  renewal  of  the  East 
India  charter,  Mr.  Fuller  visited  the  me- 
tropolis with  a  view  to  obtain  the  inser- 
tion of  a  clause  granting  a  passage  to  the 
missionaries  in  British  ships,  instead  of 
compelling  them  to  make  a  circuitous 
voyage  by  America,  as  well  as  affording 
that  legal  protection  in  India  to  which  the 
peaceable  conduct  of  the  missionaries  in 
that  country,  not  less  than  their  natural 
privileges  as  British  subjects,  entitled 
them.  Accompanied  l)y  Messrs.  Sutcliff, 
Iviraey,  and  Burls,  he  obtained  an  inter- 
view with  the  earl  of  Buckinghamshire, 
which  ended  in  the  request  of  his  lord- 
ship to  be  furnished  with  a  written  state- 
ment of  their  wishes.  Mr.  Fuller  lost 
no  time  in  forwarding  this  to  his  lord- 
ship, and  a  similar  communication  was 
also  made  to  the  earl  of  Liverpool.  Pe- 
titions to  parliament  were  forwarded  from 
the  various  communities  of  Dissenters, 
while  vast  numbers  of  pious  Episcopali- 
ans, feeling  it  to  beasubjtct  of  common 
interest,  joined  in  the  appeal,  which 
proved  successful. 

The  following  short  epistle  from  the 
venerable  philanthropist  whose  name  it 
bears  was  written  to  Mr.  Fuller  in  allu- 
sion to  the  aliove  event,  and  to  certain 
interesting  intelligence  received  from 
India. 

''London,  Nov.  29,  1813. 
"  My  dear  Sir, 

"I  return  you  many   thanks    for  your 


S6 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


friendly  communication,  and  am  sorry  I 
did  not  receive  it  on  Saturday  till  too  late 
to  write  to  you  by  return  of  tlie  ])ost. 
How  striking  that,  at  the  very  time  when 
we  were  prosecuting  our  endeavors.  Dr. 
Carey  should  be  experiencing  the  need  of 
such  a  regulation  as  we  solicited,  and  ex- 
press his  wishes  for  such  permission  as, 
through  God's  blessing,  we  finally  ob- 
tained !  In  what  manner  we  should  pro- 
ceed in  respect  of  these  transactions  I  am 
by  no  means  as  yet  clear.  The  question 
deserves  the  most  mature  consideration ; 
and  I  shall  be  happy  to  confer  on  it  with 
like  minded  friends.  But  it  might  assist 
us  in  forming  a  right  decision  to  read  the 
original  correspondence  (if  there  are  no 
parts  of  it  which  you  had  rather  we  should 
not  peruse,)  and,  indeed,  to  receive  all 
other  information  that  you  can  give  us  : 
the  more  detailed  and  particular  the  bet- 
ter. But,  my  dear  sir,  joy! — joy  ! — joy! 
I  have  scarcely  restrained  myself,  from 
my  first  taking  up  the  pen,  from  break- 
ing out  into  these  notes  of  exultation  on 
the  glad  tidings  which  Dr.  Carey's  let- 
ter conveys — tidiHgs  so  glad,  and  so  im- 
portant, that  the  value  of  them  can  scarce- 
ly be  overrated.  Five  natives  of  high  caste 
become  Christians,  keeping  the  Lord's- 
day,  and  meeting  for  religious  edification, 
without  having  had  any  intercourse  with 
the  missionaries — merely  from  reading  the 
Scriptures,  tracts,  &c. — besides  the  hun- 
dred hopefuls  !  When  I  consider  who 
and  what  Dr.  Carey  is  and  has  been,  and 
what  encouragement  the  translations  of 
the  Scriptures  into  the  native  languages 
have  received,  I  seem  to  hear  in  this  inci- 
dent the  voice  of  the  Almighty,  saying, 
You  are  in  the  right  path,  press  forward 
in  it.  I  am  much  pressed  far  time  to-day, 
and  must  break  off,  assuring  you  that  I 
am  ever,  with  cordial  esteem  and  regard, 
"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"  VV.    WiLBERFORCE." 

In  the  summer  of  this  year,  Mr.  Fuller 
paid  his  fifth  and  last  visit  to  Scotland, 
where  he  was  received  with  renewed 
proofs  of  affection  perfectly  overwhelming 
to  his  feelings.  An  incident  occurred  at 
Edinburgh  which  evinces,  amidst  his  ar- 
duous labors,  a  deep  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  his  fellow  townsmen.  Learning 
that  the  Northamptonshire  militia  were  in 
quarters  at  the  castle,  he  went  to  see 
them,  and,  on  finding  four  young  men 
from  Kettering,  entered  into  conversation 
with  them,  invited  them  to  attend  divine 
worship,  and,  on  his  departure,  presented 
one  of  them  with  a  Bible. 

In  1814,  Mr.  Fuller  received  a  warning 
of  his  own  dissolution  in  that  of  his  valued 


friend  and  counsellor  Mr.  Sutclilf.  Un- 
der date  of  March  24  he  Avrites  to  Dr. 
Ryland  as  follows  : — "  I  have  just  receiv- 
ed an  alarming  letter  from  Olney,  and 
must  go,  if  possible,  to  see  our  dear  broth- 
er to-morrow.  Brother  Sutcliff  was  kept 
ten  days  in  London,  took  two  days  to  get 
home,  his  legs  swelled,  blisters  were  ap- 
plied, which  drew  water.  They  fear  he 
has  water  in  his  chest  :  he  cannot  lie 
down,  for  want  of  breath,  but  sits,  night 
after  night,  in  a  large  chair.  Well;  the 
government  is  on  Hi^  shoulders  ;  ours 
will  soon  be  from  under  the  load  ;  but, 
while  we  are  reducing  in  number,  and 
increasing  in  labor,  it  may  be  the  heavier 
for  a  time.  God  grant  we  may  finish  our 
course  with  joy." 

Of  this  venerable  man,  who  entered  into 
his  rest  on  the  22d  of  June,  the  late  Rev. 
R.  Hall  engaged,  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr. 
F.,  to  furnish  some  account  to  the  public 
— an  engagement  from  which  he  subse- 
quently excused  himself.  His  letter  to 
Mr.  Fuller,  on  this  occasion,  affords  a 
striking  specimen  of  his  characteristic  dif- 
fidence. 

My  dear  Brother, 

"  I  am  truly  concerned  to  be  obliged  to 
tell  you  that  I  cannot  succeed  at  all  in  my 
attempts  to  draw  the  character  of  our  dear 
and  venerable  brother  Sutcliff.  I  have 
made  several  efforts,  and  have  sketched 
out,  as  well  as  I  could,  the  outlines  of 
what  I  conceive  to  be  his  character,  but 
have  failed  in  producing  such  a  portrait  as 
appears  to  me  fit  for  the  public  eye.  I  am 
perfectly  convinced  that  your  intimacy 
with  him,  and  your  powers  of  discrimina- 
tion, will  enable  you  to  present  to  pos- 
terity a  much  juster  and  more  impressive 
idea  of  him  than  I  can.  I  am  heartily 
sorry  I  promised  it.  But  promises  I  hold 
sacred;  and  therefore,  if  you  insist  upon 
it,  and  are  not  willing  to  release  me  from 
my  engagement,  I  will  accomplish  the 
task  as  well  as  I  can.  But,  if  you  will  let 
the  matter  pass  without  reproaching  ijj^ 
sub  silentlo,  you  will  oblige  me  considera- 
bly. It  appears  to  me  that,  if  I  ever  pos- 
sessed a  faculty  of  character-drawing,  I 
have  lost  it,  probably  for  want  of  use,  as 
I  am  far  from  taking  any  delight  in  a  mi- 
nute criticism  on  chai-acter,  to  which,  in 
my  younger  days,  I  was  excessively  ad- 
dicted. Both  our  taste  and  talents  change 
with  the  progress  of  years.  The  purport 
of  these  lines,  however,  is  to  request  you 
to  absolve  me  from  my  promise,  in  which 
light  I  shall  interpret  your  silence  ;  hold- 
ing myself  ready,  however,  to  comply 
with  your  injunctions.  I  am,  my  dear  Sir, 
"Your  affectionate  Brother, 

R.  Hall. 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER. 


87 


An  outline  of  Mr.  SutclifT's  character 
was  subscciuently  given  in  liis  luncral  dis- 
course, puliiishcd  by  JVIr.  Fuller,  and  now 
inserted  in  the  second  volume  ol'his  works. 


SECTION  v.— 1814,  1S15. 

Journeys  into  various  parts  of  England — 
Ordination  of  Air.  Yates  at  Leicester — 
Commencement  of  last  illness — Attempt- 
ed excursion  to  the  North  of  England — 
Last  visit  to  London — Publication  of 
Sermons — Preparation  of  MSS.  on  the 
Revelations  and  on  Communion — A'e- 
tum  of  disorder — Ordination  of  Mr. 
Mack — Aggravated  symptoms  of  disease 
— Last  Sermon,  and  distribution  of  the 
Lord's  Supper — Visit  to  Cheltenham 
contemplated  and  relinquished — Last 
Letter  to  Dr.  Ryland — Dying  expres- 
sions—  Concluding  scene — Funeral — 
Extract  from  Mr.  Toller's  Sermons — 
Testimonies  of  the  Rev.  R.  Hall,  Dr. 
Newman,  and  Bible  Society — Marble 
Tablet— Letter  of  Mrs.  Fuller  to  Dr. 
Ryland — Appendix,  containing  notices 
of  his  family,  4"c. 

Under  the  powerful  impression  of  his 
favorite  inspired  maxim,  "  Whatsoever 
tliy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy 
might,"  JNIr.  Fuller  continued  his  unwea- 
ried etTorts  on  hehalf  of  the  mission.  He 
thus  writes  to  Ur.  Ryland  on  the  •26th 
May,  1814  : — "  Between  now  and  the  first 
week  in  August  I  have  no  rest.  I  give 
you  my  routes,  that  you  may  write  no  let- 
ters to  me  at  Kettering  while  I  am  out, 
and  may  write,  if  occasion  should  require, 
to  other  places.  June  6,  I  set  off  for  Es- 
sex, where  I  shall  collect  between  the  Sth 
and  the  "iOth ;  thence  I  go  to  London,  to 
the  annual  meeting,  on  the  22d ;  come 
down  to  Kettering  on  the  24th  or  25th  ; 
set  off  for  the  north  of  England  on  the 
27th,  for  five  Lord's-days.  I  expect  to 
spend  the  first  at  Liverpool,  the  second  at 
Manchester,  the  tliird  at  Leeds,  the  fourth 
at  Newcastle,  and  the  fifth  at  Hull." 

The  termination  of  his  labors  was,  how- 
ever, rapidly  a{)proaching;  an  event  of 
which  he  had  recently  received  repeated  in- 
timations, and  to  which  he  looked  forward 
with  feelings  equally  removed  from  ecs- 
tasy and  dismay.  In  the  summer  of  1814 
he  traveled  through  several  of  the  mid- 
land counties,  attended  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  mission  in  London,  and,  after 
paying  the  last  tribute  to  the  remains  of 
his  beloved  friend  at  Olney,  set  off  for 
Lancashire   and    the   north   of  England. 


From  Durham  he  addressed  a  request  to 
the  East  India  directors  for  the  passage  of 
Mr.  Yates,  a  missionary  to  Serampore, 
when  a  contumacious  opposition  to  the 
provisions  of  the  new  enactment  compel- 
led him,  after  repeated  and  res])cctiul  so- 
licitations, to  appeal  to  the  Board  of  Con- 
trol. For  this  purpose  he  again  visited 
London,  where  he  obtained  an  inter\ievv 
with  the  earl  of  Buckinghamshire.  This 
matter  being  satisfactorily  adjusted,  he 
returned  home,  and  the  following  week 
attended  the  designation  of  Mr.  Yates  at 
Leicester.  He  preached  with  unusual 
solemnity  anci  affection,  but  could  not  do 
as  at  other  times.  His  debilitated  frame 
sank  under  (he  fatigue  of  the  engagements. 

During  his  stay  at  Leicester  he  appear- 
ed so  absorbed  in  the  concerns  of  the 
mission  that  his  friends  enjoyed  but  little 
of  his  society.  On  parting  with  them  he 
intimated  that  he  was  very  ill,  that  he 
should  probably  see  them  no  more,  that 
his  work  was  nearly  done,  but  that  he 
could  not  spare  time  to  nurse  himself, 
and  must  lai  or  as  long  as  he  could. 

On  Lord's-day,  Sept.  4,  after  preach- 
ing in  the  morning,  he  was  taken  seriously 
ill.  On  the  ISlh,  addressing  his  friend 
Ryland,  he  says,  "  For  the  last  fortnight 
I  have  been  laid  by  and  nearly  confined  to 
my  bed.  I  know  not  when  I  have  had 
so  violent  an  attack  of  the  I  ile.  I  had  an 
inflammation  about  the  liver,  the  effects 
of  which  are  still  upon  me,  so  that  I  can 
scarcely  walk.  I  hope  to  get  out  to 
meeting  once  to  day.  I  know  not  what 
to  do  with  the  missionary  students  (from 
Olney,)  being  utterly  unfit  to  entertain 
care  of  any  kind.  I  thought  it  best  to  let 
them  come  to  you.  Here  I  must  leave 
it.  The  writing  of  this  letter  has  over- 
come me." 

Having  partially  recovered,  he  proceed- 
ed with  two  friends  on  another  journey  to 
the  north  of  England,  to  complete  those 
engagements  which  had  been  abruptly 
broken  off  on  his  last  excursion ;  but  on 
reaching  Newark  he  was  compelled  to 
return,  leaving  them  to  prosecute  the  ob- 
ject. 

Writing  to  a  friend  soon  after,  he  says, 
"I  have  preached  only  twice  for  the  last 
five  or  six  weeks,  but  am  gradually, 
though  slowly,  recovering.  Since  I  was 
laid  by  from  preaching,  I  have  written 
out  my  sermon,  and  drawn  up  a  memoir 
for  my  dear  brother  Sutcliff.  Your  par- 
tiality for  the  memoir  of  dear  Pearce 
will  ensure  me  one  reader  at  least  for 
that  of  Sutcliff.  I  hope  the  great  and 
good  Mr.  Charles  of  Bala  will  find  some 
one  who  will  do  justice  to  his  memory. 
Mrs.  Sutcliff  died  on  the  3d  of  Septem- 
ber,  less    than    eleven  weeks   after  her 


88 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


husband.  Death  has  swept  away  almost 
all  my  old  friends,  and  I  seem  to  stand 
expecting  to  be  called  for  soon.  It  mat- 
ters not  when,  so  that  we  be  found  in 
Christ." 

In  another  letter  he  says,  "Brother 
Sutcliff's  last  end  was  enviable  :  may 
mine  be  like  his  !  Death  has  been  mak- 
ing havoc  of  late  among  us.  Yesterday 
I  preached  a  funeral  sennon,  if  so  it  might 
be  called,  for  three  of  the  members  of 
our  church,  lately  deceased.  I  feel  as 
one  who  has  the  sentence  of  death,  and 
whose  great  concern  it  is  whether  my 
religion  will  bear  the  test !  Almost  all 
my  old  friends  are  dead,  or  dying.  Well, 
I  have  a  hope  that  bears  me  up ;  and  it 
is  through  grace.  In  reviewing  my  life, 
I  see  much  evil — God  be  mercii'ul  to  me 
a  sinner  !" 

In  December,  having  somewhat  recruit- 
ed his  strength,  he  paid  another  visit  to 
London,  on  which  occasion  he  delivered 
a  powerful  and  animated  discourse  on 
behalf  of  the  British  and  Foreign  School 
Society.  Though  this  was  one  of  his 
happiest  efforts,  it  was  evident  to  his 
London  friends  that  they  could  expect  to 
see  his  face  no  more.  He  was  strongly 
advised  to  try  the  air  and  waters  of  Chel- 
tenham, but  deferred  it  to  a  milder  season, 
using  the  "salts"  as  a  substitute  in  the 
interim. 

It  was  during  the  numerous  engage- 
ments and  afflictions  of  this  year  that  he 
published  his  "  Sermons  on  Various  Sub- 
jects." This  work  consisted  of  sixteen 
discourses,  worthy  of  the  talents  and 
piety  of  the  author,  and  will  Vic  found  in 
the  second  volume  of  his  works. 

In  the  commencement  of  1815  he  pre- 
pared for  the  press,  his  "  Exposition  of 
the  Revelations,"  and  "  Letter  on  Com- 
munion." The  latter  treatise  he  con- 
signed to  the  care  of  his  esteemed  friend 
Dr.  Newman,  with  a  request  to  publish 
it,  in  case  an  anticipated  production  from 
the  pen  of  Mr.  Hall  on  the  other  side 
should  seem  to  render  it  necessary.  This 
publication,  though  not  without  marks  of 
that  shrewd  and  penetrating  judgment 
which  distinguished  his  controversial  wri- 
tings, is  not  remarkalle  for  the  most 
conclusive  reasoning  ;  and  though  it  were 
too  much  to  admit  the  justice  of  Mr. 
Hall's  insinuation,  that  his  mind  was  not 
fully  made  up  on  the  subject,  there  is 
perhaps  reason  to  suppose  that  a  more 
ample  discussion  would  have  effected  a 
considerable  alteration  in  his  views.  The 
charge  of  bigotry,  however,  made  against 
him,  and  others  cherishing  the  same  sen- 
timents on  this  subject,  says  little  for  the 
understanding  or  charity  of  those  who 
prefer  it.     True  chanty  will  never  require 


the  surrender  of  a  man's  principles  as  an 
evidence  of  his  candor ;  and  happy  they 
who  have  learned  that  an  honest  refusal 
to  unite  in  the  partial  use  of  some  minor 
tokens  of  affection  may  consist  with  the 
exercise  of  the  tenderest  feelings  of  chris- 
tian love.  Mr.  Fuller  describes  a  con- 
versation with  a  Paedobaptist  minister 
on  this  subject,  which  is  highly  creditable 
to  both  : — "  I  never  saw  more  godliness, 
candor,  or  humility  in  any  one.  He 
talked  with  me,  among  other  things, 
about  baptism  and  strict  communion.  '  I 
think,'  said  he,  before  a  number  of  his 
friends,  '  you  have  a  catholic  heart :  I 
should  like  to  know  the  grounds  on  which 
you  act;  and  I  am  almost  sure  they  are 
not  temper  nor  bigotry.'  When  I  had 
stated  them,  he  answered,  '  Well ;  I  think 
I  can  see  the  conscientiousness  of  your 
conduct,  and  am  therefore  glad  I  asked 
you.'" 

In  1815,  within  three  or  four  months  of 
his  decease,  while  laboring  under  the  most 
depressed  state  of  body  and  mind,  occa- 
sioned by  a  disordered  liver,  he  sat  at  his 
desk  upwards  of  twelve  hours  a  day. 

On  Feb.  1,  he  wrote  to  his  brother 
at  Isleham  as  follows,  "...  Well;  '  the 
Lord  liveth,  and  blessed  be  my  rock!'  I 
am  conscious  of  no  wicked  way  in  me ; 
but  I  feel  myself  to  be  an  unprofitable 
servant.  We  shall  soon  finish  our  course  : 
may  it  be  with  joy  !  If  I  am  able  next 
summer,  it  is  my  mind  to  take  a  tour 
eastward  to  Wislicach,  Lynn,  Fakenham, 
Norwich,  Yarmouth,  and  some  other 
places  in  Norfolk  and  Suff"olk,  and  return 
by  Isleham  and  Soham ;  but  perhaps  I 
may  prove  like  Sampson,  who  went  out 
to  do  as  at  other  times,  and  wist  not  that 
his  strength  was  departed  from  him." 
He  was  under  the  necessity  of  placing 
himself  under  medical  direction,  to  enable 
him  to  fulfil  an  engagement  at  Clipstone, 
a  few  miles  from  home,  where  on  the  29th 
of  March  he  attended  the  ordination  of 
the  Rev.  J.  Mack.  He  addressed  the 
church  in  a  most  impressive  manner,  from 
1  John  8.  On  retiring  from  the  pulpit 
he  said,  in  reply  to  the  inquiries  of  his 
friends,  "I  am  very  ill — a  dying  man." 
On  taking  his  leave,  he  said,  "All  is  over 
— my  work  is  nearly  finished.  I  shall  see 
you  no  more  :  the  blessing  of  the  Lord 
attend  you — farewell."  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  this  exercise  contributed 
greatly  to  the  aggravation  of  his  disorder. 
The  following  Sabbath,  April  "2,  he  deliv- 
ered his  last  sermon,  from  Isa.  Ixvi.  1,  2, 
"  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  heaven  is  my 
throne,  and  the  earth  is  my  footstool," 
&c.  His  discourse  on  this  occasion  was 
marked  by  a  peculiar  earnestness;  and  his 


MEMOIRS    OP    MR.    FULLER. 


89 


subsequent  pathetic  though  short  address 
at  the  Lord's  table,  interrupted  hy  solemn 
pauses,  conveyed  to  the  minds  of  the 
communicants  a  powerful  impression  that 
they  were  receivint;  tlie  memorials  of  a 
Savior's  love  from  his  hands  for  the  last 
time.  He  seemed  alisorhed  in  the  con- 
templation of  a  crucified,  risen,  and  ex- 
alted Redeemer,  and  quoted  with  pecu- 
liar emphasis  those  lines  : — 

"  Jesus  is  gone  above  tlie  skies,"  &c. 

On  the  9th,  after  sitting  up  in  his  bed, 
and  speakinii  in  afTecting  terms  relative 
to  some  iamily  atfair?,  he  said,  "I  feel 
satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  my  times 
are  in  the  Lord's  hands.  I  have  been 
importuning  the  Lord  that  whether  I  live 
it  may  be  to  him,  or  whetlier  I  die  it  may 
be  to  him.  F"lesh  and  heart  fail;  but 
God  is  the  strength  of  my  heai't,  and  my 
portion  forever." 

April  the  11th,  he  said,  "Into  thy 
hands  I  commit  my  spirit,  my  family,  and 
my  charge :  I  have  done  a  little  for  God  ; 
but  all  that  I  have  done  needs  forgive- 
ness. I  trust  alone  in  sovereign  grace 
and  niercy.  I  could  be  glad  to  be  favor- 
ed wiih  some  lively  hopes  before  I  depart 
hence.  God,  my  supporter  and  my  hope, 
I  would  say,  '  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done  !' 

'  God  is  my  soul's  eternal  rock. 
The  strength  of  every  sainl.' 

I  am  a  poor  sinner ;  but  my  hope  is  in 
the  Savior  of  sinners." 

He  now  determined,  by  the  advice  of 
his  physician,  on  going  to  Cheltenham ; 
and  his  beloved  flock,  anxious  that  every 
possible  accommodation  should  be  afford- 
ed him,  contributed  most  liberally  to  the 
supply  of  his  wants.  Writing  to  a  friend 
in  the  town,  who  was  prevented  V)y  illness 
from  visiting  him,  he  says — "April  19.  I 
am  ordered  to  go  next  Monday  for  Chel- 
tenham. I  should  be  happy  to  come  and 
see  you  before  I  go ;  but  whether  the 
weather  and  my  afflictions  will  permit  I 
know  not.  When  I  shall  return  is  uncer- 
tain. The  Lord's  supper  must  be  sus- 
pended :  my  times  are  in  the  Lord's 
hands  :  but  to  me  all  is  uncertain."  On 
the  following  sabbath  his  disorder  assumed 
a  new  and  alarming  appearance,  and  the 
journey  was  relinquished  as  impracticable. 

On  the  •28th  of  April,  he  dictated  the 
following  letter  to  Dr.  Ryland,  and  sub- 
scribed it  with  his  own  hand  : — 

"  My  dearest  friend, 

"We  have  enjoyed  much  together, 
which  I   hope   will    prove   an   earnest   of 


greater  enjoyment  in  another  world.  We 
have  also  wrought  together  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard,  and  he  has  given  us  to  reap  to- 
getlier  in  his  vintage.  I  expect  this  is 
nearly  over :  but  I  trust  we  shall  meet, 
and  part  no  more.  I  have  very  little  hope 
of  recovery ;  but  I  am  satisfied  to  drink 
of  the  cup  which  my  Heavenly  Father 
giveth  me  to  drink.  Witliout  experience, 
no  one  can  conceive  of  the  depression  of 
my  spirits  ;  yet  I  have  no  despondency. 
'  I  know  whom  I  have  lielieved,  and  that 
he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  com- 
mitted to  him  against  that  day.'  I  am  a 
poor  guilty  creature;  but  Christ  is  an  al- 
mighty Savior.  I  have  preaciied  and 
written  much  against  the  abuse  of  the 
doctrine  of  grace;  but  that  doctrine  is  all 
my  salvation  and  all  my  desire.  I  have 
no  other  hope  than  trom  salvation  by 
mere  sovereign,  efficacious  grace,  through 
the  atonement  of  my  Lord  antl  Savior. 
With  this  hope,  I  can  go  into  eternity 
with  composure.  Come,  Lord  Jesus  ! 
Come  when  thou  wilt!  Here  I  am;  let 
him  do  with  me  as  seemeth  him  good  ! 

"  We  have  some  w  ho  have  been  giving 
out,  of  late,  that  '  If  Sutcliff  and  some 
others  had  preached  more  of  Christ,  and 
less  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  they  would 
have  been  more  useful.'  If  those  who 
talked  thus  preached  Christ  half  as  much 
as  Jonathan  Edwards  did,  and  were  half 
as  useful  as  he  was,  their  usefulness  w^ould 
be  double  what  it  is.  It  is  very  singular 
that  the  mission  to  the  east  should  have 
originated  witii  men  of  these  principles  ; 
and,  without  pretending  to  be  a  prophet, 
I  may  say.  If  ever  it  falls  into  the  hands 
of  men  who  talk  in  this  strain,  it  will  soon 
come  to  nothing. 

"  If  I  should  never  see  your  face  in  the 
flesh,  I  could  wish  one  last  testimony  of 
brotherly  love,  and  of  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  to  be  expressed  by  your  coming 
over  and  preaching  my  funeral  sermon, 
if  it  can  be,  from  Rom.  viii.  10.  I  can 
dictate  no  more,  but  am 

"  Ever  yours, 

"A.  F." 

On  the  same  day  one  of  his  deacons,  to 
w  horn  he  expressed  himself  as  in  great 
depression  of  body,  replied,  "  I  do  not 
know  any  person.  Sir,  who  is  in  a  more 
enviable  situation  than  yourself — a  good 
man  on  the  verge  of  a  l)lessed  immortal- 
ity." He  modestly  assented,  and  lifting 
up  his  hands  exclaimed,  "If  I  am  saved, 
it  will   be  by  great  and  sovereign  grace — 

BY  GREAT  AND  SOVEREIGN  GRACE  !"  On 

attempting  to  raise  himself  in  bed,  he  said, 
"All  my  feelings  are  sinking,  dying 
feelings."      Seeing  his    wife  in  tears,  he 


VOL. 


12 


yo 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLLil. 


said,  "  We  shall  meet  again!  It  will  be 
well."  While  in  a  lialh,  he  observed 
to  his  medical  attendant,  "  I  never  be- 
fore recollect  to  have  had  such  depres- 
sion of  animal  spirits,  accompanied  with 
such  calmness  of  mind."  Though  the 
disorder  with  which  he  was  afflicted  was 
such  that  many  of  the  best  regulated 
minds  had  been  reduced  almost  to  despair 
under  its  influence,  he  was  frequently 
heard  to  say,  "  My  mind  is  calm — no  rap- 
tures, no  despondency."  And  on  one 
occasion  he  used  the  following  emphatic 
expression,  "  Mij  hope  is  such  that  I  am 
not  afraid  to  plunge  into  eternity  !  " 

Addressing  himself  to  one  of  his  sons, 
he  exclaimed,  "All  misery  is  concentra- 
ted in  me  !" — "  Bodily  misery  only,  fath- 
er 1" — "  Yes,  I  can  think  of  nothing  else." 
More  than  once  he  said,  "My  breath  is 
corrupt,  my  days  are  extinct." 

On  Lord's-day,  May  the  7th,  within 
an  hour  of  his  departure,  overhearing  the 
congregation  singing  in  the  chapel,  which 
adjoined  his  house,  he  said  to  his  daugh- 
ter Sarah,  "  I  wish  I  had  strensth  enough." 
— "  To  do  what,  father  1"  "He  replied, 
"  To  worship,  child  ;"  and  added,  "my 
eyes  are  dim."  On  his  daughter  Mary 
entering  the  room  (the  rest  of  the  family 
surrounding  the  bed  of  their  dying  pa- 
rent) he  said,  "Come,  Mary,  come  and 
help  me."  He  was  raised  up  in  bed, 
and  in  that  attitude  continued  for  nearly 
half  an  hour,  apparently  joining  in  the 
devotions  of  his  flock.  Tlie  only  words 
that  could  be  distinctly  heard  were  "  help 
me,"  when,  with  his  hands  clasped,  and 
his  eyes  fixed  upwards,  he  fell  liack,  ut- 
tered two  or  three  sighs,  and  expired. 
Thus  died  this  devoted  servant  of  Christ, 
May  7th,  1815,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of 
his  age. 

A  letter  from  his  colleague,  the  Rev. 
J.  K.  Hall,  gives  a  further  detail  of  the 
circumstances  attendant  on  his  death  and 
funeral,  of  which  the  following  are  ex- 
tracts : — 

"I  intend  to  fill  this  letter  with  news  ; 
though,  as  it  will  chiefly  relate  to  Mr. 
Fuller's  death,  it  will  be  news  of  a  dole- 
fvd  kind.  You  have  heard,  I  suppose, 
that  this  great  and  good  man  departed  this 
life  about  half-past  eleven,  last  Lord's- 
day  morning.  I  was,  at  the  time,  preach- 
ing from  Psa.  xxiii.  4 — 'Yea,  though  I 
»valk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  Avill  fear  no  evil,'  &c.  He  ex- 
perienced what,  at  that  moment,  I  was 
attempting  to  describe.  Mr.  Toller,  the 
Independent  minister,  was,  at  the  same 
time,  preaching  from  Psa.  Ixxiii.  26 — 
'  My  flesh  and  my  heart  faileth  ;  but  God 
is  the  strength  of  my  heart  and  my  portion 
Jorever.'      As  soon  as  we  left  our  places 


of  worship,  every  individual  in  the  town 
probably  heard  the  afflictive  words,  '  He 
is  gone  !  He  is  gone  !'  and  the  melancholy 
news  was  soon  dispatched  to  different 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  As  I  had  to  preach 
in  the  afternoon,  you  may  easily  suppose 
that  this  circumstance  would  increase 
those  feelings  which  I  could  not  prevent 
on  so  solemn  an  occasion  :  I  preached 
from  Isa.  ix.  6 — '  And  the  government 
shall  be  upon  his  shoulder.'  This  was  the 
text  from  which  Mr.  Fuller  preached, 
when  he  returned  from  my  grandfather's 
funeral." 

After  descril)ing  the  particulars  of  his 
illness  and  death,  he  adds,  "  The  funeral 
is  to  l)e  next  Monday.  I  shall  not  send 
this  off  till  it  is  over.  You  know  that 
Dr.  Ryland,  by  Mr.  Fuller's  request,  is 
to  preach ;  and  my  uncle  is  to  deliver 
the  funeral  oration." 

"  Tuesday  Afternoon,  [May  16.] 
"Mr.  Hall  has  resigned  to  me  (says 
Mrs.  Hall)  the  task  of  finishing  this  let- 
ter ;  but,  as  the  mail  will  leave  Kettering 
very  soon,  I  can  do  little  more  than  just 
mention  that  the  last  sad  tribute  of  respect 
was  yesterday  evening  paid  to  the  re- 
mains of  the  great  and  good  Mr.  Fuller. 
The  crowd  which  attended  was  immense. 
All  the  ministers  in  the  town  were  invited, 
both  churchmen  and  dissenters — Mr.  Tol- 
ler, Mr.  Hogg,  Mr.  Bugg,  with  Mr.  Brown 
and  Mr.  Towers,  the  methodist  preach- 
ers. No  formal  invitation  was  sent  to 
any  minister  in  the  country,  it  being  diffi- 
cult to  know  where  to  draw  the  line ; 
but  numbers  were  attracted  to  the  spot 
by  motives  of  respect  and  affection.  Mr. 
Grimshaw,  a  clergyman  of  the  establish- 
ment, came  on  purpose  from  Bedford. 
Mr.  Hinton,  of  Oxford,  and  many  others, 
with  whom  I  was  not  acquainted,  were 
there.  I  went  to  the  meeting  through 
Mr.  Fuller's  house  (the  doors  not  being 
open  quite  so  soon)  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  About  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  afterwards,  the  crowds  assembled 
at  the  doors  were  admitted;  the  rush 
of  people  was  astonishing ;  but  no  one, 
that  I  have  heard  of,  received  any  injury. 
It  was  supposed  there  might  be  2000 
persons.  The  galleries  were  propped  in 
several  places,  to  prevent  any  accident; 
and,  I  am  happy  to  say,  there  was  not  the 
slightest  alarm.  A  quarter  before  five  the 
funeral  procession  entered.  The  coffin 
was  placed  in  the  table-pew  ;  the  mourn- 
ers in  the  seats  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
pulpit.  Mr.  J.  H.  first  gave  out  a  hymn. 
Mr.  Toller  then  engaged  in  prayer,  with 
gi-eat  fervor  and  devotion :  another 
hpnn  was  sung.  Dr.  R.  preached  from 
Romans,  viii.  10,  and   Mr.   Robert  Hall, 


MEMOIRS    OF    MK.     FU1,LEK. 


91 


preceded  l)y  anolhcr  hymn,  delivered  tlic 
I'uneral  oration.  Tlic  corpse  was  then 
earned  out  and  intened.  A  few  words 
only  were  spoken  by  Dr.  Ryland,  after  the 
body  was  put  into  the  irravc." 

The  followinir  is  an  extract  from  a  dis- 
course delivered  by  Mr.  Toller,  the  Inde- 
pendent niinister,  on  the  Sal)i)atli  follow- 
inii  the  death  of  his  friend,  and  sui)se- 
(piently  to  Mr.  Fuller's  consrctration  at 
tiieir  request.  The  text  was  chosen  from 
1  Kinjis  xiii,  30 — "Alas,  my  brother!" 

"  With  rejrard  to  liie  much-respected 
friend  and  Christian  minister  lately  re- 
moved, it  might  appear  unbecomini^  and 
indelicate  in  me  to  enter  iar  into  his 
character  and  case  ;  particularly  as  this 
will  be  done  to  so  miich  srreater  advan- 
tage on  the  api)roaching  day  :  but  thus 
much  I  could  hardly  satisfy  myself  with- 
out advancing  on  this  occasion. 

"I  trust,  I  am  sincerely  disposed  to 
join  in  the  general  and  just  tribute  which 
his  friends  and  the  public  are  disjjosed  to 
pay  to  his  abilities,  his  sound  sense,  and 
solid  understanding,  and  to  his  unwearied 
diligence  and  uuconqueral)le  ardor  in 
supporting  and  pursuing  the  interests  of 
the  best  of  causes  ;  and  that  not  only  in 
the  common  duties  of  his  profession,  but 
more  particularly  in  the  propagation  of 
Christianity  in  the  foreign  climes  of  India. 
Perhaps  no  individual,  next  to  the  un- 
eepialled  Carey,  no  individual  at  least  at 
home,  has  done  so  much  to  promote  that 
cause  ;  and,  considering  the  tew  advan- 
tages of  early  education  which  he  enjoy- 
ed, the  eminence  to  which  he  has  risen, 
the  influence  he  acquired,  and  the  means 
of  usefulness  which  he  has  collected  and 
secured,  are  so  much  the  more  extraor- 
dinary, and  reflect  the  greater  credit  on 
his  memory.  The  variety  andH'ompass 
of  his  writings,  though  all  bearing  on  one 
grand  j)oint,  yet  serve  to  show  what 
sheer  abilities,  sound  principle,  ardent 
zeal,  and  persevering  application  can  do. 
I  have  read  his  works  (some  of  them 
more  than  once)  with  much  satisfaction, 
and,  I  trust,  some  improvement :  that  that 
improvement  has  not  amounted  to  more, 
ought  to  be  attributed  to  myself.  I  have 
not  a  doubt  but  that  they  have  been  of 
real  and  extensive  use  in  the  christian 
church,  in  support  of  the  radical  principles 
of  evangelical  religion,  and  will  continue 
to  be  so  after  his  dust  shall  mingle  with  the 
'clods  of  the  valley.'  It  is  a  satisfaction 
to  me  to  reflect  that,  in  the  great  leading 
views  of  vital  Christianity,  he  expresses 
very  nearly  my  own  sentiments;  though 
it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  persons  who 
think  for  themselves  on  sacred  sulijects 
should,  in  every  point,  '  see  eye  to  eye' 
You   will   not,   therefore,  expect   that  I 


should  j)rofess  myself  able  to  subscribe  to 
every  article  in  his  theological  creed  : 
still,  however,  it  is  a  jileasure  to  me  to 
reflect  now,  that,  dilTering  only  on  points 
of  suliordinatc  importance,  wherever  that 
was  the  case  we  always  agreed  to  difler. 

"  Though  living  in  the  same  town,  en- 
gaged in  the  same  profession,  and  that 
under  the  banners  of  difl'erent  denomina- 
tions, for  about  thirty  years,  I  do  not 
recollect  that  ever  an  angry  word  passed 
between  us,  or  a  single  jar  occurred,  by 
our  means,  among  our  respective  con- 
nections. At  the  same  time,  I  would 
not  mention  this  in  the  spirit  of  a  vain 
comi)liment,  either  to  him  or  to  myself; 
but  desire  to  be  deeply  sensible  of  a 
thousand  deflciencies  and  errors  in  other 
respects  ;  nor  woidd  I  be  understood,  in  a 
servile  spirit  of  fulsome  flattery,  as  repre- 
senting him  as  a  faultless  character,  or 
holding  him  up,  in  all  respects,  as  a  model 
of  the  christian  temper  and  disposition; 
for,  alas  !  of  w  hom  can  you  say,  '  Be  ye 
followers  of  him,'  unless  you  insert  the 
restrictive  clause — so  far  as  he  was  '  a  fol- 
lower of  Christ  1' 

"  While,  then,  I  think  him  an  eminent 
loss  to  his  family,  a  general  loss  to  socie- 
ty and  the  church  of  Christ,  and  perhaps 
an  irre|)arableloss  to  his  own  denomination, 
I  trust  I  can,  with  truly  christian  cordial- 
ity, follow  him  up  to  the  footstool  of  his 
Master's  throne,  and  congratulate  him  on 
that  '  Well-done,  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant,' which,  I  have  no  doubt,  he  has  re- 
ceived. 

"I  conclude  with  remarking  that,  in  no 
one  point,  cither  from  his  writings,  which 
I  have  read,  or  the  sermons  I  have  heard 
from  him,  or  the  interviews  and  conver- 
sations I  have  had  with  him, — in  nothing 
can  I  so  fully  join  issue  with  him  as  in 
the  manner  of  his  dying.  Had  he  gone  off 
full  of  rapture  and  transport,  I  might  have 
said,  '  O  let  me  die  the  triumphant  death 
of  the  righteous  !  '  But  it  would  have 
V)een  far  more  than  I  could  have  realized 
or  expected  in  my  own  case  :  but  the  state 
of  his  mind  towards  the  last  apj)ears  to 
have  been,  if  I  may  so  express  it,  '  after 
my  own  heart.'  He  died  as  a  penitent 
sinner  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  At  my  last 
parting  w  ith  him,  I  shook  hands  with  him 
twice,  and  observed,  with  some  emotion, 
not  expecting  to  see  him  more,  '  We  have 
lived  harmoniously,  many  years,  in  the 
same  place ;  I  trust  we  shall,  one  day, 
meet  above.'  I  think  the  last  religious 
sentence  he  dro])ped  to  me  was,  '  Looking 
for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
unto  eternal  life.'  He  said  to  a  young 
minister,  '  I  have  no  religious  joy;  but  I 
have  a  hope,  in  the  strength  of  which  I 
think  I  could  plunge  into  eternity.' 


92 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


"Being  reminded  of  his  missionary  la- 
bors, he  replied,  'Ah!  the  object  was  un- 
questionably good;  '  but  adverted  to  the 
mixture  of  motives,  to  the  influence  of 
which  we  are  liable  in  supporting  the  best 
of  causes.  To  another  friend,  who  was 
congratulating  him  in  a  similar  style,  he 
replied,  '  I  have  been  a  great  sinner ;  and, 
if  I  am  saved  at  all,  it  must  be  by  great 
and  sovereign  grace.'  Here  the  dying 
minister — the  dying  friend,  speaks  all  my 
heart :  here,  I  come  nearer  to  him  at  his 
death  than  I  have  ever  done  throug'h  the 
whole  course  of  his  life.  The  testimony 
of  a  christian  conscience  is,  at  all  times, 
invaluable  ;  but,  in  the  dying  moments  of 
a  fallen  creature,  it  can  afford  no  more 
than  auxiliary  support ;  the  grand  promi- 
nent hold  of  the  trembling  soul  must  be 
'  the  golden  chain  that  comes  down  from 
heaven.'  It  is  the  immediate,  personal, 
realizing  application  ;  it  is  the  broad  pal- 
pable hope  of  salvation  for  penitent  sin- 
ners, through  the  riches  of  divine  grace  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  that  throws  every 


thing  else  into  shades.  It  is  not  the  voice 
of  congratulation  on  the  best-spent  life, 
however  just,  that  is  most  acceptable,  in 
those  awful  moments,  to  pious  minds : 
that  is  ol'ten  heard  with  trembling  diffi- 
dence and  conscious  apprehension  of  con- 
taminating motives  and  counteracting  de- 
fects. The  sweetest  music,  in  ihe  ears 
of  expiring  piety,  must  be  struck  from  an- 
other string :  '  This  is  the  record,  that 
God  hath  given  us  eternal  life,  and  this 
life  is  in  his  Son — The  wages  of  sin  is 
death ;  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' 

"  In  all  probability,  my  bones  Avill  be 
deposited  not  far  from  his;  God  grant 
that  I  may  die  in  the  same  temper  and  the 
same  hope  ;  and  that  our  spirits  may  be 
united  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  !  Amen." 

A  tomb  was  erected  over  the  remains 
of  Mr.  Fuller,  in  the  burial  ground  ad- 
joining his  place  of  worsliip,  and  a  tablet 
to  his  memory  is  placed  by  the  side  of  the 
pulpit,  with  this  inscription  : — 


IN  MEMORY  OF  THEIR  REVERED  AND  BELOVED  PASTOR, 

THE   REVEREND    ANDREW  FULLER, 

THE    CHURCH    AND    CONGREGATION    HAVE    ERECTED    THIS     TABLET. 

HIS     ARDENT     PIETY, 

THE    STRENGTH    AND     SOUNDNESS    OF    HIS    JUDGMENT, 

HIS    INTIMATE    KNOWLEDGE      OF    THE    HUMAN    HEART, 

AND    HIS    PROFOUND    ACQUAINTANCE    WITH    THE    SCRIPTURES, 

EMINENTLY    QUALIFIED    HIM     FOR    THE    MINISTERIAL    OFFICE, 

WHICH    HE    SUSTAINED    AMONGST     THEM     THIRTY-TWO    YEARS. 

THE    FORCE    AND     ORIGINALITY    OF    HIS    GENIUS, 

AIDED    BY     UNDAUNTED    FIRMNESS, 

RAISED    HIM    FROM    OBSCURITY 

TO    HIGH    DISTINCTION    IN    THE    RELIGIOUS    WORLD. 

BY    THE    WISDOM    OF    HIS    PLANS, 

AND    BY     HIS     UNWEARIED     DILIGENCE    IN     EXECUTING    THEM, 

HE    RENDERED    THE    MOST    IMPORTANT    SERVICES 

TO  THE   BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY; 

OF    WHICH    HE    WAS    THE    SECRETARY    FROM    ITS    COMMENCEMENT, 

AND    TO    THE    PROSPERITY    OF    WHICH    HE    DEVOTED    HIS    LIFE. 

IN    ADDITION     TO     HIS    OTHER    LABORS, 

HIS     WRITINGS    ARE    NUMEROUS    AND    CELEBRATED. 

HE    DIED    MAY    7th,   1815,     AGED  61. 

The  following  testimonies  will  show  the  "  I  cannot  refrain  from  expressing,  in  a 

general  estimation  in  which  the  character  few  words,  the  sentiments  of  affectionate 

of  the  deceased  was  held.     The  first  is  veneration  with  which  I  always  regarded 

from  tbe  pen  of    the   late   Rev.    Robert  that  excellent   person   while   living,    and 

rlall,  A.  M.  cherish   his   memory   now   that  he  is  no 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER. 


93 


more ;  a  man  whose  sagacity  enal»lc(l  liiiu 
to  penetrate  to  tlie  depths  of  every  sub- 
ject he  ex[>lorecl,  \vl\ose  conceptions  were 
so  powerful  and  luminous,  that  what  was 
recondite  and  orij^inal  ap|)eared  familiar ; 
what  was  intricate,  easy  and  perspicuous 
in  his  hands  ;  equally  successful  in  en- 
forcing the  practical,  in  stating  tiie  theo- 
retical, and  discussing  the  polemical 
branches  of  theology:  without  the  advan- 
tages of  early  education,  he  rose  to  high 
distinction  among  the  religious  writers  of 
his  day,  and,  in  the  midst  of  a  most  active 
and  lai>orious  life,  left  monuments  of  his 
piety  and  genius  which  will  survive  to  dis- 
tant posterity.  Were  I  making  his  eulo- 
giuin,  I  should  necessarily  dwell  on  the 
spotless  integrity  of  his  private  life,  his 
fidelity  in  friendship,  his  neglect  of  self- 
interest,  his  ardent  attachment  to  truth, 
and  especially  the  series  of  unceasing 
labors  and  exertions,  in  superintending 
the  mission  to  India,  to  which  he  most 
probably  fell  a  victim.  He  had  nothing 
feeble  or  undecisive  in  his  character  ;  but, 
to  every  undertaking  in  which  he  engaged, 
he  brought  all  the  powers  of  his  under- 
standing, all  the  energies  of  his  heart ; 
and,  if  he  were  less  distinguished  by  the 
comprehension  than  the  acumen  and  so- 
lidity of  his  thoughts — less  eminent  for 
the  gentler  graces  than  for  stern  integrity 
and  native  grandeur  of  mind,  we  have 
only  to  remember  the  necessary  limita- 
tion of  human  excellence.  AVliile  he  en- 
deared himself  to  his  denomination  by  a 
long  course  of  most  useful  labor,  by  his 
excellent  works  on  the  Socinian  and  De- 
istical  controversies,  as  well  as  his  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  of  missions,  he  laid  the 
world  under  lasting  obligations." 

The  same  eloquent  writer,  in  his  brief 
memoir  of  Mr.  Toller,  has  sketched,  with 
a  masterly  hand,  a  comparative  delinea- 
tion of  the  peculiar  excellences  of  both 
his  friends. 

"  It  has  rarely  been  the  privilege  of  one 
town,  and  that  not  of  considerable  ex- 
tent, to  possess  at  the  same  time,  and  for 
so  long  a  period,  two  such  eminent  men 
as  Mr.  Toller  and  Mr.  Fuller.  Their 
merits  as  christian  ministers  were  so 
equal,  and  yet  so  different,  that  the  exer- 
cise of  their  religious  functions  in  the 
same  place  was  as  little  adapted  to  pro- 
duce jealousy  as  if  they  had  moved  in 
distant  spheres.  The  predominant  fea- 
ture in  the  intellectual  character  of  Mr. 
Fuller  was  the  power  of  discrimination, 
by  which  he  detected  the  minutest  shades 
of  difference  among  objects  which  most 
minds  would  confound.  Mr.  Toller  excel- 
led in  exhibiting  the  common  sense  of  man- 
kind in  a  new  and  impressive  form.  Mr. 
Fuller  never  appeared  to  so  much  advan- 
tage as  when  occupied  in  detecting  sophis- 


try, repelling  objections,  and  ascertaining, 
with  a  microscopic  accuracy,  the  exact 
boundaries  of  truth  and  error  :  Mr.  Toller 
attached  his  attention  chiclly  to  those  parts 
of  Christianity  which  come  most  into  con- 
tact with  the  imagination  and  the  feelings, 
over  w  hich  he  exerted  a  sovereign  ascend- 
ancy. Mr.  Fuller  convinced  by  his  argu- 
ments, Mr.  Toller  subdued  by  his  pathos: 
the  former  made  his  iiearers  feel  the  grasp 
of  his  intellect,  the  latter  the  contagion  of 
his  sensibility.  Mr.  P"'uller's  discourses 
identilicd  themselves  after  they  were  heard 
with  trains  of  thought  ;  Mr.  Toller's 
with  trains  of  emotion.  The  illustrations 
employed  by  Mr.  Fuller  (for  lie  also  ex- 
celled in  illustration)  were  generally  made 
to  subserve  the  clearer  comprehension  of 
his  subject ;  those  of  Mr.  Toller  consist- 
ed chiefly  of  ap])eals  to  the  imagination 
and  the  heart.  Mr.  Fuller's  ministry  was 
peculiarly  adapted  to  detect  hypocrites,  to 
expose  fallacious  pretensions  to  religion, 
and  to  separate  the  precious  from  the 
vile  ;  he  sat  as  '  the  refiner's  fire,  and  the 
fuller's  soap.'  Mr.  Toller  was  most  im 
his  element  when  exhii)iting  the  consola- 
tions of  Christ,  dispelling  the  fears  of 
death,  and  i)ainting  the  prospects  of  eter- 
nity. Both  were  original ;  but  the  origin- 
ality of  Mr.  Fuller  appeared  chiefly  in  his 
doctrinal  statements,  that  of  Mr.  Toller  in 
his  practical  remarks.  The  former  was  un- 
questionably most  conversant  with  specu- 
lative truth,  the  latter  possessed,  jjerhaps, 
the  deeper  insight  into  the  human  heart. 

"  Nor  were  the  characters  of  these  em- 
inent men,  within  the  limits  of  that  mora! 
excellence  wliich  was  the  attribute  of  both, 
less  diversified  than  their  mental  endow- 
ments. Mr.  Fuller  was  chiefly  distin- 
guished by  the  qualities  that  command 
veneration  ;  Mr.  Toller  by  those  which 
excite  love.  Laborious,  zealous,  intrepid, 
Mr.  Fuller  passed  through  a  thousand  ob- 
stacles in  the  pursuit  of  objects  of  pul)lic 
interest  and  utility  ;  Mr.  Toller  loved  to 
repose,  delighting  and  delighted,  in  the 
shade  of  domestic  privacy.  The  one  lived 
for  the  world ;  the  other  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  good  of  his  congregation,  his 
family,  and  friends.  An  intense  zeal  for 
the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
sustained  by  industry  that  never  tired,  a 
resolution  not  to  be  shaken,  and  integrity 
incapable  of  being  warped,  conjoined  to 
a  certain  austerity  of  manner,  were  the 
leading  characteristics  of  Mr.  Fuller;  gen- 
tleness, humility,  and  modesty,  those  of 
Mr.  Toller.  The  secretary  of  the  Bap- 
tist Mission  attached,  in  my  opinion,  too 
much  importance  to  a  speculative  accura- 
cy of  sentiment;  while  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  leaned  to  the  contrary  extreme. 
Mr.  Fuller  was  too  prone  to  infer  the 
character  of  men  from  their  creed ;  Mr. 


94 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER- 


Toller  to  lose  sight  of  their  creed  in  their 
character. 

"  Between  persons  so  dissimilar,  it  was 
next  to  impossible  a  very  close  and  confi- 
dential intimacy  should  subsist  :  a  sincere 
admiration  of  each  other's  talents,  and  es- 
teem for  the  virtues  which  equally  adorn- 
ed them  both,  secured,  without  interrup- 
tion, for  more  than  thirty  years,  those 
habits  of  kind  and  respectful  intercourse 
which  had  the  happiest  effect  in  promot- 
ing the  harmony  of  their  connections,  and 
the  credit  of  religion. 

"  Much  as  Mr"  Fuller  was  lamented  by 
the  religious  public  in  general,  and  espe- 
cially in  his  own  denomination,  I  have 
reason  to  believe  there  was  not  a  single 
individual,  out  of  the  circle  of  his  imme- 
diate relatives,  who  was  more  deeply  af- 
fected by  his  death  than  Mr.  Toller. 
From  that  moment  he  felt  himself  nearer 
to  eternity  :  he  accepted  the  event  as  a 
most  impressive  warning  of  his  own  dis- 
solution ;  and,  while  a  thousand  solemn 
and  affecting  recollections  accompanied 
the  retrospect  of  a  connection  which  had 
so  long  and  so  happily  subsisted,  one  of  his 
favorite  occupations  was  to  revive  a  men- 
tal intercourse,  V)y  the  frequent  perusal  of 
the  sermons  of  his  deceased  friend.  It  is 
thus  that  the  friendship  of  high  and  sanc- 
tified spirits  loses  nothing  by  death  but  its 
alloy ;  failings  disappear,  and  the  virtues 
of  those  whose  '  faces  we  shall  behold  no 
more '  appear  greater  and  more  sacred 
when  leheld  through  the  shades  of  the 
sepulchre." 

"It  is  pleasing  to  reflect,"  observes 
Dr.  Newman,  "  that  a  spontaneous  hom- 
age was  paid  to  him  by  persons  of  all 
i-ank&  and  degrees.  Men  of  education  and 
learning,  men  of  distinction  in  wealth  and 
office,  the  poor  and  illiterate.  Christians 
in  the  establishment  and  out  of  it,  of  all 
■denominations,  hung  delighted  on  his 
Ips." 

The  Committee  of  the  British  and  For- 
3ign  Bible  Society,  in  a  minute  dated  May 
22,  1815,  testify  their  estimate  of  his 
worth  in  the  following  terms  : — "  This 
Committee  learn,  with  deep  regret,  the 
decease  of  the  late  Rev.  Andrew  Fuller, 
secretary  to  the  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety ;  and,  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the 
valuable  services  rendered  by  that  excel- 
lent individual,  in  promoting  the  transla- 
tion and  publication  of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures in  the  East,  desire  to  unite  their  con- 
dolence on  this  afflictive  event  with  that 
of  their  Baptist  brethren,  to  whom  he 
was  more  particularly  allied,  and  of  the 
christian  world,  by  whom  his  memory 
will  deserve  to  be  held  in  affectionate  and 
grateful  veneration." 

To  these  public  testimonies  may  be  ad- 
ded one  relative  to  his  domestic  virtues, 


from  his  bereaved  widow,  who  thus  writes 
to  Dr.  Ryland  :— 

"  I  think,  dear  Sir,  there  was  no  one 
better  acquainted  with  the  dear  deceased, 
in  his  public  character,  than  yourself  :  we 
can,  therefore,  give  you  no  information  on 
that  head  ;  but  far  be  it  from  me  to  wish 
it  to  be  held  up  in  the  style  of  panegyric. 
I  am  certain  that  would  have  ill  accorded 
with  his  sentiments  and  feelings  ;  and  I 
know  that  this  may  be  safely  left  to  your 
discretion.  But  I  cannot  forbear  adding  my 
testimony  to  my  late  dear  husband's  con- 
duct in  his  domestic  character;  which,  so 
far  as  his  mind  was  at  liberty  to  indulge 
in  such  enjoyments,  I  must  testify  to  have 
been,  ever  since  I  had  the  happiness  of 
being  united  to  him,  of  the  most  amiable 
and  endearing  kind.  But  to  so  great  a 
degree  was  he  absorbed  in  his  work  as 
scarcely  to  allow  himself  any  leisure  or 
relaxation  from  the  severest  application  ; 
especially  since,  of  late  years,  his  work 
so  accumulated  on  his  hands.  I  was 
sometimes  used  to  remark,  how  much  we 
were  occupied  (for,  indeed,  I  had  no  small 
share  of  care  devolved  upon  me  in  conse- 
quence;) his  reply  usually  was,  '  Ah,  my 
dear,  the  way  for  us  to  have  any  joy  is  to 
rejoice  in  all  our  labor,  and  then  Ave  shall 
have  plenty  of  joy.'  If  I  complained  that 
he  allowed  himself  no  time  for  recreation, 
he  would  answer,  '  O  no  :  all  my  recrea- 
tion is  a  change  of  work.'  If  I  expressed 
an  apprehension  that  he  would  soon  wear 
himself  out,  he  would  reply,  '  I  cannot  be 
worn  out  in  a  better  cause.  We  must 
work  while  it  is  day  ;'  or,  '  Whatever 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy 
might.' 

"  There  was  a  degree  of  bluntness  in 
his  manner ;  which  yet  did  not  arise  from 
an  unsocial)le  or  churlisli  disposition,  but 
from  an  impatience  of  interruption  in  the 
grand  object  of  his  pursuit.  In  this  sense 
he  seemed  not  to  know  his  relations  or 
friends.  Often,  when  a  friend  or  an  ac- 
quaintance on  a  journey  has  called,  when 
they  had  exchanged  a  few  words,  he 
would  ask,  '  Have  you  any  thing  more  to 
sayl' — or  something  to  that  effect — 'if 
not,  I  must  beg  to  be  excused;' at  the 
same  time,  asking  them  to  stay  and  take 
some  refreshment,  if  they  chose.  Yet, 
you  know,  dear  Sir,  he  had  a  heart  formed 
for  the  warmest  and  sincerest  friendship 
with  those  whose  minds  were  congenial 
with  his  own,  and  who  were  engaged  in 
similar  pursuits  ;  and  I  never  knew  him 
to  be  weary  of  their  company.  I  am  fully 
persuaded  that  my  dear  husband  fell  a 
sacrifice  to  his  unremitting  application  to 
the  concerns  of  the  mission  ;  but  I  dare  not 
murmur.  The  Lord  has  done  as  it  pleas- 
ed him  ;  and  I  know  that  whatever  he 
does  is  right." 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


95 


The  following  auccdotcs  will  illustrate 
some  of  the  most  distinguishinji  features 
of  Mr.  Fuller's  character.  Among  these 
none  was  more  conspicuous  than  his 
originality,  which  is  thus  referred  to  by 
himselt,  in  a  conversation  with  a  friend 
on  the  philosophical  character  of  Dr. 
Franklin:  "Well,"  said  Mr.  Fuller,  "what 
do  you  call  a  philosopher,  or  in  what  re- 
spect was  he  one  1  "  "  O!  lie  seems  to  have 
made  rules  for  himself  in  childhood,  which 
regulated  him  even  in  old  age."  Mr. 
Fuller  rej)lied,  "  If  this  be  any  mark  of 
a  philosopher,  you  will  make  me  one. — 
My  father  was  a  farmer,  and  in  my  young- 
er days  it  was  one  great  boast  among  the 
ploughmen  that  they  could  plough  a 
straight  line  acrofs  the  furrows  or  ridges 
of  a  field.  I  thought  I  could  do  this  as 
Avell  as  any  of  them.  One  day,  I  saw 
such  a  line,  which  had  just  been  drawn, 
and  I  thought,  'Now  I  have  it.'  Accoi'd- 
ingly  I  laid  hold  of  the'plough,  and,  putting 
one  of  the  horses  into  the  furrow  whicli 
had  been  made,  I  resolved  to  keep  him 
walking  in  it,  and  thus  secure  a  parallel 
line.  By  and  l)ye,  however,  I  observed 
that  there  were  what  might  be  called 
Avriggles  in  this  furrow ;  and,  when  I 
came  to  thetn,  they  turned  out  to  be  larger 
in  mine  than  in  the  original.  On  per- 
ceiving this,  I  threw  the  plough  aside, 
and  determined  never  to  be  an  Imitator. ^^ 

There  were  times  when  he  could  ap- 
preciate and  enjoy  the  works  of  art,  but 
these  were  evidently  made  to  yield  to 
matters  of  higher  moment ;  and  what 
was  observed  of  John  Howard,  by  an 
eloquent  living  writer,  was  equally  true 
of  Mr.  Fuller,  that  "as  invisible  spirits, 
who  lulfil  their  commission  of  philan- 
thropy among  mortals,  do  not  care  about 
pictures,  statues,  and  sumptuous  build- 
ings ;  no  more  did  he,  when  the  time  in 
which  he  must  have  inspected  and  ad- 
mired them  would  have  been  taken  from 
the  work  to  which  he  had  consecrated 
his  life."  A  friend,  conducting  Mr.  F. 
through  the  university  of  Oxford,  point- 
ed out  an  object  of  peculiar  interest 
among  the  splendid  edifices  that  surround- 
ed them  :  "  Brother,  rei)licd  he,  I  think 
there  is  one  question  which,  after  all  that 
has  been  written  on  it,  has  not  been  yet 
answered  : — What  is  justification  1 "  His 
friend  proposed  to  return  home  and  dis- 
cuss the  subject ;  to  which  Mr.  F.  readily- 
agreed,  adding,  "  That  incpiiry  is  far  more 
to  me  than  all  these  fine  buildings." 

Though  rarely  accustomed  to  obtrude 
himself  on  the  attention  of  strangers,  no 
man  could  more  admirably  preserve  the 
consistency  of  his  character  in  all  compa- 
nies.    On  one  occasion,  traveling  in  the 


Portsmouth  mail,  he  was  much  annoyed 
i)y  the  profane  conversation  of  two  young 
men  who  sat  opposite.  After  a  time,  one 
of  them,  observing  his  gravity,  accosted 
him  with  an  air  of  impertinence,  inquiring, 
in  rude  and  indelicate  language,  wheth(!r 
on  his  arrival  at  Portsmouth  he  sliould 
not  indulge  himself  in  a  manner  evidently 
corresponding  with  their  own  intentions  : 
Mr.  Fuller,  lowering  his  ample  brows, 
and  looking  the  inquirer  full  in  the  face, 
replied  in  measured  tones,  "  Sir,  I  am  a 
man  that  fears  God."  Scarcely  a  word 
was  uttered  during  the  remainder  of  the 
journey. 

His  aversion  to  display,  and  especially 
of  attainments  to  which  he  could  lay  but 
a  moderate  claim,  is  remarkable  in  his 
disclaimer  of  any  thing  approaching  to 
erudition;  and  though  his  remarks  on  the 
English  Translation  of  the  Scriptures 
evince  a  shrewd  perception  of  its  merits, 
and  those  on  the  proper  and  improper  use 
of  terms  discover  an  equal  acquaintance 
with  the  general  j)rinciples  of  language, 
it  is  observalile  that  he  more  freely  availed 
himself  of  the  use  of  critical  comment  in 
one  page  of  his  "Letters  of  Agnostos," 
where  he  was  concealed  from  public  view, 
than  in  all  the  rest  of  his  works  united. 

Under  the  influence  of  those  pensive 
feelings  to  which  he  was  subject,  especial- 
ly in  later  life,  he  would  often  sing,  to  a 
tune  remarkable  for  its  plaintive  simplic- 
ity, a  hymn  commencing  with  the  follow- 
ing stanzas : — 

"  I  sojoiirn  in  a  vale  of  tears, 

Alas,  iiow  can  I  sing; 
My  harp  doth  on  the  willows  hang, 

Distun'd  in  every  string  : 
My  music  is  a  captive's  chain; 

Harsh  sounds  my  ears  do  fill  : — 
How  can  I  sing  sweet  Zion's  song 

On  this  side  Zion's  hill  T" 

One  evening,  having  composed  a  tunc, 
not  remarka1)le  for  its  scientific  structure, 
he  carried  it  for  the  inspection  of  a  mu- 
sical friend.  "It's  in  a  flat  key.  Sir," 
observed  his  friend. — "  Very  likely,"  re- 
plied Mr.  F.  in  a  plaintive  tone,  "very 
likely;  I  was  born  in  a  flat  key."  His 
ideas  of  Psalmody,  which  will  be  found 
among  his  miscellaneous  pieces,  are  sin- 
gular and  not  unworthy  of  attention. 

His  mode  of  living  was  characterized 
by  simplicity,  and  he  would  frequently 
remark  that  the  great  difference  r)etween 
the  comfort  of  one  man  and  another  often 
depended  on  the  fact  that  the  one  simpli- 
fied his  Avants — the  other  multiplied  them. 
Tliough  his  manners  were  occasionally 
harsh,  and  there  were  times  in  which  he 
might  be  betrayed  into  needless  severity,  it 


96 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.     FULLER. 


was  less  attributable  to  a  morose  dispo- 
sition than  to  an  unpolished  manner,  of 
"V/hich  his  intercourse  with  society  never 
entirely  divested  him.  No  man  more 
sincerely  estimated  the  importance  of  what 
he  emphatically  termed  "  Christian  po- 
liteness," whifh  he  esteemed  as  equally 
removed  from  the  heartless  complaisance 
of  a  Chestertield  and  the  affected  moi'ose- 
ness  of  a  Johnson. 

Mr.  Fuller  excelled  principally  as  a 
writer,  yet  his  preaching  was  exceedingly 
interesting  and  instructive.  His  phrase- 
ology, though  occasionally  quaint,  was, 
for  the  most  part,  clear,  dignihed,  and  em- 
phatic. His  arrangement  was  compre- 
hensive, and  he  was  remarkable  for  a  fe- 
licitous discovery  and  a  happy  application 
of  all  the  attributes  of  his  subject  and  the 
terms  of  his  text.  Exposition  was  a  fa- 
vorite exercise  :  and  he  was  accustomed 
to  regard  a  ministry  in  which  this  occupi- 
ed a  subordinate  place  as  equally  wanting 
in  scriptural  authority  and  practical  ad- 
vantage. He  expounded  a  large  portion 
of  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment. Such  of  these  as  are  not  published 
were  left  in  short-hand,  in  an  unfinished 
state,  and  part  of  them  perished  by  lire. 

Mr.  Fuller  was  succeeded  by  his  col- 
league, the  Rev.  John  Keen  Hall,  M.  A., 
who,  after  sustaining  the  pastoral  office 
fourteen  years,  during  which  he  was  great- 
ly endeared  to  his  people,  was  suddenly 
called  to  his  reward,  in  the  prime  of  life, 
a  few  weeks  after  his  second  marriage  ; 
and  was  succeeded  liy  the  Rev.  J.  Robin- 
son, the  present  pastor. 


APPENDIX. 

Mr.  Fuller  left  an  aged  mother,  a 
Avidow,  three  sons,  and  two  daughters,  to 
mourn  his  loss.  His  mother,  who  had 
been  for  several  years  confined  to  her  bed 
by  infirmity,  died  in  the  faith  of  the  gos- 
pel, in  May,  1816,  her  age  being  upwards 
of  ninety.  His  daughter  Sarah,  who  was 
in  a  debilitated  state  of  health  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  regarded  that  event  as  con- 
veying a  peculiarly  solemn  lesson  to  her- 
self. Viewing  with  complacency  his  pal- 
lid corpse,  she  observed,  "I  shall  lie 
there  very  soon," — a  presentiment  which, 
alas,  was  realized.  Her  bereaved  and 
disconsolate  mother  witnessed  the  only 
remaining  companion  of  her  widowhood 
falling  under  premature  decay.  Some  of 
the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  this 
amiable  and  interesting  young  female 
were  exhibited  in  a  narrative  composed  by 


her  mother,  and  inserted  in  the  second 
edition  of  Dr.  Ryland's  Memoir  of  Mr. 
Fuller.  A  few  extracts  from  this  may 
not  be  unacceptable  : — 

"  Her  disposition,  from  a  child,  was 
amiable.  Integrity  was  a  prominent  fea- 
ture in  her  character.  She  appeared  to 
possess  an  habitual  tenderness  of  con- 
science, and  was  the  suliject  of  early  con- 
victions of  sin,  which,  though  transient  in 
childhood,  were  more  permanent  as  she 
advanced  in  years  :  but,  owing  to  a  natural 
reservedness,  accompanied  by  a  fear  of 
deceiving  herself  and  others,  it  was  very 
difficult  to  ascertain  the  real  state  of  her 
mind  and  feelings  ;  and,  when  she  had  un- 
bosomed herself,  she  seemed  to  repent, 
as  though  she  had  said  something  which, 
after  all,  might  not  be  true  :  and  this  sus- 
picion of  herself  continued  almost  to  the 
last.  About  the  beginning  of  her  last  ill- 
ness, in  reply  to  the  affectionate  inquiries 
of  her  sister,  she  said,  '  I  feel  a  great 
deal  :  but  am  afraid  to  speak  of  it,  lest  I 
should  deceive  myself  and  others.  Hav- 
ing had  a  religious  education,  it  is  easy  to 
talk  about  religion  ;  and  I  am  afraid  lest 
what  I  have  felt  should  be  merely  the  ef- 
fect of  having  enjoyed  such  a  privilege, 
and  so  entirely  wear  off.  I  know  religion 
in  theory ;  but  am  fearful  lest  it  should  be 
in  theory  only.'  She  wept  much,  and 
promised  to  communicate  as  much  of  her 
mind  as  she  could  ;  begging,  however, 
that  her  sister  would  not  mention  it  to  any 
one;  'for,'  said  she,  'possibly,  what  I 
now  feel  may  be  only  on  account  of  my 
affliction  ;  and  then,  if  I  recover,  it  may 
all  wear  off,  and  I  may  bring  a  disgrace 
upon  religion.' 

"  On  being  told  of  a  young  person  who 
wished  that,  whenever  she  died,  it  might 
be  of  a  consumption,  that  time  might  be 
aflforded  her  to  repent,  she  said,  it  was  '  so 
unreasonable  to  expect  mercy,  after  hav- 
ing lived  in  sin  as  long  as  she  could  !  " 

"  In  public  worship  she  was  a  very  at- 
tentive hearer,  and  clearly  understood 
and  approved  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel. 
Prayer-meetings  were  her  peculiar  de- 
light ;  and  her  punctuality  in  attending 
them  was  truly  exemplary  :  if  any  of  her 
friends  seemed  indifferent  to  them,  ob- 
serving, '  it  is  only  a  prayer-meeting,'  she 
Avould  express  great  disapprobation. 

"  It  was  pleasing  to  observe  the  earnest 
desire  she  manifested  for  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  others,  especially  of  the  young. 
Her  diligence  as  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  was  worthy  of  observation ;  and 
she  was  extremely  anxious  for  the  adop- 
tion of  a  plan  which  had  been  proposed 
for  the  private  religious  instruction  of 
some  of  the  elder  children  of  the  school, 
nor  would  she  rest  till  she  saw  it  accom- 
plished, though  her  diffidence  would  not 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


97 


allow  her  to  take  any  active  part  in  it. 
She  once  said  to  iicr  mother  in  reference 
to  this  sul'ject — 'Motlier,  when  will  you 
speak  al)out  it  I  I  leel  as  if  we  were  doinij; 
no  good  ;  and  it  is  so  wicked  to  live  here 
only  to  eat  and  drink,  and  sleep!  ' 

"  Uuring  her  illness,  siie  spent  most  of 
her  time,  when  alile,  in  reading  the  Psalms 
and  the  New  Testament  ;  and,  when  too 
weary  herself  to  read,  she  would  hear  tiie 
Bilile  read  with  great  pleasure. 

"  Though,  doul)tless,  slie  telt  (he  natural 
love  of  lite,  yet  she  was  never  heard  to 
ex])ress  tlic  smallest  degree  of  impatience 
under  her  long  and  trying  allliction  ;  and 
her  mind  Itecame  more  calm  and  compos- 
ed, as  her  prospects  of  being  restored  to 
her  friends  declined.  The  only  concern 
she  manifested  in  this  particular  was  in 
the  idea  of  leaving  her  mother,  to  whom, 
after  her  lather's  death,  she  was  especial- 
ly endeared  hy  her  tender  and  dutiful  at- 
tentions, and  who  she  knew  would  dee|>ly 
feel  the  loss  of  her  society.  She  one  time 
said  to  her — '  I  am  quite  happy,  and  have 
little  wish  to  live  but  on  your  account.'  * 
Seeing  her  mother  greatly  distressed,  she 
in  the  tendercst  manner  endeavored  to  re- 
concile her  to  the  loss  of  her,  by  saying, 
'  Dear  mother,  do  not  lay  your  account 
with  pining  after  me  when  I  am  gone  :  you 
have  other  children  who  will  need  your 
care,  and  you  don't  know  what  troulde 
you  might  have  on  my  account  if  I  were 
to  live.'  Being  asked  if  she  did  not  feel 
happy  in  tiie  thought  of  meeting  her  dear 
departed  friends  in  glory,  she  replied — '  I 
do  not  think  of  that,  so  much  as  of  seeing 
Cod  and  praising  him.'  A  few  days  be- 
fore she  died,  she  requested  her  sister  to 
pray  for  her  speedy  release.  The  next 
day  she  said  to  her  mother — '  I  think  I  am 
going  ....  I  feel  so  calm  and  comfort- 
able.' A  short  time  before,  she  said  she 
had  no  desire  to  live  longer,  unless  it 
might  be  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  that 
she  might  serve  him.  To  a  friend  who 
was  speaking  of  his  trials  being  so  great 
that,  were  it  not  for  his  family,  he  could  be 
glad  to  leave  the  world,  she  said — '  Take 
care  of  your  motives,  whether  they  are  to 
glorify  God,  or  merely  to  get  rid  of 
trouble.' — In  short,  the  thoughts  o/  serv- 
ing and  glorifying  God,  whether  in  this 
world  or  another,  seemed  to  take  place  of 

*  She  was  peculiarly  distressed  at  the  thought  of 
leavin;^  her  mother,  confined  bv  the  charge  of  an  aged 
and  infirm  parent  to  a  house  already  the  scene  of 
melancholy  recollections,  which  must  be  much  in- 
creased by  her  own  departure,  and  prayed  earnestly 
and  continually  that  God  would  spare  her  life  beyond 
that  of  her  grandmother,  a  request  which  was  remar- 
kably answered,  her  grandmother,  who  had  enjoyed 
a  series  of  uninterrupted  internal  health  till  within  a 
few  weeks  of  her  decease,  being  interred  a  few  days 
before  the  deatli  of  Miss  Fuller. 


all  other  considerations.  She  did  not, 
however,  attach  any  merit  to  the  best  of 
services;  and  her  reliance  for  salvation 
was  solely  on  the  atonement  of  the  Re- 
deemer. She  said  he  was  all  her  hope, 
and  all  her  desire. 

"  Wiien  her  younger  brothers  visited 
her  a  few  weeks  previous  to  her  death,  her 
earnestness  with  them  was  very  affecting. 
On  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  she 
died,  she  ex|)ressed  an  anxious  desire  of 
s()eaking  to  all  the  young  people  of  her  ac- 
quaintance, (mentioning  several  byname), 
in  order,  if  possil)le,  to  convoy  to  them 
the  strong  imj)ression  of  the  weight  of 
eternal  things  which  filled  her  own  mind, 
in  the  near  prospect  of  eternity  ;  and  said, 
if  she  had  a  wish  to  live,  it  was  that  she 
iriight  see  them  come  forward,  and  declare 
themselves  on  the  side  of  Christ.  Being 
asked  if  she  was  happy,  she  replied, 
'  Quite  so ;  but  I  feel  no  raptures  :  and, 
if  my  Ag^v  father  did  not,  how  can  /  ex- 
pect" if?  ' 

"  At  her  request,  Mr.  Hall  was  sent  for, 
to  whom  she  sjjoke  witli  much  earnest- 
ness, lamenting  to  how  little  purpose  she 
had  lived,  and  desiring  him,  if  he  thought 
proper,  to  improve  her  death  in  a  sermon 
to  young  people  ;  entreating  him  to  be 
very  particular  in  warning  them  not  to  put 
off  the  concerns  of  religion  :  and  especial- 
ly the  children  of  the  Sabbath  school ;  ex- 
pressing her  regret  that  she  had  so  much 
neglected  speaking  to  tiiem  on  that  impor- 
tant subject,  and  her  intention  if  she  had 
been  spared  to  have  attended  more  to  her 
duty  in  this  respect. 

"  This  was  her  last  effort,  as  she  scarce- 
ly spoke  a  sentence  afterwards,  but  lay 
with  great  composure  and  serenity  of  as- 
pect, waiting  for  her  change,  which  took 
place  between  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  June  11,  1816.  Her  age  was 
nineteen  years. 

"  She  was  interred  on  Sabbath  evening, 
June  16;  when  an  impressive  discourse 
was  addressed  to  a  crowded  audience,  by 
Mr.  Hall,  from  Psalm  cii.  2.3,  24." 

To  her  bereaved  mother  Miss  Fuller 
had  been  a  wise  and  faithful  counsellor  in 
difficulty,  and  a  sympathizing  friend  in  af- 
fliction. Mrs.  Fuller  now  removed  to  a 
small  house  near  the  residence  of  her 
daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Levet;  but  subse- 
quently was  induced,  1)y  several  consider- 
ations, to  remove  to  Bristol,  where,  after  a 
residence  of  two  years,  she  died,  Octol)er 
29, 182-5,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  her 

age- 

She  was  a  woman  of  superior  mind, 
and  much  reading  and  reflection.  Though 
a  constitutional  reserve,  confirmed  by  the 
retired  scenes  of  her  early  life,  rendered 
her  less  adapted  to  that  social  intercourse 


VOL. 


li 


118 


MEMOIRS    OF    MR.    FULLER. 


which  her  station  required,  this  defect  was 
counterbalanced  by  a  pre-eminent  share 
of  discretion,  by  which  she  not  only  avoid- 
ed many  of  those  evils  which  an  incautious 
deportment  on  the  part  of  a  minister's 
wife  has  been  known  to  occasion  ;  but, 
with  the  aid  of  a  sound  judgment,  render- 
ed the  most  essential  service  to  her  hus- 
band as  a  confidential  adviser  in  difficulties. 
Mr.  Fuller,  in  a  passage  of  his  diary,  has 
recorded  the  following  brief  testimony  : — 
"  I  have  found  my  marriage  contribute 
greatly  to  my  peace  and  comfort,  and  the 
comfort  of  my  family  ;  for  which  I  render 
humble  and  hearty  thanks  to  the  God  of 
my  life." 

Though  she  was  peculiarly  at  home  in 
domestic  engagements,  her  unwearied  in- 
dustry afforded  opportunity  for  the  rec- 
ord of  her  private,  views  and  feelings  on  a 
variety  of  subjects,  as  well  as  of  numerous 
extracts  from  approved  authors.  After 
the  lamented  decease  of  her  husband,  and 
amidst  various  perplexing  avocations, 
chiefly  connected  with  the  publication  of 
the  first  edition  of  his  works,  and  distress- 
ing anxiety  relative  to  her  daughter,  she 
transcribed  the  exposition  of  the  Psalms 
from  Mr.  Fuller's  short-hand  MS.  Her 
sight  suffered  from  the  intense  application  ; 
nor  was  it  till  v/ithin  a  short  time  of  her 
death  that  the  laborious  undertaking  was 
completed. 

Few  persons  have  maintained  a  more 
close  and  devout  intercourse  with  God 
than  Mrs.  Fuller;  her  exercises  of  mind 
were  pre-eminently  devotional ;  and  the 
Psalms  of  David,  and  the  poetical  works 
of  her  favorite  Watts,  were  a  never-failing 
source  of  interest  and  profit.  As  she  was 
not  accustomed  to  keep  a  chronological 
diary,  and  frequently  committed  her  wri- 
tings to  the  iiames,  the  following  frag- 
ments are  nearly  all  that  can  be  found, 
and  probably  these  owe  their  present  ex- 
istence to  an  oversight : — 

"  '  That  I  may  be  found  in  him.' — O 
what  a  word  is  that !  When  any  person  de- 
parts this  life,  it  is  usual  to  say  of  their 
friends  and  relatives,  they  have  lost  such 
a  friend.  True  it  is,  they  are  lost  to  this 
world.  They  have  no  more  share  in  any 
thing  that  is  done  under  the  sun ;  but,  if 
they  were  believers  in  Christ,  they  will 
he  found  in  Him,  at  the  last  day.  Who 
can  estimate  the  full  extent  of  such  an  ex- 
pression as  this  ;  or  the  state  of  blessed- 
ness it  includes  1  To  be  found  in  Christ 
is  to  be  interested  in  all  he  has  done  and 
suffered — his  atonement,  his  righteous- 
ness, his  intercession.  O  Lord,  grant 
that  I  may  thus  be  found  in  that  day  :  not 
having  on  my  own  righteousness  ;  but  that 
which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the 
righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith." 


"  I  have  this  evening  heard  of  the  death 
of  a  member  of  the  church,  who  died 
full  of  peace  and  hope.  I  desire  to  feel 
thankful  for  the  support  afforded  her,  and 
would  humbly  pray  that  I  may  be  so  favor- 
ed in  my  latter  end.  O,  to  be  a  follower 
of  those  who  through  faith  and  patience 
inherit  the  promises  !" 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  this  morning,  of 
the  privileges  the  people  of  God  enjoy  in 
the  communio7i  of  spirits — if  I  may  so 
call  it.  However  distantly  they  may  be 
situated  from  each  other  in  person,  there 
is  one  general  place  of  rendezvous  for 
kindred  minds — this  is  a  throne  of  grace. 
Oh  !  how  much  we  live  below  our  mer- 
cies, and  wrong  each  other  and  ourselves, 
when  we  do  not  to  the  full  avail  ourselves 
of  this  distinguishing  privilege !  Surely 
this,  improved  as  it  ought,  would  in  a 
great  degree  compensate  for  the  absence 
of  dear  friends  from  each  other.  We 
might  here  be  the  means  of  rendering  the 
most  effectual  assistance  to  each  other. 
O  my  soul !  I  would  now  charge  thee, 
before  the  Father  of  mercies  and  the  God 
of  all  grace,  to  be  found  more  constantly 
and  more  earnestly  engaged  in  this  im- 
portant branch  of  christian  duty.  O 
Thou,  from  whom  every  good  and  perfect 
gift  Cometh  !  I  look  up  to  thee  for  grace 
and  strength  to  enable  me  to  discharge 
this  and  every  other  part  of  duty ;  for  all 
my  sufficiency  is  of  thee." 

'■'  O  Lord  !  thy  footsteps  are  in  the  deep 
waters.  All  things  seem  dark  around 
me,  as  it  respects  thy  dispensations,  both 
in  a  way  of  providence  and  grace.  Will 
light  and  deliverance  ever  arise'?  'To 
the  upright  there  ariseth  light  in  dark- 
ness.' O  may  I  be  found  of  that  number! 
O  Lord,  I  have  no  distrust  of  thy  veraci- 
ty and  faithfulness  to  thy  promises,  but  I 
distrust  myself.  May  it  be  my  chief  con- 
cern to  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  righteousness,  both  for  myself  and  my 
children  ;  and  then  I  may  safely  trust  that 
every  other  needful  goodwill  be  added." 

A  continual  dread  of  death  was  a  bar 
to  much  of  that  enjoyment  which  the  con- 
solations of  the  gospel  are  calculated  to 
yield  when  "flesh  and  heart  fail."  This, 
however,  near  the  close  of  her  life  was 
happily  dissipated,  and  she  met  her  "last 
enemy  "  with  composure,  in  the  full  pos- 
session of  "  a  good  hope  through  grace." 

Her  remains,  agreeably  to  her  own  I'e- 
quest,  were  conveyed  to  Kettering,  and 
deposited  beneath  the  same  tomb  as  those 
of  her  beloved  husband  and  daughter ;  on 
which  occasion  a  discourse  was  delivered 
by  Mr.  Hall  from  the  words  above  quoted, 
which  had  been  frequently  used  by  her  as 
indicative  of  the  foundation  of  her  confi- 
dence in  the  prospect  of  death. 


THE 


GOSPEL     ITS     OWN     WITNESS; 


THE  HOLY  NATURE  AND  DIVINE  HARMONY 


CHRISTIAN    RELIGION 


CONTRASTED    WITH    THE 


IMMORALITY  AND  ABSURDITY  OF  DEISM. 


Laying  his  liand  on  tlie  Bible,  lie  would  saj-,  "  There  is  true  philosophy.    This  is  the  wisdom  that  speaks 
to  tlie  Iieart.    A  bad  life  is  the  only  grand  objection  to  this  Book."  Earl  of  Rochester. 


PREFACE. 


The  struggle  between  religion  and  irreligion  has  existed  in  the  world  in  all  ages  ; 
and  if  there  be  two  opposite  interests  which  divide  its  inhabitants,  the  kingdom  of  Satan 
and  the  kingdom  of  God,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  the  contest  will  continue  till  one 
of  them  be  exterminated.  The  peaceful  nature  of  Christianity  does  not  require  that  we 
should  make  peace  with  its  adversaries,  or  cease  to  repel  their  attacks,  or  even  that 
we  should  act  merely  on  the  defensive.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  required  to  make 
use  of  those  weapons  of  the  divine  warfare  with  which  we  are  furnished,  for  the 
pulling  down  of  strong  holds,  casting  down  imaginations,  and  every  high  thing  that 
exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every 
thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ. 

The  opposition  of  the  present  age  has  not  been  confined  to  the  less  important  points 
of  Christianity,  nor  even  to  its  first  principles:  Christianity  itself  is  treated  as  im- 
posture. The  same  things,  it  is  true,  have  been  advanced  and  as  frequently  repelled, 
in  former  ages  ;  but  the  adversaries  of  the  gospel  of  late,  encouraged  it  should  seem 
by  the  temper  of  the  times,  have  renewed  the  attack  with  redoubled  vigor.  One  of 
their  most  popular  writers,  hoping  to  avail  himself  of  this  circumstance,  is  pleased  to 
entitle  his  performance  The  Age  of  Reason.  This  writer  is  aware  that  flattery  is 
one  of  the  most  powerful  means  of  gaining  admission  to  the  human  mind ;  such  a 
compliment,  therefore,  to  the  present  age,  was  doubtless  considered  as  a  master- 
stroke of  policy.  Nor  is  Mr.  Paine  less  obliging  to  himself  than  to  his  readers,  but 
takes  it  for  granted  that  tlie  cause  for  which  he  pleads  is  that  of  reason  and  truth. 
The  considerate  reader,  however,  may  remark,  that  those  writers  who  are  not 
ashamed  to  beg  the  question  in  the  title-page  are  seldom  the  most  liberal  or  impar- 
tial in  the  execution  of  the  work. 

One  thing  which  has  contributed  to  the  advantage  of  Infidelity  is  the  height  to  which 
political  disputes  U^ve  arisen,  and  the  degree  in  which  they  have  interested  the  pas- 
sions and  prejudices  of  mankind.  Those  who  favor  the  sentiments  of  a  set  of  men  in 
one  thing  Avill  be  in  danger  of  thinking  favorably  of  them  in  others  ;  at  least  they 
will  not  be  apt  to  view  them  in  so  ill  a  light  as  if  they  had  been  advanced  by  persons 
of  different  sentiments  in  other  things,  as  well  as  in  religion.  It  is  true  there  may  be 
nothing  more  friendly  to  Infidelity  in  the  nature  of  one  political  system  than  another ; 


102  PREFACE. 

nothing  that  can  justify  professing  Christians  in  accusing  one  another,  merely  on 
account  of  a  difference  of  this  kind,  of  favoring  the  interests  of  Atheism  and  irreligion  : 
nevertheless,  it  becomes  those  who  think  favorably  of  the  political  principles  of  In- 
fidels to  take  heed,  lest  they  be  insensibly  drawn  away  to  think  lightly  of  religion. 
All  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  all  the  disputes  on  the  best  or  worst  modes  of  gov- 
ernment, compared  with  this,  are  less  than  nothing  and  vanity. 

To  this  it  may  be  added,  that  the  eagerness  with  which  men  engage  in  political  dis- 
putes, take  which  side  they  may,  is  unfavorable  to  a  zealous  adherence  to  the  gospel. 
Any  mere  worldly  object,  if  it  become  the  principal  thing  which  occupies  our 
thoughts  and  affections,  will  weaken  our  attachment  to  religion ;  and,  if  once  we 
become  cool  and  indifferent  to  this,  we  are  in  the  high  road  to  Infidelity.  There  are 
cases,  no  doubt,  relating  to  civil  government,  in  which  it  is  our  duty  to  act,  and  that 
with  firmness  ;  but  to  make  such  things  the  chief  object  of  our  attention,  or  the 
principal  topic  of  our  conversation,  is  both  sinful  and  injurious.  Many  a  promising 
character  in  the  religious  world  has,  by  these  things,  been  utterly  ruined. 

The  writer  of  the  following  pages  is  not  induced  to  offer  them  to  the  public  eye 
from  an  apprehension  that  the  Church  of  Christ  is  in  danger.  Neither  the  downfal 
of  Popery,  nor  the  triumph  of  Infidels,  as  though  they  had  hereby  overturned  Chris- 
tianity, have  ever  been  to  him  the  cause  of  a  moment's  uneasiness.  If  Christianity  be 
of  God,  as  he  verily  believes  it  to  be,  they  cannot  overthrow  it.  He  must  be  posses- 
sed of  but  little  faith  who  can  tremble,  though  in  a  storm,  for  the  safety  of  the  vessel 
which  contains  his  Lord  and  Master.  There  would  be  one  ai'guraent  less  for  the  di- 
vinity of  the  Scriptures,  if  the  same  powers  which  gave  existence  to  the  anti-chris- 
tian  dominion  had  not  been  employed  in  taking  it  away.*  But,  though  truth  has 
nothing  to  fear,  it  does  not  follow  that  its  friends  should  be  inactive  ;  if  we  have  no 
apprehensions  for  the  safety  of  Christianity,  we  may,  nevertheless,  feel  for  the  rising 
generation.  The  Lord  confers  an  honor  upon  his  servants  in  condescending  to  make 
use  of  their  humble  efforts  in  preserving  and  promoting  his  interest  in  the  world.  If 
the  present  attempt  may  be  thus  accepted  and  honored,  by  Him  to  whose  name  it  is 
sincerely  dedicated,  the  writer  will  receive  a  ricli  reward. 

Kettering,  Oct.  10,  1799. 

*  The  powers  of  Europe  (signified  by  the  ten  horns,  or  kings)  into  which  the  Roman  empire  should  be  di- 
vided, were  to  give  their  kingdoms  to  the  beast.  They  did  so,  and  France  particularly  took  the  lead. 
The  same  powers,  it  is  predicted,  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  burn  her  flesh  with  fire.  They  have  begun  to 
do  so  ;  and  in  this  business  also  France  has  taken  the  lead.     Rev.  xvii.  12,  13, 16 — 18. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  controversies  between  believers  and  unbelievers  are  confined  to  a  narrower 
ground  tlian  those  of  professed  believers  with  one  another.  Scripture  testimony,  any- 
farther  than  as  it  bears  the  character  of  truth,  and  approves  itself  to  the  conscience, 
or  is  produced  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  nature  of  genuine  Christianity,  is 
here  out  of  the  question.  Reason  is  the  common  ground  on  which  they  must  meet 
to  decide  their  contests.  On  this  ground  Christian  writers  have  successfully  closed 
with  their  antagonists  :  so  much  so  that,  of  late  ages,  notwithstanding  all  their  boast 
of  reason,  not  one  in  ten  of  them  can  be  kept  to  the  fair  and  honorable  use  of  this 
weapon.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  driven  to  substitute  dark  insinuation,  low  wit 
profane  ridicule,  and  gross  abuse.  Such  were  the  weapons  of  Shaftesbuiy,  Tindal, 
Morgan,  Bolingbroke,  Voltaire,  Hume,  and  Gibbon  :  and  such  are  the  weapons  of 
the  author  of  The  Age  of  Reason.  Among  various  well-written  performances,  in  an- 
swer to  their  several  productions,  the  reader  may  see  a  concise  and  able  refuta- 
tion of  the  greater  part  of  them  in  Leland's  Review  of  the  Deistical  Writers. 

It  is  not  my  design  to  go  over  the  various  topics  usually  discussed  in  this  contro- 
versy, but  to  select  a  single  one,  which,  I  conceive,  has  not  been  so  fully  attended  to 
but  that  it  may  yet  be  considered  with  advantage.  The  internal  evidence  which 
Christianity  possesses,  particularly  in  respect  of  its  holy  nature  and  divine  harmony, 
will  be  the  subject  of  the  present  inquiry. 

Mr.  Paine,  after  the  example  of  many  others,  endeavors  to  discredit  the  Scrip- 
tures by  representing  the  number  of  hands  through  which  they  have  passed,  and  the 
uncertainty  of  the  historical  evidence  by  which  they  are  supported.  "It  is  a  matter 
altogether  of  uncertainty  to  us,"  he  says,  "whether  such  of  the  writings  as  now  ap- 
pear under  the  names  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  are  in  the  same  state  in  which 
those  collectors  say  they  found  them ;  or  whether  they  added,  altered,  abridged, 
or  dressed  them  up."*  It  is  a  good  work  which  many  writers  have  undertaken,  to 
prove  the  validity  of  the  Christian  history,  and  to  show  tliat  we  have  as  good  evidence 
for  the  truth  of  the  great  facts  which  it  relates  as  we  have  for  the  truth  of  any  an- 
cient events  whatever.f     But  if,  in  addition  to  this,  it  can  be  proved  that  the    Scrip- 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Pan  I.  pp,  10.  11.  f  Lardner,  Simpson,  and  others. 


104  INTRODUCTION, 

tures  contain  internal  characteristics  of  divinity,  or  that  they  carry  in  them  the  evi- 
dence of  their  authenticity,  this  will  at  once  answer  all  objections  from  the  supposed 
uncertainty  of  historical  evidence. 

Historians  inform  us  of  a  certain  valuable  medicine  called  Mithridate,  an  antidote 
to  poison.  It  is  said  that  tliis  medicine  was  invented  by  Mithridates,  king  of  Pontus  • 
that  the  receipt  of  it  was  found  in  a  cabinet,  written  with  his  own  hand,  and  was 
carried  to  Rome  by  Pompey ;  that  it  was  translated  into  verse  by  Damocrates,  a  fa- 
mous physician ;  and  that  it  was  afterwards  translated  by  Galen,  from  whom  we 
have  it.*  Now,  supposing  this  medicine  to  be  efficacious  for  its  professed  purpose, 
of  what  account  would  it  be  to  object  to  the  authenticity  of  its  history  1  If  a  modern 
caviller  should  take  it  into  his  head  to  allege  that  the  preparation  has  passed  through 
so  many  hands,  and  that  there  is  so  much  hearsay  and  uncertainty  attending  it,  that 
no  dependence  can  be  placed  upon  it,  and  that  it  had  better  be  rejected  from  our 
Materia  Medica, — he  would  be  asked,  Has  it  not  been  tried,  and  found  to  be  effectual; 
and  that  in  a  great  variety  of  distances'!  Such  are  Mr.  Paine's  objections  to  the  Bi- 
ble ;  and  such  is  the  answer  that  may  be  given  him. 

This  language  is  not  confined  to  infidel  writers.  Mr.  Locke  speaks  of  what  he 
calls  "  traditional  revelation,"  or  revelation  as  we  have  it,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
convey  the  idea  that  we  have  no  evidence  of  the  Scriptures  being  the  word  of  God, 
but  from  a  succession  of  witnesses  having  told  us  so.f  But  I  conceive  these  sacred 
writings  may  contain  such  internal  evidence  of  their  being  what  they  profess  to  be  as 
that  it  might,  with  equal  reason,  be  doubted  whether  the  world  was  created  by  the 
power  of  God,  as  whether  they  were  written  by  the  inspiration  of  his  Spirit :  and,  if 
so,  our  dependence  is  not  upon  mere  tradition. 

It  is  true,  the  Scriptures  having  been  conveyed  to  us  through  the  medium  of  man, 
the  work  must  necessarily,  in  some  respects,  have  been  humanized  ;  yet  there  may  be 
sufficient  marks  of  divinity  upon  it  to  render  it  evident,  to  every  candid  mind,  that  it 
is  of  God. 

We  may  call  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  creation  a  tradition,  and  may  be  said  to 
know  through  this  medium  that  the  heavens  and  the  earth  are  the  productions  of  di- 
vine power.  But  it  is  not  through  this  medium  only  that  we  know  it :  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  carry  in  them  evident  marks  of  their  divine  original.  These  works  of 
the  Almighty  speak  for  themselves  ;  and  in  language  which  none  but  those  who  are 
wilfully  deaf  can  misunderstand:  "Their  sound  is  gone  forth  throughout  all  the 
earth,  and  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world."  Were  any  man  to  pretend  that  its 
being  a  matter  of  revelation,  and  to  us  merely  traditional  revelation,  that  God  made 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  therefore  that  a  degree  of  uncertainty  must  necessarily 
attend  it,  he  would  be  reminded  that  the  thing  itself  carried  in  it  its  own  evidence. 
Let  it  be  candidly  considered  whether  the  same  may  not  be  said  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures. They  will  admit  of  historical  defence  ;  but  they  do  not  require  it.  Their 
contents,  come  through  whose  hands  they  may,  prove  them  to  be  of  God.  It  was 
on  this  principle  that  the  gospel  was  proclaimed  in  the  form  of  a  testimony.  The 
primitive  preachers  were  not  required  by  him  who  sent  them  to  prove  their  doctrine 
in  the  manner  in  which  philosophers  were  wont  to  establish  a  proposition ;  but  to 
"  declare  the  counsel  of  God,"  and  leave  it.  In  delivering  their  message,  they  "  com- 
mended themselves  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God." 

*  Chambers'  Dictionary.     Art.  Mitlu-idates.  f  Human  Understanding,  Book  IV.  Chap.  18. 


I-NTRODUCTION.  105 

It  is  no  objection  to  tiiis  statement  ol"  things  that  the  Scriptures  arc  not  embraced 
by  every  man,  whatever  be  the  disposition  of  his  mind.  This  is  a  property  that  no  di- 
vine production  whatever  possesses  ;  and  to  require  it  is  equally  unreasonable  as  to 
insist  tiiat  lor  a  book  to  lie  perfectly  legible  it  must  be  capable  of  being  read  liy  those 
who  shut  their  eves  upon  it.  Mr.  Paine  holds  up  the  advantages  of  the  book  of 
nature  in  order  to  disparage  tiiat  of  Scripture,  and  says,  "  No  Deist  can  doubt  wheth- 
er the  works  ot  nature  be  God's  works."  An  admiral)le  proof  this  that  we  have  ar- 
rived at  the  age  of  reason  !  Can  no  Atheist  doubt  it  1  I  might  as  well  say.  No 
Chrisiian  doubts  the  truth  of  the  scriptures  :  the  one  proves  just  as  much  as  the  other. 
A  prejudiced  mind  discerns  nothing  of  divine  beauty  either  in  nature  or  Scripture; 
yet  c;icli  may  include  the  most  induliitable  evidence  of  being  wrouglit  by  the  linger  of 
God. 

If  Ciuistianity  can  be  proved  to  be  a  religion  that  insj)ires  the  love  of  God  and  man  ; 
yea,  and  the  only  religion  in  the  world  that  does  so  ;  if  it  endues  the  mind  of  him  that 
embraces  it  with  a  principle  of  justice,  meekness,  chastity,  and  goodness,  and  even 
gives  a  tone  to  the  morals  of  society  at  large ;  it  will  then  appear  to  carry  its  evidence 
along  with  it.  The  effects  which  it  produces  will  be  its  letters  of  recommendation, 
written,  "  not  with  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  ;  not  in  tables  of  stone, 
but  in  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart."  Moreover,  if  Christianity  can  be  proved  to  be  in 
harmony  with  itself,  correspondent  with  observation  and  experience,  and  consistent 
w  ith  the  clearest  dictates  of  sober  reason,  it  will  further  appear  to  carry  in  it  its  own 
evidence  :  come  through  Avhose  hands  it  may,  it  will  evince  itself  to  be  what  it  pro- 
fesses to  be — a  religion  from  God. 

I  will  only  add,  in  this  place,  that  the  Christianity  here  defended  is  not  Christianity 
as  it  is  corrupted  by  popish  superstition,  or  as  interwoven  Avith  national  establish- 
ments, for  the  accomplishment  of  secular  purposes  ;  but  as  it  is  taught  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  practised  by  sincere  Christians.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that,  in 
many  instances,  Christianity  has  been  adopted  by  worldly  men,  even  by  Infidels 
themselves,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  their  political  designs.  Finding  the 
bulk  of  the  people  inclined  to  the  Christian  religion  under  some  particular 
form,  and  attached  to  certain  leading  persons  among  them  who  sustained  the 
character  of  teachers,  they  have  considered  it  as  a  piece  of  good  policy  to  give 
this  religion  an  establishment,  and  these  teachers  a  share  in  the  government.  It  is 
thus  that  religion,  to  its  great  dishonor,  has  been  converted  into  an  engine  of  state. 
The  politician  may  be  pleased  with  his  success,  and  the  teacher  will)  his  honors,  and 
even  the  people  be  so  far  misled  as  to  love  to  have  it  so  ;  but  the  mischief  result- 
ing from  it  to  religion  is  incalculable.  Even  where  such  establishments  have  arisen 
from  piety,  they  have  not  failed  to  corrupt  the  minds  of  Christians  from  the  simplici- 
ty which  is  in  Christ.  It  was  by  these  means  that  the  church,  at  an  early  period, 
from  being  the  bride  of  Christ,  gradually  degenerated  to  a  harlot,  and,  in  the  end, 
became  the  mother  of  harlots,  and  abominations  of  the  earth.  The  good  that 
is  done  in  such  communities  is  not  in  consequence  of  their  peculiar  ecclesiastical 
constitution,  but  in  spite  of  it:  it  arises  from  the  virtue  of  individuals,  which  ope- 
rates notwithstanding  {he  disadvantages  of  their  situation. 

These  are  the  things  that  afford  a  handle  to  unbelievers.      They  seldom   ciioose  to 

attack  Christianity  as  it  is  drawn  in  the  sacred    writings,  and  exemplified  in  the 

lives  of  real   Christians,  who   stand   at  a  distance   from    worldly   parade,   political 

struggles,^  or  state  intrigues  ;  but  as  it  is  corrupted    and  abused   by   worldly  men. 

VOL.    I.  14 


106  INTRODUCTION. 

Mr.  Paine  racks  his  imagination  to  make  out  a  resemblance  between  the  heathen 
mythology  and  Christianity.  While  he  is  going  over  the  ground  of  Christianity  as  in- 
stituted by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  the  resemblance  is  faint  indeed.  There  are 
only  two  points  in  which  he  even  pretends  to  find  an  agreement ;  and  these  are  form- 
ed by  his  misrepresenting  the  scriptures.  "The  heathen  deities  were  said  to  be 
celestially  begotten;  and  Christ  is  called  the  Son  of  God.*  The  heathens  had  a 
plurality  of  deities,  even  twenty  or  thirty  thousand ;  and  Christianity  has  reduced 
them  to  three  !  "  It  is  easy  to  see  that  this  is  ground  not  suited  to  Mr.  Paine's  pur- 
pose :  he  therefore  hastens  to  corrupted  Christianity  ;  and  here  he  finds  plenty  of 
materials.  "  The  statue  of  Mary,"  he  says,  'succeeded  the  statue  of  Diana  of 
Ephesus.  The  deification  of  heroes  changed  into  the  canonization  of  saints. 
The  mythologists  had  gods  for  every  thing.  The  Christian  mythologists  had 
saints  for  every  thing.  The  church  became  as  crowded  with  the  one  as  the  pan- 
theon had  been  with  the  other  ;  and  Rome  was  the  place  of  both. "f  Very  true,  Mr. 
Paine  :  but  you  are  not  so  ignorant  as  to  mistake  this  for  Christianity.  Had  you 
been  born  and  educated  in  Italy,  or  Spain,  you  might  have  been  excused  in  calling 
this  "The  Christian  theory  ; "  but  to  write  in  this  manner  with  your  advantages 
is  disingenuous.  Such  conduct  would  have  disgraced  any  cause  but  yours.  It  is 
capable,  however,  of  some  improvement.  It  teaches  us  to  defend  nothing  but  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  It  also  affords  presumptive  evidence  in  its  favor ;  foi',  if 
Christianity  itself  were  false,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  you,  or  some  of  your  fel- 
low-laborers, would  be  able  to  prove  it  so ;  and  this  would  turn  greatly  to  your 
account.  Your  neglecting  this,  and  directing  your  artillery  chiefly  against  its  cor- 
ruptions and  abuses,  betray  a  consciousness  that  the  thing  itself,  i^  not  invulnerable, 
is  yet  not  so  easy  of  attack.  If  Christianity  had  really  been  a  relic  ^f  heathenism,  as 
you  suggest,  there  is  little  reason  to  think  that  you  would  have  so  strenuously  op- 
posed it. 

•  To  give  a  color  to  this  statement,  he  is  obliged  to  affirm  a  most  palpable  falsehood,  that  only  Gentiles 
believed  Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 

t  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  5. 


THE 


GOSPEL    ITS    OWN    WITNESS. 


PART     I. 

THE  HOLY  NATURE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN    RELIGION  CONTRASTED  WITH  THE 
IMMORALITY  OF  DEISM. 


The  greatest  enemies  of  Christianity 
would  still  be  thought  friendly  to  moral- 
ity, and  will  plead  for  it  as  necessary  to 
the  well-being  of  mankind.  However  im- 
moral men  may  be  in  their  practice,  and 
to  whatever  lengths  they  may  proceed  in 
extenuating  particular  vices,  yet  they 
cannot  plead  for  immorality  in  the  gross. 
A  sober,  upright,  humble,  chaste,  and 
generous  character,  is  allowed,  on  all 
hands,  to  be  preferable  to  one  that  is 
profligate,  treacherous,  proud,  unchaste, 
or  cruel.  Such,  indeed,  is  the  sense  which 
men  possess  of  right  and  wrong,  that, 
whenever  they  attempt  to  disparage  the 
former,  or  vindicate  the  latter,  they  are 
reduced  to  the  necessity  of  covering  each 
with  a  false  guise.  They  cannot  traduce 
good  as  good,  or  justify  evil  as  evil.  The 
love  of  God  must  be  called  fanaticism, 
and  benevolence  to  men  methodism,  or 
some  such  opprobrious  name,  before  they 
can  depreciate  them.  Theft,  cruelty,  and 
murder,  on  the  other  hand,  must  assume 
the  names  of  wisdom  and  good  policy  ere  a 
plea  can  be  set  up  in  their  defence.  Thus 
were  the  arguments  for  the  abolition  of 
the  slave  trade  answered,  and  in  this  man- 
ner was  that  iniquitous  traffic  defended  in 
the  British  Parliament.  Doubtless  there  is 
a.  woe  hanging  over  the  heads  of  those  men 
who  thus  called  evil  good,  and  good  evil ; 
nevertheless  we  see,  even  in  their  conduct, 
the  amiableness  of  righteousness,  and  the 
impossibility  of  fairly  opposing  it. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CHRISTIANITY  REVEALS  A  GOD  GLORIOUS 
IN  HOLINESS  :  BUT  DEISM,  THOUGH  IT 
ACKNOWLEDGES  A  GOD,  YET  DENIES 
OR  OVERLOOKS  HIS  MORAL  CHARAC- 
TER. 

There  are  certain  perfections  which 
all  who  acknowledge  a  God  agree  in  at- 
tributing to  him :  such  are  those  of  wis- 


dom, power,  immutability,  &c.  These, 
by  Christian  divines,  are  usually  termed 
his  natural  perfections.  There  are  oth- 
ers which  no  less  evidently  belong  to  deity, 
such  as  goodness,  justice,  veracity,  &c., 
all  which  may  be  expressed  in  one  word — 
holiness ;  and  these  are  usually  termed 
his  moral  perfections.  Both  natural  and 
moral  attributes  tend  to  display  the  glory 
of  the  divine  character,  but  especially  the 
latter.  Wisdom  and  power,  in  the  Su- 
preme Being,  render  him  a  proper  object 
of  admiration  ;  but  justice,  veracity,  and 
goodness,  attract  our  love.  No  being  is 
beloved  for  his  greatness,  but  for  his  good- 
ness. Moral  excellence  is  the  highest 
glory  of  any  intelligent  being,  created  or 
uncreated.  Without  this,  wisdom  would 
be  subtilty,  power  tyranny,  and  immuta- 
bility the  same  thing  as  being  unchange- 
ably wicked. 

We  account  it  the  glory  of  revelation 
that,  while  it  displays  the  natural  perfec- 
tions of  God  in  a  way  superior  to  any 
thing  that  has  been  called  religion,  it  ex- 
hibits his  moral  excellence  in  a  manner 
peculiar  to  itself.  It  was  with  good  rea- 
son that  Moses  affirmed,  in  behalf  of  Israel, 
"  Their  rock  is  not  as  our  rock,  our  ene- 
mies themselves  being  judges."  The  God, 
or  Rock,  of  Israel  is  constantly  descril)ed 
as  a  being  "glorious  in  holiness,"  and  as 
requiring  pure  and  holy  worship  :  "  The 
Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gra- 
cious, long-suffering,  and  abundant  in 
goodness  and  in  truth."  "  The  Lord  our 
God  is  holy."  "  Holy  and  reverend  is  his 
name."  "  Glory  ye  in  his  holy  name." 
"  And  one  cried  to  another,  and  said, 
holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  of  hosts;  the 
whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory."  "  He 
is  of  purer  eyes  tlian  to  behold  evil  ;  and 
cannot  look  on  iniquity."  "A  God  of 
truth,  and  without  iniquity ;  just  and 
right  is  he."  Is  any  thing  like  this  to  be 
found  in  the  writings  of  the  ancient  hea- 
thens 1  No.  The  generality  of  their  dei- 
ties were  the  patrons  of  vice,  and  their 
worship  was  accompanied  with  the  foulest 
abominations  that  could  disgrace  the  na- 


108 


THE    MORAL    CHARACTER     OF    GOD. 


ture  of  man.  Justice,  benevolence,  and 
veracity,  were  not  considered  as  necessa- 
ry in  any  part  of  tlieir  religion ;  and  a 
large  proportion  of  it  consisted  in  drunk- 
enness, lewdness,  and  the  offering  up  of 
human  sacrifices. 

The  object  of  Christian  adoration  is 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel;  whose  char- 
acter for  holiness,  justice,  and  goodness, 
is  displayed  in  the  doctrines  and  precepts 
of  the  gospel,  in  a  more  affecting  light 
than  by  any  of  the  preceding  dispensa- 
tions. But  who  or  what  is  the  God  of 
Deists  1  It  is  true  they  have  been  shamed 
out  of  the  polytheism  of  the  heathens. 
They  have  reduced  their  thirty  thousand 
deities  into  one  :  but  what  is  his  character! 
What  attributes  do  they  ascribe  to  him  1 
For  any  thing  that  appears  in  their  wri- 
tings, he  is  as  far  from  the  holy,  the  just, 
and  the  good,  as  those  of  their  heathen 
predecessors.  They  enjoy  a  pleasure,  it 
is  allowed,  in  contemplating  the  produc- 
tions of  wisdom  and  power;  but,  as  to 
holiness,  it  is  foreign  from  their  inquiries  : 
a  holy  God  does  not  appear  to  be  suited 
to  their  wishes. 

Lord  Bolingbroke  acknowledges  a  God, 
but  is  for  reducing  all  his  attributes  to 
uiisdom  and  poiuer ;  blaming  divines  for 
distinguishing  between  his  physical  and 
moral  attributes;  asserting  that  "we  can- 
not ascribe  goodness  and  justice  to  God, 
according  to  our  ideas  of  them,  nor  argue 
with  any  certainty  about  them  ;  and  that 
it  is  absurd  to  deduce  moral  obligations 
from  the  moral  attributes  of  God,  or  to 
pretend  to  imitate  him  in  those  attri- 
butes."* 

Voltaire  admits  "a  supreme,  eternal, 
incomprehensible  Intelligence  ;"  but  pass- 
es over  his  moral  character. f 

Mr.  Paine  says,  "  I  believe  in  one  God, 
and  no  more;"|  and  in  the  course  of  his 
Avork  ascribes  to  him  the  natural  perfec- 
tions of  iLHsdom  and  power ;  but  is  very 
sparing  in  what  he  says  of  his  moral 
excellence,  of  his  being  the  moral  gov- 
ernor of  tlie  world,  and  of  man's  being  an 
accountable  creature.  He  affects,  indeed, 
to  be  shocked  at  the  impurity  of  the  ideas 
and  expressions  of  the  Bible,  and  to  feel 
for  "the  honor  of  his  Creator  in  having 
such  a  book  called  after  his  name."§ 
This  is  the  only  passage,  that  I  recollect, 
in  which  he  expresses  any  concern  for 
the  moral  character  of  God  ;  and  whether 
this  would  have  appeared,  but  for  the 
sake  of  giving  an  edge  to  reproach,  let 
the  reader  judge. 

*  See  Lel;in(r.s  Reviow,  Let.  XXIII. 

t  Ignorant  Philosopher,  Nos.  XV.  XVI.   XVII. 

%  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  1.  §  Ibici,  p.  16. 


How  are  we  to  account  for  these  wri- 
ters thus  denying  or  overlooking  the  moral 
character  of  the  Deity,  but  by  supposing 
that  a  holy  God  is  not  suited  to  their 
inclinations'!  If  we  bear  a  sincere  regard 
to  moral  excellence,  we  shall  regard 
every  being  in  proportion  as  he  appears 
to  possess  it ;  and  if  we  consider  the 
Di\ine  Being  as  possessing  it  supremely, 
and  as  the  source  of  it  to  all  other  beings, 
it  will  be  natural  for  us  to  love  him  su- 
premely, and  all  other  beings  in  subser- 
viency to  him.  And  if  we  love  him  su- 
premely on  account  of  his  moral  charac- 
ter, it  will  be  no  less  natural  to  take 
pleasure  in  contemplating  him  under  that 
character. 

On  tlie  other  hand,  if  we  be  enemies  to 
moial  excellence,  it  will  render  every  be- 
ing who  possesses  it  unlovely  in  our  eyes. 
Virtuous  or  holy  characters  may  indeed 
command  our  respect,  and  even  admira- 
tion; but  will  not  attract  our  affection. 
Whatever  regard  we  may  bear  to  them,  it 
will  not  be  on  account  of  their  virtue,  but 
of  other  qualities  of  which  they  may  be 
possessed.  Virtuous  characters  may  be 
also  wise  and  mighty ;  and  we  may 
admire  their  ingenuity,  be  delighted  with 
their  splendor,  and  take  pleasure  in  visit- 
ing them,  that  we  may  inspect  their 
curiosities  ;  but,  in  such  cases,  the  more 
things  of  a  moral  nature  are  kept  at  a  dis- 
tance, the  more  agreeable  will  be  our 
visit.  Much  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 
Supreme  Being.  If  we  be  enemies  to 
moral  excellence,  God,  as  a  holy  being, 
will  possess  no  loveliness  in  our  eyes. 
We  may  admire  him  with  that  kind  of 
admiration  which  is  paid  to  a  great  genius, 
and  may  feel  a  pleasure  in  tracing  the 
grandeur  and  ingenuity  of  his  operations; 
but,  the  farther  his  moral  character  is 
kept  out  of  sight,  the  more  agreeable  it 
will  be  to  us. 

Lord  Shaftesbury,  not  contented  with 
overlooking,  attempts  to  satirize  the 
scripture  representations  of  the  divine 
character.  "  One  would  think,"  he  says, 
"  it  were  easy  to  understand  that  provoca- 
tion and  offence,  anger,  revenge,  jealousy 
in  point  of  honor  or  power,  love  of  fame, 
glory,  and  the  like,  belong  only  to  limited 
beings,  and  are  necessarily  excluded  a 
Being  which  is  pei-fect  and  universal."* 
That  many  things  are  attributed  to  the 
Divine  Being  in  a  figurative  style,  speak- 
ing merely  after  the  manner  of  men,  and 
that  they  are  so  understood  by  Christians, 
Lord  Shaftesbury  must  have  well  known. 

*  Characteristics,  Vol.  I.  §  5. 


THE    UORSHIP    OF    GOD. 


109 


We  do  not  Ihink  it  lawliil,  however,  so 
to  explain  away  these  expressions  as  to 
consider  tite  Great  Supreme  as  incapal)le 
of  beini;:  offended  with  sin  and  sinners,  as 
destitute  ol  pleasure  or  displeasure,  or  as 
unconcerned  about  his  own  glory,  the 
exercise  of  which  involves  the  general 
good  of  the  universe.  A  being  of  this 
descri()tion  would  be  neither  loved  nor 
feared,  but  would  become  the  object  of 
universal  contempt. 

It  is  no  part  of  the  imperfection  of  our 
nature  that  we  are  susceptible  of  provo- 
cation and  offence,  of  anger,  of  jealousy, 
and  of  a  just  regard  to  our  own  honor. 
Lord  Sliaftesliury  himself  would  have  rid- 
iculed the  man,  and  still  more  the  magis- 
trate, that  should  have  l)een  incapable  of 
these  properties  on  certain  occasions. 
They  are  planted  in  our  nature  by  ihe 
Divine  Being,  and  are  adapted  to  answer 
valuable  purposes.  If  they  l>e  perverted 
and  abused  to  sordid  ends,  which  is  too 
frequently  the  case,  this  does  not  alter 
their  nature,  nor  lessen  their  utility. 
What  would  Lord  Shaftesbury  have 
thought  of  a  magistrate  who  should  have 
witnessed  a  train  of  assassinations  and 
mui'ders,  without  being  in  the  least  offend- 
ed at  them,  or  angry  with  the  perpetrators, 
or  inclined  to  take  rc?!,gea;ice  on  them,  for 
the  public  good  1  What  would  he  think 
of  a  British  House  of  Commons  which 
should  exercise  no  jealousy  over  the  en- 
croachments of  a  minister ;  or  of  a  King 
of  Great  Britain  who  should  sutfer,  with 
perfect  indifference,  his  just  authority  to 
be  contemned  1 

"But  we  are  limited  beings,  and  are 
therefore  in  danger  of  having  our  just 
rights  invaded."  True;  and  though  God 
be  unlimited,  and  so  in  no  danger  of 
being  deprived  of  his  essential  glory,  yet 
he  may  lose  his  just  authority  in  the  es- 
teem of  creatures ;  and,  were  this  to  take 
place  universally,  the  whole  creation 
would  be  a  scene  of  anarchy  and  misery. 
But  we  understand  Lord  Shaftesbury.  He 
wishes  to  compliment  his  Maker  out  of 
all  his  moral  excellences.  He  has  no  ob- 
jection to  a  god,  provided  he  be  one  after 
his  own  heart,  one  who  shall  pay  no  such 
regard  to  human  affairs  as  to  call  men  to 
account  for  their  ungodly  deeds.  If  he 
thought  the  Creator  of  the  world  to  bear 
such  a  character,  it  is  no  wonder  that  he 
should  speak  of  him  with  what  he  calls 
"  good  humor,  or  pleasantry."*  In  speak- 
ing of  such  a  being,  he  can,  as  Mr.  Hume 
expresses  it,  "  feel  more  at  ease  "  than 
if  he  conceived  of  God  as  he  is  character- 
ized in  the  holy  scriptures.  But  let  men 
beware  how  they  play  with  such  subjects. 

*  Characteristics,  Vol.  I.  §  3. 


Their  conceptions  do  not  alter  the  nature 
of  God  ;  and,  however  they  suffer  them- 
selves to  triile  now,  they  may  find  in  the 
end  that  there  is  not  only  a  God,  but  a 
God  that  judgetli  in  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CHRISTIANITY  TEACHES  US  TO  ACKNOW- 
LEDGE GOD,  AND  TO  DEVOTE  OUR- 
SELVES TO  HIS  SERVICE  :  BUT  DEISM, 
THOUGH  IT  CONFESSES  ONE  SUPREME 
BEING,  YET  REFUSES  TO  WORSHIP 
HIM. 

If  there  is  a  God,  he  ought  to  be  wor- 
shipped. This  is  a  principle  which  no  man 
will  be  able  to  eradicate  from  his  bosom, 
or  even  to  suppress,  but  at  great  labor 
and  expense.  The  Scriptures,  it  is  well 
known,  both  inculcate  and  inspire  the 
worship  of  God.  Their  language  is  "  O 
come,  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord  ;  let  u.s 
make  a  joyful  noise  to  the  Rock  of  our 
salvation.  Let  us  come  before  his  pres- 
ence with  thanksgiving,  and  make  a  joy- 
ful noise  unto  him  with  psalms."  "O 
come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down;  let 
us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker." 
"  Give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength  ; 
give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his 
Name  :  bring  an  offering,  and  come  into 
his  courts.  O  worship  the  Lord  in  the 
beauty  of  holiness  ;  fear  before  him  all 
the  earth."  "  Give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  ; 
call  upon  his  name ;  make  known  his 
deeds  among  the  people."  "Glory  ye 
in  his  holy  name  :  let  the  heart  of  them 
rejoice  that  seek  the  Lord.  Seek  the 
Lord  and  his  strength ;  seek  his  face 
evermore." 

The  spirit  also  which  the  Scriptures 
inspire  is  favorable  to  divine  worship. 
The  grand  lesson  which  they  teach  is 
love;  and  love  to  God  delights  to  express 
itself  in  acts  of  obedience,  adoration,  sup- 
plication, and  praise.  The  natural  lan- 
guage of  a  heart  well  affected  to  God  is, 
"I  will  call  upon  him  as  long  as  I  live." 
— "Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul;  and  all 
that  is  within  me,  bless  his  lioly  name." — 
"Be  careful  for  nothing;  but  in  every 
thing  by  prayer  and  supplication,  with 
thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be  made 
known  unto  God." 

Is  it  thus  with  our  adversaries  1  They 
speak,  indeed,  of  "true  and  fabulous 
theology,"  and  of  "true  and  false  relig- 
ion ;  "  and  often  talk  of  "adoring"  the 
Supreme  Being.  But,  if  there  be  no  true 
religion  among  Christians,  where  are  we 


no 


THE    WORSHIP    OF  GOD, 


to  look  for  itl  Surely  not  among  Deists. 
Their  "adorations"  seem  to  be  a  kind 
of  exercises  much  resembling  the  benev- 
olent acts  of  certain  persons,  who  are  so 
extremely  averse  from  ostentation  that 
nobody  knows  of  their  being  charitable 
but  themselves. 

Mr.  Paine  professes  to  believe  in  the 
equality  of  man,  and  that  religious  duty 
consists  in  "  doing  justice,  loving  mercy  " 
— and  whaf?  I  tiiought  to  be  sure  he  was 
going  to  add  "  walking  humbly  with  God." 
But  I  was  mistaken.  Mr.  Paine  supplies 
the  place  of  walking  humbly  with  God, 
by  adding  ''and  endeavoring  to  make  our 
fellow-creatures  happy."*  Some  people 
would  have  thought  that  this  Avas  included 
in  doing  justice  and  loving  mercy:  but 
Mr.  Paine  had  raiher  use  words  without 
meaning  than  write  in  iavor  of  godliness. 
"Walking  humbly  with  God"  is  not 
comprehended  in  the  list  of  his  "  religious 
duties."  The  very  phrase  offends  liim. 
It  is  that  to  him,  in.  quoting  Scripture, 
which  a  nonconductor  is  to  the  electrical 
fluid  :  it  causes  him  to  fly  off  in  an  oblique 
direction  ;  and,  rather  than  say  any  tiling 
on  so  offensive  a  subject,  to  deal  in  un- 
meaning tautology. 

Mr.  Paine  not  only  avoids  the  mention 
of  "walking  humbly  with  God,"  but  at- 
tempts to  load  the  practice  itself  with  the 
foulest  abuse. t  He  does  not  consider 
himself  as  "an  outcast,  a  beggar,  or  a 
worm  ;"  he  does  not  approach  his  Maker 
through  a  Mediator;  he  considers  "re- 
demption as  a  fable,"  and  himself  as 
standing  in  an  honorable  situation  with 
regard  to  his  relation  to  the  Deity.  Some 
of  this  may  be  true  ;  but  not  the  whole. 
The  latter  part  is  only  a  piece  of  religious 
gasconade.  If  Mr.  Paine  really  thinks 
so  well  of  his  situation  as  he  pretends, 
the  belief  of  an  hereafter  would  not  render 
him  the  slave  of  terror. t  But,  allowing 
the  whole  to  be  true,  it  proves  nothing. 
A  high  conceit  of  one's  self  is  no  proof 
of  excellence.  If  he  choose  to  rest  upon 
this  foundation,  he  must  abide  the  conse- 
quence :  but  he  had  better  have  forborne 
to  calumniate  others.  What  is  it  that 
has  transported  this  child  of  reason  into 
a  paroxysm  of  fury  against  devout  peo- 
ple 1  By  what  spirit  is  he  inspired,  in 
pouring  forth  such  a  torrent  of  slander! 
Why  is  it  that  he  must  accuse  their 
humility  of  "ingratitude,"  their  grief  of 
"affectation,"  and  their  prayers  of  being 
"  dictatorial  "  to  the  Almighty  1  "  Cain 
hated  his  brother;  and  wherefore  hated 
he  himl      because   his  own  works  were 


evil,  and  his  brother's  righteous."  Pray- 
er and  devotion  are  things  that  Mr.  Paine 
should  have  let  alone,  as  being  out  of  his 
province.  By  attempting,  however,  to 
deprecate  them,  he  has  borne  witness  to 
the  devotion  of  Christians,  and  fulfilled 
what  is  written  in  a  book  which  he  affects 
to  despise,  "  Speaking  evil  of  things  which 
he  iniderstands  not." 

To  admit  a  God,  and  yet  refuse  to 
worship  him,  is  a  modern  and  inconsistent 
practice.  It  is  a  dictate  of  reason,  as  well 
as  of  revelation,  "If  the  Lord  be  God, 
worship  him  ;  and,  if  Baal,  worship  him." 
It  never  was  made  a  question,  whether 
the  God  in  whom  we  believe  should  re- 
ceive our  adorations.  All  nations,  in  all 
ages,  paid  religious  homage  to  the  respec- 
tive deities,  or  supposed  deities,  in  which 
they  believe.  Modern  unbelievers  are 
the  only  men  who  have  deviated  from  this 
practice.  How  this  is  to  be  accounted 
for,  is  a  subject  worthy  of  inquiry.  To 
me  it  appears  as  follows  : — 

In  former  times,  when  men  were  weary 
of  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  they  ex- 
changed it  for  that  of  idols.  I  know  of 
no  account  of  the  origin  of  idolatry  so 
rational  as  that  which  is  given  by  revela- 
tion. "Men  did  not  like  to  retain  God 
in  their  knowledge  ;  therefore  they  were 
given  up  to  a  mind  void  of  judgment;  to 
change  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible 
man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts, 
and  creeping  things  ;"  and  to  defile  them- 
selves by  abominable  wickedness. §  It 
was  thus  with  the  people  who  came  to 
inhabit  the  country  of  Samaria  after  the 
Israelites  were  carried  captives  into  As- 
syria. At  first,  they  seemed  desirous  to 
know  and  fear  the  God  of  Israel ;  but 
when  they  came  to  be  ini'ormed  of  his 
holy  character,  and  what  kind  of  worship 
he  required,  they  presently  discovered 
their  dislike.  They  pretended  to  fear 
him,  but  it  was  mere  pretence  ;  for  every 
nation  "made  gods  of  their  own."||  Now 
gods  of  their  own  making  would  doubtless 
be  characterized  according  to  their  own 
mind :  they  would  be  patrons  of  such 
vices  as  their  makers  wished  to  indulge  ; 
gods  whom  they  could  approach  without 
fear,  and  in  addressing  Avhom  they  could 
"be  more  at  ease,"  as  Hume  says,  than 
in  addressing  the  One  living  and  true 
God  ;  gods,  in  fine,  the  worship  of  whom 
might  be  accompanied  with  banquetings, 
re  veilings,  drunkenness,  and  lewdness. 
These,  I  conceive,  rather  than  the  mere 
falling  down  to  an  idol,  were  the  exer- 


"  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  2.  §  Rom. 

t  Ibid,  Part  I.  p.  21.  %  Part  II.  near  the  end. 


II  2  Kings  xvii.  29. 


THE    WOnSHIP      OK    GOD. 


Ill 


cises  tliat  interested  the  passions  of  the 
worshippers.  These  were  the  exercises 
that  seduced  the  unirodly  part  of  tiie 
Israelitisli  nation  to  an  imitation  of  tiie 
heatiiens.  Tliey  found  it  extremely  dis- 
aj^reeaMe  to  be  constantly  employed  in 
the  worsliip  of  a  holy  God.  Such  wor- 
ship would  awe  their  spirits,  damp  their 
pleasures,  and  restrain  their  inclinations. 
It  is  not  surprisiiiiT,  thcreibre,  that  they 
should  he  continually  departing  from  the 
worship  oi  Jehovah,  aiul  Icaninjr  towards 
that  wliicli  was  more  congenial  with  their 
propensities.  But  the  situation  of  mod- 
ern unl)elievers  is  sinjiular.  Thini^s  are 
so  circumstanced,  with  them,  that  they 
cannot  worship  the  gods  which  they  pre- 
fer. They  never  fail  to  discover  a  strong 
partiality  in  favor  of  heathens  ;  but  they 
have  not  the  face  to  practise  or  defend 
tlieir  absurd  idolatries.  The  doctrine  of 
One  living  and  true  God  has  appeared  in 
the  world,  by  means  of  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  with  such  a  blaze  of  evidence, 
that  it  has  forced  itself  into  the  minds  of 
men,  whatever  has  been  the  temper  of 
their  hearts.  The  stupid  idolatry  of  past 
ages  is  exploded.  Christianity  has  driven 
it  out  of  Europe.  The  consequence  is, 
great  numbers  are  obliged  to  acknowledge 
a  God  whom  they  cannot  find  in  their 
hearts  to  worship. 

If  the  light  that  is  gone  abroad  in  the 
earth  would  permit  the  rearing  of  temples 
to  Venus,  or  Bacchus,  or  any  of  the  rabble 
of  heathen  deities,  there  is  little  doubt 
but  that  modern  unbelievers  would,  in 
great  numliers,  become  their  devotees  : 
but,  seeing  they  cannot  have  a  god  whose 
worship  shall  accord  with  their  inclina- 
tions, they  seem  determined  not  to  worship 
at  all.  And,  to  come  off  with  as  good  a 
grace  as  the  affair  will  admit,  they  com- 
pliment the  Deity  out  of  his  sovereign 
prerogatives  ;  professing  to  "  love  him 
for  his  giving  them  existence,  and  all 
their  properties,  without  interest,  and 
without  subjecting  them  to  any  thing  but 
their  own  nature."  * 

The  introduction  of  so  large  a  portion 
of  heathen  mythology  into  the  songs  and 
other  entertainments  of  the  stage  suffi- 
ciently shows  the  bias  of  people's  hearts. 
The  house  of  God  gives  them  no  pleas- 
ure ;  but  the  resurrection  of  the  obsceni- 
ties, intrigues,  and  Bacchanalian  revels 
of  the  old  heathens  affords  them  exquisite 
delight.  In  a  country  where  Christian 
worship  abounds,  this  is  plainly  saying, 
'  What  a  weariness  is  it  !  O  that  it  were 
no  more  !  Since,  however,  we  cannot  in- 
troduce the  worship  of  the  gods,  we  will 
neglect   all    worship,   and   celebrate   the 

*  Ignorant  Philosopher,  No.  XXIV. 


praises  of  our  favorite  deities  in  another 
form.'  ^  a  country  where  Deism  has 
gained  ascendency,  this  principle  is  car- 
ried still  further.  Its  language  there  is, 
'  Seeing  we  cannot,  for  shame,  worship 
any  other  than  the  One  living  and  true 
God,  let  us  aliolish  the  day  of  worship, 
and  substitute  in  its  place  one  day  in  ten, 
which  shall  be  devoted  chiefly  to  theatri- 
cal entertainments,  in  which  we  can  in- 
troduce as  much  heathenism  as  we 
please.' 

Mr.  Hume  acknowledges  the  justice 
of  considering  the  Deity  as  infinitely 
superior  to  mankind  ;  but  he  represents 
it,  at  the  same  time,  as  very  generally 
attended  with  unpleasant  effects,  mag- 
nifies the  advantages  of  having  gods 
which  are  only  a  little  suj)erior  to  our- 
selves. He  says,  "  While  the  Deity  is 
represented  as  infinitely  superior  to  man- 
kind, this  belief,  though  altogether  just, 
is  apt,  when  joined  with  superstitious 
terrors,  to  sink  the  human  mind  into  the 
lowest  suiimission  and  abasement,  and  to 
represent  the  monkish  Airtues  of  mortifi- 
cation, penance,  humility,  and  passive 
suffering,  as  the  only  qualities  which  are 
acceptable  to  him.  But  where  the  gods 
are  conceived  to  be  only  a  little  superior 
to  mankind,  and  to  have  been  many  of 
them  advanced  from  that  inferior  rank, 
we  are  more  at  our  ease  in  our  addresses 
to  them,  and  may  even,  without  ])rolane- 
ness,  aspire  sometimes  to  a  rivalship  and 
emulation  of  them.  Hence  activity, 
spirit,  courage,  magnanimity,  love  of  lib- 
erty, and  all  the  virtues  whicii  aggrnndize 
a  people."!  It  is  easy  to  perceive,  from 
this  passage,  that  though  Mr.  Hume  ac- 
knowledges the  justice  of  conceiving  of  a 
God  infinitely  superior  to  us,  yet  his  in- 
clination is  the  other  way.  At  least,  in  a 
nation  the  bulk  of  which  will  be  supposed 
to  be  inclined  to  superstition,  it  is  i)etter, 
according  to  his  reasoning,  and  more 
friendly  to  virtue,  to  promote  the  worship 
of  a  number  of  imaginary  deities,  than  of 
the  One  only  living  and  true  God.  Thus 
"  the  fool  saith  in  his  heart.  No  God  !  " 

The  sum  of  the  whole  is  this  :  Mod- 
ern unbelievers  are  Deists  in  theory, 
Pagans  in  inclination,  and  Atheists  in 
practice. 

If  Deists  loved  the  One  only  living  and 
true  God,  they  would  delight  in  wor- 
shipping him  ;  for  love  cannot  be  inoper- 
ative, and  the  only  possible  way  for  it  to 
operate  towards  an  infinitely  glorious 
and  all-perfect  Being  is  by  worshipping 
his  name  and  obeying  his  will.  If  Mr. 
Paine  really  felt  for  "  the  honor  of  his 

t  Di.'!seitalion    on    the    Natural     History    of 
Religion,  §  10. 


112 


STANDARD    OF    MORALITY. 


Creator,"  as  he  affects  to  do,*  he  would 
mourn  in  secret  i'or  all  tiie  grea^  wicked- 
ness which  he  has  committed  against  him; 
he  would  lie  in  the  dust  before  him,  not 
merely  as  "  an  outcast,  a  beggar,  and  a 
worm,"  but  as  a  sinner,  deserving  his 
eternal  displeasure.  He  would  be  glad 
of  a  Mediator,  through  whom  he  might 
approach  his  offended  Creator  ;  and 
would  consider  redemption  by  his  l)lood, 
not  as  "  a  fable,"  but  a  divine  reality, 
including  all  his  salvation,  and  all  his 
desire.  Yea,  he  himself  would  "  turn 
devout ;"  and  it  would  be  said  of  him,  as 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  "  Behold  he  pray- 
eth  !  "  Nor  would  his  prayers,  though 
importunate,  be  "  dictatorial,"  or  his 
grief  "  affected."  On  the  contrary,  he 
would  look  on  Him  whom  he  had  pierced, 
and  mourn,  as  one  mourneth  for  an  only 
son;  and  be  in  bitterness,  as  one  that  is 
in  bitterness  for  his  first-born.  But 
these  are  things  pertaining  to  godliness; 
things,  alas  for  him !  the  mention  of 
which  is  sufficient  to  inflame  his  mind 
with  malignity,  and  provoke  him  to  the 
most  outrageous  and  abusive  language. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  STANDARD  OF  MORAL- 
ITY IS  ENLARGED,  AND  FREE  FROM 
IMPURITY  :  RUT  DEISM  CONFINES 
OUR  OBLIGATIONS  TO  THOSE  DUTIES 
WHICH  RESPECT  OUR  OW^N  SPECIES, 
AND  GREATLY  PALLIATES  VICE  WITH 
REGARD  TO  A  BREACH  EVEN  OF 
THEM. 

Persons  who  profess  the  strictest  re- 
gard to  the  rule  of  duty,  and  carry  the 
extent  of  it  to  the  highest  pitch,  may,  it 
is  allowed,  be  insincere,  and  contradict 
by  their  practice  what  they  advance  in 
their  professions.  But  those  whose  ideas 
of  virtue  are  low  and  contracted,  and 
who  embrace  every  opportunity  to  rec- 
oncile the  vices  of  the  world  with  its 
sacred  precepts,  cannot  possibly  be  ac- 
counted any  other  than  its  enemies. 

That  which  the  Scriptures  call  holi- 
ness, spirituality,  Sfc,  as  much  surpasses 
every  thing  that  goes  under  the  names  of 
morality  and  virtue  among  unbelievers  as 
a  living  man  surpasses  a  painting,  or 
even  a  rude  and  imperfect  daubing.  If, 
in  this  controversy,  I  have  used  these 
terms  to  express  the  scriptural  ideas,  it 
is  not  because,  in  their  ordinary  accepta- 
tions, they  are  equal  to  the  purpose,  but 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  16. 


for  the  sake  of  meeting  unbelievers  upon 
their  own  ground.  I  have  a  right,  how- 
ever, to  understand  by  them  tliose  dispo- 
sitions of  the  mind,  whatever  they  be, 
which  are  right,  Jit,  or  amiable  j  and,  so 
explained,  I  undertake  to  prove  that  the 
morality  and  virtue  inculcated  by  the 
gospel  is  enlarged  and  free  from  impurity, 
Avhile  that  which  is  taught  by  its  adversa- 
ries is  the  reverse. 

It  is  a  distinguishing  property  of  the 
Bible  that  all  its  precepts  aim  directly  at 
the  heart.  It  never  goes  about  to  form 
the  mere  exterior  of  man.  To  merely 
external  duties  it  is  a  stranger.  It  forms 
the  lives  of  men  no  otherwise  than  by 
forming  their  dispositions.  It  never  ad- 
dresses itself  to  their  vanity,  selfishness, 
or  any  other  corrupt  propensity.  You 
are  not  pressed  to  consider  what  men 
will  think  of  you,  or  how  it  will  affect 
your  temporal  interest ;  but  what  is  right, 
and  what  is  necessary  to  your  eternal 
well-being.  If  you  comply  with  its  pre- 
cepts, you  must  be,  and  not  merely  seem 
to  be.  It  is  the  heart  that  is  required; 
and  all  the  different  prescribed  forms  of 
worship  and  obedience  are  but  so  many 
modifications  or  varied  expressions  of  it. 

Is  any  thing  like  this  to  be  found  in  the 
writings  of  Deists  1  No.  Their  deity  does 
not  seem  to  take  cognizance  of  the  heart. 

According  to  them,  "there  is  no  merit 
or  crime  in  intention. "f  Their  morality 
only  goes  to  form  the  exterior  of  man. 
It  allows  the  utmost  scope  for  wicked 
desires,  provided  they  be  not  carried  into 
execution  to  the  injury  of  society. 

The  morality  which  the  Scriptures 
inculcate  is  summed  up  in  these  few 
words  :  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy  soul, 
Avitli  all  thy  mind,  with  all  thy  strength; 
and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  This 
single  principle  is  competent  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  all  intelligent  nature.  It  is  a 
band  that  would  hold  together  the  whole 
rational  creation,  and  difi\ise  peace,  or- 
der, and  happiness,   wherever  it  existed. 

If  mankind  loved  God  supremely,  there 
would  be  no  idolatry  upon  earth,  nor  any 
of  its  attendant  abominations  ;  no  profan- 
ing the  name  of  God,  nor  making  a  gain 
of  godliness;  no  opposing,  corrupting, 
perverting,  nor  abusing  the  truth ;  no  per- 
juries, nor  hypocrisies;  no  despising  of 
those  that  are  good ;  no  arrogance,  in- 
gratitude, pride,  nor  self-complacency, 
under  the  snfiles  of  providence  :  and  no 
murmuring,  heart-rising,  suUenness,  nor 
suicide,  under  its  frowns.  Love  would 
render  it  their  meat  and  drink  to  fear, 
honor,  and  obey  him,    and   induce   them 

t  Volney's  Law  of  Nature,  p.  18. 


THE    STANDARD     OF    MORALITY. 


113 


to  take  every  thing  well  at  his  hands. — 
And  if  they  loved  their  fellow-creatures 
as  themselves,  tor  his  sake,  there  would 
be  no  wars,  rivalships,  antipathies,  nor 
breach  ol  treaties,  l)etween  nations;  no 
envyings,  striles,  wrongs,  slanders,  duels, 
litigations,  nor  intrigues,  l)etween  neigh- 
bors; no  iiattering  comj)laisance,  nor 
persecuting  bitterness,  in  religion;  no  de- 
ceit, fraud,  nor  over-reaching,  in  trade; 
no  tyranny,  venality,  haughtiness,  nor 
oppression,  among  tiie  great;  no  envy, 
discontent,  disatVection,  cainils,  nor  evil- 
devisings,  among  the  common  people  ;  no 
murders,  robberies,  tliel'ts,  burglaries,  nor 
brothels,  in  city  or  country;  no  cruelty 
in  parents  or  masters ;  no  ingratitude  nor 
disobedience  in  children  or  servants  ;  no 
unkindness,  treachery,  nor  implacable 
resentments  between  friends  ;  no  illicit 
connections  between  the  sexes;  no  infi- 
delities, jealousies,  nor  bitter  contentions 
in  families;  in  sliort,  none  of  those 
streams  of  death,  one  or  more  of  which 
flow  through  every  vein  of  society,  and 
poison  its  enjoyments. 

Such  is  tiie  principle  and  rule  of  chris- 
tian morality;  and  what  has  deism  to 
substitute  in  its  place  1  Can  it  find  a 
succedaneum  tor  love!  No,  but  it  propo- 
ses the  love  of  ourselves  instead  of  the 
love  of  God.  Lord  Bolingbroke  resolves 
all  morality  into  self-love,  as  its  first 
principle.  "  We  love  ourselves,"  he  says, 
"  we  love  our  families,  we  love  the  par- 
ticular societies  to  which  we  belong;  and 
our  benevolence  extends  at  last  to  the 
whole  race  of  mankind.  Like  so  many 
different  vortices,  the  centre  of  all  is 
self-love."*  Such  also  are  the  principles 
of  Volney. 

Could  this  disposition  be  admitted  as  a 
proper  source  of  moral  action,  the  world 
would  certainly  not  be  wanting  in  moral- 
ity. All  men  possess  at  least  the  princi- 
ple of  it,  whether  they  carry  it  to  the  ex- 
tent which  Lord  Bolingbroke  proposes 
or  not;  for  though  some  may  err  in 
the  choice  of  their  end,  and  others  in 
the  means  of  obtaining  it,  yet  no  man  was 
ever  so  wanting  in  regard  to  himself,  as 
intentionally  to  pursue  his  own  injury. 
But  if  it  should  prove  that  to  render  self- 
love  the  source  of  moral  action  is  the 
same  thing  as  for  every  individual  to 
treat  himself  as  the  Supreme  Being,  and 
therefore  that  this  principle,  instead  of 
being  a  source  of  virtue,  is  of  the  very  es- 
sence of  vice,  and  the  source  of  all  the 
mischief  in  the  universe,  consequences 
may  follow  of  a  very  different  complex- 
ion. 

To  subordinate  self-love  I  have  no  ob- 

*  Posthumous  works,  V'ol.  V.  p.  82. 
VOL.    I.  15 


jection.  It  occupies  a  place  in  the  chris- 
tian standard  of  morality,  being  the  mea- 
sure of  that  love  which  we  owe  to  our 
fellow -creatures.  And,  as  the  universal 
love  which  we  owe  to  them  does  not  hin- 
der but  that  some  of  them,  by  reason  of 
their  situation  or  peculiar  relation  to  us, 
may  require  a  larger  portion  of  our  regard 
than  others,  it  is  the  same  with  respect 
to  ourselves.  Our  own  concerns  are  our 
own  immediate  charge  ;  and  those  which 
are  of  tiie  greatest  importance,  such  as  the 
concerns  of  our  souls,  undoubtedly  re- 
quire a  proportionate  degree  of  attention. 
But  all  tills  does  not  affect  the  present 
subject  of  inquiry.  It  is  our  supremey 
and  not  our  subordinate  regard,  that  will 
ever  be  the  source  of  action. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  it  is  the  inten- 
tion of  every  good  government,  human  or 
divine,  to  unite  its  subjects,  and  not  to  set 
them  at  variance.  But  there  can  be  no 
union  without  a  common  oliject  of  regard. 
Either  a  character  w  hom  all  love  and  ven- 
erate, or  an  end  which  all  pursue,  or  both, 
is  that  to  a  community  which  a  head -stone 
is  to  an  arch  ;  nor  can  they  kec])  together 
without  it.  It  is  thus  that  the  love  of 
God  holds  creation  together.  He  is  that 
lovely  character  to  whom  all  holy  intelli- 
gences bear  supreme  affection;  and  the 
display  of  his  glory,  in  the  universal  tri- 
umph of  truth  and  righteousness,  is  that 
end  which  they  all  pursue.  Thus  united 
in  their  grand  object,  they  cannot  but  feel 
a  union  of  heart  w  ith  one  another,  arising 
from  what  is  common  to  every  otiicr  vol- 
untary union — a  congeniality  of  sentiments 
and  pursuits. 

But  if  our  supreme  affection  terminate 
on  ourselves,  and  no  being,  created  or  un- 
created, be  regarded  but  for  our  c.vn  sakes, 
it  is  manifest  there  can  be  no  union  be- 
yond the  sphere  in  which  other  licings  be- 
come voluntarily  subservient  to  our  wish- 
es. The  Supreme  Being,  if  our  plan  do 
not  comport  with  his,  will  be  continually 
thwarting  us  ;  and  so  we  shall  be  always 
at  variance  with  him.  And  as  to  created 
beings,  those  individuals  whom  we  desire 
to  be  subservient  to  our  wishes,  having 
the  same  right,  and  the  same  inclination, 
to  require  tliat  we  should  be  subservient 
to  theirs,  will  also  be  continually  thwart- 
ing us  ;  and  so  we  shall  always  be  at  va- 
riance with  them.  In  short,  nothing  but 
an  endless  succession  of  discord  and  con- 
fusion can  be  the  consequence.  Every 
one  setting  up  for  pre-eminence,  every  one 
must,  of  course,  contribute  to  the  general 
state  of  anarchy  and  misery  which  will 
pervade  the  community.  Sucli  is,  in  fact, 
the  state  of  this  apostate  world  ;  and  but 
for  divine  providence,  which  for  wise  ends 
balances  all  human  affairs,  causing  one  set 


114 


THE    STANDARD    OF    MORALITY. 


of  evils  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
another,  and  all  to  answer  ends  remote 
from  the  intention  of  the  perpetrators,  it 
must  be  overset  by  its  OAvn  disorders. 

To  I'egard  every  other  being,  created  or 
uncreated,  only  for  our  own  sakes,  is  su- 
preme self-love  ;  and,  instead  of  being  a 
source  of  virtue,  is  itself  abominable,  and 
the  source  of  all  the  mischief  and  misery 
in  the  universe.  All  the  evils  just  enu- 
merated are  to  be  traced  to  this  principle 
as  their  common  parent ;  nor  is  there  any 
ground  of  hope  that  it  will  ever  produce 
effects  of  a  different  nature.  Some  per- 
sons have  talked  much  "  of  self-love  ri- 
pening into  benevolence."  Had  it  been 
said  malevolence,  it  had  been  nearer  the 
truth  ;  for  it  is  contrary  to  all  experience 
that  any  thing  should  change  its  nature  by 
becoming  more  mature.  No,  a  child  in 
knowledge  may  discern  that,  if  ever  genu- 
ine benevolence  exist  in  the  breast  of  an 
individual,  or  extend  its  healing  wings 
over  a  bleeding  world,  it  must  be  by  the 
subversion  of  this  principle,  and  by  the 
prevalence  of  that  religion  which  teaches 
us  to  love  God  supremely,  ourselves  sub- 
ordinately,  and  our  fellow-creatures  as 
ourselves. 

To  furnish  a  standard  of  morality,  some 
of  our  adversaries  have  had  recourse  to  the 
laws  of  the  state;  avowing  them  to  be  the 
rule  or  measure  of  virtue.  Mr.  Hobbes 
maintained  that  the  civil  law  loas  the 
sole  foundation  of  right  and  ivrong,  and 
that  religion  had  no  obligation  but  as  en- 
joined by  the  magistrate.  And  Lord  Bo- 
lingbroke  often  writes  in  a  strain  nearly 
similar,  disowning  any  other  sanction  or 
penalty  by  which  obedience  to  the  law  of 
nature  is  enforced  than  those  which  are 
provided  by  the  laws  of  the  land.*  But 
this  rule  is  defective,  absurd,  contradicto- 
ry, and  subversive  of  all  true  morality. 
First,  it  is  grossly  defective.  This  is  just- 
ly represented  by  a  prophet  of  their  own. 
"It  is  a  narrow  notion  of  innocence," 
says  Seneca,  "  to  measure  a  man's  good- 
ness only  by  the  law.  Of  how  much 
larger  extent  is  the  rule  of  duty,  or  of 
good  offices,  than  that  of  legal  right !  How 
many  things  are  there  which  piety,  human- 
ity, liberality,  justice,  and  fidelity  require, 
which  yet  are  not  within  the  compass  of 
the  public  statutes  !"f  Secondly,  It  is 
absurd]  for,  if  the  public  statutes  be  the 
only  standard  of  right  and  wrong,  legisla- 
tors in  framing  them  could  be  under  no 
law  ;  nor  is  it  possible  that  in  any  instance 
they  should  have  enacted  injustice. 
Thirdly,    It   is    contradictory.       Human 

*  Works,  Vol.  V.  p.  90. 

t  In  Leland's  Advantage.^  and  Necessity  of  Reve- 
lation, Vol.  II.  Pari  II.  Cliap.  III.  p.  42. 


laws,  we  all  know,  require  different  and 
opposite  thing-s  in  different  nations  ;  and 
in  the  same  nation  at  different  times.  If 
this  principle  be  right,  it  is  right  for  de- 
ists to  be  persecuted  for  their  opinions  at 
one  period,  and  to  persecute  others  for 
theirs  at  another.  Finally,  It  is  subver- 
sive of  all  true  morality.  "  The  civil 
laws,"  as  Dr.  Leland  has  observed,  "  take 
no  cognizance  of  secret  crimes,  and  pro- 
vide no  punishment  for  internal  bad  dispo- 
sitions, or  corrupt  affections.  A  man  may 
be  safely  as  wicked  as  he  pleases,  on  this 
principle,  provided  he  can  manage  so  as 
to  escape  punishment  from  the  laws  of  his 
country,  which  very  bad  men,  and  those 
that  are  guilty  of  great  vices,  easily  may, 
and  frequently  do  evade. 

Rousseau  has  recourse  to  feelings  as 
his  standard.  "  I  have  only  to  consult 
myself,"  he  says,  "  concerning  what  I 
ought  to  do.  All  that  Ifeel  to  be  right  is 
right.  Whatever  I  feel  to  be  wrong  is 
wrong.  All  the  morality  of  our  actions 
lies  in  the  judgment  we  ourselves  form  of 
them . "  I  By  this  rule  his  conduct  through 
life  appears  to  have  been  directed  ;  a  rule 
which,  if  universally  regarded,  would 
deluge  the  world  with  every  species  of 
iniquity. 

But  that  on  which  our  opponents  insist 
the  most,  and  with  the  greatest  show  of 
argument,  is  the  laio  and  light  of  nature. 
This  is  their  professed  rule  on  almost  all 
occasions  ;  and  its  praises  they  are  con- 
tinually sounding.  I  have  no  desire  to  de- 
preciate the  light  of  nature,  or  to  dispar- 
age its  value  as  a  rule.  On  the  contrary, 
I  consider  it  as  occupying  an  important 
place  in  the  divine  government.  What- 
ever may  be  said  of  the  light  possessed  by 
the  heathen  as  being  derived  from  revela- 
tion, I  feel  no  difficulty  in  acknowledging 
that  the  grand  law  which  they  are  under  is 
that  of  nature.  Revelation  itself  appears 
to  me  so  to  represent  it ;  holding  it  up  as 
the  rule  by  which  they  shall  be  judged, 
and  declaring  its  dictates  to  be  so  clear 
as  to  leave  tiiem  without  excuse.§  Nature 
and  Scripture  appear  to  me  to  be  as  much 
in  harmony  as  Moses  and  Christ;  both  are 
celebrated  in  the  same  Psalm.  || 

By  the  light  of  nature,  however,  I  do 
not  mean  those  ideas  which  heathens  have 
actually  entertained,  many  of  which  have 
been  darkness,  but  those  Avhich  were  pre- 
sented to  them  by  the  works  of  creation, 
and  which  they  might  have  possessed  had 
they  been  desirous  of  retaining  God  in 
their  knowledge.  And  by  the  dictates  of 
nature,  with  regard  to  right  and  wrong,  I 
understand  those  things  which  appear,  to 

t  Emilius,  Vol.  I.  pp.  166—168. 
§  Rom.  ii.  12—16.  i,  20.  1|  Psa.  xix. 


THE    STANDARD    OF    MORALITY. 


115 


the  mind  of  a  person  sincerely  disposed 
to  understand  and  practise  his  tliity,  to  be 
natural,  Jit,  or  reasonable.  There  is,  doulit- 
less,  an  eternal  dilTerence  between  right 
and  wrong;  and  tliis  diircrence,  in  a  vast 
variety  ot  instances,  is  manifest  to  every 
man  who  sincerely  and  imj)artially  consid- 
ers it.  So  manifest  have  the  power  and 
godhead  of  the  Creator  been  rendered,  in 
every  age,  that  no  person  of  an  upright 
disposition  could,  tlirough  mere  mistake, 
fall  into  idolatry  or  impiety  ;  and  every 
one  who  has  continued  in  these  ai)omina- 
tions  is  tcithout  excuse.  The  desire  also, 
wliich  every  human  being  feels,  of  having 
justice  done  to  him  from  all  other  persons, 
must  render  it  sulliciently  manifest,  to  his 
judgment,  that  he  ought  to  do  tiie  same  to 
them;  and,  wherein  he  acts  otherwise, 
his  conscience,  unless  it  be  seared  as  with 
a  hot  iron,  must  accuse  him. 

But  does  it  follow  from  hence  that  reve- 
lation is  unnecessary  !  Certainly  not.  It 
is  one  thing  for  nature  to  aftord  so  much 
light,  in  matters  of  right  and  wrong,  as  to 
leave  the  sinner  without  excuse  ;  and 
another  to  afford  him  any  well-grounded 
hope  of  forgiveness,  or  to  answer  his  dif- 
ficulties concerning  the  account  which 
something  within  him  says  he  must  here- 
after give  of  his  present  conduct. 

Farther  :  It  is  one  thing  to  leave  sinners 
without  excuse  in  sin,  and  another  thing 
to  recover  them  from  it.  That  the  light 
of  nature  is  insufficient  for  the  latter  is 
demonstrated  by  melancholy  fact.  In- 
stead of  returning  to  God  and  virtue,  those 
nations  which  have  possessed  the  highest 
degrees  of  it  have  gone  farther  and  farther 
into  immorality.  There  is  not  a  single 
example  of  a  people,  of  their  own  accord, 
returning  to  the  acknowledgment  of  the 
true  God,  or  extricating  themselves  from 
the  most  irrational  species  of  idolatry,  or 
desisting  from  the  most  odious  kinds  of 
vice.  Those  nations  where  science  dif- 
fused a  more  than  ordinary  lustre  were  as 
superstitious  and  as  wicked  as  the  most 
barbarous,  and  in  many  instances  exceed- 
ed them.  It  was,  I  doubt  not,  from  a 
close  observation  of  the  different  efficacy 
of  Nature  and  Scripture  that  the  writer  of 
the  nineteenth  Psalm,  (a  Psalm  which  Mr. 
Paine  pretends  to  admire),  after  having 
given  a  just  tribute  of  praise  to  the  former, 
affirmed  of  the  latter,  "  The  law  of  Jeho- 
vah is  perfect,  converting  the  soul.'' 

Again  :  it  is  one  thing  for  that  which  is 
natural,  fit,  or  reasonable,  in  matters  of 
duty,  to  approve  itself  to  a  mind  sincerely 
disposed  to  understand  and  practise  it,  and 
another  to  approve  itself  to  a  mind  of  an 
opposite  description.  The  judgments  of 
men  concerning  the  dictates  of  nature  are 
greatly  influenced  by  their  prevailing  in- 


clinations. If  under  certain  circumstances 
they  feel  prompted  to  a  particular  course 
of  conduct,  they  will  be  apt  to  consider 
that  incitement  as  a  dictate  of  nature, 
though  it  may  be  no  other  than  corrupt 
propensity  :  and  thus,  while  the  law  of  na- 
ture is  continually  in  their  mouth,  their 
principles,  as  well  as  their  conduct,  are  a 
continual  violation  of  it.  How  was  it  that, 
notwithstanding  the  light  of  nature  shone 
around  the  old  philosophers,  their  minds, 
in  matters  of  morality,  were  dark  as  night, 
and  their  preccjits,  in  many  instances,  full 
of  impurity  T  Did  nature  inspire  Plato  to 
teach  the  doctrine  of  a  community  of 
wives  ;  Lycurgus  to  tolerate  dexterous 
thieving;  Solon  to  allow  of  sodomy  ;  Sen- 
eca to  encourage  drunkenness,  and  suicide  ; 
and  almost  all  of  them  to  declare  in  favor 
of  lewdness  1  *  No,  verily  ;  it  is  a  per- 
version of  language  to  call  the  principles 
of  such  men  the  dictates  of  nature  ;  they 
are  unnatural  and  abominal)le  ;  as  contra- 
ry to  reason  as  to  religion. 

It  is  true,  what  is  called  nature,  by 
modern  infidels,  is  not  quite  so  gross  as 
the  above ;  but  it  falls  very  little  short  of 
it.  So  far  as  relates  to  the  encourage- 
ment of  theft,  and  perhaps  of  unnatural 
crimes,  they  would  disavow ;  and  for  this 
we  are  indebted  to  Christianity:  but,  as 
to  fornication  and  adultery,  they  arc  not  a 
whit  behind  their  predecessors.  Lord 
Herbert,  the  father  of  the  English  deists, 
and  whose  writings  are  far  more  sober 
than  the  generality  of  those  who  have 
come  after  him,  apologizes  for  lewdness, 
in  certain  cases,  as  resembling  thirst  in  a 
dropsy  and  inactivity  in  a  lethargy. f 
Lord  Bolingbroke  unblushingly  insinuates 
that  the  only  consideration  that  can  re- 
concile a  man  to  confine  himself  by  mar- 
riage to  one  woman,  and  a  woman  to  one 
man,  is  this,  that  nothing  hinders  but  that 
they  may  indulge  their  desires  with  oth- 
ers.|  This  is  the  same  as  accusing  the 
whole  human  race  of  incontinency,  and  de- 
nying that  there  is  any  such  thing  as  con- 
jugal fidelity  ;  a  plain  proof  that,  whoever 
was  clear  of  this  indecent  charge,  lord 
Bolingbroke  was  not.  Mr.  Hume,  who 
has  written  a  volume  on  the  principles  of 
morality,  scruples  not  to  stigmatize  self- 
denial  as  a  "monkish  virtue;"  and 
adopts  the  opinion  of  a  French  writer,  that 
"  adultery  must  be  practised  if  we  would 
obtain  all  the  advantages  of  life ;  that  fe- 
male infidelity,  when  known,  is  a  small 
thing,  and,  when  unknown,  nothing." 
These  writers  will,  on  some  occasions  de- 

*  See  Lehnd's  Advantages  and  Necpssity  of  Rev- 
elation, Vol.  II.  pp.  147.  50.  59.  210.  213. 

t  Leland's  Review,  &c.  Vol.  I.  Let.  1. 
t  Worlis,  Vol.  V.  p.  167. 


116 


THE    STANDARD    OF    MORAMTf. 


scant  in  favor  of  chastity,  as  being  condu- 
cive to  health  and  reputation  ;  hut  on  oth- 
ers they  seldom  fail  to  apologize  for  the 
contrary,  and  that  under  the  pretense  of 
indulging  the  dictates  of  nature.  Yet  the 
same  things  might  be  alleged  in  behalf  of 
oppression,  re-^  enge,  theft,  duelling,  ambi- 
tious war,  and  a  thousand  other  vices 
which  desolate  the  earth  :  they  are  prac- 
tices which  men,  placed  in  certain  circum- 
stances, will  feel  themselves  prompted  to 
commit  :  nor  is  there  a  vice  that  can  be 
named  but  what  would  admit  of  such  an 
apology. 

Finally  :  It  is  one  thing  for  the  light  of 
nature  to  be  so  clear  as  to  render  idola- 
try, impiety,  and  injustice,  inexcusable; 
and  another  thing  to  render  the  ivhole 
will  of  our  Creator  evident,  and  that  in  the 
most  advantageous  manner.  If  a  person, 
possessed  of  only  the  light  of  nature,  were 
ever  so  sincerely  desirous  of  knowing 
God  ;  or  grieved  for  the  sins  of  which  his 
conscience  accused  him ;  or  attached  to 
the  holy,  the  just,  and  the  good  ;  or  dis- 
posed to  obey  his  Creator's  will  if  he  did 
but  understand  it;  though  he  should  be 
in  no  danger  of  confounding  the  dictates 
of  nature  with  those  of  corrupt  propensity  ; 
yet  he  must  labor  under  great  disadvan- 
tages, which,  allowing  they  might  not  af- 
fect his  eternal  state,  yet  would  greatly 
injure  his  pi'esent  peace  and  usefulness. 
To  illustrate  this  remark,  let  us  suppose 
the  inhabitants  of  a  province  to  throw  off 
the  government  of  a  just  and  lawful  prince. 
Being  once  engaged,  they  may  feel  them- 
selves impelled  to  go  forward.  They 
may  choose  new  rulers,  and  use  all  possi- 
ble means  to  efface  every  sign  and  memo- 
rial of  the  authority  of  their  ancient  sove- 
reign. They  may  even  labor  to  forget, 
and  teach  their  children  to  forget,  if  pos- 
sible, that  there  ever  was  such  a  character 
in  being,  to  whom  they  owed  allegiance. 
Yet,  after  all,  there  may  be  certain  traces 
and  memorials  of  his  government  which  it 
is  not  in  their  power  to  efface.  Yea, 
there  may  be  continued  instances  of  for- 
bearance and  clemency,  which,  in  spite  of 
all  their  efforts,  will  bear  witness  of  his 
goodness  and  just  authority  over  them. 
Thus  it  was  that  God,  while  he  "  suffered 
all  nations  to  walk  in  their  own  ways, 
nevertheless  left  not  himself  without  a 
Avitness,  in  that  he  did  good,  and  gave  them 
rain  from  heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  fil- 
ing their  hearts  with  food  and  gladness." 
But  as  the  memorials  of  just  authority,  in 
the  one  case,  though  sufficient  to  leave 
the  rebellious  without  excuse,  would  not 
contain  a  full  expression  of  the  prince's 
will,  nor  be  conveyed  in  so  advantageous 
a  manner  as  that  in  which  he  treated  his 
professed  subjects ;  so  the  light  afforded 


by  the  works  of  nature  and  the  continued 
goodness  of  God,  in  the  other,  though  suf- 
ficient to  leave  the  world  without  excuse, 
does  not  express  his  whole  will,  nor  con- 
vey what  it  does  express  so  advantageous- 
ly as  by  revelation.  And  as  an  individu- 
al, residing  in  the  midst  of  the  rebellious 
province,  whose  heart  miaht  relent  and 
who  might  long  to  return  to  his  allegiance, 
would  be  under  inexpressible  disadvan- 
tages, so  it  must  necessarily  be  with  a 
heathen  whose  desire  should  be  towards 
the  God  against  whom  he  had  sinned. 

The  amount  is,  that  modern  unbelievers 
have  no  standard  of  morals,  except  it  be 
their  own  inclinations.  Morality  with 
them  is  any  thing,  or  nothing,  as  conve- 
nience requires.  On  some  occasions  they 
will  praise  that  of  Jesus  Christ;  but  ere 
we  can  have  time  to  ask  them,  Why  then 
do  you  not  submit  to  it  1  they  are  employ- 
ed in  opposing  it.  Attend  to  their  general 
declamations  in  favor  of  virtue,  and  you 
will  be  ready  to  imagine  they  are  its  war- 
mest friends  ;  but  follow  them  up,  and  ob- 
serve their  exposition  of  particular  pre- 
cepts, and  j'ou  will  be  convinced  that  they 
are  its  decided  enemies,  applauding  in  the 
gross  that  which  they  are  ever  vmdermin- 
ing  in  detail. 

By  the  foolish  and  discordant  accounts 
which  these  writers  give  of  morality,  it 
should  seem  that  they  know  not  what  it 
is.  Every  new  speculator  is  dissatisfied 
with  the  definition  of  his  predecessor,  and 
endeavors  to  mend  it.  "Virtue,"  says 
Lord  Shaftesbury,  "is  a  sense  of  beauty, 
of  harmony,  of  order,  and  proportion,  an 
affection  towards  the  whole  of  our  kind, 
or  species."  "  It  is,"  says  Lord  Boling- 
broke,  "  only  the  love  of  ourselves."  "  It 
is  every  thing  that  tends  to  preserve  and 
perfect  man,"  says  Volney ;  and,  as 
"  good  reputation  "  has  this  tendency,  it 
is,  in  his  account,  "  a  moral  good."  *  "  It 
is  whatever  is  useful  in  society,"  says  Mr. 
Hume;  and  as  "health,  cleanliness,  fa- 
cility of  expression,  broad  shoulders,  and 
taper  legs,"  are  of  use,  they  are  to  be 
reckoned  among  the  virtues.  To  this 
might  be  added,  a  large  portion  of  effron- 
tery, as  the  last-named  writer  assures  us 
(it  may  be  from  his  own  experience)  that 
"  nothing  carries  a  man  through  the  world 
like  a  true,  genuine,  natural  impudence."  f 
Mr.  Paine  brings  up  the  rear,  and  informs 
us,  "  It  is  doing  justice,  loving  mercy,  and 
....  endeavoring  to  make  our  fellow-crea- 
tures happy."  Oh  Paine!  had  you  but 
for  once  suffered  yourself  to  be  taught  by 

*  Law  of  Nature,  p.  17. 

t  Inquiry  concerning  the  Principles  of  Moral.s, 
Sec.  6,  7,  8.  Essays  Moral  and  Political,  E«say 
III.  p.  1.5. 


MOTIVES    TO    A     VIRTUOUS    LIFE. 


117 


a  propliet,  and  quoted  his  words  as  tliey 
stand,  you  would,  undoiililcdiy,  liavo  borne 
away  the  palm  ;  liut  you  had  rather  write 
nonsense  than  say  any  thing  in  lavor  of 
godliness. 

It  is  worthy  of  notiee  that,  amidst  all 
the  diseordanee  of  these  writers,  they 
agree  in  excluding  the  Divine  Keing  from 
their  theory  of  morals.  They  think  after 
their  manner  ;  but  "  God  is  not  in  all  their 
thoughts."  In  comparing  the  christian 
doctrine  of  morality,  the  sum  of  which  is 
lovr,  with  their  atheistical  jargon,  one 
seems  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  Almighty 
saying,  "  Who  is  this  that  darkeneth  coun- 
sel with  words  without  knowledge  ]  Fear 
God,  and  keep  his  commandments  ;  for 
this  is  the  whole  of  man." 

The  words  of  scripture  are  spirit  and 
life.  They  arc  the  language  of  love.  Ev- 
ery exhortation  of  Christ  and  his  apostles 
is  impregnated  with  this  spirit.  Let  the 
reader  turn  to  the  twelfth  chapter  to  the 
Remans,  for  an  example,  and  read  it  care- 
fully ;  let  him  find,  if  he  can,  any  thing,  in 
the  purest  part  of  the  writings  of  deists, 
that  is  worthy  of  being  compared  with  it. 
No ;  virtue  itself  is  no  longer  virtue  in 
their  hands.  It  loses  its  charms  when 
they  affect  to  embrace  it.  Their  touch  is 
that  of  the  cold  hand  of  death.  The  most 
lovely  object  is  deprived  by  it  of  life  and 
beauty,  and  reduced  to  a  shriveled  mass 
of  inactive  formality. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CHRISTIANITY  FURNISHES  MOTIVES  TO  A 
VIRTUOUS  LIFE,  WHICH  DEISM  EITHER 
REJECTS  OR  ATTEMPTS  TO  UNDER- 
MINE. 

So  long  as  our  adversaries  profess  a  re- 
gard to  virtue,  and,  with  Lord  Bolinbroke,* 
acknowledge  that  "  the  gospel  is  in  all 
cases  one  continued  lesson  of  the  strictest 
morality,  of  justice,  of  benevolence,  and  of 
universal  charity,"  they  must  allow  those 
to  be  the  best  principles  which  furnish  the 
most  effectual  motives  for  reducing  it  to 
practice. 

Now,  there  is  not  a  doctrine  in  the  whole 
compass  of  Christianity  but  what  is  im- 
provable to  this  purpose.  It  is  a  grand 
peculiarity  of  the  gospel  that  none  of  its 
principles  are  merely  speculative  :  each 
is  pregnant  with  a  practical  use.  Nor 
does  the  discovery  of  it  require  any  extra- 
ordinary degree  of  ingenuity  :  real  Chris- 

*  Work?,  Vol.  V.  p.  183. 


tians,  however  weak  as  to  their  natural 
capacities,  have  always  been  taught  iiy  the 
gos|)el  of  Christ,  that  "denying  ungodli- 
ness, and  Worldly  1  ists,  they  sIduUI  live 
soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  the 
present  world." 

Ancient  philosophers  have  taught  many 
things  in  favor  of  morality,  so  far  at  least 
as  resj)ects  justice  and  goodness  towards 
our  fellow-creatures;  but  whore  are  the 
motives  by  which  the  minds  of  the  people, 
or  even  their  own  minds,  have  been  moved 
to  a  compliance  with  them  ]  They  framed 
a  curious  machine;  but  who  among  them 
could  discover  a  |)ower  to  work  it  ]  What 
principles  have  appeared  in  the  world,  un- 
der the  name  either  of  philosophy  or  re- 
ligion, that  can  bear  a  comparison  with 
the  following  1  "  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not 
perisii,  but  have  everlasting  life.  "Here- 
in is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that 
he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the 
propitiation  for  our  sins."  "Beloved,  if 
God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love 
one  another."  Let  all  bitterness,  and 
wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  evil- 
speaking,  he  put  away  from  you,  with  all 
malice  :  and  he  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another, 
even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  for- 
given you."  "  Be  ye  therefore  followers 
(or  imitators)  of  God,  as  dear  children, 
and  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also  hath  loved 
us,  and  hath  given  himself  for  us,  an  of- 
fering and  a  sacrifice  to  God  of  a  sweet- 
smelling  savor!"  "  Ye  are  a  chosen  gen- 
eration: a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation, 
a  peculiar  people  ;  that  ye  should  show 
forth  the  praises  of  him  who  hath  called 
you  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous 
light."  "Come  out  from  among  them, 
and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and 
touch  not  the  unclean  thing  ;  and  I  w  ill 
receive  you,  and  will  be  a  Father  unto  you, 
and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters, 
saith  the  Lord  Almighty."  "Having 
therefore  these  promises,  dearly  beloved, 
let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filtliiness 
of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness 
in  the  fear  of  God."  "If  there  be  there- 
fore any  consolation  in  Christ,  if  any  com- 
fort of  love,  if  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit, 
if  any  bowels  and  mercies,  fulfil  ye  my 
joy  : — be  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind." 
"  Let  nothing  be  done  through  strife  or 
vain  glory  ;  but  in  lowliness  of  mind  let 
each  esteem  other  better  than  them- 
selves." "  Dearly  beloved,  I  beseech  you, 
as  strangers  and  pilgrims,  abstain  from 
fleshy  lusts,  which  war  against  the  soul  : 
having  your  conversation  honest  among 
the  Gentiles  :  that,  whereas  they  speak 
against   you   as   evil  doers,    they  may  by 


118 


MOTIVES    TO    A      VIRTUOUS    LIFE. 


your  good  works,  which  they  shall  behold, 
glorify  God  in  the  day  of  visitation." 
"  Ye  are  bought  with  a  price  ;  therefore 
glorify  God  in  your  body,  and  in  your 
spirit^  which  are  God's."  "  The  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us ;  because  we  thus 
judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were 
all  dead  :  and  that  he  died  for  all,  that 
they  which  live  should  not  henceforth 
live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  who 
died  for  them,  and  rose  again."  "The 
day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the 
night :  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall 
pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  ele- 
ments shall  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  the 
earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are  therein, 
shall  be  burnt  up.  Seeing  then  that  all 
these  things  shall  be  dissolved,  what  man- 
ner of  persons  ought  ye  to  be,  in  all  holy 
conversation  and  godliness  ;  looking  for, 
and  hasting  unto  the  coming  of  the  day 
of  God!"  "Hold  that  fast" which  thou 
hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown." 
"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to 
sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also 
overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my 
Father  in  his  throne." 

These  are  motives  by  which  Christians 
in  every  age  have  been  induced  to  prac- 
tise that  morality  which,  while  writing 
against  Christianity,  Paine,  Bolingbroke, 
and  many  others,  have  been  compelled  to 
applaud.  But  the  far  greater  part  of  them 
are  rejected  by  deists  ;  and  what  will 
they  substitute,  of  equal  efficacy,  in  their 
place  1  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth 
us  ;  but  what  have  they  to  constrain  them  ? 
Will  self-love,  or  the  beauty  or  utility  of 
virtue,  answer  the  purpose!  Let  history 
and  observation  determine. 

It  may  be  alleged,  however,  that  deists 
do  not  reject  the  whole  of  these  important 
motives ;  for  that  some,  at  least,  admit 
the  doctrine  of  a.  future  life,  which,  with 
the  acknowledgment  of  one  living  and 
true  God,  may  be  thought  sufficient  for  all 
the  purposes  of  morality. 

That  the  doctrine  of  a  future  life  is  of 
great  importance  in  the  moral  system  is 
allowed  ;  but  the  greatest  truth,  if  dis- 
severed from  other  truths  of  equal  impor- 
tance, will  be  divested  of  its  energy. 
As  well  might  a  hand  dissevered  from  the 
body  be  represented  as  sufficient  for  the 
purposes  of  labor,  as  one  or  two  uncon- 
nected principles  for  the  purpose  of  mo- 
rality. This  is  actually  the  case  in  the 
present  instance.  The  doctrine  of  a 
future  life,  as  held  by  Christians,  has 
stimulated  them  to  labor  and  suffer  with- 
out intermission.  From  a  "respect  to 
this  recompense  of  reward,"  a  kingdom 
has  been  refused,  where  the  acceptance 
of  it  would  have  interfered  with  a  good 
conscience.       Yea,    life    itself  has    been 


sacrificed,  and  that  not  in  a  few,  but  in  in- 
numerable instances,  where  it  could  not  be 
retained  but  at  the  expense  of  truth  and 
uprightness.  But  is  it  thus  among  deists  1 
Does  the  doctrine  of  a  future  life,  as  held 
by  them,  produce  any  such  effects  1 
When  was  it  known,  or  heard,  that  they 
sacrificed  any  thing  for  this  or  any  other 
principle  of  a  moral  nature  1  Who 
among  them  ever  thought  of  such  a  thing ; 
or  who  expected  it  at  their  hands  1 

But  this  is  not  all  :  There  is  such  a 
connection  in  truth,  that,  if  one  part  of 
it  be  given  up,  it  will  render  us  less 
friendly  towards  other  parts,  and  so  de- 
stroy their  efficacy.  This  also  is  actually 
the  case  in  the  present  instance.  Our 
advo^'saries  do  not  cordialy  embrace  even 
this  truth;  but,  on  the  contrary,  are  con- 
tinually undermining  it,  and  rendering  it 
of  no  effect.  Lord  Herbert,  it  is  true, 
considered  it  as  an  essential  article  of 
natural  religion ;  and  it  was  his  opinion 
that  he  could  scarcely  be  accounted  a 
reasonable  creature  who  denied  it ;  but 
this  is  far  from  being  the  case  with  later 
deistical  writers,  the  greater  part  of  whom 
either  deny  it  or  represent  it  as  a  matter 
of  doubt.  Some  of  them  disown  every 
principle  by  which  it  is  supported,  and 
others  go  so  far  as  to  hold  it  up  to  ridi- 
cule, laboring  withal  to  prove  the  hope  of 
it  unfriendly  to  the  disinterested  love  of 
virtue.  Volney,  in  his  Laio  of  Nature,  or 
Catechism  for  French  Citizens,  says  noth- 
ing about  it.  Paine  just  touches  upon  it, 
in  his  Age  of  Reason,  by  informing  us 
that  "he  hopes  for  happiness  beyond  this 
life;"  but  as  happiness  has  its  counter- 
part, and  stands  upon  the  general  doctrine 
o(  retribution,  he  is  afraid  to  say  he  be- 
lieves it.  It  must  be  reduced  to  a  mere 
matter  of  "  probability,"  lest  the  thought 
of  it  should  damp  him  in  his  present  pur- 
suits, and  render  him  "  the  slave  of  ter- 
ror."* Bolingbroke,  though  he  acknowl- 
edges its  antiquity,  and  great  utility  in 
promoting  virtue,  yet  represents  it  as  a 
"  mere  invention  of  philosophers  and 
legislators,"  and  as  being  "originally  an 
hypothesis,  and  which  may,  therefore,  be 
a  vulgar  error."  "Reason,"  he  says, 
"will  neither  affirm  nor  deny  a  future 
state."  By  this  the  reader  might  be  led 
to  expect  that  this  writer  was  neither  for 
it  nor  against  it ;  yet  the  whole  of  his 
reasonings  are  directed  to  undermine  it.f 
Hume,  like  the  writer  last  mentioned, 
acknowledges  the  utility  of  the  doctrine, 
but  questions  its  truth.  He  would  not 
have  people  disabused,  or  delivered  from 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  1.     Part  II.    pp.  100, 
101. 

t  Works,  Vol.  V. 


MOTIVES    TO    A    VIRTUOUS    LIFE. 


119 


such  a  prejudice,  because  it  would  free 
them  from  one  restraint  upon  their  pas- 
sions. Any  person  who  shouhl  undertake 
this  work,  he  allows,  would  i>e  a  bad  cit- 
izen ;  yet  he  mij;;ht,  for  aujiht  lie  knows, 
he  a  good  reasoner.''  Shaftesbury  em- 
ploys all  his  wit  and  satire  in  endeavor- 
ing to  raise  a  laugh  at  the  very  idea,  rep- 
resenting the  heathen  world  as  very 
happy  till  Christianity  arose,  and  teazed 
them  about  an  hereafter.  "A  new  sort 
of  policy,"  he  says,  "  which  extends  itself 
to  another  world,  and  considers  the  fu- 
ture lives  and  happiness  of  man  rather 
than  the  present,  has  made  us  leap  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  natural  humanity,  and 
out  of  a  suj)ernatural  charity,  has  taught  us 
the  way  of  plaguing  one  another  most 
devoutly."! 

Lord  Shaftesbury's  wit  may  very 
Avell  be  passed  by,  as  being  what  it  is  : 
in  connection  with  the  foregoing  quota- 
tions, it  sulBces  to  show  us  what  efficacy 
the  doctrine  of  a  future  life,  as  held  by 
deists,  may  be  expected  to  possess. 
But  this  writer  is  not  contented  with 
raillery  :  he  must  also  attempt  to  reason 
against  the  doctrine  ;  contending  that  it 
has  a  pernicious  influence  on  the  morals 
of  men;  that  it  is  a  mercenary  principle, 
and  opposed  to  the  disinterested  love  of 
virtue,  for  its  own  sake.  "  The  princi- 
ple of  self-love,"  he  observes,  "which  is 
naturally  so  prevailing  in  us,  is  improved 
and  made  stronger  by  the  exercise  of  the 
passions  on  a  subject  of  more  extended 
interest  :  and  there  may  be  reason  to  ap- 
prehend that  a  temper  of  this  kind  will 
extend  itself  through  all  the  parts  of  life. 
And  this  has  a  tendency  to  create  a  strict- 
er attention  to  self-good  and  private 
interest,  and  must  insensibly  diminish  the 
afTection  towards  public  good,  or  the 
interest  of  society,  and  introduce  a  certain 
narrownes  of  spirit,  which  is  observable 
in  the  devout  persons  and  zealots  of 
almost  every  religious  persuasion. "J 

This  objection,  the  reader  will  recol- 
lect, is  in  direct  contradiction  to  the 
principles  of  Bolingbroke,  and,  it  may  be 
added,  of  Volney,  and  other  deistical 
writers,  who  maintain  self-love  to  be  the 
origin  of  virtuous  affection.  Some  chris- 
tian writers,  in  answering  it,  have  given 
up  the  doctrine  of  disinterested  love, 
allowing  that  all  religious  affection  is  to 
be  traced  to  the  love  which  we  bear  to 
ourselves,  as  its  first  principle.  To  me, 
this  appears  no  other  than  betraying  the 
truth,  and  ranking  Christianity  with  every 
species    of    apostasy   and    false    religion 

*  Pliiiosopliical  Essay.'',  p.  231. 
t  Chararteri?tics,  Vol.  I.  p.  18. 
t  Ibid,  Vol.  II.  p.  58. 


which  have  at  any  time  prevailed  in  the 
world.  A  clear  idea  of  the  nature  of  self- 
love,  if  I  mistake  not,  will  enable  us  to 
determine  this  question,  and  to  answer 
the  deistical  objection  without  rendering 
Christianity  a  mercenary  system. 

Every  man  may  be  considered  either 
singly,  or  connectedly;  either  as  a  being 
by  himself,  or  as  a  link  in  a  certain  chain 
of  beings.  Under  one  or  other  of  these 
views  every  man  considers  himself,  while 
pursuing  his  own  interest.  If  the  former, 
this  is  to  make  himself  the  ultimate  end 
of  his  actions,  and  to  love  all  other  beings, 
created  or  uncreated,  only  as  they  sub- 
serve his  interest  or  his  pleasure  :  this 
is  private  self-love  :  this  is  mean  and 
mercenary,  and  what  we  commonly  un- 
derstand ])y  the  term  seljiskiiess.  But,  if 
the  latter,  there  is  nothing  mean  or  selfish 
in  it.  He  who  seeks  his  own  well-being 
in  connection  with  the  general  good  seeks 
it  as  he  ought  to  do.  No  man  is  required 
directly  to  oppose  his  own  welfare, 
though,  in  some  instances,  he  may  be 
required  to  sacrifice  it  for  the  general 
good.  Neither  is  it  necessary  that  he 
should  be  indifferent  towards  it.  Reason, 
as  well  as  Scripture,  requires  us  to  love 
ourselves  as  well  as  our  neighbor.  To 
this  may  be  added,  every  man  is  not  only 
a  link  in  the  chain  of  intelligent  beings, 
and  so  deserving  of  some  regard  from 
himself,  as  well  as  from  others,  but  every 
man's  person,  family,  and  connections, 
and  still  more  the  concerns  of  his  soul, 
are,  as  it  were,  his  own  vineyard,  over 
the  interests  of  which  it  is  his  peculiar 
province  to  exercise  a  Avatchful  care. 
Only  let  the  care  of  himself  and  his  im- 
mediate connections  be  in  subserviency 
to  the  general  good,  and  there  is  nothing 
mercenary  in  it. 

I  need  not  multiply  arguments  to  prove 
that  the  doctrine  of  rewards  does  not 
necessarily  tend  to  encourage  a  mercenary 
spirit,  or  that  it 'is  consistent  with  the 
disinterested  love  of  virtue.  Lord  Shaftes- 
bury himself  has  acknowledged  this  :  "  If 
by  the  hope  of  reward,"  he  says,  "  be 
understood  the  love  and  desire  of  virtuous 
enjoyment,  or  of  the  very  practice  or 
exercise  of  virtue  in  another  life,  the  ex- 
pectation or  hope  of  this  kind  is  so  far 
from  being  derogatory  to  virtue,  that  it  is 
an  evidence  of  our  loving  it  the  more 
sincerely,  and  for  its  own  sake."§  This 
single  concession  contains  an  answer  to 
all  that  his  lordship  has  advanced  on  the 
subject ;  for  the  rewards  promised  in  the 
gospel  are  all  exactly  of  the  description 

§  Ciiaracleristics,  Vol.  II.  pp.  65,  66. 


120 


MOTIVES    TO    A    VIRTUOUS    LIFE. 


which  he  mentions.  It  is  true  they  are 
often  represented  under  the  images  of 
earthly  things  ;  hut  this  does  not  prove 
that,  in  themselves,  they  are  not  pure  and 
spiritual.  That  there  is  nothing  in  them 
adapted  to  gratify  a  mercenary  spirit,  the 
following  observations  will  render  plain  to 
the  meanest  capacity  : — 

First :  The  nature  of  heavenly  enjoy- 
ments is  such  as  to  admit  of  no  monopoly, 
and  consequently  to  leave  no  room  for  the 
exercise  of  private  self-love.  Like  the 
beams  of  the  sun,  they  are  equally'adapt- 
ed  to  give  joy  to  a  world  as  to  an  individ- 
ual :  nay,  so  far  is  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  the  participants  from  dimin- 
ishing the  quantum  of  happiness  possessed 
by  each  individual,  that  it  has  a  tendency 
to  increase  it.  The  interest  of  one  is  the 
interest  of  all ;  and  the  interest  of  all 
extends  to  every  one. 

Secondly  :  The  sum  of  heavenly  enjoy- 
ments consist  in  a  holy  likeness  to  God, 
and  in  the  eternal  enjoyment  of  his  favor.* 
But  holy  likeness  to  God  is  the  same 
thing  as  "  the  very  practice  or  exercise  of 
virtue,"  the  hope  of  which,  Lord  Shaftes- 
bury acknowledges,  "  is  so  far  from  being 
derogatory  to  it,  that  it  is  an  evidence 
of  our  loving  it  the  more  sincerely,  and 
for  its  own  sake."  And,  as  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  divine  favor,  a  proper  pursuit 
of  this  object,  instead  of  being  at  variance 
with  disinterested  affection,  clearly  implies 
it;  for  no  man  can  truly  desire  the  favor 
of  God  as  his  chief  good,  without  a  pro- 
portionate esteem  of  his  character,  and 
that  for  its  own  excellency.  It  is  impos- 
sible that  the  favor  of  any  being  whose 
character  we  disapprove  should  be  sought 
as  our  chief  good,  in  preference  to  every 
other  object  in  the  universe.  But  a  cor- 
dial approbation  of  the  divine  character 
is  the  same  thing  as  a  disinterested  affec- 
tion to  virtue. 

Thirdly  :  The  only  method  by  which 
the  rewards  of  the  gosp'el  are  attainable, 
faith  in  Christ,  secures  the  exercise  of  dis- 
interested and  enlarged  virtue.  No  man 
has  any  warrant,  from  the  scriptures,  to 
expect  an  interest  in  the  promises  of  the 
gospel,  unless  he  cordially  acquiesce  in  his 
mediation.  But  to  acquiesce  in  this  is  to 
acquiesce  in  the  holy  government  of  God, 
which  it  was  designed  to  glorify — to  feel 
and  acknowledge  that  we  deserved  to  have 
been  made  sacrifices  to  divine  displeasure 
— to  forego  all  claim  or  hope  of  mercy 
from  every  selfish  consideration;  and  be 
willing  to  receive  forgiveness  as  an  act  of 
mere  grace,  and  along  with  the  chief  of 
sinners.  In  fine,  to  acquiesce  in  this  is  to 
be  of  one  heart  with  the  Savior  of  sinners, 


which,  our  adversaries  themselves  being 
judges,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  be  filled 
with  devotedness  to  God  and  benevolence 
to  men ;  and  this,  if  any  thing  deserves 
that  name,  is  true,  disinterested,  and  en- 
larged virtue. 

It  is  very  possible  that  the  objections 
which  are  made  by  this  writer,  as  well  as 
by  Mr.  Paine  and  others,  against  the  doc- 
trine o[  rewards,  as  being  servile  and  mer- 
cenary, may,  after  all,  in  reality  be  against 
their  counterpart.  It  does  not  appear  to 
be  "  the  hope  of  happiness  beyond  this 
life"  that  excites  their  disgust,  though  the 
nature  of  the  Christian's  happiness  might 
be  disagreeable  to  them  ;  but  the  fear  of 
being  "  called  to  account  for  the  manner 
in  which  they  have  lived  in  this  world." 
This  it  is  which  even  the  daring  author  of 
The  Age  of  Reason  cannot  endure  to  con- 
sider as  a  certainty,  as  the  thought  of  it 
would  render  him  "the  slave  of  ter- 
ror." Yet,  as  though  he  would  not  have 
it  thought  that  the  dread  of  futurity  ren- 
dered him  afraid  of  believing  it,  he  alleges 
another  reason  :  "  Our  belief,  on  this  prin- 
ciple," he  says,  "  would  have  no  merit, 
and  our  best  actions  no  virtue."  f  In  or- 
der then  to  our  actions  being  virtuous,  it 
is  necessary,  it  seems,  that  we  be  under 
no  law  but  that  of  our  own  inclination; 
and  this  will  be  loving  virtue  for  its  own 
sake.  This  is  at  once  shaking  off  the  di- 
vine authority ;  which,  if  ii  could  be  ac- 
complished, might  be  very  agreeable  to 
some  men;  and,  if  with  this  they  could 
get  fairly  rid  of  a  judgment  to  come,  it 
might  be  still  more  agreeable;  but  alas,  if 
they  should  be  mistaken  ! 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  passions  of  hope  and 
fear  are  planted  in  our  nature  by  Him  who 
made  us  ;  and  it  may  be  presumed  they 
are  not  planted  there  in  vain.  The  pro- 
per exercise  of  the  former  has,  I  conceive, 
been  proved  to  be  consistent  with  the  pur- 
est and  most  disinterested  love  :  and  the 
same  thing  is  provable  of  the  latter.  The 
hope  and  fear  against  which  these  writers 
declaim  are  those  of  a  slave  ;  and,  where 
love  is  absent,  these,  it  is  granted,  are  the 
only  effects  which  the  doctrine  of  rewards 
and  punishments  will  produce.  But  even 
here  they  have  their  use.  Terror  is  the 
grand  principle  by  which  vicious  minds 
are  kept  in  awe.  Without  this  their  licen- 
tiousness would  be  intolerable  to  society.. 
It  is  not,  however,  for  the  mere  purpose 
of  restraint,  that  threatenings  are  exhibit- 
ed, but  to  express  the  displeasure  of  God 
against  all  unrighteousness  and  ungodli- 
ness of  men,  and  his  resolution  to  punish 
them.  Some  are  hereby  taught  the  evil 
of  their  ways  to  a  good  purpose,  and  all 


*  1  John  iii.  2.     Rev.  xxi.  3,  4. 


t  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  pp.  100,  101. 


MOTIVES    TO    A    VIRTUOUS    LIFE. 


121 


are  fairly  warned,  and  Ihcir  perseverance 
in  sin  is  rendered  ine\cusal)le. 

Before  our  adversaries  object  to  this, 
they  should  show  the  impropriety  of  hu- 
man laws  being  accompanied  with  penal- 
ties. Let  them  furnish  us  witli  a  system 
of  government  in  which  men  may  be  guilty 
of  crimes  without  tear  of  being  called  to 
account  (or  them,  and  in  which  those  who 
are  enemies  to  virtue  are  to  be  governed 
by  merely  the  love  of  it.  If  it  be  improp- 
er to  threaten  sinners,  it  is  improper  to 
punish  them ;  and,  if  it  be  imjjroper  to 
punish  them,  it  is  improper  for  moral  gov- 
ernment to  be  exercised.  But,  if  it  be 
thus  in  the  government  of  God,  there  is  no 
good  reason  to  be  given  why  it  should  not 
be  the  same  in  human  governments  ;  that 
is,  there  is  no  good  reason  why  servants, 
unless  they  choose  to  do  otherwise,  should 
not  disobey  their  masters,  children  their 
parents,  and  private  individuals  in  a  state 
be  continually  rising  up  to  destroy  all  just 
authority. 

The  above  may  suffice  to  ascertain  the 
weight  of  Lord  Shaftesbury's  objections 
to  the  doctrine  of  rew  ards  ;  and  now  I 
shall  take  the  liberty  to  retort  the  charge, 
and  attempt  to  prove  that  the  epithets 
"  narrow  and  selfish,"  which  he  applies  to 
the  Christian  system,  properly  belong  to 
his  own. 

In  his  "Inquiry  concerning  Virtue," 
contained  in  the  second  volume  of  his 
"  Characteristics,"  though  he  allows  it  to 
consist  in  our  being  proportionably  affect- 
ed towards  the  whole  system  to  which  we 
bear  a  relation  (p.  17,)  and  acknowledges 
that  this  world  may  be  only  a  part  of  «. 
more  extended  system  (p.  20,)  yet  he  stu- 
diously leaves  out  God  as  the  head  of  it. 
Among  all  the  relations  which  he  enu- 
merates, there  is  no  mention  of  that  be- 
tween the  creature  and  the  Creator.  His 
enlarged  and  disinterested  scheme  of  mo- 
rality is  at  last  nothing  more  than  for  a 
creature  to  regard  those  "  of  its  own  kind, 
or  species."  Not  only  is  all  gentleness, 
kindness,  and  compassion  to  inferior  crea- 
tures left  out,  but  the  love  of  God  is  not 
in  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  professed 
object  of  his  "  Inquiry  "  to  prove  that  vir- 
tue, goodness,  or  moral  excellence,  may 
exist  without  religion,  and  even  "in  an 
Atheist."  (p.  6.)  In  short,  it  is  manifest 
that  it  is  the  love  of  God,  and  not  self- 
love,  to  which  his  love  of  virtue,  for  its 
own  sake,  stands  opposed.  That  for 
which  he  pleads  is  the  impious  spirit  of  a 


child  who,  disregarding  his  father's  favor, 
pays  no  attention  to  his  commands  as  his 
commands;  but  comj»lies  with  them  only 
on  account  of  their  approving  themselves 
to  his  own  mind.  But  this  is  no  other 
than  self-will,  which,  instead  of  being  op- 
posed to  self-love,  is  one  of  its  genuine 
exercises. 

"  Our  holy  religion,"  says  (his  sneer- 
ing writer,  "takes  but  little  notice  of  the 
most  heroic  virtues,  such  as  zeal  for  the 
public,  and  our  country."*  That  Chris- 
tianity takes  but  little  notice  of  what  is 
commonly  called  patriotism  is  admitted  ; 
and,  if  Lord  Shaltesbury  had  been  free 
from  that  "  narrowness  of  mind  "  which  it 
is  his  intention  here  to  censure  ;  yea,  if  he 
had  only  kept  to  his  own  definition  of  vir- 
tue— "  a  regard  to  those  of  our  own  kind, 
or  species,"  he  would  have  taken  as  little. 
By  the  public  good,  he  evidently  means 
no  more  than  the  temporal  prosperity  of 
a  particular  country,  w  hich  is  to  be  sought 
at  the  expense  of  all  other  countries  w  ith 
whom  it  happens,  justly  or  unjustly,  to  be 
at  variance.  Christianity,  we  acknowl- 
edge, knows  nothing  of  this  spirit.  It  is 
superior  to  it.  It  is  not  natural  for  a 
Christian  to  enter  into  the  antipathies,  or 
embroil  himself  in  the  contentions  of  a 
nation,  however  he  may  be  occasionally 
drawn  into  them.  His  soul  is  much  more 
in  its  element  when  breathing  after  the 
present  and  future  happiness  of  a  world. 
In  undertakings,  both  public  and  private, 
which  tend  to  alleviate  the  miseries  and 
enlarge  the  comforts  of  human  life.  Chris- 
tians have  ever  been  foremost  ;  and,  when 
they  have  conceived  themselves  lawfully 
called  even  into  the  field  of  battle,  they 
have  not  been  wanting  in  valor.  But  the 
heroism  to  which  they  principally  aspire 
is  of  another  kind  :  it  is  that  of  subduing 
their  own  spirit,  doing  good  against  evil, 
seeking  the  present  and  eternal  well-being 
of  those  w  ho  hate  them,  and  laying  down 
their  lives,  if  required,  for  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

Such  is  the  "  narrow  spirit  "  of  Chris- 
tians ;  and  such  have  been  their  "selfish 
pursuits."  But  these  are  things  which  do 
not  emblazon  their  names  in  the  account 
of  unbelievers.  The  murderers  of  man- 
kind will  be  applauded  before  them.  But 
they  have  enough  :  their  blood  is  precious 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  their  names 
are  embalmed  in  the  memory  of  the  up- 
right. 

*  Clwracleiistic?,  Vol.  I.  pp.  98,  99- 


VOL.    I. 


16 


122 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIEVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  LIVES  OF  THOSE  WHO  REJECT  THE 
GOSPEL  WILL  NOT  BEAR  A  COMPARI- 
SON WITH  THE  LIVES  OF  THOSE  WHO 
EMBRACE    IT. 

No  books  are  so  plain  as  the  lives  of 
men ;  no  characters  so  legible  as  their 
moral  conduct.  If  the  principles  of  a  body 
of  men  will  not  bear  this  criterion,  we 
may  expect  to  hear  them  exclaim  against 
it  as  unfair  and  uncertain;  but,  when  they 
have  said  all,  thej^  will  endeavor  to  avail 
themselves  of  it,  if  possible.  It  is  tlms 
that  the  virtues  of  idolaters  are  the  con- 
stant theme  of  deistical  panegyric ;  and 
all  the  corruptions,  intrigues,  persecu- 
tions, wars,  and  mischiefs,  which  of  late 
ages  have  afflicted  the  earth,  are  charged 
to  the  account  of  Christians.  It  is  thus 
that  christian  ministers,  under  the  name  of 
priests,  are  described  as  mercenary,  de- 
signing, and  hypocritical ;  and  the  lives 
of  hectoring  profligates  praised  in  compar- 
ison of  them.*  In  short,  it  is  thus  that 
Christians  are  accused  of  fanaticism,  af- 
fectation, ingratitude,  presumption,  and 
almost  every  thing  else  that  is  mean  and 
base ;  and  men  are  persuaded  to  become 
deists,  with  an  assurance  that,  by  so  do- 
ing, they  will  live  more  consistently,  and 
morally,  than  by  any  other  system. f 

But  let  us  examine  whether  these  rep- 
resentations accord  with  fact.  Is  it  fact 
that  the  ancient  philosophers  of  Greece 
and  Rome  were  virtuous  characters  1  It 
is  true  that,  like  the  deists,  they  talked 
and  wrote  much  about  virtue  ;  and,  if  the 
latter  may  be  believed,  they  were  very 
virtuous.  "  They  opposed  each  other," 
says  Voltaire,  "  in  their  dogmas  ;  but  in 
morality  they  were  all  agreed.  After 
loading  each  of  them  with  encomiums,  he 
sums  up  by  affirming,  "  There  has  been 
no  philosopher  in  all  antiquity  who  has 
not  been  desirous  of  making  men  better. ":f 
This  is  a  very  favorable  report ;  and,  if 
well  founded,  the  writer  of  the  first  chap- 
ter of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  must  not 
■bnly  have  dealt  largely  in  calumny,  but 
must  have  possessed  the  most  consummate 
eflfrontry,  to  address  such  an  epistle  to  the 
citizens  of  Rome,  who  from  their  own 
knowledge  must  have  been  able  to  con- 

*  Hume's   Essays  Moral    and     Political,   Essay 
XXIV.         t  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  21. 
t  Ignorant  Philosopher,  p.  60. 


tradict   him.      There   are  other  reports, 
however,  of  a  very  different  complexion. 

It  is  no  part  of  my  design  to  enter  mi- 
nutely into  this  subject  ;  nor  is  it  necessa- 
ry. Many  able  writers  have  proved,  from 
the  most  authentic  sources  of  information, 
that  the  account  given  of  the  heathens  by 
the  Apostle  is  not  exaggerated.  An  ex- 
tract or  two  from  their  writings  will  be 
sufficient  for  my  purpose. 

"  Epictetus  bids  you  'temporise,  and 
worship  tlie  gods  after  the  fashion  of  your 
country. '§  Pythagoras  forbids  you  to 
'  pray  to  God,  because  you  know  not  what 
is  convenient. 'II  Plutarch  commends  Ca- 
to  Uticensis  for  killing  himself  amidst 
philosophic  thoughts,  with  resolution  and 
deliberation,  after  reading  Plato  on  the 
immortality  of  the  soul.H  Cicero  pleads 
for  self-murder.  Herein  he  was  second- 
ed by  Brutus,  Cassius,  and  others  who 
practised  it.  Many  of  their  learned  men 
applauded  their  opinion  and  practice. 
Seneca  thus  pleads  for  it :  '  If  thy  mind 
be  melancholy  and  in  misery,  thou  mayest 
put  a  period  to  this  wretched  condition : 
wherever  thou  lookest,  there  is  an  end  to 
it.  See  that  precipice  !  there  thou  may- 
est have  liberty.  Seest  thou  that  sea, 
that  river,  that  Avell  ?  liberty  is  at  the  bot- 
tom of  it :  that  little  tree  1  freedom  hangs 
upon  it.  Thy  own  neck,  thy  own  throat, 
may  be  a  refuge  to  thee  from  such  servi- 
tude ;  yea,  every  vein  of  thy  body.'  ** 

"  We  may  find  in  the  heathen  philoso- 
phers customary  swearing  commended,  if 
not  by  their  precepts,  yet  by  the  examples 
of  their  best  moralists,  Plato,  Socrates, 
Seneca,  and  Julian  the  emperor  ;  in  whose 
works  numerous  oaths  by  Jupiter,  Her- 
cules, the  Sun,  Serapis,  and  the  like,  do 
occur.  In  the  same  manner  we  see  the 
unnatural  love  of  boys  recommended. ff 
Aristippus  maintained  that  it  was  '  lawful 
for  a  wise  man  to  steal,  commit  adultery, 
and  sacrilege,  when  opportunity  offered ; 
for  that  none  of  these  actions  were  nat- 
urally evil,  setting  aside  the  vulgar  opin- 
ion, which  was  introduced  into  the  world 
by  silly  and  illiterate  people, — that  a  wise 
man  might  publicly,  without  shame  or 
scandal,  keep  company  with  common  har- 
lots, if  his  inclinations  led  him  to  it.' 
'  May  not  a  beautiful  woman  be  made  use 
of,' he  asks,    'because   she   is  fair;  or  a 

§  Enchiridion,  Cap.  38.  p.  m.  56. 
II   Diog.    Laertiiis. 

IF  Plutarch's  Life  of  Cato,  near  the  end. 
**Deira,  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  15.  p.  m.  319- 
tt  Juvenal  Satyr  II.  ver.  10. 


CONDUCT  OF  BELIEVERS  AND  UNBELIEVERS. 


138 


youth  because  he  is  lovely  1  Certainly 
tliey  may."  * 

li",  as  Voltaire  asserts,  it  was  the  desire 
of  these  philosophers  to  make  men  better, 
assuredly  tliey  employed  very  extraordi- 
nary means  to  accomplish  their  desire. 

What  are  the  lives  recorded  by  Plu- 
tarch 1  Many  of  them,  no  doubt,  enter- 
tained a  high  sense  of  honor,  and  possess- 
ed a  large  portion  of  patriotism.  But  was 
either  of  these  morality  !  If  l)y  this  term 
be  meant  such  dispositions  of  tiie  mind  as 
are  right,  fit,  and  amiable,  it  was  not. 
Their  sense  of  lionor  was  not  of  that  kind 
which  made  then)  scorn  to  do  evil ;  but, 
like  the  false  honor  of  modern  duellists, 
consisted  merely  in  a  dread  of  disgrace. 
It  induced  many  of  them  to  carry  about 
thein  the  fatal  means  of  sclf-destruclion  ; 
and,  rather  than  fall  into  the  hands  of  an 
adversary,  to  make  use  of  them.  And  as 
to  their  patriotism,  generally  speaking,  it 
operated  not  merely  in  the  preservation  of 
their  country,  but  in  endeavors  to  extend 
and  aggrandize  it  at  the  expense  of  other 
nations.  It  was  a  patriotism  inconsistent 
with  justice  and  good  will  to  men.  Add 
to  this,  that  fornication,  adultery,  and  un- 
natural crimes,  were  common  among 
them. 

As  to  the  moral  state  of  society  among 
heathens,  both  ancient  and  modern,  we 
may  have  occasion  to  consider  this  a  little 
more  particularly  hereafter.  At  present 
I  would  inquire.  Is  it  fact  that  the  perse- 
cutions, intrigues,  wars,  and  mischiefs  of 
late  ages,  are  to  be  charged  to  the  account 
of  Christianity  1 

With  regard  to  perseciction,  nothing  is 
more  common  with  our  adversaries  than 
to  lay  it  wholly  at  our  door.  They  are 
continually  alleging  that  the  heathens  all 
agreed  to  tolerate  each  other  till  Christi- 
anity arose.  Thus  writes  Shaftesbury, f 
Hume,t  Voltaire, §  Gibbon, ||  and  Paine. H 
That  the  heathen  tolerated  each  other  be- 
fore the  introduction  of  Christianity  is  al- 
lowed ;  and  they  did  the  same  after  it.  It 
was  not  against  each  other  that  their  en- 
mity was  directed.  In  the  diversity  of 
their  idols,  and  modes  of  worship,  there 
were  indeed  different  administrations,  but 
it  was  the  same  lord  :  whereas,  in  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus  Christ,  there  was  nothing 
that  could  associate  with  heathenism,  but 
every  thing  that  threatened  its  utter  sub- 
version. 

*  Diog.  Laerlius,  Vol.  I.  p.  m.  163,  166.  See  in 
Millar's  History  of  the  Propagation  of  Christianity, 
Vol.  I.  p.  63— "65. 

t  Cliaracterislics,  Vol.  I.  p.  IS. 

f  Essay  on  Parlies. 

§  Ignorant  Philosopher,  p.  83. 

II  History  of  Dec.  Chap.  II.  p.  29. 

IT  Age  of  Reason,  PartH.  Preface. 


It  is  allowed  also  that  individual  perse- 
cution, except  in  a  few  instances,  com- 
menced with  Christianity  :  but  who  be- 
gan the  practice]  Was  it  Jesus  that  per- 
secuted Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate;  or 
they  him  1  Did  Peter  and  James  and 
Joiin  and  Paul  set  up  for  inquisitors,  and 
persecute  the  Jews  and  Romans  ;  or  the 
Jews  and  Romans  them  1  Did  the  primi- 
tive Christians  discover  any  disposition  to 
persecute  1  By  whom  was  Europe  del- 
uged with  blood  in  ten  successive  persecu- 
tions during  the  first  three  centuries  1 
Were  Ciiristians  the  authors  of  this]  When 
the  church  had  so  far  degenerated  as  to 
imbibe  many  of  tlie  principles  and  super- 
stitions of  tiie  heathen,  then  indeed  it  be- 
gan to  imitate  their  j)ersecuting  spirit; 
but  not  before.  When  Christ's  kingdom 
was  transformed  into  a  kingdom  of  this 
world,  the  weapons  of  its  warfare  might 
be  expected  to  become  carnal,  and  to  be 
no  longer,  as  formerly,  mighty  through 
God. 

The  religious  persecutions  among  Chris- 
tians have  been  compared  to  the  massa- 
cres attending  the  French  Revolution  in 
the  times  of  Robespierre.  The  horrid 
barbarities  of  the  latter,  it  has  been  said, 
by  way  of  apology,  "  have  not  even  been 
equal  to  those  of  the  former."  If  Deists 
may  be  allowed  to  confound  Christianity 
and  Popery,  I  shall  not  dispute  the  just- 
ness of  the  comparison.  There  is,  no 
doubt,  a  greater  resemblance  between  the 
papal  and  the  infidel  spirit ;  or  rather  they 
are  one.  Both  are  the  spirit  of  this  world, 
which  is  averse  from  true  religion.  The 
diflference  between  them  is  but  as  that  be- 
tween the  wolf  and  the  tiger.**  But  those 
who  reason  thus  should  prove  that  the  re- 
formers in  religion  have  been  guilty  of  ex- 
cesses equal  to  those  of  the  deistical  re- 
formers in  politics.  Were  there  any  such 
assassinations  among  the  Prosestants  to- 
wards one  another,  or  towards  the  Papists, 
as  have  been  wantonly  committed  by  In- 
fidels ]  It  is  true  there  were  examples  of 
persecution  among  Protestants,  and  such 
as  will  ever  remain  a  dishonor  to  the  par- 
ties concerned  ;  but  those  which  affected 
the  lives  of  men  were  few  in  number  com- 
pared with  those  of  the  other,  and  these 
few,  censurable  as  they  arc,  were  not  per- 
formed by  assassination. 

Mr.  Paine  affirms  that  "all  sects  of 
Christians,  except  the  Quakers,  have  per- 

**  The  resemblance  between  Popen^  and  Infidelity 
is  pointed  out  with  great  beauty  and  energy  in  a 
piece  which  has  appeared  in  some  of  the  periodical 
publications,  entitled  "  The  Progress  of  the  Moderns 
in  Knowledge,  Refinement,  and  Virtue."  See  The- 
ological Magazine,  Vol.  I.  No.  V^.  p.  S44.  Evan- 
gelical Magazine,  V^ol.  IV,  p.  405. 


124 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIKVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


secuted  in  their  turn."  That  much  of 
this  spirit  has  prevailed  is  too  true  :  but 
this  assertion  is  unfounded.  I  could  name 
more  denominations  than  one  whose  hands, 
I  believe,  were  never  stained  with  blood, 
and  whose  avowed  principles  have  always 
been  in  favor  of  universal  liberty  of  con- 
science. 

But  let  us  inquire  into  the  principles 
and  spirit  of  our  adversaries  on  this  sub- 
ject. It  is  true  that  almost  all  their  wri- 
ters have  defended  the  cause  of  liberty, 
and  levelled  their  censures  against  perse- 
cution. But  where  is  the  man  that  is  not 
an  enemy  to  this  practice,  when  it  is  di- 
rected against  himself?  Have  they  dis- 
covered a  proper  regard  to  the  rights  of 
conscience  among  Christians  "?  This  is 
the  question.  There  may  be  individuals 
among  them  who  have  ;  but  the  generality 
of  their  writers  discover  a  shameful  par- 
tiality in  favor  of  their  own  side,  and  a 
contemptuous  disregard  of  all  who  have 
suffered  for  the  name  of  Christ.  While 
they  exhibit  persecution  in  its  deservedly 
infamous  colors,  they  as  constantly  hold 
up  the  persecuted,  if  found  among  Chris- 
tians, in  a  disadvantageous  point  of  view. 
Mr.  Hume  allows  that  "  the  persecutions 
of  Christians  in  the  early  ages  were  cruel ;" 
but  lays  the  blame  chiefly  on  themselves  :* 
and  all  through  his  History  of  England  he 
palliates  the  conduct  of  the  persecutors, 
and  represents  the  persecuted  in  an  unfa- 
vorable light.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
Gibbon,  in  his  History  of  the  Decline  of 
the  Roman  Empire  ;  of  Shaftesbury,  in  his 
Characteristics  ;  and  indeed  of  the  gene- 
rality ofdeistical  writers.  Voltaire,  boast- 
ing of  the  wisdom  and  moderation  of  the 
ancient  Romans,  says,  "They  never  per- 
secuted a  single  philosopher  for  his  opin- 
ions, from  the  time  of  Romulus,  till  the 
popes  got  possession  of  their  power,  "f 
But  did  they  not  persecute  Christians "? 
The  millions  of  lives  that  fell  a  sacrifice 
in  the  first  three  centuries  after  the  Chris- 
tian era  are  considered  as  nothing  by  Vol- 
taire. The  benevolence  of  this  apostle  of 
Deism  feels  not  for  men  if  they  happen  to 
be  believers  in  Christ.  If  an  Aristotle,  a 
Pythagoras,  or  a  Galileo  suffer  for  his 
opinions,  he  is  a  "  martyr ;"  but  if  a  mil- 
lion of  French  Protestants,  "  from  a  de- 
sire to  bring  back  things  to  the  primitive 
institutes  of  the  church,"  endure  the  most 
cruel  treatment,  or  quit  their  country  to 
escape  it,  they,  according  to  this  writer, 
are  "  weak  and  obstinate  men."  Say, 
reader,  are  these  men  friends  to  religious 
liberty  \     To  what  does  all  their  declama- 

*  Essay  on  Parties  in  general. 

t  Ignorant  Philosopher,  pp.  82,  83. 


tion  against  persecution  amount  but  this — 
that  such  of  them  as  reside  in  Christian- 
ized countries  wish  to  enjoy  their  opinions 
without  being  exposed  to  it  1 

Till  of  late,  deists  have  been  in  the 
minority  in  all  the  nations  of  Europe,  and 
have  therefore  felt  the  necessity  of  a  free 
enjoyment  of  opinion.  It  is  not  what  they 
have  pleaded  under  those  circumstances, 
but  their  conduct  when  in  power,  that 
must  prove  them  friends  to  religious  liber- 
ty. Few  men  are  known  to  be  what  they 
are  till  they  are  tried.  They  and  Prot- 
estant Dissenters  have,  in  some  respects, 
been  in  a  similar  situation.  Of  late,  each, 
in  a  different  country,  ha  e  become  the 
majority,  and  the  civil  power  has  been  in- 
trusted in  their  hands.  The  descendants 
of  the  Puritans,  in  the  western  world,  by 
dispensing  the  blessings  of  liberty  even  to 
Episcopalians,  by  whose  persecutions 
their  ancestors  were  driven  from  their 
native  shores,  have  shown  themselves 
worthy  of  the  trust.  But  have  the  Deists 
acted  thus  in  France,  and  other  countries 
which  have  fallen  into  their  hands'?  It  is 
true  we  believe  them  to  have  been  the  in- 
struments, in  the  hand  of  God,  of  destroy- 
ing the  papal  Antichrist ;  and  in  this  view 
we  rejoice  :  howbeit  they  meant  not  so. 
If  we  judge  of  their  proceedings  towards 
the  Catholics  in  the  ordinary  way  of  judg- 
ing of  human  actions,  which  undoubtedly 
we  ought,  I  fear  it  will  be  found  not  only 
persecuting,  but  perfidious  and  bloody  in 
the  extreme. 

I  am  not  without  hope  that  liberty  of 
conscience  will  be  preserved  in  France ; 
and,  if  it  should,  it  will  be  seen  wheth- 
er the  subversion  of  the  natijonal  estab- 
lishment will  prove,  what  the  advisers  of 
that  measure  without  doubt  expected  and 
what  others  who  abhorred  it  apprehended 
— the  extinction  of  Christianity.  It  may 
prove  the  reverse,  and  issue  in  things 
which  will  more  than  balance  all  the  ills 
attending  the  revolution.  These  hopes, 
however,  are  not  founded  on  an  idea  of 
the  just  or  tolerant  spirit  of  infidelity; 
but ;  so  far  as  human  motives  are  concern- 
ed, on  that  regard  to  consistency  which 
is  known  to  influence  all  mankind.  If 
the  leading  men  in  France,  after  having 
so  liberally  declaimed  against  persecution, 
should  ever  enact  laws  in  favor  of  it, 
or  in  violation  of  the  laws  encourage  it, 
they  must  appear  in  a  most  disgraceful 
light  in  the  opinion  of  the  whole  civilized 
world. 

Not  only  persecution,  but  unjust  loars, 
intrigues,  and  other  mischiefs,  are  placed 
to  the  account  of  Christianity.  That 
such  things  have  existed,  and  that  men 
who   are    called    Christians    have    been 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIEVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


125 


deeply  concerned  in  them,  is  true.  Wick- 
ed men  will  act  wickedly,  by  whatever 
name  they  are  called.  Whether  these 
things  lie  i'airly  attrihutahle  to  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  may  be  determined  by  a 
few  plain  inciuiries. 

First  :  Did  these  evils  commence,  with 
Christianity,  or  have  they  increased  under 
its  inlluence  ?  Has  not  the  world,  in 
every  age  with  which  history  acquaints 
us,  been  a  scene  of  corruption,  intrigue, 
tumult,  and  slaughter  1  All  that  can 
plausilily  be  objected  to  Christianity  is, 
that  these  tilings  have  continued  in  the 
Avorld  tiotwilfistanding  its  influence  ;  and 
that  they  have  been  practised  in  as  great 
a  degree  by  men  calling  themselves 
Christians  as  by  any  other  persons. 

Secondly  :  Are  those  who  ordinarily 
engage  in  these  practices  real  Christians ; 
and  do  our  adversaries  themselves  ac- 
count them  so  1  They  can  distinguish, 
when  they  please,  between  sincere  and 
merely  nominal  Christians.  They  need 
not  be  told  that  great  numbers,  in  every 
nation,  are  of  that  religion  which  happens 
to  prevail  at  the  time ;  or,  rather,  that 
they  are  of  no  religion. 

Thirdly  :  Have  not  the  courts  of  prin- 
ces, notwithstanding  Christianity  may 
nave  been  the  professed  religion  of  the 
land,  been  generally  attended  by  a  far 
greater  proportion  of  Deists  than  of  seri- 
ous Christians  ;  and  have  not  public  meas- 
ures been  directed  by  the  counsels  of  the 
former  much  more  than  by  those  of  the 
latter ■?  It  is  well  known  that  great 
numbers  among  the  nobility  and  gentry 
of  every  nation  consider  religion  as  suited 
only  to  vulgar  minds ;  and  therefore 
either  wholly  absent  themselves  from 
worship,  or  attend  but  seldom,  and 
then  only  to  save  appearances  towards  a 
national  estaVtlishment  by  which  provision 
is  made  for  the  younger  branches  of  their 
families.  In  other  words,  they  are  unbe- 
lievers. This  is  the  description  of  men 
by  whom  public  affairs  are  commonly 
managed,  and  to  whom  the  good  or  the 
evil  pertaining  to  them,  so  far  as  human 
agency  is  concerned,  is  to  be  attributed. 

Finally  :  Great  as  have  been  the  evils 
abounding  in  nations  professing  Christi- 
anity (and  great  they  have  been,  and 
ought  greatly  to  be  deplored,)  can  unbe- 
lievers pretend  to  have  given  us  any 
hope,  at  present,  of  the  state  of  things 
being  meliorated!  It  is  true  they  have 
talked  and  written  much  in  this  way; 
and  many  well-wishers  to  the  human 
race  have  been  disposed  to  give  them 
credit.  But  it  is  not  words  that  will 
prove  any  thing.  Have  they  done  any 
thing  that  justifies  a  hope  of  reformation  ! 
No ;    they  themselves  must    first  be  re- 


formed ;  or  rather,  to  use  an  appropriate 
term  of  their  own,  regenerated.  Far  be 
it  fror.  i.ii  that,  in  such  a  cause  as  this, 
I  sluiuii  write  under  the  influence  of  na- 
tional :  :ejudice,  or  side  with  the  enemies 
of  civil  and  religious  freedom;  but  I  must 
say  there  never  was  a  representation 
more  necessary  than  that  which  was 
given  in  an  address  from  the  Executive 
Directory  of  France  to  the  Council  of 
Five  Hundred,  about  the  beginning  of  the 
year  179G.  In  this  address  they  "re- 
quest the  most  earnest  attention  of  the 
Council  towards  adopting  some  measure 
for  'the  regeneration  of  the  public  mor- 
als." This  is  the  regeneration  wanted, 
and  which,  having  rejected  Christianity, 
they  may  be  ever  seeking,  but  will  never 
be  able  to  obtain.  They  may  continue 
to  revolutionize  as  long  as  a  party  shall 
be  found  that  wishes  for  an  increase  of 
power,  and  perceives  an  opportunity  of 
gaining  it ;  and  every  party  in  its  turn 
may  talk  of  "saving  liberty:"  but  never 
will  they  be  free  indeed  until  they  are 
emancipated  in  some  good  degree  from 
the  dominion  of  vice  ;  and  never  will  this 
be  effected  but  by  a  knowledge  of  evan- 
gelical truth. 

The  friends  of  legitimate  liberty  have 
deeply  to  regret  that,  under  that  revered 
name,  has  been  perpetrated  almost  every 
species  of  atrocity  ;  and  that  not  only  to- 
wards individuals,  but  nations,  and  nations 
the  most  peaceable  and  inoffensive, 
whose  only  crime  was  that  of  being  un- 
able to  resist.  Liberty  has  suffered 
more  from  the  hands  of  Infidels,  amidst 
all  their  successes  and  declamations,  than 
from  its  professed  enemies ;  and  still  it 
bleeds  beneath  their  wounds.  Without 
entering  into  political  disputes,  I  may 
safely  affirm  that,  if  ever  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed  with  equal  liberty, 
it  will  be  by  the  prevalence,  not  of  the 
pretended  illuminations  of  infidel  philos- 
ophy, but  that  doctrine  which  teaches 
us  "  to  do  unto  others  as  we  would  that 
others  should  do  unto  us." 

Finally  :  Mr.  Paine  affirms  that  men, 
by  l)ecoming  Deists,  would  "live  more 
consistently  and  morally  than  by  any 
other  system."  As  to  living  more  con- 
sistently, it  is  possible  there  may  be  some 
truth  in  it ;  for  the  best  Christians,  it  must 
be  allowed,  have  many  imperfections, 
which  are  but  so  many  inconsistencies ; 
whereas,  by  complying  with  this  advice, 
they  would  be  uniformly  wicked.  And, 
as  to  their  living  more  morally,  if  Mr. 
Paine  could  coin  a  new  system  of  morals, 
from  which  the  love  of  God  should  be 
excluded,  and  intemperance,  incontinen- 
cy,  pride,  profane  swearing,  cursing,  ly- 
ing, and  hypocrisy,  exalted  to  the  rank 


126 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIEVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


of  virtues,  he  might  very  probably  make 
good  his  assertion. 

Mr.  Paine  professes  to  "  detest  the  Bi- 
ble on  account  of  its  obscene  stories,  vo- 
luptuous debauclieries,  cruel  executions, 
and  unrelenting  vindictiveness."*  That 
the  Bible  relates  such  things  is  true ;  and 
every  impartial  history  of  mankind  must 
do  the  same.  The  question  is,  whether 
they  be  so  related  as  to  leave  a  favoralile 
impression  of  them  upon  the  mind  of  a 
serious  reader.  If  so,  and  if  the  Bible  be 
that  immoral  book  which  Mr.  Paine 
represents  it  to  be,  how  is  it  that  the 
reading  of  it  should  have  reclaimed  mil- 
lions from  immorality  '?  Whether  he  will 
acknowedge  this,  or  not,  it  is  a  fact  too 
notorious  to  be  denied  by  impartial  ob- 
servers. Every  man  residing  in  a  Chris- 
tian country  will  acknowledge,  unless  he 
have  an  end  to  answer  in  saying  other- 
wise, that  those  people  who  read  the 
Bible,  believe  its  doctrines,  and  endeav- 
or to  form  their  lives  by  its  precepts,  are 
the  most  sober,  upright,  and  useful  mem- 
bers of  the  community  :  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  those  who  discredit  the 
Bible,  ajid  renounce  it  as  the  rule  of  their 
lives,  are,  generally  speaking,  addicted  to 
the  grossest  vices  ;  such  as  profane  swear- 
ing, lying,  drunkenness,  and  lewdness.  It 
is  very  singular,  I  repeat  it,  that  men,  by 
regarding  an  immoral  book,  should  learn 
to  practise  morality  ;  and  that  others,  by 
disregarding  it,  should  learn  the  con- 
trary. 

How  is  it  that,  in  countries  where 
Christianity  has  made  progress,  men 
have  almost  universally  agreed  in  reck- 
oning a  true  Christian,  and  an  amiable, 
open,  modest,  chaste,  conscientious,  and 
benevolent  character,  as  the  same  thing  1 
How  is  it,  also,  that  to  say  of  a  man,  He 
rejects  the  Bible,  is  nearly  the  same  thing, 
in  the  account  of  people  in  general,  as  to 
say.  He  is  a  man  of  a  dissolute  life  1  If 
there  were  not  a  general  connection  be- 
tween these  things,  public  opinion  would 
not  so  generally  associate  them.  Individ- 
uals, and  even  parties,  may  be  governed 
by  prejudice  ;  but  public  opinion  of  char- 
acter is  seldom  far  from  truth.  Besides, 
the  prejudices  of  merely  nominal  Chris- 
tians, so  far  as  my  observation  extends, 
are  as  strong  against  those  Christians  who 
are  distinguished  by  their  devout  and 
serious  regard  to  the  Scriptures  as  against 
professed  Infidels,  if  not  stronger.  How 
is  it  then  to  be  accounted  for,  that,  al- 
though they  will  call  them  fanatics,  en- 
thusiasts, and  other  unpleasant  names, 
yet  it  is  very  rare  that  they  reckon  them 
immoraH  If,  as  is  sometimes  the  case, 
they  accuse  them  of  unworthy  motives, 

*Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  12. 


and  insinuate  that  in  secret  they  are  as 
wicked  as  others,  either  such  insinuations 
are  not  seriously  believed,  or,  if  they  be, 
the  party  is  considered  as  insincere  in  his 
profession.  No  man  thinks  that  genuine 
Christianity  consists  with  a  wicked  life, 
open  or  secret.  But  the  ideas  of  infidel- 
ity and  immorality  are  associated  in  the 
public  mind  ;  and  the  association  is  clear 
and  strong  ;  so  much  so,  as  to  become  a 
ground  of  action.  Whom  do  men  ordi- 
narily choose  for  umpires,  trustees,  guar- 
dians, and  the  like  1  Doubtless  they 
endeavor  to  select  persons  of  intelligence  : 
but,  if  to  this  l)e  added  Christian  -princi- 
ple, is  it  not  of  weight  in  these  cases  1  It 
is  seldom  known,  I  believe,  but  that  a 
serious  intelligent  Christian,  whose  sit- 
uation in  the  world  renders  him  conversant 
with  its  concerns,  will  have  his  hands  full 
of  employment.  Ask  bankers,  merchants, 
tradesmen,  and  others  who  are  frequent- 
ly looking  out  for  persons  of  probity  to 
occupy  situations  of  trust,  in  whose  hands 
they  would  choose  to  confide  their  prop- 
erty 1  They  might  object,  and  with  good 
reason,  to  persons  whose  religion  render- 
ed them  pert,  conceited,  and  idle ;  but 
would  they  not  prefer  one  who  really 
makes  the  Bible  the  rule  of  his  life  to  one 
who  professedly  rejects  itl  The  common 
practice  in  these  cases  aifords  a  sufficient 
answer. 

How  is  it  that  the  principles  and 
reasonings  of  Infidels,  though  frequently 
accompanied  with  great  natural  and  ac- 
quired abilities,  are  seldom  known  to 
make  any  impression  on  sober  people  1 
Is  it  not  because  the  men  and  their 
communications  are  known  If  How  is  it 
that  so  much  is  made  of  the  falls  of  Noah, 
Lot,  David,  Jonah,  Peter,  and  others'? 
The  same  things  in  heathen  philosophers, 
or  modern  unbelievers,  would  be  passed 
over  without  notice.  All  the  declamations 
of  our  adversaries  on  these  subjects  plain- 
ly prove  that  such  instances  with  us  are 

t  It  is  said  of  a  gentleman  lately  deceased,  who 
was  eminent  in  the  literary  world,  that  in  early  life 
he  drank  deeply  into  the  fiee-tliinking  scheme.  He 
and  one  of  his  companions,  of  the  same  turn  of  mind, 
often  carried  on  their  conversations  in  the  hearing  of 
a  religious  but  illiterate  countryman.  This  gentle- 
man, afterwards  becoming  a  serious  Christian,  was 
concerned  for  the  countryman,  lest  his  faith  in  the 
Christian  religion  should  have  been  shaken.  One 
day  he  took  the  liberty  to  ask  him,  Whether  what 
had  so  frequently  been  advanced  in  his  hearing  had 
not  produced  this  eflect  upon  him  1  "  By  no  means," 
answered  the  countryman,  "  it  never  made  the  least 
impression  upon  me."  "  No  impression  upon  you  !" 
said  the  gentleman,"  why,  you  must  know  that  we 
have  read  and  thought  on  these  things  much  more 
than  you  had  any  opportunity  of  doing."  "  O  yes," 
said  the  other,  "  but  I  knew  also  your  manner  of 
living  :  I  knew  that,  to  maintain  such  a  course  of 
conduct,  you  found  it  necessary  to  renounce  Chris- 
tianity." 


CONDUCT  OF  BELIEVERS  AND  UNBELIEVERS. 


127 


more  singular  than  with  them.  With  us 
they  are  occasional,  and  afl'ord  matter  lor 
deep  repentance ;  witli  tlioni  they  are 
hal)itual,  and  furnish  employment  in  tlie 
work  of  palliation.  The  spots  on  the 
garments  of  a  cliild  attract  attention  ;  hut 
tiie  filthy  condition  of  the  animal  that 
wallows  in  the  mire  is  disregarded,  as 
being  a  thing  of  course. 

The  morality,  such  as  it  is,  which  is 
found  among  Deists,  a?nounts  to  nothing 
more  tlian  a  little  exterior  decorum.  The 
criminality  of  intention  is  expressly  dis- 
owned.* The  great  body  of  these  writers 
pretendto  no  higiier  motives  than  a  regard 
to  their  safety,  interest,  or  reputation.  Ac- 
tions proceeding  from  these  principles  must 
not  only  be  destitute  of  virtue,  but  wretch- 
edly defective  as  to  their  influence  on  the 
well-being  of  society.  If  the  heart  be  to- 
wards God,  a  sober,  righteous,  and  godly 
life,  becomes  a  matter  of  choice  ;  but  that 
which  is  performed,  not  for  its  own  sake, 
but  from  fear,  interest,  or  ambition,  will 
extend  no  farther  than  the  eye  of  man  can 
follow  it.  In  domestic  life  it  will  be  but 
little  regarded,  and  in  retirement  not  at 
all.  Such,  in  fact,  is  the  character  of  In- 
fidels. "Will  you  dare  to  assert,"  says 
Linguet,  a  French  writer,  in  an  address 
to  Voltaire,  "  that  it  is  in  philosophic  fa- 
milies we  are  to  look  for  models  of  filial 
respect,  conjugal  love,  sincerity  in  friend- 
ship, or  fidelity  among  domestics  1  Were 
you  disposed  to  do  so,  would  not  your  own 
conscience,  your  own  experience,  suppress 
the  falsehood,  even  before  your  lips  could 
utter  it."f 

"  Wherever  society  is  established,  there 
it  is  necessary  to  have  religion ;  for  re- 
ligion, which  watches  over  the  crimes 
that  are  secret,  is,  in  fact,  the  only  law 
which  a  man  carries  about  with  him  ;  the 
only  one  which  places  the  punishment  at 
the  side  of  the  guilt,  and  which  operates 
as  forcibly  in  solitude  and  darkness  as  in 
the  broad  and  open  face  of  day."  Would 
the  reader  have  thought  if!  These  are 
the  words  of  Voltaire. J 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  dcis- 
tical  writers  to  level  their  artillery  against 
the  Christian  ministry.  Under  the  appel- 
lation oi' priests,  they  seem  to  think  them- 
selves at  liberty  to  load  them  with  every 
species  of  abuse.  That  there  are  great 
numbers  of  worldly  men  who  have  en- 
gaged in  the  Christian  ministry,  as  other 
worldly  men  engage  in  other  employments, 
for  the  sake  of  profit,  is  true  ;  and,  where 
this  is  the  case,  it  may  be  expected  that 

*  Volney's  Law  of  Nature,  p.  18. 

t  Linguet  was  an  admirer  of  Voltaire;  but  dis- 
approved of  his  opposition  to  Christianity.  See  his 
Review  of  that  autlior's  Works,  p.  264. 


hunting,  gaming,  and  such  kinds  of  amuse- 
ments, will  be  their  favorite  pursuits, 
while  religious  exercises  will  be  perform- 
ed as  a  piece  of  necessary  drudgery. 
Where  this  is  the  case,  "their  devotion 
must  be  feigned,  and  their  seriousness 
mere  hypocrisy  and  grimace."  But,  that 
this  should  l)e  represented  as  a  general 
case,  and  that  the  ministry  itself  should  be 
reproached  on  account  of  the  hypocrisy  of 
worldly  men,  who  intrude  themselves  into 
it,  can  only  be  owing  to  malignity.  Let 
the  fullest  sul>traction  lie  made  of  charac- 
ters oi  the  above  description,  and  I  appeal 
to  impartial  oliservation  whether  there  will 
not  still  remain  in  only  this  particular  or- 
der of  Christians,  and  at  almost  any  pe- 
riod, a  greater  number  of  serious,  upright, 
disinterested,  and  benevolent  persons, 
than  could  be  found  among  the  whole  bo- 
dy of  Deists  in  a  successi  ;n  of  centuries. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  Mr.  Hume, 
in  attempting  to  plunge  Christian  minis- 
ters into  the  mire  of  reproach,  is  obliged 
to  descend  himself,  and  to  drag  all  man- 
kind with  him,  into  the  same  situation. 
He  represents  ministers  as  "  drawn  from 
the  common  mass  of  mankind,  as  people 
are  to  other  employments,  by  the  views  of 
profit;"  and  suggests  that  "therefore 
they  are  obliged,  on  many  occasions,  to 
feign  more  devotion  than  they  possess," 
which  is  friendly  to  hypocrisy. §  The  lead- 
ing- motive  of  all  pulilic  otBcers,  it  seems, 
is  to  aggrandize  themselves.  If  Mr. 
Hume  had  accepted  of  a  station  under 
government,  we  can  be  at  no  loss,  there- 
fore, in  judging  what  would  have  been  his 
predominant  principle.  How  weak,  as 
well  as  wicked,  must  that  man  have  been, 
who,  in  order  to  wound  the  reputation  of 
one  description  of  men,  could  point  his 
arrows  against  the  integrity  of  all  !  But 
the  world  must  forgive  him.  He  had  no 
ill  design  against  them,  any  more  than 
against  himself.  It  was  for  the  purpose 
of  destroying  these  Philistines,  that  he 
aimed  to  demolish  the  temple  of  human 
virtue. 

Nor  is  his  antipathy,  or  that  of  his 
brethren,  at  all  to  be  wondered  at.  These 
are  the  men  who,  in  every  age,  have  ex- 
posed the  sophistry  of  Deists,  and  vindi- 
cated Christianity  from  their  malicious  as- 
persions. It  is  reasonable  to  suppose, 
therefore,  that  they  will  always  be  con- 
sidered as  their  natural  enemies.  It  is  no 
more  a  matter  of  surprise  that  they  should 
be  the  objects  of  their  invective,  than  that 
the  weapons  of  nightly  depredators  should 

:j:  In  Sullivan's  Survey  of  Nature. 
§  Essay  on  National  Chjiracters,  Note. 


123 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIEVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


be  pointed  against  the  watchmen,  whose 
business  it  is  to  detect  them,  and  expose 
their  nefarious  practices. 

After  all,  Mr.  Hume  pretends  to  respect 
"  clergymen,  who  are  set  apart  by  the 
laws  to  the  care  of  sacred  matters;  "  and 
wishes  to  be  understood  as  directing  his 
censures  only  against  jories^s,  or  those  who 
pretend  to  power  and  dominion,  and  to  a 
superior  sanctity  of  character,  distinct 
from  virtue  and  good  morals.*  It  should 
seem,  then,  that  they  are  dissenti7ig  min- 
isters only  that  incur  Mr.  Hume's  displea- 
sure :  but  if,  as  he  represents  them,  they 
be  "  drawn  to  their  employment  by  the 
views  of  profit,"  they  certainly  cannot 
possess  the  common  understanding  of  men, 
since  they  could  scarcely  pursue  an  occu- 
pation less  likely  to  accomplish  their  de- 
sign. The  truth  is,  Mr.  Hume  did  not 
mean  to  censure  dissenting  ministers  only  ; 
nor  did  he  feel  any  respect  for  clergymen 
set  apart  by  the  laws.  Those  whom  he 
meant  to  spare  were  such  clergymen  as 
where  men  after  his  own  heart ;  and  the 
objects  of  his  dislike  were  truly  evangelic- 
al ministers,  whether  churchmen  or  dis- 
senters, who  were  not  satisfied  with  his 
kind  of  morality,  but  were  men  of  holy 
lives,  and  consequently  were  respected  by 
the  people.  These  are  the  men  against 
whom  the  enmity  of  Deists  has  ever  been 
directed.  As  to  other  priests,  they  have 
no  other  difference  with  them  than  that  of 
rivalship,  wishing  to  possess  their  wealth 
and  influence,  which  the  others  are  not 
always  the  most  willing  to  relinquish.  In 
professing,  however,  to  "  respect"  such 
clergymen,  Mr.  Hume  only  means  to  flat- 
ter them,  and  draAV  them  on  to  a  little 
nearer  alliance  with  his  views.  Respect  is 
excited  only  by  consistency  of  character, 
and  is  frequently  involuntary.  A  clergy- 
men of  loose  morals  may  be  preferred, 
and  his  company  courted,  but  respected  he 
cannot  be. 

As  to  those  ministers  against  whom  Mr. 
Hume  levels  his  artillery,  and  against 
whom  the  real  enmity  of  his  party  has 
always  been  directed,  there  is  not  a  body 
of  men  in  the  world,  of  equal  talents  and 
industry,  who  receive  less,  if  so  little,  for 
their  labors.  If  those  who  have  so  liber- 
ally accused  them  of  interested  motives 
gained  no  more  by  their  exertions  than 
the  accused,  they  would  not  be  so  wealthy 
as  many  of  them  are. 

Compare  the  conduct  of  the  leading  men 
among  Deists  with  that  of  the  body  of 
serious  Christian  divines.  Amidst  their 
declamations  against   priestly  hypocrisy. 


are  they  honest  men  1  Where  is  their  in- 
genuousness in  continually  confounding 
Christianity  and  Popery  1  Have  these 
workers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge  1  "No," 
say  some,  "they  do  not  understand  the 
difference  between  genuine  and  coiTupted 
Christianity.  They  have  never  had  op- 
portunity of  viewing  the  religion  of  Jesus 
in  its  native  dress.  It  is  popish  super- 
stition against  which  their  efforts  are  di- 
rected. If  they  understood  Christianity 
they  would  embrace  it."  Indeed  !  And 
was  this  the  case  with  Shaftesbury,  Bo- 
lingbroke,  Hume,  or  Gibbon  1  or  is  this 
the  case  with  Paine  1  No ;  they  have 
both  seen  and  hated  the  light ;  nor  will 
they  come  to  it,  lest  their  deeds  should  be 
made  manifest. 

It  may  be  thought,  however,  that  some 
excuse  may  be  made  for  Infidels  residing 
in  a  popish  country  ;  and  this  I  shall  not 
dispute  as  it  respects  the  ignorant  popu- 
lace, who  may  be  carried  away  by  their 
leaders  ;  but,  as  it  respects  the  leaders 
themselves,  it  is  otherwise.  The  National 
Assembly  of  France,  when  they  wished 
to  counteract  the  priests,  and  to  reject 
the  adoption  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith 
as  the  established  religion,  could  clearly 
distinguish  between  genuine  and  corrupted 
Christianity. f  Deists  can  distinguish  be- 
tween Christianity  and  its  abuses,  when 
an  end  is  to  be  answered  by  it ;  and,  when 
an  end  is  to  he  answered  by  it,  they  can, 
with  equal  facility,  confound  them. 

Herbert,  Hobbes,  Shaftesbury,  Wools- 
ton,  Tindal,  Chubb,  and  Bolingbroke,  are 
all  guilty  of  the  vile  hypocrisy  of  professing 
to  love  and  reverence  Christianity,  while 
they  are  employed  in  no  other  design  than 
to  destroy  it.  Such  faithless  professions, 
such  gross  violations  of  truth,  in  Chris- 
tians, would  have  been  proclaimed  to  the 
universe,  by  these  very  writers,  as  infa- 
mous desertions  of  principle  and  decency. 
Is  it  less  infamous  in  themselves  1  All 
hypocrisy  is  detestable ;  but  I  know  of 
none  so  detestable  as  that  which  is  coolly 
written,  with  full  premeditation,  by  a 
man  of  talents,  assuming  the  character  of 
a  moral  and  religious  instructer.  Truth 
is  a  virtue  perfectly  defined,  mathematic- 
ally clear,  and  completely  understood  by 
all  men  of  common  sense.  There  can  be 
no  baitings  between  uttering  truth  and 
falsehood  ;  no  doubt,  no  mistakes,  as  be- 
tween piety  and  enthusiasm,  frugality  and 
parsimony,  generosity  and  profusion. 
Transgression,  therefore,  is  always  a 
known,  definite,  deliberate  villainy.  In 
the  sudden  moment  of  strong  temptation, 


*  Essays   Moral  and   Political,  Essay  XII.   pp. 
107, 108,  Note. 


t  Mirabeau's  Speeches,  Vol.  II.  pp.  269—274. 


CONDUCT    OF    BELIEVERS    AND    UNBELIEVERS. 


129 


in  the  hour  of  unguarded  attack,  in  the 
flutter  and  trepidation  of  unexpected 
alarm,  the  best  man  may,  perhaps,  be 
surprised  into  any  sin  ;  i)ut  he  who  can 
coolly,  of  steady  design,  and  with  no  un- 
usual impulse,  utter  (alsehood,  and  vend 
hypocrisy,  is  not  iar  from  finished  de- 
pravity. 

The  morals  of  Rochester  and  Wharton 
need  no  comment.  Woolston  was  a  gross 
blasphemer.  Blount  solicited  his  sister- 
in-law  to  marry  him,  and,  being  refused, 
shot  himself.  Tindal  was  originally  a 
Protestant,  then  turned  Papist,  then  Pro- 
testant again,  merely  to  suit  the  times  ; 
and  was  at  the  same  time  infamous  for 
vice  in  general,  and  tiic  total  w  ant  of  prin- 
ciple. He  is  said  to  have  died  with  this 
prayer  in  his  mouth,  "  If  there  be  a  God, 
I  desire  that  he  may  have  mercy  on  me." 
Hobbes  wrote  his  Leviathan  to  serve  the 
cause  of  Charles  I.,  but,  finding  him  fiiil 
of  success,  he  turned  it  to  the  defense  of 
Cromwell,  and  made  a  merit  of  this  fact 
to  the  usurper,  as  Hobl)es  himself  un- 
blushingiy  declared  to  Lord  Clarendon. 
Morgan  had  no  regard  to  truth,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  his  numerous  falsifications  of 
Scrij)ture,  as  well  as  from  the  vile  hypoc- 
risy of  professing  himself  a  Christian  in 
those  very  writings  in  which  he  labors  to 
destroy  Christianity.  Voltaire,  in  a  Letter 
now  remaining,  requested  his  friend  D' 
Alembert  to  tell  for  him  a  direct  and  pal- 
pable lie,  by  denying  that  he  was  the  au- 
thor of  the  Philosophical  Dictionary. 
D 'Alembert,  in  his  answer,  informed  him 
that  he  had  told  the  lie.  Voltaire  has, 
indeed,  expressed  his  own  moral  charac- 
ter perfectly  in  the  following  words, 
"  Monsieur  Abbe,  I  must  be  read ;  no 
matter  whether  I  am  believed  or  not." 
He  also  solemnly  professed  to  believe  the 
Catholic  religion,  although  at  the  same  time 
he  doubted  the  existence  of  a  God.  Hume 
died  as  a  fool  dieth.  The  day  before  his 
death  he  spent  in  a  pitiful  and  affected 
unconcern  about  this  tremendous  subject, 
playing  at  whist,  reading  Lucian's  Dia- 
logues, and  making  silly  attempts  at  wit, 
concerning  his  interview  with  Charon,  the 
heathen  ferry-man  of  Hades.* 

Collins,  though  he  had  no  belief  in  Chris- 
tianity, yet  qualified  himself  for  civil  of- 
fice by  partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper. 
Shaftesbury  did  the  same  ;  and  the  same 
is  done  by  hundreds  of  Infidels  to  this  day. 
Yet  these  are  tlie  men  who  are  continual- 
ly declaiming  against  the  hypocrisy  of 
priests  !  Godwin  is  not  only  a  lewd  char- 
acter,   by   his  own   confession;    but   the 

*  Tlie  last  two  paragiaphs  are  taken  from  Dr. 
Dwighi's  excellent  Discourses  on  "The  iXature  and 
Danger  of  Infidel  Philosopby,"  pp.  45 — 17. 

VOL  .1.  1'^ 


unblushing  advocate  of  lewdness.  And, 
as  to  Paine,  he  is  well  known  to  have  been 
a  profane  swearer,  and  a  drunkard.  We 
have  evidence  upon  oath  that  "religion 
was  his  favorite  toj)ic  when  intoxicated  ;  "f 
and,  from  the  scurrility  of  the  perform- 
ance, it  is  not  imiiroliaiilc  that  he  was  fre- 
quently in  tills  situation  while  writing  his 
"  Age  of  Reason." 

I  shall  conclude  this  catalogue  of  wor- 
thies with  a  lirief  abstract  of  the  "Con- 
fessions of  J.  J.  Rousseau."  Alter  a  good 
education  in  the  Protestant  religion,  he 
was  put  ap|)rentice.  Finding  his  situation 
disagreeable  to  him,  he  felt  a  strong  pro- 
pensity to  vice — inclining  him  to  covet, 
dissemble,  lie,  and  at  length,  to  steal— a 
propensity  of  which  he  was  never  able  af- 
terwards to  divesl  himself.  "  I  have  been 
a  rogue,"  says  he,  "and  am  so  still  some- 
times, for  trifles  which  I  had  rather  take 
than  ask  for. "J: 

He  abjured  the  Protestant  religion,  and 
entered  the  hospital  of  the  Catechumens 
at  Turin,  to  be  instructed  in  that  of  the 
Catholics  ;  "  For  which  in  return,"  says 
he,  "I  was  to  receive  sul)sistence.  From 
this  interested  conversion,"  he  adds, 
"  nothing  remained  but  the  remembrance 
of  my  having  been  both  a  dupe  and  an 
apostate. "§ 

After  this  he  resided  with  a  Madame  de 
Warrens,  with  whom  he  "lived  in  the 
greatest  possible  familiarity."  This  lady 
often  suggested  that  there  would  be  no 
justice  in  the  Supreme  Being,  should  he 
be  strictly  just  to  us  :  because,  not  having 
bestowed  what  was  necessary  to  make  us 
essentially  good,  it  would  be  requiring 
more  than  he  had  given.  She  was,  nev- 
ertheless, a  very  good  Catholic,  or  pre- 
tended at  least  to  be  one,  and  certainly 
desired  to  be  such.  If  there  had  been  no 
christian  morality  established,  Rousseau 
supposes  she  would  have  lived  as  though 
regulated  by  its  principles.  All  her  mo- 
rality, however,  was  subordinate  to  the 
principles  of  M.  Tavel,  (who  first  seduced 
her  from  conjugal  fidelity  by  urging,  in 
effect,  that  exposure  was  the  only  crime  ;) 
or,  rather,  she  saw  nothing  in  religion  that 
contradicted  them.  Rousseau  was  far 
enough  from  being  of  this  opinion  :  yet  he 
confessed  he  dared  not  combat  the  argu- 
ments of  tlie  lady  ;  nor  is  it  supposable 
he  could,  as  he  appears  to  have  been  act- 
ing on  the  same  principles  at  the  time. 
"Finding  in  her,"  he  adds,  "all  those 
ideas  I  had  occasion  for,  to  secure  me 
from  the  fears  of  death  and  its  future  con- 

t  See  Trial  of  T.  Paine  at  Guildhall,  for  a  Li- 
IjcI,  &c.  ]).  43. 

:j:  Confessions,  London  edition,  1796.  Vol.  I.  pp. 
52.  55.  68.  §  Vol.  I.  pp.  125,126. 


130 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


sequences,  I  drew  confidence  and  security 
from  this  source."* 

The  writings  of  Port  Royal,  and  those 
of  the  Oratory,  made  him  half  a  Jansenist ; 
and,  notwithstanding  ail  his  confidence, 
their  harsh  theory  sometimes  alarmed  him. 
A  dread  of  hell,  which,  till  then,  he  had 
never  much  apprehended,  by  little  and  lit- 
tle disturbed  his  security,  and,  had  not 
Madame  de  Warrens  tranquilized  his 
soul,  would  at  length  have  been  too  much 
for  him.  His  confessor  also,  a  Jesuit, 
contributed  all  in  his  power  to  keep  up 
his  hopes. f 

After  this,  he  became  familiar  with  an- 
other female,  Theresa.  He  began  by 
declaring  to  her  that  he  would  never  either 
abandon  or  marry  her.  Finding  her 
pregnant  with  her  first  child,  and  hearing 
it  observed,  in  an  eating  house,  that  he  who 
had  best  filled  the  Foundling  Hospital  was 
always  the  most  applauded,  "  I  said  to  my- 
self," he  tells  us,  "  since  it  is  the  custom 
of  the  country,  they  who  live  here  may 
adopt  it.  I  cheerfully  determined  upon  it 
without  the  least  scruple  :  and  the  only  one 
I  had  to  overcome,  was  that  of  Theresa; 
whom  with  the  greatest  imaginable  diffi- 
culty, I  persuaded  to  comply."  The  year 
following  a  similar  inconvenience  was 
remedied  by  the  same  expedient  :  no  more 
reflection  on  his  part,  nor  approbation  on 
that  of  the  mother.  "She  obliged  with 
trembling.  My  fault,"  says  he,  *'  was 
great;  but  it  was  an  error. "| 

He  resolved  on  settling  at  Geneva  :  and, 
on  going  thither,  and  being  mortified  at  his 
exclusion  from  the  rights  of  a  citizen  by 
the  profession  of  a  religion  different  from 
his  forefathers,  he  determined  openly  to 
return  to  the  latter.  "  I  thought,"  says 
he,  "  the  gospel  being  the  same  for  every 
Christian,  and  the  only  difference  in  relig- 
ious opinions  the  result  of  the  explanations 
given  by  men  to  that  which  they  did  not 
understand,  it  was  the  exclusive  right  of 
the  sovereign  power  in  every  country  to 
fix  the  mode  of  worship,  and  these  unin- 
telligible opinions  ;  and  that,  consequent- 
ly, it  was  the  duty  of  a  citizen  to  admit 
the  one,  and  conform  to  the  other,  in  the 
manner  prescribed  by  the  law."  Accord- 
ingly, at  Geneva  he  renounced  Popery. § 

After  passing  twenty  years  with  There- 
sa, he  made  her  his  wife.     He  appears  to 

have  intrigued  with  a  Madame  de  H . 

Of  his  desires  after  that  lady,  he  says, 
"  Guilty  without  remorse,  I  soon  became 
so  without  measure. "II 

Such,  according  to  his  own  account,  was 

*  Vol.  II.  pp.  88, 89, 103—106.  t  Vol.  II.  p.  127. 
X  Part  II.  Vol.  I.  pp.  12.3.  1.54.  155.  183.  187.  815- 

§  Part  II.  Vol.  I.  pp.  263,264. 

II  Vol.  I.  pp.  311.  378. 


the  life  of  uprightness  and  honor  which  was 
to  expiate  for  a  theft  which  he  had  com- 
mitted when  a  young  man,  and  laid  to  a  fe- 
male servant,  by  which  she  lost  her  place 
and  character.il  Such  was  Rousseau,  the 
man  whom  the  rulers  of  the  French  na- 
tion have  delighted  to  honor ;  and  who, 
for  writing  this  account,  had  the  vanity 
and  presumption  to  expect  the  applause 
of  his  Creator.  "  Whenever  the  last 
trumpet  shall  sound,"  says  he,  "I  will 
present  myself  before  the  sovereign  Judge, 
with  this  book  in  my  hand,  and  loudly 
proclaim,  Thus  have  I  acted  ;  these  were 
my  thoughts  ;  such  was  I,  Power  eternal ! 
Assemble  round  thy  throne  the  innumer- 
able throng  of  my  fellow-mortals.  Let 
them  listen  to  my  confessions  ;  let  them 
blush  at  my  depravity  ;  let  them  tremble 
at  my  sufferings  ;  let  each  in  his  turn  ex- 
pose, with  equal  sincerity,  the  failings, 
the  wanderings  of  his  heart;  and,  if  he 
dare,  aver — I  was  better  than  that  man."** 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CHRISTIANITY  HAS  NOT  ONLY  PRODUCED 
GOOD  EFFECTS  IN  THOSE  WHO  COR- 
DIALLY BELIEVE  IT,  BUT  HAS  GIVEN  TO 
THE  MORALS  OF  SOCIETY  AT  LARGE  A 
TONE,  WHICH  DEISM,  SO  FAR  AS  IT  OP- 
ERATES,  GOES  TO  COUNTERACT. 

No  man  walks  through  life  without  a 
rule  of  some  kind,  by  which  his  conduct  is 
directed,  and  his  inclinations  restrained. 
They  who  fear  not  God  are  influenced  by 
aregardto  the  opinions  of  men.  To  avoid 
the  censure,  and  gain  the  applause  of  the 
public,  is  the  summit  of  their  ambition. 

Public  opinion  has  an  influence,  not  on- 
ly on  the  conduct  of  individuals  in  a  com- 
munity, but  on  the  formation  of  its  laws. 
Legislators  will  not  only  conform  their 
systems  to  what  the  humors  of  the  people 
will  bear,  but  will  themselves  incline  to 
omit  those  virtues  which  are  the  most  un- 
grateful, and  to  spare  those  vices  which 
are  most  agreeable. 

Nor  is  this  all :  so  great  is  the  influ- 
ence of  public  opinion  that  it  will  direct 
the  conduct  of  a  community  against  its 
own  laws.  There  are  obsolete  statutes, 
as  we  all  know,  the  breach  of  which  can- 
not be  punished  :  and  even  statutes  which 
are  not  obsolete,  where  they  operate 
against  this  principle,  have  but  little  ef- 
fect ;  witness  the  connivance  at  the  atro- 
cious practice  of  duelling. 

IT  Vol.  I.  pp.  155.  160.        **  Vol.  1.  p.  1. 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


131 


Now,  if  jiul)lic  opinion  I)e  so  potent  a 
principle,  whatever  lias  a  prevailing  inllu- 
ence  in  forming  it,  must  give  a  decided 
tone  to  what  are  considered  as  the  morals 
ot  a  nation.  1  say,  to  what  arc  considered 
as  the  morals  ol'  a  nation  ;  for,  strictly 
speaking,  so  much  of  the  love  of  God  and 
man  as  prevails  in  a  nation,  so  much  mo- 
rality is  there  in  it,  and  no  more.  But, 
as  we  can  judge  of  love  only  by  its  ex- 
pressions, we  call  those  actions  moral, 
though  it  is  possible  their  morality  may 
only  be  counterfeit,  by  wliich  the  love  of 
God  and  man  is  ordinarily  expressed.  If 
we  perform  from  some  otiier  motive,  those 
actions  which  are  the  ordinary  expressions 
of  love,  our  good  deeds  are  thereby  ren- 
dered evil  in  the  sight  of  Him  who  views 
things  as  they  are;  nevertheless,  what  we 
do  may  be  equally  beneficial  to  society  as 
though  we  acted  from  the  purest  motive. 
In  this  indirect  way  Christianity  has  ope- 
rated more  than  any  thing  that  has  been 
called  by  the  name  of  religion,  or  by  any 
other  name,  towards  meliorating  the  state 
of  mankind. 

It  has  been  observed,  and  with  great 
propriety,  that,  in  order  to  know  what  re- 
ligion has  done  for  an  individual,  we  must 
consider  what  he  would  have  been  without 
it.  The  same  may  lie  said  of  a  nation,  or 
of  the  world.  What  would  the  nations  of 
Europe  have  been  at  this  time  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  introduction  of  Christ- 
ianity "?  It  cannot  reasonably  be  pretended 
that  they  would  have  been  in  any  better 
situation,  as  to  morality,  than  that  in 
w  hich  they  were  previously  to  this  event ; 
for  there  is  no  instance  of  any  people  having 
by  their  own  efforts,  emerged  from  idola- 
try and  the  immoralities  which  attend  it. 
Now,  as  to  what  that  state  was,  some  no- 
tice has  been  taken  already,  so  far  as  re- 
lates to  the  principles  and  lives  of  the  old 
philosophers.  To  this  I  shall  add  a  brief 
review  of  the  state  of  society  among 
them. 

Great  praises  are  bestowed  by  Plutarch 
on  the  customs  and  manners  of  the  Lace- 
demonians. Yet  the  same  writer  acknowl- 
edges that  theft  was  encouraged  in  their 
children  Viy  a  law,  and  that  in  order  to 
"  sharpen  their  wits,  to  render  them  craf- 
ty and  subtle,  and  to  train  them  up  in  all 
sorts  of  wiles  and  cunning,  watchfulness 
and  circumspection,  whereby  they  were 
more  apt  to  serve  them  in  their  wars, 
which  was  upon  the  matter  the  whole 
profession  of  this  commonwealth.  And, 
if  at  any  time  they  were  taken  in  the  act 
of  stealing,  they  were  most  certainly  pun- 
ished with  rods  and  the  penance  of  fasting ; 
not  because  they  esteemed  the  stealth  cri- 
minal, but  because  they  wanted  skill  and 
cuaning  in  the  management  and  conduct 


of  it."*  Hence,  as  might  be  expected, 
and  as  Herodotus  observes,  their  actions 
were  generally  contrary  to  their  words  ; 
and  there  was  no  dependence  upon  them 
in  any  matter. 

As  to  their  chastity,  there  were  common 
baths  in  which  the  men  and  women  l)ath- 
ed  together  :  and  it  was  ordered  that  the 
young  maidens  should  ai)})ear  naked  in 
the  public  exercises,  as  well  as  the  young 
men,  and  that  they  should  dance  naked 
with  them  at  the  solemn  festivals  and 
sacrifices.  Husl)ands  also  were  allowed 
to  impart  the  use  of  their  wives  to  hand- 
some and  deserving  men,  in  order  to 
the  producing  of  healthy  and  vigorous 
children   for  the  commonwealth. 

Children  which  were  deformed,  or  of 
a  bad  constitution,  were  murdered.  This 
inhuman  custom  was  common  all  over 
Greece  ;  so  much  so  that  it  was  reckoned 
a  singular  thing,  among  the  Thebans,  that 
the  law  forbad  any  Theban  to  expose  his 
infant,  under  pain  of  death.  This  prac- 
tice, with  that  of  procuring  abortion,  was 
encouraged  by  Plato  and  Aristotle. 

The  unnatural  love  of  boys  was  so 
common  in  Greece  that  in  many  places 
it  was  sanctioned  by  the  public  laws,  of 
which  Aristotle  gives  the  reason  :  namely, 
to  prevent  their  having  too  many  children. 
Maximus  Tyrius  celebrates  it  as  a  sin- 
gularly heroic  act  of  Agesilaus,  that, 
being  in  love  with  a  beautiful  barbarian 
boy,  he  suffered  it  to  go  no  farther  than 
looking  at  him  and  admiring  him.  Epic- 
tetus  also  praises  Socrates  in  this  manner  : 
"  Go  to  Socrates,  and  see  him  lying  by 
Alcibiades,  yet  slighting  his  youth  and 
beauty.  Consider  what  a  victory  he  was 
conscious  of  obtaining  !  What  an  Olym- 
pic prize  !  So  that,  by  heaven,  one  might 
justly  salute  him.  Hail,  incredibly  great, 
universal  victor  !"  What  an  implication 
does  such  language  contain  of  the  manners 
of  those  times  ! 

The  Romans  were  allowed  by  Romulus 
to  destroy  all  their  female  children,  ex- 
cept the  eldest:  and  even  with  regard  to 
their  male  children,  if  they  were  deform- 
ed, or  monstrous,  he  permitted  the  parents 
to  expose  them,  after  having  shown  them 
to  five  of  their  nearest  neigiibors.  Such 
things  were  in  common  use  among  them, 
and  were  celebrated  upon  their  theatres. 

Such  was  their  cruelty  to  their  slaves 
that  it  was  not  unusual  for  the  masters  to 
put  such  of  them  as  were  old,  sick,  and 
infirm,  into  an  island  in  the  Tiber,  where 
they  left  them  to  perish.  So  far  did  some 
of  them  carry  their  luxury  and  wanton- 
ness as  to  drown  them  in  the  fish-ponds, 

*  Plutarch's  Morals,  Vol.  1.   p.  96. 


132 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE     STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


that  they  might  be  devoured  by  the  fish, 
to  make  the  flesh  more  delicate  I 

Gladiatory  shows,  in  which  a  number 
of  slaves  were  engaged  to  fight  for  the 
diversion  of  the  multitude  till  each  one 
slew  or  was  slain  by  his  antagonist, 
were  common  among  them.  Of  these 
brutish  exercises  the  people  were  ex- 
tremely fond ;  even  the  women  ran  eagerly 
after  them,  taking  pleasure  in  seeing  the 
combatants  kill  one  another,  desirous 
only  that  they  should  fall  genteelly,  or  in 
an  agreeable  attitude  !  They  were  exhib- 
ited at  the  funerals  of  great  and  rich  men, 
and  on  many  other  occasions.  So  fre- 
quent did  they  become  that  no  war,  it 
is  said,  caused  such  slaughter  of  mankind 
as  did  these  sports  of  pleasure,  throughout 
the  several  provinces  of  the  Roman 
empire. 

That  odious  and  unnatural  vice,  which 
prevailed  among  the  Greeks,  was  also 
common  among  the  Romans.  Cicero 
introduces,  without  any  mark  of  disap- 
probation, Cotta,  a  man  of  the  first  rank 
and  genius,  freely  and  familiarly  owning, 
to  other  Romans  of  the  same  quality,  that 
worse  than  beastly  vice  as  practised  by 
himself,  and  quoting  the  authorities  of 
ancient  philosophers  in  vindication  of  it. 
It  appears  also,  from  Seneca,  that  in  his 
time  it  was  practised  at  Rome,  openly 
and  without  shame.  He  speaks  of  flocks 
and  troops  of  boys,  distinguished  by  their 
colors  and  nations,  and  affirms  that  great 
care  was  taken  to  train  them  up  for  that 
detestable  employment. 

The  reHgious  rites  performed  in  honor 
of  Venus,  in  Cyprus,  and  at  Aphac,  on 
Mount  Libanus,  consisted  in  lewdness  of 
the  grossest  kinds.  The  young  people, 
of  both  sexen,  crowded  from  all  parts  to 
those  sinks  of  pollution  ;  and,  filling  the 
groves  and  temples  v/ith  their  shameless 
practices,  committed  whoredom  by  thou- 
sands, out  of  pure  devotion. 

All  the  Babylonian  women  were  obliged 
to  prostitute  themselves  once  in  their  lives, 
at  the  temple  o^  Venus  or  Mylitta,  to  the 
first  man  that  asked  them  :  and  the  money 
earned  by  this  means  was  always  esteem- 
ed sacreo. 

Human  sacrifices  were  offered  up  in 
almost  all  heathen  countries.  Children 
were  Irarnt  alive  by  their  parents,  to  Baal, 
Moloch,  and  other  deities.  The  Cartha- 
ginians, in  times  of  public  calamity,  not 
only  burnt  alive  the  children  of  the  best 
families  to  Saturn,  and  that  by  hundreds, 
but  sometimes  sacrificed  themselves  in 
the  same  manner,  in  great  numbers. 
Here  in  Britain,  and  in  Gaul,  it  was  a 
common  practice  to  surround  a  man  with 


a  kind  of  wicker-work,  and  burn  him  to 
death,  in  honor  of  their  gods.* 

In  addition  to  the  above,  Mr.  Hume 
has  written  as  follows  : — "  What  cruel 
tyrants  w^ere  the  Romans  over  the  world, 
during  the  time  of  their  commonwealth  ! 
It  is  true  they  had  laws  to  prevent  op- 
pression in  their  provincial  magistrates  ; 
but  Cicero  informs  us  that  the  Romans 
could  not  better  consult  the  interest  of 
the  provinces  than  by  repealing  these 
very  laws.  For  in  that  case,  says  he,  <^ 
our  magistrates,  having  entire  impunity, 
would  plunder  no  more  than  would  satis- 
fy their  own  rapaciousness  :  whereas,  at 
present,  they  must  also  satisfy  that  of 
their  judges,  and  of  all  the  great  men  of 
Rome,  of  whose  protection  they  stand  in 
need." 

The  same  writer,  who  certainly  was 
not  prejudiced  against  them,  speaking  of 
their  commonwealth  in  its  more  early 
times,  farther  observes,  "  The  most  illus- 
trious period  of  the  Roman  history,  con- 
sidered in  a  political  view,  is  that  between 
the  beginning  of  the  first  and  end  of  the 
last  Punic  war;  yet,  at  this  very  time, 
the  horrid  practice  of  poisoning  was  so 
common  that,  during  part  of  a  season,  a 
praetor  punished  capitally,  for  this  crime, 
above  tliree  thousand  persons  in  a  part  of 
Italy,  and  found  informations  of  this 
nature  still  multiplying  upon  him !  So 
depraved  in  private  life,"  adds  Mr.  Hume, 
"  were  the  people,  whom,  in  their  histo- 
ry, we  so  much  admix'e."f 

From  the  foregoing  facts  we  may  form 
some  judgment  of  the  justness  of  Mr. 
Paine's  remarks.  "We  know  nothing," 
says  he,  "of  what  the  ancient  gentile 
world  was  before  the  time  of  the  Jews, 
whose  practice  has  been  to  calumniate  and 
blacken  the  character  of  all  other  nations. 
As  far  as  we  know  to  the  contrary,  they 
were  a  just  and  moral  people,  and  not 
addicted,  like  the  Jews,  to  cruelty  and 
revenge,  but  of  whose  profession  of  faith 
we  are  unacquainted.  It  appears  to  have 
been  their  custom  to  personify  both  virtue 
and  vice  by  statues  and  images,  as  is 
done  now-a-days  by  statuary  and  paint- 
ing :  but  it  does  not  follow  from  this  that 
they  worshipped  them  any  more  than  we 
do."| 

Unless  heathens,  before  the  time  of  the 

*  The  authorities  on  vvhicli  this  brief  statement  of 
facts  is  founded  may  be  seen  in  Dr.  Leland's  Ad- 
vantages and  Necessity  of  the  Christiau  Hevelation, 
Vol.  II.  Part  II.  Chap.  III.  IV.,  where  the  subject 
is  more  paiticularly  liandled.  See  also  Deism  Re- 
vealed, Vol.  I.  i)p.  77,  78. 

t  Essay  on  Politics  a  Science. 

i  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  pp.  39,  40. 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETT. 


123 


Jews,  were  totally  difTeront  from  what 
tliey  were  in  all  after  aL'^os,  tiiere  can  l)c 
no  reasonable  doubt  ol  tlicir  worslii[)i)ini:; 
a  plurality  of  deities,  of  which  images 
were  supposed  to  be  the  representations. 
Mr.  Paine  liimself  allows,  and  that  in  the 
same  performance,  that  prior  to  the 
Christian  era  they  were  "  Idolaters,  and 
had  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  gods."* 
Yet,  by  his  manner  of  speaking  in  tliis 
place,  he  manilestly  wishes  to  insinuate, 
in  behalf  of  all  the  hcatlien  nations,  tliat 
they  injght  worship  idols  no  more  tlian  we 
do.  It  might  be  worth  wliile  for  this  wri- 
ter, metliinks,  to  bestow  a  little  more  at- 
tention to  the  improvement  of  his  memorj'. 

With  resjject  to  their  being  "just  and 
moral  |)eople,"  unless  they  were  ex- 
tremely dilTcrent  before  the  time  of  the 
Jews  Irom  what  they  were  in  all  after 
ages,  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  of 
their  being  what  the  sacred  writers  have 
represented  them.  If  those  writers  have 
said  nothing  worse  of  them  than  has  been 
said  by  the  most  early  and  authentic 
historians  from  among  themselves,  it  will 
be  easy  for  an  impartial  reader  to  decide 
whether  heathens  have  been  "calumniated 
and  blackened  "  by  the  Jewish  writers,  or 
the  Jewish  writers  by  Mr.   Paine. 

But  it  is  not  by  the  state  of  the  ancient 
heathens  only  that  we  discover  the  im- 
portance of  Christianity.  A  large  part 
of  the  world  is  still  in  the  same  condition  ; 
and  the  same  immoralities  abound 
among  them  which  are  reported  to  have 
abounded  among  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans. 

I  am  aware  that  deistical  writers  have 
laboured  to  hold  up  the  modern  as  well 
as  the  ancient  heathens  in  a  very  favora- 
ble light.  In  various  anonymous  publi- 
cations, much  is  said  of  their  simplicity 
and  virtue.  One  of  them  suggests  that 
the  Chinese  are  so  "superior  to  Chris- 
tians, in  relation  to  moral  virtues,  that  it 
may  seem  neccssarj'  that  they  should  send 
missionaries  to  teach  us  the  use  and 
practice  of  Natural  Theology,  a§  we  send 
missionaries  to  them  to  teach  them 
Revealed  Religion. "f  Yea,  and  some 
who  wish  to  rank  as  Christians,  have,  on 
this  ground,  objected  to  all  missionary 
undertakings  among  tlie  heathen.  Let 
us  examine  this  matter  a  little  closely. 

Almost  all  the  accounts  which  are 
favorable  to  heathen  virtue  are  either 
written  by  the  adversaries  of  Christianity, 
and  with  a  design  to  disparage  it,  or  by 
navigators  and  travelers,  who  have  touch- 
ed at  particular  places,  and  made  their 
reports  according   to  the  treatment  they 

•Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  p.  5. 

t  Christianity  as  old  as  the  Creation,  pp.  366,  367. 


have  met  with,  rather  than  from  a  regard 
to  universal  righteousness.  An  authentic 
report  of  the  morals  of  a  people  requires 
to  be  given,  not  from  a  transient  visit, 
but  from  a  continued  residence  among 
them;  not  from  their  occasional  treat- 
ment of  a  stranger,  but  from  their  general 
character;  and  not  tor  having  an  end  to 
answer,  but  with  a  rigid  regard  to  truth. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  far  great- 
er part  of  these  representations  respect 
peoi)le  with  whom  we  have  little  or  no 
acquaintance,  and  therefore,  whatever 
the  trutli  may  be,  are  less  liable  to  con- 
tradiction. As  to  China,  Hindostan,  and 
some  other  parts  of  tlie  world,  with 
whose  moral  state  we  have  had  the  means 
of  acquiring  some  considerable  degree  of 
knowledge,  the  praises  bestowed  on  them 
by  our  adversaries  have  proved  to  be  un- 
founded. From  the  accounts  of  those 
who  have  resided  in  China,  there  does 
not  seem  to  be  much  reason  to  boast  of 
their  virtue.  On  the  contrary,  their 
morals  appear  to  be  full  as  bad  as  those 
of  the  ancient  heathens.  It  is  allowed 
that  they  take  great  care  of  their  outward 
behavior,  more  perhaps  than  is  taken  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world  besides — that 
Avhatever  they  do  or  say  is  so  contrived 
that  it  may  have  a  good  appearance,  please 
all,  and  offend  none — and  that  they 
excel  in  outward  modesty,  gravity,  good 
words,  courtesy,  and  civility.  But,  not- 
withstanding this,  it  is  said  that  the  sin 
against  nature  is  extremely  common — that 
drunkenness  is  considered  as  no  crime 
— that  every  one  takes  as  many  concu- 
bines as  he  can  keep — that  many  of  the 
common  people  pawn  their  wives  in  time  of 
need,  and  some  lend  them  for  a  month,  or 
more,  or  less,  according  as  tiiey  agree 
— that  marriage  is  dissolved  on  the  most 
trifling  occasions — that  sons  and  daughters 
are  sold  whenever  tlieir  j)arents  please,  and 
that  is  frequently — that  many  of  the  rich, 
as  well  as  the  poor,  w])cn  they  are  deliver- 
ed of  daughters,  stifle  and  kill  them — that 
those  who  are  more  tender-hearted  will 
leave  them  under  a  vessel,  where  they  ex- 
pire in  great  misery — and,  finally,  that 
notwithstanding  this  they  all,  except  the 
learned,  plead  humanity  and  compassion 
against  killing  other  living  creatures, 
thinking  it  a  cruel  thing  to  take  that  life 
which  they  cannot  give.  Montesquieu 
says,  "  The  Chinese,  whose  whole  life 
is  governed  by  the  established  rites,  are 
the  most  void  of  common  honesty  of  any 
people  upon  earth  ;  and  the  laws,  though 
they  do  not  allow  them  to  rob  or  to  spoil 
by  violence,  jet  permit  them  to  cheat 
and  defraud."  With  this  agrees  the 
account  given  of  them  in  Lord  Anson's 
Voyages,  and  by  other    navigators — that 


134 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


lying,  cheating,  stealing,  and  all  the  little 
arts  of  chicanery  abound  among  them ; 
and  that,  if  you  detect  them  in  a  fraud, 
they  calmly  plead  the  custom  of  the 
country*  Such  are  the  people  by 
whom  we  are  to  be  taught  the  use  and 
practice  of  natural  theology  ! 

If  credit  could  be  given  to  what  some 
writers  have  advanced,  we  might  suppose 
the  moral  philosophy  and  virtuous  con- 
duct of  the  Hindoos  to  be  worthy  of  being 
a  pattern  to  the  world.  The  rules  by 
which  they  govern  their  conduct  are,  as 
we  have  been  told,  "Not  to  tell  false 
tales,  nor  to  utter  any  tiling  that  is  un- 
true ;  not  to  steal  any  thing  from  others, 
be  it  ever  so  little ;  not  to  defraud  any 
by  their  cunning,  in  bargains,  or  con- 
tracts ;  not  to  oppress  any  Avhen  they 
have  power  to  do  it."f 

Very  opposite  accounts,  however,  are 
given  by  numerous  and  respectable  wit- 
nesses, who  do  not  appear  to  have  written 
under  the  influence  of  prejudice.  I  shall 
select  but  two  or  three. 

Francis  Bernier,  an  intelligent  French 
traveller,  speaking  of  the  Hindoos,  says, 
"  I  know  not  whether  there  be  in  the 
world  a  more  covetous  and  sordid  nation. 
— The  Brahmins  keep  these  people  in 
their  errors  and  superstitions,  and  scruple 
not  to  commit  tricks  and  villanics  so  in- 
famous that  I  could  never  have  believed 
them,  if  I  had  not  made  an  ample  inquiry 
into  them. "I 

Governor  Holwell  thus  characterizes 
them:  "A  race  of  people  who,  from 
their  infancy,  are  utter  strangers  to  the 
idea  of  common  faith  and  honesty." — 
"  This  is  the  situation  of  the  bulk  of  the 
people  of  Indostan,  as  well  as  of  the  mod- 
ern Brahmins  :  amongst  the  latter,  if  we 
except  one  in  a  thousand,  we  give  them 
over  measui-e.  The  Gentoos  in  general 
are  as  degenerate,  superstitious,  litigious, 
and  wicked  a  people,  as  any  race  of  peo- 
ple in  the  known  world,  if  not  emi- 
nently more  so  ;  especially  the  common 
run  of  Brahmins ;  and  we  can  truly  aver 
that,  during  almost  five  years  that  we 
presided  in  the  Judicial  Cutchery  Court 
of  Calcutta,  never  any  murder,  or  other 
atrocious  crime,  came  before  us,  but  it 
was  proved,  in  the  end,  a  Brahmin  was 
at  the  bottom  of  it.§ 

Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  John,  Shore,  and 
Governor  General  of  Bengal,  speaking  of 

*  See  Leland's  Advantages  and  Necessity  of  Rev- 
elation, Vol.  II.  Part  II.  Chap.  IV. 

t  Harris's  Voyages  and  Travels,  Vol.  I.  Chap. 
II.  §  11,  12. 

t  Vovages  de  Francois  Bernier,  Tome  I.  pp. 
150.  162,  et  Tome  II.  p.  105. 

§  Holwell's  Historical  Events,  Vol.  I.  p.  228. 
Vol.  II.  p.  151. 


the  same  people,  says,  "A  man  must  be 
long  acquainted  with  them  before  we  can 
believe  them  capable  of  that  bare-faced 
falsehood,  servile  adulation,  and  deliber- 
ate deception,  which  they  daily  practise. 
— It  is  the  business  of  all,  from  the  Ryott 
to  the  Dewan,  to  conceal  and  deceive  ;  the 
simplest  matters  of  fact  are  designedly 
covered  with  a  veil,  through  which  no  hu- 
man understanding  can  penetrate. "|| 

In  perfect  agreement  with  these  ac- 
counts are  others  which  are  constantly 
received  from  persons  of  observation  and 
probity,  now  residing  in  India.     Of  these 

the    following   are    extracts  : "  Lying, 

theft,  whoredom,  and  deceit,  are  sins  for 
which  the  Hindoos  are  notorious.  There 
is  not  one  man  in  a  thousand  who  does 
not  make  lying  his  constant  practice. 
Their  thoughts  of  God  are  so  very  light 
that  they  only  consider  him  as  a  sort  of 
plaything.  Avarice  and  servility  are  so 
united  in  almost  every  individual  that 
cheating,  juggling,  and  lying,  are  esteem- 
ed no  sins  with  them ;  and  the  best 
among  them,  though  they  speak  ever  so 
great  a  falsehood,  yet  consider  it  no  evil, 
unless  you  first  charge  them  to  speak  the 
truth.  When  they  defraud  you  ever  so 
much,  and  you  charge  them  with  it,  they 
coolly  answer,  It  is  the  custom  of  the 
country . — In  England,  the  poor  receive 
the  benefit  of  the  gospel,  in  being  fed  and 
clothed  by  those  who  know  not  by  what 
principles  they  are  moved.  For,  when 
the  gospel  is  generally  acknowledged  in  a 
land,  it  puts  some  to  fear  and  others  to 
shame ;  so  that  to  relieve  their  own  smart 
they  provide  for  the  poor  :  but  here  (O 
miserable  state  !)  I  have  found  the  path- 
way stopped  up  by  sick  and  wounded 
people,  perishing  with  himger,  and  that 
in  a  populous  neighborhood,  where 
numbers  pass  by,  some  singing,  others 
talking,  but  none  showing  mercy;  as 
though  they  were  dying  weeds,  and  not 
dying  men. "IF 

Comparing  these  accounts,  a  reader 
might  be  apt  to  suppose  that  the  people 
must  have  greatly  degenerated  since  their 
laws  were  framed ;  but  the  truth  is,  the 
laws  are  nearly  as  corrupt  as  the  people. 
Those  who  examine  the  Hindoo  Code** 
will  find  them  so  ;  and  will  perceive  that 
there  is  scarcely  a  species  of  wickedness 
which  they  do  not  tolerate,  especially  in 
favor  of  the  Brahmins,  of  which  order  of 

II  Parliametary  Proceedings  against  Mr.  Hastings, 
Appendix  to  Vol.  II.  p.  65. 

TT  Periodical  Accounts  of  die  Baptist  Mission, 
No.  II.  p.  129.  No.  HI.  pp.  191.  230.  No.  IV. 
p.  291. 

**  Tianslated  from  the  Shanscr  it,  and  publislied 
in  1773. 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY 


135 


men,  it  may  be  presumed,  were  the  first 
frarners  ot  the  constitution. 

Let  tiie  reader  judge,  from  this  exam- 
ple of  the  Hindoos,  what  degree  of  credit 
is  due  to  antichristian  liistorians,  when 
they  undertake  to  describe  the  virtues  of 
heathens. 

From  this  brief  statement  of  facts  it  is 
not  very  difhcult  to  perceive  somewhat 
of  that  which  Christianity  has  accomplish- 
ed with  regard  to  the  general  state  of 
society.  It  is  liy  no  means  denied  that 
the  natural  dispositions  of  heathens,  as 
well  as  other  men,  are  various.  The 
Scriptures  themselves  record  instances 
of  their  amiable  deportment  towards  their 
fellow-creatures.*  Neither  is  it  denied 
that  there  are  characters  in  christianized 
nations,  and  those  in  great  numbers, 
whose  wickedness  cannot  be  exceeded, 
nor  equalled,  by  any  who  were  destitute 
of  their  advantages.  There  is  no  doubt 
but  that  the  general  moral  character  of 
heathens  is  far  less  atrocious  than  that 
of  deists  who  reject  the  light  of  revela- 
tion, and  of  multitudes  of  nominal  Chris- 
tians who  abuse  it.  The  state  of  both 
these  descriptions  of  men,  with  respect 
to  unenlightened  pagans,  is  as  that  ot 
Chorazin  and  Bethsaida  with  respect  to 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  But  tliat  for 
which  I  contend  is  the  effect  of  Christi- 
anity upon  the  general  state  of  society. 
It  is  an  indisputable  fact  that  it  has  l>an- 
ished  gross  idolatry  from  every  nation  in 
Europe.  It  is  granted  that,  where  whole 
nations  were  concerned,  this  effect  might 
be  accomplished,  not  by  persuasion,  but 
by  force  of  arms.  In  this  manner  many 
legislators  of  former  times  thought  they 
did  God  service.  But  whatever  were  the 
means  by  which  the  worship  of  the  one 
living  and  true  God  was  at  first  intro- 
duced, it  is  a  fact  that  the  principle  is 
now  so  fully  estal)lished,  in  the  minds 
and  consciences  of  men,  that  there  needs 
no  force  to  prevent  a  return  to  the  old 
system  of  polytheism.  There  needs  no 
greater  proof  of  this  than  has  been  af- 
forded by  unbelievers  of  a  neighboring 
nation.  Such  evidently  has  been  their 
predilection  for  pagan  manners  that,  had 
the  light  that  is  gone  abroad  among  man- 
kind permitted  it,  they  would  at  once 
have  plunged  into  gross  idolatry,  as  into 
their  native  element.  But  this  is  ren- 
dered morally  impossible.  They  must  be 
Theists  or  Atheists ;  Polytheists  they 
cannot  be. 

By  accounts,  which  from  time  to  time 
have  been  received,  it  appears  that  the 
prevailing  party  in  France  has  not  only 
labored  to   eradicate  every  principle    of 

♦  Gen.  xxiii. 


Christianity,  but,  in  one  instance,  actual- 
ly made  tiie  experiment  for  restoring 
something  like  the  old  idolatry.  A  res- 
pectable magistrate  of  tlie  United  .States,* 
in  his  Addresses  to  the  Grand  Jury  in 
Luzerne  County,  has  stated  a  few  of 
these  facts  to  the  public.  "Infidelity," 
says  he,  "  having  got  possession  of  the 
power  of  the  state,  every  nerve  was 
exerted  to  efface  from  tlie  mind  all  ideas 
of  religion  and  morality.  Tlie  doctrine 
of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  or  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  so 
essential  to  the  preservation  of  order  in 
society,  and  to  the  prevention  of  crimes, 
was  publicly  ridiculed,  and  the  people 
taught  to  believe  that  death  was  an  ever- 
lasting sleep." 

"They  ordered  the  words  'Temple  of 
Reason  '  to  be  inscribed  on  the  churches, 
in  contempt  of  the  doctrine  of  revelation. 
Atheistical  and  licentious  homilies  have 
been  published  in  the  churches,  instead 
of  the  old  service  ;  and  a  ludicrous  imita- 
tion of  the  Greek  mythology  exhibited, 
under  the  title  of  '  The  Religion  of  Rea- 
son.' Nay,  they  have  gone  so  far  as  to 
dress  up  in  the  most  fantastic  decora- 
tions a  common  strumpet,  whom  they 
blasphemously  styled  '  The  Goddess  of 
Reason,'  and  who  was  carried  to  church 
on  the  shoulders  of  some  Jacobins  select- 
ed for  the  purpose,  escorted  by  the 
National  Guards  and  the  constituted 
authorities.  When  they  got  to  the  church, 
the  strumpet  was  placed  on  the  altar 
erected  lor  the  purpose,  and  harangued 
the  people,  who,  in  return,  ])rofessed  the 
deepest  adoration  to  her,  and  sung  the 
Carmagnole  and  other  songs,  by  way  of 
worshipping  her.  This  horrid  scene — 
almost  too  horrid  to  relate — was  conclud- 
ed by  burning  the  prayer-book,  confes- 
sional, and  every  thing  appropriated  to 
the  use  of  public  worship ;  numbers,  in 
the  mean  tiaie,  danced  round  the  flames 
with  every  appearance  of  frantic  and 
infernal  mirth." 

These  things  sufficiently  express  the 
inclinations  of  the  parties  concerned,  and 
what  kind  of  blessings  the  world  is  to  ex- 
pect from  atheistical  philosophy.  But 
all  attempts  of  this  kind  are  vain  :  the 
minds  of  men  throughout  Europe,  if  I  may 
for  once  use  a  cant  term  of  their  own,  are 
too  enlightened  to  stoop  to  the  practice  of 
such  fooleries.  We  have  a  gentleman  in 
our  own  country,  who  appears  to  be  a 
sincere  devotee  to  the  pagan  worship,  and 
who,  it  seems,  would  wish  to  introduce 
it ;  but,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  all  the  suc- 
cess which  he  has  met  with  is  to  have  ob- 

"t^  Judge  Rush. 


136 


EFFECTS    OP    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


tained  from  the  public  the  honorable  ap- 
pellation of  the  gentile,  priest. 

Whatever  we  are,  and  whatever  we  may 
be,  gross  idolatry,  I  presume,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  banished  from  Europe ;  and, 
thanks  be  to  God,  a  number  of  its  attend- 
ant abominations,  with  various  other  im- 
moral customs  of  the  heathen,  are,  in  a 
good  measure,  banished  with  it.  We 
have  no  human  sacrifices;  no  gladiatory 
combats  ;  no  public  indecencies  between 
the  sexes  ;  no  law  that  requires  prostitu- 
tion ;  no  plurality  or  community  of  wives  ; 
no  dissolving  of  marriages  on  trifling  oc- 
casions ;  nor  any  legal  murdering  of  chil- 
dren, or  of  the  aged  and  infirm.  If  unnat- 
ural crimes  be  committed  among  us,  they 
are  not  common  ;  much  less  are  they  tol- 
erated by  the  laws,  or  countenanced  by 
public  opinion.  On  the  contrary,  the 
odium  which  follows  such  practices  is 
sufficient  to  stamp  with  perpetual  infamy 
the  first  character  in  the  land.  Rapes, 
incests,  and  adulteries,  are  not  only  pun- 
ishable by  law,  but  odious  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  public.  It  is  with  us,  at  least 
in  a  considerable  degree,  as  it  was  in  Ju- 
dea,  where  he  that  was  guilty  of  such 
vices  was  considered  as  a  fool  in  Israel. 
The  same,  in  less  degrees,  may  be  said  of 
fornication,  drunkenness,  lying,  theft, 
fraud,  and  cruelty  :  no  one  can  live  in  the 
known  practice  of  these  vices,  and  retain 
his  character.  It  cannot  be  pleaded  in 
excuse  with  us,  as  it  is  in  China,  Hindos- 
tan,  and  Otaheite,  that  "  such  things  are 
the  custom  of  the  country." 

We  freely  acknowledge  that  if  we  turn 
our  eyes  upon  the  great  evils  which  still 
exist,  even  in  those  nations  where  Chris- 
tianity has  had  the  greatest  influence,  we 
find  abundant  reason  for  lamentation  ;  but, 
while  we  lament  the  evil,  there  is  no  rea- 
son that  we  should  overlook  the  good. 
Comparing  our  state  with  that  of  former 
times,  we  cannot  but  with  thankfulness 
acknowledge.  What  hath  God  xorought  ! 

I  can  conceive  of  but  one  question  that 
can  have  any  tendency  to  weaken  the  ar- 
gument arising  from  the  foregoing  facts  ; 
viz.  Are  they  the  effects  of  Christianity  1 
If  they  be  not,  and  can  be  fairly  accounted 
for  on  other  principles,  the  argument  falls  to 
the  ground  :  butif  they  be,  though  Shaftes- 
bury satirize,  Hume  doubt,  Voltaire  laugh. 
Gibbon  insinuate,  and  Paine  pour  forth 
scurrility  like  a  torrent,  yet  honest  men 
will  say,  "An  evil  tree  bringeth  not  forth 
good  fruit  :  If  this  religion  were  not  of 
God,  it  could  do  nothing." 

If  there  be  any  adequate  cause,  distinct 
from  Christianity,  to  which  these  effects 
may  be  ascribed,  it  becomes  our  adversa- 
ries to  state  it.  Meanwhile,  I  may  ob- 
serve, they  are  not  ascribable  to  any  thing 


besides  Christianity  that  has  borne  the 
name  of  religion.  As  to  that  of  the  an- 
cient heathens,  it  had  no  manner  of  rela- 
tion to  morality.  The  priests,  as  Dr. 
Leland  has  proved,  "made  it  not  their 
business  to  teach  men  virtue."*  It  is  the 
same  with  modern  heathens  :  their  relig- 
ion has  nothing  of  morality  pertaining  to 
it.  They  perform  a  round  of  superstitious 
observances,  which  produce  no  good  effect 
whatever  upon  their  lives.  What  they 
were  yesterday,  they  are  to  day;  "No 
man  repenteth  himself  of  his  wickedness, 
saying,  What  have  I  done!"  Nor  is  it 
materially  different  with  Mahometans. 
Their  religion,  though  it  includes  the  ac- 
knowledgment of  one  living  and  true 
God,  yet,  rejecting  the  Messiah  as  the 
Son  of  God,  and  attaching  them  to  a  bloody 
and  lascivious  impostor,  produces  no  good 
effect  upon  their  morals,  but  leaves  them 
under  the  dominion  of  barbarity  and  vo- 
luptuousness. In  short,  there  is  no  relig- 
ion but  that  of  Jesus  Christ  that  so  much 
as  professes  to  "bless  men  by  turning 
them  from  their  iniquities." 

Neither  can  these  effects  be  attributed 
to  philosophy .  A  few  great  minds  des- 
pised the  idolatries  of  their  countrymen  ; 
but  they  did  not  reform  them  :  and  no 
wonder;  for  they  practised  what  they 
themselves  despised.  Nor  did  all  their 
harangues  in  favor  of  virtue  produce  any 
substantial  effect,  either  on  themselves  or 
others.  The  heathen  nations  were  never 
more  enlightened  as  to  philosophy  than  at 
the  time  of  our  Saviour's  appearance ; 
yet,  as  to  morality,  they  were  never  more 
depraved. 

It  is  Christianity,  then,  and  nothing  else, 
which  has  destroyed  the  odious  idolatry 
of  many  nations,  and  greatly  contracted  its 
attendant  immoralities.  It  was  in  this 
way  that  the  gospel  operated  in  the  primi- 
tive ages,  wherever  it  was  received  ;  and 
it  is  in  the  same  way  that  it  continues  to 
operate  to  the  present  time.  Real  Chris- 
tians must  needs  be  adverse  to  these 
things  ;  and  they  are  the  only  men  living 
who  cordially  set  themselves  against 
them. 

This  truth  will  receive  additional  evi- 
dence from  an  observation  of  the  differ- 
ent degrees  of  morality  produced  in  differ- 
ent places,  according  to  the  degree  of  pu- 
rity with  which  the  Christan  religion  has 
been  taught,  and  liberty  given  it  to  ope- 
rate. In  several  nations  of  Europe  popery 
has  long  been  established,  and  supported 
by  sanguinary  laws.  By  these  means  the 
Bible  has  been  kept  from  the  common  peo- 
ple, christian  doctrine   and  worship  cor- 

*  Advantages  and  Necessity  of  Revelation,  Vol. 
II.  p.  38. 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


137 


rvipted,  and  the  consciences  of  men  sub- 
dued to  a  usurper  ot  Cluisl's  authority. 
Christianity  is  there  in  prison  ;  and  anfi- 
christianisin  exalted  in  its  place  ! — In  other 
nations  this  yoke  is  lirokcn.  Every  true 
Cliristian  has  a  Bil>le  in  his  family,  and 
measures  his  relijrion  \)y  it.  The  ridits 
of  conscience  also  l)eing  respected,  men 
are  allowed,  in  rcliirious  matters,  to  judirc 
and  act  for  themselves  ;  and  christian 
churches  are  formed  according  to  the 
primitive  model.  Christianity  is  here  at 
liberty  :  here,  therefore,  it  may  lie  ex- 
pected to  )»roduce  its  greatest  effects. 
Whether  this  does  not  correspond  with 
fact,  let  those  who  are  accustomed  to  ob- 
serve men  and  things  with  an  impartial  eye 
determine. 

In  Italy,  France,  and  various  other 
countries,  where  the  Christian  religion 
has  been  so  far  corrupted  as  to  lose  near- 
ly all  its  influence,  illicit  connections  may 
be  formed,  adulterous  intrigues  pursued, 
and  even  crimes  against  nature  committed, 
with  but  little  dishonor.  Rousseau  could 
here  send  his  illegitimate  offsj)ring  to  the 
Foundling  Hospital,  and  lay  his  accounts 
with  lieing  applauded  for  it,  as  being  the 
custom  of  the  country.  It  is  not  so  in 
Britain,  and  various  other  nations,  where 
the  gospel  has  had  a  freer  course  ;  for, 
though  the  same  dispositions  are  discover- 
ed in  great  numbers  of  persons,  yet  the 
fear  of  the  public  frown  holds  them  in 
awe.  If  we  except  a  few  abandoned  char- 
acters wiio  have  nearly  lost  all  sense  of 
shame,  and  who  by  means  either  of  their 
titles  or  fortunes  on  the  one  hand,  or  their 
well-known  baseness  on  the  other,  have 
almost  bid  defiance  to  the  opinion  of  man- 
kind, this  observation  will  hold  good,  I 
believe,  as  to  the  bulk  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Protestant  countries. 

And  it  is  worthy  of  notice  that,  in  those 
circles  or  connections  where  Christianity 
has  had  the  greatest  influence,  a  sobriety 
of  character  is  carried  to  a  much  higher 
degree  than  in  any  other.  Where  there  is 
one  divorce  from  among  Protestant  dis- 
senters, and  other  serious  professors  of 
Christianity,  there  are,  I  believe,  a  hun- 
dred from  among  those  whose  practice  it 
is  to  neglect  the  worship  of  God,  and  to 
frequent  the  amusements  of  the  theatre; 
and,  in  proportion  to  the  singularity  of 
cases,  such  is  the  surprise,  indignation, 
and  disgrace,  which  accompany  them. 
Similar  observations  might  be  made  on 
public  executions  for  robbery,  forgery, 
tumults,  assassinations,  murders,  &c.  It 
is  not  among  the  circles  professing  a  seri- 
ous regard  to  Christianity,  but  among  its 
adversaries,  that  these  practices  ordinari- 
ly prevail. 

Some  have  been  inclined  to   attribute 

VOL.    I.  18 


various  differences  in  these  things  to  a 
difference  in  national  character;  but  na- 
tional character,  as  it  respects  morality,  is 
formed  very  much  i'roin  the  state  of  soci- 
ety in  different  nations.  A  numlier  of 
painful  observations  would  arise  from  a 
view  of  tiie  conduct  and  ciuiracter  of  Eng- 
lishmen on  foreign  shores.  To  say  noth- 
ing of  the  rapacities  committed  in  the 
East,  whither  is  our  l)oa.stcd  humanity 
fled  when  we  land  upon  the  coasts  of 
Guinea]  The  brutality  with  which  mill- 
ions of  our  fellow -creatures  have  been  torn 
from  their  connections,  bound  in  irons, 
thrown  into  a  floating  dungeon,  sold  in  the 
public  markets,  licaten,  maimed,  and  many 
of  them  murdered  for  trivial  offences,  and 
all  this  without  any  effectual  restraint 
from  the  laws,  must  load  our  national 
character  Avith  everlasting  infamy.  The 
same  persons,  however,  who  can  be  guilty 
of  these  crimes  at  a  distance,  are  as  ap- 
parently humane  as  other  peo|)le  when 
they  re-enter  their  native  country.  And 
wherefore  1  Because  in  their  native  coun- 
try the  state  of  society  is  such  as  will  not 
admit  of  a  contrary  behavior.  A  man  who 
should  violate  the  principles  of  justice  and 
humanity  here  would  not  only  be  exposed 
to  the  censure  of  the  laws,  but,  supposing 
he  could  evade  this,  his  character  would 
be  lost.  The  state  of  society  in  Guinea 
imposes  no  such  restraints  :  in  that  situa- 
tion, therefore,  wicked  men  will  indulge 
in  wickedness.  Nor  is  it  much  otherwise 
in  our  West  India  islands.  So  little  is 
there  of  Christianity,  in  those  quarters, 
that  it  has  hitherto  had  scarcely  any  influ- 
ence in  the  framing  of  their  laws,  or  the 
forming  of  the  public  opinion.  There  are, 
doubtless,  just  and  humane  individuals  in 
those  islands  ;  but  the  far  greater  part  of 
them,  it  is  to  be  feared,  are  devotees  to 
avarice,  to  which,  as  to  a  Moloch,  one  or 
other  of  them  is  continually  offering  up 
human  victims. 

Vicious  practices  are  commonly  more 
prevalent  in  large  and  populous  cities  than 
in  other  places.  Hither  the  worst  char- 
acters commonly  resort,  as  noxious  ani- 
mals to  a  covert  from  their  pursuers.  In 
places  but  thinly  inhabited,  the  conduct  of 
individuals  is  conspicuous  to  the  commu- 
nity ;  but  here  they  can  assemble  with 
others  of  their  own  description,  and 
strengthen  each  other's  hands  in  evil, 
without  much  fear  of  being  detected. 
Christianity,  therefore,  may  be  supposed 
to  have  less  effect  in  the  way  of  restrain- 
ing immoral  characters  in  the  city,  than  in 
the  country.  Yet  even  here  it  is  sensibly 
felt.  Though  the  metropolis  of  our  owu 
nation  abounds  with  almost  every  species 
of  vice,  yet  what  reflecting  citizen  will  de- 
ny that  it  would   be  much   worse  but  for 


138 


EFFECTS    OF    CHRISTIANITY    ON    THE    STATE    OF    SOCIETF. 


the  influence  of  the  gospel?  As  it  is, 
there  are  numbers,  of  different  religious 
denominations,  who  constantly  attend  to 
public  and  family  worship  ;  who  are  as 
honorable  in  their  dealings  as  they  are 
amiable  in  domestic  life  ;  and  as  liberal  in 
their  benefactions  as  they  are  assiduous 
to  find  out  deserving  cases.  The  influ- 
ence which  this  body  of  men  have  upon 
the  citizens  at  large,  in  restraining  vice, 
promoting  schemes  of  benevolence,  and 
preserving  peace  and  good  order  in  socie- 
ty, is  beyond  calculation.  But  for  their 
examples,  and  unremitted  exertions,  Lon- 
don would  be  a  Sodom  in  its  guilt,  and 
might  expect  to  resemble  it  in  its  pun- 
ishment. 

In  country  towns  and  villages  it  is  easy 
to  perceive  the  influence  which  a  number 
of  serious  Christians  will  have  upon  the 
manners  of  the  people  at  large.  A  few 
families  in  which  the  Bible  is  daily  read, 
the  worship  of  God  performed,  and  a  Chris- 
tian conversation  exemplified,  will  have  a 
powerful  effect.  Whether  characters  of 
an  opposite  description  regard  their  con- 
duct, or  not,  their  consciences  favor  it. 
Hence  it  is  that  one  upright  man,  in  a 
question  of  right  and  wrong,  will  often  put 
to  silence  a  company  of  the  advocates  of 
unrighteousness ;  and  that  three  or  four 
Christian  families  have  been  known  to 
give  a  turn  to  the  manners  of  a  whole 
neighborhood. 

In  fine,  let  it  be  closely  considered 
whether  a  great  part  of  that  sobriety 
which  is  to  be  found  among  deists  them- 
selves (as  there  are,  doubtless,  sober  char- 
acters among  deists,  and  even  among  Athe- 
ists) be  not  owing  to  Christianity.  It  has 
often  been  remarked,  and  justly  too,  that 
much  of  the  knowledge  which  our  adver- 
saries possess  is  derived  from  this  source. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  best  ideas  of  the 
old  philosophers  on  moral  subjects  being 
derived  from  revelation,  of  which  there  is 
considerable  evidence,  it  is  manifest  that, 
so  far  as  the  moderns  exceed  them,  it  is 
principally  if  not  entirely,  owing  to  this 
medium  of  instruction.  The  Scriptures 
having  diffused  the  light,  they  have  in- 
sensibly imbibed  it;  and,  finding  it  to  ac- 
cord with  reason,  they  flatter  themselves 
that  </ieir  reason  has  discovered  it.  "  Af- 
ter grazing,"  as  one  expresses  it,  "  in  the 
pastures  of  revelation,  they  boast  of  hav- 
ing grown  fat  by  nature."  And  it  is  ihe 
same  with  regard  to  their  sobriety.  So 
long  as  they  reside  among  people  whose 
ideas  of  right  and  wrong  are  formed  by  the 
morality  of  the  gospel,  they  must,  unless 


they  wish  to  be  stigmatised  as  profligates,, 
behave  with  some  degree  of  decorum. 
Where  the  conduct  is  uniform  and  con- 
sistent, charity,  I  allow,  and  even  justice, 
will  lead  us  to  put  the  best  construction 
upon  the  motive ;  but  when  we  see  men 
uneasy  under  restraints,  and  continually 
writing  in  favor  of  vices  which  they  dare 
not  openly  practise,  we  are  justified  in 
imputing  their  sobriety,  not  to  principle, 
but  to  the  circumstances  attending  their 
situation.  If  some  of  those  gentlemen 
who  have  deserted  the  Christian  ministry, 
and  commenced  professed  Infidels,  had 
acted  years  ago  as  licentiously  as  they 
have  done  of  late,  they  must  have  quitted 
their  situation  sooner  ;  and  were  they  now 
to  leave  their  country  and  connections, 
and  enter  into  such  a  state  of  society  as 
would  comport  with  their  present  wishes, 
their  conduct  would  be  more  licentious 
than  it  is. 

On  these  principles  that  great  and  ex- 
cellent man  Washington,  in  his  fare- 
well address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  acknowledges  the  necessity  of  re- 
ligion to  the  well-being  of  a  nation.  "  Of 
all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead 
to  political  prosperity,"  he  says,  "relig- 
ligion  and  morality  are  indispensable  sup- 
ports. In  vain  would  that  man  claim  the 
tribute  of  patriotism  who  should  labor  to 
subvert  these  great  pillars  of  human  hap- 
piness, these  firmest  props  of  men  and 
citizens.  The  mere  politician,  equally 
with  the  pious  man,  ought  to  respect  and 
to  cherish  them.  A  volume  could  not 
trace  all  their  connections  with  private 
and  public  felicity.  Let  it  be  simply  ask- 
ed. Where  is  the  security  for  property, 
for  reputation,  for  life,  if  the  sense  of  re- 
ligious obligation  desert  the  oaths  which 
are  the  instruments  of  investigation  in  the 
courts  of  justice  1  And  let  us  with  cau- 
tion indulge  the  supposition  that  morality 
can  be  maintained  without  religion. — 
Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  influ- 
ence of  refined  education  on  minds  of  a 
peculiar  structure,  reason  and  experience 
both  forbid  us  to  expect  that  national 
morality  can  prevail  in  exclusion  of  re- 
ligious principle." 

Upon  the  whole,  the  evidence  of  this 
chapter  proves  not  only  that  Christianity 
is  a  living  principle  of  virtue  in  good  men, 
but  that  it  affords  this  farther  blessing  to 
society,  that  it  restrains  the  vices  of  the 
bad.  It  is  a  tree  of  life  whose  fruit  is  im- 
mortality, and  whose  very  leaves  are  for 
the  healing  of  the  nations. 


CHRIbTIA.MTy    A    SOURCE     OF    HAPPINESS. 


139 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CHRISTIANITY  IS  A  SOURCE  OF  HAP- 
PINESS TO  INDIVIDUALS  AND  SOCIE- 
TY :  BUT  DEISM  LEAVES  BOTH  THE 
ONE  AND  THE   OTHER    WITHOUT  HOPE. 

Though  the  happiness  of  creatures  be 
not  admitted  to  be  the  final  end  of  God's 
moral  government,  yet  it  is  freely  allowed 
to  occupy  an  important  place  in  the  sys- 
tem. God  is  good,  and  his  goodness  ap- 
pears in  having  so  blended  the  honour 
of  his  name  with  the  felicity  of  his  crea- 
tures that  in  seeking  the  one  they  should 
find  the  other.  In  so  important  a  light  do 
we  consider  human  happiness  as  to  be 
willing  to  allow  that  to  he  the  true  reli- 
gion  which  is  most  adapted  to  promote  it. 

To  form  an  accurate  judgment  on  this 
subject,  it  is  necessary  to  ascertain  where- 
in happiness  consists.  We  ought  neither 
to  expect  nor  desire,  in  the  present 
life,  such  a  state  of  mind  as  wholly  ex- 
cludes painful  sensations  Had  we  less  of 
the  exercises  of  godly  sorrow,  our  sacred 
pleasures  would  be  fewer  than  they  are  ; 
or,  were  we  unacquainted  with  the  afflic- 
tions common  to  men,  we  should  be  less 
able  to  sympathize  with  them,  which 
would  be  injurious,  not  only  to  society, 
but  to  ourselves,  as  it  would  deprive  us 
of  one  of  the  richest  sources  of  enjoyment. 

Mr.  Hume,  in  one  of  his  Essays,  very 
properly  called  The  Sceptic,  secrns  to 
think  that  happiness  lies  in  having  one's 
inclinations  gratified ;  and  as  different 
men  have  different  inclinations,iand  even 
the  same  men  at  different  times,  that  may 
be  happiness  in  one  case  which  is  misery 
in  another.  This  sceptical  writer,  how^- 
ever,  would  hardly  deny  that  in  happiness, 
as  in  other  things,  there  is  a  false  and  a 
true,  an  imaginary  and  a  real  ;  or  that 
a  studied  indulgence  of  the  appetites  and 
passions,  though  it  should  promote  the 
one,  would  destroy  the  other.  The  light 
of  nature,  as  acknowledged  even  by  Deists, 
teaches  that  self-denial,  in  many  cases,  is 
necessary  to  self-preservation ;  and  that 
to  act  a  contrary  part  would  be  to  ruin 
our  peace  and  destroy  our  health.*  I 
presume  it  will  he  granted  that  no  defini- 
tion of  happiness  can  be  complete  which 
includes  not  peace  of  mind,  which  admits 
not  of  perpetuity,  or  which  meets  not  the 
necessities  and  miseries  of  human  life. 

But,  if  nothing  deserves  the  name  of 
happiness  which  does  not  include  peace 
of  mind,  all  criminal  pleasure  is  at  once 
excluded.      Could    a   life    of  unchastity, 

*  Volney's  Law  of  Nature,  p.  12. 


intrigue,  dishonor,  and  disappointed 
pride,  like  that  of  Rousseau,  be  a  happy 
life!  No;  amidst  the  brilliancy  of  his  tal- 
lents,  remorse,  shame,  conscious  mean- 
ness, and  the  dread  of  an  hereafter,  must 
corrode  his  heart,  and  render  him  a  stran- 
ger to  peace.  Contrast  with  the  life  of  this 
man  that  of  Howard.  Pious,  temperate, 
just,  and  benevolent,  he  lived  for  the  good 
of  mankind.  His  happiness  consisted  in 
"  serving  his  generation  by  the  will  of 
God."  If  all  inen  were  like  Rousseau, 
the  world  would  be  abundantly  more 
miserable  than  it  is  :  if  all  were  like 
Howard,  it  would  be  abundantly  more  hap- 
py. Rousseau,  governed  by  the  love  of 
fame,  is  fretful  and  peevish,  and  never 
satisfied  with  the  treatment  he  receives  : 
Howard,  governed  by  the  love  of  mercy, 
shrinks  from  applause,  with  this  modest 
and  just  reflection,  "Alas!  our  best 
performances  have  such  a  mixture  of  sin 
and  folly,  that  praise  is  vanity,  and  pre- 
sumption, and  pain,  to  a  thinking  mind." 
Rousseau,  after  a  life  of  debauchery  and 
shame,  confesses  it  to  the  world,  and 
makes  a  merit  of  his  confession,  and  even 
presumptuously  supposes  that  it  will 
avail  him  before  the  Judge  of  all :  How- 
ard, after  a  life  of  singular  devotedness  to 
God,  and  benevolence  to  men,  accounted 
himself  an  unprofitable  servant,  leaving  this 
for  his  motto,  his  last  testimony,  "  Christ 
is  my  hope."  Can  there  be  any  doubt 
which  of  the  two  was  the  happier  man  1 

Further:  If  nothing  amounts  to  real 
happiness  which  admits  not  oi perpetuity, 
all  natural  pleasure,  when  weighed  against 
the  hopes  and  joys  of  the  gospel,  will  be 
found  wanting.  It  is  an  expressive  char- 
acteristic of  the  good  things  of  this  life  that 
"they  all  perish  with  the  using."  The 
charms  of  youth  and  beauty  quickly  fade. 
The  power  of  relishing  natural  enjoy- 
ments is  soon  gone.  The  pleasures  of 
active  life,  of  building,  planting,  forming 
schemes,  and  achieving  enterprises,  soon 
follow.  In  old  age  none  of  them  will 
flourish  ;  and  in  death  they  are  extermin- 
ated. "  The  mighty  man,  and  the  man  of 
war,  the  judge,  and  the  prophet,  and  the 
prudent,  and  the  ancient,  the  captain  of 
fifty,  and  the  honorable  man,  and  the 
counsellor,  and  the  cunning  artificer, 
and  the  eloquent  orator,"  all  descend  in 
one  undistinguished  mass  into  oblivion. 
And,  as  this  is  a  truth  which  no  man 
can  dispute,  those  who  have  no  prospects 
of  a  higher  nature  must  often  feel  them- 
selves unhappy.  Contrast  with  this  the 
joys  of  the  gospel.  These,  instead  of 
being  diminished  by  time,  are  often  in- 
creased. To  them  the  soil  of  age  is 
friendly.  While  nature  has  been  fading, 
and  perishing  by  slow  degrees,  how  often 
have  we  seen  faith,  hope,  love,  patience, 


140 


CHRISTIANITY    A    SOURCE    OF    HAPPINESS. 


and  resignation  to  God,  in  full  bloom ! 
Who  but  Christians  can  contemplate 
the  loss  of  all  present  enjoyments  with 
satisfaction]  Who  else  can  view  death, 
judgment,  and  eternity,  with  desire  1 
1  appeal  to  the  hearts  of  libertines  and 
unbelievers,  whether  they  have  not  many 
misgivings  and  revoltings  within  them ; 
and  whether,  in  the  hour  of  solitary  re- 
flection, they  have  not  sighed  the  wisli  of 
Balaam,  "Let  me  die  the  death  of  the 
righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his  !" 
The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of 
a  late  nobleman,  of  loose  principles,  well 
known  in  the  gay  world,  and  published  as 
authentic  by  a  respectable  prelate,  de- 
ceased, will  show  the  dreadful  vacancy 
and  wretchedness  of  a  mind  left  to  itself 
in  the  decline  of  life,  and  unsupported  by 
Christian  principle  : — "  I  have  seen  the 
silly  round  of  business  and  pleasure,  and 
have  done  Avith  it  all.  I  have  enjoyed  all 
the  pleasures  of  the  Avorld,  and  conse- 
quently know  their  futility,  and  do  not  re- 
gret their  loss.  I  appraise  them  at  their 
real  value,  which  in  truth  is  very  Ioav  ; 
whereas  those  who  have  not  experienced 
always  overrate  them.  They  only  see  their 
gay  outside,  and  are  dazzled  with  their 
glare  ;  but  I  have  been  behind  the  scenes. 
I  have  seen  all  the  coarse  pulleys  and  dirty 
ropes  which  exhibit  and  move  the  gaudy 
machine ;  and  I  have  seen  and  smelt  the 
tallow  candles  which  illuminate  the  whole 
decoration,  to  the  astonishment  and  admi- 
ration of  the  ignorant  audience.  When 
I  reflect  on  what  I  have  seen,  what  I  have 
heard,  and  what  I  have  done,  I  cannot 
persuade  myself  that  all  that  frivolous 
hurry  of  bustle  and  pleasure  of  the  world 
had  any  reality  ;  but  I  look  on  all  that  is 
past  as  one  of  those  romantic  dreams 
which  opium  commonly  occasions  ;  and  I 
do  by  no  means  wish  to  repeat  the  nauseous 
dose  for  the  sake  of  the  fugitive  dream. 
Shall  I  tell  you  that  I  bear  this  melan- 
choly situation  with  that  meritorious  con- 
stancy and  resignation  that  most  men 
boast]  No,  Sir,  I  really  cannot  help  it. 
I  bear  it  because  I  must  bear  it,  whether 
I  will  or  no.  I  think  of  nothing  but  kill- 
ing time  the  best  way  I  can,  now  that 
time  is  become  my  enemy.  It  is  my 
resolution  to  sleep  in  the  carriage  during 
the  remainder  of  the  journey." 

"You  see,"  reflects  the  worthy  pre- 
late, "  in  hoAV  poor,  abject,  and  unpitied 
a  condition,  at  a  time  when  he  most  wanted 
help  and  comfort,  the  world  left  him,  and 
he  left  the  world.  Compare  these  words 
with  those  of  another  person,  who  took  his 
leave  in  a  very  different  manner:  "I  am 
now  ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of 
my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a 
good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the  faith.     Henceforth  there  is 


laid  up  forme  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord  the  righteous  Judge  shall 
give  me  at  that  day  :  and  not  to  me  only, 
but  unto  all  them  also  who  love  his  ap- 
pearing." It  is  observable  that  even 
Rousseau  himself,  though  the  language 
certainly  did  not  become  his  lips,  affected 
in  advanced  life  to  derive  consolation 
from  Christian  principles.  In  a  letter  to 
Voltaire  he  says,  "  I  cannot  help  remarking 
Sir,  a  very  singular  contrast  between  you 
and  me.  Sated  with  glory,  and  undeceived 
with  the  inanity  of  worldly  grandeur,  you 
live  at  freedom,  in  the  midst  of  plenty, 
certain  of  immortality  ;  you  peaceably 
philosophise  on  the  nature  of  the  soul; 
and,  if  the  body  or  the  heart  be  indisposed, 
you  have  Tronchin  for  your  physician  and 
friend.  Yet  with  all  this  you  find  nothing 
but  evil  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  I,  on 
the  other  hand,  obscure,  indigent,  torment- 
ed with  an  incurable  disorder,  meditate 
with  pleasure  in  my  solitude,  and  find 
every  thing  to  be  good.  Whence  arise 
these  apparent  contradictions  1  You  have 
yourself  explained  them.  You  live  in  a 
state  of  enjoyment,  I  in  a  state  of  hope  ; 
and  hope  gives  charms  to  every  thing."* 

Finally  :  If  nothing  deserves  the  names 
of  happiness  which  meets  not  the  necessi- 
ties, nor  relieves  the  miseries  of  human 
life,  Christianity  alone  can  claim  it.  Ev- 
ery one  who  looks  into  his  own  heart,  and 
makes  proper  observations  on  the  disposi- 
tions of  others,  will  perceive  that  man  is 
possessed  ofadesire  after  something  which 
is  not  to  be  found  under  the  sun — after  a 
good  which  has  no  limits.  We  may  im- 
agine our  desires  are  moderate,  and  set 
boundaries,  beyond  which  we  may  flatter 
ourselves  we  should  never  wish  to  pass  ; 
but  this  is  self-deception.  He  that  sets 
his  heart  on  an  estate,  if  he  gain  it  will 
wish  for  something  more.  It  would  be 
the  same  if  it  were  a  kingdom  ;  or  even  if 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  were  united 
in  one.  Nor  is  this  desire  to  be  attributed 
merely  to  human  depravity  ;  for  it  is  the 
same  with  regard  to  knowledge  :  the  mind 
is  never  satisfied  with  its  present  acquisi- 
tions. It  is  depravity  that  directs  us  to 
seek  satisfaction  in  something  short  of 
God;  but  it  is  owing  to  the  nature  of  the 
soul  that  we  are  never  able  to  find  it.  It 
is  not  possible  that  a  being  created  im- 
mortal, and  with  a  mind  capable  of  con- 
tinual enlargement,  should  obtain  satis- 
faction in  a  limited  good.  Men  may  spend 
their  time  and  strength,  and  even  sacri- 
rifice  their  souls  in  striving  to  grasp  it,  but 
it  will  elude  their  pursuit.  It  is  only  from 
an  uncreated  source  that  the  mind  can 
drink  its  fill.  Here  it  is  that  the  gospel 
meets   our  necessities.     Its    language  is, 

*  Works,  Vol.  IX.  p  336. 


CHRISTIANITY    A    SOURCE     OF    HAPPINESS. 


141 


"  Ho,  every  one  that  tliirsteth,  come  ye  to 
the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money  ; 
come  ye,  Iniy  and  cat ;  yea,  come,  buy 
wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without 
price.  Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  lor 
that  wliicii  is  not  bread,  and  your  hil>or  lor 
that  which  satislietii  not  1  Hearken  dili- 
gently unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is 
good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fat- 
ness. Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto 
me  ;  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live."  "  In 
the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast, 
Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man 
thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and  drink." 
"  He  that  cometh  to  me  shall  never  luin- 
cer  ;  and  he  that  i)elievelh  on  me  shall 
never  thirst."  How  this  language  has 
been  verified,  all  who  have  made  the  tri- 
al can  testify.  To  them,  as  to  the  only 
competent  witnesses,  I  appeal. 

It  is  not  merely  the  nature  of  the  soul 
however,  but  its  depravity,  whence  our  ne- 
cessities arise.  We  are  sinners.  Every 
man  who  believes  there  is  a  God,  and  a 
future  state,  or  even  only  admits  the  pos- 
sibility of  them,  feels  the  want  of  mercy. 
The  first  inquiries  of  a  mind  awakened  to 
reflection  will  be  how  he  may  escape  the 
wrath  to  come — how  he  shall  get  over 
his  everlasting  ruin.  A  heathen,  previ- 
ously to  any  Christian  instruction,  ex- 
claimed, in  the  moment  of  alarm,  "  W'hat 
must  I  do  to  be  saved  1""*  And  several 
Mahometans,  being  lately  warned  by  a 
Christian  minister  of  their  sinful  state, 
came  the  next  morning  to  him  with  this 
very  serious  question — Keman  par  hoibo  ? 
"  How  shall  we  get  over  1  "  f  To  answer 
these  inquiries  is  beyond  the  power  of  any 
principles  but  those  of  the  gospel.  Phi- 
losophy may  conjecture,  superstition  may 
deceive,  and  even  a  false  system  of  Chris- 
tianity may  be  aiding  and  abetting;  each 
may  labor  to  lull  the  conscience  to  sleep, 
but  none  of  them  can  yield  it  satisfaction. 
It  is  only  by  believing  in  Jesus  Christ,  the 
great  sacrifice  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world,  that  the  sinner  obtains  a  relief 
which  will  bear  reflection — a  relief  which, 
at  the  same  time,  gives  peace  to  the 
mind  and  purity  to  the  heart.  For  the 
truth  of  this  also  I  appeal  to  all  who  have 
made  the  trial. 

Wliere,  but  in  the  gospel,  will  you  find 
relief  under  the  innumerable  ills  of  the 
present  state  1  This  is  the  well-known 
refuge  of  Christians.  Are  they  poor,  af- 
flicted, persecuted,  or  reproached  ]  They 
are  led  to  consider  Him  who  endured  the 
contradiction  of  sinners,  who  lived  a  life 
of  poverty  and  ignominy,  who  endured 
persecution  and  reproach,  and  death  itself, 

*  Acts  xvi.  30. 
t  Periodical  Accounts  of  the   Baptist  Missionarj- 
Society,  No.  IV.  p.  326. 


for  them  ;  and  to  realize  a  blessed  immor- 
tality in  prospect.  By  a  view  of  such 
things  their  hearts  are  cheered,  and  their 
afflictions  become  tolerable.  Looking  to 
Jesus,  who  for  the  joy  set  before  him  en- 
dured the  cross,  despising  the  shame, 
and  is  now  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  throne  of  God,  they  run  with  patience 
the  race  which  is  set  before  them. — But 
what  is  the  comfort  of  unbelievers  1  Life 
being  short,  and  having  no  ground  to  hope 
for  any  thing  beyond  it,  if  they  be  crossed 
here  they  become  inconsolable.  Hence  it 
is  not  uncommon  for  persons  of  this  de- 
scription, after  the  example  of  the  philoso- 
phers and  statesmen  of  Greece  and  Rome, 
when  they  find  themselves  depressed  by 
adversity,  and  have  no  prospect  of  recov- 
ering their  fortunes,  to  put  a  period  to  their 
lives!  Unhappy  men!  Is  this  the  felicity 
to  which  ye  would  introduce  us  1  Is  it  in 
guilt,  shame,  remorse,  and  desperation 
that  ye  descry  such  charms'!  Admitting 
that  our  hope  of  immortalitj'  is  visionary, 
where  is  the  injury  1  If  it  be  a  dream,  is 
it  not  a  pleasant  one  1  To  say  the  least,  it 
beguiles  uiany  a  melancholy  hour,  and  can 
do  no  mischief:  but,  if  it  be  a  reality, 
what  will  become  of  you  1 

I  may  be  told  that,  if  many  put  a  period 
to  their  lives  through  unbelief,  there  is  an 
equal  number  who  fall  sacrifices  to  relig- 
ious melancholy.  But,  to  render  this  ob- 
jection of  force,  it  should  be  proved  that 
the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  cause  of 
this  melancholy.  Reason  may  convince 
us  of  the  being  of  a  God,  and  conscience 
bear  witness  that  we  are  exposed  to  his 
dis])Ieasure.  Now,  if  in  this  st?cte  of  mind 
the  heart  refuse  to  acquiesce  in  the  gospel 
way  of  salvation,  we  shall  of  course  either 
rest  in  some  delusive  hope  or  sink  into  de- 
spair. But  here  it  is  not  religion,  but  the 
want  of  it,  that  produces  the  evil;  it  is 
unbelief,  and  not  faith,  that  sinks  the  sin- 
ner into  despondency.  Christianity  dis- 
owns such  characters.  It  records  some 
few  examples,  such  as  Saul,  Ahithophel, 
and  Judas  ;  but  they  are  all  l)randcd  as 
apostates  Irom  God  and  true  religion.  On 
the  contrary,  the  writings  of  unbelievers, 
botli  ancient  and  modern,  are  known  to 
plead  for  suicide,  as  an  expedient  in  ex- 
tremity. Rousseau,  Hume,  and  others, 
have  written  in  defence  of  it.  The  princi- 
ples of  such  men  both  produce  and  require 
it.  It  is  the  natural  off'spring  of  unbelief, 
and  the  last  resort  of  disappointed  pride. 
Whether  Christianity  or  the  want  of  it 
be  best  adapted  to  relieve  the  heart,  under 
its  various  pressures,  let  those  testify  who 
have  been  in  the  hal)it  of  visiting  the  af- 
flicted poor.  On  this  subject  the  writer 
of  these  sheets  can  speak  from  his  own 
knowledge.     In  this  situation  characters 


143 


CHRISTIANITY    A    SOURCE    OP    HAPPINESS. 


of  very  opposite  descriptions  are  found. 
Some  are  serious  and  sincere  Christians  ; 
others,  even  among  those  who  have  at- 
tended the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  appear 
neither  to  understand  nor  to  feel  it.  The 
tale  of  woe  is  told  perhaps  by  both ;  but 
the  one  is  unaccompanied  with  that  dis- 
content, that  wretchedness  of  mind,  and 
that  inclination  to  despair,  which  is  mani- 
fest in  the  other.  Often  have  I  seen  the 
cheerful  smile  of  contentment  under  cir- 
cumstances the  most  abject  and  afflictive. 
Amidst  tears  of  sorrow,  which  a  full  heart 
has  rendered  it  impossible  lo  suppress,  a 
mixture  of  hope  and  joy  has  glistened. 
"  The  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given  me 
to  drink,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ]"  Such  have 
been  their  feelings,  and  such  their  expres- 
sions ;  and,  where  this  has  been  the  case, 
death  has  generally  been  embraced  as  the 
messenger  of  peace.  Here,  I  have  said, 
participating  of  their  sensations, — "here 
is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 
Here  are  they  that  keep  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus.  This 
is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith. — Who  is  he  that  overcom- 
eth the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  Godl" 

From  individual  happiness,  let  us  pro- 
ceed to  examine  that  of  society.  Let  us 
inquire  whether  there  be  any  well-ground- 
ed hope  of  the  future  melioration  of  the 
state  of  mankind,  besides  that  which  is 
afforded  by  the  gospel.  Great  expecta- 
tions have  been  raised  of  an  end  being  put 
to  wars,  and  of  universal  good-will  perva- 
ding the  earth,  in  consequence  of  philoso- 
phical illumination,  and  the  prevalence  of 
certain  modes  of  civil  government.  But 
these  speculations  proceed  upon  false  da- 
ta. They  suppose  that  the  cause  of  these 
evils  is  to  be  looked  for  in  the  ignorance, 
rather  than  in  the  depravity  of  men:  or, 
if  depravity  be  allowed  to  have  any  influ- 
ence, it  is  confined  to  the  precincts  of  a 
court.  Without  taking  upon  me  to  decide 
which  is  the  best  mode  of  civil  govern- 
ment, or  what  mode  is  most  adapted  to 
promote  the  peace  and  happiness  of  man- 
kind, it  is  sufficient,  in  this  case,  to  show 
that  wars  generally  originate,  as  the  apos- 
tle James  says,  in  the  lusts,  or  corrupt 
passions,  of  mankind.  If  this  be  proved, 
it  will  follow  that,  however  some  forms  of 
government  may  be  more  friendly  to  peace 
and  happiness  than  others,  yet  no  radical 
cure  can  be  effected  till  the  dispositions  of 
men  are  changed.  Let  power  be  placed 
where  it  may,  with  one  or  with  many,  still 
it  must  be  in  the  hands  of  men.  If  all 
governments  were  so  framed  as  that  every 
national  act  should  be  expressive  of  the 
real  will  of  the  people,  still,  if  the  prepon- 
derating part  of  them  be  governed  by  pride 


and  self-love  rather  than  equity,  we  are 
not  much  the  nearer.  Governors  taken 
from  the  common  mass  of  society  must 
needs  resemble  it.  If  there  be  any  differ- 
ence at  the  time  of  their  first  elevation  to 
office,  owing,  as  may  be  supposed,  to  the 
preference  which  all  men  give  to  an  up- 
right character  for  the  management  of  their 
concerns,  yet  this  advantage  will  be  bal- 
anced, if  not  over-balanced,  by  the  subse- 
quent temptations  to  injustice  which  are 
afforded  by  situations  of  wealth  and  power. 
What  is  the  source  of  contentions  in 
common  life  1  Observe  the  discords  in 
neighborhoods  and  families,  which,  not- 
withstanding all  the  restraints  of  relation- 
ship, interest,  honor,  law,  and  reason,  are 
a  fire  that  never  ceases  to  burn,  and 
which,  were  they  no  more  controlled  by 
the  laws  than  independent  nations  are  by 
each  other,  would  in  thousands  of  instan- 
ces break  forth  into  assassinations  and 
murders.  Whence  spring  these  wars 
Are  they  the  i-esult  of  ignorance  ?  If  so, 
they  would  chiefly  be  confined  to  the 
rude,  uninformed  part  of  the  community. 
But  is  it  so"?  There  may,  it  is  true,  be 
more  pretences  to  peace  and  good  will, 
and  fewer  bursts  of  open  resentment  in 
the  higher,  than  in  the  lower  orders  of 
people  ;  but  their  dispositions  are  much 
the  same.  The  laws  of  politeness  can 
only  polish  the  surface ;  and  there  are 
some  parts  of  the  human  character  which 
still  appear  very  rough.  Even  politeness 
has  its  regulations  for  strife  and  murder, 
and  establishes  iniquity  by  a  law.  The 
evil  disposition  is  a  kind  of  subterraneous 
fire  ;  and  in  some  form  it  will  have  vent. 
Are  they  the  result  of  court  influence? 
No.  The  truth  is,  if  civil  government  in 
some  form  did  not  influence  the  fears  of 
the  unjust  and  contentious  part  of  the 
community,  there  would  be  no  security 
to  those  who  are  peaceably  inclined,  and 
especially  to  those  who  are  withal  reli- 
gious, and  whose  pious  conduct,  like  that 
of  Noah,  condemns  the  world.  Now  the 
same  disposition  which,  in  persons  whose 
power  extends  only  to  a  cottage,  will 
operate  in  a  way  of  domestic  discord,  in 
others,  whose  influence  extends  to  the 
affairs  of  nations,  will  operate  on  a  more 
enlarged  scale,  producing  war  and  all  the 
dire  calamities  which  attend  it.  The 
sum  of  the  whole  is  this  :  When  the  pre- 
ponderating part  of  the  world  shall  cease 
to  be  proud,  ambitious,  envious,  covetous, 
lovers  of  their  own-selves,  false,  malig- 
nant, and  intriguing — when  they  shall 
love  God  and  one  another  out  of  a  pure 
heart — then,  and  not  till  then,  may  we 
expect  wars  to  cease,  and  the  state  of 
mankind  to  be  essentially  meliorated. 
While    these    dispositions    remain,   they 


CHRISTIANITY    A    SOURCE      OF    HAPPINESS. 


143 


will  be  certain  to  show  themselves.  If 
the  Viest  laws  or  constitution  in  the  world 
stand  in  their  way,  they  will,  on  certain 
occasions,  bear  down  all  l)etbre  them. 

An  anonymous  writer  in  the  Monthly 
Magazine*  (a  work  which,  without  avow- 
insr  it,  is  pretty  evidently  devoted  to  the 
cause  of  infidelity)  has  instituted  an  inqui- 
ry into  "  the  j)rol)ability  ol  the  future  me- 
lioration of  mankind."  A  dismal  pros- 
pect indeed  it  is  which  he  holds  up  to  his 
fellow-creatures  ;  yet  were  I  an  Infidel, 
like  him,  I  should  acquiesce  in  many  thiuirs 
which  he  advances.  The  anchor  of  his 
hopes  is  0)1  increase  of  kiioicledge,  and  the 
effects  of  this  are  circumscribed  within  a 
very  narrow  boundary.  With  respect  to 
what  we  call  civilization,  he  reckons  it  to 
have  undergone  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
which  it  is  capable.  Scientific  refinement 
may  contril)ute  to  the  happiness  of  a  few 
individuals  ;  but,  he  fears,  cannot  be  made 
a  ground  of  much  advantage  to  the  mass 
of  mankind.  Great  scope,  indeed,  re- 
mains for  the  operation  of  increased  know- 
ledge in  improvement  in  government  ;  but 
even  here  it  can  only  cure  those  evils 
which  arise  from  ignorance,  and  not  those 
which  proceed  from  intention,  which, 
"  while  the  propensity  to  prefer  our  own 
interests  above  that  ot  the  community  is," 
as  he  acknowledges,  "  interwoven  into  our 
very  nature,"  will  always  form  the  mass 
of  existing  ills.  If,  indeed,  the  majority 
of  <\  community,  he  says,  became  so  en- 
lightened concerning  iheir  interests,  and 
so  wise,  steady,  and  unanimous  in  the  pur- 
suit of  them,  as  to  overcome  all  that  re- 
sistance which  the  possessors  of  undue  ad- 
vantages will  always  make  to  a  change 
unfavorable  to  themselves,  something 
might  be  hoped  for.  But  this,  while  they 
are  under  their  old  masters,  he  reckons 
as  next  to  impossible.  As  to  political  rev- 
olutions, he  did  form  high  expectations 
from  them;  but  his  hopes  are  at  an  end. 
"I  have  only  the  wisli  lelt,"  says  he; 
"  the  confidence  is  gone."  As  to  improv- 
ed systems  of  morality,  which  he  considers 
as  the  art  of  living  happy,  though  it  might 
seem  promising,  yet  history,  he  very  just- 
ly remarks,  does  not  allow  us  to  expect 
that  men,  in  proportion  as  they  advance 
in  this  species  of  knowledge,  will  become 
more  just,  more  temperate,  or  more  be- 
nevolent. Of  the  extinction  of  icars  he 
has  no  hope.  The  new  order  of  things 
which  seemed  opening  in  Europe,  and  to 
bid  fair  for  it,  has  rather  increased  the 
evil ;  and,  as  to  Christianity,  it  has  been 
tried,  it  seems,  and  found  to  be  insufficient 
for  the  purpose.  Commerce,  instead  of 
binding  the  nations  in  a  golden  chain  of 

*  For  February,  1799,  p.  9. 


mutual  peace  and  friendship,  seems  only 
to  have  given  additional  motives  for  war. 

The  amount  is.  There  is  little  or  no 
hope  of  the  state  of  mankind  being  meli- 
orated on  public  principles.  All  the  im- 
provement he  can  discern  in  this  way  con- 
sists in  there  being  a  little  more  lenity  in 
the  government  of  some  countries  than 
formerly  ;  and,  as  to  this,  it  is  balanced  by 
the  prodigious  increase  of  standing  armies, 
and  other  national  burdens. 

The  only  way  in  which  an  increase  in 
knowledge  is  to  operate  to  the  melioration 
of  the  state  of  mankind  is  in  private  life. 
It  is  to  soften  and  humanize  men's  man- 
ners, and  emancipate  their  minds  Irom  the 
shackles  of  superstition  and  bigotry — 
names  which  writers  of  this  class  com- 
monly bestow  upon  Christianity.  This  is 
the  boundary  beyond  which,  whatever  be 
his  wishes,  the  hopes  of  this  writer  will 
not  suffer  him  to  pass  ;  and  even  this  re- 
spects only  Europe  and  her  immediate 
connections,  and  not  the  whole  of  them. 
The  great  mass  of  mankind  are  in  an  ab- 
solutely hopeless  condition  ;  for  there  are 
no  means  of  carrying  our  improvements 
among  them  but  by  conquest,  and  conquest 
is  a  Pandora's  box,  at  the  mention  of 
which  he  shudders. 

Such  are  the  prospects  of  unbelievers ; 
such  is  the  horrid  despondency  under 
which  they  sink  when  Providence  counter- 
acts their  favorite  schemes;  and  such  the 
spirit  which  they  labor  to  infuse  into  the 
minds  of  men  in  order  to  make  them  hap- 
py !  Christian  reader.  Have  you  no  bet- 
ter hopes  than  these  1  Are  you  not  ac- 
quainted with  a  principle  which,  like  the 
machine  of  Archimedes,  will  remove  this 
mighty  mass  of  evils  ]  Be  they  as  great 
and  as  numerous  as  they  may,  if  all  can  be 
reduced  to  a  single  cause,  and  that  cause 
removed,  the  work  is  done.  All  the  evils 
of  which  this  writer  complains  are  reduci- 
ble to  that  one  principle,  which,  he  says, 
(and  it  is  well  he  says  it,)  "  is  interwoven 
into  our  very  nature  ;  namely,  the  propen- 
sity to  prefer  our  own  interest  above  that 
of  the  community."  It  is  this  propensi- 
ty that  operates  in  the  great,  and  indu- 
ces them  to  "  oppose  every  thing  that 
would  be  unfavorable  to  their  power  and 
advantage;  and  the  same  thing"  operates 
among  common  people,  great  numbers  of 
whom,  it  is  well  known,  would  sell  their 
country  for  apiece  of  bread.  If  this  prin- 
ciple cannot  be  removed,  I  shall,  with  this 
writer,  forever  despair  of  any  essential 
changes  for  the  better  in  the  state  of  man- 
kind, and  will  content  myself  with  culti- 
vating private  and  domestic  happiness,  and 
hoping  for  the  blessedness  of  a  future  life  : 
but,  if  it  can,  I  must  leave  him  to  despair 
alone. 


144 


CHRISTIANITY    A    SOURCE     OF    HAPPINESS- 


My  hopes  are  not  founded  on  forms  of 
government,  nor  even  on  an  increase  of 
knowledge,  though  each  may  have  its  val- 
ue ;  but  on  the  spirit  by  which  both  the  ru- 
lers and  the  people  loill  be  governed.  All 
forms  of  government  have  hitherto  rested 
on  the  basis  of  self-love.  The  wisest  and 
best  statesmen  have  been  obliged  to  take 
it  for  granted  that  the  mass  of  every  peo- 
ple will  be  governed  by  this  principle; 
and,  consequently,  all  their  schemes  have 
been  directed  to  the  balancing  of  things  in 
such  a  manner  as  that  people,  in  pursuing 
their  own  interest,  should  promote  that  of 
the  public.  If  in  any  case  they  have  pre- 
sumed on  the  contrary,  experience  has 
soon  taught  them  that  all  their  schemes 
are  visionary,  and  inapplicable  to  real  life. 
But  if  the  mass  of  the  people,  composed 
of  all  the  different  orders  of  society,  were 
governed  by  a  spirit  of  justice  and  disin- 
terested benevolence,  systems  of  govern- 
ment might  safely  be  formed  on  this  basis. 
It  would  then  be  sufficient  for  statesmen  to 
ascertain  what  was  right,  and  best  adapted 
to  promote  the  good  of  the  community, 
and  the  people  would  cheerfully  pursue  it ; 
and,  pursuing  this,  would  find  their  own 
good  more  effectually  promoted  than  by 
all  the  little  discordant  arts  of  a  selfish 
mind. 

The  excellence  of  the  most  admired 
constitutions  which  have  hitherto  appear- 
ed in  the  world  has  chiefly  consisted  in  the 
balance  of  power  being  so  distributed, 
among  the  different  orders  of  society,  as 
that  no  one  should  materially  oppress  or 
injure  the  other.  They  have  endeavored 
to  set  boundaries  to  each  other's  encroach- 
ments, and  contrived,  in  some  degree,  to 
counteract  venality,  corruption,  and  tu- 
mult. But  all  this  supposes  a  corrupt 
state  of  society,  and  amounts  to  no  more 
than  making  the  best  of  things,  taking 
them  as  they  are.  As  things  are,  locks 
and  keys  and  bolts  and  bars  are  necessary 
in  our  houses  ;  but  it  were  better  if  there 
were  no  occasion  for  them.  I  do  not  take 
upon  me  to  say  that  things  will  ever  be  in 
such  a  state  as  that  there  shall  be  no  need 
of  these  political  precautions  ;  but  I  be- 
lieve they  will  be  far  less  necessary  than 
at  present. 

If  the  Bible  be  true,  the  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  will  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea  ;  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
will  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
of  his  Christ;  idolatry,  and  every  species 
of  false  religion,  shall  be  no  more  ;  the 
arts  and  instruments  of  war  shall  be  laid 
aside,  and  exchanged  for  those  of  husban- 
dry ;  the  different  tribes  of  man  shall  be 
united  in  one  common  band  of  brotherly 
love ;  slavery  and  oppression  will  cease  ; 
righteousness  will  be  established  in  the 


earth;  and  "the  work  of  righteousness 
shall  be  peace,  and  the  etfect  oi  righteous- 
ness quietness  and  assurance  forever." 

But  "Christianity  has  been  tried,"  it 
seems,  "  and  found  insufficient."  That  it 
has  not  been,  as  yet,  sufficient  to  banish 
unjust  wars  from  the  earth  is  true  ;  and  it 
were  more  than  wonderful  if  it  had,  seeing 
it  has  never  yet  been  cordially  embraced 
by  the  majority,  nor  perliaps  by  the  pre- 
ponderating part  of  any  nation.  Never- 
theless it  has  had  its  influence.  This 
gloomy  writer  himself  acknowledges  that 
the  state  of  society  in  Europe  and  Ameri- 
ca, that  is  to  say,  in  Christendom,  is  far 
preferable  to  what  it  is  in  other  parts  of 
the  earth.  Of  the  rest  of  the  world  he  has 
no  hope.  Has  Christianity  done  nothing 
in  this  case  1  That  thousands  in  different 
nations  are,  by  a  cordial  belief  of  it,  ren- 
dered sober,  just,  disinterested,  and  peace- 
able, and  that  the  state  of  society  at  large 
is  greatly  meliorated,  have,  I  hope,  been 
already  proved.*  To  believe  then  in  the 
future  accomplishment  of  the  foregoing 
prophecies  is  only  to  believe  that  what  is 
already  effected  in  individuals  will  be  ex- 
tended to  the  general  body  of  mankind, 
or,  at  least,  to  such  a  proportion  of  them 
as  shall  be  sufficient  to  give  a  preponder- 
ance in  human  affairs. 

Moreover,  the  same  book  which  de- 
clares that  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
of  his  Christ  has  foretold,  in  great  vari- 
ety of  language,  the  downfal  of  the  Papal 
Antichrist,  and  that  by  means  of  the  same 
powers  from  which  its  dominion  was  first 
derived.  We  have,  in  part,  seen  the  ful- 
filment of  the  one,  and  live  in  expectation 
of  the  other.  We  are  not  ignorant  of 
the  evil  designs  of  Infidels  ;  but  we  believe 
that  God  is  above  them,  and  that  they  are 
only  instruments  in  his  hand  in  the  ful- 
filment of  his  word.  While,  therefore, 
we  feel  for  the  miseries  of  mankind,  occa- 
sioned by  the  dreadful  devastations  of 
war,  we  sorrow  not  as  those  who  have  no 
hope ;  but  are  persuaded  that  all  things, 
even  now,  are  working  together  for  good  ; 
and,  while  we  pity  individual  sufferers,  we 
cannot  join  the  whining  lamentations  of 
interested  men — "  Alas,  alas,  that  great 
city  !  "  On  the  contrary,  we  feel  dis- 
posed to  join  the  song  of  the  heavenly 
host,  "Alleluia;  Salvation,  and  glory, 
and  honor,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our 
God  ;  for  true  and  righteous  are  his 
judgments.— Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice, 
and  give  honor  to  him ;  for  the  marriage 
of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  bride  hath 
made  herself  ready." 

If,  acording  to  the  doctrine  of  Boling- 

*  Chap.  V.  VI. 


CHRISTIAISITV    A    SOURCE     OF    HAPPINESS. 


145 


broke,  Volney,  and  other  Deists,  we 
knew  no  other  source  of  virtue  and  hap- 
piness than  self-love,  we  should  often  l)e 
less  happy  then  we  are.  Our  blessedness 
is  bound  up  with  that  of  Christ  and  his 
followers  throujrhout  the  world.  His 
friends  are  our  friends,  and  his  enemies 
our  enemies  ;  they  that  seek  his  life  seek 
ours  ;  the  prosperity  of  his  kinsrdom  is 
our  prosperity,  and  we  prefer  it  above 
our  cliief  joy.  From  tiie  pulijic  stock  of 
blessedness  beinji  thus  considered  as  tlie 
common  property  of  every  individual, 
arises  a  great  and  constant  influx  of  en- 
joyment. Hence  it  is  that,  in  times  when 
temporal  comforts  fail,  or  family  troubles 
depress,  or  a  cloud  hangs  over  our  partic- 


ular connections,  or  death  threatens  to 
arrest  us  in  a  course  of  pleasing  labor, 
we  have  still  our  resources  of  consolation. 
'  Aflairs  with  me  are  sinking ;  but  he 
viust  increase.' — '  My  house  is  not  so 
with  God;  but  the  kingdom  of  my  Lord 
shall  be  estalilished  forever.' — '  His  in- 
terest sinks  in  this  congregation;  but  it 
rises  elsewhere.' — 'I  die;  but  God  will 
surely  visit  you  ."  Such  is  the  heritage 
of  the  servants  of  the  Lord  ;  and  such  the 
blessedness  of  those  whose  cliief  desire 
it  is  "  that  he  may  see  the  good  of  his  cho- 
sen, that  they  may  rejoice  in  the  gladness 
of  his  nation,  and  that  they  may  glory 
with  his  inheritance." 


VOL.    I. 


19 


THE 


GOSPEL      ITS      OWN     WITNESS 


PART     II. 


THE  HARMONY   OF  THE    CHRISTIAN   RELIGION  CONSIDERED   AS  AN  EVIDENCE 

OF  ITS  DIVINITY. 


If  Christianity  be  an  imposture,  it 
may,  like  all  other  impostures,  be  detect- 
ed. Falsehood  may  always  be  proved 
to  clash  with  fact,  with  reason,  or  with 
itself;  and  often  with  them  all.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  its  origin  be  divine,  it 
may  be  expected  to  bear  the  character  of 
consistency,  which  distinguishes  every 
other  divine  production.  If  the  Scrip- 
tures can  be  proved  to  harmonize  Avith 
historic  fact,  with  truth,  with  themselves, 
and  with  sober  reason,  they  must,  consid- 
ering what  they  profess,  be  divinely  in- 
spired, and  Christianity  must  be  of  God. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  HARMONY  OF  SCRIPTURE  WITH 
HISTORIC  FACT  EVINCED  BY  THE 
FULFILMENT    OF    PROPHECY. 

If  the  pretence  which  the  Scriptures 
make  to  divine  inspiration  be  unfounded, 
it  can  be  no  very  difficult  undertaking  to 
prove  it  so.  The  sacred  writers,  besides 
abounding  in  history,  doctrine,  and  mo- 
rality, have  dealt  largely  in  prophecy — and 
this  not  in  the  manner  of  the  heathen 
priests,  who  made  use  of  dark  and  dubi- 
ous language.  Their  meaning,  in  general 
is  capable  of  being  understood,  even  at 
this  distance  of  time,  and,  in  many  in- 
stances, cannot  be  mistaken.  The  dis- 
pute, therefore,  between  believers  and 
unbelievers,  is  reducible  to  a  short  issue. 
If  Scripture  prophecy  be  divinely  in- 
spired, it  will  be  accomplished  :  if  it  be 
imposture,  it  will  not. 

Let  us  suppose  that  by  digging  in  the 
earth,  a  chest  were  discovered  containing 
a  number  of  ancient  curiosities,  and, 
among  other  things,  a  tablet  inscribed 
with  calculations  of  the  most  remarkable 
eclipses  that  should  take  place  for  a  great 


while  to  come.  These  calculations  are 
examined  and  found  to  correspond  with 
fact  for  more  than  two  thousand  years 
past.  The  inspectors  cannot  agree,  per- 
haps, in  deciding  who  was  the  author, 
whether  it  had  not  gone  through  several 
hands  when  it  was  deposited  in  the  chest, 
and  various  other  questions  ;  but  does 
this  invalidate  the  truth  of  the  calcula- 
tions, or  diminish  the  value  of  the  tablet  1 

It  cannot  be  objected  that  events  have 
been  predicted  from  mere  political  fore- 
sight which  have  actually  come  to  pass ; 
for,  though  this  may  have  been  the  case  in 
a  few  instances,  wherein  causes  have  al- 
ready existed  which  atford  ground  for  the 
conclusion,  yet  it  is  impossible  that  the 
successive  changes  and  revolutions  of 
empires,  some  of  which  were  more  than 
a  thousand  years  distant,  and  depended  on 
ten  thousand  unknown  incidents,  should 
be  the  objects  of  human  speculation. 

Mr.  Paine  seems  to  feel  the  difficulty 
attending  his  cause  on  this  subject.  His 
method  of  meeting  it  is  not  by  soberly 
examining  the  agreement  or  disagreement 
of  prophecy  and  history  :  that  would  not 
have  suited  his  purpose.  But,  as  though 
he  had  made  a  wonderful  discovery,  he  in 
the  first  |)lace  goes  about  to  prove  that 
the  prophets  wrote  poetry;  and  hence 
would  p.ersuade  us  that  a  prophet  was  no 
other  than  an  ancient  Jewish  bard.  That 
the  prophecies  are  what  is  now  called  po- 
etic, Mr.  Paine  need  not  have  given  him- 
self the  trouble  to  prove,  as  no  person  of 
common  understanding  can  doubt  it :  but 
the  question  is.  Did  not  these  writings,  in 
whatever  kind  of  language  they  were  writ- 
ten, contain  predictions  of  future  events? 
yea,  and  of  the  most  notorious  and  remark- 
able events,  such  as  should  form  the  grand 
outlines  of  history  in  the  following  ages  1 
Mr.  Paine  will  not  deny  this  ;  nor  will  he 
soberly  undertake  to  disprove  that  many 
of  those  events  have  already  come  to 
pass.  He  will,  however,  take  a  shorter 
method — a  method   more    suited   to   his 


FULFILMENT    OF    PROPHECY. 


147 


turn  of  mind.  He  will  call  the  prophets 
*'  impostors  and  liars ;  he  will  roundly 
assert,  without  a  sliadow  of  proof,  and  in 
defiance  of  historic  e\idence,  tliat  the 
prediction  concerning  Cyrus  was  written 
after  the  event  took  place  ;  he  will  labor 
to  pervert  and  explain  away  some  few  of 
the  j)rophecies,  and  get  rid  of  the  rest  hy 
calling  the  writer  "  a  false  prophet,"  and 
his  j)roduction  "  a  book  of  falsehoods."* 
These  are  weapons  worthy  of  Mr. 
Paine's  warfare.  But  why  all  tliis  rage 
against  an  ancient  bard  1  Just  now  a 
propiiet  was  only  a  poet,  and  the  idea  of 
a  predictor  of  future  events  was  not  in- 
cluded in  the  moaning  of  the  term.  It 
seems,  iiowever,  by  this  time,  that  Mr. 
Paine  has  found  a  number  of  predictions 
in  the  prophetic  writings,  to  dismiss  which 
he  is  obliged,  as  is  usual  with  him  in 
cases  of  emergency,  to  summon  all  his 
talents  of  misrepresentation  and  abuse. 

I  take  no  particular  notice  of  this  wri- 
ter's attempts  to  explain  away  a  few  of  the 
predictions  of  Isaiah  and  other  prophets. 
Those  who  have  undertaken  to  answer 
him  have  performed  this  part  of  the  busi- 
ness. I  sliall  only  notice  that  he  has  not 
dared  to  meet  the  great  body  of  Scripture 
prophecy,  or  fairly  to  look  it  in  the  face. 

To  say  nothing  of  the  predictions  of  the 
destruction  of  mankind  by  a  flood  ;  of  that 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  by  fire;  of  the 
descendants  of  Abraham  being  put  in  pos- 
session of  Canaan  within  a  limited  period  ; 
and  of  various  other  events,  the  history  as 
well  as  the  prophecy  of  which  is  confined 
to  the  Scriptures  ;  let  us  review  those  pre- 
dictions the  fulfilment  of  which  has  been 
recorded  by  historians  who  knew  nothing 
of  them,  and,  consequently,  could  have  no 
design  in  their  favor. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  sacred  history 
ends  where  profane  history,  that  part  of  it 
at  least  which  is  commonly  reckoned  au- 
thentic, begins.  Prior  to  the  Babylonish 
captivity,  the  scriptural  writers  were  in 
the  habit  of  narrating  the  leading  events 
of  their  country,  and  of  incidentally  intro- 
ducing those  of  the  surrounding  nations  ; 
but  shortly  after  this  time  the  great  chan- 
ges in  the  world  began  to  be  recorded  by 
other  hands,  as  Herodotus,  Xenophon,  and 
others.  From  this  period  they  dealt  chief- 
ly in  prophecy,  leaving  it  to  common  his- 
torians to  record  its  fulfilment. 

Mr.  Paine  says,  the  Scripture  prophe- 
cies are  "  a  book  of  falsehoods."  Let  us 
examine  this  charge.  Isaiah,  above  a  hun- 
dred years  before  the  captivity,  predicted 
the  destruction  of  the  Babylonish  empire 
by  the  Medes  and  Persians,  and  Judah's 
consequent  deliverance.     "  The  plunderer 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  pp.  53.  44.  47. 


is  plundered,  and  the  destroyer  is  destroy- 
ed ;  Go  up,  O  Elam  ;  form  the  siege,  O 
Media!  I  have  put  an  end  to  all  her  vexa- 
tions."! Ask  Herodotus  and  Xenophon, 
Was  this  a  falsehood  1 

Daniel,  fourteen  years  before  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Medo-Persian  dominion 
by  tlie  taking  of  Babylon,  described  that 
dominion  with  its  conquests,  and  the  su- 
periority of  the  Persian  influence  to  that 
of  the  Median,  under  the  syml)ol  of  a  ram 
with  two  horns.  "  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes 
and  saw,  and,  behold,  there  stood  before 
the  river  a  ram  which  had  two  horns,  and 
the  two  horns  were  high;  but  one  was 
higher  than  the  other,  and  the  higher  came 
up  last.  I  saw  the  ram  pushing  westward, 
and  northward,  and  southward ;  so  that 
no  beasts  might  stand  before  him,  neither 
was  there  any  that  could  deliver  out  of  his 
hand ;  but  he  did  according  to  his  will, 
and  became  great."  This  is  expounded 
as  follows  :  "  The  ram  which  thou  sawest 
having  two  horns  are  the  kings  of  Media 
and  Persia."  |  Ask  the  afore-mentioned 
historians.  Was  this  a  falsehood] 

The  same  Daniel,  at  the  same  time,  two 
hundred  and  twenty-three  years  before  the 
event,  predicted  the  overthrow  of  this 
Medo-Persian  dominion,  by  the  arms  of 
Greece,  under  the  command  of  Alexan- 
der; and  described  the  latter  government 
under  the  symbol  of  a  he-goat,  with  a  no- 
table horn  between  his  eyes.  "  As  I  was 
considering,  behold  a  he-goat  came  from 
the  west,  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth, 
and  touched  not  the  ground  :  and  the  goat 
had  a  notable  horn  between  his  eyes.  And 
he  came  to  the  ram  that  had  two  horns, 
which  I  had  seen  standing  before  the  river, 
and  ran  unto  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power. 
And  I  saw  him  come  close  unto  the  ram, 
and  he  was  moved  with  choler  against  him, 
and  smote  the  ram,  and  brake  his  two 
horns  ;  and  there  Avas  no  power  in  the 
ram  to  stand  before  him,  but  he  cast  him 
down  to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon 
him  ;  and  there  was  none  that  could  deliver 
the  ram  out  of  his  hand."  The  exposition 
of  this  vision  follows  :  "  The  rough  goat 
is  the  king  of  Grecia ;  and  the  great  horn 
that  is  between  his  eyes  is  the  first  king."§ 
Ask  Diodorus  Siculus,  Plutarch,  and 
other  historians  of  those  times,  Was  this  a 
falsehood  ^ 

The  same  Daniel,  at  the  same  time,  two 
hundred  and  thirty  years  before  the  event, 
predicted  the  death  of  Alexander,  and  the 
division  of  his  empire  among  four  of  his 

t  Lowth's  translation  of  Isaiali  xxi.  2.  Olher  pro- 
pliecies  of  the  same  event  may  be  seen  in  Isa.  xiii.  ; 
xiv;  xxi;  xliii  14—17;  xliv.  28;  xlv.  1 — 4;  xivii. 
Jer.  XXV.  12—26;  1;   li.     Hab.  ii. 

X  Dan.  viii.  3,  4.  20.     See  also  Chap.  vii.  5. 

§  Dan.  viii.  5—7.  21.    See  also  Chap.  xi.  2—4. 


148 


FULFILMENT    OF    PROPHECY. 


principal  commanders,  each  of  whom  had 
an  extensive  dominion.  "  The  he-goat 
waxed  very  great ;  and,  when  he  was 
strong,  the  great  horn  was  broken ;  and 
for  it  came  up  four  notable  ones,  towards 
the  four  winds  of  heaven."  The  inter- 
pretation of  this  was  as  follows:  "Now 
that  being  broken,  whereas  four  stood  up 
for  it,  four  kingdoms  shall  stand  up  out  of 
the  nation,  but  not  in  his  power."*  Ask 
the  afore-mentioned  historians  of  those 
times.  Was  this  a  falsehood? 

The  same  Daniel,  at  the  sametime,  three 
hundred  and  eighty  years  before  the  event, 
foretold  the  outrageous  reign  and  sudden 
death  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  king  of 
Syria  :  particularly,  thai  by  flattery  and 
treachery  he  should  accomplish  his  end  ; 
and,  on  account  of  the  degeneracy  of  the 
Jews,  should  be  permitted  for  a  time  to 
i"avage  their  country,  interrupt  their  ordi- 
nary course  of  worship,  profane  their  tem- 
ple, and  persecute,  even  to  death,  those 
who  refused  to  comply  with  his  heathen 
abominations  ;  but  that,  in  the  midst  of 
his  career,  he  should  be  cut  off  by  a  sud- 
den visitation  from  heaven.  "  And  out  of 
one  of  them  (the  four  branches  of  the  Gre- 
^'ian  empire)  came  forth  a  little  horn, 
Avhich  waxed  exceeding  great,  toward  the 
south,  and  toward  the  east,  and  toward 
the  pleasant  land.  And  it  waxed  great, 
even  to  the  host  of  heaven  ;  and  it  cast 
down  some  of  the  host  and  of  the  stars 
to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon  them. 
Yea,  he  magnified  himself  even  to  the 
prince  of  the  host,  and  by  him  the  daily 
sacrifice  was  taken  away,  and  the  place 
of  his  sanctuary  was  cast  down.  And  an 
host  was  given  him  against  the  daily  sac- 
rifice, by  reason  of  transgression,  and  it 
cast  down  the  truth  to  the  ground  ;  and  it 
practised,  and  prospered."  Of  this  the 
following  is  the  exposition  :  "In  the  lat- 
ter time  of  their  kingdom,  when  the  trans- 
gressors are  come  to  the  full,  a  king  of 
fierce  countenance,  and  understanding 
dark  sentences,  shall  stand  up.  And  his 
power  shall  be  mighty,  but  not  by  his  own 
power ;  and  he  shall  destroy  wonderfully, 
and  shall  prosper,  and  practise,  and  shall 
destroy  the  mighty  and  the  holy  people. 
And  through  his  policy  also  he  shall  cause 
craft  to  prosper  in  his  hand ;  and  he  shall 
magnify  himself  in  his  heart,  and  by  peace 
shall  destroy  many ;  he  shall  also  stand 
up  against  the  prince  of  princes ;  but  he 
shall  be  broken  without  hand. "f 

Daniel  also  foretels,  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  ofhis  prophecies,  the  wars  between 
this  king  of  Syria  and  Ptolemy  Philometor 
Jiing  of  Egypt,  with  the  interposition  of 

*-Dan.  viii.  S.  22.    See  also  Chap.  vii.  6. 
t  Dan.  viii.  9—112.  23—25. 


the  Romans,  whose  ambassadors  should 
come  over  in  ships  from  Chittim,  and 
compel  him  to  desist  :  also  that,  being  thus 
disappointed  of  his  object  in  Egypt,  he 
should  return  full  of  wrath  and  indigna- 
tion to  his  own  land,  and  wreak  his  ven- 
geance upon  the  Jews,  whose  country  lay 
in  his  way,  though  they  had  done  nothing 
to  offend  him.  I  will  not  say,  ask  Jose- 
phus,  Diodorus  Siculus,  and  Polybius,  if 
these  were  falsehoods  ;  ask  Porphyry,  a 
professed  enemy  to  the  holy  scriptures, 
both  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  and 
who  wrote  against  them  about  the  middle 
of  the  third  century.  He  has  proved, 
from  the  testimony  of  six  or  seven  histo- 
rians of  those  times,  that  these  predictions 
were  all  exactly  fulfilled ;  and,  like  Mr. 
Paine  by  the  prophecies  concerning  Cy- 
rus, is  driven,  merely  on  account  of  their 
being  true,  to  fly  in  the  face  of  historic 
evidence,  and  maintain  that  they  could  not 
be  the  production  of  Daniel,  but  must 
have  been  written  by  some  Jew  after  the 
events  took  place. J 

As,  in  the  eighth  and  eleventh  chapters 
ofhis  prophecies,  Daniel  has  foretold  the 
Persian  and  Grecian  governments,  with 
the  subdivisions  of  the  latter,  and  how 
they  should  affect  the  Jewish  people ;  so, 
in  the  seventh  chapter,  he  has,  in  connex- 
ion with  them,  foretold  the  government  of 
Rome.  This  singular  empire  he  repre- 
sents as  exceeding  all  that  had  gone  be- 
fore in  power  and  terror  ;  and  as  that  of 
Greece,  soon  after  the  death  of  Alexan- 
der, should  be  divided  into  four  kingdoms 
signified  by  the  four  heads  of  tlie  third 
beast,  so  this,  it  is  foretold,  should  be,  at 
the  time  of  its  dissolution,  divided  into 
ten  kingdoms,  which  are  signified  by  the 
ten  horns  of  the  fourth  beast.  Ask  uni- 
versal history.  Is  this  a  falsehood  1  Those 
who  adopt  the  cause  of  Porphyry,  must, 
in  this  instance,  desert  his  hypothesis  : 
ihey  cannot  say  that  this  part  of  the 
prophecy  was  written  by  some  Jew  after 
the  event  took  place,  seeing  Porphyry 
himself  has  acknowledged  its  existence 
some  hundreds  of  years  before  it  was  ac- 
complished. 

The  predictions  of  this  prophet  did  not 
end  here  :  he  at  the  same  time  foretold 
that  there  should  arise  among  the  ten 
kingdoms,  into  which  tlie  Roman  empire 
should  be  broken,  a  power  diverse  from 
all  the  rest,  "  a  little  horn  "  which  should 
"  speak  great  words  against  the  Most 
High,  and  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High  ;"  and  that  this  power  should  con- 

t  See  Prideaiix's  Connexion,  Part  I.  Book  II. 
VIII.  Part  II.  Book  III.,  where  the  accomplish- 
ment ofall  the  foregoing  events  is  clearly  narrated, 
and  the  authorities  cited. 


FULFILMENT    OF    PROPHECY. 


149 


tinue  until  "  a  time,  and  times,  and  tlic 
dividing  of  time."  At  tlie  end  of  this  pe- 
riod, lie  adds,  "  the  judj^nncnt  shall  sit, 
and  they  shall  take  away  his  dominion,  to 
consume  and  to  destroy  unto  the  end." 
Are  these  falsehoods  1  Let  the  history 
of  the  last  twelve  hundred  years,  and  the 
present  state  of  the  Papal  hierarchy,  de- 
termine. 

Passing  over  the  predictions  of  the 
Messiah,  whose  birth,  place  of  nativity, 
time  of  appearance,  manner  of  life,  doc- 
trine, miracles,  death,  and  resurrection, 
Avere  each  particularly  pointed  out  ;  *  let 
us  examine  a  few  examples  from  the  New 
Testament.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  fore- 
told the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans,  and  limited  the  time  of  its  ac- 
complishment to  the  then  "  present  gene- 
ration."! Ask  Josephus,  the  Jewish  his- 
torian. Is  this  a  falsehood  ! 

It  was  intimated,  at  the  same  time,  that 
the  Jewish  people  should  not  only  fall  by 
the  edge  of  the  sword,  but  that  great  num- 
bers of  them  should  be  "  led  away  captive 
into  all  nations;"  and  that  "Jerusalem 
should  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles, 
until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  should  be 
fulfilled. J  Ask  the  present  descendants 
of  that  unhappy  people,  Ls  this  a  false- 
hood "? 

The  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  foretold 
that  there  should  be  "  a  falling  away,"  or 
a  grand  apostasy,  in  theChristian  Church  ; 
wherein  "  the  man  of  sin  should  be  re- 
vealed, even  the  son  of  perdition  ;  who 
would  oppose  and  exalt  himself  above  all 
that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped  : 
and  who  tis  God  would  sit  in  the  temple  of 
God,  showing  himself  to  be  God."§  Also 
in  his  Epistle  to  Timothy:  "Now  the 
Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  lat- 
ter times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith, 
giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doc- 
trines of  devils  ;  speaking  lies  in  hypocri- 
sy; having  their  conscience  seared  with  a 
hot  iron  ;  forbidding  to  marry,  and  com- 
manding to  abstain  from  meats  which  God 
hath  created  to  be  received  with  thanks- 
giving of  them  which  believe  and  know 
the  truth." II 

A  large  proportion  of  the  Apocalypse  of 
John  respects  this  grand  apostacy,  and  the 
corrupt  community  in  which  it  was  ac- 
complished. He  describes  it  with  great 
variety  of  expression.  On  some  accounts 
it  is  represented  under  the  form  of  a 
"city,"  on  others  of  a  "beast,"  and  on 
others  of  a  "  woman  sitting  upon  a  beast." 

*  Isa.  ix.    6.      Micali  v.  2.      Dnn.    ix.   20 — 27. 
Isa.  xiii.  2;  xxxv.  .5,  6;    liii.     Ps.i.  xvi.  10,  11. 
t  Matt.  xxiv.  1 — 35.     Luke  xxi. 
t  Luke  xxi.  24. 
§  2  Thes.  ii.  3,  4. 
II  2  Tim.  iv.  1—3. 


That  we  might  be  at  no  loss  to  distinguish 
it  on  its  appearance,  it  is  intimated  that  it 
should  not  he  so  much  a  civil  as  an  apos- 
tate ecclesiastical  power  :  it  is  a  "  harlot," 
opposed  to  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife; — 
that  it  should  greatly  abound  in  wealth 
and  worldly  grandeur  :  "  The  woman  was 
arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  and  decked 
with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls  ; 
— that  its  dominion  should  not  be  confined 
to  its  own  immediate  territories  :  "  Power 
was  given  it  over  all  kingdoms  and 
tongues  and  nations  ;" — that  its  authority 
should  not  be  derived  from  its  own  con- 
quest, but  from  the  voluntary  consent  of  a 
numlicr  of  independent  kingdoms  to  come 
under  its  yoke  :  "  The  kings  of  the  earth 
have  one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power 
and  strength  unto  the  beast ;"— that  it 
should  be  distinguished  by  its  l)lasphemies, 
idolatries,  and  persecuting  spirit :  "  Upon 
her  were  the  names  of  blasphemy.  They 
should  make  an  image  of  the  beast, 
and  as  many  as  would  not  worship 
the  image  of  the  beast  were  to  be  killed. 
And  the  woman  was  drunk  with  the  blood 
of  the  saints;" — that  its  persecutions 
should  extend  to  such  a  length  as  for  no 
man  to  be  allowed  the  common  rights  of 
men,  unless  be  became  subject  to  it : 
"  No  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that 
had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or 
the  number  of  his  name;" — that  its  power 
should  continue  for  "  a  time,  times,  and 
half  a  time,  forty  and  two  months,  or  one 
thousand  two  himdred  and  sixty  days  ;" 
during  which  long  period  God's  witnesses 
should  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  be  driven  as 
into  a  wilderness,  and,  as  it  were,  slain, 
and  their  bodies  lie  unburied  : — finally, 
that  they  who  gave  it  an  existence  should 
be  the  instruments  in  taking  it  away : 
"The  kings,"  or  powers,  "of  the  earth 
shall  hate  the  whore,  and  burn  her  flesh 
with  fire."!I  Whether  all,  or  any  part  of 
this,  be  falsehood,  let  history  and  obser- 
vation determine. 

It  has  often  been  observed  that  the 
prophecies  of  the  Messiah  were  so  numer- 
ous and  explicit  that,  at  the  time  of  his  ap- 
pearance, there  was  a  general  expectation 
of  it,  not  only  in  Judea,  but  in  all  the 
neighboring  nations  ;  and  is  not  the  same 
thing  observable  at  this  time,  of  the  fall  of 
Antichrist,  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
and  the  general  spread  of  the  gospel  1 

Once  more  :  The  sacred  writers  have 
predicted  the  opposition  which  Christiani- 
ty should  encounter,  and  described  the 
characters  from  whom  it  should  proceed  : 
"In  the  last  days,"  say  they,  "peril- 
ous times  shall  come.  For  men  shall  be 
lovers  of  their  own  selves,  covetous,  boast- 

ir  Rev.  xi. ;   xiii. :  xvii. 


150 


CORRESPONDENCE    OP    SCRIPTURE    WITH    TRUTH. 


ers,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to 
parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  nat- 
ural affection,  truce-breakers,  false  accu- 
sers, incontinent,  fierce,  despisers  of  those 
that  are  good,  traitors,  heady,  high- 
minded,  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than 
lovers  of  God."  Again:  "There  shall 
be  mockers  in  the  last  time,  who  shall 
walk  after  their  own  ungodly  lusts  : 
filthy  dreamers,  who  defile  the  flesh,  des- 
pise dominion,  and  speak  evil  of  dignities  ; 
raging  waves  of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their 
own  shame ;  wandering  stars,  to  whom  is 
reserved  the  blackness  of  darkness  for- 
ever."* Let  Mr.  Paine,  and  other  Infi- 
dels, consider  well  the  above  picture,  and 
ask  their  own  conscience,  Is  this  a  false- 
hood 1 

Bishop  Newton,  in  his  Dissertations, 
has  clearly  evinced  the  fulfilment  of  seve- 
ral of  these  and  other  scripture-prophe- 
cies ;  and  has  shown  that  some  of  them 
are  fulfilling  at  this  day.  To  those  Dis- 
sertations I  refer  the  reader.  Enough 
has  been  said  to  enable  us  to  determine 
which  production  it  is  that  deserves  to 
be  called  "  a  book  of  falsehoods," — the 
prophecies  of  Scripture,  or  the  Age  of 
Reason. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  HARMONY  OF  SCRIPTURE  WITH 
TRUTH  EVINCED  FROM  ITS  AGREEMENT 
WITH  THE  DICTATES  OF  AN  ENLIGHT- 
ENED CONSCIENCE,  AND  THE  RESULT 
OF  THE   CLOSEST  OBSERVATION. 

If  a  brazen  mirror  were  found  in  some 
remote,  uninhabited  island,  it  might  be  a 
doubtful  matter  how  it  came  thither  ;  but, 
if  it  properly  reflected  objects,  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  its  being  a  real 
mirror. 

The  Bible  was  written  with  the  profess- 
ed design  of  being  "profitable  for  re- 
proof;" nor  was  there  ever  a  book  so 
adapted  to  the  purpose,  or  so  effectual  in 
its  operation  in  disclosing  the  inward 
workings  of  the  human  mind.  Thousands 
can  bear  witness,  from  experience,  that  it 
is  "  quick  and  powerful,  sharper  than  any 
two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  di- 
viding asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  a 
discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
heart."  Its  entrance  into  the  mind  gives 
light ;  and  light  which  discovers  the  works 
of  darkness.  Far  from  flattering  the  vices 
of  mankind,  it  charges  without  ceremony, 

•  2  Tim.  iii.  1—4.     Jude. 


every  son  of  Adam  with  possessing  the 
heart  of  an  apostate.  This  charge  it 
brings  home  to  the  conscience,  not  only 
by  its  pure  precepts,  and  awful  threaten- 
ings,  but  oftentimes  by  the  very  invita- 
tions and  promises  of  mercy,  which,  while 
they  cheer  the  heart  with  lively  hope, 
carry  conviction  by  their  import  to  the 
very  soul.  In  reading  other  books  you 
may  admire  the  ingenuity  of  the  writer; 
but  here  your  attention  is  turned  inward. 
Read  it  but  seriously,  and  your  heart  will 
answer  to  its  descriptions.  It  will  touch 
the  secret  springs  of  sensibility  ;  and,  if 
you  have  any  ingenuousness  of  mind  to- 
wards God,  the  tears  of  grief,  mingled 
with  those  of  hope  and  gratitude,  will,  ere 
you  are  aware,  trickle  from  your  eyes. 

To  whatever  particular  vices  you  may 
have  been  addicted,  here  you  will  discov- 
er your  likeness  ;  and  that,  not  as  by  a 
comic  representation  on  the  theatre,  which, 
where  it  reclaims  one  person  by  shaming 
him  out  of  his  follies,  corrupts  a  thousand  ; 
but  in  a  way  that  will  bring  conviction  to 
your  bosom. 

"  Come  see  a  man  which  told  me  all 
things  that  ever  I  did  :  Is  not  this  the 
Christ!"  Such  was  the  reasoning  of  the 
woman  of  Samaria;  and  who  could 
have  reasoned  better  1  That  which  makes 
manifest  must  be  light.  But  this  reason- 
ing is  applicable  to  other  things,  as  well  as 
to  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  No  man  can 
forbear  saying  of  that  book,  that  doctrine, 
or  that  preaching  which  tells  him  all  that 
ever  he  did.  Is  not  this  the  truth '?  The 
satisfaction  afforded  by  such  evidence  ap- 
proaches near  to  intuitive  certainty;  it  is 
having  the  witness  in  ourselves. 

Should  it  be  objected  that  though  this 
may  satisfy  our  own  minds,  yet  it  can  af- 
ford no  evidence  to  others  ;  I  answer,  It  is 
true  that  they  who  shun  the  light  cannot  be 
supposed  to  possess  the  same  evidence  of 
its  being  what  it  is,  as  those  who  have 
come  to  it  that  their  deeds  may  be  made 
manifest ;  yet  even  they,  if  at  all  acquaint- 
ed with  the  Bible,  must  be  aware  that  the 
likenesses  which  it  draws  are,  in  a  con- 
siderable degree,  their  own.  It  is  not  to 
serious  Christians  only  that  the  gospel  is  a 
mirror.  Many  who  never  look  into  that 
perfect  law  of  liberty  from  choice  and  de- 
light, so  as  to  be  blessed  in  their  work, 
but  only  glance  at  it  in  a  transient  and  oc- 
casional way,  yet  perceive  so  much  of 
their  own  character  in  it  as  to  be  convinc- 
ed that  it  is  right,  and  that  they  are  wrong. 
The  secret  conviction  of  thousands  who 
hear  the  word,  and  do  it  not,  resemble  that 
of  Pharaoh,  "  The  Lord  is  righteous,  and 
I  and  my  people  are  wicked."  The  im- 
pressions of  such  people,  it  is  true,  are 
frequently  short  in  their  duration :  like  a 


COHRESPONDKNCE    OF    SCRIPTURE    WITH    TRUTH. 


151 


man  who  seeth  his  natural  face  in  a  glass, 
they  jro  away,  and  straightway  forget  what 
manner  of  persons  they  arc  :  l)Ut  the  aver- 
sion which  they  discover  seriously  to  re- 
sume the  suliject  places  it  l)eyond  all  rea- 
sonable douht  that,  let  their  hearts  he  as 
they  may,  the  Scriptures  have  commend- 
ed themselves  to  their  consciences.  They 
have  felt  the  point  of  this  two-edged 
sword,  and  arc  not  disposed  to  renew  the 
encounter.  That  this  is  tlie  case  not  only 
with  nominal  Christians,  hut  with  great 
numbers  of  professed  Deists,  is  manifest 
from  the  acknowledgments  of  such  men  as 
the  Earl  of  Rochester,  and  many  others 
who  have  relented  on  the  near  approach  of 
death.  This  is  often  a  time  in  which  con- 
science must  and  will  Vie  heard  ;  and,  too 
often  for  the  happiness  of  surviving  ac- 
quaintances, it  proclaims  to  the  world 
that  the  grand  source  of  their  hatred  to  the 
Bible  has  been  that  for  which  Ahab  hated 
Micaiah — its  prophesying  no  good  con- 
cerning them. 

The  Scriptures  are  a  mirror  in  which 
we  see  not  only  individual  characters,  our 
own  and  others,  but  the  state  of  things  as 
they  move  on  in  the  great  world.  They 
show  us  the  spring  head  whence  all  the 
malignant  streams  of  idolatry,  atheism, 
corruption,  persecution,  war,  and  every 
other  evil  originate  ;  and,  liy  showing  us 
the  origin  of  these  destructive  maladies, 
clearly  instruct  us  wherein  must  consist 
their  cure. 

It  has  already  been  observed*  that 
Christian  morality  is  summed  up  in  the 
love  of  God  and  our  neighbor,  and  that 
these  principles,  carried  to  their  full  ex- 
tent, would  render  the  world  a  paradise. 
But  the  Scriptures  teach  us  that  man  is  a 
rebel  against  his  Maker  ;  that  his  carnal 
mind  is  enmity  against  God,  and  is  not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  be  ;  that,  instead  of  loving  God,  or 
even  man  in  the  order  which  is  required, 
men  are  become  "  lovers  of  their  own 
selves,"  and  neither  God  nor  man  is  re- 
garded but  as  they  are  found  necessary  to 
subserve  their  wishes. 

This  single  principle  of  human  depravi- 
ty, supposing  it  to  be  true,  will  fully  ac- 
count tor  all  the  moral  disorders  in  the 
world  ;  and  the  actual  existence  of  those 
disorders,  unless  they  can  be  better  ac- 
counted for,  must  go  to  prove  the  truth  of 
this  principle,  and,  by  consequence,  of  the 
christian  system  which  rests  upon  it. 

We  are  affected  in  considering  the  idol- 
atry of  so  great  a  part  of  the  human  race  ; 
but  we  are  not  surprised  at  it.  If  men  be 
destitute  of  the  love  of  God,  it  is  natural 
to  suppose  they  will  endeavor  to  banish 

*  Part  I.  OiRp.  III. 


him  from  their  thoutshts,  and,  provided  the 
state  of  society  will  admit  of  it,  from  their 
worship  ;  sui)stituting  gods  more  congenial 
with  their  inclinations,  and  in  the  worship 
of  which  they  can  indulge  themselves 
without  fear  or  control. 

Neither  are  we  surprised  at  the  practi- 
cal atheism  which  abounds  among  unbe- 
lievers, and  even  among  nominal  Chris- 
tians, in  European  nations.  If  the  state 
of  things  be  such  as  to  render  gross  idola- 
try inadmissil)le,  still,  if  aversion  to  God 
predominate,  it  will  show  itself  in  a  neg- 
lect of  all  worship,  and  of  all  serious  con- 
versation, or  devout  exercises;  in  a  wish 
to  think  there  is  no  God,  and  no  hereafter ; 
and  in  endeavors  to  banish  every  thing  of 
a  religious  nature  from  society.  Or,  if 
this  cannot  be,  and  any  thing  relating  to 
such  sul)jects  become  matter  of  discussion, 
they  will  be  so  explained  away  as  that  no- 
thing shall  be  left  which  can  approve  itself 
to  an  upright  heart.  The  holiness  of  the 
Divine  character  will  be  kept  out  of  sight, 
his  precepts  disregarded,  and  morality  it- 
self made  to  consist  in  something  destitute 
of  all  true  virtue. 

We  are  not  surprised  at  the  corruption 
which  Christianity  has  undergone.  Chris- 
tianity itself,  as  we  have  already  seen,  fore- 
told it;  and  the  doctrine  of  human  deprav- 
ity fully  accounts  for  it.  When  the  Chris- 
tian religion  was  adopted  by  the  state,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  there  were  great  num- 
bers of  unprincipled  men  who  professed  it ; 
and,  where  its  leading  characters  in  any 
age  are  of  this  description,  it  will  certainly 
V)e  corrupted.  The  pure  doctrine  of  Christ 
is  given  up  in  favor  of  some  flesh-pleasing 
system,  the  holy  precepts  of  Christian  mo- 
rality are  lowered  to  the  standard  of  ordi- 
nary practice,  and  the  worship  and  ordi- 
nances of  Christ  are  mingled  with  super- 
stition and  modelled  to  a  worldly  temper. 
It  was  thus  that  Judaism  was  corrupted  by 
the  old  Pharisees,  and  Christianity  by  the 
Papal  hierarchy. 

The  success  with  which  evil  men  and  se- 
ducers meet,  in  propagating  false  doctrine, 
is  no  more  than,  from  the  present  state  of 
things,  may  be  expected.  So  long  as  a 
large  proportion  of  the  professors  of 
Christianity  receive  not  the  love  of  the 
truth,  error  will  be  certain  to  meet  with  a 
welcome  reception.  The  grossest  impos- 
tor has  only  to  advance  a  system  suited  to 
corrupt  nature,  to  assert  it  with  effront- 
ery, and  to  flatter  his  adherents  with  being 
the  favorites  of  heaven,  and  he  will  be  fol- 
lowed.f 

t  Men  are  much  more  easily  deceived  in  these 
matters  than  in  the  ordinary  concerns  of  hfe.  If  a 
Ijondon  merchant  were  to  open  warehouses  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  city,  and  make   it  his  business  to 


152 


CORRESPONDENCE    OF    SCRIPTURE    WITH    TRUTH. 


The  persecutions  which  have  been  car- 
ried on  against  religion  are  grievous  to  hu- 
manity, and  equally  repugnant  to  justice 
and  to  good  policy  ;  but  they  are  not  in 
the  least  surprising.  There  was  not  a 
truth  more  prominent  in  our  Savior's  ad- 
dresses to  his  followers  than  this,  that, 
having  received  his  word,  the  world  would 
hate  them ;  because  they  were  not  of  the 
world,  as  he  was  not  of  the  world.  When 
he  sent  them  forth  to  preach  the  gospel,  it 
was  "  as  sheep  among  wolves  ;  "  and  they 
were  treated  accordingly.  When  he  took 
leave  of  them,  previously  to  his  death,  he 
left  them  his  peace,  as  knowing  that  in  the 
world  they  should  have  tribulation.  All 
this  was  no  more  than  might  be  expect- 
ed ;  for,  if  it  be  the  character  of  true  re- 
ligion that  it  sets  itself  against  every  vi- 
cious propensity  of  the  human  heart,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  that  every  one  who  is 
under  the  dominion  of  such  propensity 
will  feel  averse  from  true  religion,  and 
from  those  who  adhere  to  it.  The  manner 
in  which  mankind  have  stood  affected  to- 
wards godly  men  has  been  nearly  uniform 
from  the  beginning.  Cain  slew  his  broth- 
er. And  wherefore  slew  he  him  1  because 
his  own  works  were  evil,  and  his  brother's 
righteous.  Sarah  saw  the  son  of  Hagar 
the  Egyptian  mocking :  as  he  that  was 
born  after  the  flesh  then  persecuted  him 
that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  even  so  it 
is  now.  Why  was  Jerusalem  a  burden- 
some stone  to  the  nations  1  Why  were 
they  continually  forming  leagues  to  root 
out  its  remembrance  from  the  earth "? 
The  same  spirit  that  was  discovered  by 
Edom,  Moab,  and  the  children  of  Ammon 
towards  Israel,  was  apparent  in  Sanballat, 
Tobiah,  Geshem,  and  their  companions, 
towards  Judah ;  and  the  part  acted  by  the 
Horonite,  the  Ammonite,  and  the  Arabian, 
was  afterwards  re-acted,  with  addition- 
al zeal,  by  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  and 
the  governors  and  people  of  Israel.  Those 
who  could  agree  in  nothing  else  could 
agree  in  this.  The  persecutions  of  pagan 
and  papal  Rome,  and  of  all  who  have 
symbolized  with  her,  have  been  only  a 
continuation  of  the  same  system  :  and  the 
descriptions    which     deistical    historians 

traduce  the  characters  and  commodities  of  all  other 
merchants  ;  if  his  opposition  were  directed  especial- 
ly against  men  of  probity  and  eminence,  whose  situa- 
tions were  contiguous  to  his  own  ;  in  fine,  if  tiie  only 
traders  in  the  kingdom  who  could  obtain  his  good 
word  were  certain  agents  whom  he  had  stationed  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
tailing his  wares,  would  not  his  designs  be  evidentl 
He  might  puff,  and  pretend  to  have  the  good  of  the 
public  much  at  heart;  but  the  public  would  despise 
him,  as  a  man  whose  object  was  a  fortune,  and  whose 
practices  evinced  that  he  would  hesitate  at  no  means 
to  accomplish  his  end.  Yet,  in  religion,  such  de- 
ceptions may  be  practised  with  success. 


give  of  these  works  of  darkness,  notwith-' 
standing  their  pretended  regard  to  religious 
liberty,  bear  witness  that  they  allow  the 
deeds  of  their  fathers,  and  inherit  their 
dispositions.  The  same  malignant  spirit 
which  was  discovered  by  the  heathens  to- 
wards the  ancient  Israelites  is  discoverablei 
in  all  the  writings  of  unbelievers  towards 
that  people  to  this  day.  It  is  true  they 
are  more  reconciled  to  the  modern  Jews  ; 
and  for  a  very  plain  reason  :  they  feel 
them  to  be  near  akin  to  themselves.  He- 
rod and  Pilate  were  made  friends  by  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ.  Since  that  time, 
the  old  enmity  has  been  transferred  to  be- 
lieving Gentiles,  who,  being  grafted  into 
the  Jewish  olive,  and  partaking  of  its  ad- 
vantages, partake  also  of  its  persecutions; 
and  by  how  much  the  Christian  church,  at 
any  period,  has  exceeded  the  Jewish  in 
purity  and  spirituality,  by  so  much  more 
force  has  the  wrath  of  a  wicked  world 
burned  against  it. 

After  all  the  pains  that  unbelievers  take 
to  shift  the  charge  of  persecution,  and  to 
lay  it  at  the  door  of  Christianity,  it  is 
manifest,  to  an  observant  eye,  that  there 
is  a  deep-rooted  enmity  in  all  wicked 
men,  whether  they  be  Pagans,  Papists, 
Protestants,  or  Deists,  towards  all  godly 
men,  of  every  nation,  name,  and  denom- 
ination. This  enmity,  it  is  true,  is  not 
suffered  to  operate  according  to  its  na- 
tive tendency.  He  who  holdeth  the  winds 
in  his  hand  restrains  it.  Men  are  with- 
held by  laws,  by  policy,  by  interests,  by 
education,  by  respect,  by  regard  founded 
on  qualities  distinct  from  religious,  and 
by  various  other  things.  There  are  cer- 
tain conjunctions  of  interests,  especially, 
which  occasionally  require  a  temporary 
cessation  of  hostilities  ;  and  it  may  seem 
on  such  occasions  as  if  wicked  men  were 
ashamed  of  their  animosities,  and  were 
all  on  a  sudden  become  friendly  to  the 
folloAvers  of  Christ.  Thus  at  the  Revo- 
lution, in  166S,  those  who  for  more  than 
twenty  years  had  treated  the  nonconform- 
ists with  unrelenting  severity,  when 
they  found  themselves  in  danger  of  being 
deprived  of  their  places  by  a  popish  prince, 
courted  their  friendship,  and  promised 
not  to  persecute  them  any  more.  And  | 
thus,  at  the  commencement  of  the  French  " 
Revolution,  Deists,  Catholics,  and  Pro- 
testants, who  were  engaged  in  one  politi- 
cal cause,  seemed  to  have  forgotten  their 
resentments,  all  amicably  uniting  together 
in  the  opening  of  a  place  for  protestant 
worship.  But  let  not  the  servants  of 
Christ  imagine  that  any  temporary  con- 
junction of  interests  will  extinguish  the 
ancient  enmity.  It  may  seem  to  be  so 
for  a  time  ;  and,  all  things  being  under  the 
control  of  Providence,  such  a  time  may         - 


CORRESPONDENCE    OF     SCRIPTLKE    WITH    TlUTIl. 


153 


be  designed  as  a  season  of  respite  for  the 
faithful ;  l)ut  wlien  soli  interest  has  gained 
its  end,  il  other  worldly  considerations 
do  not  interpose,  things  will  return  to 
their  former  channel.  The  enmity  is  not 
dead,  hut  sleepeth. 

Finally  :  the  tears  which,  from  the 
earliest  period  of  history,  have  desolated 
the  earth,  grievous  as  they  are  to  a  feel- 
ing mind,  contain  in  them  nothing  surpri- 
sing. The  scrijitiires,  \\ith  singular  jno- 
priety,  descrihe  the  world  as  a  great  sea, 
which  is  ever  casting  up  its  mire  and  dirt ; 
and  great  conquerors  as  so  many  ivild 
beasts,  which,  in  succession,  rise  from  its 
troubled  waters,  and  devour  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth.*  Nor  is  this  all  : 
they  describe  not  only  the  fact,  but  the 
cause  of  it.  Wars  among  men,  as  has 
been  already  stated,!  have  their  immediate 
causes  in  "  the  lusts  which  war  in  their 
members  :"  but,  besides  this,  the  Scrip- 
ture leads  us  to  a  cause  more  remote, 
and  of  still  greater  importance.  They 
denominate  the  sword  of  war  "  the  sword 
of  the  Lord,"  and  constantly  intimate 
that  it  is  one  of  those  means  by  which  he 
"  pleadeth  with  all  flesh."  A  part  of  the 
curse  entailed  on  men  for  their  departure 
from  the  living  God  consists  in  this,  that, 
till  they  I'elurn  to  him,  they  shall  not  be 
able,  for  any  length  of  time,  to  maintain 
amity  among  themselves.  It  appears  to 
be  one  of  those  laws  by  which  God  gov- 
erns the  world,  that  pkople    engaged 

IN  AN  EVIL  CAUSE,  HOWEVER  HARMO- 
NIOUS THEY  MAY  BE  IN  THE  OUTSET, 
SHALL      PRESENTLY      BE      AT      VARIANCE. 

Thus  it  was  between  Abimelech  and  the 
men  of  Shechem,  as  Jotham  had  fore- 
warned them  in  his  parable.  Though  at 
first  they  appeared  to  rejoice  in  each 
Other;  yet,  in  a  little  time,  "fire  came 
out  from  Abimelech  and  devoured  the 
men  of  Shechem,  and  fire  came  out  from 
the  men  of  Shechem  and  devoured  Abi- 
melech.|  Such  is  commonly  the  issue  of 
all  unprincipled  confederacies,  traitorous 
conspiracies,  illegal  combinations,  and 
illicit  amours.  Union,  in  order  to  be  last- 
ing, requires  to  be  cemented  with  honor. 
Where  this  is  wanting,  however  appear- 
ances may  for  a  while  be  flattering,  all 
will  prove  transitory  :  mutual  jealousies 
will  produce  mutual  enmities,  which  are 
certain  to  issue  in  confusion  and  every 
evil  work.  These  remarks  are  no  less 
applicable  to  the  whole  human  race  than 
to  particular  parts  of  it.  Men  have  re- 
volted from  God  ;  and  yet  think  to  live  in 
harmony  among  themselves.  God,  in 
just  judgment,   appears   to    have   deter- 

*  Dan.  vii.       f  Part  I.  Chap.  VII.        %  Judges  ix. 


mined  the  contrary;  and  that,  till  they 
return  to  him,  they  shall  be  given  up  to 
an  evil  spirit  towards  each  other,  and  to 
the  ravages  of  a  succession  of  ambitious 
leaders,  who  shall  destroy  them  in  great 
numbers  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  It 
is  morally  impossible,  indeed,  that  it 
should  be  otherwise  ;  for  the  same  i)rin- 
ciple  which  induces  them  to  renounce  the 
divine  government,  dissolves  the  bands  of 
human  society.  Supreme  self-love  is  the 
origin  of  both,  and  is  sufTicient  to  account 
for  all  the  disorder  in  the  universe. 

Candid  reader,  review  the  subject  of 
this  chapter.  In  the  last,  we  traced  the 
agreement  of  the  holy  Scriptures  with 
historic  fact ;  in  this,  we  have  seen  their 
correspondence  with  living  truth,  or  with 
things  as  they  actually  exist,  in  the  mind 
and  in  the  loorld.  Similar  arguments 
might  also  have  been  drawn  from  the 
characters  of  believers  and  unbelievers. 
Not  many  wise,  not  many  mighty,  not 
many  noble  were  called  in  the  early  ages 
of  Christianity  ;  and  it  has  been  the  same 
in  every  age.  To  the  Jews  the  gospel 
was  from  the  first  a  stumbling-block, 
and  to  philosophers  foolishness  ;  and  such 
it  continues  to  this  day.  The  existence 
of  the  Jews  as  a  distinct  people,  their 
dispersion,  their  attachment  to  the  Old 
Testament  and  rejection  of  the  New, 
their  expectation  of  a  Messiah,  their  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  truth  of  the  histor- 
ical facts  concerning  our  Lord,  the  ma- 
lignity of  their  spirit;  in  a  word,  their 
exact  resemblance,  even  at  this  remote 
period,  to  the  picture  drawn  of  them 
in  the  New  Testament,  are  facts  which 
cannot  be  controverted.  Judge  impar- 
tially :  Is  there  any  thing  in  all  this  that 
bears  the  marks  of  imposture  1  A  con- 
noisseur will  distinguish  between  paintings 
taken  from  life  and  such  as  are  the  work 
of  mere  imagination.  An  accurate  judge 
of  moral  painting  will  do  the  same.  If 
the  Scriptures  gave  false  descriptions  of 
men  and  things,  if  they  flattered  the  vices 
of  mankind,  or  exhibited  the  moral  state 
of  the  world  contrary  to  well-known  fact, 
you  would  conclude  them  to  be  a  work  of 
falsehood.  On  the  other  hand,  if  they 
speak  of  things  as  they  are,  if  conscience 
echo  to  their  charges  and  fact  comport 
with  their  rej)resentations,  they  must 
have  been  taken  from  life  :  and  you  must 
conclude  thern  to  be  what  they  profess  to 
be — a  icork  of  truth.  And,  since  the  ob- 
jects described  are  many  of  them  beyond 
the  ken  of  human  observation,  you  must 
conclude  that  they  are  not  only  a  work  of 
truth,  but  what  tliey  also  profess  to  be — 
The  true  sayings  of  God. 


VOL.    I. 


20 


154 


THE    SPIRIT    AND    STYLE    OF    SCRIPTURE. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  HARMONY  OF  SCRIPTURE  WITH 
ITS  OWN  PROFESSIONS  ARGUED  FROM 
THE  SPIRIT  AND  STYLE  IN  WHICH 
IT    IS    WRITTEN. 

If  tlie  scriptures  be  what  they  profess 
to  be — the  word  of  God,  it  may  be  pre- 
sumed that  the  spirit  which  they  breathe, 
and  even  the  style  in  which  they  are 
composed,  will  be  different  from  what  can 
be  found  in  any  other  productions.  It  is 
true  that,  having  been  communicated 
through  human  mediums,  we  may  expect 
them,  in  a  measure,  to  be  humanized ; 
the  peculiar  turn  and  talents  of  each  wri- 
ter will  be  visible,  and  this  will  give  them 
the  character  of  variety  ;  but,  amidst  all 
this  variety,  a  mind  capable  of  discerning 
the  divine  excellence  will  plainly  perceive 
in  them  the  finger  of  God. 

With  respect  to  style,  though  it  is  not 
on  the  natural,  but  the  moral,  or  rather 
the  holy  beauties  of  Scripture  that  I  would 
lay  the  principal  stress ;  yet  something 
may  be  observed  of  the  other.  So  far  as 
the  beauty  of  language  consists  in  its  free- 
dom from  affectation,  and  in  its  conform- 
ity to  the  nature  of  the  subject,  it  may  be 
expected  that  a  book  written  by  holy  men, 
inspired  of  God,  will  be  possessed  of  this 
excellence.  A  divinely-inspired  produc- 
tion will  not  only  be  free  from  such  blem- 
ishes as  arise  from  vanity,  and  other  evil 
dispositions  of  the  mind,  but  will  abound 
in  those  beauties  which  never  fail  to  at- 
tend the  genuine  exercises  of  modesty, 
sensibility,  and  godly  simplicity.  It  will 
reject  the  meretricious  ornaments  of  art ; 
but  it  will  possess  the  more  substantial 
beauties  of  nature.  That  this  is  true  of 
the  Scriptures  has  been  proved  by  several 
able  Avriters.* 

Mr.  Paine,  however,  can  see  nothing 
great,  majestic,  or  worthy  of  God,  in  any 
part  of  the  Bible.  Among  the  numer- 
ous terms  of  reproach  with  which  he 
honors  it,  he  is  pleased  to  censure  the 
writings  of  Isaiah  as  "  bombast,  beneath 
the  genius  of  a  schoolboy;"  and  to  com- 
pare the  command  of  the  great  Creator, 
in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  "  Let  there 
be  light,"  to  the  "  imperative  manner  of 
speaking  used  by  a  conjuror. "f  This 
writer  has  given  us  no  example  of  the 
bombast  from   Isaiah.     Bombast  is    that 

'    *  See  Blackvvall's   Sacred    Classics.     Also    Mel- 
moth's  Sublime    and   Beautiful   of  Scripture  ;     to 
which  is  added,  Dvvight's  Dissertation  on   the    Poe- 
try, History,  and  Eloquence  of  the  Bible, 
t  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  p.  105.  Note. 


species  of  writing  in  which  gi'eat  swelling 
words  are  used  to  convey  little  ideas. 
But  is  it  thus  in  the  Avritings  of  Isaiah  1 
"And  one  cried  unto  another,  and  said. 
Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts  ; 
the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory. — Who 
hath  measured  the  waters  in  the  hol- 
low of  his  hand,  and  meted  out  heaven 
with  the  span,  and  comprehended  the 
dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure,  and  weigh- 
ed the  mountains  in  scales,  and  the  hills 
in  a  balance  1  Who  hath  directed  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord,  or,  being  his  counsel- 
lor, hath  taught  him  1  With  whom  took 
he  counsel,  and  who  instructed  him,  and 
taught  him  in  the  path  of  judgment,  and 
taught  him  knowledge,  and  showed  to 
him  the  way  of  understanding!  Behold, 
the  nations  are  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket,  and 
are  counted  as  the  small  dust  of  the  balance: 
behold,  he  taketh  up  the  isles  as  a  very 
little  thing.  And  Lebanon  is  not  suf- 
ficient to  burn,  nor  the  beasts  thereof  suf- 
ficient for  a  burnt-offering.  All  nations 
before  him  are  as  nothing ;  and  they  are 
counted  to  him  less  than  nothing  and  van- 
ity, "j:  Are  the  ideas  too  little,  in  these 
instances,  for  the  words  \  The  prophets 
wrote  in  a  poetic  style  ;  and  how  could 
they  write  otherwise  \  Poetry  is  the 
language  of  passion ;  and  such  as  theirs, 
of  passion  raised  and  inflamed  by  great 
and  affecting  objects.  Their  language  is 
not  that  of  common  poetry,  but,  as  an  ele- 
gant writer  expresses  it,  "It  is  the 
burst  of  inspiration." 

As  to  the  objection  against  the  sublim- 
ity of  the  passage  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis,  it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that 
there  is  nothing,  be  it  ever  so  majestic 
and  worthy  of  God,  but  a  profane  and  lu- 
dicrous imagination  may  distort  it.  A 
rainbow  may  be  compared  to  a  fiddle- 
stick ;  but  it  does  not  follow  that  it  is  an 
object  of  equal  insignificance.  Thunder 
and  lightning  may  be  imitated  by  a  char- 
acter not  less  contemptible  than  a  conju- 
ror ;  but  should  any  one  infer  that  there 
is  nothing  more  grand,  more  awful,  or 
more  worthy  of  God,  in  these  displays  of 
nature,  than  in  the  exhibitions  of^  a  coun- 
try show,  he  would  prove  himself  to  be 
possessed  of  but  a  small  portion  of  either 
wit  or  good  sense. 

I  do  not  pretend  to  any  great  judgment 
in  the  beauties  of  composition  ;  but  there 
are  persons  of  far  superior  judgment  to 
this  writer  who  have  expressed  themselves 
in  a  very  different  language.  The  late 
Sir  William  Jones,  who  for  learning  and 
taste,  as  well  as  character,  has  left  but 
few  equals,  thus  expresses  himself:  "I 
have  regularly  and    attentively  read  these 

X  Isa.  vi.  3;  xl.  12—17. 


THE    SPIRIT    AND    STYLE    OF    SCRIPTURE. 


155 


Holy  Scriptures,  and  am  of  opinion  that 
tliis  volume,  independent  of  its  divine 
origin,  contains  more  sul)limity  and  beauty, 
more  pure  morality,  more  important  iiis- 
tory,  and  fmer  strains  of  poetry  and  elo- 
quence, than  can  be  collected  from  all 
otiier  books,  in  whatever  age  or  language 
they  may  have  been  composed." 

The  acknowledgments  of  Rosseau,  like- 
wise, whose  taste  for  fine  writing,  and 
whose  treedom  from  prejudice  in  favor  of 
Christianity,  none  will  call  in  question, 
will  serve  to  confront  tiie  assertions  of 
Mr.  Paine.  After  declaring  that,  as  tiiere 
were  some  proofs  in  favor  of  revelation 
which  he  could  not  invalidate,  so  there 
Avere  many  objections  against  it  which  he 
could  not  resolve — that  he  neither  admit- 
ted nor  rejected  it — and  that  he  rejected 
only  the  o6//^«/iMn  of  submitting  to  it — he 
goes  on  to  acknowledge  as  follows  :  "  I 
will  confess  to  you,  farther,  that  the  ma- 
jesty of  the  Scripture  strikes  me  with  ad- 
miration, as  the  purity  of  the  gospel  hath 
its  influence  on  my  heart.  Peruse  the 
works  of  our  philosophers  ;  with  all  their 
pomp  of  diction,  how  mean — how  con- 
temptible— ai'e  they,  compared  with  the 
Scripture  !  Is  it  possible  that  a  book  at 
once  so  simple  and  sublime  should  be 
merely  the  work  of  man  1  Is  it  possible 
that  the  sacred  personage  whose  history  it 
contains  should  be  himself  a  mere  man  1 
Do  we  find  that  he  assumed  the  air  of  an 
enthusiast  or  ambitious  sectary  1  Wliat 
sweetness,  what  purity  in  his  manners ! 
What  an  affecting  gracefulness  in  his  de- 
livery !  What  sublimity  in  his  maxims  ! 
What  profound  wisdom  in  his  discourses  ! 
What  presence  of  mind  !  What  subtilty  ! 
W^hat  truth  in  his  replies  !  How  great  the 
command  over  his  passions  !  VVhere  is 
the  man,  where  the  philosopher,  who 
could  so  live  and  die,  without  weakness, 
and  without  ostentation  1 — Shall  we  sup- 
pose the  Evangelic  History  a  mere  fiction  1 
Indeed,  my  friend,  it  bears  not  the  marks 
of  fiction  1  On  the  contrary,  the  history 
of  Socrates,  which  nobody  presumes  to 
doubt,  is  not  so  well  attested  as  that  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  Jewish  authors  were 
incapable  of  the  diction,  and  strangers  to 
the  morality  contained  in  the^Gospels  ; 
the  marks  of  whose  truth  are  so  striking 
and  invincible  that  the  inventor  would 
be  a  more  astonishing  character  than  the 
hero."* 

Rousseau's  praises  of  the  Scripture  re- 
mind us  of  the  high  encomiums  bestowed 
by  Balaam  on  the  tabernacles  of  Israel. 
It  is  no  unusual  thing  for  men  to  admire 
that  which  they  do  not  love. 

Let  us  examine  a  little  more  minutely 

*  Works,  Vol.  V.  p .  215—218. 


the  spirit  in  which  the  Scriptures  are  writ- 
ten. It  is  this  which  constitutes  their 
holy  beauty,  distinguishes  them  from  all 
otlier  writings,  and  affords  the  strongest 
evidence  of  their  being  written  by  inspi- 
ration of  God. 

In  recording  historical  events,  the  sa- 
cred writers  invariably  eye  the  hand  of 
God;  in  some  instances  they  entirely 
overlook  second  causes ;  and  in  others, 
where  they  are  mentioned,  it  is  only  as 
instruments  fulfilling  the  divine  will. 
Events  that  come  to  pass  according  to 
the  usual  course  of  things,  and  in  which 
an  ordinary  historian  would  have  seen 
nothing  divine,  are  recorded  by  them 
among  the  works  of  the  Lord  :  "  The 
Lord  was  very  angry  with  Israel,  and  re- 
moved them  out  of  his  sight. — And  the 
Lord  sent  against  Jehoiakim  bands  of  the 
Chaldees,'and  bands  of  the  Syrians,  and 
bands  of  the  Moabites,  and  bands  of  the 
children  of  Ammon,  and  sent  them  against 
Judah  to  destroy  it,  according  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  by  his  servants 
the  prophets.  Surely  at  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  came  this  upon  Judah, 
to  remove  them  out  of  his  sight  for  the  sins 
of  Manasseh,  according  to  all  that  he  did; 
and  also  for  the  innocent  blood  that  he 
shed  (for  he  filled  Jerusalem  with  inno- 
cent blood,)  which  the  Lord  would  not 
pardon. "t 

In  their  prophecies,  while  they  foretold 
the  heaviest  calamities  upon  nations,  their 
own  and  others,  and,  viewing  the  hand  of 
God  in  all,  acquiesced  in  them,  as  men 
they  felt  tenderly  for  their  fellow -creatures 
even  for  their  enemies  :  "  My  bowels,  my 
bowels !  I  am  pained  at  my  very  heart  ; 
my  heart  maketh  a  noise  in  me  :  I  cannot 
hold  my  peace,  because  thou  hast  heard, 
O  my  soul,  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  the 
alarm  of  war. — O  thou  sword  of  the  Lord, 
how  long  will  it  be  ere  thou  be  quiet  1 
Put  up  thyself  into  thy  scabbard,  rest,  and 
be  still. "t  When  Israel  was  exposed  to 
calamities,  all  the  neighboring  nations, 
who  hated  them  on  account  of  their  relig- 
ion, exulted  over  them;  but,  when  the 
cup  went  round  to  them,  the  propliets  who 
foretold  it  were  tenderly  affected  by  it : 
"  I  will  bewail  with  the  weeping  of  Jazer 
the  vine  of  Sibmah  :  I  will  water  thee 
with  my  tears,  O  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh  ; 
for  the  shouting  for  thy  summer-fruits  and 
for  thy  harvest  is  fallen  :  and  gladness  is 
taken  away,  and  joy  out  of  tlie  plentiful 
field  ;  and  in  the  vineyards  there  shall  be 
no  singing,  neither  shall  there  be  shout- 
ing :  the  treaders  shall  tread  out  no  wine 
in  their  presses  ;  I  have  made  shouting  to 

t  2  Kings  xvii.  IS;  xxiv.  2 — 4. 
X  Jer.  iv.  19.   xlvii.  6. 


156 


THE    SPIRIT    AND    STYLE    OF    SCRIPTURE. 


cease.  Wherefore  my  bowels  shall  sound 
like  a  harp  for  Moab,  and  mine  inward 
parts  for  Kirharesh."* 

The  miracles  which  they  record  are 
distinguished  from  the  signs  and  lying 
wonders  of  following  ages,  in  that  there  is 
always  to  be  seen  in  them  an  end  worthy 
of  God.  The  far  greater  part  of  them 
were  works  of  pure  compassion  to  the 
parties,  and  the  whole  of  them  of  benevo- 
lence to  society. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Scriptures  adapt- 
ed to  gratify  presumptuous  speculations  or 
idle  curiosity.  Such  a  spirit,  on  the  con- 
trary, is  frequently  checked,  and  every 
thing  is  directed  to  the  renovation  or  im- 
provement of  the  heart.  The  account 
given  of  the  creation  of  the  sun,  moon,  and 
stars,  is  not  intended,  as  Mr.  Henry  ob- 
serves, to  describe  things  "as  they  are  in 
themselves,  and  in  their  own  nature,  to 
satisfy  the  curious ;  but  as  they  are  in 
relation  to  this  earth,  to  which  they  serve 
as  lights  ;  and  this  is  enough  to  furnish  us 
with  matter  for  praise  and  thanksgiving." 
The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  never  per- 
formed to  gratify  curiosity.  If  the  afflict- 
ed, or  any  on  their  behalf,  present  their 
petition,  it  is  invariably  heard  and  answer- 
ed; but  if  the  pharisees  come  and  say, 
*'  Master,  we  would  see  a  sign  from  thee," 
or  if  Herod  "  hope  to  see  a  miracle  done 
by  him,"  it  is  refused. f  When  one  said 
to  him,  "  Lord  are  there  few  that  be 
saved  1"  he  answered,  "Strive  to  enter 
in  at  the  strait  gate ;  for  many,  I  say 
unto  you,  will  seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall 
not  be  able. "I 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Scriptures 
tending,  in  its  own  nature,  to  excite  levity 
or  folly.  They  sometimes  deal  in  the 
most  cutting  irony  ;  but  it  is  never  for  the 
sake  of  displaying  wit,  or  raising  a  laugh, 
but  invariably  for  the  accomplishment  of 
a  serious  and  important  end.  A  serious 
mind  finds  every  thing  to  gratify  it,  and 
nothing  to  offend  it :  and  even  the  most 
profligate  character,  unless  he  read  them 
in  search  of  something  which  he  may  con- 
vert into  ridicule,  is  impressed  with  awe 
by  the  pointed  and  solemn  manner  in 
which  they  address  him. 

It  may  he  said  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of 
them  only,  that  they  are  free  from  affec- 
tation and  vanity.  You  may  sometimes 
find  things  of  this  sort  described  by  the 
sacred  writers  ;  but  you  will  never  discern 
any  such  spirit  in  the  descriptions  them- 
selves. Yet,  as  men,  they  were  subject 
to  human  imperfections  :  if,  therefore, 
they  had  not  been  influenced  by  divine  in- 

*  Isa.  xvi.  9—11. 
t  Matt.  xii.  3S.     Luke  xxiii.8,  9. 
:j:  Luke  xiii.  24.         See  al.«!0  xxi.  5 — 19. 


spiration,  blemishes  of  this  kind  must  have 
appeared  in  their  writings,  as  well  as  in 
those  of  other  men.  But  in  what  instance 
have  tliey  assumed  a  character  which 
does  not  belong  to  them,  or  discovered  a 
wish  to  be  thought  more  religious,  more 
learned,  or  more  accomplished  in  any 
way  than  they  were  T  Nor  were  they 
less  free  from  vanity  than  from  affectation. 
They  were  as  far  from  making  the  most 
of  what  they  were  as  from  aiming  to  ap- 
pear what  they  were  not.  Instead  of 
trumpeting  their  own  praise,  or  aiming  to 
transmit  their  fame  to  posterity,  several 
of  them  have  not  so  much  as  put  their 
names  to  their  writings  ;  and  those  who 
have  are  generally  out  of  sight.  As  you 
read  their  history,  they  seldom  occur  to 
your  thoughts.  Who  thinks  of  the  Evan- 
gelists when'reading  the /oztr  Gospels?  or 
of  Luke  while  reading  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  ?  Mr.  Paine  weaves  the  laurel 
on  his  own  brows,  vainly  boasting  that  he 
has  "written  a  liook  under  the  greatest 
disadvantages,  which  no  Bible  believer 
can  answer  ;"  and  that,  with  his  axe  upon 
his  shoulder,  like  another  Sennacherib,  he 
has  passed  through,  and  cut  down  the  tall 
cedars  of  our  Lebanon. §  But  thus  did 
not  the  sacred  writers,  even  with  regard  to 
heathenism,  because  of  the  fear  of  God. 
Paul  in  one  instance,  for  the  sake  of  an- 
swering an  important  end,  was  compelled 
to  speak  the  truth  of  himself,  and  to  ap- 
pear to  boast ;  yet  it  is  easy  to  perceive 
how  much  it  was  against  his  inclination. 
A  boaster  and  a.  fool  were,  in  his  account, 
synonymous  terms.!! 

The  sacred  writers,  while  they  respect 
magistracy,  and  frown  upon  faction,  tu- 
mult, and  sedition,  are  never  known  to 
flatter  the  great.  Compare  the  fustian 
eloquence  of  Tertullus  with  the  manly- 
speeches  of  Paul.  Did  he  flatter  Felix  1 
No;  he  "reasoned  of  righteousness,  tem- 
perance, and  judgment  to  come  ;  and  Fe- 
lix trembled."  Did  he  flatter  Festus  or 
evenAgrippal  No;  the  highest  compli- 
ment which  proceeded  from  him  was,  that 
"  he  knew"  the  latter  "  to  be  expert  in  all 
customs  and  questions  among  the  Jews, 
and  to  maintain  tlie  divine  inspiration  of 
the  prophets  ;  which  declaration,  with  the 
whole  of  this  admirable  apology,  contain- 
ed only  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness. 

They  discover  no  anxiety  to  guard 
against  seeming  inconsistencies,  either 
with  themselves  or  one  another.  In  works 
of  imposture,  especially  where  a  number 
of  persons  are  concerned,  there  is  need 
of  great  care  and  caution,  lest  one  part 
should  contradict  another  ;  and  such  cau- 

§  Ago  of  Reason,  Part  II.  Pref.  p.  vi.,  and  p.  64. 
II  2  Cor.  xii. 


TIIK    SPIRIT    AND    STYLE    OF     SCRIPTl'RK. 


157 


tion  is  easily  perceived.  But  the  sacred  It  is  a  savor  nf  life,  a  savor  of  God,  an 
writers  appear  to  have  had  no  such  con-  unction  from  the  Holy  One. 
cern  about  ihein.  Conscious  that  all  they  Mr.  Paine  can  sec  no  beauty  in  the  New- 
Avrote  was  true,  thev  left  it  to  prove  its  testament  narratives:  to  him  there  ap- 
own  consistency.  Their  productions  pos-  pears  nothing  l>ut  imposture,  folly,  contra- 
sess  consistency ;  hut  it  is  not  a  studied  diction,  falsehood,  and  every  thing  that 
one,  nor  ahvavs  apparent  at  lirst  sight  :  it  marks  an  evil  cause.  And  I  suppose  he 
is  that  consistency  which  is  certain  to  ac-  could  say  the  same  of  the  things  narrated ; 
comi)any  truth.*  of  tlic  laliors,  tears,  temptations,  and  suf- 

There  is  an  inimitable  simplicity  in  all    ferings  of  tiie  Lord  Jesus,  and    of  every 
eir  ivritim^s,  and  a  feelins;  sense  of  what    tiling  else  in   the  New  Testament.     Mr. 

Paine,  however,  is  not  the  only  instance 
wherein  men  have  lacked  understanding. 
The  Jews  saw  no  iieauty  in  the  Savior  that 
they  should  desire  him:  and  there  are 
persons  who  can  see  no  beauty  in   any  of 


the 

they  write.  Tiicy  come  to  tiie  })oint  witli- 
out  ceremony  or  preamlile  ;  and,  liaving 
told  the  truth,  leave  it  without  mingling 
their  own  reflections.  This  remark  is  par- 
ticularly exemplified  by  the  four  Evange 


lists,  in  narrating  tiie  "treatment  of  their  the  works  of  God.     Creation  is  to  them  a 

Lord.     Writers  wlio  had   felt  less  would  blank.     But  though  "  tlie   eyes   of  a   fool 

have  said  more.  are  at  the  ends  of  the  earth,"  for  want  of 

There  is  something  in  all  they  say  which  objects  to  attract  them,  yet   "wisdom  is 

leaves  behind  it  a  sensation   produ'ced   by  before  him  that  understandeth."     If  Mr. 

no  other   writings  ;  something  peculiarly  Paine  can   see  no  beauty    in    the   sacred 


suited  to  the  mind  when  in  its  most  serious 
frames,  oppressed  by  affliction,  or  thought- 
ful about  a  future  life  ;  something  which 
gives  melancholy  itself  a  charm,  and  pro- 
duces tears  more  delicious  to  the  mind 
than  the  most  high-flavored  earthly  enjoy- 
ments.    By  what  name  shall  I  express  if? 


pages,  it  does  not  follow  that  there  is  no 
beauty  to  be  seen.     Let  any  person  of  can- 
dor and  discernment  read  over  the    four 
Evangelists,  and  judge  whether  they  bear 
the  marks  of  imposture.     If  he   have  any 
difficulty,  it  will  be  in  preserving  the  char- 
acter of  a  critic.     Unless  he  be  perpetual- 
ly on   his    guard,  he   will   insensibly  lose 
*  "  There  isone  argument,"  says  Mr.  Wilberforce,    sight  of  the  writers,   and  l)e  all  enamored 
in  his  laie  excelleni  'I'leaiise,  "  which  impresses  my    of  the  great  object  concerning  which  they 
mind  with  particular  force.    Tiiis  is,  the  great  va-    .^v^ite.     In  reading  the  last  nine  chapters 
rietv  of  tile  kinds  (if  evidence  which  have  heen  ad-        /■  t    u       i  „       -ii  ,,„..„„:. -/^    *!.«    ,>r..:«»^  (^  K^ 
V   •' 1 .  c  e  r'l   ■  .■     ■.         1  .1  r       .•        ol  John,   ic  Will  oerceivc  the  writer  to  be 

duced  in  proof  of  Clinstianitv,  and   the  confirmation      ,         ,      '^     ,     ,     '™,  ,        ,  ,.  ,      , 

deeply  affected.     Though  a  long  time  had 

elapsed  since  the  events  had  taken  place, 
and  he  was  far  advanced  in  years,  yet  his 
heart  was  manifeslly  overwhelmed  with 
his  subject.  There  is  reason  to  think  that 
the  things  which  Mr.  Paine  attempts  to 
ridicule  drew  tears  from  his  eyes  while  he 
narrated  them  ;  as  an  ingenuous  mind  will 
find  it  difficult  to  review  the  narrative 
without  similar  sensations. 

Mr.  Paine  is  pleased  to  say,  "  Any  per- 
son that  could  read  and   write  might  have 


proot 
thereby  aflbrded  of  its  trutli  : — tlie  proof  from  prophe 
cy — from  miracles — from  the  character  of  Christ — 
from  that  of  his  apostles — Irom  the  nature  of  the  doc- 
trines of  Chri?tianily — from  the  nature  and  excellence 
of  her  practical  precepts — from  the  accordance  we 
have  lately  pointed  ont  hctv^ecn  the  doctrinal  and 
practical  system  of  Christianity,  whether  considered 
each  in  itself,  or  in  their  mutual  relatifm  to  each  oth- 
er— from  other  species  of  internal  evidence,  afforded 
in  the  moie  abundance  in  proportion  as  the  sacred 
records  have  been  scrutinized  with  greater  care — from 
the  accounts  of  contemporary  or  nearly  contemporary 
writers — from  the  impossibility  of  accounting,  on  any 
other  supposition  than  that  of  the  truth  of  Christian 


ty,  for  its  promulgation  and  early  prevalence  :  these    written  SUch  a  book  as   the   Bible;"   but 

nothing  can  be  farther  from  the  truth.  It 
were  saying  but  little  to  affirm  that  he 
could  not  produce  a  single  page  or  sen- 
tence that  would  have  a  similar  effect. 
Stranger  as  he  has  proved  himself  to  be 
to  the  love  of  God  and  righteousness,  he 
could  not  communicate  wiial  he  does  not 
feel.  The  croaking  raven  might  as  well 
endeavor  to  imitate  the  voice  of  the  dove, 
or  the  song  of  the  nightingale,  as  he  at- 
tempt to  emulate  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
Mr.  Paine's  spirit  is  sufficiently  apparent 
in  his  page,  and  that  of  the  sacred  writers 
in  theirs.  So  far  from  writing  as  they 
wrote,  he  cannot  understand  their  writings. 


and  other  lines  of  argument  have  all  been  brought  fur 
ward,  and  ably  urged  by  ditVerent  writers,  in  propor- 
tion as  they  have  struck  the  minds  of  different  obser- 
vers more  or  less  forcibly.  Now,  granting  that  some 
obscure  and  illiterate  men,  residing  in  a  distant  pro- 
vince of  the  Roman  empire,  had  plotted  to  impose  a 
forgery  upon  the  worlil ;  though  some  foundation  for 
the  im|x>slure  might,  and  indeed  nuist,  have  been  at- 
tempted to  be  laid  ;  it  seems,  at  least  to  my  under- 
standing, nKn-ally  impo.ssible  that  so  many  different 
species  of  proofs,  and  all  so  strong,  >hould  have  lent 
their  concurrent  aid,  and  have  united  their  joint 
force,  in  the  establishment  of  the  falsehood.  It  may 
assist  the  reader  in  estimating  the  value  of  this  ar- 
gument, to  consider  upon  how  different  a  footing,  in 
this  respect,  has  rested  every  other  religious  system, 
without  exception,  which  was  ever  proposed  to  the 
world  ;  and    indeed    every    other  historical    fact   of 


which  the  truth  has  been  at  all  contested."— Practi-    That  which  the   Scriptures  teach  on  this 
cal  View,  &c.  pp.  361—363.    Third  Edition.  subject  is  sufficiently  verified  in  him,  and 


158 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


all  others  of  his  spirit :  "  The  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  neither  can  he  know  thein,  for  they 
are  spiritually  discerned."  *  As  easily 
might  the  loveliness  of  chastity  be  per- 
ceived, or  the  pleasures  of  a  good  con- 
science appreciated  by  a  debauchee,  as  the 
things  of  God  be  received  by  a  mind  like 
that  of  Mr.  Paine. 

Finally  :  If  the  Bible  be  the  word  of 
God,  it  may  be  expected  that  "  such  an 
authority,  and  divine  sanction,  should  ac- 
company it,"  that,  while  a  candid  mind 
shall  presently  perceive  its  evidence,  those 
who  read  it  either  with  negligence  or 
prejudice  shall  only  be  confirmed  in 
their  unbelief.  It  is  fit  that  God's  word 
should  not  be  trifled  with.  When  the 
Pharisees  captiously  demanded  a  sign, 
or  miracle,  they  were  sent  away  without 
one.  They  might  go,  if  they  pleased,  and 
report  the  inability  of  Jesus  to  work  a 
miracle.  The  evidence  attending  the  res- 
urrection of  Christ  is  of  this  description. 
He  had  exhibited  proofs  of  his  divine  mis- 
sion publicly  and  before  the-  eyes  of  all 
men ;  but,  seeing  they  were  obstinately 
rejected,  he  told  his  enemies  that  they 
should  see  him  no  more  till  he  should  come 
on  a  different  occasion  :  f  and  they  saw 
him  no  more.  They  might  insist,  if  they 
pleased,  that  the  testimony  of  liis  disci- 
ples, who  witnessed  his  resurection,  was 
insufficient.  It  is  thus  that  heresies,  of- 
fences, and  scandals  are  permitted  in  the 
Christian  church  ;  that  they  who  are  ap- 
proved may  be  made  manifest ;  and  that 
occasion  may  be  furnished  for  them  who 
seek  occasion  to  reproach  religion  and 
persist  in  their  unbelief.  If  men  choose 
delusion,  God  also  will  choose  to  give 
them  up  to  it.  "  The  scorner  shall  seek 
wisdom,  and  shall  not  find  it ;"  and  the 
word  of  life  shall  be  a  "  savor  of  death 
unto  death  to  them  that  perish."  Mr. 
Paine,  when  he  wrote  the  First  Part  of  his 
Age  of  Reason,  was  without  a  Bible.  Af- 
terwards, he  tells  us,  he  procured  one  ;  or, 
to  use  his  own  schoolboy  language,  "  a 
Bible  and  a  Testament ;  and  I  have  found 
them,"  he  adds,  "  to  be  much  worse 
books  than  I  had  conceived. "J  In  all 
this  there  is  nothing  surprising.  On  the 
contrary,  if  such  a  scorner  had  found  wis- 
dom, the  Scriptures  themselves  had  not 
been  fulfilled. § 

If  an  insolent  coxcomb  had  been  of 
opinion  that  Sir  Isaac  Newton  was  a  mere 
ignoramus  in  philosophy,  and  had  gone 
into  his  company  that  he  might  catechise, 
and  afterwards,  as  occasion  should  offer, 

*  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  +  MaU.  xxiii.  39. 

i  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  Preface,  p.  xii. 
§  Prov.  xiv.  6. 


expose  him  ;  it  is  not  unlikely  that  this 
great  writer,  perceiving  his  arrogance, 
would  have  suffered  him  to  depart  without 
answering  his  questions,  even  though  he 
might  know  at  the  time  that  his  unfavor- 
able opinion, of  him  would  thereby  be  the 
more  confirmed.  Let  us  but  come  to  the 
Scriptures  in  a  proper  spirit,  and  we  shall 
know  of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of 
God  ;  but,  if  we  approach  them  in  a  cav- 
illing humor,  we  may  expect  not  only  to 
remain  in  ignorance,  but  to  be  hardened 
more  and  more  in  unbelief. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  CONSISTENCY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
DOCTRINE,  PARTICULARLY  THAT  OF 
SALVATION  THROUGH  A  MEDIATOR, 
WITH    SOBER  REASON. 

If  there  is  a  God  who  created  us,  if 
we  have  all  sinned  against  him,  and  if  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  he  will  call  us  to 
account  for  our  conduct,  all  which  prin- 
ciples are  admitted  by  Mr.  Paine,  ||  a 
gloomy  prospect  must  needs  present  itself, 
sufficient  indeed  to  render  man  "  the  slave 
of  terror."  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  this 
writer,  nor  of  any  man  living  who  rejects 
the  Bible,  to  assure  us  that  pardon  will 
have  any  place  in  the  divine  government ; 
and,  however  light  he  may  make  of  the 
Scripture  doctrine  of  hell,  he  that  calls 
men  to  account  for  their  deeds  will  be  at 
no  loss  how  or  where  to  punish  them. 
But,  allowing  that  God  is  disposed  to 
show  mercy  to  the  guilty,  the  question  is. 
Whether  his  doing  so  by  or  without  a  me- 
diator be  most  consistent  with  what  we 
know  of  fitness  or  propriety. § 

That  pardon  is  bestowed  through  a  me- 
diator in  avast  variety  of  instances  among 
men  cannot  be  denied ;  and  that  it  is 
proper  it  should  be  so  must  be  evident  to 
every  thinking  mind.  All  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  common  affairs  of  life 
must  be  aware  of  the  necessity  of  such 
proceedings,  and  the  good  effects  of  them 
upon  society. H 

It  is  far  less  humbling  for  an  offender 
to  be  pardoned  at  his  own  request  than 
through  the  interposition  of  a  third  person  ; 
for,  in  the  one  case,  he  may  be  led  to  think 
that  it  was  his  virtue  and  penitence  which 
influenced  the  decision :  whereas,  in  the 

II   Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  1 ;   Part  II.  100. 
IF  See  President  Edwards'  Remarks  on  impor- 
tant Theological  Controversies,  Chap.  VI. 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


130 


other,  he  is  compelled  to  feel  his  own  uii- 
woithiness  :  and  this  may  he  one  reason 
why  the  mediation  of  Christ  is  so  offensive. 
It  is  no  wonder,  indeed,  that  those  who 
deny  humility  to  be  a  virtue*  should  be 
disgusted  with  a  doctrine  the  professed  ob- 
ject of  which  is  to  aiiase  the  pride  of  man. 

As  forgiveness  without  a  mediator  is 
less  humbling  to  the  oflcnder,  so  it  pro- 
vides less  for  the  honor  of  the  otTended 
than  a  contrary  proceeding.  Many  a  com- 
passionate heart  has  longed  to  go  fortli, 
like  l)a\id  towards  AI>salom  ;  liut,  from  a 
iust  sense  of  wounded  authority,  could  not 
lell  how  to  effect  it  ;  and  has  greatly  de- 
sired that  some  common  friend  would  in- 
terpose, to  save  his  honor.  He  has  wisli- 
ed  to  remit  the  sentence  ;  but  has  felt  the 
want  of  a  mediator,  at  the  instance  of 
whom  he  might  give  effect  to  his  desires, 
and  exercise  mercy  without  seeming  to  be 
regardless  of  justice.  An  offender  who 
should  object  to  a  mediator  would  be  just- 
ly considered  as  hardened  in  impenitence, 
and  regardless  of  the  honor  of  the  offend- 
ed :  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  what  other 
construction  can  be  put  upon  the  ob- 
jections of  sinners  to  the  mediation  of 
Christ. 

Again  :  To  exercise  pardon  without  a 
mediator  would  be  fixing  no  such  stigma 
upon  the  evil  of  the  offense  as  is  done  by  a 
contrary  mode  of  proceeding.  Every 
man  feels  that  those  faults  which  may  be 
overlooked  on  a  mere  acknowledgment 
are  not  of  a  very  heinous  nature  ;  they 
are  such  as  arise  from  inadvertence,  rath- 
er than  from  ill  design  ;  and  include  little 
more  than  an  error  of  the  judgment.  On 
the  other  hand,  every  man  feels  that  the 
calling  in  of  a  third  person  is  making 
much  of  the  offense,  treating  it  as  a  seri- 
ous affair,  a  breach  that  is  not  to  be  light- 
ly passed  over.  This  may  ]>e  another 
reason  why  the  mediation  of  Christ  is  so 
offensive  to  the  adversaries  of  the  gospel. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  men  who  are  contin- 
ually speaking  of  moral  evil  under  the 
palliating  names  of  error,  frnilty,  imper- 
fection, and  the  like,  should  spurn  at  a 
doctrine  the  implication  of  which  con- 
demns it  to  everlasting  infamy. f 

Finally  :  To  bestow  pardon  without  a 
mediator  would  be  treating  the  offense  as 
private,  or  passing  over  it  as  a  matter  un- 
known, an  affair  which  does  not  affect  the 
well-being  of  society,  and  which  there- 
fore requires  no  public  manifestation  of 
displeasure  against  it.  Many  a  notorious 
offender  would,  doubtless,  wish  matters 
to  be  thus  conducted,  and,  from  an  aver- 
sion to  public  exposure,  would  feel  strong 
objections  to  the  formal  interposition  of  a 

*  Volney'a  Law  of  Nature,  p.  49.   f  Rom.  viii.  3. 


third  person.  Whether  this  may  not  be 
another  reason  of  dislike  to  the  mediation 
of  Christ  I  shall  not  decide  ;  but  of  this 
I  am  fully  satisfied,  that  the  want  of  a 
proper  sense  of  the  great  e\il  of  sin,  as  it 
affects  the  moral  government  of  the  uni- 
verse, is  a  reason  why  its  adversaries  see 
no  necessity  for  it,  nor  fitness  in  it.  They 
prove,  by  all  their  writings,  that  they 
have  no  delight  in  the  moral  excellency 
of  the  divine  nature,  no  just  sense  of 
the  glory  of  moral  government,  and  no 
proper  views  of  the  pernicious  and  widely 
extended  influence  of  sin  upon  the  moral 
system  ;  is  it  any  wonder,  tlierefbre,  that 
they  should  be  unconcerned  al)out  the 
plague  l)eing  stayed  l)y  a  sacrifice  1  Such 
views  are  too  enlarged  for  their  selfish 
and  contracted  minds.  The  only  object 
of  their  care,  even  in  iheir  most  serious 
moments,  is  to  escape  punishment :  for 
the  honor  of  God,  and  the  real  good  of 
creation,  they  discover  no  concern. 

The  amount  is  this  :  If  it  be  indeed 
improper  for  a  guilty  creature  to  lie 
before  his  Creator,  if  it  be  unfit  that  any 
regard  should  be  paid  to  the  honor  of  his 
character,  if  the  offense  committed  against 
him  be  of  so  small  account  that  it  is  un- 
necessary for  him  to  express  any  dis- 
pleasure against  it,  and  if  it  have  been  so 
private  and  insulated  in  its  operations  as 
in  no  way  to  affect  the  well-being  of  the 
moral  system,  the  doctrine  of  forgiveness 
through  a  mediator  is  unreasonable.  But 
if  the  contrary  be  true — if  it  be  proper 
for  a  guilty  creature  to  lie  in  the  dust  be- 
fore his  offended  Creator,  if  the  honor 
of  the  divine  character  deserve  the  first 
and  highest  regard,  if  moral  evil  be  the 
greatest  of  all  evils,  and  require,  even 
where  it  is  forgiven,  a  strong  expression 
of  divine  disjilcasure  against  it,  and  if  its 
pernicious  influence  be  such  that,  if  suf- 
fered to  operate  according  to  its  native 
tendency,  it  would  dethrone  the  Almigh- 
ty, and  desolate  the  universe,  the  doctrine 
in  question  must  accord  witli  the  j)lainest 
dictates  of  reason. 

The  sense  of  mankind,  with  regard  to 
the  necessity  of  a  mediator,  may  be  illus- 
trated by  the  following  similitude  : — Let 
us  suppose  a  division  of  the  army  of  one 
of  the  w  isest  and  best  of  kings,  through 
the  evil  counsel  of  a  foreign  enemy,  to 
have  been  disaffected  to  his  government; 
and  that,  without  any  provocation  on  his 
part,  they  traitorously  conspired  against 
his  crown  and  life.  The  attempt  failed; 
and  the  offenders  were  seized,  disarmed, 
tried  by  the  laws  of  their  country,  and 
condemned  to  die.  A  respite  however  was 
granted  them  during  his  Majesty's  pleas- 
ure. At  this  solemn  perioii,  while  every 
pai't  of  the  army  and  of  the  empire  was 


160 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


expecting  the  fatal  order  for  execution, 
the  king  was  employed  in  meditating  mer- 
cy. But  how  could  mercy  be  shown  1 
"To  make  light  of  a  conspiracy,"  said 
he  to  his  friends,  "  would  loosen  the  bands 
of  good  government :  other  divisions  of 
the  army  might  be  tempted  to  follow  their 
example  ;  and  the  nation  at  large  be  in 
danger  of  imputing  it  to  tameness,  fear, 
or  some  unworthy  motive." 

Every  one  felt,  in  this  case,  the  neces- 
sity of  a  mediator,  and  agreed  as  to  the 
general  line  of  conduct  proper  for  him  to 
pursue.  "  He  must  not  attempt,"  say 
they,  "to  compromise  the  difference  by 
dividing  the  blame :  that  would  make 
things  worse.  He  must  justify  the  king, 
and  condemn  the  outrage  committed  a- 
gainst  him;  he  must  offer,  if  possible, 
some  honorable  expedient,  by  means  of 
which  the  bestowment  of  pardon  shall 
not  relax,  but  strengthen  just  authority; 
he  must  convince  the  conspirators  of  their 
crime,  and  introduce  them  in  the  charac- 
ter of  supplicants ;  and  mercy  must  be 
shown  them  out  of  respect  to  him,  or  for 
his  sake." 

But  who  could  be  found  to  mediate  in 
such  a  cause  1  This  was  an  important 
question.  A  work  of  this  kind,  it  was 
allowed  on  all  hands,  required  singular 
qualifications.  He  must  he  perfectly  clear 
of  any  participation  in  the  offense,"  said 
one,  "or  inclination  to  favor  it;  for  to 
pardon  conspirators  at  the  intercession 
of  one  who  is  friendly  to  their  cause  would 
be,  not  only  making  light  of  the  crime, 
but  giving  a  sanction  to  it." 

"He  must,"  said  another,  "be  one 
who  on  account  of  his  character  and  ser- 
vices stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  the  king 
and  of  the  public  ;  for  to  mediate  in  such 
a  cause,  is  to  become,  in  a  sort,  respon- 
sible for  the  issue.  A  mediator,  in  effect, 
pledges  his  honor  that  no  evil  will  result 
to  the  state  from  the  granting  of  his  re- 
quest. But,  if  a  mean  opinion  be  enter- 
tained of  him,  no  trust  can  be  placed  in 
him,  and,  consequently,  no  good  impres- 
sion would  be  made  by  his  mediation  on 
the  public  mind." 

"  I  conceive  it  is  necessary,"  said  a 
third,  "that  the  weight  of  the  mediation 
should  bear  a  proportion  to  the  magnitude 
of  the  crime,  and  to  the  value  of  the  favor 
requested ;  and  that  for  this  end  it  is 
proper  he  should  be  a  person  of  great 
dignity.  For  his  Majesty  to  pardon  a 
company  of  conspirators  at  the  interces- 
sion of  one  of  their  former  comrades,  or  of 
any  other  obscure  character,  even  though 
he  might  be  a  worthy  man,  would  convey 
a  very  diminutive  idea  of  the  evil  of  the 
offense." 


A  fourth  remarked  that  "  he  must  pos- 
sess a  tender  compassion  towards  the  un- 
happy offenders,  or  he  wovdd  not  cordial- 
ly interest  himself  on  their  behalf." 

Finally :  It  was  suggested  by  a  fifth 
"  that,  for  the  greater  titness  of  the  pro- 
ceeding, it  would  be  proper  that  some 
relation  or  connection  should  subsist  be- 
tween the  parties."  "We  feel  the  pro- 
priety," said  he,  "  of  forgiving  an  offense 
at  the  intercession  of  a  father,  or  a  brother; 
or,  if  it  be  committed  by  a  soldier,  of  his 
commanding  officer.  Without  some  kind 
of  previous  relation  or  connection,  a 
mediation  would  have  the  appearance  of 
an  arbitrary  and  formal  process,  and  prove 
but  little  interesting  to  the  hearts  of  the 
community." 

Such  were  the  reasonings  of  the  king's 
friends  ;  but  where  to  find  the  character 
in  whom  these  qualifications  were  united, 
and  what  particular  expedient  could  be 
devised,  by  means  of  which,  instead  of 
relaxing,  pardon  should  strengthen  just 
authority,  were  subjects  too  difficult  for 
them  to  resolve. 

Meanwhile,  the  king  and  his  son,  whom 
he  greatly  loved,  and  whom  he  had  ap- 
pointed generalissimo  of  all  his  forces, 
had  retired  from  the  company,  and  were 
conversing  about  the  matter  which  at- 
tracted the  general  attention. 

"My  son!"  said  the  benevolent  sove- 
reign, "  what  can  be  done  in  behalf  of 
these  unhappy  menl  To  order  them  for 
execution  violates  every  feeling  of  my 
heart :  yet  to  pardon  them  is  dangerous. 
The  army,  and  even  the  empire,  would 
be  under  a  strong  temptation  to  think 
lightly  of  rebellion.  If  mercy  be  exer- 
cised, it  must  be  through  a  mediator ; 
and  who  is  qualified  to  mediate  in  such  a 
cause  1  And  what  expedient  can  be  de- 
vised by  means  of  which  pardon  shall  not 
relax,  but  strengthen  just  authority  1 
Speak,  my  son,  and  say  what  measures 
can  be  pursued  1" 

"My  father!"  said  the  prince,  "I  feel 
the  insult  offered  to  your  person  and 
government,  and  the  injury  thereby  aimed 
at  the  empire  at  large.  They  have  trans- 
gressed without  cause,  and  deserve  to  die 
without  mercy.  Yet  I  also  feel  for  them. 
I  have  the  heart  of  a  soldier.  I  cannot 
endure  to  Avitness  their  execution.  What 
shall  I  say  1  On  me  be  this  wrong  !  Let 
me  suffer  in  their  stead.  Inflict  on  me  as 
much  as  is  necessary  to  impress  the  army 
and  the  nation  with  a  just  sense  of  the 
evil,  and  of  the  importance  of  good  order 
and  faithful  allegiance.  Let  it  be  in  their 
presence,  and  in  the  presence  of  all  as- 
sembled. When  this  is  done,  let  them  be 
permitted   to    implore   and  receive  your 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


161 


majesty's  pardon  in  my  name.  If  any 
man  refuse  so  to  implore,  and  so  to  re- 
ceive it,  let  him  die  the  death  !" 

"My  son!"  replied  the  king,  "you 
liave  expressed  my  heart !  The  same 
things  have  occupied  my  mind ;  but  it 
was  my  desire  that  you  should  he  volun- 
tary in  the  undertaking.  It  shall  be  as 
you  have  said.  I  shall  be  satisfied;  jus- 
tice itself  will  be  satisfied  ;  and  I  pledge 
my  lionor  that  you  also  shall  be  satisfied 
in  seeing  the  happy  cfTects  of  your  disin- 
terested conduct.  Propriety  requires  that 
I  stand  aloof  in  the  day  of  your  affliction  ; 
liut  I  will  not  leave  you  utterly,  nor  sutler 
the  beloved  of  my  soul  to  remain  in  that 
condition.  A  temporary  affliction  on  your 
part  will  be  more  than  equivalent  to  death 
on  theirs.  The  dignity  of  your  person 
and  character  will  render  the  sufferings 
of  an  hour  of  greater  account,  as  to  the 
impression  of  the  public  mind,  than  if  all 
the  rebellious  had  l..:en  executed  :  and 
by  how  much  I  am  known  to  have  loved 
you,  by  so  much  will  my  compassion  to 
them,  and  my  displeasure  against  their 
wicked  conduct,  be  made  manifest.  Go, 
my  son,  assume  the  likeness  of  a  criminal, 
and  suffer  in  their  place  !" 

The  gracious  design  being  communica- 
ted at  court,  all  were  struck  Avith  it. 
Those  who  had  reasoned  on  the  qualifi- 
cations of  a  mediator,  saw  that  in  the 
prince  all  were  united,  and  were  filled 
with  admiration  :  but  that  he  should  be 
willing  to  suffer  in  the  place  of  rebels,  was 
beyond  all  that  could  have  been  asked  or 
thought.  Yet,  seeing  he  himself  had 
generously  proposed  it,  would  survive  his 
suflfcrings,  and  reap  the  reward  of  them, 
they  cordially  acquiesced.  The  only  dif- 
ficulty that  was  started,  was  among  the 
judges  of  the  realm.  They,  at  first, 
questioned  whether  the  proceeding  were 
admissible.  "  The  law,"  said  they, 
"  makes  provision  for  the  transfer  of 
debts,  but  not  of  crimes.  Its  language 
is,  '  The  soul  that  sinneth  shall  die.' " 
But  when  they  came  to  view  things  on  a 
more  enlarged  scale,  considering  it  as  an 
expedient  on  an  extraordinary  occasion, 
and  perceived  that  the  spirit  of  the  law 
would  be  preserved,  and  all  the  ends  of 
good  government  answered,  they  were 
satisfied.  "  It  is  not  a  measure,"  said 
they,  "  for  which  the  law  provides  :  yet 
it  is  not  contrary  to  the  law,  but  above 
it." 

The  day  appointed  arrived.  The  prince 
appeared,  and  suffered  as  a  criminal.  The 
hearts  of  the  king's  friends  bled  at  every 
stroke,  and  burned  with  indignation  against 
the  conduct  which  rendered  it  necessary. 
His  enemies,  however,  even  some  of  those 
for  whom  he  suffered,  continuing  to  be  dis- 
VOL.    I.  21 


affected,  added  to  the  affliction,  by  derid- 
ing and  insulting  him  all  the  time.  At  a 
proper  period,  he  was  rescued  from  ther 
outrage.  Returning  to  the  |)alace,  amidst 
the  tears  and  shouts  of  the  loyal  specta- 
tors, the  sufTering  hero  was  embraced  by 
his  royal  father  ;  who,  in  addition  to  the 
natural  affection  which  he  bore  to  him  as 
a  son,  loved  him  for  his  singular  interpo- 
sition at  such  a  crisis;  "Sit  thou,"  said 
he,  "at  my  right  hand!  Though  the 
threatenings  of  the  law  be  not  literally 
accomplished,  yet  the  spirit  of  them  is 
preserved.  The  honor  of  good  govern- 
ment is  secured,  and  the  end  of  pu/iish- 
ment  more  effectually  answered  than  if  all 
the  rebels  had  been  sacrificed.  Ask  of 
me  what  I  shall  give  thee  !  No  favor  can 
be  too  great  to  be  bestowed,  even  upon  the 
unwortiiiest,  nor  any  crime  too  aggravated 
to  be  forgiven,  in  thy  name.  I  will  grant 
thee  according  to  thine  own  heart !  Ask 
of  me,  my  son,  what  I  shall  give  thee  !  " 

He  asked  for  the  offenders  to  be  intro- 
duced as  supplicants  at  the  feet  of  his  fa- 
ther, for  the  forgiveness  of  their  crimes, 
and  for  the  direction  of  affairs  till  order 
and  happiness  should  be  perfectly  re- 
stored. 

A  proclamation  addressed  to  the  con- 
spirators was  now  issued,  stating  what-had 
been  their  conduct,  what  the  conduct  of 
the  king,  and  what  of  the  prince.  Mes- 
sengers also  were  api)ointed  to  carry  it, 
witii  orders  to  read  it  publicly,  and  to  ex- 
postulate with  them  individually,  beseech- 
ing them  to  be  reconciled  to  their  offended 
sovereign,  and  to  assure  them  that,  if  they 
rejected  this,  there  remained  no  more 
hope  of  mercy. 

A  spectator  would  suppose  that  in  mer- 
cy so  freely  offered,  and  so  honorably 
communicated,  every  one  would  have  ac- 
quiesced ;  and,  if  reason  had  governed  the 
offenders,  it  had  been  so :  but  many 
among  tliem  continued  under  the  influence 
of  disaffection,  and  disaffection  gives  a 
false  coloring  to  everything. 

The  time  of  the  respite  having  proved 
longer  than  was  at  first  expected,  some  had 
begun  to  amuse  themselves  with  idle  spec- 
ulations, flattering  themselves  that  their 
fault  was  a  mere  trifle,  and  that  it  certain- 
ly would  be  passed  over.  Indeed,  the 
greater  part  of  them  had  turned  their  at- 
tention to  other  things,  concluding  that  the 
king  was  not  in  good  earnest. 

When  the  proclamation  was  read,  many 
paid  no  manner  of  attention  to  it ;  some 
insinuated  that  the  messengers  were  inter- 
ested men,  and  that  there  might  be  no 
truth  in  what  they  said ;  and  some  even 
abused  them  as  impostors.  So,  having 
delivered  their  message,  they  withdrew; 
and  the  reliefs,  finding  themselves  alone. 


162 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


such  of  them  as  paid  any  attention  to  the 
subject  expressed  their  mind  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  My  heart,"  says  one,  "rises  against 
every  part  of  this  proceeding.  Why  all 
this  ado  about  a  few  words  spoken  one  to 
another'?  Can  such  a  message  as  this 
have  proceeded  from  the  kingl  What 
have  we  done  so  much  against  him,  that 
so  much  should  be  made  of  it!  No  pe- 
tition of  ours,  it  seems,  would  avail  any- 
thing ;  and  nothing  that  we  could  say  or 
do  could  be  regarded,  unless  presented  in 
the  name  of  a  third  person.  Surely  if  we 
present  a  petition  in  our  own  names,  in 
which  we  beg  pardon,  and  promise  not  to 
repeat  the  offense,  this  might  suiiice. 
Even  this  is  more  than  I  can  find  in  my 
heart  to  comply  with  :  but  everything  be- 
yond it  is  unreasonable ;  and  who  can  be- 
lieve that  the  king  can  desire  it  1  " 

"If  a  third  pei'son,"  says  another, 
"  must  be  concerned  in  the  affair,  what  oc- 
casion is  there  for  one  so  high  in  rank  and 
dignity  1  To  stand  in  need  of  such  a  me- 
diator must  stamp  our  characters  with  ev- 
erlasting infamy.  It  is  very  unreason- 
able :  who  can  believe  if!  If  the  king  be 
just  and  good,  as  they  say  he  is,  how  can 
he  wish  thus  publicly  to  expose  us  1  " 

"I  observe,"  says  a  third,  "that  the 
mediator  is  toholly  on  the  king's  side  ;  and 
one  whom,  though  he  affects  to  pity  us, 
we  have,  from  the  outset,  considered  as 
no  less  our  enemy  than  the  king  himself. 
If,  indeed,  he  could  compromise  matters, 
and  would  allow  that  we  had  our  provoca- 
tions, and  would  promise  us  redress,  and 
an  easier  yoke  in  future,  I  should  feel  in- 
clined to  hearken  :  but,  if  he  have  no  con- 
cessions to  offer,  I  can  never  be  recon- 
ciled." 

"  I  believe,"  says  a  fourth,  "that  the 
king  knows  very  well  that  we  have  not  had 
justice  done  us,  and  therefore  this  media- 
tion business  is  introduced  to  make  us 
amends  for  the  injury.  It  is  an  affair  set- 
tled somehow  betwixt  him  and  his  son. 
They  call  it  grace,  and  I  am  not  much 
concerned  what  they  call  it,  so  that  my 
life  is  spared  ;  but  this  I  say,  if  he  had 
not  made  this  or  some  kind  of  provision, 
I  should  have  thought  him  a  tyrant." 

"  You  are  all  wrong,"  says  a  fifth  :  "  I 
comprehend  the  design,  and  am  well  pleas- 
ed with  it.  I  hate  tlie  government  as 
much  as  any  of  you  :  but  I  love  the  me- 
diator ;  for  I  understand  it  is  his  intention 
to  deliver  me  from  its  tyranny.  He  has 
paid  the  debt,  the  king  is  satisfied,  and  I 
am  free.  I  will  sue  out  for  my  right,  and 
demand  my  liberty  !  " 

In  addition  to  this,  one  of  the  company 
observed,  he  did  not  see  what  the  greater 
part  of  them  had  to  do  with  the  proclama- 


tion, unless  it  were  to  give  it  a  hearing, 
which  they  had  done  already.  "  For," 
said  he,  "pardon  is  promised  only  to  them 
who  are  loilling  to  submit,  and  it  is  well 
known  that  many  of  us  are  unwilling ;  nor 
can  we  alter  our  minds  on  this  subject." 

After  a  while,  however,  some  of  them 
were  brought  to  relent.  They  thought 
upon  the  subject  matter  of  the  proclama- 
tion, were  convinced  of  the  justness  of  its 
statements,  reflected  upon  their  evil  con- 
duct, and  were  sincerely  sorry  on  account 
of  it.  And  now  the  mediation  of  the 
prince  appeared  in  a  very  different  light. 
They  cordially  said  Amen  to  every  part  of 
the  proceeding.  The  very  things  which 
gave  such  offense,  while  their  hearts  were 
disaffected,  now  appeared  to  them  fit,  and 
right,  and  glorious.  "  It  is  fit,"  say  they, 
"  that  the  king  should  be  honored,  and  that 
we  should  be  humbled;  for  we  have  trans- 
gressed loithout  cause.  It  is  right  that  no 
regard  should  be  paid  to  any  petition  of 
ours,  for  its  own  sake ;  for  we  have  done 
deeds  worthy  of  death.  It  is  glorious  that 
we  should  be  saved  at  the  intercession  of 
so  honorable  a  personage.  The  dignity  of 
his  character,  together  with  his  surprising 
condescension  and  goodness,  impresses  us 
more  than  anything  else,  and  fills  our 
hearts  with  penitence,  confidence,  and 
love.  That  which  in  the  proclamation  is 
called  grace,  is  grace  ;  for  we  are  utterly 
unworthy  of  it ;  and,  if  we  had  all  suffered 
according  to  our  sentence,  the  king  and 
his  throne  had  been  guiltless.  We  em- 
brace the  mediation  of  the  prince,  not  as 
a  reparation  for  an  injury,  but  as  a  singu- 
lar instance  of  mercy.  And  far  be  it  from 
us  that  we  should  consider  it  as  designed 
to  deliver  us  from  our  original  and  just  al- 
legiance to  his  majesty's  government  !  No, 
rather  it  is  intended  to  restore  us  to  it. 
We  love  our  intercessor,  and  will  implore 
forgiveness  in  his  name  :  but  we  also  love 
our  sovereign,  and  long  to  prostrate  our- 
selves at  his  feet.  We  rejoice  in  the  sat- 
isfaction which  the  prince  has  made,  and 
all  our  hopes  of  mercy  are  founded  upon 
it :  but  we  have  no  notion  of  being  freed 
by  it  previously  to  our  acquiescence  in  it.. 
Nor  do  Ave  desire  any  other  kind  of  free- 
dom than  that  which,  while  it  remits  the 
just  sentence  of  the  laAV,  restores  us  to  his 
majesty's  government.  O  that  we  were 
once  clear  of  this  hateful  and  horrid  con- 
spiracy, and  might  be  permitted  to  serve 
him  with  affection  and  fidelity  all  the  days 
of  our  life  !  We  cannot  suspect  the  sin- 
cerity of  the  invitation,  or  acquit  our  com- 
panions on  the  score  of  unioillingness. 
Why  should  we  1  We  do  not  on  this  ac- 
count acquit  ourselves.  On  the  contrary, 
it  is  the  remembrance  of  our  unwilling- 
ness that  now  cuts  us  to  the  heart.     We 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


163 


well  remember  to  what  it  was  owing  that 
we  could  not  be  salislicd  witli  the  just 
government  of  the  king,  and  afterwards 
could  not  comply  with  tlie  invitations  of 
mercy  :  it  was  because  we  were  under  the 
dominion  of  a  disaffected  spirit — a  spirit 
whicii,  wicked  as  it  is  in  itself,  it  would 
be  more  wicked  to  justify.  Our  counsel 
is,  therefore,  the  same  as  that  of  his  majes- 
ty's messengers,  with  whom  we  now  take 
our  stand.  Let  us  lay  aside  this  cavilling 
humor,  repent,  and  sue  lor  mercy  in  the 
way  prescribed,  ere  mercy  be  hid  from  our 
eyes  !  " 

The  reader,  in  applying  this  supposed 
case  to  the  mediation  of  Christ,  will  do  me 
tlie  justice  to  remember  that  I  do  not  pre- 
tend to  have  perfectly  represented  it.  Prob- 
ably there  is  no  similitude  fully  adequate 
to  the  purpose.  The  distinction  between 
the  Father  and  the  Son  is  not  the  same  as 
tliat  which  subsists  between  a  father  and 
a  son  among  men  :  the  latter  are  two  sep- 
arate beings  ;  but  to  assert  this  of  the  for- 
mer would  be  inconsistent  with  the  divine 
unity.  Nor  can  any  thing  be  found  anal- 
ogous to  the  doctrine  of  divine  influence, 
by  which  the  redemption  of  Christ  is  car- 
ried into  effect.  And,  with  respect  to  the 
innocent  voluntarily  sulTering  for  the  guil- 
ty, in  a  few  extraordinary  instances  this 
principle  may  be  adopted  ;  but  the  man- 
agement and  application  of  it  generally  re- 
quire more  wisdom  and  more  power  than 
mortals  possess.  We  may,  by  the  help  of 
a  machine,  collect  a  few  sparks  of  the  elec- 
trical fluid,  and  produce  an  elTect  some- 
what resembling  that  of  lightning  :  but  we 
cannot  cause  it  to  blaze  like  the  Almighty, 
nor  "  thunder  with  a  voice  like  Him." 

Imperfect,  however,  as  the  foregoing 
similitude  may  appear  in  some  respects,  it 
is  sufficient  to  show  the  fallacy  of  Mr. 
Paine's  reasoning.  "  The  doctrine  of  Re- 
demption," says  this  writer,  "  has  for  its 
basis  an  idea  of  pecuniary  justice,  and  not 
that  of  moral  justice.  If  I  owe  a  person 
money,  and  cannot  pay  him,  and  he  threat- 
ens to  put  me  in  prison,  another  person 
can  take  the  debt  upon  himself,  and  pay 
it  for  me  :  but,  if  I  have  committed  a  crime, 
every  circumstance  of  tlie  case  is  changed. 
Moral  justice  cannot  take  the  innocent 
for  the  guilty,  even  if  the  innocent  would 
oiTer  itself.  To  suppose  justice  to  do  this, 
is  to  destroy  the  principle  of  its  existence, 
which  is  the  thing  itself.  It  is  then  no 
longer  justice,  but  indiscriminate  re- 
venge."* This  objection,  which  is  the 
same  for  substance  as  has  been  frequently 
urged  by  Socinians  as  well  as  Deists,  is 
founded  in  misrepresentation.  It  is  not 
true  that  redemption  has  for  its  basis  the 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  20. 


idea  of  pecuniary  justice,  and  not  that  of 
moral  justice.  That  sin  is  called  a  debt, 
and  the  death  of  Christ  aprice,  a  ransom, 
&c.,  is  true  ;  but  it  is  no  unusual  thing  for 
moral  obligations  and  deliverances  to  be 
expressed  in  language  borrowed  from  pe- 
cuniary transactions.  The  obligations  of 
a  son  to  a  father  are  commonly  expressed 
by  such  terms  as  owing  and  paying  :  he 
owes  a  debt  of  obedience,  and  in  yielding  it 
hepai/s  adebt  of  gratitude.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  an  obligation  to  punisliment. 
A  murderer  owes  his  life  to  the  justice  of 
his  country  ;  and,  when  he  suffers,  he  is 
said  to  pai/ the  awful  dei)t.  So  also  if  a 
great  character,  by  sudering  death,  could 
deliver  his  country,  such  deliverance  would 
be  spoken  of  as  obtained  by  the  price  of 
blood.  No  one  mistakes  these  things  by 
understanding  them  of  pecuniary  transac- 
tions. In  such  connections,  every  one 
perceives  that  the  terms  are  used  not  lit- 
erally, but  metaphorically  ;  and  it  is  thus 
that  they  are  to  be  understood  with  refer- 
ence to  the  death  of  Christ.  As  sin  is 
not  a  pecuniary,  but  a  moral  debt,  so  the 
atonement  for  it  is  not  a  pecuniary,  but  a 
moral  ransom. 

There  is,  doubtless,  a  sufficient  analogy 
between  pecuniary  and  moral  proceedings 
to  justify  the  use  of  such  language,  both 
in  Scripture  and  in  common  life  ;  and  it 
is  easy  to  perceive  the  advantages  which 
arise  from  it ;  as,  besides  conveying  much 
important  truth,  it  renders  it  peculiarly 
impressive  to  the  mind.  But  it  is  not 
always  safe  to  reason  from  the  former  to  the 
latter  ;  much  less  is  it  just  to  affirm  that  the 
latter  has  for  its  basis  every  principle  which 
pertains  to  the  former.  The  deliverance 
effected  by  the  prince,  in  the  case  before 
stated,  might,  Avith  propriety,  be  called  a 
redemption ;  and  the  recollection  of  it, 
under  this  idea,  would  be  very  impressive 
to  the  minds  of  those  who  were  delivered. 
They  would  scarcely  be  able  to  see  or 
think  of  their  Commander  in  Chief,  even 
though  it  might  be  years  after  the  event, 
without  being  reminded  of  the  price  at 
which  their  pardon  was  obtained,  and 
dropping  a  tear  of  ingenuous  grief  over 
their  unworthy  conduct  on  this  account. 
Yet  it  would  not  be  just  to  say  that  this 
redemption  had  for  its  basis  an  idea  of 
pecuniary  justice,  and  not  that  of  moral 
justice. 

It  was  moral  justice  which  in  this  case 
was  satisfied  :  not,  however,  in  its  or- 
dinary form,  but  as  exercised  on  an  ex- 
traordinary occasion ;  not  the  letter,  but 
the  spirit  of  it. 

The  Scripture  doctrine  of  atonement, 
being  conveyed  in  language  borrowed  from 
pecuniary  transactions,  is  not  only  im- 
proved by  unbelieyers  into  an  argument 


164 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST    CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


against  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  but  has 
been  the  occasion  of  many  errors  among 
the  professors  of  Christianity.  Socinus, 
on  this  ground,  attempts  to  explain  away 
the  necessity  of  satisfaction.  "  God," 
says  he,  "is  our  Creditor.  Our  sins  are 
debts  which  we  have  contracted  with 
him ;  but  every  one  may  yield  up  his 
right,  and  more  especially  God,  who  is  the 
supi'eme  Lord  of  all,  and  extolled  in  the 
Scriptures  for  his  liberality  and  goodness. 
Hence,  then,  it  is  evident  that  God  can 
pardon  sins  without  any  satisfaction  re- 
ceived."* Others,  who  profess  to  em- 
brace the  doctrine  of  satisfaction,  have, 
on  the  same  ground,  perverted  and  abused 
it;  objecting  to  the  propriety  of  humble 
and  continued  applications  for  mercy, 
and  presuming  to  claim  the  forgiveness  of 
their  sins  past,  present,  and  to  come,  as 
their  legal  right,  and  what  it  would  be 
unjust  in  the  Supreme  Being,  having  re- 
ceived complete  satisfaction,  to  Avith- 
hold. 

To  the  reasoning  of  Socinus,  Dr.  Owen 
judiciously  replies,  by  distinguishing  be- 
tween right  as  it  respects  debt,  and  as  it 
respects  government.  The  former,  he 
allows,  may  be  given  up  without  a  satis- 
faction, but  not  the  latter.  "Our  sins," 
he  adds,  "are  called  debts,  not  properly, 
but  metaphorically."!  This  answ^er  equal- 
ly applies  to  those  who  pervert  the  doc- 
trine as  to  those  who  deny  it;  for  though 
in  matters  of  debt  and  credit  a  full  satis- 
faction from  a  surety  excludes  the  idea  of 
free  pardon  on  the  part  of  the  creditor, 
and  admits  of  a  claim  on  the  part  of  the 
debtor,  yet  it  is  otherwise  in  relation  to 
crimes.  In  the  interposition  of  the  prince, 
as  stated  above,  an  honorable  expedient 
was  adopted,  by  means  of  which  the  sove- 
reign was  satisfied,  and  the  exercise  of 
mercy  rendered  consistent  with  just  au- 
thority :  but  there  was  no  less  grace  in 
the  act  of  forgiveness  than  if  it  had  been 
without  a  satisfaction.  However  well 
pleased  the  king  might  be  with  the  con- 
duct of  his  son,  the  fi-eeness  of  pardon 
was  not  at  all  diminished  by  it ;  nor  must 
the  criminals  come  before  him  as  claim- 
ants, but  as  supplicants,  imploring  mercy 
in  the  mediator's  name. 

Such  are  the  leading  ideas  which  the 
Scriptures  give  us  of  redemption  by  Jesus 
Christ.  The  apostle  Paul  especially 
teaches  this  doctrine  with  great  preci- 
sion :  "Being  justified  freely  by  his 
grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  :    whom  God  has  set  fortli 

*  Treatise  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Savior,  Part  HI. 
Chap.  I. 

t  Dissertation  on  Divine  Justice,  Chap,  ix.  Section 
VII.  VIII 


to  be  a  propitiation,  through  faith  in  his 
blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the 
remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God  ;  to  declare,  I  say, 
at  this  time,  his  righteousness  :  that  he 
might  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
which  believeth  in  Jesus."  From  this 
passage  we  may  remark,  first,  That  the 
grace  of  God,  as  taught  in  the  Scriptures, 
is  not  that  kind  of  liberality  which  Socini- 
ans  and  Deists  ascribe  to  him,  which  sets 
aside  the  necessity  of  a  satisfaction.  Free 
grace,  according  to  Paul,  requires  &  pro- 
pitiation, even  the  shedding  of  the  Sa- 
vior's blood,  as  a  medium  through  which 
it  may  be  honorably  communicated.  Sec- 
ondly :  Redemption  by  Jesus  Christ  was 
accomplished,  not  by  a  satisfaction  that 
should  preclude  the  exercise  of  grace  in 
forgiveness,  but  in  which,  the  displeasure 
of  God  against  sin  being  manifested, 
mercy  to  the  sinner  might  be  exercised 
without  any  suspicion  of  his  having  relin- 
quished his  regards  for  righteousness. 
In  "setting  forth  Jesus  Christ  to  be  a 
propitiation,"  he  "declared  his  righte- 
ousness for  the  remission  of  sins."  Tliird- 
ly  :  The  righteousness  of  God  was  not 
only  declared  Avhen  Christ  was  made  a 
propitiatory  sacrifice,  but  continues  to  be 
manifested  in  the  acceptance  of  believers 
through  his  name.  He  appears  as  just 
while  acting  the  part  of  a  justifier  towards 
every  one  that  believeth  in  Jesus.  Fourth- 
ly :  That  which  is  here  applied  to  the 
blessings  of  forgiveness  and  acceptance 
with  God  is  applicable  to  all  other  spirit- 
ual blessings  :  all,  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, are  freely  communicated  through 
the  same  distinguished  medium.  See 
Ephes.  i.* 

*  The  christian  reader,  it  is  presumed,  may  hence 
obtain  a  clear  view  of  the  ends  answered  by  the  death 
of  Christ,  a  subject  wbicli  lias  occupied  much  atten- 
tion among  divines.  Some  have  asserted  that  Clirist 
by  his  satisfaction  accomphshed  this  only,  "  Tiiat 
God  now,  consistently  with  the  honor  of  his  justice, 
may  pardon  (returning)  sinners  if  he  willeth  so  to 
do."  This  is,  doubtless,  true,  as  far  as  it  goes;  but 
it  makes  no  provision  for  the  return  of  the  sinner. 
This  scheme,  therefore,  leaves  the  sinner  to  perish 
in  impenitence  and  unbelief,  and  the  Savior  without 
any  security  of  seeing  of  the  travail  of  his  soul.  For 
how  can  a  sinner  return  without  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  1  And  the  Holy  Spirit,  equally  with 
every  other  spiritual  blessing,  is  given  in  considera- 
tion of  the  death  of  Christ.  Others,  to  remedy  this 
defect,  have  considered  the  death  of  Christ  as 
purchasing  repentance  and  faith,  as  well  as  all 
other  spiritual  blessings,  on  behalf  of  the  elect.  The 
writer  of  these  pages  acknowledges  he  never  could 
perceive  that  any  clear  or  determinate  idea  was 
conveyed  by  the  \evm  purchase,  in  this  connection; 
nor  does  it  appear  to  him  to  be  applicable  to  the 
subject,  unless  it  be  in  an  iuipro|5er  or  figurative 
sense.  He  has  no  doubt  of  the  atonement  of  Christ 
being  a  perfect  satisfaction  to  divine  justice;  nor  of 
his  being  worthy  of  all  that  was  conferred  upon  him. 


THE    MEDIATION    OF    CHRIST     CONSISTENT    WITH    REASON. 


165 


These  remarks  may  suffice  to  show,  not 
only  that  Mr.  Painc's  assertion  has  no 
truth  in  it,  but  tliat  all  those  professors  of 
Christianity  wiio  have  adopted  his  princi- 
ple have  so  far  deviated  from  the  doctrine 
of  redemption  as  it  is  taught  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

As  to  wliat  Mr.  Paine  alleges,  that  the 
innocent  sullering  for  tiie  guilty,  even 
though  it  be  with  his  own  consent,  is  con- 
trary to  every  principle  of  moral  justice, 
he  affirms  the  same  of  God's  "  visiting  the 
iniquities  of   the  fathers   upon   the   chil- 

and  upon  us  for  his  sake;  nor  of  tliat  which  to  us  is 
sovereign  mercy  being  to  hiin  an  exercise  of  remun- 
ei'ative  justice:  but  lie  wishes  it  to  be  considered, 
Whether  tlie  moral  Governor  of  the  world  was  laid 
under  such  a  kind  of  obligation  to  show  mercy  to 
sinners  as  a  creditor  is  under  to  discharge  a  debtor, 
on  having  received  full  satisfaction  at  llie  hands  of  a 
surety  l  If  he  be,  the  writer  is  unable  to  perceive  how 
there  can  be  any  room  for  free  forgiveness  on  the 
part  of  God;  or  how  it  can  be  said  that  justice  and 
grace  hannonize  in  a  sinner's  salvation.  iXothing  is 
tardier  from  his  intention  than  to  depreciate  tlie  merit 
of  his  Lord  and  Savior  :  but  he  considers  merit  as 
of  two  kinds;  either  on  account  of  a  benefit  confer- 
red, which  on  the  footing  of  justice  requires  an  equal 
return,  or  of  somethijig  done  or  suffered,  which  is 
worthy  of  being  rewarded  by  a  Being  distinguish- 
ed by  his  love  of  righteousness.  In  the  first  sense 
it  cannot,  as  he  supposes,  be  exercised  towards  an 
infinite  and  perfect  Being.  The  goodness  of  Christ 
himself,  in  tliis  way,  extendeth  not  to  him.  It  is 
in  the  last  sense  that  the  Scriptures  appear  to  him 
to  represent  the  merit  of  tlie  Redeemer.  That  he 
"  who  was  in  the  form  of  God  should  take  upon  him 
the  form  of  a  servant,  and  be  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men,  and  humble  himself,  and  lx;come  obedient  unto 
deatli,  even  the  death  of  the  cross,"  was  so  glorious 
an  undertaking,  and  so  acceptable  to  the  Father, 
that  on  this  account  he  "  set  him  at  his  own  right 
hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all  princijiality 
and  power,  and  might  and  dominion,  and  every 
name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also 
in  that  which  is  to  come  :  and  hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  the  Head  over  all 
things  to  the  church."  Nor  was  this  all  :  bo  well 
pleated  was  he  wilii  all  that  he  did  and  suflered,  as 
to  reward  it  not  only  with  honors  conferred  upon 
himself,  but  with  blessings  on  sinners  for  his  sake. 
Whatever  is  asked  in  his  name,  it  is  given  us. 

It  is  true,  as  die  writer  apprehends,  that  a  way 
was  opened,  by  the  mediation  of  Christ,  for  the  free 
and  consistent  exercise  of  mercy  in  all  the  methods 
which  Sovereign  Wisdom  saw  fit  to  adopt. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  blessings,  in  particular, 
which  God,  out  of  regard  to  the  death  of  his  Son, 
bestows  u|X)n  men  :  First,  He  sends  forth  the  gospel 
of  salvation,  accompanied  with  a  free  and  indefinite 
i^nvitation  to  embrace  it,  and  an  assurance  that  who- 
soever complies  with  the  invitation  (for  which  there 
IS  no  ability  wanting  in  any  man  who  possesses  an 
honest  heart)  shall  have  everlasting  life.  This  favor 
is  bestowed  on  sinners  as  sinners.  God  "  giveUi 
the  true  bread  from  heaven "  in  this  way  to  many 
who  never  receive  it.  He  inviteth  those  to  the 
gospel  supper  who  refuse  and  make  light  of  it. 
John  vi.  32 — .3G;  Matt.  Kxii.  4,  5.  Secondly,  He 
bestows  his  Holy  Spirit  to  renew  and  sanctify  tlie 
sou! :  gives  a  new  heart  and  a  right  spirit,  and  takes 
3way  the  heart  of  .stone.     "  Christ  is  exalted  to  give 


dren."*  But  this  is  a  truth  evident  by  tmi- 
versal  experience.  It  is  seen  every  day,  in 
every  part  of  tlie  world.  If  Mr.  Paine  in- 
dulge in  intemperance,  and  leave  children 
})eliin(lliim,they  may  feel  the  consequences 
of  his  misconduct  when  he  is  in  the  grave,' 
The  sins  of  the  father  may  tluis  he  visited 
upon  the  children  to  the  third  and  fourth 
generation.  It  would,  however,  be  their 
affliction  only,  and  not  their  punishment. 
Yet  such  visitations  are  wisely  ordered  as 
a  motive  to  soiiriety.  Nor  is  it  between 
parents  and  children  only  that  such  a  con- 
nection exists  as  that  the  hajipiness  of  one 
depends  upon  tiie  conduct  of  others  ;  a 
slight  survey  of  society,  in  its  various  re- 
lations, must  convince  us  that  tlie  same 
principle  pervades  creation.  To  call  this 
injustice  is  to  fly  in  the  face  of  the  Creator. 
With  such  an  objector  I  have  nothing  to 
do :  "  He  that  reproveth  God,  let  him 
answer  it." 

If  the  idea  of  the  innocent  suffering  in 
the  room  of  the  guilty  were  in  all  cases  in- 
admissible, and  utterly  repugnant  to  the 
human  understanding,  how  came  ihe  use 
of  expiatory  sacrifices  to  prevail,  as  it  has, 
in  every  age  an(l  nation'?  Wliether  the 
idea  first  proceeded  from  a  divine  com- 
mand, as  Christians  generally  believe,  or 
Avhatever  was  its  origin,  it  has  approved 
itself  to  tlic  minds  of  men  ;  and  not  of  the 
most  uncultivated  part  of  mankind  only, 
but  of  the  most  learned  and  polite.  The 
sacrifices  of  the  Gentiles,  it  is  true,  were 
full  of  superstition,  and  widely  difTerent, 
as  might  be  expected,  from  those  which 
were  regulated  by  the  Scriptures  ;  but 
the  general  principle  is  the  same  :  all 
agree  in  the  idea  of  the  displeasure  of  the 
Deity  being  appeasable  by  an  innocent 
victim  being  sacrificed  in  the  place  of  the 
guilty.  The  idea  of  expiatory  sacrifices, 
and  of  a  mediation  founded  upon  them,  is 
beautifully  expressed  in  the  book  of  Job; 
a  book  not  only  of  great  antiquity,  liut 
which  seems  to  have  obtained  the  appro- 
repentance."  Acts  V.  31.  "  Unto  us  it  is  given, 
in  behalf  of  Christ,  to  believe  in  him."  Phil.  i.  29. 
"  We  have  obtained  like  precious  faith  through  the 
righteousness  of  God,  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ." 
2  Pet.  i.  1.  This  favor  is  conferred  on  elect  sin- 
ners. See  Acts  xiii.  48.  Rom.  viii.  28—30. 
Thirdly,  through  the  same  medium  is  given  the  free 
pardon  of  all  our  sins,  acceptance  with  God,  power 
to  become  the  sons  of  God,  and  the  promise  of  ever- 
lasting life.  "  Your  sins  arc  forgiven  you  for  his 
name's  sake."  1  John  ii.  12.  "  God 'for  Christ's 
sake  hath  forgiven  you."  Ephes.  iv.  32.  "  We 
are  accepted  in  the  teloved."  Ephes.  i.  6.  By 
means  of  his  death  we  "  receive  the  promise  of  eter- 
nal inheritance."  Heb.  ix.  15.  This  kind  of  bles- 
sings is  conferred  on  believing  sinners. 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  4.  Note. 


166 


REDEMPTION     CONSISTENT    WITH 


bation  of  Mr.  Paine,  having,  as  he  sup- 
poses, been  written  by  a  Gentile.  "And 
it  was  so  that,  after  the  Lord  had  spoken 
these  words  unto  Job,  the  Lord  said  to 
Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  My  wrath  is  kind- 
led against  thee,  and  against  thy  two 
friends  !  for  ye  have  not  spoken  of  me  the 
thing  that  is  right,  as  ray  servant  Job 
hath.  Therefore  take  unto  you  now  seven 
bullocks  and  seven  rams,  and  go  to  ray 
servant  Job,  and  offer  up  for  yourselves  a 
burnt-offering ;  and  my  servant  Job  shall 
pray  for  you,  for  him  will  I  accept ;  lest  I 
deal  with  you  after  your  folly,  in  that  ye 
have  not  spoken  of  me  the  thing  which  is 
right,  like  my  servant  Job.  So  Eliphaz 
the  Temanite,  and  Bildad  the  Shuhite, 
and  Zophar  the  Naamathite,  went  and  did 
according  as  the  Lord  commanded  tliem  : 
the  Lord  also  accepted  Job."  The  ob- 
jections which  are  now  made  to  the  sac- 
rifice of  Christ  equally  apply  to  all  expia- 
tory sacrifices,  the  offeringup  of  which,  had 
not  the  former  superseded  them,  would 
have  continued  to  this  day. 

If  an  innocent  character  offer  to  die  in  the 
room  of  a  guilty  fellow-creature,  it  is  not 
ordinarily  accepted,  nor  would  it  be  pro- 
per that  it  should.  For  he  may  have  no 
just  right  to  dispose  of  his  life  ;  or,  if  he 
have,  he  has  no  power  to  resume  it :  there 
may  likewise  be  no  such  relation  between 
the  parties  as  that  the  suffering  of  the  one 
should  express  displeasure  against  the 
conduct  of  the  other.  Besides  this,  there 
may  be  no  great  and  good  end  accomplish- 
ed to  society  by  such  a  substitution  :  the 
ioss  sustained  by  the  death  of  the  one 
might  be  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  gain 
from  the  life  of  the  other.  If  the  evil  to 
be  endured  might  be  survived — if  the  re- 
lation between  the  parties  were  such  that, 
in  the  sufferings  of  the  one  mankind  would 
be  impressed  with  the  evil  of  the  other — 
and  if  by  such  a  proceeding  great  advan- 
tage would  accrue  to  society,  instead  of 
being  accounted  inadmissible,  it  Avould  be 
reckoned  right,  and  wise,  and  good.  If  a 
dignified  individual,  by  enduring  some 
temporary  severity  from  an  offended  na- 
tion, could  appease  their  displeasure,  and 
thereby  save  his  country  from  the  de- 
stroying sword,  who  would  not  admire  his 
disinterested  conduct  1  And  if  the  of- 
fended, from  motives  of  humanity,  were 
contented  with  expressing  their  displeas- 
ure, by  transferring  the  effect  of  it  from  a 
whole  nation  to  an  individual  who  thus 
stepped  forward  on  their  behalf,  would 
their  conduct  be  censured  as  "indiscrimi- 
nate revenge  1"  The  truth  is,  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ  affords  a  display  of  justice 
on  too  large  a  scale,  and  on  too  hurabling 
a  principle,  to  approve  itself  to  a  contract- 
ed, selfish,  and  haughty  mind. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  CONSISTENCY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE 
DOCTRINE  OF  REDEMPTION  WITH  THE 
MODERN  OPINION  OF  THE  MAGNITUDE 
OF  CREATION. 

It  is  common  for  Deists  to  impute  the 
progress  of  their  principles  to  the  preva- 
lence of  true  philosophy.  The  world,  they 
say,  is  raore  enlightened ;  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  discoveries  are  progressively  making 
which  render  the  credibility  of  the  Scrip- 
tures more  and  more  suspicious.  It  is 
now  a  commonly  received  opinion,  f^r  in- 
stance, among  men  of  science,  that  this 
world  is  but  a  point  in  creation  ;  that 
every  planet  is  a  world,  and  all  the  fixed 
stars  so  many  suns  in  the  centres  of  so 
many  systems  of  worlds  ;  and  that,  as 
every  part  of  creation  within  our  knowl- 
edge teems  with  life,  and  as  God  has  made 
nothing  in  vain,  it  is  highly  probable  that 
all  these  worlds  are  inhabited  by  intelli- 
gent beings,  who  are  capable  of  knowing 
and  adoring  their  Creator.  But,  if  this  be 
true,  how  incredible  is  it  that  so  great  a 
portion  of  regard  should  be  exercised  by 
the  Supreme  Being  towards  man  as  the 
Scriptures  represent !  how  incredible,  es- 
pecially, it  must  appear,  to  a  thinking 
mind,  that  Deity  should  become  incarnate, 
should  take  human  natvu-e  into  the  most 
intimate  union  with  himself,  and  thereby 
raise  it  to  such  singular  erainency  in  the 
scale  of  being ;  though,  compared  with  the 
whole  of  the  creation,  if  we  comprehend 
even  the  whole  species,  it  be  less  than  a 
nest  of  insects  compared  Avith  the  unnum- 
bered millions  of  animated  beings  which 
inhabit  the  earth  ! 

This  objection,  there  is  reason  to  think, 
has  had  a  very  considerable  influence  on 
the  speculating  part  of  mankind.  Mr. 
Paine,  in  the  first  part  of  his  Age  of  Rea- 
son (pp.  40 — 47,)  has  labored,  after  his 
manner,  to  make  the  most  of  it,  and  there- 
by to  disparage  Christianity.  "  Though 
it  is  not  a  direct  article  of  the  christian 
system,"  he  says,  "that  this  world  which 
Ave  inhabit  is  the  Avhole  of  the  habitable 
creation  ;  yet  it  is  so  Avorked  up  therewith 
from  Avhat  is  called  the  Mosaic  account  of 
the  creation,  the  story  of  Eve  and  the  ap- 
ple, and  the  counterpart  of  that  story — the 
death  of  the  Son  of  God,  that  to  believe 
othei-Avise,  that  is,  to  believe  that  God  cre- 
ated a  plurality  of  Avorlds,  at  least,  as  nu- 
merous as  what  Ave  call  stars,  renders  the 
Christian  system  of  faith  at  once  little  and 
ridiculous,  and  scatters  it  in  the  mind 
like  feathers  in  the  air.     The  two  beliefs 


Tiir.  mac;nitudk   of  cukation. 


167 


cannot  ln'  licld  top;(;lhor  in  the  same  mind  ; 
and  lie  wlio  tliinks  he  Itelieves  bolli  has 
thouiiht  but  little  of  either."     p.  40. 

Again  :  Having  discoursed  on  tiie  vast 
extent  of  creation,  he  asks,  "But,  in  the 
nddst  of  these  relleciions,  what  are  we  to 
tiiink  of  the  Christian  system  of  faith,  that 
tornis  itself  upon  the  idea  of  only  one 
world,  and  that  of  no  greater  extent  than 
twentv-tive  thousand  miles  .'  " — "  Whence 
could  arise  the  solitary  and  strange  con- 
ceit, that  the  Almighty,  who  had  millions 
of  worlds  ecpially  de|)endent  on  his  pro- 
tection, should  cpiit  the  care  of  all  the  rest, 
and  come  to  die  in  our  world,  because  they 
say  one  nnin  and  one  woman  had  eaten  an 
apple  1  And,  on  the  other  hand,  are  we 
to  suppose  that  every  world  in  the  bound- 
less creation  had  an  Eve,  an  apple,  a  ser- 
pent, and  a  Redeemer'?  In  this  case,  the 
person  who  is  irreverently  called  the  Son 
of  God,  and  sometimes  God  himself, 
would  have  nothing  else  to  do  than  to  tra- 
vel from  world  to  world,  in  an  endless  suc- 
cession of  death,  with  scarcely  a  momen- 
tary interval  of  life."     p.  46. 

To  animadvert  upon  all  the  extravagant 
and  offensive  things,  even  in  so  small  a 
part  of  Mr.  Paine's  performance  as  the 
above  cpiotation,  would  be  an  irksome  task. 
A  few  remarks,  however,  may  not  be  im- 
proper. 

First  :  Though  Mr.  Paine  is  pleased  to 
say,  in  his  usual  style  of  naked  assertion, 
that  "the  two  beliefs  cannot  be  held  to- 
gether, and  that  he  who  thinks  he  believes 
both  has  thought  but  little  of  either  ;  "  yet 
he  cannot  be  ignorant  that  many  who  have 
admitted  the  one  have  at  the  same  time 
held  fast  the  other.  Mr.  Paine  is  certain- 
ly not  overloaded  with  modesty,  when 
comparing  his  own  abilities  and  acquisi- 
tions with  those  of  other  men  ;  but  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that,  with  all  his  assur- 
rance,  he  will  not  pretend  that  Bacon,  or 
Boyle,  or  Newton,  to  mention  no  more, 
luui  thought  but  little  of  philosophy  or 
Christianity.  I  imagine  it  would  be  with- 
in the  compass  of  truth,  were  I  to  say  that 
thoy  bestowed  twenty  times  more  thought 
upon  these  subjects  than  ever  Mr.  Paine 
did.  His  extreme  ignorance  of  Christian- 
ity, at  least,  is  manifest  by  the  numerous 
gross  blunders  of  which  he  has  been  de- 
tected. 

Secondly  :  Supposing  the  scripture  ac- 
count of  the  creation  to  be  inconsistent 
with  the  ideas  which  modern  philosophers 
entertain  of  its  extent  ;  yet  it  is  not  what 
Mr.  Paine  represents  it.  It  certainly  does 
not  teach  "  that  this  world  which  we  in- 
habit is  the  whole  of  the  habitable  crea- 
tion." Mr.  Paine  will  not  deny  that  it 
exhibits  a  world  of  ha])piness,  and  a  world 
of  misery;  though  this,  in  the   career  of 


his  extravagance,  he  seems  to  have  over- 
looked. 

Thirdly:  If  the  two  lieliefs,  as  Mr. 
Paine  calls  them,  cannot  be  consistently 
held  together,  we  need  not  be  at  a  loss  to 
determine  which  to  relinquish.  All  the 
reasonings  in  favor  of  a  multiplicity  of 
worlds,  inhabited  by  intelligent  beings, 
amounts  to  no  more  than  a  strong  proba- 
bility. No  man  can  |)roperly  be  said  to 
believe  it  :  it  is  not  a  matter  of  faith,  but 
of  oi)inion.  It  is  an  opiiuon  too  that  has 
taken  })lace  of  (jthcr  opinions,  which,  in 
their  day,  were  admired  by  the  philosophi- 
cal part  oi  mankind,  as  much  as  this  is  in 
ours.  Mr.  Paine  seems  to  wish  to  have 
it  thought  that  the  doctrine  of  a  midliplici- 
ty  of  inhabited  worlds  is  a  matter  ol'  dcvi- 
onstration  :  but  the  existence  of  a  num- 
ber of  heavenly  bodies,  whose  revolutions 
are  under  the  direction  of  certain  laws, 
and  whose  returns,  therefore,  are  the  ob- 
jects of  human  calculation,  does  not  prove 
that  they  are  all  inhabited  by  intelligent 
beings.  I  do  not  deny  that,  from  other 
considerations,  the  thing  may  be  highly 
proliable  ;  but  it  is  no  more  than  a  proba- 
bility. Now,  before  we  give  up  a  doc- 
trine which,  if  it  were  even  to  prove  falla- 
cious, has  no  dangerous  consequences  at- 
tending it,  and  which,  if  it  should  be  found 
a  truth,  involves  our  eternal  salvation,  we 
should  endeavor  to  have  a  more  solid 
gTound  than  mere  opinion  on  which  to  take 
our  stand. 

But  I  do  not  wish  to  avail  myself  of 
these  observations,  as  I  am  under  no  ap- 
prehensions that  the  cause  in  which  I  en- 
gage requires  them.     Admitting   that 

THE  INTELLIGEXT  CUEATION  IS  AS  EX- 
TENSIVE AS  MODERN  PHILOSOPHY  SUP- 
POSES, THE  CREDIBILITY  OF  REDEMP- 
TION IS  NOT  THEREBY  WEAKENED; 
BUT,  ON  THE  CONTRARY,  IN  MANY  RE- 
SPECTS, IS  STRENGTHENED  AND  AG- 
GRANDIZED. I  shall  offer  a  few  observa- 
tions on  each  of  the  branches  of  the  above 
position. 

The  scripture  doctrine  of  redemption, 
it  is  acknowledged,  supposes  that  man, 
mean  and  little  as  he  is  in  the  scale  of  be- 
ing, has  occupied  a  peculiar  portion  of  the 
divine  regard.  It  requires  to  be  noticed, 
however,  that  the  enemies  of  revelation, 
in  order  it  should  seem  to  give  the  greater 
force  to  their  objection,  diminish  the  im- 
portance of  man,  as  a  creature  of  God, 
beyond  what  its  friends  can  admit.  Though 
Mr.  Paine  expresses  his  "  hope  of  happi- 
ness beyond  this  life,"  and  though  some 
other  deistical  writers  have  admitted  the 
immortality  of  the  soul  ;  yet  this  is  more 
than  others  of  them  will  allow.  The  hope 
of  a  future  state,  as  we  have  seen,  is  ob- 
jected to  by  many  of  them,  as  a  selfish 


168 


REDEMPTION    CONSISTENT   WITH 


principle ;  and  others  of  them  have  at- 
tempted to  hold  it  up  to  ridicule.  But  the 
immortality  of  man  is  a  doctrine  which 
redemption  supposes  ;  and,  if  this  be  al- 
lowed, man  is  not  so  insignificant  a  being 
as  they  might  wish  to  consider  him.  A 
being  that  possesses  an  immortal  mind,  a 
mind  capable  of  increasing  knowledge,  and, 
consequently,  of  increasing  happiness  or 
misery,  in  an  endless  duration,  cannot  be 
insignificant.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say 
thai  the  salvation  of  one  soul,  according 
to  the  scriptural  account  of  things,  is  of 
inconceivably  greater  moment  than  the 
temporal  salvation  of  a  nation,  or  of  all 
the  nations  in  the  world  for  ten  thousand 
ages.  The  eternal  salvation,  therefore,  of 
a  number  of  lost  sinners,  which  no  man 
can  number,  however  it  may  be  a  matter 
of  infinite  condescension  in  the  great  Su- 
preme to  accomplish,  is  not  an  object  for 
creatures,  even  the  most  exalted,  to  con- 
sider as  of  small  account. 

Having  premised  thus  much,  I  shall 
proceed,  in  the  first  place,  to  offer  a  few 
observations  in  proof  that  THERE  is  noth- 
ing IN  THE  SCRIPTURE  DOCTRINE  OP  RE- 
DEMPTION WHICH  IS  INCONSISTENT  WITH 
THE  MODERN  OPINION  OF  THE  MAGNI- 
TUDE  OF    CREATION. 

1.  Let  creation  he  as  extensive  as  it 
may,  and  the  number  of  toorlds  be  viulti- 
plied  to  the  utmost  boundary  to  ivhich  im- 
agination can  reach,  there  is  no  proof  that 
any  of  them,  except  men  and  angels,  have 
apostatized  from  God.  If  our  world  be 
only  a  small  province,  so  to  speak,  of  God's 
vast  empire,  there  is  reason  to  hope  that 
it  is  the  only  part  of  it  where  sin  has  en- 
tered, except  among  the  fallen  angels,  and 
that  the  endless  myriads  of  intelligent  be- 
ings, in  other  worlds,  are  all  the  hearty 
friends  of  virtue,  of  order  and  of  God. 

If  this  be  true,  (and  there  is  nothing  in 
philosophy  or  divinity,  I  believe,  to  dis- 
credit it,)  then  Mr.  Paine  need  not  have 
supposed,  if  he  could  have  suppressed  the 
pleasure  of  the  witticism,  that  the  Son  of 
God  would  have  to  travel  from  Avorld  to 
world  in  the  character  of  a  Redeemer. 

2.  Let  creation  be  ever  so  extensive, 
there  is  nothing  inconsistent  with  reason 
in  supposing  that  some  one  particular  part 
of  it  should  be  chosen  out  from  the  rest,  as 
a  theatre  on  which  the  great  Author  of  all 
things  tvould  perform  his  most  glorious 
works.  Every  empire  that  has  been  found- 
ed in  this  world  has  had  some  one  partic- 
ular spot  where  those  actions  were  per- 
formed from  which  its  glory  has  arisen. 
The  glory  of  the  Caesars  was  founded  on 
the  event  of  a  battle  fought  near  a  very  in- 
considerable city  :  and  why  might  not  this 
world,  though  less  than  "twenty-five 
thousand    miles    in    circumferencCj"   be 


chosen  as  the  theatre  on  which  God  would 
bring  about  events  that  should  fill  his 
whole  empire  with  glory  and  joyi  It 
would  be  as  reasonable  to  plead  the  insig- 
nificance of  Actium  or  Agincourt,  in  ob- 
jection to  the  competency  of  the  victories 
there  obtained  (supposing  them  to  have 
been  on  the  side  of  righteousness)  to  fill 
the  respective  empires  of  Rome  and  Brit- 
ain with  glory,  as  that  of  our  world  to  fill 
the  whole  empire  of  God  Avith  matter  of 
joy  and  everlasting  praise.  The  truth  is, 
the  comparative  dimension  of  our  world 
is  of  no  account.  If  it  be  large  enough 
for  the  accomplishment  of  events  which 
are  sufficient  to  occupy  the  minds  of  all 
intelligences,  that  is  all  that  is  required. 

3.  If  any  one  part  of  God's  creation, 
rather  than  another,  possessed  a  superior 
fitness  to  become  a  theatre  on  ivhich  he 
might  display  his  glory,  it  should  seem  to 
be  that  part  tvhere  the  greatest  efforts  have 
been  made  to  dishonor  him.  A  rebellious 
province  in  an  empire  would  be  the  fittest 
place  in  it  to  display  the  justice,  goodness 
and  benignity  of  a  government.  Here 
would  naturally  be  erected  a  banner  of 
righteousness  ;  here  the  war  would  be 
carried  on ;  here  pardons  and  punish- 
ments to  different  characters  would  be 
awarded  ;  and  here  the  honors  of  the  gov- 
ernment would  be  established  on  such  a 
basis  that  the  remotest  parts  of  the  empire 
might  hear  and  fear,  and  learn  obedience. 
The  part  that  is  diseased,  whether  in  the 
body  natural  or  the  body  politic,  is  the 
part  to  which  the  remedy  is  directed. 
Let  there  be  what  number  of  worlds  there 
may,  full  of  intelligent  creatures  ;  yet,  if 
there  be  but  one  world  which  is"  guilty  and 
miserable,  thither  will  be  directed  the  op- 
erations of  mercy.  The  good  shepherd  of 
the  sheep  will  leave  the  ninety  and  nine 
in  the  wilderness,  and  seek  and  save  that 
which  is  lost. 

4.  The  events  brought  to  pass  in  this 
ivorld,  little  and  insignificant  as  it  may  be, 
are  competent  to  fill  all  and  every  part  of 
God's  dominions  with  everlasting  and  in- 
creasing joy.  Mental  enjoyment  differs 
widely  from  corporeal  :  the  bestowment 
of  the  one  upon  a  great  number  of  objects 
is  necessarily  attended  with  a  division  of 
it  into  parts ;  and  those  who  receive  a 
share  of  it  diminish  the  quantity  remain- 
ing for  others  that  come  after  them ;  but 
not  so  the  other.  An  intellectual  object 
requires  only  to  be  known,  and  it  is 
equally  capable  of  affording  enjoyment  to 
a  million  as  to  an  individual,  to  a  world  as 
to  those,  and  to  the  whole  universe,  be  it 
ever  so  extensive,  as  to  a  world.  If,  as 
the  Scriptures  inform  us,  "God  Avas  man- 
ifest in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  spirit, 
seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the  Gentiles, 


THE    MAGNITUDE    OF    CREATION. 


169 


l)olieved  on  in  tlic  world,  and  iccei\cd  up 
into  glory  ;  if  tlicre  I'c  enough  in  this  mys- 
terious transaction  to  (ill  with  joy  the 
hearts  of  all  who  believe  it ;  if  it  be  so  in- 
teresting that  the  most  exalted  intelligen- 
ces become  comparatively  indifTerent  to 
every  other  object,  "  desiring  to  look  into 
it;"  then  is  it  sufficient  to  "  fill  all  things," 
and  to  exhibit  the  divine  glory  "  in  all 
places  of  his  dominion."* 

Mr.  Paine  allows  thai  it  is  not  a  direct 
article  of  the  christian  system  that  there 
is  not  a  plurality  of  inhabited  worlds  ; 
vet,  he  affirms,  it  is  so  xcorked  up  witli 
tlie  scripture  account  that,  to  i)clieve  the 
latter,  we  must  relinquish  the  former  as 
little  and  ridiculous. 

The  Scriptures,  it  is  true,  do  not  teach 
the  doctrine  of  a  multitude  of  inhabited 
w  orlds  :  but  neither  do  they  teach  the 
contrary.  Neither  tlie  one  nor  the  other 
forms  any  part  of  their  design.  The  ob- 
ject they  keep  in  view,  though  Mr. 
Paine  may  term  it  "  little  and  ridiculous," 
is  infinitely  superior  to  this,  l)oth  as  to 
utility  and  magnitude.  They  were  not  giv- 
en to  teach  us  astronomy  or  geography,  or 
civil  government,  or  any  science  which 
relates  to  the  present  life  only  ;  therefore 
they  do  not  determine  upon  any  system 
of  any  of  these  sciences.  These  are 
things  upon  which  reason  is  competent  to 
judge,  sufficiently  at  least  for  all  the  pur- 
poses of  human  life,  without  a  revelation 
from  heaven.  The  great  object  of  reve- 
lation is  to  instruct  us  in  things  which 
pertain  to  our  everlasting  peace;  and  as 
to  other  things,  even  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  mightiest  empires,  they  are  only 
touched  in  an  incidental  manner,  as  the 
mention  of  them  might  be  necessary  to 
higher  purposes.  The  great  empires  of 
Baliylon,  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome,  are 
predicted  and  described  in  the  Scriptures, 
by  the  rising  and  ravaging  of  so  many  beasts 
of  prey.  Speaking  of  the  European  part 
of  the  eartli,  whicli  was  inhabited  by  the 
posterity  of  Japhelh,  they  do  not  go  about 
to  give  an  exact  geographical  description  of 
it  ;  but,  by  a  synecdoche,  call  it  the 
"isles  of  the  Gentiles  ;"t  and  this,  as  I 
suppose,  because  its  eastern  boundary,  the 
Archipelago,  or  Grecian  Islands,  were 
situated  contiguous  to  the  Holy  Land. 
And  thus,  when  speaking  of  the  whole 
creation,  they  call  it  "the  heavens  and 
the  earth,"  as  being  the  whole  that  comes 
within  the  reach  of  our  senses. 

It  is  no  dishonor  to  the  Scriptures  that 
they  keep  to  their  |)rofesscd  end.  Though 
they  give  us  no  system  of  astronomy,  yet 
they  urge  us  to  study  the  works  of  God, 

*  I  Pet.  i.  12.     Eplies.  iv.  10,     Psal.  ciii.  22. 
t  Gen.  X.  5.     Isa.  xlix.  1. 

VOL.    I.  22 


and  teach  us  to  adore  him  upon  every 
discovery.  Though  they  give  us  no  sys- 
tem of  geography,  yet  they  encourage  us 
to  avail  ourselves  of  observation  and  ex- 
perience to  obtain  one  ;  seeing  the  whole 
earth  is  in  prophecy  given  to  the  Messiah, 
and  is  marked  out  as  the  field  in  which 
his  servants  are  to  labor.  Though  they 
determine  not  upon  any  mode  or  system 
of  civil  government,  yet  they  teach  obedi- 
ence in  civil  matters  to  all.  And  though 
their  attention  l)e  mainly  directed  to 
things  wiiicii  pertain  to  the  life  to  come, 
yet,  by  attending  to  their  instructions,  we 
are  also  fitted  for  the  labors  and  sufferings 
of  the  present  life. 

Tiie  Scriptures  arc  written  in  a  popular 
style,  as  best  adapted  to  their  great  end. 
If  the  salvation  of  philosophers  only  had 
been  tlieir  ol)ject,  the  language  might 
possil)ly  have  been  somewhat  different; 
though  even  this  may  be  a  matter  of 
doubt,  since  the  style  is  suited  to  the 
subject,  and  to  the  great  end  which  they 
had  in  view  ;  but,  being  addressed  to  men 
of  every  degree,  it  was  highly  proper  that 
the  language  should  be  fitted  to  every 
capacity,  and  suited  to  their  common 
modes  of  conception.  They  speak  of  the 
foundations  of  the  earth,  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  the  greater  and  less  lights  in  the 
heavens,  the  sun  rising,  standing  still,  and 
going  down,  and  many  other  things  in  the 
same  way.  If  deists  object  to  these 
modes  of  speaking,  as  conveying  ideas 
which  are  inconsistent  with  the  true  theo- 
ry of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  let  them, 
it  they  can,  substitute  others  wliich  are 
consistent  :  let  them,  in  their  common 
conversation,  when  describing  the  revolu- 
tions of  evening  and  morning,  speak  of 
the  earth  as  rising  and  going  down,  instead 
of  the  sun ;  and  the  same  with  regard  to 
the  revolution  of  the  planets  ;  and  see  if 
men,  in  common,  will  better  understand 
them,  or  whether  they  would  be  able 
even  to  understand  one  another.  The 
popular  ideas  on  these  subjects  are  as  < 
much  "  w  orked  up  "  in  tlie  common  con- 
versation of  philosophers  as  they  are  in 
the  Scriptures  :  and  the  constant  use  of 
such  language,  even  by  philosophers  them- 
selves, in  common  conversation,  sufficient- 
ly proves  the  futility  and  unfairness  of 
their  objecting  to  revelation  on  this  ac- 
count. 

By  the  drift  of  Mr.  Paine's  writing,  he 
seems  to  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that, 
so  contracted  were  the  view  s  of  the  scrip- 
tural writers,  that  even  the  globularity  of 
the  earth  was  unknown  to  them.  If, 
however,  such  a  sentence  as  that  of  Job, 
"He  hangefh  the  earth  upon  nothing,"]: 

^  Ciinp.  xxvi .  7. 


170 


REDEMPTION    CONSISTENT    WITH 


had  been  found  in  any  of  the  old  heathen 
writers,  he  would  readily  have  concluded 
that  "this  idea  was  familiar  to  the  an- 
cients." Or  if  a  heathen  poet  had  uttered 
such  language  as  that  of  Isaiah — "  Behold, 
the  nations  are  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket,  and 
are  counted  as  the  small  dust  of  the  bal- 
ance ;  behold,  he  taketh  up  the  isles  as  a 
very  little  thing  :  All  nations  before  Him 
are  as  nothing;  and  they  are  counted  to 
Him  less  than  nothing  and  vanity;" — he 
might  have  been  applauded  as  possessing 
a  mind  as  large,  and  nearly  as  well  in- 
formed, as  the  geniuses  of  modern  times. 
But  the  truth  is,  the  scriptural  writers 
were  not  intent  on  displaying  the  great- 
ness of  their  own  conceptions,  nor  even  of 
creation  itself;  but  rather  of  the  glory  of 
Him  "  who  tilleth  all  in  all." 

The  foregoing  observations  may  suffice 
to  remove  Mr.  Paine's  objection ;  but  if, 
in  addition  to  them,  it  can  be  proved  that, 
upon  the  supposition  of  a  great  number  of 
inhabited  worlds,  Christianity  instead  of 
appealing  "  little  and  ridiculous"  is  the 
more  enlarged,  and  that  some  of  its  dif- 
ficulties are  the  more  easily  accounted 
for,  this  will  be  still  more  satisfactory. 
Let  us  therefore  proceed,  secondly,  to 
offer  evidence  that  the  christian  doc- 
trine OP  REDEMPTION  IS  STRENGTH- 
ENED AND  AGGRANDIZED  BY  THE  SUP- 
POSED   MAGNITUDE    OF    CREATION. 

1.  The  Scriptures  teach  that  God's  re- 
gard to  man  is  an  astonishing  instance  of 
condescension,  and  that,  on  account  of 
the  disparity  between  him  and  the  celestial 
creation. — "  When  I  consider  thy  heav- 
ens," saith  David,  "the  work  of  thy  fin- 
gers, the  moon  and  the  stars  which  thou 
hast  ordained ;  what  is  man,  that  thou  art 
mindful  of  him;  and  the  son  of  man,  that 
thou  visitest  him  1"  "Will  God  in  very 
deed,"  saith  Solomon,  "  dwell  with  men 
upon  the  earth  1"  * 

The  divine  condescension  towards  man 
is  a  truth  upon  any  system;  but,  upon 
the  supposition  of  the  heavenly  bodies 
being  so  many  inhabited  worlds,  it  is  a 
truth  full  of  amazement,  and  the  forego- 
ing language  of  David  and  Solomon  is 
forcible  beyond  all  conception.  The  idea 
of  him  Avho  upholds  a  universe  of  such 
extent  "by  the  word  of  his  power"  be- 
coming incarnate,  residing  with  men,  and 
setting  up  his  kingdom  among  them,  that 
he  might  raise  them  to  eternal  glory,  as 

*  Psalm  viii.  3,  4.  2  Chron.  vi.  18.  In  this 
part  of  the  subject  considerable  use  is  made  of  the 
Scriptures  ;  but  it  is  only  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining what  the  christian  doctrine  of  redemp- 
tion is  :  and  this  is  undoubtedly  consistent  with 
every  rule  of  just  reasoning,  as,  whether  they  be 
true  or  false,  they  are  the  standard  by  which  this 
doctrine  is  to  be  measured. 


much  surpasses  all  that  philosophy  calls 
gTeat  and  noble,  as  the  Creator  surpasses 
the  work  of  his  hands. 

2.  The  Scriptures  inform  us  that,  before 
creation  ivas  begun,  our  ivorld  ivas  mark- 
ed out  by  eternal  wisdom  as  the  theatre  of 
its  joyful  operations.  This  idea  is  for- 
cibly expressed  in  the  eighth  chapter  of 
Proverbs:  "Before  the  mountains  were 
settled,  before  the  hills  was  I  brought 
forth :  Avhile  as  yet  he  had  not  made  the 
earth,  nor  the  fields,  nor  the  highest  part 
of  the  dust  of  the  world.  When  he  pre- 
pared the  heavens,  I  was  there;  when  he 
set  a  compass  upon  the  face  of  the  depth ; 
when  he  established  the  clouds  above ; 
when  he  strengthened  the  fountains  of  the 
deep  ;  when  he  gave  to  the  sea  his  decree, 
that  the  waters  should  not  pass  his  com- 
mandment ;  when  he  appointed  the  foun- 
dations of  the  earth:  then  I  was  by  him, 
as  one  brought  up  with  him  :  and  I  was 
daily  his  delight,  rejoicing  always  before 
him,  rejoicing  in  the  habitable  part  of  his 
earth;  and  my  delights  were  with  the 
sons  of  men." 

On  this  interesting  passage  I  shall  ofTer 
a  few  remarks.  First:  Among  the  vari- 
ety of  objects  which  are  here  specified 
as  the  works  of  God,  the  earth  is  men- 
tioned as  being,  in  a  sort,  his  peculiar 
property.  Doubtless  the  whole  creation 
is  the  Lord's  ;  but  none  of  his  other  works 
is  here  claimed  as  his  own,  in  the  manner 
that  the  earth  is.  It  is  called  his  earth. 
And  this  seems  to  intimate  a  design  of 
rendering  it  the  grand  theatre  on  which 
his  gi-eatest  work  should  be  performed ; 
a  work  that  should  fill  all  creation  with 
joy  and  wonder.  Secondly:  The  wisdom 
of  God  is  described  as  rejoicing  in  the 
contemplation  of  this  part  of  the  creation. 
Whether  wisdom  in  this  passage  be  under- 
stood of  the  promised  Messiah,  or  of  a 
divine  attribute  personified,  it  makes  no 
difference  as  to  the  argument.  Allow  it 
to  mean  the  latter;  and  that  the  rejoicing 
of  wisdom  is  a  figurative  mode  of  speak- 
ing, like  that  of  "  mercy  rejoicing  against 
judgment;"!  still,  redemption  by  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  object  concerning  which  it 
was  exercised  :  nothing  less  can  be  inti- 
mated than  this,  that  the  earth  was  the 
place  marked  out  by  Eternal  Wisdom  as 
the  theatre  of  its  joyful  operations.  Third- 
ly :  The  habitable  part  of  the  earth  was 
more  especially  the  object  of  Wisdom's 
joyful  contemplation.  The  abodes  of 
men,  which  through  sin  had  become  scenes 
of  abomination,  were,  by  the  interposition 
of  the  Mediator,  to  become  the  abodes  of 
righteousness.  Here  the  serpent's  head 
was  to  be  bruised,  his  schemes  confound- 

t  James  ii.  13. 


THE    MAGNITIIDL    OF    CREATFOX. 


171 


ed,  and  his  works  destroyed  :  and  tluit  by 
tlie  "  woman's  seed,"  the  human  nature, 
whidi  he  had  despised  and  degraded. 
Here  a  tropliy  was  to  be  raised  to  tlie 
glory  ol  sovereign  grace  ;  and  millions  of 
souls,  delivered  Irom  everlasting  destruc- 
tion, were  to  present  an  olTering  oi'  praise 
to  HIM  "that  loved  ihem,  and  washed 
them  Irom  their  sins  in  iiis  own  blood." 
Here,  in  a  word,  the  peculiar  glory  of  the 
Godhead  was  to  be  displayed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  afford  a  lesson  of  joy- 
lul  amazement  to  the  whole  creation, 
"throughout  all  ages"  of  time,  yea, 
"  worlii  without  end!"*  Lastly:  Not 
only  were  the  abodes  of  men  contem- 
plated with  rejoicing,  but  the  so?is  of  men 
themselves  regarded  with  delight.  The 
operations  of  Eternal  Wisdom  were  di- 
rected to  their  salvation ;  and  their  sal- 
vation was  appointed  to  become,  in  return, 
a  mirror  in  wliich  tiie  whole  crea'tion 
should  behold  the  operations  of  Eternal 
Wisdom.  This  expressive  passage  con- 
tains a  fulness  of  meaning,  let  the  extent 
of  the  intelligent  creation  be  wliat  it  may  : 
but,  if  it  be  of  that  extent  which  modern 
philosophy  supposes,  it  contains  a  greater 
fulness  still.  It  perfectly  accords  with 
all  those  ideas  suggested  of  this  earth  be- 
ing the  chosen  theatre  upon  which  events 
should  be  brought  to  pass  that  shall  till 
creation  with  everlasting  joy;  and  well 
they  may,  if  the  prospect  of  them  rejoiced 
even  the  heart  of  God. 

3.  The  mediation  of  Christ  is  represent- 
ed in  Scripture  as  bringing  the  whole  crea- 
tion into  union  ivith  the  church  or  people  of 
God.  In  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness 
of  times,  it  is  said,  that  God  would  "  gath- 
er together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ, 
both  wliich  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are 
on  earth,  even  in  him."t  Again:  "It 
pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all 
fulness  dwell ;  and  (having  made  peace 
through  the  V)lood  of  his  cross)  liy  him  to 
reconcile  all  things  unto  himself,  by  him, 
I  say,  whether  things  in  earth,  or  things 
in  heaven."  { 

The  language  here  used  supposes  that 
the  introduction  of  sin  has  eflected  a  dis- 
union between  men  and  the  other  parts  of 
God's  creation.  It  is  natural  to  suppose 
it  should  be  so.  If  a  province  of  a  great 
empire  rise  up  in  rebellion  against  the  law- 
ful government,  all  communication  be- 
tween the  inhabitants  of  such  a  province, 
and  the  faithful  adherents  to  order  and 
obedience,  must  be  at  an  end.  A  line  of 
separation  would  be  immediately  drawn 
by  the  sovereign,  and  all  intercourse  be- 
tween the  one  and  the  other  prohibited. 

*  Ephes.  iii.  21.         f  Ephes.  i.  10. 
t    Col.  i.  19,  20. 


Nor  would  it  less  accord  with  the  inclina- 
tion than  with  the  duly  of  all  the  friends 
of  righteousness  to  withdraw  their  con- 
nection from  those  who  were  in  rcl)ellion 
against  the  su|)remc  authority  and  the  gen- 
eral good.  It  must  have  been  thus  with 
regard  to  the  holy  angels,  on  man's  apos- 
tasy. Those  who  at  the  creation  of  our 
world  had  sung  together,  and  even  shout- 
ed for  joy,  would  now  retire  in  disgust  and 
holy  indignation. 

But,  through  the  mediation  of  Christ,  a 
re-union  is  clVccted.  By  the  blood  of  the 
cross  we  have  peace  with  God  ;  and,  be- 
ing reconciled  to  him,  are  united  to  all  who 
love  him  throughout  the  whole  extent  of 
creation.  If  Paul  could  address  the  Co- 
rinthians, concerning  one  of  their  exclud- 
ed members,  who  had  been  brought  to  re- 
pentance, "  to  whom  ye  forgive  any  thing, 
I  also;  "  much  more  would  the  friends  of 
righteousness  soy,  in  their  addresses  to 
the  great  Supreme,  concerning  an  exclud- 
ed member  from  the  moral  system,  "  To 
whom  thou  forgivest  any  thing,  ive  also  !  " 
Hence  angels  acknowledge  Christians  as 
brethren,  and  l)ecome  ministering  spirits 
to  them  while  inliabitants  of  the  present 
world.  § 

There  is  another  consideration  which 
must  tend  to  cement  the  holy  part  of  God's 
creation  to  the  church  ;  which  is,  their 
being  all  united  under  one  head.  A  cen- 
tral point  of  union  has  a  great  effect  in 
cementing  mankind.  We  see  this  every 
day  in  people  who  sit  under  the  same  min- 
istry, or  serve  under  the  same  command- 
er, or  are  subjects  of  the  same  prince ; 
whether  minister,  general,  or  prince,  if 
they  love  him,  they  will  be,  more  or  less, 
united  together  under  him. 

Now  it  is  a  part  of  the  reward  of  our 
Redeemer,  for  his  great  humiliation,  that 
he  should  be  exalted  as  head  over  the 
whole  creation  of  God.  "  Being  found  in 
fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and 
became  obedient  unto  death,  even  tiie 
death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore  God  also 
hath  highly  exalted  him  and  given  him  a 
name  which  is  above  every  name ;  that  at 
the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow, 
of  heavenly  beings,  of  earthly,  and  of  those 
under  the  earth. — He  is  the  head  of  all 
principality  and  power. — God  raised  him 
from  the  dead,  and  set  him  at  his  own 
right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far 
above  all  principality  and  power,  and 
might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that 
is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also 
in  that  which  is  to  come :  and  put  all 
things  under  his  feet :  and  gave  him  to  be 
the  head  over  all   things  to   the  church, 

§Rev.  xix.  10.    Ileb.  i.  14. 


112 


REDEMPTION    CONSISTENT    WITH 


which  is  his  body,  the  fulness  ol"  him  that 
filleth  all  in  all."* 

These  passages,  it  is  true,  represent  the 
dominion  of  Christ  as  extending  over  the 
whole  creation,  enemies  as  well  as  friends, 
and  things  as  well  as  persons.  But,  if  the 
very  enemies  of  God  are  caused  to  sub- 
serve the  purposes  of  redemption,  much 
more  his  friends  ;  what  the  others  do  by 
constraint,  these  do  willingly ;  and  the 
consideration  of  their  having  one  head 
must  make  them  feel,  as  it  were,  nearer 
akin.  And,  as  Christ  is  "  head  over  all 
things  to  the  church,  which  is  his  body,*' 
it  is  hereby  intimated  that  the  happiness 
of  the  church  is  by  these  means  abundant- 
ly enlarged. 

To  what  extent  creation  reaches  I  do 
not  pretend  to  know :  be  that  however 
what  it  may,  the  foregoing  passages  teach 
us  to  consider  the  influence  of  redemption 
as  commensurate  with  it ;  and  in  propor- 
tion to  the  magnitude  of  the  one,  such 
must  be  the  influence  of  the  other,  as  to 
the  accomplishment  of  re-union  and  the 
restoration  of  happiness. 

4.  Through  the  mediation  of  Christ,  not 
only  is  the  whole  creation  represented  as 
augmenting  the  blessedness  of  tlie  church, 
but  the  cfiurch  as  augmenting  the  blessed- 
ness of  the  ivhole  creation.  As  one  mem- 
ber, be  it  ever  so  small,  cannot  suffer  with- 
out the  whole  body,  in  some  degree,  suf- 
fering with  it ;  so,  if  we  consider  our  world 
as  a  member  of  the  great  body  or  system 
of  being,  it  might  naturally  be  supposed 
that  the  ill  or  well-being  of  the  former 
would,  in  some  measure,  affect  the  happi- 
ness of  the  latter.  The  fall  of  a  planet 
from  its  orbit  in  the  solar  system,  would 
probably  have  a  less  effect  upon  the  other 
planets,  than  that  of  man  from  the  moral 
system  upon  the  other  parts  of  God's  in- 
telligent creation.  And,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  man  is  a  member  of  the  body, 
distinguished  by  sovereign  favor,  as  pos- 
sessing a  nature  which  the  Son  of  God  de- 
lighted to  honor,  by  taking  it  upon  him- 
self, the  interest  which  the  universe  at 
large  may  have  in  his  fall  and  recovery 
may  be  greatly  augmented.  The  leprosy 
of  Miriam  was  an  event  that  affected  the 
whole  camp  of  Israel :  nor  did  they  pro- 
ceed on  their  journeys  till  she  was  restor- 
ed to  her  situation  :  and  it  is  not  unnatu- 
ral to  suppose  that  something  analogous  to 
this  would  be  the  effect  of  the  tall  and  re- 
covery of  man  on  the  whole  creation. 

The  happiness  of  the  redeemed  is  not 
the  vdtimate  end  of  redemption ;  nor  the 
only  happiness  which  will  be  produced 
by  it.  God  is  represented  in  the  Scrip- 
tures as  conferring  his    favors  in  such  a 

*  Pliil.  ii.  8-.10,     Col.  ii.  10.     Eph.  i.  20—22. 


way  as  that  no  creature  shall  be  blessed 
merely  for  his  own  sake,  but  that  he 
might  communicate  his  blessedness  to 
others.  With  whatever  powers,  talents, 
or  advantages  we  are  endued,  it  is  not 
merely  for  our  gratification,  but  that  we 
may  contribute  to  the  general  good.  God 
gives  discernment  to  the  eye,  speech  to 
the  tongue,  strength  to  the  arm,  and 
agility  to  the  feet ;  not  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  these  members,  but  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  the  body.  It  is  the  same 
in  other  things.  God  blessed  Abraham; 
and  wherefore  1  That  he  might  be  a  bless- 
ing.  He  blessed  his  posterity  after  him ; 
and  for  what  purpose  1  That  "in  them 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  might  be 
blessed. "t  Though  Israel  was  a  nation 
chosen  and  beloved  of  God  ;  yet  it  was  not 
for  their  righteousness,  nor  merely  with 
a  view  of  their  happiness,  that  they  were 
thus  distinguished :  but  that  he  "  might 
perform  the  oath  which  he  sware  unto 
their  fathers  :"|  the  'substance  of  which 
was  that  the  true  religion  should  prosper 
among  them,  and  be  communicated  by 
them  to  all  other  nations.  The  ungodly 
part  of  the  Jewish  nation  viewed  things, 
it  is  true,  in  a  different  light  :  they  valued 
themselves  as  the  favorites  of  heaven,  and 
looked  down  upon  other  nations  Avith 
contemptuous  dislike.  But  it  was  other- 
wise with  the  godly  :  they  entered  into 
the  spirit  of  the  promise  made  to  their 
fathers.  Hence  they  prayed  that  God 
would  "be  merciful  to  them,  and  bless 
them,  and  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon 
them;"  to  the  end  that  his  "  way  might 
be  known  upon  earth,  and  his  saving 
health  among  all  nations. "§ 

The  same  spirit  was  manifested  by  the 
apostles  and  primitive  Christians.  They 
perceived  that  all  that  rich  measure  of 
gifts,  and  graces  by  which  they  were  dis- 
tinguished was  given  them  with  the  design 
of  their  communicating  it  to  others  ;  and 
this  was  their  constant  aim.  Paul  felt 
himself  a  debtor  both  to  Jews  and  Greeks, 
and  spent  his  life  in  diffusing  the  bless- 
ings of  the  gospel,  though  in  retvu'n  he 
was  continually  treated  as  an  evil  doer ; 
and  the  same  might  be  said  of  the  other 
apostles. 

Nor  is  this  social  principle  confined  to 
the  present  life.  According  to  scripture 
representations,  the  happiness  of  saints  in 
glory  will  be  conferred  on  them,  not  that 
it  might  stop  there,  but  be  communicated 
to  the  whole  moral  system.  The  redemp- 
tion of  the  church  has  already  added  to 
the  blessedness  of  other  holy  intelligen- 
ces.    It  has  furnished  a  new  medium  by 


f  Gen.  xii.  2j  xxii 
|Deut.  ix.  5;  vii.  7,  8. 


18 


§  Psa,  Ixvii. 


THE  MAGNITUDE  OF  CREATION. 


173 


which  the  glory  of  the  divine  perfections 
is  belielcl  and  admired.  To  explore  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  his  works,  is  the  con- 
stant employment  of  holy  angels,  and 
that  in  which  consists  a  large  proportion 
of  tiieir  felicity.  Prior  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  work  of  redemption,  they 
contemplated  the  divine  ciiaracter  tlnough 
the  medium  of  creation  and  providence  ; 
but  "710117  unto  principalities  and  powers, 
in  heavenly  places,  is  known,  by  the 
church,  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God."* 
And  so  much  does  this  last  display  of  di- 
vine glory  exceed  all  that  has  gone  before 
it,  that  those  who  have  once  obtained  a 
view  of  it,  through  this  medium,  will  cer- 
tainly prefer  it  to  every  other :  "  which 
things  the  angels  desire  to  look  into."f 
They  do  not,  however,  become  indifferent 
to  any  of  the  divine  operations  ;  creation 
and  providence  continue  to  attract  their 
attention,  and  are  abundantly  more  inter- 
esting; they  now  study  them  according 
to  the  order  in  which  they  exist  in  the  di- 
vine mind,  that  is,  in  subserviency  to  re- 
demption.J 

But  that  which  is  already  accomplished 
is  but  small  in  comparison  of  what  is  in 
reserve.  At  the  final  judgment,  when  all 
the  faithful  will  be  collected  together, 
they  will  become  a  medium  through  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  will  be  glorified  and  ad- 
mired hy  the  whole  creation:  "he  shall 
come  to  be  gloriried  in  his  saints,  and  to 
be  admired  in  all  them  tliat  believe — in 
that  day. "§  It  is  a  truth  that  the  saints 
of  God  will  themselves  glorify  and  ad- 
mire their  gi'eat  deliverer,  but  not  the 
truth  of  this  passage ;  the  design  of 
which  is  to  represent  them  as  a  medium 
through  which  he  shall  be  glorified  by  all 
the  friends  of  God  in  the  universe.  The 
great  physician  will  'appear  with  his  re- 
covered millions  ;  every  one  of  whom  will 
afford  evidence  of  his  disinterested  love, 
and  efficacious  blood,  to  the  whole  admir- 
ing creation. 

Much  the  same  ideas  arc  conveyed  to 
us  by  those  representations  in  which  the 
whole  creation  are  either  called  upon  to 
rejoice  on  account  of  our  redemption,  or 
described  as  actually  rejoicing  and  prais- 
ing the  Redeemer.  Thus  David,  having 
spoken  of  God's  mercy  which  was  from 
everlasting  to  everlasting  towards  the 
children    of   men,    addresses     all     his 

WORKS,  IN  ALL  PLACES  OF  HIS  DOMIN- 
ION, "to  bless  his  name."||  John  also 
informs  us,  saying,  "  I  heard  the  voice  of 
many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and 
the  living  creatures,  and  the  elders  :  and 

*Eplies.  iiJ.  10.  1 1  Pet.  i.  12. 

X  Col.  i.  16,  by  him,  and /or  liim. 
§  2  T hess.  i.  10.  ||  Psa.  ciii.  17—22. 


the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of 
thousands ;  saying  with  a  loud  voice, 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  to 
receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom, 
and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
Idessing.  And  every  creature  which  is  in 
heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all 
that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing, 
and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto 
him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb  forever  and  ever. "If 

The  phraseology  of  these  passages  is  such 
that  no  one  can  reasonably  doul)t  whether 
the  writers  intended  to  express  the  whole 
upright  intelligent  creation,  be  it  of  what 
extent  it  may  :  and,  if  it  be  of  that  extent 
wjiich  philosophy  supposes,  the  greater 
must  be  the  infiuence  and  importance  of 
the  work  of  redemption. 

5.  The  Scriptures  give  us  to  expect 
that  the  earth  itself,  as  well  as  its  redeem- 
ed inhabitants,  shall  at  a  future  period  be 
purified,  and  reunited  to  the  whole  empire 
of  God. — We  are  taught  to  pray,  and  con- 
sequently to  hope,  that,  when  "  the  king- 
dom of  God"  shall  universally  prevail, 
"  his  will  shall  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
now  in  heaven  :"**  but,  if  so,  earth  itself 
must  become,  as  it  were,  a  part  of 
heaven. 

That  we  may  form  a  clear  and  compre- 
hensive view  of  our  Lord's  words,  and  of 
this  part  of  the  subject,  be  it  observed  that 
the  Scriptures  sometimes  distinguish  be- 
tween the  kingdom  of  God  and  that  of  Christ. 
Though  the  object  of  both  be  the  triumph 
of  truth  and  righteousness,  yet  the  mode 
of  administration  is  different.  The  one  is 
natural,  the  other  delegated  :  the  latter  is 
in  subserviency  to  the  former,  and  shall 
be  finally  succeeded  by  it.  Christ  is  rep- 
resented as  acting  in  our  world  by  delega- 
tion :  as  if  a  king  had  commissioned  his 
son  to  go  and  reduce  a  certain  rebellious 
province,  and  restore  it  to  his  dominion. 
The  period  allotted  for  this  work  extends 
from  tlie  time  of  the  revelation  of  tlie 
promised  seed  to  the  day  of  judgment. 
The  operations  are  progressive.  If  it  had 
seemed  good  in  his  sight,  he  could  have 
overturned  the  power  of  Satan  in  a  short 
period  ;  but  his  wisdom  saw  fit  to  accom- 
plish it  by  degrees.  Like  the  commander 
of  an  invading  army,  he  first  takes  posses- 
sion of  one  post,  then  of  another,  then  of  a 
third,  and  so  on,  till  by  and  by  the  whole 
country  falls  into  his  hands.  And  as  the 
progress  of  a  conqueror  would  be  more 
rapid  after  a  few  of  the  strongest  for- 
tresses had  surrendered,  (inasmuch  as 
things  would  then  approach  fast  to  a  crisis, 


IT  Rev.  V.  11—13. 


**  Matt.  vi.  10. 


174 


REDEMPTION    CONSISTENT    WITH 


to  a  breaking  up,  as  it  were,  of  the  pow- 
ers of  the  enemy,)  so  it  has  been  with  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  and  such  will  be  its 
progress  before  tlie  end  of  time.  In  the 
early  ages  of  the  world  but  little  was  done. 
At  one  time  true  religion  appears  to  have 
existed  only  in  a  few  families.  After- 
wards it  assumed  a  national  appearance. 
After  this  it  was  addressed  to  all  nations. 
And  before  the  close  of  time  all  nations 
shall  be  subjected  to  the  obedience  of 
Christ.  This  shall  be  the  "  breaking  up" 
of  Satan's  empire.  Now  as,  on  the  con- 
quest of  a  rebellious  province,  the  dele- 
gated authority  of  the  conqueror  would 
cease,  and  the  natural  government  of  the 
empire  resume  its  original  form,  so  Christ 
is  represented  as  "  delivering  up  the  king- 
dom to  his  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in 
all."*  This  is  the  ultimatum  of  the  Mes- 
siah's kingdom;  and  this  appears  to  be 
the  ultimate  object  for  which  he  taught  his 
disciples  to  pray  :  but  as  the  tinal  end  in- 
volves the  preceding  gradations  which 
lead  on  to  its  accomplishment,  in  directing 
them  to  pray  for  the  coming  of  God's 
kingdom,  he  directed  them  to  pray  for  the 
present  prevalence  of  his  own. 

As  on  the  conquest  of  a  rebellious 
province  some  would  be  pardoned,  and 
others  punished ;  as  every  vestige  of  re- 
bellion would  be  effaced,  and  law,  peace, 
and  order,  flow  in  tlieir  ancient  channels  ; 
such  a  period  might  with  propriety  be 
termed  "a  restitution  of  all  things. "f 
Such  will  be  the  event  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, which  is  described  as  the  conclud- 
ing exercise  of  the  delegated  authority  of 
Christ. 

And  as  on  the  conquest  of  a  rebellious 
province,  and  the  restitution  of  peace  and 
order,  that  province,  instead  of  being  any 
longer  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  em- 
pire, would  become  a  component  part  of 
it,  and  the  king's  will  would  be  done 
in  it  as  it  had  been  done  without  inter- 
ruption in  the  loyal  part  of  his  territories  ; 
such  is  the  representation  given  with  res- 
pect to  our  world,  and  the  holy  parts  of 
God's  dominions.  A  period  will  arrive 
when  the  will  of  God  shall  be  done  on 
earth  as  it  is  now  done  in  heaven.  This, 
however,  will  never  be  the  case  while  any 
vestige  of  moral  evil  remains.  It  must  be 
after  the  general  conflagration ;  which, 
though  it  will  destroy  every  kind  of  evil, 
root  and  branch,  that  now  prevails  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  will  terminate 
the  generations  of  Adam,  who  have  pos- 
sessed it,  yet  will  not  so  destroy  the  earth 
itself  but  that  it  shall  survive  its  fiery  trial, 
and,  as  I  apprehend,  become  the  everlast- 
ing abode  of  righteousness — a  part  of  the 


*  1  Cor.  XV.  24.  28. 


t  Acts  iii.  21. 


holy  empire  of  God.  This  was  to  be  the 
mark  on  which  the  disciples  were  to  keep 
their  eye  in  all  their  prayers  :  but  as,  in 
desiring  a  perfect  conformity  to  Christ  in 
their  own  souls,  they  would  necessarily 
desire  the  present  progress  of  purity  in  the 
use  of  all  the  appointed  means,  so  in  pray- 
ing that  God's  will  might  be  perfectly  done 
on  earth,  even  as  it  is  done  in  heaven,  they 
would  pray  for  the  progressive  prevalence 
of  righteousness  in  the  world,  as  that  by 
which  it  should  be  accomplished. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  the  earth,  thus 
purified,  may  ever  continue  the  resort,  if 
not  the  frequent  abode  of  those  who  are 
redeemed  from  it.  Places  where  some  of 
the  most  interesting  events  have  been  trans- 
acted, when  visited  at  some  distance  of 
time,  often  become,  in  the  present  state 
of  things,  a  considerable  source  of  delight. 
Such  was  Bethel  to  Jacob,  and  Tabor,  no 
doubt,  to  the  three  disciples;  and,  if  any 
remains  of  our  present  sensation  should 
attend  us  in  a  state  of  immortality,  a  re- 
view of  the  scenes  of  our  Lord's  birth, 
life,  agony  and  crucifixion,  as  well  as 
many  other  events,  may  furnish  a  source 
of  everlasting  enjoyment. 

However  this  may  be,  the  Scriptures 
give  us  to  understand  that  though  "  the 
elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat, 
and  the  earth,  and  the  works  that  are 
therein,  shall  be  burnt  up  ;"  yet,  "  accord- 
ing to  promise,"  we  are  to  "  look  for  new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwel- 
leth  righteousness."!  By  the  "  ncAv  heav- 
ens "  here  is  plainly  to  be  understood  so 
much  of  the  elements  as  shall  have  been 
affected  by  ilie  general  conflagration  ;  and, 
by  "  the  new  earth,"  the  earth  after  it  is 
purified  by  it. 

Much  to  the  same  purpose  is  the  account 
given  towards  the  close  of  the  Revelation 
of  John.  After  a  description  of  the  gen- 
eral judgment,  it  follows,  "And  I  saw  a 
new  heaven  and  a  new  earth ;  for  the 
tirst  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  pass- 
ed away. — And  I  John  saw  the  holy  city. 
New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God 
out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned 
for  her  husband."  When  the  earth  shall 
have  become  a  part  of  God's  holy  empire, 
heaven  itself  may  then  be  said  to  be 
come  down  upon  it :  seeing  all  that  is 
now  ascribed  to  the  one  will  be  true  of  the 
other.  "  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God 
shall  be  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with 
them  ;  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and 
God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  shall 
be  their  God.  And  God  shall  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall 
be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor 
crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more 

ij:  2 Pet.  ill.  12,13. 


THE  MAGNITUDE  OF  CRKATION. 


175 


pain  ;  for  llie  former  tliinirs  shall  be  passed 
away.  And  he  (hat  sat  upon  the  tiironc 
said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Write;  for  these 
words  are  true  and  faitliful."* 

If  the  great  end  of  redemption  be  the 
reunion  of  this  world  to  the  holy  empire  of 
God,  and  if  such  reunion  be  accom- 
panied with  a  mutual  augmentation  of 
blessedness,  then  the  imiiortance  of  the 
one  must  bear  some  [)r()()ortion  to  the 
magnitude  of  the  other.  Upon  any  sys- 
tem of  pliilosopiiy,  redemption  is  great  ; 
but,  upon  that  which  so  amazingly  magni- 
fies intelligent  creation,  it  must  be  great 
beyond  expression. 

6.  The  Scriptures  represent  the  punish- 
ment of  the  Jinaliy  impenitent  as  appointed 
for  an  example  to  the  rest  of  the  crea- 
tion.— "  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the 
cities  about  them,  in  giving  themselves 
over  to  fornication,  and  going  after 
strange  flesh,  are  set  forth  for  an  exam- 
ple, suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal 
fire." — "And  her  smoke  (the  smoke  of 
Babylon)  rose  up  forever  and  ever." 
"And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the 
four  living  creatures  fell  down  and  wor- 
shiped God  that  sat  on  the  throne,  saying, 
Amen;  Alleluia. "f 

The  miseries  of  the  damned  are  never 
represented  as  inflicted  upon  them  from 
such  a  kind  of  wrath  or  vengeance  as 
bears  no  relation  to  the  general  good. 
"  God  is  love  ;  "  and  in  none  of  his  pro- 
ceedings does  he  violate  this  principle,  or 
lose  sight  of  the  well-being  of  creation  in 
general.  The  manifestation  of  his  glory 
is  not  only  inseparably  connected  with 
this'object,  but  consists  in  accomplishing  it. 

It  is  necessary  for  the  general  good 
that  God's  abhorrence  of  moral  evil  should 
be  marked  by  some  strong  and  durable 
expression  of  it;  so  that  no  one  subject 
of  his  empire  can  overlook  it.  Such  an 
expression  was  thedcatii  of  Christ,  his  only 
begotten  Son  ;  and  this  availcth  on  behalf  of 
all  who  acquiesce  in  his  salvation  :  but 
all  who  do  not,  or  who  possess  not  such  a 
temper  of  heart  as  would  acquiesce  in  it 
if  it  were  presented  to  them,  must  them- 
selves be  made  sacrifices  to  his  justice ; 
and  so,  like  enemies  and  traitors  to  a  hu- 
man government,  must  be  made  to  answer 
such  an  end  by  their  death  as  shall  coun- 
teract the  ill  example  afforded  by  their 
life.  ^Vllat  is  said  of  the  barren  vine  is 
applicable  to  the  finally  impenitent :  "  It 
is  not  fit  for  any  work — it  is  good  for  no- 
thing but  to  be  burned  ["I  The  only  way 
in  which  they  promote  the  general  good 
is  by  their  overthrow  :  like  the  censers 
of  Korah  and  his    company  which    were 

♦Rev.  xxi.  1—5.         f  Ji'fie  7.     Rev.  xix.  3,  4. 
t  Lzek.  XV.  I.  2 — 5. 


made  into  "  broad  jdalcs  for  a  covering 
to  the  altar;  that  tliey  might  be  a  sign  to 
the  children  of  Israel  in  future  genera- 
tions ;"§  or  like  Lot's  wife,  who  was 
converted  into  a  "pillar  of  sail,"  or  a 
lasting  monument  6f  divine  displeasure  ! 

If  the  grand  end  of  future  punishment  be 
example,  tliis  must  sup|)ose  the  existence 
of  an  intelligent  creation,  who  shall  profit 
by  it ;  and  it  siiould  seem  of  a  creation  of 
magnitude;  as  it  accords  with  the  con- 
duct of  neither  God  nor  man  to  punish  a 
great  numlier  for  an  example  to  a  few. 

Tiiis  truth  alfords  a  satisfactory  idea  of 
the  divine  government,  whether  "there  be 
a  multiplicity  of  inhabited  worlds  or 
not:  but,  if  there  be,  it  is  still  more  sat- 
isfactory; as  on  this  supposition  the 
number  of  those  wlio  shall  be  finally  lost 
may  bear  far  less  proportion  to  the  whole 
of  the  intelligent  creation  than  a  single 
execution  fo  the  inhabitants  of  a  great 
empire.  It  is  true  the  loss  to  those  who 
are  lost  will  be  nothing  abated  by  this 
consideration;  perhaps,  on  the  contrary, 
it  may  be  augmented ;  and  to  them  the 
divine  government  will  ever  appear 
gloomy  :  but  to  those  who  judge  of  things 
impartially,  and  upon  an  extensive  scale, 
it  will  appear  to  contain  no  more  of  a 
disparagement  to  the  government  of  the 
universe  than  the  execution  of  a  mur- 
derer, once  in  a  hundred  years,  would 
be  to  the  government  of  a  nation. 

And  now  I  appeal  to  the  intelligent, 
the  serious,  and  the  candid  reader, 
whether  there  be  any  truth  in  what  Mr. 
Paine  asserts,  that  to  admit  "  that  God 
created  a  plurality  of  worlds,  at  least  as 
numerous  as  what  wc  call  stars,  renders 
the  christian  system  of  faith  at  once  little 
and  ridiculous,  and  scatters  it  in  the  mind 
like  feathers  in  the  air."  On  the  con- 
trary, it  might  be  proved  that  every  sys- 
tem of  philosophy  is  little  in  comparison 
of  Christianity.  Philosophy  may  expand 
our  ideas  of  creation  ;  but  it  ne'ither  in- 
inspires  a  love  to  the  7noral  character  of 
the  Creator,  nor  a  well-grounded  hope  of 
eternal  life.  Philosophy,  at  most,  can 
only  place  us  at  the  top  of  Pisgah  :  there, 
like  Moses,  we  must  die  :  it  gives  us  no 
possession  of  the  good  land.  It  is  the 
province  of  Christianity  to  add,  "  All  is 
yours  !"  When  you  have  ascended  to 
the  height  of  human  discovery,  there  are 
things,  and  things  of  infinite  moment  too, 
that  are  utterly  beyond  its  reach.  Rev- 
elation is  (he  medium,  and  the  only  me- 
dium, by  which,  standing,  as  it  were,  "  on 
nature's  Alps,"  wc  discover  things  which 
eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  and  of 
which  it  never  hath  entered  into  the  heart 
of  man  to  conceive. 

§  Nimib.  xvi.  38. 


176 


ADDRESS    TO    DEISTS. 


CONCLUDING    ADDRESSES 


DEISTS,    JEWS,     AND     CHRISTIANS. 


Wliether  the  writer  of  these  sheets  can  justly  liope  that  what  he  advances  will  attract  the  attention  of  un- 
believers j  he  does  not  pretend  to  say.  If,  however,  it  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  individuals  among 
them,  he  earnestly  entreats,  that  for  their  own  sakes,  they  would  attend  to  what  follows  with  seriousness. 


TO  DEISTS. 

Fellow  men, 

It  is  hoped  that  nothing  in  the  preceding 
pages  can  be  fairly  construed  into  a  want 
of  good-will  towards  any  of  you.  If  I 
know  my  heart,  it  is  not  you,  but  your 
mischievous  principles  that  are  the  objects 
of  my  dislike. 

In  the  former  part  of  this  performance, 
I  have  endeavored  to  prove  that  the  system 
which  you  embrace  overlooks  the  moral 
character  of  God,  refuses  to  worship  him, 
affords  no  standard  of  right  and  wrong, 
undermines  the  most  efficacious  motives 
to  virtuous  action,  actually  produces  a  tor- 
rent of  vice,  and  leaves  mankind,  under  all 
their  miseries,  to  perish  Avithout  hope  ;  in 
fine,  that  it  is  an  immoral  system,  pregnant 
with  destruction  to  the  human  race.  Un- 
less you  be  able  to  overlook  what  is  there 
advanced,  or  at  least  be  conscious  that  it 
is  not  true  with  regard  to  yourselves,  you 
have  reason  to  be  seriously  alarmed.  To 
embrace  a  system  of  immorality  is  the 
same  thing  as  to  be  enemies  to  all  right- 
eousness, neither  to  fear  God  nor  regard 
man  ;  and  what  good  fruit  you  can  expect 
to  reap  from  it,  in  this  world  or  another, 
it  is  difficult  to  conceive.  But,  alas  !  in- 
stead of  being  alarmed  at  the  immorality 
of  your  principles,  is  there  no  reason  to 
suspect  that  it  is  on  this  very  account  you 
cherish  themi  You  can  occasionally 
praise  the  morality  of  Jesus  Christ ;  but 
are  you  sincere  1  Why  then  do  you  not 
walk  by  iti  However  you  may  magnify 
other  difficulties,  which  you  have  industri- 
ously labored  to  discover  in  the  Bible, 
your  actions  declare  that  it  is  the  holiness 
of  its  doctrines  and  precepts  that  more 
than  any  thing  else  offends  you.  The 
manifest  object  at  which  you  aim,  both  for 
yourselves  and  the  world,  is  an  exemption 
from  its  restraints.  Your  general  con- 
duct, if  put  into  words,  amounts  to  this  : 
"Come,  let  us  break  his  bands,  and  cast 
away  his  cords  from  us." 


Circumstances  of  late  years  have  much 
favored  your  design.  Your  party  has 
gained  the  ascendency  in  a  great  nation, 
and  has  been  consequently  increasing  in 
other  nations.  Hence  it  is,  perhaps,  that 
your  spirits  are  raised,  and  that  a  higher 
tone  is  assumed  in  your  speeches  and  wri- 
tings than  has  been  usual  on  former  occa- 
sions. You  are  great,  you  are  enlighten- 
ed ;  yes,  you  have  found  out  the  secret, 
and  have  only  to  rid  the  world  of  Chris- 
tianity in  order  to  render  it  happy.  But 
be  not  too  confident.  You  are  not  the  first 
who  have  set  themselves  against  the  Lord, 
and  against  his  Anointed.  You  have  over- 
thrown superstition  ;  but  vaunt  not  against 
Christianity.  Of  a  truth  you  have  de- 
stroyed the  gods  of  Rome,  for  they  Avere 
no  gods ;  but  let  this  suffice  you.  It  is 
hard  to  kick  against  the  pricks. 

Whatever  success  may  attend  your 
cause,  if  it  be  an  immoral  one,  and  es- 
poused on  that  very  account,  it  cannot 
possibly  stand.  It  must  fall,  and  you  may 
expect  to  be  buried  in  its  ruins.  It  may 
be  thought  sufficient  for  me  to  reason  on 
the  system  itself,  without  descending  to 
the  motives  of  those  who  imbibe  it ;  but, 
Avhere  motives  are  manifested  by  actions, 
they  become  objects  of  human  cognizance. 
Nor  is  there  any  hope  of  your  unbelief 
being  removed,  but  by  something  that  shall 
reach  the  cause  of  it.  My  desire  is  nei- 
ther to  insult  nor  flatter,  but  seriously  to 
expostulate  with  you ;  if  God  peradven- 
ture  may  give  you  repentance  to  the  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  truth.  Three 
things,  in  particular,  I  Avould  earnestly 
recommend  to  your  serious  consideration. 
How  it  Avas  that  you  first  imbibed  your 
present  principles — How  it  is  that  al- 
most all  your  writers,  at  one  time  or  other, 
bear  testimony  in  favor  of  Christianity — 
and.  How  it  comes  to  pass  that  your  prin- 
ciples fail  you,  as  they  are  frequently 
knoAvn  to  do,  in  a  dying  hour. 

First:  How  avas    it  that  you  first 

RENOUNCED    CHRISTIANITY    AND    IBIBIB- 
ED    YOUR    PRESENT    PRINCIPLES  1         Rc- 


ADDRESS    TO    DEISTS. 


177 


trace  the  process  of  y'^'""  miiuls,  and  ask 
your  consciences,  as  you  proceed,  wliether 
all  was  fair  and  upriiiiit.  Nothing  is  more 
common  than  for  persons  of  relaxed  mor- 
als to  attrilnite  their  change  of  conduct  to 
a  chanjic  of  sentiments  or  views  relative 
to  tiiose  sutijects.  It  is  galling  to  one's 
own  feelings,  and  mean  in  the  account  of 
others,  to  rtc^  aij-flius^  principle:  but  if  a 
person  can  once  persuade  himself  to  think 
favoral>lv  of  those  things  which  he  has 
formerly  accounted  sinful,  and  can  fur- 
nish a  plea  for  them,  which,  at  least,  may 
serve  to  parry  tiic  censures  of  mankind, 
he  will  feel  much  more  at  ease,  and  be 
able  to  put  on  a  better  face  when  he  min- 
gles in  society.  Whatever  inward  stings 
may  annoy  his  jieace  under  certain  occa- 
sional qualms,  yet  he  has  not  to  reproacli 
himself,  nor  can  others  rei)roach  him,  with 
that  inconsistency  of  character  as  in  for- 
mer instances.  Rousseau  confesses  he 
found,  in  the  reasonings  of  a  certain  lady, 
with  whom  he  lived  in  the  gi-eatest  pos- 
sible familiarity,  all  those  ideas  which  he 
had  occasion  for. — Have  you  not  found 
the  same  in  the  conversation  and  writings 
of  deists  1  Did  you  not,  previously  to 
your  rejection  of  Christianity,  indulge  in 
vicious  courses  ;  and,  while  indulging  in 
these  courses,  did  not  its  holy  precepts 
and  awful  threatenings  gall  your  spirits  1 
Were  you  not  like  persons  gathering  for- 
bidden fruit  amidst  showers  of  arrows  :  and 
had  you  not  recourse  to  your  present  prin- 
ciples for  a  shield  against  them  1  If  you 
cannot  honestly  answer  these  questions  in 
the  negative,  you  are  in  an  evil  case. 
You  may  flatter  yourselves,  for  a  while, 
that  perhaps  there  may  be  no  hereafter, 
or  at  least  no  judgment  to  come  ;  but  you 
know  the  time  is  not  far  distant  wiien  you 
must  go  and  see  ;  and  then,  if  you  should 
be  mistaken,  what  will  you  do! 

Many  of  you  have  descended  from  godly 
parents,  and  have  had  a  religious  edu- 
cation. Has  not  your  infidelity  arisen 
from  the  dislike  which  you  conceived  in 
early  life  to  religious  exercises  1  Family 
worship  was  a  weariness  to  you  ;  and  the 
cautions,  warnings,  and  counsels,  which 
were  given  you,  instead  of  having  any 
proper  effect,  only  irritated  your  corrup- 
tions. You  longed  to  be  from  under  the 
yoke.  Since  that  time  your  parents,  it 
may  be,  have  been  removed  by  death  j  or, 
if  they  live,  they  may  have  lost  their  con- 
trol over  you.  So  now  you  are  free. 
But  still  something  is  wanting  to  erase 
the  prejudices  of  education,  which,  in 
spite  of  all  your  efforts,  will  accompany 
you,  and  embitter  your  present  pursuits. 
For  this  purpose,  a  friend  puts  into  your 
hands  The  Age  of  Reason,  or  some  pro- 
duction of  the  kind.  You  read  it  with 
Vol.  I.  23 


avidity.  Tliis  is  the  very  thing  you 
wanted.  You  have  long  suspected  the 
truth  of  Ciiristianity  ;  but  had  not  cour- 
age to  oppose  it.  Now  then  you  are  a 
j)hilosopher ;  yes,  a  philosopher!  "Our 
fathers,"  say  you,  "might  be  well-mean- 
ing people,  but  they  were  imposed  upon 
by  priests.  The  world  gets  more  enlight- 
ened now-a-days.  There  is  no  need  of 
such  rigidncss.  The  Supreme  Being  (if 
tliere  be  one)  can  never  have  created  the 
pleasures  of  life,  but  for  tlie  purpose  of 
enjoyment.  Avaunt,  ye  self-denying  cas- 
uists !  Nature  is  the  law  of  man  !" 

Was  not  this,  or  something  nearly 
resembling  it,  the  process  of  your  minds'? 
And  are  you  now  satisfied  1  I  do  not  ask 
whether  you  have  been  able  to  defend 
your  cause  against  assailants,  nor  wheth- 
er you  have  gained  converts  to  your  way 
of  thinking :  you  may  have  done  both  ; 
but  are  you  satisfied  with  yourselves  1 
Do  you  really  believe  yourselves  to  be  in 
the  right  wayl  Have  you  no  misgivings 
of  heart  1  Is  there  not  something  within 
you  which  occasionally  wliispers,  "My 
parents  were  righteous,  and  I  am  wicked  : 
O  that  my  soul  were  in  their  souls' 
stead  V 

Ah,  young  men  !  If  such  be  the  occa- 
sional revoltings  of  your  mind,  what  are 
you  doing  in  laboring  to  gain  others  over 
to  your  way  of  thinking!  Can  you  from 
experience  honestly  promise  them  peace 
of  mind  1  Can  you  go  about  to  persuade 
them  that  there  is  no  hell,  when,  if  you 
would  speak  tlie  truth,  you  must  acknowl- 
edge that  you  have  already  an  earnest  of 
it  kindled  in  your  bosoms'?  If  counsels 
were  not  lost  upon  you,  I  would  entreat 
you  to  be  contented  with  destroying  your 
own  souls.  Have  pity  on  your  fellow- 
creatures,  if  you  have  none  upon  your- 
selves 1  Nay,  spare  yourselves  so  much, 
at  least,  as  not  to  incur  the  everlasting 
execrations  of  your  most  intimate  ac- 
quaintance. If  Christianity  should  prove 
what  your  consciences  in  your  most  seri- 
ous moments  tell  you  it  is,  you  are  doing 
this  every  day  of  your  lives. 

Secondly  :  Consider  how  it    is   that 

ALMOST  ALL  YOUR  WUITERS,  AT  ONE 
TIME     OR     OTHER,     BEAR    TESTIMONY    IN 

FAVOR  OF  Christianity.  It  were  easy 
to  collect,  from  those  very  writings  which 
are  designed  to  undermine  the  christian 
religion,  hundreds  of  testimonies  in  its 
favor.  Voltaire  and  Rousseau,  as  we 
have  seen  already,  have  in  their  fits  gone 
far  towards  contradicting  all  which  they 
have  written  against  it.  Bolingbroke  has 
done  the  same.  Such  sentences  as  the 
following  may  be  found  in  his  publica- 
tions :  "  Supposing  Christianity  to  have 
been  a  human   invention,  it  has  been  the 


178 


ADDRESS    TO    DEISTS, 


most  amiable  invention  that  was  ever  im- 
posed on  mankind  for  their  good. — 'Chi-is- 
tianlty  as  it  came  out  of  the  hand  of  God, 
if  I  may  use  the  expression,  was  a  most 
simple  and  intelligible  rule  of  belief,  wor- 
ship, and  manners,  which  is  the  true  no- 
tion of  a  religion. — The  gospel  is  in  all 
cases  one  continued  lesson  of  the  strictest 
morality,  of  justice,  of  benevolence,  and 
of  universal  charity."*  Paine,  perhaps, 
has  said  as  little  in  this  way  as  any 
of  your  writei-s,  yet  he  has  professed  a 
respect  for  the  character  of  Jesus  Christ. 
"He  was,"  says  he,  "a  virtuous  and  an 
amiable  man.  The  morality  he  preached 
and  practised  was  of  the  most  benevolent 
kind."t 

In  what  manner  will  you  go  about  to 
account  for  these  concessions  '?  Christian 
wiiters,  those  at  least  who  are  sincerely 
attached  to  the  cause,  are  not  seized  with 
these  fits  of  inconsistency.  How  is  it 
that  yours,  like  the  worshipers  of  Baal, 
should  thus  be  continually  cutting  them- 
selves with  knives  1  You  must  either 
give  up  your  leaders  as  a  set  of  men  who, 
while  they  are  laboring  to  persuade  the 
world  of  the  hypocrisy  of  priests,  were 
themselves  the  most  infamous  of  all  hypo- 
crites ;  or,  which  will  be  equally  fatal  to 
your  cause,  you  must  attribute  it  to  occa- 
sional convictions,  which  they  felt  and  ex- 
pressed, though  contrary  to  the  general 
strain  of  their  writings.  Is  it  not  an  unfa- 
voral)le  character  of  your  cause,  that  in  this 
particular  it  exactly  resembles  that  of  vice 
itself?  Vicious  men  will  often  bear  tes- 
timony in  favor  of  virtue,  especially  on  the 
near  approach  of  death  ;  but  virtuous  men 
never  return  the  compliment  by  bearing 
testimony  in  favor  of  vice.  We  are  not 
afraid  of  Christians  thus  betraying  their 
cause  ;  but  neither  your  writers  nor  your 
consciences  are  to  be  trusted  in  a  serious 
hour. 

Thirdly  :  Consider  how  it  comes  to 

PASS  THAT  YOUR  PRINCIPLES  FAIL  YOU, 
AS  THEY    ARE    FREQUENTLY    KNOWN    TO 

DO,  IN  A  DYING  HOUR.  It  is  a  rulc  with 
wise  men,  "so  to  live  as  they  shall  wish 
they  had  when  they  come  to  die."  How 
do  you  suppose  you  shall  wish  you  had 
lived  in  that  day  1  Look  at  the  deaths  of 
your  greatest  men,  and  see  what  their 
principles  have  done  for  them  at  last. 
Mark  the  end  of  that  apostle  and  high- 
priest  of  your  profession,  Voltaire  ;  and  try 
if  you  can  find  in  it  either  integrity,  or  hope, 
or  anything  that  should  render  it  an  object 
of  envy. t     Why  is  it  that  so  many  of  you 

*  Works,  Vol.  IV.  pp.  394,  395.  Vol.  V.  pp. 
188,  189.  +  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  5. 

^  The  following  particulars,  among  many  others, 
are  recorded  of  this  writer  by  his  biographer,  Con- 


faint  in  the  day  of  trial  1  If  your  cause 
were  good,  you  would  defend  it  with  up- 
rightness, and  die  with  inward  satis- 
faction. But  is  it  sol  Mr.  Paine  flat- 
ters himself  that  his  principles  will  bear 
him  up  in  the  prospect  of  death  ;§  and  it 
is  possible  that  he  may  brave  it  out  in 
some  such  manner  as  David  Hume  did. 
Such  instances,  however,  are  rare.  For 
one  unbeliever  that  maintains  his  courage, 
many  might  be  produced  whose  hearts 
have  failed  them,  and  who  have  trembled 
for  the  consequences  of  their  infidelity. 

On  the  other  hand,  you  cannot  produce 
a  single  instance  of  a  Christian,  who  at  the 
approach  of  death  was  troubled  or  terrifi- 
ed in  conscience  for  having  been  a  Chris- 
tian. Many  have  been  afraid  in  that  day 
lest  their  faith  in  Christ  should  not  prove 
genuine  ;  but  who  that  has  put  their  trust  in 
him  was  ever  known  to  be  apprehensive 
lest  he  should  at  last  deceive  him  1  Can 
you  account  for  this  differenced  If  you 
have  discovered  the  true  religion,  and  ours 
be  all  fable  and  imposture,  how  comes  it  to 
pass  that  the  issue  of  things  is  what  it  is  1 
Do  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones 
perish  in  the  fire  1  and  do  wood  and  hay 
and  stubble  endure  it "? 

I  have  admitted  that  Mr.  Paine  may 
possibly  brave  it  out  to  the  last ;  but,  if 
he  does,  his  courage  may  be  merely  assu- 
med. Pride  will  induce  men  to  disguise 
the  genuine  feelings  of  their  hearts  on  more 
occasions  than  one.  We  hear  much  of 
courage  among  duelists  ;  but  little  credit 
is  due  to  what  they  say,  if,  while  the  words 
proceed  from  their  lips,  we  see  them  ap- 
proach each  other  with  paleness  and  tremb- 
ling. Yea  more,  if  Mr.  Paine's  courage 
in  death  be  not  different  from  what  it  al- 
ready is  in  the  prospect  of  it,  it  certainly 
ivill  be  merely  assumed.  He  has  given 
full  proof  of  what  his  courage  amounts  to 

dorcet,  a  man  after  his  own'  heart.  First:  That  he 
conceived  the  design  of  overturn-ing  the  christian 
religion,  and  that  by  liis  own  hand.  "  I  am  weari- 
ed," said  he,  "  of  hearing  it  repeated  that  twelve  men 
were  sufficient  to  establish  Christianity;  and  I  wish 
to  prove  there  needs  but  one  to  destroy  it."  Sec- 
ondly: That  in  pursuit  of  this  object  he  was  threat- 
ened with  a  persecution,  to  avoid  which  he  received 
the  sacrament,  and  publicly  declared  his  respect  for 
the  church,  and  his  disdain  of  his  detractors,  namely, 
those  who  had  called  in  question  his  Christianity  ! 
Thirdly:  That  in  his  last  illness,  in  Paris,  being  de- 
sirous of  obtaining  what  is  called  christian  burial, 
he  sent  for  a  priest,  to  whom  he  declared  that  he 
"  died  in  the  Catholic  faith,  in  which  he  was  born.  " 
Fourthly:  That  another  priest  (Curate  of  the  parish) 
troubled  him  with  questions.  Among  oiher  things 
he  asked,  "  Do  you  believe  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ !"  "  In  die  name  of  God,  Sir,"  replied 
Voltaire,  "speak  to  me  no  more  of  that  man,  but  let 
me  die  in  peace." 

§  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  Preface. 


ADDRESS    TO    DEISTS. 


179 


in  what  he  has  advancotl  on  the  certuinty 
of  a  future  state.  He  atkiiowledges  the 
possibility  of  a  future  judiriuent ;  yea,  he 
admits  it  to  be  rational  to  l>elieve  that 
there  will  be  one.  "  The  power,"  he  says, 
"that  called  us  into  being,  can,  if  he 
please,  and  wlien  he  pleases,  call  us  to  ac- 
count for  the  maimer  in  which  we  have 
lived  here  ;  and  therefore,  without  seek- 
inir  any  further  motive  for  the  belief,  it  is 
rational  to  believe  that  he  will,  for  we 
know  beforehand  that  he  can."'  I  shall 
not  stop  to  incpiire  into  tlie  justness  of  Mr. 
Paine's  reasonings  from  what  God  can  do 
to  wliat  he  will  (lo ;  it  is  sulTicient  for  me 
that  he  admits  it  to  be  "  rational  to  believe 
that  God  will  call  men  to  account  for  the 
manner  in  wliich  they  have  lived  here." 
And  can  he  admit  this  trutli,  and  not 
tremble'?  Mark  his  firmness.  After  ac- 
knowledging tliat  a  future  judgment  is  the 
object  of  rational  belief,  he  retracts  what 
he  has  said  by  reducing  it  to  only  i\  prob- 
ability, which  is  to  have  the  influence  of 
liclief ;  yea,  and  as  if  that  were  loo  terri- 
ble an  idea,  he  brings  it  down  to  a  mere 
possibility.  The  reason  which  he  gives 
for  these  reductions  is,  that  "If  we  knew 
it  as  a  fact  Ave  should  be  tiie  mere  slaves 
of  terror."  Indeed!  But  wherefore  1 
Christians  believe  in  a  judgment  to  come, 
and  they  are  not  the  slaves  of  terror.  They. 
have  an  Advocate  as  well  as  a  Judge,  by 
believing  in  whom  the  terror  of  judgment 
is  removed.  And  though  Mr.  Paine  re- 
jects this  ground  of  consolation,  yet,  if 
things  be  as  he  has  represented  them,  I  do 
not  perceive  why  he  should  be  terrified. 
He  writes  as  though  he  stood  on  a  very 
respectable  footing  with  his  Creator;  he 
is  not  "  an  out-cast,  a  beggar,  or  a  worni :  " 
he  needs  no  mediator-,  no  indeed!  He 
"  stands  in  the  same  relative  condition  with 
his  Maker  he  ever  did  stand  since  man  ex- 
isted."! Very  well  :  of  what  then  is  he 
afraid  1  "God  is  good,  and  will  exceed 
the  very  best  of  us  in  goodness."  On  this 
ground.  Lord  Shaftesbury  assures  us, 
"Deists  can  have  no  dread  or  suspicion 
to  render  them  uneasy  ;  for  it  is  malice  on- 
ly, and  not  goodness,  which  can  make  them 
afraid. "t  Very  well,  I  say  again,  of  what 
then  is  Mr.  Paine  afraid  1  If  a  Being  full 
of  goodness  will  not  hurt  him,  he  will  not 
be  hurt.  Why  should  he  be  terrified  at  a 
certain    hereafter.      Why   not   meet    his 

*  Age  of  Reason,  Part  II.  p.  100. 
■f  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  p.  21. 
j  Characteristics,  Vol.  I.  §  5. 


Creator  witli  cheerfulness  and  confidence  1 
Instead  of  this,  he  knows  of  no  method  by 
which  he  may  be  exempted  from  terror 
l)ut  that  of  reducing  future  judgment  to  a 
mere  possibility ;  leaving  room  for  some 
faint  hope,  at  least,  that  what  he  professes 
to  believe  as  true  may,  in  the  end,  prove 
false.  Such  is  the  courage  of  your  l)lus- 
tering  hero.  Unhappy  man;  unhappy 
people  !  Your  principles  will  not  sui)port 
you  in  deatii,  nor  so  much  as  in  the  cou- 
templation  of  an  hereafter. 

Let  Mr.  Paine's  hypotiiesis  be  admitted, 
and  that  in  its  lowest  form,  that  tliere  is 
only  n  possibility  of  a  judgment  to  come, 
this  is  sufhcient  to  evince  your  folly,  and, 
if  you  thought  on  the  subject,  to  destroy 
your  peace.  This  alone  has  induced  many 
of  you  in  your  last  moments  to  wish  that 
you  had  lived  like  Christians.  If  it  be 
possible  that  there  maybe  a  judgment  to 
come,  why  should  it  not  be  equally  possi- 
ble that  Christianity  itself  may  be  truel 
And,  if  it  should,  on  what  ground  do  you 
stand  ]  If  it  be  otherwise,  Christians  have 
nothing  to  fear.  While  they  are  taught  to 
deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to 
live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  tlie 
present  world,  whatever  may  prove  true 
with  respect  to  another,  it  is  presumed  they 
are  safe ;  but  if  tliat  Savior  whom  you 
have  despised  should  be  indeed  the  Son  of 
God — if  that  name  which  you  have  blas- 
phemed should  be  the  only  one  given  un- 
der heaven  and  among  men  by  w  hich  you 
can  be  saved — what  a  situation  must  you 
be  in!  You  may  wish  at  present  not  to  be 
told  of  him ;  yea,  even  in  death  it  may  be 
a  vexation,  as  it  was  to  Voltaire,  to  hear 
of  him;  but  hear  of  him  you  must,  and, 
what  is  more,  you  must  appear  before 
him. 

I  cannot  conclude  this  address  without 
expressing  my  earnest  desire  for  your  sal- 
vation; and,  whether  you  will  hear  or 
whether  you  will  forliear,  reminding  you 
that  our  Redeemer  is  merciful.  He  can 
have  compassion  on  the  ignorant,  and  them 
who  are  out  of  the  way.  The  door  of 
mercy  is  not  yet  shut.  At  present  you 
are  invited  and  even  entreated  to  enter  in. 
But,  if  you  still  continue  hardened  against 
him,  you  may  find  to  your  cost  that  the 
abuse  of  mercy  gives  an  edge  to  justice  ; 
and  that  to  be  crushed  to  atoms  by  falling 
rocks,  or  buried  in  oblivion  at  the  bottom 
of  mountains,  were  rather  to  be  chosen 
than  an  exposure  to  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb. 


180 


ADDRESS     TO   THE    JEWS. 


TO  THE  JEWS. 

Beloved  for  the  Fathers'  sakes  ! 

He  whom  you  have  long  rejected  look- 
ed upon  Jerusalem  and  wept  over  it. 
With  tears  he  pronounced  upon  that  fa- 
mous city  a  doom,  which  according  to 
your  own  writer,  Josephus,  was  soon  af- 
terwards accomplished.  In  imitation  of 
our  Lord  and  Savior  we  also  could  weep 
over  your  present  situation.  There  are 
thousands  in  Britain,  as  well  as  in  other 
nations,  whose  daily  prayer  is,  that  you 
may  be  saved.  Hear  me  patiently,  and 
candidly.  Your  present  and  everlasting 
good  is  the  object  of  my  desire. 

It  is  not  my  design,  in  this  brief  ad- 
dress, to  go  over  the  various  topics  in  dis- 
pute between  us.  Many  have  engaged  in 
this  work,  and  I  hope  to  some  good  pur- 
pose. The  late  addresses  to  you,  both 
from  the  pulpit  and  the  press,  as  they 
were  dictated  by  pure  benevolence,  cer- 
tainly deserve,  and  I  trust  have  gained,  in 
some  degree,  your  candid  attention.  All 
I  shall  say  will  be  comprised  in  a  few  sug- 
gestions, which  I  suppose  to  arise  from  the 
subject  of  the  preceding  pages. 

You  have  long  sojourned  among  men 
who  have  been  called  Christians.  You 
have  seen  much  evil  in  them,  and  they 
have  seen  much  in  you.  The  history  of 
your  own  nation,  and  that  of  every  other, 
confirms  one  of  the  leading  doctrines  of 
both  your  and  our  Scriptures — the  depravi- 
ty of  human  nature.  But,  in  your  com- 
merce with  mankind,  you  must  have  had 
opportunity  of  distinguishing  between 
nominal  and  serious  Christians.  Great 
numbers  in  your  nation,  even  in  its  best 
days,  were  wicked  men;  and  great  num- 
bers in  every  nation,  at  present,  are  the 
same.  But  cannot  you  perceive  a  people 
scattered  through  various  denominations 
of  Christians,  who  fear  God  and  regard 
man  ;  who  instead  of  treating  you  with  a 
haughty  contempt,  as  being  strangers 
scattered  among  the  nations,  discover  a 
tender  regard  towards  you  on  that  very 
account ;  who,  while  they  are  grieved  for 
the  hardness  of  your  hearts,  and  hurt  at 
your  scornful  rejection  of  Him  v/hom  their 
soul  loveth,  are  nevertheless  ardently  de- 
sirous of  your  salvation  1  Are  you  not 
acquainted  with  CIn-istians  whose  utmost 
revenge,  could  they  have  their  will  of  you, 
for  all  your  hard  speeches,  would  be  to  be 
instrumental  in  turning  you  from  what 
they  believe  to  be  the  power  of  Satan,  un- 
to God  1 

Let  me  farther  appeal  to  you.  Whether 
Christians  of  this  description  be  not  the 
true  children  of  Abraham,  the  true  suc- 


cessors of  your  patriarchs  and  prophets, 
rather  than  those  of  an  opposite  spirit, 
though  literally  descended  from  their  loins. 
You  must  be  aware  that,  even  in  the 
times  of  David,  a  genuine  Israelite  was  a 
man  of  a  pure  heart ;  and,  in  the  times  of 
the  prophets,  apostate  Israelites  were  ac- 
counted as  "Ethiopians."*  Your  ances- 
tors were  men  of  whom  the  world  was  not 
Avorthy  :  but  where  will  you  now  look  for 
such  characters  among  you  as  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob ;  as  Samuel,  David,  Hez- 
ekiah,  and  Josiah  ;  as  Daniel,  Ezra,  Ne- 
hemiah,  and  many  others  1  While  you 
garnish  their  sepulchres,  have  you  not 
manifestly  lost  their  spirit  1  This  is  a 
fact  that  ought  to  alarm  you,  and  lead  you 
seriously  to  examine  whether  you  have  not 
forsaken  their  faith.  One  thing,  which 
has  particularly  struck  my  mind,  I  would 
earnestly  recommend  to  your  considera- 
tion ;  namely,  the  temper  of  modern  Infi- 
dels toioards  your  fathers,  towards  you, 
and  toioards  us. 

You  need  not  be  told  that  deistical  wri- 
ters invariably  treat  your  fathers  with 
scorn  and  dislike.  Just  as  Appion  and 
other  Greek  writers  poured  contempt  up- 
on your  nation  ;  just  as  the  more  ancient 
"  Moabites  "  reproached,  and  "proudly 
magnified  themselves  against  the  people 
of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  ;  "f  so  do  all  our 
modern  Infidels.  But  from  the  time  that 
your  fathers  rejected  Him  in  whom  we 
believe  as  the  Lord  Messiah,  though  you 
have  been  exposed  to  the  chastisements  of 
heaven,^  and  to  much  injurious  treatment 
from  pretended  Christians  ;  yet  deists, 
the  common  enemies  of  revelation,  have 
been,  comparatively  speaking,  reconciled 
to  you.  So,  however,  it  appears  to  me. 
I  do  not  recollect  to  have  met  with  a  sin- 
gle reflection  upon  you  in  any  of  their 
writings.  On  the  contrary,  they  seem  to 
feel  themselves  near  akin  to  you.  Your 
enmity  to  Jesus  seems  to  be  the  price  of 
their  forgiveness  :  like  Herod  and  Pontius 
Pilate,  you  became  friends  in  the  day  of 
his  crucifixion.  Mr.  Paine,  though  his 
writings  abound  in  sneers  against  your  na- 
tion prior  to  its  rejection  of  Christ,  yet 
appears  to  be  well  reconciled  to  you,  and 
willing  to  admit  your  lame  account  of  the 
body  of  Jesus  being  stolen  away.t  Ought 
you  not  to  be  alarmed  at  these  things  1  Se- 
riously examine  whether  you  have  not  for- 
saken the  God  of  your  fathers,  and  be- 
come the  friends  and  allies  of  men  who 
hate  both  him  and  them. 

The  hatred  of  Infidels  has  long  been 
transferred  from  you  to  us.  Whether,  in 
the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  we 

*  Amos  ix.  7.  t  Zeph.    ii.  10. 

t  Age  of  Reason,  Part  I.  pp.  6,  7. 


ADDRESS    TO    CHRISTIANS. 


ISl 


be  the  true  "children  of  Abraham,"  or 
not,  we  inlierit  lluit  reproacli  and  dislike 
from  unhclievers  uhith  was  iicrctofbre  (he 
portion  of  the  godly  Israelites.  On  what 
account  were  jour  lathers  hated  l>y  the 
practical  atheists  of  tiieir  day  ]  Was  it 
not  because  of  their  devotedness  to  God  1 
It  was  this  in  David  that  |)rovoked  the  re- 
sentment of  tlii^  ciiildren  ol  Belial,  and 
rendered  them  his  determined  enemies. 
They  were  continually  jeerinjj  at  his  pray- 
ers, his  tears  and  his  trust  in  Jehovah  ; 
turninsi  tliat  wiiicii  in  reality  \vas  his  ^lo- 
ry into  shame  ;  and  afflictinij  him  in  his  af- 
fliction, by  scornfully  incjuiring,  "Where 
is  thy  God  1  "*  Such  is  the  treatment 
which  the  godly  part  of  your  nation  re- 
ceived in  all  aues,  both  from  heathens 
abroad  and  impious  characters  at  home;t 
and  such  is  the  treatment  which  serious 
Christians  continue  to  receive  from  unj^od- 
ly  men  to  tiiis  day  :  but  are  you  hated  ami 
reproached  on  tliis  account  ? 

Of  late  years  it  has  been  frequently 
pleaded  that  the  principal  objections  to 
your  embracinff  the  christian  religion  are 
found  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Trinity,  the 
deity  of  Christ,  and  atonement  by  his 
death  ;  doctrines  which  the  greater  part  of 
Christians  hold  to  be  taught  in  tiie  New 
Testament.  But  those  who  impute  your 
conduct  to  these  causes  must  have  nearly 
as  mean  an  opinion  of  your  rationality 
as  they  have  of  ours,  with  whom,  they 
say,  "there  is  no  reasoning;  and  that  we 
are  to  be  pitied,  and  considered  as  under 
a  debility  of  mind  in  one  respect,  however 
sensible  and  rational  in  others. "|  What 
have  the  principles,  which  in  our  judgment 
are  taught  in  the  New  Testament,  to  do 
with  your  acknowledging  Jesus  to  be  the 
Messiah,  and  the  christian  religion  to  be 
of  God  ]  Let  these  positions  be  admit- 
ted, and  examine  the  New  Testament 
for  yourselves.  If  you  were  not  consider- 
ed as  possessing  a  sufficient  degree  of 
good  sense  to  distinguish  between  Christi- 
anity and  the  creed  of  any  particular  party 
of  Christians,  it  is  surprising  that  "Ra- 
tional Christians  "  should  think  of  writing 
addresses  to  you.  For  our  parts,  we 
could  almost  be  satisfied  that  you  should 
decide  the  controversy,  whether  the  doc- 
trines before  mentioned  be  taught  in  the 
New  Testament,  or  not.  As  to  removing 
these  stumbling-blocks,  as  some  call  them, 
out  of  your  way,  we  have  no  inclination 
to  attempt  it.  Only  imbibe  the  spirit  of 
your  ancestors,  and  they  will  presently 
cease  to  be  stumbling-blocks.  Believe 
Moses,  and  you  will  believe  Jesus  ;  and 

*  Psa.  xxii.  8;  iv.  2  ;  xlii.  3;  xl.  15. 
fPsa.  Ixix.  10  ;   cxv.  2.    Joelii.  J7.     Micahvii. 
8—10.     Jsa.  Ixvi.  5. 

t  Lindsev's  Cateclii-sts,  Inquify  6. 


believing  Jesus,  neither  his  claiming  to  be 
the  "  Son  of  God,"  and  consequently 
"  equal  with  God,"  nor  his  insisting  upon 
his  "  flesh  being  the  life  of  the  world," 
will  offend  you.  On  the  contrary,  when- 
ever the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplica- 
tions is  poured  out  upon  you,  and  you 
come  to  look  on  him  whom  you  have 
pierced,  and  mourn,  you  will  join  in  the 
worsiiip  of  him  ;  and  the  doctrine  of  atone- 
ment will  be  to  you  a  fountain  set  open 
for  sin  and  uncleanncss.§ 

You  live  in  expectation  of  being  restored 
to  your  own  land.  We  expect  the  same 
thing,  and  rejoice  in  the  belief  of  it.  The 
Old  and  the  New  Testament  agree  in  pre- 
dicting it.  ||  But  the  same  prophets  that 
have  foretold  your  return  to  Canaan  have 
also  foretold  that  you  must  be  brought  to 
"  repent  of  your  sins,  and  to  seek  Jehovah 
your  God,  and  David  your  king."1I  Your 
holy  land  will  avail  you  but  little,  unless 
you  be  a  holy  people. 

Finally  :  You  admit,  I  suppose,  that 
though  we  should  err  in  believing  Jesus  to 
lie  the  Messiah,  yet  while  we  deny  un- 
godliness and  worldly  lusts,  and  live  so- 
berly, righteously  and  godly,  in  this  pres- 
ent world,  it  is  an  error  that  may  not 
affect  our  eternal  salvation  :  but,  if  the  er- 
ror be  on  your  side,  on  what  ground  do 
you  standi  Your  fathers,  in  this  case, 
were  murderers  of  the  Prince  of  Life  ;  and, 
by  adopting  their  principles,  you  make  the 
deed  your  own.  His  Idoodlies  upon  you, 
and  upon  your  children.  The  terrible 
destruction  of  your  city  by  the  Romans, 
and  the  hardness  of  heart  to  which  you 
have  been  given  up,  are  symptoms  of  that 
wrath  which  is  to  come  upon  you  to  the 
uttermost.  Repent  and  l)elieve  the  Gos- 
pel, that  you  may  escape  the  wrath  to 
come ! 


TO  CHRISTIANS. 

Beloved  Brethren  ! 

It  is  witnessed  of  David,  (hat  he 
"  served  the  will  of  God  in  his  genera- 
tion." Every  generation  has  i(s  peculiar 
work.  The  present  age  is  distinguished, 
you  know,  by  the  progress  of  infidelity. 
We  have  long  been  exempted  from  perse- 
cution ;  and  he  whose  fan  is  in  his  hand, 
perceiving  his  floor  to  stand  in  need  of 
purging,  seems  determined  by  new  trials 
to  purge  it.  The  present  is  a  winnowing 
time.     If  we  wish  to  serve  the  will  of  God 

§  Ezek.  xxxvii.     Luke  xxi.  2f. 
II  Zech.   xii.  10—14;  xlii.  1. 
IT  IIos.  iii.  5. 


182 


ADDRESS    TO    CHRISTIANS. 


in  it,  we  must  carefully  attend  to  those  du- 
ties which  such  a  state  of  things  imposes 
upon  us. 

In  the  first  place,  Let  us  look  well  to 
the  sincerity  of  our  hearts;  and  see  to  it 
that  our  Chrisiianity  is  vital,  practical,  and 
decided.  An  army  called  to  engage  after 
a  long  peace  requires  to  be  examined,  and 
every  one  should  examine  himself.  Many 
become  soldiers  when  danger  is  at  a  dis- 
tance. The  mighty  host  of  Midianites 
were  overcome  by  a  selected  band.  A 
proclamation  Avas  issued  through  the  army 
of  Israel,  "  Whosoever  is  fearful  and 
afraid,  let  him  return;"  and,  after  a  great 
diminution  from  cowardice,  the  rest  must 
be  brought  down  to  the  water  to  be  tried. 
Such,  or  nearly  such,  may  be  the  trials  of 
the  church  :  those  who  overcome  may  be 
reduced  to  a  small  company  in  comparison 
of  those  who  have  borne  the  christian 
name.  So  indeed  the  Scriptures  inform  us. 
They  that  obtain  the  victory  with  Christ 
are  "  called,  and  chosen,  and  faithful."* 

The  manner  in  which  things  of  late  ages 
have  moved  on,  in  the  religious  world,  has 
been  such  as  to  admit  of  a  larger  outer- 
court,  if  I  may  so  speak,  for  a  sort  of  half- 
worshipers.  A  general  religious  reputa- 
tion has  been  hitherto  obtained  at  a  small 
expense.  But  should  infidelity  prevail 
throughout  Christendom,  as  it  has  in 
France,  the  nominal  extent  of  the  chris- 
tian church  will  be  greatly  reduced.  In 
taking  its  dimensions,  the  outer-court, 
will,  as  it  were,  be  left  out  and  given  to 
the  Gentiles.  In  this  case,  you  must 
come  in  or  keep  out  ;  be  one  thing  or 
another  ;  a  decided  friend  of  Christ  or  an 
avowed  infidel.  It  is  possible  the  time 
may  come  when  all  parties  will  be  re- 
duced, in  effect,  to  two — believers  and  un- 
believers. 

"Never,"  says  a  late  masterly  and 
moving  writer,  "  were  times  more  event- 
ful and  critical,  than  at  present ;  never 
were  appearances  more  singular  and  inter- 
esting, in  the  political  or  in  the  religious 
world.  You  behold,  on  the  one  hand,  in- 
fidelity with  dreadful  irruption  extending 
its  ravages  far  and  wide  ;  and,  on  the  eth- 
er, an  amazing  accession  of  zeal  and  ac- 
tivity to  the  cause  of  Christianity.  Error 
in  all  its  forms  is  assiduously  and  success- 
fully propagated ;  but  the  progress  of 
evangelical  ti'uth  is  also  great.  The  num- 
ber of  the  apparently  neutral  party  daily 
diminishes  ;  and  men  are  now  either  be- 
coming worshipers  of  the  God  and  Fa- 
ther of  our  Lord  Jesus  Clmst,  or  receding 
fast  through  the  mists  of  scepticism  into 
the  dreary  regions  of  speculative  and  prac- 
tical atheism.     It  seems  as  if  Christianity 


and  Infidelity  were  mustering  each  the 
host  of  the  battle,  and  preparing  for  some 
great  day  of  God.  The  enemy  is  come 
in  like  a  flood  :  but  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
hath  lifted  up  a  standard  against  him. 
'  Who,  then,  is  on  the  Lord's  side  1  who  1 
— Let  him  come  forth  to  the  help  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
mighty  !  '  " f 

Secondly  :  Let  a  good  understanding  be 
cultivated  among  sincere  Christians  of  dif- 
ferent denominations.  Let  the  friends  of 
Christ  know  one  another ;  and  let  not 
slighter  shades  of  difference  keep  them  at 
variance.  The  enemies  of  Christianity 
know  how  to  avail  themselves  of  our  dis- 
cords. The  union  which  is  here  recom- 
mended, however,  is  not  a  merely  nominal 
one,  much  less  one  that  requires  a  sacri- 
fice of  principle.  Let  us  unite,  so  far  as 
we  can  act  in  concert,  in  promoting  the  in- 
terest of  Christ;  and  hold  ourselves  open 
to  conviction  with  regard  to  other  things. 
Let  not  the  free  discussion  of  our  differ- 
ences be  laid  aside,  or  any  such  connection 
formed  as  shall  require  it :  only  let  them 
be  conducted  with  modesty,  frankness, 
and  candor,  and  the  godly  will  find  their 
account  in  them.  Let  it  be  the  great  con- 
cern of  all,  not  so  much  to  maintain  their 
own  peculiarities,  as  to  know  and  practise 
the  truth  ;  not  so  much  to  yield,  and  come 
nearer  to  other  denominations,  as  to  ap- 
proximate towards  the  mind  of  Christ. 
The  mind  of  Christ,  as  expressed  in  his 
doctrines  and  precepts,  must  be  the  cen- 
tral point  in  which  we  meet :  as  we  ap- 
proach this,  we  shall  come  nearer  to  each 
otlier.  So  much  agreement  as  there  is 
among  us,  so  much  is  there  of  union,  and 
so  much  agreement  as  there  is  in  the  mind 
of  Christ,  so  much  of  christian  union. 

Finally  :  Let  not  the  heart  of  any  man 
fail  him,  on  account  oj  the  high  tone  and 
scornful  airs  assumed  by  Infidels.  The 
I'eign  of  infidelity  may  be  extensive,  but  it 
must  be  short.  It  carries  in  it  the  seeds 
of  its  own  dissolution.  Its  immoralities 
are  such  that  the  world  cannot  long  sus- 
tain them.  Scripture  prophecy  has  clear- 
ly foretold  all  the  great  governments  of 
the  world,  from  the  time  of  the  Jewish 
Captivity  to  this  day — the  Babylonian, 
Persian,  Macedonian,  and  Roman ;  to- 
gether with  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which 
the  last  of  these  empires  has  been  divided, 
and  the  Papal  government  which  sprung 
up  among  them  ;  but  it  makes  no  explicit 
mention  of  this.  It  has  no  individual  sub- 
sistence given  it  in  the  system  of  prophecy. 

It  is  not  a  "  beast,"  but  a  mere  pu- 
trid excrescence  of  the  papal  beast — an 
excrescence  which,  though  it  may  diffuse 


*  Rev.  xvii.  14. 


t  Fenier's  Two  Discourses  at  Paisley,  in  June,  1798. 


ADDRESS    TO    CHRISTIANS. 


183 


death  through  every  vein  of  the  body  on 
which  it  grew,  yet  shall  die  along  with  it. 
"The  beast,"  and  all  wluch  pertains  to 
him,  "  goeth  into  perdition."*  There  is 
no  space  of  time  allowed  lor  this  govern- 
ment:  no  sooner  is  it  said,  "  Baliylon  is 
fallen,"  than  voices  arc  heard  in  heaven 
declaring  that  "  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 
is  come."  No  sooner  does  "the  judg- 
ment sit,  to  take  away  the  dominion  of  the 
little  horn,  to  consume  and  to  destroy  it 
unto  the  end,"  than  it  follows,  "And  the 
kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  greatness 
of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven, 
shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High."t 

*  Rev.  xvii.  8.  11. 
f  Dan.  vii.  26,  27.  The  writer  has  since  read 
a  very  able  discourse  by  Mr.  Nathan  Strong,  of 
Connecticut,  entitled  "Political  Instructions  from 
the  Prophecies  of  God's  Word;  "  in  which  the 
above  sentiments  are  stated  with  great  force  of 
evidence. 


Popery  is  not  yet  destroyed,  though  it 
has  received  a  deadly  blow  ;  and  from  wliat 
is  said  of  the  little  horn,  that  they  shall 
take  away  his  dominion,  "to  consume  and 
to  destroy  it  unto  the  end,"  it  should  seem 
that  its  overthrow  will  be  gradual.  While 
this  is  accomplishing,  the  reign  of  inlideli- 
ty  may  continue,  with  various  success; 
but  no  longer.  Only  let  us  "watch  and 
keep  our  garments  clean"  (a  caution  giv- 
en, it  is  probable,  with  immediate  refer- 
ence to  the  present  times,)  and  we  have 
notliing  to  fear.  It  is  a  source  of  great  con- 
solation that  the  last  of  the  four  beasts, 
which  for  more  thaii  two  thousand  years 
have  persecuted  the  church,  and  oppressed 
mankind,  is  drawing  near  to  its  end.  The 
government  that  shall  next  prevail  will  be 
that  of  Christ,  "  whose  kingdom  is  an  ev- 
erlasting kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall 
serve  and  obey  him.  Even  so.  Amen. 
Blessed  be  his  glorious  name  forever ; 
and  let  the  whole  earth  be  filled  with  his 
glory;  Amen,  and  Amen!  " 


THE 

CALVINISTIC     AND     SOCINIAN 
SYSTEMS 

EXAMINED  AND  COMPARED,  AS  TO  THEIR 
MORAL  TENDENCY : 

IN    A    SERIES    OF    LETTERS,    ADDRESSED    TO    THE    FRIENDS    OF    VITAL    AND 
PRACTICAL    RELIGION. 


TO    WHICH    IS    ADDED 


A    POSTSCRIPT, 


ESTABLISHING   THE    PRINCIPLE    OF    THE    WORK,    AGAINST    THE    EXCEPTIONS    OP 
DR.    TOULMIN,    MR.    BELSHAM,    &C. 


VOL.  I.  24 


PREFACE. 


The  following  Letters  are  addressed  to  the  friends  of  vital  and  practical  religion, 
because  the  author  is  persuaded  that  the  very  essence  of  true  piety  is  concerned  in 
this  controversy ;  and  that  godly  men  are  the  only  proper  judges  of  divine  truth, 
being  the  only  humble,  upright,  and  earnest  inquirers  after  it.  So  far  from  thinking, 
with  Dr.  Priestley,  that  "  an  unbiassed  temper  of  mind  is  attained  in  consequence  of 
becoming  more  indifferent  to  religion  in  general,  and  to  all  the  modes  and  doctrines 
of  it,"  he  is  satistied  that  persons  of  that  description  have  a  most  powerful  bias 
against  the  truth.  Though  it  were  admitted  that  false  principles,  accompanied  with  a 
bigoted  attachment  to  them,  are  worse  than  none  ;  yet  he  cannot  admit  that  irreli- 
gious men  are  destitute  of  principles.  He  has  no  notion  of  human  minds  being  unoc- 
cupied or  indifferent :  he  that  is  not  a  friend  to  religion  in  ajiy  mode  is  an  enemy  to  it 
in  all  modes;  he  is  a  libertine  ;  he  "  doeth  evil,"  and,  therefore,  "hateth  the  light." 
And  shall  we  compliment  such  a  character,  by  acknowledging  him  to  be  in  "  a 
favorable  situation  for  distinguishing  between  truth  and  falsehood!"*  God  forbid! 
It  is  "he  that  doeth  his  will  that  shall  know  of  his  doctrine."  The  humble,  the  can- 
did, the  upright  inquirers  after  truth,  are  the  persons  w  ho  are  likely  to  find  it ;  and  to 
them  the  author  takes  the  liberty  to  appeal. 

The  principal  occasion  of  these  Letters  was  the  last  union  among  Protestant  Dis- 
senters, in  reference  to  civil  affairs,  having  been  the  source  of  various  misconceptions, 
and,  as  the  writer  apprehends,  improved  as  a  means  of  disseminating  Socinian  prin- 
ciples. 

In  the  late  application  to  Parliament,  for  the  repeal  of  the  Corporation  and  Test 
Acts,  the  Dissenters  have  united,  without  any  respect  to  their  doctrinal  principles. 
They  considered  that  they  were  applying  merely  for  a  civil  right ;  and  that,  in  such 
an  application,  difference  in  theological  sentiments  had  no  more  concern  than  it  has 
in  the  union  of  a  nation  under  one  civil  head,  or  form  of  government. 

This  union,  however,  has  become  an  occasion  of  many  reflections.  Serious  men 
of  the  Established  Church  have  expressed  their  surprise  that  some  Dissenters  could 
unite  with  others,  so  opposite  in  their  religious  principles  ;  and,  had  the  union  been  of 
a  religious  nature,  it  must,  indeed,  have  been  surprising.  Others  have  supposed  that 
the  main  body  of  Dissenters  had  either  imbibed  the  Socinian  system,  or  were  hastily 
approaching  toward?  it.     Whether  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Horsley,  that  "  the  genuine 

*  Discovirses  on  Various  Subjects,  p.  95. 


188  PREFACE. 

Calvinists,  among  our  modern  Dissenters,  are  very  few,"  has  contributed  to  this 
opinion,  or  whatever  be  its  origin,  it  is  far  from  being  just.  Every  one  who  knows 
the  Dissenters,  knows  that  the  body  of  them  are  what  is  commonly  called  orthodox. 
Dr.  Priestley,  who  is  well  known  to  be  sufficiently  sanguine  in  estimating  the  num- 
bers of  his  party — so  sanguine  that,  when  speaking  of  the  common  people  of  this  coun- 
try, he  reckons  "  nine  out  of  ten  of  them  would  prefer  a  Unitarian  to  a  Trinitarian 
liturgy  ;"*  yet  acknowledges,  in  regard  to  the  Dissenters,  that  Unitarians  are  by  far 
the  minority.  In  Birmingham,  where  the  proportion  of  their  number  to  the  rest  of 
the  Dissenters  is  greater  than  in  any  other  town  in  the  kingdom,  it  appears,  from  Dr. 
Priestley's  account  of  the  matter,  that  those  called  orthodox  are  nearly  three  to  one  : 
and,  throughout  England  and  Wales,  they  have  been  supposed  to  be  "  as  two,  if  not  as 
three  to  one,  to  the  Socinians  and  Arians  inclusive. "f 

If  Dr.  Horsley  found  it  necessary,  in  support  of  his  cause,  to  overturn  Dr.  Priest- 
ley's assertion,  that  "  great  bodies  of  men  do  not  change  their  opinions  in  a  small  space 
of  time,"  some  think  he  might  have  found  an  example,  more  to  his  purpose  than  that 
of  the  body  of  Dissenters  having  deserted  their  former  principles,  in  the  well-known 
change  of  the  major  part  of  the  Church  of  England,  who,  about  the  time  of  the  Arch- 
bishop Laud,  went  off  from  Calvinism  to  Arminianism.  Had  this  example  been  ad- 
duced, his  antagonist  might  have  found  some  difficulty  in  maintaining  his  ground 
against  him ;  as  it  is  an  undoubted  fact,  and  a  fact  which  he  himself  acknowledges, 
with  several  others  of  the  kind.]; 

The  supposition,  however,  of  the  Dissenters  being  generally  gone,  or  going  off,  to 
Socinianism,  though  far  from  just,  has  not  been  without  its  apparent  grounds.  The 
consequence  which  Socinians  have  assumed,  in  papers  and  pamphlets  which  have  been 
circulated  about  the  country,  has  afforded  room  for  such  a  supposition.  It  has  not 
been  very  uncommon  for  them  to  speak  of  themselves  as  the  Dissenters,  the 
Modern  Dissenters,  &c.  It  was  said,  in  a  paper  that  was  published  more  than 
once,  "The  ancient,  like  the  Modern  Dissenters,  ivorshiped  one  God;  they  knew 
nothing  of  the  Nicene  or  Athanasian  creeds."  The  celebrated  authoress  of  The  Ad- 
dress to  the  Opposers  of  the  Repeal  of  the  Corporation  and  Test  Acts  is  not  clear  in 
this  matter.  That  otherwise  admirable  performance  is  tinged  with  the  pride  of  party 
consequence.  "  We  thank  you,  gentlemen,"  she  says,  "  for  the  compliment  paid  the 
Dissenters,  when  you  suppose  that,  the  moment  they  are  eligible  to  places  of  power 
and  profit,  all  such  places  will  at  once  be  filled  with  them.  We  had  not  the  presump- 
tion (o  imagine  that,  inconsiderable  as  we  are  in  numbers,  compared  to  the  Establish- 
ed Church ;  inferior,  too,  in  fortune  and  influence ;  laboring,  as  we  do,  under  the 
frowns  of  the  court  and  the  anathema  of  the  orthodox;  we  should  make  our 
way  so  readily  into  the  recesses  of  royal  favor."  Even  the  Monthly  Reviewers,  though 
they  have  borne  testimony  against  mingling  doctrinal  disputes  with  those  of  the  repeal 
of  the  Test  laws  ;§  yet  have  sometimes  spoken  of  Dissenters  and  Socinians  as  if  they 
were  terms  of  the  same  meaning  and  extent.  "It  appears  to  us  as  absurd,"  they 
say,  "to  charge  the  I'eligious  principles  of  the  Dissenters  with  republicanism,  as 
it  would  be  to  advance  the  same  accusation  against  the  Newtonian  philosophy.     The 

*  Defense  of  Unitaiianlsin,  for  1786, p.  61. 
t  See  Dr.  Priestley's  Familiar  Letters  to  the    Inhabitants  of  Birmingham,  Letters  IIL  XL  Also  Mr. 
Parry's  Remarks  on  the  Resohitions  of  the  Warwick  Meeting. 

t  See  Letter  IIL  §  Monthly  Review  Enlarged,  Vol.  I.  p.  233. 


PREFACE.  189 

doctrine  of  gravitation  may  as  well  be  deemed  dangerous  to  tlie  state    as  Socini- 

ANISM."* 

Is  it  unnatural,  from  such  representations  as  these,  for  those  who  know  but  little 
of  us  to  consider  the  Socinians  as  constituting  the  main  body  of  the  Dissenters,  and 
the  Calvinists  as  only  a  few  stragglers,  who  follow  these  leading  men  at  a  distance 
in  all  their  measures  ;  but  whose  numbers  and  consequence  are  so  small  that  even 
the  mention  of  their  names,  among  Protestant  Dissenters,  may  very  well  be  omitted  1 

This,  however,  as  it  only  affects  our  reputation,  or,  at  most,  can  only  impede  the 
repeal  of  the  Test  laws,  by  strengthening  a  prejudice  too  strong  already,  against  the 
whole  body  of  Dissenters,  might  be  overlooked.  But  this  is  not  all :  it  is  pretty 
evident  that  the  union  among  us,  in  civil  matters,  has  been  improved  for  the  purpose 
of  disseminating  religious  principles.  At  one  of  the  most  public  meetings  for  the 
repeal  of  the  Corporation  and  Test  Acts,  as  the  author  was  credibly  informed,  Socin- 
ian  peculiarities  were  advanced,  which  passed  unnoticed,  because  those  of  contrary 
principles  did  not  choose  to  interrupt  the  harmony  of  the  meeting,  by  turning  the 
attention  of  gentlemen  from  the  immediate  object  for  which  they  were  assembled. 
What  end  could  Dr.  Priestley  have  in  introducing  so  much  about  the  Test  Acts  in  his 
controversy  with  Mr.  Burn,  on  the  person  of  Christ,  except  it  were  to  gild  the  pill, 
and  make  it  go  down  the  easier  with  Calvinistic  Dissenters  1 

The  writer  of  these  Letters  does  not  blame  the  Dissenters  of  his  own  persuasion 
for  uniting  with  the  Socinians.  In  civil  matters,  he  thinks  it  lawful  to  unite  with  men, 
be  their  religious  principles  what  they  may;  but  he,  and  many  others,  would  be  very 
sorry  if  a  union  of  this  kind  should  prove  an  occasion  of  abating  our  zeal  for  those 
religious  principles  which  we  consider  as  being  of  the  very  essence  of  the  gospel. 

The  term  Socinians  is  preferred  in  the  following  Letters  to  that  of  Unitarians,  not 
for  theme  an  purpose  of  reproach,  but  because  the  latter  name  is  not  a  fair  one.  The 
term,  as  constantly  explained  by  themselves,  signifies  those  professors  of  Christianity 
who  loorship  but  one  God :  but  this  is  not  that  wherein  they  can  be  allowed  to  be 
distinguished  from  others.  For  what  professors  of  Christianity  are  there,  who  pro- 
fess to  worship  a  plurality  of  Godsl  Trinitarians  profess  also  to  be  Unitarians. 
They,  as  well  as  their  opponents,  believe  there  is  but  one  God.  To  give  Socinians 
this  name,  therefore,  exclusively,  would  be  granting  them  the  very  point  which  they 
seem  so  desirous  to  take  for  granted ;  that  is  to  say,  the  point  in  debate. 

Names,  it  may  be  said,  signify  little;  and  this  signifies  no  more  on  one  side,  than 
the  term  orthodox  does  on  the  other.  The  writer  owns  tliat,  when  he  first  conceived 
the  idea  of  publishing  these  Letters,  he  thought  so ;  and  intended,  all  along,  to  use 
the  term  Unitarians.  What  made  him  alter  his  mind  was,  his  observing  that  the 
principal  writers  in  that  scheme  have  frequently  availed  themselves  of  the  above  name, 
and  appear  to  wish  to  have  it  tliought,  by  their  readers,  that  the  point  in  dispute  be- 
tween them  and  the  Trinitarians  is.  Whether  there  be  three  Gods  or  only  one. 

If  he  had  thought  the  use  of  the  term  Unitarians  consistent  with  justice  to  his  own 
argument,  he  would  have  preferred  it  to  that  of  Socinians ;  and  would  also  have 
been  glad  of  a  term  to  express  the  system  which  he  has  defended,  instead  of  calling 
it  after  the  name  of  Calvin;  as  he  is  aware  that  calling  ourselves  after  the  names  of 
men,  (though  it  be  merely  to  avoid  circumlocution,)  is  liable  to  be  understood  as  giving 

*MontliIy  Review  Enlarged,  1790,  p.  247. 


190  PREFACE. 

them  an  authority  which  is  inconsistent  with  a  conformity  to  our  Lord's  command, 
"  Call  no  man  master  upon  earth  ;  for  one  is  your  master,  even  Christ." 

He  may  add  that  the  substance  of  the  following  Letters  was  written  before  the 
riots  at  Birmingham.  His  regard  to  justice  and  humanity  made  him  feel  much,  on 
that  occasion,  for  Dr.  Priestley,  and  others  who  suffered  with  him ;  but  his  regard  to 
what  he  esteems  important  truth  made  him  feel  more.  The  injury  which  a  doctrine 
receives  from  those  who  would  support  it  by  the  unhallowed  hands  of  plunder  and 
persecution  is  far  greater,  in  the  esteem  of  many,  than  it  can  receive  from  the  efforts 
of  its  avowed  adversaries.  For  his  own  part,  he  has  generally  supposed  that  both 
the  contrivers  and  executers  of  that  iniquitous  business,  call  themselves  what  they 
will,  were  men  of  no  principle.  If,  however,  those  of  the  high-church  party,  who, 
instead  of  disavowing  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  the  misguided  populace,  have  mani- 
festly exulted  in  it,  must  be  reckoned  among  the  Trinitarians,  he  has  only  to  say  they 
are  such  Trinitarians  as  he  utterly  disapproves,  and  concerning  whom  he  cannot  so 
well  express  his  sentiments  and  feelings  as  in  the  words  of  the  patriarch  :  "Instru- 
ments of  cruelty  are  in  their  habitations.  O  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret; 
unto  their  assembly,  mine  honor,  be  not  thou  united  :  for  in  their  anger  they  slew  a 
man,  and  in  their  self-will  they  digged  down  a  wall.  Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it 
was  fierce  ;  and  their  wrath,  for  it  was  cruel." 

Detestable,  however,  as  were  the  riots  at  Birmingham,  no  one  can  plead  that  they 
render  the  religious  principles  of  Dr.  Priestley  less  erroneous,  or  less  pernicious ;  or 
an  opposition  to  them,  upon  the  fair  ground  of  argument,  less  necessary.  On  the 
contrary,  the  mere  circumstance  of  his  being  a  persecuted  man  will  have  its  influence 
on  some  people,  and  incline  them  not  only  to  feel  for  the  man,  the  gentleman,  and 
the  philosopher,  (all  which  is  right) :  but  to  think  favorably  of  his  religious  opinions. 
On  this  consideration,  if  the  following  Letters  would,  previous  to  that  event,  have 
been  in  any  degree  proper  and  seasonable,  they  are  not,  by  anything  that  has  since 
occurred,  become  improper,  or  unseasonable. 

Since  the  first  edition,  the  author  has  attempted,  in  some  places,  to  strengthen  his 
argument,  and  to  remove  such  objections  as  have  hitheito  occurred.  The  principal 
additions  will  be  found  in  Letters  IV.  and  XV.  The  Note,  towards  the  latter  end 
of  the  former,  was  occasioned  by  a  report  that  Dr.  Priestley  complained  of  being 
misrepresented  by  the  quotation  in  the  first  page  of  the  Preface.  This  Note  contains 
a  vindication,  not  only  of  the  fairness  of  the  quotation  from  Dr.  Priestley,  but  of 
another,  to  the  same  purpose,  from  Mr.  Belsham ;  and  an  answer  to  what  is  advanced 
on  its  behalf  in  the  Monthly  Review. 
1802. 


THE 


CALVINISTIC  AND  SOCINIAN   SYSTEMS 
COMPARED. 


LETTER  I. 

introduction  and  general  remarks. 

Christian  Brethren, 

Much  has  been  written  of  late  years  on 
the  Socinian  controversy ;  so  much  that 
the  attention  of  the  christian  world  has, 
to  a  considerable  degree,  been  drawn  to- 
wards it.  There  is  no  reason,  however, 
for  considering  this  circumstance  as  a  mat- 
ter of  wonder,  or  of  regret.  Not  of  v^on- 
der  ;  for,  supposing  the  deity  and  atone- 
ment of  Christ  to  be  divine  truths,  they 
are  of  such  importance  in  the  Christian 
scheme  as  to  induce  the  adversaries  of  the 
gospel  to  bend  their  main  force  against 
them,  as  against  the  rock  on  xohich  Christ 
hath  built  his  church.  Not  of  regret ;  for, 
whatever  partial  evils  may  arise  ft-om  a  full 
discussion  of  a  subject,  the  interests  of 
truth  will,  doubtless,  in  the  end  prevail ; 
and  the  prevalence  of  truth  is  a  good  that 
will  outweigh  all  the  ills  that  may  have  at- 
tended its  discovery.  Controversy  en- 
gages a  number  of  persons  of  different  tal- 
ents and  turns  of  mind  ;  and  by  this  means 
the  subject  is  likely  to  be  considered  in 
every  view  in  which  it  is  capable  of  being 
exhibited  to  advantage. 

The  point  of  light  in  which  the  subject 
will  be  considered  in  these  Letters,  name- 
ly, as  influencing  the  heart  and  life,  has 
been  frequently  glanced  at  on  both  sides. 
I  do  not  recollect,  however,  to  have  seen 
this  view  of  it  professedly  and  separately 
handled. 

In  the  great  controversy,  in  the  time  of 
Elijah,  recourse  was  had  to  an  expedient 
by  which  the  question  was  decided.  Each 
party  built  an  altar,  cut  in  pieces  a  bul- 
lock, and  laid  the  victim  upon  the  wood, 
but  put  no  fire  under ;  and  the  God  that 
should  answer  by  fire  was  to  be  acknowl- 
edged as  the  true  God.  We  cannot  bring 
our  controversies  to  such  a  criterion  as 
this  :  we  may  bring  them  to  one,  however, 
which,  though  not  so  suddenly,  is  not  much 


less  sensibly  evident.  The  tempers  and 
lives  of  men  are  books  for  common  people 
to  read  ;  and  they  will  read  them,  even 
though  they  should  read  nothing  else. 
They  are,  indeed,  warranted  by  the  Scrip- 
tures themselves  to  judge  of  the  natu]Uiii[|~ 
doctrines,  by  their  holy  or  unholy  tenden- 
cy. The  true  gospel  is  to  be  known  by 
its  being  a  "  doctrine  according  to  godli- 
ness ;  "  teaching  those  who  embrace  it  "to 
deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to 
live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  the 
present  world."  Those,  on  the  other 
hand,  "who  believe  not  the  truth,"  are 
said  to  "  have  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
ness." "  Profane  and  vain  babblings,"  as 
the  ministrations  of  false  teachers  are  call- 
ed, "will  increase  unto  more  ungodli- 
ness," and  their  word  "  will  eat  as  doth  a 
canker."  To  this  may  be  added,  that  the 
parties  themselves,  engaged  in  this  contro- 
versy, have  virtually  acknowledged  the 
justice  and  importance  of  the  above  cri- 
terion, in  that  both  sides  have  incidentally 
endeavored  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  A 
criterion,  then,  by  which  the  common  peo- 
ple will  judge,  by  which  the  Scripture  au- 
thorizes them  to  judge,  and  by  which  both 
sides,  in  effect,  agree  to  bejudged,  cannot 
but  be  worthy  of  particular  attention. 

I  feel,  for  my  own  part,  satisfied,  not  on- 
ly of  the  truth  and  importance  of  the  doc- 
trines in  question,  but  also  of  their  holy 
tendency.  I  am  aware,  however,  that  oth- 
ers think  differently,  and  that  a  consider- 
able part  of  what  I  have  to  advance  must 
be  on  the  defensive. 

"  Admitting  the  truth,"  says  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, "of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  God- 
head, original  sin,  arbitrary  predestination, 
atonement  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the 
plenary  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures ; 
their  value,  estimated  by  their  influence 
on  the  morals  of  men,  cannot  be  supposed, 
even  by  the  admirers  of  them,  to  be  of  any 
moment,  compared  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  human  race  to  a  life 
of  retribution :  and,  in    the    opinion  of 


192 


INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 


tliose  who  reject  them,  they  have  a  very 
uni'avoiable  tendency  ;  giving  wrong  im- 
pressions concerning  the  character  and 
moral  government  of  God,  and  such  as 
might  tend,  if  they  have  any  effect,  to  re- 
lax the  obligations  of  virtue."* 

In  many  instances  Dr.  Priestley  deserves 
applau'='e  for  his  frankness  and  fairness  as 
a  disputant :  in  this 'passage,  however,  as 
well  as  in  some  others,  the  admirers  of  the 
doctrines  lie  mentions  are  unfairly  repre- 
sented. They  who  embrace  the  other 
doctrines  are  supposed  to  hold  that  of  ar- 
bitrary predestination ;  but  this  supposi- 
tion is  not  true.  The  term  arbitrary  con- 
veys the  idea  of  caprice  ;  and,  in  this  con- 
nection, denotes  that  in  predestination, 
according  to  the  Calvinistic  notion  of  it, 
God  resolves  upon  the  fates  of  men,  and 
appoints  them  to  this  or  that,  without  any 
reason  for  so  doing.  But  there  is  no  jus- 
tice in  this  representation.  There  is  no 
decree  in  the  divine  mind  that  we  consider 
as  void  of  reason.  Predestination  to  death 
is  on  account  of  sin  ;  and  as  to  predestina- 
tion to  life,  though  it  be  not  on  account  of 
any  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have 
done,  yet  it  does  not  follow  that  God  has 
no  reason  whatever  for  what  he  does.  The 
sovereignty  of  God  is  a  ivise,  and  not  a 
capricious  sovereignty.  If  he  hide  the 
glory  of  the  gospel  from  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent, and  reveal  it  unto  babes,  it  is  because 
it  seemeth  good  in  his  sight.  But,  if  it 
seem  good  in  the  sight  of  God,  it  must, 
all  things  considered,  be  good  ;  for  "  the 
judgment  of  God  is  according  to  truth." 

It  is  asserted  also,  that  the  admirers  of 
the  forementioned  doctrines  cannot,  and 
do  not,  consider  them  as  of  equal  impor- 
tance with  that  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
human  race  to  a  life  of  retribution.  But 
this,  I  am  satisfied,  is  not  the  case  ;  for, 
whatever  Dr.  Priestley  may  think,  they 
consider  them,  or  at  least  some  of  them, 
as  essential  to  true  holiness  ;  and  of  such 
consequence,  even  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  human  race  to  a  life  of 
retribution,  that,  without  them,  such  a  res- 
urrection would  be  a  curse  to  mankind, 
rather  than  a  blessing. 

There  is  one  thing,  however,  in  the 
above  passage  wherein  we  all  unite  ;  and 
this  is — that  the  valxje  or  importance 
of  religious  principles  is  to  be  estimated  by 
their  influence  on  the  morals  of  men.  By 
this  rule,  let  the  forementioned  doctrines, 
with  their  opposites,  be  tried.  If  either 
those  or  these  will  not  abide  the  trial, 
they  ought  to  be  rejected. 

Before  we  enter  upon  a  particular  ex- 
amination of  the  subject,  however,  I  would 

*  Letters  to  a  Philosophical  Unbeliever,  Part  II. 
pp.  33,  35 


make    three    or   four    general    observa- 
tions. 

First  :  Whatever  Dr.  Priestley  or  any 
others  have  said  of  the  immoral  tendency 
of  our  principles,  I  am  persuaded  that  I 
may  take  it  for  granted  they  do  not  mean 
to  suggest  that  we  are  not  good  members 
of  civil  society,  or  worthy  of  the  most  per- 
fect toleration  in  the  state  ;  nor  have  I  any 
such  meaning  in  what  may  be  suggested 
concerning  theirs.  I  do  not  know  any  re- 
ligious denomination  of  men  who  are  un- 
worthy of  civil  protection.  So  long  as 
their  practices  do  not  disturb  the  peace  of 
society,  and  there  be  nothing  in  their 
avowed  principles  inconsistent  with  their 
giving  security  for  their  good  behavior, 
they,  doubtless,  ought  to  be  protected  in 
the  enjoyment  of  every  civil  right  to  which 
their  fellow -citizens  at  large  are  entitled. 

Secondly  :  It  is  not  the  bad  conduct  of 
a  few  individuals,  in  any  denomination  of 
Christians,  that  proves  any  thing  on  either 
side  ;  even  though  they  may  be  zealous 
advocates  for  the  peculiar  tenets  of  the 
party  which  they  espouse.  It  is  the  con- 
duct of  the  general  body  from  which  we 
ought  to  form  our  estimate.  That  there 
are  men  of  bad  character  who  attend  on 
our  preaching  is  not  denied;  perhaps  some 
of  the  worst  :  but,  if  it  be  so,  it  proves 
nothing  to  the  dishonor  of  our  principles. 
Those  who,  in  the  first  ages  of  Christianity, 
were  not  humbled  by  the  gospel,  were 
generally  hardened  by  it.  Nay,  were  it 
allowed  that  we  have  a  greater  number  of 
hypocrites  than  the  Socinians,  (as  it  has 
been  insinuated  that  the  hypocrisy  and 
preciseness  of  some  people  afford  matter 
of  just  disgust  to  speculative  Unitarians,) 
I  do  not  think  this  supposition,  any  more 
than  the  other,  dishonorable  to  our  princi- 
ples. The  defect  of  hypocrites  lies  not 
so  much  in  the  thing  professed,  as  in  the 
sincerity  of  their  profession.  The  thing 
professed  may  be  excellent,  and,  per- 
haps, is  the  more  likely  to  be  so  from  its 
being  counterfeited  ;  for  it  is  not  usual  to 
counterfeit  things  of  no  value.  Those 
persons  who  entertain  low  and  diminutive 
ideas  of  the  evil  of  sin  and  the  dignity  of 
Christ  must,  in  order  to  be  thought  reli- 
gious by  us,  counterfeit  the  contrary  ;  but, 
among  Socinians,  the  same  persons  may 
avow  those  ideas,  and  be  caressed  for  it. 
That  temper  of  mind  which  we  suppose 
common  to  men,  as  being  that  which  they 
possess  by  nature,  needs  not  to  be  dis- 
guised among  them,  in  order  to  be  well 
thought  of :  they  have,  therefore,  no  great 
temptations  to  hypocrisy.  The  question 
in  hand,  however,  is  not — What  influence 
either  our  principles  or  theirs  have  upon 
persons  who  do  not  in  reality  adopt  them ; 


IltTRODUCTORY    REMARKS. 


193 


but  what  influence  they  have  upon  those 
who  do.* 

Tliinlly  :  It  is  not  the  good  conduct  of 
a  lew  individuals,  on  either  side,  that  will 
prove  any  thing;.  Some  iiave  adopted  a 
false  creed,  and  retain  it  in  words,  who 
yet  never  enter  into  the  spirit  of  it,  and 
consequently  do  not  act  upon  it.  But 
merely  dormant  opinions  can  hardly  l)e 
called  principles  ;  those  rather  seem  to  he 
a  man's  principles  which  lie  at  the  founda- 
tion of  his  spirit  and  conduct.  Farther, 
good  men  are  found  in  denominations 
whose  principles  are  very  bad  ;  and  good 
men,  by  whatever  names  they  are  called, 
arc  more  nearly  of  a  sentiment  than  they 
are  frequently  aware  of.  Take  two  of 
them,_who  diifcr  the  most  in  words,  and 
bring  them  upon  their  knees  in  prayer,  and 
they  will  be  nearly  agreed.  Besides,  a 
great  deal  of  that  which  passes  for  virtue 
amongst  men  is  not  so  in  the  sight  of  God, 
who  sees  things  as  they  arc.  It  is  no 
more  than  may  be  accounted  for  without 
bringing  religion  or  virtue  into  the  (jucstion. 
There  are  motives  and  considerations 
which  will  commonly  influence  men,  liv- 
ing in  society,  to  behave  with  decorum. 
Various  occupations  and  pursuits,  espe- 
cially those  of  a  mental  and  religious  kind, 
are  inconsistent  with  profligacy  of  man- 
ners. "  False  apostles,'^  the  very  "  min- 
isters of  Satan,"  are  said  to  "transform 
themselves  into  the  apostles  of  Christ," 
and  to  appear  as  the  "ministers  of  right- 
eousness ;  "  even  as  "Satan  himself  is 
transformed  intoan  angel  of  light."  There 
are  certain  vices,  which,  being  inconsistent 
with  others,  may  be  the  means  of  restrain- 
ing them.  Covetousness  may  be  the  cause 
of  sobriety;  and  pride  restrains  thousands 
from  base  and  ignoble  gratifications,  in 
which,  nevertheless  their  hearts  take  se- 
cret and  supreme  delight.  A  decent  con- 
duct has  been  found  in  Pharisees,  in  Infi- 
dels, nay,  even  in  Atheists.  Dr.  Priestley 
acknowledges  that  "  An  Atheist  may  be 
temperate,  good-natured,  honest,  and,  in 
the  less-extended  sense  of  the  word,   a 

*  Tliough  the  Socinians  l>e  allowed,  in  wliat  is 
eaid  above,  to  have  but  few  hypocrites  among  them  ; 
yet  this  is  to  he  understood  a.s  relating  merely  to  one 
gpccies  of  hypocrisj.  Dr.  Priestley,  s|)cakin!i  of 
Unitarians  who  still  continue  in  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, says  :  "  From  a  just  aversion  to  everything 
that  looks  like  hypocrisy  and  precisencss,  they 
rather  lean  to  the  extreme  of  fashionable  dissipa- 
tion." Yet  he  represents  the  same  persons,  and 
that  in  tlie  same  page,  as  "  continuing  to  counte- 
nance a  mode  of  worship  which,  if  they  were  ques- 
tioned about  it,  they  could  not  deny  to  lie,  according 
to  their  own  principles,  idolatrous  and  blasphemous." 
Discourses  on  Various  Subjects,  p.  96.  The  hy- 
pocrisy, then,  to  which  these  gentlemen  have  so  just 
an  aversion,  seems  to  be  only  of  one  kind. 


I'irtuous  man."f  Yet  Dr.  Priestley  would 
not  hence  infer  anything  in  favor  of  the 
moral  tendency  of  Atheism. 

Lastly  :  Neither  zeal  in  defense  of 
principles,  nor  every  kind  of  devotion 
sj)ringing  from  them,  will  prove  those 
princii)les  to  be  true,  or  worthy  of  God. 
Several  gentlemen,  who  have  gone  over 
from  the  Calvinistic  to  the  Socinian  sys- 
tem, are  said  to  possess  greater  zeal  for 
the  pro|)agation  of  the  latter,  than  they  had 
used  to  discover  for  that  of  the  former. 
As  tliis,  however,  makes  nothing  to  the 
disadvantage  of  their  system,  neither  does 
it  make  anything  to  its  advantage.  This 
may  be  owing,  for  anything  that  can  be 
proved  to  the  contrary,  to  their  having 
found  a  system  more  consonant  to  the  bias 
of  their  hearts,  than  tliat  was  which  they 
formerly  professed.  And,  as  to  devotion, 
a  species  of  this  may  exist  in  persons,  and 
that  to  a  high  degree,  consistently  enough 
with  the  worst  of  principles.  We  know 
that  the  gospel  had  no  worse  enemies  than 
the  "  devout  and  honorable"  amongst  the 
Jews,  Acts  xiii.  50.  Saul,  while  an  ene- 
my to  Jesus  Christ,  was  as  sincere,  as 
zealous,  and  as  devout,  in  his  way,  as  any 
of  those  persons  whose  sincerity,  zeal, 
and  devotion,  are  frequently  held  up  by 
their  admirers  in  favor  of  their  cause. 

These  observations  may  be  thought  by 
some,  instead  of  clearing  the  subject,  to 
involve  it  in  greater  difficulties,  and  to 
render  it  almost  impossible  to  judge  of 
the  tendency  of  principles  by  anything 
that  is  seen  in  the  lives  of  men.  The 
suliject,  it  is  allowed,  has  its  difficulties, 
and  the  foregoing  observations  are  &  proof 
of  it  ;  but  I  hope  to  make  it  appear,  what- 
ever dithcullies  may,  on  these  accounts, 
attend  the  subject,  that  there  is  still 
enough,  in  the  general  spirit  and  conduct 
of  men,  by  which  to  judge  of  the  tendency 
of  their  principles. 


VOL.    I. 


25 


LETTER  II. 

THE  SYSTEMS  COMPARED  AS  TO  THEIR 
TENDENCY  TO  CONVERT  PROFLIGATES 
TO  A  LIFE  OF  HOLINESS. 

You  need  not  be  told  that  being  born 
again — created  in  Christ  Jesus — convert- 
ed— becoming  as  a  little  child,  &fc.,  are 
phrases  expressive  of  a  change  of  heart, 
which  the  Scriptures  make  necessary  to  a 
life  of  holiness  here,  and  to  eternal  life 
hereafter.     It  is  on  this  account  that  I  be- 

t  Let.  Unb.  Part  I.  p..  6  Pref. 


194 


CONVERSION     OF    PROFLIGATES. 


gin  with  conversion,  considering  it  as  the 
commencement  of  a  holy  life. 

A  change  of  this  sort  was  as  really 
necessary  for  Nicodcmus,  whose  outward 
character,  for  aught  that  appears,  was  re- 
spectable, as  for  Zaccheus,  whose  life  had 
been  devoted  to  the  sordid  pursuits  of 
avarice.  Few,  I  suppose,  will  deny  this 
to  be  the  doctrine  taught  in  the  New 
Testament.  But,  should  this  be  ques- 
tioned, should  the  necessity  of  a  change 
of  heart  in  some  characters  be  denied,  still 
it  will  be  allowed  necessary  in  others. 
Now,  as  a  change  is  more  conspicuous, 
and  consequently  more  convincing,  in 
such  persons  as  have  Avalked  in  an  aban- 
doned course,  than  in  those  of  a  more  so- 
ber life,  I  have  fixed  upon  the  conversion 
of  profligates  as  a  suitable  topic  for  the 
present  discussion. 

There  are  two  methods  of  reasoning 
which  may  be  used  in  ascertaining  the 
moral  tendency  of  principles.  The  first 
is,  comparing  the  nature  of  the  principles 
themselves,  with  the  nature  of  true  holi- 
ness, and  the  agreement  or  disagreement 
of  the  one  with  the  other.  The  second 
is,  referring  to  plain  and  acknowledged 
facts,  and  judging  of  the  nature  of  causes 
by  their  effects.  Both  these  methods  of 
reasoning,  which  are  usually  expi-essed  by 
the  terms  a  priori,  and  a  posteriori,  will 
be  used  in  this  and  the  following  Letters, 
as  the  nature  of  the  subject  may  admit. 

True  conversion  is  comprehended  in 
those  two  grand  topics  on  which  the  apos- 
tles insisted  in  the  course  of  their  ministry 
— "  Repentance  towards  God,  and  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Chi'ist."  Let  us, 
then,  fix  upon  these  great  outlines  of  the 
apostolic  testimony,  and  examine  which 
of  the  systems  in  question  has  the  greatest 
tendency  to  produce  them. 

Repentance  is  a  change  of  mind.  It  arises 
from  a  conviction  that  we  have  been  in  the 
wrong ;  and  consists  in  holy  shame,  grief, 
and  self-loathing,  accompanied  with  a  de- 
termination to  forsake  every  evil  way. 
Each  of  these  ideas  is  included  in  the  ac- 
count we  have  of  the  repentance  of  Job. 
"Behold,  I  am  vile  ;  what  shall  I  answer 
thee  1  I  will  lay  my  hand  upon  my  mouth. 
Once  have  I  spoken,  but  I  will  not  an- 
swer ;  yea,  twice,  but  I  will  proceed  no 
farther." — "I  abhor  myself,  and  repent 
in  dust  and  ashes."  It  is  essential  to  such 
a  change  as  this,  that  flie  sinner  should  re- 
alize the  evil  nature  of  sin.  No  man  yet 
repented  of  a  fault  without  a  conviction  of 
its  evil  nature.  Sin  must  appear  exceed- 
ingly sinful  before  we  can,  in  the  nature 
of  things,  abhor  it  and  ourselves  on  ac- 
count of  it.  Those  sentiments  which 
wrought  upon  the  heart  of  David,  and 
brought  him  to  repentance,  were  of  this 
sort.     Tkroughotit  the  fifty-first  Psalm, 


we  find  him  deeply  impressed  with  the 
evil  of  sin,  and  that  considered  as  an  of- 
fense against  God.  He  had  injured  Uriah 
and  Bathsheba,  and,  strictly  speaking,  had 
not  injured  God  ;  the  essential  honor  and 
happiness  of  the  divine  nature  being  infi- 
nitely beyond  his  reach  :  yet,  as  all  sin 
strikes  at  the  divine  glory,  and  actually 
degrades  it  in  the  esteem  of  creatures,  all 
sin  is  to  be  considered,  in  one  view,  as 
committed  against  God :  and  this  view 
of  the  subject  lay  so  near  his  heart  as  to 
swallow  up  every  other — "Against  thee, 
thee  only  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this  evil 
in  thy  sight!"  It  follows,  then,  that  the 
system  which  affords  the  most  enlarged 
views  of  the  evil  of  sin  must  needs  have 
the  greatest  tendency  to  promote  repent- 
ance for  it. 

Those  who  embrace  the  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem believe  that  man  was  originally  crea- 
ted holy  and  happy  ;  that  of  his  own  ac- 
cord he  departed  Irom  God,  and  became 
vile  ;  that  God,  being  in  himself  infinitely 
amiable,  deserves  to  be,  and  is,  the  moral 
centre  of  the  intelligent  system ;  that  re- 
bellion against  him  is  opposition  to  the 
general  good;  that,  if  suft'ered  to  operate 
according  to  its  tendency,  it  would  destroy 
the  well-being  of  the  universe,  by  exclud- 
ing God,  and  righteousness,  and  peace, 
from  the  wdiole  system  ;  that  seeing  it  aims 
destruction  at  universal  good,  and  tends  to 
universal  anarchy  and  mischief,  it  is,  in 
tliose  respects,  an  infinite  evil  and  deserving 
of  endless  punishment ;  and  that,  in  what- 
ever instance  God  exercises  forgiveness, 
it  is  not  without  respect  to  that  public  ex- 
pression of  his  displeasure  against  it  which 
Avas  uttered  in  the  death  of  his  Son. 
These,  brethren,  are  the  sentiments  which 
furnish  us  with  motives  for  self-abhor- 
rence :  under  their  influence  millions  have 
repented  in  dust  and  ashes. 

But  those,  on  the  other  hand,  who  em- 
brace (he  Socinian  system,  entertain  di- 
minutive notions  of  the  evil  of  sin.  They 
consider  all  evil  propensities  in  men, 
(except  those  which  are  accidentally  con- 
tracted by  education  or  example,)  as 
being,  in  every  sense,  natural  to  them  : 
supposing  that  they  were  originally  created 
with  them  :  they  cannot  therefore,  be  of- 
fensive to  God,  unless  he  could  be  offend- 
ed with  the  work  of  his  own  hands  for  be- 
ing what  he  made  it.  Hence,  it  may  be, 
Socinian  writers,  when  speaking  of  the 
sins  of  men,  describe  them  in  the  language 
of  palliation, — language  tending  to  convey 
an  idea  of  pity,  but  not  of  blame.  Mr. 
Belsham,  speaking  of  sin,  calls  it  "hu- 
man frailty  ;"  and  the  subjects  of  it  "  the 
frail  and  erring  children  of  men."*  The 
following  positions  are  for  substance  main- 

*  "  Sermon  on  the  Importance  of  Truth,"  pp. 
33—35. 


CONVEUSION  OF  PROFLIGATES. 


195 


tained  by  Dr.  Priestley,  in  his  Ircalisc  on 
Necrssity  :  "  That,  Cor  anythinj:  we  know, 
it  niijiiit  have  been  as  inip()ssil)le  for  God 
to  make  all  men  sinlo>Js  and  iiappy,  as  to 
have  made  them  infinite;"  tluit  ail  the  evil 
there  is  in  sin  arises  from  its  tendency  to 
injure  the  creature;  that,  if  God  punish 
sin,  it  is  not  because  he  is  so  displeased 
witli  it  as  in  any  case  to  "  take  venireance" 
on  the  sinner,  sacrituinu;  iiis  happiness  to 
the  good  of  the  whole  :  but,  knowing;  that 
it  tends  to  do  the  sinner  harm,  lie  puts 
him  to  temporary  pain,  not  only  for  the 
warning  o(  otliers,  but  for  his  own  good, 
with  a  view  to  correct  the  bad  disposition 
in  him  :  that  vvliat  is  threatened  against 
sin  is  of  such  a  tritling  account  thai  it 
needs  not  be  an  ol)ject  of  dread.  "  No 
Necessarian,"  says  he,  "  supposes  that  any 
of  the  human  race  will  sutfcr  eternally  ; 
but  that  future  punishments  will  answer 
the  same  purpose  as  temporal  ones  are 
found  to  do,  all  of  which  tend  to  good,  and 
are  evidently  admitted  for  that  purpose  ; 
so  that  God,  the  author  of  all,  is  as  much 
to  be  adored  and  loved  for  w  hat  we  suffer, 
as  for  what  we  enjoy,  his  intention  being 
equally  kind  in  both.  And,  since  God  has 
created  us  for  happiness,  what  misery  can 
we  fearl  If  we  be  really  intended  for  ul- 
timate, unlimited  happiness,  it  is  no  mat- 
ter, to  a  truly  resigned  person,  when,  or 
where,  or  hoio."*  Sin  Is  so  trifling  an  af- 
fair, it  seems,  and  the  punishment  threat- 
ened against  it  of  so  little  consequence, 
that  we  may  l)e  quite  resigned,  and  indif- 
ferent whether  we  go  immediately  to  hea- 
ven or  whetlier  we  first  pass  through  the 
depths  of  hell ! 

The  question  at  present  is  not,  Which 
of  these  representations  is  true,  or  conso- 
nant to  Scripture]  but,  Which  has  the 
greatest  tendency  to  promote  repentance  \ 
If  repentance  be  promoted  by  a  view  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  this  question,  it  is  presum- 
ed, may  be  considered  as  decided. 

Another  sentiment  intimately  connect- 
ed with  that  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  equally 
necessary  to  promote  repentance,  is,  The 
equity  and  goodness  of  the  divine  law.  No 
man  ever  truly  repented  for  the  breach  of 
a  law,  the  precepts  of  which  he  considered 
as  too  strict,  or  the  penalties  too  severe. 
In  proportion  as  such  an  opinion  prevails, 
it  is  impossible  but  that  repentance  must 
be  precluded.  Now,  the  precept  of  the 
divine  law  requires  us  to  love  God  with  all 
the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength,  and 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves.  It  allows  not 
of  any  deviation  or  relaxation,  during  the 
whole  of  our  existence.  Tlie  penalty  by 
which  this  holy  law  is  enforced  is 
nothing  less  than  the  curse  of  Almighty 

*  Pages  118, 122,  65,  149,  150, 128. 


God.  But,  according  to  Mr.  Belsham,  if 
God  "  mark  and  punish  every  instance  of 
transgression,"  he  must  le  a  "  mercilcKs 
tyrant ;"  and  we  must  1  e  "  tempted  to  wish 
that  the  reins  of  universal  goxornnuiit 
were  in  better  hands. "f  Mr.  Belsham, 
perhajjs,  wouhl  not  deny  that  perfect  f)l  e- 
dience  is  rccjuired  by  the  law,  according 
to  the  plain  meaning  of  the  words  liy  which 
it  is  expressed,  or  that  the  curse  of  God  is 
threatened  against  every  one  that  contin- 
ueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book 
of  the  law  to  do  them  ;  but  then  tiiis  rule 
is  so  strict,  that  to  "  mark  and  punish  every 
instance"  of  deviation  from  it  would  be 
severe  and  cruel.  It  seems,  then,  that 
God  has  given  us  a  law,  by  the  terms  of 
which  he  cannot  abide;  that  justice  itself 
requires  him,  ifnot  to  abate  the  j)recept, 
yet  to  remit  the  ])cnalty,  and  connive  at 
smaller  instances  of  trangression.  I  need 
not  inquire  how  much  this  reflects  upon 
the  moral  character  and  government  of 
God.  Suffice  it  at  present  to  say,  that 
such  views  must  of  necessity  preclude  re- 
pentance. If  the  law  wiiieh  forbids  "  every 
instance"  of  human  folly,  l)e  unreasonably 
strict,  and  the  penalty  which  threatens 
the  curse  of  the  Almighty  on  every  one 
that  continueth  not  in  all  things  therein 
written  be  indeed  cruel,  then  it  must  so 
far  be  unreasonable  for  any  sinner  to  be 
required  to  repent  for  the  breach  of  it. 
On  the  contrary,  God  himself  should  rath- 
er repent  for  making  such  a  law,  than  the 
sinner  for  breaking  it ! 

Faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is 
another  essential  part  of  true  conversion. 
Faith  is  credence,  or  belief.  Faith  to- 
wards our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  belief  of 
the  Gospel  of  Salvation  through  his  name. 
A  real  belief  of  the  Gospel  is  necessarily 
accompanied  with  a  trust  or  confidence  in 
him  for  the  salvation  of  our  souls.  The 
term  believe  itself  sometimes  expresses 
this  idea;  particularly  in  2  Tim.  i.  12, 
"  I  knoAv  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am 
persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that 
which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against 
that  day."  This  belief,  or  trust,  can  never 
be  fairly  understood  of  a  mere  confidence 
in  his  veracity,  as  to  the  truth  of  his  doc- 
trine ;  for,  if  that  were  all,  the  ability  oi 
Christ  would  stand  for  nothing ;  and  we 
might  as  well  be  said  to  trust  in  Peter,  or 
John,  or  Paul,  as  in  Christ,  seeing  we  be- 
lieve their  testimony  to  be  valid  as  well  as 
his.  Believing,  it  is  granted,  docs  not 
necessarily,  and  in  all  cases,  involve  the 
idea  of  trust,  for  which  I  here  contend  ; 
this  matter  being  determined  by  the  nature 
of  the  testimony.  Neither  Peter,  nor  any 
of  the  apostles,  ever  pretended   that  their 

t  Sermon,  p.  34. 


198 


CONVEllSION    OF    PROFLIGATES. 


blood,  though  it  might  be  shed  in  martyr- 
dom, would  be  the  price  of  the  salvation 
of  sinners.  We  may,  therefore,  credit 
their  testimony,  without  trusting  in  them, 
or  committing  any  thing,  as  Paul  expresses 
it,  into  their  hands.  But  Christ's  blood 
is  testified  of  as  the  way,  and  the  only  v/ay, 
of  salvation.  He  is  said  to  be  "  the  pro- 
pitiation for  our  sins  :"  and  "by  himself 
to  have  purged  our  sins" — "  Through  his 
blood  we  have  forgiveness" — "  Neitlier  is 
there  salvation  in  any  other  ;  for  there  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved" 
— "  Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
that  is  laid,  Avhich  is  Jesus  Christ." 
Hence  it  follows  that,  to  believe  his  testi- 
mony, must  of  necessity  involve  in  it  a 
trusting  in  him  for  the  salvation  of  our 
souls. 

If  this  be  a  just  representation  of  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ,  we  cannot  be  at  a  loss  to 
decide  which  of  the  systems  in  question 
has  the  greatest  tendency  to  promote  it ; 
and,  as  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
is  essential  to  true  conversion,  we  cannot 
hesitate  in  concluding  which  has  the  great- 
est tendency  to  turn  a  sinner  from  the  evil 
of  his  ways.  Not  to  mention,  at  present, 
how  Socinian  writei-s  disown  an  "  implicit 
belief"  in  the  testimony  of  the  sacred 
writers,*  and  how  they  lean  to  their  own 
understanding,  as  the  criterion  by  Avhich 
Scripture  is  to  be  tried  ;  that  which  I 
would  hei-e  insist  upon  is.  Thai,  upon  their 
principles,  all  trust,  or  confidence,  in  Christ 
for  salvation,  is  utterly  excluded.  Not 
only  are  those  principles  unadapted  to  in- 
duce us  to  trust  in  Christ,  but  they  direct- 
ly tend  to  turn  off  our  attention  and  aflfec- 
tion  from  him.  Dr.  Priestley  does  not 
appear  to  consider  him  as  "  the  way  of  a 
sinner's  salvation,"  in  any  sense  whatever, 
but  goes  about  to  explain  the  words  of 
Peter,  (Acts  iv.  12.)  "  Neither  is  there  sal- 
vation in  any  other,"  &c.;  not  of  salva- 
tion to  eternal  life,  but  "  of  salvation, 
or  deliverance,  from  bodily  diseases."} 
And  another  writer  of  the  same  cast,  (Dr. 
Harwood,)  in  a  volume  of  Sermons  lately 
published,  treats  the  sacred  writers  with 
still  less  ceremony.  Paul  had  said, 
"  Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  tlian 
that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ;"  but 
this  writer,  as  if  he  designed  to  affront  the 
apostle,  makes  use  of  his  own  words  in 
order  to  contradict  him.  "  Other  founda- 
tion than  this  can  no  man  lay,"  says  he  : 
"other  expectations  are  visionary  and 
groundless,  and  all  hopes  founded  upon 
anything  else  than  a  good  moral  life,  are 

*  Dr.  Priestley's  Defense  of  Unitarianism,  1787, 
p.  66.  t  Fam.  Let.  XVL 


merely  imaginary,  and  contrary  to  the 
whole  tenor  of  the  Gospel."  p.  193. 
Whether  these  things  be  not  aimed  to  raze 
the  foundation  on  which  the  church  is 
built ;  and  whether  this  be  any  other  than 
"stumbling  at  the  stumbling-stone,"  and 
a  "  setting  him  at  nought,"  in  the  great 
affair  for  wliich  he  came  into  the  Avorld,  let 
every  Christian  judge.  It  particularly  de- 
serves the  serious  consideration,  not  only 
of  the  above  writers,  but  of  those  who  are 
any  way  inclined  to  their  mode  of  think- 
ing ;  for,  if  it  should  be  so  that  the  death 
of  Christ,  as  a  propitiatory  sacrifice,  is  the 
only  medium  through  which  sinners  can  be 
accepted  of  God ;  and  if  they  should  be 
found  fighting  against  God,  and  rejecting 
the  only  way  of  escape,  the  consequence 
may  be  such  as  to  cause  the  ears  of  every 
one  that  heareth  it  to  tingle.  Meanwhile, 
it  requires  but  little  penetration  to  dis- 
cover that  whatever  takes  away  the  only 
foundation  of  a  sinner's  confidence,  cannot 
be  adapted  to  promote  it. 

Brethren,  examine  these  matters  to  the 
bottom,  a.nd  judge  for  yourselves,  whether 
you  might  not  as  well  expect  grapes  of 
thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles,  as  tfo  see  re- 
pentance towards  God,  or  faith  towards 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  proceeding  from 
Socinian  principles. 

The  foregoing  observations  serve  to 
show  ivhat  may  be  expected  from  the  So- 
cinian doctrine,  according  to  the  nature  of 
things  :  let  us  next  make  some  inquiry 
into  matters  of  fact.  We  may  judge,  from 
the  nature  of  the  seed  sown,  what  will  be 
the  harvest ;  but  a  view  of  what  the  har- 
vest actually  is  may  afford  still  greater 
satisfaction. 

First,  then,  let  it  be  considered  whether 
Socinian  congregations  have  ever  abound- 
ed in  conversions  of  the  profane  to  a  life  of 
holiness  and  devotedness  to  God.  Dr. 
Priestley  acknowledges  that  "  the  gospel, 
when  it  was  first  preached  by  the  apostles, 
produced  a  wonderful  change  in  the  lives 
and  manners  of  persons  ofall  ages."  Let. 
Unb.  Pref.  ix.  Now,  if  the  doctrine 
which  he  and  others  preach  be  the  same, 
for  substance,  as  that  which  they  preach- 
ed, one  might  expect  to  see  some  consid- 
erable degree  of  similarity  in  the  effects. 
But  is  anything  like  this  to  be  seen  in  So- 
cinian congTegations  1  Has  that  kind  of 
preaching,  which  leaves  out  the  doctrines 
of  man's  lost  condition  by  nature,  and  sal- 
vation by  grace  only  through  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ,  and  substitutes,  in  their 
place,  the  doctrine  of  mercy  without  an 
atonement,  the  simple  humanity  of  Christ, 
the  efficacy  of  repentance  and  obedience, 

&c Has  this  kind  of  preaching,  I 

say,  ever  been  known  to  lay  much  hold  on 


CONVERSION    OF    PROFLIGATES. 


197 


the  hearts  and  consciences  of  men?     Tlic 
way  in  which  that   "  woiuleii'ul   change" 
was  effected,  in  the   lives   and  manners  of 
people  who  attended  the  fust  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  was  l)y  tlie  word  preached  lay- 
ing hold  on  their  hiuirls.     It  was  a  distin- 
guishing mark  of  primitive  preaching,  that 
it  "  commended  itseif  to  every  man's  con- 
science."    Peojjle  could  not  in  general  sit 
unconcerned    under   it.     We   are    told  ol 
some  who  were  "cut  to  the  heart,"  and 
took  counsel  to  slay  the   preachers  ;  and 
of  others  who  were  "  pricked  in  the  heart," 
and  said,  "  men  and  l)retlnen,  what  shall 
wedol"     But,  in  both  cases,  the  heart 
was  the  mark  at  which  the  preacher  aim- 
ed, and  which  his  doctrine  actually  reach- 
ed.    Has  the  preaching  of  tlie  Socinians 
any  such  effect  as  this  1     Do  they  so  much 
as  expect  it  should  1     Were  any  of  their 
hearers,  by  any  means,  to  feel  pricked  in 
their  hearts,  and  come  to  them,  with  the 
question,  What  shall  we  do  1  would  they 
not    pity    them    as    enthusiasts,    and   be 
ready  to  suspect  that  they  had  been  among 
the    Calvinists  ]      If    any    counsel    were 
given,  would  it  not  be  such  as  must  tend 
to   impede   their  repentance,  rather   than 
promote  it ;  and,  instead  of  directing  them 
to  Jesus  Christ,  as  was  the  practice  of  the 
primitive  preachers,  would  they  not  en- 
deavor to  lead  them  into  another  course  1 
Socinian  writers  cannot  so  much  asyjre- 
iend  that  their  doctrine  has  been  used  to 
'  convert  profligate  sinners  to  the  love  of  God 
and  holiness.     Dr.  Priestley's  scheme  will 
not    enable    him    to    account    for    such 
changes,  where  Christianity  has  ceased  to 
be  a  novelty.     The  absolute  novelty   of 
the  gospel,  when  first  preached,  he  repre- 
sents as  the  cause  of  its  wonderful  effica- 
cy :  but  in  the  present  age,  among  persons 
who  have  long  heard  it,  and  have  con- 
tracted vicious  habits  notwithstanding,  he 
looks  for  no  such  effects.     He  confesses 
himself  "  less  solicitous  about  the  con- 
version of  unbelievers  laho  are  much  ad- 
vanced in  life,  than  of  younger  persons  ; 
and  that  because  he  despairs  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  having  much  effect 
upon  the  lives  of  those  whose  dispositions 
and  habits  are  already  formed."*     Some- 
times he   reckons  that  the  great  body  of 
primitive  Christians  must  have  l)een  "  well 
disposed  with  respect    to  moral   virtue, 

*  Let.  Uiil).  II.  Pref. — It  is  true  Dr.  Priestley  is 
not  here  speaking  of  the  profligates  among  nominal 
Christians,  but  of  those  among  avowed  Infidels. 
This,  however,  makes  nothing  to  tlie  argtunent. 
The  dispositions  and  liabiis  of  profane  nominal 
Christians  are  as  much  formed  as  those  of  avowed 
Infidels;  and  their  conversion  to  a  holy  life  is  as 
much  an  object  of  despair  as  the  other.  Yea,  Dr. 
Priestley  in  the  same  place  acknowledges  tiiat  "  to 
be  mere  nominal  Christiana  is  worse  than  to  be  no 
Christians  at  all." 


even  before  their  conversion  to  Christian- 
ity ;  else,"   he   thinks,  "they  could   not 
have  been  so   ready   to   have    al)andoned 
their   vices,    and    to    embrace  a   doctrine 
which   required    the    strictest    purity  and 
rectitude  of  conduct,  and  even  to  sacrifice 
their  lives  in  the   cause   of  truth."     (II. 
1G7,  168.)     In  his   treatise  on  Philosophi- 
cal Necessity  (p.  15G,)  he   declares  that, 
"  uj)on  the  principles  of  the  Necessarian, 
all  late   repentance,   and  especially  after 
long  and  confirmed  habits  of  vice,  is  alto- 
gether and   necessarily  ineffectual ;  there 
not  being  sufficient  time  left  to  produce  a 
change  of  dis})osition  and  character,  which 
can  only  be  done  by  a  change  of  conduct, 
and  of  proportionably  long  continuance." 
I  confess  I  do  not  perceive   the  consis- 
tency of  these  passages   with   each  other. 
By  the    power   of    novelty,  a    wonderful 
change  was  produced  in  the  lives  and  man- 
ners of  men ;  and  yet  the  body  of  them  must 
have  been  well-disposed  with  respect  to 
moral    virtue — that    is,    they   must   have 
been  in  such  a  state  as  not  to  need  any 
wonderful   change — else   they    coidd   not 
have  been  so  ready  to  abandon  their  vice.  - 
A  wonderful  change  was   produced  in  the 
lives  and  manners  o{  men  of  all  ages  ;  and 
yet  there  is  a  certain  age  in  which  repent- 
ance is    "  altogether  and  necessarily  in- 
effectual."      Inconsistent,    however,    as 
these  i)Ositions  may  be,  one  thing  is  suffi- 
ciently evident ;  namely,  that  the  author 
considers    the   conversion   of  profligates, 
of  the  present  age,  as  an  object  of  despair. 
Whatever  the  gospel  according  to  Mat- 
thew, Mark,  Luke,  or  John,  may  affirm, 
that   according  to   Dr.    Priestley  affords 
but  very  little,  if  any,  hope  to  those  who 
in  Scripture  arc  distinguished  by  the  name 
of   "sinners,"    "chief  of  sinners,"    and 
"lost."      He    does    "not    expect    such 
conversion   of  profligates  and  habitually 
wicked  men,  as  shall  make  any  remark- 
able change  in  their  lives   and  characters. 
Their  dispositions  and  habits  are  already 
formed,  so  that  it  can  hardly  be  sujjposed  to 
be  in  the  power  of  new  and  better  princi- 
ples to  change  them."     It  cannot  be  un- 
natural, or  uncandid,  to  suppose  that  these 
observations  were  made  from   experience  ; 
or  that  Dr.  Priestley  writes  in  this  man- 
ner on  account  of  his  not  being  used  to  see 
any  such  effects  arise  from  his  ministry, 
or  the  ministry  of  those  of  his  sentiments. 
There  is  a  sort  of  preaching,  however, 
even   since  the  days    of  inspiration,  and 
where    Christianity  has   ceased   to   be  a 
novelty,  which   has   been    attended   in   a 
good  degree  with  similar  effects  to  that  of 
the  apostles.      Whatever  was  the  cause, 
or  however  it  is  to  be  accounted  for,  there 
have     been     those    whose    labors     have 
turned  many,   yea,   many  profligates,  to 


198 


CONTERSION  OF  PROFLIGATES. 


righteousness ;  and  that  by  preaching  the  us,  written  not  with  ink,  but  with  the 
very  doctrines  which  Dr.  Priestley  charges  Spirit  of  the  living  God ;  not  in  tables  of 
with  being  the  "corruptions  of  Christi-  stone,  but  in  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart." 
anity,"  and  which  a  once-humble  ad-  There  are,  likewise,  hundreds  of  congre- 
mirer  of  his  attempted  to  ridicule.*  It  is  gations,  which  might  with  propriety  be 
well  known  wliat  sort  of  preaching  it  was  addressed  in  the  language  of  the  same 
that  produced  such  great  effects  in  many  Apostle  to  the  same  people,  "And  such 
nations  of  Europe,  about  the  time  of  there-  were  some  of  you,  (viz.  fornicators,  adul- 
formation.  Whatever  ditTerent  senmtients  terers,  thieves,  covetous,  drunkards,  re- 
were  professed  by  the  reformers,  I  sup-  vilers,  extortioners  ;)  but  ye  are  washed, 
pose  they  were  so  far  agreed  that  the  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but  ye  are  justi- 
doctrines  of  human  depravity,  the  deity  tied."  And  those  ministers  by  whose  in- 
and  atonement  of  Christ,  justification  by  slrumentality  these  effects  were  produced, 
faith,  and  sanctification  by  the  influence  of  like  their  predecessors  before  mentioned, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  were  the  great  topics  of  have  dwelt  principally  on  the  Protestant 
their  ministry.  doctrines  of  man's  lost  condition  by  na- 
Since  the  Reformation  there  have  been  ture,  and  salvation  by  grace  only,  through 
special  seasons  in  the  churches  in  which  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ ;  together  with 
a  religious  concern  has  greatly  prevailed,  the  necessity  of  the  regenerating  influence 
and  multitudes  were  turned  from  their  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  When,  therefore,  they 
evil  ways  :  some  from  an  open  course  of  see  such  effects  attend  their  labors,  they 
profaneness,  and  others  fi'om  the  mere  think  themselves  warranted  to  ascribe 
form  of  godliness  to  the  power  of  it.  them,  as  the  Apostle  did,  to  "  the  name 
Much  of  this  sort  of  success  attended  the  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to  the  Spirit  of 
labors  of  Perkins,  Bolton,  Taylor,  Her-  our  God."  1  Cor.  vi.  11. 
bert,  Hildersham,  Blackerby,  Gouge,  The  solid  and  valuable  effects  produced 
Whitaker,  Bunyan,  great  numbers  of  the  iiy  this  kind  of  preaching,  are  attested  liy 
ejected  ministers,   and  many   since   their  the  late   Mr.Robinson  of  Cambridge,  as 


time,  in  England  ;  of  Livingstone,  Bruce, 
Rutherford^  M'Cullock,  M'Laurin,  Robe, 
Balfour,  Sutherland,  and  others,  in   Scot- 


well  as  by  Dr.  Watts  and  Dr.  Guyse. 
"  Presumption  and  despair,"  said  that 
ingenious  writer,  "  are  the  tAVO  dangerous 


land;  of  Franck  and  his  fellow -laborers  in    extremes   to  which  mankind  are  prone  in 


Germany ;  and  of  Stoddard,  Edwards, 
Tennant,  Buel,  and  many  others,  in 
America. f  And  what  Dr.  Watts  and  Dr. 
Guyse,  in  their  Preface  to  Mr.  Ed- 
wards's Narrative,  said  of  his  success 
and   that   of    some    others,    in   America, 


religious  concerns.  Charging  home  sin 
precludes  the  first,  proclaiming  redemption 
prevents  the  last.  This  has  been  the 
method  which  the  Holy  Spirit  has  thought 
fit  to  seal  and  succeed  in  the  hands  of  his 
ministers.        Wickliffe,     Luther,     Knox, 


might  with  equal  truth  have  been  said  of    Latimer,    Gilpin,     Bunyan,    Livingstone, 


the  rest :  "  That  it  was  the  common, 
plain,  Protestant  doctrine  of  the  Refor- 
mation, without  stretching  towards  the 
Antinomians  on  the  one  side,  or  the  Ar- 


Franck,  Blair,  Elliot,  Edwards,  White- 
field,  Tennant,  and  all  who  have  been 
eminently  blessed  to  the  revival  oi practi- 
cal   godliness,    have    constantly    availed 


minians  on  the  other,  that  the   Spirit  of    themselves  of  this  method  ;  and,    preju- 
God  had  been  pleased  to  lienor  with  such    dice  apart,  it  is   impossible   to  deny  that 


illustrious  success." 

Nor  are  such  effects  peculiar  to  past 
ages.  A  considerable  degree  of  the  same 
kind  of  success  has   attended  the   Calvin- 


great  and  excellent  moral  effects  have  fol- 
lowed." I 

Should  it  be  alleged  that  Mr.  Robinson, 
before    he  died,  changed  his    opinions  in 


istic  churches  in  North  America,  within    these  matters,  and  reckoned  all  such  things 
the  last  ten  years  ;  especially  in  the  state    as  these  enthusiasm,  it  mightjie  answered. 


of  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  and  Georgia. 
Nor  is  it  peculiar  to  the  Western  world, 
though  they  have  been  greatly  favored. 
I  believe  there  are  hundreds  of  ministers 
now  in  this  kingdom,  some  in  theEstablish- 


A  change  of  opinion  in  Mr.  Robinson  can 
make  no  change  in  the  "  facts,"  as  he  just- 
ly calls  them,  which  he  did  himself  the 
honor  to  record.  Besides,  the  effects  of 
this  kind  of  preaching  are  not  only  record- 


ed Church,  and  others  out  of  it,  who  could  ed  by  Mr.   Robinson,   but  by  those  who 

truly  say  to  a  considerable  number  of  their  triumph  in  his  conversion  to  their  princi- 

auditors,  as   Paul  said  to  the  Corinthians,  pies.     Dr.    Priestley    professes    to   think 

"  Ye  are  our  epistles,  known  and  read  of  highly  of  the  Methodists,   and    acknowl- 

all   men" — "ye    are   manifestly    declared  edges  that  they  have  "civilized  and  chris- 

to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ,   ministered   by  tianized  a  great  part  of  the  uncivilized  and 


*  See  Fam.  Lett.  XXII.  P.  S. 
t  See  Gillies' Hisjt.  Coll. 


X  Translation  of  Claude.     Vol.  II.  p.  364.  Note. 


CONVERSION    OF    PUOFLIUATES. 


199 


unchristianized  part  of  this  counliy."* 
Also,  in  his  Discourses  on  I'arious  Sub- 
jects, p.  375,  he  aUows  their  i)reiKhiiin  to 
produce  "  more  striking  circcts"  than  tlial 
of  Socinians,  and  goes  about  to  account 
for  it. 

A  matter  of  fact,  so  notorious  as  this, 
and  of  so  much  consequence  in  the  contro- 
versy, requires  to  lie  well  accounleil  for. 
Dr.  Priestley  seems  to  have  lell  tiie  lorce 
of  the  olijtction  thai  niigiit  lie  made  to  his 
principles  on  this  ground;  and  therelbre 
attempts  to  ol>viate  it.  But  hy  what  me- 
dium is  this  attempted  ]  The  same  prin- 
ciple hy  which  he  tries  to  account  for  the 
wonderful  success  of  the  gospel  in  tlie 
primitive  ages  is  to  account  for  the  effects 
produced  l»y  such  j)rca(  hing  as  that  of  the 
Methodists;  The  ignorance  of  their  audi- 
tors giving  ivhat  they  say  to  them  the  force 
of  NovKLTY.  The  Doctor  is  pleased  to 
add,  "Our  people  having  in  general  been 
brought  up  in  haliits  of  virtue,  such  great 
changes  in  character  and  conduct  are  less 
necessary  in  their  case." 

A  few  remarks  in  reply  to  the  above 
shall  close  this  Letter.  First:  If  novelty 
be  indeed  that  efficacious  princijile  wiiich 
Dr.  Priestley  makes  it  to  be,  one  should 
think  it  were  desirable,  every  centur}  or 
two,  at  least,  to  ha\c  a  new  dispensation 
of  religion. 

Secondly  :  If  the  great  success  of  the 
primitive  teachers  was  owing  to  this  cu- 
rious cause,  is  it  not  extraordinary  that 
they  themselves  should  never  be  acquaint- 
ed \\ith  it,  nor  communicate  a  secret  of 
such  imjiortance  to  their  successors  1  They 
are  not  only  silent  ai)out  it,  but,  in  some 
cases,  apjiear  to  act  upon  a  contrary  prin- 
ciple. Paul,  when  avowing  the  subject- 
matter  of  his  ministry  before  Aggrippa, 
seemed  to  disclaim  every  thing  novel,  de- 
claring that  he  had  said  "  none  other  things 
than  those  which  the  proj)hets  and  Moses 
did  say  should  come."  And,  as  to  the 
cause  of  their  success,  they  seem  never  to 
have  thought  of  any  thing  but  "  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  that  was  with  them" — "  The 
working  of  his  mighty  power" — "  Who 
caused  them  to  triumph  in  Christ,  making 
manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowledge  by 
them  in  every  jdace." 

Thirdly  :  If  novelty  be  w  hat  Dr.  Priest- 
ley makes  it  to  be,  the  plea  of  Dives  had 
much  more  truth  in  it  than  the  answer  of 
Abraham.  He  pleaded  that,  "  if  one  rose 
from  the  dead,  men  would  repent :"  the 
novelty  of  the  thing,  he  supposed,  must 
strike  them.  But  Abraham  answered  as 
if  he  had  no  notion  of  the  power  of  mere 
novelty,  "  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the 

*  Fam.  Let.  VII. 


prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded, 
though  one  rose  from  the  dead." 

Fourthly;  If  the  success  of  the  apostles 
was  owing  to  the  novelty  of  tiieir  luission, 
it  might  have  lieen  exjiected,  that  at  Ath- 
ens, where  a  taste  lor  hearing  and  telling 
of  new  things  occupied  the  whole  atten- 
tion of  the  people,  their  success  would 
have  been  the  greatest.  Every  body 
knows  that  a  congeniality  of  mind  in  an 
audience  to  the  things  proposed,  wonder- 
fully facilitates  the  reception  of  them. 
Now,  as  the  gospel  was  as  much  of  a  nov- 
elty to  them  as  to  the  most  barlnirous  na- 
tions, and  as  they  were  possessed  of  a  pe- 
culiar turn  of  mind  which  delighted  in  ev- 
ei-y  thing  of  that  nature,  it  might  have 
been  expected,  on  the  above  hypothesis, 
that  a  harvest  of  souls  would  there  have 
been  gathered  in.  But,  instead  of  this, 
the  gospel  is  well  known  to  ha\ebeen  less 
successful  in  this  famous  city  than  in  ma- 
ny other  places. 

Fifthly  :  Some  of  the  most  striking  ef- 
fects, both  in  early  and  later  ages,  were 
not  accompanied  with  the  circumstance  of 
novelty.  The  sermon  of  Peter  to  the  in- 
hal;ilantsof  Jerusalem,  contained  no  new 
doctrine  ;  it  only  pressed  upon  them  the 
same  things,  for  substance,  which  they  had 
heard  and  rejected  from  the  lips  of  Christ 
himself;  and,  on  a  pre-judgment  of  the 
issue  by  the  usual  course  of  things,  they 
would  probably  have  been  considered  as 
more  likely  to  reject  Peter's  doctrine  than 
that  of  Christ  ;  because,  when  once  peo- 
ple have  set  their  hands  to  a  business,  they 
are  generally  more  loth  to  relintjuish  it, 
and  own  themselves  in  the  wrong,  than  at 
first  to  forbear  to  engage  in  it.  And,  as 
to  later  times,  the  effects  produced  by  the 
preaching  of  Whitefield,  Edwards,  and 
others,  were  many  of  them  upon  })eo])le 
not  remarkably  ignorant,  but  who  had  at- 
tended preaching  of  a  similar  kind  all  their 
lives  without  any  such  effect.  The^or- 
mer,  it  is  well  known,  preached  the  same 
doctrines  in  Scotland  and  America  as  the 
people  were  used  to  hear  every  Lord's- 
day ;  and  that  with  great  effect  among 
persons  of  a  lukewarm  and  careless  de- 
scription. The  latter,  in  his  Narrative  of 
the  Work  of  God  in  and  about  Northamp- 
ton, represents  the  inhabitants  as  having 
been  "  a  rational  and  understanding  peo- 
ple." Indeed,  they  must  have  been  such, 
or  they  could  not  have  understood  the 
compass  of  argument  contained  in  Mr. 
Edwards'  Sermons  on- Justification,  which 
were  delivered  about  that  time,  and  are 
said  to  have  been  the  means  of  great  re- 
ligious concern  among  the  hearers.  Nor 
were  these  effects  produced  b)'  airs  and 
gestures,  or  any  of  those   extraordinary 


200 


CONVERSION    OF    PROFLIGATES. 


things  in  the  manner  of  the  preacher 
which  give  a  kind  of  novelty  to  a  sermon, 
and  sometimes  tend  to  move  the  affections 
of  the  hearers.  Mr.  Prince,  who,  it 
seems,  had  often  heard  Mr.  Edwards 
preach,  and  observed  the  remarkable  con- 
viction which  attended  his  ministry,  de- 
scribes, in  his  Christian  Hisiory ,  his  man- 
ner of  preaching.  "  He  was  a  preacher," 
says  he,  "  of  a  low  and  moderate  voice,  a 
natural  delivery,  and  without  any  agitation 
of  body,  or  anything  else  in  tiie  manner 
to  excite  attention,  except  his  habitual 
and  great  solemnity,  looking  and  speaking 
as  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  with  a 
weighty  sense  of  the  matter  delivered."* 

Sixthly  :  Suppose  the  circumstance  of 
novelty  to  have  great  efficacy,  the  ques- 
tion is  with  respect  to  such  preaching  as 
that  of  the  Methodists,  Wliether  it  has 
efficacy  enough  to  render  the  truth  of  the 
doctrine  of  no  account.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  main  doctrines  which  the  Meth- 
odists have  taught  are  Man's  lost  condi- 
tion by  nature,  and  salvation  by  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ;  but  these,  according  to 
Dr.  Priestley,  are  false  doctrines  :  no 
part  of  Christianity,  but  the  "corrup- 
tions" of  it;  and  "such  as  must  tend,  if 
they  have  an  effect,  to  relax  the  obligations 
to  virtue."  But  if  so,  how  came  it  to 
pass  that  the  preaching  of  them  should 
*' civilize  and  Christianize  mankind'?" 
Novelty  may  do  wonders,  it  is  granted ; 
but  still  the  nature  of  these  wonders  will 
correspond  with  the  nature  of  the  princi- 
ples taught.  All  that  it  can  he  supposed 
to  do  is  to  give  additional  energy  to  the 
principles  which  it  accompanies.  The 
heating  of  a  furnace  seven  times  hotter 
than  usual,  would  not  endue  it  with  the 
properties  of  water ;  and  water,  put  into 
the  most  powerful  motion,  would  not  be 
capable  of  producing  the  effects  of  fire. 
One  would  think  it  were  equally  evident 
that  falsehood,  though  accompanied  with 
novelty,  could  never  have  the  effect  of 
truth. 

Once  more :  It  may  be  questioned 
whether  the  generality  of  people  who 
make  up  Socinian  congregations  stand  in 
less  need  of  a  change  of  character  and 
conduct  than  others.  Mr.  Belsham  says 
that  "  Rational  Christians  are  often  rep- 
resented as  indifferent  to  practical  reli- 
gion;" and  admits,  though  with  apparent 
reluctance,  that  "  there  has  been  some 
plausible  ground  for  the  accusation. "f 
Dr.  Priestley  admits  the  same  thing,  and 
they  both  go  about  to  account  for  it  in 
the  same  way. if  Now,  whether  their 
method  of  accounting  for  it  be  just  or  not. 


they  admit  the  fact ;  and  hence  we  may 
conclude  that  the  generality  of  "  Rational 
Christians "  are  not  so  righteous  as  to 
need  no  repentance ;  and  that  the  reason 
why  their  preaching  does  not  turn  sinners 
to  righteousness  is  not  owing  to  their  want 
of  an  equal  proportion  of  sinners  to  be 
turned. 

But,  supposing  the  Socinian  congrega- 
tions were  generally  so  virtuous  as  to 
need  no  great  change  of  character ;  or,  if 
they  did  need  it,  so  well  informed  that 
nothing  could  strike  them  as  a  novelty ; 
that  is  not  the  case  with  the  bulk  of  man- 
kind amongst  whom  they  live.  Now,  if 
a  great  change  of  character  may  be  pro- 
duced by  the  mere  power  of  novelty,  why 
do  not  Dr.  Priestley  and  those  of  his 
sentiments  go  forth,  like  some  others,  to 
the  highways  and  hedges  1  Why  does  not 
he  surprise  the  benighted  populace  into 
the  love  of  God  and  holiness,  with  his 
new  doctrines  1  (New  he  must  acknowl- 
edge they  are  to  them.)  If  false  doctrine, 
such  as  that  which  the  Methodists  have 
taught,  ma)^,  through  the  power  of  novel- 
ty, do  such  wonders,  what  might  not  be 
expected  from  the  true  1  I  have  been 
told  that  Dr.  Priestley  has  expressed  a 
wish  to  go  into  the  streets,  and  preach  to 
the  common  people.  Let  him,  or  those 
of  his  sentiments,  make  the  trial.  Though 
the  people  of  Birmingham  have  treated 
him  so  uncivilly,  I  hope  both  he  and  they 
would  meet  with  better  treatment  in  other 
parts  of  tlie  country ;  and  if,  by  the  pow- 
er of  novelty,  they  can  turn  but  a  few 
sinners  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  and 
save  their  souls  from  death,  it  will  be  an 
object  worthy  of  their  attention. 

But  should  Dr.  Priestley,  or  any  others 
of  his  sentiments,  go  forth  on  such  an  er- 
rand, and  still  retain  their  principles,  they 
must  reverse  the  declaration  of  our  Lord, 
and  say.  We  come  not  to  call  sinners, 
but  the  righteous  to  repentance.  All  their 
hope  must  be  in  the  uncontaminated  youth, 
or  the  better  sort  of  people,  whose  hab- 
its in  the  path  of  vice  are  not  so  strong 
but  that  they  may  be  overcome.  Should 
they,  in  the  course  of  their  labors,  be- 
hold a  malefactor  approaching  the  hour 
of  his  execution,  what  must  they  dol 
Alas !  like  the  priest,  and  the  Levite, 
they  must  pass  by  on  the  other  side. 
They  could  not  so  much  as  admonish  him 
to  repentance  with  any  degree  of  hope ; 
because  they  consider  "  all  late  repent- 
ance and  especially  after  long  and  con- 
firmed habits  of  vice,  as  absolutely  and 
necessarily  ineffectual. "§  Happy  for 
many  a  poor  wretch  of  that  description, 


*Gniies'Hist.  Col).  II.  196.  §  Dis.   Var.  Sub.  p.  238.   Also  Phil.    Nee.  p. 

t  Sermon,  p.  32.  tDisc.  Var.  Sub.  p.  95.      651. 


CONVERSION    OF    PROFESSED    UNBELIEVERS. 


201 


happy  cs])ecially  for  llie  poor  Ihicf  upon 
the  cross,  tliat  Jesus  Christ  acted  on  a 
difl'ercnt  principle  ! 

Tlieso,  lirctliron,  are  matters  that  come 
witliin  the  knowledijc  of  every  man  of 
observation  ;  and  it  lieliooves  you,  in  such 
cases,  to  know  "  not  the  speech  of  tlieni 
that  are  pulfed  up,  but  the  power." 


LETTER  III. 

CONVERSION     OF     PROFESSED     UNBE- 
LIEVERS. 

SociNiAN  writers  are  very  sanguine  on 
the  tendency  of  their  views  of  things  to 
convert  Infidels;  namely,  Jews,  heathens, 
and  Mahometans.  They  reckon  that  our 
notions  of  the  Trinity  form  the  grand  ob- 
stacle to  their  conversion.  Dr.  Priest- 
ley often  suggests  that,  so  long  as  we 
maintain  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ,  there 
is  no  hope  of  converting  the  Jews,  be- 
cause this  doctrine  contradicts  the  first 
principle  of  their  religion,  the  Unity  of 
God.  Things,  not  altogether,  but  nearly 
similar,  are  said  concerning  the  conver- 
sion of  the  heatliens  and  Mahometans, 
especially  the  latter.  On  this  subject, 
the  following  observations  are  submitted 
to  your  consideration. 

With  respect  to  the  Jews,  they  know 
very  well  that  those  who  believe  in  the 
Deity  of  Christ,  profess  to  believe  in  the 
unity  of  God ;  and,  if  they  w  ill  not  ad- 
mit this  to  be  consistent,  they  must  depart 
from  what  is  plainly  implied  in  the  lan- 
guage of  their  ancestors.  If  the  Jews  in 
the  time  of  Christ  had  thought  it  impos- 
sible, or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  incon- 
sistent with  the  unity  of  God,  that  God 
the  Father  should  have  a  Son  equal  to 
himself,  how  came  they  to  attach  the  idea 
oi'  equality  to  {hat  of  sonshipl  Jesus  as- 
serted that  God  was  his  "own  Father ;" 
which  they  understood  as  making  himself 
"equal  with  God;"  and  therefore  they 
sought  to  kill  him  as  a  l)lasj)hemer.  Had 
the  Jews  affixed  those  ideas  to  sonship 
which  are  entertained  by  our  opponents  ; 
namely,  as  implying  nothing  more  than 
simple  humanity,  why  did  they  accuse 
Jesus  of  blasphemy  for  assuming  it^ 
They  did  not  deny  that  to  be  God's  own 
Son  was  to  be  equal  with  the  Father; 
nor  did  they  allege  that  such  an  equality 
would  destroy  the  divine  unity  :  a  thought 
of  this  kind  seems  never  to  have  occurred 
to  their  minds.  The  idea  lo  which  they 
objected  was,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was 
the   Son  of  God;  and  hence,  it   is  proba- 

voL.   I.  26 


lile,  the  |)rofossion  of  this  great  article 
was  considered  in  the  apostolic  age  as  the 
criterion  ol  Ciuistianity.  Acts  viii.  37. 
Were  this  article  admitted  by  the  modern 
Jews,  they  must  reason  difl'erently  from 
their  ancestors,  if  they  scruple  to  admit 
that  Christ  is  equal  with  the  Father. 

The  Jews  were  greatly  offended  at  our 
Lord's  words ;  and  his  not  explaining 
them  so  as  to  remove  the  stuml)ling-block 
out  of  the  way  may  serve  to  teach  us  how 
we  ought  to  proceed  in  removing  stum- 
liling-blocks  f,ut  of  the  way  of  their  pos- 
terity. For  this  cause  they  sought  to  kill 
ki77i — "because  he  had  said  that  God  was 
his  Father,  making  himself  equal  ivith 
God.'' — "Jesus  said,  I  and  my  Father  are 
one.  Then  they  took  up  stones  to  stone 
him."  When  he  told  them  of  "many 
good  works  that  he  had  shown  them," 
and  asked,  "  For  which  of  (hose  works  do 
ye  stone  mel"  They  replied,  "For  a 
good  work  we  stone  thee  not,  but  for 
blasphemy ;  and  liecause  thou,  being  a 
man,  makest  thyself  God."  Hence  it  is 
evident  that,  whether  Jesus  Christ  be 
truly  God,  or  not,  they  understood  him 
as  asserting  that  he  was  so  ;  that  is,  they 
understood  his  claiming  the  relation  of 
God's  own  Son,  and  declaring  that  He 
and  his  Father  were  one,  as  implying  so 
much.  This  was  their  stumbling-block. 
Nor  does  it  appear  that  Jesus  did  any- 
thing towards  removing  it  out  of  their 
way.  It  is  certain  he  did  not  so  remove 
it  as  to  afford  them  tlie  least  satisfaction ; 
for  they  continued  to  think  him  guilty  of 
the  same  blasphemy  to  the  last,  and  for 
that  adjudged  him  worthy  of  death.  Matt. 
xxvi.  63,  66.  If  Jesus  never  thought  of 
being  equal  with  God,  it  is  a  pity  there 
should  have  been  such  a  misunderstand- 
ing between  them, — a  misunderstanding 
that  proved  the  occasion  of  putting  him 
to  death  ! 

Such  an  hypothesis,  to  be  sure,  may 
answer  one  end  ;  it  may  give  us  a  more 
favorable  idea  of  tiie  conduct  of  the  Jews 
than  we  have  been  wont  to  entertain.  If 
it  does  not  entirely  justify  their  procedure, 
it  greatly  extenuates  it.  They  erred,  it 
seems,  in  imagining  that  Jesus,  by  de- 
claring himself  the  Son  of  God,  made 
himself  equal  with  God;  and  thus,  through 
mistaking  his  meaning,  put  him  to  death 
as  a  blasphemer.  But  then  it  might  be 
pleaded,  on  their  behalf,  that  Jesus  never 
suggested  that  they  were  in  an  error  in 
this  matter;  that,  instead  of  informing 
them  that  the  name.  Son  of  God,  implied 
nothing  more  than  simi)le  hunianity,  he 
went  on  to  say,  among  other  things, 
"  That  all  men  should  honor  (he  Son, 
even  as  they  honor  (he  Father;  "  and,  in- 
stead of  disowning   with   abhorrence   the 


202 


CONVERSION    OF    PROFESSED    UNBELIEVERS. 


idea  of  making  himself  God,  he  seems  to 
justify  it,  by  arguing  from  the  less  to  the 
greater — from  the  image  of  the  thing  to 
the  tiling  itself.  John  x.  34—36.  Now, 
these  things  considered,  should  an  impar- 
tial jury  sit  in  judgment  upon  their  con- 
duct, one  would  think  they  could  not, 
with  Stephen,  bring  it  in  murder;  to 
make  the  most  of  it,  it  could  be  nothing 
worse  than  manslaughter.  All  this  may 
tend  to  conciliate  the  Jews  ;  as  it  tends 
to  roll  away  the  reproach  which,  in  the 
esteem  of  Christians,  lies  upon  their  an- 
cestors for  crucifying  the  Lord  of  glo- 
ry :  but  whether  it  will  have  any  influ- 
ence towards  their  conversion  is  another 
question.  It  is  possible  that,  in  propor- 
tion as  it  confirms  their  good  opinion  of 
their  forefathers,  it  may  confirm  their  ill 
opinion  of  Jesus,  for  iiaving,  by  his  ob- 
scure and  ambiguous  language,  given  oc- 
casion for  such  a  misunderstanding  be- 
tween them.  Could  the  Jews  but  once 
be  brought  to  feel  that  temper  of  mind, 
which  it  is  predicted  in  their  own  prophets 
they  shall  feel — could  they  but  "look  on 
him  whom  they  have  pierced,  and  mourn 
for  him  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  son, 
and  be  in  bitterness  for  him  as  one  that 
is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-boi-n " — I 
should  be  under  no  apprehensions  res- 
pecting their  acknowledging  his  proper 
divinity,  or  embracing  him  as  the  great 
atonement,  to  the  "fountain"  of  whose 
blood  they  would  joyfully  repair,  that 
they  might  be  cleansed  from  their  sin  and 
their  uncleanness.  Zech.  xii.  10;  xiii.  1. 
Nearly  the  same  things  migiit  be  ob- 
served respecting  heathens  and  Mahome- 
tans. We  may  so  model  the  gospel  as 
almost  to  accommodate  it  to  their  taste ; 
and  by  this  means  we  may  come  nearer 
together :  but  whether,  in  so  doing,  we 
shall  not  be  rather  converted  to  them, 
than  they  to  us,  deserves  to  be  consider- 
ed. Christianity  may  be  so  heathenized 
that  a  man  may  believe  in  it,  and  yet  be 
no  Christian.  Were  it  true,  therefore, 
that  Socinianism  had  a  tendency  to  induce 
professed  infidels,  by  meeting  them,  as  it 
were,  half  way,  to  take  upon  them  the 
christian  name ;  still  it  would  not  follow 
that  it  was  of  any  real  use.  The  Popish 
Missionaries,  of  the  last  century,  in  China, 
acted  upon  the  principle  of  accommoda- 
tion :  they  gave  up  the  main  things  in 
which  Christians  and  heathens  had  been 
used  to  differ,  and  allowed  the  Chinese 
every  favorite  species  of  idolatry.  The 
consequence  was,  they  had  a  great  many 
converts,  such  as  they  were  ;  but  think- 
ing people  looked  upon  the  Missionaries 
as  more  converted  to  heathenism,  than 
the  Chinese  heathens  to  Chfistianity.* 

♦Millar's   Propagation  of  Christianity,  Vol.   II. 
pp.  ^8.  438. 


But  even  this  effect  is  more  than  may 
be  expected  from  Socinian  doctrines 
among  the  heathen.  The  Popish  Mis- 
sionaries had  engines  to  work  with  which 
Socinians  have  not.  They  were  sent  by 
an  autliority  which,  at  that  time,  had 
weight  in  the  Avorld ;  and  their  religion 
was  accompanied  with  pomp  and  supersti- 
tion. These  were  matters  which,  though 
far  from  recommending  their  mission  to 
the  approbation  of  serious  Christians,  yet 
would  be  sure  to  recommend  it  to  the 
Chinese.  They  stripped  the  gospel  of  all 
its  real  glory,  and,  in  its  place,  substi- 
tuted a  false  glory.  But  Socinianism, 
while  it  divests  the  gospel  of  all  that  is 
interesting  and  affecting  to  the  souls  of 
men,  substitutes  nothing  in  its  place.  If 
it  be  Christianity  at  all,  it  is,  as  the  in- 
genious Mrs.  Barbauld  is  said  in  time  past 
to  have  expressed  it,  "  Christianity  in  the 
frigid  zone."  It  may  be  expected,  there- 
fore, that  no  considerable  number  of  pro- 
fessed infidels  will  ever  think  it  worthy  of 
their  attention.  Like  the  Jew,  they  will 
pronounce  every  attempt  to  convert  them, 
by  ihese  accommodating  principles,  nuga- 
tory ;  and  be  ready  to  ask,  with  him. 
What  they  shall  do  more,  by  embracing 
Christianity,  than  they  already  do.  f 

Dr.  Priestley,  however,  is  for  coming 
to  action.  "  Let  a  free  intercourse  be 
opened,"  says  he,  "between  Mahom- 
etans and  Rational,  that  is.  Unitarian 
Christians,!  and  I  shall  have  no  doubt 
with  respect  to  the  consequence."  And, 
again,  "Let  the  Hindoos,  as  well  as  the 
Mahometans,  become  acquainted  with 
our  literature,  and  have  free  intercourse 
with  Unitarian  Christians,  and  I  ha^'e  no 
doubt  but  the  result  will  be  in  favor  of 
Christianity. "§  So,  then,  when  heathens 
and  Mahometans  are  to  be  converted, 
Trinitarians,  like  those  of  Gideon's  army 
that  bowed  down  their  knees  to  drink, 
must  sit  at  home ;  and  the  whole  of  the 
expedition,  it  seems,  must  be  conducted 

t  Mr.  Levi's  Letters  to  Dr.  Priestley,  pp.  76,  77. 

4"  Rational,  that  is.  Unitarian  Christians." — 
Wiiy  need  Dr.  Priestley  te  so  particular  in  inform- 
ing his  reader  that  a  Rational  Christian  signifies  a 
Unitarian  Christian  1  To  be  sure,  all  the  world 
knew,  long  enough  ago,  that  rationality  was  confined 
to  the  Unitarians  !  Doubtless,  they  are  the  people, 
and  wisdom  will  die  with  them  !  When  Dr.  Priestley 
speaks  of  persons  of  his  own  sentiments,  he  calls 
them  "Rational  Christians;"  when,  in  the  same 
page,  he  speaks  of  such  as  differ  from  him,  he  calls 
them  "  those  who  assume  to  themselves  the  distin- 
guishing title  of  Orthodox."  Considerations  on 
Difference  of  Opinion,  §  3.  Query.  Is  the  latter 
of  these  names  assumed  any  more  than  the  former; 
and  is  Dr.  Priestley  a  fit  person  to  reprove  a  body 
of  people  for  assuming  a  name  which  implies  what 
their  adversaries  do  not  admit  1 

§  Let.  Unb.  II.  116,  117. 


CONVERSION  OF  PROFESSED  UNBELIEVERS. 


203 


by  Unitarians,  as  by  tlic  (hrcc  hunilroil 
men  that  lapped.  Poor  Trinitarians! 
deemed  unworthy  of  an  intercourse  with 
heathens  !  Well ;  if  you  must  be  denied, 
as  by  a  kind  of  Test  Act,  the  jjrivilege 
of  bearini:  arms  in  this  divine  war,  sure- 
ly you  have  a  ri_ii;ht  to  expect  that  tliose 
who  shall  be  i)osscssrd  of  it  should  act 
valiantly,  and  do  exploits.  But  what 
ground  have  you  on  which  to  rest  your 
expectations'? — None,  except  Dr.  Priest- 
ley's good  conceit  of  his  opinions.  When 
was  it  known  that  any  considerable  num- 
ber of  heathens  or  Mahometans  were 
converted  by  the  Socinian  doctrine  T  San- 
guine as  the  doctor  is  on  this  suiyect, 
where  are  the  facts  on  which  his  expec- 
tations are  founded  1 

Trinitarians,  however,  whether  Dr. 
Priestley  thinks  them  worthy,  or  not, 
have  gone  among  the  heathens,  and  that 
not  many  years  ago,  and  preached  what 
they  thought  the  Gosj)el  of  Christ ;  and 
I  may  add,  from  facts  that  cannot  be  dis- 
puted, with  considerable  success.  The 
Dutch,  the  Danes,  and  the  English,  have 
each  made  some  attempts  in  the  east, 
and,  I  hope,  not  without  some  good  ef- 
fects. If  we  were  to  call  that  conversion 
which  many  professors  of  Christianity 
would  call  so  without  any  scruple,  we 
might  boast  of  the  conversion  of  a  great 
many  thousands  in  those  parts.  But  it  is 
acknowledged  that  many  of  the  conver- 
sions in  the  east  were  little,  if  anything, 
more  than  a  change  of  denomination. 
The  greatest  and  best  work,  and  tlie  most 
worthy  of  the  name  of  conversion,  of 
which  I  have  read,  is  that  which  has  taken 
place  by  the  labors  of  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
cans among  the  natives.  Tiiey  have, 
indeed,  wrought  wonders.  Mr.  Elliot, 
the  first  minister  who  engaged  in  this 
work,  went  over  to  New-England  in 
1632;  and,  being  warmed  with  a  holy 
zeal  for  converting  the  natives,  learned 
their  language,  and  preached  to  them  in 
it.  He  also,  with  great  labor,  translated 
the  Bible,  and  some  English  treatises, 
into  the  same  language.  God  made  him 
eminently  useful  for  the  turning  of  these 
poor  heathens  to  himself.  He  settled  a 
number  of  christian  churches,  and  ordain- 
ed elders  over  tliem,  from  among  them- 
selves. After  a  life  of  unremitted  labor 
in  this  important  undertaking,  he  died  in 
a  good  old  age,  and  has  ever  since  been 
known,  both  among  the  English  and  the 
natives,  by  the  name  of  The  Apostle  of 
the  American  Indians. 

Nor  were  these  converts  like  many  of 
those  in  the  cast,  who  professed  they 
knew  not  what,  and,  in  a  little  time,  went 
off  again  as  fast  as  they  came  :  the  gene- 
rality of  them  understood  and  felt  what 


they  professed,  and  persevered  to  the  end 
of  their  lives.  Mr.  Elliot's  example 
stimulated  many  others  :  some  in  his  life- 
time, and  others  after  his  death,  lalmred 
much,  and  were  blessed  to  the  conversion 
of  thousands  among  the  Indians.  The 
names  and  lahors  of  Bourn,  Fitcii,  Ma- 
hew,  Piorson,  Gookin,  Thatcher,  llawson. 
Treat,  Tupper,  Cotton,  Walter,  Sargeant, 
Davenport,  Park,  Horton,  Jbainerd,  and 
Edwards,  are  remembered  with  joy  and 
gratitude  in  those  lienighted  regions  of  the 
earth.  Query.  Were  ever  any  such  effects 
as  these  wrought  l)y  preaching  Socinian 
doctrines  1 

Great  things  have  lieen  done  among 
the  heathens,  of  late  years,  l)y  tiie  Mora- 
vians. About  the  year  1733,  they  sent 
missionaries  to  Greenland — a  most  inhos- 
pitable country  indeed,  but  containing 
about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  all  envel- 
oped in  pagan  darkness.  After  the  labor 
of  several  years,  apparently  in  vain,  suc- 
cess attended  their  efforts;  and,  in  the 
course  of  twenty  or  tliirty  years,  about 
seven  hundred  licathens  are  said  to  have 
been  baptized,  and  to  have  lived  the  life 
of  Christians.*  They  have  done  gTcat 
good  also  in  the  most  northern  parts  of 
North  America,  among  tlic  Esquimaux ; 
and  still  more  among  the  Negroes  in  the 
West  India  islands,  where,  at  the  close  of 
1788,  upwards  of  thirteen  thousand  of  those 
poor,  injured,  and  degraded  ])eople,  were 
formed  into  christian  societies.  The 
views  of  Moravians,  it  is  true,  are  differ- 
ent from  ours  in  several  particulars,  es- 
pecially in  matters  relating  to  church  gov- 
ernment and  discipline  :  hut  they  appear 
to  possess  a  great  deal  of  godly  simplicity  ; 
and,  as  to  the  doctrines  which  they  incul- 
cate, they  are,  mostly,  what  we  esteem 
evangelical.  The  doctrine  of  atonement 
by  the  death  of  Christ,  in  particular,  forms 
the  great  subject  of  their  ministry.  The 
first  person  in  Greenland  who  appeared 
willing  to  receive  the  gospel  was  an  old 
man  who  came  to  the  missionaries  for  in- 
struction. "We  told  him,"  say  they, 
"  as  well  as  we  could,  of  the  creation  of 
man,  and  the  intent  thereof — of  the  fall  and 
corruption  of  nature — of  the  redemption 
effected  l)y  Clirist — of  the  resurrection  of 
all  men,  and  eternal  happiness  or  damna- 
tion." They  inform  us,  afterwards,  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  or  "  the  Crea- 
tor's taking  upon  him  human  nature,  and 
dying  for  our  sins,"  was  the  most  jtower- 
ful  means  of  impressing  the  minds  of  the 
heathen,  and  of  turning  their  hearts  to 
God.  "  On  this  account,"  tliey  add,  "  we 
determined  (like  Paul)  to  know  nothing 
but  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified." 

*  See  Crantz's  History  of  Greenland. 


204 


CONVERSION  OF  PROFESSED  UNBELIEVERS. 


Now  consider,  brethren,  were  there 
ever  any  such  effects  as  the  above 
wrought  by  the  Socinian  doctrine'?  If 
there  were,  let  them  be  brought  to  light. 
Nay,  let  a  single  instance  be  produced  of 
a  Socinian  teacher  having  so  much  virtue 
or  benevolence  in  him  as  to  make  the  at- 
tempt,— so  much  virtue  or  benevolence  as 
to  venture  among  a  race  of  barbarians, 
merely  with  a  view  to  their  conversion. 

But  we  have  unbelievers  at  home  :  and 
Dr.  Priestley,  persuaded  of  the  tendency 
of  his  principles  to  convert,  has  lately  made 
some  experiments  upon  them,  as  being 
within  his  reach.  He  has  done  well. 
There  is  nothing  like  experiment,  in  reli- 
gion as  well  as  in  philosophy.  As  to  what 
tendency  his  sentiments  tvould  have  upon 
heathens  and  Mahometans,  provided  a 
free  intercourse  could  be  obtained,  it  is  all 
conjecture.  The  best  way  to  know  their 
efficacy  is  by  trial;  and  trial  has  been 
made.  Dr.  Priestley  has  addressed  Letters 
to  a  Philosophical  Unbeliever,  and  Letters 
to  the  Jews.  Whether  this  seed  will  spring 
up,  it  is  true,  we  must  not  yet  decide. 
Some  little  time  after  he  had  published, 
however,  he  himself  acknowledged,  in  his 
Letters  to  Mr.  Hammon,  "  I  do  not  know 
that  my  book  has  converted  a  single  unbe- 
liever." Perhaps  he  might  say  the  same 
still  :  and  that,  not  only  of  his  Letters  to 
a  Philosophical  Unbeliever,  but  of  those 
to  the  Jeivs. 

If  the  opinion  of  the  Jews  may  in  any 
degree  be  collected  from  the  answer  of 
their  champion,  Mr.  David  Levi,  so  far 
are  they  from  being  convinced  of  the  truth 
of  Christianity  by  Dr.  Priestley's  writings, 
that  they  suspect  whether  he  himself  be  a 
Christian.  "  Your  doctrine,"  says  Mr. 
Levi,  "  is  so  opposite  to  what  I  always  un- 
derstood to  be  the  principles  of  Christian- 
ity, that  I  must  ingenuously  confess  I  am 
greatly  puzzled  to  reconcile  your  princi- 
ples to  the  attempt.  What !  a  writer  that 
asserts  that  the  miraculous  conception  of 
Jesus  does  not  appear  to  him  to  be  suffi- 
ciently authenticated,  and  that  the  original 
Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  did  not  contain  it, 
set  up  for  a  defender  of  Christianity  against 
the  Jews,  is  such  an  inconsistency  as  I  did 
not  expect  to  meet  with  in  a  philosopher, 
whose  sole  pursuit  hath  been  in  search  of 
truth.  You  are  pleased  to  declare,  in 
plain  terms,  that  you  do  not  believe  in  the 
miraculous  conception  of  Jesus,  and  that 
you  are  of  opinion  that  he  ivas  the  legiti- 
mate son  of  Joseph.  After  such  assertions 
as  these,  how  you  can  be  entitled  to  the 
appellation  of  '  a  Christian,'  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word,  is  to  me  really  incom- 
pi'ehensible.  If  I  am  not  greatly  mistak- 
en, I  verily  believe  that  the  honor  of  Je- 
suSj  and  the  propagation  of  Christianity, 


are  things  of  little  moment  in  your  serious 
thoughts,  notwithstanding  all  your  boast- 
ed sincerity."  To  say  nothing  of  the 
opinion  of  the  Jews  concerning  xvhat  is 
Christianity  having  all  the  weight  that  is 
usually  attributed  to  the  judgment  of  im- 
partial bystanders,  the  above  quotations 
afford  but  little  reason  to  hope  for  their 
conversion  to  Christianity  by  Socinian 
doctrines. 

But  still,  it  may  be  said.  We  know  not 
what  is  to  come.  True  :  but  this  we 
know,  that,  if  any  considerable  fruit  arise 
from  the  Addresses  above  referred  to,  it  is 
yet  to  come  ;  and  not  from  these  Address- 
es only,  but,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  from 
any  thing  that  has  been  attempted  by  So- 
cinians  for  the  conversion  of  unbelievers. 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that  Socinian  principles 
render  men  indifferent  to  this  great  object, 
and  even  induce  them  to  treat  it  with  con- 
tempt 1  The  Monthly  Reviewers,  (Dec. 
1792,)  in  reviewing  Mr.  Carey's  late  pub- 
lication on  this  subject,  infer  from  his  ac- 
knowledgments of  the  baneful  influence  of 
wicked  Europeans  in  their  intercourse 
with  heathens,  and  the  great  corruptions 
among  the  various  denominations  of  pro- 
fessing Christians,  that,  if  so,  "far  better 
is  the  light  of  nature,  as  communicated  by 
their  Creator,  than  any  light  that  our  offi- 
ciousness  disposes  us  to  carry  to  them." 
By  Europeans  who  have  communicated 
their  vices  to  heathens,  Mr.  Carey  un- 
doubtedly meant,  not  those  ministers  of 
the  gospel,  or  those  serious  Christians, 
who  have  gone  among  them  for  their  good ; 
but  navigators,  merchants,  and  adventur- 
ers, whose  sole  object  was  to  enrich  them- 
selves: and,  though  he  acknowledges  a  great 
deal  of  degeneracy  and  corruption  to  have 
infected  the  Christian  world,  yet  the  quali- 
fications which  he  requires  in  a  mission- 
ary might  have  secured  his  proposal  from 
censure,  and  doubtless  would  have  done 
so,  had  not  the  Reviewers  been  disposed 
to  throw  cold  water  upon  every  such  un- 
dertaking. If,  indeed,  there  be  none  to 
be  found  among  professing  Christians,  ex- 
cept such  as,  by  their  intercourse  with 
heathens,  would  only  render  their  state 
woi'se  than  it  was  before,  let  the  design  be 
given  up  :  but,  if  otherwise,  the  objection 
is  of  no  force. 

The  Reviewers  will  acknowledge  that 
great  corruptions  have  attended  the  civil 
government  of  Europe,  not  excepting  that 
of  our  own  country,  and  that  we  are  con- 
stantly engaged  in  dissensions  on  the  sub- 
ject; yet  I  have  no  doubt  but  they  could 
find  certain  individuals  who,  if  they 
were  placed  in  the  midst  of  an  uncivilized 
people,  would  be  capable  of  affording 
them  substantial  assistance — would  teach 
them  to  establish  good  laws,  good  order, 


THE    NUMBER    OF    SOCINIAN    CONVERTS. 


205 


and  equal  liberty.  Nor  would  (lu'V  think 
of  concludint:,  because  European  eon(iuer- 
ors  and  courtiers,  knowinjj;  no  hiirlier  mo- 
tive tiian  self-interest,  instead  of  nieliora- 
linji  the  condition  of  uncivilized  nations, 
iiave  injured  il,  that  therefore  it  was  vain 
for  any  European  to  think  of  doin>i  oth- 
erwise. Neither  would  tliey  reu;ard  the 
sneers  of  the  enemies  of  civil  liiierty  and 
equity,  who  mifrhl  deride  Ihem  as  a  little 
flock  of  conceited  piditicians,  or,  at  liest, 
of  inexperienced  philanthropists,  whose 
plans  mitrht  amuse  in  the  closet,  but  would 
not  bear  in  real  life.  Why  is  it  that  we  are 
to  be  sceptical  and  inactive  in  nothing  but 
religion  1 

Had  Mr.  Carey,  after  the  example  of 
Dr.  Priestley,  proposed  that  his  own  de- 
nomination only  should  open  an  intercourse 
with  heathens,  the  Reviewers  would  have 
accused  him  of  iUiberality :  and  now, 
when  he  proposes  that  "  other  denomina- 
tions should  engage  separately  in  promo- 
ting missions,"  this,  it  is  said,  would  be 
"  spreading  our  religious  dissensions  over 
the  globe."  How,  then,  are  these  gen- 
tlemen to  be  pleased'?  By  sitting  still,  it 
should  seem,  and  persuading  ourselves  that 
it  is  impossible  to  find  out  what  is  true  re- 
ligion ;  or,  if  not,  that  it  is  but  of  little  im- 
portance to  disseminate  it.  But  why  is  it, 
I  again  ask,  that  we  are  to  be  sceptical  and 
inactive  innotiiing  but  religion  1  The  re- 
sult is  this  :  Socinianism,  so  far  from  l)eing 
friendly  to  the  conversion  of  imbelievers, 
is  neither  adapted  to  the  end  nor  favoral)le 
to  the  means — to  those  means,  at  least, 
by  which  it  has  pleased  God  to  save  them 
that  believe. 


LETTER  IV. 

THE  ARGUMENT  FROM  THE  NUMBER 
OF  CONVERTS  TO  SOCINIANISM  EX- 
AMINED. 

Iv  facts  be  admitted  as  evidence,  per- 
haps it  will  appear  that  Socinianism  is 
not  so  much  adapted  to  make  converts  of 
Jews,  heathens,  Mahometans,  or  philo- 
sophical unbelievers,  as  of  a  speculating 
sort  of  people  among  professing  Chris- 
tians. These  in  our  own  countr)'  are 
found,   some  in  the  Established  Church, 

and    others     among    the     Dissenters. 

Among  people  of  this  description,  I  sup- 
pose, Socinianism  has  gained  considera- 
ble ground.  Of  this  Dr.  Priestley,  and 
others  of  his  party,  are  frequently  mak- 
ing their  boast.  Disc.  pp.  9.3,  94.  But 
whether  they  have  any  cause  for  boasting, 
even  in  this  case,  may  be  justly  doubt- 


ed. In  the  first  place,  let  il  i)e  considered 
that  though  Socinianism  may  gain  ground 
among  speculating  individuals,  yet  the 
congregations  where  that  system,  or  what 
bears  a  near  resend)lance  to  it,  is  taught, 
are  greatly  upon  the  decline.  There 
are,  at  this  time,  a  great  many  ])laces 
of  worship  in  this  kingdom,  especially 
among  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Gen- 
eral Baptists,  where  the  Socinian  and 
Arian  doctrines  have  been  taugiit  till 
the  congregations  have  gradually  dwin- 
dled away,  and  there  are  scarcely  enow 
left  to  keep  up  the  form  of  worship. 
There  is  nothing  in  either  of  these  sys- 
tems, comparatively  speaking,  that  alarms 
the  conscience,  or  interests  the  heart; 
and,  therefore,  the  congregations  where 
they  arc  taught,  indess  kept  up  by  the  ac- 
cidental popularity  of  a  preacher,  or  some 
other  circumstances  distinct  from  the  doc- 
trine delivered,  generally  fall  into  decay. 

But,  farther,  let  us  examine  a  little 
more  particularly,  what  sort  of  people 
they,  in  general,  are,  who  are  converted 
to  Socinianism.  It  is  an  oiiject  worthy 
of  inquiry,  whether  tiiey  appear  to  be 
modest,  humble,  serious  Christians,  such 
as  have  known  tiic  ])lague  of  their  own 
hearts  ;  in  whom  triliulation  hath  wrought 
patience,  and  patience  experience;  such 
as  know  whom  they  have  believed,  and 
have  learned  to  count  all  things  but  loss 
for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  their  Lord  ;  such  as,  in  their 
investigation  of  sentiments,  have  been 
used  to  mingle  earnest  and  humble  prayer 
with  patient  and  impartial  incjuiry  ;  such, 
in  fine,  as  have  become  little  children  in 
their  own  eyes.  If  they  be,  it  is  a  cir- 
cumstance of  consequence,  not  sufTicient, 
indeed,  to  justify  their  change  of  senti- 
ments, but  to  render  that  change  an  ob- 
ject of  attention.  When  persons  of  this 
description  embrace  a  set  of  new  princi- 
ples, it  becomes  a  matter  of  serious  con- 
sideration, what  could  induce  them  to  do 
so.  But,  if  they  be  not,  their  case  de- 
serves but  little  regard.  When  the  body 
of  converts  to  a  system  are  mere  specu- 
latists  in  religion,  men  of  little  or  no  se- 
riousness, and  wlio  pay  no  manner  of  at- 
tention to  vital  and  practical  religion,  it 
reflects  neither  honor  on  the  cause  they 
have  espoused,  nor  dishonor  on  that  w  hich 
they  have  rejected.  When  we  see  per- 
sons of  this  stamp  go  over  to  the  Socinian 
standard,  it  does  not  at  all  surprise  us  : 
on  the  contrary,  we  are  ready  to  say,  as 
the  Apostle  said  of  the  defection  of  some 
of  the  professors  of  Christianity  in  his 
day,  "  They  went  out  from  us,  but  they 
were  not  of  us." 

That  many  of  the  Socinian  converts 
were  previously  men  of  no  serious  reli- 


206 


THE    NUMBER    OF    SOCINIAN    CONVERTS. 


gion,  needs  no  other  proof  than  the  ac- 
knowledgement of  Dr.  Priestley,  and  of 
Mr.  Belsham.  "It  cannot  be  denied," 
says  the  former,  "  that  many  of  those 
who  judge  so  truly,  concerning  particu- 
lar tenets  in  religion,  have  attained  to 
that  cool  and  unbiassed  temper  of  mind 
in  consequence  of  becoming  more  indif- 
ferent to  religion  in  general,  and  to  all 
the  modes  and  doctrines  of  it."  And 
this  indifference  to  all  religion  is  consid- 
ered by  Dr.  Priestley  as  "favorable  to 
a  distinguishing  between  truth  and  false- 
hood." Disc.  p.  65.  Much  to  the  same 
purpose  is  what  Mr.  Belsham,  alleges  (p. 
32)  as  quoted  before,  that  "  men  who  are 
most  indifferent  to  the  practice  of  re- 
ligion, and  whose  minds,  therefore,  are 
least  attached  to  any  set  of  principles, 
will  ever  be  the  first  to  see  the  absurdity 
of  a  popular  superstition,  and  to  embrace 
a  rational  system  of  faith."  It  is  easy  to 
see,  one  should  think,  from  hence,  what 
sort  of  characters  those  are,  which  com- 
pose the  body  of  Socinian  converts. 

Dr.  Priestley,  however,  considers  this 
circumstance  as  reflecting  no  dishonor 
upon  his  principles.  He  thinks  he  has 
fully  accounted  for  it.  So  thinks  Mr. 
Belsham;  and  so  thinks  the  Monthly  Re- 
viewers, in  their  Review  of  Mr.  Bel- 
sham's  Sermon.* 

Surely  Socinians  must  be  wretchedly 
driven,  or  they  would  not  have  recourse 
to  such  a  refuge  as  that  of  acknowledging 
that  they  hold  a  gospel,  the  best  prepara- 
tive for  which  is,  a  being  destitute  of  all 
religion!  "  What  a  reflection,"  says  Dr. 
Williams,  in   his  answer  to   this  sermon, 

*  I  have  not  scrupled  to  class  the  Monthly  Re- 
viewers among  Socinians.  Although  in  a  work  of 
that  kind  there  is  frequently,  no  doubt,  a  change  of 
hands  ;  yet  it  is  easy  to  see  that,  of  late  years,  (a 
very  short  interval  excepted,)  it  has  been  principally, 
if  not  entirely,  under  Socinian  direction;  and,  so 
far  as  religion  is  concerned,  has  been  used  as  an  in- 
strument for  the  propagation  of  that  system.  Im- 
partiality towards  Calvinistic  writers  is  not,  therefore, 
to  be  expected  from  that  quarter.  It  is  true  tiiey 
sometimes  affect  to  stand  aloof  fiom  all  parties ;  but 
it  is  mere  affectation.  Nothing  can  be  more  absurd 
than  to  expect  them  to  judge  impartially  in  a  cause 
vvherein  they  themselves  are  parties ;  absurd,  how- 
ever, as  it  is,  some  persons  are  weak  enough  to  be 
imposed  upon  by  their  pretences.  Perhaps  of  late 
years  the  Monthly  Review  has  more  contributed  to 
the  spreading  of  Sociniauism  than  all  other  writings 
put  together.  The  plan  of  that  work  does  not  admit 
of  argumentation  :  a  sudden  flash  of  wit  is  generally 
reckoned  sufficient  to  discredit  a  Calvinistic  per- 
fomance;  and  this  just  suits  the  turn  of  those  who 
are  destitute  of  all  religion.  A  laborious  investiga- 
tion of  matters  would  not  suit  their  temper  of  mind  : 
they  had  rather  subscribe  to  the  well-known  maxim, 
that  "  ridicule  is  the  test  of  truth  ;  "  and  then,  when- 
ever the  Reviewers  hold  up  a  doctrine  as  ridiculous, 
they  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  csin  the  laugh,  and 
conclude  it  to  be  a  "vulgar  error,  or  a  popular 
superstition." 


"  is  here  implied"  on  the  most  eminent 
Reformers  of  every  age,  who  were  the 
first  to  see  the  absurdities  of  a  popular  su- 
perstition, and  the  falsity  of  reigning  prin- 
ciples !  What  a  poor  compliment  to  the 
religious  character  of  Unitarian  reformers  ! 
According  to  this  account,  one  might  be 
tempted  to  ask.  Was  it  by  being  indiffer- 
ent to  the  practice  of  religion  that  Mr. 
Belsham  was  qualified  to  see  and  pro- 
nounce Calvinism  to  be  gloomy  and  erro- 
neous, an  unamiable  and  melancholy  sys- 
tem 1  Charity  forbids  us  to  think  he  was 
thus  qualified;  and,  if  so,  by  his  own  rule 
he  is  no  very  competent  judge  ;  except  he 
is  pleased  to  adopt  the  alternative  that  he 
is  only  the  humble  follower  of  more  saga- 
cioxis  but  irreligious  guides." 

We  read  of  different  kinds  of  preparatives 
in  the  Scriptures  ;  but  I  do  not  recollect 
that  they  contain  any  thing  like  the  above. 
Zeal  and  attention,  a  disposition  to  search 
and  pray,  according  to  Solomon  (Prov.  ii. 
1 — 9,)  is  a  preparative  for  the  discovery  of 
truth.  The  piety  of  Cornelius,  which  he 
exercised  according  to  the  opportunities 
he  possessed  of  obtaining  light,  was  a  pre- 
parative for  his  reception  of  the  gospel  as 
soon  as  he  heard  it.  And  this  accords 
with  our  Lord's  declaration.  "He  that 
will  do  his  will  shall  know  of  his  doctrine." 
On  the  other  hand,  the  cold  indifference  of 
some  in  the  apostolic  age,  "  who  received 
not  the  love  of  the  truth,"  but,  as  it  should 
seem,  held  it  with  a  loose  hand,  even 
while  they  professed  it,  was  equally  a  pre- 
parative for  apostacy.  We  also  read  of 
some,  in  Isaiah's  time,  who  "  leaned  very 
much  to  a  life  of  dissipation  :"  they  "  erred 
through  wine."  "All  tables  are  full  of 
vomit  and  filthiness  "  (saith  the  prophet, 
describing  one  of  their  assemblies,)  "  so 
that  there  is  no  place."  He  adds,  "  Whom 
shall  he  teach  knowledge,  and  whom 
shall  he  make  to  understand  doctrine  1" 
And  what  is  the  answer  1  Were  the  men 
who  "  leaned  to  a  life  of  dissipation,"  who 
loved  to  suck  at  the  breasts  of  sensual  in- 
dulgence, the  proper  subjects  1  No  : 
"  those  that  were  weaned  from  the  milk, 
and  drawn  from  the  breasts."  But  now,  it 
seems,  the  case  is  altered,  and,  in  order  to 
find  out  the  truth,  the  most  likely  way  is 
to  be  divested  of  all  religion  ! 

It  is  true  these  things  are  spoken  of  what 
are  called"  speculative  Unitarians,"  whom 
Dr.  Priestley  calls  "  men  of  the  world," 
and  distinguishes  from  "  serious  Chris- 
tians." He  endeavors  also  to  guard  his 
cause  by  observing  that  the  bulk  of  pro- 
fessing Christians,  or  of  those  who  should 
have  ranked  as  Christians,  in  every  age, 
had  been  of  this  description.  It  must  be 
acknowledged  that  there  have  been  luke- 
warm,   dissipated,   and   merely    nominal 


THE    NUMDER    OF     SOCIMAN    CONVERTS. 


207 


Clirisliiins,  in  all  <Tgcs  of  the  church,  and 
in  ONcrv  (ionoinination  :  I  suspect,  howev- 
er, tiiat  Dr.  Priestley,  in  order  to  reduce 
the  state  of  the  churcli  in  jjeneral  to  that 
of  the  Unitarians,  has  rather  inapiified 
this  matter.  But,  lie  that  as  it  may,  there 
are  two  circumstances  which  render  it  im- 
proper lor  him  to  reason  from  this  case  to 
the  other: — First,  whatever  bad  charac- 
ters have  ranked  with  other  denominations 
(at  least  with  ours)  as  to  their  religious 
creed,  we  do  not  own,  or  consider  them  as 
"converts  ;"  much  less  do  we  glory  in  the 
sjiread  of  our  jirinciplcs,  \\hen  men  of  that 
character  profess  to  endiracc  them,  as  this 
writer  does.*  If  we  speak  of  converts  to 
our  {irinciples,  we  disown  such  people,  and 
leave  them  out  of  the  account,  as  persons 
whose  walk  and  conversation,  whatever  be 
their  speculative  opinions,  discover  them 
to  be  "  enemies  to  the  cross  of  Christ." 
But,  were  tlie  Socinians  to  do  so,  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  the  number  of 
converts  of  whom  they  boast  would  be 
greatly  diminished.  Secondly,  whenever 
irreligious  characters  profess  to  imbibe  our 
principles,  we  do  not  consider  their  state 
of  mind  as  friendly  to  them.  That  which 
we  account  truth  is  a  system  of  holiness  ; 
a  system,  therefore,  which  men  of  "  no 
religion"  will  never  cordially  embrace. 
Persons  may,  indeed,  embrace  a  notion 
about  the  certainty  of  the  divine  decrees, 
and  the  necessity  of  things  being  as  they 
are  to  be,  whether  the  jiroper  means  be 
used  or  not  ;  and  they  may  live  in  the  neg- 
lect of  all  means,  and  of  all  practical  re- 
ligion, and  may  reckon  themselves,  and  be 
reckoned  by  some  others,  among  the  Cal- 
vinists.  To  such  a  creed  as  this,  it  is  al- 
lowed, the  want  of  all  religion  is  the  best 
preparative  :  but  then  it  must  be  observed 
that  the  creed  itself  is  as  false  as  the  prac- 
tice attending  it  is  impure,  and  as  op- 
posite to  Calvinism  as  it  is  to  Scripture 
and  common  sense.  Our  opponents,  on 
the  contrary,  ascribe  many  of  their  con- 
versions to  the  absense  of  religion,  as 
their  proper  cause,  granting  that  "  many 
of  those  who  judge  so  truly,  concerning 
particular  tenets  in  religion,  have  attained 
to  that  cool  unbiassed  temper  of  mind  in 
consequence  of  becoming  more  indifferent 
to  religion  in  general,  and  to  all  the  modes 
and  doctrines  of  it."  Could  this  acknow- 
ledgment be  considered  as  the  mistake  of 
an  unguarded  moment,  it  might  be  over- 
looked :  but  it  is  a.  fact ;  a  fact  which,  as 
Dr.  Priestley  himself  expresses  it,  "can- 
not be  denied  ;"  f  a  fact,  therefore,  wliich 
must  needs  prove  a  mill -stone  about  the 
neck  of  his  system.     That  doctrine,  be  it 


*  Disc,  pp.91,  93,94. 


+  lb.  p.  95. 


what  it  may,  to  which  an  indifference  to 
religion  is  iriendly,  cannot  be  the  gospel, 
or  any  thing  jiertaining  to  it,  but  something 
very  near  akin  to  Infidelity. 

If  it  be  objected  that  the  immoral  char- 
acter of  persons,  previously  to  their  cm- 
Iiracing  a  set  of  principles,  ought  not  to 
be  alleged  against  the  moral  tendency  of 
those  principles,  because,  if  it  were,  Chris- 
tianity itself  would  be  dishonored  by  the 
j)revious  character  of  many  oi'  the  primi- 
tive Christians, — it  is  replied,  there  are 
two  circumstances  necessary  to  render  this 
objection  of  any  I'orce  :  First,  the  previous 
character  of  the  convert,  however  wicked 
it  may  have  been,  must  have  no  influence 
on  his  conversion.  Secondly,  this  conver- 
sion must  have  such  an  influence  on  him 
that,  whatever  may  have  been  his  past 
character,  his  future  life  shall  be  devoted 
to  God.  Both  these  circumstances  exist- 
ed in  the  case  of  the  primitive  Christians  : 
and,  if  the  same  could  be  said  of  the  con- 
verts to  Socinianism,  it  is  acknowledg- 
ed that  all  oVyections  from  this  quarter 
ought  to  give  way.  But  this  is  not  the 
case.  Socinian  converts  are  not  only  al- 
lowed, many  of  them,  to  be  men  of  no  re- 
ligion; but  the  want  of  religion,  as  we 
have  seen  already,  is  allowed  to  have  in- 
lluenced  their  conversion.  Nor  is  this  all : 
it  is  allowed  that  tlieir  conversion  to  these 
principles  has  no  such  influence  upon  them 
as  to  make  any  material  change  in  their 
character  for  the  better.  This  is  a  fact 
tacitly  admitted  by  Mr.  Belsham,  in  that 
he  goes  about  to  account  for  it,  by  alleg- 
ing what  was  their  character  previously 
to  their  conversion.  It  is  true  he  talks  of 
this  being  the  case  "  only  for  a  time," 
and,  at  length,  these  converts  are  to  "have 
their  eyes  opened ;  are  to  feel  the  benign 
influence  of  their  principles,  and  demon- 
strate the  excellency  of  their  faith  by  the 
superior  dignity  and  worth  of  their  charac- 
ter." But  these,  it  seems,  like  "  the  an- 
nihilation of  death"  and  the  conversion  of 
Jews  and  Mahometans  by  the  Socinian 
doctrine,  are  things  yet  to  come.* 

*  Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  these 
Letters,  a  report  has  been  circulated  that  Dr.  Priest- 
ley has  t)een  misrepresented  l)y  the  quotation  in  page 
182,  which  also  was  referred  to  at  the  commencement 
of  the  Preface.  Dr.  P.,  it  has  been  said,  in  the 
place  from  which  the  passage  is  taken,  "  was  not 
commending  a  total  indifference  to  religion,  but  tiie 
contrary  ;  and  iiis  meaning  was,  not  that  such  a  dis- 
regard to  all  religion  is  a  better  qualification  for  dis- 
cerning truth  than  a  serious  temper  of  mind,  but  that 
it  is  preferable  to  that  bigoted  attachment  to  a  system 
which  some  jieople  discover." 

That  Dr.  P.'s  leading  d&sign  was  to  commend  a 
total  indifTerence  to  religion  was  never  suggested.  I 
suppose  this,  on  the  contrary,  was  to  commend  good 
discipline  among  the  Unitarians,  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  religious  zeal.     His  words  are  (account- 


208 


THE    NUMBER    OF    SOCINIAN    CONVERTS, 


But,  it  will  be  pleaded,  though  many  who  dissipation,"  yet  this  is  not  the  case  ivith 
go  over  to  Socinianism  are  men  of  no  re-  all:  there  are  some  who  are  exemplary  in 
ligion,  and  continue  to   "lean  to  a  life  of    their  lives,  men  of  eminent  piety,  and  vir- 


ing  for  the  want  of  zeal  among  t!iera) — "  It  cannot 
be  denied  that  many  of  those  who  judge  so  ti'iily,  (con- 
cerning jjarticular  tenets  in  religion,  have  attained  to 
that  cool,  unbiassed  temper  of  mind  in  consequence 
of  becoming  more  indifferent  to  religion  in  general, 
and  to  all  the  modes  and  doctrines  of  it.  Though, 
therefore,  they  are  in  a  more  favorable  situation  for 
distinguishing  between  truth  and  falsehood,  they  are 
not  likely  to  acquire  a  zeal  for  what  they  conceive 
to  be  the  truth." 

The  leading  design  of  Dr.  P.  in  this  passage,  it 
is  allowed,  was  to  recommend  good  discipline,  as 
friendly  to  zeal ;  and,  as  a  previous  indifference  to 
religion  in  general  was  unfavorable  to  that  temper  of 
mind  which  he  wished  to  inspire,  in  this  view  he  is 
to  be  understood  as  blaming  it.  Yet,  in  an  inciden- 
tal manner,  he  as  plainly  acknowledges  it  to  have 
been  favorable  for  distinguishing  between  trutli  and 
falsehood  ;  and,  in  this  view,  he  must  be  understood 
as  commending  it.  That  he  does  commend  it,  though 
in  an  incidental  way,  is  manifest  from  his  attributing 
their  judging  so  truly  concerning  particular  tenets  in 
religion  to  it;  and  that,  not  merely  as  an  occasion, 
but  as  an  adequate  cause,  producing  a  good  effect; 
rendering  the  mind  more  cool  and  unbiassed  than  it 
was  before.  To  suppose  that  Dr.  P.  does  not  mean 
to  recommend  indiflerence  to  religion  in  general,  as 
friendly  to  truth  (though  unfriendly  to  zeal,)  is  sup- 
posing him  not  to  mean  what  he  says. 

As  to  tlie  question,  Whether  Dr.  P.  means  to 
compare  an  indiflerence  to  religion  in  general  with  a 
serious  temper  of  mind,  or  with  a  spirit  of  bigotry, 
it  cannot  be  the  latter, — unless  he  considers  the  char- 
acters of  whom  he  speaks  as  having  been  formerly 
bigoted  in  their  attachment  to  modes  and  forms ;  for 
he  is  not  comparing  them  with  other  people,  but  with 
themselves  at  a  former  period.  So  long  as  they  re- 
garded religion  in  general,  according  to  his  account, 
they  were  in  a  less  favorable  situation  for  distinguish- 
ing between  truth  and  falsehood  than  when  they  came 
to  disregard  it.  Dr.  P's  own  account  of  these  char- 
acters seems  to  agree  with  mere  men  of  the  world, 
rather  than  witli  religious  bigots.  They  were  per- 
sons, he  says,  who  troubled  themselves  very  little 
about  religion,  but  who  had  been  led  to  turn  their  at- 
tention to  the  dispute  concerning  the  person  of  Christ, 
and,  by  their  natural  good  sense,  had  decided  upon 
it.  To  this  effect  he  writes  in  pages  96,  97,  of  his 
"  Discourses  on  Various  Subjects."  Now,  this  is 
far  from  answering  to  tlie  character  of  religious  bigots, 
or  of  those  who  at  any  time  have  sustained  that  char- 
acter. 

But,  waving  this,  let  us  suppose  that  the  regard 
which  those  characters  bore  towards  religion  in  gen- 
eral was  the  regard  of  bigots.  In  this  case  tliey 
were  a  kind  of  Pharisees,  attached  to  modes  and 
forms,  which  blinded  their  minds  from  discovering 
the  truth.  Afterwards  they  approached  nearer  to  the 
Sadducees,  became  more  indift'erent  to  religion  in  gen- 
eral, and  to  all  the  modes  and  doctrines  of  it.  The 
amount  of  Dr.  P.'s  position  woidd  then  be,  that  the 
spirit  of  a  Sadducee  is  preferable,  widi  respect  to 
discerning  truth,  to  that  of  a  Pharisee,  possessing 
more  of  a  cool  unbiassed  temper  of  mind.  The  re- 
ply that  I  should  make  to  this  is,  that  neither  Phari- 
sees nor  Sadducees  possess  that  temper  of  mind  of 
which  Dr.  P.  s])eaks,  but  are  both  "  a  generation  of 
vipers,"  difl'erent  in  some  respects,  but  equally  malig- 
nant towards  the  true  gospel  of  Christ;  and  that  the 
humble,  the  candid,  the  serious,  and  the  upright  in- 
quirers after  truth  are  the  only  persons  likely  to  find 
it.     And  this  is  the  substance  of  what  I  advanced  in 


the  first  page  of  the  Preface,  which  has  been  charged 
as  a  misrepresentation.  I  never  suggested  that  Dr. 
P.  was  comparing  the  characters  in  question  with 
the  serious  or  the  candid;  but  rather  that,  let  the 
comparison  respect  whom  it  might,  his  attributing 
an  unbiassedtemper  of  mind  to  men,  in  consequence 
of  their  becoming  indiflerent  to  religion  in  general, 
was  erroneous ;  for  that  he  who  is  not  a  friend  to  re- 
ligion in  anj'  mode  is  an  enemy  to  it  in  all  modes,  and 
ought  not  to  be  complimented  as  being  in  a  favorable 
situation  for  distinguishing  between  truth  and  false- 
hood. 

A  writer  in  the  Monthly  Review  has  labored  to 
bring  Mr.  Belsham  off  in  the  same  manner;  but, 
instead  of  affording  him  any  relief,  he  has  betrayed 
the  cause  he  has  espoused,  and  made  Mr.  B.  reason 
in  a  manner  unworthy  of  his  abilities.  "  We  appre- 
hend," says  this  writer,  "  that  Mr.  B.  does  not  mean 
to  assert,  nor  even  to  intimate,  that  indifference  to 
religious  practice  prepared  the  mind  for  the  admis- 
sion of  that  religious  truth  lohich  prompts  vir- 
tuous conduct."  Mr.  B.,  however,  does  intimate, 
and  even  assert,  that  "  the  men  who  are  the  most  in- 
different to  the  practice  of  religion  will  ever  be  the 
first  not  only  to  see  the  absurdity  of  a  popular  super- 
stition, but  to  embrace  a  rational  system  of 
faith.  "  Does  the  Reviewer  mean,  then,  toacknow- 
ledge  that  the  rational  system  does  not  include  that 
kind  of  truth  which  prompts  virtuous  conduct  1 
There  is  no  truth  in  his  expressions,  but  upon  this 
supposition. 

But  this  writer  not  only  informs  us  what  Mr.  B. 
did  not  mean,  but  what  he  did  mean.  (One  would 
tiiink  the  Reviewer  of  Dr.  Williams  must  have  been 
very  intimate  with  Mr.  B.)  Mr.  Belsham  meant,  it 
seems,  "  that  the  absurdities  of  a  popular  superstition 
are  more  apt  to  strike  the  mind  of  those  who  are  even 
indifferent  to  religion  tha7i  of  those  who  are  big- 
oied  in  their  attachment  to  particular  creeds  and 
rites;  and,  therefore,  that  the  former  will  be  more 
inclined  to  allow  reason  to  mould  their  faith  than  the 
latter." — Revieiv  of  Dr.  Williams's  Answer  to 
Mr.  Belsham.  Jan.  1792. 

To  be  sure,  if  a  Reviewer  may  be  allowed  to  add 
a  few  such  words  as  viore,  and  than  and  even,  to 
Mr.  B's  language,  he  may  smooth  its  rough  edges, 
and  render  it  less  exceptionable;  but  is  it  true  that 
this  was  Mr.  B's  meaning,  or  that  such  a  meaning 
would  ever  have  been  invented,  but  to  serve  a  turn  1 

If  there  be  any  way  of  coming  at  an  author's  mean- 
ing, it  is  by  his  words,  and  by  the  scope  of  his  rea- 
soning; but  neither  the  one  nor  the  otiier  will  war- 
rant this  construction.  Mr.  B's  words  are  these: 
"  The  men  who  are  the  most  indifferent  to  the  prac- 
tice of  religion  will  ever  be  the  first  to  embrace  a 
rational  sjstem  of  faith."  If  he  intended  merely  to 
assert  that  immoral  characters  will  embrace  the  truth 
before  bigots,  his  words  are  abundantly  too  strong  for 
his  meaning;  for,  though  the  latter  were  allowed  to 
be  the  last  in  embracing  trutii,  it  will  not  follow  that 
the  former  will  be  the  first.  If  the  rational  system 
were  on  the  side  of  truth,  surely  it  might  be  expected 
that  the  serious  and  the  upright  would  be  the  first  to 
embrace  it.  But  this  is  not  pretended.  Serious 
Christians,  by  the  acknowledgment  of. Mrs.  Bar- 
bauid,are  the  last  that  come  fully  into  it. 

The  scope  of  3Ir.  Belsham's  reasoning  is  equal- 
ly unfavorable  to  such  a  construction  as  his  words  are. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  objection  which  lie  encoun- 
ters that  admits  of  such  an  answer.  It  was  not  al- 
leged. That  there  was  a  greater  proportion  of  im- 
moral characters,  than  of  bigots,  among  the  Uni- 


\ 


THE    NUMBER    OF    SOCIMAN    CONVERTS. 


209 


tiie,  and  who  arc  distiiij^uishod  l)y  Dr. 
Priestley  h\  (lie  name  of  "  serious  Cliris- 
tians."*     To  this  it  is  replied — 

First  :  Whatever  piety  or  virtue  there 
may  be  amoni;:  Sorinian  converts,  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  piety  or  virtue  led 
them  to  embrace  that  scheme,  or  was 
much  in  exercise  in  their  researches  after 
it.  It  has  been  ol)served  by  some  who 
have  been  most  conversant  with  them, 
that,  as  they  have  discovered  a  predilec- 
tion for  those  views  of  (hin.irs,it  has  been 
very  common  for  them  to  discover  at  the 
same  time  a  lii^ht-minded  temper,  speaking 
of  sacred  things,  and  disputing  al)out  them, 
Avith  the  most  unbecoming  levity  and  in- 
decent freedom  :  avoiding  all  conversation 
on  experimental  and  devotional  subjects, 
and  directing  their  whole  discourse  to  mat- 
ters of  mere  speculation.  Indeed,  piety 
and  virtue  are,  in  elTect,  acknowledged  to 
be  unfavorable  to  the  embracing  of  the 
Socinian  scheme;  for  if  "  an  indilTerence 
to  religion  in  general  be  favoratile  to  the 
distinguishing  between  truth  and  false- 
iiood,"  and  if  "those  men  who  are  the 
most  indiflfcrcnt  to  the  practice  of  religion 
Avill  ever  be  {he  first  to  embrace  the  ra- 
tional system,"  it  must  follow,  by  the  rule 
of  contraries,  that  piety,  virtue,  and  zeal 
for  religion,  are  things  unfavorable  to  that 
system,  and  that  pious  and  virtuous  per- 
sons will  ever  be  the  last  to  embrace  it  : 
nay,  some  may  think  it  very  doubtful 
whether  they  ever  embrace  it  at  all.  Se- 
rious Christians,  according  to  the  account 
of  Mrs.  Barbauld,  are  the  most  difficult 
sort  of  people  that  Socinian  writers  and 
preachers  have  to  deal  with  ;  for,  though 
they  are  sometimes  brought  to  renounce  the 
Calvinistic  doctrines  in  theory,  yet  there 
is  a  sort  of  leaning  towards   them  in  their 

tarians  ;  had  ihis  Ijeen  the  cliarge,  the  answer  put 
into  Mr.  15's  lips  niiglit  have  been  in  point.  IJiit  the 
charge,  as  he  himself  expresses  it,  was  simply  this — 
"  Rational  Christians  are  often  represented  as  indif- 
ferent to  practical  religion."  To  suppo.ce  that  Mr. 
B.  would  account  for  this,  by  alleging  that  immoral 
characters  are  more  likely  to  embrace  the  truth  than 
bigots,  (unless  he  denominate  all  bigots  who  are  not 
Unitarians,)  is  supposing  him  to  \v,\\c  left  the  objec- 
tion unanswered.  How  is  it  tiiat  there  should  be  so 
great  a  proportion  of  immoral  characters,  rather  than 
of  humble,  scrioun,  and  godly  men,  or  of  what  .Mr. 
Belsham  calls  "  practical  believers?  "  This  was  the 
spirit  of  the  objection  :  and,  if  the  above  construc- 
tion of  Mr.  B.'s  words  be  admitted,  it  remains  un- 
answered. 

Let  Dr.  Priestley,  or  Mr.  Belsham,  or  any  of  their 
advocates,  who  have  charged  the  above  (flotations 
with  misrepresentation,  come  forward,  and,  if  they 
be  able,  make  good  tiie  charge.  Till  this  is  done,  I 
shall  consider  tliem  as  fair  and  just,  and  as  including 
concessions,  which,  though  possibly  made  in  an  un- 
guarded moment,  contain  a  truth  which  must  prove 
a  luillstoue  about  the  neck  of  the  Socinian  system. 

*  Disc.  p.    98. 


hearts,  which  their  teachers  know  not  how 
to  eradicate.  "  These  doctrines,"  she 
says,  "it  is  true,  among  thinking  people 
are  losiitg  ground  ;  but  there  is  still  appa- 
rent, in  that  class  called  serious  Christians, 
a  tenderness  in  exposing  them  ;  a  sort  of 
leaning  towards  them,  as  in  walking  over 
a  precipice  one  should  lean  to  the  safest 
side  ;  an  idea  that  they  are,  if  not  true,  at 
least  good  to  be  believed,  and  that  a  sal- 
utary error  is  better  than  a  dangerous 
truth. "t 

Secondly  :  Whatever  virtue  there  may 
be   among  Socinian  converts,   it  may    be 
questioned    whether    the     distinguishing 
principles  of  Socinianism  have  any  tend- 
ency towards  promoting   it.     The  princi- 
ples which  they  hold  in  common  with  us, 
namely,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  a 
future  life,  and  not  those  in  which  they  are 
distinguished  from  us,  are  confessedly  the 
springs  of  their  virtue.     As  to  the  simple 
humanity  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the 
distinguishing  principles  of  Socinianism, 
Dr.    Priestley    acknowledges    that    "the 
connection  between  this  simple  truth  and 
a  regular   christian  life   is   very  slight. "f 
"  That,"  says   the  same   author,   "which 
is  most  favorable  to  virtue  in  Christianity 
is    the    expectation  of  a  future  state    of 
retribution,  grounded   on  a  firm  belief  of 
the  historical  facts  recorded  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  especially  the  miracles,  the  death, 
and  resurrection  of  Christ.     The  man  who 
believes  these   things  only,  and  who,  to- 
gether with  this,  acknowledges  a  univer- 
sal providence,   ordering  all   events — who 
is  persuaded  that  our  very  hearts  are  con- 
stantly open  to  divine  insj)Cction,  so   that 
no  iniquity,  or  purpose  of  it,  can  escape 
his  observation,  will  not  be  a  bad  man,  or 
a  dangerous  member  of  society. "§     Now, 
these    are     things    in   which    we    are    all 
agreed  ;  whatever  virtue,  therefore,  is  as- 
cribed to  them,  it  is  not,  strictly  speaking, 
the  result   of  Socinian   principles.     If,  in 
addition  to  this,  we  were  to  impute  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  the  virtue  of  Socinian 
converts  to  "  the  principles  in  which  they 
were  educated,  and  the  influence  to  which 
they  were  exposed  in  the  former  part  of 
their  lives,"  we  should   only  say  of  them 
what   Dr.  Priestley  says   of  the  virtuous 
lives   of  some   atheists  ;  and   perhaps   we 
should  have  as  good  grounds  for  such  an 
imputation  in  the  one  case  as  he  had  in  the 
other.  II 

Among  the  various  Socinian  converts, 
have  we  ever  been  used  to  hear  of  any  re- 
markable change  of  life  or  behavior,  which 

t  Remarks  on  Wakefield's  Inquiry  on  Social 
Worship. 

t  Disc,  p-  97.  §  Letter  V.  to  Mr.  Burn. 

II  Let.  Unb.  V.  I.  Trcf.  vi. 


VOL.    1. 


27 


210 


THE    STANDARD    OF    MOUALITV. 


a  conversion  to  their  peculiar  principles 
effected  1  I  hope  there  are  few  Calvinist- 
ic  coikgregations  in  the  kingdom,  but  what 
could  point  out  examples  of  persons 
among  thera,  who,  at  the  time  of  their 
coming  over  to  their  doctrinal  principles, 
came  over  also  from  the  course  of  this 
world,  and  have  ever  since  lived  in  new- 
ness of  life.  Can  this  be  said  of  the  gene- 
rality of  Socinian  congregations  ]  Those 
who  have  had  the  greatest  opportunity  of 
observing  them  say  the  contrary.  Yea, 
they  add  that  the  conversion  of  sinners  to 
a  life  of  holiness  does  not  appear  to  be 
their  aim  ;  that  their  concern  seems  to  he, 
to  persuade  those  who,  in  their  account, 
have  too  much  religion,  that  less  will  suf- 
fice, rather  than  to  address  themselves  to 
the  irreligious,  to  convince  them  of  their 
defect.  A  great  part  of  Dr.  Priestley's 
Sermon  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Robinson  is 
of  this  tendency.  Instead  of  concurring 
with  the  mind  of  God,  as  expressed  in  his 
word,  "  O  that  my  people  were  wise,  that 
they  would  consider  their  latter  end  !"  the 
preacher  goes  about  to  dissuade  his  hear- 
ers from  thinking  too  much  upon  that  un- 
welcome subject. 

You  will  judge,  from  these  things, 
brethren,  whether  there  be  any  cause  for 
boasting,  on  the  part  of  the  Socinians,  in 
the  number  of  converts  which  they  tell  us 
are  continually  making  to  their  j)rincij)lcs  ; 
or  for  discouragement  on  the  side  of  the 
Calvinists,  as  if  what  they  account  the 
cause  of  God  and  truth  Avere  going  fast  to 
decline. 


LETTER  V. 

ON    THE    STANDARD    OF    MORALITY. 

You  have  observed  that  Dr.  Priestley 
charges  the  Calvinistic  system  with  being 
unfriendly  to  morality,  "  as  giving  wrong 
impressions  concerning  the  character  and 
moral  government  of  God,  and  as  relax- 
ing the  obligations  of  virtue."  That  you 
may  judge  of  the  propriety  of  this  heavy 
charge,  and  whether  our  system,  or  his 
own,  tend  most  to  "relax  the  obligations 
of  virtue,"  it  seems  proper  to  inquire, 
which  of  them  affords  the  most  licentious 
notions  of  virtue  itself  To  suppose  that 
the  scheme  which  pleads  for  relaxation, 
both  in  the  precept  and  in  the  penalty  of 
the  great  rule  of  divine  government, 
should,  after  all,  relax  the  least,  is  highly 
paradoxical.  The  system,  be  it  which  it 
may,  that  teaches  us  to  lower  the  stand- 
ard of  obedience,  or  to  make  light  of  the 


nature  of  disobedience,  must  surely  be  the 
system  which  relaxes  the  obligations  of 
virtue,  and,  consequently,  is  of  an  im- 
moral tendency. 

The  eternal  standard  of  right  and  wrong 
is  the  moral  law,  summed  up  in  love  to 
God  loith  all  the  heart,  soul,  7nind,  and 
strength,  and  to  our  neighbor  as  ourselves. 
This  law  is  holy,  just,  and  good:  holy,  as 
requiring  perfect  conformity  to  God ; 
just,  as  being  founded  in  the  strictest  equi- 
ty ;  and  good,  as  being  equally  adapted  to 
promote  the  happiness  of  the  creature  and 
the  glory  of  the  Creator.  Nor  have  we 
any  notion  of  the  precept  of  the  law  be- 
ing abated,  or  a  jot  or  tittle  of  it  being 
given  up,  in  order  to  suit  the  inclinations 
of  depraved  creatures.  We  do  not  con- 
ceive the  law  to  be  more  strict  than  it 
ought  to  be,  even  considering  our  present 
circumstances  :  because  we  consider  the 
evil  propensity  of  the  heart,  which  alone 
renders  us  incapable  of  perfect  obedience, 
as  no  excuse.  Neither  do  we  plead  for 
the  relaxation  of  the  penalty  of  the  law 
upon  the  fooling  of  equity  ;  but  insist  that, 
though  God,  through  the  mediation  of  his 
Son,  doth  not  mark  iniquity  in  those  that 
ivait  on  him,  yet  he  might  do  so  consistent- 
ly with  justice  ;  and  that  his  not  doing  so 
is  of  mere  grace.  '  I  hope  these  sentiments 
do  not  tend  ta  "  relax  the  obligations  of 
virtue."  Let  us  inquire  whether  the  same 
may  be  said  of  the  scheme  of  our  oppo- 
nents. 

It  may  be  thought  that,  in  these  mat- 
ters, in  some  of  them  at  least,  we  are 
agreed.  And,  indeed,  I  suppose  few  will 
care  to  deny,  in  express  terms,  that  the 
moral  law,  consisting  of  a  requisition  to 
love  God  with  all  the  heart,  and  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves,  is  an  eternal  stand- 
ard of  right  and  wrong.  But  let  it  be 
considered  whether  the  Socinians,  in  their 
descriptions  of  virtue  and  vice,  do  not 
greatly  overlook  the  former  branch  of  it, 
and  almost  confine  themselves  to  those 
duties  which  belong  to  the  latter.  It  has 
been  long  observed,  of  writers  of  that 
stamp,  that  they  exalt  what  are  called  the 
social  virtues,  or  those  virtues  which  re- 
spect society,  to  the  neglect  and  often  at 
the  expense  of  others  which  more  imme- 
diately respect  the  God  that  made  us.  It 
is  a  very  common  thing  for  Socinians  to 
make  light  of  religious  principle,  and  to 
represent  it  as  of  little  importance  to  our 
future  well-being.  Under  the  specious 
name  of  liberality  of  sentiment,  they  dis- 
pense with  that  part  of  the  will  of  God 
which  requires  every  thought  to  be  in  sub- 
jection to  the  obedience  of  Christ ;  and, 
under  the  guise  oi  candor  and  charity,  ex- 
cuse those  who  fall  under  the  divine  cen- 
sure.    The    Scripture    speaks    of    those 


THE    STANDAUIJ    OF    MOKALITV. 


211 


"  who  dtMiy  the  Lord  (hat  houglit  tlicin, 
liriiiirintr  upon  thfinselves  swift  destruc- 
tion"— and  "  of  those  who  receive  not  the 
love  of  the  trutli  being  given  up  to  l)elievc 
a  lie."  But  the  minds  of  Socinian  wri- 
ters appear  to  revolt  at  ideas  of  this  kind  : 
the  tenor  of  their  writings  is  to  persuade 
numkind  that  sontinients  may  he  accepted, 
or  rejected,  williout  endangering  their  sal- 
tation. Inl'idels  have  sometimes  com- 
plained of  Ciiristianity,  as  a  kind  of  insult 
to  their  dignity,  on  account  of  its  dealing 
ill  thrciiteniiii^s  :  iuit  ])r.  Priestley,  in  his 
Letters  to  tlie  Philosojiltcrs  and  Politicians 
of  France,  has  quite  removed  this  stum- 
bling-Mock out  of  their  way.  He  ac- 
counts for  tiieir  infidelity  in  such  a  way 
as  to  acquit  them  of  blame,  and  enforces 
Ciiristianity  upon  them  l)y  the  most  inof- 
fensive motives.  Not  one  word  is  intima- 
ted as  if  there  was  any  danger  as  to  iu- 
turity,  though  they  should  continue  Infi- 
dels, or  even  Atheists,  till  death.  The 
only  siring  upon  which  he  harps,  as  I  re- 
member, is,  that  could  they  but  embrace 
Christianity,  they  would  be  much  happier 
than  they  are  ! 

If  I  entertain  degrading  notions  of  the 
jierson  of  Christ,  and  if  I  err  from  the 
truth  in  so  doing,  my  error,  according  to 
Mr.  Lindsey,  is  innocent,*  and  no  one 
ought  to  think  the  worse  of  me  on  that  ac- 
count. But,  if  I  happen  to  be  of  opinion 
that  he  who  rejects  the  deity  and  atone- 
ment of  Christ  is  not  a  Christian,  I  give 
great  offence.  But  wherefore  ?  Suppose 
it  an  error,  why  should  it  not  be  as  inno- 
cent as  the  former  1  and  why  ought  I  to 
be  reproached  as  an  illiberal,  uncharitable 
bigot  for  this,  while  no  one  ought  to  think 
the  worse  of  me  for  the  other'?  Can  this 
be  any  otherwise  accounted  for,  than  by 
supposing  that  those  who  reason  in  this 
manner  are  more  concerned  for  their  own 
honor  than  for  that  of  Christ  1 

Dr.  Priestley,  it  may  be  noted,  makes 
much  lighter  of  error  when  sjicaking  on 
the  supjiosition  of  its  being  found  in  him- 
self than  when  he  supposes  it  to  be  found 
in  his  opponents.  He  charges  Mr.  Venn, 
and  others,  with  "striving  to  render  those 
who  differ  from  them  in  some  speculative 
points  odious  to  their  fellow-christians  ;  " 
and  elsewhere  suggests  that  "  we  shall 
not  be  judged  at  the  last  day  according  to 
our  opinions,  but  our  loorks ;  not  accord- 
ing to  what  we  have  thought  of  Christ, 
but  as  we  have  obeyed  his  commands:  "f  as 
if  it  were  no  distinguishing  property  of  a 
good  work  that  it  originate  in  a  good  prin- 
ciple ;  and  as  if  the  meanest  opinion,  and 

*  Apology,  4ili.  ed.  p.  48. 
t  Con.siderations  on  Diflerenccs  of  Opinion,  §  III. 
Def.  Unit.  1786,  p.  59.  Ditto  1787,  p.  68. 


the  most  degrading  thoughts  of  Jesus 
Christ,  were  consistent  with  ol>edicnce  to 
him.  But,  when  he  himself  becomes  the 
accuser,  the  case  is  altered,  and  instead 
of  reckoning  the  supposed  errors  of  the 
Trinitarians  to  be  merely  speculative 
points,  and  harmless  opinions,  they  are 
said  to  be  "  idolatrous  and  blasj)hemous."f 
But  idolatry  and  blasj)hemy  will  not  only 
be  brought  into  account  at  the  day  of 
judgment,  but  be  very  offensive  in  the 
eyes  of  God.  1  Cor.  vi.  9.  For  my  part, 
I  am  not  offended  with  Dr.  Priestley,  or 
any  other  Socinian,  for  calling  the  wor- 
ship that  I  jiay  to  Christ  idolatry  and 
blasphemy  ;  because,  if  he  be  only  a  man, 
what  they  say  is  just.  If  they  can  acquit 
themselves  of  sin  in  thinking  meanly  of 
Christ,  they  certainly  can  do  the  same  in 
speaking  meanly  of  him  ;  and  words  ought 
to  correspond  with  thoughts.  I  only  think 
they  should  not  trifle  in  such  a  manner  as 
they  do  with  error,  when  it  is  supposed 
to  have  place  in  themselves,  any  more 
than  when  they  charge  it  upon  their 
opponents. 

If  Dr.  Priestley  had  formed  his  estimate 
of  human  virtue  by  that  great  standard 
which  requires  love  to  God  with  all  the 
heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength,  and  to 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves  ;  instead  of  rep- 
resenting men  by  nature  as  having  "  more 
virtue  than  vice,"^  he  must  have  acknowl- 
edged, with  the  Scriptures,  that,  "  the 
whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness" — that 
"  every  thought  and  imagination  of  their 
heart  is  only  evil  continually" — and  that 
"  tiiere  is  none  of  them  that  doeth  good, 
no  not  one." 

If  Mr.  Belsham,  in  the  midst  of  that 
"marvelous  light"  which  he  professes 
lately  to  have  received,  liad  only  seen  the 
extent  and  goodness  of  that  law  wliich  re- 
quires us  to  love  God  with  all  our  hearts, 
and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves,  in  the  light 
in  whicli  revelation  places  it,  he  could  not 
have  trifled,  in  the  manner  he  has,  with 
tlie  nature  of  sin,  calling  "human  frailty," 
and  the  subjects  of  it  "  the  frail  and  er- 
ring children  of  men  :"  nor  could  he  have 
represented  God,  in  "  marking  and  pun- 
ishing every  instance  of  it,  as  acting  the 
part  of  a  merciless  tyrant. "||  Mr.  Bel- 
sham  talks  of  "  Unitarians  being  led  to 
form  just  sentiments  of  the  reasonableness 
of  the  divine  law,  and  the  equity  of  the 
divine  government ;"  but  of  what  divine 
law  does  he  speak  1  Not  of  that,  sure- 
ly, which  requires  love  to  God  with  all 
the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength,  and 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves ;    nor   of    that 

+  Disc.  p.  96. 

§  Let.  Phil.  Unb.  Part.  I   p.  80. 

II  Serm.  p.  33—35. 


212 


THE    STANDARD    OF    MORALITY. 


government  which  threatens  the  curse  of 
God  on  every  one  that  continueth  not  in 
all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  kxw 
to  do  them;  for  this  allows  not  of  a.  single 
transgression,  and  punishes  every  instance 
of  human  folly,  which  Mr.  Belshara 
considers  as  "merciless  tyranny."  He 
means  to  insinuate,  I  suppose,  that  for 
the  law  to  take  cognizance  of  the  very 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart,  at  least 
of  every  instance  that  occurs,  is  unreason- 
able ;  and  that  to  inflict  punishment  ac- 
cordingly is  inequitable.  He  conceives, 
therefore,  of  a  law,  it  seems,  that  is  more 
accommodated  to  the  propensities,  or,  as 
he  would  call  ihem,  frailties  of  the  erring 
children  of  men  :  a  law  that  may  not  cut 
off  all  hopes  of  a  sinner's  acceptance  with 
God  by  the  deeds  of  it,  so  as  to  render  an 
atoning  mediator  absolutely  necessary, 
and  this  he  calls  reasonable ;  and  of  a 
government  that  will  not  bring  every  se- 
cret thing  into  judgment,  nor  make  men 
accountal)Ie  ibr  every  idle  word,  and  this 
he  calls  equitable.  And  this  is  tlie  "mar- 
velous light "  of  Socinianism  :  this  is  the 
doctrine  that  is  to  promote  a  holy  life  ; 
this  is  the  scheme  of  those  who  are  con- 
tinually branding  the  Calvinistic  system 
with  Antinomianism  ! 

If  the  moral  law  require  love  to  God 
with  all  tlie  heart  and  soul,  and  mind,  and 
strength,  and  to  our  neighlior  as  ourselves, 
it  cannot  allow  the  least  degree  of  aliena- 
tion of  the  heart  from  God,  or  the  small- 
est instance  of  malevolence  to  man.  And 
if  it  be  what  the  Scripture  says  it  is,  holy, 
just,  and  good;  then,  though  it  require 
all  the  heart,  and  soul,  and  mind,  and 
strength,  it  cannot  be  too  strict;  and,  if  it 
be  not  too  strict,  it  cannot  be  unworthy 
of  God,  nor  can  it  be  "  merciless  tyranny" 
to  abide  by  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  must 
be  worthy  of  God  to  say  of  a  just  law, 
"Not  a  jot  or  tittle  of  it  shall   fail." 

Dr.  M'Gill,  in  his  Practical  Essay  on 
the  Death  of  Jesus  Christ,  (p.  252,)  main- 
tains that  "the  Supreme  Lawgiver  deter- 
mined from  the  beginning  to  mitigate  the 
rigor  of  the  law,  to  make  allowances  for 
human  error  and  imperfection,  and  to  ac- 
cept of  repentance  and  sincere  obedience, 
instead  of  sinless  perfection."  But,  if 
this  were  the  determination  of  the  Lawgiv- 
er, it  was  either  considered  as  a  matter  of 
right  or  of  undeserved  favor.  If  the  for- 
mer, why  was  not  the  law  so  framed  as  to 
correspond  with  the  determination  of  the 
Lawgiver  1  How  was  it,  especially,  that  a 
new  edition  of  it  should  be  published  from 
Mount  Sinai,  and  that  without  any  such 
allowances  1  Or,  if  this  could  be  account- 
ed for,  how  was  it  that  Jesus  Christ  should 
declare  that  "  not  a  jot  or  tittle  of  it  should 
fail,"  and  make  it  his  business  to  condemn 


the  conduct  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
who  had  lowered  its  demands  and  softened 
its  penalties,  with  a  view  to  "  make  allow- 
ance for  human  error  and  imperfection  1" 
It  could  answer  no  good  end,  one  should 
think,  to  load  the  divine  precepts  with 
threatenings  of  cruelty.  A  law  so  loaded 
would  not  bear  to  be  put  in  execution  : 
and  we  have  been  taught  by  Dr.  Priestley, 
in  what  he  has  written  on  the  Test  Act,  to 
consider  "  the  continuance  of  a  law  which 
will  not  bear  to  be  put  in  execution,  as 
needless  and  oppressive,  and  as  what 
ought  to  be  abrogated."*  If  repentance 
and  sincere  obedience  be  all  that  ought  to 
be  required  of  men  in  their  present  state, 
then  the  law  ought  to  be  so  framed,  and 
allowance  to  be  made  by  it  for  error  and 
imperfection.  But  then  it  would  follow 
that  where  men  do  repent,  and  are  sincere, 
there  are  no  errors  and  imperfections  to 
be  allowed  for.  Errors  and  imperiections 
imply  a  law  from  which  they  are  devia- 
tions ;  but  if  we  be  under  no  law  except 
one  that  allows  for  deviations,  then  we  are 
as  holy  as  we  ought  to  be,  and  need  no 
forgiveness. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  be  allowed  that 
the  relaxation  of  the  law  of  innocence  is 
not  what  we  have  any  right  to  expect,  but 
that  God  has  granted  us  this  indulgence 
out  of  pure  grace  :  I  would  then  ask  the 
reason  why  these  gentlemen  are  continu- 
ally exclaiming  against  our  principles  as 
making  the  Almighty  a  tyrant,  and  his 
law  unreasonable  and  cruel  1  Is  it  tyran- 
nical, unreasonable,  or  cruel,  for  God  to 
withhold  what  we  have  no  right  to  ex- 
pect 1 1 

Dr.  Priestley  defines  justice  as  being 
"such  a  degree  of  severity,  or  pains  and 
penalties  so  inflicted,  as  will  produce  the 
best  efi"ect  with  respect  both  to  those  who 
are  exposed  to  them,  and  to  others  who 
are  under  the  same  government :  or,  in 
other  words,  that  degree  of  evil  which  is 
calculated  to  produce  the  greatest  degree 
of  good  :  and,  if  the  punishment  exceed 
this  measure — if,  in  any  instance,  it  be 
an  unnecessary  or  useless  suffering,  it  is 
always  censured  as  cruelty,  and  is  not 
even  called  justice,   but  real  injustice." 

*  Fam.  Let.  VI. 
f  The  intelligent  reader  who  is  acquainted  with 
the  difteront  sentiments  that  are  embraced  in  the 
religious  world,  will  easily  perceive  the  agreement 
between  the  Socinian  and  Arminian  systems  on  this 
subject.  By  their  exclamations  on  the  injustice  of 
God  as  represented  by  the  Calvinistic  system,  they 
both  render  that  a  debt  which  God  in  the  whole 
tenor  of  his  word  declares  to  be  of  grace.  Neither 
of  them  will  admit  the  equity  of  the  divine  law, 
and  that  man  is  thereby  righteously  condemned  to 
eternal  punishment,  antecedently  to  the  grace  of  the 
gospel;  or,  if  they  admit  it  in  words,  they  will  be 
ever  contradicting  it  by  the  tenor  of  their  reasoning. 


OP    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


213 


To  tliis  he  adds,  "If,  in  any  parlicuhir 
case,  tlie  strict  execution  of  the  Uiw  wouhl 
do  more  liarni  than  good,  it  is  universally 
agreed  tiial  tiie  iiuiiislinienl  ought  to  he 
remitted.""'  With  an  oliservation  or  two 
on  tlie  above  passage,  I  shall  close  this 
letter. 

First  :  That  all  punishments  are  design- 
ed for  the  good  of  tlie  whole,  and  less  (or 
corrective)  punishments,  lor  the  good  of 
the  otVeiuler,  is  admitted.  Every  instance 
ol  divine  punishment  will  he  not  only  pro- 
portioned to  the  laws  of  equity,  but  adapt- 
ed to  promote  the  good  of  the  universe  at 
large.  God  never  inflicts  punishment  for 
the  sake  of  punishing.  He  has  no  such 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  a  sinner  as  to  put 
him  to  pain,  whatever  may  be  his  de- 
sert, without  some  great  and  good  end  to 
be  answered  liy  it  :  but  that,  in  the  case 
of  the  finally-impenilent,  this  end  should 
necessarily  include  the  good  of  the  offend- 
er, is  as  contrary  to  reason  as  it  is  to 
Scripture.  It  does  not  appear,  from  any- 
thing we  know  of  governments,  either  hu- 
man or  divine,  that  tiie  good  of  the  offend- 
er is  necessarily,  and  in  all  cases,  the  end 
of  punishment.  When  a  murderer  is  exe- 
cuted, it  is  necessary  for  the  good  of  the 
community :  but  it  would  sound  very 
strange  to  say  it  was  necessary  for  his 
own  good  ;  and  that  unless  his  good  were 
promoted  by  it,  as  well  as  that  of  the  com- 
munity, it  must  be  an  act  of  cruelty  ! 

Secondly  :  That  there  are  cases  in  hu- 
man governments  in  which  it  is  right  and 
necessary  to  relax  in  the  execution  of  the 
sentence  of  the  law  is  also  admitted. 
But  this  arises  from  the  imperfection  of 
human  laws.  Laws  are  general  rules 
for  the  conduct  of  a  community,  with  suit- 
able punishments  annexed  to  the  breach 
of  them.  But  no  general  rules  can  be 
made  by  men  that  will  apply  to  every 
particular  case.  If  legislators  were  wise 
and  good  men,  and  could  foresee  every 
particular  case  that  would  arise  in  the 
different  stages  of  society,  they  would  so 
frame  their  laws  as  that  they  need  not  be 
relaxed  when  those  cases  should  occur. 
But  God  is  wise  and  good ;  and,  pre- 
viously to  his  giving  us  ilie  law  which  re- 
quires us  to  love  him  w  ith  all  our  hearts 
and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves,  knew 
every  change  that  could  possiljly  arise, 
and  every  case  that  could  occur.  The 
question,  therefore,  is  not,  "whether,  if 
in  any  particular  case  the  strict  execu- 
tion of  the  law  would  do  more  harm  than 
good,  it  ought  not  to  be  remitted;  but 
whether  an  omniscient,  wise,  and  good 
lawgiver,  can  lie  sujiposed  to  have  made 
a  law   the   penalty   of  which,   if  put  in 

*  Let.  Unb.  P.  I.  pp.  100, 101. 


execution,  would  do  more  harm  than 
good.  Would  a  being  of  such  a  character 
make  a  law,  the  penalty  of  which,  accord- 
ing to  strict  e(|uity,  retjuires  to  be  remit- 
ted;  a  law  by  which  he  could  not  in 
justice  abide;  and  that  not  only  in  a  few 
singular  cases,  but  in  the  case  of  every 
individual,  in  every  age,  to  whom  it  is 
given  1 

It  is  possible  these  considerations  may 
suffice  to  show  that  the  divine  law  is  710/ 
relaxed;  but,  be  that  as  it  may,  the 
question  at  issue  is — What  is  the  moral 
tendency  of  supposing  that  it  is"?  To  relax 
a  bad  law  would  indeed  have  a  good  ef- 
fect, and  to  abrogate  it  would  have  a 
better;  but  not  so  resj)ecting  a  good 
one.  If  the  divine  law  lie  what  the  Scrip- 
ture says  it  is,  holy,  just,  and  good;  to 
relax  it  in  the  j)rcccpt,  or  even  to  miti- 
gate the  penalty,  without  some  expedient 
to  secure  its  honors,  must  be  subversive  of 
good  order  ;  and  the  scheme  w  hich  pleads 
for  such  relaxation  must  be  unfavorable 
to  holiness,  justice,  and  goodness. 


LETTER  VI. 

ON     THE     PROMOTION     OF    MORALITY    IN 
GENERAL. 

What  has  been  advanced  in  the  last 
letter  on  the  standard  of  morality  may 
serve  to  fix  the  meaning  of  the  term  in 
this.  The  term  morality,  you  know,  is 
sometimes  used  to  express  those  duties 
which  subsist  between  man  and  man,  and 
in  this  acceptation  stands  distinguished 
from  religion  J  but  I  mean  to  include 
under  it  the  whole  of  what  is  contained 
in  the  moral  law. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  the 
adversaries  of  the  Calvinistic  system  to 
charge  it  with  immorality  ;  nay,  as  if  this 
were  self-evident,  they  seem  to  think 
themselves  excused  from  advancing  any- 
thing like  sober  evidence  to  support  the 
charge.  Virulence,  rant,  and  extrava- 
gance, are  the  weapons  with  which  we 
are  not  unfrequently  combated  in  this 
warfare.  "  I  challenge  the  whole  body 
and  being  of  moral  evil  itself,"  says  a 
writer  of  the  present  day,*  "  to  invent,  or 
inspire,  or  whisper,  anything  blacker  or 
more  wicked  :  yea,  if  sin  itself  had  all  the 
wit,  the  tongues,  and  pens  of  all  men  and 
angels,  to  all  eternity,  I  defy  the  whole 
to  say  anything  of  God  worse  than  this. 
O  sin,  thou  hast  spent  and  emptied  thy- 

*  Llewellyn's  Tracts,  p.  292. 


214 


OP    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL- 


self  in  the  doctrine  of  John  Calvin  !  And 
here  I  rejoice  that  I  have  heard  the 
utmost  that  malevolence  itself  shall  ever 
be  able  to  say  against  infinite  benignity  ! 
I  was  myself  brought  up  and  tutored  in 
it,  and  being  delivered,  and  brought  to  see 
the  evil  and  danger,  am  bound  by  my 
obligations  to  God,  angels,  and  men,  to 
warn  my  fellow-sinners ;  I  therefore, 
here,  before  God,  and  the  whole  universe, 
I'ecall  and  condemn  every  word  I  have 
spoken  in  favor  of  it.  I  thus  renounce 
the  doctrine  as  the  rancor  of  devils;  a 
doctrine  the  preaching  of  which  is  babl>ling 
and  mocking,  its  prayers  blasphemy,  and 
whose  praises  are  the  horrible  yelling  of 
sin  and  hell.  And  this  I  do,  because  I 
know  and  believe  that  God  is  love  ;  and 
therefore  his  decrees,  works,  and  ways, 
are  also  love",  and  cannot  be  otherwise." 
It  were  ill-spent  time  to  attempt  an  an- 
swer to  such  unfounded  calumny  as  this, 
which  certainly  partakes  much  more  of 
the  ravings  of  insanity  than  of  the  words 
of  truth  and  soberness  :  yet  this,  accord- 
ing to  the  Monthly  Review,  (July,  1792,) 
is  "  the  true  coloring  of  the  doctiune  of 
Calvinism."  Had  anything  like  this 
been  written  by  a  Calvinist  against  Socin- 
ianism,  the  Reviewers  would  have  been 
the  first  to  have  exclaimed  against  Cal- 
vinistic  illiberality. 

This  gentleman  professes  to  have  been 
a  Calvinist,  and  so  does  Dr.  Priestley. 
The  Calvinism  of  the  latter,  however, 
seems  to  have  left  an  impression  upon 
his  mind  very  different  from  the  above. 
"  Whether  it  be  owing  to  my  Calvinistic 
education,"  says  he,  "  or  my  considering 
the  principles  of  Calvinism  as  generally 
favorable  to  that  leading  virtue,  devotion, 
or  to  their  being  something  akin  to  the 
doctrine  of  Necessity,  I  cannot  but  ac- 
knowledge that,  notwithstanding  what  I 
have  occasionally  written  against  that 
system,  and  which  I  am  far  from  wishing 
to  retract,  I  feel  myself  disposed  to  look 
upon  Calvinists  with  a  kind  of  respect, 
and  could  never  join  in  the  contempt  and 
insult  with  which  I  have  often  heard  them 
treated  in  conversation."  * 

But  Dr.  Priestley,  I  may  be  told,  what- 
ever good  opinion  he  may  have  of  the  piety 
and  virtue  of  Calvinists,  has  a  very  ill 
opinion  of  Calvinism  :  and  this,  in  a  cer- 
tain degree,  is  true.  Dr.  Priestley,  how- 
ever, would  not  say  that  "  the  preaching 
of  that  system  was  babbling  and  mocking, 
its  prayers  blasphemy,  or  its  praises  the 
horrible  yellings  of  sin  and  hell  ;"  on  the 
contrary  he  acknowledges  "  its  principles 
to  be  generally  favorable  to  that  leading 
virtue,  devotion." 

*  Phil.  Nee.  163. 


I  confess  Dr.  Priestley  has  advanced 
some  heavy  accusations  on  the  immoral 
tendency  of  Calvinism, — accusations  which 
seem  scarcely  consistent  with  the  candid 
concessions  just  now  quoted  ;  and  these  I 
shall  now  proceed  to  examine.  "  I  do  not 
see,"  says  he,  (p.  154,)  "what  motive  a 
Calvinist  can  have  to  give  any  attention 
to  his  moral  conduct.  So  long  as  he  is 
vuiregenerate,  all  his  thoughts,  words,  and 
actions,  are  necessarily  sinful,  and  in  the 
act  o{ regeneration  he  is  altogether  passive. 
On  this  account,  the  most  consistent  Cal- 
vinists never  address  any  exhortations  to 
sinners  ;  considering  them  as  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins,  and,  therefore,  that  there 
would  be  as  much  sense  and  propriety  in 
speaking  to  the  dead,  as  to  them.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  a  man  be  in  the  happy  num- 
ber of  the  elect,  he  is  sure  that  God  will, 
some  time  or  other,  and  at  the  most  pro- 
per time,  (for  which  the  last  moment  of  his 
life  is  not  too  late,)  work  upon  him  his 
miraculous  work  of  saving  and  sanctify- 
ing grace.  Though  he  should  be  never  so 
wicked  immediately  before  this  divine  and 
effectual  calling,  it  makes  nothing  against 
him.  Nay,  some  think  that,  this  being  a 
more  signal  display  of  the  wonders  of  di- 
vine grace,  it  is  rather  the  more  probable 
that  God  will  take  this  opportunity  to  dis- 
play it.  If  any  system  of  speculative 
principles  can  operate  as  an  axe  at  the 
root  of  all  virtue  and  goodness,  it  is  this." 
On  this  unfavorable  account  of  Calvinism 
I  will  offer  the  following  observations  : — 

First  :  If  Calvinism  be  an  axe  at  the 
root  of  virtue  and  goodness,  it  is  only  so 
with  respect  to  those  of  the  "unregene- 
rate  ;"  which  certainly  do  not  include  all 
the  virtue  and  goodness  in  the  world.  As 
to  others,  Dr.  Priestley  acknowledges,  as 
w^e  have  seen  already,  that  our  principles 
are  "  generally  favorable  to  devotion  : " 
and  devotion,  if  it  be  what  he  denomi- 
nates it,  "  a  leading  virtue,"  will  doubt- 
less be  followed  with  other  virtues  cor- 
respondent with  it.  He  acknowledges  also 
(p.  163, 164,)  "  there  are  many  (among  the 
Calvinists)  whose  hearts  and  lives  are, 
in  all  respects,  truly  christian,  and  whose 
christian  tempers  are  really  promoted  hy 
their  oivn  vieivs  of  their  system."  How  is 
it,  then,  that  Dr.  Priestley  "  cannot  see 
what  motive  a  Calvinist  can  have  to  give 
any  attention  to  his  moral  conduct ;"  and 
why  does  he  represent  Calvinism  as  "  an 
axe  at  the  root  of  all  virtue  and  good- 
ness 1"  By  all  virtue  and  goodness  he  can 
only  mean  the  virtue  and  goodness  of 
wicked  men.  Indeed,  this  appears  plainly 
to  have  been  his  meaning ;  for,  after  ac- 
knowledging that  Calvinism  has  something 
in  it  favorable  to  "  an  habitual  and  ani- 
mated devotion,"  he  adds,  p.  162,  "  but. 


OF    MORALITy    IN    GENERAL. 


215 


where  a  disposition  to  vice  has  jnc-occupi- 
ed  tlic  inind,  I  am  very  well  satisfied,  and 
but  too  many  tacts  ini;jriit  be  alleged  in 
prooiof  it,  that  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism 
have  been  actually  latal  to  the  remains  uf 
virtue,  and  have  driven  men  into  the  most 
des})cratc  and  al>andoned  course  of  wick- 
edness ;  whereas  the  doctrine  of  necessity, 
properly  understood,  caiuiot  possil)ly  have 
any  such  etVect,  i>ut  the  contrary."  Now, 
suppose  all  this  were  true,  it  can  never 
justify  Dr.  Priestley  in  the  use  of  such 
uidimited  terms  as  those  before  mention- 
ed. Nor  is  it  any  disgrace  to  the  Calvin- 
istic  system  that  men  whose  minds  are 
pre-occupied  with  vice  should  misunder- 
stand and  abuse  it.  The  purest  liquor,  if 
put  into  a  musty  cask,  will  become  un- 
palatable. It  is  no  more  than  is  said  of 
some  who  professed  to  embrace  Chris- 
tianity in  the  times  of  the  apbstles,  that 
they  turned  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciv- 
iousncss.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  wick- 
ed will  do  wickedly  ;  or  that  they  will  ex- 
tract poison  irom  that  which,  rightly  un- 
derstood, is  the  food  of  tiie  righteous  1 
It  is  enougli  if  our  sentiments,  like  God's 
words,  do  good  to  the  upright.  Wisdom 
does  not  expect  to  he  justified,  but  of  her 
children.  The  Scriptures  themselves 
make  no  pretense  of  having  been  useful  to 
those  who  have  still  lived  in  sin  ;  but  al- 
low the  gospel  to  be  "  a  savor  of  death 
unto  death  in  them  that  perish."  The 
doctrine  of  necessity  is  as  liable  to  pro- 
duce this  elTect  as  any  of  the  doctrines  of 
Calvinism.  It  is  true,  as  Dr.  Priestley  ob- 
serves, "it  cannot  do  so,  if  it  be  properly 
understood  :"  but  this  is  allowing  that  it 
may  do  so  if  it  be  misunderstood  ;  and  we 
have  as  good  reason  for  ascribing  the 
want  of  a  proper  understanding  of  the 
subject  to  those  who  aliuse  predestination, 
and  other  Calvinistic  doctrines,  as  he  has 
for  ascribing  it  to  those  who  abuse  the  doc- 
trine of  necessity.  Dr.  Priestley  speaks 
of  the  remains  of  virtue,  where  a  disposi- 
tion to  vice  has  pre-occupied  the  mind  ; 
and  of  the  Calvinistic  system  being  as  an 
axe  laid  at  the  root  of  these  remains  :  but 
some  people  will  (juestion  whether  virtue 
of  such  a  descrij)tion  have  any  root  be- 
longing to  it,  so  as  to  require  an  axe  to 
cut  it  up ;  and  whether  it  be  not  owing  to 
this  circumstance  that  such  characters,  like 
the  stony-ground  hearers,  in  time  of 
temptation  fall  away. 

Secondly:  The  Calvinistic  system  is 
misrepresented  by  Dr.  Priestley,  even  as 
to  its  influence  on  the  unregenerate.  In 
the  passage  before  quoted,  he  represents 
those  persons  "  who  are  of  the  happy  num- 
l>er  of  the  elect  as  being  sure  that  God 
will,  some  time  or  other,  work  upon  them 
this  work  of  sanctifying  grace."     But  how 


are  they  to  come  at  this  assurance  1  Not 
by  anything  contained  in  the  Calvinistic 
system.  All  the  writers  in  tiiat  scheme 
have  constantly  insisted  that  no  man  has 
any  warrant  to  conclude  himself  of  tho 
happy  number  of  the  elect,  till  the  work  of 
sanctifying  grace  is  actually  wrought. 
With  what  color  of  truth  or  ingenuous- 
ness, then,  could  Dr.  Priestley  represent 
our  system  as  allbrding  a  ground  of  assur- 
ance, previously  to  that  e\entl  This  is 
not  a  matter  of  small  account  in  the  pre- 
sent controversy  ;  it  is  the  i)oint  on  which 
the  immoral  tendency  of  the  doctrine 
wholly  depends.  As  to  the  certainty  of 
any  man's  being  sanctified  and  saved  at 
some  future  time,  this  can  have  no  ill  in- 
fluence upon  him,  while  it  exists  merely 
in  the  divine  mind.  If  it  have  any  such 
influence,  it  must  be  owing  to  his  know- 
ledge of  it  at  a  time  when,  his  heart  being 
set  on  evil,  he  would  lie  disposed  to  abuse 
it :  but  this,  as  we  have  seen,  upon  the 
Calvinistic  system,  is  utterly  impossible; 
because  nothing  short  of  a  sanctified  tem- 
per of  mind  afVords  any  just  grounds  to 
draw  the  favorable  conclusion.  Dr. 
Priestley  has  also  represented  it  as  a  part 
of  the  Calvinistic  system,  or,  at  least,  "as 
the  opinion  of  some,"  that  ihe  more  wick- 
ed a  man  is,  previously  to  God's  work  of 
sanctifying  grace  upon  him,  the  more 
probable  it  is  that  he  will,  some  time,  be 
sanctified  and  saved."  But,  though  it  be 
allowed  that  God  frequently  takes  occa- 
sion from  the  degree  of  human  wickedness 
to  magnify  his  grace  in  delivering  from  it, 
yet  it  is  no  part  of  the  Calvinistic  system 
that  the  former  affords  any  grounds  of 
probability  to  expect  the  latter  :  and  who- 
ever they  be  to  whom  Dr.  Priestley  al- 
ludes, as  entertaining  such  an  opinion,  I  am 
inclined  to  think  they  are  not  among  the  re- 
spectable writers  of  the  party,  and  proba- 
bly not  among  those  who  have  written  at  all. 
Thirdly  :  Let  it  be  considered,  whether 
Dr.  Priestley's  own  views  of  Philosophi- 
cal Necessity  do  not  amount  to  the  same 
thing  as  those  which  he  alleges  to  the  dis- 
credit of  Calvinism  ;  or,  if  he  will  insist 
upon  the  contrary,  whether  he  must  not 
contradict  himself,  and  maintain  a  system 
which,  by  his  own  confession,  is  less 
friendly  to  piety  and  humility  than  that 
which  he  opposes.  A  state  of  unregcne- 
racy  is  considered  by  Calvinists  as  being 
the  same  thing  which  Dr.  Priestley  de- 
scribes as  "  the  state  of  a  person  wlio  sins 
with  a  full  consent  of  will,  and  who,  dis- 
posed as  he  is,  is  under  an  impossibility  of 
acting  otherwise  ;  but  who,"  as  he  justly 
maintains,  "  is  nevertheless  accountable, 
even  though  that  consent  lie  produced  by 
the  efficacy  and  unconquerable  influence 
of  motive.     It  is  only,"  continues  he,  (pp. 


216 


OF    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


63—65),  "where  the  necessity  of  sinning 
arises  from  some  other  cause  than  a  man's 
own  disposition  of  mind  that  we  ever  say, 
there  is  an  impropriety  in  punishing  a  man 
for  his  conduct.  If  the  impossibility  of 
acting  well  has  arisen  from  a  bad  disposi- 
tion or  habit,  its  having  been  impossible, 
loith  that  disposition  or  habit,  to  act  virtu- 
ously, is  never  any  reason  for  our  forbear- 
ing punishment ;  because  we  know  that 
punishment  is  proper  to  correct  that  dis- 
position and  that  habit."  Now,  if  it  be 
consistent  to  punish  a  man  for  necessary 
evil,  as  Dr.  Priestley  abundantly  main- 
tains, why  should  it  be  inconsistent  to  ex- 
hort, persuade,  reason,  or  expostulate 
with  him;  and  why  does  he  call  those 
Calvinists  "  the  most  consistent"  who 
avoid  such  addresses  to  their  auditors  1 
If  "the  thoughts,  words,  and  actions  of 
unregenerate  men,  being  necessarily  sin- 
ful," be  a  just  reason  why  they  should  not 
have  exhortations  addressed  to  them,  the 
whole  doctrine  of  Necessity  must  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  use  of  means,  than  which 
nothing  can  be  more  contrary  to  truth,  and 
to  Dr.  Priestley's  own  views  of  things. 

As  to  our  hein^  passive  in  regeneration, 
if  Dr.  Priestley  would  only  admit  that  any 
one  character  could  be  found  that  Is  so  de- 
praved as  to  be  destitute  of  all  true  virtue, 
the  same  thing  would  follow  from  his  own 
Necessarian  principles.  According  to 
those  principles,  every  man  who  is  under 
the  dominion  of  a  vicious  habit  of  mind 
will  continue  to  choose  vice,  till  such  time 
as  that  habit  be  changed,  and  that  by  some 
influence  without  himself.  "If,"  says  he 
(p.  7,)  "  I  make  any  particular  choice  to- 
day, I  should  have  done  the  same  yester- 
day, and  should  do  the  same  to-morrow, 
provided  there  be  no  change  in  the  state 
of  my  mind  respecting  the  object  of  the 
choice."  Now,  can  any  person  in  such  a 
state  of  mind  be  supposed  to  be  active  in 
the  changing  of  it ;  for  such  activity  must 
imply  an  inclination  to  have  it  changed ; 
which  is  a  contradiction,  as  it  supposes 
him  at  the  same  time  under  the  dominion 
of  evil  and  inclined  to  goodness  1 

But,  possibly,  Dr.  Priestley  will  not  ad- 
mit that  any  one  character  can  be  found 
who  is  uttei'ly  destitute  of  true  virtue. 
Be  it  so  ;  he  must  admit  that,  in  some 
characters,  vice  has  an  habitual  ascenden- 
cy :  but  the  habitual  ascendency  of  vice  as 
certainly  determines  the  choice  as  even  a 
total  depravity.  A  decided  majority  in 
parliament  carries  every  measure  with  as 
much  certainty  as  if  there  was  no  minori- 
ty. Wherever  vice  is  predominant,  (and 
in  no  other  case  is  regeneration  needed,) 
the  party  must  necessarily  be  passive  in 
the  first  change  of  his  mind  in  favor  of 
virtue. 


But  there  are  seasons,  in  the  life  of  th? 
most  vicious  men,  in  which  their  evil  pro*- 
pensities  are  at  a  lower  ebb  than  usual  ; 
in  which  conscience  is  alive,  and  thoughts 
of  a  serious  nature  arrest  their  attention. 
At  these  favorable  moments,  it  may  be 
thought  that  virtue  has  the  advantage  of 
its  opposite,  and  that  this  is  the  time  for  a 
person  to  liecome  active  in  effecting  a 
change  upon  his  own  mind.  Without  in- 
quiring whether  there  be  any  real  vir- 
tue in  all  this,  it  is  sufficient  to  observe 
that,  if  Ave  allow  the  whole  of  what  is 
pleaded  for,  the  objection  destroys  itself". 
For  it  supposes  that,  in  order  to  a  volun- 
tary activity  in  favor  of  virtue,  the  mind 
must  first  be  virtuously  disposed,  and  that 
by  something  in  which  it  was  passive ; 
which  is  giving  up  the  point  in  dispute. 

Dr.  Priestley  often  represents  "  a 
change  of  disposition  and  character  as 
being  effected  only  by  a  change  of  con- 
duct, and  that  of  long  continuance."  (p. 
156.)  But,  whatever  influence  a  course 
of  virtuous  actions  may  have  upon  the 
disposition,  and  however  it  may  tend  to 
establish  us  in  the  habit  of  doing  good,  all 
goodness  of  disposition  cannot  arise  from 
this  quarter.  There  must  have  been  a 
disposition  to  good,  and  one  too  that  was 
sufficiently  strong  to  outweigh  its  oppo- 
site, ere  a  course  of  virtuous  actions  could 
be  commenced ;  for  virtuous  action  is 
nothing  but  the  effect,  or  expression,  of 
virtuous  disposition.  To  say  that  this 
previous  disposition  was  also  produced  by 
other  previous  actions  is  only  carrying 
the  matter  a  little  farther  out  of  sight; 
for,  unless  it  can  be  proved  that  virtuous 
action  may  exist  prior  to,  and  without  all 
virtuous  disposition,  let  the  one  be  car- 
ried back  as  far  as  it  may,  it  must  still 
have  been  preceded  by  the  other,  and,  in 
obtaining  the  preceding  disposition,  tlie 
soul  must  necessarily  have  heen  passive.* 

Dr.  Priestley  labors  hard  to  overthrow 
the  doctrine  of  immediate  divine  agency, 
and  contends  that  all  divine  influence  upon 
the  human  mind  is  through  the  medium  of 
second  causes,  or  according  to  the  estab- 
lished laws  of  nature.  "  If  moral  impres- 
sions were  made  upon  men's  minds  by  an 
immediate  divine  agency,  to  what  end," 
he  asks,  "has  been  the  whole  apparatus 

*  Since  die  publication  of  the  second  edition  of 
these  Letteis,  it  has  been  suggested  by  a  friend  that 
there  is  no  necessity  for  confining  these  observations 
to  tile  case  of  a  man  totally  depraved,  or  one  under 
the  habitual  ascendency  of  vice;  for  that,  according 
to  Dr.  Priestley's  Necessarian  principles,  all  voli- 
tions are  the  eft'ects  of  motives;  therefore  every  man, 
in  every  volition,  as  he  is  the  subject  of  the  influence 
of  motive  operating  as  a  cause,  is  passive^  equally 
so  as  he  is  supposed  to  be,  according  to  the  Calvin- 
istic  system,  in  regeneration. 


OP    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


217 


of  revealed  relii^ion?'^*  This,  in  offoct, 
is  saying  that,  it  tlicie  In;  laws  lor  such  an 
operation  on  tlie  human  mind,  every  kind 
oi  influence  upon  it  must  l)e  through  the 
medium  ot  those  laws  ;  and  that,  if  it  l)c 
otherwise,  there  is  no  need  of  the  use  of 
means.  But  might  he  not  as  well  allege 
that,  if  there  lu;  laws  hy  which  the  planets 
move,  every  kind  of  inllucnce  upon  them 
must  have  heen  through  the  medium  of 
tliose  laws  ;  and  deny  that  the  Divine  Being 
immediately,  and  prior  to  the  operation  of 
the  laws  of  nature,  put  them  all  in  motion  1 
i\Iight  he  not  as  well  ask.  If  an  immediate 
intluence  could  be  exercised  in  setting  the 
material  system  in  motion,  of  what  use  are 
all  the  law  s  of  nature,  by  whicli  it  is  kept  in 
motion  ]  Whatever  laws  attend  the  move- 
ments of  tiie  material  system,  the  first 
creation  of  it  is  allowed  to  have  been  by 
an  immediate  exertion  of  divine  power. 
God  said,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light ;  "  and  why  should  not  the  sec- 
ond creation  be  the  same  1  I  say  the  sec- 
ond creation;  for  the  change  upon  the 
sinner's  heart  is  represented  as  nothing 
less  in  the  divine  word  :  and  the  very 
manner  of  its  being  effected  is  expressed 
in  language  which  evidently  alludes  to  the 
first  creation — "God,  who  commanded 
the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath 
shined  into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  Christ."  Not  only  Scrip- 
ture, but  reason  itself,  teaches  the  neces- 
sity for  such  an  immediate  divine  interpo- 
sition in  the  changing  of  a  sinner's  heart. 
If  a  piece  of  machinery,  (suppose  the 
whole  material  system,)  were  once  in  a 
slate  of  disorder,  the  mere  exercise  of 
those  laws  by  which  it  was  ordained  to 
move  would  never  bring  it  into  order 
again;  but,  on  the  contrary,  would  drive 
it  -on  farther  and  farther  to  everlasting 
confusion. 

As  to  election.  Dr.  Priestley  cannot 
consistently  maintain  his  scheme  of  Ne- 
cessity without  admitting  it.  If,  as  he 
abundantly  maintains,  God  is  the  author 
of  every  good  disposition  in  the  human 
heart  ;f  and  if,  as  he  also  in  the  same  sec- 
tion maintains,  God,  in  all  that  he  does, 
pursues  one  plan,  or  system,  previously 
concerted  ;  it  must  follow  that  wherever 
good  dispositions  are  produced,  and  men 
are  finally  saved,  it  is  altogether  in  conse- 
quence of  the  appointment  of  God  ;  which, 
as  to  the  present  argument,  is  the  same 
thing  as  the  Calvinistic  dotrine  of  election. 

So  plain  a  consequence  is  this  from 
Dr.  Priestley's  Necessarian  principles, 
that  he  himself,  when  writing  his  Treat- 
ise on  that  subject,  could  not  forbear  to 
draw  it.    "  Our  Savior,"  he  says,  (p.  140,) 


*  Disc.  p.  221. 
VOL.    I. 


tPhil.  Nee.  §.  XL 
28 


"  seems  to  have  considered  tlie  rejection 
of  the  gospel  by  those  who  boasted  of 
their  wisdom, J  and  the  reception  of  it  by 
the  more  despised  part  of  mankind,  as 
being  the  consequence  of  the  express  ap- 
pointment of  God:  "At  that  time  Jesus 
answered  and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Fa- 
ther, Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou 
hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto 
bai)es  ;  even  so.  Father,  lor  so  it  seemelh 
good  in  thy  sight."  To  the  same  pur- 
pose, in  the  next  page  but  one,  he  ob- 
serves that  God  is  considered  as  "  the 
sovereign  Disposer  both  of  gosj)cl  privi- 
leges here,  and  future  happiness  here- 
after, as  appears  in  such  passages  as 
2  Thcss.  ii.  13.  "  God  hath  from  the  be- 
ginning chosen  you  to  salvation,  through 
sanctilication  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of 
the  truth." 

If  there  be  any  difference  between  that 
election  which  is  involved  in  Dr.  Priest- 
ley's own  scheme,  and  that  of  the  Calvin- 
ists,  it  must  consist,  not  in  the  original  ap- 
pointment, or  in  the  certainty  of  the  event, 
but  in  the  intermediate  causes  or  reasons 
which  induced  the  Deity  to  fix  things  in 
the  manner  that  he  has  done  :  and  it  is 
doulitful  whether  even  this  can  be  admit- 
ted. It  is  true  Dr.  Priestley,  by  his  ex- 
clamations against  unconditional  election,^ 
would  seem  to  maintain  that,  where  God 
hath  appointed  a  sinner  to  obtain  salvation, 
it  is  on  account  of  his  foreseen  virtue:  and 
he  may  plead  that  such  an  election  is  fa- 
vorable to  virtue,  as  making  it  the  ground 
or  procuring  cause  of  eternal  felicity ; 
while  an  election  that  is  altogether  uncon- 
ditional must  be  directly  the  reverse.  But 
let  it  be  considered,  in  the  first  place, 
whether  such  a  view  of  election  as  this 
does  not  clash  with  the  whole  tenor  of 
Scripture,  which  teaches  us  that  we  are 
"saved  and  called  with  a  holy  calling,  not 
according  to  our  works,  but  according  to 
the  divine  purpose  and  grace  given  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began" — 
"Not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should 
boast." — "At  this  present  time  also  there 
is  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of 
grace.  And,  if  by  grace,  then  it  is  no 
more  of  works  :  otherwise  grace  is  no 
more  grace.  But,  if  it  be  of  works,  then 
it  is  no  more  grace  :  otherwise  work  is  no 
more  work. "II  Secondly:  Let  it  be  con- 
sidered whether  such  an  election  will  con- 

i  Query,  Were  not  tlie.se  tl;e  rational  religionists 
of  tlial  age  \ 

§  Considerations  on  Difference  in  Religious  Opin- 
ions, §  III. 

II  See  also  those  Scriptures  which  represent  elec- 
tion as  tile  cause  of  faith  and  lioliness;  particularly 
Ephes.  i.  3,  4.  John  vi.  37,  Rom.  viii.  22.  30. 
Acts  xiii.  48.  1  Pet.  i.  1.  Rom.  ix.  15,  16.  But, 
if  it  be  the  cause,  it  cannot  be  tlie  effect  of  them. 


218 


OF    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


sist  with  Dr.  Priestley's  own  scheme  of 
Necessity.  This  scheme  supposes  that  all 
virtue,  as  well  as  every  thing  else,  is  ne- 
cessary. Now,  whence  arose  the  necessi- 
ty of  it  1  It  was  not  self-originated,  nor 
accidental :  it  must  have  been  established 
by  the  Deity.  And  then  it  will  follow 
that,  if  God  elect  any  man  on  account  of 
his  foreseen  virtue,  he  must  have  elected 
him  on  account  of  that  whicli  he  had  de- 
termined to  give  him ;  but  this,  as  to  the 
origin  of  things,  amounts  to  the  same 
thing  as  unconditional  election. 

As  to  men's  taking  liberty  to  sin  from 
the  consideration  of  their  being  among  the 
number  of  the  elect,  that,  as  we  have  seen 
already,  is  what  no  man  can  do  with  safe- 
ty or  consistency,  seeing  he  can  have  no 
evidence  on  that  subject  but  what  must 
arise  from  a  contrary  spirit  and  conduct. 
But,  suppose  it  were  otherwise,  an  objec- 
tion of  this  sort  would  come  with  an  ill 
grace  from  Dr.  Priestley,  who  encourages 
all  mankind  not  to  fear,  since  God  has 
made  them  all  for  unlimited  ultimate  hap- 
piness, and  (whatever  be  tlieir  conduct  in 
the  present  life)  to  ultimate  unlimited  hap- 
piness they  will  all  doubtless  come.* 

Upon  the  whole,  let  those  who  are  in- 
ured to  close  thinking  judge  whether  Dr. 
Priestley's  own  views  of  Philosophical 
Necessity  do  not  include  the  leading  prin- 
ciples of  Calvinism  1  But,  should  he  in- 
sist upon  the  contrary,  then  let  it  be  con- 
sidered whether  he  must  not  contradict 
himself,  and  maintain  a  system  which,  by 
his  own  confession,  is  less  friendly  to 
piety  and  humility  than  that  Avhich  he  op- 
poses. "  The  essential  difference,"  he 
says,  "between  the  two  schemes  is  this  : 
the  Necessarian  believes  his  own  disposi- 
tions and  actions  are  the  necessary  and 
sole  means  of  his  present  and  future  hap- 
piness ;  so  that,  in  the  most  proper  sense 
of  the  words,  it  depends  entirely  on  him- 
self whether  he  be  virtuous  or  vicious,  hap- 
py or  miserable.  The  Calvinist  maintains, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  so  long  as  a  man 
is  unregenerate,  all  his  thoughts,  words,  and 
actions,  are  necessarily  sinful,  and  in  the 
act  of  regeneration  he  is  altogether  pas- 
sive."f  We  have  seen  already  that  on  the 
scheme  of  Dr.  Priestley,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  Calvinists,  men,  in  the  first  turning 
of  the  bias  of  their  hearts,  must  be  passive. 
But  allow  it  to  be  otherwise  ;  allow  what 
the  Doctor  elsewhere  teaches  (p.  156,)  that 
"  a  change  of  disposition  is  the  effect,  and 
not  the  cause  of  a  change  of  conduct ;  " 
and  that  it  depends  entirely  on  ourselves 
whether  we  will  thus  change  our  conduct, 
and  by  these  means  our  dispositions,  and 
so  be  happy  forever :  all  this,  if  others  of 

*  Phil.  Nee.  pp.  128,  129. 
t  Ibid.  pp.  152—154. 


his  observations  be  just,  instead  of  pro- 
moting piety  and  virtue,  will  have  a  con- 
trary tendency.  In  the  same  performance 
(p.  107)  Dr.  Priestley  acknowledges  that 
"  those  who,  from  a  principle  of  religion, 
ascribe  more  to  God  and  less  to  man  than 
other  persons,  are  men  of  the  greatest 
elevation  of  piety."  But,  if  so,  it  will 
follow  that  the  essential  difference  between 
the  necessarianism  of  Socinians  and  that 
of  Calvinists  (seeing  that  it  consists  in  this, 
that  the  one  makes  it  depend  entirely  upon 
a  man's  self  whether  he  be  virtuous  or 
vicious,  happy  or  miserable  ;  and  the  oth- 
er upon  God,)  is  in  favor  of;  the  latter. 
Those  who  consider  men  as  depending  en- 
tirely upon  God  for  virtue  and  happiness 
ascribe  more  to  God  and  less  to  man  than 
the  other,  and  so,  according  to  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, are  "men  of  the  greatest  elevation  of 
piety."  They,  on  the  other  hand,  who 
suppose  men  to  be  dependent  entirely  up- 
on themselves  for  these  things,  must,  con- 
sequently, have  less  of  piety,  and  more  of 
"heathen  stoicism;  "  which,  as  the  same 
writer  in  the  same  treatise  (p.  67)  ob- 
serves, "allows  men  to  pray  for  external 
things,  but  admonishes  them  that,  as  for 
virtue,  it  is  our  own,  and  must  ai"ise  from 
within  ourselves,  if  we  have  it  at  all." 

But  let  us  come  to  facts.  If,  as  Dr. 
Priestley  says,  there  be  "  something  in 
our  system  which,  if  carried  to  its  just 
consequences,  would  lead  us  to  the  most 
abandoned  wickedness,"  it  might  be  ex- 
pected, one  should  think,  that  a  loose, 
dissipated,  and  al)andoned  life  would  be  a 
more  general  thing  among  the  Calvinists 
than  among  their  opponents.  This  seems 
to  be  a  consequence  of  which  he  feels  the 
force,  and  therefore  discovers  an  inclina- 
tion to  make  it  good.  In  answer  to  the 
question,  "  Why  those  persons  who  hold 
these  opinions  are  not  abandoned  to  all 
Avickedness,  when  they  evidently  lay  them 
under  so  little  restraint '? "  he  answers, 
"  This  is  often  the  case  of  those  who  pur- 
sue these  principles  to  their  just  and  fatal 
consequences  ;"  adding,  "  for  it  is  easy  to 
prove  that  the  Antinomian  is  the  only  con- 
sistent absolute  predestinarian.'^*  That 
there  are  persons  who  profess  the  doc- 
trine of  absolute  predestination,  and  who, 
from  that  consideration,  may  indulge 
themselves  in  the  greatest  enormities,  is 
admitted.  Dr.  Priestley,  however,  al- 
lows that  these  are  "  only  such  persons 
whose  minds  are  previously  depraved;" 
that  is,  wicked  men,  ivho  turn  the  grace 
of  God  into  lasciviousncss.  Nor  are  such 
examples  "  often"  to  be  seen  among  us  ; 
and,  where  they  are,  it  is  commonly  in 
such  people  as  make  no  serious  pretence 
to  personal  religion,  but  who  have  just  so 

*  Con.  DifT.  Opin.  §  III. 


OF    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


219 


much  of  predestination  in  their  heads  as 
to  suppose  that  all  tliinirs  will  he  as  they 
are  appointed  to  he,  and  therefore  that  it 
is  in  vain  to  strive, — just  so  much  as  to 
look  at  the  end,  and  overlook  the  means  ; 
which  is  as  wide  of  Calvinism,  as  it  is  of 
Socinianism.  This  may  he  the  absolute 
predestination  which  Dr.  Priestley  means  ; 
namely,  a  predestination  to  eternal  life, 
let  our^conduct  l)e  ever  so  impure;  and  a 
predestination  to  eternal  death,  let  it  be 
ever  so  holy  :  and,  if  so,  it  is  granted  that 
(he  Antinomian  is  the  only  consistent  hc- 
liever,in  it  ;  hut  then  it  might,  with  equal 
truth,  he  added,  that  he  is  the  oidy  per- 
son who  believes  in  it  at  all.  The  Cal- 
vinistic  doctrine  of  predestination  sup- 
poses that  holiness  of  heart  and  life  are 
as  much  the  oi)ject  of  divine  a])pointment 
as  future  happiness,  and  that  this  connec- 
tion can  never  be  broken.  To  prove  that 
the  Antinomian  is  the  only  consistent  be- 
liever in  such  a  predestination  as  this  may 
not  be  so  easy  a  task  as  barely  to  assert  it. 
I  cannot  imagine  it  would  be  very  easy, 
especially  for  Dr.  Priestley ;  seeing  he 
acknowledges  that  "  the  idea  of  every 
thing  being  predestinated  from  all  eterni- 
ty is  no  objection  to  prayer,  because  all 
means  are  appointed  as  well  as  ends  ;  and 
therefore,  if  prayer  be  in  itself  a  proper 
means,  the  end  to  be  obtained  by  it,  we 
may  be  assured,  will  not  be  had  without 
this,  any  more  than  without  any  other 
means,  or  necessary  previous  circumstan- 
ces."* Dr.  Priestley  may  allege  that  this 
is  not  absolute  predestination  :  but  it  is  as 
absolute  as  ours,  which  makes  equal  pro- 
vision for  faith  and  holiness,  and  for  every 
means  of  salvation,  as  this  does  for  prayer. 
Will  Dr.  Priestley  undertake  to  prove 
that  a  loose,  dissipated,  and  abandoned 
life  is  a  more  general  thing  among  the  Cal- 
vinists  than  among  their  opponents  1  I  am 
persuaded  he  will  not.  He  knows  that 
the  Calvinists,  in  general,  are  far  from 
being  a  dissipated  or  an  aliandoned  people, 
and  goes  about  to  account  for  it ;  and  that 
in  a  way  that  shall  reflect  no  honor  upon 
their  principles.  "Our  moral  conduct," 
he  observes,  "is  not  left  at  the  mercy  of 
our  opinions  :  and  the  regard  to  virtue 
that  is  kept  up,  liy  those  who  maintain  the 
doctrines  above  mentioned,  is  owing  to 
the  influence  of  other  principles  implant- 
ed in  our  nature. "f  Admitting  this  to  be 
true,  yet  one  would  think  the  worst  prin- 
ciples will,  upon  the  xcholc,  he  productive 
of  the  worst  practices.  They  whose  in- 
nate principles  of  virtue  are  all  employed 
in  counteracting  the  influence  of  a  perni- 
cious system  cannot  be  expected  to  form 
such  amiable   characters  as  where  those 


t  Consid.  Diflr.  Opin.  § 


Lp 
III. 


in. 


principles  are  not  only  left  at  liberty  to 
operate,  but  arc  aided  by  a  good  system. 
It  might,  therefore,  be  expected,  I  say, 
again,  if  our  principles  be  what  our  oppo- 
nents say  they  are,  that  a  loose,  dissipated, 
and  ai>andoned  life  would  be  a  more  gene- 
ral thing  among  us  than  among  them. 

I  may  be  told  that  the  same  thing,  if  put  to 
us  would  be  found  equally  dilhcult ;  or  that, 
notwithstanding  we  contend  for  the  supe- 
rior influence  of  the  Calvinistic  system  to 
that  of  Socinus,  yet  we  should  find  it 
difficult  to  jtrove  that  a  loose,  dissipated, 
and  al)an(ioncd  life  is  a  more  general  thing 
among  Socinians  than  it  is  among  Calvin- 
ists. And  I  allow  that  I  am  not  suffi- 
ciently acquainted  with  the  bulk  of  the 
people  of  that  denomination  to  hazard  an 
assertion  of  this  nature.  But,  if  what  is 
allowed  by  their  own  writers  (who  ought 
to  know  them)  may  be  admitted  as  evi- 
dence, such  an  assertion  might,  neverthe- 
less, be  supported.  "  Rational  Christians 
are  often  represented,"  says  Mr.  Bel- 
sham,"  as  indifferent  to  practical  religion." 
Nor  does  he  deny  the  justice  of  this  rep- 
resentation, but  admits,  though  with  ap- 
parent reluctance,  that  "  there  has  been 
some  plausil)le  ground  for  the  accusa- 
tion ;"  and  goes  about  to  account  for  it, 
as  we  have  seen  in  Letter  IV.,  in  such  a 
way,  however,  as  may  reflect  no  dishonor 
upon  their  principles.\  The  same  thing 
is  acknowledged  l)y  Dr.  Priestley,  who 
allows  that  "  a  great  number  of  the  Uni- 
tarians of  the  present  age  are  only  men  of 
good  sense,  and  without  much  practical 
religion  ;"  and  that  "  there  is  a  greater 
apparent  conformity  to  the  world  in  them 
than  is  oliservable  in  others. "§  Yet  he 
also  goes  about  to  account  for  these  things 
as  Mr.  Belsham  does,  in  such  a  way  as 
may  reflect  no  dishonor  on  their  principles. 
It  is  rather  extraordinary  that,  when  facts 
are  introduced  in  favor  of  tlic  virtue  of'the 
general  body  of  the  Calvinists,  they  are 
not  denied,  but  accounted  for  in  such  a 
way  that  their  principles  must  share  none 
of  the  honor;  and,  when  facts  of  an  op- 
posite kind  are  introduced  in  proof  of  the 
want  of  virtue  in  Unitarians,  they  also 
are  not  denied,  but  accounted  for  in  such 
a  Avay  that  their  principles  shall  have  none 
of  the  dishonor.  Calvinism,  it  seems, 
must  be  immoral,  though  Calvinists  be 
virtuous  ;  and  Socinianism  must  be  amia- 
ble, though  Socinians  be  vicious  !  I  shall 
not  inquire  whether  these  very  opposite 
methods  of  accounting  for  facts  l)e  lair  or 
candid.  On  this  the  reader  will  form  his 
own  judgment;  it  is  enough  for  me  that 
the  facts    themselves  are  allowed. 

If  we  look  back  to  past  ages,  (to  say 
nothing  of  those  who  lived  in  the  earliest 

X  Sermon,  p.  32.  §  Dis.  Var.  Sub.,  p.  100, 


220 


OF    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


periods   of  Christianity,  because  I  Avould    which  the  Waldenses  and  the  Wickliffites 


refer  to  none  but  such  as  are  allowed  to 
have  believed  the  doctrine  in  question,) 
I  think  it  cannot  be  fairly  denied  that  the 
gi-eat  body  of  holy  men,  who  have  main- 
tained the  true  worship  of  God  (if  there 


were  sacrificing  every  thing  for  the  pre- 
servation of  a  good  conscience)  they  were 
"  driven  into  corners  and  silence,"  (c.  1.  p. 
34,)  that  is,  thei'e  is  no  testimony  upon 
record  which  they  bore,  or  any  account  of 


was  any  true  worship  of  God  maintained)  tlieir  having  so  much  virtue  in  them  as  to 
during  the  Romish  apostasy,  and  who,  oppose,  at  the  expense  either  of  life,  lib- 
many  of  them,  sacrificed  their  earthly  all  erty,  or  property,  the  prevailing  religion 
for  his   name,  have  lived  and  died  in  the    of  the  times. 

belief  of  the  Deity  and  atonement  of  Mr.  Lindsey  speaks  of  the  piety  of  "the 
Christ.  Our  opponents  often  speak  of  famous  Abelard ."  but  surely  he  must 
these  doctrines  being  embraced  by  the  have  been  wretchedly  driven  for  want  of 
apostate  church  of  Rome ;  but  they  say  that  important  article,  or  he  would  not 
little  of  those  who,  during  the  long  period  have  ascribed  it  to  a  man  who,  as  a  late 
of  her  usurpation,  bore  testimony  for  writer  observes,  "  could  with  equal  facil- 
God.  The  Waldenses,  who  inhabited  the  ity  explain  Ezekiel's  prophecies  and  com- 
valleys  of  Piedmont,  and  the  Albigenses,  pose  amorous  sonnets  for  Heloise  ;  and 
who  were  afterwards  scattered  almost  all  was  equally  free  to  unfold  the  doctrine  of 
over  Europe,  are  allowed,  I  believe,  on  the  Trinity,  and  ruin  the  peace  of  a  fam- 
all  hands,  to  have  preserved  the  true  re-  ily  by  debauching  his  patron's  niece."* 
ligion  in  those  darkest  of  times  :  and  it  is  Mr.  Lindsey  also,  in  the  Appendix  to  his 
thought  by  some  expositors,  that  these  farewell  Sermon  to  the  Congregation  in 
are  the  people  who  are  spoken  of  in  the  Essex-street,  lately  published,  holds  up 
twelfth  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  under  the  ]iieiy  of  Servetus,  by  giving  us  one  of 
the  representation  of  a  woman,  to  whom  his  prayers  addressed  to  Jesus  Christ ;  in 
were  given  two  xoings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  which  he  expresses  his  full  persuasion  that 
she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  and  there  he  was  luider  a  divine  impulse  to  write 
be  nourished  for  a  time,  from  the  face  of  against  his  proper  divinity.  Surely,  if 
the  serpent.  It  was  here  that  true  religion  Socinian  piety  had  not  been  very  scarce, 
was  maintained  and  sealed  by  the  blood  of  Mr.  Lindsey  would  not  have  bpen  under 
thousands  from  age  to  age,  when  all  the  the  necessity  of  exhibiting  the  effusions 
rest  of  the   christian  world  were   wonder-    of  idolatry  and  enthusiasm  as  examples 


ing  after  the  beast.  And,  as  to  the  doc- 
trines which  they  held,  they  were  much 
the  same  as  ours.  Among  the  adversa- 
ries  to  the   church  of  Rome,  it   is  true. 


of  it. 

Religion  will  be  allowed  to  have  some 
influence  in  the  forming  of  a  national 
character,  especially  that  of  the  common 


there  might  be  men  of  different  opinions,  people,  among  whom  if  anywhere,  it  gen- 

Arius  and  others  may  be  supposed  to  have  erally   prevails.       Now,   if    we   look    at 

had  their  followers  in  those  ages  ;  but  the  those  nations  where  Calvinism  has  been 

body  of  the   people  called    Waldenses  are  most  prevalent,  it  will  be  found,  I  believe. 


not  to  be  reckoned  as  such  :  on  the  con 
trary,  the  principles  which  they  profess- 
ed were,  for  substance,  the  same  with 
those  embraced  afterwards  by  the  Reform- 
ed Churches  ;  as  is  abundantly  manifest 
by  several  of  their  catechisms  and  confes- 
sions of  faith,  which  have  been  transmit- 
ted to  our  times. 

Mr.  Lindsey,  in  his  Apology,  has  given 
a  kind  of  history  of  those  who  have  op- 
posed the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  but 
they  make  a  poor  figure  during  the  above 
long  and  dark  period,  in  which,  if  ever, 
a  testimony  for  God  was  needed.  He 
speaks  of  "  churches  and  sects,  as  well  as 
individuals,  of  that  description,  in  the 
twelfth  century :"  and  there  might  be 
such.     But  can  he  produce  any  evidence 


that  they  have  not  been  distinguished  by 
their  immorality,  but  the  reverse.  Ge- 
neva, the  Seven  United  Provinces,  Scot- 
land, and  North  America,  (with  the  last 
two  of  which  we  may  be  rather  better 
acquainted  than  with  the  rest,)  might  be 
alleged  as  instances  of  this  assertion. 
With  respect  to  Scotland,  though  other 
sentiments  are  said  to  have  lately  gained 
ground  with  many  of  the  clergy,  yet  Cal- 
vinism is  known  to  be  generally  prevalent 
among  the  serious  part  of  the  people. 
And  as  to  their  national  character,  you 
seldom  know  an  intelligent  Englishman 
to  have  visited  that  country  without  be- 
ing struck  with  the  peculiar  sobriety  and 
religious  behavior  of  the  inhabitants.  As 
to    America,  though,    strictly    speaking. 


of  their  having  so  much  virtue  as  to  make  they  may  be  said  to  have  no  national  re- 
any  considerable  sacrifices  for  God  1  ligion,  (a  happy  circumstance  in  their  fa- 
Whatever  were  their  number,  according  vor,)  yet,  perhaps,  there  is  no  one  nation 
to  Mr.  Lindsey's  own  account,  from  that 

time    till  the    Reformation,    (a   period    of  *  Mr.   Robinson's   "  Plea  for    the  Divinity  of 

three  or  four  hundred  years,  and  during  Christ." 


OF    MORALITY    IN    GENERAL. 


221 


in  the  world  where  Calvinism  has  more 
generally  prevailed.  The  great  body  of 
the  first  settlers  were  Calviuists  ;  and  the 
far  greater  part  of  religious  people  among 
them,  though  of  diflVrent  denoniinatioiis 
as  to  other  matters,  conlinuc  such  to  this 
day.  And,  as  to  tlie  moral  eflects  which 
their  religious  printiplos  have  ])roduced, 
they  are  granted,  on  ail  hai\ds,  to  be 
considerable.  They  are  a  people,  as  the 
Monthly  Reviewers  have  acknowledged, 
"whose  love  of  lil'erty  is  attempered  with 
that  of  order  and  decency,  and  accom- 
panied with  the  virtues  of  integrity,  mod- 
eration, and  sobriety.  Tiiey  know  the 
necessity  of  regard  to  religion  and  virtue, 
both  in  principle  and  practice."* 

In  each  of  these  countries,  it  is  true, 
as  in  all  others,  there  arc  great  numbers 
of  irreligious  individuals  ;  perhaps,  a  ma- 
jority :  but  they  have  a  gi-eater  proportion 
of  religious  characters  than  most  other 
nations  can  boast ;  and  the  influence 
which  these  characters  have  upon  the  rest, 
is  as  that  of  a  portion  of  leaven,  which 
leaveneth  the  whole  lump. 

The  memV>ers  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, it  may  be  taken  for  granted,  were 
generally  Calvinists,  as  to  their  doctrinal 
sentiments,  at,  and  for  some  time  alter, 
the  Reformation.  Since  that  time,  those 
sentiments  have  been  growing  out  of  re- 
pute ;  and  Socinianism  is  supposed,  among 
other  principles,  to  have  prevailed  con- 
siderably among  the  inemliers  of  that 
community.  Dr.  Priestley,  however,  is 
often  very  sanguine  in  estimating  the  gieat 
numbers  of  Unitarians  among  them.  Now, 
let  it  be  considered  whether  this  change  of 
principle  has,  in  any  degree,  been  ser- 
viceable to  the  interests  of  piety  or  vir- 
tue. On  the  contrary,  did  not  a  serious 
walking  with  God,  and  a  rigid  attention 
to  morals,  begin  to  die  away,  from  the 
time  that  the  doctrines  contained  in  the 
Thirty-nine  Articles  began  to  be  disre- 
garded ]  f  And  now,  when  Socinianism 
is  supposed  to  have  made  a  greater  pro- 
gress than  ever  it  did  before,  is  there  not 
a  greater  degree  of  perjury ,  and  more  dis- 
sipation of  manners,  than  at  almost  any 
period  since  the  Reformation. 

I  am  not  insensible  that  it  is  the  opin- 
ion of  Dr.  Priestley,  and  of  some  others, 
that  men  grow  better — that  the  world  ad- 
vances considerably  in  moral  improve- 
ment :  nay,  Mr.  Belsham  seems  to  favor 
an  idea  that,  "  in  process  of  time,  the 
earth  may  revert  to  its  original  paradisaical 

*  Review  from  i\Iay  to  August,  179.3,  p.  502. 

t  The  same  sort  of  people  who  lield  Calvinistic 
doctrines  were  at  the  same  time  .so  severe  in  their 
moi-als,  that  Laud  found  it  necessary,  it  seems,  to 
publish  "  The  Book  of  Sports,"  in  order  to  C0UQ> 
teract  tlieir  influence  on  the  uatioa  at  large. 


state — and  death  itself  be  annihilated." 
This,  however,  will  hardly  l)e  thought  to 
prove  any  thing,  rxcc])t  that  eiitliusiasm 
is  not  confined  to  Calvinists.  And,  as  to 
men  growing  better,  whatever  may  be  the 
moral  improvement  of  the  world  in  gen- 
eral, Dr.  Priestley  somewiicrc  acknowl- 
edges that  this  is  far  from  being  the  case 
with  the  Church  of  England,  especially 
since  the  times  of  Bishop  Burnet. 

With  respect  to  the  Dissenters,  were 
there  ever  men  of  iiolicr  lives  than  the 
generality  oi  the /wn'/ffjis  and  nonrujifonn- 
/s/.s  of tlie  hist  two  centuries'?  Can  any 
thing  equal  to  tlieir  piety  and  dcvotcdness 
to  God  l)e  found  among  the  generality  of 
tlie  Soeinians,  of  their  lime  or  of  any  time  1 
In  sufl'erings,  in  fastings,  in  prayers,  in 
a  firm  adherence  to  their  i)rinciples,  in 
a  close  walk  with  God  in  their  families, 
and  in  a  series  of  unremitted  labor  for  the 
good  of  mankind,  they  spent  their  lives. 

Hut  fastings  and  prayers,  perhaps,  may 
not  be  admitted  as  excellencies  in  their 
character:  it  is  possible  they  may  be 
treated  with  ridicule.  Nothing  less  than 
this  is  attempted  by  Dr.  Priestley,  in  his 
Fifth  Letter  to  Mr.  Burn.  "I  could 
wish,"  says  he,  "  to  quiet  your  fears,  on 
your  account.  For  the  many  sleepless 
nights  which  your  apprehensions  must 
necessarily  have  caused  you,  accomj)a- 
nied,  of  course,  with  much  earnest /^rttf/er 
and  fasting  must,  in  time,  affect  your 
health."  Candor  out  of  the  question.  Is 
this  piety?  It  is  said  to  be  no  uncom- 
mon thing  for  persons  who  have  been  used 
to  pray  extempore,  when  they  have  turn- 
ed Soeinians,  to  leave  off  tiiat  ))ractice, 
and  betake  themselves  to  a  w  ritten  form  of 
their  own  composition.  Tliis  is  formal 
enough,  and  will  be  tiiought  by  many  to 
afford  but  slender  evidence  of  their  devo- 
tional spirit ;  but  yet  one  would  have  sup- 
posed they  would  not  have  dared  to  ridi- 
cule it  in  others,  however  destitute  of  it 
they  might  be  themselves. 

Dr.  Priestley  allows  that  Unitarians 
are  peculiarly  wanting  in  zeal  for  relig- 
ion.|  That  this  concession  is  just  ap- 
pears not  only  from  the  indifference  of 
great  numbers  of  them  in  private  life, 
but  from  the  conduct  of  many  of  their 
preachers.  It  has  been  observed  that, 
when  young  ministers  have  become  So- 
einians, they  have  frequently  given  up 
the  ministry,  and  become  school-masters, 
or  any  thing  they  could.  Some,  who  have 
been  possessed  of  fortunes,  have  become 
mere  private  gentlemen.  Several  such 
instances  have  occurred,  both  among 
Dissenters  and  Churchmen.  If  they  had 
true  zeal  for  God  and  religion,  why  is  it 

t  Disc.  Var.  Sub.  pp.  94,  95. 


222 


LOVE    TO    GOD. 


that  they  are  so  indifferent  about  preach- 
ing what  they  account  the  truth  1 

Dr.  Priestley  farther  allows  that  Cal- 
vinists  have  "less  apparent  conformity  to 
the  world;  and  that  they  seem  to  have 
more  of  a  real  principle  of  religion  than 
Socinians."  But  then  he  thinks  the  other 
have  the  most  candor  and  benevolence ; 
so  as,  upon  the  whole,  to  approach  near- 
est to  the  proper  temper  of  Christianity." 
He  "  hopes,  also,  they  have  more  of  a 
real  principle  of  religion  than  they  seem 
to  have."  pp.  100,  101.  As  to  candor 
and  benevolence,  these  will  be  considered 
in  another  Letter.  At  present  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  observe  that  Dr.  Priestley,  like 
Mr.  Belsham,  on  a  change  of  character  in 
his  converts,  is  obliged  to  have  recourse 
to  hope,  and  to  judge  of  things  contrary 
to  what  they  appear  in  the  lives  of  men, 
in  order  to  support  the  religious  character 
of  his  party. 

That  a  large  proportion  of  serious  peo- 
ple are  to  be  found  among  Calvinists, 
Dr.  Priestley  will  not  deny;  but  Mrs. 
Barbauld  goes  farther.  She  acknowl- 
edges, in  effect,  that  the  seriousness 
which  is  to  be  found  among  Socinians 
themselves  is  accompanied  by  a  kind  of 
secret  attachment  to  our  principles, — an 
attachment  which  their  preachers  and 
writers,  it  seems,  have  hitherto  labored 
in  vain  to  eradicate.  "  These  doctrines," 
she  says,  it  is  true,  among  thinking  peo- 
ple, are  losing  ground ;  but  there  is  still 
apparent,  in  that  class  called  serious 
Christians,  a  tenderness  in  exposing 
them;  a  sort  of  leaning  towards  them,  as, 
in  walking  over  a  precipice,  one  should 
lean  to  the  safest  side  :  an  idea  that  they 
are,  if  not  true,  at  least  good  to  be  be- 
lieved ;  and  that  a  salutary  error  is  better 
than  a  dangerous  truth."*  By  the  "class 
called  serious  Christians,"  Mrs.  Barbauld 
cannot  mean  professed  Calvinists ;  for 
they  have  no  notion  of  leaning  towards  any 
system  as  a  system  of  salutary  error,  but 
consider  that  to  which  they  are  attached 
as  being  the  truth.  She  must,  therefore, 
intend  to  describe  the  serious  part  of  the 
people  of  her  own  profession.  We  are 
much  obliged  to  Mrs.  Barbauld  for  this 
important  piece  of  information.  We 
might  not  so  readily  have  known,  without 
it,  that  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  the 
serious  part  of  Socinians  revolt  at  their 
own  principles ;  and  that,  though  they 
have  rejected  what  we  esteem  the  great 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  in  theory,  yet 
they  have  an  inward  leaning  towards 
them,  as  the  only  safe  ground  on  which 
to  rest  their  hopes.  According  to  this 
account,    it    should    seem    that    serious 


Christians  are  known  by  their  predilec- 
tion for  Calvinistic  doctrines ;  and  that 
those  "  thinking  people  among  whom  these 
doctrines  are  losing  ground"  are  not  of 
that  class,  or  description,  being  distin- 
guished from  them.  Well,  it  does  not 
surprise  us  to  hear  that  "those  men  who 
are  the  most  indifferent  to  practical  reli- 
gion are  the  first,  and  serious  Christians 
the  last,  to  embrace  the  Rational  sys- 
tem ;"  because  it  is  no  more  than  might 
be  expected.  If  there  be  any  thing  sur- 
prising in  the  affair,  it  is  that  those  who 
make  these  acknowledgments  should  yet 
boast  of  their  principles  on  account  of 
their  moral  tendency. 


LETTER   Vn. 

THE  SYSTEMS  COMPARED  AS  TO  THEIR 
TENDENCY  TO  PROMOTE  LOVE  TO 
GOD. 

Our  opponents,  as  you  have  doubtless 
observed,  are  as  bold  in  their  assertions 
as  they  are  liberal  in  their  accusations. 
Dr.  Priestley  not  only  asserts  that  the 
Calvinistic  system  is  "  unfavorable  to 
genuine  piety,  but  to  every  branch  of  vi- 
tal practical  religion."*  We  have  con- 
sidered in  the  foregoing  Letter,  what  re- 
lates to  morality  and  piety  in  general : 
in  the  following  Letters,  we  shall  descend 
to  particulars ;  and  inquire,  under  the 
several  specific  virtues  of  Chris-tianity, 
which  of  the  systems  in  question  is  the 
most  unfavorable  to  them. 

I  begin  with  Love.  The  love  of  God 
and  our  neighbor  not  only  contains  the 
sum  of  the  moral  law,  but  the  spirit  of 
true  religion :  a  strong  presumption  there- 
fore must  exist  for  or  against  a  system, 
as  it  is  found  to  promote  or  diminish 
these  cardinal  virtues  of  the  christian 
character.  On  both  these  topics,  we  are 
principally  engaged  on  the  defensive,  as 
our  views  of  things  stand  charged  with 
being  unfavorable  to  the  love  of  both  God 
and  man.  "There  is  something  in  your 
system  of  Christianity,"  says  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, in  his  Letters  to  Mr.  Burn,  "  that 
debases  the  pure  spirit  of  it,  and  does  not 
consist  with  either  the  perfect  veneration 
of  the  divine  character  (which  is  the  foun- 
dation of  true  devotion  to  God)  or  perfect 
candor  and  benevolence  to  man."  A 
very  serious  charge ;  and  which,  could  it 
be  substantiated,  would  doubtless,  afford 
a  strong  presumption,  if  not  more  than  a 


*  Remarka  on  Wakefield's  Inquiry. 


*  Consid.  Diff.  Opin.  §  III. 


LOVE     TO    GOD. 


223 


presumption,  against  us.  But  let  the 
subject  be  examined.  Tliis  Letter  will 
be  devoted  to  the  first  pint  of  this  heavy 
charge  ;  and  the  following  one,  to  the  last. 

As  to  the  question,  Whether  we  feel  a 
veneration  for  the  divine  character, — I 
should  think,  we  ourselves  must  be  the 
best  judges.  All  that  Dr.  Priestley  can 
know  of  tlie  matter  is,  that  he  could  not 
feel  a  perfect  veneration  lor  a  being  of  such 
a  character  as  we  suppose  the  Almighty  to 
sustain.  That,  however,  may  be  true, 
and  yet  nothing  result  irom  it  unfavorable 
to  our  princijjles.  It  is  not  impossii>le  that 
Dr.  Priestley  should  be  of  such  a  temper 
of  mind  as  incapacitates  him  for  admiring, 
venerating,  or  loving  God,  in  his  true  char- 
acter :  and,  hence,  he  may  be  led  to  think 
that  all  wlu)  entertain  such  and  sucli  ideas  of 
God  must  he  void  of  that  perfect  veneration 
for  him  which  lie  supposes  himself  to  feel. 
The  true  character  of  God,  as  revealed  in 
the  Scriptures,  must  be  taken  into  the  ac- 
count, in  determining  whether  our  love  to 
God  be  genuine  or  not.  We  may  clothe 
the  Divine  Being  with  such  attributes,  and 
such  only,  as  will  suit  our  depraved  taste; 
and  tiien  it  will  be  no  difficult  thing  to  fall 
down  and  worship  him  :  but  this  is  not  the 
love  of  God,  but  of  an  idol  of  our  own 
creating. 

The  principal  objections  to  the  Calvin- 
istic  system,  under  this  head,  are  taken 
from  the  four  following  topics  :  the  atone- 
ment ;  the  vindictive  character  of  God ; 
the  glory  of  God,  rather  than  the  happi- 
ness of  creatures,  being  his  last  end  in 
creation ;  and  the  worship  paid  to  Jesus 
Christ. 

First :  The  doctrine  of  atonement,  as  held 
by  the  Calvinists,  is  often  represented  by 
Dr.  Priestley  as  detracting  from  the  good- 
ness of  God,  and  as  inconsistent  with  his 
natural  placability.  He  seems  always  to 
consider  this  doctrine  as  originating  in  the 
want  of  love,  or  at  least,  of  a  sufficient 
degree  of  love ;  as  though  God  could  not 
find  in  his  heart  to  show  mercy  without  a 
price  being  paid  for  it.  "  Even  tlie  elect," 
says  he,  "  according  to  their  system,  can- 
not be  saved,  till  the  utmost  etfects  of  the 
divine  wrath  have  been  suffered  for  them 
by  an  innocent  person."*  Mr.  Jardine 
also,  l>y  the  title  which  he  has  given  to  his 
late  publication,  calling  it  "  The  unpur- 
chased Love  of  God,  in  the  Redemption  of 
the  World  by  Jesus  Christ,^''  suggests  the 
same  idea.  When  our  opponents  wish  to 
make  good  the  charge  of  our  ascribing  a 
natural  implacability  to  the  Divine  Being, 
it  is  common  for  them  either  to  describe 
pur  sentiments  in  their  own  language,  or, 
if  they  deign  to  quote  authorities,  it  is  not 

*  Diff.   Opin.  §  III. 


from  the  sober  discussions  of  prosaic  wri- 
ters, but  from  the  figurative  language  of 
poetry.  Mr.  Belsham  describes  "  the  for- 
midable chimera  of  our  imagination,  to 
which,"  he  says,  "  we  have  annexed  the 
name  of  God  the  Father,  as  a  merciless 
tyrant. "t  They  conceive  of  "God  the 
Father,"  says  Mr.  Lindsey,  "  always  with 
dread,  as  a  being  of  severe,  unrelenting 
justice,  revengeful,  and  inexorable,  with- 
out full  satisfaction  made  to  him  for  the 
breach  of  his  laws.  God  the  Son,  on  tlic 
other  hand,  is  looked  upon  as  made  up  of 
all  compassion  aiul  goodness,  interposing 
to  save  men  from  the  Father's  wratii,  and 
subjecting  himself  to  the  extremest  suffer- 
ings on  that  account."  For  proof"  of  this 
we  are  referred  to  the  poetry  of  Dr. 
Watts  ! — in  which  he  speaks  of  the  rich 
drops  of  Jesus'  blood,  that  calm'd  his 
frowning  face  J  that  sprinkled  o'er  the 
burning  throne,  and  turn'd  tlie  wrath  to 
grace  : — of  the  infant  Deity,  the  bleeding 
God,  and  of  heaven  appeased  ivith flowing 
blood.X 

On  this  subject,  a  Calvinist  might,  with- 
out presumption,  adopt  the  language  of  our 
Lord  to  the  Jews  :  "  I  honor  my  Father, 
and  ye  do  dishonor  me."  Nothing  can 
w  ell  be  a  greater  misrepresentation  of  our 
sentiments  than  this  which  is  constantly 
given.  These  writers  cannot  be  ignorant 
that  Calvinists  disavow  considering  the 
death  of  Christ  as  a  cause  of  divine  love, 
or  goodness.  On  the  contrary,  they  al- 
ways maintain  that  divine  love  is  the 
cause,  the  first  cause  of  our  salvation,  and 
of  the  death  of  Christ,  to  that  end.  They 
would  not  scruple  to  allow  that  God  had 
love  enough  in  his  heart  to  save  sinners 
without  the  death  of  his  Son,  had  it  been 
consistent  w  ith  righteousness  ;  but  that, 
as  receiving  them  to  favor  without  some 
public  expression  of  displeasure  against 
their  sin  would  have  been  a  dishonor  to 
his  government,  and  have  aflbrdcd  an  en- 
couragement for  others  to  follow  their  ex- 
ample, the  love  of  God  tvrought  in  a  way 
of  righteousness  :  first  giving  his  only  be- 
gotten Son  to  become  a  sacrifice,  and  then 
pouring  forth  all  the  fulness  of  his  heart 
through  that  appointed  medium.  The  in- 
capacity of  God  to  show  mercy  without  an 
atonement  is  no  other  than  that  of  a  right- 
eous governor,  who  whatever  good-will  he 
may  bear  to  an  offender,  cannot  admit  the 
thought  of  passing  by  the  offence,  without 
some  public  expression  of  his  displeasure 
against  it ;  that,  while  mercy  triumphs,  it 
may  not  be  at  the  expense  of  law  and 
equity,  and  of  the  general  good. 

t  Serm.  pp.    33 — 35. 
t  Apology,  4th  Ed.  p.  97. — and  Appendix  to  his 
Farewell  Sermon  at  Essex  Street,  p.  52. 


224 


LOVE    TO    GOD. 


So  far  as  I  understand  it,  this  is  the  light  justice  of  God  is  a  glorious  attribute."* 
in  which  Calvinists  consider  the  subject.  This,  however,  may  be  very  true,  and  vin- 
Now  judge,  brethren,  whether  this  view  of  dictive  justice  be  a  glorious  attribute  not- 
things  represent  the  Divine  Being  as  nat-    withstanding. 

urally  implacable, — whether  the  gift  of  I  believe  it  is  very  common  for  people, 
Christ  to  die  for  us  be  not  the  strongest  when  they  speak  of  vindictive  punishment, 
expression  of  the  contrary, — and  Avhether  to  mean  that  kind  of  punishment  which  is 
this,  or  the  system  which  it  opposes,  "  give  inflicted  from  a  wrathful  disposition,  or  a 
wrong  impressions  concerning  the  charac-  disposition  to  punish  for  the  pleasure  of 
ter  and  moral  government  of  God."  punishing.  Now,  if  this  be  the  meaning 
Nay,  I  appeal  to  your  own  hearts,  whether  of  our  opponents,  we  have  no  dispute  with 
that  way  of  saving  sinners  through  an  them.  We  do  not  suppose  the  Almighty 
atonement,  in  which  mercy  and  truth  meet  to  punish  sinners  for  the  sake  of  putting 
together,  righteousness  and  peace  em-  them  to  pain.  Neither  Scripture  nor  Cal- 
brace  each  other, — in  which  God  is  "just,  vinism  conveys  any  such  idea.  Vindictive 
and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  punishment,  as  it  is  here  defended,  stands 
Jesus," — do  not  endear  his  name  to  you  opposed  to  that  punishment,  which  is 
more  than  any  other  representation  of  him  merely  corrective  :  the  one  is  exercised 
that  was  ever  presented  to  your  minds,  for  the  good  of  the  party:  the  other  not 
Were  it  possible  for  your  souls  to  be  saved  so,  but  for  the  good  of  the  community, 
in  any  other  way — for  the  divine  law  to  be  Those  who  deny  this  last  to  be  amiable  in 
relaxed,  or  its  penalty  remitted,  without  God,  must  found  their  denial  either  on 
respect  to  an  atonement — would  there  not  Scripture  testimony  or  on  the  nature  and 
be  a  virtual  reflection  cast  upon  the  divine  fitness  of  things.  As  to  the  former,  the 
character!  Would  it  not  appear  as  if  Scriptures  will  hardly  be  supposed  to 
God  had  enacted  a  law  that  was  so  rigor-  represent  God  as  an  unamiable  being;  if, 
ous  as  to  require  a  repeal,  and  issued  therefore,  they  teach  that  vindictive  justice 
threatenings  which  he  was  obliged  to  re-  is  an  unamiable  attribute,  it  must  he  main- 
tract  ]  or,  at  least,  that  he  had  formed  a  tained  that  they  never  ascribe  that  attri- 
system  of  government  without  considering  bute  to  God.  But  with  what  color  of  evi- 
the  circumstances  in  which  his  subjects  dence  can  this  be  alleged  1  Surely  not 
would  be  involved — a  system  "  the  "Strict  from  such  language  as  the  following: 
execution  of  which  would  do  more  harm  "The  Lord  thy  God  is  a  consuming  fire, 
than  good;"  nay,  as  if  the  Almighty,  on  even  a  jealous  God."  "Our  God  is  a 
this  account,  were  ashamed  to  maintain  it,  consuming  fire."  God  is  jealous,  and  the 
and  yet  had  not  virtue  enough  to  acknow-  Lord  revengeth  ;  the  Lord  revcngeth,  and 
ledge  the  remission  to  be  an  act  oi  justice,  is  furious ;  the  Lord  will  take  vengeance 
but  must,  all  along,  call  it  by  the  npme  of  on  his  adversaries  ;  and  he  reserveth 
grace?  Would  not  the  thought  of  such  a  wrath  for  his  enemies."  "Who  can 
reflection  destroy  the  bliss  of  heaven,  and  stand  before  his  indignation  1  and  who  can 
stamp  such  an  impression  o{  meanness  up-  abide  in  the  fierceness  of  his  anger  1 — His 
on  that  character  whom  you  are  taught  to  fury  is  poured  out  like  fire."  "O  Lord 
adore,  as  would  almost  incapacitate  you  God,  to  whom  vengeance  belongeth :  O 
for  revering  or  loving  him  1  God  to  whom  vengeance  belongeth,  show 

It  is  farther  objected  that,  according  to  thyself!"  "  He  that  showeth  no  mercy 
the  Calvinistic  system,  God  is  a  vindictive  shall  have  judgment  without  mercy."  He 
being,  and  that,  as  such,  we  cannot  love  that  made  them  will  not  have  mercy  on 
him.  It  is  said  that  we  "represent  God  them,  and  he  that  formed  them  will  show 
in  such  a  light  that  no  earthly  parent  could  them  no  favor."  "For  we  know  him 
imitate  him,  witliout  sustaining  a  charac-  that  hath  said.  Vengeance  belongeth  unto 
ter  shocking  to  mankind."  That  there  is  me,  I  will  recompense,  saith  the  Lord." 
a  mixture  of  the  vindictive  in  the  Calvin-  "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands 
istic  system  is  allowed  :  but  let  it";  be  of  the  living  God."  "I  lift  up  my  hand 
closely  considered  whether  this  be  any  to  heaven,  and  say,  I  live  forever.  If  I 
disparagement  to  it.  Nay,  rather,  whether  whet  my  glittering  sword,  and  mine  hand 
it  be  not  necessary  to  its  perfection.  The  t^^e  hold  of  judgment,  I  will  render  ven- 
issue,  in  this  case,  entirely  depends  upon  geance  to  mine  enemies,  and  will  reward 
the  question  whether  vindictive  justice  be  them  that  hate  me."  "  The  angels  which 
in  itself  amiable.  If  it  be,  it  cannot  ren-  kept  not  their  first  estate — he  hath  re- 
der  any  system  unamiable.  "  We  are  served  in  everlasting  chains,  under  dark- 
neither  amused  nor  edified,"  says  a  writer  ness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day." 
in  the  Monthly  Review,  "  by  the  corusca-  "Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities 
tions  of  damnation.     Nor  can  we  by  any 

means  bring  ourselves    to   think,  with  the        *  Review  of    Edwards's  Thirty-three  Sermons, 
late   Mr.   Edwards,   that    the   vindictive   March,  1791. 


LOVE    TO   GOD. 


225 


aboul  them,  arc  set  forth  for  an  cxainplc, 
sufTeriiitj  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire." 
"  The  Lord  Jesus  sliall  he  revealed  Irom 
heaven,  witli  his  niiglity  an;j;els,  in  ilaniini:: 
fire,  takin'f  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  that  ol)ey  not  the  gospel  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  * 

As  to  ike.  nature  and  fitness  of  things, 
we  cannot  draw  any  conclusion  thence 
atrainst  the  loveliness  of  vindictive  justice, 
as  a  divine  attribute,  unless  the  thiny;  it- 
self can  be  proved  to  lie  unlovely.  But 
this  is  contrary  to  the  common  sense  and 
practice  of  mankind.  There  is  no  nation 
or  people  under  heaven  but  what  consider 
it,  in  various  cases,  as  both  necessary  and 
lovely.  It  is  true  they  would  despise  and 
abhor  a  magistrate  who  should  punish  be- 
yond desert,  or  who  should  avail  himself 
of  the  laws  of  his  country  to  gratify  his 
own  caprice,  or  his  private  revenge. 
This,  however,  is  not  vindictive  justice, 
but  manifest  injustice.  No  considerate 
citizen,  who  values  the  public  weal,  could 
blame  a  magistrate  for  putting  the  penal 
laws  of  his  country  so  far  in  execution  as 
should  be  necessary  for  the  true  honor  of 
good  government,  the  support  of  good  or- 
der, and  the  terror  of  wicked  men.  When 
the  inhabitants  of  Gibeah  requested  that 
the  Levite  might  be  lirought  out  to  them, 
that  they  might  know  him,  and,  on  their 
request  not  being  granted,  abused  and 
murdered  his  companion  ;  all  Israel,  as 
one  man,  not  only  condemned  the  action, 
but  called  upon  the  Benjamites  to  deliver 
up  the  criminals  to  justice.  Had  the  Ben- 
jamites complied  with  their  request,  and 
had  those  sons  of  Belial  been  put  to  death, 
not  for  their  own  good,  but  for  the  good 
of  the  community,  where  had  been  the  un- 
loveliness  of  the  procedure  1  On  the  con- 
trary, such  a  conduct  must  have  recom- 
mended itself  to  the  heart  of  every  friend 
of  righteousness  in  the  universe,  as  well 
as  have  prevented  the  shocking  effusion  of 
blood  which  followed  their  refusal.  Now, 
if  vindictive  justice  may  be  glorious  in  a 
human  government,  there  is  no  reason  to 
be  drawn  from  the  nature  and  fitness  of 
things  why  it  would  not  be  the  same  in  the 
divine  administration. 

But  the  idea  on  which  our  opponents 
love  principally  to  dwell  is  that  of  a  father. 
Hence  the  charge  that  we  "  represent  God 
in  such  a  light  that  no  earthly  parent 
could  imitate  him,  without  sustaining  a 
character  shocking  to  mankind."  This 
objection  comes  with  an  ill  erace  from 
Dr.  Priestley,  who  teaches  that  "  God 
is  the  author  of  sinj  and  may  do  evil, 
provided  it  be  with  a  view  that  good  may 

*  Dent.  iv.  Heb.  xii.  Nah.  i.  Ps.  xciv.  Ja.  ii. 
Is.  xxvii.  Ileb.  x.  Deut.  xxxii.  Jude.  2  Thes.  i. 


come."t  Is  not  this  representing  God  in 
such  a  light  that  no  one  could  imitate 
him,  without  sustaining  a  cliaractcr  shock- 
ing to  mankind  \  Whether  Dr.  Priestley's 
notions  on  this  sul)jcct  be  true,  or  not, 
it  is  true  that  God's  ways  are  so  much 
above  ours  that  it  is  unjust,  in  many 
cases,  to  measure  his  conduct  to  a  reljel- 
lious  world  by  that  of  a  father  to  his  chil- 
dren. 

In  this  matter,  however,  God  is  imita- 
ble.  We  have  seen  already  that  a  good 
magistrate,  who  may  justly  be  called  the 
father  of  his  people,  ought  not  to  i)e  un- 
der the  inlluence  of  blind  affection,  so  as, 
in  any  case,  to  show  mercy  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  public  good.  Nor  is  this  all : 
there  are  cases  in  which  a  jjarcnt  has 
been  obliged,  in  benevolence  to  his  fam- 
ily, and  from  a  concern  for  the  general 
good,  to  give  up  a  stubimrn  and  rebel- 
lious son,  to  bring  him  forth  with  his  own 
hands  to  the  elders  of  his  city,  and  there 
with  his  own  lips  bear  witness  against 
him;  such  witness,  too,  as  would  sulgect 
him  not  to  a  mere  salutary  correction, 
but  to  be  stoned  to  death  by  the  men  of 
his  city.  We  know  such  a  law  was  made 
in  Israel  ;t  and,  as  a  late  writer  observed 
upon  it,  such  a  law  "was  Avise  and 
good  :"§  it  was  calculated  to  enforce  in 
parents  an  early  and  careful  education  of 
their  children  ;  "and  if,  in  any  instance,  it 
was  executed,  it  w  as  that  all  Israel  might 
hear,  and  fear !  And  how  do  we  know 
but  thai  it  may  be  consistent  with  the 
good  of  the  whole  system,  yea,  necessary 
to  it,  that  some  of  the  rebellious  sons  of 
men  should,  in  company  with  apostate 
angels,  be  made  examples  of  divine  ven- 
geance ;  that  they  should  stand,  like  Lot's 
wife,  as  pillars  of  salt,  or  as  everlasting 
monuments  of  God's  displeasure  against 
sin  ;  and  that,  while  their  smoke  riseth 
up  forever  and  ever,  all  the  intelligent 
universe  should  hear,  and  fear,  and  do  no 
viore  so  wickedhj  '.  Indeed,  we  must  not 
only  know  that  this  may  be  the  case,  but, 
if  we  pay  any  regard  to  the  authority  of 
Scripture,  that  it  is  so.  If  words  have 
any  meaning,  this  is  the  idea  given  us  of  the 
"  angels  wliich  kept  not  their  first  estate," 
and  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah ;  who  are  said  to  be  "set  forth 
for  an  example,  suffering  the  vengeance  of 
eternal  fire." 

It  belongs  to  the  character  of  an  all- 
perfect  being,  who  is  the  moral  governor 
of  the  universe,  to  promote  the  good  of 
the  whole  ;  but  there  may  be  cases,  as  in 

t  Phil.  Nee.  pp.  117—121. 
tDeut.  xxi.  18—21. 
§Mr.  Robin.son,  in  liis  Sermon  to  the  Young  Peo- 
ple at  Willinghain. 


VOL.    1. 


29 


226 


LOVE    TO    GOD. 


human  governments,  wherein  the  general 
good  may  be  inconsistent  with  the  happi- 
ness of  particular  parts.  Tlie  case  of 
robbers,  of  murderers,  or  of  traitors, 
Avhose  lives  are  sacrificed  for  the  good  of 
society,  that  the  example  of  terror  af- 
forded by  their  deatli  may  counteract  the 
example  of  immorality  exhibited  by  their 
life,  is  no  detraction  from  the  benevo- 
lence of  a  government ;  but  rather  essen- 
tial to  it. 

But  how,  after  all,  can  we  love  such  a 
tremendous  being  1  I  answer,  A  capa- 
city to  resent  an  injury  is  not  always 
considered  as  a  blemish,  even  in  a  private 
character :  if  it  be  governed  by  justice, 
and  aimed  at  the  correction  of  evil,  it  is 
generally  allowed  to  be  commendable. 
We  do  not  esteem  the  favor  of  a  man,  if 
we  consider  him  as  incapable,  on  all  oc- 
casions, of  resentment.  We  should  call 
him  an  easy  soul,  who  is  kind,  merely 
because  he  has  not  sense  enough  to  feel 
an  insult.  But,  shall  we  allow  it  right 
and  fit  for  a  puny  mortal  thus  far  to 
know  his  own  worth,  and  assert  it;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  deny  it  to  the  great 
Supreme,  and  plead  for  his  being  insulted 
with  impunity  1 

God,  however,  in  the  punishment  of 
sin,  is  not  to  be  considered  as  acting  in  a 
merely  private  capacity,  but  as  the  univer- 
sal moral  governor ;  not  as  separate  from 
the  great  system  of  being,  but  as  connect- 
ed with  it,  or  as  the  head  and  guardian 
of  it.  Now,  in  this  relation,  vindictive 
justice  is  not  only  consistent  with  tlie 
loveliness  of  his  character,  but  essential 
to  it.  Capacity  and  inclination  to  pun- 
ish disorder  in  a  state  are  never  thought 
to  render  an  earthly  prince  less  lovely  in 
the  eyes  of  his  loyal  and  faithful  subjects, 
but  more  so.  That  temper  of  mind,  on 
the  contrary,  wliich  should  induce  him  to 
connive  at  rel^ellion,  however  it  might  go 
by  the  name  of  benevolence  and  mercy, 
would  be  accounted,  by  all  the  friends  of 
good  government,  injustice  to  the  public; 
and  lliose  who,  in  such  cases,  side  with 
the  disaffected,  and  plead  their  cause,  are 
generally  supposed  to  be  tainted  with  dis- 
affection themselves. 

A  third  objection  is  taken  fi'omthe  con- 
sideration of"  the  glory  of  God,  rather  than 
the  happiness  of  creatures,  being  his  last 
end  in  creation.  "  Those  who  assume  to 
themselves  the  distinguishing  title  of  or- 
thodox," says  Dr.  Priestley,  "consider 
the  Supreme  Being  as  having  created  all 
ih'mgs  for  his  glory,  and  by  no  means  for 
the  general  happiness  of  all  his  crea- 
tures."* If,  by  the  general  liappiness  of 
all  his  creatures,  Dr.  Priestley  means  the 

*  Diff.  Opin.  §  III. 


general  good  of  the  universe,  nothing  can 
be  more  unfair  than  this  representation. 
Those  Avho  are  called  orthodox  never  con- 
sider the  glory  of  God  as  being  at  variance 
with  the  happiness  of  creation  in  general, 
nor  with  that  of  any  part  of  it,  except 
those  who  have  revolted  from  the  divine 
government  :  nor,  if  we  regard  tlie  inter- 
vention of  a  Mediator,  with  theirs,  unless 
they  prove  finally  impenitent,  or,  as  Dr. 
Priestley  calls  them,  "  wilful  and  obsti- 
nate transgressors."  The  glory  of  God 
consists,  with  reference  to  the  present 
case,  in  doing  that  which  is  best  upon  the 
whole.  But  if,  by  the  general  happiness 
of  flZZhis  creatures,  he  means  to  include  the 
happiness  of  those  angels  who  kept  not 
their  first  estate,  and  of  tliose  men  who 
die  impenitent,  it  is  acknowledged  that 
what  is  called  the  orthodox  system  does 
by  no  means  consider  this  an  end  in  cre- 
ation, either  supreme  or  subordinate.  To 
suppose  that  the  happiness  of  all  crea- 
tures, whatever  might  be  their  future  con- 
duct, was  God's  ultimate  end  in  creation, 
(unless  Ave  could  imagine  him  to  be  disap- 
pointed with  respect  to  the  grand  end  he 
had  in  view,)  is  to  suppose  what  is  con- 
trary to  fact.  All  creatures,  we  are  cer- 
tain, are  not  happy  in  this  Avorld  ;  and,  if 
any  regard  is  to  be  paid  to  revelation,  all 
will  not  be  happy  in  the  next. 

If  it  be  alleged  that  a  portion  of  misery 
is  necessary  in  order  to  relish  happiness  ; 
that,  therefore,  the  miseries  of  the  present 
life,  upon  the  whole,  are  blessings ;  and 
that  the  miseries  threatened  in  the  life 
to  come  may  be  of  the  same  nature,  de- 
signed as  a  purgation,  by  means  of  wliich 
sinners  will  at  length  escape  the  second 
death  ; — it  is  replied.  All  the  miseries  of 
this  world  are  not  represented  as  blessings 
to  the  parties,  nor  even  all  the  good  things 
of  it.  The  drowning  of  Pharaoh,  for  in- 
stance, is  never  described  as  a  blessing 
to  him  ;  and  God  declared  that  he  had 
"  cursed  the  blessings  "  of  the  wicked 
priests,  in  the  days  of  the  prophet  Mal- 
achi.  "All  things,"  we  are  assured, 
"work  together  for  good;"  but  this  is 
confined  "  to  those  who  love  God,  and  are 
called  according  to  his  purpose."  As  to 
the  life  to  come,  if  the  miseries  belonging 
to  tiiat  state  be  merely  temporary  ancl 
purgative,  there  must  be  all  along  a  mix- 
ture of  love  and  mercy  in  them  ;  whereas 
the  language  of  Scripture  is,  "  He  that 
hath  showed  no  mercy  shall  have  judg- 
ment without  mercy  " — "  Tlie  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  God  will  be  poured  out  without 
mixture."  Nay,  such  misei'ies  must  not 
only  contain  a  mixture  of  love  and  mercy, 
but  they  themselves  must  be  the  effects 
and  expressions  of  love;  and  then  it  will 
follow  that  the  foreeroina;  lanstuage  of  lim- 


LOVE    TO    GOD. 


227 


itation  and  distinclion  (wliicli  is  fouiul  in- 
ileod  throUL'-hDiit  (lio  liil)lo)  is  of  no  ac- 
count ;  and  that  blossin-js  and  curses  are 
tlie  same  tilings.  Ur.  Priestley  himself 
speaks  of  ''the  laws  of  God  as  licing 
guarded  witli  awful  sanctions  ;"  and  says 
"that  God  will  inllexiMy  punish  all  wil- 
fvd  and  obstinate  transgressors."^  But 
how  can  that  he  called  an  awful  sanction 
which  oidy  subjects  a  man  to  such  misery 
as  is  necessary  lor  his  good  1  How,  at 
least,  can  that  be  accounted  injhwihle  pun- 
ishment in  which  the  Divine  Being  all 
along  aims  at  the  sinner's  hapj)incss  1  We 
miglit  as  well  call  the  operation  of  a  sur- 
geon in  amputating  a  mortilied  limb,  in 
order  to  save  the  patient's  life,  by  the 
name  of  inflexible  punishment,  as  those 
miseries  which  are  intended  for  the  good 
of  the  sinner.  If  that  be  their  end,  they 
arc,  strictly  speaking,  blessings,  though 
lilcssings  in  disguise  :  and,  in  that  case, 
as  Ur."  Edwards  in  his  ansAvev  to  Dr. 
Chauncy  has  fully  jtrovcd,  blessings  and 
curses  arc  in  effect  the  same  things. 

As  to  our  considering  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing as  having  created  all  things  for  his 
own  glorv,  I  hope  it  will  be  allowed  that 
the  Scriptures  seem,  at  least,  to  counte- 
nance sucii  an  idea.  They  teach  us  that 
"the  Lord  made  all  tliings/or  himself" — 
that  "  all  things  are  created  by  him,  and 
for  him."  He  is  expressly  said  to  have 
created  Israel  (and  if  Israel,  why  not 
others^) /or  his  glory.  Not  only  "of 
him,  and  through  him,"  but  "  to  him  are 
all  things."  Glory,  and  honor,  and  power, 
are  ascribed  to  him,  by  the  elders  and  the 
living  creatures;  for,  say  they,  "Thou 
hast  created  all  things  ;  and  for  thy  plea- 
sure they  are  and  were  created. "f 

But  farther,  and  what  is  more  imme- 
diately to  the  point,  I  hope  this  sentiment 
Avill  not  be  alleged  as  a  proof  of  our  want 
of  love  to  God ;  for  it  is  only  assigning 
him  the  supreme  place  in  the  system  of 
being;  and  Dr.  Priestley  himself  else- 
where speaks  of  "  the  love  of  God,  and  a 
regard  to  his  glory,"  as  the  same  thing. | 
One  should  think  those,  on  the  other  hand, 
who  assign  the  happiness  of  creatures  as 
God's  ultimate  end,  thereby  giving  him 
only  a  subordinate  place  in  the  system, 
could  not  allege  this  as  an  evidence  of  their 
love  to  him.  That  place  which  God  holds 
in  the  great  system  of  being  he  ought  to 
hold  in  our  afteclions  ;  for  we  are  not  re- 
quired to  love  him  in  a  greater  proportion 
than  the  place  w  hich  he  occupies  requires. 
If  it  were  otherwise,  our  affections  must 
move  in  a  preposterous  direction.      We 

*  Di(T.  Opin.  §  III. 
t  Prov.  xvi.   Col.  i.  lleb.  ii.  Isa.  xliii.  Rom.  xi. 
Rev.  iv.  t  Difl".  Opin.  §  1. 


ought,  therefore,  on  this  Rujiposition,  to 
love  ourselves,  our  own  happiness,  and 
the  hai)piness  of  our  fellow-creatures, 
more  than  God  ;  for  God  himself  is  sup- 
posed to  do  the  same.  But,  if  so,  the 
great  rule  of  human  actions  should  have 
been  dilferent.  Instead  of  recpiiring  love 
to  God  in  the  first  place,  with  all  our 
heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength,  and  then 
love  to  ourselves  and  our  neighbors,  it 
should  have  been  reversed.  The  song  of 
the  angels,  too,  instead  of  beginning  with 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,"  and  end- 
ing with  "  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will 
to  men,"  should  have  placed  the  last  first, 
and  the  first  last.  How  such  a  view  of 
things  can  tend  to  promote  the  love  of 
God,  unless  a  subordinate  place  in  our 
afl'ections  be  higher  than  the  supreme,  it 
is  difficult  to  conceive. 

The  great  God,  who  fills  heaven  and 
earth,  must  be  allowed  to  form  the  far 
greatest  proportion,  if  I  may  so  speak,  of 
the  whole  system  of  being  ;  for,  compared 
with  him,  ''  all  nations,"  yea,  all  worlds, 
"  are  but  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket,  or  as  the 
small  dust  of  the  balance."  He-  is  the 
source,  and  continual  support,  of  existence 
in  all  its  varied  forms.  As  tlie  great 
guardian  of  being  in  general,  therefore,  it 
is  fit  and  right  that  he  should,  in  the  first 
place,  guard  the  glory  of  his  own  charac- 
ter and  government.  Nor  can  this  be  to 
the  disadvantage  of  the  universe,  but  the 
contrary ;  as  it  will  appear,  if  it  be  con- 
sidered that  it  is  the  glory  of  God  to  do 
that  which  shall  be  best  upon  the  whole. 
The  glory  of  God,  therefore,  connects 
with  it  the  general  good  of  the  created 
system,  and  of  all  its  pans,  except  those 
whose  welfare  clashes  with  the  welfare  of 
the  whole. 

If  it  were  otherwise,  if  the  happiness  of 
all  creatures  were  the  great  end  that  God 
from  the  beginning  had  in  view,  then, 
doubtless,  in  order  that  this  end  might  be 
accomplished,  every  thing  else  must,  as 
occasion  required,  give  way  to  it.  The 
glory  of  his  own  character,  occupying  on- 
ly a  subordinate  place  in  the  system,  if 
ever  it  should  stand  in  the  way  of  that 
which  is  supreme,  must  give  place,  among 
other  things.  And,  if  God  have  consented 
to  all  this,  it  must  be  because  the  happi^ 
ness,  not  only  of  creation  in  general,  ])ut 
of  every  individual,  is  an  object  of  the 
gi-eatest  magnitude,  and  most  fit  to  be  cho- 
sen :  that  is,  it  is  better,  and  more  worthy 
of  God,  as  the  Governor  of  the  universe, 
to  give  up  his  character  for  jjurity,  equity, 
wisdom,  and  veracity,  and  to  become  vile 
and  contemptible  in  the  eyes  of  his  crea- 
tures— it  is  l)ctter  that  the  bands  which 
bind  all  holy  intelligences  tohimshoulil  be 
broken,  and  the  cords  whicli  hold  together 


228 


LOVE    TO    GOD- 


the  whole  moral  sy«5tem  be  cast  away — 
than  that  the  happiness  of  a  creature 
should,  in  any  instance,  be  given  up ! 
Judge,  ye  friends  of  God,  does  this  con- 
sist with  "  the  most  perfect  veneration  for 
the  divine  character  1" 

Once  more  :  It  seems  to  be  generally 
supposed,  by  our  opponents,  that  the  wor- 
ship we  pay  to  Christ  tends  to  divide  our 
hearts ;  and  that,  in  proportion  as  we 
adore  him,  we  detract  from  the  essential 
glory  of  the  Father.  In  this  view,  there- 
fore, they  reckon  themselves  to  exercise 
a  greater  veneration  for  God  than  we.  But 
it  is  worthy  of  notice,  and  particularly  the 
serious  notice  of  our  opponents,  that  it  is 
no  new  thing  for  an  opposition  to  Christ 
to  be  carried  on  under  the  plea  of  love  to 
God.  This  was  the  very  plea  of  the  Jews, 
when  they  took  up  stones  to  stone  him. 
"  For  a  good  work,"  said  they,  "  we  stone 
thee  not ;  but  for  that  thou,  being  a  man, 
makest  thyself  God."  They  very  much 
prided  themselves  in  their  God  j  and,  un- 
der the  influence  of  that  spirit,  constantly 
rejected  the  Lord  Jesus.  "  Thou  art  call- 
ed a  Jew,  and  makest  thy  boast  of  God.'" 
—"We  be  not  born  of  fornication;  we 
have  one  Father,  even  God." — "  Give 
God  the  praise  :  we  know  that  this  man  is 
a  sinner."  It  was  under  the  pretext  of 
zeal  and  friendship  for  God  that  they  at 
last  put  him  to  deatli  as  a  blasphemer. 
But  what  kind  of  zeal  was  this  ;  and  in 
what  manner  did  Jesus  treat  it  1  "  If  God 
were  your  Father,"  said  he,  "ye  would 
love  me." — "  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth 
God's  words."— "It  is  my  Father  that 
honoreth  me,  of  whom  ye  say  that  he  is 
your  God;  yet  ye  have  not  known  him." 
— "  I  know  you,  that  you  have  not  the  love 
of  God  in  you." 

Again  :  The  primitive  Christians  will 
be  allowed  to  have  loved  God  aright ;  yet 
they  worshiped  Jesus  Christ.  Not  only 
did  the  martyr  Stephen  close  his  life  by 
committing  his  departing  spirit  into  the 
hands  of  Jesus,  but  it  was  the  common 
practice,  in  primitive  times,  to  invoke  his 
name.  "  He  hath  authority,"  said  Anani- 
as concerning  Saul,  to  bind  "  all  that  call 
'  on  thy  name."  One  part  of  the  christian 
mission  was  to  declare  that  "  whosoever 
should  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  should 
be  saved;"  even  of  that  Lord  of  whom 
the  Gentiles  had  not  heard.  Paul  address- 
ed himself  "  to  all  that  in  every  place  call- 
ed upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ." 
These  modes  of  expression  (which,  if  I  be 
not  gi-eatly  mistaken,  always  signify  divine 


worship)  plainly  inform  us  that  it  was  not 
merely  the  practice  of  a  few  individuals, 
but  of  the  great  body  of  the  primitive 
Christians,  to  invoke  the  name  of  Christ ; 
nay,  and  that  this  was  a  mark  by  which 
they  were  distinguished  as  Christians.* 

Farther :  It  ought  to  be  considered 
that,  in  worshiping  the  Son  of  God,  we 
worship  him  not  on  account  of  that 
wherein  he  differs  from  the  Father,  but 
on  account  of  those  perfections  which  we 
believe  him  to  possess  in  common  with 
him.  This,  with  the  consideration  tliat 
we  worship  him  not  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  Father,  any  more  than  the  Father  to 
the  exclusion  of  him,  but  as  one  with 
him,  removes  all  apprehensions  from  our 
minds  that,  in  ascribing  glory  to  the  one, 
we  detract  from  that  of  the  other.  Nor 
can  we  tliink  but  that  these  ideas  are 
confirmed,  and  the  weight  of  the  objec- 
tion removed,  by  those  declarations  of 
Scripture  where  the  Father  and  the  Son 
are  represented  as  being  in  such  union 
that  "he  who  hath  seen  the  one  hath 
seen  the  other;"  and  "  he  who  honoreth 
the  one  honoreth  the  other;"  yea,  that 
"he  who  honoreth  not  the  Son  honoreth 
not  the  Father  who  sent  him."f 

It  might  fairly  be  argued,  in  favor  of 
the  tendency  of  Calvinistic  doctrines  to 
promote  the  love  of  God,  that,  upon  those 
principles,  we  have  more  to  love  him  for 
than  upon  the  other.  On  this  system, 
we  have  much  to  be  forgiven  ;  and,  there- 
fore, love  much.  The  expense  at  Avhich 
our  salvation  has  been  obtained,  as  we 
believe,  furnislies  us  with  a  motive  of 
love  to  which  nothing  can  be  compared. 
But  this  I  shall  refer  to  another  place ;]: 
and  conclude  with  reminding  you  that, 
notwithstanding  Dr.  Priestley  loads  Cal- 
vinistic principles  with  such  heavy  charges 
as  those  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of 
this  Letter,  yet  he  elsewhere  acknowl- 
edges them  to  be  "generally  favorable  to 
that  leading  virtue,  devotion;"  which,  in 
effect,  is  acknowledging  them  to  be  favor- 
able to  the  love  of  God. 

*  Acts  ix.  14,  compared  with  ver.  17.  Rom.  x. 
11—14.     1  Cor.  i.  2. 

t  Jolin  xiv.  7 — 9 ;  ver.  23.  The  reader  may  see 
this  subject  ably  urged  by  Mr.  Scott,  in  his  "  Essays 
on  the  most  Important  Subjects  of  Rehgion,"  1st 
Edit.  No.  VII.  pp.  96,  97.  Tiiese  Essays  are  of  a 
piece  with  the  other  productions  of  that  judicious 
writer;  and,  though  small,  and,  for  the  convenience 
of  the  poor,  sold  for  one  penny  each,  contain  a  fund 
of  solid,  rational,  and  scriptural  divinity. 
i  Letter  XIV. 


ON    CANDOR    AND    RENEVOLENCE. 


229 


LETTER  VIII. 

ON    CANDOR   AND    BENEVOLENCE    TO 
MEN. 

You  recollect  that  the  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem stands  charircd  by  Dr.  Priestley  with 
beius;  inconsistent,  not  only  with  a  ])er- 
fcct  veneration  oi"  the  divine  character, 
but  with  "perfect  candor  and  benevo- 
lence to  man." 

This,  it  must  be  owned,  has  often  been 
objected  to  the  Calvinists.  Their  views 
of  things  have  been  supposed  to  render 
them  sour  and  ill-natured  towards  those 
who  dilTer  from  them.  Cliarity,  candor, 
benevolence,  liberality,  and  the  like,  are 
virtues  to  which  the  Socinians,  on  the 
other  hand,  lay  almost  an  exclusive 
claim.  And  such  a  weight  do  they  give 
these  virtues,  in  the  scale  of  morality, 
that  they  conceive  themselves,  "upon  the 
whole,  even  allowing  that  they  have  more 
of  an  apparent  conformity  to  the  world 
than  the  Trinitarians,  to  api)roach  nearer 
to  the  proper  temper  of  Christianity  than 
they."* 

I  shall  not  go  about  to  vindicate  Cal- 
vinists, any  farther  than  I  conceive  their 
spirit  and  conduct  to  admit  of  a  fair  vin- 
dication; liut  I  am  satisfied  that,  if  things 
be  closely  examined,  it  will  i)e  found  that 
a  great  deal  of  what  our  opponents  attri- 
bute to  themselves  is  not  benevolence,  or 
candor;  and  that  a  great  deal  of  what 
they  attribute  to  us  is  not  owing  to  the 
want  of  either. 

Respecting  benevolence,  or  good  xoill  to 
men,  in  order  to  be  genuine,  it  must  con- 
sist with  love  to  God.  There  is  such  a 
thing  as  partiality  to  men,  with  respect  to 
the  points  in  which  they  and  their  Maker 
ere  at  Variance  :  but  this  is  not  benevo- 
lence. Partiality  to  a  criminal  at  the  bar 
might  induce  us  to  pity  him,  so  far  as  to 
plead  in  extenuation  of  his  guilt,  and  to 
endeavor  to  bring  him  off  from  the  just 
punishment  of  the  laws  :  but  this  would 
not  be  benevolence.  There  must  be  a 
rectitude  in  our  actions  and  affections,  to 
render  them  truly  virtuous.  Regard  to 
the  public  good  must  keep  pace  with 
compassion  to  the  miseral)le ;  else  the 
latter  will  degenerate  into  vice,  and  lead 
us  to  be  "partakers  of  other  men's  sins." 
Whatever  pretences  may  be  made  to 
devotion,  or  love  to  God,  we  never  admit 
them  to  be  real,  unless  accompanied  with 
love  to  men ;  neither  should  any  pretence 
of  love  to  men  be  admitted  as  genuine, 

*  Disc.  Var.  Stib,  p.  100, 


unless  it  be  accompanied  with  love  to 
God.  Each  of  these  virtues  is  consid- 
ered in  the  Scri})tures  as  an  evidence  of 
the  other.  "  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God, 
and  hatcth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar." — 
"By  this  we  know  that  we  love  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  when  we  love  God,  and 
keep  his  commandments." 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  partiality  to 
men,  as  observed   before,  with  respect  to 
the  points  in  which  they  and  their  Maker 
are  at  variance ;  leaning  to  those  notions 
that  rci)resent   their  sin  as  comjjaralively 
little,  and  their  repentance  and  obedience 
as  a  balance  against  it;  speaking  smooth 
things,    and    affording    intimations     that, 
without  an  atonement,  nay,  even  without 
repentance   in  this  life,  all  will  be  well  at 
last.     But  if  it  should  prove  that  God  is 
wholly  in  the  right,  and   man  wholly   in 
the  wrong — that  sin  is  exceedingly  sinful 
— that  we  all  deserve  to  lie  punished  with 
everlasting  destruction  from  the  jjresence 
of  the  Lord — and  that,  if  we  be  not  inter- 
ested   in   the    atonement    of  Christ,    this 
punishment  must  actually  take  place  :  if 
these  things,  I  say,  should  at  last  prove 
true,  then  all  such  notions  as  have  llat- 
tered   the    pride    of  men,    and    cherished 
their  presumption,  instead  of  being  hon- 
ored   with    tlie    epithets    of    liberal    and 
benevolent,   will    be   called   by   very   dif- 
ferent names.      The  jirinces   and   people 
of    Judali    would,    doubtless,    be    apt    to 
think  the  sentiments  taught  by  Hananiah, 
wlio  prophesied  smooth  things  concerning 
them,  much  more  benevolent  and  liberal 
than    those    of  Jeremiah,   who    generally 
came  with  heavy  tidings  ;  yet  true  benev- 
olence existed  only  in  the  latier.     Wheth- 
er the  complexion  of  the  whole  system 
of  our  opponents  do  not  resemble  that  of 
the  false  prophets,  who  prophesied  smooth 
things,  and  healed  the  hurt  of  the  daughter 
oj  Israel  slightly,   crying,  Peace,  peace; 
ivhen  there  icas  no  peace ;    and  whether 
their  objections  to  our  views  of  things  be 
not  the  same  for  substance  as  might  have 
been  made  to  the  true  prophets  ;  let  all 
who   wish    to   know    the    truth,   however 
ungi-ateful  it  may  be  to  flesh  and  blood, 
decide. 

A  great  deal  of  what  is  called  candor 
and  benevolence  among  Socinians  is  noth- 
ing else  but  indifference  to  all  religious 
principle.  "  If  we  could  be  so  happy," 
says  Dr.  Priestley,  "  as  to  believe  that 
there  are  no  errors  but  what  men  may  be 
so  circumstanced  as  to  be  innocently 
betrayed  into,  that  any  mistake  of  the 
head  is  very  consistent  with  rectitude  of 
heart,  and  that  all  differences  in  modes 
of  worship  may  be  only  the  different 
methods  by  which  different  men  (who  are 
equally  the  offspring  of  God)  are  endea- 


2^0 


ON    CANDOR    AND    BENEVOLENCE. 


voring  to  honor  and  obey  their  common 
parent,  our  differences  of"  opinion  woukl 
have  no  tendency  to  lessen  our  mutual 
love  and  esteem."*  This  is,  manifestly, 
no  other  than  indifference  to  all  religious 
principle.  Such  an  indifference,  it  is 
allowed,  would  jiroduce  a  temper  of  mind 
which  Dr.  Priestley  calls  candor  and 
benevolence;  Init  which,  in  fact,  is  nei- 
ther the  one  nor  the  other.  Benevolence 
is  good  will  to  men:  but  good  Avill  to  men 
is  very  distinct  from  a  good  opinion  of 
their  princij)les  or  their  practices — so  dis- 
tinct tiiat  the  former  may  exist  in  all  its 
force,  without  the  least  degree  of  the 
latter.  Our  Lord  thought  very  ill  of  the 
principles  and  practices  of  the  people  of 
Jerusalem;  yet  he  "beheld  the  city  and 
wept  over  it."  This  was  genuine  benev- 
olence. 

Benevolence  is  a  very  distinct  thing 
from  complacency ,  or  esteem.  These  are 
founded  on  an  approbation  of  character  : 
the  other  is  not.  I  am  bound  by  the  law 
of  love  to  bear  good  will  to  men,  as  crea- 
tures of  God,  and  as  fellow-creatures,  so 
as,  by  every  means  in  my  power,  to  pro- 
mote their  welfare,  both  as  to  this  life  and 
that  which  is  to  come ;  and  all  this,  let 
their  character  be  what  it  may.  I  am 
bound  to  esteem  every  person  for  that  in 
him  which  is  truly  amiable,  be  he  a  friend 
or  an  enemy,  and  to  put  the  best  con- 
struction upon  his  actions  that  truth  will 
admit ;  but  no  law  obliges  me  to  esteem 
a  person  repecting  those  things  which  I 
have  reason  to  consider  as  erroneous  or 
vicious.  I  may  pity  him,  and  ought  to 
do  so ;  but  to  esteem  him,  in  those  re- 
spects, would  be  contrary  to  the  love  of 
both  God  and  man.  Indifference  to  reli- 
gious principle,  it  is  acknowledged,  will 
promote  such  esteem.  Under  the  influ- 
ence of  that  indifference,  we  may  form  a 
good  ojiinion  of  various  characters,  which, 
otherwise,  we  should  not  do ;  but  the 
question  is.  Would  that  esteem  be  right, 
or  amiable  1  On  the  contrary,  if  religious 
principle  of  any  kind  should  be  found 
necessary  to  salvation,  and  if  benevolence 
consist  in  that  good  will  to  men  which 
leads  us  to  promote  their  real  welfare,  it 
must  contradict  it ;  for  the  welfare  of 
men  is  promoted  by  speaking  the  truth 
concerning  them.  I  might  say.  If  we 
could  be  so  happy  as  to  think  virtue  and 
vice  indifferent  things,  we  should  then 
possess  a  far  greater  degree  of  esteem  for 
some  men  than  we  now  do ;  but  would 
such  a  kind  of  esteem  be  right,  or  of  any 
use  either  to  ourselves  or  them  1 

Candor,  as  it  relates  to  the  treatment 
of  an  adversary,  is  that  temper  of  mind 

*  Diff.  Opiu.  §  XL 


which  will  induce  us  to  treat  him  openly, 
fairly,  and  ingenuously ;  granting  him 
every  thing  that  can  be  granted  consis- 
tently with  truth,  and  entertaining  the 
most  favorable  opinion  of  his  character 
and  conduct  that  justice  will  admit.  But 
what  has  all  this  to  do  with  indifference 
to  religious  principle,  as  to  matters  of 
salvation  1  Is  there  no  such  thing  as 
treating  a  person  with  fairness,  openness, 
and  generosity,  while  we  entertain  a  very 
ill  opinion  of  his  principles,  and  have  the 
most  painful  apprehensions  as  to  the 
danger  of  his  state  1  Let  our  opponents 
name  a  more  candid  writer  of  controversy 
than  President  Edwards  ;  yet  he  considered 
many  of  the  sentiments  against  which  he 
wrote  as  destructive  to  the  souls  of  men, 
and  those  who  held  them  as  being  in  a 
dangerous  situation. 

As  a  great  deal  of  what  is  called  candor 
and  benevolence  among  Socinians  is  mere- 
ly the  effect  of  indifi'erence  to  religious 
principle,  so  a  great  deal  of  that  in  Cal- 
vinists,  for  which  they  are  accused  of  tlie 
want  of  these  virtues,  is  no  other  than  a 
serious  attachment  to  what  they  account 
divine  truth,  and  a  serious  disapprobation 
of  sentiments  which  they  deem  subversive 
of  it.  Now,  surely,  neither  of  these 
things  is  inconsistent  with  either  candor 
or  benevolence  :  if  it  be,  however,  Jesus 
Christ  and  his  apostles  are  involved  in  the 
guilt,  equally  with  the  Calvinists.  They 
cultivated  such  an  attachment  to  religious 
principle  as  to  be  in  real  earnest  in  the 
promotion  of  it,  and  constantly  repre- 
sented the  knowledge  and  belief  of  it  as 
necessary  to  eternal  '  life.  "Ye  shall 
know  the  truth,"  said  Christ,  "  and  the 
truth  shall  make  you  free." — "  This  is 
life  eternal,  to  know  thee,  the  only  true 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast 
sent." — "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
hath  everlasting  life  ;  and  he  that  believ- 
eth not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  They 
also  constantly  discovered  a  marked  dis- 
approbation of  those  sentiments  which 
tended  to  introduce  "  another  gospel,"  so 
far  as  to  declare  that  man  accvused  Avho 
should  propagate  them.  They  considered 
false  principles  as  pernicious  and  destruc- 
tive to  the  souls  of  men.  "  If  ye  believe 
not  that  I  am  he,"  said  Christ  to  the  Jews, 
"  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins" — "  and  whith- 
er I  go  ye  cannot  come."  To  the  Gala- 
tians,  who  did  not  fully  reject  Christian- 
ity, but  in  the  matter  of  justification  were 
for  uniting  the  works  of  the  law  with  the 
grace  of  the  gospel,  Paul  testified,  say- 
ing, "  If  ye  be  circumcised,  Christ  shall 
profit  you  nothing." 

Had  the  apostle  Paul  considered  "all 
the  ditfereut  modes   of  worship  as   what 


ON    CANDOR    AND    BENEVOLENCE. 


231 


rniirht  I'o  only  llic  (lifToiont  methods  of 
dili'ercnt  men,  endeavoring  to  honor  and 
obey  llieir  common  parent,"  he  wouhl 
not  liave  ielt  "  his  spirit  stirred  in  him" 
wlien  he  saw  the  city  of  Athens  wholly 
given  to  idolatry  :  at  least  he  would  not 
have  addressed  idolaters  in  such  strong 
language  as  he  did,  "  preaching  to  litem 
that  they  should  turn  fnun  these  vanities 
unto  the  living  God."  Paul  considered 
them  as  having  l)ecn  all  their  life  employed, 
not  in  worshiping  the  living  God,  only 
in  a  mode  ditrerent  from  otliers,  i)ut  mere 
vanities.  Nor  did  he  consider  it  as  a 
"  mere  mistake  of  tlic  liead,  into  which 
they  might  have  l)een  innocently  betray- 
ed ;"  but  as  a  sin,  for  which  tliey  were 
icitlinnt  excuse,  (Rom.  i.  20,)  a  sin,  for 
which  he  called  upon  them,  in  the  name 
of  the  living  God,  to  repent. 

Now,  if  candor  and  benevolence  be 
christian  virtues,  which  they  doubtless 
are,  one  should  think  they  must  consist 
with  tlic  practice  of  Christ  and  his  ajjos- 
tles.  But,  if  this  be  allowed,  the  main 
ground  on  which  Calvinists  are  censured 
w  ill  be  removed  ;  and  the  candor  for 
which  their  opponents  plead  must  appear 
to  Ix;  spurious,  and  foreign  to  the  genuine 
spirit  of  Christianity. 

Candor  and  benevolence,  as  christian 
virtues,  must  also  consist  with  each  other  ; 
but  the  candor  of  Socinians  is  destruc- 
tive of  benevolence,  as  exemplified  in  the 
Scriptures.  Benevolence  in  Ciuist  and 
his  apostles  extended  not  merely,  nor 
mainly,  to  the  bodies  of  men,  but  to  their 
souls  ;  nor  did  they  think  so  favorably  of 
mankind  as  to  desist  from  warning  and 
alarming  them,  but  the  reverse.  They 
viewed  the  whole  world  as  "lying  in 
wickedness," — in  a  perishing  condition  ; 
and  hazarded  the  loss  of  every  earthly 
enjoyment  to  rescue  them  from  it,  as  from 
the  jaws  of  destruction.  But  it  is  easy  to 
perceive  that,  in  jtroportion  to  the  influ- 
ence of  Socinian  candor  upon  us,  we  shall 
consider  mankind,  even  the  heatlicns,  as 
a  race  of  virtuous  beings,  all  worshiping 
the  great  Father  of  creation,  only  in  dif- 
ferent modes.  Our  concern  for  their  sal- 
vation will  consequently  abate,  and  we 
shall  become  so  inditferent  respecting  it 
as  never  to  take  any  consideral)le  pains 
for  their  conversion.  This,  indeed,  is 
the  very  truth  with  regard  to  Socinians. 
They  discover,  in  general,  no  manner  of 
concern  for  the  salvation  of  either  heath- 
ens abroad  or  profligates  at  liorne.  Their 
candor  supplies  the  place  of  this  species 
of  Ijenevolence,  and  not  unfrequently  ex- 
cites a  scornful  smile  at  the  conduct  of 
those  who  exercise  it. 

The   difference   between   our  circum- 
stances and  those  of  Christ  and  his   apos- 


tles, who  were  divinely  inspired,  however 
much  it  ought  to  deter  us  from  passing 
judgment  upon  the  hearts  of  indisiduals, 
ought  not  to  make  us  think  tliat  every 
motle  of  worship  is  equally  safe,  or  tiiat 
religious  principle  is  indiflerent  as  to  the 
affairs  of  salvation  ;  for  this  would  be  to 
consider  as  false  what,  by  divine  inspira- 
tion, they  taught  as  true. 

Let  us  come  to  matters  of  fact.  Mr. 
Belshain  does  not  deny  that  Calvinists 
may  be  "pious,  candid,  and  lienevolcnt ;" 
but  he  tiiinks  they  would  have  been  more 
so  if  they  had  been  Socinians.  "They, 
and  there  are  many  such,"  says  he, 
"  who  arc  sincerely  pious,  and  dilTuse- 
ly  benevolent  with  these  jtrinciples,  could 
not  have  failed  to  have  been  much  l)elter, 
and  much  ha[)j)ier,  had  they  adopted  a 
milder,  a  more  rational,  a  more  truly 
evangelical  creed."  Ser.  p.  30.  Now, 
if  this  be  indeed  the  case,  one  might  ex- 
pect that  the  most  perfect  examples  of 
these  virtues  are  not  to  be  looked  for 
among  us,  but  among  our  opponents  :  and 
yet  it  may  be  questioned  whether  they 
will  pretend  to  more  perfect  examples  of 
piety,  candor,  or  benevolence,  than  arc 
to  be  found  in  the  characters  of  a  Hale, 
a  FuANCK,  a  Braixekd,  an  Edwards, 
a  Whitefield,  a  Thorxtox,  and  a 
Howard,  (to  say  nothing  of  the  living,) 
.whose  lives  were  spent  in  doing  good  to 
the  souls  and  bodies  of  men ;  and  who 
lived  and  died  depending  on  the  atoning 
blood  and  justifying  righteousness  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  last  of  these 
great  men,  in  whom  his  country  glories, 
and  who  is  justly  considered  as  the  mar- 
tyr of  humanity,  is  said  thus  to  have  ex- 
pressed himself,  at  the  close  of  his  last 
will  and  testament:  "My  immortal  spirit 
I  cast  on  the  sovereign  mercy  of  God, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  Lord  of 
my  strength,  and,  I  trust,  is  become  my 
salvation."  He  is  said  also  to  have  given 
orders  for  a  plain  neat  stone  to  lie  placed 
upon  his  grave,  with  this  inscription, 
".Syjcs  mea  Christus ;"  Christ  is  my 
Hope  ! 

We  are  often  reminded  of  thc~persecu- 
ting  spirit  of  Trinitarians,  and  particular- 
ly of  Calvin  toward  Servetus.  This  ex- 
ample has  been  long  held  up  by  our  oppo- 
nents, not  only  as  a  proof  of  his  cruel  dis- 
position, and  odious  character,  but  as  if  it' 
were  sufficient  to  determine  w  hat  must  be 
the  turn  and  spirit  of  Calvinists  in  general. 
But,  supposing  the  case  to  which  tliey  ap- 
peal were  allowed  to  prove  the  cruelty  of 
Calvin's  disposition — nay,  that  he  was,  on 
the  whole,  a  wicked  man,  destitute  both 
of  religion  and  humanity — what  would  all 
this  prove  as  to  the  tendency  of  the  sys- 
tem that  happened  to  be  called  after  his 


232 


ON    CANDOR   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 


name,  but  which  is  allowed  to  have  ex- 
isted long  before  he  was  born  1  We  re- 
gard what  no  man  did  or  taught  as  oracu- 
lar, unless  he  could  prove  himself  divine- 
ly inspired,;  to  wliich  Calvin  never  pre- 
tended. Far  be  it  from  us  to  vindicate 
him,  or  any  other  man,  in  the  business  of 
persecution.  We  abhor  every  thing  of  the 
kind,  as  much  as  ova- opponents.  Though 
the  principles  for  which  he  contended  ap- 
pear to  us,  in  the  main,  to  be  just;  yet 
the  weapons  of  his  warfare,  in  this  in- 
stance, were  carnal. 

It  ought,  however,  to  be  acknowledged, 
on  the  other  side,  (and,  if  our  opponents 
possessed  all  the  candor  to  which  they 
pretend,  they  would  in  tliis,  as  well  as  in 
other  cases,  acknowledge,)  that  persecu- 
tion for  religious  principles  was  not  at 
that  time  peculiar  to  any  party  of  Chris- 
tians ,  but  common  to  all,  whenever  they 
were  invested  with  civil  power.  It  was 
an  error,  and  a  detestable  one  ;  but  it  was 
the  error  of  the  age.  They  looked  upon 
heresy  in  the  same  light  as  we  look  upon 
those  crimes  which  are  inimical  to  the 
peace  of  civil  society ;  and,  accordingly 
proceeded  to  punish  heretics  by  the  sword 
of  the  civil  magistrate.  If  Socinians  did 
not  persecute  their  adversaries  so  much  as 
Trinitarians,  it  was  because  tliey  were 
not  equally  invested  with  the  power  of  do- 
ing so.  Mr.  Lindsey  acknowledges  that 
Faustus  .S'ocinns  himself  was  not  free  from 
persecution,  in  the  case  of  Francis  Da- 
vides,  superintendent  of  the  Unitarian 
churches  in  Transylvania.  Davides  had 
disputed  with  Socinus  on  the  invocation 
of  Christ,  and  "  died  in  prison  in  conse- 
quence of  his  opinion,  and  'some  offence 
taken  at  his  supposed  indiscreet  propaga- 
tion of  it  from  the  pulpit.  I  wish  I  could 
say,"  adds  Mr.  Lindsey,  "that  Socinus, 
or  his  friend  Blandrata,  had  done  all  in 
their  power  to  prevent  his  commitment,  or 
procure  his  release  afterwards."  The 
difference  between  Socinus  and  Davides 
was  very  slight.  They  both  held  Christ 
to  be  a  mere  man.  The  former,  however, 
was  for  praying  to  him;  which  the  latter, 
with  much  greater  consistency,  disap- 
proved. Considering  this,  the  persecu- 
tion to  which  Socinus  was  accessary  was 
as  great  as  that  of  Calvin ;  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  think  but  that,  if  Davides  had 
differed  as  much  from  Socinus  as  Servetus 
did  from  Calvin,  and  if  the  civil  magis- 
trates had  been  for  burning  him,  Socinus 
would  have  concurred  with  them.  To 
this  might  be  added  that  the  conduct  of 
Socinus  was  marked  with  disingenuitij,  in 
that  he  considered  the  opinion  of  Davi- 
des in  no  very  heinous  point  of  light,  but 
was  afraid  of  increasing  the  odium  under 


which  he  and  his  party  already  lay  among 
other  christian  churches.* 

Mr.  Robinson  in  his  Ecclesiastical  Re- 
searches, has  given  an  account  of  both 
these  persecutions  :  but  it  is  easy  to  per- 
ceive the  prejudice  under  which  he  wrote. 
He  evidently  inclines  to  extenuate  the 
conduct  of  Socinus,  while  he  includes 
every  possible  circumstance  that  can  in 
any  manner  blacken  the  memory  of  Cal- 
vin. Whatever  regard  we  may  bear  to 
the  latter,  I  am  persuaded  we  should  not 
wish  to  extenuate  his  conduct  in  the  per- 
secution of  Servetus,  or  to  represent  it  in 
softer  terms,  nor  yet  so  soft,  as  Mr.  Rob- 
inson has  represented  that  of  the  former 
in  the  pei'secution  of  Davides. 

We  do  not  accuse  Socinianism  of  being 
a  persecuting  system,  on  account  of  this 
instance  of  misconduct  in  Socinus ;  nor  is 
it  any  proof  of  the  superior  candor  of  our 
opponents  that  they  are  continually  acting 
the  very  reverse  towards  us.  As  a.  Bap- 
tist, I  might  indulge  resentment  against 
Cranmer,  who  caused  some  of  that  de- 
nomination to  lie  burned  alive  :  yet  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  from  all  that  I  have  read 
of  Cranmer,  that,  notwithstanding  his  con- 
duct in  those  instances,  he  was,  upon  the 
whole,  of  an  amiable  disposition.  Though 
he  held  with  Paedobaptism,  and  in  this 
manner  defended  it,  yet  I  should  never 
think  of  imputing  a  spirit  of  persecution  to 
Paedobaptists  in  general,  or  of  charging 
their  sentiment,  in  that  particular,  with 
being  of  a  persecuting  tendency.  It  Avas 
the  opinion  that  erroneous  religious  prin- 
ciples are  punishable  by  the  civil  magis- 
trate that  did  the  mischief,  whether  at 
Geneva,  in  Transylvania,  or  in  Britain ; 
and  to  this,  rather  than  to  Trinitarianism, 
or  to  Unitarianism,  it  ought  to  be  im- 
puted. 

We  need  not  hold,  with  Mr.  Lindsey, 
"  the  innocence  of  error,"  in  order  to  shun 
a  spirit  of  persecution.  Though  we  con- 
ceive of  error,  in  many  cases,  as  criminal 
in  the  sight  of  God,  and  as  requiring  ad- 
monition, yea,  exclusion  from  a  religious 
society ;  yet  while  we  reject  all  ideas  of 
its  exposing  a  person  to  civil  punishment, 
or  inconvenience,  we  ought  to  be  acquit- 
ted of  the  charge  of  persecution.  Where 
the  majority  of  a  religious  society  consid- 
er the  avowed  principles  of  an  individual 
of  that  society  as  being  fundamentally  er- 
roneous, and  inconsistent  with  the  united 
worsliip  and  well-being  of  the  whole,  it 
cannot  be  persecution  to  endeavor,  by 
spiritual  arguments,  to  convince  him  ;  and, 
if  that  cannot  be  accomplished,  to  exclude 
him  from  their  communion. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  to  think  the 

*  Mr.  Lindsey's  Apology,  pp.  153 — 156. 


ON    CANDOR    AND    ELNEVOI.ENC  E. 


233 


worse  of  a  person  on  account  of  his  senti- 
ments is  a  species  of  persecution,  and  in- 
dicates a  spirit  of  l)itterness  at  the  bottom, 
which  is  inconsistent  witli  tiiat  benevo- 
lence which  is  due  to  all  mankind.  But, 
if  it  be  persecution  to  tliink  the  worse  of 
a  person  on  account  ol  his  sentiments,  (un- 
less no  man  be  better  or  worse,  whatever 
sentiments  lie  imbibes,  which  very  lew  will 
care  to  assert,)  then  it  must  be  persecu- 
tion for  us  to  think  of  one  another  accord- 
ing to  truth.  It  is  also  a  species  of  per- 
secution of  which  our  opponents  are 
guilty,  as  well  as  we,  wlienever  they 
maintain  the  superior  moral  tendency  of 
their  own  system.  That  which  is  adapt- 
ed and  intended  to  do  good  to  the  party 
cannot  be  persecution,  but  general  benev- 
olence. Let  us  suppose  a  number  of  trav- 
elers, all  proposing  to  journey  to  one 
j)lace.  A  number  of  ditferent  ways  pre- 
sent themselves  to  view,  and  each  appears 
to  be  the  right  way.  Some  are  inclined 
to  one  ;  some  to  another  ;  and  some  con- 
lend  that,  whatever  smaller  difference 
tiiere  may  be  between  them,  they  all  lead 
to  the  same  end.  Others,  however,  are 
persuaded  that  they  all  do  not  terminate 
in  the  same  end,  and  appeal  to  a  correct 
map  of  the  country,  which  points  out  a 
number  of  by-paths,  resembling  those  in 
question,  each  leading  to  a  fatal  issue. 
Query  :  Would  it  be  the  part  of  benevo- 
lence, in  this  case,  for  the  latter  to  keep 
silence,  and  hope  the  best ;  or  to  state  the 
evidence  on  wliich  their  apprehensions 
were  founded,  and  to  warn  their  f'jUow- 
travelers  of  their  danger  1 

There  are,  it  is  acknowledged,  many  in- 
stances of  a  want  of  candor  and  benevolence 
among  us,  over  whicli  it  l)ecomes  us  to  la- 
ment. This  is  the  case,  especially,  with 
those  whom  Dr.  Priestley  is  ])leasedto  call 
"the  only  consistent  absolute  predestina- 
rians."  I  may  add,  there  has  been,  in  my 
opinion,  a  great  deal  too  much  haugliti- 
nfess  and  uncandidness  discovered  l)y  some 
of  the  Trinitarians  of  the  Established 
Church,  in  their  controversies  with  Soci- 
nian  Dissenters.  These  dispositions,  how- 
ever, do  not  belong  to  them  as  Trinitari- 
ans, but  as  Churchmen.  A  slight  obser- 
vation of  human  nature  will  convince  us 
tliat  the  adherents  to  a  religion  established 
by  law,  let  their  sentiments  be  what  they 
may,  will  always  be  under  a  powerful 
temptation  to  take  it  for  granted  that  they 
are  right,  and  that  all  who  dissent  from 
them  are  contemptible  sectaries,  unwor- 
thy of  a  candid  and  respectful  treatment. 
This  temptation,  it  is  true,  will  not  have 
equal  effect  upon  all  in  the  same  commu- 
nity. Serious  and  humble  characters  will 
watch  against  it ;  and,  being  w  ise  enough 
to  know   that  real  worth  is  not  derived 

VOL.  I.  30 


Irom  any  thing  merely  external,  they  may 
t>e  superior  to  it.  But  those  of  anothei 
description  will  be  very  difl'crently  afVected. 

There  is,  indeed,  a  mixture  of  evil  pas- 
sions in  all  our  religious  affections,  against 
which  it  becomes  us  to  watch  and  pray. 
I  see  many  things,  in  those  of  my  own 
sentiments,  which  I  cannot  approve  ;  and, 
possibly,  others  may  see  the  same  in  me. 
And,  should  the  Socinians  j)retend  to  the 
contrary,  with  respect  to  themselves,  or 
aspire  at  a  superiority  to  their  neighl)ors, 
it  may  be.  more  than  they  are  able  to  main- 
tain. It  cannot  escape  the  observation  of 
thinking  and  imj)artial  men  that  the  candor 
of  which  they  so  frequently  boast  is  pretty 
much  confined  to  their  own  party,  or 
those  that  are  near  akin  to  them.  Socin- 
ians can  be  candid  to  Arians,  and  Arians 
to  Socinians,  and  each  of  them  to  deists  ; 
but,  if  Calvinists  expect  a  share  of  their 
tenderness,  let  them  not  greatly  wonder  if 
they  be  disappointed.  There  need  not  be 
a  greater,  or  a  more  standingproof  of  this, 
than  the  manner  in  which  the  writings  of 
the  latter  are  treated  in  the  Monthly  Re- 
view. 

It  has  been  frequently  observed  that, 
though  Socinian  writers  plead  so  much  for 
candor  and  esteem  among  professing  Chris- 
tians, yet,  generally  speaking,  there  is  such 
a  mixture  of  scornful  contempt  discover- 
ed towards  their  opponents,  as  renders 
their  professions  far  from  consistent.  Mr. 
Lindsey  very  charitably  accounts  for  our 
errors,  by  asserting  that  "the  doctrine  of 
Christ  being  possessed  of  two  natures  is 
the  fiction  of  ingenious  men,  determined, 
at  all  events,  to  believe  Christ  to  be  a  dif- 
ferent being  from  what  he  really  xvas,  and 
uniformly  declared  himself  to  be  ;  by  which 
fiction  of  theirs,  they  elude  the  plainest 
declarations  of  Scripture  concerning  him, 
and  will  prove  him  to  be  the  Most  High 
God,  in  spite  of  his  own  most  express  and 
constant  language  to  the  contrary.  And, 
as  there  is  no  reasoning  with  such  persons, 
they  are  to  be  pitied,  and  considered  as 
being  under  a  debility  of  mind  in  this  re- 
spect, however  sensible  and  rational  in 
others."  *  Would  Mr.  Lindsey  wish  to 
have  this  considered  as  a  specimen  of  So- 
cinian candor  1  If  Mrs.  Barbauld  had 
been  possessed  of  candor  equal  to  her  in- 
genuity, instead  of  supposing  that  Calvin- 
ists derive  their  ideas  of  election,  the 
atonement,  future  punishment,  &c.,  from 
the  tyranny  and  caprice  of  an  eastern  des- 
pot, she  might  have  admitted,  whether  they 
were  right  or  not,  that  those  principles  ap- 
peared to  them  to  be  taught  in  the  Bible. f 

*  Catcch.  Inq.  6. 
t  A  friend  of  mine,  on  looking  over  Mrs.  Bar- 
baxdd's  Pamphlet,  in  answer  to  Mr.  Wakefield,  re- 


234 


ON    CANDOR    AND    BENEVOLENCE. 


If  we  may  estimate  the  candor  of  So- 
cinians  from  the  spirit  discovered  by  Mr. 
Robinson,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  the 
conclusion  will  not  be  very  favorable  to 
their  system.  At  the  time  when  this  wri- 
ter professed  himself  a  Calvinist,  he  could 
acknowledge  those  who  differed  from  him, 
with  respect  to  the  divinity  of  Christ,  as 
"  mistaken  brethren  ;  "  at  which  time  his 
opponents  could  not  well  complain  of  his 
being  uncandid.  But,  when  he  comes  to 
change  his  sentiments  on  that  article,  he 
treats  those  from  whom  he  differs  in  a  very 
different  manner,  loading  them  with  every 
species  of  abuse.  Witness  his  treatment 
oi  Augustine,  whose  conduct,  previously 
to  his  conversion  to  Christianity,  though 
lamented  with  all  the  tokens  of  penitential 
sorrow,  and  entirely  forsaken  in  the  re- 
maining period  of  his  life,  he  industrious- 
ly represents  to  his  disadvantage ;  calling 
him  "  a  pretended  saint,  but  an  illiterate 
hypocrite,  of  wicked  dispositions  ;  "  load- 
ing his  memory,  and  even  the  very  country 
where  he  lived,  with  every  opprobrious 
epithet  that  could  be  devised.*  Similar 
instances  might  be  added  from  his  Ecclesi- 
astical Researches,  in  which  the  characters 
of  Calvin  and  Beza  are  treated  in  an 
equally  uncandid  manner. f 

Dr.  Priestley  himself,  who  is  said  to  be 
the  most  candid  man  of  his  party,  is  sel- 
dom overloaded  with  this  virtue  when  he 
is  dealing  with  Calvinists.  It  does  not 
discover  a  very  great  degree  of  perfection 
in  this,  or  even  in  common  civility,  to  call 
those  who  consider  his  principles  as  per- 
nicious by  the  name  of  "bigots,"  "the 
bigots,"  &c.,  which  he  very  frequently 
does.     Nor  is  it  to  the  credit  of  his  im- 

marks  as  follows  :  "  Mrs.  B.  used  to  call  Socinian- 
ism.  The  frigid  zone  of  Christianity;  but  she  is 
now  got  Car  north  herself.  She  is  amazingly  clev- 
er ;  her  language  enchanting  ;  but  her  caricatura  of 
Calvinism  is  abominable." 

*  Hist.Bapt.  p.  652. 
t  Mr.  Robinson,  in  his  "  Notes  on  Claude,"  ob- 
serves, from  Mr.  Burgh,  that  "  whatever  occurs  in 
modern  writers  of  History,  of  a  nairative  nature,  we 
find  to  be  an  inference  from  a  system  previously  as- 
sumed, without  any  view  to  the  seeming  truth  of  the 
facts  recorded;  but  to  the  establishment  of  which  the 
historian  appears,  througii  every  species  of  misrepre- 
sentation, to  have  zealously  directed  his  force.  The 
subversion  of  freedom  was  the  evident  purpose  of  Mr. 
Hume,  in  wiiting  \\\e  History  of  England.  I  fear 
we  may,  with  too  much  justi(-e,  affirm  the  subversion 
of  Christianity  to  be  the  object  of  Mr.  Gibbon,  in 
writing  his  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire."  Vol.  H.  pp.  147.  141. 
Perhaps  it  might,  with  equal  propriety,  be  added  that 
the  subversion  of  what  is  commonly  called  orthodoxy, 
and  the  vindication,  or  palliation,  of  every  thing 
which,  in  everj'  age,  has  been  called  by  the  name  of 
heresy,  were  the  objects  of  Mr.  Robinson  in  writing 
his  History  of  Baptism,  and  what  has  since  been 
published  under  the  title  of  Ecclesiastical  Rt- 
star  (his. 


partiality,  any  more  than  of  his  candor, 
when  weighing  the  moral  excellence  of 
Trinitarians  and  Unitarians  against  each 
other,  as  in  a  balance,  to  suppose  "  the 
former  to  have  less,  and  the  latter  some- 
thing more,  of  a  real  principle  of  religion, 
than  they  seem  to  have."|  This  looks 
like  taking  a  portion  out  of  one  scale,  and 
casting  it  into  the  other,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  weight  where  it  was  wanting. 

Dr.  Priestley,  in  answer  to  Mr.  Burn, 
On  the  Person  of  Christ,  acquits  him  of 
"any  thing  base,  disingenuous,  immoral,  or 
wicked;"  and,  seeing  Mr.  Burn  had  not 
acquitted  him  of  all  such  things  in  return, 
the  Doctor  takes  occasion  to  boast  that 
his  "principles  whatever  they  are,  are 
more  candid  than  those  of  Mr.  Burn."§ 
But  if  this  acknoAvledgment,  candid  as  it 
may  seem,  be  compared  with  another  pas- 
sage in  the  same  performance,  it  Avill  ap- 
pear to  less  advantage.  In  Letter  V.  the 
Doctor  goes  about  to  account  for  the  mo- 
tives of  his  opponents  ;  and  if  tlie  follow- 
ing language  do  not  insinuate  any  thing 
"base,  immoral,  or  wicked,"  to  have  in- 
fluenced Mr.  Burn,  it  may  be  difficult  to 
decide  what  baseness,  immorality,  or  wick- 
edness is.  "  As  to  Mr.  Burn's  being  will- 
ing to  have  a  gird  at  me,  as  Falstaff  says, 
it  may  easily  be  accounted  for.  He  has  a 
view  to  rise  in  his  profession  ;  and,  being 
a  man  of  good  natural  understanding  and 
good  elocution,  but  having  had  no  advan- 
tage of  education,  or  family  connections, 
he  may  think  it  necessary  to  do  something, 
in  order  to  make  himself  conspicuous ; 
and  he  might  suppose  he  could  not  do  bet- 
ter than  follow  the  sure  steps  of  those 
who  had  succeeded  in  the  same  chase  be- 
fore him."  What  can  any  person  make 
of  these  two  passages  put  together  1  It 
must  appear,  either  that  Dr.  Priestley 
accused  Mr.  Burn  of  motives  of  which  in 
his  conscience  he  did  not  believe  him  to  be 
guilty,  or  that  he  acquitted  him  of  every 
thing  base  and  wicked,  not  because  he 
thought  him  innocent,  but  merely  with  a 
view  to  glory  over  him,  by  affecting  to  be 
under  the  influence  of  superior  candor  and 
generosity. 

The  manner  in  which  Dr.  Priestley 
treated  Mr.  Badcock,  in  his  Familiar  Let- 
ters to  the  Inhabitants  of  Birmingham, 
holding  him  up  as  an  immoral  character, 
at  a  time  when,  unless  some  valuable  end 
could  have  been  answered  by  it,  his  mem- 
ory should  have  been  at  rest,  is  thought  to 
be  very  far  from  either  candor  or  benevo- 
lence. The  Doctor  and  Mr.  Badcock 
seem  to  have  been,  heretofore,  upon  friend- 
ly terms,  and  not  very  widely  asunder  as 

%  Disc.  Var.  Sub.  p.  100. 
§  Fam.  Let.  XVHI. 


ON    nUMILITV. 


235 


to  sentiment.  Private  letters  pass  be- 
tween (horn  ;  and  Mr.  Bailcorii  always  ac- 
knowicduos  Dr.  Priesllcv  his  sui)erior. 
But,  alK)ut  17y3,  Mr.  Badcock  oi)|)oscs 
his  friend,  in  tiie  Monthly  Revieiv,  and  is 
tlioiiiriit,  by  many,  to  have  the  advantage 
ol'liim.  After  this,  he  is  said  to  act  scan- 
dalously and  dishonestly.  He  dies  :  and, 
soon  after  liis  death.  Dr.  Priestley  avails 
himself  of  his  former  correspondence,  to 
expose  his  dislionesty  ;  and,  as  if  this 
were  not  enough,  supplies,  from  his  own 
conjectures,  what  was  wanliny;  of  fact,  to 
render  him  completely  odious  to  mankind. 
Dr.  Priestley  may  plead  that  he  has  held 
up  "the  example  of  this  unhappy  man  as 
a  warning  to  others."  So,  indeed,  he 
speaks  ;  but  thinking  people  will  suppose 
that,  if  this  Zimri  had  not  "slain  his 
master,  his  bones  might  have  rested  in 
peace."  Dr.  Priestley  had  just  cause  for 
exposing  the  author  of  a  piece  signed 
Theodosiiis,  in  the  manner  he  has  done  in 
those  Letters.  Justice  to  himself  required 
this ;  but  what  necessity  was  there  for 
exposing  Mr.  Badcock  1  Allowing  that 
there  was  sufficient  evidence  to  support 
the  heavy  charge,  wherein  does  this  affect 
the  merits  of  the  cause  1  Does  proving 
a  man  a  villain  answer  hi§  arguments  ! 
Is  it  worthy  of  a  generous  antagonist  to 
avail  himself  of  such  methods  to  preju- 
dice the  public  mind  ]  Does  it  belong  to 
a  controvertist  to  write  his  opponent's 
history  after  he  is  dead,  and  to  hold  up 
his  character  in  a  disadvantageous  light, 
80  as  to  depreciate  his  writings  1 

Whatever  good  opinion  Socinian  wri- 
ters may  entertain  of  the  ability  and  in- 
tegrity of  some  few  individuals  who  differ 
from  them,  it  is  pretty  evident  that  they 
have  the  candor  to  consider  the  body  of 
their  opponents  as  either  ignorant  or 
insincere.  By  the  Poem  which  Mr.  Bad- 
cock  wrote  in  praise  of  Dr.  Priestley, 
when  he  was,  as  the  Dr.  informs  us,  his 
*' humV)le  admirer,"  we  may  see  in  what 
light  we  are  considered  by  our  adver- 
saries. Trinitarians,  among  the  Clergy, 
are  there  represented  as  "sticking  fast 
to  the  Church  for  the  sake  of  a  living;" 
and  those  whom  the  writer  calls  "ortho- 
dox, popular  preachers"  (which  I  suppose 
may  principally  refer  to  Dissenters  and 
Methodiots,)  are  described  as  fools  and 
enthusiasts;  as  either  "staring,  stamp- 
ing, and  damning  in  nonsense,"  or  else 
"  whining  out  the  tidings  of  salvation, 
telling  their  auditors  that  grace  is  cheap, 
and  works  are  all  an  empty  bubble."  Ail 
this  is  published  by  Dr.  Priestley  in  his 
Twenty-second  Letter  to  the  Inhabitants 
of  Birmingham;  and  that  without  any 
marks  of  disapprobation.  Dr.  Priestley 
himself,  though  he  does  not  descend  to 


so  low  and  scurrilous  a  manner  of  writing 
as  the  above,  yet  suggests  the  same  thing, 
in  the  Dedication  of  his  Doctrine  of  Plii- 
lofiopliical  Necessity.  He  there  praises 
Dr.  Jebb  for  his  "  attachment  to  the  una- 
dulterated principles  of  Ciiristianity,  how 
unpopular  soever  they  may  have  become, 
through  tiic  jirejudices  of  the  weak  or  the 
interested  part  of  mankind." 

After  all,  it  is  allowed  that  Dr.  Priest- 
ley is  in  general,  and  es))ecialiy  when  he 
is  not  dealing  witii  a  Calvinist,  a  fair  and 
candid  op]>onent  :  mucii  more  so  llian  the 
Monthly  Reviewers,  who,  with  tiie  late 
Mr.  Badcock,  seem  to  rank  among  his 
"huml)le  admirers."*  Candid,  and  open, 
however,  as  Dr.  Priestley  in  general  is, 
the  above  are  certainly  no  very  trifling 
exceptions  :  and,  considering  him  as  ex- 
celling most  of  his  party  in  this  virtue, 
they  are  sufficient  to  prove  the  point  for 
whi'ch  they  are  alleged ;  namely,  that 
when  Socinians  profess  to  V)e  more  can- 
did than  their  opponents  their  profession 
includes  more  than  their  conduct  will 
justify. 


LETTER  IX. 

THE     SYSTEMS    COMPARED    AS     TO    THEIR 
TENDENCY    TO    PROMOTE    HUMILITY. 

You  recollect  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
in  which,  speaking  of  gospel  times,  he 
predicts  "that  the  loftiness  of  man  shall 
be  bowed  down,  and  the  haughtiness  of  men 
shall  be  made  low,  and  the  Lord  alone 
shall  be  exalted  in  that  day;"  as  if  it 
were  one  peculiar  characteristic  of  the 
true  gospel  to  lay  low  the  pride  of  man. 
Tlie  whole  tenor"  of  the  New  Testament 
enforces  the  same  idea.  "  Ye  see  your 
calling,  brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise 
men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble,  are  called.  But  God 
hath  ciiosen  the  foolish  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the  wise ;  and  God 
hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world 
to  confound  the  things  which  are  mighty  ; 
and  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things 
which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen,  yea, 

*  About  eight  or  nine  years  ago,  the  Monthly 
Review  was  at  open  war  with  Dr.  Priestley;  and 
the  Dor-tor,  like  an  incensed  monarch,  summoned  all 
his  miijlity  resources  to  expose  its  weakness,  and  to 
desrade  it  in  the  eye  of  the  public.  The  conductors 
of  the  Review,  at  length,  finding,  it  seems,  that  titeir 
countrt/  was  nourished  by  the  /iing's  country, 
desired  peace-  They  have  ever  since  very  punctu- 
allv  paid  liiin  tribute;  and  the  conqueror  seem.s  very 
we'll  contented,  on  this  conditioB,  to  grant  tiiem  hii 
favor  aad  protection. 


236 


ON    HUMILITY. 


and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to 
nought  things  that  are :  that  no  flesh 
should  glory  in  his  presence." — "Jesus 
said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hid 
these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes." — 
"Where  is  boasting]  It  is  excluded.  By 
what  law  1  Of  works  1  Nay,  but  by  the 
law  of  faith."  It  may  be  concluded,  Avith 
certainty,  from  these  passages,  and  vari- 
ous others  of  the  same  import,  that  the 
system  which  has  the  greatest  tendency 
to  promote  this  virtue  approaches  nearest 
to  the  true  gospel  of  Christ. 

Pride,  the  opposite  of  humility,  may 
be  distinguished,  by  its  objects,  into 
natural  and  spiritual.  Both  consist  in  a 
too  high  esteem  of  ourselves  :  the  one  on 
account  of  those  accomplishments  which 
are  merely  natural,  or  which  pertain  to 
us  as  men ;  the  other  on  account  of  those 
which  are  spiritual,  or  v.hich  pertain  to 
us  as  good  men.  With  respect  to  the 
first,  it  is  not  very  difficult  to  know  who 
they  are  that  ascribe  most  to  their  own 
understanding ;  that  profess  to  l)elieve  in 
nothing  but  what  they  can  comprehend ; 
that  arrogate  to  themselves  the  name  of 
Rational  Christians;  that  affect  to  "pity 
all  those  who  maintain  the  doctrine  of 
two  natures  in  Christ,  as  being  under  a 
debility  of  mind  in  this  respect,  however 
sensible  and  rational  in  others ;"  that 
pour  compliments  extravagantly  upon  one 
another;*  that  speak  of  their  own  party 
as  the  wise  and  learned,  and  of  their 
opponents  as  the  ignorant  and  illiterate, 
who  are  carried  away  by  vulgar  preju- 
dices ;f  that  tax  the  sacred  writers  with 
"reasoning  inconclusively,"  and  writing 
"lame  accounts;"  and  that  represent 
themselves  as  men  of  far  greater  compass 
of  mind  than  they,  or  than  even  Jesus 
Christ  himself! 

The  last  of  these  particulars  may  excite 
surprise.  Charity,  that  hopeth  all  things, 
will  be  ready  to  suggest,  surely,  no  man 
that  calls  himself  a  Christian  will  dare  to 
speak  so  arrogantly.  I  acknowledge,  I 
should  have  thought  so,  if  I  had  not  read 
in  Dr.  Priestley's  Doctrine  of  Philosoph- 
ical Necessity,  p.  133,  as  follows  :  "  Not 
that  I  think  that  the  sacred  writers  were 
Necessarians,  for  they  were  not  philoso- 
phers ;  not  even  our  Saviour  himself,  as 
far  as  appears  : — But  their  habitual  de- 
votion naturally  led  them  to  refer  all 
things  to  God,  without  reflecting  on  the 
rigorous  meaning  of  their  language  :  and, 
very  probably,  had  they  been  interroga- 

*  Mr.  Toulmin's   Sermon  on  the   Death  of  Mr. 
Robinson  pp.  47,  56. 

t  Mr.  Belsham's  Sermon,  pp.  4,  32. 


ted  on  the  subject,  they  would  have  ap- 
peared not  to  be  apprised  of  the  Neces- 
sarian scheme,  and  would  have  answered 
in  a  manner  unfavorable  to  it."  The  sa- 
cred writers,  it  seems,  were  well-meaning 
])ersons  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  so  igno- 
rant as  not  to  know  the  meaning  of  their 
own  language  ;  nay,  so  ignorant  that,  had 
it  been  explained  to  them,  they  would 
have  been  incapable  of  taking  it  in  !  Nor 
is  this  suggested  of  the  sacred  writers 
only ;  but,  as  it  should  seem,  of  Jesus 
Christ  himself.  A  very  fit  person  Jesus 
Christ  must  be,  indeed,  to  be  addressed 
as  "  knoiving  all  things  ;"  as  a  "  revealer  " 
of  the  mind  of  God  to  men  ;  as  "  the  lois- 
dom  of  God;"  as  he  in  whom  "  it  pleased 
the  Father  that  all  fulness  should  dwell;  " 
by  whom  the  judges  of  the  earth  are  ex- 
horted to  be  "instructed;"  and  who  shall 
"judge  the  toorld  "  at  the  last  day  ;  when, 
in  fact,  he  was  so  ignorant  as  not  to  con- 
sider the  meaning  of  his  own  language  ; 
or,  if  he  had  been  interrogated  upon  it, 
would  not  have  been  apprised  of  the  ex- 
tent of  the  scheme  to  which  his  words 
naturally  led,  but  would  probably  have 
answered  in  a  manner  unfavorable  to  it ! 
Is  this  the  language  of  one  that  is  little  in 
his  01V71  eyes  ? 

But  there  is  such  a  thing  as  spiritual 
pride,  or  a  too  high  esteem  of  ourselves 
on  account  of  spiritual  accomplishments  ; 
and  this,  together  with  a  spirit  of  bigotry. 
Dr.  Priestley  imputes  to  Trinitarians. 

"Upon  the  whole,"  says  he,  "consid- 
ering tlie  great  mixture  of  spiritual  pride 
and  bigotry  in  some  of  the  most  zealous 
Trinitarians,  I  think  the  moral  character 
of  Unitarians  in  general,  allowing  that 
there  is  in  them  a  greater  apparent  con- 
formity to  the  world  than  is  observable  in 
others,  approaches  more  nearly  to  the 
proper  temper  of  Christianity.  It  is  more 
cheerful,  more  benevolent,  and  more  can- 
did. The  former  have  probably  less,  and 
the  latter,  I  hope,  somewhat  more,  of  a 
real  principle  of  religion  than  they  seem 
to  have."t     To  this  it  is  replied. 

First :  If  Trinitarians  be  proud  at  all, 
it  seems  it  must  be  of  their  spirituality ; 
for,  as  to  rationality,  they  have  none, 
their  opponents  having,  by  a  kind  of 
exclusive  charter,  monopolized  that  ar- 
ticle. It  is  their  misfortune,  it  seems, 
when  investigating  the  doctrine  of  the 
person  of  Christ,  to  be  under  a  "debility 
of  mind,"  or  a  kind  of  periodical  insanity. 
Secondly :  Admitting  that  a  greater 
degree  of  spiritual  pride  exists  among 
Trinitarians  than  among  their  opponents  ; 
if  we  were,  for  once,  to  follow  Dr.  Priest- 
ley's example,  it  might  be  accounted  for 

t  Disc.  Var.  Sub.  p.  100. 


ON    HUMILITY. 


237 


without  any  reflection  upon  their  princi- 
ples. Pride  is  a  sin  that  easily  besets 
human  nature,  though  nothing  is  more 
opposite  to  the  spirit  that  becomes  us  ; 
and,  whatever  it  is  in  which  a  body  ot 
men  excel  they  are  under  a  peculiar 
temptation  to  be  proud  of  that,  ratiier 
than  of  other  thinirs.  Tlie  Enjrlish  peo- 
ple have  been  otten  charued,  by  their 
neighbors,  with  pride  on  account  of  their 
ci\il  constitution;  and  I  suppose  it  has 
not  been  without  reason.  They  have 
conceived  themselves  to  excel  other  na- 
tions in  that  particular ;  have  been  apt  to 
value  themselves  upon  it ;  and  to  under- 
value their  neighbors  more  than  they 
ought.  This  has  been  their  fault :  but  it 
does  not  prove  that  their  civil  constitution 
has  not,  after  all,  its  excellences.  Nay, 
perhaps,  the  reason  why  some  of  their 
neighbors  have  not  been  so  proud,  in  this 
particular,  as  they,  is  that  they  have  not 
had  that  to  be  proud  of.  Christians,  in 
general,  are  more  likely  to  be  the  sub- 
jects of  pride  than  avowed  Infidels  ;  for 
the  pride  of  the  latter,  though  it  may  rise 
to  the  highest  pitch  imaginable,  will  not 
be  in  their  spirituality.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  Socinians.  For  while  "a 
great  number  of  them  are  only  men  of 
good  sense,  and  without  much  practical 
religion,"  as  Dr.  Priestley  in  the  same 
page  acknowledges  they  are,  their  pride 
will  not  lie  in  their  spirituality,  but  in 
their  supposed  rationality. 

Thirdly  :  Let  it  be  considered  whether 
our  doctrinal  sentiments  do  not  bear  a 
nearer  affinity  to  those  principles  which,  in 
Scripture,  are  constantly  urged  as  motives 
to  humility,  than  those  of  our  opponents. 
The  doctrines  inculcated  by  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  in  order  to  lay  men  low  in  the 
dust  before  God,  were  those  of  human  de- 
pravity, a«d  salvation  by  free  and  sove- 
reign grace,  through  Jesus  Christ.  The 
language  held  out  by  our  Lord  was,  that 
he  "  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost."  The  general  strain  of  his 
preaching  tended  to  inform  mankind,  not 
only  that  he  came  to  save  lost  sinners,  but 
that  no  man,  under  any  other  character, 
could  partake  of  the  blessings  of  salvation. 
"I  came,"  saith  he,  "not  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance." 
"  The  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but 
they  that  are  sick."  To  the  same  pur- 
pose, the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  declared 
to  the  Ephesians,  "  You  hath  he  quick- 
ened, who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins  :  wherein,  in  time  past,  ye  walked  ac- 
cording to  the  course  of  this  world,  ac- 
cording to  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the 
children  of  disobedience."  Nor  did  he 
speak  this  of  Gentiles  or  of  profligates  on- 


ly ;  but,  though  himself  a  Jew,  and  edu- 
cated a  Pharisee,  he  added,  "  Among 
whom  also  we  all  had  our  conversation  in 
times  past,  in  the  lusts  of  our  flesh,  ful- 
fdliiig  the  desires  of  the  llesli  and  of  the 
miiul  ;  and  were  by  nature  the  children  of 
wrath,  even  as  otiiers  :"  To  the  doctrine 
of  the  universal  depravity  of  human  nature 
he  very  |>roperly  and  joyfully  proceeds  to 
oppose  that  of  God's  rich  mercy:  "But 
God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  the  great 
love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when 
we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us 
together  with  Christ."  The  humbling 
doctrine  of  salvation  liy  undeserved  favor 
was  so  natural  an  inference,  from  these 
premises,  that  the  Ai)ostle  could  not  for- 
bear throwing  in  such  a  reflection,  though 
it  were  in  a  parenthesis:  '' By  grace  ye 
are  saved."  Nor  did  he  leave  it  there, 
but  presently  after  drew  the  same  conclu- 
sion more  fully:  "For  by  grace  ye  are 
saved,  through  faith  ;  and  tiiat  not  of 
yourselves  ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God.  Not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  boast." 
Ephes.  ii.  To  the  same  purport  he  taught 
in  his  other  Epistles  :  "  Who  hath  saved 
us,  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling, 
not  according  to  our  works,  but  according 
to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  Avhich  was 
given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began." — "  Not  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his 
mercy  he  saved  us." — "  Of  him  are  ye  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us 
wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctifi- 
cation,  and  redemption  :  tliat,  according 
as  it  is  written.  He  that  glorieth,  let  him 
glory  in  the  Lord."  2  Tim.  i.  Tit.  iii. 
i  Cor.  i. 

These,  we  see,  were  the  sentiments  by 
which  Christ  and  his  apostles  taught  men 
humility,  and  cut  off  boasting.  But,  as 
though  it  were  designed  in  perfect  opposi- 
tion to  the  apostolic  doctrine,  Socinian 
writers  are  constantly  exclaiming  against 
the  Calvinistic  system,  because  it  main- 
tains the  insufficiency  of  a  good  moral  life 
to  recommend  us  to  the  favor  of  God. 
"  Repentance,  and  a  good  life,"  says  Dr. 
Priestley,  "are  of  themselves  sufficient  to 
recommend  us  to  the  divine  favor."* 
"When,"  says  Mrs.  Barbauld,  "will 
Christians  permit  themselves  to  believe 
that  the  same  conduct  which  gains  them 
the  approbation  of  good  men  here  will 
secure  the  favor  of  heaven  hereafter  1 
When  a  man  like  Dr.  Price  is  about  to 
resign  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his  Ma- 
ker, he  ought  to  do  it,  not  only  with  a  reli- 
ance on  his  mercy,  but  his  justice.  It  does 
not  become  him  to  pay  the  blasphemous 

*  History  of  the  Corruption  of  Christianity, 
Vol.  I.  p.  155. 


238 


ON    HUMILITY. 


homage  of  deprecating  the  wrath  of  God, 
when  he  ought  to  throw  himself  into  the 
arms  of  his  love."  *  "Other  foundation 
than  this  can  no  man  lay,"  says  Dr.  Har- 
wood  :  "  All  hopes  founded  upon  anything 
else  than  a  good  moral  life  are  merely  im- 
aginary."! So  they  lorap  it  up.  If  a  set 
of  writers  united  together,  and  studied  to 
form  an  hypothesis  in  perfect  contradic- 
tion to  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  the  de- 
clared humbling  tendency  of  the  gospel, 
they  could  not  have  hit  upon  a  point  more 
directly  to  their  purpose.  The  whole  ten- 
or of  the  gospel  says,  "  It  is  not  oftoorks, 
lest  any  man  should  boast."  But  Socinian 
writers  maintain  that  it  is  of  works  and 
of  them  only  ;  that  in  this,  and  in  no  other 
way,  is  the  divine  favor  to  be  obtained. 
We  might  ask.  Where  is  boasting  then  1 
Is  it  excluded  ?  Nay  ;  Is  it  not  admitted 
and  cherished  1 

Christ  and  his  apostles  inculcated  hu- 
mility, by  teaching  the  primitive  Christians 
that  virtue  itself  was  not  of  themselves, 
but  the  gift  of  God.  They  not  only  ex- 
pressly declared  this  with  respect  to  faith, 
but  the  same,  in  effect,  of  every  particular 
included  in  the  general  notion  of  true  god- 
liness. "As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit 
of  itself,"  said  Christ,  "  except  it  abide  in 
the  vine,  no  more  can  ye  except  ye  abide 
in  me  :"  for  "  without  me  ye  can  do  noth- 
ing." "  We  are  his  workmanship,  crea- 
ted in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works, 
which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we 
should  walk  in  them."  "  He  worketh  in 
us  both  to  will  and  to  do,  of  his  good  plea- 
sure." The  manifest  design  of  these  im- 
portant sayings  was  to  humble  the  primi- 
tive Christians,  and  to  make  tliem  feel 
their  entire  dependence  upon  God  for  vir- 
tue, even  for  every  good  thought.  "Who 
maketh  thee  to  differ]"  said  the  Apostle, 
"  and  what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst  not 
receive  1"  "Now,  if  thou  didst  receive 
it,  why  dost  thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst 
not  received  if?"  The  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem, it  is  well  known,  includes  the  same 
things  :  but  where  is  the  place  for  them, 
or  where  do  they  appear,  in  the  system  of 
our  opponents  1  Dr.  Priestley,  in  pro- 
fessed opposition  to  Calvinism,  maintains 
"  that  it  depends  entirely  upon  a  man's 
self  whether  he  be  virtuous  or  vicious, 
happy  or  miserable  :  "|  that  is  to  say,  it 
is  a  man's  self  that  maketh  him  to  differ 
from  another;  and  he  has  that  (name- 
ly, virtue)  which  he  did  not  receive,  and 
in  which,  therefore,  he  may  glory. § 

*  Answer  to  Mr.  Wakefield. 

t  Sermon.s,  p.  193. 

t  Phil.  Nee.  p.  1.53. 

§  It  is  true  Dr.  Priestley  himself  sometimes  allows 

that  virtue   is  not  our  own,  and  does  not  arise 

from  within  ourselves;  calling  that  mere  heathen 


Dr.  Priestley  replies  to  this  kind  of 
reasoning,  "When  we  consider  ourselves 
as  the  uiorkmanship  of  God ;  that  all 
our  powers  of  body  and  of  mind  are  de- 
rived from  him  ;  that  he  is  the  giver  of 
every  good  and  of  every  perfect  gift  ;  and 
that  without  him  we  can  do  and  enjoy 
nothing ;  how  can  we  conceive  ourselves 
to  be  in  a  state  of  greater  dependence,  or 
obligation  ;  that  is,  what  greater  reason  or 
foundation  can  there  possibly  be  for  the 
exercise  of  humility  1  If  I  believe  that  I 
have  a  power  to  do  the  duty  that  God  re- 
quires of  me  ;  yet,  as  I  also  believe  that 
that  power  is  his  gift,  I  must  still  say. 
What  have  I  that  I  have  not  received?  and 
hoiv  then  can  I  glory  as  if  I  had  not  re- 
ceived it?  "  ll 

It  is  true  Dr.  Priestley,  and,  for  aught 
I  know,  all  other  writers,  except  Athe- 
ists, acknowledge  themselves  indebted  to 
God  ibr  the  powers  by  which  virtue  is 
attained,  and,  perhaps,  for  the  means  of 
attaining  it;  but  this  is  not  acknowledg- 
ing that  we  are  indebted  to  him  ibr  virtue 
itself.  Powers  and  opportunities  are 
mere  natural  blessings  :  they  have  no 
virtue  in  them,  but  are  a  kind  of  talent, 
capable  of  being  improved  or  not  im- 
proved. Virtue  consists  not  in  the  pos- 
session of  natural  powers,  any  more  than 
in  health,  or  learning,  or  riches  ;  but  in 
the  use  that  is  made  of  them.  God  does 
not,  therefore,  upon  this  principle,  give 
us  virtue.  Dr.  Priestley  contends  that  as 
we  are  "  God's  workmanship,  and  derive 
all  our  powers  of  body  and  mind  from 
him,  we  cannot  conceive  of  ourselves  as 
being  in  a  state  of  greater  dependence 
upon  him."  The  Apostle  Paul,  however, 
teaches  the  necessity  of  being  "  created 
in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works."  Ac- 
cording to  Paul,  we  must  become  his 
loorkmanship  by  a  new  creation,  in  order 
to  the  performance  of  good  works ;  but, 
according  to  Dr.  Priestley,  the  first  crea- 

Stoicism  which  maintains  the  contrary:  and  tells  us 
that  "  those  persons  who,  from  a  principle  of  religion, 
ascribe  more  to  (iod,  and  less  to  man,  are  persons 
of  tlie  greatest  elevation  in  piety."  Phil.  Nee.  pp. 
107,  108.  Yet,  in  the  same  performance,  he  repre- 
sents it  as  a  part  of  the  Necessarian  scheme,  by  which 
it  is  opposed  to  Calvinism,  "  that  it  depends  entirely 
upon  a  man's  sc//"  whether  he  be  virtuous  ot  vicious." 
p.  153.  If  Dr.  Priestley  mean  no  more,  by  these  ex- 
pressions, than  that  our  conduct  in  life,  whether  vir- 
tuous or  vicious,  depends  upon  our  choice,  the  Cal- 
vinistic scheme,  as  well  as  his  own,  allows  of  it. 
But  if  he  mean  that  a  virtuous  choice  originates  in 
ourselves,  and  that  we  are  the  proper  cause  of  it,  this 
can  agree  to  nothing  but  the  Arminian  notion  of  a 
self-determining  power  in  the  will;  and  that,  in  fact, 
as  he  himself  elsewhere  observes,  is  mere  heathen 
Stoicism  which  allows  men  to  pray  for  external  things, 
but  admonishes  them  that,  as  for  virtue,  it  is  our  own, 
and  must  arise /rom  within  ourselves,  if  we  have  it 
at  all."  p.  69.  Ii  Diff.  Opin.  §  III. 


ON    CIIAIUTV. 


239 


tion  is  sufficient.  Now,  if  so,  the  differ- 
ence between  one  man  and  another  is  not 
to  be  asciil)ed  to  God  ;  lor  it  is  su|)poscd 
that  God  has  given  all  men  ihe  power  of 
attaining  virtue,  and  that  the  difTerence 
between  the  virtuous  man  and  his  neigh- 
bor is  to  be  ascrilieil  to  hinisell,  in  making 
a  good  use  of  the  powers  and  opportu- 
nities with  which  he  was  invested.  Upon 
this  system,  therefore,  we  may  justly 
answer  the  question.  What  hast  thou 
ichich  thou  hast  not  received? — "I  have 
virttie,  and  the  promise  of  eternal  life 
as  its  reward;  and,  consequently,  have 
whereof  to  glory."  In  short,  the  whole 
of  Dr.  Priestley's  concessions  amount  to 
nothing  more  than  the  heathen  Stoicism 
which  he  elsewhere  condemns.  Those 
ancient  philosophers  could  not  deny  that 
all  their  powers  were  originally  derived 
from  al)ove ;  yet  tlicy  miuntained  "that 
as  for  virtue  it  is  our  own,  and  must  arise 
from  within  ourselves,  if  we  have  it  at 
all." 

I  do  not  deny  that  all  men  have  natural 
powers,  together  with  means  and  oppor- 
tunities of  doing  good  ;  which,  if  they 
were  but  completely  well-disposed,  are 
equal  to  the  performance  of  their  whole 
duty.  God  requires  no  more  of  us  than 
to  love  and  serve  him  with  all  our 
strength.  These  powers  and  opportuni- 
ties render  them  accountable  beings,  and 
will  leave  them  without  excuse  at  the  last 
day.  But,  if  they  are  not  rightly  dis- 
posed, all  their  natural  powers  will  be 
abused ;  and  the  question  is,  To  whom 
are  we  indebted  for  a  change  of  disposi- 
tion? If  to  God,  we  have  reason  to  lie 
in  the  dust  and  acknowledge  it  was  he 
that  "  quickened  us,  when  we  were  dead  in 
sins."  if  to  ourselves,  the  doctrine  of  the 
Stoics  will  be  established,  and  we  shall 
have  "  whereof  to  glory." 


LETTER  X. 

ON      CHARITY  :      IN      WHICH      IS      CONSID- 
ERED   THE    CHARGE    OF    BIGOTRY. 

The  main  reason  why  we  are  accused 
of  spiritual  pride,  bigotry,  uncharitable- 
ness,  and  the  like,  is  the  importance 
which  we  ascribe  to  some  of  our  senti- 
ments. Viewing  them  as  essential  to 
Christianity,  we  cannot,  properly  speak- 
ing, acknowledge  as  Christians  those  who 
reject  them.  It  is  this  which  provokes 
the  resentment  of  our  opponents,  and 
induces  them  to  load  us  with  opprobrious 
epithets.     We  have  already  touched  upon 


this  topic,  in  the  Letter  on  Candor,  but 
will  i\ow  consider  it  more  particularly. 

It  is  allowed  that  we  ought  not  to 
judge  of  whole  bodies  of  men  liy  the  de- 
nomination under  which  they  pass,  be- 
cause mimes  do  not  always  describe  the 
real  principles  they  embrace.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  a  person  wlio  attends  upon  a 
very  unsound  ministry  may  not  under- 
stand or  adopt  so  much  of  the  system 
wliich  he  hears  inculcated  as-  that  his  dis- 
position shall  be  formed,  or  his  conduct 
regulated  by  it.  I  have  heard,  from  per- 
sons who  have  been  much  conversant 
with  Socini^ns,  that  though  in  general 
they  are  o«  a  loose  dissipated  turn  of 
mind,  assembling  in  the  gay  circles  of 
pleasure,  and  following  the  customs  and 
manners  of  tlie  world  ;  yet  tiiat  there  are 
some  among  them  who  are  more  serious  ; 
and  that  these,  if  not  in  their  conversa- 
tion, yet  in  their  solemn  addresses  to  the 
Almighty,  incline  to  the  doctrines  of  Cal- 
vinism. This  perfectly  accords  with 
Mrs.  Barbauld's  representation  of  the 
matter,  as  noticed  towards  the  close  of 
the  Sixth  Letter.  These  people  are  not, 
properly  speaking,  Socinians  ;  and  there- 
fore ought  to  be  left  quite  out  of  the 
question.  For  the  question  is.  Whether 
as  believing  in  the  Deity  and  atonement 
of  Christ,  with  other  correspondent  doc- 
trines, we  be  required,  by  the  charity  in- 
culcated in  the  gospel,  to  acknowledge, 
as  fellow-christians,  those  who  thor- 
oughly and  avowedly  reject  them. 

It  is  no  part  of  the  business  of  this  Let- 
ter to  prove  tiiat  these  doctrines  are  true  ; 
this  at  present  I  have  a  right  to  take  for 
granted.  Tiic  fair  state  of  olijection,  if 
delivered  by  a  Socinian,  would  be  to  this 
effect :  "  Though  your  sentiments  should 
be  right,  yet  by  refusing  to  acknowledge, 
as  fellow-christians,  others  who  differ 
from  you,  you  over-rate  their  importance, 
and  so  violate  the  charity  recommended 
by  the  gospel."  To  the  objection,  as 
thus  stated,  I  shall  endeavor  to  reply. 

Charity,  it  is  allowed,  will  induce  us 
to  put  the  most  favorable  construction 
upon  things,  and  to  entertain  the  most 
favoral)le  opinion  of  persons,  that  truth 
will  admit.  It  is  far  from  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  to  indulge  a  censorious  tem- 
per, or  to  take  pleasure  in  drawing  un- 
favorable conclusions  against  any  person 
whatever;  but  the  tenderest  disposition 
towards  mankind  cannot  convert  truth 
into  falsehood,  or  falsehood  into  truth. 
Unless,  therefore,  we  reject  the  Bible, 
and  the  belief  of  any  thing  as  necessary 
to  salvation,  though  we  should  stretch 
our  good  opinion  of  men  to  the  greatest 
lengths,  yet  we  must  stop  somewhere. 
Charity    itself   does    not    so    believe    all 


240 


ON    CHARITY. 


things  as  to  disregard  truth  and  evidence. 
,  We  are  sometimes  reminded  of  our  Lord's 
command,  "Judge  not,  lest  ye  be  judged." 
This  language  is,  doubtless,  designed  to 
reprove  a  censorious  disposition,  which 
leads  people  to  pass  unjust  judgment, 
or  to  discern  a  mote  in  a  brother's  eye, 
while  they  are  blind  to  a  beam  in  their 
own  :  but  it  cannot  be  intended  to  forbid 
all  judgment  whatever,  even  upon  char- 
acters ;  for  this  would  be  contr«,ry  to 
what  our  Lord  teaches  in  the  same  dis- 
course, warning  his  disciples  to  beiuare  of 
false  prophets,  ivho  ivould  come  to  them  in 
sheep's  clothing :  adding,  "  Ye  shall  know 
them  by  their  fruits."  Few  pretend  that 
we  ought  to  'Jiink  favorably  of  profligate 
characters,  or  that  it  is  any  breach  of 
charity  to  think  unfavorably  concerning 
them.  But,  if  the  words  of  our  Lord  be 
understood  as  forbidding  all  judgment 
ivhatever  upon  characters,  it  must  be 
wrong  to  pass  any  judgment  upon  them. 
Nay,  it  must  be  wrong  for  a  minister  to 
declare  to  a  drunkard,  a  thief,  or  an  adul- 
terer, that,  if  he  die  in  his  present  con- 
dition, he  must  perish ;  because  this  is 
judging  the  party  not  to  be  in  a  state  of 
salvation. 

All  the  use  that  is  commonly  made  of 
our  Lord's  words  is  in  favor  of^  sentiments, 
not  of  actions  :  but  the  Scriptures  make 
no  such  distinction.  Men  are  there  rep- 
resented as  being  under  the  wrath  of  God 
who  have  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the 
only-l)egotten  Son  of  God ;  nor  is  there 
any  thing  intimated  in  our  Lord's  expres- 
sions, as  if  the  judgment  which  he  for- 
bade his  disciples  to  pass  were  to  be  con- 
fined to  matters  of  sentiment.  The  judg- 
ment which  is  there  reproved  is  partial 
or  lorong  judgment,  whether  it  be  on  ac- 
count of  sentiment  or  of  practice.  Even 
those  who  plead  against  judging  persons 
on  account  of  sentiment,  (many  of  them  at 
least,)  allow  themselves  to  think  unfavor- 
ably of  avowed  infidels,  who  have  heard 
the  gospel,  but  continue  to  reject  it. 
They  themselves,  therefore,  do  judge  un- 
favorably of  men  on  account  of  their  sen- 
timents ;  and  must  do  so,  unless  they  will 
reject  the  Bible,  which  declares  unbe- 
lievers to  be  under  condemnation. 

Dr.  Priestley,  however,  seems  to  ex- 
tend his  favorable  opinion  to  idolaters  and 
infidels,  without  distinction.  "All  dif- 
ferences in  modes  of  worship,"  he  says, 
"may  be  only  the  different  methods  by 
which  different  men  (who  are  equally  the 
offspring  of  God)  are  endeavoring  to  hon- 
or and  obey  their  common  parent."  He 
also  inveighs  against  a  supposition  that 
the  mere  holding  of  any  opinions  (so  it 
seems  the  great  articles  of  our  faith  must 
be  called)  should  exclude  men  from  the 


favor  of  God.  It  is  true  what  he  says  is 
guarded  so  much  as  to  give  the  argument 
lie  engages  to  support  a  very  plausible 
appearance  ;  but  withal  so  ill  directed  as 
not  in  the  least  to  affect  that  of  his  oppo- 
nents. His  words  are  these  :  "  Let  those 
who  maintain  that  the  mere  holding  of 
any  opinions  (without  regard  to  the  mo- 
tives and  state  of  mind  through  which 
men  may  have  been  led  to  form  them,) 
will  necessarily  exclude  them  from  the 
favor  of  God,  be  particularly  careful  with 
respect  to  the  premises  from  which  they 
draw  so  alarming  a  conclusion."  The 
counsel  contained  in  these  words  is  un- 
doubtedly very  good.  Those  premises 
ought  to  be  well  founded  from  which  such 
a  conclusion  is  drawn.  I  do  not  indeed 
suppose  that  any  ground  for  such  a  con- 
clusion exists ;  and  who  they  are  that 
draw  it  I  cannot  tell.  The  mere  holding 
of  an  opinion,  considered  abstractedly  from 
the  motive,  or  state  of  mind  of  him  that 
holds  it,  must  be  simply  an  exercise  of 
intellect ;  and,  I  am  inclined  to  think, 
has  in  it  neither  good  nor  evil.  But  the 
question  is,  whether  there  be  not  truths 
which  from  the  nature  of  them  cannot  be 
rejected,  without  an  evil  bias  of  heart; 
and,  therefore,  where  we  see  those  truths 
rejected,  whether  we  have  not  authority 
to  conclude  that  such  rejections  must 
have  arisen  from  an  evil  bias. 

If  a  man  say.  There  is  no  God,  the  Scrip- 
ture teaches  us  to  consider  it  rather  as  the 
language  of  his  heart  than  simply  of  his 
judgment,  and  makes  no  scruple  of  calling 
him  a  fool:  which,  according  to  the  scrip- 
tural idea  of  the  term,  is  equal  to  calling 
him  a  loicked  man.  And  let  it  be  serious- 
ly considered,  upon  what  other  principle 
our  Lord  could  send  forth  his  disciples  to 
"  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature," 
and  add,  as  he  did,  "He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  ;  and  he 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  Is 
it  not  here  plainly  supposed  that  the  gos- 
pel was  accompanied  with  such  evidence, 
that  no  intelligent  creature  could  reject  it, 
but  from  an  evil  bias  of  heart,  such  as 
would  justly  expose  him  to  damnation  1 
If  it  had  been  possible  for  an  intelligent 
creature,  after  hearing  the  gospel,  to  think 
Jesus  an  impostor,  and  his  doctrine  a  lie, 
without  any  evil  motive,  or  corrupt  state 
of  mind ;  I  desire  to  know  how  the  Lord 
of  glory  is  to  be  acquitted  of  something 
worse  than  bigotry  in  making  such  a  dec- 
laration 1 

Because  the  mere  holding  of  an  opinion, 
irrespective  of  the  motive  or  state  of  mind 
in  him  that  holds  it,  is  neither  good  nor  evil, 
it  does  not  follow  that  "  all  differences  in 
modes  of  worship  may  be  only  the  differ- 
ent methods  by  which  different  men  are 


ON    CHARITY. 


241 


endcavorinji  to  honor  and  obey  their  com- 
mon parent."  The  latter  includes  more 
than  the  former.  The  performance  of 
worship  contains  more  than  the  mere  hold- 
ing of  an  o|)inion  ;  tor  it  includes  an  exer- 
cise of  the  heart.  Our  Lord  and  his  a|)os- 
tleS"  did  not  proceed  on  any  such  princi- 
ple, when  they  went  forth  preachinu;  the 
gospel,  as  I  hope  has  l)een  sulliciently 
proved  in  the  Letter  on  Candor.  The 
principles  on  wiiich  they  i)roceedcd  were. 
An  assurance  that  they  tcere  of  God,  and 
that  the  whole  world  were  lying  in  icicked- 
ncss — Thai  he  who  teas  of  God  would  hear 
their  words  ;  and  he  that  ivas  not  of  God 
would  not  hear  them. — That  he  tvho  be- 
lieved their  testimony  set  to  his  seal  that 
God  tvas  true  ;  and  he  that  believed  it  not 
made  God  a  liar. 

If  we  consider  a  belief  of  the  gospel,  in 
those  who  hear  it,  as  essential  to  salvation, 
we  shall  be  called  bigots  :  but,  if  this  be 
bigotry,  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles 
were  bigots  ;  and  the  same  outcry  might 
have  l)een  raised  against  them,  by  both 
Jews  and  Greeks,  as  is  now  raised  against 
us.  Jesus  Christ  himself  said  to  the 
Jews,  "  If  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye 
shall  die  in  your  sins  :"  and  his  apostles 
went  forth  with  the  same  language.  They 
wrote  and  preached  that  men  "  might  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  was  the  Christ ;  and  that, 
believing,  they  might  have  life  through  his 
name."  Those  who  embraced  their  tes- 
timony they  treated  as  in  a  state  of  salva- 
tion; and  those  who  rejected  it  were  told 
that  they  had  "judged  themselves  unwor- 
thy of  everlasting  life."  In  short,  they 
acted  as  men  fully  convinced  of  the  truih 
of  what  their  Lord  had  declared  in  their 
commission:  "He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved  ;  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth not  shall  be  damned." 

To  all  this  an  unbelieving  Jew  miglit 
have  objected  in  that  day,  with  quite  as 
good  a  grace  as  Socinians  object  in  this, 
"  These  men  think  that  our  salvation  de- 
pends upon  receiving  their  opinions  ! 
Have  we  not  been  the  people  of  God,  and 
in  a  state  of  salvation,  time  out  of  mind, 
without  believing  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
was  the  Son  of  God  1  Our  fathers  be- 
lieved only  in  general  that  there  Avas  a 
Messiah  to  come;  and  were,  no  doubt, 
saved  in  that  faith.  We  also  believe  the 
same,  and  worship  the  same  God  :  and 
yet,  according  lo  these  bigots,  if  we  reject 
their  opinion  concerning  Jesus  being  the 
Messiah,  we  must  be  judged  unworthy  of 
everlasting  life." 

A  heathen  also,  suppose  one  of  Paul's 
hearers  at  Athens,  who  had  just  heard  him 
deliver  the  discourse  at  Mars-hill  (record- 
ed in  Acts  xvii.,)  might  have  addressed 
his  countrymen  in  some  such  language  as 
VOL.    1.  31 


the  following:  "This  Jewish  stranger, 
Athenians,  pretends  to  make  known  to  us 
'tiie  unknown  God.'  Had  he  been  able 
to  make  good  his  j)retensions,  and  had 
this  been  all,  we  might  have  been  obliged 
to  him.  But  this  unknown  God,  it  seems, 
is  to  take  place  of  all  others  that  are 
known,  and  be  set  up  at  their  expense. 
You  have  hitherto,  Athenians,  acted  wor- 
thy of  yourselves  ;  you  have  lil)erally  ad- 
mitted all  the  gods  to  a  participation  of 
your  worship  ;  but  now,  it  seems,  the 
whole  of  your  sacred  services  is  to  be  en- 
grossed by  one.  You  have  never  been 
used  to  put  any  restraint  uj»on  thought  or 
opinion ;  but,  Avith  the  utmost  freedom, 
have  ever  been  in  search  of  new  things. 
But  this  man  tells  us,  we  '  ought  not  to 
think  that  the  Godhead  is  like  unto  silver 
or  gold;'  as  though  we  were  bound  to 
adopt  his  manner  of  thinking,  and  no 
other.  You  have  been  famed  for  your 
adoration  of  the  gods;  and  to  this  even 
your  accuser  himself  has  borne  witness  ; 
yet  he  has  the  temerity  to  call  us  to  re- 
pentance for  it.  It  seems,  then,  we  are 
considered  in  the  light  of  criminals — crim- 
inals on  account  of  our  devotions — crimin- 
als for  being  too  religious,  and  for  adher- 
ing to  the  religion  of  our  ancestors  !  Will 
Athenians  endure  this  1  Had  he  possess- 
ed the  liberality  becoming  one  Avho  should 
address  an  Athenian  audience,  he  would 
have  supposed  that,  however  we  might 
have  been  hitherto  mistaken  in  our  devo- 
tions, yet  our  intentions  were  good  ;  and 
that  'all  tlie  differences  in  modes  of  wor- 
ship, as  practised  by  Jews  and  Athenians 
(who  are  equally,  by  his  own  confession, 
the  offspring  of  God,)  may  have  been  only 
different  methods  by  which  we  have  been 
endeavoring  to  honor  and  obey  our  com- 
mon parent.'  JVor  is  this  all;  for  we  are 
called  to  repentance,  because  this  unknown 
God  hathlappointeda  day  in  v:hich  he  will 
judge  the'icorld,  &c".  So,  then,  we  are  to 
renounce  our  principles  and  worship,  and 
embrace  his,  on  pain  of  being  called  to 
give  an  account  of  it  before  a  divine  tri- 
bunal. Future  happiness  is  to  be  con- 
fined to  his  sect ;  and  our  eternal  welfare 
depends  upon  our  embracing  his  opinions  ! 
Could  your  ears  have  been  insulted,  Athe- 
nians, with  an  harangue  more  replete  with 
'pride,  arrogance,  and  bigotry  V 

"But,  to  say  no  more  of  this  insulting 
language,  the  importance  he  gives  to  his 
opinions,  if  there  w  ere  no  other  objection, 
must  ever  be  a  bar  to  their  being  received 
at  Athens.  You,  Athenians,  are  friends  to 
free  inquiry.  But,  should  our  philoso- 
phers turn  Christians,  instead  of  being  fa- 
mous, as  heretofore,  for  the  search  of  new 
truth,  they  must  sink  into  a  state  of  men- 
tal stagnation.     '  Those  persons  who  think. 


242 


ON    CHARITY. 


that  their  salvation  depends  upon  holding 
their  present  opinions  must  necessarily 
entertain  the  greatest  dread  of  free  inquiry. 
They  must  think  it  to  be  hazarding  of 
their  eternal  weliai'e  to  listen  to  any  ar- 
guments, or  to  read  any  books,  that  savor 
of  idolatry.  It  must  appear  to  them  in 
the  same  light  as  listening  to  any  other 
temptation,  whereby  they  would  be  in  dan- 
ger oi'  being  seduced  to  their  everlasting 
(iestruction.  This  temper  of  mind  cannot 
but  be  a  foundation  for  the  most  deplora- 
ble bigotry,  obstinacy,  and  ignorance.' 

"The  Athenians,  I  doubt  not,  will,  gen- 
erally, abide  by  the  religion  of  their  fore- 
fathers :  but,  should  any  individuals  think 
of  turning  Christians,  I  trust  they  will 
never  adopt  that  illiberal  principle  of  ma- 
king their  opinion  necessaiy  to  future  hap- 
piness, while  this  man  and  his  followers 
hold  such  a  notion  '  of  the  importance  of 
their  present  sentiments,  they  must  needs 
live  in  the  dread  of  all  free  inquiry ; 
whereas  we,  who  have  not  that  idea  of  the 
importance  of  our  present  sentiments,  pre- 
serve a  state  of  mind  proper  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  them.  If  we  be  wrong,  as  our 
minds  are  under  no  strong  bias,  we  are 
within  the  reach  of  conviction;  and  thus 
are  in  the  way  to  grow  wiser  and  better 
as  long  as  we  live.' " 

By  the  above  it  will  appear  that  the 
Apostle  Paul  was  just  as  lial)le  as  we  are, 
to  the  charge  of  bigotry.  Those  parts 
which  are  marked  with  single  reversed 
commas  are,  with  only  an  alteration  of  the 
word  heresy,  to  that  of  idolatry,  the  words 
of  Dr.  Priestley  in  the  Second  Section  of 
his  Considerations  on  Differences  of  Opin- 
ions. Judge,  brethren,  whether  these 
words  best  fit  the  lips  of  a  Christian  min- 
ister or  of  a  heathen  caviller.  Tlie  con- 
sequences alleged  by  the  supposed  Athe- 
nian, against  Paul,  are  far  from  just,  and 
might  be  easily  refuted  :  but  they  are  the 
same,  for  substance,  as  those  alleged  by 
Dr.  Priestley  against  us ;  and  the  premi- 
ses from  which  they  are  drawnare  exactly 
the  same. 

From  the  whole,  I  think,  it  may  safely 
be  concluded,  if  there  be  any  sentiments 
taught  us  in  the  New  Testament  in  a  clear 
and  decided  manner,  this  is  one  :  That  the 
Apostles  and  primitive  preachers  consid- 
ered the  belief  of  the  gospel  which  they 
preached  as  necessary  to  the  salvation  of 
those  who  heard  it. 

But,  though  it  should  be  allowed  that  a 
belief  of  the  gospel  is  necessary  to  salva- 
tion, it  will  still  be  objected  that  Socinians 
believe  the  gospel,  as  well  as  others;  their 
Christianity,  therefore,  ought  not  to  be 
called  in  question  on  this  account.  To 
this  it  is  replied,  If  what  Socinians  believe 
be  indeed  the  gospel — in  other  words,  if  it 


be  not  deficient  in  what  is  essential  to  the 
gospel — they  undoubtedly  ought  to  be  ac- 
knowledged as  Christians  ;  but,  if  other- 
wise, they  ought  not.  It  has  been  plead- 
ed, by  some  who  are  not  Socinians,  that 
we  ought  to  think  favorably  of  all  who 
profess  to  embrace  Christianity,  in  gene- 
ral, unless  their  conduct  be  manifestly  im- 
moral. But  we  have  no  such  criterion  af- 
forded us  in  the  New  Testament ;  nor 
does  it  accord  with  what  is  there  revealed. 
The  New  Testament  informs  us  of  various, 
"wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,"  who  ap- 
peared among  the  primitive  Christians ; 
men  who  professed  the  christian  name,  but 
yet  were,  in  reality,  enemies  to  Christian- 
ity ;  who  "perverted  the  gospel  of 
Christ,"  and  introduced  "another  gos- 
pel" in  its  place. 

But  these  men,  it  is  said,  not  only  taught 
false  doctrine,  but  led  immoral  lives.  If 
by  immoral  be  meant  grossly  wicked,  they 
certainly  did  not  all  of  them  answer  to 
that  character.  The  contrary  is  plainly 
supposed  in  the  account  of  the  false  apos- 
tles among  the  Corinthians  ;  who  are  call- 
ed "  deceitful  workers,  transforming  them- 
selves into  the  apostles  of  Christ.  And 
no  marvel;  for  Satan  himself  is  trans- 
formed into  an  angel  of  light ;  therefore 
it  is  no  great  thing  if  his  ministers  al- 
so be  transformed  as  the  ministers  of 
righteousness."  2  Cor.  xi.  I  would  not 
here  be  understood  as  drawing  a  compari- 
son between  the  false  apostles  and  the  So- 
cinians. My  design,  in  this  place,  is  not 
to  insinuate  any  specific  charge  against 
them,  but  merely  to  prove  that,  if  we  judge 
favorably  of  the  state  of  every  person  who 
bears  the  christian  name,  and  whose  ex- 
terior moral  character  is  fair,  we  must 
judge  contrary  to  the  Scriptures. 

To  talk  of  forming  afavoracle  judgment 
from  a  profession  of  Christianty  in  general 
is  as  contrary  to  reason  and  common  sense 
as  it  is  to  the  New  Testament.  Suppose  a 
candidate  for  a  seat  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, on  being  asked  his  political  princi- 
ples, should  profess  himself  a  friend  to  liber- 
ty in  general.  A  freeholder  inquires,  "  Do 
you  disapprove.  Sir,  of  taxation  Avithout 
representation  1"  "No."  "Would  you 
vote  for  areformin  Parliament  1"  "No." 
"  Do  you  approve  of  the  liberty  of  the 
press  1"  "No."  Would  this  afford  satis- 
faction 1  Is  it  not  common  for  men  to  ad- 
mit that  in  the  gross  which  they  deny  in 
detail  1  The  only  question  that  can  fairly 
be  urged  is,  Are  the  doctrines  which  So- 
cinians disown  (supposing  them  to  be  true) 
of  such  importance  that  a  rejection  of 
them  w  ould  endanger  their  salvation'? 

It  must  be  allowed  that  these  doctrines 
may  be  what  we  consider  them,  not  only 
true,  but  essential  to  Christianity.  Christi- 


ON    CHARITy. 


243 


anity  like  every  other  system  of  truth,  must 
have  some  principles  Avhicli  are  essential  to 
it :  and,  illiiose  in  (jiiostion  i)c  such,  it  can- 
not justly  be  imputed  to  pride  or  l)iirotry, 
it  cannot  be  uncliarital)le,  or  uncandid,  or 
indicate  any  want  ol'  benevolence  to  think 
so.  Neither  can  it  be  wrono;  to  draw  a 
natural  um!  necessary  conclusion,  that 
those  persons  who  reject  these  j)rinciplcs 
are  not  Christians.  To  think  justly  of 
persons  is.  in  no  respect,  inconsistent  with 
a  universal  <;ood  will  towards  them.  It  is 
not,  in  the  least,  contrary  to  cliarity  to 
consider  unbelievers  in  the  litcht  in  which 
the  Scriptures  represent  them  ;  nor  those 
who  reject  what  is  essential  to  the  gospel 
as  rejecting  the  gospel  itself. 

Dr.  Priestley  will  not  deny  that  Ciiris- 
tianity  has  its  great  Iriiths,  though  he  will 
not  allow  the  doctrines  in  tpiestion  to  make 
any  part  of  them.  "  The  being  of  a  God 
— his  constant  over-ruling  providence  and 
righteous  moral  government — the  divine 
origin  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  revela- 
tions— that  Christ  was  a  teacher  sent  from 
God — that  he  is  our  master,  law-giver, 
and  judge — that  God  raised  him  from  the 
dead — that  he  is  now  exalted  at  the  right 
hand  of  God — that  he  will  come  again, 
to  raise  all  the  dead,  and  sit  in  judgment 
upon  them — and  that  he  will  then  give  to 
every  one  of  us  according  to  our  works  ; — 
these,"  he  says,  "  are  properly  speaking 
the  only  great  truths  of  religion  :  and  to 
these  not  only  the  Church  of  England, 
and  the  Church  of  Scotland,  but  even  the 
Church  of  Rome  gives  its  assent."*  We 
see  here  that  Dr.  Priestley  not  only  al- 
lows that  there  are  certain  gieat  truths  of 
religion,  but  determines  what,  and  what 
"only,"  they  are.  I  do  not  recollect, 
however,  that  the  false  teachers  in  the 
churches  of  Galatia  denied  any  one  of 
these  articles  ;  and  yet,  without  rejecting 
some  of  the  great  and  essential  truths  of 
Christianity,  they  could  not  ha.\e  perverted 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  or  have  introduced 
another  gospel. 

But  Dr.  Priestley,  it  seems,  though  he 
allows  the  above  to  be  great  truths,  yet 
considers  nothing  as  essential  to  Chris- 
tianity, but  a  belief  of  the  divine  mission  of 
Christ.  "  While  a  man  believes,"  he 
says,  "  in  the  divine  mission  of  Christ,  he 
might  with  as  much  propriety  be  called  a 
Mahometan,  as  be  denied  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian."! To  call  Socinians  Mahometans 
might,  inmost  cases,  be  improper;  they 
would  still,  however,  according  to  this 
criterion  of  Christianity,  be  within  the 
pale  of  the  church  ;  for  Mahomet  himself, 
I  suppose,  never  denied  the  divine  mission 
of  Christ,  and  very  few  of  those  doctrines 


*  Fam.  Let.  XXII. 


t  DifT.  Opiii.  §  V. 


which  Dr.  Priestley  calls  "  the  only  great 
truths  of  religion."  The  Doctor  informs 
us  that  some  people  consider  him,  al- 
ready, as  "  half  a  Mahometan.  "J  Wheth- 
er this  be  just  or  unjust,  according  to  his 
notion  of  Christianity  a  Mahometan  is  to 
be  considered  as  more  than  half  a  Chris- 
tian. He  ought,  if  the  above  criterion  be 
just,  to  be  acknowledged  as  a  fellow- 
christian  ;  and  the  whole  party,  instead  of 
being  ranked  with  heathenish  and  Jewish 
uniielievers,  as  they  are  by  this  same  wri- 
ter,§  ougiit  to  be  considered  as  a  sect  or 
denomination  of  Christians.  The  Doctor, 
therefore,  need  not  have  stoi)ped  at  the 
Church  of  Rome,  but  might  have  added 
the  Church  of  Constantinople,  as  agreeing 
in  his  "  only  great  truths  of  religion." 

I  scarcely  need  to  draw  the  conclusion 
which  follows  from  what  has  been  ob- 
served :  If  not  only  those  who  perverted 
the  gospel  among  the  Galatians  did,  Viut 
even  \he  Mahometans  may  acknowledge 
those  truths  which  Dr.  Priestley  men- 
tions, they  cannotjbe  the  only  great,  much 
less  the  distinguishing  truths  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion. 

The  difference  between  Socinians  and 
Calvinists  is  not  about  the  mere  circum- 
stantials of  religion.  It  respects  nothing 
less  than  the  rule  of  faith,  the  ground  of 
hope,  and  the  object  of  worship.  If  the 
Socinians  be  right,  we  are  not  only  super- 
stitious devotees,  and  deluded  dependants 
upon  an  arm  of  flesh  (Jer.  xvii.  .5,)  but 
habitual  idolaters.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
we  be  right,  they  are  guilty  of  refusing  to 
subject  their  faith  to  the  decisions  of  hea- 
ven, of  rejecting  the  only  way  of  salvation, 
and  of  sacrilegiously  depriving  the  Son  of 
God  of  his  essential  glory.  It  is  true  they 
do  not  deny  our  Christianity  on  account  of 
our  supposed  idolatry ;  but  for  this  no 
reason  can  be  assigned,  except  their  indif- 
ference to  religious  truth,  and  the  Deisti- 
cal  turn  of  their  sentiments. 

If  the  proper  deity  of  Christ  be  a  divine 
truth,  it  is  a  great  and  a  fundamental  truth 
in  Christianity.  Socinians,  who  reject  it, 
very  consistently  reject  the  worship  of 
Christ  with  it.  But  worship  enters  into 
the  essence  of  religion ;  and  the  worship 
of  Christ,  according  to  the  New'  Testa- 
ment, into  the  essenceof  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. The  primitive  Christians  are  char- 
acterised by  their  "  calling  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus."  The  Apostle,  when 
writing  to  the  Corinthians,  addressed  him- 
self "  to  the  Church  of  God  at  Corinth,  to 
them  that  were  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus, 
called  to  be  saints,  with  all  that  in  every 
place  called  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 

t  loiters  to  Mr.  Rum  (Pref.) 
§  Fam.  Let.  XVII.  C'onclasion. 


244 


ON    CHARITY. 


our  Lord."*  That  this  is  designed  as  a 
description  of  true  Christians  will  not  be 
denied ;  but  this  description  does  not  in- 
clude Socinians,  seeing  they  call  not  upon 
the  name  of  Christ.  The  conclusion  is, 
Socinians  would  not  have  been  acknowl- 
edged, by  the  Apostle  Paul,  as  true  Chris- 
tians. 

If  the  deity  of  Christ  be  a  divine  truth, 
it  must  be  the  Father's  will  that  all  men 
should  honor  the  Son  in  the  same  sense, 
and  to  the  same  degree,  as  they  honor  the 
Father;  and  those  who  honor  him  not  as 
God  will  not  only  be  found  opposing  the 
divine  will,  but  are  included  in  the  num- 
ber of  those  who,  by  refusing  to  honor  the 
Son,  honor  not  the  Father  who  hath  sent 
him  ;  which  amounts  to  nothing  less  than 
that  the  worship  which  they  pay  to  the 
Father  is  unacceptable  in  his  sight. 

If  the  deity  of  Christ  be  a  divine  truth, 
he  is  the  object  of  trust;  and  that  not 
merely  in  the  character  of  a  witness,  but 
as  Jehovah,  in  lohom  is  everlasting  strength. 
This  appears  to  be  another  characteristic 
of  true  Christians  in  the  New  Testament. 
"In  his  name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust." 
"I  know  whom  I  have  trusted;  and  that 
he  is  able  to  keep  that  Avhich  I  have  com- 
mitted unto  him."  "In  whom  ye  also 
trusted,  after  ye  heard  the  word  of  truth, 
the  gospel  of  your  salvation."  But,  if  it 
be  a  characteristic  of  true  Christianity  so 
to  trust  in  Christ  as  to  commit  the  salva- 
tion of  our  souls  into  his  hands,  how  can 
we  conceive  of  those  as  true  Christians 
who  consider  him  only  as  a  fellow-crea- 
ture, and,  consequently,  place  no  such  con- 
fidence in  him  1 

If  men  by  nature  be  in  a  lost  and  per- 
ishing condition,  and  if  Christ  came  to 
seek  and  save  them  under  those  charac- 
ters, as  he  himself  constantly  testified, 
then  all  those  that  were  whole  in  their  own 
eyes,  and  seemed  to  need  no  physician,  as 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  of  old,  must  ne- 
cessarily be  excluded  from  an  interest  in 
his  salvation.  And  in  what  other  light  can 
those  persons  be  considered  who  deny  the 
depravity  of  their  nature,  and  approach 
the  Deity  without  respect  to  an  atoning 
Saviour  1 — Further : 

If  the  death  of  Christ,  as  an  atoning  sac- 
rifice, be  the  only  way  of  a  sinner's  sal- 
vation—if there  be  "no  other  name  given 
under  heaven,  or  among  men,  by  which  we 

*  Mr.  Lindsey's  observation,  that  "  called  upon 
the  name  of  Christ,"  should  be  rendered,  Called  by 
the  name  of  Christ,  if  applied  to  Rom.  x.  13,  would 
make  the  Scriptures  promise  salvation  to  every  one 
that  is  called  a  Christian.  Salvation  is  promised  to 
all  who  believe,  love,  fear,  and  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord;  but  never  are  the  possessors  of  it  de- 
scribed by  a  mere  accidental  circumstance,  in  which 
they  are  not  voluntary,  and  in  which,  if  they  were, 
there  is  no  virtue. 


must  be  saved  "—if  this  be  the  "  founda- 
tion which  God  hath  laid  in  Zion" — and 
if  no  other  will  stand  in  the  day  of  trial — 
how  can  we  conceive  that  those  who  de- 
liberately disown  it,  and  renounce  all  de- 
pendence upon  it  for  acceptance  with  God, 
should  be  yet  interested  in  it  1  Is  it  sup- 
posable  that  they  will  partake  of  that /or- 
giveness  of  sins  which  believers  are  said  to 
receive /or  his  sake,  and  tlirough  his  name, 
who  refuse  to  make  use  of  that  name  in 
any  of  their  petitions  1 

If  the  doctrine  of  atonement  by  the  cross 
of  Christ  be  a  divine  truth,  it  constitutes 
the  very  substance  of  the  gospel  ;  and, 
consequently,  is  essential  to  it.  The  doc- 
trine of  the  cross  is  represented  in  the 
New  Testament  as  the  grand  peculiarity, 
and  the  principal  glory  of  Christianity, 
It  occupies  a  large  proportion  among 
the  doctrines  of  Scripture,  and  is  express- 
ed in  a  vast  variety  of  language.  Christ 
"  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  wounded 
for  our  transgi-essions,  bruised  for  our  ini- 
quities." "  He  died  for  our  sins."  "  By 
his  death  purged  our  sins" — is  said  to 
"  take  (or  bear)  away  the  sins  of  the  world" 
— to  have  "  made  peace  through  the  blood 
of  his  cross  " — "  reconciled  us  to  God  by 
his  death  " — "  redeemed  us  by  his  blood" 
— "washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood" — "by  his  own  blood  obtained  eter- 
nal redemption  for  us  " — "purchased  his 
church  by  his  own  blood,"  &c.  &c.  This 
kind  of  language  is  so  interwoven  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  New  Testament,  that,  to 
explain  away  the  one,  is  to  subvert  the 
other.  The  doctrine  of  the  cross  is  de- 
scribed as  being,  not  merely  an  important 
branch  of  the  gospel,  but  the  gospel  itself. 
"  We  preach  Christ  crucified  ;  to  the  Jews 
a  stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks  fool- 
ishness ;  but  to  them  that  are  called,  both 
Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of 
God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God."  "I  de- 
termined not  to  know  any  thing  among 
you,  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified." 
"  An  enemy  to  the  cross  of  Christ  "  is  only 
another  mode  of  describing  an  enemy  to 
the  gospel. f  It  was  reckoned  a  sufficient 
refutation  of  any  principle,  if  it  could  be 
proved  to  involve  in  it  the  consequence  of 
Christ's  having  "  died  in  vain."  J  Christ's 
dying  for  our  sins  is  not  only  declared  to 
be  a  divine  truth,  "  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures," but  a  truth  of  such  importance  that 
the  then  present  standing  and  the  final  sal- 
vation of  the  Corinthians  were  suspended 
upon  their  adherence  to  it.§  In  fine,  the 
doctrine  of  the  cross  is  the  central  point 
in  which  all  the  lines  of  evangelical  truth 
meet  and  are  united.  What  the  sun  is  to 
the  system  of  nature,  that  the  doctrine  of 

t  1  Cor.  i.  ii.         i  Gal.   ii.         §  1  Cor.  xv. 


ON    CHARITY. 


245 


the  cross  is  to  tlic  system  of  the  {rospol ; 
it  is  the  life  of  it.  Tiic  revolving  planets 
mijrht  as  well  exist  and  kee|)  their  course, 
without  tiie  attractinu:  inlluenec  of  the  one, 
as  a.  jrospel  l)e  exhiliiled  worthy  of  the 
name  tliat  siioulil  leave  out  the  other. 

I  am  aware  that  Soeinian  writers  do  not 
allow  tlic  doctrine  of  the  dtonemcnt  to  be 
sijjnifiod  liy  tliat  of  the  cross.  Tiiey  would 
tell  you  that  tiiey  I'elieve  in  tlie  doctrine 
of  tlie  cross  ;  and  allow  it  to  have  a  rcla- 
iii-e  or  sithordinate  importance,  rendering 
the  truth  of  Christ's  resurrection  more  evi- 
dent, liy  cutting  otf  all  pretence  that  he 
was  not  really  dead.*  Wiiether  this  mea- 
gre sense  of  the  phrase  will  agree  w  ith  the 
design  of  the  Apostle,  in  this  and  various 
other  passages  in  the  New  Testament — 
whether  it  contain  a  sufficient  giound  for 
that  singular  gloryiitg  of  which  he  speaks, 
or  any  principle  l)y  which  the  tvorld  teas 
crucijied  to  him  and  he  unto  the  tvorld — 
let  the  impartial  judge.  But,  be  this  as  it 
may,  the  question  here  is  not,  whether  the 
doctrine  of  atonement  be  signified  by  that 
of  the  cross;  but,  supposing  it  to  be  so, 
whether  it  be  of  such  importance  as  to  ren- 
der a  denial  of  it  a  virtual  denial  of  Chris- 
tianity.— Once  more  : 

If  we  believe  in  the  absolute  necessity 
of  regeneration,  or  that  a  sinner  must  be 
renewed  in  the  spirit  of  his  mind,  or  never 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God,  in  what  light 
must  we  consider  those  who  plead  for  a 
reformation  only,  and  deny  the  doctrine  of 
a  supernatural  divine  infiuence,  by  which 
a  new  heart  is  given  us  and  a  neiv  spirit  is 
put  tvithin  us  ?  Ought  we,  or  can  we, 
consider  them  as  the  subject  of  a  divine 
change  v^ho  are  continually  ridiculing  the 
very  idea  of  it  1 

It  is  common  for  our  opponents  to  stig- 
matize lis  with  tlie  name  of  bigots.  Big- 
otry, if  I  understand  it,  is  a  blind  and  in- 
ordinate attachment  to  one's  opinions.  If 
we  be  attached  to  principles  on  account  of 
their  being  owrs,  orliecause  ive  have  adopt- 
ed them,  rather  than  because  they  aj)pear 
to  us  to  be  taught  in  the  holy  Scriptures  ; 
if  we  be  attached  to  some  peculiar  princi- 
ples to  the  neglect  of  others,  or  so  as  to  give 
them  a  greater  proportion  in  the  .system 
than  they  require  ;  if  we  consider  things 
as  being  of  greater  importance  than  the 
Scriptures  represent  them  ;  if  we  obsti- 
nately adhere  to  our  opinions,  so  as  to  be 
averse  to  free  inquiry,  and  not  open  to 
conviction ;  if  we  make  so  much  ol'  prin- 
ciples as  to  be  inattentive  to  holy  practice  ; 
or  if  a  diiVerence  in  religious  sentiment 
destroy  or  damp  our  benevolence  to  the 
persons  of  those  from  whom  we  differ ;  in 

*  Dr.  Priestley's  Sermon  on  "  Glorying  in  tlie 
Cross." 


any  of  these  cases  we  arc  subject  to  the 
charge  of  bigotry.  But  we  may  consider 
a  i)elief  of  certain  doctrines  as  necessary 
to  salvation,  without  coming  under  any 
part  of  (lie  above  description.  We  may 
be  attached  to  these  doctrines  not  because 
we  have  already  embraced  them,  but  on 
account  of  tiieir  appearing  to  us  to  be  re- 
vealed in  the  Scriptures;  we  may  give 
them  only  that  degree  of  importance  in  our 
views  of  things  which  they  occupy  there; 
we  may  be  so  far  friends  to  free  incjuiry  as 
impartially  to  search  the  Scriptures,  to  see 
whether  tJiese  things  be  true,  and  so  open 
to  conviction  as  to  relinquish  our  senti- 
ments when  they  are  proved  to  be  un- 
scriptural  ;  we  may  be  equally  attached  to 
practical  godliness,  and  to  the  principles 
on  which  it  is  founded;  and  notwithstand- 
ing our  ill  opinion  of  the  religious  senti- 
ments of  men,  and  our  apprehensions  of 
the  danger  of  their  condition,  we  may  yet 
bear  good  will  to  their  persons,  and  wish 
for  nothing  more  than  an  opportunity  of 
promoting  their  welfare,  both  for  this  life 
and  that  which  is  to  come. 

I  do  not  pretend  that  Calvinists  are  free 
from  bigotry  ;  neither  are  their  opponents. 
What  I  here  contend  for  is,  that  their  con- 
sidering a  belief  of  certain  doctrines  as 
necessary  to  salvation,  unless  it  can  be 
proved  that  they  make  more  of  these  doc- 
trines than  the  Scriptures  make  of  them, 
ought  not  to  subject  them  to  such  a 
charge. 

What  is  there  of  bigotry  in  our  not  reck- 
oning the  Sociniansto  be  Christians,  more 
than  in  their  reckoning  us  idolaters  ?  Mr, 
Madan  complained  of  the  Socinians  "  in- 
sulting those  of  his  princii)les  with  the 
charge  of  idolatry."  Dr.  Priestley  justi- 
fied them  by  observing,  "All  who  believe 
Christ  to  be  a  man,  and  not  God,  must 
necessarily  think  it  idolatrous  to  pay  him 
divine  honors  ;  and  to  call  it  so  is  no  other 
than  the  necessary  consequence  of  avow- 
ing our  belief."  JVay,  he  represents  it  as 
ridiculous  that  they  "should  "be  allowed 
to  think  the  Trinitarians  idolaters  without 
being  permitted  to  call  them  so."t  If 
Socinians  have  a  right  to  think  Trinita- 
rians idolaters,  they  have  doubtless  a  right 
to  call  them  so;  and,  if  they  be  able,''to 
make  it  ajjpear  so  :  nor  ought  we  to  con- 
sider ourselves  as  insulted  by  it.  I  have 
no  idea  of  being  offended  with  any  man,  in 
affairs  of  this  kind,  for  speakins  what  he 
believes  to  be  the  truth.  Instead  of  court- 
ing coinpliments  from  each  other  in  mat- 
ters of  such  moment,  we  ought  to  en- 
courage an  unreservedness  of  expression, 
provided  it  be  accompanied  with  sobrie- 
ty and  benevolence.      But  neither  ought 

f  Fam.  Let.  VI. 


246 


ON     CHARITY. 


Socinians  to  complain  of  our  refusing  to 
acknowledge  them  as  Christians,  or  to  im- 
pute it  to  a  spirit  of  bigotry ;  for  it 
amounts  to  nothing  more  than  avowing  a 
necessary  consequence  of  our  belief.  If 
we  believe  the  deity  and  atonement  of 
Christ  to  be  essential  to  Christianity,  we 
must  necessarily  IJiink  those  who  reject 
these  doctrines  to  be  no  Christians  ;  nor 
is  it  inconsistent  with  charity  to  speak  ac- 
cordingly. 

Again  :  what  is  there  of  bigotiy  in  our 
not  allowing  the  Socinians  to  be  Chris- 
tians, more  than  in  their  not  allo\ying  us 
to  be  Unitarians  ?  We  profess  to  believe 
in  the  divine  unity  as  much  as  they  do  in 
Christianity.  But  they  consider  a  oneness 
of  person,  as  well  as  of  essence,  to  be  es- 
sential to  the  unity  of  God  ;  and,  there- 
fore, cannot  acknowledge  us  as  Unita- 
rians :  and  we  consider  the  deity  and 
atonement  of  Christ  as  essential  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  therefore  cannot  acknowledge 
them  as  Christians.  '  We  do  not  choose  to 
call  Socinians  Unitarians,  because  that 
would  be  a  virtual  acknowledgment  that 
we  ourselves  do  not  believe  in  the  divine 
unity ;  but  we  are  not  offended  at  what 
they  think  of  us  ;  nor  do  we  impute  it  to 
bigotry,  or  to  any  thing  of  the  kind.  We 
know  that  while  they  think  as  they  do  on 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  our  sentiments 
must  appear  to  them  as  Tritheism.  We 
comfort  ourselves  in  these  matters  with 
this,  that  the  thoughts  of  creatures  unin- 
spired of  God  are  liable  to  mistake.  Such 
are  theirs  concerning  us,  and  such  are  ours 
concerning  them;  and,  if  Socinians  do  in- 
deed love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sin- 
cerity, it  is  happy  for  them.  The  judg- 
ment of  their  fellow-creatures  cannot  af- 
fect their  state  ;  and  thousands  who  have 
scrupled  to  admit  them  among  the  true 
followers  of  Christ  in  this  world  would  re- 
joice to  find  themselves  mistaken  in  that 
matter  at  the  last  day. 

It  has  been  pleaded,  by  some  who  are 
not  Socinians,  that  a  belief  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  atonement  is  not  necessary  to  salva- 
tion :  they  observe  that  the  disciples  of  our 
Lord,  previously  to  his  death,  do  not  ap- 
pear to  have  embraced  the  idea  of  a  vica- 
rious sacrilice ;  and,  therefore,  conclude 
that  a  vicarious  sacrifice  is  not  of  the  es- 
sence of  faith.  They  add.  It  was  owing  to 
prejudice,  and  consequently  wrong,  for  the 
disciples  to  disbelieve  this  doctrine  ;  and 
they  admit  the  same  thing  with  respect  to 
Socinians  :  yet,  as  the  error  in  the  one 
case  did  not  endanger  their  salvation,  they 
suppose  it  may  not  do  so  in  the  other.  To 
this  objection  the  following  observations 
are  offered  in  reply  : 

First :  Those  who  object  in  this  man- 
ner do  not  suppose  the  disciples  of  Christ 


to  have  agreed  with  Socinians  in  any  of 
their  peculiar  sentiments,  except  the  re- 
jection of  a  vicarious  sacrifice.  They  al- 
low them  to  have  believed  in  the  doctrines 
of  human  depravity,  divine  influence,  the 
miraculous  conception,  the  pre-existence 
and  proper  deity  of  Christ,  the  inspiration" 
of  the  Scriptures,  &c.  The  case  of  the 
disciples,  tlierefore,  is  far  from  being  par- 
allel with  that  of  the  Socinians. 

Secondly  :  W^hatever  were  the  ignorance 
and  error  which  occupied  the  minds  of  the 
disciples,  relative  to  the  death  of  their 
Lord,  their  case  will  not  apply  to  that  of 
Socinians,  on  account  of  the  difference  in 
the  state  of  revelation,  as  it  stood  before 
and  after  that  event.  Were  it  even  allow- 
ed that  the  disciples  did  reject  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ  being  a  vicarious  sacrifice  ; 
yet  the  circumstances  which  they  were 
under  render  their  case  very  different  from 
ours.  We  can  perceive  a  very  considera- 
ble difference  between  rejecting  a  princi- 
ple before,  and  after,  a  full  discussion  of 
it.  It  would  be  a  far  greater  evil,  in  the 
present  day,  to  persecute  men  for  adhering 
to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences,  than  it 
was  before  the  rights  of  conscience  were 
so  fully  understood.  It  may  include  a 
thousand  degrees  more  guilt  for  this  coun- 
try, at  the  present  time,  to  persist  in  the 
slave-trade,  than  to  have  done  the  same 
thing  previously  to  the  late  inquiry  on  that 
business.  But  the  disparity  between  pe- 
riods, with  regard  to  the  light  thrown  upon 
these  subjects,  is  much  less  than  between 
the  periods  before  and  after  the  death  of 
Christ,  with  regard  to  the  light  thrown 
upon  that  subject.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  periods  before  and  after  the 
death  of  Christ  w'as  as  great  as  between  a 
period  in  which  a  prophecy  is  unaccom- 
plished, and  that  in  which  it  is  accomplish- 
ed. There  are  many  things  that  seem 
plain  in  prophecy,  when  the  event  is  pass- 
ed, which  cannot  then  be  honestly  denied  : 
and  it  may  seem  wonderful  that  they  should 
ever  have  been  overlooked,  or  mistaken; 
yet  overlooked  or  mistaken  they  have 
been,  and  that  by  men  of  solid  understand- 
ing and  real  piety. 

It  was  after  the  death  of  Christ,  when 
the  means  of  knowledge  began  to  diffuse 
light  around  them,  that  the  disciples  were, 
for  the  first  time,  reproved  for  their  slow- 
ness of  heart  to  believe,  in  reference  to  this 
subject.  It  was  after  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  when  the  way  of  sal- 
vation was  fully  and  clearly  pointed  out, 
that  those  who  stumbled  at  the  doctrine  of 
the  cross  were  reckoned  disobedient  in 
such  a  degree  as  to  denominate  them  un- 
believers, and  that  the  most  awful  warn- 
ings and  threatenings  were  pointed  against 
them,  as  treading  under  foot  the  blood  of 


ON    CHARITY. 


247 


the  Son  of  God.  It  is  (rut'  our  Lord  liad 
repeatedly  predicted  liis  death,  and  it  was 
I'aullv  in  tiie  disciples  not  to  understand 
and  believe  it;  yet  what  he  tauiriit  on  tliat 
sul^jeet  was  l)ut  little,  when  compared 
with  what  followed.  The  "  frrcat  salva- 
tion," as  the  Ajiostle  to  the  Hclirews  ex- 
presses it,  "  Cirst  liegan  to  he  spoken  hy 
the  Lord,  and  was  eonlirnied"  to  the  ]>riin- 
itive  Christians  "  i>y  (hose  who  heard 
liiin  :".  Init  then  it  is  added,  "  God  also 
liearinir  them  witness,  I'odi  with  siuns  and 
wonders,  and  with  divers  miracles  and 
•ritts  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  accordiufr  to  his 
own  will."  Now,  it  is  upon  this  accumu- 
lation of  evidence  that  he  asks,  "  How 
shall  rcc  escape  ifive  neglect  so  great  sal- 
vation? "* 

A  lielief  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
is  allowed,  on  all  iiands,  to  be  essential  to 
salvation;  as  it  is  an  event  upon  which 
the  truth  of  Christianity  rests. f  But  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  previously  to  (he  event 
were  as  much  in  (he  dark  on  (his  article 
as  on  that  of  the  atonement.  Even  to  the 
last,  when  he  was  actually  risen  from  the 
dead,  they  visited  his  tomb,  in  hope  of 
findino;  him,  and  could  scarcely  believe 
their  senses,  with  resjject  to  his  having 
left  it :  "  for  as  yet  they  knew  not  the 
Scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again  from 
the  dead."  Now,  if  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  though  i)ut  little  understood,  be- 
fore,the  event,  may,  after  it,  be  considered 
as  essential  to  Chris(iani(y,  there  is  no 
reason  to  conclude  Init  that  the  same  may 
be  said  of  his  atonement. 

Thirdly  :  It  is  not  clear  that  the  dis- 
ciples did  reject  the  idea  of  a  vicarious 
sacrifice.  They  had  all  their  lives  been 
accustomed  to  vicarious  sacrifices  :  it  is 
therefore  very  improbable  that  they  should 
be  prejudiced  against  the  idea  itself. 
Their  objection  (o  Christ's  laying  down 
his  life  seems  to  have  been  directed  sim- 
ply against  his  dying,  rather  than  his 
dying  as  a  vicarious  sacrifice.  Could 
they  have  been  reconciled  to  the  former 
for  any  thing  that  appears,  they  would 
have  readily  acquiesced  in  the  latter. 
Their  objection  to  the  death  of  Christ 
seems  to  have  been  more  the  effect  of  ig- 
norance and  misguided  afTection  than  of  a 
rooted  opposition  of  principle  ;  and  there- 
fore, when  they  came  to  see  clearly  into 
the  design  of  his  death,  it  is  expressed  not 
as  if  they  had  essentially  altered  their  sen- 
timents, but  remembered  the  words  which 
he  had  spoken  to  them  ;  of  which,  while 
their  minds  were  beclouded  with  the  no- 
tions of  a  temporal  kingdom,  they  could 
form   no   clear   or   consistent   ideas,   and 

t  Heb.  ii.  1—1. 

*  1  Cor.  >v.  14,  15.        Roin.  x.  9. 


therefore  had  forgotten  them.  Luke  xxiv. 
I— S. 

And  notwithstanding  the  ignorance  and 
error  which  a((ended  (he  disciples,  (here 
are  (hings  said  of  (hem  which  apply  much 
more  (han  the  objection  would  seem  to 
allow  : — "  Whither  I  go,"  said  Christ, 
"  ye  know  ;  and  (he  way  ye  know."  As 
if  he  should  say,  I  am  no(  going  (o  as(range 
place,  bul  (o  (he  house  of  iny  Father  and 
of  your  Father;  with  the  way  to  which 
you  are  accpiainted,  and  (herefore  will 
soon  be  wi(h  me.  "  Thomas  said  unto 
him.  Lord  we  know  not  whither  (hou  go- 
cst,  and  how  can  we  know  (he  way  1  Je- 
sus said  unto  him,  I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life  :  no  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father,  but  by  me. — If  ye  had  known  me, 
ye  should  have  known  my  Father  also  :  and 
from  henceforth  ye  know  him,  and  have 
seen  him."  From  this  passage  it  appears 
that  the  disciple  had  a  general  idea  of  sal- 
vation through  Christ  ;  though  (hey  did 
not  unders(and  particularlij  how  it  was 
to  be  accomplished.  Fardier  :  Christ 
taught  his  hearers,  saying,  "except ye  eat 
my  flesh  and  drink  my  blood,  ye  have  no 
life  in  you  :" — "  and  the  bread  that  I  will 
give  is  my  flesh,  thai  I  willgie  for  the 
life  of  the  world."  On  (his  occasion, 
many  of  his  nominal  disciples  were  offend- 
ed, and  "  walked  no  more  wi(h  him  ;"  but 
the  true  disciples  were  not  offended.  On 
the  contrary,  being  asked,  "Will  ye  also 
go  away  1  Peter  answered,  Lord,  (o  whom 
shall  we  go  ]  Thou  hast  (he  words  of 
e(ernal  life."  From  (his  passage  i(  plain- 
ly appears  that  (he  (rue  disciples  of  Christ 
were,  even  at  that  time,  considered  as  be- 
lieving so  much  on  the  subject  of  Christ's 
giving  himself  for  the  life  of  the  world  as 
to  "  eat  his  flesh  and  drink  his  blood;" 
for  our  Lord  certainly  did  not  mean  to 
condemn  them,  as  having  "  no  life  in 
them."  So  far  wei-e  they  from  rejecting 
this  doctrine,  (hat  (he  same  words  at  which 
the  false  disciples  were  ofTended  were  to 
them  "(he  words  of  eternal  life."  Prob- 
aV)ly,  (his  great  truth  was  sometimes 
more  and  sometimes  less  apparent  to  their 
view.  At  those  j)eriods  in  which  their 
minds  were  occupied  with  the  notion  of  a 
temporal  kingdom,  or  in  which  events 
turned  up  contrary  to  their  expectations, 
they  would  be  all  in  darkness  concerning 
it  :  yet,  with  all  tlicir  darkness,  and  with 
all  their  doubts,  it  does  not  appear  to  be  a 
doctrine  which  they  can  be  said  to  have 
rejected. 

No  person,  I  think,  who  is  open  to  convic- 
tion canbe  abigot,  whatever behisreligious 
sentiments.  Our  opponents,  it  is  true,  are 
very  ready  to  suppose  that  this  is  our  gen- 
eral  character,  and  that  we  are  averse 


248 


ON  CHARITY. 


from  free  inquiry  :  but  this  may  be  more 
than  they  are  able  to  prove.  We  acknow- 
ledge that  we  do  not  choose  to  circulate 
books  indiscriminately  among  our  friends 
which  are  considered  by  us  as  containing 
false  and  pernicious  doctrines  ;  neither  do 
other  people.  I  never  knew  a  zealous 
Dissenter  eager  to  circulate  a  book  con- 
taining high-church  principles  among  his 
children  and  connections  ;  nor  a  church- 
man those  which  contain  the  true  princi- 
ples of  dissent.  In  like  manner,  an  Anti- 
trinitarian  will  not  propagate  the  best 
productions  of  Trinitarians.  If  they  hap- 
pen to  meet  with  a  weak  performance,  in 
which  the  subject  is  treated  to  disadvan- 
tage, they  may  feel  no  great  objection  to 
make  it  public ;  but  it  is  otherwise  with 
respect  to  those  in  which  it  is  treated  to 
advantage.  I  have  known  some  gentle- 
men affecting  to  possess  what  has  been 
called  a  liberal  mind  who  have  discovered 
no  kind  of  concern  at  the  indiscriminate  cir- 
culation of  Socinian  productions ;  but  I 
have  also  perceived  that  those  gentlemen 
have  not  been  far  from  their  kingdom  of 
heaven.  If  any  person  choose  to  read  the 
writings  of  a  Socinian,  or  of  an  atheist, 
he  is  at  liberty  to  do  so;  but,  as  the 
Monthly  Reviewers  themselves  observe, 
"  Though  we  are  always  ready  to  engage 
in  inquiries  after  truth,  and  wish  to  see 
them  at  all  times  promoted;  yet  we 
choose  to  avoid  disseminating  notions 
which  we  cannot  approve."* 

As  to  being  open  to  conviction  our- 
selves, it  has  been  frequently  observed 
that  Socinians  discover  as  great  an  aver- 
sion to  the  reading  of  our  writings  as  we 
can  discover  to  the  reading  of  theirs. 
Some  will  read  tliem ;  but  not  many. 
Out  of  a  hundred  persons,  whose  minds 
lean  towards  the  Socinian  system,  should 
you  put  into  their  hands  a  well-written 
Calvinistic  performance,  and  desire  them 
carefully  and  seriously  to  read  it  over,  I 
question  whether  five  Avould  comply  with 
your  request.  So  far,  however,  as  my 
observation  extends,  I  can  perceive  in 
such  persons  an  eagerness  for  reading 
those  writings  which  suit  their  taste,  and 
a  contempt  of  others,  equal,  if  not  supe- 
rior, to  what  is  perceivable  in  people  of 
other  denominations. 

Dr.  Priestley  suggests  that  the  impor- 
tance which  we  give  to  our  sentiments 
tends  to  prevent  an  e^arnest  and  impartial 
search  after  truth.  "  While  they  imbibe 
such  a  notion  of  their  present  sentiments 
they  must  needs,"  he  says,  "live  in  the 
dread  of  all  free  inquiry;  whereas  we, 
who  have  not  that  idea  of  the  importance 
of    our    present   sentiments,   preserve   a 

*  Monthly  Review  Enlarged,  Vol.  VI.  p.  555. 


state  of  mind  proper  for  the  discussion  of 
them.  If  we  be  wrong,  as  our  minds  are 
under  no  strong  bias,  we  are  within  the 
reach  of  conviction ;  and  thus  are  in  the 
way  to  grow  wiser  and  better  as  long  as 
we  live."f 

Mr.  Belsham,  however,  appears  to  think 
the  very  reverse.  He  pleads,  and  I  think 
very  justly,  that  an  idea  of  the  non-im- 
portance of  sentiment  tends  to  destroy  a 
spirit  of  inquiry,  by  becalming  the  mind 
into  a  state  of  indifference  and  careless- 
ness. He  complains  of  those  of  his  own 
party  (the  Socinians)  wOio  maintain  that 
"sincerity  is  every  thing,  that  nothing  is 
of  much  value  but  an  honest  heart,  and 
that  speculative  opinions — the  cant  name 
for  those  interesting  doctrines  which  the 
wise  and  good  in  every  age  have  thought 
worthy  of  the  most  serious  discussion, — 
that  these  speculative  opinions,  as  they 
are  opprobriously  called,  are  of  little  use. 
What  is  this,"  adds  he,  "but  to  pass 
a  severe  censure  upon  those  illustrious 
names  whose  acute  and  learned  labors 
have  been  successfully  employed  in  clear- 
ing up  the  difficulties  in  which  these  im- 
portant subjects  were  involved;  to  con- 
demn their  own  conduct,  in  wasting  so 
much  of  their  time  and  pains  upon  such 
useless  speculations ;  and  to  check  the 
progress  of  religious  inquiry  and  chris- 
tian knowledge  1  Were  I  a  friend  to  the 
popular  maxim — that  speculative  opinions 
are  of  no  importance,  I  would  endeavor 
to  act  consistently  with  my  principles  :  I 
would  content  myself  with  believing  as 
my  fathers  believed ;  I  would  take  no 
pains  to  acquire  or  diffuse  knowledge ;  I 
would  laugh  at  every  attempt  to  instruct 
and  to  meliorate  the  world;  I  would  treat 
as  a  visionary  and  a  fool  every  one  who 
should  aim  to  extend  the  limits  of  sci- 
ence ;  I  would  recommend  to  my  fellow- 
creatures  that  they  should  neither  lie  nor 
defraud,  that  they  should  neither  swear 
falsely  nor  steal,  should  say  their  prayers 
as  they  have  been  taught  :  but,  as  to  any 
thing  else,  that  they  need  not  give  them- 
selves any  concern ;  for  that  honesty  was 
every  thing,  and  that  every  expectation  of 
improving  their  circumstances,  by  cultiva- 
ting their  understandings  and  extending 
their  views,  would  prove  delusive  and 
chimerical.  "J 

None  will  imagine  that  I  have  quoted 
Mr.  Belsham  on  account  of  my  agreement 
with  him  in  the  great  principles  of  the 
gospel.  What  he  would  reckon  impor- 
tant truth  I  should  consider  as  pernicious 
error :  and,  probably,  his  views  of  the 
importance  of  what  he  accounts  truth  are 
not  equal  to  what  I  have  attempted  to 


tDiff.  Opin.  §  II. 


t  Serm.  pp.  5,  6. 


LOVE    TO    CHRIST. 


249 


raaintain.  But  in  this  general  i)iiiKij)le 
we  are  airrecd. —  That  our  conceiving  of 
truth  as  being  of  but  littte  importance  has 
a  tendency  to  check  free  inquiry  rather 
than  to  promote  it :  wliich  is  the  reverse 
of  what  we  arc  tauj^lit  hy  Dr.  Priestley. 

To  illustrate  tiie  suiycct  more  fully : 
Suppose  the  possession  oJ  a  precious 
stone,  of  a  certain  description,  to  entitle 
us  to  the  possession  ot  some  very  desira- 
ble ol)ject  ;  and  su()pose  that  none  of  any 
other  description  would  answer  the  same 
end ;  would  that  consideration  tend  to 
prejudice  our  minds  in  favor  of  any  stone 
we  might  happen  to  possess,  or  prevent 
an  impartial  and  strict  inquiry  into  its 
properties  ]  Would  it  not  rather  induce 
us  to  he  more  inquisitive  and  careful,  lest 
we  should  be  mistaken,  and  so  lose  the 
prize  1  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  could 
imagine  that  any  stone  would  answer  the 
same  end,  or  that  an  error  in  that  matter 
Avere  of  trilling  importance  as  to  the  issue, 
would  it  not  have  a  tendency  to  promote 
a  spirit  of  carelessness  in  our  examina- 
tions ;  and,  as  all  men  are  apt,  in  such 
cases,  to  be  prejudiced  in  favor  of  what 
tliey  already  have,  to  make  us  rest  con- 
tented with  what  we  had  in  possession, 
be  it  what  it  migiit  1 

It  is  allowed,  however,  that,  as  every 
good  has  its  counterfeit,  and  as  there  is 
a  mixtui'e  of  human  prejudices  and  pas- 
sions in  all  we  think  or  do,  there  is  danger 
of  this  principle  degenerating  into  an  un- 
christian severity ;  and  of  its  being  exer- 
cised at  the  expense  of  that  benevolence 
which  is  due  to  all  men.  There  is 
nothing,  however,  in  this  view  of  things, 
which,  in  its  own  nature,  tends  to  pro- 
mote these  evils ;  for  the  most  unfavorable 
opinion  of  a  man's  j)rinciples  and  state 
may  consist  with  the  most  perfect  benev- 
olence and  compassion  towards  his  per- 
son. Jesus  Christ  thought  as  ill  of  the 
jjrinciples  and  state  of  the  Piiarisees  and 
Sadducees,  and  the  generality  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  as  any  of  us  think  of  one 
another ;  yet  he  wept  over  Jerusalem, 
and  to  his  last  hour  sought  her  welfare. 
The  apostle  Paul  had  the  same  concep- 
tion of  the  principles  and  state  of  the 
generality  of  his  countrymen  as  Christ 
himself  had,  and  much  the  same  as  we 
have  of  the  Socinians.  He  considered 
them,  though  they  "followed  after  the 
law  of  righteousness,"  or  were  very  de- 
vout in  their  way,  yet  as  "not  having 
attained  to  the  law  of  righteousness';" 
in  other  words,  as  not  being  righteous 
persons  ;  which  the  Gentiles,  who  submit- 
ted to  the  gospel,  were.  And  "where- 
fore "?  Because  they  sought  it  not  by 
faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the 
law.  For  they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling- 
VOL.    I.  32 


stone."  Yet  Paul,  in  the  same  chapter, 
and  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  declared 
that  he  had  "  great  heaviness,  and  con- 
tinual sorrow  in  his  heart." — Nay,  that 
he  "could  wish  himself  accursed  from 
Christ,  (or  his  bretliren's  sake,  his  kins- 
men according  to  the  flesh!"  Romans 
ix.  30. 

But  why  need  I  say  any  morel  Dr. 
Priestley  himself  allows  all  I  plead  for: 
"The  man,"  says  he,  "  whose  sole  spring 
of  action  is  a  concern  for  lost  souls,  and  a 
care  to  preserve  the  purity  of  that  gospel 
which  alone  teaches  the  most  eflectual 
method  of  their  recovery  from  the  power 
of  sin  and  Satan  unto  God,  will  feel  an 
ardor  of  mind  that  will  prompt  him  stren- 
uously to  oppose  all  those  whom  he 
considers  as  obstructing  his  benevolent 
designs."  He  adds,  "I  could  overlook 
every  thing  in  a  man  who  I  thought  meant 
nothing  but  my  everlasting  welfare."* 
This,  and  nothing  else,  is  the  temj)er  of 
mind  which  I  have  been  endeavoring  to 
defend  ;  and,  as  Dr.  Priestley  has  here 
generously  acknowledged  its  propriety,  it 
becomes  us  to  acknowledge,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  every  species  of  zeal  for  senti- 
ments in  which  a  concern  for  the  ever- 
lastyig  welfare  of  men  is  wanting  is  an 
unhallowed  kind  of  fire  ;  for  which  who- 
ever indulges  it  will  receive  no  thanks 
from  him  whose  cause  he  may  imagine 
himself  to  have  espoused. 


LETTER  XI. 

THE  SYSTEMS  COMPARED  AS  TO  THEIR 
INFLUENCE  IN  PROMOTING  THE  LOVE 
OF    CHRIST. 

If  the  holy  Scriptures  be  a  proper  me- 
dium by  which  to  judge  of  the  nature  of 
virtue,  it  must  be  allowed  to  include  the 
love  of  Christ :  nay,  that  love  to  Christ 
is  one  of  the  cardinal  virtues  of  the 
Christian  scheme,  seeing  it  occupies  a 
most  important  place  in  the  doctrines  and 
precepts  of  inspiration.  "He  that  loveth 
me,"  said  Christ,  "  shall  be  loved  of  my 
Father." — "If  God  were  your  Father, 
ye  would  love  me."— "Whom,  having 
not  seen,  ye  love;  in  whom,  though  now 
ye  see  him  not,  yet,  believing,  ye  rejoice 
with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 
— "  Grace  be  with  all  them  that  love  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity."—"  If 
any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
let  him  be  anathema  maran-atha." 

*Diff.  Opin.  §  1. 


250 


LOVE     TO    CHRIST. 


From  these  passages,  with  many  others 
that  might  be  produced,  we  may  conclude 
that  lo\'e  to  Christ  is  not  only  a  christian 
virtue,  but  essential  to  the  very  existence 
of  Christianity ;  nay,  to  morality  itself, 
if  by  that  term  be  meant  a  conformity  to 
the  moral  law.  The  following  lines, 
though  expressed  by  a  poet,  contain  more 
than  a  poetic  flight,  even  the  words  of 
truth  and  soberness  : 

"  Talk  tliey  of  Morals  1  Oh  thou  bleeding  Love, 
The  grand  morality  is  love  of  Thee  I" 

In  judging  which  of  the  systems  in 
question  is  most  adapted  to  promote  love 
to  Christ,  it  should  seem  sufficient  to 
determine  which  of  them  tends  most  to 
exalt  his  character,  which  places  his  me- 
diation in  the  most  important  light,  and 
which  represents  us  as  most  indebted  to 
his  undertaking. 

With  respect  to  the  first :  Every  being 
commands  our  affection  in  proportion  to 
the  degree  of  intellect  which  he  possesses, 
provided  that  his  goodness  be  equal  to 
his  intelligence.  We  feel  a  respect  to- 
wards an  animal,  and  a  concern  at  its 
death,  which  we  do  not  feel  towards  a  veg- 
etable ;  towards  those  animals  which  are 
very  sagacious,  more  than  to  those  which 
are  otherwise  ;  towards  man,  more  than 
to  mere  animals  ;  and  towards  men  of  en- 
larged powers,  if  they  be  but  good  as 
well  as  great,  more  than  to  men  in  com- 
mon. According  to  the  degree  of  in- 
tellect which  they  possess,  so  much  they 
have  of  being,  and  of  estimation  in  the 
scale  of  being.  A  man  is  of  "  more 
value  than  many  sparrows  ;"  and  tlie  life 
of  David  was  reckoned  to  be  worth  ten 
thousand  of  those  of  the  common  people. 
It  has  been  thought  to  be  on  this  principle 
that  God,  possessing  infinitely  more  ex- 
istence than  all  the  creatures  taken  to- 
gether, and  being  as  good  as  he  is  great, 
is  to  be  loved  and  revered  without  bounds, 
except  those  which  arise  from  the  limita- 
tion of  our  powers  ;  that  is,  "  with  all  our 
heart,  and  soul,  and  mind,  and  strength." 

Now,  if  these  observations  he  just,  it 
cannot  be  doul)ted  which  of  the  systems 
in  question  tends  most  to  promote  the 
love  of  Christ  :  that  which  supposes  him 
to  be  equal,  or  one  with  God;  or  that 
which  reduces  him  to  the  rank  of  a  mere 
fellow-creature.  In  the  same  proportion 
as  God  himself  is  to  be  loved  above  man, 
so  is  Christ  to  be  loved,  supposing  him  to 
be  truly  God,  above  what  he  is,  or  ought 
to  be,  supposing  him  to  be  merely  a 
fellow-man. 

The  prophets,  apostles,  and  primitive 
Christians  seem  to  have  felt  this  motive 
in  all  its  force.     Hence,  in  their  various 


expressiens  of  love  to  Christ,  they  fre- 
quently mingle  acknowledgments  of  his 
divine  dignity  and  excellence.  They,  in- 
deed, never  seem  afraid  of  going  too  far, 
or  of  honoring  him  too  much ;  but  dwell 
upon  the  dignity  and  glory  of  his  person 
as  their  darling  theme.  When  David  me- 
ditated upon  this  subject,  he  was  raised 
above  himself.  "My  heart,"  saith  he, 
"is  inditing  a  good  matter:  I  speak  of 
the  things  which  I  have  made  touching 
the  king  :  my  tongue  is  as  the  pen  of  a 
ready  writer.  Thou  art  fairer  than  the 
children  of  men."—"  Thy  throne,  O  God, 
is  forever  and  ever  :  the  sceptre  of  thy 
kingdom  is  a  right  sceptre." — "  Gird  thy 
sword  upon  thy  thigh,  O  most  mighty, 
with  thy  glory  and  thy  majesty."  The 
expected  Messiah  was  frequently  the 
subject  of  Isaiah's  prophecies.  He  loved 
him ;  and  his  love  appears  to  have  been 
founded  on  his  dignity  and  divine  excel- 
lency. "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto 
us  a  son  is  given,  and  the  government 
shall  be  upon  his  shoulder :  and  his  name 
shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor. 
THE  MIGHTY  Gou,  the  everlasting  Fa- 
ther, the  Prince  of  Peace."  He  thus 
describes  the  preaching  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist: — "The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in 
the  wilderness.  Prepare  ye  the  way  of 
Jehovah,  make  straight  in  the  desert  a 
highway  for  our  God." — "Behold,  the 
Lord  God  will  come  with  a  strong  hand, 
and  his  arm  shall  rule  for  him;  behold, 
his  reward  is  with  him,  and  his  work  be- 
fore him.  He  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a 
shepherd  ;  He  shall  gather  the  lambs  with 
his  arm,  and  carry  them  in  his  bosom, 
and  shall  gently  lead  those  that  are  with 
young."  Zacharias,  the  father  of  John 
the  Baptist,  so  loved  the  Messiah  as  to 
rejoice  in  his  own  child,  chiefly  because 
he  was  appointed  to  be  his  prophet  and 
forerunner.  "And  thou,  child,"  said  the 
enraptured  parent,  "shalt  be  called  the 
prophet  of  the  Highest;  for  thou  shalt 
go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord,  to  prepare 
his  ways."  Luke  i.  John  tlie  Baptist 
himself,  when  the  Jews  artfully  endeav- 
ored to  excite  his  jealousy  on  account  of 
the  superior  ministerial  success  of  Christ, 
replied,  "  Ye  yourselves  bear  me  witness 
that  I  said  I  am  not  the  Christ.  He  that 
hath  the  bride  is  the  bridegroom  :  but  the 
friend  of  the  bridegroom,  which  standeth 
and  heareth  him,  rejoiceth  greatly  be- 
cause of  the  bridegroom's  voice  :  this  my 
joy  therefore  is  fulfilled." — "  i^e  that 
Cometh  from  above  is  above  all :  he  that  is 
of  the  earth  is  earthly,  and  speaketh  of  the 
earth  :  He  that  cometh  from  heaven  is 
above  all."* 

*John  iii.  28 — 31.     Query:  In  what  sense  could 


LOVE    TO    CHRIST. 


251 


The  apostles,  wlio  saw  the  Lord,  and 
Viho  saw  tlic  accotnplisliiMOnt  of  wliat  the 
prophets  lorctohl,  wore  not  disa|)poiiited  in 
iiiiii.  Tlieir  h)vc  to  him  was  jireat,  and 
tlieir  representations  of  liis  person  and 
character  ran  in  the  same  exalted  strain. 
"  In  the  hcirinninsi  was  the  Word,"  said 
the  l>elovcd  disciple,  "and  tlie  Word  was 
with  God,  and  tlie  Word  iraa  God.  The 
same  was  in  tlie  l)e<iinnin.u;  with  God. 
All  things  ivere  made  by  fiim,  and  iritliout 
him  icas  not  anyfhing  made  that  (c«s  made. 
He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was 
made  by  him,  and  tlie  world  knew  him 
not.  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and 
dwelt  among  us  (and  we  beheld  ids  glory, 
the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth."  Thom- 
as insisted  upon  an  unreasonaMe  kind  of 
evidence  of  the  resurrection  of^iiis  Lord 
from  tlic  dead;  saying,  "Except  I  shall 
see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails, 
and  put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the 
nails,  and  thrust  my  Jiand  into  his  side, 
I  will  not  believe."  When  reproved  by 
our  Lord's  ofl'ering  to  gratify  him  in  his 
incredulous  proposal,  he  confessed,  with 
a  mixture  of  shame,  grief,  and  affection, 
that,  however  unbelieving  he  had  been,  he 
was  now  satisfied  that  it  was  indeed  his 
Lord,  and  no  other;  saying,  "My  Lord 
and  my  God!"  The  whole  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  breathes  an  ardent  love  to  Christ, 
and  is  intermingled  with  the  same  kind  of 
language.  Jesus  is  there  represented  as 
*'  upholding  all  things  by  the  ivord  of  his 
power ;"  as  the  object  of  angelic  adora- 
tion; as  he  to  whom  it  was  said,  "  Thy 
throne,  O  God,  is  forever  and  ever;"  as 
he  who  "  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth," 
and  concerning  whom  it  is  added,  "the 
heavens  are  the  work  of  thine  hands;" 
as  superior  to  Moses,  the  one  being  the 
builder  and  ovmer  of  the  house,  even  God 
that  built  all  things ;  and  the  other  only 
a  servant  in  it ;  as  superior  to  Aaron  and 
to  all  those  of  his  order,  "  a  great  high 
priest, — Jesus  the  Son  of  God;"  and, 
finally,  as  infinitely  superior  to  angels  ; 
for  "  to  which  of  the  angels  said  he,  at 
anytime,  Thou  art  my  Son;  or,  Sit  on 
my  right  hand?"  Hence  the  gospel  is 
considered  as  exhibiting  "  a  great  salva- 
tion!" and  those  who  neglect  it  are  ex- 
posed to  a  recompense  of  wrath  Avhich 
they  shall  not  escape. 

Paul  could  scarcely  mention  the  name 

Christ  be  said  to  come  fiora  above,  even  from 
heaven,  if  he  was  merely  a  man,  and  came  into  the 
world  like  other  men  1  It  could  not  he  on  account  of 
his  office,  or  of  his  receiving  hi.s  mission  from 
God  ;  for,  in  that  sense  John  was  from  heaven  as 
well  as  he.  Was  it  not  for  tlie  same  reason  which 
John  elsewhere  gives  for  his  !)eing  "  prefered  before 
him,"  viz.  that  "  He  was  before  him  ?" 


of  Christ  without  adding  some  strong  en- 
comium in  his  praise.  When  he  was 
iMuimerating  those  things  which  rendered 
his  coimtrymen  dear  to  him,  he  meiilions 
their  being  Israelites  to  v\hom  pertained 
the  adoption,  and  the  glory,  and  the  ri>v- 
cnants,  and  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the 
service  of  God,  and  i\\c  provLises  ;  whose 
were  ihc  fathers,  and  of  whom,  as  concern- 
ing the  flesh,  Christ  came.  Here,  it  seems, 
he  might  have  stopped  :  but,  having  men- 
tioned the  name  of  Christ,  he  could  not 
content  himself  without  adding,  Who  is 
over  all,  God  blessed  forever.  Amen. 
Rom.'ix.  Having  occasion  also  to  speak, 
of  him  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Colossians 
(chap,  i.)  as  "  God's  dear  Son,  in  whom 
we  have  redemption  through  his  blood, 
even  the  forgiveness  of  sins,"  he  could  not 
forliear  adding,  "  Who  is  the  image  of  the 
invisible  God,  the  first-born  of  every  crea- 
ture. For  by  him  were  all  things  created 
that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth, 
visible  and  invisible,  whether  thrones,  or 
dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers  : 
all  things  were  created  by  him,  and /or 
him.  And  he  is  before  all  things,  and  by 
him  all  things  consist." 

And  now,  brethren,  I  might  appeal  to 
you  on  the  justness  of  Dr.  Priestley's  as- 
sertion, that  "  in  no  sense  whatever,  not 
even  in  the  lowest  of  all,  is  Christ  so  much 
as  called  God  in  all  the  New  Testa- 
ment."* I  might  appeal  to  you  whether 
such  language  as  the  above  would  ever 
have  proceeded  from  the  sacred  writers, 
had  they  embraced  the  scheme  of  our  op- 
ponents. But,  waving  these  particulars, 
as  irrelative  to  the  immediate  point  in 
hand,  I  appeal  to  you  whether  such  love 
as  the  pro|)hets  and  apostles  expressed  to- 
wards Christ  could  consist  with  his  l)eing 
merely  a  fellow-creature,  and  their  consid- 
ering him  as  such  ;  whether  the  manner  in 
which  they  expressed  that  love,  upon  the 
principles  of  our  opponents,  instead  of  be- 
ing acceptable  to  God,  could  have  been 
any  other  than  the  height  of  extravagance, 
and  the  essence  of  idolatry.  Judge  also 
for  yourselves,  brethren,  which  of  the  sys- 
tems in  question  has  the  gieatest  tenden- 
cy to  promote  such  a  spirit  of  love  to 
Christ  as  is  liere  exemplified  :  that  which 
leads  us  to  admire  these  representations, 
and,  on  various  occasions,  to  adoj)t  the 
same  expressions  ;  or  that  which  employs 
us  in  coldly  criticising  away  their  mean- 
ing:  that  which  leads  us,  without  fear,  to 
give  them  their  full  scope  ;  or  that  which, 
while  we  are  honoring  the  Son,  would  ex- 
cite apprehensions,  lest  wc  should,  in  so 
doing,  tlishonor  the  father. 

The  next  question  to  be  discussed  is, 

*  Letters  to  Mr.  Burn,  Letter  L 


252 


LOVK    TO    CHRIST. 


Which  of  the  two  systems  places  the  medi- 
ation of  Christ  in  the  most  important  point 
of  light?  That  system,  doubtless,  which 
finds  the  greatest  use  for  Christ,  or  in 
which  he  occupies  the  most  important 
place,  must  have  the  greatest  tendency  to 
promote  love  to  him.  Suppose  a  system 
of  politics  were  drawn  up,  in  which  civil 
liberty  occupied  but  a  very  small  portion, 
and  was  generally  kept  out  of  view;  or 
if,  when  iirought  forward,  it  was  either  for 
the  purpose  of  abating  the  high  notions 
which  some  people  entertain  of  it,  or,  at 
least,  of  treating  it  as  a  matter  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  good  civil  government ; 
who  would  venture  to  assert  that  such  a 
system  was  friendly,  or  its  abettors  friends 
to  civil  liberty  1  This  is  manifestly  a  case 
in  point.  The  Socinian  system  has  but 
little  use  for  Christ  ;  and  none  at  all  as 
an  atoning  sacrifice.  It  scarcely  ever 
mentions  him,  unless  it  be  to  depreciate 
those  views  of  his  dignity  which  others 
entertain,  or  in  such  a  way  as  to  set  aside 
the  absolute  necessity  of  his  mediation. 

It  is  not  so  in  our  views  of  things.  We 
find  so  much  use  for  Christ,  if  I  may  so 
speak,  that  he  appears  as  the  soul  which 
animates  the  whole  body  of  our  divinity  ; 
as  the  centre  of  the  system,  diffusing  light 
and  life  to  every  part  of  it.  Take  away 
Christ ;  nay,  take  away  the  deity  and 
atonement  of  Christ ;  and  the  whole  cer- 
emonial of  the  Old  Testament  appears  to 
us  little  more  than  a  dead  mass  of  unin- 
teresting matter  :  prophecy  loses  all  that 
is  interesting  and  endearing  :  the  gospel  is 
annihilated,  or  ceases  to  be  that  good  news 
to  lost  sinners  which  it  professes  to  be  ; 
practical  religion  is  divested  of  its  most 
powerful  motives  ;  the  evangelical  dispen- 
sation of  its  peculiar  glory ;  and  heaven 
itself  of  its  most  transporting  joys. 

The  sacred  penmen  appear  to  have 
written  all  along  upon  the  same  princi- 
ples. They  considered  Christ  as  the  All 
in  all  of  their  religion  ;  and,  as  such,  they 
loved  him  with  their  whole  hearts.  Do 
they  speak  of  the  "first  tabernacle  1" 
They  call  it  a  "  figure  for  the  time  then 
present,  in  which  were  offered  both  gifts 
and  sacrifices,  that  could  not  make  him 
that  did  the  service  perfect  as  pertaining 
to  the  conscience." — "But  Christ  being 
come  a  high  priest  of  good  things  to  come, 
by  a  greater  and  more  perfect  tabernacle, 
not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  say,  not  of 
this  building ;  neither  by  the  blood  of 
goats  and  calves,  but  by  his  own  blood, 
he  entered  in  once  into  the  holy  place, 
having  obtained  eternal  redemption  for 
us."  Do  they  speak  of  prophecy  1  They 
call  the  testimony  of  Jesus  the  "spirit"  of 
it.  Rev.  xix.  10.  Of  the  gospeU  It  is 
the   doctrine  of   "Christ  crucified."     Of 


the  medium  by  which  the  world  was  cru-' 
cified  to  them,  and  they  to  the  world  1  It 
is  the  same.  The  very  "  reproach  of 
Christ"  had  a  value  stamped  upoxi  it,  so 
as,  in  their  esteem,  to  surpass  all  the 
treasures  of  the  present  world.  One  of 
the  most  affecting  ideas  which  they  afford 
us  of  heaven  consists  in  ascribing  ever- 
lasting glory  and  dominion  "  to  him  that 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood.  Ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands, 
were  heard  with  a  loud  voice,  saying. 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  teas  slain  to  re- 
ceive power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  bless- 
ing." 

Let  us  select  a  particular  instance  in  the 
character  of  Paul.  This  apostle  seemed 
to  be  swallowed  up  in  love  to  Christ. 
His  mercy  to  him,  as  one  of  the  "  chief  of 
sinners,"  had  bound  his  heart  to  him  with 
bonds  of  everlasting  gratitude.  Nor  was 
this  all ;  he  saw  that  glory  in  his  person, 
office,  and  work,  which  eclipsed  the  excel- 
lence of  all  created  objects,  Avhich  crucifi- 
ed the  world  to  him,  and  him  unto  the 
world.  "  What  things  were  gain  to  me, 
those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea, 
doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but  loss, 
for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,  for  whom  I  have 
suffered  the  loss  of  all  things."  Nor  did 
he  now  repent ;  for  he  immediately  adds, 
"  And  do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may 
win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him;  not  hav- 
ing mine  own  righteousness  which  is  of 
the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the 
faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  God  by  faith."— "  That  I  may  know 
him,  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection, 
and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  being 
made  conformable  unto  his  death." 
When  his  friends  wept  because  he  would 
not  l)e  dissuaded  Irom  going  to  Jerusalem, 
he  answered,  "What  mean  ye  to  weep, 
and  to  break  mine  heart  1  For  I  am  ready, 
not  to  be  bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at 
Jerusalem,  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Je- 
sus." Feeling  in  himself  an  ardent  love 
to  Christ,  he  vehemently  desired  that  oth- 
ers might  love  him  too.  For  this  cause 
he  bowed  his  knees  to  the  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  behalf  of  the  Ephe- 
sians  ;  praying  that  Christ  might  dwell  in 
their  hearts  by  faith.  He  represented  him 
to  them  as  the  medium  of  all  spiritual 
blessings  ;  of  election,  adoption,  accept- 
ance with  God,  redemption,  and  the  for- 
giveness of  sins  ;  of  a  future  inheritance, 
and  of  a  present  eai'nest  of  it ;  as  head  over 
all  things  to  the  church,  and  as  him  that 
fillcth  all  in  all.  He  described  him  as  the 
only  way  of  access  to  God,  and  as  the  sole 
foundation  of  a  sinner's  hope  ;  whose  rich- 


LOVE    TO    CHRIST. 


253 


cs  were  unsearchable,  and  the  dimensions 
of  his  love  passina;  knowlodirc. 

It  any  drew  hack,  or  deviated  from  the 
siniphcity  of  tlic  jjospol,  lie  telt  a  most  ar- 
dent tliirst  for  tiieir  rceovery  :  witness  his 
Epistles  to  tiie  Corintliiaiis,  the  Gahitians, 
and  (it',  as  is  generally  supposed,  he  was 
the  writer  of  it)  to  the  Uelirews.  It  any 
one  drew  back,  and  was  not  to  l)e  reehiim- 
ed,  he  denounced  atraiiist  him  tlie  divine 
dechiration,  "  My  soul  shall  have  no  plea- 
sure in  him."  And,  whatever  might  be 
the  mind  of  others,  like  Josluni,  he  was  at 
a  point  himself:  "  Henceforth,"  he  ex- 
claims, "  let  no  man  troul)le  me  ;  for  I 
bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of  tiie  Lord  Je- 
sus." If  he  wished  to  "  live,"  it  was  for 
Christ;  or,  if  to  "  die,"  it  was  to  be  with 
him.  He  invoked  the  l)cst  of  hicssings  on 
those  who  loved  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
sincerity;  and  denounced  an  "anathema 
maran-atha"  on  those  who  loved  him  not. 

The  reason  wliy  I  have  c|uoted  all  these 
passages  is  to  show  thattlie  primitive  gos- 
pel was  full  of  Christ  ;  or  tiiat  Christ  was, 
as  it  were,  the  centre  and  the  life  of  the 
evangelical  system;  and  that  this,  its  lead- 
ing and  principal  characteristic,  tended 
wonderfully  to  promote  the  love  of  Christ. 
Now,  brethren,  let  me  appeal  to  you 
again  :  Which  of  the  systems  in  question 
is  it  which  resembles  that  of  the  apostles 
in  this  particular,  and  consecpiently  has 
tlie  greatest  tendency  to  jiromote  love  to 
Christ  1  That  of  wliich  Christ  is  the 
All  in  all ;  or  that  in  which  he  is  scarcely 
ever  introduced,  except  for  the  purpose  of 
representing  him  as  a  "  mere  fellow-crea- 
ture, a  fallil)le  and  peccable  manl  " 

The  third  and  last  cpiestion  to  be  dis- 
cussed (if  indeed  it  need  any  discussion) 
is,  Which  of  the  two  systems  represents 
us  as  most  indebted  to  Christ's  under- 
taking'? Our  Lord  himself  has  laid  it 
down  as  an  incontrovertible  rule  that  those 
who  have  much  forgiven  will  love  him 
mucii,  and  that  those  who  have  little  for- 
given will  love  him  but  little.  That  sys- 
tem, therefore,  which  supposes  us  the 
greatest  debtors  to  forgiving  love,  must 
needs  have  the  greatest  tendency  to  pro- 
mote a  return  of  love. 

Our  views  with  respect  to  the  depravi- 
ty of  human  nature  are  such  that,  upon 
our  system,  we  have  much  more  to  be  for- 
given than  our  oi)poncnts  have  upon  theirs. 
W^e  suppose  ourselves  to  have  been  utter- 
ly depraved;  our  very  nature  totally  cor- 
rupted ;  and,  consecpiently,  that  all  our 
supposed  virtues,  while  our  hearts  were  at 
enmity  with  God,  were  not  virtue  in  reali- 
ty, but  destitute  of  its  very  essence.  We 
do  not,  tlierefore,  conceive  of  ourselves, 
during  our  unregeneracy,  as  having  l)een 
merely   stained  by  a  few  imperfections  ; 


but  as  altogether  polluted,  by  a  course  of 
apostasy  from  God,  and  black  rebellion 
against  him.  That  wiiich  is  called  sin  l»y 
our  o|)ponents  must  consist  chielly,  it  not 
entirely,  in  tlie  irregularity  of  a  man's  out- 
ward conduct;  else  they  could  not  sup- 
pose, as  Dr.  Priestley  does,  that  "  Virtue 
bears  the  same  proportion  to  vice  that  hap- 
piness does  to  misery,  or  health  to  sick- 
ness, in  the  world:"*  that  is,  that  there 
is  much  more  of  the  former  than  of  the 
latter.  But  the  merely  outward  irregu- 
larities of  men  bear  no  more  proportion  to 
the  whole  of  their  depravity,  according  to 
our  views  of  it,  than  the  particles  of  water 
which  are  occasionally  emitted  from  the 
surface  of  tlie  ocean  to  the  tide  that  rolls 
bencatii.  The  religion  of  tliose  who  make 
sin  to  consist  in  little  besides  exterior  ir- 
regularities, or  who  conceive  of  the  vir- 
tues of  men  as  greatly  exceeding  their 
vices,  appears  to  us  to  resemlde  the  reli- 
gion of  Paul,  previously  to  his  conversion 
to  Christianity.  While  he  thought  of 
nothing  but  the  irregularities  of  his  exte- 
rior conduct,  his  virtues  doul)tless  appear- 
ed to  him  to  outweigh  his  vices,  and  there- 
fore he  concluded  all  was  well ;  that  he 
was  in  a  fair  way  to  everlasting  happiness  ; 
or,  as  he  himself  expresses  it,  "  alive  with- 
out the  law."  But  when,  through  the 
glass  of  that  divine  "Jcommandment " 
which  prohibits  the  very  inclination  to 
evil,  he  saw  the  corruption  that  reigned 
within,  transgression  assumed  a  very  dif- 
ferent appearance ;  it  was  then  a  mighty 
ocean,  that  swelled  and  swept  off  all  his 
legal  hopes.  "  Sin  revived,"  and  he  died. 
In  short,  our  views  of  human  depravity 
induce  us  to  consider  ourselves,  by  nature, 
as  unworthy,  as  lost,  and  ready  to  jierisii ; 
so  that,  if  we  are  saved  at  all,  it  must  be 
by  rich  grace,  and  by  a  great  Saviour.  I 
scarcely  need  to  draw  the  conclusion, 
that,  having  according  to  our  system  most 
to  be  forgiven,  we  shall,  if  we  truly  enter 
into  it,  love  most. 

Further  :  our  system  supposes  a  much 
greater  malignity  in  sin  than  that  of  our 
opponents.  When  we  speak  of  sin,  we 
do  not  love  to  deal,  as  Mr.  Belsham  docs, 
in  extenuating  names.  We  find  no  au- 
thority for  calling  it  "human  frailty,"  or 
for  aiTixing  any  idea  to  it  that  shall  repre- 
sent us  rather  as  objects  worthy  of  the 
compassion  of  God  than  as  sulyects  of 
that  wiiich  his  soul  al)horretIi.  We  do 
not  see  how  Mr.  Belsham,  or  those  of  his 
sentiments,  while  they  speak  of  moral  evil 
in  so  diminutive  a  style,  can  possibly  con- 
ceive of  it,  after  the  manner  of  the  inspired 
writers,  as  an  "evil  and  bitter  thing;" 
or,  as  it  is  expressed  in  that-  remarkable 

*  Let.  Pliil.  Unb.  Vol.  I.  Let.  V. 


254 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


phrase  of  the  apostle  Paul,    "exceeding 
sinful."  * 

Our  opponents  deny  sin  to  be,  in  any 
sense,  an  infinite  evil  ;  or,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  deserving  of  endless  punish- 
ment, or  that  such  punishment  will  follow 
upon  it.  Nobody,  indeed,  supposes  that 
sin  is,  in  all  respects,  infinite.  As  com- 
mitted by  a  finite  creature,  and  admitting 
of  different  degrees,  it  must  be  finite,  and 
will  doubtless  be  punished  hereaftei-  with 
different  degrees  of  punishment ;  but,  as 
committed  against  a  God  of  infinite  excel- 
lence, and  as  tending  to  infinite  anarchy 
and  mischief,  it  must  be  infinite.  All  that 
is  meant,  I  suppose,  by  calling  sin  an  infi- 
nite evil,  is  that  it  is  deserving  of  endless 
punishment;  and  this  can  never  be  fairly 
objected  to  as  an  absurdity.  If  there  be 
no  absurdity  in  the  immortality  of  a  sin- 
ner's existence,  there  is  none  in  supposing 
him  to  deserve  a  punishment,  he  it  in  what 
degree  it  may,  that  shall  run  commensu- 
rate with  it.  There  is  no  absurdity  in 
supposing  a  sinner  to  have  been  guilty  of 
such  crimes  as  to  deserve  misery  for  as 
long  a  duration  as  he  is  capable  of  sustain- 
ing it.  But,  whatever  may  be  said  as  to 
the  truth  or  falsehood  of  this  sentiment, 
thus  much  is  clear,  that,  in  proportion  as 
our  opponents  conceive  diminutively  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  they  diminish  the  grace  of 
forgiveness  ;  and  if  that  forgiveness  come 
to  us  through  Christ,  as  is  plainly  implied 
in  their  loving  him  most  who  have  most 
forgiven,  it  must  needs  follow  that,  in  the 
same  proportion,  the  love  of  Christ  is  sap- 
ped at  the  foundation. 
■  Once  more  :  The  expense  at  which  we 
suppose  our  forgiveness  to  have  been  ob- 
tained is  a  consideration  which  endears  to 
us  both  the  gift  and  the  giver.  We  do  not 
conceive  of  Christ,  in  his  bestowment  of 
this  blessing  upon  us,  as  presenting  us  with 
that  which  cost  him  nothing.  If  the  por- 
tion given  by  Jacob  to  his  son  Joseph  was 
heightened  and  endeared  by  its  being  ob- 
tained "  by  the  sword  and  the  bow,"  much 
more  is  a  title  to  eternal  life,  by  its  being 
obtained  through  the  death  of  our  Lord 

*  The  expression,  "exceeding  sinful,"  is  very 
forcible.  It  resembles  the  phrase,  "  far  more  ex- 
ceeding-" or  rather,  excessively  exceeding,  in  2 
Cor.  iv.  7.  It  seems  that  the  Holy  Spirit  himself 
could  not  find  a  worse  name  for  sin  than  its  own.  If 
we  speak  of  a  treacherous  person,  we  call  him  a  "  Ju- 
das:" if  of  Judas,  we  call  him  a  "  devil ;"  but  if  of 
Satan,  we  want  a  comparison,  because  we  can  find 
none  that  is  worse  than  himself  :  we  must  therefore 
say,  as  Christ  did,  "  When  he  speaketh  a  lie,  he 
speaketh  of  his  own."  It  was  thus  with  tite  apostle, 
when  speaking  of  the  evil  of  his  own  heart,  "  That 
sin  by  the  commandment  might  become" — whatl 
He  wanted  a  name  worse  than  its  own — he  could  not 
find  one — he  therefore  unites  a  strong  epithet  to  the 
thing  itself,  calling  it  "  exceeding  sinful." 


Jesus  Christ.  It  is  this  that  attracts  the 
hearts  of  those  who  are  described  as  sing- 
ing a  new  song  to  their  Redeemei-,  "  Thou 
wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation." 

It  does  not  appear,  from  any  thjng  I 
have  seen,  that  the  system  of  our  oppo- 
nents can,  with  any  plausibility,  be  pre- 
tended to  equal  ours,  respecting  love  to 
Christ.  All  that  can  be  alleged,  with  any 
color  of  reason ;  all,  at  least,  that  I  have 
noticed,  is  this,  That,  in  proportion  as  we, 
in  this  way,  furnish  motives  of  love  to 
Christ,  we  detract  from  those  of  love  to 
the  Father,  by  diminishing  the  freeness 
of  his  grace,  and  exhibiting  him  as  one 
that  was  incapable  of  bestowing  forgive- 
ness, unless  a  price  was  paid  for  it.  To 
this  it  is  replied  :  li'  the  incapacity  of  the 
Father  to  show  mercy  without  an  atone- 
ment consisted  in  the  want  of  love,  or 
a^iy  thing  of  natural  implacability,  or  even 
a  reluctance  to  the  bestowment  of  mercy, 
there  would  be  force  in  the  objection; 
but,  if  it  be  no  other  than  the  incapacity 
of  a  righteous  governor,  who,  whatever 
good-will  he  may  have  to  an  offender, 
cannot  bear  the  thought  of  passing  by  the 
offence  without  some  public  expression 
of  displeasure  against  it — that,  while 
mercy  triumphs,  it  may  not  be  at  the 
expence  of  law,  of  equity,  and  of  the  gen- 
eral good — such  an  incapacity  rather  in- 
fers a  perfection  than  an  imperfection  in 
his  nature;  and,  instead  of  diminishing 
our  regard  for  his  character,  must  have  a 
powerful  tendency  to  increase  it. 


LETTER  XII. 

ON    VENERATION    FOR   THE   SCRIPTURES. 

If  we  may  judge  of  the  nature  of  true 
piety  by  the  examples  of  the  prophets 
and  holy  men  of  old,  we  may  conclude 
with  certainty  that  an  affectionate  attach- 
ment to  the  holy  Scriptures,  as  the  rule 
of  faith  and  practice,  enters  deeply  into 
the  spirit  of  it.  The  holy  Scriptures  were 
described  by  David,  under  the  names  of 
the  loord,  statutes,  latvs,  precepts,  judg- 
ments, and  testimonies,  of  God;  and  to 
these,  all  through  the  Psalms,  especially 
in  the  119th,  he  professes  a  most  ardent 
attachment.  Such  language  as  the  fol- 
lowing was  very  common  with  him,  as 
well  as  others  of  the  Old  Testament  wri- 
ters:  "O  how  I  love  thy  law  !  "— "  Thy 
word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet,  and  a  light 
unto  my  path." — "  Open  thou  mine  eyes, 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


255 


tliat  I  may  behold  wondrous  thinjrs  out  of 
thy  law." — "My  soul  i>reakcth  lor  tiic 
loiij;in,<i  that  it  hath  utito  thy  judjiiuouls 
at  all  times." — "Thy  words  were  louiid, 
and  I  did  eat  them,  and  thy  word  was  unto 
me  the  joy  and  rejoicinir  of  my  heart." — 
"  Thy  statutes  have  l)een  my  sonsjc  in  the 
house  of  my  pilirrimage." — "The  law  ot 
thy  mouth  is  itetter  to  me  than  thousands 
of  trold  and  silver." 

Dr.  Priestley  often  professess  great  re- 
gard for  the  sacred  writings,  an(l  is  very 
severe  on  Air.  Burn,  for  suggesting  that 
he  denied  "the  infalliiiility  of  tiie  apos- 
tolic testimony  concerning  the  person  of 
Christ."  He  also  tells  Dr.  Price,  "No 
man  can  pay  a  higher  regard  to  proper 
Scripture  authority  than  1  do."  We  may 
therefore  take  it  for  granted  that  a  regard 
for  the  authority  of  Scripture  is  a  virtue  : 
a  virtue  that  our  opponents,  as  well  as 
we,  would  lie  thought  to  possess. 

I  wish,  in  this  Letter,  to  inquire,  sup- 
posing the  sacred  writers  to  have  been 
honest  and  good  men,  What  a  regard  to 
tlie  proper  athority  of  their  writings  in- 
cludes, and  to  compare  it  with  the  avowed 
sentiments  of  our  adversaries.  By  these 
means,  brethren,  you  may  be  the  better 
able  to  judge  for  yourselves  whetiier  the 
spirit  wiiich  animates  the  whole  body  of 
the  Socinian  divinity  does  not  In-eathe  a 
language  unfriendly  to  the  sacred  wri- 
tings, and  carry  in  it  something  hostile  to 
every  thought  being  subdued  to  the  obedi- 
ence of  Christ. 

In  order  to  judge  of  a  regard  for  proper 
scriptural  authority,  it  is  necessary,  in 
the  first  place,  to  have  recourse  to  the 
professions  of  the  sacred  writers  concern- 
ing what  they  wrote.  If  any  man  vene- 
rate the  authority  of  Scripture,  he  must 
receive  it  as  being  ichcit  it  professes  to  be, 
and  for  all  the  purposes  for  ivhich  if  pro- 
fesses to  be  written.  If  the  Scriptures 
profess  to  be  divinely  inspired,  and  as- 
sume to  he  the  infallible  standard  of  faith 
and  practice,  we  must  either  receive  them 
as  such,  or,  if  we  would  be  consistent, 
disown  the  writers  as  impostors. 

The  professions  of  the  sacred  writers 
areas  Ibllows  :  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
spake  by  me,  and  his  word  was  in  mv 
tongue  :  the  God  of  Israel  said,  the  Rock 
of  Israel  spake  to  me." — "  Thus  saith 
the  Lord." — "And  Jehoshaphat  stood, 
and  said.  Hear  me,  O  Judah,  and  ye 
inhal)itants  of  Jerusalem,  believe  in  the 
Lord  your  God,  so  shall  ye  be  estab- 
lished ;  believe  his  prophets,  so  shall  ye 
prosper." 

New  Testament  writers  bear  ample 
testimony  to  the  inspiration  of  those  un- 
der the  Old  Testament.  "All  Scripture 
is  given  by  inspiration  of  God  i    and  is 


profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 
correction,  for  instruction  in  righteous- 
ness; that  the  man  of  God  may  be  per- 
fect, thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good 
works." — "No  jiropliecy  of  the  Scripture 
is  of  private  interpretation  " — it  is  not  to 
be  considered  as  tiic  private  o|)inion  of  a 
fallilile  man,  as  the  case  is  with  other 
productions — "  for  the  prophecy  came  not 
in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man,  but  holy 
men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by 
the  Holy  Spirit." 

Nor  (lid  the  New  Testament  writers 
bear  testimony  to  the  inspiration  of  the 
prophets  only  ;  l)ut  considered  tlieir  oicn 
ivritings  as  ecjually  inspired  :  "  If  any  man 
think  himself  to  be  a  projiliet,  or  spiritual, 
let  him  acknowledge  that  the  things  that 
I  write  unto  you  are  tiie  commandments 
of  the  Lord."  Peter  ranks  the  Epistles 
of  Paul  with  "other  Scriptures."  There 
seems  to  have  been  one  instance  in  which 
Paul  disowned  his  having  received  any 
"commandment  from  the  Lord,"  and  in 
which  he  proceeded  to  give  his  own  pri- 
vate "judgment;"  (1  Cor.  vii.)  but  this 
appears  to  have  been  a  particular  excep- 
tion from  a  general  rule,  of  which  notice 
was  expressly  given;  an  excejition,  there- 
fore, which  tends  to  strengthen,  rather 
than  to  weaken,  the  argument  for  apos- 
tolic inspiration. 

As  the  sacred  writers  considered  them- 
selves as  divinely  inspired,  so  they  rep- 
resented their  writings  as  the  infallible 
test  of  divine  truth,  to  which  all  appeals 
were  to  be  made,  and  by  which  every 
controversy  in  religious  matters  was  to 
he  decided.  "To  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony  :  if  they  speak  not  according  to 
this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light 
in  them." — "  These  are  the  true  sayings 
of  God."  "  That  which  is  noted  in  the 
Scriptures  of  truth."  "What  saith  the 
Scripture]" — "Search  the  Scriptures; 
for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life, 
and  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me." — 
The  Bereans  "  searched  the  Scriptures 
daily,  whether  those  things  were  so." 

The  sacred  writers  did  not  spare  to  de- 
nounce the  most  awful  judgments  against 
those  who  should  either  pervert  their  wri- 
tings, add  to  them,  or  detract  from  them. 
Those  who  wrested  the  apostolic  Epistles 
are  said  to  have  "  wrested  them,  as  they 
did  the  other  Scriptures,  to  their  own  de- 
struction."— "Though  we,  or  an  angel 
from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel  unto 
you,  than  that  which  we  have  preached 
unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed." — "  What 
thing  soever  I  command  you,  oliserve  to 
do  it  :  thou  shalt  not  add  thereto,  nor  di- 
minish from  it." — "If  any  man  shall  add 
unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him 
the  plagues  that  arc  written  "n  this  book. 


256 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from 
the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy, 
God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the 
book  of  life."  Nothing  short  of  the  most 
perfect  divine  inspiration  could  justify 
such  language  as  this,  or  secure  those  who 
used  it  from  the  charge  of  bold  presump- 
tion and  base  imposition. 

Dr.  Priestley  often  professes  great  re- 
gard for  the  Scriptures,  and,  as  has  been 
observed  before,  is  very  severe  on  Mr. 
Burn  ibr  representing  him  as  denying  "  the 
infallibility  of  the  apostolic  testimony  con- 
cerning the  person  of  Christ."  Far  be  it 
from  me  to  wish  to  represent  the  senti- 
ments of  Dr.  Priestley  in  an  unfair  man- 
ner, or  in  such  a  light  as  he  himself  could 
justly  disavow.  All  I  mean  to  do  is  to 
quote  a  passage  or  two  from  his  own  wri- 
tings, and  add  a  few  remarks  upon  them. 

Speaking  in  favor  of  reverence  for  the  sa- 
cred writings,  he  says,  "  Not  that  I  consider 
the  books  of  Scripture  as  inspired,  and,  on 
that  account,  entitled  to  tliis  high  degree 
of  respect,  but  as  authentic  records  of  the 
dispensations  of  God  to  mankind,  with 
every  particular  of  which  we  cannot  be 
too  well  acquainted." 

Again:  "  If  you  wish  to  know  what,  in 
my  opinion,  a  Christian  is  bound  to  be- 
lieve with  respect  to  the  Scriptures,  I  an- 
swer, that  the  books  which  are  universal- 
ly received  as  authentic  are  to  be  consid- 
ered as  faithful  records  of  past  transac- 
tions, and,  especially,  the  account  of  the 
intercourse  which  the  Divine  Being  has 
kept  up  with  mankind  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  to  the  time  of  our  Saviour 
and  his  apostles.  No  Christian  is  answer- 
able ibr  more  than  this.  The  writers  of 
the  books  of  Scripture  were  vien,  and 
therefore  fallible  ;  but  all  that  we  have  to 
do  with  them  is  in  the  character  of  histo- 
rians and  ivitnesses  of  what  they  heard  and 
saw.  Of  course,  their  credibility  is  to  be 
estimated,  like  that  of  other  historians  ; 
viz.  from  the  circumstances  in  which  they 
wrote,  as  with  respect  to  their  opportuni- 
ties of  knowing  the  truth  of  what  they  re- 
late, and  the  biasses  to  which  they  might 
be  subject.  Like  all  other  historians, 
they  were  liable  to  mistakes  with  respect 
to  things  of  small  moment,  because  they 
might  not  give  sufficient  attention  to 
them ;  and,  with  respect  to  their  reasoning, 
we  are  fully  at  liberty  to  judge  of  it,  as 
well  as  that  of  any  other  man,  by  a  due 
consideration  of  the  propositions  they  ad- 
vance, and  the  arguments  they  allege. 
For  it  by  no  means  follows,  because  a 
man  has  had  communications  with  the 
Deity  for  certain  purposes,  and  he  may 
be  depended  upon  with  respect  to  his  ac- 
count of  those  communications,  that  he  is 


in  other  respects  more  wise  and  knowing 
than  other  men."* 

"You  say,"  says  he,  in  \ns  Letters  to 
Dr.  Price,  "  that  I  do  not  allow  of  scrip- 
tural authority  :  but  indeed,  my  friend, 
you  should  have  expressed  yourself  with 
more  caution.  No  man  can  pay  a  higher 
regard  to  proper  scriptural  authority  than 
I  do;  but  neither  I,  nor  I  presume  your- 
self, believe  implicitly  every  thing  that  is 
advanced  by  any  writer  in  the  Old  or  New 
Testament.  I  believe  all  the  writers, 
without  exception,  to  have  been  men  of 
the  greatest  probity,  and  to  have  been  well 
informed  of  every  thing  of  consequence  of 
which  they  treat;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
I  believe  them  to  have  been  men,  and 
consequently  fallible,  and  liable  to  mis- 
take with  respect  to  things  to  which  they 
had  not  given  much  attention,  or  concern- 
ing which  they  had  not  the  means  of  ex- 
act information ;  which  I  take  to  be  the 
case  with  respect  to  the  account  that  Mo- 
ses has  given  of  the  creation  and  the  fall 
of  man."  In  a  late  perlbrmance,  entitled 
Letters  to  the  Philosophers  and  Politi- 
cians of  France,  (p.  38,)  Dr.  Priestley 
speaks  much  in  the  same  strain.  "  That 
the  books  of  Scripture,"  he  says,  "  were 
written  by  particular  divine  inspiration  is 
a  thing  to  which  the  writers  themselves 
make  no  pretensions.  It  is  a  notion  des- 
titute of  all  proof,  and  tliat  has  done  great 
injury  to  the  evidence  of  Christianity." 

From  this  account  taken  altogether,  you 
will  observe,  brethren,  that  Dr.  Priestley 
does  not  believe  either  the  Old  or  the  New 
Testament  to  be  divinely  inspired  :  to  be 
so  inspired  as  that  he  is  "bound  implicit- 
ly to  believe  every  thing"  (and  might  he 
not  have  added  any  f/img-?)  "  which  the 
writers  of  those  books  advance."  He  be- 
lieves that  the  Scriptures,  instead  of  being 
the  rule  of  faith  and  practice  are  only 
"faithful  records  of  past  transactions;" 
and  that  no  authority  attends  them,  ex- 
cept what  attends  the  writings  of  any  oth- 
er honest  and  well-informed  historian ; 
nor  even  that  in  many  cases  :  for  he  main- 
tains that  "  no  Christian  is  bound  to  con- 
sider any  of  the  books  of  Scripture  as 
faithful  records  of  past  transaction,  unless 
they  have  been  universally  received  as  au- 
thentic :"  that  is,  if  any  person,  at  least  a- 
nyconsiderable  number  of  persons,  at  any 
period,  have  thought  proper  to  dispute  the 
authenticity  of  any  of  these  writings,  that 
part  immediately  ceases  to  have  any  claim 
upon  posterity,  and  may  be  rejected  with 
impunity.  And  even  those  writers  whose 
works,  upon  the  whole,  are   allowed   as, 

*  Let.  Phil.  Unb.  Part  II.  Pref.  p.  xiii;  also 
Letter  V. 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


207 


authentic,  are  supposed  to  have  written 
upon  sulyects  "  to  which  they  had  not 
given  much  attention,  and  concerning 
which  they  were  not  possessed  ot  suiricient 
means  of  inlormation  ;"  and,  consequently, 
in  those  cases  arc  not  to  be  regarded.  This 
is  tlic  whole  of  wirat  lie  means  hy  "  proper 
scriptural  authority."  This  is  tiie  ground 
on  which,  while  he  speaks  of  the  sacred 
writers  asfallililc,  he  nevertheless  main- 
tains the  infalliltility  of  their  tcsliniony 
concerning  the  person  of  Christ.  He  does 
not  pretend  to  say  the  apostles  were  inspir- 
ed in  that  article,  though  not  in  others; 
but  merely  that  this  was  a  case  in  which,  by 
the  mere  exercise  of  their  senses,  they 
were  competent  to  decide,  and  even  cer- 
tain of  deciding  right.  Whether  these  no- 
tions of  proper  scriptural  authority  will 
accord  with  the  foregoing  professions,  I 
leave  you  to  judge  :  also,  if  Dr.  Priest- 
ley's views  be  right,  whether  the  sacred 
writers,  professing  what  they  did,  could 
be  men  of  the  "  greatest  probity." 

You  will  observe,  further,  that  the  falli- 
bility which  Dr.  Priestley  imputes  to  the 
sacred  writers,  as  being  men,  must  rest 
upon  this  principle — That  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  God  himself  so  to  inspire  a  7nan 
as  to  preserve  him  from  error  without 
destroying  his  nature;  and,  as  he  con- 
siders Christ  as  a  mere  man,  perhaps  it  is 
on  this  principle  that  he  maintains  him  to 
be  "  fallil)le  and  peccalile."  Yet  he  has 
never  been  able  to  i)roduce  one  example 
in  which  he  has  actually  failed.  But  it 
should  seem  very  extraordinary  for  a  fal- 
lible and  peccable  man  to  go  through 
the  world  in  such  a  manner  that  his  worst 
enemies  could  not  convict  him  of  a  single 
failure,  nor  accuse  him  of  any  sin.  If 
this  matter  be  capable  of  proof,  let  Dr. 
Priestley  prove  it.  Though  the  Jews  de- 
cline the  challenge,  yet  it  is  possible  that 
he  may  possess  sulTicient  "  magnanimity  " 
to  accept  it.* 

Further :  You  will  observe  that  the 
infallibility  which  Dr.  Priestley  ascribes 
to  the  apostolic  testimony,  concerning  the 
person  of  Christ,  implies  that  every  his- 
torian is  infallible  in  similar  circumstan- 
ces. His  reasoning  supj)oscs  that  if  a 
sensible  and  upright  historian  have  the 
proper  means  of  information,  and  pay  at- 
tention to  his  sul)ject,  he  is  infallible  : 
but  is  this  a  fact?  It  certainly  has  not 
been  usual  for  us  to  consider  historians 
in  this  light.  We  commonly  suppose 
that,  amidst  the  most  ample  means  of 
information  and  the  gi-eatest  attention 
that    uninspired  men  (who  all  have  their 

*When  Dr.  Priestley  charged  the  Mosaic  liis- 
tory  of  the  neation  and  fall  of  man  with  being  a 
lame  account,  it  was  imputed  to  his  magnanimity. 


prejudices  and  imperfections,)  arc  ever 
known  to  pay  to  a  subject,  they  are  liable 
to  mistakes.  Dr.  Priestley  has  written  a 
treatise  in  which  he  has  declared  for  the 
doctrine  of  materialism ;  and,  I  suppose, 
he  would  be  thought  to  have  paid  at- 
tention to  it,  and  to  have  possessed  the 
means  of  information  as  far  as  the  nature 
of  the  subject  will  admit;  yet,  I  imagine, 
he  docs  not  pretend,  in  that  article,  to 
infallibility. 

If  it  be  objected  that  the  nature  of  the 
subjects  is  dilTerent,  and  that  the  a|)OStles 
were  capable  of  arriving  to  a  greater  de- 
gree of  certainty  concerning  the  person 
of  Christ  than  Dr.  Priestley  could  obtain 
on  the  subject  of  materialism,  I  answer, 
This  appears  to  me  to  be  more  easily  as- 
serted than  proved.  Dr.  Priestley,  in- 
deed, tells  us,  "  They  were  as  capable  of 
judging  whether  he  was  a  man  as  whether 
John  the  Baptist  was  one."  This  is  very 
true;  and,  if  the  question  were  ichether 
he  ivas  a  man,  it  might  be  to  the  purpose. 
But  at  this  time  of  day,  however,  some 
of  the  humble  followers  of  Dr.  Priestley 
may  amuse  themselves  in  circulating 
pamphlets  proving  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
a  man,  and  that  with  a  view  to  convert 
the  Trinitarians ;  yet  he  himself  can- 
not be  insensible  that  a  materialist  might 
with  just  as  much  ])ropriety  gravely  go 
about  to  prove  that  men  have  material 
bodies. f  Sujiposing  Christ  to  have  been 
merely  a  man,  this  was  a  matter  that 
could  not  be  visible  to  the  eyes  of  the 
apostles.  How  could  they  judge  by  his  ex- 
terior appearance  whether  he  was  mere- 
ly a  man,  or  both  God  and  man  1  The 
august  personages  that  appeared  to  Abra- 
ham, to  Lot,  and  to  Jacob,  are  called 
men;  nor  was  there  aiiy  thing  that  we 
know  of  in  their  exterior  appearance  dif- 
ferent from  other  men  :  yet  it  does  not 
hence  follow  that  they  were  merely  hu- 
man. God,  in  the  above  instances,  as- 
sumed the  appearance  of  a  man  ;  and 
how  could  the  disciples  be  certain  that  all 
this  might  not  be  preparatory  to  his  be- 
coming really  incarnate!  It  is  true  our 
Lord  might  have  told  them  that  he  was 
merely  a  man ;  and,  in  that  case,  they 
might  have  been  said  to  be  certain  of  it : 

t  When  Socinian  writers  have  produced  a  list  of 
texts  which  prove  the  proper  liunianity  of  Christ, 
they  seem  to  think  their  \\o\A<.  is  done.  Onr  writers 
reply  :  We  never  ((nestion  ills  humanity.  If  you 
attempt  to  prove  any  thing,  prove  to  u*  that  lie  was 
merely  human.  Here  our  opiwnents,  feeling  them- 
selves pinched,  it  sliould  seem,  for  want  of  evidence, 
have  liecn  known  to  lose  their  temper.  It  is  on 
this  occasion  that  Mr.  Lindsey  is  reduced  to  the  ne- 
cessity of  abusing  and  insulting  iiis  opponents,  in- 
stead of  answering  their  arguments.  See  quotiv- 
tion,  p.  232. 


VOL. 


258 


VENERATION    FOR   THE    SCRIPTURES. 


but,  if  so,  it  was  either  iii  some  private 
instructions,  or  else  in  tlie  words  which 
they  have  recorded  in  their  writings. 
We  cannot  say  it  was  impossible  for  the 
apostles  to  mistake  respecting  the  per- 
son of  Christ  owing  to  their  private  in- 
structions ;  because  that  Avould  be  build- 
ing upon  a  foundation  of  which  we  are 
confessedly  ignorant :  neither  can  we  af- 
firm it  on  account  of  any  of  those  words 
of  Christ  to  his  disciples  which  are  record- 
ed ;  for  we  have  those  words  as  well  as 
they  ;  and  it  might  as  well  be  said  of  us 
as  of  them,  that  "  it  is  impossible  for  us  to 
be  under  any  mistake  upon  the  subject." 
We  might  as  well,  therefore,  allow  what 
Dr.  Priestley  says  to  be  infallible,  on  the 
question  whether  men  have  souls  or  not, 
as  what  the  apostles  say  (if  we  give  up 
their  inspiration)  on  the  question  whether 
Christ  was  divine  or  not ;  for  the  one  is 
as  much  an  object  of  the  senses  as  the 
other. 

I  cannot  conceive  of  any  foundation  for 
the  above  assertion,  unless  it  be  upon  the 
supposition  of  a  union  of  the  divine  and 
human  natures  being  in  itself  impossible. 
Then,  indeed,  if  we  suppose  the  apostles 
knew  it  to  be  so,  by  knowing  him  to  be  a 
man,  they  must  have  known  him  to  be  a 
mere  man.  But,  if  a  union  of  the  divine 
and  human  natures  be  in  itself  impossible, 
that  impossibility  might  as  well  appear  to 
Dr.  Priestley  as  to  the  apostles,  if  they 
were  uninspired ;  and  he  might  as  well 
maintain  the  infallibility  of  his  own  notions 
relative  to  the  person  of  Christ  as  of  theirs. 

In  fine  ;  let  Dr.  Priestley  view  the  sub- 
ject in  what  light  he  may,  if  he  deny  the 
divine  inspiration  of  the  apostles,  he  will 
never  be  able  to  maintain  their  infallibility 
on  any  ground  but  what  would  equally  in- 
fer his  own. 

When  Mr.  Burn  charged  Dr.  Priestley 
with  denying  the  infallibility  of  the  apos- 
tolic testimony,  he  principally  founds  his 
charge  on  what  the  Doctor  had  written  in 
a  miscellaneous  work,  called  "  The  Theo- 
logical Repository  :  "  in  which  he  main- 
tained that  "  some  texts  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament had  been  improperly  quoted  by 
writers  in  the  New  ;"  who,  it  seems,  were 
sometimes  "  misled  by  Jewish  preju- 
dices."* Mr.  Burn  inferred  that,  if  they 
were  misled  in  their  application  of  one 
text,  they  were  liable  to  the  same  thing  in 
others  ;  and  that,  if  so,  we  could  have  no 
security  whatever  for  their  proper  appli- 
cation of  any  passage,  or  for  any  thing  like 
infallibility  attending  their  testimony. 
One  Avould  think  this  is  not  the  most  in- 
conclusive mode  of  reasoning  that  ever  was 
adopted  :  and  how  does  Dr.  Priestley  re- 

*  Letters  to  Mr.  Burn,  Letters  I.  II, 


fute  iti  He  replies  :  "  It  does  not  follow, 
because  I  suppose  the  apostles  to  have 
been  fallible  in  some  things,  that  they  were 
therefore  fallible  in  all."  He  contends 
that  he  always  considered  them  as  infalli- 
ble in  ivhat  respects  the  person  of  Christ ; 
as  a  proof  of  which  he  alleges  his  always 
having  "  appealed  to  their  testimony,  as 
being  willing  to  be  decided  by  it."  And 
yet  we  generally  suppose  a  single  failure 
proves  a  writer  fallible  as  really  as  a  thou- 
sand ;  and,  as  to  his  appealing  to  their  tes- 
timony and  being  willing  to  be  decided  by 
it,  we  generally  appeal  to  the  best  evidence 
we  can  obtain,  and  must  be  decided  by  it. 
But  this  does  not  prove  that  we  consider 
that  evidence  as  infallible.  Dr.  Priestley 
has  appealed  to  the  Fathers ;  yet  he  will 
hardly  pretend  that  their  testimony  is  in- 
fallible, or  that  they  were  incapable  of 
contradicting  either  themselves  or  one  an- 
other, even  in  those  matters  concerning 
which  the  appeal  is  made.  If  he  will, 
however,  he  must  suppose  them  to  have 
differed  very  widely  from  writers  of  a  later 
date.  Where  is  the  historian  who  has 
written  upon  the  opinions  or  characters  of 
a  body  of  men,  even  of  those  of  his  own 
times,  but  who  is  liable,  and  likely,  ia 
some  particulars,  to  be  contradicted  by 
other  historians  of  the  same  period,  and 
equally  respectable  \  \ 

To  be  sure,  if  Dr.  Priestley  thinks 
proper  to  declare  that  he  believes  the  apos- 
tles, uninspired  as  they  were,  to  have 
been  infallible  when  they  applied  passages 
of  the  Old  Testament  to  the  person  of 
Christ — and  that  notwithstanding  their 
being  fallible,  and  misled  by  Jewish  preju- 
dices in  their  application  of  passages  on 
other  subjects — nobody  has  a  right  to  say 
he  does  not.  Thus  much  may  be  said, 
however,  that  he  will  find  it  no  very  easy 
task  to  prove  himself,  in  this  matter,  a 
Rational  Christian.  If  the  apostles  are 
to  be  considered  as  uninspired,  and  were 
actually  misled  by  Jewish  prejudices  in 
their  application  of  some  Old  Testament 
passages,  it  will  require  no  small  degree 
of  labor  to  convince  people  in  general  that 
we  can  have  any  security  for  their  not  being 
so  in  others. 

Mr.  Burn,  with  a  view  to  illustrate  his 
argument,  supposed  an  example ;  viz.  the 
application  of  Psalm  xlv.  6,  to  Christ,  in 
Heb.  i.  8.  He  observes  that,  according  to 
the  foregoing  hypothesis,  "there  is  no  de- 
pendence to  be  placed  upon  the  argument ; 
because  the  apostle,  in  his  application  of 
this  scripture  to  the  Messiah,  ivas  misled 
by  a  prejudice   common  among  the  JewSy 

t  See  this  tiiiih  more  fully  illustrated  in  a  letter 
of  Dr.  Ed.  Williams  to  Dr.  Priestley,  prefixed  to 
his  "  Abridgment  of  Dr.  Owen  on  the  Hebrews." 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


259 


respecting  th'm,  and  othrr  passages  in  lite 
Old  Testament.  Mr.  iiiirii  does  not  lucaii 
to  say  tluit  Dr.  Priestley  had,  in  this  man- 
ner, actually  rejected  the  argument  from 
Hel).  i.  S;  but  barely  that,  according  to 
this  hypothesis,  he  might  do  so  :  he  pre- 
serves tiie  principle  of  his  opponent's  ob- 
jection, as  he  iiiniseir  e\])resses  it;  but 
does  not  moan  to  asstMl  that  he  had  appli- 
ed that  princii>U;  to  tliis  particular  passaire. 
And  how  does  Dr.  Priestley  rejily  to  tliis  ] 
Why,  by  allciiinjr  that  he  had  nut  applied 
the  al)ove  principle  to  the  passa;;e  in  (jues- 
tion,  but  had  triven  it  a  sense  which  allow- 
ed the  propriety  of  its  beins;  applied  to 
Christ  :  that  is,  lie  had  not  made  that  use  of 
a  principle  which  niinht  be  made  of  it,  and 
which  no  one  asserted  he  had  made  of  it. 
Dr.  Priestley  is,  doul)tless,  possessed  of 
great  abilities,  and  has  had  large  experi- 
ence in  controversial  writing  :  to  w  hat  a 
situation,  then,  must '■he  have  been  re- 
duced, to  have  recourse  to  such  an  answer 
as  the  above  ! 

This  question  between  Mr.  Burn  and 
Dr.  Priestley,  if  I  understand  it,  is  not 
whether  the  latter  appealed  to  the  Scrip- 
tures for  the  truth  of  his  opinions  ;  but 
whether  his  supposing  the  sacred  writers,  in 
some  cases,  to  apply  Scrijjture  imi)roperly, 
does  not  render  that  appeal  inconsistent — 
not  whether  he  had  allowed  the  ])ropriety  of 
the  apostle's  quoting  the  sixtli  verse  of 
the  forty-fifth  Psalm,  and  ajiplying  it,  in 
the  first  chapter  of  the  Hebrews,  to  Christ; 
but  whether,  upon  the  ))rinciplc  of  the  sa- 
cred writers  l)eing  liable  to  make,  and 
having  actually  made,  some  improper  quo- 
tations, he  miglit  no/ have  disallowed  it — 
not  whether  the  apostles  did  actually  fail 
in  this  or  that  particular  subject  ;  but 
whether,  if  they  failed  in  .some  instances, 
they  were  not  liable  to  fail  in  others,  and 
whether  any  dej)endence  could  be  placed 
on  their  decisions — not  whether  the  ai)os- 
tles  testified  things  nihich  they  had  seen 
and  heard  from  the  beginning  ;  but  wheth- 
er their  infaUihilily  can  be  supported 
merely  upon  that  ground,  without  sup- 
posing that  the  Holy  Spirit  assisted  their 
memories,  guided  their  judgments,  and 
superintended  their  productions.  If  the 
reader  of  that  controversy  keep  the  aVjove 
points  in  view,  he  will  easily  perceive  the 
futility  of  a  great  many  of  Dr.  Priestley's 
answers,  notwithstanding  all  his  positivity 
and  triumph,  and  his  proceeding  to  ad- 
monish Mr.  Burn  to  re])entance. 

Dr.  Priestley,  in  his  Sixth  Letter  to  Mr. 
Burn,  denied  that  he  makes  the  reason  of 
the  individual  the  sole  umpire  in  matters  of 
faith.  But  if  the  sacred  writers,  "in 
some  things  which  they  advanced,  were 
fallible,  and  misled  liy  prejudice,"  what 
dependence     can    be    placed   on    them  1 


Whether  the  reason  of  the  individual  be  a 
proper  umpire  in  matters  ol  faith,  or  not, 
the  writings  of  the  a|)ostles,  on  the  fore- 
going hypothesis,  can  make  no  such  pre- 
tence. Dr.  Priestley  may  allege  that  we 
must  distinguish  between  those  things  to 
which  the  apostles  had  not  given  much  at- 
tention, and  other  things  to  which  they 
had  ;  those  in  which  they  were  prejudiced, 
and  others  in  which  they  were  unpreju- 
diced ;  those  concerning  which  they  had 
not  the  means  of  exact  intbrmation,  and 
others  of  a  dillerent  description  :  but  can 
he  himself,  at  this  distance  of  time,  or 
even  if  he  had  l)een  contemj)orary  with 
them,  always  tell  what  those  cases  are  1 
How,  in  many  instances  at  least,  can  he 
judge,  with  any  certainty,  of  the  degree 
of  attention  which  they  gave  to  things  ;  of 
the  prejudiced  or  unprejudiced  state  of 
their  minds  ;  or  of  the  means  of  informa- 
tion which  they  possessed  1  Or  if  he 
could  decide  with  satisfaction  to  himself 
on  these  matters,  how  are  the  bulk  of  man- 
kind to  judge,  who  arc  not  possessed  of 
his  powers  and  opportunities,  but  who  are 
equally  interested  in  the  allair  with  him. 
self?  Are  they  imi)licilly  to  rely  on  his 
opinion  ;  or  to  supplicate  heaven  for  a  new 
revelation,  to  point  out  the  defects  and  er- 
rors of  the  old  onel  In  short,  let  Dr. 
Priestley  profess  what  regard  he  may  for 
the  Scriptures,  if  what  he  advances  be 
true,  they  can  be  no  proper  test  of  truth; 
and,  if  tlie  reason  of  the  individual  be  not 
the  sole  umpire  in  these  matters,  there 
can  be  no  umpire  at  all ;  but  all  must  be 
left  in  gloomy  doubt,  and  dreadful  uncer- 
tainty.* 

The  generality  of  the  Socinian  writers, 
as  well  as  Dr.  Priestley,  write  degTading- 
ly  of  our  only  rule  of  faith.  The  Scrip- 
tures profess  to  be  "  profitable  for  doc- 
trine;" and  to  be  "able  to  make  men  wise 
unto  salvation."  "The  testimony  of  the 
Lord  is  "  said  to  be  "sure,  making  wise 
the  simple  :"  and  those  who  made  it  their 
study  professed  to  have  obtained  "more 
understanding  than  all  their  teachers." 
But  Mr.  Lindsey  considers  the  Scriptures 
as  unadapted  to  promote  any  high  per- 
fection in  knowledge  ;  and  supposes  that 
they  are  left  in  obscurity,  with  design  to 
promote  an  occasion  of  charity,  candor, 
and  forltearance.  Speaking  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  person  of  Christ,  "  Surely  it 
must  be  owned,"  he  says,  "to  have  been 
left  in  some  obscurity  in  the  Scriptures 
themselves,  which  might  mislead  readers 
full  of  heathen  prejudices  (otherwise  so 

*  Tlie  reader  will  observe  that    tlie  foregoing  re- 
marks on  tlie  controversy  between  Mv.  Burn  and  Dr. 
Priestley  have  nothing  to  do  willi  that   part  of  it 
which  relates  to  tlie  riots  at  Birmingham,  but  mere) 
with  that  on  the  person  of  Christ. 


2G0 


VENERATION  FOR  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


many  men,  wise  and  good,  would  not  have 
differed,  and  still  continue  to  differ,  con- 
cerning it :)  and  so  left,  it  should  seem,  on 
purpose  to  whet  human  industry,  and  the 
spirit  of  inquiry  into  the  things  of  God,  to 
give  scope  for  the  exercise  of  men's  char- 
ity and  mutual  forbearance  of  one  another, 
and  to  be  one  great  means  of  cultivating 
the  moral  dispositions,  Avliich  is  plainly 
the  design  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  the 
Christian  revelation,  and  not  any  high 
perfection  in  knowledge,  which  so  few 
can  attain."* 

On  this  extraordinary  passage  one  might 
inquire,  first,  if  the  Scriptures  have  left  the 
subject  in  obscurity,  why  might  not  the 
mistake  of  those  who  hold  the  divinity  of 
Christ  (supposing  them  to  be  mistaken) 
have  been  accounted  for,  without  alleging, 
as  Mr.  Lindsey  elsewhere  does,  that 
"  they  are  determined,  at  all  events,  to 
believe  Christ  to  be  a  different  being  iVom 
what  he  really  was  ;  that  there  is  no  rea- 
soning with  them;"  and  that  "they  are 
to  1)6  pitied,  and  considered  as  being  under 
a  debility  of  mind,  in  this  respect,  howev- 
er sensible  and  rational  in  others  l"t  If 
wise  and  good  nien  have  differed  upon  the 
subject  in  all  ages,  and  that  owing  to  the 
obscurity  Avith  which  it  is  enveloped  in 
the  Scriptures  themselves,  why  this  abu- 
sive and  insulting  language  1  Is  it  any 
disgrace  to  a  person  not  to  see  that  clear- 
ly in  the  Scriptures  which  is  not  clearly 
there  to  be  seenl 

Secondly  :  If  the  Scriptures  have  indeed 
left  the  subject  in  obscurity,  how  came 
Mr.  Lindsey  to  be  so  decided  upon  it  1 
The  "high  perfection  of  knowledge" 
Avhich  he  possesses  must,  undoubtedly, 
have  been  acquii-ed  from  some  other  quar- 
ter, seeing  it  made  no  part  of  the  design  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  christian  revelation. 
But,  if  so,  Ave  have  no  further  dispute 
with  him  ;  as,  in  what  respects  religion, 
we  do  not  aspire  to  be  ivise  above  lohat  is 
ivritfen. 

Thirdly  :  Let  it  be  considered  Avhether 
the  principle  on  which  Mr.  Lindsey  en- 
courages the  exercise  of  charity,  and  mu- 
tual forbearance,  does  not  cast  a  heavy  re- 
flection upon  the  character  of  God.  The 
Scriptures,  in  what  relates  to  the  person  of 
Christ  (a  subject  on  Avhich  Dr.  Priestley 
allows  the  writers  to  have  been  infaUihle,) 
are  left  obscure, — so  obscure  as  to  mislead 
readers  full  of  heathen  prejudices;  nay, 
and  with  the  very  design  of  misleading 
them !  God  himself,  it  seems,  designed 
that  they  should  stumble  on  in  ignorance, 
error,  and  disagreement,  till,  at  last, 
wearied  with  their  fate,  and  finding  them- 
selves united  in  one   common   calamity, 

*  Apology ,  Chap.  ii.        t  Catecljist,  Iiic|iiiry  VI. 


they  might  become  friends  !  But  what  is 
this  friendship  1  Is  it  not  at  the  expence 
of  him  who  is  supposed  to  have  spread 
their  way  with  snares,  or  (which  is  the 
same  thing)  with  misleading  obscurity  1 
Is  it  any  other  than  the  "  friendship  of  the 
world,"  which  "is  enmity  with  Godl  " 

In  perfect  harmony  with  Mr.  Lindsey  ig 
the  language  of  a  writer  in  the  Monthly 
Review.  "  The  nature  and  design  of  the 
Scripture,"  he  says,  "  is  not  to  settle  dis- 
puted theories,  nor  to  decide  upon  specu- 
lative, controverted  questions  even  inreli- 
gion  and  morality.  The  Scriptures,  if  we 
understand  any  thing  of  them,  are  intended 
not  so  much  to  make  us  Aviser  as  to  make 
us  better;  not  to  solve  the  doubts,  but, 
rather,  to  make  us  obey  the  dictates  of 
our  consciences."  I  The  holy  Scriptures 
Avcre  never  designed,  then,  to  be  a  rule  of 
faith  or  practice  ;  but  merely  a  stimula- 
tive !  In  matters  of  speculation,  (as  all 
disputed  subjects  Avill  be  termed,  Avhether 
doctrinal  or  practical,)  they  have  no  au- 
thority, it  seems,  to  decide  any  question. 
What  saith  the  Scripture  1  therefore, 
would  noAV  be  an  impertinent  question. 
You  are  to  find  out  Avhat  is  truth,  and  what 
is  righteousness,  by  your  reason  and  your 
conscience;  and,  Avhen  you  have  obtained 
a  system  of  religion  and  morality  to  your 
mind.  Scripture  is  to  furnish  you  Avith  mo- 
tives to  reduce  it  to  practice.  If  this  be 
true,  to  Avhat  purpose  are  all  appeals  to 
the  Scriptures  on  controverted  subjects  1 
and  Avhy  do  Socinians  pretend  to  appeal  to 
them  1  Why  do  they  not  honestly  ac- 
knoAvledge  that  they  did  not  learn  their  re- 
ligion thence,  and  therefore  refuse  to  have 
it  tried  at  that  bar  1  This  Avould  save 
much  labor.  To  Avhat  purpose  do  they 
object  to  particular  passages  as  interpola- 
tions, or  mistranslations,  or  the  like,  Avhen 
the  Avhole,  be  it  ever  so  pure,  has  nothing 
at  all  to  do  in  the  decision  of  our  contro- 
versies 1  We  have  been  used  to  speak  of 
conscience  having  but  one  master,  even 
Christ;  but  now,  it  seems,  conscience  is 
its  OAvn  master,  and  Jesus  Christ  does  not 
pretend  to  dictate  to  it,  l)ut  merely  to  as- 
sist in  the  execution  of  its  decisions  ! 

Mr.  Belsham  carries  the  matter  still 
further.  This  gentleman,  not  satisfied,  it 
seems,  Avith  disclaiming  an  implicit  confi- 
dence in  holy  Scripture,  pretends  to  find 
authority,  in  the  Scriptures  themselves, 
for  so  doing.  "The  Bereans,"  he  says, 
"  are  commended  for  not  taking  the  Avord 
even  of  an  apostle,  but  examining  the  Scrip- 
tures for  themselves,  Avhether  the  doc- 
trines Avhich  they  heard  Avere  true,  and 
Avhether  St.  Paul's  reasoning  Avas  just."  § 

X  Review  of  Horsley's  Sermon,  Marcli,  1793. 
§  Sermon  on  the  Importance  of  Truth,  p.  39. 


VENERATION    FOR    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


261 


I  do  not  recollect  that  the  Bereans  were 
"  comnieiuled  (or  nut  takin.ij  the  word  ol 
an  apostle;"  l)ut  tor  not  rejecting!:  it  with- 
out examination,  as  tlie  Jews  did  at  Thes- 
salonica.  But,  jrrantin^:  it  were  otherwise, 
their  situation  was  dilVerent  troni  ours. 
They  had  not  then  had  an  opportunity  of 
obtaininij  evidence  tluit  the  apostles  were 
divinely  ins|)ireil,  or  that  the  sjospel  which 
they  preached  was  a  niessatcc  (roni  God. 
This,  surely,  is  a  circumstance  of  im- 
portance. There  is  a  sireat  ditlcrence  be- 
tween their  entertainin;:;  some  doubt  of  the 
truth  of  the  jjospel,  till  they  liad  fully  ex- 
amined its  evidences,  and  our  still  continu- 
ing to  doubt  of  its  particular  doctrines  and 
reasonings,  even  tiiough  we  allow  it  to  be 
a  message  from  God.  To  this  may  be  ad- 
ded that,  in  order  to  obtain  evidence,  the 
Bereans  searched  the  Scriptures.  By 
comparing  the  facts  which  E*aul  testified 
with  the  prophecies  which  went  before, 
and  the  doctrines  which  he  preached  with 
those  of  the  Old  Testament,  they  would 
judge  whether  his  message  was  from  God 
or  not.  There  is  a  great  ditlcrence  be- 
tween the  criterion  of  the  Bereans  and 
that  of  the  Socinians.  The  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  Testament  were  the  allowed 
standard  of  the  former,  and  they  employ- 
ed their  reason  to  find  out  their  meaning 
and  their  agreement  with  New  Testament 
facts  ;  but  the  authority  and  agreement 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  will  not 
satisfy  the  latter,  unless  what  they  con- 
tain agree  also  with  their  pre-conceived 
notions  of  what  is  fit  and  reasonable.  The 
one  tried  what,  for  aught  they  at  that  time 
knew,  were  mere  private  reasonings,  by 
the  Scriptures ;  but  the  other  try  the 
Scriptures  by  their  own  private  reasonings. 
Finally  :  If  proposing  a  doctrine  for  ex- 
amination prove  the  proposer  liable  to  false 
or  unjust  reasoning,  it  will  follow  that  the 
reasoning  of  Christ  might  be  false  or  un- 
just, seeing  he  appealed  to  the  Scriptures, 
as  well  as  his  apostles,  and  commanded 
his  hearers  to  search  them.  It  will  also 
follow  that  all  the  great /ac^s  of  Christian- 
ity, as  well  as  the  reasonings  of  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  were  lial)le  to  be  detected  of 
falsehood ;  for  these  were  as  constantly 
submitted  to  examination  as  the  other. 
"These  things,"  said  they,  "were  not 
done  in  a  corner."  Nay,  it  must  follow 
that  God  himself  is  liable  to  be  in  a  wrong 
cause,  seeing  he  frequently  appeals  to 
men's  judgments  and  consciences.  "And 
now,  O  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  men 
of  Judah,  judge,  I  pray  you,  betwixt  me 
and  my  vineyard."  The  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  and  men  of  Judah  were  exhort- 
ed, and  even  entreated,  it  may  be  said,  not 
to  take  matters  upon  trust ;  but  to  ex- 
amine for  themselves  whether  the  conduct 


of  Jehovah  was  just,  or  whether  any  thing 
ought  to  ha\e  been  (Ioml'  fur  liis  vineyard 
tlTat  was  not  done  ! 

But,  lar  as  our  English  Socinians  have 
gone  in  these  things,  they  do  not  seem  to 
have  exceeded,  nor  hardly  to  have  etiual- 
ed,  those  of  the  same  denomination  in 
other  countries.  These  appear  to  have 
made  great  advances  indeed  towards  infi- 
delity. Mr.  Blackwall  makes  mention 
of  two,  whose  language  conveys  an  idea 
of  uncommon  disrespect  towards  the  sa- 
cred writings.  George  Engcdin,  speak- 
ing of  the  writings  of  the  apostle  John, 
says,  "If  a  concise,  abrupt  oi)scurity,  in- 
consistent with  itselt,  and  made  up  of 
allegories,  is  to  be  called  sublimity  of 
speech,  I  own  John  to  be  sublime ;  for 
there  is  scarcely  one  discourse  of  Christ, 
which  is  not  altogether  allegorical  and 
very  hard  to  be  understood."  Gagneius, 
another  writer  of  the  same  spirit,  says, 
"I  shall  not  a  little  glory,  if  I  shall  be 
found  to  give  some  light  to  Paul's  dark- 
ness,— a  darkness,  as  some  think,  indus- 
triously affected." — "  Let  any  of  the  fol- 
lowers of  these  worthy  interpreters  of  the 
gospel,  and  champions  of  Christianity," 
adds  Mr.  Blackwall,  by  way  of  reflection, 
"  speak  worse,  if  they  can,  of  the  ambig- 
uous oracles  of  the  father  of  lies.  These 
fair-dealing  gentlemen  first  disguise  the 
sacred  writings,  and  turn  them  into  a 
harsh  allegory ;  and  then  charge  them 
with  that  obscurity  and  inconsistency 
which  is  plainly  consequent  upon  that 
sense  which  their  interpretations  force 
upon  them.  They  outrage  the  divine 
writers  in  a  double  capacity  :  first,  they 
debase  their  sense  as  theologues  and  com- 
mentators, and  then  carp  at  and  vil- 
ify their  language  as  grammarians  and 
critics."* 

Stcinbart,  Semler,  and  other  foreign 
Socinians,  of  later  times,  write  in  a  sim- 
ilar strain.  The  former,  si)eaking  of  the 
narrations  of  facts  contained  in  the  New 
Testament,  says,  "  Tiiese  narrations,  true 
or  false,  are  only  suited  for  ignorant,  un- 
cultivated minds,  who  cannot  enter  into 
the  evidence  of  natural  religion."  The 
same  writer  adds  ;  "  Moses,  according  to 
the  childish  conceptions  of  the  Jews  in 
his  days,  paints  God  as  agitated  by  vio- 
lent affections,  partial  to  one  people,  and 
hatins  all  other  nations."  The  latter  in 
a  Note  on  2  Pet.  i.  21—"  The  prophecy 
came  not  in  old  time  by  the  w  ill  of  man, 
but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  "by  the  Holy  Spirit  " —  says,  "  Pe- 
ter speaks  there  according  to  the  concep- 
tion of  the  Jews;"  and,   "the   prophets 

*  Sacred  Classics,  part  II.  Chap.  V. 


262 


VENERATION    FOR   THE    SCRIPTURES. 


may  have  delivered  the  ofFspring  of  their 
own  brains  as  divine  revelations."* 

Socinian  writers  sometimes  profess 
great  respect  to  the  holy  Scriptures  :  and 
most,  if  not  all  of  them,  would  have  it 
thought  that  they  consider  their  testimony 
as  being  in  their  favor.  But,  if  so,  why 
all  these  pains  to  depreciate  them  1  We 
know  who  they  are  that  not  only  under- 
mine their  general  credit,  but  are  oliliged, 
on  almost  every  occasion,  to  have  re- 
course to  interpolation,  or  mis-translation; 
who  are  driven  to  disown  the  apostolic 
reasonings  as  a  proper  test  of  religious 
sentiment,  and  to  hold  them  as  the  mere 
private  opinions  of  men,  no  way  decisive 
as  to  what  is  truth.  But  is  it  usual,  in 
any  cause,  for  persons  to  endeavor  to  set 
aside  those  witnesses,  and  to  invalidate 
that  testimony,  which  they  consider  at 
the  same  time,  as  being  in  their  favor  1 
This  is  a  question  which  it  does  not  re- 
quire much  critical  skill  to  decide. 

When  Socinian  writers  have  mangled 
and  altered  the  translation  to  their  own 
minds,  informing  us  that  such  a  term  may 
be  rendered  so,  and  such  a  passage  should 
be  pointed  so,  and  so  on,  they  seem  to 
expect  that  their  opponents  should  quote 
the  Scriptures  accordingly ;  and,  if  they 
do  not,  are  very  liberal  in  insinuating  that 
their  design  is  to  impose  upon  the  vulgar. 
But  though  it  be  admitted  that  every 
translation  must  needs  have  its  imperfec- 
tions, and  that  those  imperfections  ought 
to  be  corrected  by  fair  and  impartial  crit- 
icism, yet,  where  alterations  are  made  by 
those  who  have  an  end  to  answer  by  them, 
they  ought  always  to  be  suspected,  and 
will  be  so  by  thinking  and  impartial 
people. 

If  we  must  quote  particular  passages 
of  Scripture  after  the  manner  in  which  our 
adversaries  translate  them,  we  must  also 
avoid  quoting  all  those  which  they  object 
to  as  interpolations.  Nor  shall  we  stop 
here  :  we  must,  on  certain  occasions,  leave 
out  whole  chapters,  if  not  whole  books. 
We  must  never  refer  to  the  reasonings  of 
the  apostles,  but  consider  that  they  were 
subject  to  be  misled  by  Jewish  prejudices  ; 
nor  even  to  historical  facts,  unless  we  can 
satisfy  ourselves  that  the  historians,  inde- 
pendently of  their  being  divinely  inspired, 
were  possessed  of  sufficient  means  of  in- 
formation. In  short,  if  we  must  never 
quote  Scripture  except  according  to  the 
rules  imposed  upon  us  by  Socinian  wri- 
ters, we  must  not  quote  it  at  all :  not,  at 
least,  till  they  shall  have  indulged  us  with 
a  bible  of  their  own,  that  shall  leave  out 
every  thing  on  which  we  are  to  place  no 

*  Dr.  Erskine's  Sketches  and  Hints  of  Churcli 
History,  No.  HI.  pp.  95.  71. 


dependence.  A  publication  of  this  sort 
would,  doubtless,  be  an  acceptable  pres- 
ent to  the  christian  world,  Avould  be  com- 
prised in  a  very  small  co7npass,  and  be  of 
infinite  service  in  cutting  short  a  great 
deal  of  unnecessary  controversy,  into 
which,  for  want  of  such  a  criterion,  we 
shall  always  be  in  danger  of  wandering. 

Dr.  Priestley,  in  his  Animadversions 
on  Mr.  Gibbon's  History,  takes  notice  of 
what  is  implied  in  that  gentleman's  en- 
deavoring to  lessen  the  number  and  va- 
lidity of  the  early  martyrdoms ;  namely, 
a  consciousness  that  they  afforded  an 
argument  against  him.  "  Mr.  Gibbon," 
says  the  Doctor,  "  appears  to  have  been 
sufficiently  sensible  of  the  value  of  such 
a  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel 
history  as  is  furnished  by  the  early  mar- 
tyrdoms, and  therefore  he  takes  gi'eat 
pains  to  diminish  their  number;  and, 
when  the  facts  cannot  he  denied,  he  en- 
deavors to  exhibit  them  in  the  most 
unfavorable  light,  "f  Judge,  brethren, 
Avhether  this  picture  does  not  bear  too 
near  a  resemblance  to  the  conduct  of  Dr. 
Priestley,  and  other  Socinian  writers,  re- 
specting the  holy  Scriptures. 

I  have  heard  of  persons  who,  when 
engaged  in  a  law-suit,  and  fearing  lest 
certain  individuals  should  appear  in  evi- 
dence against  them,  have  so  contrived 
matters  as  to  sue  the  loitnesses ;  and  so, 
hj  making  them  parties  in  the  contest, 
have  disqualified  them  for  bearing  testi- 
mony. And  what  else  is  the  conduct  of 
Dr.  Priestley,  with  respect  to  those  pas- 
sages in  the  New  Testament  which  speak 
of  Christ  as  God?  We  read  there  that 
"  the  Word  who  was  made  flesh,  and 
dwelt  among  us,"  was  God.  Thomas 
exclaimed,  "My  Lord  and  my  God!" — 
"Of  whom,  as  concerning  the  flesh, 
Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed 
forever." — "  Unto  the  Son  he  saith,  thy 
throne,  O  God,  is  forever  and  ever." — 
"  Feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath 
purchased  with  his  own  blood." — "Here- 
by perceive  we  the  love  of  God,  because 
he  laid  down  his  life  for  us. "J  But  Dr. 
Priestley  asserts  that  "  in  no  sense  what- 
ever, not  even  in  the  lowest  of  all,  is 
Christ  so  much  as  called  God  in  all  the 
New  Testament.  "§  The  method  taken 
by  this  writer  to  enable  him  to  hazard 
such  an  assertion,  without  being  subject 
to  the  charge  of  downright  falsehood, 
could  be  no  other  than  that  of  laying  a 
kind  of  arrest  upon  the   foregoing  pas- 

t  Letters  to  a  Philosophical  Unbeliever,  Part  II, 
p.  217. 

t  John'i.  I.  14.  XX.  28.     Rom.  ix.  5.     Heb.  1.  8. 
Acts  XX.  28.     1  John  iii.  16. 

§  Letters  to  Mr.  Burn,  Letter  I. 


ON     HAPPINESS. 


263 


sages,  with  others,  as  being  either  inter- 
polations or  mis  Iranshitions,  or  something 
tiiat  shall  answer  tlie  sairie  «'.nd,  antl  l)y 
these  means  imposing  silence  upon  them 
as  to  tlie  subject  in  dispute.  To  be  sure 
we  may  go  on,  killing  one  Scripture 
testimony  and  stoning  another,  till,  at 
length,  it  would  become  an  easy  thing  to 
assert  tiiat  there  is  not  an  instance,  in  all 
the  New  Testament,  in  which  our  opin- 
ions are  conlronted.  But  to  what  does 
it  all  amount  T  When  we  are  told  that 
"  Christ  is  never  so  much  as  called  God 
in  all  the  New  Testament,"  the  (juestion 
is  whether  we  are  to  understand  it  of  the 
New  Testament  as  it  was  left  by  the 
sacred  writers,  or  as  corrected,  amended, 
curtailed,  and  interpreted,  by  a  set  of 
controvertists,  with  a  view  to  make  it 
accord  with  a  favorite  system. 


LETTER  XIII. 

ON  THE  TENDENCY  OF  THE  DIFFER- 
ENT SYSTEMS  TO  PROMOTE  HAPPI- 
NESS, OR  CHEERFULNESS  OF  MIND. 

Nothing  is  more  common  with  our 
opponents  than  to  represent  the  Calvin- 
istic  system  as  gloomy,  as  leading  to  mel- 
ancholy and  misery.  Our  ideas  of  God, 
of  sin,  and  of  future  punishment,  they 
say,  must  necessarily  depress  our  minds. 
Dr.  Priestley,  as  we  have  seen  already, 
reckons  Unitarians  "more  cheerful"  than 
Trinitarians.  Nor  is  this  all.  It  has 
even  been  asserted  that  the  tendency  of 
our  principles  is  to  promote  "moral  tur- 
pitude, melancholy,  and  despair  ;  and  that 
the  suicide  practised  among  the  middling 
and  lower  ranks  is  frequently  to  be  traced 
to  this  doctrine."*  This  is  certainly  car- 
rying matters  to  a  great  height.  It  might 
be  worth  while,  however,  for  those  who 
advance  such  things  as  these,  to  make 
good  what  they  affirm,  if  they  l)e  able. 
Till  that  be  done,  candor  itself  must  con- 
sider these  bold  assertions  as  the  mere 
effusions  of  malignity  and  slander. 

It  is  some  consolation,  however,  that 
what  is  objected  to  us,  by  Socinians,  is 
objected  to  religion  itself  hy  unbelievers. 
Lord  Shaftesbury  observes — "  There  is  a 
melancholy  which  accompanies  all  enthu- 
siasm," which,  from  his  pen,  is  only 
another  name  for  Christianity.      To  the 

same     purpose,     Mr.    Hume    asserts 

"  There  is  a  gloom  and  melancholy  re- 

*  See  Critical  Review  for  Sept.  1787,  on  Memoirs 
of  Gabriel  D'Anville. 


markable  in  all  devout  people."    If  these 

writers  had  formed  a  comparison  between 
deists  and  atheists,  on  the  one  side,  and 
devout  Ciiristians  on  the  other,  thiy  would 
have  said  of  the  former,  as  Dr.  Priestley 
says  of  Unitarians,  "  tiiey  arc  more  cheer- 
ful, and  more  lia|)py." 

It  is  granted  tiiat  the  system  we  adopt 
has  nothing  in  it  adapted  to  j)romote  the 
happiness  of  tiiose  who  persist  in  enmity 
against  God,  and  in  a  rejection  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  way  of  sal- 
vation. While  men  are  at  war  with  God, 
we  do  not  know  of  any  evangelical  |)romise 
that  is  calculated  to  make  them  happy. 
This,  peiliaps,  witii  some,  may  I)e  a  con- 
siderable ground  of  oltjection  to  our  views 
of  things  ;  but  then,  such  olijection  must 
stand  equally  against  the  Scriptures  tliem- 
selves,  since  theirlanguage  to  ungodly  men 
is,  "Be  alllictcd,  and  mourn,  and  weep." 
All  the  proi)liets  and  ministers  of  the  word 
were,  in  effect,  commanded  to  "say  to 
the  wicked.  It  shall  be  ill  with  him." 
This,  with  us,  is  one  considerai)le  objec- 
tion against  the  doctrine  of  the  final  salva- 
tion of  all  men,  a  doctrine  much  circulated 
of  late,  and  generally  embraced  by  Socin- 
ian  writers.  Supposing  it  were  a  truth,  it 
must  be  of  such  a  kind  as  is  adapted  to 
comfort  mankind  in  sin.  It  is  good  news ; 
but  it  is  to  the  impenitent  and  unbelieving, 
even  to  those  who  live  and  die  such  ; 
which  is  a  characteristic  so  singular  that  I 
question  whether  any  thing  can  be  found 
in  the  Bible  to  resemble  it.  If  our  views 
of  things  be  but  adapted  to  encourage  sin- 
ners to  return  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ,— if 
they  afford  strong  consolation  to  those 
wlio  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  upon 
the  hope  set  before  them, — and  if  sobriety, 
rigliteousness,  and  godliness,  here  meet 
with  tlie  most  powerful  motives, — this  is 
all  that  the  Scriptures  themselves  propose. 

Our  system,  it  is  granted,  is  not  adapted 
to  promote  that  kind  of  cheerfulness  and 
hapj)incss  to  which  men  in  general  are 
greatly  addicted  ;  namely,  that  which  con- 
sists in  self-deceit  and  levity  of  spirit. 
There  is  a  kind  of  cheerfulness  which  re- 
sembles that  of  a  tradesman  who  avoids 
looking  into  his  accounts,  lest  ihey  should 
disturb  jiis  peace  and  render  him  unhappy. 
This,  indeed,  is  the  cheerfulness  of  a  great 
part  of  mankind,  who  shun  the  light,  lest 
it  should  disturb  their  repose,  and  interrupt 
their  present  pursuits.  Tliey  try  to  per- 
suade themselves  that  they  shall  have 
peace,  tiiough  they  add  drunkenness  to 
thirst ;  and  there  are  not  wanting  preach- 
ers who  afford  them  assistance  in  the  dan- 
gerous delusion.  The  doctrines  of  human, 
depravity,  of  sinners  being  under  the  curse 
of  the  law,  and  of  their  exposedness  to 
everlasting  punishment,  are  those  which 


264 


ON     HAPPINESS. 


are  supposed  to  lead  us  to  melancholy : 
and  we  may  fairly  conclude  that  the  oppo- 
sites  to  these  doctrines  are  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cheerfulness  of  wliich  our  opponents 
boast.  Instead  of  considering  mankind 
as  lost  sinners,  exposed  to  everlasting 
destruction,  they  love  to  represent  them 
simply  as  creatures,  as  the  children  of 
God,  and  to  suppose  that,  having,  in  gen- 
eral, more  virtue  than  vice,  they  have 
nothing  to  fear  ;  or  if,  in  a  few  instances,  it 
be  otherwise,  still  they  have  no  reason  to 
be  afraid  of  endless  punishment.  These 
things,  to  be  sure,  make  people  cheerful : 
but  it  is  with  the  cheerfuhiess  of  a  wicked 
man.  It  is  just  as  wicked  men  would  have 
it.  It  is  no  w'onder  that  persons  of  "no 
religion,"  and  who  "lean  to  a  life  of  dis- 
sipation," should  be  "  the  first  to  embrace 
these  principles."  They  are  such  as  must 
needs  suit  them  ;  especial!}'  if  we  add  what 
Dr.  Priestley  inculcates  in  his  Sermon  on 
the  death  of  Mr.  Robinson,  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  dwell  in  our  thoughts  upon 
death  and  futurity,  lest  it  should  interrupt 
the  business  of  life,  and  cause  us  to  live  in 
perpetual  bondage.*  We  liope  it  is  no  dis- 
paragement of  the  Calvinistic  doctrine 
that  it  disclaims  the  promoting  of  all  such 
cheerfulness  as  this.  That  cheerfulness 
which  is  damped  by  thoughts  of  death  and 
futurity  is,  at  best,  merely  natural  joy.  It 
has  no  virtue  in  it  :  nay,  in  many  cases,  it 
is  positively  vicious,  and  founded  in  self- 
deception.  It  is  nothing  better  than  "  the 
laughter  of  a  fool."  It  may  blaze  awhile 
in  the  bosoms  of  the  dissipated  and  the  se- 
cure ;  but,  if  the  sinner  be  once  awakened 
to  just  reflection,  it  will  expire  like  "the 
crackling  of  thorns  under  a  pot." 

There  is,  also,  a  kind  of  happiness, 
which  some  persons  enjoy,  in  treating  the 
most  serious  and  important  subjects  with 
levity,  making  them  the  subjects  of  jests, 
and  trying  their  skill  in  disputing  upon 
them,  which  is  frequently  called  pleasant- 
ry, good  nature,  and  the  like.  A  cheer- 
fulness of  this  kind,  in  Oliver  Cromwell, 
is  praised  by  Mr.  Lindsey,  and  represent- 
ed as  an  excellency  "  of  wliich  the  gloomy 
bigot  is  utterly  incapable."  f  Pleasantry, 
on  some  occasions,  and  to  a  certain  de- 
gree, is  natural  and  allowable  :  but,  if 
sporting  with  sacred  things  must  go  by 
that  name,  let  me  be  called  "  a  gloomy 
bigot"  rather  than  indulge  it. 

Once  more  :  It  is  allowed  that  the  sys- 
tem we  embrace  has  a  tendency,  on  vari- 
ous occasions,  to  promote  sorrow  of  heart. 
Our  notions  of  the  evil  of  sin  exceed 
those  of  our  opponents.  While  they  re- 
ject the  doctrine  of  atonement  by  the  cross 


of  Christ,  they  have  not  that  glass,  in 
which  to  discern  its  malignity,  which 
others  have.  There  are  times  in  which 
we  remember  Calvar}%  and  weep  on  ac- 
count of  that  for  which  our  Redeemer 
died.  But,  so  far  are  we  from  considering 
this  as  our  infelicity,  that,  for  Aveeping  in 
this  manner  once,  we  could  wish  to  do  so 
a  thousand  times.  There  is  a  pleasure  in 
the  very  pains  of  godly  sorrow,  of  which 
the  light-minded  speculatist  is  utterly  in- 
capal)le.  The  tears  of  her  that  wept,  and 
washed  her  Saviour's  feet,  afforded  abun- 
dantly greater  satisfaction  than  the  unfeel- 
ing calm  of  the  Pharisee,  avIio  stood  by, 
making  his  ill-natured  reflections  upon  her 
conduct. 

If  our  views  of  things  have  no  tendency 
to  promote  solid,  holy,  heavenly  joy — joy 
that  fits  true  Christians  for  the  proper  bu- 
siness of  this  world  and  the  blessedness  of 
tliat  which  is  to  come — we  will  acknow- 
ledge it  a  strong  presumption  against 
them.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  they  can  be 
proved  to  possess  such  a  tendency,  and 
that  in  a  much  greater  degree  than  the  op- 
posite scheme,  it  will  be  a  considerable 
argument  in  their  favor.  Let  us  examine 
this  matter  a  little  closer. 

The  utmost  happiness  which  the  pecu- 
liar principles  of  Socinians  are  adapted  to 
promote  consists  in  calmness  of  mind,  like 
tliat  of  a  philosopher  contemplating  the 
works  of  creation.  The  friends  of  that 
scheme  conceive  of  man  as  a  good  kind  of 
being,  and  suppose  that  there  is  a  greater 
proportion  of  virtue  in  the  world  than  vice, 
and  that  things,  upon  the  whole,  are  get- 
ting better  still,  and  so  tending  to  happi- 
ness. They  suppose  that  there  is  little  or 
no  breach  between  God  and  men, — noth- 
ing but  what  may  be  made  up  by  repent- 
ance, a  repentance  without  much  pain  of 
mind,t  and  without  any  atoning  Saviour; 
that  God,  being  the  benevolent  Father  of 
his  rational  offspring,  will  not  be  strict  to 
mark  iniquity;  and  that,  as  his  benevo- 
lence is  infinite,  all  will  be  well  at  last, — 
"as  with  the  good,  so  with  the  sinner; 
with  him  that  sweareth,  as  with  him  that 
feareth  an  oath."  This  makes  them  se- 
rene, and  enables  them  to  pursue  the  stu- 
dies of  philosophy,  or  the  avocations  of 
life,  with  composure.  This  appears  to  be 
the  summit  of  their  happiness,  and  must 
be  so  of  all  others  if  they  wish  to  escape 
their  censure.  For,  if  any  one  pretends 
to  happiness  of  a  superior  kind,  they  will 
instantly  reproach  him  as  an  enthusiast. 
A  writer  in  the  Monthly  Review  observes, 
concerning  the  late  President  Edwards, 
"From  the  account  given  of  him,  he  ap- 


*  This  is  the  substance,  of  what  lie  advances,  pp.         X  Such  a  repentance  is   pleaded  for  by   My.  Jar- 
7 — 12.  t  Apology.  Chap.  II,  dine,  in  his  Letters  to  Mr.  I3ogue. 


ON     HAPPINESS. 


2G5 


peavs  to  have  been  a  very  reputaMe,  good, 
and  pious  man,  accordinjr  to  his  views  and 
feelins^sm  reli<,Mous  matters,  whicli  those  of 
ditTorent  sentiments  and  cooler  sensations 
will  not  tail  to  consider  as  all  wild  ecsta- 
sy, rapture,  and  cntliusiasm."* 

The  tendency  otany  system  to  promote 
calmness  is  notliinj;;  at  ail  in  its  favor,  any 
further  tlian  such  calmness  can  l)e  proved 
to  he  virtuous.  But  tliis  must  he  deter- 
mined t)y  the  !«itualion  in  which  we  stand. 
We  ouu^lit  to  lie  alTected  according  to  our 
situation.  If,  indeed,  tlierc  he  no  breach 
between  God  and  men, — if  all  be  right  on 
our  part  as  well  as  his,  and  just  as  it 
should  be, — then  it  becomes  us  to  becalm 
and  thankful ;  but,  if  it  be  otherwise,  it  be- 
comes us  to  feel  accordingly.  If  we  have 
ofTcndcd  God,  we  ought  to  bewail  our  trans- 
gressions, and  be  sorry  for  our  sin  ;  and, 
if  the  offence  be  great,  we  ought  to  be 
deeply  affected  with  it.  It  would  be 
thought  very  improper  for  a  convict,  a  lit- 
tle before  the  time  appointed  for  his  exe- 
cution, instead  of  cherishing  proper  reflec- 
tions on  the  magnitude  of  his  offence,  and 
suing  for  the  mercy  of  his  offended  sove- 
reign, to  be  employed  in  speculating  upon 
his  benevolence,  till  he  has  really  worked 
himself  into  a  persuasion  that  no  serious 
apprehensions  were  to  be  entertained,  con- 
cerning either  himself  or  any  of  his  fellow 
convicts.  Such  a  person  might  enjoy  a 
much  greater  degree  of  calmness  than  his 
companions  ;  but  considerate  people  would 
neither  admire  his  mode  of  thinking  nor 
envy  his  imaginary  felicity. 

Calmness  and  serenity  of  mind  may 
arise  from  ignorance  of  ourselves,  and 
from  the  want  of  a  principle  of  true  reli- 
gion. While  Paul  was  ignorant  of  his 
true  character  he  was  calm  and  easy,  or, 
as  he  expresses  it,  "  alive  without  the 
law;"  "but  when  the  commandment 
came,"  in  its  spirituality  and  autliority, 
"sin  revived,  and  he  died."  The  Phari- 
see, who  was  whole  in  his  own  esteem,  and 
needed  no  physician,  was  abundantly  more 
calm  than  tlie  publican,  who  smote  ujjon 
his  breast,  and  cried,  "God  be  merciful 
to  me  a  sinner  !"  While  any  man  is  des- 
titute of  a  })rinciple  of  true  religion,  the 
strong  man  armed  keepeth  the  house,  and 
the  goods  are  in  peoce;  and,  while  things 
are  thus,  he  will  be  a  stranger  to  all  those 
holy  mournings  which  abound  in  the 
Psalrns  of  David,  and  to  those  inward  con- 
flicts between  y7<'.s/(  and  spirit  described  in 
the  writings  of  Paul.  And,  knowing  noth- 
ing of  such  things  himself,  he  will  be  apt 
to  think  meanly  of  those  who  do  ;  to 
deride  them  as    enthusiasts,  to  reproach 

*  Review  of  Edwards'*  History  of  Redemption, 
Vol.  LXXX.  Art.  68. 

VOL.  I.  34 


them  with  gloominess,  and  to  boast  of  his 
own  insensibility,  under  the  names  o', 
calmness  and  cheerfulness. 

Supposing  the   calmness   and   cheerful- 
ness of  mind  of  which  our  opponents  boast 
to  lie  on  the  side  of  virtue,  still  it  is  a  cold 
and  insipid  kind  of  happiness,  comj)ared 
witli  that  which   is   jiroduced  by  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  through  the  atoning  blood 
of  Christ.     One  great  source  of  happiness 
is    contrast.     Dr.    Priestley    has    proved, 
what  indeed  is  evident  from  universal  ex- 
perience, "  that    the   recollection   of  past 
troul)les,  after  a  certain  interval,  becomes 
highly  pleasurable,  and  is  a  pleasure  of  a 
very  durable   kind."t     On   this  principle 
he  undertakes  to  prove  the  infinite  l)cnev- 
olence  of  the  Deity,  even  in  his  so  ordering 
things  tliat  a  mixture  of  pain  and  sorrow 
shall  fall  to  the  lot  of  man.     On  the  same 
principle  may  be  proved,  if  I  mistake  not, 
the  superiority  of  the  Calvinistic  system  to 
that  of  the   Socinians,   in  point  of  promo- 
ting happiness.     The  doctrines  of  the  for- 
mer, supposing  them  to   be  true,    are  af- 
fecting.    It  is  affecting  to  think  that  man, 
originally  pure,  should   have    fallen  from 
the  licight  of  righteousness  and  honor  to 
the  depths  of  apostasy  and  infamy — that 
he  is  now  an  enemy  to  God,   and  actually 
lies  under  his  awful  and  just  displeasure, 
exposed  to  everlasting  misery — that  not- 
withstanding all  this,  a  ransom  is  found  to 
deliver  him  from  going  down  to  the  pit — that 
God  so  loved  the  w-orld  as  to  give  his  only 
begotten  Son  to  become  a  sacrifice  for  sin, 
that  whosoever  believeth   in    him  should 
not   perish,   but   have    eternal    life — that 
the  issue  of  Christ's  death  is  not  left  at  an 
uncertainty,  nor  the  invitations  of  his  gos- 
pel subject  to  universal  rejection,  but  an 
effectual    provision  is  made,  in  the  great 
plan  of  redemption,  that  he  shall  see   of 
the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied — 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  given  to  renew  and 
sanctify  a  people    for  himself — that  they 
who  were  under  condemnation  and  wrath, 
being  justified  by  faith  in   the   righteous- 
ness of  Jesus,  have  peace  with  God — that 
aliens  and  outcasts  are  become  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
— that  everlasting  arms   are  now    beneath 
them,  and  everlasting  glory  is  before  them. 
These  sentiments,  I  say,  supposing  them 
to  be    true,    are    undoubtedly   affecting. 
The   Socinian  system,  supposing  it  were 
true,  compared  with  this,  is  cold,  uninter- 
esting, and  insipid. 

We  read  of  "joy  and  peace  in  believ- 
ing;" of  "joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory."  Those  who  adopt  the  Calvinistic 
doctrine  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin, 

t  Lett.  Phil.  Unb.  Pari  I.  Letter  VL 


266 


ON     HAPPINESS. 


and  of  their  own  lost  condition  as  sinners, 
are  prepared  to  inibil)e  the  joy  of  the  gos- 
pel, supposing  it  to  exhil)it  a  great  salva- 
tion, through  the  atonement  of  a  great  Sa- 
viour, to  which  others  of  opposite  senti- 
ments must  of  necessity  be  strangers. 
The  Pharisees  who  thought  well  of  their 
character  and  condition,  like  the  elder  son 
in  the  parable,  instead  of  rejoicing  at  the 
good  news  of  salvation  to  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners, were  disgusted  at  it;  and  this  will 
ever  be  the  case  with  all  who,  like  the 
Pharisees,  are  lohole  in  their  own  eyes,  so 
wliole  as  to  think  they  need  no  physician. 

The  votaries  of  the  Socinian  scheme  do 
not,  in  general,  appear  to  feel  their  hearts 
much  interested  by  it.  Voltaire  could  say 
in  his  time — "At  least,  hitherto,  only  a 
very  small  number  of  those  called  Unita- 
rians have  held  any  religious  meetings."* 
And  thougli  Dr.  Priestley,  by  his  great  zeal, 
has  endeavored  to  invigorate  and  reform 
the  party;  yet  he  admits  the  justice  of  a 
common  complaint  amongthem,  that  "their 
societies  do  not  flourish,  their  members 
have  but  a  slight  attachment  to  them,  and 
easily  desert  them  ;  though  it  is  never  im- 
agined," he  adds,  "  that  they  desert  their 
principles."!  All  this  the  Doctor  ac- 
counts for  by  allowing  that  their  principles 
are  not  of  that  importance  which  we  sup- 
pose ours  to  be,  and  that  "  many  of  those 
who  judge  so  truly  concerning  the  partic- 
ular tenets  of  religion  have  attained  to  that 
cool,  unbiassed  temper  of  mind,  in  conse- 
quence of  becoming  more  indiflferent  to 
religion  in  general,  and  to  all  the  modes 
and  doctrines  of  it."  Through  indi^'crence, 
it  seems,  they  come  in  ;  through  indiffer- 
ence they  go  out ;  and  they  are  very  in- 
different while  thei-e.  Yet,  it  is  said,  they 
still  retain  their  principles  ;  and,  I  sup- 
pose, are  very  cheerful,  and  very  happy. 
Happiness,  theirs,  consequently,  which 
does  not  interest  the  heart,  any  more  than 
reform  the  life. 

Although  the  aforementioned  writer  in 
the  Monthly  Review  insinuates  that  Presi- 
dent Edwards'  religious  feelings  were  "  all 
wild  ecstasy,  rapture,  and  enthusiasm," 
yet  he  adds — "  We  cannot  question  the 
sincerity  of  Mr.  Edwards,  who,  however 
he  may  possibly  have  imposed  on  himself 
by  the  warmth  of  his  imagination,  was  per- 
haps, rather  to  be  envied  than  derided  for 
his  ardors  and  ecstacies,  which,  in  them- 
selves, were  at  least  innocent;  in  which 
he,  no  doubt,  found  much  delight,  and 
from  which  no  creature  could  receive  the 
least  hurt."  I  thank  you,  Sir,  for  this 
concession.  It  will,  at  least,  serve  to  show 
that  the  sentiments  and  feelings  which  you 

*  Additions  to  General  History,  Aft.  England,  un- 
der Charles  II.  t  Dis-  Var.  Sub.  p.  94 


deem  wild  and  enthusiastical  may,  by 
your  own  acknowledgment,  be  the  most 
adapted  to  promote  human  happiness  ;  and 
that  is  all  lor  which  I  at  present  contend. 
President  Edwards,  however,  was  far 
from  being  a  person  of  that  warm  imagi- 
nation which  this  writer  would  insinuate. 
No  man  could  be  a  greater  enemy  to  real 
enthusiasm.  Under  the  most  virulent  op- 
positions, and  the  heaviest  trials,  he  pos- 
sessed a  great  share  of  coolness  of  judg- 
ment as  well  as  of  calmness  and  serenity 
of  mind;  as  great  as  any  to  whom  this 
gentleman  can  refer  us  among  those  whom 
he  calls  men  of  cool  sensations,  and  per- 
haps greater.  But  he  felt  deeply  in  reli- 
gion ;  and  in  such  feelings,  our  adversaries 
themselves  being  judges,  he  was  to  be 
"  envied  and  not  derided." 

Why  should  religion  be  the  only  subject 
in  which  we  must  not  be  allowed  to  feel? 
Men  are  praised  for  the  exercise  of  ardor, 
and  even  of  ecstacy,  in  poetry,  in  politics, 
and  in  the  endearing  connections  of  social 
life ;  but,  in  religion,  we  must  either  go 
on  with  cool  indifference  or  be  branded  as 
enthusiasts.  Is  it  because  religion  is  of  less 
importance  than  other  things  1  Is  eternal 
salvation  of  less  consequence  than  the  po- 
litical or  domestic  accommodations  of 
time  1  It  is  treated  by  multitudes  as  if  it 
were  ;  and  the  spirit  of  Socinianism,  so  far 
as  it  operates,  tends  to  keep  them  in  coun- 
tenance. Is  it  not  a  pity  but  those  who 
call  themselves  Rational  Christians  would 
act  more  rationally  1  Nothing  can  be  more 
irrational,  as  well  as  injurious,  than  to  en- 
courage an  ardor  of  mind  after  the  trifles 
of  a  moment,  and  to  discourage  it  when 
pursuing  objects  of  infinite  magnitude. 

"  Passion  is  reason,  transport  temper  fiere  !" 

The  Socinian  system  proposes  to  ex- 
clude mystery  from  religion,  or  "things 
in  their  own  nature  incomprehensible. "j: 
But  such  a  scheme  not  only  renders  reli- 
gion the  only  thing  in  nature  void  of 
mystery,  but  divests  it  of  a  property  es- 
sential to  the  continued  communication  of 
happiness  to  an  immortal  creature.  Our 
passions  are  more  affected  by  objects 
which  surpass  our  comprehension  than  by 
those  which  we  fully  know.  It  is  thus 
with  respect  to  unhappiness.  An  un- 
known misery  is  much  more  dreadful  than 
one  that  is  fully  known.  Suspense  adds  to 
distress.  If,  with  regard  to  transient  suf- 
ferings, we  know  the  worst,  the  worst  is 
commonly  over;  and  hence  our  troubles 
are  frequently  gi'eater  when  feared  than 
when  actually  felt.  It  is  the  same  with 
respect    to    happiness.      That  happiness 

:fiDef.  Unit,  for  1786,  p.  67. 


ON    HAPPINESS. 


267 


which  is  felt  in  the  pursuit  of  science 
abates  in  the  full  possession  of  the  ob- 
ject. Wiicn  once  a  matter  is  fully  known, 
we  cease  to  take  that  pleasure  in  it  as  at 
first,  and  long  i'or  something  new.  It  is  the 
same  in  all  other  kinds  of  hapj)incss. 
The  mind  loves  to  swim  in  deep  waters  : 
if  it  touch  the  bottom  it  feels  disgust. 
If  the  best  were  once  fully  known,  the  best 
would  thence  be  over.  Some  of  the  no- 
blest passions  in  Paul  were  excited  by  ol>- 
jects  incomprehcnsililc  :  "Othc  depth  of 
the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge of  God  !  How  unsearchable  are  his 
judgments,  and  his  ways  past  iinding  out  ! 
— "  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness  : 
God  was  manifest  in  the  flesli,  justified 
in  the  spirit,  seen  of  angels,  believed  on 
in  the  world,  received  up  into  glory!" 
Now,  if  things  be  so,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
to  divest  religion  of  every  thing  incom- 
prehensible is  to  divest  it  of  what  is  es- 
sential to  human  happiness.  And  no 
wonder ;  for  it  is  nothing  less  than  to 
divest  it  of  God  ! 

The  Socinian  scheme,  by  rejecting  the 
deity  and  atonement  of  Christ,  rejects 
the  very  essence  of  that  which  both  sup- 
ports and  transports  a  Christian's  heart. 
It  was  acknowledged  by  Mr.  Hume  that 
'•'  the  good,  the  great,  the  sublime,  and  the 
ravishing,  were  to  be  found  evidently  in 
the  principles  of  theism."  To  this  Dr. 
Priestley  very  justly  replies — "If  so,  I 
need  not  say  that  there  must  be  something 
mean,  abject,  and  debasing,  in  the  princi- 
ples of  atheism."*  But  let  it  be  consid- 
ered whether  this  observation  be  not 
equally  applicable  to  the  sulject  in  hand. 
Our  opponents,  it  is  true,  may  hold  sen- 
timents wliich  are  great  and  transporting. 
Such  are  their  views  of  the  works  of  God 
in  creation  :  but  so  are  those  of  deists. 
Neither  are  these  the  sentiments  in  which 
they  differ  from  us.  Is  the  Socinian 
system,  as  distinguished  from  ours,  adaj)t- 
ed  to  raise  and  transport  the  heart  1  This 
is  the  question.  Let  us  select  only  one 
topic,  for  an  exami)le.  Has  any  thing,  or 
can  any  thing  be  written,  on  the  scheme 
of  our  adversaries,  upon  the  death  of 
Christ,  equal  lo  the  following  lines  ? — 

"  Religion  !  thou  llie  sou!  of  happiness; 
And  groaning  Calvary  of  tlice  !  tliere  sliine 
The  noblest  trutlis ;  there  strongest  motives  sting  ! 

There  sacred  violence  assaults  lliesoul. 

My  theme!  my  inspiration  !  and  my  crown  ! 

My  strength  in  age  !  my  rise  in  low  estate  ! 

My  soul's  ambition,  pleasure,  wealth  !. — my  world  ! 

My  ligiit  in  darkness  !  and  my  life  in  death  ! 

My  Ixiast  tlirougli  time  !  bliss  through  eternity  ! 

Eternity  too  short  to  speak  thy  praise, 

Or  fathom  thy  profound  of  love  lo  man  ! 

To  man  of  men  the  meanest,  ev'n  to  nie; 

My  sacrifice  !  my  God  !  what  things  are  tliese  !" 

*  Leu.  Phil.  Unb.  Part  I.  Pref.  p.  x. 


Again  : 

"  Pardon  for  infinite  offence  !  and  pardon 

Through  means  thai  sjn-ak  its  value  infinite  ! 

A  pardon  bought  with  blood  !  with  I  loud  divine! 

With  blood  divine  of  him  I  made  my  foe  I 

Persisted  to  provoke,  though  wooed,  and  awed, 

Ble^■s'd,  anil  clia!<liH'd,  a  (lagrant  rebel  still  ! 

A  reU'l  'midst  the  thunders  of  his  throne  ! — 

IVor  I  alone,  a  reliel  universe  ! 

My  s|)ecies  up  in  arms  !  not  one  exempt ! 

Yet  for  the  foulest  of  the  foul  he  dies  ! 

Hound  every  heart  !  and  everv  l>osom  burn  ! 

Oil  what  a  scale  of  miracles  is  here  ! 

Praise!  flow  forever  (if astoni.shnient 

Will  give  thee  leave;)  my  praise!  forever  flow; 

Praise  ardent,  cordial,  constant,  to  high  Heaven 

More  fragrant  than  .\rabia  sacrificed; 

And  all  her  spicy  mountains  in  a  flame  !" 

Niglit  Thoughts.— Sight  IV. 

There  is  a  rich,  great,  and  ravishing 
quality  in  the  Ibregoing  sentiments,  which 
no  other  theme  can  inspire.  Had  the 
writer  been  a  Socinian,  and  attempted  to 
write  upon  the  death  of  Christ,  he  might, 
by  the  strength  of  his  mind  and  the  fire 
of  his  genius,  have  contributed  a  little  to 
raise  his  subject;  but  here  his  subject 
raises  him  above  himself. 

The  dignity  of  Christ,  together  with  his 
glorious  undertaking,  was,  as  we  have 
seen  in  Letter  XI.,  a  source  of  joy  and 
love  to  the  primitive  Christians.  It  was 
their  darling  theme,  and  that  which  raised 
them  above  themselves.  Now,  according 
to  our  system,  Christians  may  still  rejoice 
in  the  same  manner,  and  give  vent  to 
their  souls,  and  to  all  that  is  within  them ; 
and  that  without  fear  of  going  lieyond  the 
words  of  truth  and  soberness,  or  of  bor- 
dering, or  seeming  to  border,  upon  idola- 
try. But,  upon  the  principles  of  our 
opponents,  the  sacred  writers  must  have 
dealt  largely  in  hyperbole  ;  and  it  must 
be  our  business,  instead  of  entering  into 
their  spirit,  to  sit  down  with  "  cool  sen- 
sations," criticise  tlicir  words,  and  ex- 
])lain  away  their  apparent  meaning. 

Brethren,  I  appeal  to  your  own  hearts, 
as  men  who  have  been  brought  to  consid- 
er yourselves  as  the  Scriptures  represent 
you — Is  there  any  thing  in  that  preaching 
which  leaves  out  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
by  an  atoning  sacrifice  that  can  afford  you 
any  relief^  Is  it  not  like  the  priest  and 
Levite,  wlio  passed  by  on  the  other  side  1 
Is  not  the  doctrine  of  atonement  by  the 
blood  of  Christ  like  the  oil  and  wine  of 
the  good  Samaritan  1  Under  all  the  pres- 
sures of  life,  whether  from  inward  con- 
flicts or  outward  troubles,  is  not  this  your 
grand  support  1  What  but  "  an  advocate 
with  the  Father,"  one  who  "is  the  pro- 
pitiation for  our  sins,"  could  prevent  you, 
when  you  have  sinned  against  God,  from 
sinking  into  despondency,  and  encourage 
you  to  sue  afresh  for  mercy  1     What  else 


268 


ON    HAPPINESS, 


could  SO  divest  affliction  of  its  bittei-ness, 
death  of  its  sting,  or  the  grave  of  its  gloomy 
aspect  1  In  fine  :  what  else  could  enable 
you  to  contemplate  a  future  judgment 
with  composure  1  What  hope  could  you 
entertain  of  being  justified,  at  that  day, 
upon  any  other  footing  than  this,  "  It  is 
Christ  that  died  1" 

I  am  aware  I  shall  be  told  that  this  is 
appealing  to  the  passions,  and  to  the  pas- 
sions of  enthusiasts.  To  wliich  it  may  be 
replied.  In  a  question  which  relates  to 
happiness,  the  heart  is  the  best  criterion ; 
and  if  it  be  enthusiasm  to  think  and  feel 
concerning  ourselves  as  the  Scriptures 
represent  us,  and  concerning  Christ  as 
he  is  there  exhibited,  let  me  live  and  die 
an  enthusiast.  So  far  from  being  ashamed 
to  appeal  to  such  characters,  in  my  opin- 
ion they  are  the  only  competent  judges. 
Men  of  mere  speculation  play  with  doc- 
trines :  it  is  the  plain  and  serious  Chris- 
tian that  knows  most  of  their  real  ten- 
dency. In  a  question,  therefore,  which 
concerns  their  happy  or  unhappy  influ- 
ence, his  judgment  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance. 

Dr.  Priestley  allows  that  "  the  doctrine 
of  a  general  and  a  most  particular  provi- 
dence is  so  leading  a  feature  in  every 
scheme  of  predestination,  it  brings  God 
so  much  into  every  thing,  that  an  habit- 
ual and  animated  devotion  is  the  result."* 
This  witness  is  true  :  nor  is  this  all. 
The  same  principle,  taken  in  its  connec- 
tion with  various  others,  equally  provides 
for  a  serene  and  joyful  satisfaction  in  all 
the  events  of  time.  All  the  vicissitudes 
of  nations,  all  the  furious  oppositions  to 
the  church  of  Christ,  all  the  efforts  to 
overturn  the  doctrine  of  the  cross  or  blot 
out  the  spirit  of  Christianity  from  the 
earth,  we  consider  as  permitted  for  wise 
and  holy  ends  ;  and,  being  satisfied  that 
they  make  a  part  of  God's  eternal  plan, 
we  are  not  inordinately  anxious  about 
them.  We  can  assure  our  opponents 
that,  when  we  hear  them  boast  of  their 
increasing  numbers,  as  also  professed  un- 
believers of  theirs,  it  gives  us  no  other 
pain  than  that  which  arises  from  good  will 
to  men.  We  have  no  doubt  that  these 
things  are  wisely  permitted — that  they 
are  a  fan  in  the  hand  of  Christ,  by  which 
he  will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor — and 
that  the  true  gospel  of  Christ,  like  the 
sun  in  the  heavens,  will  finally  disperse 
all  these  interposing  clouds.  We  are 
persuaded,  as  well  as  they,  that  things, 
upon  the  whole,  whether  we,  in  our  con- 

*  Phil.  Nee.  p.  162. 


iracted  spheres  of  observation,  perceive 
it  or  not,  are  tending  to  the  general  good 
— that  the  empire  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness, notwithstanding  all  the  infidelity 
and  iniquity  that  are  in  the  world,  is  upon 
the  increase — that  it  must  increase  more 
and  more — that  glorious  things  are  yet  to 
be  accomplished  in  the  church  of  God — 
and  that  all  which  we  have  hitherto  seen, 
or  heard,  of  the  gospel-dispensation,  is 
but  as  the  first  fruits  of  an  abundant 
harvest. 

The  tendency  of  a  system  to  promote 
present  happiness  may  be  estimated  by 
the  degree  of  security  which  accompanies 
it.  The  obedience  and  sufferings  of 
Christ,  according  to  the  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem, constitute  the  ground  of  our  accept- 
ance with  God.  A  good  moral  life,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  the  only  foundation  on 
which  our  opponents  profess  to  build  their 
hopes. f  Now,  supposing  our  principles 
should  prove  erroneous,  while  they  do  not 
lead  us  to  neglect  good  works,  but  to 
abound  in  them,  from  love  to  God,  and 
with  a  regard  to  his  glory,  it  may  be  pre- 
sumed that  the  Divine  Being  will  not  cast 
us  off"  to  eternity  for  having  ascribed  too 
much  to  him,  and  too  little  to  ourselves. 
But  if  the  principles  of  our  opponents 
should  be  found  erroneous,  and  the  foun- 
dation on  which  they  build  their  hopes 
should,  at  last,  give  way,  the  issue  must 
be  fatal.  I  never  knew  a  person,  in  his 
dying  moments,  alarmed  for  the  conse- 
quences of  having  assumed  too  little  to 
himself,  or  for  having  ascribed  too  much 
to  Christ :  but  many,  at  that  hour  of  se- 
rious reflection,  have  been  more  than  a 
little  apprehensive  of  danger  from  the 
contrary. 

After  all,  it  is  allowed  that  there  is  a 
consideral)le  number  of  persons  amongst 
VIS  who  are  under  too  great  a  degree  of 
mental  dejection;  but  though  the  number 
of  such  persons,  taken  in  the  aggregate, 
be  considerable,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  ren- 
der it  any  thing  like  a  general  case. 
And  as  to  those  who  are  so,  they  are, 
almost  all  of  them,  such,  either  from  con- 
stitution, from  the  want  of  mature  judg- 
ment to  distinguish  just  causes  of  sorrow, 
or  from  a  sinful  neglect  of  their  duties 
and  their  advantages.  Those  who  enter 
most  deeply  into  our  views  of  things, 
provided  their  conduct  be  consistent,  and 
tliere  be  no  particular  propensity  to  gloom- 
iness in  their  constitution,  are  among  the 
happiest  people  in  the  world. 

tSee  the  quotation  from  Dr.  Priestley,  Dr.  Har- 
wood,  and  Mrs.  Barbauld,  Letter  IX. 


ON    GRATITUDE    AND    OBEDIENCE. 


2G9 


LETTER  XIV. 

A  COMPARISON  OF  MOTIVES  TO  GRATI- 
TUDE, ODEDIENCE,  AND  HEAVENLY- 
MINDEDNESS. 

The  subject  of  this  Letter  lias  been 
occasionally  noticed  already  :  but  there 
are  a  few  thinirs  in  reserve  that  require 
your  attention.  As  men  are  allowed  on 
both  sides  to  be  influenced  by  7uotives, 
whichever  of  the  systems  it  is  that  excels 
in  this  particular,  that  of  course  must  be 
the  system  which  has  the  greatest  ten- 
dency to  promote  a  holy  life. 

One  very  important  motive,  with  which 
the   Scriptures   acquaint  us,  is  the   love 

OF     GOD    MANIFESTED     IN     THE     GIFT     OF 

HIS  SON.  "  God  SO  loved  the  world  that 
he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life." — "Herein  is 
love;  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he 
loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  a  propi- 
tiation for  our  sins." — "  God  commendeth 
his  love  towards  us,  in  that,  while  we 
were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us." — 
"  He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but 
delivered  him  up  for  us  all." — "Beloved, 
if  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love 
one  another."  The  benevolence  of  God 
to  men  is  represented  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment as  consisting  not  in  his  overlooking 
their  frailties,  not  so  much  even  in  his 
forgiving  their  sins,  as  in  giving  his  only 
begotten  Son  to  die  for  them.  Herein 
was  love  ;  and  herein  was  found  the  grand 
motive  to  grateful  obedience.  There  is 
no  necessity  indeed  for  establishing  this 
point,  since  Dr.  Priestley  has  fully  ac- 
knowledged it.  He  allows  "  that  the  love 
of  God  in  giving  his  Son  to  die  for  us  is 
the  consideration  on  which  the  Scriptures 
always  lay  the  greatest  stress,  as  a  motive 
to  gratitude  and  obedience."*  As  this 
is  a  matter  of  fact,  then,  allowed  on  both 
sides,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  make 
someinquiry  into  the  reason  of  it ;  or  xchy 
it  is  that  so  great  a  stress  should  be  laid, 
in  the  Scriptures,  upon  this  motive.  To 
say  nothing  of  the  strong  presumption 
which  this  acknowledgment  aflfords  in  fa- 
vor of  the  doctrine  of  atonement,  suffice 
it  at  present  to  observe  that,  in  all  other 
cases,  an  obligation  to  gratitude  is  sup- 
posed to  bear  some  proportion  to  the 
magnitude  or  value  of  the  gift.  But,  if 
it  be  allowed  in  this  instance,  it  will 
follow  that  the  system  which  gives  us  the 
most  exalted  views  of  the  dignity  of  Christ 


must  include  the  strongest  motives  to  obe- 
dience and  gratitude. 

If  there  be  any  meaning  in  the  words, 
the  phraseology  of  John  iii.  16,  "  God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  be- 
gotten Son,"  conveys  an  idea  of  the  high- 
est worth  in  the  object  bestowed.  So 
great  was  this  gift  that  the  love  of  God  in 
the  bestowmont  of  it  is  considered  as  in- 
e.Tprcssil}le  and  inestiinahle.  We  are  not 
told  liow  jniuk  he  loved  the  world,  but 
that  he  so  loved  it  that  he  gave  /n's  only 
begotten  Son.  If  Jesus  Christ  be  of  more 
worth  than  the  ivorld  for  which  he  was 
given,  then  was  the  language  of  the  sa- 
cred w  ritcr  fit  and  proper  ;  and  then  was 
the  gift  of  him  truly  great,  and  worthy  of 
being  made  "the  consideration  upon  which 
the  Scriptures  should  lay  the  greatest 
stress,  as  a  motive  to  gratitude  and  oiiedi- 
ence."  But  if  he  be  merely  a  man  like 
ourselves,  and  was  given  only  to  instruct 
us  by  his  doctrine  and  example,  there  is 
nothing  so  great  in  the  gift  of  him,  nothing 
that  will  justify  the  language  of  the  sacred 
writers  from  the  charge  of  bombast,  noth- 
ing that  should  render  it  a  motive  to  grati- 
tude and  obedience,  upon  which  the  great- 
est stress  should  be  laid. 

Dr.  Priestley,  in  his  Letters  to  Dr. 
Price,  oliscrves  that,  "In  passing  from 
Trinilarianisin  to  High  Arianism,  from 
this  to  your  Low  Arianisn.,  and  from  this 
to  Socinianism,  even  of  the  lowest  kind, 
in  which  Christ  is  considered  as  a  mere 
man,  the  Son  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  and 
naturally  as  fallible  and  peccable  as  Mo- 
ses or  any  other  prophet,  there  are  suffi- 
cient sources  of  gratitude  and  devotion. 
I  myself,"  continues  Dr.  Priestley,  "have 
gone  through  all  those  changes ;  and  I 
think  I  may  assure  you  that  you  have 
nothing  to  apprehend  from  any  part  of  the 
progress.  In  every  stage  of  it,  you  have 
that  consideration  on  w  hich  the  Scriptures 
always  lay  the  greatest  stress,  as  a  motive 
to  gratitude  and  obedience  ;  namely,  the 
love  of  God,  the  Almighty  parent,  in  giv- 
ing his  Son  to  die  for  us.  And  whether 
this  Son  be  man,  angel,  or  of  a  super-an- 
gelic nature,  every  thing  that  he  has  done 
is  to  be  referred  to  the  love  of  God,  the 
original  Author  of  all,  and  to  him  all  our 
gratitude    and    obedience    is     ultimately 

due."t 

Dr.  Priestley,  it  seems,  wishes  to  have 
it  thought  that,  seeing  Trinitarians,  Ari- 
ans,  and  Socinians  agree  in  considerin": 
the  gift  of  Christ  as  an  expression  of  the 
love  of  God,  therefore  their  different  sys- 
tems are  upon  a  level,  as  to  the  grand  mo- 
tive to  gratitude  and  obedience  :  as  if  it 
made  no  difference  at  all  whether  that  gift 


*  Def.  Unit.  1786,  p.  102. 


t  Def.  Unit.  1786,  pp.  101,  102. 


270 


ON    GRATITUDE    AND    OBEDIENCE. 


was  small  or  great ;  whether  it  was  a  man 
or  an  angel,  or  one  whom  men  and  angels 
are  bound  to  adore  ;  whether  it  was  to  die, 
as  other  martyrs  did,  to  set  us  an  exam- 
ple of  perseverance,  or,  by  laying  down 
his  life  as  an  atoning  sacrifice,  to  deliver 
us  from  the  wrath  to  come.  He  might  as 
well  suppose  the  gift  of  one  talent  to  be 
equal  to  that  of  ten  thousand,  and  that  it 
would  induce  an  equal  return  of  gratitude  ; 
or  that  the  gift  of  Moses,  or  any  other 
prophet,  afforded  an  equal  motive  to  love 
and  obedience,  as  the  gift  of  Christ. 

If,  in  every  stage  of  religious  principle, 
whether  Trinitarian,  Arian,  or  Socinian, 
by  admitting  that  one  general  principle, 
the  love  of  God  in  giving  his  Son  to  die 
for  us,  we  have  the  same  motive  to  grati- 
tude and  obedience,  and  that  in  the  same 
degree,  it  must  be  because  the  greatness 
or  smalluess  of  the  gift  is  a  matter  of  no 
consideration,  and  has  no  tendency  to  i-en- 
der  a  motive  stronger  or  weaker.  But 
this  is  not  only  repugnant  to  the  plainest 
dictates  of  reason,  as  hath  been  already 
observed,  but  also  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 
According  to  this,  he  that  hath  much  for- 
given, loveth  much  ;  and  he  that  tt,ath  little 
forgiven,  loveth  little.  Hence  it  appears 
that  the  system  which  affords  the  most 
extensive  views  of  the  evil  of  sin,  the 
depth  of  human  apostasy,  and  the  magni- 
tude of  redemption,  will  induce  us  to  love 
the  most,  or  produce  in  us  the  greatest 
degi'ee  of  gratitude  and  obedience. 

It  is  to  no  purpose  to  say,  as  Dr. 
Priestley  does,  "Every  thing  that  Christ 
hath  done  is  to  be  referred  to  the  love  of 
God.''''  For,  be  it  so,  the  question  is,  if 
his  system  be  true,  ivhat  hath  he  done ; 
and  what  is  there  to  be  referred  to  the 
love  of  God  1  To  say  the  most,  it  can 
be  but  little.  If  Dr.  Priestley  be  right, 
the  breach  lietween  God  and  man  is  not 
so  great  but  that  our  repentance  and  obe- 
dience are  of  themselves,  without  any 
atonement  whatever,  sufficient  to  heal  it. 
Christ,  therefore,  could  have  but  I'lttle  to 
do.  But  the  less  he  had  to  do,  the  less 
we  are  indeiited  to  him,  and  to  God  for 
the  gift  of  him  :  and,  in  proportion  as 
this  is  believed,  we  must  of  course  feel 
less  gratitude  and  devotedness  of  soul  to 
God. 

Another  important  motive  with  which 
the  Scriptures  acquaint  us  is  the  love  of 
Christ  in  coming  into  the  world, 
and  laying  down  his  life  for  us. 
"  Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus;  who,  being  in  the  form 
of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God;  but  made  himself  of  no  rep- 
utation, and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men." — "For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  he  was 
rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor, 
that  ye  through  his  poverty  might  be  made 
rich." — "  Forasmuch  as  the  children  were 
partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  him- 
self took  part  of  the  same  ;  that  through 
death  he  might  destroy  him   that  had  the 

power   of  death,    that   is    the    devil." 

"Verily,  he  took  not  on  him  the  nature 
of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham." — 
"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us: 
because  we  thus  judge,  that,  if  one  died 
for  all,  then  were  all  dead ;  and  that  he 
died  for  all,  that  they  who  live  should  not 
henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
him  who  died  for  them,  and  rose  again." — 
"  Walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also  hath  loved 
us,  and  hath  given  himself  for  us,  an  of- 
fering and  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  a  sweet 
smelling  savor." — "  To  him  that  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and 
ever.  Amen."  Such  is  the  uniform  lan- 
guage of  the  New  Testament,  concerning 
the  love  of  Christ;  and  such  are  the  moral 
purposes  to  which  it  is  applied.  It  is  a 
presumption  in  favor  of  our  system  that 
here  the  above  motives  have  all  their 
force  ;  whereas,  in  the  system  of  our  op- 
ponents, they  have  scarcely  any  force  at 
all.  The  following  observations  may  ren- 
der this  sufficiently  evident. 

We  consider  the  coming  of  Christ  into 
the  w^orld  as  a  voluntary  undertaking.  His 
taking  upon  him,  or  taking  hold,  not  of 
the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of 
Abraham  ;  his  taking  upon  him  the  form  of 
a  servant,  and  being  made  in  the  likeness 
of  men,  and  that  from  a  state  of  mind 
which  is  held  up  for  our  example ;  and 
his  becoming  poor,  though  previously 
i-ich,  for  our  sakes,  and  that  as  an  act  of 
grace ;  all  concur  to  establish  this  idea. 
For  this  we  feel  our  hearts  bound,  by 
every  consideration  that  love  unparallel- 
ed can  inspire,  to  gratitude  and  obedience. 
But  our  opponents,  by  supposing  Christ  to 
have  been  a  mere  man,  and  to  have  had 
no  existence  till  he  was  born  of  Mary, 
are  necessarily  driven  to  deny  that  his 
coming  into  the  world  was  a  voluntary 
act  of  his  own ;  and,  consequently,  that 
there  was  any  love  or  grace  in  it.  Dr. 
Priestley,  in  answer  to  Dr.  Price,  con- 
tends only  that  he  "  came  into  the  world 
in  obedience  to  the  command  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  not  in  consequence  of  his  own 
proposal."  But  the  idea  of  his  coming 
in  obedience  to  the  command  of  the  Fa- 
ther is  as  inconsistent  with  the  SociniaiS 
scheme  as  his  coming  in  consequence  ol 
his  own  proposal.  For,  if  he  had  no  ex- 
istence previously  to  his  being  born  of 
Mary,  he  could  do  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other.     It  would  be  perfect  absurdity  to 


ox    GRATITUDE    AND    OEEDIENCE. 


271 


speak  of  our  coming  into  the  world  as  an 

act  of  obedience  :  and,  on  the  liypothcsis 
of  Dr.  Priestley,  to  speak  of  tlie  coinini; 
of  Clirist  under  such  an  idea  must  l)e 
equally  al>surd.* 

We  consider  Christ's  coming  into  the 
world  as  an  act  of  condescending  love; 
such,  indeed,  as  admits  of  no  parallel. 
The  riches  of  Deity,  and  the  poverty  of 
humanity,  the  form  of  God,  and  the  form 
of  a  servant,  afford  a  contrast  that  (ills 
our  souls  with  grateful  astonishment. 
Dr.  Priestley,  in  the  last-mentioned  j)cr- 
formance,t  acknowledges  that  "the  Trin- 
itarian doctrine  of  the  incarnation  is  cal- 
culated forcil)ly  to  impress  the  mind  with 
divine  condescension."  He  allows  the 
doctrine  of  the  incarnation  as  held  by  the 
Arians  to  have  sucli  a  tendency  in  a  de- 
gi-ee  :  but  he  tells  Dr.  Price,  who  plead- 
ed this  argument  against  Socinianism, 
that  "  the  Trinitarian  hypothesis  of  the 
Supreme  God  liecoming  man,  and  then 
suffering  and  dying  for  us,  would,  no 
doubt,  impress  the  mind  more  forcibly 
still."  This  is  one  allowed  source  of 
gratitude  and  obedience,  then,  to  which 
the  scheme  of  our  adversaries  makes  no 
pretence,  and  for  which  it  can  supply 
nothing  adequate.  But  Dr.  Priestley 
thinks  to  cut  up  at  one  stroke,  it  seems, 
all  the  advantages  which  his  opponents 
might  hope  to  gain  from  these  concessions, 

by    adding "  With    what    unspeakable 

reverence  and  devotion  do  the  Catholics 
eat  their  Maker !  "  That  a  kind  of  su- 
perstitious devotion  may  be  promoted  by 
falsehood  is  admitted  :  such  was  the  "  vol- 
untary humility"  of  those  who  worshiped 
angels.  But  as  those  characters,  with  all 
their  pretended  humility,  were  "  vainly 
puffed  up  by  their  fleshly  mind,"  so  all 
that  appearance  of  reverence  and  devo- 
tion which  is  the  offspring  of  superstition 
will  be  be  found  to  be  something  at  a 
great  remove  from  piety  or  devotedness 
to  God.  The  superstitions  of  Popery, 
instead  of  promoting  reverence  and  devo- 
tion, have  been  thought,  by  blinding  the 
mind,  and  encumbering  it  with  other 
things,  to  destroy  them.t  There  are 
times  in  Avhich  Dr.  Priestley  himself 
"cannot  conceive  of  any  practical  use 
being  made  of  transubstantiation  :"§  but 
now  it  is  put  on  a  level  with  a  doctrine 
which,  it  is  allowed,  "  tends  forcibly  to  im- 
press the  mind  with  divine  condescension." 

Once  more  :  We  believe  that  Christ,  in 
laying  down  his  life  for  us,  actually  died 
as  our  substitute  ;  endured  the  curse  of  the 

*  Def.  Unit.  1786,  p.  102. 

t  Page  103. 

%  See  Mr.  Rol>inson's  Seniion  on  2  Cor.    iv.  4, 

entitled  "  The  Christian  Doctrine  of  Ceremonies." 

§  Def.  Unit.  1786,  p.  33. 


divine  law,  that  we  might  escape  it ;  was 
delivered  for  our  offences,  that  we  might 
l)e  delivered  from  the  wrath  to  come  ;  and 
all  this  while  we  were  yet  enemies.  This 
is  a  consiileration  of  the  greatest  weight  : 
and,  if  we  have  any  justice  or  ingenuous- 
ness about  us,  love  like  this  must  con- 
strain us  to  live,  not  to  ourselves,  but  to 
him  that  died  for  us,  and  rose  again.  But, 
according  to  our  adversaries,  Ciirist  died 
for  us  in  no  higher  sense  than  a  common 
martyr,  who  might  have  sacrificed  his  lile 
to  mainlain  his  doctrine  ;  and,  by  so  doing 
have  set  an  example  for  the  good  of  oth- 
ers. If  this  be  all,  why  should  not  we  be 
as  much  indebted,  in  j)oint  of  gratitude,  to 
Stephen,  or  Paul,  or  Peter,  who  also  in 
that  manner  died  for  us,  as  to  Jesus  Christ  1 
And  why  is  there  not  tlie  same  reason  for 
their  death  being  proposed  as  a  motive  for 
us  to  live  to  them,  as  for  his,  that  we  might 
live  to  him  1 

But  there  is  another  motive,  which  Dr. 
Priestley  represents  as  being  "that  in 
Christianity  which  is  most  favoralile  to 
virtue;  namely,  a  future  state  of  retribu- 
tion, grounded  on  the  firm  belief  of  the 
historical  facts  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  ; 
especially  in  the  miracles,  the  death,  anti 
the  resurrection  of  Christ.  The  man," 
he  adds,  "  who  lielieves  these  things  only, 
and  who,  togetherwith  this,  acknowledges 
a  universal  providence,  ordering  all  events  ; 
who  is  persuaded  ihat  our  very  hearts  are 
constantly  open  to  the  divine  inspection,  so 
that  no  iniquity,  or  purpose  of  it,  can  es- 
cape his  oliservation,  will  not  be  a  bad 
man,  or  a  dangerous  member  of  society. "|| 
Dr.  Priestley,  elsewhere,  as  we  have  seen, 
acknowledges  that  "  the  love  of  God,  in 
giving  his  Son  to  die  for  us,  is  the  consid- 
eration on  ivhich  the  Scriptures  always 
lay  the  greatest  stress,  as  a  motive  to 
gi-atitude  and  obedience ;"  and  yet  he 
speaks  here  of  "  a  future  state  of  re(ril)u- 
tion,  as  being  that  in  Christianity  wliich  is 
viost  favorable  to  virtue."  One  should 
think  that  what  the  Scriptures  always  lay 
the  greatest  stress  upon  should  be  that  in 
Christianity  which  is  most  favoralJe  to 
virtue,  be  it  what  it  may.  But,  wavino- 
this,  let  it  be  considered  whether  the  Cal^ 
vinistic  system  has  not  the  advantage 
even  upon  this  ground.  The  doctrine  of 
a  future  state  of  retribution  is  a  ground 
possessed  by  Calvinists,  as  well  as  by  So- 
cinians  ;  and,  perhaps,  it  maj^  be  found 
that  their  views  of  that  subject,  and  others 
connected  with  it,  are  more  favorable  to 
virtue,  and  a  holy  life,  than  those  of  their 
adversaries. 

A   motive   of  no  small  importance   by 
which  we  profess  to  be  influenced  is  the 

II  Letter  V.  to  Mr.  Bum. 


272 


HEAVENLY-MINDEDNESS. 


thought  of  our  own  approaching  dissolu- 
tion. Brethren,  if  you  embrace  what  is 
called  the  Calvinistic  view  of  things,  you 
consider  it  as  your  duty  and  interest  to 
be  frequently  conversing  with  mortality. 
You  find  such  thoughts  have  a  tendency 
to  moderate  your  attachments  to  the  pres- 
ent world ;  to  preserve  you  from  being 
inordinately  elated  by  its  smiles,  or  de- 
jected by  its  frowns.  The  consideration  of 
the  ti7Tie  being  short,  teaches  you  to  hold 
all  things  with  a  loose  hand  ;  to  weep,  as 
though  you  wept  not,  and  to  rejoice  as 
though  you  rejoiced  not.  You  reckon  it 
a  mark  of  Irue  wisdom,  to  keep  the  end  of 
your  lives  habitually  in  view  ;  and  to  fol- 
low the  advice  of  the  holy  Scriptures, 
where  you  are  directed  rather  to  "  go  to 
the  house  of  mourning  than  to  the  house  of 
feasting,"  where  the  godly  are  described 
as  praying,  "  So  teach  us  to  number  our 
days  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  unto 
wisdom,"  and  God  himself  as  saying,  "  O 
that  they  were  wise,  that  they  understood 
thie,  that  they  would  consider  their  latter 
end  !"  But  these  things,  instead  of  being 
recommended  and  urged  as  motives  of 
piety,  are  discouraged  by  Dr.  Priestley, 
who  teaches  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
dwell  in  our  thoughts  upon  death  and  fu- 
turity, lest  it  should  interrupt  the  business 
of  life,  and  cause  us  to  live  in  perpetual 
bondage.* 

The  Scriptures  greatly  recommend  the 
virtue  of  heavenly-mindedness.  They 
teach  Christians  to  consider  themselves  as 
strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth ;  to 
be  dead  to  the  world,  and  to  consider  their 
life,  or  portion,  as  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 
The  spiritual,  holy,  and  happy  state, 
which,  according  to  the  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem, commences  at  death,  and  is  augment- 
ed at  the  resuri'ection,  tends  more  than  a 
little  to  promote  this  virtue.  If,  brethren, 
you  adopt  these  views  of  things,  you  con- 
sider the  body  as  a  tabernacle,  a  tempora- 
ry habitation ;  and,  when  this  tabernacle 
is  dissolved  by  death,  you  expect  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heav- 
ens. Hence  it  is  that  you  desire  to  be  ab- 
sent from  the  body,  and  present  with  the 
Lord.  There  are  seasons  in  which  your 
views  are  expanded,  and  your  hearts  en- 
larged. At  those  seasons,  especially,  the 
world  loses  its  charms,  and  you  see  noth- 
ing worth  living  for,  except  to  serve  and 
glorify  God.  You  have,  in  a  degree,  the 
same  feelings  which  the  apostle  Paul  ap- 
pears to  have  possessed  when  he  said,  "I 
am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire 
to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is 
far  better."     "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ, 

*  Sermon  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Robinson,  pp.  7 
—22. 


and  to  die  is  gain."     But  Dr.  Priestley 

teaches  that  the  heavenly  state  shall  not 
commence  till  the  resurrection.  He  does 
not  suppose  that  there  is  any  state  of  ex- 
istence, strictly  speaking,  wherein  we 
shall  be  absent  from  the  body,  and  pres- 
ent with  the  Lord ;  for  he  considers  the 
soul  as  having  no  existence  at  all  separate 
from  the  body.  He  must,  therefore,  of 
necessity  be  a  stranger  to  any  such 
"  strait"  as  that  mentioned  by  the  apostle. 
If  the  question  were  put  to  him,  or  to  any 
of  his  sentiments,  whether  they  would 
choose  to  abide  longer  in  the  flesh,  (which 
might  be  profitable  to  their  connections,)  or 
immediately  depart  this  life,  they  would 
be  at  no  loss  what  to  answer.  "  They 
could  not,  in  any  rational  sense,  consider 
death  as  "  gain."  It  would  be  impossible 
for  them  upon  their  principles  to  desire  to 
depart.  Conceiving  that  they  come  to  the 
possession  of  heavenly  felicity  as  soon  if 
they  die  fifty  years  hence  as  if  they  were 
to  die  at  the  present  time,  they  must  rath- 
er desire  to  live  as  long  as  the  course  of 
nature  will  admit;  so  long,  at  least,  as 
life  can  be  considered  preferable  to  non-ex- 
istence. It  would  indicate  even  a  mean 
and  unworthy  temper  of  .mind,  upon  their 
principles,  to  be  in  such  a  strait  as  Paul 
describes.  It  would  imply  that  they  were 
weary  of  their  work,  and  at  a  loss  wheth- 
er they  should  choose  a  cessation  of  being, 
or  to  l^e  employed  in  serving  God,  and  in 
doing  good  to  their  fellow -creatures. 

The  nature  and  employments  of  the  heav- 
enly state  deserve  also  to  be  considered. 
If  you  adopt  the  Calvinistic  view  of  things, 
you  consider  the  enjoyments  and  employ- 
ments of  that  state  in  a  very  different  light 
from  that  in  which  Socinian  writers  rep- 
resent them.  You  read  in  your  Bibles 
that  "  the  Lord  will  be  our  everlasting 
light,  and  our  God  our  glory  ;  "  that  "  our 
life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God ;  "  that 
"  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  appear 
with  him  in  glory  ;  "  and  that  we  shall  then 
"  be  like  him  ;  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he 
is."  Hence  you  conclude  that  a  full  en- 
joyment of  God,  and  conformity  to  him, 
are  the  sum  of  heaven. 

You  read,  further,  that  the  bliss  in  re- 
serve for  Christians  is  "  a  far  more  exceed- 
ing and  eternal  weight  of  glory ;  "  that 
"  now  we  are  the  sons  of  God,  but  it  doth 
not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be ;  "  and 
hence  you  naturally  conclude  that  the  heav- 
enly state  will  abundantly  surpass  all  our 
present  conceptions  of  it.  Again,  you  read 
that  those  who  shall  be  found  worthy  to 
obtain  that  world,  and  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  "  neither  marry,  nor  are 
given  in  marriage,  but  are  like  the  angels 
of  God."  Hence  you  conclude  that  the 
employments  and  enjoyments  of  that  state 


MKAVENLT-MINDEDNESS. 


273 


ore  altogether  spiritual  and  holy.  You 
read  ol  our  knowledge  lieie  being  "  iti 
part;"  but  that  tlicrc  we  shall  "know 
»cven  as  we  are  known;"  and  that  the 
Lamb,  "  which  is  iu  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  shall  teed  us,  antl  lead  us  to  living 
fountains  of  water."  Hence  you  conclude 
that  we  shall  not  only  enjoy  greater  means 
of  knowledge,  which,  like  a  foiiutain,  will 
flow  forever,  and  assuage  our  liiirsty  souls, 
but  that  our  minds  will  be  ahundantly  irra- 
diated, and  our  hearts  enlarged,  hij  the 
presence  of  Christ ;  whose  delightful  work 
it  will  be  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the 
seals  ;  to  unfold  the  mysteries  of  God ;  and 
to  conduct  our  minds  amidst  their  bound- 
less researches.  Once  more  :  you  read 
concerning  those  who  siiall  ol)tain  that 
world,  and  the  resurrection,  that  tiiey  shall 
experience  "  no  more  death;"  that  they 
shall  "  go  no  more  out;"  that  the  "in- 
heritance "  to  which  they  are  reserved  is 
"incorruptible, — and  fadeth  not  away  ;  " 
and  that  the  weight  of  glory  which  we  look 
for  is  "eternal."  Hence  you  conclude 
that  the  immortality  promised  to  Christians 
is  certain  and  absolute. 

These  are  very  important  matters,  and 
must  have  a  great  influence  in  attracting 
your  hearts  toward  heaven.  These  were 
the  things  which  caused  the  patriarchs 
to  live  like  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the 
earth.  They  looked  for  a  habitation,  a 
better  country,  even  a  heavenly  one. 
These  were  the  things  that  made  the  apos- 
tles and  primitive  Christians  consider  their 
afflictions  as  light  and  momentary.  "  For 
this  cause,"  say  they,  "  we  faint  not ;  but, 
though  our  outward  man  perish,  yet  the 
inward  man  is  renewed  day  by  day.  For 
our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  mo- 
ment, worketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding 
and  eternal  weight  of  glory ;  while  we 
look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but 
at  the  things  which  are  not  seen:  for  the 
things  which  are  seen  are  temporal ;  but 
the  things  which  are  not  seen  are  eternal." 

But,  if  you  adopt  the  Socinian  view  of 
things,  your  ideas  of  the  heavenly  state, 
compared  with  the  above,  will  be  misera- 
bly flat  and  cold  ;  and  consequently  your 
affections  will  be  more  set  on  things  be- 
low and  less  on  things  above.  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, in  his  Sermon  on  the  death  of  Mr. 
Robinson,  is  not  only  employed  in  dis- 
suading people  from  too  much  thought  and 
fear  about  death,  but  from  too  much  hope 
respecting  the  state  beyond  it.  He  seems 
to  fear  lest  we  should  fbrrn  too  high  ex- 
pectations of  heavenly  felicity,  and  so  meet 
with  a  disappointment.  The  heaven 
■which  he  there  describes  does  not  neces- 


sarily include  any  one  of  the  foregoing  ideas, 
i»ut  miglit  exist  if  they  were  all  excluded! 

Take  his  own  words  :  "  Ti\e  change  of 
of  our  condition  by  death  may  not  i)C  so 
great  as  we  are  aj)t  to  imagine.  A.s  our 
natures  will  not  be  changed,  but  only  im- 
proved, we  have  no  reason  to  think  that 
{he  future  irorUl  (which  will  i)e  adapted  to 
our  merely  inijtrovcd  nature)  will  be  ma- 
terially different  from  tliis.  And,  indeed, 
why  should  we  ask  or  expect  any  thing 
more?  If  we  should  still  be  oiiliged  to 
provide  for  our  subsistence  by  exercise,  or 
labor,  is  that  a  thing  to  lie  complained  of  by 
those  who  are  su|)p()scd  to  have  acquired 
fixed  habits  of  industrj',  becoming  rational 
beings,  and  who  have  never  been  able  to 
bear  the  languor  of  absolute  rest  or  indo- 
lence ■?  Our  future  happiness  has  with 
much  reason  been  supposed  to  arise  from  an 
increase  of  knowledge.  But  if  we  should 
have  nothing  more  than  the  means  of  know- 
ledge furnished  us,  as  we  have  here,  but 
be  left  to  our  own  labor  to  find  it  out,  is 
that  to  be  complained  of  by  those  who  will 
have  acquired  a  love  of  truth  and  a  iiabit 
of  inquiring  after  it "?  To  make  discove- 
ries ourselves,  though  tlie  search  may  re- 
quire time  and  labor,  is  unspeakai)iy  more 
pleasing  than  to  learn  every  thing  by  the 
information  of  others.*  If  the  immortality 
that  is  promised  to  us  in  the  gospel  should 
not  be  necessary  and  absolute,  and  we 
should  only  have  the  certain  means  of  ma- 
king ourselves  immortal,  we  should  have 
much  to  be  thankful  for.  What  the  Scrip- 
tures inform  us  concerning  a  future  life  is 
expressed  in  general  terms,  and  often  in 
figurative  language.  A  more  particular 
knowledge  of  it  is  wisely  concealed  from 
us."— p.  18. 

You  see,  brethren,  here  is  not  one  word 
of  God,  or  of  Christ,  as  being  the  sum  and 
substance  of  our  bliss  ;  and,  except  that 
mention  is  made  of  our  being  freed  from 
"  imperfections  bodily  and  mental,"  the 
whole  consists  of  mere  natural  enjoy- 
ments ;  differing  from  the  paradise  of  Ma- 
hometans chiefly  in  this,  that  their  enjoy- 
ments are  principally  sensual,  whereas 
these  are  mostly  intellectual  :  those  are 
adapted  to  gratify  the  voluptuary,  and 
these  tho  philosopher.  Whether  such  a 
heaven  will  suit  a  holy  mind,  or  be  adapt- 
ed to  draw  forth  our  best  affections,  judge 
ye. 

*  Is  not  this  the  rock  on  whicli  Dr.  Priestley  and 
his  brethren  splitl  Have  they  not,  on  this  very  prin- 
ciple, coined  a  gospel  of  their  own,  instead  of  receiv- 
ing the  instructions  of  the  sacred  writers  ? 


VOL.    I. 


35 


274 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDELITY. 


LETTER  XV. 

ON  THE  RESEMBLANCE  BETWEEN  SO- 
CINIANISM  AND  INFIDELITY,  AND  THE 
TENDENCY  OF  THE  ONE  TO  THE 
OTHER. 

I  SUPPOSE  we  may  take  it  for  granted, 
at  present,  that  Christianity  is  favorable 
to  true  virtue,  and  that  Infidelity  is  the  re- 
verse. If  it  can  be  proved,  therefore,  that 
Socinianism  resembles  infidelity  in  several 
of  its  leading  features,  and  has  a  direct 
tendency  towards  it,  that  will  be  the  same 
as  proving  it  unfavorable  to  true  virtue. 

It  has  been  observed,  and  I  think  justly, 
that  "  there  is  no  consistent  medium  be- 
tween genuine  Christianity  and  Infidelity." 
The  smallest  departure  from  the  one  is  a 
step  towards  the  other.  There  are  differ- 
ent degrees  of  approach,  but  all  move  on 
in  the  same  direction.  Socinians,  how- 
ever, are  not  willing  to  own  that  their 
scheme  has  any  such  tendency.  Dr. 
Priestley  appears  to  be  more  than  a  little 
hurt  at  being  represented  by  the  bigots 
(as  he  politely  calls  those  who  think  ill  of 
his  principles)  as  undermining  Christiani- 
ty :  and  intimates  that,  by  their  rigid  at- 
tachment to  certain  doctrines,  some  are 
forced  into  infidelity,  while  others  are 
saved  from  it  by  his  conciliating  princi- 
ples.* Many  things  to  the  same  purpose 
are  advanced  by  Mr.  Lindsey,  in  his  "Dis- 
course addressed  to  the  Congi-egation  at 
the  Chapel  in  Essex  Street,  Strand,  on  re- 
signing the  Pastoral  Office  among  them." 
We  are  to  accommodate  our  religion,  it 
seems,  to  the  notions  and  inclinations  of 
infidels  ;  and  then  they  would  condescend 
to  receive  it.  This  principle  of  accommo- 
dation has  been  already  noticed  in  Letter 
III.  And  it  has  been  shown,  from  the  ex- 
ample of  the  Popish  Missionaries  in  China, 
to  have  no  good  tendency.  To  remove 
every  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way  of 
infidels  would  be  to  annihilate  the  gospel. 

*  Here  tlie  late  Mr.  Robinson,  of  Cambridge,  is 
brought  in  as  an  example;  who,  as  some  think,  in 
an  excess  of  complaisance,  told  the  Doctor,  in  a  pri- 
vate letler,  that,  "  but  for  his  friendly  aid,  he  feared 
he  should  have  gone  from  enthusiasm  to  deism." 
Letters  to  Mr.  Burn,  Pref.  To  say  nothing, 
■whether  the  use  Dr.  Priestley  made  of  this  private 
letter  was  warrantable,  and  whether  it  would  not 
have  been  full  as  modest  to  have  forborne  to  publish 
to  the  world  so  high  a  compliment  on  himself;  sup- 
posmg  not  only  the  thing  itself  to  have  been  strictly 
true,  Ixit  that  the  conduct  of  Dr.  Priestley  was  as 
strictly  proper,  what  does  it  prove"?  Nothing,  except 
that  the  region  of  Socinianism  is  so  near  to  that  of 
deism,  that,  now  and  then,  an  indvidual,  who  was 
on  the  high  road  to  the  one,  has  stopped  short,  and 
taken  up  with  the  other. 


Such  attempts,  also,  suppose  what  is  not 
true — that  their  not  believing  in  Christiani- 
ty is  owing  to  some  fault  in  the  system,  as 
generally  received,  and  not  to  the  temper 
of  their  own  minds.  Faults  there  are,  no 
doubt ;  but,  if  their  hearts  were  right, 
they  would  search  the  Scriptures  for  them- 
selves, and  form  their  own  sentiments  ac- 
cording to  the  best  of  their  capacity. 

The  near  relation  of  the  system  of  Soci- 
nians to  that  of  infidels  may  be  proved 
from  the  agreement  of  their  principles, 
their  prejudices,  their  spirit,  and  their  suc- 
cess. 

First  :  There  is  an  agreement  in  their 
LEADING  PRINCIPLES.  One  of  tlic  most 
important  principles  in  the  scheme  of  in- 
fidelity, it  is  well  known,  is  the  sufficiency 
of  human  reason.  This  is  the  great  bulwark 
of  the  cause,  and  the  main  ground  on 
which  its  advocates  proceed  in  rejecting 
revelation.  If  the  one,  say  they,  be  suf- 
ficient, the  other  is  unnecessary.  Wheth- 
er the  Socinians  do  not  adopt  the  same 
principle,  and  follow  hard  after  the  deists 
in  its  application  too,  we  will  now  inquire. 
When  Mr.  Burn  charged  Dr.  Priestley 
with  "making  the  reason  of  the  individual 
the  sole  umpire  in  matters  of  faith,"  the 
Doctor  denied  the  charge,  and  supposed 
that  Mr.  Burn  must  have  been  "reading 
the  writings  of  Bolingbroke,  Hume,  or 
Voltaire,  and  have  imagined  them  to  be 
his ;"  as  if  none  but  professed  infidels 
maintained  that  principle.  This,  hoAvev- 
er,  is  allowing  it  to  be  a  principle  pertain- 
ing to  infidelity ;  and  of  such  importance, 
it  should  seem,  as  to  distinguish  it  from 
Christianity.  If  it  should  prove,  there- 
fore, that  the  same  principle  occupies  a 
place,  yea,  and  an  equally  important  place, 
in  the  Socinian  scheme,  it  will  follow 
that  Socinianism  and  deism  must  be  near- 
ly allied.  But  Dr.  Priestley,  as  was  said, 
denies  the  charge ;  and  tells  us  that  he 
"has  written  a  great  deal  to  prove  the 
insufficiency  of  human  reason:^'  he  also 
accuses  Mr.  Burn  of  the  "grossest  and 
most  unfounded  calumny,"  in  charging 
such  a  principle  upon  him. — Letter  IV. 

If  what  Mr.  Burn  alleges  be  "  a  gross 
and  unfounded  calumny,"  it  is  rather  ex- 
traordinary that  such  a  number  of  respect- 
able writers  should  have  suggested  the 
same  thing.  I  suppose  there  has  been 
scarcely  a  writer  of  any  note  among  us, 
but  who,  if  this  be  calumny,  has  calum- 
niated the  Socinians.  If  there  be  any 
credit  due  to  Trinitarian  authors,  they  cer- 
tainly have  hitherto  understood  matters  in 
a  different  light  from  that  in  which  they 
are  here  represented.  They  have  sup- 
posed, whether  rightly  or  not,  that  their 
opponents,  in  general,  do  hold  the  very 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDELITY. 


principle  which  Dr.  Priestley  so  strontrly 
disavows. 

But  this  is  not  all.  If  what  Mr.  Burn 
alleges  be  a  gross  and  unlbundod  calumny, 
it  is  still  more  extraordinary  tiiat  Socinian 
writers  should  cahininiatc  themselves. 
Mr.  Roliinson,  whom  Dr.  Priestley  glo- 
ries in  as  his  convert,  allirms  much  the 
same  tiling  ;  and  that  in  his  "  History  of 
Baptisi 

adopted  tlie  Socinian  system.  In 
swering  an  objection  i)rought  against  the 
Baptists,  as  being  enthusiasts,  he  asks, 
"  Were  Castelio,  and  Servetus,  and  Soci- 
nus,  and  Crellius,  enthusiasts  1  On  the  con- 
trary, they  are  taxed  with  attributing  too 
■much  to  reason,  and  the  sufficiency 

OF  REASON  IS  THE  SOUL  OF  THEIR  SYS- 
TEM."— p.  47.  If  the  last  member  of  this 
sentence  be  true,  and  Dr.  Priestley  have 
maintained  the  same  principle  as  much  as 
any  of  his  predecessors,  then  is  w  hat  Mr. 
Burn  alleges  true  also,  and  no  calumny. 
Further  :  If  Mr.  Robinson's  words  be  true 
the  system  of  a  Socinus,  and  of  a  Boling- 
broke,  however  they  may  dit!er  in  some 
particulars,  cannot  lie  very  wide  asunder. 
They  may  be  two  bodies  ;  but  the  ditTer- 
ence  cannot  be  very  material,  so  long  as 
those  bodies  are  inhabited  by  one   soul. 

But  w  as  not  Mr.  Robinson   mistaken  \ 
Has    he    not   inadvertently    granted    that 


tells  us  that  he  has  "  written  much  to 
prove  the  insxtfficieiicy  of  human  reason, 
and  tlic  necessity  of  divine  revelation." 
He  is  then  prolessedly  against  reason  in 
the  same  sense  as  his  oj)ponents  are  ;  and 
the  deists  might  remind  him  of  his  "old 
saying  "  with  as  much  propriety  as  he  re- 
minds other  people  of  it. 

Once  more  :  If  Mr.  Robinson  was  inis- 
i  work  published  alter  lie  had     taken,  and  if  his  concession  be  beyond  the 

bounds  of  justice  and  propriety,  it  will  fol- 
low that,  notwithstancling  what  Dr.  Priest- 
ley has  said  of  saving  him  frominfulelity, 
he  w  as  not  saved  from  it  after  all.  VVheth- 
er  Mr.  Robinson's  words  convey  a  just 
idea  of  Socinianism  or  not,  they  must  be 
allowed  to  exjiress  what  were  his  oion 
ideas  of  it.  Whatever,  therefore.  Dr. 
Priestley  believes,  he  appears  to  have  be- 
lieved in  the  sufficiency  of  reason.  But,  if 
none  liesides  intidels  maintain  that  prin- 
ciple, it  must  follow  that  Dr.  Priestley's 
glorying  in  Mr.  Robinson  is  vain  ;  and 
that  the  latter,  so  tar  from  justifying  the 
Doctor's  boast  of  having  saved  him  from 
infidelity,  was  not  saved  from  it  at  all, 
but  was  the  disciple  of  a  Bolingl)roke,  of  a 
Hume,  or  of  a  Voltaire,  rather  tlian  of  a 
Priestley. 

But,  after  all,  was  Mr.  Robinson  indeed 

mistaken  ]       Is   not    "  the   sufficiency   of 

reason  the  soul  of  the  Socinian  system  1" 

which  ought  not  in  justice  to  have  been     It  is  true,  Socinians  do  not  openly  plead, 


granted  ]  Suppose  this  to  be  a  fact,  why 
might  not  the  same  construction  have  been 
put  upon  what  is  alleged  by  Mr.  Burn  and 
other  Trinitarian  writers,  instead  of  call- 
ing it  by  the  hard  name  of  "gross  and  un- 
founded calumny  1"  If  we  say  no  worse 
of  our  opponents  than  they  say  of  them- 


as  do  the  deists,  that  reason  is  so  suffi- 
cient as  that  revelation  is  unnecessary  ; 
nor  is  it  supposed  that  Mr.  Robinson 
meant  to  acknowledge  that  they  did.  But 
do  they  not  constantly  advance  what 
amounts  to  the  same  thing  1  I  do  not 
know  what  publications  Dr.  Priestley  re- 


selves,  they  can  have  no  just  grounds  of  fers  to  when  he  speaks  of  having  writ- 
complaint  ;  at  least  they  should  complain  ten  a  great  deal  to  prove  the  "  insufficien- 
with  less  severity.  cy  of  human  reason,  and  the  necessity  of 
Further:  If  Mr.  Robinsonwasmistaken,  divine  revelation  :"  but,  if  it  be  upon  the 
and  if  Dr.  Priestley  do  really  maintain  the  same  principles  as  those  which  he  avows 
insufficiency  of  human  reasonin  matters  of  in  his  other  productions,  I  do  not  see  how 
religion,  it  will   follow,   after  all  that  he  he  can  have  proved  his  point.     According 


has  pleaded  in  behalf  of  reason,  that  he  is 
no  better  friend  to  it  than  other  people. 
The  Doctor  often  reminds  his  Calvinistic 
opponents  of  an  old  saying,  that  "No  man 
is  against  reason,  till  reason  is  against 
him."  Old  sayings,  to  be  sure,  prove 
much  in  argument.  This  old  saying,  howev- 
er, is  very  just,  provided  ihe  term  reason 
be  understood  of  the  realfitness  of  things. 
Dr.  Priestley's  opponents  are  not  against 
reason  in  this  sense  of  the  word;  but 
against  setting  up  the  reason  of  the  indi- 
vidual as  umpire  in  matters  of  faith  :  and 
this  we  see  is  no  more  than  the  Doctor 
himself  disavows,   in  that  he  supposes  a 


to  these  principles,  the  sacred  writers 
Avere  as  liable  to  err  as  other  men,  and  in 
some  instances  actually  did  err,  producing 
"lame  accounts,  improper  quotations,  and 
inconclusive  reasonings  ;"  and  it  is  the 
province  of  reason,  not  only  to  judge  of 
their  credentials,  but  of  the  particular 
doctrines  which  they  advance. — Let.  XII. 
Now,  this  is  not  only  "  making  the  reason 
of  the  individual  the  sole  umpire  in  mat- 
ters of  faith,"  but  virtually  rendering  rev- 
elation unnecessary.  If  the  reason  of  the 
individual  is  to  sit  supreme  judge,  and  in- 
sist that  every  doctrine  which  revelation 
proposes  shall  approve  itself  to  its  dictates 


principle  of  this  kind  is  no  where  to  be  or  be  rejected,  the  necessity  of  the  latter 
found,  except  in  such  writings  as  those  of  might  as  well  be  totally  denied.  If  it  be 
Bolingbroke,ofHume,or  of  Voltaire.    He    necessary,   however,     it  is   no  otherwise 


276 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDELITY. 


than  as  a  French  Parliament  used  to  be 
necessary  to  a  French  king :  not  in  order 
to  dictate  to  his  Majesty,  but  to  afford  a 
sanction  to  his  resolutions  ;  or,  at  most, 
to  tender  him  a  little  advice,  in  order  to 
assist  him  in  forming  his  judgment ;  which 
advice,  notwithstanding,  he  might  receive 
or  reject,  as  best  suited  his  inclination. 

Dr.  Priestley  often  suggests  that  he 
makes  no  other  use  of  human  reason  than 
all  Protestants  make  against  the  Papists, 
when  pleading  against  the  doctrine  of 
transubstantiation  ;  that  is,  where  the  lit- 
eral sense  of  a  text  involves  an  absurdity, 
he  so  far  allows  the  dictates  of  reason  as 
to  understand  it  figuratively.  But  this  is 
not  the  case ;  for  the  question  here  does 
not  at  all  respect  the  meaning  of  Scripture, 
whether  it  should  be  understood  literally 
or  figuratively ;  but  whether  its  allowed 
meaning  ought  to  be  accepted  as  truth, 
any  further  than  it  corresponds  with  our 
preconceived  notions  of  what  is  reason. 
According  to  the  principles  and  charges 
above  cited,  it  ought  not ;  and  this  is  not 
only  summoning  revelation  to  the  bar  of 
our  own  understandings,  but  actually  pass- 
ing sentence  against  it. 

The  near  affinity  of  Socinianism  to  de- 
ism is  so  manifest  that  it  is  in  vain  to  dis- 
own it.  Nobody  supposes  them  to  be  en- 
tirely the  same.  One  acknowledges  Christ 
to  be  a  true  prophet ;  the  other  considers 
him  as  an  impostor:  but  the  denial  of  the 
proper  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  with 
the  receiving  of  some  part  of  them  as  true, 
and  the  rejecting  of  other  parts  even  of  the 
same  books  "  as  lame  accounts,  improper 
quotations,  and  inconclusive  reasonings," 
naturally  lead  to  deism.  Deists  themselves 
do  not  so  reject  the  Bible  as  to  disbe- 
lieve every  historical  event  which  is  there 
recorded.  They  would  not  deny,  I  sup- 
pose, that  there  were  such  characters  in 
the  world  as  Abraham,  Moses,  and  Jesus  ; 
and  that  some  things  which  are  written 
concerning  each  are  true. 

In  short,  they  take  what  they  like  best, 
as  they  would  from  any  other  ancient  his- 
tory, and  reject  the  rest  :  and  what  does 
Dr.  Priestley  even  pretend  to  more  '?  He 
does  not  reject  so  much  as  a  deist;  he 
admits  various  articles  which  the  other  de- 
nies :  but  the  difference  is  only  in  degree. 
The  relation  between  the  first  and  leading 
principles  of  their  respective  systems  is  so 
near  that  one  spirit  may  be  said  to  pervade 
them  both  ;  or,  to  use  the  imagery  of  Mr. 
Robinson,  one  soul  inliabits  these  different 
bodies.  The  opposition  between  faith  and 
unbelief  is  so  great,  in  the  Scriptures,  that 
no  less  than  salvation  is  promised  to  the 
one,  and  damnation  threatened  to  the  oth- 
er :  but,  if  they  were  no  further  asunder 
than  Socinianism  and  deism,    it  is  passing 


strange  that  their  consequences  should  be 
so  widely  different. 

Another  leading  principle,  common  to 
Socinians  and  deists,  is  the  non-importance 
of  prinT^iple  itself,  in  order  to  the   enjoy- 
ment of  the  divine  favor.     Nothing  is  more 
common  than  for  professed  infidels  to  ex- 
claim against  Christianity,  on  account  of 
its  rendering  the  belief  of  the  gospel  ne- 
cessary   to  salvation.     Lord   Shaftesbury 
insinuates  that  the  heathen  magistrates,  in 
the  first  ages   ol  Christianity,  might  have 
been  justly  offended  "  with  a  notion  which 
treated  them,  and  all  men,  as  profane,  im- 
pious, and  damned,  who  entered  not  into 
particular   modes    of   worship,    of   which 
there  had  been  formerly  so  many  thousand 
kinds  instituted,   all  of  them  compatible, 
and   sociable,    till  that  time."*     To   the 
same  purpose  is  what  Mr.  Paine  advances, 
who,  I  imagine,  would  make  no  pretence  of 
friendship  towards  Christianity.     "  If  we 
suppose  a  large  family  of  childi-en,"  says 
he,  "  who  on  any  particular  day,  or  partic- 
ular circumstance,  made   it  a  custom  to 
present  to  their  parents  some  token  of  their 
affection   and    gratitude,     each    of    them 
would  make  a  different  offering,  and,  most 
probably,  in  a   different   manner.     Some 
would  pay  their  congratulations  in  themes, 
of  verse  or  prose,   by  some  little  devices 
as  their  genius  dictated,  or  according  to 
what  they  thought  would  please  ;  and  per- 
haps the  least  of  all,  not  able  to   do  any 
of  those   things,    would    ramble  into    the 
garden  or  the   field,   and  gather  what   it 
thought  the  prettiest   flower  it  could  find, 
though,  perhaps,  it  might  be  but  a  simple 
weed.     The  parent  would  be  more  grati- 
fied by  such  a  variety  than  if  the  whole  of 
them  had  acted  on  a  concerted  plan,  and 
each   had    made  exactly   the  same  offer- 
ing." f     And  this  he  applies,  not  merely 
to    the  diversified    modes    of   worshiping 
God  which  come  within  the  limits  of  the 
divine  command,  but  to  the  various  ways 
in  Avhich  mankind  have  in  all  ages  and  na- 
tions worshiped,  or  pretended  to  worship 
a  deity.     The  sentiment  which  this  writer, 
and  all  others  of  his  stamp,  wish  to  pro- 
pagate is,  that,  in  all  modes  of  religion, 
men  may  be  very  sincere ;  and  that,  in 
being  so,  all  are  alike  acceptable  to  God. 
This   is    infidelity  undisguised.     Yet  this 
is  no  more  than  Dr.  Priestley  has  advanc- 
ed in  his  Dijfcrences  in  Religious  Opinions. 
"  If  we  can  be  so  happy,"  he  says,  "  as  to 
believe   that   all  differences    in  modes  of 
worship  may  be  only  the  different  methods 
by  which  different  men  (who   are  equally 
the  offspring  of  God)  are  endeavoring  to 
honor  and  obey  their  common  Parent,  our 

*  Characteristics,  Vol.  I.  §  3. 
t  RiglUs  of  Man,  Part  II.  near  the  conclusion. 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDF.LITV 


277 


differences  of  opinion  would  have  no  ten- 
dency to  lessen  our  mutual  love  and  es- 
teem."—  Sect.  II. 

Nor  is  Dr.  Priestley  the  only  writer  of 
the  party  who  unites  with  the  author  of 
The  Age  of  Rcitf^on,  in  niaintainihi;  tiiat 
it  matters  not  what  religion  we  are  ot,  it 
we  lie  hut  sinrero  in  it.  Dr.  Toulmin  has 
labored  to  delend  this  notion,  and  to  prove 
from  Acts  x.  34,  35,  and  Rom.  ii.  6,  10, 
12,  that  it  was  maintained  iiy  Peter  and 
Paul.*  But,  before  he  had  pretended  to 
palm  it  upon  tliem,  he  should  have  made 
it  evident  tiiat  Cornelius,  when  he  "  fear- 
ed God  and  worked  riirhteousncss,"  and 
those  Gentiles,  when  they  are  sujiposed  to 
have  "worked  good,"  and  to  be  heirs  of 
"  glory,  honor,  and  peace,"  were  each  of 
them  actually  living  in  idolatry  ;  and,  being 
sincere,  that  God  was  well  pleased  with  it. 
It  is  no  part  of  the  question  whether  hea- 
thens may  be  saved  ;  but  whether  they 
may  be  saved  in  their  heathenisvi ;  and 
whether  heathenism  and  Christianity  be 
only  different  modes  of  worshiping  our 
common  Father,  and  alike  acceptable  to 
him. 

Several  other  princij)les  might  be  men- 
tioned, in  which  Socinians  and  deists  are 
agreed,  and  in  which  the  same  objections 
that  are  made  by  the  one  against  Calvin- 
ism are  made  by  the  other  against  the  holy 
Scriptures.  Do  Socinians  reject  the  Cal- 
vinistic  system  because  it  represents  God 
as  a  vindictive  being  1  For  the  same  rea- 
son, the  Scriptures  themselves  are  reject- 
ed by  the  deists.  Are  the  former  offend- 
ed with  Calvinism  on  account  of  the  doc- 
trines of  atonement  and  divine  sovereign- 
ty \  The  latter  are  equally  offended  with 
the  Bible  for  tlie  same  reasons.  They 
know  very  well  that  these  doctrines  are 
contained  in  the  Scriptures  ;  but  they  dis- 
like them,  and  reject  the  Scriptures  partly 
on  account  of  them.  The  sufficiency  of 
repentance  to  secure  the  divine  favor,  the 
evil  of  sin  consisting  merely  in  its  tenden- 
cy to  injure  the  creature,  all  punishment 
being  for  the  good  of  the  offender  as  well 
as  for  the  puVilic  good,  with  various  other 
principles  which  are  opposed  in  these  Let- 
ters in  defence  of  Calvinism,  are  tlie  same 
things  for  substance  which  those  who  have 
written  against  the  Deists  have  had  to  en- 
counter, when  defending  revelation.}  It 
is  a  consolation  to  us  to  trace  these  like- 
nesses ;  as  it  affords  a  presumption  that 
our  sentiments  accord  witi»  the  Scriptures, 
being  liable  to  the  same  ol)jcctions. 

Socinian  writers  not  only  make  the 
same   objections  to  Calvinism  which  de- 


ists make  to  revelation,  but,  in  some  in- 
stances, have  so  far  tbrgotten  themselves 
as  to  unite  with  the  latter  in  pointing  their 
objections  against  revelation  itsell.  Stein- 
bart  and  Sender  (as  quoted  in  Letter 
XII.)  have  fallen  foul  upon  the  writers  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament.  "  Moses," 
says  the  tbrmer,  "  according  to  the  child- 
ish conceptions  of  the  Jews  in  his  days, 
paints  God  as  agitated  by  violent  affec- 
tions ;  partial  to  one  people,  and  hating  all 
other  nations."  "  Peter,"  says  tlie  lat- 
ter, 2  Epistle  i.  21,  "speaks  according 
to  the  conception  of  the  Jews  ;  ami  the 
prophets  may  have  delivered  the  offspring 
of  their  own  brains  as  divine  revelations. "| 
The  infidelity  of  Socinians  is  frequently 
covered  with  a  very  thin  disguise ;  but 
here  the  veil  is  entirely  thrown  off.  One 
thing,  however,  is  sufficiently  evident : 
while  they  vent  their  antipathy  against  the 
holy  Scriptures,  in  such  indecent  language, 
they  betray  a  consciousness  that  the  con- 
tents of  that  sacred  volume  are  against 
them. 

The  likeness  of  Socinianism  to  deism 
will  further  appear  if  we  consider,  second- 
ly. The  similarity  of  their  prejudicks. 
The  peculiar  prejudices  of  deists  are 
drawn,  I  think,  with  great  justness,  by  Dr. 
Priestley  himself".  "  There  is  no  class  or 
description  of  men,"  he  observes,  "but 
what  are  subject  to  peculiar  prejudices  : 
and  every  prejudice  must  operate  as  an 
obstacle  to  the  reception  of  some  truth. 
It  is  in  vain  for  unbelievers  to  pretend  to 
be  free  from  prejudices.  They  may,  in- 
deed, be  free  from  those  of  the  vulgar; 
but  they  have  others,  peculiar  to  them- 
selves :  and  the  very  affectation  of  being 
free  from  vulgar  prejudices,  and  of  being 
wiser  than  the  rest  of  mankind,  must  in- 
dispose them  to  the  admission  even  of 
truth,  if  it  should  happen  to  be  with  the 
common  people.  The  suspicion  that  the 
faith  of  the  vulgar  is  superstitious  and 
false  is,  no  doubt,  often  well  founded; 
because  they,  of  course,  maintain  the  old- 
est opinions,  while  the  speculative  part  of 
mankind  are  making  new  discoveries  in 
science.  Yet  we  often  find  that  they  who 
pride  themselves  on  their  being  the  farthest 
removed  from  superstition  in  some  things 
are  the  greatest  dupes  to  it  in  others  ;  and 
it  is  not  universally  true  that  all  old  opin- 
ions are  false  and  all  new  ones  well  found- 
ed. An  aversion  to  the  creed  of  the  vul- 
gar may,  therefore,  mislead  a  man  ;  and, 
from  a  fondness  for  singularity,  he  may  be 
singularly  in  the  wrong."  § 

Let  those  who  are  best  acquainted  with 


*  Practical  Efficacy,  pp.   164,  165,  2  Ed.  J  Dr.  Erskine's  Sketches  ami  Hints  of  Cliurcli 

t  SeeLeiand's  Def.  Christ,  against  Tindall,  Vol.    Historv',  No.  III.  pp.  6.5 — 71. 
1.  Chap.  IV.  VI.  VIII.  §  Let.  Phil.  Uiib.  P.  II.  Let.  V. 


278 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDELITY. 


Socinians  judge  whether  this  addi-ess,  with 
a  very  few  alterations,  be  not  equally 
adapted  to  them  and  to  professed  unbe- 
lievers. We  know  who  they  are,  besides 
avowed  infidels,  Avho  affect  to  be  "  eman- 
cipated from  vulgar  prejudices  und  popu- 
lar superstitions,  and  to  embrace  a  ration- 
al system  of  faith."  *  It  is  very  common 
with  Socinian  writers,  as  much  as  it  is 
with  deists,  to  value  themselves  on  being 
wiser  than  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  to  des- 
pise the  judgment  of  plain  Christians,  as 
being  the  judgment  of  the  vulgar  and  the 
populace.  It  is  true  Dr.  Priestley  has  ad- 
dressed Letters  to  the  common  people  at 
Birmingham,  and  has  complimented  them 
with  being  "  capable  of  judging  in  matters 
of  religion  and  government."  However,  it 
is  no  great  compliment  to  Christians  in 
general,  of  that  description,  to  suppose,  as 
he  frequently  does,  not  only  that  the  Trin- 
itarian system,  but  that  every  other,  was 
the  invention  of  learned  men  in  different 
ages,  and  that  the  vulgar  have  always  been 
led  by  their  influence.  "  The  creed  of  the 
vulgar  of  the  present  day,"  he  observes, 
"is  to  be  considered  not  so  much  as  their 
creed,  for  they  were  not  the  inventors  of 
it,  as  that  of  the  thinking  and  inquisitive 
in  some  former  period.  For  those  whom 
we  distinguish  by  the  appellation  of  the 
vulgar  are  not  those  who  introduce  any 
new  opinions,  but  those  who  receive  them 
from  others,  of  whose  judgment  they  have 
been  led  to  think  highly."  f  On  this  prin- 
ciple, Dr.  Priestley  somewhere  expresses 
his  persuasion  of  the  future  prevalence  of 
Unitarianism.  He  grants  that,  at  present, 
the  body  of  common  Christians  are  against 
it ;  but,  as  the  learned  and  the  speculative 
are  verging  towards  it,  he  supposes  the 
other  will,  in  time,  follow  them.  What  is 
this  but  supposing  them  incapable  of  form- 
ing religious  sentiments  for  themselves ; 
as  if  the  Bible  were  to  them  a  sealed  book, 
and  they  had  only  to  believe  the  system 
that  happened  to  be  in  fashion,  or,  rather, 
to  have  been  in  fashion  some  years  before 
they  were  born,  and  to  dance  after  the 
pipe  of  learned  men  1 

It  is  acknowledged  that,  in  matters  of 
human  science,  common  people,  having  no 
standard  to  judge  by,  are  generally  led  by 
the  learned ;  but  surely  it  is  somewhat 
different  in  religion,  where  we  have  a 
standard  ;  and  one,  too,  that  is  adapted  to 
the  understanding  of  the  simple.  How- 
ever many  people  may  be  led  implicitly 
by  others,  yet  there  will  always  be  a  num- 
ber of  plain,  intelligent,  serious  Christians, 
who  will  read  the  Bible,  and  judge  for 
themselves;  and  Christians  of  this  de- 
scription will  always  have  a  much  greater 

*  Mr.  Belsham's  Sermon,  pp.  4,  32. 
•t  Let.  Phil.  Uub.  Pr.  II.  Let.  V, 


influence,  even  upon  those  who  do  not 
judge  for  themselves,  than  mere  specula- 
tive men,  whom  the  most  ignorant  cannot 
but  perceive  to  be  wanting  in  serious  reli- 
gion, and  respect  to  mankind;  and,  while 
this  is  the  case,  there  is  no  great  danger 
of  the  body  of  common  Christians  becom- 
ing Socinians. 

Thirdly:  There  is  a  bold,  profane, 
AND  DARING  SPIRIT,  discovd'cd  in  the 
writings  of  infidels  ;  a  spirit  that  fears  not 
to  speak  of  sacred  things  with  the  most 
indecent  freedom.  They  love  to  speak  ot 
Christ  with  a  sneer,  calling  him  the  car- 
penter's son,  the  Galilean,  or  some  such 
name,  which,  in  their  manner  of  express- 
ing it,  conveys  an  idea  of  contempt. 
Though  Socinians  do  not  go  such  lengths 
as  these,  yet  they  follow  hard  after  them 
in  their  profane  and  daring  manner  of 
speaking.  Were  it  pi'oper  to  refer  to  the 
speeches  of  private  individuals,  language 
might  be  produced  very  little  inferior  in 
contempt  to  any  of  the  foregoing  modes  of 
expression  :  and  even  some  of  those  who 
have  appeared  as  authors  have  discovered 
a  similar  temper.  Besides  the  examples 
of  Engedin,  Gagneius,  Steinbart,  and 
Semler^  (as  quoted  in  Letter  XII.)  the 
magnanimity  which  has  been  ascribed  to 
Dr.  Priestley,  for  censuring  the  Mosaic 
narrative  of  the  fall  of  man,  calling  it  "  a 
LAME  account,"  is  an  instance  of  the  same 
irreverent  spirit. 

Fourthly  :  The  alliance  of  Socinianism 
to  deism  may  be  inferred  from  this  :  That 
the  SUCCESS  of  the  one  bears  a  proportion 
to  that  of  the  other,  and  resembles  it  in 
the  most  essential  points.  Socinians  are 
continually  boasting  of  their  success,  and 
of  the  great  increase  of  their  numbers  ;  so 
also  are  the  deists,  and  I  suppose  with 
equal  reason.  The  number  of  the  latter 
has  certainly  increased  in  the  present  cen- 
tury, in  as  great  a  proportion  as  the  former, 
if  not  greater.  The  truth  is,  a  spirit  of 
infidelity  is  the  main  temptation  of  the 
present  age,  as  a  persecuting  superstition 
was  of  ages  past.  This  spirit  has  long 
gone  forth  into  the  world.  In  different 
denominations  of  men  it  exists  in  different 
degrees,  and  appears  to  be  permitted  to 
try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth. 
Great  multitudes  are  carried  away  with 
it ;  and  no  wonder,  for  it  disguises  itself 
under  a  variety  of  specious  names ;  such 
as  liberality,  candor,  and  charity;  by 
which  it  imposes  upon  the  unwary.  It 
flatters  human  pride;  calls  evil  propensi- 
ty nature  ;  and  gives  loose  to  its  dictates  : 
and,  in  proportion  as  it  prevails  in  the 
judgments  as  well  as  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
it  serves  to  abate  the  fear  of  death  and 
judgment,  and  so  makes  them  more  cheer- 
ful than  they  otherwise  would  be, 


TENDENCY    TO    INFinKLFTY. 


279 


It  is  also  worthy  of  notiri-  that  the  sue-  infancy,  as  having,  in  general,  believed  it 

cess  of  Sooinianisni  and  Deism  has  been  for  some  time,  and  as  nnt  coming  to  dis- 

among  the  same  sort  of  people  ;  namely,  believe   it  till  they  had   long   disregarded 

men  of  a  speculative  turn  of  mind.     Dr.  i7."t     A  disregard  of  Chrislianity,  then, 

Priestley  somewhere  ol>scrves  that  "  learn-  jjreceded  their  openly  rejecting  it,  and  em- 

ed  men  l)egin  more  and   more   to  suspect  i)ra(ing   liie    scheme    ol    infidelity.     Now 

the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;"  and  possibly  this  is  the  very  process  of  a  great  ninnher 

it  may  lie  so.     But    then    it   might,    with  of  Socinian  converts,  as   both  the  Doctor 

equal  truth,  be  allirmed  that  learned  men  and  Mr.  Belsham  elsewhere  acknowledge, 

begin  more  and   more  to  suspect  Christi-  It  is  by  a  disregard  of  all  religion  that  men 

anity.       Dr.    Priestley  himself  acknowl-  become  infidels  ;  and  it  is    l)y   the    same 

edges  that,  "among  those  who  are  called  means  that  others  become  Socinians. 

philosophers,     the     unl)elievers    are     the  The  foregoing  ol)servations  may  suffice 

crowd."*     It    is   true   he   flatters   himself  to  show  the  re.sc7?i6/anfe  of  Socinianism  to 

that  their  numliers  irill  diminish,  and  that  deism.     It  remains  for  me  to  consider  the 

"  the  evidences  of  Christianity  will  meet  tendency  of  ihe  one  to  tiie  other, 

with  a  more  impartial  examination  in  the  Dr.   Priestley  seems  to  admit  that  his 

present  day   than  they  have  done   in    the  scheme  approaches  nearer  to   tliat  of  un- 

last   fifty  years."     But  this  is   mere  con-  believers  than  ours  ;  but  then  he  disowns 


jecture,  such  as  has  no  foundation  in  fact. 
We  may  as  well  flatter  ourselves  that  So- 
cinians will  diminish  :  there  is  equal  rea- 
son for  the  one  as  for  the  other.     It  is  not 


its  having  any  tendency,  on  that  account, 
to  lead  men  to  infidelity.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  retorts  the  charge  upon  his  oppo- 
nents, and  asserts  his  own  sclieme  to  have 


impossible  that  the  number  of  both  may    an  opposite  effect.     "An  enemy  as  I  am 
he    diminished  in   some  future  time  ;    but    considered  to  Christianity,  by  some,"  says 
when  that  time  shall  come  it  is  not  for  us  to    he,  "  I  have  saved  many  from  that  infidel- 
say,  ity  into  which  the  bigots  are  forcingthem." 
It  may  be  suggested  that  it  is  a  circum-    The  case  of  the  late  Mr.  Robinson  is  here 
stance  not  much  in  favor  either  of  the  doc-    introduced  as  an  example  to  confirm  this 
trine  of  tlie  Trinity,  or  of  Christianity,  that    assertion.     The  reasoning  of  Dr.  Priest- 
such  a  numl)er  of  philosophers  and  learn-    ley,    on  this    subject,   resembles    that   of 
ed  men  suspect  them.     But,  unfavorable    Archbishop  Laud  on  another.     When  ac- 
as  this  circumstance  may  appear  to  some,    cused  of  leaning  to  Poj)ery,  he  denied  the 
there    are  others  who  view    it  in  a   very    charge,  and  gave   in   a  list   of  twenty-one 
different  light.     The   late  Mr.  Roinnson,    persons,  whom  he  had  not  merely  saved 
of  Caml)ridge,  always  contended  that  com-    from  going  over  to  that  religion,  l)ut  actu- 
mon  Christians  were  in  a  more  favorable    ally  converted   from  it  to  t!ie  Protestant 
state  for  the   discovery  of  religious  truth    faith. J     Yet  few  thinking  people  imagine 
than  either  the  rich  or  the  learned.     And    the  principles  of  Laud  to  have   been  very 
Dr.    Priestley    not  only  admits,    but   ac-    unfriendly  to  Popery  ;  much  less  that  they 
counts  for  it.     "  Learned  men,"   he  says,    were  adapted  to  save  men  from  from  it. 
"  have  prejudices  peculiar  to  themselves  ;         That  Socinianism  has  a  direct  tendency 
and  the  very  affectation  of  being  free  from    to  deism  will  appear  from  the  following- 
vulgar  prejudices,  and  of  being  wiser  than    considerations  : — First  :  By  giving  up  the 
the  rest  of  mankind,  must  indispose  them    plenary  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  the  admission  even  of  truth,  if  it  should    allowing  them  to  be  the  production  of  fal- 
happen  to  be  with  the  common  people."    lible  men  (of  men  who,  though  too  honest 
If  "  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh  "    knowingly  to  impose   upon  others,   were, 
are  found  among  the  friends  of  Christian-    notwithstanding,   so  far  under  the    influ- 
ity,  or  of  what  we  account   its   peculiar    ence  of  inattention,  of  prejudice,  and  of 
doctrines,  is  it  any  other  than  what  might    misinformation,  as  to  be  capable  of  being 
have    been  alleged    against  the    primitive    imposed  upon  themselves,)  Socinians  fur- 
church  V      The   things    of  God,    in   their    nish  Infidels  with  a  handle  for  rejecting 
times,  were  "hid  from  the  wise  and  pru-    them.     To  give  up  the  plenary  inspiration 
dent,  and  revealed  unto  babes,"    and  that    of  the  Scriptures  is  to  give  them  up  as  the 
"because    it  seemed   good  in  his  sight."      word  of  God,  and  as  binding  upon  the  con- 
It  is  further  worthy  of  notice  that  the    sciences  of  men ;  to  which  our  opponents 
same    disregard   of    religion   in  general,    apparently  have  no  objection.     They  are 
which  is  allowed  by  our  opponents  to  be    seldom,  if  ever,  known  to  warn  mankind 
favorable  to  Socinianism,  is  equally  favor-    that  the  rejection  of  the  holy   Scriptures 
able    to  deism.     Dr.    Priestley  describes    will  endanger  their  eternal   welfare.     Nor 
unbelievers  of  a  certain  age  amongst  us, 
as  "  having  heard  Christianity  from  their  t  I-et.  Phil.  Unb.  Vol.  II.  Pref.  p.  ix. 

t  Neale's  History  of  the  Puritans,  Vol.  Ill,   In- 
*  Lpt.  Piiil.  Unb.  Vol.  II.  p.  32-  "      ^ex,  Art.  Laud. 


280 


TENDENCY    TO    INFIDELITY. 


can  tliey  do  so  consistently  with  what  they 
elsewhere  plead  for,  that  "  all  differences 
in  modes  of  worship  may  be  only  diflferent 
modes  of  endeavoring  to  honor  and  obey 
our  common  Parent."  Under  the  pre- 
text of  appealing  to  the  reason  of  unbe- 
lievers, they  neglect  to  address  themselves 
to  their  hearts  and  consciences.  If  the 
cause  of  infidelity  lie  in  the  want  of  evi- 
dence, or  if  those  who  leaned  towards  it 
were  ingenuous  and  disinterested  inquir- 
ers after  truth,  solemn  warnings  might  be 
the  less  necessary.  But  if  it  lie  in  the 
temper  of  their  hearts,  which  blinds  their 
minds  to  the  most  convincing  proofs,  their 
hearts  and  consciences  must  be  addressed, 
as  well  as  their  understandings.  The  sa- 
cred writers  and  preachers  always  pro- 
ceeded upon  this  principle.  This  only 
will  account  for  such  language  as  the  fol- 
lowing :  "  The  blindness  of  their  heart.''' 
— "  Lest  they  should  understand  with  their 
heart, ^ndi  be  converted." — '^Repent  and 
believe  the  gospel." — "  If  God,  peradven- 
ture,  will  give  them  repentance  to  the 
acknowledging  of  the  truth."  This  was 
the  method  of  John  the  Baptist,  of  Christ 
and  his  apostles,  in  their  addresses  to 
unbelievers  :  and  whatever  addresses  are 
made  to  infidels,  whether  Jews  or  deists, 
in  which  tlie  sin  of  unbelief  and  the  dan- 
ger of  persisting  in  it,  are  not  insisted  on, 
they  will  tend  to  harden  them  in  infidelity 
rather  than  to  recover  them  out  of  it.  Dr. 
Priestley,  in  effect,  acknowledges  that  the 
cause  of  infidelity  lies  in  the  temper  of  the 
heart ;  and  yet,  when  he  addresses  him- 
self to  infidels,  he  seems  to  consider  them 
as  merely  in  want  of  evidence,  and  fosters 
in  them  an  idea  of  their  security,  not- 
withstanding their  rejection  of  the  gospel. 
This  is  manifestly  the  tendency  of  his  Let- 
ters to  the  Philosophers  and  Politicians  of 
France. 

Dr.  Priestley  acknowledges  that  men 
seldom  reject  Christianity  in  theory  till 
they  have  long  disregarded  it  in  practice.* 
That  is,  they  seldom  believe  it  to  be  false 
without  their  hearts  being  fully  inclined 
to  have  it  so.  Let  us  then  consider  a 
character  of  this  description,  in  his  exam- 
ination of  Christianity.  He  has  long 
disregarded  the  practice  of  it,  and  begins 
now  to  hesitate  about  its  truth.  If  he 
reads  a  defence  of  it  upon  our  principles, 
he  finds  the  authority  of  Heaven  vindi- 
cated, his  own  sceptical  spirit  condemned, 
and  is  warned  that  he  fall  not  upon  a  rock 
that  will  prove  his  eternal  ruin.  He 
throws  it  aside  in  resentment,  calls  the 
writer  a  bigot,  and  considers  the  roaming 
given  him  as  an  insult  to  his  dignity. 
Still,  however,  there  is  a  sting  left  behind, 


which  he  knows  not  how  to  extract ;  a 
something  which  says  within  him,  How, 
if  it  should  be  true  ?  He  takes  up  a  de- 
fence of  Christianity  upon  Socinian  prin- 
ciples ;  suppose  Dr.  Priestley's  Letters 
to  the  Philosophers  and  Politicians  of 
France.  He  is  now  brought  to  a  better 
humor.  Here  is  no  threatening ;  no  im- 
minent danger.  The  sting  is  extracted. 
The  reasoning  in  many  parts  is  plausible  ; 
but,  having  long  wished  to  disbelieve 
Christianity,  it  makes  little  or  no  impres- 
sion upon  him,  especially  as  it  seems  to 
be  of  no  great  consequence  if  he  do  so. 
It  is  only  rejecting  that  entirely  which 
professed  Christians  reject  in  part.  It  is 
only  tin-owing  oif  the  testimony  and  opin- 
ions of  fallible  men.  What  will  be  his 
next  step  is  not  very  difficult  to  con- 
jecture. 

By  allowing  part  of  the  Gospels  to  be 
spurious,  Socinian  writers  enable  the 
Jeics  to  ask,  with  an  air  of  triumph, 
"  How  are  we  sure  that  the  remainder  is 
authentic  1"!  We  are  often  told  that  the 
Jews  can  never  emlirace  what  is  called 
orthodox  Chi'istianity,  because  of  its  in- 
consistency with  one  of  the  first  princi- 
ples of  their  religion,  the  unity  of  God. 
We  do  not  ask  them,  however,  to  give  up 
the  unity  of  God.  On  the  contrary,  we 
are  fully  persuaded  that  our  principles 
are  entirely  consistent  with  it.  But  this 
is  more  than  our  opponents  can  say  with 
regard  to  the  inspiration  of  the  Scrip- 
tures :  a  principle  as  sacred  and  as  im- 
portant with  the  Jews  as  the  unity  of 
God  itself.  Were  they  to  embrace  Dr. 
Priestley's  notions  of  Christianity,  they 
must  give  up  this  principle,  and  consider 
their  own  sacred  writings  in  a  much  mean- 
er light  than  they  at  present  do.  They 
have  no  conception  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment being  a  mere  "  authentic  history  of 
past  transactions  ;"  but  profess  to  receive 
it  as  the  very  word  of  God,  the  infallible 
rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Whenever  they 
shall  receive  the  Ncav  Testament,  there 
is  reason  to  conclude  it  will  be  under  the 
same  character,  and  for  the  same  pur- 
poses. While  they  consider  their  own 
Scriptures  as  divinely  inspired,  and  hear 
professed  Christians  acknowledge  that 
"  part  of  their  Gospels  is  spurious,"  they 
will  be  tempted  to  look  down  upon  Chris- 
tianity with  scorn,  and  so  be  hardened  in 
their  infidelity. 

Secondly  :  If  the  sacred  writings  be  not 
received  for  the  purposes  for  which  they 
were  professedly  given,  and  for  which 
they  were  actually  appealed  to  by  Christ 
and  his  apostles,  they  are  in  effect  reject- 
ed :    and  those  who  pretend  to  embrace 


Let.  Phil.  Uiib.  Vd.  IL   I'rcface,  p.  i.s. 


t  Mr.  D.  Levi's  Letters  to  Dr.  Piiestlex ,  p.  S2. 


TENDENCY  TO    INFIDELITV. 


281 


them  for  other  purposes,  will  thcruselvcs 
1)0  round  to  liiive  passed  the  l)oundaries  of 
Christianity,  and  to  lie  walking  in  the 
paths  of  intididity.  We  have  seen,  in 
Letter  XII.,  that  tlie  Scni)liires  profess 
to  he  the  word  of  God,  and  the  ride  of 
faith  and  practice.  Now,  if  any  man  be- 
lieve in  i-evelation,  he  must  receive  it  as 
bein^  what  it  professes  to  be,  and  for  all 
the  purposes  (or  whicii  it  professes  to  have 
been  written.  Tlie  Montldy  Review  sug- 
gests that  "  tlie  Scriptures  were  never  de- 
signed to  settle  disputed  theories,  and  to 
decide  speculative,  controverted  questions, 
even  in  religion  and  morality."'  But,  if 
so,  what  must  we  think  of  their  assuming 
to  i)e  the  rule  of  faitli  and  practice  1  what 
must  we  think  of  Christ  and  his  apostles, 
who  appealed  to  them  for  the  truth  of 
their  doctrines  and  the  goodness  of  their 
precepts  1  On  the  principles  of  our  op- 
ponents, they  must  have  been  either 
weak  or  wicked.  If  they  considered 
them  as  the  standard  of  faith  and  practice, 
they  must  have  been  weak  :  if  they  did 
not,  and  yet  appealed  to  them  as  a  deci- 
sive test,  they  were  certainly  wicked. 
In  either  case  their  testimony  is  unworthy 
of  regard,  to  suppose  which  is  downright 
infidelity. 

Thirdly :  By  the  degrading  notions 
which  Socinians  entertain  of  the  person 
of  Christ,  they  do  what  in  theni  lies  to 
lessen  the  sin  of  rejecting  him,  and  af- 
ford the  adversaries  of  the  gospel  a 
ground  for  accusing  him  of  presumption, 
which  must  necessarily  harden  them  in  un- 
belief. The  Jews  consider  their  nation, 
according  to  the  sentiments  of  orthodox 
Christians,  as  lying  under  the  charge  "of 
crucifying  the  Lord  and  Saviour  of  the 
world;"  but,  according  to  those  of  Dr. 
Priestley,  as  only  having  crucified  a  pro/^/i- 
ct,  that  was  sent  to  them  in  the  first  in- 
stance." f  Such  a  consideration  diminish- 
es the  degree  of  their  guilt,  tends  to  ren- 
der them  more  indifferent ,  and  consequent- 
ly must  harden  them  in  infidelity.  By 
considering  our  Lord  as  merely  a  prophet, 
Socinians  also  furnis'i  the  Jews  with  the 
charge  of  presumption:  a  weighty  objec- 
tion indeed  against  his  Messiahship !  "  He 
preached  himself"  says  Mr.  Levi,  "  as  the 
lis;ht  of  the  world,  which  is  an  instance  not 
to  be  paralleled  in  Scripture  ;  for  the  duty 
of  a  prophet  consisted  in  his  delivery  of 
God's  word  or  message  to  the  people  ;  not 
in  presumptuously  preaching  himself. 
Again,  we  meet  with  the  same  example 
in  John  xiv.  6,  where  Jesus  preaches  him- 
self, as  the  loay,  the  truth,  and  the  life." 
From  all  which  he  concludes,  "it  is  mani- 

*  Monthly  Review  Enlarged,  Vol.  X.  p.  357 
+  Levi's  Lettei-s  to  Priestley,  p.  14.  . 
VOL.    I.  36 


fest  that  lie  was  not  sent  by  God  to  us  as 
a  prophet,  seeing  he  was  so  deficient  in  the 
essential  character  of  a  prophet."  |  How 
Dr.  Priestley,  upon  his  princi})les,  will  be 
able  to  answer  this  reasoning,  I  cannot 
tell.  Though  he  has  written  a  rei)ly  to 
Mr.  Levi,  I  observe  he  has  passed  over  this 
part  of  the  sul)ject  very  lightly,  otfering 
nothing  that  sulliciently  accounts  for  our 
Lord's  i)reaching  himself  as  "the  light  of 
the  world, — the  way,  the  truth,  and  the 
life,"  upon  the  supposition  of  his  being 
merely  a  prophet. 

Fourthly  :  The  progress  which  Socinian- 
ism  has  made  has  generally  l)een  towards 
inlidelity.  Tiie  ancient  Socinians,  though 
tliey  went  great  lengths,  are,  nevertheless, 
far  outdone  i>y  the  moderns.  If  we  look 
over  the  Racovian  Catechism,  printed  at 
Amsterdam  in  l(3-5"2,  we  shall  find  such 
sentiments  as  the  following: — "No  sus- 
picion can  })ossil)ly  creep  into  the  mind 
concerning  tliose  authors  (the  sacred  wri- 
ters) as  if  they  had  not  had  exact  cogni- 
zance of  the  things  which  they  described, 
in  that  some  of  them  were  eye  and  ear- 
witnesses  of  the  things  which  they  set 
down,  and  the  others  were  fully  and  accu- 
rately informed  by  them  concerning  the 
same.  It  is  altogether  incredible  that  God, 
whose  goodness  and  jjrovidcnce  are  im- 
mense, hath  suflercd  those  writings  where- 
in he  hath  proposed  his  will,  and  the  way 
to  eternal  life,  and  which,  through  the  suc- 
cession of  so  many  ages,  have,  by  all  the 
godly,  been  received  and  approved  as  such, 
to  be  any  v.ays  corrupted."  p.  3. — I  need 
not  go  about  to  prove  that  these  sentiments 
are  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  infidels  by 
modern  Socinians.  Dr.  Priestley  (as  we 
have  seen  in  Letter  XII.)  supposes  the  sa- 
cred writers  to  have  written  upon  subjects 
"to  which  they  had  not  given  much  atten- 
tion, and  concerning  which  they  had  not 
the  means  of  exact  information  :  "  and  in 
such  cases  considers  himself  at  liberty  to 
disregard  their  j)roductions.  Instead  of 
maintaining  that  the  sacred  writings  can- 
not have  been  corrujjted,  modern  Socin- 
ians are  continually  laboring  to  prove  that 
they  are  so. 

Some,  who  are  better  acquainted  w  ith 
Socinians  and  deists  than  I  profess  to  be, 
have  observed  that  it  is  very  common  for 
those  who  go  over  to  infidelity  to  pass 
through  Socinianism  in  their  way.  If  this 
be  the  case,  it  is  no  more  than  may  be  ex- 
pected, according  to  the  natural  course  of 
things.  It  is  not  common,  I  believe,  for 
persons  who  go  over  to  Socinianism  to  go 
directly  from  Calvinism,  but  through  one 
or  other  of  the  different  stages  of  Armin- 
ianism,  or  Arianism,  or  both.     Dr.  Priest- 

i  Ibid.  p.  24. 


282 


TENDENCY   TO    INFIDELITY. 


ley  was  once,  as  he  himself  informs  us,  "a 
Calvinist,  and  that  of  the  straitest  sect. 
Afterwards,"  he  adds,  "  he  became  a  high 
Arian,  next  a  low  Arian,  and  then  a  So- 
cinian,  and  then,  in  a  little  time,  a  Socini- 
an  of  the  lowest  kind,  in  which  Cluist  is 
considered  as  a  mere  man,  the  son  of  Jo- 
seph and  Mary,  and  naturally  as  fallible 
and  peccable  as  Moses,  or  any  other 
prophet :  "  to  which  he  might  have  added 
— and  in  which  the  plenary  inspiration  of 
the  Scriptures  is  given  up.*  The  Doctor 
also  informs  us  that  he  "does  not  know 
when  his  creed  will  be  fixed."  f  And  yet 
he  tells  us,  in  his  volume  of  Sermdns  (page 
95,)  that  "  Unitarians  are  not  apt  to  enter- 
tain any  doubt  of  the  truth  of  their  princi- 
ples." But  this,  I  suppose,  is  to  be  un- 
derstood of  their  principles  only  in  one 
point  of  view  :  namely,  as  they  are  op- 
posed to  what  is  commonly  called  ortho- 
doxy ;  for,  as  they  are  opposed  to  infideli- 
ty, they  are  apt  to  entertain  doubts  con- 
cerning them,  as  much  and  perhaps  more 
than  any  other  men ;  and,  in  that  line  of 
improvement,  to  hold  themselves  open  to 
the  reception  of  greater  and  greater  illu- 
minations. It  is  in  this  direction  that  Dr. 
Priestley  has  generally  moved  hitherto  ; 
and  should  he,  before  he  fixes  his  creed, 
go  one  degree  further,  is  there  any  doubt 
where  that  degree  will  land  him  1  Should 
it  be  upon  the  shores  of  downright  infi- 
delity, it  can  afford  no  greater  matter  of 
surprise  to  the  christian  world  than  that  of 
an  Arian  becoming  a  Socinian,  or  a  deist 
an  atheist. 

By  the  following  extract  from  a  letter 
which  I  received  from  a  gentleman  of 
candor  and  veracity,  and  extensive  ac- 
quaintance in  the  literary  world,  it  ap- 
pears that  several  of  the  most  eminent 
characters  amongst  professed  unbelievers 
in  the  present  age  were  but  a  few  years 
ago  in  the  scheme  of  Socinus  :  "I  think 
I  may  say,  without  exaggeration,  that,  of 
my  acquaintance,  the  greater  part  of  lit- 
erary men  who  have  become  Unitarians 
are   either   sceptics,   or   strongly   tending 

that  way.     I  could  instance  in ,  , 

, , , ,  and   many  others. 

About  four  months  ago  I  had  a  pretty 
long  conversation  with  one  of  the  above 
gentlemen  (as  intelligent  a  man  as  any  I 
know)  on  this  subject.  He  reminded  me 
of  a  conversation  that  had  past  betwixt  us 
about  a  year  and  a  half  before,  in  which 
I  had  observed  there  was  a  near  affinity 
between  Unitarianism  and  deism,  and 
told  me  he  was  then  rather  surprised  I 
should  suppose  so,  but  that  now  he  was 
completely  of  that  opinion,  and  that,  from 

*  Let.  Pliil.  Unl).  Part  II.  pp.  33—35. 
:^       t  B«f.  Uait.  1787,  p.  HI. 


very  extensive  observations,  there  was 
nothing  he  was  more  certain  of  than  that 
the  one  led  to  the  other.  He  remarked 
how  much  Dr.  Priestley  was  mistaken  in 
supposing  he  could,  by  cashiering  ortho- 
doxy, form  what  he  called  Rational 
Christians  ;  for  that,  after  following  him 
thus  far,  they  would  be  almost  sure  to 
carry  their  speculations  to  a  still  greater 
extent.  All  the  pi-ofessed  unbelievers  I 
have  met  with  rejoice  in  the  spread  of 
Unitarianism  as  favorable  to  their  views." 

Christian  brethren,  permit  me  to  re- 
quest that  the  subject  may  be  seriously 
considered.  Whether  the  foregoing  posi- 
tions be  sufficiently  proved,  it  becomes 
not  me  to  decide.  A  reflection  or  two, 
however,  may  be  offered,  upon  the  sup- 
position that  they  are  so;  and  with  these 
I  shall  conclude. 

First :  If  that  system  which  embraces 
the  deity  and  atonement  of  Christ,  with 
other  correspondent  doctrines,  be  friendly 
to  a  life  of  sobriety,  righteousness,  and 
godliness,  it  must  be  of  God,  and  it  be- 
comes us  to  abide  by  it ;  not  because  it 
is  the  doctrine  of  Calvin,  or  of  any  other 
man  that  was  uninspired,  but  as  being 
"the  gospel  which  we  have  received" 
from  Christ  and  his  apostles  ;  "wherein 
we  stand,  and  by  which  we  are  saved." 

Secondly  :  If  that  system  of  religion 
which  rejects  the  deity  and  atonement  of 
Christ,  with  other  correspondent  doc- 
trines, be  uniriendly  to  the  conversion 
of  sinners  to  a  life  of  holiness,  and  of 
professed  unbelievers  to  faith  in  Christ; 
if  it  be  a  system  which  irreligious  men 
are  the  first  and  serious  Christians  the 
last  to  embrace  ;  if  it  be  Ibund  to  relax 
the  obligations  to  virtuous  affection  and 
behavior,  by  relaxing  the  great  standard 
of  virtue  itself;  if  it  promote  neither  love 
to  God  under  his  true  character,  nor  be- 
nevolence to  men  as  it  is  exemplified  in 
the  spirit  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  ;  if  it 
lead  those  who  embrace  it  to  be  wise  in 
their  own  eyes,  and,  instead  of  humbly 
deprecating  God's  righteous  displeasure, 
even  in  their  dying  moments,  arrogantly 
to  challenge  his  justice ;  if  the  charity 
which  it  inculcates  be  founded  in  an  indif- 
ference to  divine  truth  ;  if  it  be  inconsist- 
ent with  ardent  love  to  Christ,  and  venera- 
tion for  the  holy  Scriptures;  if  the  happi- 
ness which  it  promotes  be  at  variance  with 
the  joj's  of  the  gospel ;  and,  finally,  if  it  di- 
minish the  motives  to  gratitude,  obedi- 
ence, and  heavenly-mindedness,  and  have 
a  natural  tendency  to  infidelity;  it  must 
be  an  immoral  system,  and  consequently 
not  of  God.  It  is  not  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  but  "another  gospel."  Those 
who  preach  it,  preach  another  Jesus,  whom 
the  apostles  did  not  preach ;    and  those 


POSTSCRIPT. 


283 


who  receive  it,  receive  another  spirit, 
wliith  tlicy  never  iinl>il)ccl.  It  is  not  the 
light  which  coujcth  from  above,  but  a 
cloud  of  darkness  tliat  hath  arisen  from 
beneath,  tending  to  eclipse  it.  It  is  not 
the  high-way  ot  trutli,  which  is  a  way  ot 
holiness  ;  but  a  iiye-palh  of  error,  which 
misleads  the  unwary  traveler,  and  of 
which,  as  we  value  our  immortal  inter- 
ests, it  becomes  us  to  beware.  We  need 
not  be  afraid  of  evidence,  or  of  free  in- 
quiry ;  for  i(  irreligious  men  be  tiie  first, 
and  serious  Cliristians  be  the  last,  who 
embrace  the  Socinian  system,  it  is  easy 
to  perceive  that  tlie  avenues  which  lead 
to  it  are  not,  as  its  abettors  would  per- 
suade you  to  think,  an  openness  to  con- 
viction, or  a  free  and  impartial  inquiry 
after  truth,  but  a  heart  secretly  disaffected 
to  the  true  character  and  government  of 
God,  and  dissatisfied  with  the  gospel-way 
of  salvation. 

I  am,  Christian  Brethren, 
Respectfully  and  aflfectionately  yours, 
Andrew  Fulleii. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

On  the  first  appearance  of  the  foregoing 
Letters,  in  1793,  some  of  the  most  re- 
spectable characters  amongst  the  Socini- 
ans,  and  who  have  since  affected  to  treat 
them  with  contempt,  acknowledged  ihat 
they  were  "well  worthy  of  their  atten- 
tion." No  answer,  however,  appeared  to 
them  till  1796,  when  Dr.  Toulmin  pub- 
lished his  Practical  Efficacy  of  the  Unita- 
rian Doctrine,  and  Mr.  Kentish  his  ser- 
mon on  The  Moral  Tendency  of  the  Genu- 
ine Christian  Doctrine.  To  these  publica- 
tions a  reply  was  written  in  1797,  entitled 
Socinianism  Indefensible  on  the  Ground 
of  its  Moral  Tendency.  Mr.  Kentish 
wrote  again,  and  Dr.  Toulmin  has  lately 
published  a  second  edition  of  his  piece, 
with  large  additions.  I  had  no  inclination 
to  add  any  thing  in  reply  to  Mr.  Kentish, 
being  well  satisfied  that  the  public  should 
judge  from  the  evidence  that  was  before 
them.  And,  as  to  Dr.  Toulmin,  his  sec- 
ond edition  is,  like  his  first,  full  of  irrela- 
tive matter. 

Having  been  charged  with  shifting  the 
ground  of  the  argument,  and  begging  the 
question,  this  writer  labors  to  persuade 
his  readers  that  he  has  done  neither. 
"  He  did  not  intend,"  he  says,  "  nor  pro- 
fess, to  give  a/i///  and  minute  answer  to 
Mr.  Fuller's  tract.  He  meant  not  much 
more  than  to  take  an  occasion  from  that 
puV)lication  to  y)ring  the  general  question, 
namely,  the  practical  efficacy  of  the  Uni- 


tarian doctrine,  to  the  test  of  scriptural 
facts." — p.  133.  This  is  acknowledging 
that,  if  he  had  professed  to  give  a  proper 
answer  to  the  work,  he  would  have  been 
obliged  by  the  laws  of  just  reasoning  to 
keep  to  the  ground  of  his  opponent.  But, 
intending  only  to  write  a  [)iece  that  should 
bear  some  allusion  to  it,  he  considered 
himself  at  lii)crty  to  choose  his  own 
ground.  But,  if  this  were  his  intention, 
why  did  he  profess,  at  his  outset,  to 
"enter  the  lists"  with  me;  and  to  com- 
prehend in  his  performance  "  the  main 
point  to  whicii  a  reply  to  my  Letters  need 
be  directedl"  If  tiiis  be  not  professing 
to  answer  a  work,  nothing  is. 

The  design  of  Dr.  Toulmin  seems  to 
have  been  very  complex,  and  his  account 
of  it  has  much  the  appearance  of  evasion. 
He  did  not  intend  to  give  a.  full  and  mi- 
nute answer :  Did  he  mean  to  give  any 
answer ;  or  only  to  w  rite  a  piece  w  hie  h 
might  pass  for  an  ansicer?  He  meant  not 
much  more  than  thus  and  thus  :  Did  he 
mean  any  morel  If  he  did,  he  ought  to 
have  kept  to  the  j)roj)er  ground  of  reason- 
ing; or,  if  he  thought  it  unfair,  to  have 
proved  it  so. 

But  he  had  a  right,  he  says,  to  choose 
the  giound  of  his  argument  as  well  as  I. 
Doubtless,  if  he  had  chosen  to  write  upon 
any  subject  without  professing  to  ansicer 
another,  or  wishing  his  performance  to 
pass  for  an  answer,  he  had  :  but  if,  at  the 
outset,  he  propose  to  "  enter  the  lists  " 
with  an  opponent,  and  to  comprehend 
"  all  that  to  which  a  reply  to  his  perform- 
ance need  be  directed,"  it  is  otherwise. 
If  a  christian  divine  wish  to  write  in  favor 
of  Christianity,  he  is  at  liberty  to  choose 
his  ground.  He  may  fix,  as  Bishop  New- 
ton has,  on  the  argument  from  prophecy. 
But  if  a  deist  come  after  him,  professing 
to  "enter  the  lists"  with  him,  and  to 
compreiiend  in  his  performance  "all  that 
to  which  a  reply  to  the  work  of  his  oppo- 
nent need  be  directed,"  he  is  obliged,  by 
the  rules  of  just  reasoning,  either  to  ex- 
amine tiie  arguments  ol'  his  adversary,  or 
attempt  to  overturn  the  principle  on 
which  they  rest.  If,  instead  of  trying  the 
truth  of  the  christian  religion  Viy  the  ful- 
filment of  prophecy,  he  were  to  fill  up  his 
pages  by  arguing  on  the  improbability  of 
miracles,  or  the  sufficiency  of  the  light  of 
nature,  what  would  Dr.  Toulmin  say  to 
h\m1  And  if,  in  order  to  excuse  himself, 
he  should  allege  that  he  did  not  intend 
nor  profess  to  give  a  full  and  minute  an- 
swer to  his  antagonist — that  he  meant  not 
much  more  than  to  take  an  occasion  from 
his  publicatitin  to  bring  forward  the  gen- 
eral question  between  Christians  and 
deists  on  the  necessity  of  a  divine  reve- 
lation—might  he  not  better  have  held  his 


284 


POSTSCRIPT. 


peace  1  Must  not  judicious  persons,  even 
amongst  his  friends,  clearly  perceive  that 
he  has  betrayed  the  cause  ;  and,  whether 
they  choose  to  acknowledge  it  or  not,  be 
fully  convinced  that,  if  he  did  not  wish  to 
answer  the  work,  he  should  have  let  it 
alone;  or,  if  the  ground  of  argument  were 
unfair,  he  should  have  proved  it  so,  and 
not  have  set  up  another  which  had  no 
relation  to  itl 

Thus  it  is  that  Dr.  Toulmin  has  shifted 
the  ground  of  the  argument :  and  what  is 
that  ground  to  which  he  gives  the  prefer- 
ence 1  He  wished,  it  seems,  to  try  "  the 
practical  efficacy  of  the  Unitarian  doctrine 
by  the  test  of  scriptural  facts."  Are 
those  facts,  then,  a  proper  medium  for 
such  a  trial  1  I  have  been  used  to  think 
that  every  tree  was  to  be  tried  by  its  own 
fruits,  and  not  by  those  of  another.  Scrip- 
tural facts,  such  as  those  which  Dr. 
Toulmin  alleges,  afford  a  proper  test  of 
the  practical  efficacy  of  scripture  doc- 
trines; and,  if  brought  against  the  cause 
of  infidelity,  would  be  in  point.  But 
there  is  no  question  in  this  case  whether 
scripture  truth  be  of  a  practical  nature,  but 
wherein  it  consists  1  The  facts  to  which 
Dr.  Toulmin  wishes  to  draw  the  reader's 
attention  prove  nothing  in  favor  of  Uni- 
tarianisra  or  Trinitarianism  ;  for,  before 
they  can  le  brouglit  to  bear,  the  work  of 
proof  must  be  accomplished  by  other 
means.  An  attempt  to  establish  the 
practical  efficacy  of  modern  Unitarianism 
by  scriptural  facts  is  like  producing  the 
fi-uits  of  Palestine,  in  order  to  ascertain 
the  soil  of  Taunton. 

Dr.  Toulmin  complained  of  my  animad- 
verting on  particular  passages  in  the  wri- 
tings of  Unitarians,  and  suggested  that  I 
ought  rather  to  have  applied  my  arguments 
to  the  general,  the  fundamental,  princi- 
ples of  their  system  :  "  That  there  is  one 
God,  the  Father,  and  one  Mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Je- 
sus." To  this  it  was  answered,  "  The 
unity  of  God,  and  the  humanity  of  Christ, 
then,  it  seems,  are  the  principles  which  I 
ought  to  have  attacked;  that  is,  I  ought 
to  have  attacked  principles  which  I  pro- 
fess to  believe,  and  not  those  which  I  pro- 
fess to  disbelieve." — "  But,"  says  Dr.  T. 
in  reply,  "does  he  receive  these  princi- 
ples in  the  pure  and  simple  form  in  which 
Unitarians  embrace  them  V — p.  81,  note. 

The  Doctor  ought  to  have  expressed  his 
fundamental  principles  in  his  own  loords, 
and  not  in  those  of  Scripture.  Every  con- 
troversial writer,  who  does  not  wish  to  beg 
the  question,  will  do  so.  He  ought  to 
have  said,  Mr.  Fuller,  instead  of  animad- 
verting on  particular  passages  in  the  writings 
of  Unitarians,  should  have  attacked  their 
first  principles  :  That  God  is  one  person, 


and  that  Christ  is  merely  a  man.  This 
had  been  fair  and  open  ;  and,  had  the  ob- 
jection been  in  this  form,  I  might  have 
replied  to  this  effect  : — My  object  was 
not  to  attack  particular  principles  so  much 
as  the  general  tendency  of  their  religion 
taken  in  the  gross,  and  the  passages  on 
which  I  animadverted  chiefly  related  to 
this  view  of  the  subject.  Yet,  in  the 
course  of  the  Avork,  I  have  certainly  at- 
tempted to  prove  the  divinity  of  Christ; 
and  whatever  goes  to  establish  this  doc- 
trine goes  to  demolish  those  leading  prin- 
ciples which  it  is  said,  I  ought  to  have 
attacked  ;  for  if  Christ  be  God  he  cannot 
be  merely  a  man,  and  there  must  be  more 
than  one  person  in  the  Godhead.  But, 
not  contented  Avith  expressing  his  leading 
pi'inciples  in  his  own  words.  Dr.  Toulmin 
chooses  Scripture  language  for  the  pur- 
pose. This,  I  contended,  was  begging  the 
question ;  or  taking  it  for  granted  that  the 
terms  one  God,  in  Scripture,  mean  one 
person,  and  that  Christ's  being  called  a 
man  denotes  that  he  was  merely  a  jnan. 
To  show  the  impropriety  of  this  proceed- 
ing, I  alleged  that  I  believed  both  the 
unity  of  God  and  the  humanity  of  Christ ; 
and,  therefore,  ought  not  to  be  expected 
to  oppose  either  of  them.  "  But  does  he 
receive  these  principles,"  says  Dr.  T., 
"  in  the  pure  and  simple  form  in  which 
Unitarians  embrace  them  1"  What  is  this 
but  saying  that  I  do  not  admit  the  Socini- 
an  g-/oss  upon  the  apostle's  words  1  Dr. 
Toulmin  may  contend  that  the  Scriptures 
express  his  sentiments  so  plainly  as  to 
need  no  gloss  ;  but  a  gloss  it  manifestly 
is.  He  may  call  it  apure  and  simple  form, 
or  what  he  pleases  ;  but  nothing  is  meant 
by  it  beyond  a  gloss,  nor  proved,  except 
the  prevalence  of  his  easy-besetting  sin, 
that  of  begging  the  question. 

To  show,  in  a  still  stronger  light,  the 
unfairness  of  a  controversial  writer's  at- 
tempting to  shroud  his  opinions  under  the 
phraseology  of  Scripture,  I  supposed  it  to 
be  done  by  a  Calvinist,  and  asked  what 
Dr.  Toulmin  would  say  to  it  in  that  case. 
I  could  say,  for  example.  There  is  a  Fa- 
ther, a  Son,  and  a  Holy  Spirit,  in  whose 
name  we  are  baptized. —  The  Word  ivas 
God — Christ  died  for  our  sins,  according 
to  the  Scriptures ;  and  could  require  So- 
cinians  not  to  animadvert  on  particular 
passages  in  Calvinistic  writers,  but  on 
these  our  leading  principles.  Would  they 
admit,  or  ought  they  to  be  expected  to 
admit,  of  these  as  our  leading  principles! 
No  :  Dr.  Toulmin  has  given  proof  that  he 
does  not,  and  has  thereby  justified  me  in 
refusing  to  admit  the  same  thing  on  his 
side  of  the  question.  He  will  not  allow 
that  our  leading  principles  are  expressed 
by  these  passages  of  Scripture,  because 


POSTSCRIPT. 


they  say  nothing  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Spirit  being  one  God,  nor  of  a  sameiiess  of 
essence,  &c.  &c.  pp.  5,  6,  note.  Very 
well  :  ncitiicr  do  I  allow  lliat  his  leading 
principles  are  expressed  liy  the  passages 
he  has  produced  ;  for  they  .say  nothing  of 
God's  i)eing  one  person,  or  of  Christ's 
being  merely  a  man.  If  the  Scriplurcs 
Avhich  I  alleged  express  my  seniimeiils  as 
fully  as  the  passages  he  has  produced  ex- 
press his,  that  is  sullicienl.  My  ol)ject 
was  not  to  join  issue  in  endeavoring  to 
prove  that  my  sentiments  were  expressly 
and  fully  contained  in  scrijjture-language  ; 
hut  to  show  the  futility  of  such  pretences 
on  either  side.  So  I'ar  from  "  attecting  to 
show  that  the  first  principles  of  tlic  Cal- 
vinists  are  to  lie  expressed  in  the  words 
of  Scripture,"  it  was  manifestly  my  design 
to  show  tliat  tlie  practice  of  so  expressing 
them,  in  controversy,  was  objectionahle, 
in  that  it  takes  for  granted  that  which  re- 
quires to  he  proved. 

It  is  true,  as  Dr.  Toulmin  says,  that,  if 
he,  or  any  other  person,  were  to  offer  to 
subscribe  the  passages  which  I  have  pro- 
duced, as  exhil)itinga  creed  tantamount  to 
ours,  we  should  demur  to  admit  it  in  this 
view.  But  this,  instead  of  overturning 
my  reasoning,  confirms  it,  and  cuts  the 
throat  of  his  own  argument :  for  it  is  no 
less  true  that,  if  I,  or  any  other  person, 
were  to  offer  to  subscribe  the  passages 
produced  by  him,  as  exhil)iting  a  creed 
tantamount  to  his,  he  would  demur  to  ad- 
mit it  in  this  view.  Nay,  more  :  in  his  case 
it  is  beyond  supposition.  I  have  actually 
offered  to  sul)scribe  the  apostle's  words, 
and  he  has  actually  refused  to  admit  my 
subscription  ;  alleging  that  I  do  not  receive 
them  in  tliat  pure  and  simple  form  in  which 
Unitarians  embrace  them.  According  to 
his  own  reasoning,  therefore,  the  words  of 
the  apostle,  by  which  he  would  express 
his  leading  principles,  do  not  contain  the 
whole  of  them,  and  he  must  have  failed  in 
his  attempt  to  express  them  in  scripture 
language  ;  and,  consequently,  the  "  boast- 
ed superiority"  of  his  scheme, even  in  this 
respect,  is  without  foundation. 

If  we  can  believe  Dr.  Toulmin,  how- 
ever, the  Scriptures  not  only  expressly 
declare  God  to  be  one,  but  one  person. 
"  This  simple  idea  of  God,  that  he  is  one 
single  person,"  says  he,  from  Mr.  Lind- 
sey,  "  literally  pervades  every  passage  of 
the  sacred  volumes."  To  this  I  have  an- 
swered, among  other  things,  "  It  might 
have  served  a  better  purpose,  if,  instead 
of  this  general  assertion,  these  gentle- 
men had  pointed  us  to  a  single  instance  in 
which  the  unity  of  God  is  literally  declar- 
ed to  be  personal."  And  what  has  Dr. 
Toulmin  said  in  reply  1  "The  appeal, 
one  would  think,  might  be  made  to  Mr. 


Fuller's  own  good  sense.  What  can  be 
more  decisive  instances  of  this  than  tiie 
many  passages  in  which  the  singular  per- 
sonal pronouns,  and  tiicir  correlates,  are 
used  concerning  the  Supreme  Being  ;  as, 
/,  vie,  viy,  mine,  &c." — \).  85,  note. — 
Whatever  may  be  thought  of  my  good 
sense,  or  of  that  of  my  opponent,  I  appeal 
to  good  sense  itself,  whether  he  has  made 
good  his  assertion.  To  say  nothing  of  his 
reducing  it  from  every  passage  to  many 
passages,  which  proltably  strikes  out  nine- 
ty-nine {)assages  out  of  a  hundred  in  the 
sacred  volumes,  if  the  singular  personal 
pronouns  be  a  literal  declaration  that 
God  is  one  person,  the  plural  personal 
pronouns,  Z^<?/ us  make  man  in  our  im- 
age, &c.,  must  equally  be  a  literal  decla- 
ration that  he  is  more  than  one.  The 
singular  personal  pronouns,  also,  which 
are  frequently  applied  to  the  Holy  Spirit,* 
contain  a  decisive  proof,  yea,  a  literal 
declaration  of  his  personality;  and  which 
inevitably  draws  after  it  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity. 

Dr.  Toulmin  has  said  much  about  judg- 
ing the  heart  (pp.  95 — 101,  note;)  but 
his  objection  does  not  seem  to  lie  against 
judging,  so  much  as  judging  Unitarians. 
If  I  affirm,  what  the  Scriptures  uniformly 
teach, t  that  a  false  and  immoral  system 
has  its  origin  not  in  simple  mistake,  but  in 
disaffection  to  God,t  this  is  highly  pre- 
sumptuous, this  is  judging  the  heart;  but 
if  Dr.  Toulmin  pronounce  my  mode  of 
arguing  to  be  "  savoring  of  spleen  and  ill- 
nature,  and  evidently  designed  to  fix  an 
opprobrium  and  disgrace,"  (p.  134,)  the 
case  is  altered. 

It  is  right  to  judge  of  the  disposition  of 
the  heart  by  "overt  acts;"  that  is,  by 
words  and  deeds  :  but,  where  this  judg- 
ment is  directed  against  Unitarians,  it  is 
not  right,  after  all ;  for  it  is  possible  we 
may  judge  uncandidly  and  unjustly  !  It 
is  right  for  Dr.  T.  to  disregard  the  pro- 
fessions of  his  opponent,  when  he  declares 
his  belief  in  the  unity  of  God  and  the  hu- 
manity of  Christ,  and  expresses  that  be- 
lief in  the  words  of  Scripture,  because  he 
does  not  "receive  these  principles  in  the 
pure  and  simple  form  in  which  Unitarians 
embrace  them."  But  if  we  disregard 
their  professions,  and  require  any  thing 
more  than  a  declaration  of  their  faith  in 
the  words  of  Scripture,  we  set  up  "our 

*JoI)n  xiv.  26;  xv.  26.  xvi.  7—1.5.  1  Cor. 
xii.  10. 

t  2  Thess.  ii.  10,  11.  2  Pet.  ii.  1.  1  John  iv.  6. 
Jude  4. 

tTlie  reader  will  recollect  that  what  is  affirmed, 
in  ihe  concluding  sentence  of  the  Letter.-;,  is  merely 
hypoilietical,  and  rests  upon  the  supposition  of  Socin- 
iunism  being  what  I  liad  attempted  to  prove  it,  a 
false  aud  iauuoral  system. 


286 


POSTSCRIPT. 


gospel,  or  the  gospel  according  to  ou- 
views  of  it,"  and  act  contrary  to  our  pror 
fessed  principles  as  Protestants,  as  Dis- 
senters, and  as  Baptists. 

When  our  creed  and  worship  are  such 
that  they  cannot  conscientiously  join 
them,  they  have  a  right  to  separate  from 
us  ;  otherwise  they  could  not  "  keep  the 
commandments  of  Jesus  pure  and  un- 
defiled:"  but,  whatever  be  their  creed, 
or  the  tenor  of  their  conversation,  or 
prayers,  we  have  no  right  to  refuse  com- 
munion with  them. 

If  we  do  not  model  our  professions, 
preaching,  and  worsliip,  so  as  to  give  no 
offence  to  an  individual  of  their  princi- 
ples we  "assume  a  power  which  no  Christ- 
ian, or  body  of  Christians,  possesses  :" 
yet  tliey  do  not  model  their  professtons, 
preaching,  or  worship,  so  as  to  give  no  of- 
fence to  us;  neither  do  we  desire  they 
should.  They  do  not  confine  themselves 
to  the  words  of  Scripture  ;  nor  is  it  neces- 
sary they  should.  They  inquire  wheth- 
er our  professions  accord  with  the  mean- 
ing of  Scripture ;  and  we  claim  to  do 
the  same.  The  reason  why  Dr.  T.  will 
not  allow  of  this  and  other  claims  must, 
I  should  think,  be  this  :  Their  views  of 
the  gospel  are  "pure  and  simple,"  and 
ours  are  corrupt.  Thus  it  is,  reader,  that 
he  goes  about  to  prove  that  he  does  not 
"  take  for  granted  the  principles  on  whicli 
he  argues,"  and  that  "he  assumes  noth- 
ing!" If  Dr.  T.  can  persuade  himself 
and  his  friends  that  he  has  not  shifted  the 
ground  of  the  argument,  has  not  assumed 
what  he  should  have  proved,  and,  in  short, 
has  not  tacitly  acknowledged  Socinianism 
to  be  indefensible  on  the  ground  of  its 
moral  tendency,  they  are  welcome  to  all 
the  consolation  such  a  persuasion  will  af- 
ford them. 

All  I  shall  add  will  be  a  brief  defence 
of  the  principle  on  which  the  foregoing 
Letters  are  written.  To  undermine  this 
is  a  point  at  which  all  my  opponents 
have  aimed.  The  practical  efficacy  of  a 
doctrine,  in  the  present  age,  is  a  subject, 
it  seems,  which  ought  not  to  be  discussed 
as  the  test  of  its  being  true.  They  are, 
at  least,  to  a  man  against  it:  a  pretty 
clear  evidence  this  that  it  does  not  speak 
good  concerning  them. 

Mr.  Belsham,  in  his  Review  of  Mr. 
TVilberforce,  glancing  at  The  Systems 
Compared,  says,  "  The  amount  of  it  is  : 
We  Calvinists  being  much  better  Christ- 
ians than  you  Socinians,  our  doctrines 
must,  of  course,  be  true."  "The  Uni- 
tarians," he  adds,  "  will  not  trespass  upon 
the  holy  ground.  We  have  learned  that 
'not  he  who  commendeth  himself  is  ap- 
proved, but  whom  the  Lord  commendeth.' 
And  be  it  known  to  Mr.  Wilberforce, 
and  to  all  who,  like  him,  are  disposed  to 


condemn  their  brethren  unheard,  that, 
if  the  Unitarians  were  inclined  to  boast, 
they  have  whereof  to  glory.  And,  if  they 
took  pleasure  in  exposing  the  faults  of 
tiieir  orthodox  brethren,  they  likewise 
have  tales  to  unfold  which  would  reflect 
little  credit  on  the  parties,  or  on  their  prin- 
ciples. But  of  such  mutual  reproaches 
there  would  be  no  end." — pp.  267,  26S, 
274. 

Dr.  Toulmin  alleges  that  "  it  is  a  mode 
of  arguing  very  unfavorable  to  candor  and 
fair  discussion,  savoring  of  spleen  and  ill- 
nature,  principally  calculated  to  misrepre- 
sent and  irritate,  and  evidently  designed 
to  fix  an  opprobrium  and  disgrace  ;  that, 
when  our  Saviour  cautioned  his  followers 
to  '  beware  of  false  prophets,'  who  should 
be  '  known  by  their  fruits,'  he  meant  not 
persons  who  would  teach  false  doctrine, 
and  whose  lives  would  accord  with  it,  but 
persons  of  insincere  character,  whose  doc- 
trine might,  nevertheless,  be  true  ;  and 
that  his  brethren  have  not  reasoned  against 
Calvinism  from  the  immoral  lives  of  Cal- 
vinists, but  merely  from  the  immoral  ten- 
dency of  their  principles." — pp.  134,  148, 
154. 

If  the  mode  of  arguing  pursued  in  the 
foregoing  Letters  be  liable  to  all  these  ob- 
jections, it  is  rather  singular  that  it  should 
not  have  been  objected  to  till  it  was  point- 
ed against  Socinianism.  If  it  can  be 
shown  to  be  a  mode  of  arguing  consonant 
to  the  directions  given  by  our  Saviour, 
and  actually  used  by  the  Apostles,  the 
Fathers,  the  Reformers,  the  Puritans,  and 
even  by  our  opponents  themselves,  their 
objecting  to  it  in  this  instance  will  prove 
nothing,  except  it  be  the  weakness  of  their 
cause. 

Our  Saviour  warned  his  followers  to 
"bewai-e  of  false  prophets,"  and  gave 
this  direction  concerning  them  :  "  Ye 
shall  know  them  by  their  fruits."  This 
direction,  founded  in  self-evident  truth, 
and  enforced  by  the  Head  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  appeared  to  me  to  furnish  a 
proper  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  the 
claims,  if  not  of  every  particular  opinion, 
yet  of  every  system  of  opinions  pretending 
to  divine  authority. 

Mr.  Kentish  admitted  that  "the  effects 
produced  by  a  doctrine  were  a  proper  cri- 
terion of  its  value,  hni  not  of  its /ru^A." 
But  the  value  of  a  doctrine  implies  its 
truth.  Falsehood  is  of  no  value  :  what- 
ever proves  a  doctrine  valuable,  therefore, 
must  prove  it  to  be  true. 

Mr.  Kentish  further  objects  :  "  This 
celebrated  saying  of  our  Saviour  is  propo- 
sed as  a  test  of  character,  and  not  as  a  cri- 
terion of  opinion.'"  To  the  same  purpose 
Dr.  Toulmin  alleges  that  "  this  is  a  rule 
given  to  judge,  not  concerning prmd;?Zes, 
but  men ;  not  concerning  the  sentiments 


POSTSCKIl'T. 


287 


promulgated  l)y  tlioiii,  l)ul  conccrnin<r  their 
own  tluuaeters  ami  pretensions.  The  per- 
sons here  pointed  at  are  hypocrites  and 
false  prophets  ;  such  as  would  falsely  pre- 
tend a  coinniission  from  God.  Their  pre- 
tensions might  l)c  hlendetl  with  a  true  doc- 
trine ;  but  their  claims  w  ere  ibunded  in 
dissimulation.  They  would  lie  discovered 
by  their  covctousncss,  love  of  gain,  and 
lasciviousness." — p.  14S. 

These  writers  are,  in  general,  exceed- 
ingly averse  from  judging  men,  consider- 
ing it  as  uncandid  and  presuiii|)luous,  and 
])lead  for  conlining  all  judgment  to  things  : 
but,  in  tiiis  case,  things  themselves  seem 
to  be  in  danger  ;  and  therefore  men  are  left 
to  shift  for  themselves. 

According  to  this  exposition,  it  is  tlie 
duty  of  Christians,  when  ministers  discov- 
er an  avaricious  and  aml>itious  disposition, 
though  sound  in  doctrine,  and  in  time  past 
apparently  humble  and  pious,  to  set  them 
down  as  hypocrites.  And  this  is  more 
candid,  it  seems,  and  savors  less  of  spleen 
and  ill-nature,  than  drawing  an  unfavor- 
able conclusion  of  their  doctrinal  princi- 
ples. 

But,  waving  this  :  The  saying  of  our 
Saviour  is  given  as  a  lesi  of  false  prophets, 
or  teachers  ;  an  epithet  never  bestowed,  I 
believe,  on  men  whose  doctrine  was  true. 
That  false  prophets  and  teachers  were  men 
of  bad  character  I  admit,  though  that 
character  was  not  always  apparent  (2  Cor. 
xi.  14;  Matt.  vii.  lo;)  but  that  they  are 
ever  so  denominated  on  account  of  their 
character,  as  distinct  from  their  doctrine, 
does  not  appear.  When  any  thing  is  said 
of  their  doctrine,  it  is  invariably  described 
as  false.  "  If  any  man  shall  say  unto  you, 
lo  here  is  Christ,  or  lo  there,  believe  him 
not;  for  false  Christs,  and  false  prophets'' 
bearing  witness  in  their  favor,  "shall 
arise." — "There  were  false  prophets 
among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall  be 
false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily  shall 
bring  in  damnable  heresies,  even  denying 
the  Lord  that  bought  them,  and  bring  upon 
themselves  swiil  destruction." — "Be- 
loved, believe  not  every  spirit,  hut  try  the 
s|)irils  whether  they  be  of  God  :  because 
many/(//.sc  prophets  arc  gone  out  into  the 
world." — "  Every  spirit  that  confesseth 
not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  iti  the  flesh 
is  not  of  God." — "  Wliosoever  transgress- 
eth,  and  abidcth  not  in  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  hath  not  God." — "  If  there  come 
any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine, 
receive  him  not  into  your  house,  neither 
bid  him  God  speed;  for  he  that  biddeth 
him  God  speed  is  partaker  of  his  evil 
deeds." 

If  the  "  false  prophets"  described  by 
our  Saviour  were  such  as  might  teach  "  a 
true  doctrine,"  the  descrijitions  given  by 
the  New   Testament   writers,   uniformly 


representing  them  as  teaching  falsehood, 
are  at  variance  with  those  ot  their  Master. 

That  there  were  hypocrites  who  taught 
a  true  doctrine  may  be  allowed  :  iiut  they 
are  never  denominated  false  prophets,  or 
false  teachers.  Balaam  was  a  wicked  char- 
acter, and  is  called  a  prophet ;  liut,  as  the 
subject  matter  of  his  prophecies  was  true, 
he  is  not  called  a  false  prophet.  Judas, 
also,  was  a  hypocrite  and  a  thief,  at  the 
same  time  that  he  was  a  preacher  and  an 
apostle  ;  but,  as  what  he  taught  was  true, 
he  is  not  described  as  a  false  teacher  or  a 
false  apostle. 

These  things  considered,  let  the  impar- 
tial reader  determine  whether  ourSa\iour 
did  not  mean  to  direct  his  followers  to 
judge  by  their  fruits  loho  ivere  the  patrons 
of  false  doctrine. 

With  resj)cct  to  the  use  which  has  been 
made  of  this  direction,  I  appeal,  in  the  first 
place,  to  the  apostles,  and  New  Testament 
writers.  I  presume  they  will  not  be  ac- 
cused of  self-commendation,  nor  of  spleen 
and  ill-nature  ;  yet  they  scrupled  not  t© 
represent  those  who  believed  their  doc- 
trine as  "  washed"  and  "  sanctified  "  from 
their  former  immoralities,  (1  Cor.  vi.  11,) 
and  those  who  believed  it  not  as  "having 
pleasure  in  unrighteousness," — 2  Thes.  ii. 
12.  All  those  facts  which  Dr.  Toulmin 
has  endeavored  to  press  into  the  service  of 
modern  Unitarinism  are  evidences  of  the 
truth  of  tlie  primitive  doctrine,  and  were 
considered  as  such  by  the  New  Testament 
writers.  They  appealed  to  the  effects 
produced  in  the  lives  of  believers,  as 
"their  epistles,  known  and  read  of  all 
men,"  in  proof  that  they  "  had  not  cor- 
rupted the  word  of  God,"  but  were  the 
true  ministers  of  Christ,  2  Cor.  ii.  17,  &c. 
With  the  fullest  confidence  they  asked, 
"  Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the  world, 
but  he  that  believelh  that  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God  1  "  Plainly  intimating  that  truth 
was  well  known  by  its  effects.  Nor  was 
error  less  so  :  those  who  introduced  false 
doctrines  are  invariably  described  as  un- 
holy characters. — 2  Pet.  ii.  13;  Jude  ;  1 
Cor.  XV.  33,  34. 

To  quote  the  reasonings  of  the  Fathers 
on  this  principle  w  ere  to  copy  a  large  pro- 
portion of  their  apologies.  I  question 
whether  there  be  one  of  them  which  does 
not  contain  arguments  for  the  truth  of 
Christianity  on  the  ground  of  the  holy 
lives  of  Christians  ;  and  which  does  not 
infer,  or  in  some  form  intimate,  the  false- 
hood of  heathenism  from  the  known  im- 
morality of  heathens.  Their  opponents, 
having  no  better  answer  at  hand,  might 
possibly  charge  this  reasoning  with  vain 
boasting,  spleen,  and  ill-nature;  but  I  do 
not  recollect  that  it  was  ever  imputed  to 
these  causes  by  Christians. 

As  to  the  Reformers,  the  most  success- 


288 


POSTSCRIPT. 


fill  attacks  which  they  made  upon  the 
Churcli  of  Rome  were  founded  on  the  dis- 
solute lives  of  her  clergy,  and  the  holi- 
ness and  constancy  of  those  whom  she 
persecuted  unto  death.  The  general 
strain  of  their  writings  may  be  seen  in 
Fox's  Marty rology,  which  is,  in  effect,  an 
exhibition  of  the  moral  character  of  the 
persecutors  and  the  persecuted,  from 
which  the  world  is  left  to  judge  which  was 
the  true  religion  ;  and,  I  may  add,  a  con- 
sideral)le  part  of  the  world  did  judge,  and 
acted  accordingly. 

Dr.  Toulmin  suggests,  from  Moshcim, 
that  the  Reformers,  and  particularly  Cal- 
vin and  his  associates,  neglected  the  sci- 
ence of  morals. — p.  153.  But  Mosheim's 
prejudice  against  Calvin  and  his  associates 
renders  his  testimony  of  but  little  weight, 
especially  as  the  reader  may  satisfy  him- 
self of  the  contrary  by  the  Avritings  of  the 
parties  which  are  yet  extant.  The  eighth 
chapter  of  the  second  book  of  Calvin's  In- 
stitutes is  sufficient  to  wipe  away  this  slan- 
der. The  morality  there  inculcated  is 
such  as  neither  Antinomians,  nor  "great 
numbers  "  amongst  modern  Unitarians, 
can  endure.  That  there  were  some  among 
the  gospellers,  as  they  were  called,  who 
were  loose  characters,  is  admitted:  such 
there  are  in  every  age:  but  take  the  re- 
formed as  a  body,  and  they  were  not  only 
better  Christians  than  their  persecutors, 
but  than  those  their  successors,  who,- 
while  pretending  to  teach  the  "science" 
of  morality,  have  deserted  the  great  prin- 
ciples by  which  it  requires  to  be  animated, 
and  debased  it,  by  allowing  the  amuse- 
ments of  the  theatre,  and  other  species  of 
dissipation,  to  be  consistent  with  it. 

The  historian  of  the  puritans  has  re- 
corded of  that  persecuted  people  that, 
"  while  others  were  at  plays  and  interludes, 
at  revels,  or  walking  in  the  fields,  or  at  the 
diversions  of  bowling,  fencing,  &c.,  on  the 
evening  of  the  Sabbath,  they,  with  their 
families,  were  employed  in  reading  the 
Scriptures,  singing  psalms,  catechising 
their  children,  repeating  sermons,  and 
prayer ;  that  neither  was  this  confined  to 
the  Lord's-day,  but  they  had  their  hours 
of  family-devotion  on  the  week-days,  es- 
teeming it  their  duty  to  sake  care  of  the 
souls  as  well  as  of  the  V)odies  of  their  ser- 
vants ;  and  that  they  were  circumspect  as 
to  all  the  excesses  of  eating  and  drinking, 
apparel,  and  lawful  diversions  ;  being  fru- 
gal in  house-keeping,  industrious  in  their 
particular  callings,  honest  and  exact  in 
their  dealings,  and  solicitous  to  give  every 
one  his  own."  * 

These  things   might  not  be  alleged  in 

*  Neale's  History  of  the  Puritans,  Vol.  I.  Chap. 
VIII. 


proof  of  the  truth  of  every  particular  opin- 
ion which  they  held  (neither  have  I  infer- 
ed  from  such  premises  the  truth  of  every 
opinion  maintained  by  Calvinists);  but 
they  were  alleged  in  proof  that  their  re- 
ligion, in  the  main,  ivas  that  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  religion  of  their  adversa- 
ries a  very  near  approach  to  that  of  anti- 
christ. Nor  do  I  recollect  that  the  writer 
has  been  charged,  unless  it  be  by  those 
who  felt  the  condemnation  which  his  story 
implied,  with  vain-boasting,  spleen,  or  ill- 
nature. 

Finally  :  Will  our  opponents  accuse 
themselves  of  these  evils,  for  having  rea- 
soned upon  this  principle  as  far  as  they  are 
able  1  Tliat  tliey  have  done  this  is  mani- 
fest, though  Dr.  Toulmin  affects  to  dis- 
own it,  alleging  that  they  have  not  reason- 
ed on  the  lives  of  men  but  merely  on  the 
tendency  of  principles. — p.  154.  That 
they  have  reasoned  on  the  tendency  of 
principles  is  true  ;  and  so  have  I  :  such  is 
the  reasoning  of  the  far  greater  part  of  the 
foregoing  Letters.  But  that  they  avoided 
all  reference  to  the  lives  of  Calvinists,  is 
not  true.  Was  it  on  the  tendency  of  prin- 
ciples, or  on  the  lives  of  men,  that  Dr. 
Priestley  reasoned,  when  he  compared  the 
virtue  of  Trinitarians  with  that  of  Unita- 
rians, allowing  that  though  the  latter  had 
more  of  an  apparent  conformity  to  the 
world  than  the  former,  yet,  upon  the 
whole,  they  approached  nearer  to  the 
proper  temper  of  Christianity  than  theyl* 
Has  he  confined  himself  to  the  tendency 
of  principles  in  what  he  has  related  of  Mr. 
Badcock  1  f  Does  he  not  refer  to  the 
practices  of  Antinomians,  in  proof  of  the 
immoral  tendency  of  Calvinism,  repre- 
senting thein  as  the  legitimate  offspring  of 
our  principles  1   See  quotation,  p.  218. 

And  though  Mr.  Belsham  now  affects 
to  be  disgusted  with  this  mode  of  reason- 
ing, yet  there  was  a  time  when  he  seemed 
to  think  it  would  be  of  service  to  him,  and 
when  he  figured  away  in  the  use  of  it. 
Did  he  not  affirm  that  "  they  who  are  sin- 
cerely pious,  and  diffusively  benevolent, 
with  our  principles,  could  not  have  failed 
to  have  been  much  better  and  much  hap- 
pier, had  they  adopted  a  milder,  a  more 
rational,  a  more  truly  evangelical  creed  '?  " 
And  what  is  this  but  affirming  that  those 
of  his  sentiments  are  better  and  happier  in 
general  than  others  1 

Yet  this  gentleman  affects  to  despise  the 
foregoing  Letters  ;  for  that  the  sum  of  them 
is,  "  We  Calvinists  being  much  better 
Christians  than  you  Socinians,  our  doc- 
trines must  of  course  be  true. "J  Strange 
that  a  writer  should  so  far  forget  himself 

*  Disc.  Var.  Sub.  p.  100. 
t  Fam.  Let.  XXII.  t  Review,  p.  274. 


POSTSCRIPT. 


289 


as  to  reproach  the  performance  of  another 
for  that  which  is  the  characteristic  of  his 
own ! 

Nor  is  this  all :  in  the  small  compass  of 
the  same  discourse,  he  exi)resses  a  hojtc 
that  Sociiiian  converts  would  "  at  length 
feel  the  li«iiigii  influence  of  their  princi- 
ples, and  demonstrate  the  excellence  of 
their  faith  by  the  superior  dignity  and 
tcorth  of  their  character."  If  the  excel- 
lence of  principles  (and  of  course  their 
truth,  for  nothing  can  be  excellent  which 
is  not  true,)  be  not  demonstrable  by  the 
character  of  those  who  embrace  therm,  how 
is  superior  dignity  and  worth  of  character 
to  demonstrate  it  1 

Such  was  once  the  "self-commending" 
language  of  Mr.  Belsham ;  but,  whether 
his  converts  have  disappointed  his  hope, 
or  whether  the  ground  be  too  "holy"  for 
him,  so  it  is,  that  he  is  now  entirely  of  a 
different  mind  :  and,  what  is  worse,  would 
fain  persuade  his  readers  that  it  is  gi'ound 
on  which  he  and  his  brethren  have  never 
"  trespassed." 

This  is  the  man  who,  after  throwing  down 
the  gauntlet,  declines  the  contest ;  and, 
after  his  partisans  have  labored  to  the  ut- 
most to  maintain  their  cause,  talks  of  what 
they  could  say  and  do,  were  they  not  with- 
held by  motives  of  generosity  ! 

One  would  imagine,  from  Mr.  Belham's 
manner  of  writing,  that  I  had  dealt  largely 
in  tales  of  private  characters.     The  truth 


is,  what  tales  have  l)een  told  are  of  their 
own  telling.  1  freely  acknowledged*  that 
"I  was  not  suthcicnliy  acquainted  with 
the  bulk  of  Socinians  to  judge  of  their 
moral  character."  Every  thing  was  rest- 
ed on  their  own  concessions  :  and  this  it  is 
wiiicli  is  the  galling  circumstance  to  Mr. 
Belsham  and  his  party.  They  may  now 
insinuate  what  great  things  they  could 
bring  forward  to  our  disadvantage,  were 
they  not  restrained  by  motives  of  modesty 
and  generosity  :  but  they  can  do  nothing. 
They  might,  indeed,  collect  tales  of  indi- 
viduals, and  point  out  many  faults  which 
attach  to  the  general  body  ;  but  they  can- 
not prove  it  to  be  equally  immoral  with 
the  general  body  of  .Socinians.  Before 
this  can  be  consistently  attempted,  they 
must  retract  their  concessions  :  and  this 
will  not  avail  them;  for  it  must  be  mani- 
fest to  all  men  that  it  was  only  to  an- 
swer an  end. 

The  reader  is  now  left  to  judge  for  him- 
self, whether  the  principle  of  reasoning 
adopted  in  the  foregoing  Letters  be  justly 
liable  to  the  objections  which  have  been 
raised  against  it,  whether  our  opponents 
did  not  first  apply  it  against  us,  and  wheth- 
er any  other  reason  can  be  given  for  their 
present  aversion  to  it  than  that  they  feel 
it  to  be  unfavorable  to  their  cause. 

*  See  p.  206. 


VOL. 


37 


SOCINIANISM     INDEFENSIBLE 

ON    THE 

GROUND  OF  ITS  MORAL  TENDENCY: 

CONTAINING 

A  REPLY  TO  TWO  LATE  PUBLICATIONS, 
THE  ONE  BY  DR.  TOULMIN, 

ENTITLED 
THE    PRACTICAL    EFFICACY    OF    THE    UNITARIAN    DOCTRINE    CONSIDERED  ; 

THE  OTHER   BY  MR.  KENTISH, 

ENTITLED 
THE    MORAL    TENDENCY    OF    THE    GENUINE    CHRISTIAN    DOCTRINE. 


I  N  T  R  0  D  U  C.T  ION. 


It  is  now  more  than  three  years  since  the  first  publication  of  The  Calvinistic  and 
Socinian  Systems  examined  and  compared  as  to  their  Moral  Tendency.  Dr.  Toulmin 
expresses  some  regret  that,  at  the  time  he  wrote,  nothing  had  appeared  in  answer  to 
it ;  and  seems  disposed  to  account  for  this  circumstance  in  a  way  that  may  acquit  his 
cause  of  seeming  to  be  indefensible.  Addressing  himself  to  me,  he  says,  "No  one 
can  doubt  that  the  gentlemen,  on  passages  in  whose  writings  many  of  your  reflections 
are  grounded,  are  every  way  equal  to  the  contest,  if  they  saw  fit  to  enter  the  lists 
with  you.  As  they  have  not  done  it,  I  presume  they  think  it  sufficient  to  leave  the 
candid  reader  to  judge  between  you  and  them." — p.  2. 

That  these  gentlemen,  so  far  as  abilities  are  concerned,  are  equal  to  this  contest, 
there  can,  indeed,  be  no  doubt :  but,  whether  they  be  every  way  equal  to  it,  is  another 
question.  It  is  beyond  the  power  of  any  man  to  convert  truth  into  falsehood,  or 
falsehood  into  truth ;  and  their  silence  may,  for  any  thing  Dr.  Toulmin  can  prove,  be 
owing  to  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking.  One  thing  is  rather  remarkable  :  though 
Dr.  Toulmin  has  undertaken  a  defence  of  Socinianism,  yet  he  has  cautiously  avoided 
a  vindication  of  the  writings  of  those  gentlemen  on  which  I  had  animadverted.  Such 
a  conduct  could  not  have  been  pursued  by  them  :  if  they  had  written,  they  must  have 
entered  on  a  defence  of  their  writings,  or  have  given  them  up  as  indefensible. 

Dr.  Toulmin  informs  us  that,  for  his  own  part,  "it  Avas  but  lately  that  the  piece 
fell  in  his  way,  so  as  to  find  him  at  leisure  to  read  it." — p.  1.  This,  undoubtedly,  is 
a  sufficient  apolog)',  so  far  as  it  respects  himself;  and  if  he  or  his  colleague,  Mr. 
Kentish,  have  but  overturned  the  substance  of  the  piece  against  which  they  have 
written,  time  and  other  circumstances  are  of  small  account.  If  the  opinion  of  Re- 
viewers, on  these  performances,  be  of  any  weight,  it  must  be  concluded  that  they 
have  done  this,  at  least.  The  Analytical  and  Monthly  Reviews,  with  The  Protestant 
Dissenters'  Magazine,  have  each  bestowed,  on  one  or  other  of  them,  their  strong  and 
unqualified  approbation.  Whether  their  critiques  have  been  of  any  advantage  to  the 
cause,  I  may  hereafter  inquire :  at  present,  I  shall  proceed  to  examine  what  is  ad- 
vanced by  each  of  my  opponents,  in  their  order. 
1797. 


REPLY    TO    DR.    TOULMIN. 


SECTION    I. 

ON  THE  GROUND  OF  ARGUMENT  USED 
IN  THIS  CONTROVERSY,  AND  THE  AT- 
TEMPTS OF  OUR  OPPONENTS  TO  SHIFT 
IT. 

When  I  first  formed  a  design  of  writing 
against  Socinianism,  I  perceived  that,  al- 
though the  holy  Scriptures  were  treated 
by  Socinian  writers  with  great  disrespect 
in  various  instances,  yet  they  were  gener- 
ally the  ultimate  tribunal  to  which  the 
appeal  was  made.  The  object  of  the 
controversy,  on  both  sides,  seemed  to  be 
to  ascertain  their  true  meaning.  For 
this  purpose,  two  general  methods  had 
been  adopted  :  first,  arranging  the  vari- 
ous passages  of  Scripture  which  relate  to 
the  subject,  and  reasoning  upon  them. 
Secondly,  examining  in  what  sense  Chris- 
tians in  the  early  ages  of  Christianity 
understood  them. 

The  first  is  the  common  way  of  de- 
ciding controversies  in  divinity ;  and  a 
very  good  way  it  is,  if  fairly  conducted. 
I  had  several  objections,  however,  against 
pursuing  it  in  this  instance.  First :  it 
was  ground  which  was  already  fully  oc- 
cupied. Al)le  writers,  on  both  sides,  had 
gone  over  all  the  passages  of  Scripture 
relating  to  the  subject;  and  many  of 
them  had  nearly  exhausted  their  genius, 
in  reasoning  upon  the  scope  of  the  sacred 
writers,  and  in  criticising  upon  the  orig- 
inal language.  Secondly  :  I  perceived 
that  Socinian  writers  had  got  into  such  an 
unwarrantable  habit  of  criticising  upon  the 
sacred  writings,  tliat  the  plainest  passages 
could  not  stand  before  them  ;  whole  chap- 
ters and  whole  books  were  cashiered  as 
spurious ;  and  even  the  whole  Bible  was 
declared  to  be  "obscure,"  and  "never 
designed  to  decide  upon  controverted 
questions  in  religion  and  morality."*  It 
appeared  to  me  of  but  little  account  to 
rca>;on  upon  texts  of  Scripture,  when  the 
Scripture  itself,  wliatever  might  be  its 
meaning,  was  virtually  disallowed. 

As  to  the  last  of  these  methods,  it  was 

*  AlonUily  Review  Enlarged.  Vol.  X.    p.  357. 


not  within  my  province.  Besides,  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  whatever  pleasure  we 
may  feel  in  tracing  the  history  of  early 
opinions,  and  whatever  good  purposes 
may  be  answered  by  a  work  of  this  nature 
if  impartially  conducted,  yet  it  can  aflbrd 
no  proper  criterion  of  what  is  the  apos- 
tolic doctrine.  Christians  in  early  ages 
were  as  liable  to  err  as  we  are,  and  in 
many  instances  they  did  err,  so  as  to  con- 
tradict the  Scriptures  and  one  another. 

Thinking  on  these  things,  it  occurred  to 
me  that  there  was  another  method  of  reas- 
oning distinct  from  those  which  have  been 
already  mentioned;  namely,  by  inquiring 
—  What  is  that  doctrine  in  the  present  day 
which  is  productive  oj  the  best  moral  ef- 
fects 1  Several  considerations  induced  me 
to  prefer  this  ground  of  reasoning,  in  the 
present  case,  to  either  of  the  other  two. 
First  :  it  would  serve  to  ascertain  what 
was  the  apostolic  doctrine  as  well  as  the 
former  of  them,  and  much  better  than  the 
latter.  If,  for  example,  in  discoursing  on 
the  vines  and  fig  trees  which  formerly 
grew  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  a  dispute 
should  arise  whether  they  resembled  this 
or  that  species  now  growing  in  other  coun- 
tries, one  way  of  deciding  it  would  be  to 
compare  the  fruits.  If  the  fruit  of  one 
species  could  be  proved  to  possess  a  much 
nearer  likeness  than  the  fruit  of  another, 
that  would  tend  to  decide  the  controversy 
in  its  favor.  Secondly :  an  inquiry  into 
the  moral  tendency  of  tiie  different  doc- 
trines would  not  only  serve  as  a  medium 
of  ascertaining  which  of  them  was  the 
apostolic  doctrine,  but  would  also  prove 
the  truth  of  that  doctrine,  and  its  divine 
original;  for  it  is  a  priiicii)le  so  deeply  en- 
graven on  the  human  mind — that  whatever 
doctrine  is  j)roductivc  of  good  fruits  must 
in  itself  be  good,  and  have  its  origin  in 
God,  that  very  few  writers,  if  any,  would 
dare  to  maintain  the  contrary.  I  perceiv- 
ed, therefore,  if  I  could  not  only  prove  that 
what  is  commonly  called  Calvinism  is 
most  productive  of  effects  similar  to  those 
which  sprang  from  the  doctrine  of  the 
Apostles,  but  also  exhibit  them  in  such  a 
light,  as  I  went  along,  as  that  they  should 
approve  themselves  to  every  man's  con- 


296 


ON  THE  GROUND  OF  THE  ARGUMENT. 


science,  I  should  thereby  cut  off  the  re- 
treat of  those  Socinian  writers  who,  when 
their  doctrine  is  proved  to  be  anti-scriptu- 
ral, forsake  christian  ground,  and  take 
shelter  upon  the  territories  of  deism  :  de- 
grading the  Bible  as  an  "obscure  book," 
taxing  its  writers  with  "reasoning  incon- 
clusively," and  declaring  that  its  "  nature 
and  design  was  not  to  settle  disputed  theo- 
ries, or  decide  upon  controverted  ques- 
tions, in  religion  and  morality."  I  knew 
well  that  though  they  dared  to  write  de- 
gradingly  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of  the  sa- 
cred writers,  yet  they  dare  not  professedly 
set  themselves  against  morality.  Third- 
ly :  the  judging  of  doctrines  by  their  ef- 
fects is  a  practice  warranted  by  Scripture  : 
"by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 
A  very  able  writer,  in  a  discourse  on  this 
passage,  has  shown  that  "  the  rule  here 
given  by  our  Saviour  is  the  best  that  could 
have  been  given ;  that  it  is  sufficient  to 
distinguish  truth  from  error  ;  and  that  it  is 
in  fact  the  rule  by  which  all  good  men,  and 
indeed  mankind  in  general,  do  judge  of  re- 
ligious principles  and  pretensions."  * 
Fourthly  :  I  supposed  that  such  a  method 
of  reasoning  would  be  more  interesting  to 
the  public  mind,  having  never  before,  to 
my  recollection,  been  adopted  as  the 
ground  of  any  particular  treatise  on  the 
subject.  Fifthly :  It  was  ground  upon 
which  there  was  room  for  common  Chris- 
tians to  stand  and  be  witnesses  of  the  is- 
sue of  the  contest,  which,  while  the  con- 
troversy turned  upon  the  opinion  of  the 
Fathers,  or  the  construction  of  a  text  of 
Scripture,  was  not  the  case.  Sixthly  :  it 
was  a  ground  of  reasoning  to  which  our 
opponents  could  not  fairly  object,  seeing 
they  had  commenced  an  attack  upon  it, 
charging  the  Calvinistic  system  with 
"gloominess,"  "bigotry,"  and  "licen- 
tiousness;" with  being'  "averse  to  the 
love  of  both  God  and  man,"  and  "  an  axe 
at  the  root  of  all  virtue." 

These  Avere  the  principal  reasons  which 
induced  me  to  prefer  the  ground  of  argu- 
ment on  which  I  have  proceeded.  I  would 
not  be  vuiderstood,  however,  as  expressing 
the  least  disrespect  towards  the  works  of 
those  who  have  proceeded  on  other 
grounds.  Let  the  subject  be  examined  in 
every  point  of  view.  Every  author  has 
a  right  to  choose  his  gi-ound  of  reasoning, 
provided  it  be  a  fair  one  ;  and  that  which 
may  be  unsuitable  to  the  turn  and  talents 
of  one  person  may  be  suitable  to  those  of 
another.  If  the  reader  wish  to  see  the 
present  controversy  pursued  on  the  ground 
of  scripture-testimony  and  the  opinions  of 
early  ages,  he  may  consult  to  great  advan- 

*  Dr.  Witheispoon's  Trial  of  Relig^ious  Truth  by 
its  Moral  Influence. 


tage  a  late  very  valuable  and  elaborate 
work  of  Dr.  Jamieson,  entitled  A  Vindi- 
cation of  the  Doctrine  of  Scripture,  and  of 
the  Primitive  Faith,  concerning  the  Deity 
of  Christ,  in  Reply  to  Dr.  Priestley's  His- 
tory of  Early  Opinions,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Knowing  somewhat  of  the  abilities  of 
the  writers  on  the  other  side,  and  their 
readiness  on  all  occasions  to  defend  their 
cause,  I  did  not  expect  to  escape  their 
censure.  I  laid  my  accounts  that  what  I 
advanced  would  either  be  treated  as  un- 
worthy of  notice,  or,  if  any  answer  was 
written,  that  the  strength  of  the  argu- 
ments would  be  tried  to  the  uttermost.  In 
both  these  particulars,  however,  I  have 
been  mistaken.  They  have  not  treated 
it  as  unworthy  of  notice.  They  have  ac- 
knowledged the  contrary.  And,  as  to  try- 
ing tlie  strength  of  the  arguments,  I  must 
say  that  Dr.  Toulmin  has  not  so  much  as 
looked  them  in  the  face.  On  the  contra- 
ry, thougli  the  Practical  Efficacy  of  the 
Unitarian  Doctrine  is  the  title  of  his  per- 
formance, yet  he  acknowledges  (p.  5)  his 
design  is  to  "supersede  the  examination 
of  that  comparison  into  which  I  had  fully 
entered;"  that  is,  to  relinquish  the  de- 
fence of  the  practical  efficacy  of  his  prin- 
ciples, and  to  i-eason  entirely  upon  other 
ground  !  Mr.  Kentish  is  the  only  writer 
who  has  pretended  to  encounter  the  argu- 
ment. Whether  he  has  succeeded  will  be 
hereafter  examined.  At  present  I  shall 
attend  to  Dr.  Toulmin. 

This  writer  observes,  at  the  outset,  that 
"  the  title  prefixed  to  his  Letters  will 
lead  the  reader  to  expect  from  them, 
chiefly,  the  discussion  of  one  point ;  but 
that  a  point  of  great  importance  in  itself, 
and  the  main  one  to  which  a  reply  to  Mr. 
Fuller's  work  need  to  be  directed." 

Now,  reader,  what  would  you  have  ex- 
pected that  one  point  to  be  1  The  title  pre- 
fixed to  his  Letters,  i-ecollect,  is  this  : 
The  Practical  Efficacy  of  the  Unitarian 
Doctrine  considered.  Would  you  not  have 
supposed  that  the  Doctor  was  going  to 
offer  evidence  in  favor  of  the  practical  ef- 
ficacy of  modern  Unitarianism  1  From 
the  title  of  his  book,  could  you  have  ex- 
pected any  other  than  an  exhibition  of  the 
most  forcible  arguments  in  favor  of  the 
holy  tendency  of  his  principles,  together 
with  a  number  of  undoubted  facts,  in 
which  their  efficacy  has  appeared  sufficient 
at  least,  to  confront  the  evidence  alleged 
on  the  other  side  ■?  How  great  then  must 
be  your  disappointment,  to  find  him  em- 
ployed in  "producing  evidence  in  support 
of  his  opinion  {rom.  passages  of  Scripture," 
and  in  proving,  what  nobody  calls  in  ques- 
tion, that  the  preaching  of  the  apostles 
was  productive  of  great  moral  effects  ! 

Dr.  Toulmin,  it  should  seem,  can  find 


ON  THE  GROUND  OP  THE  ARGUMENT. 


297 


no  such  fruits  of  Soriniaii  doctrines  as 
will  support  an  appeal,  and,  tiierefore,  is 
under  tlie  nercssity  of  goinjr  seventeen 
hundred  years  back,  in  search  of  examples. 
But  are  those  examples  in  j)oint  ]  Were 
the  principles  of  Christians,  in  the  apos- 
tolic ajre,  tiie  same  as  those  of  Socinians  ] 
With  wiuit  face  can  Dr.  Toulmin  take  it 
for  granted  that  tiiey  were,  or  even  go 
about  to  prove  it,  as  a  medium  of  estab- 
lishing the  practical  elhcacy  of  modern 
Unilarianism  I 

When  the  grand  end  of  a  controversy  is 
to  determine  a  principle,  a  writer  who  as- 
sumes that  principle  as  a  medium  of  proof 
is  guilty  of  begging  the  question ;  and  if, 
in  order  to  escape  the  public  censure,  he 
endeavor  to  give  evidence  of  this  principle, 
from  some  other  source  of  argument  than 
that  wiiich  lie  professes  to  answer,  he  is 
guilty  of  shifting  the  ground  of  the  con- 
troversy ;  and,  by  so  doing,  virtually  gives 
up  his  cause  as  indefensible. 

This  is  exactly  the  case  with  Dr.  Toul- 
min. The  doetrine  of  the  apostles  is  al- 
lowed, on  both  sides,  to  have  produced 
great  moral  effects.  The  object  of  the  con- 
troversy was  to  ascertain  inlutt  that  doc- 
trine luas.  The  medium  of  proof  which  I 
had  adopted,  and  to  which  Dr.  Toulmin, 
if  he  pretended  to  write  an  answer  to  me, 
ought  to  have  confined  himself,  was  the 
effects  which  it  produced.  I  attempted  to 
prove  that  the  apostolic  and  Calvinistic 
doctrines  arc  nearly  similar,  from  the 
similarity  of  their  effects ;  and  that  the 
apostolic  and  Socinian  doctrines  arc  dis- 
similar, from  the  dissimilarity  of  their  ef- 
fects. To  have  answered  this  reasoning, 
Dr.  Toulmin  should  have  proved,  either 
that  the  effects  of  the  Calvinistic  doctrine 
are  not  similar  to  those  which  attended 
the  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  and  that  the 
effects  of  the  Socinian  doctrine  are  so  ;  or 
else  that  a  similarity  of  effects  is  not  a 
proper  ground  from  which  to  infer  a  simi- 
larity in  the  nature  of  the  doctrines.  His 
attempting  to  prove  the  practical  efficacy 
of  the  Unitarian  doctrine  by  assuming  that 
the  apostles  were  Unitarians,  in  iiis  sense 
of  the  term,  is  nothing  better  than  beg- 
ging the  fjuesti^n ;  and  his  endeavoring  to 
screen  himself  from  this  reproach,  by  la- 
boring to  prove  the  point  in  dispute  from 
a  review  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  let 
his  reasonings  be  ever  so  just,  is  foreign 
from  the  purpose:  it  is  shifting  the  ground 
of  the  argument  :  it  is  declining  to  meet 
the  inqui  ryon  the  ground  of  moral  tend- 
ency, and  substituting,  in  its  place,  ob- 
servations on  the  meaning  of  Scripture  tes- 
timony, which,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
is  relinquishing  the  practical  efficacy  of 
modern  Unitarianism  as  indefensible. 
The  plain  languaee  of  his  performance  is 

VOL.   I.  ^  38 


this  :  There  arc  no  examples  to  be  found 
of  any  consideral)le  moral  iiiiluence  wliich 
tlie  Unitarian  doctrine  has  liad  upon  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  men  of  late  ages  ;  and, 
tiiercfore,  I  have  had  recourse  to  the 
preaching  of  the  apostles,  and  have  en- 
deavored to  prove  that  they  were  Unita- 
rian'^. 

If  Dr.  Toulmin  thought  the  moral  ten- 
dency of  a  doctrine  an  improper  medium 
of  proof,  why  did  he  not  professedly  de- 
cline it  ]  Why  did  he  not  acknowledge 
that  Dr.  Priestley  was  wrong  in  challeng- 
ing an  inquiry  on  such  a  ground  ]  And 
why  did  he  entitle  his  performance,  7Vtc 
Practical  Efficacy  of  the  Unitarian  Doc- 
trine 1  This  piece  does  not  answer  to  its 
title  :  itougiit,  rather,  to  have  been  called, 
An  Inquiry  into  the  Doctrines  which  the 
Primitive  Preachers  delivered,  by  a  Re- 
view of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The 
practical  efficacy  of  either  doctrine  makes 
no  part  of  his  argument,  and  occupies 
scarcely  any  place  in  his  performance, 
except  the  title-page  ;  and  there  is  reason 
to  tiiiiik  it  would  not  have  been  there,  but 
for  the  sake  of  its  wearing  the  appearance 
of  an  answer  to  the  piece  against  which  it 
is  written. 

I  am  not  obliged,  by  the  laws  of  con- 
troversy, to  follow  Dr.  Toulmin  in  his  re- 
view of  the  history  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 
tles ;  nor  is  it  my  intention  to  be  diverted 
from  the  subject  by  the  manoeuvres  of  any 
opponent.  The  only  notice  I  shall  take 
of  tiiis  part  of  his  performance  will  be  in 
a  few  pages  in  the  form  of  an  Appendix, 
as  being  a  subject  besides  the  question  ; 
and  that,  merely  to  show,  as  a  thing  by 
the  bye,  that,  even  upon  his  own  ground, 
his  cause  is  indefensible. 

An  anonymous  writer,  in  the  Analyt- 
ical Review,*  discovers  a  similar  incli- 
nation with  that  of  Dr.  Toulmin,  to  shift 
the  ground  of  the  controversy;  but  with 
this  difference  :  the  Reviewer  openly 
avows  his  dislike  of  the  medium  of  proof 
which  I  have  adopted,  calling  it  "  a  falla- 
cious test,"  and  recommending  to  all 
parties,  "instead  of  asking  by  tvhom  any 
system  is  professed,  to  confine  themselves 
to  the  single  inquiry,  by  tvhat  evidence  it 
is  supported :  "  whereas  Dr.  Toulmin, 
though  he  discovers  the  same  dislike  to 
the  ground  of  argument  on  which  I  have 
proceeded,  yet  has  not  the  ingenuousness 
to  acknowledge  it,  but  pretends  to  reason 
upon  the  practical  efficacy  of  his  princi- 
ples, while,  in  fact,  he  has  utterly  relin- 
quished it,  and  endeavored  to  establish 
his  system  upon  another  ground. 

The    writer  above   mentioned,    having 
quoted  the  concluding  paragraph  of  my 

*  Vol.  XVII.  pp.  183,  184. 


298 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN  S    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


Letters,  calls  it  "an  unfounded  and  pre- 
sumptuous sentence,  pronounced  upon  the 
hearts  of  those  who  adopt  Socinian  princi- 
ples," and  insinuates  that  I  must  have 
written  in  a  bad  spirit.  Before  I  have 
finished  these  pages,  I  shall  have  oc- 
casion to  defend  the  passage  referred  to, 
more  particularly.  At  present,  I  only 
observe  that,  taken  in  its  connection,  it 
amounts  to  no  more  than  this.  That,  if 
Socinianism  be  an  immoral  system,  im- 
moral dispositions  are  the  avenues  which 
lead  to  it :  and  it  is  possible  that  this 
writer,  notwithstanding  what  he  has  said 
under  cover,  might  be  ashamed  to  come 
forward,  and,  in  a  publication  to  which 
he  should  prefix  his  name,  avow  his  denial 
of  this  proposition. 

This  Reviewer  wishes  to  have  it  thought 
that  the  moral  effects  produced  by  a  doc- 
trine form  no  part  of  the  evidence  by 
which  it  is  supported ;  that  is  to  say,  he 
wishes  to  shift  this  ground  of  argument, 
as  unsuitable  to  his  purpose.  If  the  ef- 
fects of  a  doctrine  upon  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  men  be  no  proper  ground  of  argu- 
ment, why  are  we  directed  by  our  Lord 
to  judge  of  false  teachers  by  their  fruits  1 
and  why  were  not  the  same  observations 
made  while  Socinians  were  throwing  out 
their  accusations  of  immorality  against 
the  Calvinists  1  Writers  may  rave  like 
furies  against  them,  and  be  applauded  by 
Socinian  Reviewers.*  But  a  single  at- 
tempt to  repel  these  shafts  of  calumny, 
and  to  prove,  from  facts  which  no  one  has 
yet  undertaken  to  dispute,  that  immoral- 
ity attaches  to  the  other  side,  quite  alters 
the  nature  of  things  :  lo,  then,  the  ground 
of  argument  is  unfair,  and  the  writer 
must  be  a  man  of  a  bad  spirit ! 

About  forty  years  ago  the  Socinians, 
and  those  who  veered  towards  their  sen- 
timents in  the  Church  of  Scotland,  are 
said  to  have  attacked  the  Calvinistic 
system  with  various  kinds  of  weapons. 
Amongst  others,  they  abounded  in  the 
use  of  ridicule ;  so  much,  indeed,  that 
they  seemed  disposed  to  adopt  Lord 
Shaftesbury's  maxim,  that  "  Ridicule  is 
the  test  of  truth."  At  this  juncture,  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  as  it  is  supposed,  published 
his  Ecclesiastical  Characteristics,  in  which 
he  successfully  turned  their  weapon  upon 
themselves.  The  effect  of  that  perform- 
ance was  very  considerable  :  a  dead  si- 
lence succeeded  its  publication ;  none 
moved  the  wing,  or  opened  the  mouth,  or 
peeped;  but  they  comforted  one  another, 
by  suggesting  that  the  author  of  the  Char- 
acteristics must  be  a  man  of  a  bad  heart! 

*See  Monthly  Review  for  July,  1792,  on  Llew- 
ellyn's Tracts,  p.  226. 


SECTION  II.    -^ 

FURTHER     REMARKS     ON     DR.     TOULMIN, 
WITH     REPLIES     TO     VARIOUS     OF     HIS 

ANIMADVERSIONS. 

Dr.  Toulmin  gives  us,  at  the  outset  of 
his  performance,  a  short  account  of  the 
"fundamental  principles  "  of  his  scheme. 
These,  he  tells  us,  are,  "  That  there  is 
but  ONE  God,  the  sole  former,  supporter, 
and  governor  of  the  universe,  the  only 
proper  object  of  religious  worship ;  and 
that  there  is  but  one  mediator  between 
God  and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus, 
who  was  commissioned  by  God  to  instruct 
men  in  their  duty,  and  to  reveal  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  life." — p.  4.  He  after- 
wards complains  that,  "  instead  of  apply- 
ing my  arguments  against  these  principles, 
I  have  brought  forAvard  particular  posi- 
tions, scattered  through  the  works  or 
discourses  of  several  eminent  persons, 
known  and  able  advocates  of  the  Unita- 
rian faith,  which  have  no  immediate  and 
direct  connection  with  the  first  principles 
of  it."  These  positions,  he  observes, 
"  might  or  might  not  be  true ;  and  the 
truth  of  the  great  doctrines  of  the  unity 
of  God  and  the  humanity  of  Christ  re- 
main, in  either  case,  unaffected  by  it." — 
p.  41.  The  unity  of  God,  and  the 
humanity  of  Christ,  then,  it  seems,  are 
the  principles  which  I  ought  to  have  at- 
tacked :  that  is  to  say,  I  ought  to  have 
attacked  principles  which  I  profess  to 
believe,  and  not  those  which  I  profess  to 
disbelieve  !  Dr.  Toulmin  seems  disposed 
to  be  on  the  safe  side.  By  avoiding  a 
defence  of  those  positions  which  are  quo- 
ted from  the  principal  writers  of  the  par- 
ty, and  adopting  the  words  of  Scripture  as 
the  medium  by  which  to  express  his  senti- 
ments, (taking  it  for  granted,  as  he  goes 
along,  that  these  Scripture  expressions 
are  to  be  understood  in  his  sense  of  them,) 
his  work  becomes  very  easy,  and  very 
pleasant.  But  thinking  people  will  re- 
mark that,  by  so  doing,  he  has  retired 
from  the  field  of  controversy,  and  taken 
refuge  upon  neutral  ground.  Dr.  Toul- 
min knows  that  I  shall  not  dispute  with 
him  the  apostolic  position,  that  there  is 
one  God,  and  one  mediator  between  God 
and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus :  and  his 
taking  it  for  granted  that  these  and  other 
Scriptures  convey  his  peculiar  sentiments 
— namely,  that  the  unity  of  God  is  per- 
sonal, and  that  Christ  is  merely  a  man — is 
begging  the  question,  a  practice  to  which 
he  is  more  than  a  little  addicted. 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN's    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


299 


What  would  Dr.  Touliuin  liave  said,  if 
I  had  alleged  that  Sociniaiis,  instead  ol  at- 
tacking the  positions  of  the  leading  wri- 
ters amongst  tlie  leading  Calvinists,  ought 
to  have  attacked  ourl'irst  j)rinci|)les  ;  such 
as  the  following  :  ihere  is  uFalher,  a  Son, 
and  a  Holy  Spirit,  in  whose  name  loe  are 
baptized:  The  Word  was  God:  Christ 
died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures. And,  if  to  this  I  had  added,  "We 
tliink  it  a  just  ground  of  hoast  tiiat  we  can 
express  our  fundamental  opinions  in  the 
words  of  Scripture"  (p.  5,)  would  he  not 
have  replied  to  this  effect — We  do  not  de- 
ny any  one  of  your  positions.  These  are 
not  your  distinguishing  principles,  but  are 
such  as  are  allowed  on  both  sides.  It  is 
the  sense  ichich  you  put  upon  these  passa- 
ges of  Scripture  which  constitutes  your 
first  principles,  and  the  points  of  difference 
between  us.  You  ought  not  to  expect 
that  we  should  attack  tlie  words  of  Scrip- 
ture ;  for  it  is  not  Scripture,  but  your 
glosses  upon  it,  that  we  oppose  ;  and  it  is 
mean  in  you  to  beg  the  question,  by  taking 
it  for  granted  that  your  sense  of  these 
passages  is  the  true  one  :  it  is  no  other 
than  shrouding  your  obnoxious  glosses 
under  the  sacred  phraseology  of  Scripture, 
and  it  betrays  an  inclination  in  you  to  im- 
pose upon  us  the  one  under  the  form  of  the 
other. 

"  No  man  who  striveth  for  the  mastery  is 
crowned,  except  he  strive  lawfully."  If 
a  Grecian  combatant  had  cjuitted  the 
ground  marked  out  for  the  contest,  like 
Dr.  Toulmin,  he  would  not  only  have  lost 
the  prize,  but  w^ould  have  been  struck  out 
of  the  list  of  honorable  competitors. 

Dr.  Toulmin  lal)ors  to  j)rove  that  there 
are  certain  principles  that  are  productive 
of  piety,  which  are  not  peculiar  to  Calvin- 
ists or  Socinians,  but  are  common  to  both  ; 
and  mentions  several  devotional  treatises 
of  Calvinistic  writers,  in  which  these  are 
the  only  principles  insisted  on. — p.  33,  34. 
And  what  if  this  be  granted  1  I  never 
said  that  the  distinguisliing  principles  of 
Calvinism  were  the  only  sources  of  holy 
practice.  On  the  contrary,  the  being  of  a 
God,  which  we  hold  in  common  with  the 
Deists,  is  the  foundation-stone  to  the  great 
fabric  of  piety  and  virtue.  This,  however, 
I  must  observe,  tliat  the  most  important 
truths,  when  accompanied  with  great  er- 
rors, are  retained  to  but  very  little  pur- 
pose, in  comparison  of  what  they  are  when 
accompanied  with  other  truths.  Divine 
truths,  in  this  respect,  resemble  divine 
precepts :  they  are  so  connected  together 
that  he  who  offends  in  one  point  is,  as  it 
were,  guilty  of  all.  It  is  thus  that  one 
great  truth,  the  being  of  a  God,  is  of  but 
very  litlle  use  to  Deists  who  reject  his 
word  :  and,  I  may  add,  it  is  thus  that  the 


doctrine  of  a  future  life  loses  almost  all  its 
effect  in  the  hands  of  lioth  Deists  and  So- 
cinians. Dr.  Toulmin  will  admit  the  pro- 
priety of  tliis  remark,  as  it  respects  the 
former  :*  and,  ii  Dr.  Priestley's  "  Sermon 
on  the  Death  of  Mr.  Robinson  "  may  be 
considered  as  a  specimen  of  the  Socinian 
doctrine  of  a  future  life,  there  can  be  but 
little  doulit  of  the  latter. f 

In  introducing  tlie  above  remarks,  Dr. 
Toulmin  tells  us  his  design  is  to  prove 
"  that  ihe  Calvinistic  system  it  not  essen- 
tial to  devotion." — p.  35.  Truly,  our  op- 
j)onents  are,  of  late,  become  moderate  in 
their  demands.  Heretofore,  Calvinism 
was  "unfriendly  to  the  love  both  of  God 
and  man,  and  an  axe  at  the  root  of  all  vir- 
tue:" but  now,  it  seems,  it  is  allowed  to 
have  a  tendency  in  favor  of  devotion,  and 
all  that  is  argued  for  is,  that  it  is  "  not  es- 
sential "  to  it. 

After  holding  up  the  character  of  seve- 
ral Socinians,  as  eminent  for  piety  and 
virtue.  Dr.  Toulmin  observes  that,  "  if  the 
number  of  excellent  characters  should  not 
be  so  great  as  amongst  other  denomina- 
tions, a  cause  of  this  is  easily  to  be  as- 
signed :  the  number  of  Socinians  hath  al- 
ways, in  the  latter  ages  of  the  church, 
borne  a  small  proportion  to  the  number 
of  Trinitarians  and  Calvinists  ;  and  the 
number  of  sincere,  conscientious  persons, 
attentive  to  the  cultivation  of  pious  affec- 
tions, hath  borne  a  small  proportion  to 
those  who  have  been  nominal  Socinians  or 
Calvinists." — p.  36.  It  was  no  part  of 
my  plan  to  examine  the  good  or  bad  con- 
duct of  individuals,  whether  they  were 
Socinians  or  Calvinists  :  it  was  the  gene- 
ral body  from  which  I  proposed  to  form  an 
estimate. 

As  to  Dr.  Toulmin's  attempt  to  reduce 
the  state  of  Socinians  and  Calvinists  to  a 
level,  it  comes  too  late.  His  brethren 
have  acknowledged  that  "rational  Chris- 
tians are  often  represented  as  indifferent 
to  practical  religion  :"  nor  have  they  de- 
nied the  charge  ;  or  alleged  that  they  are 
no  more  so  than  is  common  w  ith  other  de- 
nominations of  Christians  ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  have  tacitly  admitted  it,  by  en- 
deavoring to  account  i'or  it.  Nay,  why 
need  I  go  back  to  the  acknowledgments  of 
Mr.  Belsham  or  Dr.  Priestley^  Dr. 
Toulmin  himself  has,  in  effect,  acknow- 
ledged the  same  thing  :  he  also  goes  about 
to  account  for  the  defect  in  devotion  among 
Socinians  compared  with  Calvinists,  in 
such  a  way  as  shall  not  be  disparaging  to 
the  principles  of  the  former,  with  respect 

*  See  his"  Dissertation  nn  tlie  Internal  Evidences, 
&c.,  of  Christianity,"  p.  246,  Note. 

t  See  Remarks  in  "  Systems  Compared,"  pp.. 
273,  274. 


300 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN's    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


to  their  influence  on  the  piety  of  their  feel- 
ings. "They,"  he  says,  "deeply  en- 
gaged in  the  investigation  of  truth,  ab- 
sorbed in  gainingjust  ideas,  may  have  been 
necessarily  betrayed  into  a  neglect  of  the 
culture  of  the  heart  and  affections." — p. 
36.  These  methods  of  accounting  for 
things,  whether  just  or  not,  are  plain  in- 
dications of  the  existence  of  the  fact  ac- 
counted for  :  all  attempts,  therefore,  to 
disown  or  palliate  it  are  nugatory  and 
vain. 

But  let  us  examine  Dr.  Toulmin's 
method  of  accounting  for  the  defect  of  de- 
votion amongst  Socinians.  They  are  so 
absorbed  in  the  acquisition  of  truth,  it 
seems,  as  to  neglect  the  culture  of  the 
heart ;  yea,  necessarily  to  neglect  it. 
This  is  somewhat  strange.  Truth  and 
righteousness  used  to  be  reckoned  friendly 
to  each  other  :  but  of  late,  it  seems,  the 
case  is  altered.  Dr.  Priestley  and  Mr. 
Belsham  have  taught  us  that  indifference 
to  religion  is  friendly  to  the  acquisition  of 
truth;  and  Dr.  Toulmin  completes  the 
scheme,  by  teaching  us  that  the  acqui- 
sition of  truth  is  friendly  to  indifference 
to  religion ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing, 
that  it  leads  to  the  neglect  of  cultivating 
holy  affections.  Say,  reader,  can  that  be 
truth,  evangelical  truth,  which  is  thus  ac- 
quired, and  which  thus  operates  1  The 
knowledge  of  Christ's  doctrine  was  for- 
merly promoted  by  doing  hisivill;  and,  be- 
ing known,  it  invariably  wrought  in  a  way 
of  righteousness. 

I  know,  indeed,  that  persons  deeply  en- 
gaged in  polemics,  whatever  cause  they  es- 
pouse, are  in  danger  of  neglecting  the  cul- 
ture of  the  heart :  but,  whatever  allow- 
ances require  to  be  made  on  one  side  of 
the  controversy,  ought  equally  to  be  made 
on  the  other.  Unless  Dr.  Toulmin  means 
to  acknowledge  that,  on  account  of  the  pe- 
culiar difficulty  of  defending  their  cause, 
they  have  had  greater  labor  and  more 
"  absorbing  "  application  than  their  oppo- 
nents, he  cannot,  therefore,  account  for 
their  defects  from  the'iv polemical  engage- 
ments. The  "investigation"  to  which  he 
refers  must  he  private,  like  that  of  the  no- 
ble Bereans  :  but  serious  investigation  of 
divine  truth  has  not  been  used  to  produce 
the  effect  which  Dr.  Toulmin  ascribes  to  it, 
but  the  reverse.  The  deeper  the  primitive 
Christians  drank  into  it,  the  more  power- 
fully it  operated,  "  changing  them  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  by  the 
Spirit  of  God." — "  Grace  and  peace  were 
multiplied  in  them  by  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  Jesus  their  Lord."  What 
strange  fatality  is  it  that  hangs  about  So- 
cinianism  !  It  seems  doomed  to  die  by  its 
own  hands  ! 

That   Dr.    Toulmin's   sentiments  have 


produced  glorious  effects  in  turning  sinners 
to  righteousness  is  manifest  if  he  may  but 
take  for  granted,  or  be  allowed  to  have 
proved,  that  these  were  the  sentiments  of 
the  apostles  :  but  if  this  be  not  allowed 
him,  and  he  be  asked  for  proof  of  any  such 
effects  arising  from  Socinianism,  or,  as  he 
would  call  it,  modern  Unitarianism,  here 
he  scarcely  pretends  to  any  thing  of  the 
kind.  He  endeavors,  however,  to  account 
for  the  contrary,  from  "  circumstances 
not  included  in  the  nature  of  the  doctrine, 
or  its  inefficiency."  "  There  are  limes," 
he  observes,  "in  which  men  hear  not  Mo- 
ses and  the  prophets. — The  flock  of  Christ, 
while  he  was  upon  earth,  was  a  little 
flock. — He  lamented  the  unsuccessfulness 
of  his  own  preaching ;  and  the  preaching 
of  the  apostles  was  not  always  successful." 
— pp.  8,  9,  39.  All  this  is  true,  and 
proves  that  the  success  of  any  doctrine 
depends  upon  something  else  tiian  merely 
its  being  adapted  to  the  end.  But  can  it 
be  said  of  the  apostles'  doctrine  that  there 
never  ivas  a  time  in  which  it  urns  remark- 
ably blessed  to  the  conversion  of  sinners  1 
Dr.  Toulmin  admits  the  contrary ;  but  to 
Avhat  period  will  he  refer  us,  when  Socin- 
ianism was  pi-oductive  of  such  effects  1  If 
the  doctrine  of  our  opponents  be  the  same 
for  substance  as  that  of  the  Scriptures,  is 
it  not  surprising  that,  ever  since  the  timgg 
of  the  apostles,  "circumstances"  should 
have  existed  to  counteract  its  efficacy  T 
or,  if  this  were  admissible,  is  it  not  still 
more  surprising  that  those  very  effects 
should  since  that  time  have  been  transfer- 
red to  a  false  doctrine,  a  mere  corruption 
of  Christianity  1 

But  "  the  unsuccessfulness,"  it  is  plead- 
ed, "  may  in  some  degree  be  imputed  to 
the  conduct  of  those  who,  instead  of  re- 
futing their  doctrine  by  plain,  scriptural, 
and  sound  argument,  give  representations 
of  it  that  are  invidious,  raise  prejudices 
against  it,  and  prevent  its  having  a  fair 
hearing."  A  part  of  this  charge  is  exhib- 
ited against  me  for  representing  their 
"congregations  as  gradually  dwindling 
away ;  their  principles  as  having  nothing 
in  them,  comparatively  speaking,  to  alarm 
the  conscience,  or  interest  the  heart; 
and  their  sincerity,  zeal  and  devotion,  as 
on  a  footing  with  those  of  Saul  the  perse- 
cutor."— p.  40.  As  to  the  last  of  these 
representations,  the  whole  of  what  I  have 
suggested  goes  to  prove  that  a  species  of 
devotion  may  exist  which  is  anti-evangeli- 
cal;  and,  therefore,  that  the  mere  exist- 
ence of  devotion,  irrespective  of  its  nature 
and  effects,  is  no  evidence  in  favor  of  the 
principles  from  which  it  arises.  And,  as 
to  the  whole  of  them,  the  only  question  is 
whether  they  be  true.  If  I  have  given 
false  and  invidious  representations,  they 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN's    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


301 


are  capable  of  beina;  pvoveil  such;  and  if 
the  ariTunients  which  1  have  used  be  not 
phiiii,  sound,  and  scriptural,  they  are  the 
more  easily  overturned.  It  is  rather  sin- 
gular, however,  tliat  those  facts  which  I  al- 
leged to  liave  existed  at  tkc  lime  I  wrote 
should  be  attributed  in  any  degree  to  ine  ! 
And  wliy  have  not  tiie  same  etTects  been 
produced  upon  Calvinistic  congregations! 
Dr.  Toulinin  well  knows  it  has  not  been 
for  want  of  the  strongest  representations, 
both  from  the  pulpit  and  the  press,  of  the 
immoral  tendency  of  their  principles. 
There  is  no  system  of  religion  thai  has 
sufiFered  a  larger  portion  of  obloquy  in  the 
present  century.  Preachers,  writers,  and 
reviewers,  of  almost  every  description, 
have  thought  themselves  at  liberty  to  in- 
veigh against  "  the  gloomy,  licentious,  and 
blasphemous  doctrines  of  Calvin."  And 
yet  we  have  experienced  very  little,  if  any, 
injury  from  these  representations.  Com- 
mon people  do  not  pay  much  regard  to 
what  is  alleged  by  writers  :  tliey  judge  of 
the  tree  by  its  fruits.  It.  is  thus,  as  we 
reckon,  tliat  the  accusations  of  our  oppo- 
nents have  had  but  very  little  effect  upon 
us  ;  and,  if  ours  against  them  were  not 
founded  in  trutli,  they  would  in  like  man- 
ner fall  to  the  ground. 

Dr.  Toulmin  complains  of  my  using  the 
term  Socinians,  as  being  a  term  of  re- 
proach.— p.  41.  For  my  own  part  I  would 
much  rather  call  them  by  another  name 
if  they  would  but  adopt  a  fair  one.  Let 
them  take  a  name  that  does  not  assume  the 
question  in  dispute,  and  I  would  no  long- 
er use  the  term  Socinians.  But  Dr.  Toul- 
min seems  to  think  that  there  is  no  neces- 
sity for  this  :  "  The  name,"  he  says,  "by 
which  we  choose  to  be  called  is,  you 
are  sensible,  that  of  Unitarians." — p.  42. 
True ;  I  am  sensible  that  this  is  the  name 
by  which  they  choose  to  be  called  ;  but  it 
is  rather  surprising  to  me  that  Dr.  Toul- 
min should  be  insensii)le  that,  in  so  doing, 
they  choose  also  to  beg  the  question  in  dis- 
pute. It  seems,  according  to  him,  that 
we  ought  at  the  very  outset  of  our  contro- 
versies to  acknowledge  that  we  worship  a 
plurality  of  gods;  that  is,  that  our  con- 
duct is  irrational  and  unscriptural !  He 
thinks  that  for  Trinitarians  to  profess  also 
to  be  Unitarians,  or  to  worship  but  one 
God,  "  is  strange  and  contradictory  ;"  that 
"  it  is  saying  that  they  who  admit  a  three- 
fold division,  or  distinction,  in  the  divine 
nature,  hold  the  same  tenet  with  those  who 
contend  for  its  simple  unity." — p.  43.  I 
know  not  who  they  are  that  admit  of  a  di- 
vision in  the  divine  nature  :  and  those  who 
plead  for  a  personal  distinction  in  it,  nev- 
ertheless maintain  its  simple  unity,  though 
they  do  not  consider  that  unity  as  person- 
al ;  and  consequently  do  not  hold  the 
same  tenet  with  their  opponents. 


Wliat  is  it  tliat  Dr.  Toulmin  desires, 
unless  it  be  tluit  we  shouhl  grant  him  the 
(piestion  in  dis|)ule  1  Where  a  gentleman 
can  l>e  so  very  condescending,  as  in  this 
manner  to  solicit  for  a  name,  it  grates  with 
my  feelings  to  give  him  a  denial.  He  must 
be  remiiuied,  however,  that  lie  has  no  right 
to  expect  it  at  our  hands,  mucli  less  to 
cliarge  us  with  strange  and  contradictory 
assertions  in  case  of  our  refusal. 

The  tone  of  positivity  which  our  op|)0- 
nents  assume,  when  deiending  their  notion 
of  the  divine  unity,  is  rather  extraordina- 
ry ;  and,  if  we  could  l)ut  be  persuadcfl  to 
admit  of  contidence,  in  the  place  of  evi- 
dence, their  exclusive  right  to  the  name  of 
Unitarians  would  l)e  fully  established. 
"  This  simple  idea  of  God,"  says  Dr. 
Toubnin,  from  Mr.  Lindsey,  "that  he  is 
one  single  person,  literally  pervades  every 
passage  of  the  sacred  volumes." — p.  45. 
A  common  reader  of  the  Bible  would  not 
have  thought  of  finding  any  thing  relating 
to  this  subject  in  every  jxissage ;  and,  in 
those  passages  where  the  suliject  is  intro- 
duced, who,  exce|)t  Mr.  Lindsey  and  Dr. 
Toulmin,  would  have  asserted  that  the 
personal  unity  of  the  Deity  literally  per- 
vaded  them  all  1  It  might  have  answered 
a  better  purpose  if,  instead  of  this  general 
assertion,  cither  of  these  gentlemen  would 
have  pointed  us  to  one  single  instance,  in 
which  the  unity  of  God  is  literally  declared 
to  be  personal.  Instead  of  this  Ave  are 
asked,  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Lindsey, 
"  How  we  can  form  any  notion  of  the  unity 
of  the  Supreme  Being,  but  from  that  unity 
of  which  we  ourselves  are  conscious  1" — 
p.  45,  note.  It  is  not  impossible,  or  un- 
common, for  us  to  form  ideas  of  three  be- 
ing one,  and  one  three,  in  different  re- 
spects :  but  what  if,  in  this  instance,  we 
have  no  distinct  idea!  We  do  not  profess 
to  understand  the  mode  of  the  divine  sub- 
sistence. What  notion  can  either  we  or 
our  opponents  form  of  the  spirituality  of 
the  Supreme  Being,  or  of  any  being  who 
is  purely  spiritval  1  I  can  form  no  idea 
of  any  being  who  is  not,  like  myself,  cor- 
poreal :  but  it  does  not  follow,  from  thence, 
either  that  God  must  needs  be  a  material 
being,  or  that  there  are  no  immaterial  be- 
ings in  the  universe. 

Dr.  Toulmin  at  length  comes  to  the  title 
of  my  last  letter.  The  resemblance  of  So- 
cinianism  to  Deism,  and  the  tendency  of  the 
one  to  the  other.  He  calls  this  "  a  sole- 
cism," and  charges  it  with  "inconsistency 
and  absurdity."  "  It  implies,"  he  says, 
"  that  to  receive  the  divine  mission  of  Je- 
sus has  a  resemblance  to  considering  him 
as  a  deceiver ;  that  to  take  him  as  my 
master,  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  has 
a  tendency  to  the  rejection  of  him  ;  that 
to  learn  of  him  is  to  deny  him ;  that  to 
profess  to  obey  him  resembles  disobedi- 


302 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN  S    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


ence ;  that  to  hope  for  the  mercy  of  God 
in  him  will  lead  me  to  cast  off  this  hope." 
— p.  45.  Surely  Dr.  Toulmin  must  feel 
himself  touched  on  a  tender  point,  or  he 
would  not  have  so  far  lost  the  possession 
of  himself  as  to  have  suffered  this  para- 
graph to  escape  his  pen.  Can  he  serious- 
ly think  that  it  is  on  account  of  their  re- 
ceiving the  divine  mission  of  Jesus,  their 
acknowledging  him  as  their  master,  the 
i-esurrection  and  the  life,  their  learning  of 
him,  professing  to  obey  him,  or  hoping  for 
the  mercy  of  God  in  him,  that  we  reckon 
their  system  to  resemble  Deism,  or  to 
have  a  tendency  towards  it  1  No :  he 
knows  the  contrary. 

But  "  it  is  a  singular  circumstance,"  he 
adds,  "  that  a  resemblance  and  affinity  to 
Deism  should  be  ascribed  to  the  creed  of 
those  amongst  whom  have  arisen  the  most 
able  critics  on  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
most  eminent  advocates  for  divine  revela- 
tion."— p.  45.  Most  eminent,  no  doubt, 
they  are,  in  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Toulmin  ; 
but,  let  the  eminency  of  their  opinions  be 
what  it  may,  if,  in  criticising  and  defend- 
ing the  sacred  oracles,  they  give  up  their 
inspiration ;  plead  that  they  are  interpo- 
lated;  cashier  whole  chapters,  where  they 
are  found  to  clash  with  a  favorite  hypoth- 
esis ;  tax  the  writers  with  reasoning  in- 
conclusively ;  declare  the  whole  an  ob- 
scure book,  not  adapted  to  settle  disputed 
theories,  or  to  decide  upon  speculative, 
controverted  questions,  even  in  religion 
and  morality ;  those  sacred  oracles  will 
not  admit  them  to  be  friends,  but  consider 
them  as  adversaries  in  disguise. 

I  have  not  attempted,  as  Mr.  Toulmin 
suggests,  to  prove  the  relation  of  Socinian- 
ism  to  deism  barely  from  an  argreement  in 
some  instances  ;  but  from  instances  in  which 
Socinians,  by  uniting  with  the  deists,  have 
given  up  some  of  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples by  which  Christians  have  been  used 
to  maintain  their  ground  against  them. 
Neither  is  the  success  of  our  opponents  in 
gaining  numbers  to  their  party,  and  its  re- 
semblance in  this  respect  to  infidelity,  in 
itself  considered,  alleged  as  an  argument 
against  them  ;  but  rather  its  being  amongst 
the  same  description  of  people,  mere 
speculatists  in  religion,  and  its  being 
allowed  to  arise  from  a  similar  cause, 
namely,  a  disregard  to  religion  in  general. 
I  have  also  attempted  to  prove,  by  several 
arguments,  the  direct  tendency  of  Socini- 
anism  to  deism  :  but  of  these  Dr.  Toul- 
min has  taken  no  notice.  I  have  appealed 
to  facts  :  but  neither  is  any  notice  taken 
of  them.  If  further  proof  was  needed,  I 
might  now  appeal  to  more  recent  facts. 

The  new  German  reformers,  if  I  am 
rightly  informed,  are  making  swift  pro- 
gress in  this  direction.     Bahrdt,  a  little 


before  his  death,  is  said  to  have  published 
a  proposal  that  the  worship  and  instruc- 
tion in  churches  should  be  confined  to  nat- 
ural religion,  in  which  all  agree.  Last 
year,  my  informant  adds,  an  anonymous 
writer  carried  the  idea  farther;  he  is  for 
banishing  from  churches  all  the  theory  of 
natural  religion,  as  there  are  disputes 
about  a  future  state,  and  the  providence, 
perfections,  and  even  existence  of  God; 
and  that  only  the  duties  of  self-govern- 
ment, justice,  and  beneficence,  should  be 
taught.  Of  those  who  have  lately  joined 
the  standard  of  infidelity,  in  our  own  coun- 
try, is  there  not  a  large  proportion  of 
Socinians  1  Have  not  several  of  them 
who  were  candidates  for  the  ministry,  and 
even  ministers  themselves,  given  up  their 
work,  and  avowed  their  rejection  of  Chris- 
tianity 1  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  the 
leading  characters  amongst  them  to  pre- 
vent these  things.  Socinianism  is  slippery 
ground  :  few  will  be  able  to  stand  upon  it. 
Some  few  may,  and  doubtless  will  ;  but 
the  greater  part,  I  am  persuaded,  will  ei- 
ther return  to  the  principles  which  they 
have  discarded,  or  go  further.  Mrs.  Bar- 
bauld  might  well  represent  their  situation 
by  that  of  people  "walking  over  a  preci- 
pice ;"  and  describe  "  that  class  called  se- 
rious Christians,"  amongst  them,  as  "  lean- 
ing to  the  safest  side."  A  precipice  in- 
deed it  is,  or  rather  the  declivity  of  a  rock, 
bulging  into  the  sea,  and  covered  with  ice  : 
a  few  wary  individuals  may  frame  to  them- 
selves a  kind  of  artificial  footing,  and  so 
retain  their  situation  ;  but  the  greater  part 
must  either  climb  the  summit  or  fall  into 
the  deep. 

"  The  general  tenor  of  your  book," 
says  Dr.  Toulmin,  "  and  your  mode  of 
arguing,  remind  me,  Sir,  of  a  piece  pub- 
lished in  the  last  century,  entitled,  '  Pu- 
ritanisme,  the  Mother,  and  Sinne  the 
Daughter ;  or  a  Treatise  wherein  is  dem- 
onstrated, from  twenty  several  Doctrines 
and  Positions  of  Puritanisme,  that  the 
Faith  and  Religion  of  the  Puritans  doth 
forcibly  induce  its  Professors  to  the  Per- 
petrating of  Sinne,  and  doth  warrant  the 
committing  of  the  same.'  I  could  wish 
the  piece  in  your  hands,  and  to  see  what 
remarks  you  would  offer  on  the  candor  of 
the  imputation,  or  the  conclusiveness  of 
the  argument.  The  same  remarks,  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  would  supply  an  "answer 
to  the  general  tenor  of  your  own  trea- 
tise."— p.  48. 

I  have  not  seen  the  piece  to  which  Dr. 
Toulmin  refers,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think 
I  should  not  be  greatly  at  a  loss  to  vindi- 
cate the  Puritans  from  the  charge,  and 
that  without  being  necessitated  to  travel 
back  seventeen  hundred  years  for  exam- 
ples, and  to  beg  the  question  in  dispute,  by 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN  S    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


303 


taking  it  for  granted,  or  even  undertaking 
to  prove,  that  tlie  apostles  and  primitive 
Christians  were  Puritans.  I  have  no  doubt 
but  the  conduct  of  tlie  accused  would 
bear  a  comparison  with  that  oftheir  accu- 
sers. I  could  allege  from  Mr.  Neale's 
History  of  tliat  persecuted  people  (a  work 
whi'^h  Dr.  Toulmiii  is  now  publishing) 
that  "  wiiile  others  were  at  plays  and  in- 
terludes, at  revels,  or  walking  in  the 
fields,  or  at  the  diversions  of  liowling, 
fencing,  &c.,  on  the  evening  of  tlic  Sab- 
batii,  the  Puritans,  with  their  (amilies, 
were  eni])lovcd  in  reading  tiie  Scriptures, 
singing  psalms,  catechising  their  children, 
repeating  sermons,  and  prayer;  nor  was 
this  only  the  work  of  the  Lord's-day ,  but 
they  had  their  hours  of  family-devotion 
on  the  week-days,  esteeming  it  their  duty 
to  take  care  of  the  souls  as  well  as  the 
bodies  of  their  servants.  They  were  cir- 
cumspect as  to  all  the  excesses  of  eating 
and  drinking,  apparel,  and  lawful  diver- 
sions ;  being  frugal  in  housekeeping,  in- 
dustrious in  their  particular  callings,  hon- 
est and  exact  in  their  dealings,  and  so- 
licitous to  give  to  every  one  his  own." — 
Vol  I.  c.  8.  If  Dr.  Toulmin  could  fairly 
allege  the  same  things  in  behalf  of  the 
body  of  modern  Unitarians,  he  need  not 
"  call  upon  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Ju- 
dea  and  Samaria  "  (p.  39)  to  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  holy  efficacy  of  his  doctrine. 

And  why  does  Dr.  Toulmin  complain  of 
"my  mode  of  arguing!"  He  might  have 
found  examples  of  it  without  going  back 
to  the  days  of  Puritanism.  It  is  the  same 
mode  which  has  been  adopted  by  his 
brethren  against  the  Calvinists.  They 
commenced  the  attack.  I  have  only  met 
them  upon  their  own  ground.  A  large  pro- 
portion of  my  Letters,  it  is  well  known, 
are  written  on  the  defensive  ;  and  if,  in 
the  course  of  the  controversy,  I  have  oc- 
casionally acted  on  the  offensive,  I  had  a 
right  to  do  so.  Dr.  Toulmin's  complain- 
ing of  my  "mode  of  arguing"  is  as  if  the 
Philistines  had  complained  of  the  unfair- 
ness of  the  weapon  by  which  Goliath  lost 
his  head. 

I  had  observed  that  "  it  was  very  com- 
mon for  those  who  go  over  to  infidelity  to 
pass  through  Socinianism  in  their  way." 
To  this  Dr.  Toulmin  answers,  "A  simi- 
lar remark,  if  I  mistake  not,  I  have  seen 
made  on  the  side  of  Popery  against  the 
Reformation,  that  Protestantism  was  the 
pass  to  infidelity." — p.  48.  But  what 
does  this  prove  1  The  question  is.  Is  such 
a  charge  capable  of  being  supported  ]  A 
few  solitary  individuals  might  doubtless 
be  produced  :  but  in  return,  I  could  prove 
that  a  great  nation  has  been  led  into  infi- 
delity by  Popery  ;  and  that  the  former  is 
the   natural    offspring  of  the   latter.      If 


Dr.  Toulmin  could  retort  the  charge 
against  Socinianism  with  equal  success, 
what  he  writes  might  with  propriety  be 
called  an  answer.  But  his  reasoning 
amounts  to  no  more  than  that  of  a  person 
who,  being  charged  with  a  crime  at  the 
bar  of  his  country,  should  argue  that 
a  similar  charge  had  been  brought  against 
other  people,  and  tliat  innocent  characters 
had  in  some  instances  been  wrongfully  ac- 
cused. 

As  a  kind  of  answer  to  my  Xlth  Let- 
ter, Dr.  Toulmin  has  reprinted,  in  the 
form  ot  an  Appendix,  a  piece  which  he 
had  pul'lished  some  years  ago  in  the  The- 
ological Repository,  on  77ie  Nature  and 
Grounds  of  Love  to  Ctirist.  But  I  con- 
ceive I  might  as  well  reprint  my  Xlth 
Letter  in  reply  to  this,  as  he  this  in  an- 
swer to  mine.  His  piece  is  not  written 
against  the  Trinitarian  but  the  Arian  hy- 
pothesis ;  and  is  jjointed  chiefly  against 
the  pre-existent  glory  of  Christ  being  rep- 
resented in  Scripture  as  the  ground  of 
love  to  him.  But  this  position  has  little 
if  any  connection  with  our  ideas  of  the 
subject;  for  though  we  contend  that 
Christ  did  exist  prior  to  his  conung  into 
the  world,  yet  we  have  no  idea  of  making 
his  bare  existence,  but  his  glorious  char- 
acter and  conduct,  a  ground  of  love.  It 
is  not  how  long  Christ  has  existed,  but 
what  he  is,  and  what  he  has  done,  that 
endears  him  to  us.  If  he  be  a  mere  crea- 
ture, it  is  of  very  little  account  with  us 
whether  he  be  seventeen  hundred  or  seven- 
teen thousand  years  old.*  It  is  true  the 
pre-existence  of  Christ  was  necessary  in 
order  that  his  coming  into  the  world 
should  be  a  voluntary  act,  as  I  have  at- 
tempted to  prove  in  my  XlVth  Letter; 
and  his  being  possessed  of  a  pre-existent 
glory  was  necessary  that  his  coming  into 
the  world  might  be  an  act  of  humiliation 
and  condescension,  as  I  have  also  in  the 
same  place  attempted  to  prove  it  was  : 
and  this  his  voluntary  liumiliation,  not- 
withstanding what  Dr.  Toulmin  has  writ- 
ten, affords  a  ground  of  love  to  him.  No 
Christian,  whose  mind  is  not  warped  by 
system,  can  read  such  passages  as  the  fol- 
lowing without  feeling  a  glow  of  sacred 
gratitude  : — "  Verily  he  took  not  on  him 
the  nature  of  angels  ;  but  he  took  on  him 
the  seed  of  Al>raham." — "  For  ye  know 
the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he 
became  poor,  that  ye  through  his  poverty 
might  be  rich."— "  Who,  being  in  the 
form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
equal  with  God  :  but  made  himself  of  no 
reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of 

*  See   Joseph   Pike  of  Warminster's  Impartial 
View  of  the  Trinitarian  and  Arian  scheme,  c,  x. 


304 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN  S    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness 
of  men ;  and,  being  found  in  fashion  as 
a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of 
the  cross."  How  foreign  is  this  from 
Dr.  Toulmin's  assertion  "  that  the  cir- 
cumstance of  Christ's  degradation  from  a 
glorious  pre-existent  state  is  never  hinted 
at  when  his  death  is  spoken  oi",  though  so 
proper  to  cast  a  glory  around  it,  as  illus- 
trating his  grace  and  philanthropy." — 
p.  61. 

If  Dr.  Toulmin  wished  to  answer  my 
Xlth  Letter,  why  did  he  not  prove  that 
the  original  dignity  of  Christ's  character 
is  never  represented  in  Scripture  as  the 
ground  of  love  to  him  ;  that  his  mediation 
is  exhibited  in  an  equally  important  point 
of  light  by  the  Socinian  as  by  the  Calvin- 
istic  scheme,  and  that  the  former  repre- 
sents us  as  equally  indebted  to  his  under- 
taking with  the  latter  1 

The  "extravagant  compliment"  to 
which  I  referred,  and  concerning  Avhich 
Dr.  Toulmin  complains  of  my  not  having 
done  him  justice  (pp.  50,  51,)  respected 
not  Mr.  Robinson,  but  his  biographer, 
whom  Dr.  Toulmin  characterized  as  "a 
learned  and  sensible  writer ;"  and  his 
performance  on  the  Nature  of  Subscrip- 
tion as  a  work  "  full  of  learning,  of  oZi  ju- 
dicious remarks  and  liberal  sentiment." 
I  may  remark,  however,  from  Dr.  Toul- 
min's account  of  his  regard  for  Mr.  Rob- 
inson, that  he  pays  but  little  respect  to 
the  apostolic  manner  of  regarding  per- 
sons, namely,  for  thc^truth's  sake,  that 
dioelleth  in  them.  Truth  had  no  share  in 
Dr.  Toulmin's  regard ;  but  the  love  of 
liberty  was  substituted  in  its  place  as  a 
companion  for  piety.  "My  regard  for 
Mr.  Robinson,"  he  says,  "  did  not  ebb  and 
flow  with  his  opinions,'^  (a  name  by  which 
our  opponents  choose  to  call  religious 
principles,)  "but  was  governed  by  the 
permanent  qualities  of  the  man,  the  friend 
of  liberty  and  piety,  and  who  had  sacri- 
ficed much  for  conscience." — p.  51. 

Dr.  Toulmin's  performance  concludes 
with  a  quotation  from  Dr.  Lardner.  There 
are  several  sentiments  in  it  which  I  cor- 
dially approve.  I  cannot,  however,  acqui- 
esce in  the  whole.  "  We  should  be  cau- 
tious," he  says,  "of  judging  others— God 
alone  knows  the  hearts  of  men,  and  all 
their  circumstances,  and  is,  therefore,  the 
only  judge  what  errors  are  criminal,  and 
how  far  men  fall  short  of  improving  the 
advantages  afforded  them,  or  act  up  to  the 
light  that  has  been  given  them." — p.  52. 
We  should,  I  grant,  "be  cautious  of  judg- 
ing others  ;"  and,  I  may  add,  should  never 
attempt  it,  but  from  their  words  or  actions. 
But,  if  it  be  presumptuous  in  this  way  to 
judge  others,  then  is  the  tree   not  to  be 


known  by  its  fruits.  In  this  case,  though 
it  might  be  lawful  for  Peter  to  declare  to 
Simon  thai,  by  his  thinking  that  the  gift  oj 
God  might  be  purchased  loith  money,  he 
perceived  that  his  heart  ivas  not  rigid  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  for  Paul  to  address 
Elymas  on  account  of  his  opposition  to  the 
gospel  as  a  child  of  the  devil,  an  enemy  of 
all  righteousness,  seeing  they  were  inspired 
of  God,  yet  it  was  utterly  wrong  for  the 
Bishop  of  Llandaff  to  apply  this  language 
to  Mr.  Paine,  and  his  Apology  for  the  Bi- 
ble (which  is  generally  allowed  to  be  writ- 
ten in  a  very  gentle  style)  must,  neverthe- 
less, be  censured  as  presumptuous.  Upon 
this  supposition.  Dr.  Toulmin  has  written 
presumptuously,  in  affirming  that  "the 
number  of  sincere,  conscientious  persons, 
attentive  to  the  cultivation  of  pious  affec- 
tions, hath  borne  a  small  proportion  to 
those  who  have  been  nominal  Socinians 
and  Calvinists." — p.  36.  It  is  presumptu- 
ous also  in  him  to  complain  of  the  want 
of  candor  and  justice  in  his  opponent. — p. 
39.  Yea,  upon  this  supposition,  it  was 
presumption  in  the  Analytical  Reviewer  to 
call  what  I  had  written  "a  presumptuous 
sentence,  pronounced  upon  the  hearts  of 
those  who  adopt  Socinian  principles."  If 
it  be  presumption  to  judge  the  hearts  of 
men  by  their  words  and  actions,  what  right 
had  he  to  judge  of  mine  1  A  presumptu- 
ous sentence  is  a  sentence  which  proceeds 
from  a  presumptuous  spirit.  His  censure, 
therefore,  includes  the  very  fault,  if  it  be 
a  fault,  against  which  it  is  pointed.  It  re- 
sembles the  conduct  of  a  man  who  should 
sivear  that  he  disapproves  of  oaths  ;  or  who 
should /«/seZi/  accuse  his  neighbor  of  being 
a  liar. 

If  it  be  presumptuous  to  judge  of  the 
hearts  of  men  by  their  words  and  actions, 
it  must  be  presumptious  to  judge  of  the 
good  or  evil  of  any  action.  For  no  action, 
considered  separately  from  its  motive,  is 
either  good  or  evil.  It  is  no  otherwise 
good  or  evil  than  as  it  is  the  expression  of 
the  heart.  To  judge  an  action,  therefore, 
to  be  either  this  or  that,  is  to  judge  the 
heart  to  be  so. 

I  may  be  told  that  Dr.  Lardner  is  not 
speaking  of  immorality,  but  of  errors  in 
judgment.  True  ;  but  his  reasoning  would 
apply  to  actions  as  well  as  errors.  The 
former  may  be  as  innocent  as  the  latter. 
The  killing  of  a  man  for  instance,  may 
have  risen  from  mere  accident.  It  is  the 
motive  which  governed  the  action  that  de- 
termines its  guilt  or  innocence  ;  "  but  God 
alone  knows  the  hearts  of  men  and  all  their 
circumstances,  and  is  therefore  the  only 
judge  what  actions  are  criminal."  In  this 
manner  we  might  censure  the  proceedings 
of  a  jury  which  should  sit  in  judgment 
upon  a  person,  to  determine  whether  the 


O.N    DR.     TOLL.Ml.N   S    AM  M  AD  VKUSI  ONS. 


505 


act  l)v  wliiili  lie  has  taken  away  tlic  life  of 
aiellow-cTcature  arose  Iroin  accident  or 
desitin. 

Wlio  can  sav,  witli  intallil)le  precision, 
concerninsr  any  action,  liow  far  the  author 
of  it  "  has  fallen  short  of  irnprosinu;  tiie 
advantages  afl'orded  him,  or  how  far  he  has 
failed  of  actinsr  up  to  the  light  that  has 
been  given  hin»  ?  "  If  this  reasoning, 
therefore,  prove  any  thing,  it  will  pro\e 
that  men  arc  utterly  incompetent  lor  ai.y 
kind  of  judgment  in  things  which  relate  to 
good  and  evil. 

A  man  may  err  in  his  notions  of  morali- 
ty, as  well  as  concerning  evangelical 
truth  :  he  may  think,  with  some  modern 
unbelievers,  that  the  confining  of  a  man 
to  one  woman  is  unnatural  ;  that  fornica- 
tion is  allowable  ;  and  that  even  adultery 
is  but  a  small  crime,  and,  where  it  is  un- 
detected, no  crime  at  all.  Now,  if  God 
alone  is  to  judge  of  these  errors,  God 
alone  must  also  judge  of  the  actions  re- 
sulting from  them  ;  for  there  can  be  no 
more  of  moral  evil  in  tlie  one,  than  in  the 
other.  If  the  former  may  be  innocent,  so 
may  the  latter  ;  and  all  being  to  us  uncer- 
tainty, owing  to  our  ignorance  of  the  mo- 
tive, or  state  of  mind,  from  which  such 
notions  were  formed,  together  with  the 
advantages  which  the  party  may  have  pos- 
sessed, we  must,  in  all  such  cases,  entire- 
ly cease  from  passing  censure. 

If  it  be  alleged  that  there  are  such  light 
and  evidence  in  favor  of  chastity  that  no 
man  can  err  on  that  subject,  unless  his 
error  arise  from  some  evil  bias,  I  answer, 
this  is  what,  in  other  cases,  is  called  judg- 
ing men's  hearts  ;  and  why  may  I  not  as 
well  say  there  are  such  light  and  evidence 
in  favor  of  the  gospel  that  no  man  can  re- 
ject it,  but  from  an  evil  bias  1  This  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  the  truth  ;  and  the 
ground  on  which  unbelief  is  threatened 
with  damnation,  and  a  denial  of  the  Lord 
who  bought  us  followed  loiih  swift  destruc- 
tion. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  indulge  a  censori- 
ous spirit,  or  to  take  pleasure  in  thinking 
ill  of  any  n)an.  Nay  ;  far  be  it  from  me 
to  pass  any  kind  of  judgment  on  any  man, 
fur  her  than  I  am  called  to  do  so  ;  and, 
when  this  is  the  case,  I  desire  it  may  al- 
ways be  in  meekness  and  fear  ;  knowing, 
not  only  that  I  also  am  judged  of  others, 
but  that  all  of  us,  and  all  our  decisions, 
must  be  tried  another  day  at  a  higher  tri- 
bunal. 

It  may  be  asked,  what  call  have  we  to 
pass  any  kind  of  judgment  upon  those 
who  disown  the  deity  and  atonement  of 
Christ "!  I  answer,  we  are  called  either 
to  admit  them  as  fellow-christians  into 
communion  with  us,  or  to  refuse  to  do  so. 
We  are  necessitated,  therefore,  to  pass 
VOL.  I  39 


some  judgment ;  and  this  is  all  that  we  do 
pass.  We  do  not  jtretend  to  say,  concern- 
ing any  individual,  that  we  arc  certain  he 
is  not  171  a  state  of  salvation  :  but  we  say, 
ice  cannot  perceive  sufficient  ground  to 
warrajit  our  acknowledging  him  as  ajel- 
low-christian. 

We  must  cither  admit  every  pretender 
to  Christianity  into  communion  with  us, 
and  so  acknowledge  him  as  a  fellow-chris- 
tian,  or  we  shall  be  accused  of  judging  the 
hearts  of  men.  The  rule  by  which  we  ad- 
mit to  fellowship  is  a  credible  profession 
of  Christianity.  There  are  two  things 
which  render  a  profession  credil  le  :  First  : 
That  the  thing  professed  be  Christianity  : 
Secondly  :  That  the  profession  be  accom- 
panied with  a  practice  correspondent  with 
it.  If  a  man  say  he  loves  God,  and  li\es 
in  malevolence  against  his  brother,,  all  will 
admit  that  he  ought  to  be  rejected  ;  and, 
though  such  rejection  may  include  a  kind 
of  judgment  upon  his  heart,  none  will  o! 
ject  to  our  proceedings  on  this  account. 
But,  if  this  be  judging  the  heart,  we  sup- 
pose we  have  a  right  and  are  obliged  to 
judge  it  from  words,  as  well  as  from 
actions.  If  the  profession  which  a  person 
makes  of  Christianity  do  not  include  what, 
in  our  judgment,  is  essential  to  it,  we  can- 
not consistently  admit  him  to  communion 
w  ilh  us,  nor  acknowledge  him  as  a  fellow- 
cluistian.  Our  judgment  must  Vie  the  rule 
ol'  our  conduct.  If  we  err,  so  it  is  :  but 
we  ought  not  to  act  in  opposition  1^  our 
convictions.  To  acknowledge  a  person  as 
a  fellow-christian,  while  we  consider  him 
defective  in  the  essentials  of  Christianity, 
would  be  to  act  hypocritically,  and  tend 
to  deceive  the  souls  of  men. 

Some  persons  have  spoken  and  written 
as  though  we  invaded  the  right  of  private 
judgment  by  refusing  to  commune  with 
those  who  avow  Socinian  principles.  But 
if  a  community  have  not  a  right  to  refuse, 
and  even  to  exclude,  an  individual  whose 
sentiments  they  consider  as  subversive  of 
the  gospel,  neither  has  an  individual  any 
right  to  separate  himself  from  a  communi- 
ty whose  sentiments  he  considers  in  a  sim- 
ilar light.  Provided  they  would  forbear 
with  him,  he  ought  to  do  the  same  with 
them.  This  principle  condemns  not  only 
the  Reformation  from  Popery,  but  all 
other  reformations  in  which  individuals 
have  withdrawn  from  a  corrupt  communi- 
ty and  formed  one  of  a  purer  nature.  Un- 
der a  jdea  for  liberty,  it  w  ould  chain  down 
the  whole  Christian  world  in  slavery  ; 
obliging  every  community  to  hold  tellow- 
ship  with  persons  between  wliom  and  them 
there  is  an  entire  want  of  Christian  con- 
cord. It  aims  to  establish  the  liberty  of 
the  individual  at  the  e.Npeuse  of  that  of  so- 
ciety.    Our  opponents,  however^  will  be 


306 


ON    DR.    TOULMIN   S    ANIMADVERSIONS. 


silent  in  this  case.  They,  with  proper 
consistency,  persuade  their  people  to  come 
out  from  Trinitarian  communities.*  Were 
I  to  imbibe  their  sentiments,  I  should  fol- 
low their  counsel,  and  separate  myself 
from  those  whom  /  accounted  idolaters  : 
or,  if  the  community  should  be  beforehand 
with  me,  and  separate  me  from  them,  as 
one  whom  they  accounted  a  subverter  of 
the  gospel,  however  painful  such  a  sepa- 
ration might  prove  to  my  feelings,  I  should 
have  no  just  reason  to  complain. 

In  our  view,    our  opponents   have   re- 
nounced the  principal  ideas  included  in 

*  See  Mr.  Keutisli,  p.  -14,  note. 


those  primitive  forms  of  confession,  Jesus 
is  the  Christ — Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of 
God :  and,  as  cliarity  itself  does  not  re- 
quire us  to  acknowledge  and  treat  that  as 
Cliristianity  which,  in  our  judgment,  is 
not  so;  we  think  it  our  duty,  in  love,  and 
with  a  view  to  their  conviction,  both  by 
our  words  and  actions,  to  declare  our  de- 
cided disapprobation  of  their  principles. 
We  lay  no  claim  to  infallibility,  any  more 
than  our  opponents.  We  act  according  to 
our  judgment,  and  leave  them  to  act  ac- 
cording to  theirs  ;  looking  forward  to  that 
period  when  we  shall  all  appear  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ. 


APPENDIX: 

CONTAINING   A  FEW  REMARKS  ON  DR.  TOULMIN'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  ACTS 

OF  THE  Al'OSTLES. 


First  :  Let  it  be  observed  that  Dr. 
Toulmin,  by  appealing  to  the  history  of 
tiie  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  would  seem  to  bo 
an  adherent  to  Scripture,  and  to  disregard 
every  thing  else  in  comparison  with  it. 
But,  if  the  system  whicli  he  espouses  be 
so  friendly  to  the  Scriptures,  how  is  it 
that  they  are  treated  with  so  little  respect 
by  almost  all  tlie  writers  wlio  embrace 
itl  and  why  did  not  Dr.  Toulmin  answer 
my  Letter  on  "  Veneration  for  the  Scrip- 
tures "  (No.  Xn.)  in  which  this  charge  is 
substantiated'? 

Secondly  :  Dr.  Toulmin  proceeds  on 
the  supposition  that  the  history  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  is,  in  itself,  inde- 
pendent of  the  other  parts  of  the  sacred 
writings,  a  complete  account  of  the  sub- 
stance, at  least,  of  what  the  apostles 
preached,  and  tliat  it  ascertains  those 
principles  the  publication  of  which  pre- 
ceded the  conversions  in  the  primitive  age. 
But  why  should  he  suppose  this  1  The 
book  professes  to  be  a  history  of  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles.  As  to  the  principles 
which  operated  in  producing  the  great 
effects  of  those  times,  they  are  occasion- 
ally touched;  but,  that  not  being  the 
professed  object  of  the  sacred  writer,  it  is 
but  occasionally.  He  does  not  always 
relate  even  the  substance  of  what  the 
apostles  preached.  For  instance,  he  tells 
us  that  Paul  preached  at  Troas  until  mid- 
night, but  makes  no  mention  of  any  thing 
that  he  taught.  He  informs  us  of  that 
apostle's  conversion  to  Christianity,  and 
makes  no  mention,  it  is  true,  of  those 
principles  which  I  have  supposed  neces- 
sary to  repentance  and  faith,  as  having 
had  any  influence  in  producing  that  effect : 
such  as  a  conviction  of  the  evil  nature  of 
sin,  our  own  depravity,  &c. ;  and  this 
silence  of  the  sacred  writer  Dr.  Toulmin 
improves  into  an  argument  against  me. 
Let.  HL  But,  if  we  hence  infer  that 
these  principles  had  no  influence  in  con- 
version, in  that  of  Saul,  for  example,  we 
must  contradict  the  apostle's  own  partic- 
ular account  of  this  matter,  which  he  has 
stated  in  the  seventh  chapter  to  the  Ro- 
mans ;  where  he  intimates  that,  by  a  view 
of  the  spirituality  of  the  divine  law,  he 


was  convinced  of  his  own  depravity,  and 
of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  and 
died,  as  to  all  lutpcs  of  acceptance  with 
God  l>y  the  deeds  of  the  law. 

When  any  thing  is  said,  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  concerning  principles,  the 
account  is  very  general. — "  They  ceased 
not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ.^' 
In  Samaria,  Philij)  "  ]>reached  Christ.'' 
Unto  the  eunuch  "he  preached  Jesus," 
and  declared  that  "  Christ  was  the  Son  of 
God."  The  discourses  of  the  apostles 
are  frequently  called  "the  word  of  the 
Lord,"  and  "  the  word  of  God." 

To  suppose  that  tlie  principles  which 
are  particularly  specified  in  the  history  of 
the  Acts  were  the  only  ones  which  were 
influential,  in  tiie  conversions  of  those 
times,  would  be  to  exclude,  not  only 
those  doctrines  which  are  commonly  call- 
ed Calvinistic,  but  various  others,  which 
are  allowed,  on  nil  hands,  to  be  the  first 
principles  of  religion  ;  such  as  the  being 
of  a  God,  the  excellency  and  purity  of 
his  moral  government,  the  divine  origin 
of  the  Old  Testament,  &c.  The  apostles, 
in  preaching  to  the  Jews,  did  not  assert 
these  principles,  but  they  supposed  them. 
It  were  unreasonable  to  expect  they 
should  have  done  otherwise,  seeing  these 
were  principles  which  their  hearers  pro- 
fessedly admitted  :  yet  it  does  not  follow 
that  they  had  no  influence  in  their  con- 
version. On  the  contrary,  we  are  assured 
that  "ho  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe 
that  he  is,"  and  that  "  by  the  law  is  the 
knowledge  of  sin."  Nor  is  it  less  evident, 
that  to  embrace  the  Messiah  includes  an 
approbation  of  those  Scriptures  which 
foretold  his  character  and  conduct. 

Thirdly  :  Though  the  writer  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  does  not  profess  to 
give  us  even  the  substance  of  the  ministry 
of  the  apostles,  yet  he  says  sufficient  to 
convince  an  unprejudiced  reader  that  their 
doctrine  was  very  different  from  that  of 
Socinus,  or  of  modern  Unitarians.  It  is 
true  they  spoke  of  Christ  as  "a  man,"  "a 
man  approved  of  God  by  miracles,  and 
loonders,  and  signs,  tchich  God  did  by 
him;"  and  taught  that  "  God  raised  him 
from  the  dead:"  and,  if  we  had  denied 


308 


APPENDIX. 


either  of  these  truths,  it  would  have  been 
in  point  for  Dr.  Toulmin  to  have  labored, 
all  through  his  Second  and  Third  Letters, 
to  establish  them.  But  they  taught  the 
proper  deity  as  well  as  the  humanity  of 
Christ,  and  atonement  by  his  death  as 
well  as  the  fact  of  his  resurrection.  They 
exhibited  him  as  the  Lord,  on  whose  name 
sinners  were  to  call  for  salvation;*  and 
declared  that  by  the  shedding  of  his  blood 
his  church  tons  purchased,  and  believing 
sinners  "justified  from  all  things  from 
which  they  could  not  be  justified  by  the  law 
of  Moses."— x:k.  28;  xui.  39. 

Peter,  in  his  first  sermon,  addressed  the 
Jews  upon  principles  of  ihe  truth  of  which 
they,  in  their  consciences,  Avere  convin- 
ced :  "  Ye  men  of  Israel,"  said  he,  "  hear 
these  words ;  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man 
approved  of  God — by  miracles,  and  won- 
ders, and  signs,  which  God  did  by  him  in 
the  midst  of  you,  as  ye  yourselves  also 
know — ye — by  wicked  hands  have  cruci- 
fied and  slain. "f  Upon  these  principles 
he  grounded  others,  of  which  they  were 
not  convinced;  namely,  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead  (24 — 32,)  his  exaltation  at 
the  right  hand  of  God  (33,)  his  being  made 
both  Lord  and  Christ  (3l3,)  and  of  remis- 
sion of  sins  through  his  name. — 38.  In 
his  next  sermon,  he  asserted  him  to  be 
the  Son  of  God,  (c.  iii.  13.)  the  Holy  One 
and  the  Just,  the  Prince  {or  author)  of 
life,  whom  they  had  killed,  preferring  a 
murderer  before  him. — 14,  15.  If  Jesus 
was  the  author  of  life  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  Barabbas  was  the  destroyer  of 
it,  then  was  the  antithesis  proper,  and  the 
charge  adapted  to  excite  the  greatest 
alarm.  It  was  nothing  less  than  declaring 
to  them  that,  in  crucifying  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, they  had  crucified  the  Lord  of 
glory  :  or  that  the  person  whom  they  had 
slain  was  no  other  than  the  Creator  of  the 
woild,  in  human  nature !  In  the  first  in- 
stance the  apostles  appealed  to  what  the 
Jews  themselves  knew  of  Christ;  in  the 
last,  to  what  he  knew  concerning  him, 
who,  with  his  fellow-apostles,  had  beheld 
his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten 
of  the  Father. 

Did  Peter  speak  as  would  a  "  modern 
Unitarian, "t  when  he  said  to  his  coun- 
trymen, "Neither  is  there  salvation  in 
any  other  ;  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby 
we  must  be  saved  1"  Such  language,  I 
fear,  is  seldom,  if  ever  used  in  their  pul- 
pits :  it  is  such,  at  least,  as  I  have  never 
met  with  in  their  writings.  On  the  con- 
trary, one  of  their  principal  writers  en- 

*  Chap.  ii.  21.  Compare  Chap.  ix.  14,  xxii.  16, 
Rora.  X.  12,  and  1  Cor.  i.  22.  t  Ch.  ii.  22. 

t  Dr.  Toulmin,  p.  14. 


deavors  to  explain  it  away,  or  to  prove 
that  it  is  not  meant  of  "  salvation  to  eter- 
nal life  but  of  deliverance  from  bodily  dis- 
eases."§ 

Dr.  Toulmin  finds  Stephen  before  the 
council,  but  makes  no  mention  of  his  death, 
in  which  he  is  described  as  praying  to 
Christ,  saying  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit" — "  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
cliarge."  Having  made  a  few  remarks  up- 
on the  eighth  chapter,  he  observes  "  I  next 
meet  with  this  apostle  (Peter)  receiving  an 
extraordinary  commission  to  preach  unto 
Cornelius  and  his  house." — p.  17.  But 
why  does  he  skip  over  the  ninth  chapter, 
which  give  an  account  of  the  conversion  of 
Saull  Was  it  because  we  there  find  the 
primitive  Christians  described  as  "  calling 
upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  1" — 14, 
21 .  And  why  does  he  make  mention  of 
"  the  fine  speech  of  the  apostle  Paul  to 
the  elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus,"  and 
yet  overlook  that  solemn  charge,  "  Feed 
the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  pur- 
cliased  with  his  own  blood." — c.  xx.  28. 
Is  it  because  he  thinks,  with  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, that  "  we  ought  to  be  exceedingly 
cautious  how  we  admit  such  an  expres- 
sion VH  That  seems  to  be  the  i-eason. 
But  then  we  ought  to  be  as  cautious  how 
we  admit  the  book  which  contains  it. 

In  preaching  to  the  Jews,  the  apostles 
insisted  that  Jesus  loas  the  Christ,  the 
promised  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God;  rest- 
ing the  proof  of  the  assertions  upon  the 
i'act  that  God  had  raised  him  from  the 
dead;  and  Dr.  Toulmin  reckons  this  to  be, 
"  what,  in  modern  style,  is  called  Unita- 
rianism." — p.  28.  But  this  is  proceeding 
too  fast.  Before  such  a  conclusion  can  be 
fairly  drawn,  it  must  be  proved,  that  these 
pi-opositions  have  the  same  meaning  in  the 
Socinian  creed  as  in  that  of  the  apostles. 
Let  us  examine  whether  that  be  the  case. 
When  they  asserted  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ,  the  meaning  of  the  terms  must  be 
supposed  to  have  been  sufficiently  under- 
stood. When  Paul  preached  at  Athens, 
though  he  ultimately  brought  Christ  into 
his  discourse,  yet  he  did  not  use  this  kind  of 
language.  It  would  have  been  improper 
to  have  done  so.  The  Athenians  would 
not  have  understood  what  he  meant  by 
Jesus  being  the  Christ :  but  the  Jews  did  ; 
and  the  ideas  which  they  would  attach  to 
this  name  must  be  collected  from  the  means 
of  information  which  they  possessed.  If, 
as  Socinians  affirm,  the  Christ  preached 
by  the  apostles  was  only  an  instructer  of 
mankind  ;  if  he  suffered  martyrdom  only 
in  confirmation  of  his  doctrine  ;  and  if  his 
being  called  the  Son  of  God  denoted  him 

§  Dr.  Priestley's  Fam.  Let.  XIV. 
II  Fam.  Illus.  p.  36. 


APPENDIX. 


309 


to  be  nothing  more  tlian  human  ;  it  must 
be  supposed  tluit  tliese  were  tlie  ideas 
wliicli  the  [)r()phels  liad  >ri\cn  of  the  Mes- 
siah, \vhich  our  Lord  liimsell  had  |)ro- 
fessed,  and  whicii  the  Jews  luid  understood 
him  to  profess.  And,  if  all  this  be  true,  it 
must  be  granted  that  the  apostles  used 
these  terms  in  the  sense  of  our  opponents  ; 
and  Dr.  Toulmin's  eonclusion,  that  "their 
preaihini!;  was  the  same,  ibr  suiistanee,  as 
that  of  modern  Unitarians,"  is  just.  But 
if  the  Messiah  prefigured  by  Jewish  sac- 
ritices,  and  predieted  by  the  propliets,  was 
to  take  away  the  sins  of  tlie  world,  by  be- 
ing made  an  atoning  sacrifice;  if  Christ, 
in  professing  to  be  tlie  Son  of  God,  pro- 
fessed to  be  equal  tvith  God;  and  if  his 
countrymen  generally  so  understood  him, 
and,  tlierefore,  accused  liim  of  blasphemy , 
and  put  him  to  death ;  tlien  it  is  not  true 
that  the  apostles  could  use  these  terms 
in  tlie  sense  of  our  opponents,  and  Dr. 
Toulmin's  conclusion  is  totally  unfounded. 

The  reader  may  now  judge  of  the  pro- 
priety ol' the  following  language  used  by 
Dr.  Toulmin.  "  If  you  suppose,  Sir,  that 
these  sentiments  were  inculcated  and 
blended  with  the  great  truth,  the  Messiah- 
ship  of  Jesus,  it  is  supposition  only,  which 
is  not  supported  1>y  the  testimony  of  the 
historian,  nor  by  the  practice  of  the  apos- 
tolic preachers  on  any  other  occasion. 
You  may  build  on  suppositions  ;  but  I 
must  be  allowed  to  adhere  to  what  is  writ- 
ten."—p.  24. 

Now,  I  appeal  to  the  intelligent  reader 
whether  Dr.  Toulmin  has  any  thing  more 
than  supposition  as  the  ground  of  his  con- 
clusion that  the  apostles,  in  teaching  that 
Jesus  ivas  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God, 
"  taught  nothing  more  than  what,  in  mod- 
ern style,  is  called  the  Unitarian  doctrine." 
The  only  ground  for  such  a  conclusion  is 
the  supposition  that  the  Messiali,  predict- 
ed by  the  Jewish  prophets,  was  not  to  be- 
come an  atoning  sacrifice,  but  a  mere  in- 
structer  of  mankind  ;  that  he  was  to  be 
merely  a  man  ;  that  his  being  called  the  Son 
of  God  denoted  him  to  be  nothing  more 
than  human  ;  that  this  was  the  substance 
of  what  he  himself  professed,  and  of  what 
the  Jews  understood  him  to  profess.  All 
this  is  mere  suppositio7i,  for  which  not  the 
shadow  of  a  proof  is  offered ;  and  yet, 
without  it.  Dr.  Toulmin's  conclusion  must 
fall  to  the  ground. 

Contrary  to  all  this  supposition,  I  take 
leave  to  observe.  First  :  That  the  Mes- 
siah prefigured  by  the  Jewish  sacrifices, 
and  predicted  by  the  prophets,  loas  to 
become  a  sacrifice  of  atonement  or  propi- 
tiation for  the  sins  of  the  world. — His  soul 
was  to  be  "  made  an  offering  for  sin." 
The  Lord  was  to  "  lay  on  him  the  iniqui- 
ty of  us  all."     He  was  the  "Lamb  of 


God,"  wlio  was  to  "  take  away  the  sin 
of  the  world."  But,  if  the  Old-testament 
representations  were  in  favor  of  the  Mes- 
siah's being  an  atoninir  sacrifice,  the  apos- 
tles, in  declaring  Jesus  to  i)e  the  Messiah, 
virtually  declared  him  to  i)e  an  atoning 
sacrifice.  Secondly  :  That  the  Messiah, 
predicted  by  the  pro|)hcts,  was  to  be  God 
manilest  in  the  llesh,  or  God  in  our  nature. 
Unto  the  .S'wn  it  was  saiil,  "  Thy  throne, 
O  God,  is  forever  and  ever."  The  child 
born  w  as  to  be  called  the  mighty  God.  He 
who  was  to  "  feed  his  (lock  like  a  shep- 
herd, to  gather  the  lambs  with  his  arm, 
and  carry  them  in  his  bosom,"  was  no  oth- 
er than  "the  Lord  God,  who  would  come 
with  strong  hand,  and  whose  arm  should 
rule  for  him."  "The  goings  forth"  of 
him  who  was  to  be  born  in  Bethlehem 
"were  of  old,"  from  everlasting.*  But, 
if  the  prophetic  representations  of  the 
Messiah  were  in  favor  of  his  being  God  in 
our  nature,  the  apostles,  in  declaring  Je- 
sus to  be  the  Messiah,  virtually  declared 
him  to  be  God  in  our  nature.  Thirdly  : 
That  our  Lord,  in  saying  /  am  the  Son  of 
God,  was  understood  iiy  the  Jews  as  claim- 
ing an  equality  icith  God;  that  he  was,  on 
this  account,  accused  of  blasphemy,  and 
finally  put  to  death  ;  and  all  this  without 
having  said  any  thing  that  should  contra- 
dict the  idea  which  they  entertained.  Je- 
sus said,  "  My  Father  worketh  hitherto, 
and  I  work.  Therefore  the  Jews  sought 
the  more  to  kill  him,  because  he  not  only 
had  broken  the  Saiibath,  but  said,  also, 
that  God  was  his  Father,  making  himself 
equal  with  God." — "The  Jews  said.  We 
have  a  law ,  and  by  our  law  he  ought  to 
die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of 
God."  But  for  the  apostles  under  these 
circumstances,  and  without  explaining 
away  the  sui)posed  blasphemy,  to  assert 
that  Jesus  roas  the  Son  of  God,  was  the 
same  thing  as  asserting  him  to  be  equal 
with  God  :  and  their  calling  on  his  mur- 
derers to  "  repent  and  be  baptized  in  his 
name,  for  the  remission  of  sins,"  was  call- 
ing them  to  retract  their  charge  of  blas- 
phemy, to  embrace  him  in  that  very  char- 
acter, for  claiming  which  they  had  put  him 
to  death,  and  to  place  all  their  hopes  of 
forgiveness  in  his  name,  by  which  alone 
they  could  be  saved." — ii.  38  ;  iv.  12. 

From  these  premises,  and  not  from  mere 
supposition,  1  conclude  that  the  deity  and 
atonement  of  Christ  were  comprehended 
in  the  great  doctrines  of  his  Sonship  and 
Messiahship. 

If  Dr.  Toulmin's  remarks  on  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  are  foreign  to  the  argu- 
ment, much  more  so  are  those  which  re- 

*  Comp.  Heb.  i.  8;  Isa.  ix.  6;  xi.  10,  11;  Mi- 
cah  V.  2. 


310  APPENDIX. 

spect  the  concessions  of  ancient  Fathers,  sue  this  subject  any  further.     If  Dr.  Toul- 

and  modern  churches  and  churchmen.     To  min  chooses  to  resume  the  controversy,  let 

these  I  shall  make  no  reply.     And  though  him  keep  to   the  subject;    namely.    The 

I  have  so  far  followed  him,  as,  in  these  moral  tendency  oj  our  respective  systems. 

few  pages,  to  reply  to  some  of  his  obser-  Any  thing  besides  this  will  be  entitled  to 

vations  ;  yet  I  desire  it  may  be   noticed  no  reply, 
that  I  shall  not  hold  myself  obliged  to  pur- 


A    REPLY. 


MR.     KENTISH'S     S  K  U  M  O  N. 


Mr.  Kentish  entitles  liis  Discourse, 
"  The  Moral  Tendency  of  the  Genuine 
Christian  Doctrine."  This  title  is  either 
irrelative  to  tlie  professed  object  of  his 
undertaking,  or  it  is  a  begging  the  ques- 
tion. If  he  only  mean  to  aflirin  that  the 
genuine  Christian  doctrine,  be  it  what  it 
may,  is  productive  of  moral  effects  in 
those  who  embrace  it,  tliis  is  what  none 
but  a  professed  Infidel  would  deny.  It  is 
a  principle  which  every  denomination  of 
Christians  admits.  It  is  the  datum  on 
which  I  have  proceeded,  in  endeavoring 
to  ascertain  what  the  genuine  Christian 
doctrine  is.  If,  therefore,  Mr.  Kentish 
intends  only  to  prove  what  his  title  an- 
nounces, his  performance  must  be  totally 
irrelative  to  its  professed  object,  and  con- 
tains no  answer  to  the  piece  against  which 
it  is  written.  But  it  is  possible  that,  by 
the  genuine  Christian  doctrine,  Mr.  Ken- 
tish means  what  "he  sincerely  believes  to 
be  such,"  or  what  he  calls  the  Unitarian 
doctrine.  But  this  is  begging  the  question 
at  the  outset.  Our  opponents  must  sure- 
ly be  reduced  to  very  necessitous  circum- 
stances, or  they  would  not  condescend  to 
such  humble  methods  of  establishing  their 
principles. 

Mr.  Kentish,  speaking  of  my  Letters 
on  Socinianism,  observes  that  "it  was  by 
no  means  his  intention,  or  his  wish,  to 
canvass  every  observation  which  is  there 
advanced."  To  canvass  every  observation 
might  be  unnecessary  ;  but  an  answer  to 
any  work  ought  to  enter  upon  a  full  and 
thorough  discussion  of  the  principal  sub- 
jects included  in  it.  A  performance  that 
does  not  require  this,  requires  no  answer 
at  all.  I  cannot  think,  therefore,  that  Dr. 
Toulmin  and  Mr.  Kentish  are  justifiable 
in  evading  the  body  of  the  arguments  con- 
tained in  the  publication  which  they  at- 
temi)t  to  answer.  The  number  of  veterans, 
in  literary  war,  wiiicii  are  to  be  found  on 
the  side  of  our  opponents,  renders  it  diffi- 
cult to  account  for  their  refusing  to 
hazard  a  decisive  engagement,  without 
imputing  it  to  a  conviction  that  they  stand 


upon  disadvantageous  ground.  Dr.  Toul- 
min has  proved  his  dislike  to  it  l)y  a  bare- 
faced attempt  to  siiift  it.  Mr.  Kentish 
has  noi  done  so  :  his  jjcrfbrmance  has  less 
evasion,  and  less  assuming  of  the  question 
in  del)ate,  and,  consequently,  is  more 
respectafile  tlian  that  of  his  colleague. 
He  keeps  upon  the  proper  ground ;  but, 
as  though  he  thought  it  enchanted,  he 
hurries  over  it,  touching  upon  only  a  few 
of  the  topics  of  discussion,  and  taking 
but  very  little  notice  of  the  arguments  of 
his  opponent,  as  he  passes  along.  It  is 
a  retreat,  instead  of  a  regular  engagement ; 
a  running  figlit,  rather  than  a  pitched  bat- 
tle. In  favor  of  such  a  mode  of  conduct- 
ing the  controversy,  it  is  possible  he  might 
choose  to  print  in  the  form  of  a  sermon. 

But  Mr.  Kentish  has  reasons  for  not 
being  more  particular  in  his  answer:  "  Of 
Mr.  Fuller's  remarks,  many,"  says  he, 
"  are  personal,  and  many  refer  solely  to 
a  vindication  of  the  religious  principles 
that  he  has  seen  proper  to  embrace." — p. 
3.  Pref.  If  many  of  my  remarks  be  per- 
sonal, Mr.  Kentish  had  a  right  to  point 
them  out ;  and  ought  to  have  done  so, 
rather  than  content  himself  with  a  general 
accusation,  unsubstantiated  by  a  single 
proof.  That  I  have  vindicated  those  re- 
ligious principles  which  I  have  thought 
proper  to  embrace  is  true  :  the  misrepre- 
sentation and  contempt  with  which  they 
have  been  treated  by  the  Reviewers,  and 
other  Socinian  writers,  rendered  a  vindica- 
tion of  them  necessary;  and,  if  our  op- 
ponents have  now  retreated  within  the 
limits  of  their  own  territory,  and  are 
contented  to  act  in  future  merely  on  the 
defensive,  it  may  be  presumed,  without 
arrogance,  that  it  has  not  been  altogether 
without  effect. 

Mr.  Kentish  seems  not  only  contented 
to  act  on  the  defensive,  \\ith  respect  to 
the  moral  tendency  of  iiis  principles,  but 
also  with  respect  to  the  actual  moral  effects 
produced  by  them.  He  thinks,  "in  point 
of  fact,  it  can  scarcely  be  proved  that,  in 
love  to   God,  they  are  surpassed  by  their 


312 


A  REPLY  TO  MR.  KENTISH  S  SERMON. 


fellow-christians ;  though  God  forbid," 
he  adds,  "  that  we  should  rashly  arrogate 
to  ourselves  superiority  of  virtue!'' — p.  3. 
Rash,  arrogate,  and  shocking,  however, 
as  this  pretence  appears  to  Mr.  Kentish, 
it  is  no  more  than  has  been  made  by  his 
brethren.  All  that  Dr.  Priestley  has 
written  upon  the  gloomy  and  immoral 
tendency  of  Calvinism  implies  a  pretence 
to  a  superiority  of  virtue.  What  else  is 
meant  by  his  charging  our  views  with 
being  "  unfavoralde  to  the  love  of  both 
God  and  man ;  and  an  axe  at  the  root  of 
all  virtue  1"  He  accuses  us  of  "living  in 
the  dread  of  all  free  inquiry!"  whereas 
they  "  are  in  the  way  of  growing  wiser 
and  better,  as  long  as  they  live."  He  also 
goes  about  to  weigh  the  virtue  of  Unitari- 
ans and  Trinitarians  ;  and  though  he  allows 
the  former  to  have  most  of  an  apparent 
conformity  to  the  world,  yet,  "  upon  the 
whole,"  he  supposes  them  to  "  ai)proach 
nearest  to  the  proper  temper  of  Christi- 
anity." Mr.  Belsham  also  does  not  scru- 
ple to  assert  that  "they  who  are  sincere- 
ly pious  and  diffusively  V)enevo!ent  with 
these  principles  could  not  have  failed  to 
have  been  much  better,  and  much  hap- 
pier, had  they  adopted  a  milder,  a  more 
rational,  a  more  truly  evangelical  creed." 
These  are  passages  which  1  have  quo- 
ted and  answered,  in  iny  Letters  on  So- 
cinianism;  and  what  else  can  be  made 
of  them  but  a  pretence  to  superioritij  of 
virtue  7  I  do  not  accuse  these  writers  of 
rashness  or  arrogance,  in  making  such 
pretences,  unless  it  be  on  account  of  their 
asserting  what  they  are  unable  to  main- 
tain. It  would  be  consistent  with  Chris- 
tian humility  to  prove  that  true  believers 
are  men  of  superior  virtue  to  unbelievers  ; 
and  if  any  denomination  of  professing 
Christians  have  an  advantage  over  others, 
in  this  respect,  they  have  a  right,  es- 
pecially when  accused  by  them  of  immo- 
rality, fairly  and  modestly  to  state  it.  But 
who  can  forliear  to  pity  the  situation  of 
men  who,  after  all  these  challenges,  on  the 
first  close  inquiry  that  is  made  into  the 
justice  of  their  claims,  are  reduced  to  the 
dire  necessity  of  giving  them  up,  of 
standing  merely  upon  the  defensive,  and 
of  exclaiming  against  the  rashness  of 
arrogating  to  themselves  a  superiority  of 
virtue  ! 

It  will  be  time  enough  for  Mr.  Kentish 
to  "  admit  a  claim  to  infallibility  "  Avhen 
such  a  claim  is  made,  or  to  a  "knowledge 
to  the  motives  or  designs  of  men,"  any 
farther  than  as  they  are  made  manifest  by 
their  words  and  actions,  when  his  oppo- 
nent makes  any  pretence  to  it.  In  this 
way,  1  suppose,  he  himself  will  not  scru- 
ple to  judge  the  heart;  since  he  proposes 
in  the  same  V>3g6j  to  "illustrate  the  spirit 


in  which  my  examination  is  written." — p. 
4,  Pref.  I  assure  Mr.  Kentish,  it  was 
neither  in  an  "unguarded"  nor  a  "guard- 
ed "  moment  that  I  presumed  to  charge 
Unitarians  with  having  a  heart  secretly 
disaffected  to  the  true  character  and  gov- 
ernment of  God,  and  dissatisfied  with  the 
gospel  way  of  salvation.  Rather  was  it 
not  in  an  unguarded  moment  that  he,  as 
well  as  several  of  his  brethren  in  the  re- 
viewing department,  accused  me  of  so  do- 
ing 1  If  any  of  these  writers  thought  prop- 
er to  quote  my  words,  why  did  they  not 
quote  the  whole  sentence  as  it  stands']  By 
their  method  of  quotation,  one  might 
prove  from  the  Scriptures,  that  there  is 
no  God. 

The  proposition  as  it  stands  in  my  Let- 
ters is  conditional.  It  is  true  the  thing 
affirmed  is  that  "the  avenues  which  lead 
to  Socinianism  are  not  an  openness  to 
conviction,  or  a  free  and  impartial  inquiry 
after  truth,  but  a  heart  secretly  disaffected 
to  the  true  character  and  government  of 
God,  and  dissatisfied  with  the  gospel  way 
of  salvation  :"  but  the  condition  on  which 
the  truth  of  this  proposition  is  suspended 
is  that  Socinianism  is  a  system  the  char- 
acter of  which  is  that  "irreligious  men 
are  the  first,  and  serious  Christians  the 
last,  to  embrace  it."  Now,  do  our  oppo- 
nents mean  to  admit,  without  hesitation 
or  explanation,  that  this  is  the  character 
of  Socinianism  1  I  know,  indeed,  they 
have  conceded  thus  much ;  but  I  was 
ready  to  suppose  that,  upon  its  being  rep- 
resented to  them  in  its  own  colors,  they 
would  have  recalled  or  at  least  have 
endeavored  to  put  a  more  favorable  con- 
struction upon  their  concessions.  But  it 
should  seem,  by  their  applying  the  latter 
branch  of  the  proposition  to  themselves, 
they  admit  the  former,  as  properly  char- 
acteristic of  their  system  :  and  if  they 
admit  the  one,  I  see  no  cause  to  recede 
from  the  other. 

I  have  contended  that  it  is  not  presump- 
tion to  judge  of  men^s  motives  hy  their 
loords  and  actions  ;  and  that  it  is  what  our 
opponents,  as  well  as  all  other  men,  do  in 
innumerable  instances.  In  this  instance, 
however  I  have  not  judged  the  motives  of 
any  individual.  The  thing  affirmed  bare- 
ly respects  the  general  course  of  things. 
The  avenues  which  lead  to  any  place  are 
the  ordinary  passages  through  which  per- 
sons enter ;  but  it  does  not  follow  that 
they  are  the  only  ones.  Were  I  to  as- 
sert that  the  avenues  which  lead  to  offen- 
sive war  are  not,  as  its  abettors  would  per- 
suade us  to  think,  a  desire  to  maintain  the 
honor  of  their  country,  but  a  heart  secret- 
ly disaffected  to  the  true  interests  of 
mankind,  and  dissatisfied  with  the  mo- 
rality of  the  gospel ;  such  an  assertion, 
1  fear,  would  contain  too  much  truth :  it 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH  S    SERMON. 


313 


would  not  denote,  liowever,  tliat  there 
never  was  an  individual  wlio  engaged  in 
such  wars  but  from  such  nuilives.  Per- 
sons may  be  drawn  into  iheni  unawares 
and  contrary  to  their  inclinations;  and, 
being  once  engaged,  may  lind  it  dilFicult 
to  recede.  Thus,  witli  respect  to  our  re- 
ligious sentiments,  education,  connexions, 
and  various  other  things,  may  ha\e  great 
influence  in  determining  tiiem.  How  far 
such  things  may  consist  with  sincere  love 
to  Clirist,  I  have  not  undertaken  to  decide. 
But  as,  in  the  one  case,  a  person  would 
generally  tind  his  heart  averse  from  actual 
engagements,  and  leaning  towards  a  peace; 
so,  I  apprehend,  it  will  be  in  the  otlier  : 
like  the  serious  Christiaiis  mentioned  by 
Mrs.  Barbauld,  though  they  may  rank 
with  Socinians,  yet  their  hearts  will  lean 
towards  the  doctrine  that  exalts  tlie  Sa- 
viour and  exhibits  him  as  the  atoning  sac- 
rifice. 

Before  Mr.  Kentish  enters  on  the  de- 
fence of  his  principles,  on  the  ground  of 
their  moral  tendency,  he  offers  six  re- 
marks.    These  are  as  follows  : — 

1.  "  An  obvious  eflect  of  the  impres- 
sions to  which  mankind  are  exposed,  from 
surrounding  objects,  is,  that  no  principles 
can  so  fully  influence  the  conduct  as  might 
be  expected  in  theory." — p.  6.  True  ;  but 
the  same  remark  equally  requires  to  be 
made  in  favor  of  Calvinism  as  of  Socini- 
anism.  There  is  nothing  in  it,  therefore, 
appropriate,  or  which  goes  to  account  for 
that  want  of  practical  religion  which  is 
acknowledged  peculiarly  to  attend  the  j)ro- 
fessors  of  the  latter. 

2.  "  While  some  men  are,  confessedly, 
much  better  than  their  principles,  it  will 
not,  it  cannot,  lie  disputed,  that  to  the  most 
valuable  principles  others  fail  of  doing 
justice." — p.  6.  That  some  men's  hearts 
are  better  than  their  systems  is  true  ;  and 
for  this  reason,  notwithstanding  all  that 
is  said  by  my  opponents  to  the  contrary, 
I  have  not  presumed  to  decide  upon  the 
state  of  individuals. 

It  is  also  allowed  that  "  to  the  most 
valuable  principles  others  fail  of  doingjus- 
tice."  This  is  the  same  thing,  for  sub- 
stance, as  that  which  I  have  acknowledged 
in  my  introductory  observations ;  and  I 
have  therefore  never  reasoned  either  from 
the  bad  or  good  conduct  of  individuals, 
but  from  that  of  the  general  body.  It  is 
true  I  have  mentioned  the  names  of  some 
eminent  persons  among  the  Calvinists ; 
but  it  was  merely  to  coniront  an  assertion 
of  Mr.  Belsham,  that  those  who  were 
singularly  pious  and  diffusively  benevo- 
lent, ivith  Calvinistic  principles,  could 
not  have  failed  to  have  been  much  better, 
and  much  happier,  if  they  had  imbibed  a 
different  creed."  The  piety  and  benevo- 
VOL.    I.  40 


lence  of  Hale,  Franck,  Brainerd,  Ed- 
wards, Whitefield,  Tliornton,  and  How- 
ard, were  introduced  as  a  proof  that  such 
degrees  of  virtue  have  l)cen  found  amongst 
Calvinists  as  have  never  Ijcen  exceeded  liy 
men  of  wiiat  arc  called  rational  princi- 
ples, or,  indeed,  of  any  principles  what- 
ever. 

3.  "  It  deserves  to  be  considered,  fur- 
ther, whether  doctrines  whicli  have  most 
ellicacy  upon  the  dispositions,  the  con- 
duct, and  the  feelings  of  Christians,  be 
not  such  as  they  profess  in  common." — 
p.  7.  I  have  no  objection  to  this  or  any 
otlier  subject  being  considered,  tliough  I 
am  persuaded  the  result  of  an  impartial 
consideration,  in  this  case,  would  be  dif- 
ferent from  that  which  is  suggested  by 
Mr.  Kentish  :  but,  granting  his  supposi- 
tion to  1)6  true,  the  difficulty  on  liis  side 
is  just  where  it  was.  If  the  principles 
which  Calvinists  and  Socinians  hold  in 
common  be  the  grand  sources  of  \irtue, 
why  do  they  not  influence  i)oth  alike"? 
Why  is  it  that  "  Rational  Christians  are 
spoken  of  as  indifferent  to  practical  reli- 
gion;" and  that  those  who  acknowledge 
this  charge,  as  Dr.  Priestley  and  Mr.  Bel- 
sham  have  done,  are  not  able  to  vindicate 
them  from  it?  If  Calvinists  and  Socini- 
ans hold  principles  in  common  which  are 
of  a  holy  tendency,  and  yet  the  latter  are 
the  most  indifferent  to  practical  religion, 
there  must  be  something  unfavorable  to 
virtue,  one  should  think,  in  their  pecu- 
liar sentiments. 

4.  "From  a  natural  partiality  more- 
over to  opinions  which  themselves  em- 
brace, men  will  sup|)ose  those  opinions  to 
have  a  tendency  peculiarly  favoral)le  to 
virtue  and  happiness.  There  is  danger, 
therefore,  lest  the  conclusion  to  which  I 
have  adverted  be  drawn  rather  by  the 
feelings  than  by  tiie  understanding,  rath- 
er by  prejudice  tiian  by  calm  and  unbi- 
assed reason." — p.  8.  To  this  I  answer. 
If  the  conclusions  which  I  have  drawn  be 
unreasonable,  they  are  capable  of  being 
proved  so. 

5.  "  In  their  ideas  too  of  moral  excel- 
lence difTerent  sects  of  Christians  may 
not  exactly  agree. — Many  of  them  severe- 
ly censure  certain  instances  of  conformity 
to  the  world,  which  others  of  them  may 
think  not  merely  lawful  but  deserving  of 
praise." — p.  8.  True.  Some  for  exam- 
ple may  live  in  the  disuse  of  prayer,  and 
may  plead  in  excuse  that  this  |)ractice 
does  not  accord  with  their  ideas  of  devo- 
tion. They  may  also  frequent  the  gam- 
ing tal'le,  and  the  assembly  room,  and 
occasionally  if  not  constantly  resort  to  the 
theatre  ,  and  may  contend  that  each  is  an 
innocent  if  not  a  praise-worthy  amuse- 
ment.    But,  if  people  are  not  to  be  crimi- 


314 


A    REPLV    TO    MR.    KENTISH  S    SERMON. 


nated  beyond  the  line  marked  out  by  their 
own  opinions  of  morality,  our  "  modera- 
tion" must  extend  further  than  Mr.  Kent- 
ish himself  might  be  willing  to  allow. 
There  are  people  in  the  world  who  think 
favorably  of  polygamy,  and  others  who 
would  plead  for  fornication,  yea  for  adul- 
tery itself,  provided  it  were  kept  a  secret ; 
yet,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  he  would  not  think 
the  better  of  such  practices  on  this  ac- 
count. On  the  contrary,  he  must  think 
himself  warranted  to  conclude,  in  ordina- 
ry cases  at  least,  that  the  opinions  of 
such  persons  were  formed  under  the  in- 
fluence of  an  immoral  bias,  and,  therefore, 
that  they  themselves  partake  of  the  na- 
tui'e  of  immorality. 

6.  "  The  very  nature  of  the  argument 
proposed  renders  it  extremely  difficult  to 
deduce  from  it  a  satisfactory  inference. 
If  to  judge  respecting  the  conduct  of  men, 
even  in  single  cases,  demand  much  care 
and  knowledge,  far  more  requisite  are 
these  qualifications  when  sentence  is  to 
be  passed  upon  their  general  character. 
Who  indeed  is  so  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  various  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians as  to  form  a  decision,  upon  this  point, 
that  shall  not  be  liable  to  the  imputation  of 
partiality  or  rashness  1" — pp.  8,  9.  That 
care  and  knowledge  are  necessary  in  such 
a  comparison  I  shall  not  dispute  :  and  if  I 
have  betrayed  my  want  of  either,  I  pre- 
sume it  is  capable  of  being  exposed  ;  but 
that  the  thing  itself  is  impracticable  I  can- 
not admit.  It  is  not  impossible  to  discover 
who  in  general  are  serious,  conscientious, 
and  pious  men,  and  who  they  are  that  in- 
dulge in  dissipation  and  folly.  The  ob- 
servation of  Mr.  Kentish,  if  it  prove  any- 
thing, proves  that  the  moral  tendency  of 
a  doctrine  is  no  proper  criterion  of  its 
truth.  Yet  he  acknowledges  that  "in 
religion  the  maxim,  "  ye  shall  know  them 
by  their  fruits,"  is  a  maxim  unquestiona- 
bly of  high  authority,  evident  reason,  and 
familiar  application." — p.  5.  How  can 
these  things  consist  together  1  If  it  be  of 
"  familiar  application,"  it  cannot  be  "  ex- 
tremely difficult,"  nor  require  any  extra- 
ordinary degree  of  understanding  to  apply 
it.  Let  there  be  what  difficulty  there 
maj%  however,  in  this  case,  my  work,  so 
far  as  related  to  facts,  was  done  ready  to 
my  hand.  Dr.  Priestley,  Mr.  Belsham, 
and  Mrs.  Barbauld,  were  my  authorities 
for  the  want  of  regard  to  practical  reli- 
gion amongst  Rational  Christians  :  wri- 
ters whom  Mr.  Kentish  will  not  accuse 
of  the  want  of  either  "  care  or  knowl- 
edge;" and  to  whom  he  will  not  in  this 
cause  impute  either  "  partiality  or  rash- 
ness." 

It  has  been  suggested  by  some  who  are 
friendly    to    the    cause    of  Socinianism, 


though  not  professed  Socinians,  that  I 
have  made  an  unfair  use  of  a  few  con- 
cessions ;  and  that  a  similar  use  might  be 
made  of  the  concessions  of  many  of  the 
Puritans,  who  in  their  day  lamented  the 
imperfections  and  degeneracy  of  their  own 
people.  If  Dr.  Priestley  and  his  brethren 
had  barely  acknowledged  that  there  were 
great  defects  amongst  their  people  when 
compared  with  the  primitive  Christians,  or 
with  Avhat  they  ought  to  be,  this,  I  con- 
fess, had  been  no  more  than  what  Puritan 
writers  have  done,  and  the  writers  of  every 
other  denomination  of  Christians  might 
have  done ;  and  such  acknowledgments 
ought  not  to  have  been  improved  against 
them.  But  who  beside  themselves  have 
ever  professed  to  hold  a  set  of  principles, 
to  the  discernment  of  which  an  indiffer- 
ence to  religion  in  general  was  favorable 
— a  system  which  those  who  were  most  in- 
different to  the  practice  of  religion  were 
the  first,  and  serious  Christians  the  last,  to 
embrace  1  Who  beside  themselves  have 
been  reduced,  by  facts  which  they  could 
not  deny,  to  such  dire  necessity  1 

From  the  foregoing  introductory  obser- 
vations, Mr.  Kentish  proceeds  to  the  body 
of  his  discourse,  which  he  divides  into  four 
heads  of  inquiry.  "I.  What  is  the  tend- 
ency of  the  Unitarian  doctrine  with  re- 
spect to  the  cultivation  and  exercise  of  the 
divine,  the  social,  and  the  personal  virtues? 
II.  What  assistance,  support,  and  consola- 
tion does  it  afford,  in  the  season  of  temp- 
tation, affliction,  and  death  1  III.  What 
is  its  efficacy  in  the  conversion  of  profli- 
gates and  unbelievers  1  And  IV.  Finally, 
how  far  is  it  adapted  to  promote  a  venera- 
tion for  the  Scriptures,  and  to  fortify  our 
faith  in  Christianity  1  " 

I.  On  the  divine,  the  social,  and 

THE    PERSONAL    VIRTUES. 

Under  the  first  of  these  particulars,  Mr. 
Kentish  very  properly  considers  "love  to 
God;  "  and,  so  far  as  he  attempts  an  an- 
swer to  what  I  have  written,  I  suppose 
this  is  to  be  considered  as  an  answer  to 
my  Vllth  Letter.  The  substance  of  what 
he  advances  upon  this  subject  is  as  fol- 
lows : — "  We  believe,  accoi'ding  to  the 
sublime  language  of  the  favorite  apostle, 
that  "  God  is  love ;  "  we  consider  all  his 
moral  excellences,  as  justice,  truth,  and 
holiness,  as  modifications  of  this  principle. 
Happiness  we  regard  as  the  grand  object 
of  his  works  and  dispensations,  and  con- 
ceive of  his  glory  as  resulting  from  the 
diffusion  of  this  happiness." 

"  These  being  our  ideas  of  the  Deity, 
love  to  him  cannot  fail  to  be  shed  abroad 
in  our  hearts.  Did  we  think  of  him,  in- 
deed, as  one  altogether  like  unto  ourselves 
— did  we  imagine  that  he  is  vindictive,  in- 
exorable, arbitrary,  and  partial — and  did 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH  S    SERMON. 


315 


we  suppose  his  glory  to  be  somethina;  dis- 
tinct from  the  exercise  of  his  gooilness, 
we  niiirlit  experience  ditliculty  in  obedience 
to  this  iirst  and  irrcatest  of  the  cninniand- 
ments.  But,  in  the  contonijilation  of  in- 
finite power,  employed  to  execute  dcsitMis 
wliicli  proceed  from  iiitiiiite  benevolence, 
and  are  plaimed  ity  consummate  wisdom, 
filial  atlection  towards  God  is  naturally 
enkindled  and  pi'cserved  in  our  breasts." 
—pp.  11,  12. 

On  this  statement  I  would  observe,  in 
the  first  place,  that  it  passes  over  one  very 
important  topic  of  discussion  between  us  ; 
namely,  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement. 
Why  is  it  that  i\Ir.  Kentish  has  passed 
over  tliis  doctrine  ]  He  knows  tliat  So- 
cinian  writers  have  charged  it  witii  imply- 
ing the  natural  implacabUity  of  God,  a 
charge  against  which  I  have  attempted  to 
defend  it.  Have  I  not  a  riglit  to  conclude, 
from  Mr.  Kentish's  silence  on  tliis  head, 
that  he  feels  the  ground  to  be  untenal)Ic'! 

Mr.  Kentish  has  not  only  declined  the 
discussion  of  one  of  the  most  important 
subjects,  but  those  topics  which  have  fallen 
under  his  notice  are  stated  w  itii  great  un- 
fairness. His  account  of  my  sentiments 
respecting  the  vindictive  character  of  God 
is  marked  by  the  grossest  misrepresenta- 
tion. I  had  carefully  explained  the  term 
vindictive,  wlien  aj)p!ied  to  the  divine  con- 
duct in  the  punishment  of  sin,  by  observ- 
ing that  "  it  is  very  common  for  people 
when  they  speak  of  vindictive  punishment 
to  mean  that  kind  of  punisiimcnt  wliich  is 
inflicted  from  a  wrathful  disposition,  or  a 
disposition  to  punish  for  the  pleasure  of 
punishing.  Now,  if  this  be  the  meaning 
of  our  opponents,  we  have  no  dispute 
with  them.  We  do  not  suppose  the  Al- 
mighty to  punish  sinners  for  the  sake  of 
putting  them  to  pain.  Vindictive  punish- 
ment, as  it  is  here  defended,  stands  op- 
posed to  that  punishment  which  is  merely 
corrective.  The  one  is  exercised  for  the 
good  of  the  party ;  tlie  other  not  so,  but 
for  the  good  of  the  community." — Letter 
VII.  Now,  though  Mr.  Kentish  must  have 
observed  this  statement,  yet  he  has  sufTer- 
ed  himself  to  write  as  follows  : — "Did  we 
imagine  that  God  is  vindictive,  inexorable, 
arbitrary,  and  partial — or  did  we  suppose 
his  glory  to  be  something  distinct  from  the 
exercise  of  his  goodness — we  might  expe- 
rience difficulty  in  obedience  to  this  first 
and  greatest  of  the  commandments." — 
pp.  11,  12.  As  a  proof,  it  should  seem, 
that  these  were  my  sentiments,  Mr.  Kent- 
ish refers  to  page  21.5  of  my  Letters, 
where  I  have  acknowledged  that  there  is 
a  mixture  of  the  vindictive  in  the  Calvin- 
istic  system.  But  have  I  not  also  in  the 
same  page  so  explained  my  meaning  as  to 
reject   those   offensive   ideas   which   Mr. 


Kentish  has  introduced  in  connection  with 
iti  Why  did  he  hold  up  my  acknowledg- 
ment concerning  the  vindictixc  character 
of  God,  without  at  the  same  lime  holding 
up  tiiat  sense  of  it  in  which  1  professed  to 
tlefcnd  it  ]  Or,  if  he  might  tiiink  himself 
excused  from  this,  why  did  he  connect 
such  terms  with  it  as  must  exhibit  it  in  a 
ditl'erent  and  contrary  sense,  even  in  that 
very  sense  in  which  I  had  oy^posed  iti  I 
cannot  but  consider  this  as  disingenuous; 
and  as  greatly  rescndjling  the  conduct  of 
certain  Deists,  who,  in  their  attacks  upon 
Christianity,  choose  first  to  dress  it  up  in 
the  habits  of  Popery. 

As  to  the  glory  of  God  consisting  in  the 
exercise  of  his  goodness,  if  it  be  meant  of 
the  manifestation  of  the  divine  glory,  and 
goodness  be  put  for  moral  excellence,  it  is 
the  sanle  thing  as  that  which  I  have  ac- 
knowledged; namely,  that  "the  glory  of 
God  consists  in  doing  that  which  shall  be 
best  upon  the  whole  :"  but,  by  goodness, 
Mr.  Kentish  means  merely  beneficence, 
undistinguishing  beneficence,  or  the  pur- 
suit of  ultimate  liappiness  in  behalf  of  ev- 
ery intelligent  being  in  the  creation,  obe- 
dient or  rebellious,  penitent  or  impenitent, 
men  or  devils.  In  this  sense  I  allow  that 
the  glory  of  God  may  be  at  variance  with 
the  happiness  of  creatures,  and  I  contend 
that,  where  it  is  so,  the  latter,  anc^not  the 
former,  ought  to  be  given  up. 

Mr.  Kentish  pleads  from  "  the  decla- 
ration of  the  favorite  aposfle,  God  is  love,'' 
and  supposes  that  "all  his  moral  excel- 
lences, as  justice,  truth,  and  holiness,  are 
but  modifications  of  this  i)rinci|)le."  To 
all  this  I  have  no  objection,  provided  the  ob- 
ject aimed  at  be  the  general  good  of  the 
moral  system.  But  Mr.  Kentish  suppo- 
ses, if  God  be  love,  that  in  all  he  does 
he  must  have  the  good  of  every  indi- 
vidual in  his  dominions  in  view.  On  this 
principle  he  must  have  destroyed  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  Cain  and  Balaam,  and  Saul 
and  Judas,  and  all  those  who,  in  every 
age,  have  lived  "foaming  out  their  own 
shame,"  and  to  whom,  according  to  the 
Scriptures,  "  is  reserved  the  blackness  oj 
darkness  forever,"  together  with  Satan 
and  all  his  rebellious  legions,  not  only  as 
examjjles  to  the  intelligent  creation,  l)ut 
for  their  own  s;ood  !  Surely  this  is  not  a 
necessary  inference  from  the  ajjostolic 
declaration.  There  are  other  cases,  as 
well  as  this,  in  which  justice  may  lie  a 
modification  of  love  ;  but  in  no  case  does 
it  require  that  an  incorrigible  ofTcnder 
should  not  be  punished  but  for  his  own 
advantage.  The  execution  of  a  murderer 
may  be  an  exercise  of  ])ure  benevolence  to 
the  community,  Ihougli  of  just  displeasure 
to  the  criminal.  The  removal  of  a  restless, 
ambitious,  intriguing,  and  bloody-minde4 


316 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH's    SERMON. 


prince  or  princess  from  the  earth,  may  be 
a  mercy  to  mankind,  and,  as  such,  may 
be  considered  as  an  act  worthy  of  the  God 
of  love  ;  but  it  may  not  follow  that  this  is 
accomplished  in  love  to  the  systematic 
murderer  of  the  human  race.  If  all  the 
West  India  islands  were  to  be  overwhelm- 
ed in  some  dire  destruction,  I  am  not  sure 
that  it  would  not  be  a  mercy  to  the  human 
species  ;  it  would  terminate  the  miseries 
of  thousands,  and  prevent  the  annual  sac- 
rifice of  thousands  more  :  and  yet  such  an 
event  might  proceed,  not  from  love,  but 
from  just  displeasure  to  guilty  individuals. 
It  does  not  ibllow,  therefore,  from  any 
principles  with  which  we  are  acquainted, 
that  because  God  is  love  he  must  have  the 
happiness  of  his  incorrigible  enemies  in 
view,  in  all  the  displeasure  which  he  pours 
upon  them. 

In  order,  it  should  seem,  to  obviate  this 
reasoning,  Mr.  Kentish  objects  to  our 
"  thinking  and  speaking  respecting  the 
measures  of  the  divine  administration,  as 
though  they  were  precisely  similar  to  the 
measures  which  are  pursued  by  earthly 
rulers." — p.  20.  It  is  curious  to  observe 
in  what  manner  our  opponents  shift  their 
positions,  and  veer  about,  as  occasion  re- 
quires. Dr.  Priestley  accused  the  Cal- 
vjnistic  system  of  representing  God  in  such 
a  light  "  that  no  earthly  parent  could  imi- 
tate him  without  sustaining  a  character 
shocking  to  mankind."  To  this  I  answer- 
ed, by  proving  that  it  is  the  practice  of 
every  good  government  to  make  exam- 
ples of  incorrigible  offenders ;  and  that 
benevolence  itself  requires  it:  yea,  that 
there  have  been  cases  in  which  even  a  pa- 
rent has  been  obliged,  in  benevolence  to 
his  family  and  from  a  concern  for  the  gen- 
eral good,  to  give  up  a  stubborn  and  re- 
bellious son  to  be  stoned  to  death  by  the 
elders  of  his  city,  and  that,  not  for  his 
own  good,  but  that  all  Israel  might  hear 
and  fear.  To  this  Mr.  Kentish  replies, 
that  God's  government  is  not  to  be  meas- 
ured by  human  governments.  First,  then, 
we  are  accused  of  exhibiting  the  divine 
character  in  such  a  light  that  it  cannot  be 
imitated  ;  and,  when  we  prove  that  it  can 
and  ought  in  those  respects  to  be  imitated, 
then  we  are  charged  with  thinking  and 
speaking  of  God  "  as  one  altogether  like 
ourselves  !" 

But  passing  this,  the  point  at  issue  is, 
which  of  the  above  representations  of  the 
divine  character  tends  most  to  excite  our 
love  to  him.  Mr.  Kentish  conceives  that, 
as  love  to  God  arises  from  a  contempla- 
tion of  his  goodness,  his  scheme  must,  in 
this  instance,  have  the  advantage.  That 
depraved  creatures,  who  care  not  for  the 
honor  of  the  divine  government,  but  whose 
supreme  regard  is  directed  towards  them- 


selves, should  love  that  being  best  who, 
whatever  be  their  character  and  conduct,  is 
most  devoted  to  their  happiness,  is  readily 
admitted.  But  this  is  not  the  love  of  God. 
That  goodness  is  the  immediate  oljectof 
love  I  also  admit :  but  goodness  in  the  Di- 
vine Being  is  the  same  thing  as  moral  ex- 
cellence, and  this  renders  him  an  object  of 
love  only  to  such  created  beings  as,  in 
some  degree,  bear  his  image.  The  good- 
ness for  which  Mr.  Kentish  pleads  is  mere 
undistinguishing  benelicence,  of  which  we 
can  form  no  idea,  without  feeling,  at  the 
same  time,  a  diminution  of  respect.  If  a 
supreme  magistrate  should  possess  such 
an  attachment  to  his  subjects  as  that, 
whatever  were  their  crimes,  he  could  in  no 
case  be  induced  to  give  any  one  of  them 
up  to  condign  punishment,  or  to  any  other 
punishment  than  what  should  be  adapted 
to  promote  his  good,  he  would  presently 
become  an  object  of  general  contempt.  Or 
if  a  father  should  possess  such  a  fondness 
for  his  children  that,  let  any  one  of  them 
be  guilty  of  what  he  might,  suppose  it 
were  a  murder,  a  hundred  times  repeat- 
ed, yet  he  could  never  consent  that  any 
punishment  should  be  inflicted  upon  him, 
excepting  such  as  might  be  productive  of 
his  good,  such  a  father  would  be  detested 
by  the  community,  and  despised  by  his 
own  family. 

But,  perhaps,  I  may  be  told  that  the  di- 
vine government  is  not  to  be  measured  by 
human  governments ;  no,  not  by  those 
which  are  parental.  Be  it  so  ;  indeed  I 
am  willing  to  grant  Mr.  Kentish  that  it  is 
not.  If  he  can  prove  from  Scripture  that 
the  divine  government  is  possessed  of  this 
peculiarity,  that,  in  every^instance  of  jus- 
tice, the  good  of  the  party,  as  well  as  the 
good  of  the  community,  is  the  object  pur- 
sued, I  will  readily  admit  it,  and  will 
never  mention  its  inconsistency  with  our 
ideas  of  government  any  more.  But  while 
no  manner  of  appeal  is  made  to  the  Scrip- 
tures— while  the  numerous  passages  which 
I  have  alleged  in  favor  of  the  doctrine  of 
vindictive  punishment  remain  unnoticed — 
while  nothing  of  any  accovmt,  except  the 
nature  and  fitness  of  things,  is  alleged — I 
have  a  right  to  show  that, /rom  the  nature 
and  fitness  of  things,  no  conclusion  like 
that  of  Mr.  Kentish  can  be  drawn,  but  the 
very  reverse.  Love  to  a  government, 
even  a  parental  one,  must  be  accompanied 
with  respect.  A  being  whose  kindness 
degenerates  into  fondness,  however  his  con- 
duct may  please  our  selfish  humors,  can 
never  be  the  object  of  our  esteem.  On 
this  principle,  when  Jehovah  proclaimed 
his  name  or  character  to  Moses,  he  not 
only  declared  himself  to  be  "  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious, 
long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KKNTISIIS    SERMON. 


317 


and  in  truth,  kecpinir  inorcv  for  thousands, 
forgiving  iniquity,  and  transgression,  and 
sin  ;"  but  added,  "  and  that  will  by  no 
means  clear  the  guilty.^' 

"  Love  to  God,"  IVIr.  Kentish  oltservcs, 
"  is  no  enthusiastic-  rapture,  no  olTspring 
of  a  licentious  imagination.  It  consists  in 
the  highest  esteem  lor  the  divine  charac- 
ter, and  the  liveliest  gratitude  lor  the  di- 
vine mercies." — p.  10.  Very  true  ;  it  is 
the  character  ol  God  that  is  tiie  prime  ob- 
ject ol  genuine  love  ;  and  I  may  add,  what 
I  liave  observed  before,  that  "  the  true 
character  of  God,  as  revealed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, must  be  taken  into  the  account,  in 
determining  vvhetiier  our  love  to  God  lie 
genuine  or  not.  We  may  clothe  the  Di- 
vine Being  with  such  attributes,  and  such 
only,  as  will  suit  our  depraved  taste  ;  and 
then  it  will  be  no  diflicult  tiling  to  fall 
down  and  w  orship  him  :  l>ut  tiiis  is  not  the 
love  of  God,  but  of  an  idol  of  our  own  cre- 
ating." It  appears  to  me  that  the  God  in 
whom  Mr.  Kentisii  professes  to  believe  is 
not  the  true  God,  or  the  God  revealed  in 
the  Bible  ;  and  that  the  love  he  pleads  for 
is  no  other  than  self-love,  or  an  attachment 
to  a  being  whose  glory  consists  in  his  be- 
ing invariably  attached  to  us. 

The  character  of  God  is  principally 
manifested  to  us  through  those  two  grand 
mediums,  the  law  and  the  gospel ;  but  nei- 
ther of  them  conveys  any  such  idea  of  him 
as  that  which  Mr.  Kentish  endeavors  to 
exhibit.  By  the  precepts  and  penalties 
of  the  former,  Jehovah  declared  his  love 
to  men,  as  creatures,  by  guarding  them 
against  every  approach  to  evil  ;  but  he  al- 
so, by  the  same  means,  solemnly  declared 
his  love  of  righteousness,  and  his  determi- 
nation to  maintain  a  righteous  government 
in  the  universe.  By  the  propitiation  ex- 
hibited in  the  latter,  the  same  important 
ideas  are  repeated,  and  others,  of  still 
greater  importance  to  us,  revealed.  Here 
Jehovah  declares  his  compassion  to  men, 
as  guilty  and  miseraltle  ;  l)ul  it  is  without 
any  relaxation  of  the  rigid  uprightness  of 
his  moral  government,  or  the  least  impli- 
cation that  his  rebellious  creatures  had 
been  hardly  dealt  witli,  that  he  pours  forth 
a  rich  exul)erance  of  mercy  upon  the  un- 
worthy. He  is  still  the  "just  God,  and 
the  Saviour  ;  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
that  believeth  in  Jesus."  While  salvation 
is  promised  to  every  believing  sinner,  dam- 
nation is  threatened  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieveth not. 

There  is  a  rectitude  that  runs  through 
all  the  dispensations  of  God,  which  deter- 
mines his  true  character,  and,  by  conse- 
quence, the  nature  of  genuine  love  to  him, 
seeing  the  one  must  necessarily  correspond 
with  the  other.  The  scri[)ture  character 
of  God  is  such  that  wicked  men  are  natu- 


rally averse  from  it.  "  The  carnal  mind 
is  enmity  against  God."  Our  Lord  told 
the  Jews,  notwithstanding  all  their  boast- 
ed attachment  to  God,  that  they  "  had  not 
the  love  of  God  in  them."  Hence  we  are 
taught  the  necessity  of  the  "heart  being 
circumcised  to  love  the  Lord  our  God." — 
Deut.  xxx.  G.  But  the  character  of  God, 
as  drawn  by  Mr.  Kentisii,  is  such  that  the 
most  depraved  being  must  approve  it,  and 
that  without  any  change  in  the  unholy  bias 
ol  his  heart.  Sinners  can  love  those  that 
love  them.  A  being,  the  perfections  of 
whose  nature  re<piire  him  to  promote  the 
good  of  creation  in  general,  will  be  loved 
by  those,  and  those  only,  who  value  the 
general  good,  and  who  no  otherwise  desire 
the  hajipiness  of  any  creature,  not  even 
their  own,  than  as  it  is  included  in  the 
well-being  of  his  moral  empire.  But  a  be- 
ing the  properties  of  wiiose  nature  prevent 
him,  in  any  instance,  from  making  a  final 
example  of  any  of  his  rebellious  creatures, 
or  punishing  them  in  any  way  except  that 
in  which  their  good  shall  be  his  ultimate 
end,  may  be  beloved  by  those  who  have 
no  regard  for  the  general  good,  nor  for  any 
part  of  intelligent  existence  but  them- 
selves, or  such  as  become  suliservient  to 
themselves.  And  what,  other  than  this, 
is  Mr.  Kentish's  representa.tion  of  love  to 
God  "?  Considering  God  as  all  goodness, 
and  goodness  as  consisting  in  a  determina- 
tion to  do  good,  ultimately,  to  every  crea- 
ture, let  his  character  and  conduct  be  what 
it  may,  he  supposes  it  to  be  natural  to  men 
to  love  him.  "  The  love  of  God,"  he 
says,  "  cannot  fail  to  be  shed  abroad  in 
our  hearts  :"  it  is  "  naturally  enkindled  and 
kept  alive  in  our  breasts." — pp.  11,  12. 
Genuine  love  to  God  requires  to  be  "  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Spirit :" 
but  there  needs  no  Holy  Spirit  in  this  case  ; 
it  is  altogether  natural  to  man.  Mr. 
Kentish  therefore  acted  very  properly  in 
leaving  that  part  of  the  passage  out  of  his 
quotation. 

The  scheme  of  our  opponents  not  only 
misrepresents  the  nature  of  love  to  God, 
but  it  is  miserably  deficient  with  respect 
to  motives  whereby  it  may  be  excited. 
"  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life." — "Herein  is  love,  not 
that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us, 
and  sent  his  Son  to  be  a  jiropitiation  for 
our  sins." — "God  commendeth  his  love 
towards  us,  in  that,  while  we  w  ere  vet  sin- 
ners, Christ  died  for  us." — "He  that 
spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him 
up  for  us  all." — "  Thanks  be  unto  God  for 
his  unspeakable  gift."  Such  is  the  lan- 
guage of  inspiration;  but  this  affecting 
epitome  of  gospel-truth  is  despoiled  of  all 


318 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.     KENTISH's    SERMON. 


its  glory  by  the  expositions  of  our  oppo- 
nents. Every  thing  rich,  interesting,  and 
endearing,  which  it  contains,  evaporates 
in  their  hands,  as  by  a  kind  of  chemical 
process  ;  and  nothing  is  left  behind  that 
can  acquit  the  sacred  writers  of  dealing  in 
great  swelling  words  of  vanit)^ 

Mr.  Kentish's  remarks  upon  this  sub- 
ject, together  with  a  quotation  from  Dr. 
Kippis  in  support  of  it,  are  feeble  and  nu- 
gatory :  they  prove  nothing,  but  the  pov- 
erty of  the  cause.  "By  the  goodness  of 
the  Almighty,  exhibited  in  the  works  of 
nature,  in  the  dispensations  of  providence, 
and  in  our  temporal  comfort,  we  are  as 
much  impressed,  I  presume,"  says  Mr. 
Kentish,  "  as  any  class  of  Christians.  And, 
if,  we  neither  think  nor  speak  like  some  of 
them  concerning  the  divine  love  manifest- 
ed in  the  gift  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  must  not 
hence  be  inferred  that  we  are  less  atten- 
tive to  its  magnitude  and  extent.  It  is  our 
persuasion,  on  the  contrary,  that,  from  the 
views  we  cherish  of  this  important  sul>- 
ject,  we  can  say  with  peculiar  justice, 
'  we  love  him,  because  he  first  loved  us.'  " 
— pp.  12,  13.  To  the  "persuasion"  of 
Mr.  Kentish  is  added  the  opinion  of  Dr. 
Kippis,  that  when  "  writers  express  them- 
selves as  if  the  Christian  revelation  would 
be  of  little  value,  unless  their  particular 
systems  are  adopted,  it  is  a  kind  of  lan- 
guage which  is  extremely  injudicious,  and 
which  ought  to  be  avoided  and  discourag- 
ed ;  and  that  no  man  can  think  meanly  of 
the  evangelical  dispensation,  or  detract 
from  its  excellence  and  dignity,  who  be- 
lieves that  God  is  the  author  of  it — that  it 
was  communicated  by  Jesus  Christ — and 
that  he  conveys  to  us  knowledge,  pardon, 
holiness  and  eternal  life." — pp.  12,  13, 
note.  Our  opponents,  then,  in  all  their 
numerous  charges  of  idolatry,  corrupting 
Christianity,  &c.,  exhibited  against  us, 
wish  to  be  understood  it  seems,  after  all, 
as  including  nothing  under  these  offensive 
terms  which  implies  "  a  mean  opinion  of 
the  evangelical  dispensation,  or  which  de- 
tracts from  its  excellence  and  dignity  !  " 
I  wish  it  were  in  my  power  honestly  to 
return  the  compliment.  In  this  case,  how- 
ever, I  should  think  consistency  would  re- 
quire me  to  retract  my  former  charges. 
But,  were  Calvinists  and  Socinians  to  co- 
alesce upon  Dr.  Kij)pis's  principles,  I 
should  fear  it  would  deserve  the  name  of 
a  confederacy  against  the  holy  Scriptures. 
The  apostle  Paul  must  necessarily  fall 
under  their  united  censure ;  for,  if  it  be 
"extremely  injudicious  to  represent  the 
christian  revelation  as  of  little  value  unless 
a  particular  system  be  adopted,"  he  must 
have  been  verily  guilty  in  suggesting  that 
the  Galatian  teachers,  who  only  erred  on 
the  doctrine  of  justification,  had  introdu- 


ced "  another  gospel,"  and  aimed  at  "  per- 
verting the  gospel  of  Christ."  But,  if  the 
scheme  of  Mr.  Kentish  be  defective  in 
one  point  of  view,  he  seems  to  think  it  has 
the  advantage  in  another. 

The  Unity  of  God,  he  observes,  stands 
connected  with  the  command  to  love  him  ; 
and  he  hence  labors  to  prove  the  superior 
efficacy  of  his  sentiments  in  promoimg- this 
temper  of  mind,  inasraucii  as  they  who  im- 
bibe them  are  not  subject  to  be  distracted 
and  bewildered  in  their  worship,  as  those 
are  Avho  worship  a  plurality  of  deities. — 
pp.  14,  15.  But  with  this  reasoning  I, 
who  do  not  worship  a  plurality  of  deities, 
have  no  concern. 

Under  the  article  of  Love  to  God,  Mr. 
Kentish  proceeds  to  discourse  on  love  to 
Christ.— p.  15—19.  With  what  "pro- 
priety" this  is  done,  unless  he  be  possess- 
ed of  deity,  I  shall  not  inquire.  It  is  in 
this  place,  I  suppose,  that  we  are  to  con- 
sider him  as  answering  my  Xlth  letter, 
which  was  written  on  this  subject.  The 
questions  discussed  in  that  letter  were, 
"  Which  of  the  two  systems  tend  most  to 
exalt  the  character  of  Christ  1  Which 
places  his  mediation  in  the  most  important 
view1  and  which  represents  us  as  most  in- 
debted to  his  undertaking'?"  The  sub- 
stance of  Mr.  Kentish's  remarks,  on  the 
first  of  these  questions,  consists  in  this  : 
that  it  is  not  greatness,  but  goodness,  that 
is  the  object  of  lo\e  :  that  "  love  to  Christ 
has  its  just  foundation,  not  in  a  persuasion 
of  his  superior  dignity,  but  in  a  conviction 
that  his  character  was  distinguished  by  the 
'  beauty  of  holiness,'  or  the  charms  of 
virtue." — p.  16.  I  allow  that  goodness, 
and  not  greatness,  is  the  immediate  object 
of  love  :  but  Mr.  Kentish  will  also  allow 
that  the  latter  renders  a  being  capable  of 
the  former.  The  more  any  person  pos- 
sesses of  enlargedness  of  mind,  the  more 
capable  he  is  of  goodness  ;  and,  if  his  mor- 
al qualities  keep  pace  with  his  natural  ac- 
complishments, he  is  a  more  estimable 
character  than  if  his  mind  were  not  en- 
larged. 

The  greater  any  character  is,  therefore, 
if  his  goodness  be  but  equal  to  his  great- 
ness, the  more  he  becomes  the  proper  ob- 
ject of  love.  Will  Mr.  Kentish  pretend 
that  the  "charms  of  virtue,"  in  a  good 
man  (in  Jesus  Christ  for  example,  suppos- 
ing him  to  tie  only  a  good  man,)  ought  to 
render  him  as  much  the  object  of  our  af- 
fection as  the  infinitely  glorious  moral  ex- 
cellence of  the  Divine  Being  ought  to  ren- 
der him  1  But,  by  how  much  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Divine  Being  is  more  estimable 
than  that  of  the  best  of  men,  by  so  much 
is  the  character  of  Christ  more  estimable, 
upon  the  supposition  of  his  proper  Deity, 
than  that  of  his  being  merely  human.     Mr, 


A     RGPLY    TO    MK.     KK.NTISH  S    SERMON. 


319 


Kentish,  as  lliougli  he  felt  tliis  diHiiiilty, 
and  wished  to  remove  it,  sujiirests  that  it 
is  upon  the  prin(ii)U'  ol  gratitude  that  we 
"  give  to  God,  tiie  supreme  Author  of  our 
enjoyments,  our  higliest,  purest  love." — p. 
17.  But  is  it  gratitude  only  that  liinds  us 
to  love  God  i>etter  than  a  creature  1  Is  it 
merely  because  we  receive  more  from  him  .' 
Is  it  not  also  on  account  of  the  infinite 
amial'leness  of  his  moral  character,  as  dis- 
jdaved  particularly  in  the  gospel,  or  (as 
the  Scrii)turcs  express  it)  of  "  tiie  glory  of 
God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  "  Yea, 
is  it  not,  primarily,  on  this  account  that 
God  is  entitled  to  our  "  highest  and  purest 
love  !  " 

Mr.  Kentisli  has  not  thought  it  proper  to 
enter  on  the  inquiries,  "  Which  of  the  two 
systems  places  the  mediation  of  Christ  in 
tiie  most  important  light ;  and  which  rep- 
resents us  as  most  indebted  to  his  under- 
taking!" He  has  made  some  observa- 
tions, however,  upon  gratitude.  Having 
stated  that  God  is  to  be  loved,  on  this 
principle,  with  our  highest,  purest  love, 
he  adds,  "Hence,  too,  we  cannot  avoid 
indulging  and  showing  atTcction  tor  those 
of  our  fellow-creatures  whom  he  disposes 
and  enables  to  do  us  good  ;  and  who,  in 
truth,  are  but  the  instruments  of  his  boun- 
ty. It  is  upon  the  same  principle  that  we 
perceive  the  justice  of  manifesting  no  com- 
mon love  to  Christ,  the  author,  under  God, 
of  our  most  valuable  privileges  and  our 
richest  blessings." — p.  17.  Whether  the 
love  of  our  opponents  towards  Christ,  in 
a  way  of  gratitude,  be  common  or  uncom- 
mon, while  they  maintain  that  he  existed 
not  till  lie  was  born  of  Mary,  they  cannot 
consider  themselves  as  under  any  obliga- 
tion to  hini  for  coming  into  the  icorld  to 
save  them;  seeing  that  was  a  matter  in 
which  he  must  have  been  totally  involun- 
tary :  and,  while  they  reject  the  doctrine 
oi  WxG  atonement,  I  do  not  see  how  they 
can  feel  obliged  to  him  for  the  forgiveness 
of  their  sins,  or  to  any  thing  which  he  has 
done,  or  sutTered,  for  their  hopes  of  eter- 
nal life.  They  may  feel  indeltted  to  him 
for  having  published  these  doctrines  :  l)ut, 
if  this  be  all,  it  is  a  small  affair  for  so 
much  to  be  made  of  it.  Many  a  prophet, 
who  was  a  bearer  of  heavy  tidings,  would 
have  been  glad,  in  this  respect,  to  ex- 
change messages  with  him.  Dr.  Toulmin, 
in  a  former  publication,  has  tried  to  mag- 
nify this  suhject  a  little,  by  alleging  that 
"  Christ  came  not  only  to  preach  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  state,  but  to  prove  it,  and 
to  furnish  a  pledge  of  the  resurrection  to 
eternal  life,  by  his  own  resurrection."  * 
Dr.  Toulmin  has  not  informed  us  in  what 

*  Dissertation  on  the  IntcrnHJ  Evidences  and  Ex- 
cellency of  Christianity,  App.  I.  p.  215. 


manner  tiie  mission  of  Christ  proved  the 
doctrine  of  a  luture  state,  any  otherwise 
than  as  his  resurrection  afTorded  a  pledge 
of  it :  and  this  can  add  nothing  as  a  foun- 
dation of  gratitude  to  him  ;  inasmuch  as, 
upon  his  principles,  it  was  a  matter  in 
which  he  iiad  no  voluntary  concern. 

For  our  parts,  we  consider  ourselves 
deeply  indebted  to  Christ,  for  his  volunta- 
ry assumption  of  our  nature  ;  for  the  pref- 
erence given  to  us  before  the  fallen  an- 
gels ;  for  his  condescending  to  l)ecome 
suiiject  to  temptations  and  atTlictions  for 
our  sake,  "  that  in  all  things  he  might  be 
made  like  unto  his  l>rethrcn  ;  "  and  tor  his 
ofTering  himself  without  spot  to  God  as  our 
atoning  sacrifice,  thereby  obtairiing  the 
remission  of  our  sins,  and  becoming  the 
foundation  of  our  hopes  of  eternal  life  : 
but  none  of  these  things  have  any  place  in 
the  system  of  our  opponents.  And,  though 
they  would  persuade  us  that  they  hold  the 
sentiments  embraced  by  primitive  Christ- 
ians, yet  they  cannot  follow  them  in  these 
important  particulars.  Their  views  of 
things  will  not  suffer  them  to  speak  of  his 
"taking  upon  him  flesh  and  blood;"  of 
his  "  taking  upon  him  not  the  nature  of 
angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham  ;  "  of  his 
"  being  in  the  form  of  God,  and  yet  taking 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  being 
made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ;  "  of  our 
being  forgiven  for  his  sake ;  or  of  "  the 
promise  of  an  eternal  inheritance  "  being 
received  "  by  means  of  his  death."}  Ac- 
cording to  their  principles,  his  coming  into 
the  world  was  no  act  of  his  own  ;  he  had 
no  existence  prior  to  his  existing  in  flesh 
and  blood ;  it  was  not  a  matter  of  choice 
with  him  whether  he  would  be  made  an 
angel  or  a  man  ;  he  never  existed  in  any 
other  form  nor  sustained  any  other  char- 
acter than  tiiat  of  a  servant ;  his  death 
had  no  influence  on  the  forgiveness  of  our 
sins,  or  in  procuring  eternal  life  :  none  of 
these  things,  therefore,  afford  to  them  any 
foundation  for  gratitude. 

The  substance  of  this  argument  was 
stated  in  my  XlVth  Letter;  but  neither 
of  my  opponents  has  thought  proper  to 
take  any  notice  of  it.  It  might  be  their 
wisdom  to  decline  this  part  of  the  subject 
which  is  so  strongly  supi)orted  by  the  ex- 
press declarations  of  Scrijiture. 

Mr.  Kentish  seems  to  feel  that  love  to 
Christ  makes  but  a  diminutive  figure  in  the 
Socinian  scheme  ;  and  therefore  apologizes 
for  it.  To  suppose  Christ  to  have  been 
possessed  of  "  a  super-human  nature,  and 
so  to  regard  him,"  he  says,  "would  be 
infringing  upon  our  pious  gratitude  to  the 
adorable  Being  whom  we  are  commanded 


t  Heb.  ii.  14.  16. 
Heb.  ix.  15. 


Phil.  ii.  6,  7.     Ephes.  iv.  32. 


320 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.      KENTISH's    SERMON. 


to  love  with  an  entire  affection."  To  this 
I  reply  :  Our  belief  of  a  doctrine  which 
our  opponents  will  not  allow  us  to  believe, 
namely,  the  Divine  Unity,  enables  us  to 
repel  this  objection  :  we  believe  (and  that, 
on  the  first  of  all  authority,)  that  Christ 
and  the  Father  arc  so  one,  that  "he  who 
hath  seen  him  hath  seen  the  Father  ;"  and 
that  "  he  who  honoreth  him,"  in  so  doing, 
"  honoreth  the  Father."  The  idea  thrown 
out  by  Mr.  Kentish,  and  which  enters  into 
the  essence  of  his  system,  is  what  the 
Scriptures  are  utterly  unacquainted  with. 
They  require  us  to  love  creatures  in  dif- 
ferent degrees.  But,  inasmuch  as  this 
love,  if  carried  to  excess,  would  dishonor 
the  Divine  Being,  these  requirements  are 
accompanied  and  limited  by  various  cau- 
tions. Thus  we  are  required  to  love  all 
mankind  as  our  fellow-creatures,  but  we 
must  take  heed  of  improper  attachment, 
lest  we  "  worship  the  creature  more  than 
the  Creator."  We  are  commanded  to  love 
and  honor  our  parents  ;  but,  if  they  stand 
in  competition  with  Christ,  we  are  required 
comparatively  to  hate  them.  Christians 
are  enjoined  to  love  their  ministers  who 
are  over  them  in  the  Lord  ;  hut,  if  even 
the  servants  of  Christ  be  idolized,  it  shall 
be  demanded  on  their  behalf,  "  Who  then 
is  Paul,  or  who  is  Apollos,  but  ministers 
by  whom  ye  believed'!  Was  Paul  cruci- 
fied for  you  1  or  were  ye  baptized  in 
the  name  of  Paul!"  We  are  doubtless 
obliged  to  love  angels,  because  they  are 
our  "brethren,"  and  are  employed  as 
"ministering  spirits  to  the  heirs  of  salva- 
tion;" but,  if  any  attempt  to  worship 
them,  they  will  profess  themselves  to  be 
what  they  are,  and  direct  to  the  worship - 
ingof  God.  Rev.  xxii.  9.  Now,  if  Christ 
he  only  a  creature,  it  might  have  been 
expected  that  the  numerous  commands 
to  love  and  honor  him  should  also  have 
been  accompanied  with  some  such  cau- 
tions, lest  in  complying  with  them,  we 
should  "  infringe  "  upon  the  honor  due  to 
the  Father.  The  great  honor  to  which 
Christ  was  exalted,  above  all  other  crea- 
tures, rendered  such  cautions  peculiarly 
necessary  ;  since  love  to  himwould  be  in 
the  greatest  danger  of  being  carried  to  ex- 
cess :  and  it  is  a  fact  thai  the  great  body 
of  those  whom  our  opponents  will  allow 
to  have  been  serious  Christians,  in  almost 
all  ages,  have  actually  worsiiiped  him  as 
God.  Yet  there  is  not  a  single  caution 
ao-ainst  this  sort  of  excess  in  all  the  New 
Testament  ;  nor  the  least  intimation  that, 
in  giving  glory  to  the  Son,  we  may  possi- 
bly "  infringe  "  upon  the  glory  of  the  Fa- 
ther. On  the  contrary,  when  the  topic  of 
love  to  Christ  occurs,  every  thing  is  said 
to  inflame  it,  and  nothing  to  damp  it. 
There  is  a  becoming  jealousy  in  the  Di- 


vine Being  expressed,  in  other  cases,  but 
never  in  this  :  if  any  thing  of  this  kind  be 
expressed,  it  is  on  the  other  side.  "  If  a 
man  love  me,  my  Father  will  love  him, 
and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our 
abode  with  him." — "  if  any  man  serve  me, 
him  will  my  Father  honor." — "The  Fa- 
ther judgeth  no  man  ;  but  hath  committed 
all  judgment  unto  the  Son:  that  all  men 
should  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor 
the  Father.  He  that  honoreth  not  the 
Son,  honoreth  not  the  Father  which  hath 
sent  him." 

Mr.  Kentish,  as  if  he  felt  no  pleasure 
in  discoursing  upon  the  character  and 
work  of  Christ  as  the  grounds  of  love  to 
him,  proceeds  to  remark,  with  some  appa- 
rent satisfaction,  upon  certain  expressions 
of  it.  "  From  the  lips  of  our  divine  in- 
structer  himself,"  he  says,  "let  us  learn 
the  lesson  of  love  to  him  ;  let  us  hence  be 
informed  in  what  this  principle  consists. 
'If  a  man  love  me,'  says  Jesus,  'he  will 
keep  my  words.' — '  He  that  loveth  me 
not,  keepeth  not  my  sayings.' — 'Ye  are 
my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command 
you.' — '  These  things  I  command  you, 
that  ye  love  one  another.'  Who  can  here 
refrain  from  observing  how  truly  rational 
is  this  language,  how  remote  from  mystery 
and  enthusiasm  1  But,  whilst  Christ  de- 
clares that  such  as  obey  his  laws,  as  im- 
bibe his  spirit,  manifest  love  to  him,  let 
none  of  his  followers  be  so  ignorant  and 
presumptuous  as  to  insist  u|)on  other  tes- 
timonies of  affection  to  their  master.  Of 
better  they  cannot  possibly  conceive  :  up- 
on stronger  they  cannot  possibly  rely." — 
pp.  IS,  19. 

I  have  no  dispute  with  Mr.  Kentish  con- 
cerning what  are  the  proper  expressions 
of  love  to  Christ ;  but  his  insinuating  that 
to  plead  for  his  deity  and  atonement,  as 
grounds  of  love  to  him,  is  to  "  insist  upon 
other  testimonies  of  affection  towards  him," 
testimonies  which  are  "  mysterious  and 
enthusiastic,"  is  calculated  to  perplex  the 
subject.  To  say  nothing  of  the  "  decency" 
of  his  pronouncing  upon  our  conduct,  in 
this  instance,  as  "ignorant  and  presump- 
tuous," it  is  but  too  manifest  that  he 
wishes  to  confound  the  reasons  of  love  with 
the  expressions  of  it,  and,  under  a  show  of 
regard  for  the  one,  to  draw  off  the  read- 
er's attention  from  the  other.  Mr.  Ken- 
tish may  recollect  that  the  same  language 
is  used  of  love  to  God  as  of  love  to 
Christ :  "  This  is  the  love  of  God  that  we 
keep  his  commandments  :  and  his  com- 
mandments are  not  grievous." — p.  12. 
Now,  an  enemy  to  the  infinitely  amiable 
moral  character  of  the  Deity,  as  the  pri- 
mary ground  of  love  to  him,  might  here 
exclaim  with  Mr.  Kentish,  "  Let  us  hence 
be  informed  in  what  the  principle  of  love 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISU  !>    SERMON. 


321 


to  God  consists  ;  it  is  to  '  keep  his  coiii- 
niaiulinoiits.'  Wlio  can  here  refrain  from 
ol)serviii!:;  iiow  truly  rational  is  this  lan- 
guaj:;c,  how  remote  Ironi  mystery  and  en- 
thusiasm ]  But,  uhile  (iod  declares  that 
such  as  keep  his  commandments  manilest 
love  to  him,  let  none  he  so  ignorant  and 
prcsumj)tuoiis  as  to  insist  on  other  testi- 
monies ol  alVection  to  him. — Let  them  not 
talk  ol"  conlcmplatiiii::  inlinite  |)o\ver  em- 
ployed to  execute  desij;;ns  which  proceed 
from  infinite  l)enevolence,  and  of  tilial  af- 
fection towards  God  as  enkindled  l>y  such 
contemplations." — j).  \'2.  Mr.  Kentish 
would  prol)al)ly  reply  to  this  effect  :  The 
grounds,  or  reasons,  of  love  to  God  are 
one  thintr,  and  the  appointed  expressions 
of  it  another  ;  and  your  depreciating  the 
former,  under  a  pretence  of  exalting  the 
latter,  is  as  if  you  were  to  kill  the  root  in 
order  to  preserve  the  fruit.  Such  is  my 
reply  to  Mr.  Kentish. 

From  the  love  of  God  and  Christ,  Mr. 
Kentish  proceeds  to  discourse  on  the  fear 
of  God. — p.  19.  I  do  not  recollect  having 
advanced  any  thing,  in  my  Letters,  on  this 
subject.  I  may  observe,  however,  that 
the  definition  given  of  this  virtue  does  not 
appear  to  me  to  answer  to  the  scriptural 
account  of  it.  It  is  said  to  be  "  the  vene- 
ration of  infinite  grandeur."  But  this 
approaches  nearer  to  a  definition  of  ad- 
miration than  fear.  The  moral  excellence 
of  the  Deity,  as  the  oliject  of  fear,  enters 
not  into  it ;  neither  is  there  any  thing  of  a 
moral  nature  included  in  it.  Without 
taking  upon  me  to  define  this  heaveidy  vir- 
tue, I  may  observe  that  a  holy  dread  of 
offending  God,  or  of  incurring  his  displea- 
sure, enters  into  its  essence.  The  main 
objection  that  I  feel  to  the  scheme  of  my 
opponent,  on  this  head,  is  that  the  divine 
goodness,  according  to  his  notion  of  it,  ne- 
cessarily pursues  the  ultimate  happiness 
of  all  creatures,  pure  or  impure,  j)enitent 
or  impenitent,  men  or  devils.  This,  as  I 
have  already  stated,  undermines  that  re- 
spect to  the  divine  character  which  is  the 
foundation  of  both  love  and  fear. 

That  God  is  the  Father  of  all  his  crea- 
tures is  true  (p.  20  ;)  but  it  is  also  true  that 
he  is  a  Father  to  those  that  believe  in  his 
Son  in  such  a  sense  as  he  is  not  to  the  rest 
of  the  world.  The  Jews  boasted  that  God 
was  their  Father  :  but  Jesus  answered, 
"  If  God  were  your  Father,  ye  would  love 
me." — To  as  many  as  received  Ciirist, 
and  no  more,  was  jtowcr  given  "to  be- 
come the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  who 
believed  on  his  name."  This  adoption  by 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  the  common  heritage 
of  men  :  it  is  a  sul)ject  of  special  promise, 
"Come  ye  out  from  among  them,  and  be 
ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not 
the  unclean  thing,  and  I  will  receive  you, 

VOL.    I.  41 


and  will  be  a  father  unto  you,  and  ye  shall 
be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord 
Almighty."  And  it  ought  to  lie  observed 
lliat  it  is  this  evangelical  relation,  and  not 
that  of  creatures  to  their  Creator,  that 
converts  our  "  alllictions  into  fatherly  cor- 
rections." There  have  i)cen  characters 
in  the  world,  of  whom  it  has  been  said, 
"  He  that  made  them  will  not  have  mercy 
on  them  :  and  he  thai  formed  them  will 
show  tiiem  no  favor."  These  things  ougiit 
not  to  be  confounded. 

After  considering  the  fear  of  God,  our 
author  proceeds  to  discourse  on  confidence 
in  him. — p.  21.  In  this,  as  in  most  other 
of  his  discussions,  Mr.  Kentish  appears  to 
me  to  forget  that  he  is  a  sinner;  repre- 
senting the  Divine  Being,  and  his  creature, 
man,  as  upon  terms  of  the  most  |)erfect 
amity.  His  persuasion  of  the  power,  wi.s- 
dom,  and  gootlness  of  the  Deity,  begets 
confidence.  But  nothing  is  said  of  his  go- 
ing to  God,  under  a  sense  of  his  helpless 
and  perishing  condition  as  a  sinner,  and 
under  the  warrant  of  the  gospel  invita- 
tions ;  or  of  his  confiding  in  him  for  eter- 
nal salvation.  The  confidence  which  Mr. 
Kentish  describes  is  more  suitable  to  the 
condition  of  holy  angels  than  of  guilty  crea- 
tures, who  have  incurred  the  just  displea- 
sure of  their  Maker. 

There  is  one  subject  included  in  the 
scripture  exercises  oi  devotion  which  Mr. 
Kentish  has  passed  over  ;  namely  trtisting 
in  Christ.  Under  the  article  of  love  to 
God,  he  considered  love  to  Christ  ;  and 
trusting  in  Christ  is  no  less  an  exercise  of 
Christian  devotion  than  love  to  him  ;  an 
exercise,  too,  with  which  our  eternal  sal- 
vation stands  connected.  "  In  his  name 
shall  tl\e  Gentiles  trust."—"  Tliat  ye 
should  be  to  the  praise  of  his  glory,  who 
first  trusted  in  Christ."  "  In  whom  ye  al- 
so trusted,  alter  that  ye  heard  the  word  of 
truth,  the  gospel  of  your  salvation." — "  I 
know  whom  I  have  trusted,  and  I  am  per- 
suaded that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I 
have  committed  to  him  against  that  day." 
In  my  second  Letter,  I  observed  that,  up- 
on the  principles  of  our  opponents,  "  all 
trust,  or  confidence,  in  Christ  for  salva- 
tion is  utterly  excluded."  And  how  has 
Mr.  Kentish  answered  to  this  charge"? 
By  passing  it  over  in  silence.  Tiiis  is  a 
serious  matter.  O  that,  for  their  own 
sakes,  they  could  be  convinced  of  the  in- 
suflicicncy  of  the  ground  on  which  they 
rest  their  hoj)es,  and  l)uild  upon  the  foun- 
dation that  God  hath  laid  in  Zion  I  L^n- 
charitable  and  uncandid  as  they  consider 
me,  I  could  water  these  pages  with  tears 
for  them.  My  heart's  desire  and  prayer 
to  God  is  that  they  may  be  saved.  But 
"  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ." 


322 


A    RF.PLY    TO    MR.    KENTISIl's    SERMON. 


From  reasoning,  Mr.  Kentisli  proceeds 
to  facts.  He  calls  upon  us  "  to  show  that, 
as  a  liody,  they  are  less  actuated  than  oth- 
ers by  the  spirit  of  genuine  devotion." — 
p.  22.  Mr.  Kentish  must  be  sensible  that 
private  devotion  is  a  matter  that  cannot 
come  under  public  cognizance.  In  my 
Vllth  Letter,  therefore,  which  v  as  writ- 
ten upon  this  part  of  tiie  subject,  I  did  not 
refer  to  facts,  but  contented  myself  with 
reasoning  on  the  tendency  of  principles. 
It  is  a  CM  'umstance  not  the  most  favora- 
b,le,  however,  to  the  devotion  of  Socinians, 
that  persons  when  they  emin-acc  their 
system,  though  they  have  previously  been 
in  the  habit  of  praying  to  God,  yet  are  fre- 
quently known,  at  that  time,  entirely  to 
give  it  up  ;  or,  if  they  practise  it,  it  is  by 
drawing  up  a  written  composition,  and 
reading  it  to  the  Abnighty.  Such,  I  sup- 
pose, was  Mrs.  Barltauld's  Address  to  the 
Deity,  to  which  Mr.  Kentish  referred. — p. 
25,  note.  Though  I  have  not  seen  it,  I 
doubt  not  that  it  was  an  elegant  composi- 
tion ;  but  whether  (here  was  any  devotion 
in  it  is  another  question.  Sure  I  am  that 
such  things  are  at  a  great  remove  from 
those  prayers  and  supplications  which 
abounded  amongst  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians, and  which  have  aliounded  amongst 
serious  Christians  of  every  age.  Mr.  Ken- 
tish should  consider,  too,  that  the  princi- 
pal part  of  what  I  have  alleged,  to  the 
disadvantage  of  Socinian  piety,  is  taken 
from  tiie  acknowledgments  of  their  own 
writers.  He  calls  upon  his  "  fcllow-chris- 
tians  to  show  that,  as  a  body,  they  are  less 
actuated  than  others  by  the  spirit  of  genu- 
ine devotion  ;"  and  from  his  fellow-chris- 
tians,  even  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the 
term,  let  him  receive  an  answer.  Dr. 
Priestley  confesses  that  so  it  seems  to  be  ; 
and  Mrs.  Barbauld,  by  manifest  conse- 
quence, informs  us  tliat  so  it  is.  "  Cal- 
vinists,"  says  the  former,  "seem  to  have 
more  of  a  real  principle  of  religion  than 
Unitarians."  "  There  is  still  a[>parent,  in 
that  class  called  serious  Christians,''  says 
the  latter,  "  a  tenderness  in  exposing  these 
doctrines,  a  sort  of  leaning  towards  them,  as 
in  walking  over  a  precipice  one  would  lean 
to  the  safest  side."  What  is  this  but  ac- 
knowledging that  complete  Socinians  are 
not  distinguished  by  tlieir  serious7iess  ? 

Mr.  Kentish  next  lei'ers  to  a  number  of 
characters  oi' his  own  denomination  w!io 
have  been  eminent  for  their  l)iety. — pp. 
23,  25.  Whether  this  account  be  liable  to 
animadversion,  I  have  no  inclination  to 
inquire.  To  animadvert  on  the  charac- 
ters of  individuals,  especially  on  those  of 
the  dead,  is  invidious  ;  and  it  forms  no 
part  of  my  plan  :  on  the  contrary,  as  I 
have  said  before,  I  have  professedly  de- 
clined it.      Let   our  opponents  make  the 


most  of  their  piety;  let  them  muster  up 
all  their  force ;  let  them  claim  those  as 
Unitarians  when  dead  whom  they  refused 
to  acknowledge  as  such  while  they  were 
living;*  I  have  no  apprehensions  as  to 
the  issue  of  the  contest. 

Our  opponents,  however,  must  -not  al- 
ways be  indulged  in  their  pretensions. 
We  cannot  allow  them,  for  example,  to 
substitute  words  in  the  place  of  actions. 
It  one  on  their  side  the  question  make  a 
sj)eech,  or  print  a  sermon,  or  a  set  of  ser- 
mons, in  favor  of  morality,  they  seem  to 
wish  to  consider  it  amongst  the  evidences 
of  the  moral  tendency  of  their  principles. 
It  is  not  Dr.  Priestley's  writing  on  the 
duty  of  not  living  to  ourselves,  nor  Mr. 
Tui-ner's  publishing  a  volume  of  sermons 
on  moral  subjects,  though  applauded  by 
Reviewers,  principally,  if  not  entirely,  of 
his  own  persuasion,  that  Avill  aflford  a 
"  practical  answer  to  my  Letters  on  So- 
cinianism."t 

From  the  divine,  Mr.  Kentish  pi'o- 
ceeds  to  discourse  on  the  social  and  per- 
sonal virtues. — p.  25.  I  perceive  many 
things,  in  this  part  of  his  performance, 
which  would  admit  of  a  reply  ;  but  no- 
thing that  requires  any,  except  what  he 
alleges  on  the  innocence  of  error.  "Lib- 
erality," Mr.  Kentish  observes,  "inclines 
us  to  believe  that  involuntary  religious 
errors  expose  not  men  to  the  displeas- 
ure of  their  Maker." — And  again,  "We 
assert  the  innocence  of  involuntary  error. 
It  is  the  unhappiness  of  many  professors 
of  our  religion  to  consider  it  as  partaking 
of  the  nature  of  sin.  Such  is  the  lan- 
guage they  use  in  their  writings." — pp. 
20,  30.  Surely  Mr.  Kentish  has  not 
read  what  he  has  written  against,  or  he 
must  have  noticed  that  I  also  have  ac- 
knowledged (he  innocence  of  involuntary 
error.  Have  I  not  said,  "  The  mere  hold- 
ing of  an  opinion,  considered  abstractedly 
from  the  motive,  or  slate  of  mind,  of  him 
that  holds  it,  must  be  simply  an  exercise 
of  intellect ;  and,  I  am  inclined  to  think, 
has  in  it  neither  good  nor  evil  1" — p.  245. 
Does  not  Mr.  Kentish  know  that  the 
ground  on  which  I  have  supposed  error 
relating  to  the  gospel  to  be  sinful  is,  that 
it  is  not  involuntary  1  Not  that  I  accuse 
those  who  err  of  knowing  that  they  do  so, 
or  of  avowing  principles  which  in  their 
conscience  they  do  not  believe  :  this  would 
not  be  error,  but  gross  dishonest}'.  Vol- 
untary error  is  that  which  arises  from  an 
ceil  bias  of  heart,  or  a  dislike  to  the  truth. 

*  Dv.  Piiestli»y  rffu.?ed  to  acknowledge  Dr.  Price 
as  a  Unilaiiiiii  wlieii  tliey  were  engaged  in  contro- 
versy, tliongh  l)otli  my  opponents  now  place  him  in 
their  list. 

fSee  "  WoodsV  .Sermon,"  for  Turner,  of  Wake- 
field, pp.  50,  .51,  Note. 


A    KKl'LV    TO     .MR.      KF.NTUH   3     SEK.MO.N. 


323 


SiK'h  is  llie  ai'C'ouiil  given  ol  certain  cliar- 
actcrs  liy  a  sacred  writer:  "Because 
they  received  not  llic  love  of  the  truth — 
God  sent  tlieni  stron;:  delusions,  that  tliey 
should  believe  a  lie."  Tiicsc  men  were 
not  apprised  ol  tiieir  lieinu;  in  an  error; 
they  iielieved  tiieir  lie  :  hut  this  lielief 
arose  from  a  dislike  of  truth  ;  and  it  was 
this  that  denoudnated  it  voluntary  and 
sinful. 

What  is  it  that  Mr.  Kentish  would  per- 
suade his  readers  that  1  helieve  ?  "  The 
mere  conclusions  of  the  undcrstandinj:," 
he  says,  "where  the  will  is  unconcerned, 
cannot  surely  participate  of  guilt :"  and 
who  thinks  they  can  1  "  Guilt,"  lie  adds, 
"  then  only  attaches  itself  to  error  wiien 
men  wilfully  and  indolent  refuses  to  em- 
ploy the  means  of  better  information 
which  are  put  into  their  hands." — p.  31. 
Very  well ;  and  who  imagines  the  con- 
trary 1 

From  these  princii)les,  which  Mr.  Ken- 
tish seems  willing  to  have  considered  as 
the  exclusive  property  of  himself  and  his 
liretlircn,  he  proceeds  to  draw  certain 
useful  improvements  :  "By  these  consid- 
erations, my  fellow-cliristians,"  he  says, 
"we  are  restrained  iVom  placing  our- 
selves in  the  chair  of  infallil>ility,  from 
rashly  judging  upon  the  present  state, 
and  the  future  doom,  of  our  virtuous, 
tliough,  it  may  be,  mistaken  brethren." 
Part  of  this  is,  no  douiit,  very  good  ;  it  is 
higidy  proper  tliat  fallible  creatures  should 
make  no  pretence  to  infallil)ility  :  but 
how  can  Mr.  Kentish  say  that  they  do 
not  judge  upon  the  present  state  of  others, 
when,  in  the  same  sentence,  he  pro- 
nounces some  men  "virtuous,"  and  calls 
them  "brethren  V  Will  he  give  the  name 
of  "virtuous"  to  every  man  in  the  world  ] 
If  not,  he  occupies  the  seat  of  judgment 
as  really  as  I  do  :  his  censure,  therefore, 
does  not  affect  my  judging  upon  "the 
present  state  of  men"  (for  he  does  the 
same,  and  that  in  the  same  breath;)  but 
my  not  acknowledging  those  as  "  virtu- 
ous Christian  brethren"  whom  he  ac- 
counts so. 

But,  say  our  opponents,  it  is  illiberal 
and  presumptuous  in  you  to  attriliute 
men's  errors  on  di\ine  subjects  to  an  evil 
bias  of  heart.  If  they  ivcre  not  attributed 
to  this  cause  in  the  Scriptures,  J  f^rant  it 
would  be  so  :  but  it  is  neither  illil)eral  nor 
presumptuous  to  view  things  as  they  are 
there  represented.  I  have  no  more  incli- 
nation tiian  Mr.  Kentish  to  occupy  tiic 
"chair  of  infallibility:"  but  I  consider 
it  is  a  part  of  my  proper  work,  and  that 
of  every  other  Christian,  to  judge  of  the 
meaning  of  his  decisions  v)ho  does  occupy 
it.  Produce  me  an  example  from  the 
New  Testament  of  a  single  character  who 


imbibed  and  taught  false  doctrine,  and 
who  was  treated  by  the  ajjostlcs  as  inno- 
cent. How  different  from  this  is  the 
conduct  of  Paul,  and  Peter,  and  John, 
and  Judc.**  Nay,  produce  me  a  single 
example  of  error  in  matters  of  religion 
amongst  good  men,  tiiat  is  treated  as  in- 
nocent in  the  holy  Scriptures.  Are  not 
the  tenets  of  some  amongst  the  Corinthi- 
ans, who  denied  the  resurrection,  called 
"  evil  communications,"  which  would 
"corrupt  good  manners'!"  Were  not  the 
errors  of  the  Galalians  called  "  disobedi- 
ence "  to  the  truth  ;  and  w  ere  they  not 
reproached  on  this  account  as  "  foolish," 
and  in  a  sort  "bewitched,"  and  as  need- 
ing to  have  Christ  "again  formed  in 
them]"  Did  not  our  Lord  accuse  his 
own  disciples,  whose  minds  were  blinded 
by  their  notions  of  an  earthly  kingdom, 
w'ith  folly  and  slowness  of  heart  ] — Luke 
xxiv.  25. 

In  things  purely  natural,  men  may 
think  justly,  or  make  mistakes,  without 
any  degree  of  goodness  on  the  one  side, 
or'evil  on  the  other;  and  even  in  things 
of  a  moral  nature,  if  our  errors  arose 
either  from  natural  incapacity  or  the  want 
of  sufficient  means  of  information,  they 
would  be  excusable  ;  but  never,  that  I 
recollect,  do  the  Scrijjtures  represent  er- 
rors of  the  latter  description,  especially, 
those  which  relate  to  tlie  gospel  way  of 
salvation,  as  arising  from  these  causes. 
They  teach  us  that  "way-faring  men, 
though  fools,  shall  not  err  therein,"  inti- 
mating that  the  errors  which  men  make 
concerning  the  way  of  sahation  do  not 
arise  from  the  want  of  natural  capacity, 
but  of  a  icatj -faring  spirit,  or  a  true  desslre 
to  walk  in  it. 

I  am  not  conscious  of  retaining  any 
error,  yet  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  I 
do;  from  having  discovered  many  in  my 
past  life,  I  have  reason  to  suspect  that 
there  are  many  more  about  me  undiscov- 
ered. But,  whatever  they  be,  I  suiipose 
they  are  owing  to  some  sinful  prejudice 
of  w  hich  I  am  not  aware  :  and  I  know  not 
that  I  am  obliged  to  think  diflercntly  of 
the  errors  of  other  people. 

I  perceive  Mr.  Kentish  himself  can  ad- 
mit the  morality  of  opinion  where  himself 
or  a  fellow-creature  is  the  object  of  it. 
He  jdeads  for  lilierality  of  sentiment  (by 
which  he  seems  to  intend  an  equally  good 
opinion  of  men,  notwithstanding  their  er- 
rors,) as  a  virtue,  a  Nirtue  in  which  he 
thinks  his  brethren  to  excel.  He  must 
therefore  consider  its  opposite  as  a  vice, 
a  vice  wliich  operates  to  our  disadvan- 
tage.    Now,  I  would  ask  Mr.  Kentish,  as 

*Gal.  i.  7,  8.  2Tlies.  ii.  10,  11.  2  Pet.  ii.  1. 
1  John  iv.  6.     Jude  4. 


324 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH'S    SERMON. 


before  I  asked  Mr.  Lindsey,  "  supposing 
that  I  am  in  an  error,  in  thinking  amiss 
of  my  fellow-creatures,  why  should  it  not 
be  as  innocent  as  tlynking  amiss  of  Christl 
Why  ought  I  to  be  rej)roached  as  an  illib- 
eral, uncharitable  bigot,  for  the  one,  while 
no  one  ought  to  think  the  worse  of  me  for 
the  other  i"  I  wish  some  one  of  our  op- 
ponents would  answer  this  question. 

If  "  the  language  of  liberality  is,"  what 
Mr.  Kentisii  says  it  is,  "  that,  in  every 
nation,  he  that  feareth  God,  and  worketh 
righteousness,  is  accepted,"  we  can  as- 
sure him  that  we  are  not  such  strangers 
to  it  as  he  may  be  apt  to  imagine.  Such 
language  not  only  approves  itself  to  our 
judgments,  but  rejoices  our  hearts.  And, 
if  bigotry  is,  as  he  defines  it,  "  such  an 
inordinate  attachment  to  our  own  modes 
of  faith  and  worship  as  prompts  us  to  have 
no  dealings  with  those  who  prefer  others, 
to  think  of  them  with  unkindness,  and  to 
act  towards  them  with  violence,"  provi- 
ded he  do  not  extend  his  dealings  to  chris- 
tian fellowship,  which,  according  to  his 
note  in  page  44,  he  docs  not,  we  can  cor- 
dially unite  with  him  in  reprobating  it. 
Liberality  and  candor  of  this  description 
may  exist,  as  Mr.  Kentish  observes,  in 
harmony  with  zeal  for  religious  principle. 

But  if  liberality  must  incline  us  to  treat 
errors  of  a  moral  and  religious  nature, 
especially  those  which  relate  to  the  gospel 
way  of  salvation,  as  mere  mistakes  of  the 
understanding,  "  in  which  the  will  is  un- 
concerned," it  is  a  kind  of  virtue  to  which 
we  make  no  pretence  :  and,  if  bigotry 
consists  in  the  reverse  of  this,  we  have 
no  objection  to  be  thought  bigots,  believ- 
ing as  we  do  that  such  bigotry  is  abun- 
dantly recommended  in  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures. 

But,  "  it  is  impossible,  surely,"  says 
my  opponent,  "  that,  maintaining  this 
opinion,  they  should  regard  the  man  whose 
religious  sentiments  differ  from  theirs  with 
perfect  complacency,  satisfaction,  and  be- 
nevolence."— p.  30.  Where,  then,  did 
Mr.  Kentish  learn  to  confound  "  perfect 
complacency  and  satisfaction"  with  "  be- 
nevolence 1"  To  exercise  the  former  to- 
wards characters  who  renounce  what  we 
consider  as  the  fundamental  principles  of 
the  gospel,  or  even  towards  any  man  but 
"  for  the  truth's  sake  that  dwelleth  in 
him,"  is,  in  our  esteem,  sinful  :  but  the 
latter  ought  to  be  exercised  towards  all 
mankind,  whatever  be  their  principles  or 
characters.  I  cannot  be  conscious  of 
another's  feelings  ;  but,  for  my  own  part, 
I  find  no  difficulty  in  this  matter  arising 
from  my  religious  principles  :  and  it  is  a 
satisfaction  to  my  mind  to  see  not  only 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  ardently  desir- 
ing the  galvation  of  his  countrymen,  the 


Jews,  but  my  Lord  and  Saviour  himself 
weeping  over  them,  while  each  abhorred 
both  their  principles  and  their  practice. 
If  this  be  a  "  persecuting"  principle,  Paul, 
and  even  our_  Saviour,  must  both  have 
been  persecutors. 

Mr.  Kentish,  having  thus  reviewed 
the  social  and  personal  vii'tues,  calls  upon 
"  fair  and  unbiassed  observation  to  de- 
termine what  is  the  character  which  they 
bear  in  their  commerce  with  mankind." 
"  If,"  says  he,  "it  be  not  more  exemplary 
than  that  of  other  Christians,  it  is  not,  per- 
haps, in  any  degree,  inferior." — p.  3L 
Mr.  Kentish  knows  very  well  that  the  au- 
thorities from  which  I  drew  a  contrary 
conclusion  were  no  other  than  those  of  Dr. 
Priestley  and  Mr.  BePsham.  "It  cannot 
be  denied,"  says  the  former,  "that  many 
oftliose  Avho  judge  so  truly  concerning 
particular  tenets  in  religion  have  attained 
to  that  cool,  unbiassed,  temper  of  mind, 
in  consequence  of  becoming  more  indiffer- 
ent to  religion  in  general,  and  to  all  the 
modes  and  doctrines  of  it."  "Men  who 
are  the  most  indifferent  to  the  practice  of 
religion,"  says  the  latter,  "  and  whose 
minds,  therefore,  are  least  attached  to  any 
set  of  principles,  will  ever  be  the  first  to 
see  the  absurdities  of  a  popular  supersti- 
tion, and  to  embrace  a  rational  system  of 
faith."  Such  was  the  method  in  which 
these  writers  attempted  to  account  for  the 
alleged  fact  "  that  Rational  Christians 
were  indifferent  to  practical  religion :" 
This  fact  they  could  not  deny  ;  and,  by 
attempting  to  account  for  it,  they  tacitly 
admitted  it,  yea,  Mr.  Belsham  expressly 
grants  that  "  there  has  been  some  plausi- 
ble ground  for  the  accusation." 

To  the  authority  of  Dr.  Priestley  and 
Mr.  Belsham  I  may  now  add  that  of  Dr. 
Toulmin  and  Mr.  Kentish.  The  former, 
after  the  example  of  his  predecessors,  en- 
deavors to  account  for  their  "  neglecting 
the  culture  of  the  heart  and  affections  " 
(p.  36  ;)  and  the  latter  acknowledges,  with- 
out scruple,  that,  "  with  less  restraint 
than  is  practised  by  some  of  their  brethren, 
they  enter  into  the  world  and  indulge  in 
its  amusements." — p.  32. 

But  Mr.  Kentish,  though  he  grants  the 
above,  denies  that  there  is  any  thing  in  it 
that  can  be  fairly  improved  to  their  dis- 
advantage. "Unless  it  can  be  shown," 
he  says,  "  that  we  so  use  the  world  as  to 
use  it  to  excess  (referring  to  1  Cor.  vii.  31) 
we  shall  take  no  shame  to  ourselves  on 
this  account."  It  is  worth  while  to  re- 
mark the  progress  which  our  opponents 
make  in  matters  of  morality.  Dr.  Priest- 
ley acknowledged  much  the  same  as  Mr. 
Kentish,  that  "  there  is  a  greater  apparent 
conformity  to  the  world  in  Unitarians  than 
is  observable  in  others  :  but  he  does  i\ot 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH  S    SERMON. 


325 


undertake  to  justify  it  :  all  he  attempts  is 
to  accuunt  for  it  in  a  way  lliat  iniirht  re- 
flect no  dishonor  upon  Unitarianisin.  He 
represents  those  anionust  tlieni  who  thus 
"  lean  to  a  life  of  dissipation"  as  being 
only  "  speculati\e  Unitarians,"  "  men  of 
the  world,"  and  distinguisiies  ti)em  from 
"serious  Christians."  And,  A\hcn  he 
comes  to  weiiih  the  virtue  of  Trinitarians 
and  Unitarians  in  a  balance,  he  allows  that 
conformity  to  the  world,  which  is  to  be 
found  in  the  latter,  to  l)e  a  detraction  from 
tiu'ir  excellence  ;  and  only  pleads  that 
they  have  other  virtues  which  counter- 
l)alance  it,  or  which,  "  upon  the  whole," 
cause  their  character  to  "  api)roach  nearer 
to  tlie  proper  temper  of  Christianity  than 
the  other. ""^  Mr.  Belsham  also,  though 
he  speaks  of  Rational  Christians  as  hav- 
ing "often  been  represented  as  indifferent 
to  practical  religion,"  and  admits  that 
"there  has  been  some  plausible  ground 
for  the  accusation,"  yet  does  not  justify  it, 
but  expresses  a  hope  that  it  will  be  "only 
for  a  time;"  and  that,  at  length,  those 
who  give  occasion  for  such  accusations 
will  "  have  their  eyes  opened,  and  feel  the 
benign  influence  of  their  principles,  and 
demonstrate  the  excellency  of  their  faith 
by  the  superior  dignity  and  worth  of  their 
character."!  But  iiow  different  from  all 
this  is  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Kentish.  Dr. 
Priestley  fl/io/og-ises  ;  Mr.  Belsham  hopes; 
but  Mr.  Kentish  despairing,  it  should  seem, 
of  things  growing  better,  and  refusing  to 
"  take  shame  on  the  account,"  boldly 
justifies  it ;  yea,  more,  suggests  that  such 
conformity  to  the  world  is  "not  only  law- 
ful, but  deserving  of  praise." — pp.  32,  38. 
This  is  carrying  matters  with  a  high  hand. 

From  Dr.  Priestley's  account  of  things, 
one  might  have  supposed  that  thougli  there 
were  "  great  numbers"  of  these  conform- 
ists to  the  world  amongst  the  Unitarians, 
yet  they  were  a  kind  of  excrescences  of 
the  body,  and  distinguishal)le  from  it,  as 
"  men  of  the  world  "  are  distinguishable 
from  "  serious  Christians  ;"  l)ut,  accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Kentish,  it  is  their  general 
character,  and  they  are  not  ashamed  of  it  ; 
nay,  they  consider  it  as  "  not  only  lawful, 
but  deserving  of  praise  !  " 

That  ".ve  are  allowed,  in  the  passage  to 
which  Mr.  Kentish  refers,  to  use  this 
tvorld,  is  true  :  men  are  allowed  to  form 
conjugal  connections,  to  buy  and  sell,  and 
to  rejoice  in  all  their  labor.  It  is  necessa- 
ry, however,  that  even  these  enjoyments 
should  be  chastised  by  an  habitual  sense 
of  their  brevity  and  uncertainty.  That 
^his,  or  any  other  passage  of  Scripture, 
should  be  pleaded  in  favor  of  an  indul- 

*  Disc.  Var.  Sub.  p.    100. 
t  Sermon,   &c. 


gcnce  in  the  amusements  of  the  world,  is  be- 
yond any  thing  that  I  have  bitoly  witness- 
ed Irom  tlic  pen  of  a  diristian  minister. 

My  op|)oncnt  proceeds  to  his  second 
head  of  in(juiry,  viz. 

"  II.  What  assistance,  suppout,  and 

CO.NSOLATION,  DOES  THE  UNITARIAN 
DOCTKINE  AFFORD  IN  THE  SEASON  OF 
TE-MPT-VTION,  AFFMCTIO.N,  AND  DEAThV 

Mr.  Kentish  here  quotes  a  number  of 
Scriptures,  which,  allowing  him  his  own 
exposition  of  them,  can  scarcely  be  said 
to  express  a  single  sentiment  jjcculiar  to 
what  he  calls  Unitarianisin.  His  whole 
aim,  in  this  part  o(  ids  sul>ject,  seems  to 
be  to  prove  tiiat  Unitarians  may,  l)y  the 
principles  which  they  hold  in  common 
with  others,  be  possessed  o(  something  su- 
perior to  calmness  of  mind."  I  must  say, 
I  never  saw  any  thing,  in  any  of  their  wri- 
tings, that  appeared  to  me  to  bear  any  tol- 
erable resemblance  to  the  joys  of  the  gos- 
pel. I  admit,  however,  that  what  I  have 
advanced  on  this  subject  might  have  been 
better  expressed.  If,  instead  of  affirming 
that  "  the  utmost  happiness  to  which  the 
Socinian  scheme  pretends  is  calmness  of 
mind,"  I  had  said.  The  utmost  happiness 
which  the  peculiar  principles  of  Socinians 
are  adapted  to  promote  is  calmness  of 
mind,  it  would  have  been  more  accurate. 
My  opponent's  being  obliged  to  have  re- 
course to  common  i)rinciples,  as  the  springs 
of  joy  and  consolation,  is  a  sufficient  proof 
that  those  which  are  peculiar  to  his 
scheme,  as  a  Socinian,  were  altogether 
unadapted  to  his  purpose.  He  may  wish 
to  have  it  thought,  indeed,  that  Christ's 
being  "  in  all  things  made  like  unto  his 
brethren,"  and  his  resurrection  being  that 
of  a  man,  are  terms  expressive  of  his  pe- 
culiar sentiments.  So  he  insinuates. — pp. 
34,  35.  But  let  any  person  consult  the 
first  of  these  passages,  Heb.  ii.  16,  17, 
and  he  will  find  that  he  who  ivas  in  all 
things  made  like  unto  his  brethren  "  took 
not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the 
seed  of  Abraham  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  he 
existed  prior  to  his  being  a  man,  and  was 
voluntary  in  choosing  to  assume  the  hu- 
man, rather  than  the  angelic  nature.  By 
culling  single  sentences,  without  taking 
their  connection,  we  may  prove  any  thing 
we  please  :  but,  in  so  doing,  we  abuse  the 
Scriptures,  rather  than  interpret  them. 
That  the  resurrection  of  Christ  was  the 
resurrection  of  a  man  no  one  questions  : 
but  to  infer  hence  that  he  was  a  mere  man 
is  drawing  conclusions  which  are  not  con- 
tained in  the  premises. 

The  scheme  of  our  opponents  is  so  far 
from  being  adapted  to  )iromotc  evangelical 
joy,  that  it  leads  them,  in  general,  to  des- 
pise it  as  enthusiastic.  As  an  example  of 
this,  I  cited  the  critique  of  the  Monthly 


326 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KExNTISIl's    SERMON 


Reviewers  upon  President  Edwards's  His- 
tory of  Redemption ;  and  such  examples 
might  he  multiplied  almost  without  end. 
But,  if  men  were  not  strangers  to  the  sa- 
cred joys  of  religion  themselves,  how  is 
it  possible  to  conceive  that  they  could  de- 
spise them  in  others  1 

The  following  head  of  inquiry  is  next 
introduced,  viz. 

"  III.  What  is  the  degree  of  effi- 
cacy WHICH  THE  Unitarian  doctrine 

POSSESSES  IN  respect  TO  THE  CONVER- 
SION OF  PROFIGATES  AND  UNBELIEV- 
ERS I  "—p.  35. 

On  another  occasion,  Mr.  Kentish  tells 
his  auditors  that  "concerning  the  natural 
influence  of  religious  opinions,  the  world 
will  judge,  not  from  abstract  reasoning 
and  fancied  tendencies,  but  from  our  dis- 
positions and  our  lives  ;"  (p.  46.)  that  is  to 
say,  from  facts.  But  on  this  subject  he 
has  produced  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 
"  We  claim  to  embrace,"  he  says,  "and 
allow  no  other  doctrine  than  what  Jesus 
and  his  apostles  taught." — p.  36.  True; 
but  the  question  is,  If  tlieir  claim  be  ad- 
missible, how  comes  it  to  pass  that  their 
doctrine  has  no  better  effect  1  Mr.  Ken- 
tish answers,  "  The  fact  is  to  be  explain- 
ed by  the  prevalence  of  human  corrup- 
tions." Is  it  a  fact,  then,  that  men  are 
more  corrupt  amongst  Socinians  than  in 
those  congregations  where  the  doctrine  of 
atonement  through  the  blood  oi'  Christ  is 
tauglit  and  believed  1 

But,  perhaps,  what  we  call  conversion 
will  not  be  admitted  by  our  opponents  as 
genuine.  "  We  reject,"  says  Mr.  Ken- 
tish, "  and  reason  and  the  Scriptures,  we 
think,  authorize  us  to  reject,  every  pre- 
tence to  sudden  conversion.  True  con- 
version i'rom  sin  to  holiness  we  regard  as 
the  work  of  lime  and  labor."  If  it  were 
necessary  to  examine  this  subject,  the  con- 
version pleaded  for  Vty  Mr.  Kentish  might 
appear  as  mean  in  our  esteem  as  ours  does 
in  his.  But  I  desire  no  other  criterion  of 
true  conversion  in  this  case  than  that  by 
which  the  end  is  accomplished.  Where  I 
see  a  man  turned  from  sin  to  holiness,  I 
call  him  a  converted  man.  That  such  a 
change  is  sometimes  gradual  is  admitted  ; 
i)ut  this  is  not  always  the  case  :  neither 
was  it  in  the  primitive  ages.  I  know  very 
well  that  Dr.  Priestley,  as  well  as  Mr. 
Kentish,  considers  all  sudden  changes  as 
nugatory,  and  supposes  that  conversion  is 
a  work  of  time  and  labor.  Upon  this 
principle  he  affirms  that  "  all  late  repent- 
ance, especially  after  long  and  confirmed 
habits  of  vice,  is  absolutely  and  necessari- 
ly ineffectual."  That  our  opponents 
should  imbibe  such  an  opinion  has  nothing 
surprising  in  it;  liut  that  they  should  pre- 
tend that  the  "  Scriptures  authorize  it  " 


is  somewhat  extraordinary.  Was  not  the 
repentance  of  Zaccheus,  and  that  of  the 
thief  upon  the  cross,  a  late  repentance, 
and  yet  effectuall  Was  the  repentance 
of  either  of  them  the  effect  of  long  time 
and  labor  1  Were  the  Jews  under  Peter's 
sermon,  the  jailor  and  his  household,  or 
any  others  of  whom  there  is  an  account 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  converted  in 
the  manner  Mr.  Kentish  describes  1  If, 
however,  the  whole  that  was  to  be  attribu- 
ted to  God,  in  this  change,  were  no  more 
than  Mr.  Kentish  supposes ;  if  it  consist- 
ed merely  in  his  furnishing  us  witii  "the 
powers  of  willing  and  acting;"  it  might 
well  be  considered  as  a  work  of  time  and 
labor ;  or,  rather,  as  a  work  that  time,  in 
its  utmost  extent,  would  never  be  able  to 
accomplish. 

But  what  end  has  Mr.  Kentish  to  an- 
swer by  his  objecting  to  sudden  conversion, 
and  representing  it  as  a  work  of  time  and 
labor  1  Does  he  mean  to  suggest  that 
their  doctrine  has  not  yet  had  time  to 
operate  1  If  not,  what  difference  does  it 
make  to  the  argument  1  We  call  nothing 
conversion,  amongst  us,  but  that  in  which 
a  change  of  disposition  and  life  appears  ; 
and  if  tiiis  end  were  accomplished  amongst 
them  in  any  considerable  degree,  whether 
it  were  suddenly  or  gradually,  he  need  not 
be  at  a  loss  for  facts  to  support  the  effica- 
cy of  his  doctrine.  Instead  of  these,  Mr. 
Kentish  is  obliged  to  content  himself  with 
asserting  that  "  repentance  towards  God, 
and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
rightly  understood,  have  as  intimate  a  con- 
nection with  their  views  of  the  Christian 
dispensation  as  with  those  of  their  breth- 
ren:"— and  with  hoping  that  "  there  are 
those  in  their  number  who  have  found  the 
plain,  the  simple,  yet  the  despised  gospel 
of  Christ,  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion." 

I  shall  not  controvert  the  remarks  of  my 
opponent  respecting  the  Jews,  and  respect- 
ing unbelievers  who  reside  in  a  christian 
country.  It  is  true,  as  he  observes,  "  lit- 
tle can  be  said  on  either  side,  inasmuch  as 
the  experiment  has  never,  perhaps,  been 
fairly  and  entirely  made  by  both  the  par- 
ties." Meanwhile,  I  perfectly  acquiesce 
in  the  observation  that  "  eventually,  with- 
out doubt,  that  representation  of  Chris- 
tianity which  has  Scripture,  and,"  it  may 
be,  "  antiquity  lor  its  basis  ;  which  is  sim- 
ple in  its  nature,  and  conformable  to  our 
l)est  ideas  of  tlie  divine  character  and  gov- 
ernment;  will  every  where  prevail." 

On  the  subject  of  Missions  to  the  Hea- 
then, I  have  only  to  observe  that,  if  other 
Socinian  Avriters  had  said  nothing  worse 
than  Mr.  Kentish,  my  remarks,  on  that 
subject,  would  not  have  appeared. 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH's    SERMO.V. 


327 


Lastly,  Mr.  Kentish  proceeds  to  con- 
sider, 

"  IV.      How     FAR    THE     ADMISSION     OF 

Unitarian  doctrine    is    adapted  to 
promote  a  veneration  for  the  scrip- 

riTRES,  AND    TO    FORTIFY    Ol'R  FAITH    IN 

Chris  ri.\NiTY."  p.  38. 

The  j)rin(iple  \vliicli  I  assumed,  at  the 
outset  of  my  iiKpiiry  on  this  suliject,  was 
tliis,  "  If"  any  man  venerate  the  authority 
of  Scripture,  he  must  receive  it  as  being 
jcliiit  it  professes  Id  be,  and  for  all  the  pur- 
poses for  which  it  professes  to  be  written. 
If  tlie  Scriptures  profess  to  be  divinely  in- 
spired an(i  assume  to  be  the  infallible 
standard  of 'faith  and  practice,  we  must 
either  receive  tiiem  as  such,  or,  if  we  would 
be  consistent,  disown  the  writers  as  im- 
postors." After  stating;  this  princij)!e  as 
the  ground,  or  datum,  of  the  argument,  I 
proceeded  to  examine  into  the  professions 
of  the  sacred  writers.  Now,  I  would  ask 
Mr.  Kentish  whether  the  above  position 
be  not  unolijectionable  as  a  ground  of  ar- 
gument. Has  it  not  the  property  which 
every  ground  of  argument  ought  to  possess, 
that  of  being  admitted,  or  admissible,  by 
both  parties.  And,  if  so,  why  has  he  not 
joined  issue  upon  it  ]  I  have  no  inclina- 
tion to  "  view  my  opponent  with  tlie  eye 
of  jealousy  and  suspicion  ;  "  (p.  45)  but 
what  motive  can  i»e  assigi\ed  for  his  pass- 
ing over  this  ground,  and  sulistituting  in 
the  place  of  it  such  a  delinition  of  venera- 
tion for  the  Scriptures  as  leaves  out  the 
ideas  of  inspiration  and  infallibility  ?  It  is 
true  he  has  used  the  former  of  these  terms, 
but  it  is  manifest  that  he  considers  the 
apostles  in  no  other  light  than  honest, 
well-informed,  historians.  "To  venerate 
the  Scriptures,"  says  he,  "is  to  receive 
and  value  them  as  containing  a  revelation 
of  the  will  of  God  to  man  ;  it  is  to  inves- 
tigate them  with  diligence  and  impartiali- 
ty ;  to  interpret  tliem  fairly  and  consistent- 
ly ;  to  be  guided  by  the  natural,  ])lain,  and 
uniform  sense  of  them,  in  aniclcs  of  faith 
and  on  points  of  conduct. — Then,  it  should 
seem,  do  we  entertain  a  just  and  correct 
view  of  their  inspiration,  when  wc  regard 
them  as  the  writings  of  men  who  derived 
from  the  very  best  sources  of  information 
their  acquaintance  with  the  history  and 
doctrine  of  Christ  ;  of  men  whose  integri- 
ty is  beyond  all  question ;  of  men  who 
credibly  relate  facts  and  discourses  which 
either  themselves  witnessed,  or  which  they 
deliver  on  the  authority  of  the  spectators 
and  the  hearers  ;  and  who  faithfully  teach 
that  word  of  God  with  a  knowledge  of 
which  they  were  furnished  liy  their  mas- 
ter, and  by  miraculous  communications 
subsequent  to  his  ascension." — pp.  38,  39. 

Whether  this  representation  sufficiently 


express  a  proper  veneration  for  the  Scrip- 
tures is  itself  a  matter  of  dispute.  It  is, 
therefore,  very  improper  for  a  ground  of 
argument,  and  especially  for  being  sul)sti- 
tuled  in  the  place  of  a  jjosition  that  was 
lialile  to  no  objection  from  any  quarter. 
Why  did  not  Mr.  Kentisii  admit  my  gene- 
ral position,  tiiat,  "If  any  man  venerate 
the  authority  of  Scripture,  he  77iust  receive 
it  (IS  being  tchat  it  professes  to  be,  and  for 
all  the  purposes  for  which  it  professes  to  be 
H'r(7/('n .' "  and  why  did  he  not,  on  this 
ground,  join  issue  in  an  examination  of  the 
professions  of"  the  sacred  writers  f  Such 
a  conduct  would  have  l)ccn  fair  and  man- 
ly ;  but  llial  wiiich  Mr.  Kentish  has  sub- 
stituted in  the  place  of  it  is  evasive,  and 
unwortliy  of"  a  candid  rcasoner. 

Mr.  Kentish  having  given  us  his  opinion 
of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
the  veneration  that  is  due  to  them,  thus 
concludes:  "If  this  be  to  venerate  the 
Scriptures,  our  principles,  I  must  be  al- 
lowed to  think,  are  far  indeed  from  being 
unfriendly  to  such  veneration."  p.  39. 
What  does  this  conclusion  amount  to  more 
than  this,  That  if  his  notions  of  divine  in- 
spiration may  be  admitted  as  a  standard, 
why  then  their  veneration  for  the  Scrip- 
tures will  be  found,  at  least  in  his  opin- 
ion, to  come  up  to  it?  Assuredly,  the 
question  was  not  whether  the  veneration 
which  our  opponents  exercise  towards 
the  Scriptures  be  such  as  corresponds 
with  their  own  notions  of  their  inspira- 
tion; but  whether  it  agrees  with  the  ven- 
eration which  the  Scriptures  themselves 
require.  Mr.  Kentish  must  excuse  me, 
if  I  remind  him  of  the  reseml)lance  of  his 
conduct  to  that  of  persons  who,  "  meas- 
uring themselves  by  themselves,  and  com- 
paring themselves  amongst  themselves, 
are  not  wise." 

But,  further,  I  am  not  sure  that  Mr. 
Kentish's  conclusion  will  follow,  even 
from  his  own  premises.  Tiiere  is  so 
much  disrespect  discoAcred  in  tlie  wri- 
tings of  our  opponents  towards  the  holy 
Scriptures  (of  which  I  have  attempted  to 
give  evidence  in  my  Xllth  Letter,)  that, 
even  upon  Mr.  Kentish's  own  professed 
views,  they  come  miserably  short  of  ven- 
eration. Mr.  Kentish  acknowledges  that 
veneration  "consists  in  being  guided  by 
the  natural,  ])lain,  and  uniform  sense  of 
them,  in  articles  of  faith,  and  on  points  of 
conduct;"  but  the  Monthly  Reviewers 
assert  that  "the  nature  and  design  of  the 
Scriptures  is  not  to  settle  disputed  theo- 
ries, nor  to  decide  on  controverted  ques- 
tions, even  in  religion  and  morality — that 
they  are  intended,  not  so  much  to  make 
us  wiser,  as  to  make  us  better ;  not  to 
solve  the  doubts,  but  rather  to  make  us 


328 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH's    SERMON. 


obey  the  dictates  of  our  consciences."* 
And  how  are  all  the  sulitractions  of  Dr. 
Priestley  to  be  reconciled  with  Mr.  Ken- 
tish's criterion  of  veneration  1  He  sup- 
poses the  sacred  penmen  to  have  written 
upon  subjects  "  to  which  they  had  not 
given  much  attention,  and  concerning 
which  they  were  not  possessed  of  suffi- 
cient means  of  information."  Mr.  Ken- 
tish, it  is  true,  may  not  be  accountable  for 
the  assertions  of  the  Monthly  Reviewers  or 
of  Dr.  Priestley  ;  but  then  his  conclusions 
should  have  been  more  confined  :  instead 
of  affirming  that,  "  if  this  be  to  venerate 
the  Scriptures,  their  principles  are  far 
from  being  unfriendly  to  such  venera- 
tion,"— he  should  only  have  asserted  it 
with  respect  to  his  own. 

My  opponent  proceeds  :  "  But,  if  rev- 
erence of  these  sacred  records  of  our  faith 
is  to  be  manifested  by  a  dread  of  examin- 
ing them,  lest  their  doctrines  be  found  in 
contradiction  to  our  present  opinions ; 
or  by  a  blind  acquiescence  in  the  una- 
voidable inaccuracies  of  transcribers,  and 
in  the  no  less  unavoidable,  but  more  in- 
jurious, errors  of  translators ;  or  by  a 
bigoted  opposition  to  every  attempt  to- 
wards an  improved  knowledge  and  ver- 
sion of  them  ;  or  by  judging  of  the  truths 
which  they  teach  rather  from  the  sound 
of  detached  passages,  than  from  the  sig- 
nification and  tenor  of  tlie  context ;  such 
reverence  we  disclaim.  Sincerely  at- 
tached to  the  sacred  volume,  against  such 
reverence  we  steadfastly  protest." — pp. 
39,  40. 

But  how,  if  revei-ence  to  these  sacred 
records  should  not  consist  in  a  dread  of 
examining  them  ;  or  in  a  blind  acquies- 
cence in  the  inaccuracies  of  transcribers, 
and  the  errors  of  translators ;  or  in  a  big- 
oted opposition  to  any  attempt  towards 
an  improved  knowledge  or  version  of 
them ;  or  in  judging  of  the  truths  which 
they  teach  rather  from  the  sound  of  de- 
tached passages  than  from  the  significa- 
tion and  tenor  of  the  context  1  How,  if 
this  should  prove  to  be  a  kind  of  rever- 
ence for  which  Mr.  Kentish's  opponent 
does  not  plead  any  more  than  himself  1 
And  how,  if  our  objections  should  not  be 
against  examination,  but  against  the  con- 
clusions which  some  persons  draw ;  not 
against  correcting,  but  corrupting  the 
translation  ;  not  against  attending  to  the 
scope  of  the  writers,  but  against  torturing 
them  to  speak  contrary  to  their  real  in- 
tention 1  Will  it  not  follow,  in  this  case, 
that  this  "steadfast  protest"  is  against 
a  nonentity,  and  that  this  mighty  triumph 
is  over  a  man  of  straw  1 

It  is  a  usual  way  of  writing,  first  to  lay 


down  a  proposition,  and  then  to  establish 
it  by  evidence.  In  this  manner  I  have 
generally  proceeded.  Mr.  Kentish,  in 
quoting  my  language,  has  more  than  once 
taken  simply  the  proposition,  taking  no 
notice  of  the  evidence  l)y  which  it  was 
supported,  and  then  accused  me  of  deal- 
ing in  peremptory  assertions. — pp.  29,  35. 
Such  is  his  conduct  in  reference  to  what  I 
have  written  on  the  tendency  of  Socini- 
anism  to  Infidelity. — pp.  40,  note.  Mr. 
Kentish  is  welcome  to  call  the  positions 
which  I  have  advanced  "  calumny,"  or  by 
what  other  name  he  pleases  :  let  but  the 
evidence  with  which  they  are  supported 
be  considered  in  connection  with  them, 
and,  if  they  will  not  stand  the  test  of  ex- 
amination, let  them  share  the  fate  they 
deserve. 

As  to  what  my  opponent  alleges  con- 
cerning what  it  is  that  denominates  any 
one  a  professing  Christian,  and  his  appeal 
to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (p.  41,)  I  have 
already  said  what  I  judge  necessary  on 
that  subject  in  my  reply  to  Dr.  Toulmin  ; 
where  also  I  have  adduced  some  addition- 
al evidences  of  the  tendency  of  Socinian- 
ism  to  Deism. 

I  have  only  one  more  remark  to  make 
on  Mr.  Kentish  :  it  respects  the  meaning 
of  our  Lord's  words  in  John  xiv.  28, 
"My  Father  is  greater  than  I."  The 
sense  which  has  commonly  been  put  upon 
this  passage,  both  by  Trinitarians  and 
Anti-trinitarians,  appears  to  me  to  be  be- 
side the  scope  of  the  writer  :  nor  is  that  of 
Mr.  Kentish  in  my  judgment  more  plau- 
sible. I  agree  with  him  "  that  it  is  not  the 
mere  abstract  doctrine  of  his  Father's  su- 
periority which  he  designed  to  assei't,"  or 
rather  I  think  that  it  expresses  no  com- 
parison whatever  between  the  person  of 
the  Father  and  that  of  the  Son.  The 
comparison  appears  evidently  to  me  to 
respect  the  state  of  exaltation  loith  the  Fa- 
ther and  the  state  of  humiliation  which  he 
then  sustained.  "  If  ye  loved  me,"  saith 
he,  "  ye  would  rejoice  because  I  said  I  go 
to  the  Father  ;  for  my  Father  is  greater 
than  I." — The  glory  and  happiness  which 
my  Father  possesses,  and  which  I  go  to  pos- 
sess with  him,  is  greater  than  any  thing  I 
can  here  enjoy  :  your  love  to  me  therefore, 
if  it  were  properly  regulated,  instead  of 
prompting  you  to  wish  to  detain  me  here, 
would  rather  incline  you  to  rejoice  in  ray 
departure.! 

But  though  I  disagree  with  Mr.  Ken- 
tish in  his  sense  of  this  passage  of 
Scripture,  I  perfectly  agree  with  him  in 
the  general  sentiment  with  which  he  con- 
cludes his  performances,  that  "  the  season 
may  not  be  far  distant  when  systems  which 


*  Monthly  Review  Enlarged,  Vol.  X.  p.  357. 


t  See  Calvin  and  Heni^  upon  the  place. 


A    UEl'LV    TO    MR.    KENTISH'S    SERMON. 


329 


assuiae  the  Christian  luiine,  shall,  like 
fahrics  erected  upon  tiie  sand,  be  over- 
thrown l>y  a  uiifiiily  (all  " — imt  "  that  real 
Christianity  has  nothing  to  Tear."  And  I 
may  add,  that  it  is  witii  sacred  satisfaction 
I  anticipate  the  time  when  all  that  exalt- 
cth  itself  against  Christ,  let  it  aflect  w  iiose 
systems  it  may,  shall  utterly  fall,  and 
nothing  shall  be  left  standing  but  the  sim- 
ple, unadulterated  doctrine  of  the  cross. 

I  shall  conclude  my  reply  to  both  Dr. 
Toulmin  and  Mr.  Kentish  with  a  Inief 
Review  of  the  Reviewers.  What  has  fall- 
en under  my  observation  is  contained  in  the 
Monthly  and  Analytical  Reviews,  and  the 
Protestant  Dissenters'  Magazine. 

In  the  Monthly  Review  Enlarged  my 
opponents  iiad  reason  to  expect,  not  mere- 
ly a  friend  and  patron,  Imt  a  respectable 
and  powerful  ally.  The  managers  of  that 
work  were  parties  in  the  controversy,  as 
much  so  as  Dr.  Priestley  or  Mr.  Belsham, 
or  Mr.  Lindsey,  or  Mrs.  Barbauld.  They 
were  called  upon  to  defend  their  allega- 
tions or  to  relinquish  thcni.  But,  like  the 
late  Empress  of  the  North  by  the  allies, 
they  have  l)een  a  long  time  in  raising  their 
quota,  and  at  last  have  mustered  up  about 
half  a  dozen  lines'!  In  these  lines,  which 
are  given  in  a  Review  of  Mr.  Kentish's 
Sermon,  they  have,  with  a  design  suffi- 
ciently apparent,  preserved  a  sullen  si- 
lence respecting  the  piece  which  gave  oc- 
casion for  it.  "  From  an  impartial  peru- 
sal of  this  sensil)le  and  well-written  dis- 
course," they  tell  us,  "  the  candid  reader 
may  perhaps  apprehend  that  the  impor- 
tant objects  of  piety  and  virtue  may  be  ad- 
vanced on  the  tJnitarian  plan,  although  he 
should  not  himself  embrace  it." — ^Jan. 
1797,  Art.  74. 

Brief,  cautious,  and  sullen  as  this  re- 
view may  appear,  it  is  the  best  that  my 
opponents  can  either  of  them  boast.  It  is 
true  it  contains  merely  opinion  ;  and  that 
is  expressed  in  very  general  terms  :  but 
herein,  for  aught  I  know,  rnay  consist  its 
excellency.  The  other  Reviewers,  as  the 
reader  will  presently  perceive,  by  de- 
scending to  particulars  and  attempting  to 
back  their  opinion  with  reasoning,  have 
ruined  the  cause,  and  injured  those  whom 
it  was  their  intention  to  serve. 

The  Analytical  Review  (Oct.  1796,  p. 
394)  of  Dr.  Toulmin's  performance  is  too 
long  for  insertion  here.  The  substance  of 
it  amounts  to  no  more  than  this :  that  the 
ground  on  which  I  have  conducted  the  con- 
troversy is  not  a  fair  one.  But  this  im- 
plies a  reflection  on  the  wisdom  of  Dr. 
Toulmin  for  pretending  to  meet  me  upon 
this  ground  ;  and  a  still  greater  reflection 
upon  Mr.  Kentish  for  engaging  upon  it, 
and  acknowledging  that  "in  religion  the 
maxim  ''ye  shall  know  them  by  their  fruits, 

VOL.  I.  42 


is  a  maxim  unquestionably  of  high  author- 
ity, evident  reason,  and  familiar  applica- 
tion," yea,  more,  that  it  is  a  criterion  "by 
w  hich  the  world  will  judge  concerning  the 
natural  influence  of  our  religious  opin- 
ions." It  also  implies  a  conviction  on  the 
part  of  the  Reviewer  that  his  cause  is 
lost.  Like  a  second  in  a  duel,  he  informs 
the  w  orld  that  it  is  no  wonder  his  friend 
has  fallen;  for  he  fought  upon  unfair 
ground  I 

If  this  review  has  been  of  any  use  to 
Dr.  Toulmin,  it  is  by  an  attempt  to  cover 
his  retreat.  By  raising  an  outcry  against 
the  professed  ground  of  the  controversy,  a 
kind  of  apology  is  formed  for  its  being 
shifted;  and  the  reader's  attention  is  in- 
sensibly turned  ofT  from  the  Doctor's  false 
reasoning,  and  reconciled  to  what  he  has 
advanced  foreign  to  the  subject  from  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles.  But,  whatever  ser- 
vice might  be  afforded  by  this,  it  is  all  un- 
done by  what  follows  ;  for,  after  having 
raised  an  outcry  against  reasoning  on  the 
ground  of  moral  tendency,  he  discovers  an 
inclination  to  make  the  utmost  use  of  it 
that  he  is  able.  As  Dr.  Toulmin,  notwith- 
standing his  shifting  the  ground  of  the  ar- 
gument, has  no  objection  to  exhil)it  all  the 
morality  on  his  side  that  he  can  muster  up  ; 
so  neither  has  the  Analytical  Reviewer 
any  objection  to  repeat  il  after  him.  The 
one  can  tell  of  their  virtuous  individuals, 
and  the  other  can  echo  the  account,  though 
both  ought  to  have  known  that  it  is  not 
from  the  character  of  individuals,  but  of 
the  general  body,  that  I  proposed  to  rea- 
son. 

If  the  critique  of  the  Analytical  Review 
be  weak,  that  in  the  Protestant  Dissen- 
ters' Magazine  is  still  weaker.  This  Re- 
viewer observes,  that  "  the  method  Dr. 
Toulmin  has  taken  to  show  the  moral  ten- 
dency of  Unitarian  principles  is  plain  and 
solid  ;  it  is  one  recommended  by  his  antag- 
ordst,  an  appeal  to  facts.  He  examines 
every  specimen  of  apostolical  preaching 
recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  ;  each 
of  which,  he  endeavors  to  show,  is  in  uni- 
son with  Unitarian  sentiments.  From  this 
the  inference  is  very  clear  that  the  world 
was  converted,  and  the  sinners  of  mankind 
were  brought  to  faith  and  repentance,  by 
the  preaching  of  the  simple  Unitarian  doc- 
trine, directly  contrary  to  what  Mr.  Fuller 
has  advanced,  that  '  Socinian  writers  can- 
not pretend  that  their  doctrine  has  been 
used  to  convert  profligate  sinners  to  the 
love  of  God  and  holiness.'  " —  Oct.  1796, 
p.  394. 

Dr.  Toulmin  has  appealed  to  facts ;  and 
it  seems  the  writer  of  this  article  does  not 
know  but  that  they  were  facts  in  point. 
That  they  are  not  so  must  be  evident  on 
the  slightest  reflection  ;  for  they  can  be  of 


330 


A    REPLY    TO    MR.    KENTISH's    SERMON. 


no  use  to  Dr.  Toulmin  unless  he  first 
prove  that  the  apostles  were  of  his  senti- 
ments ;  and,  if  this  be  proved,  they  can  be 
of  no  use  afterwards,  because  the  point  in 
question  is  supposed  to  be  decided  with- 
out them.  Whether  Dr.  Toulmin  was 
aware  of  this  I  shall  not  pretend  to  deter- 
mine :  it  is  evident,  however,  that  his  af- 
fecting to  join  issue  in  an  appeal  to  facts 
(p.  6)  has  every  property  of  a  feint,  or  of 
an  attempt  to  keep  up  the  appearance  of 
a  regular  pitched  battle,  while  in  reality 
he  was  effecting  a  retreat.  But,  whatever 
may  be  thought  of  Dr.  Toulmin 's  acquain- 


tedness  or  unacquaintedness  with  what  he 
was  doing,  this  writer  appears  to  know 
nothing  of  the  matter.  He  does  not  know 
that  the  Doctor's  repairing  to  the  primitive 
Christians  for  examples  of  the  conversion 
of  profligates  to  the  love  of  God  and  holi- 
ness, instead  of  proving  "  the  direct  con- 
trary" to  what  I  had  eiffirmed,  afifords  the 
strongest  confirmation  of  it.  It  did  not 
occur  to  him,  it  seems,  that  if  Dr.  Toul- 
min could  have  found,  or  pretended  to  find, 
examples  near  home,  he  would  not  have 
gone  to  so  great  a  distance  in  search  of 
them. 


REFLECTIONS 

ON 

MR.     BELSHAM'S     REVIEW 

OF 
MR.  WILBERFORCE'S  TREATISE  ON  CHRISTIANITY. 

(Written  in  1798.) 


Soon  after  Mr.  Belsham  had  removed 
to  Hackney,  he  printed  his  sermon  on 
*'  The  Importance  of  Truth,"  in  which  he 
strongly  maintained  the  superior  moral 
efficacy  of  his  principles.  Amongst  other 
things,  he  affirmed  that  "  those  who  were 
singularly  pious  with  [Calvinistic]  princi- 
ples, could  not  have  failed  to  have  been 
much  better,  if  they  had  imbibed  a  differ- 
ent creed." — p.  30. 

Several  things  of  the  same  kind  were 
thrown  out  by  other  writers  of  the  party. 
These  pretensions  were  soon  after  exam- 
ined by  the  author  of  "  The  Calvinistic 
and  Socinian  Systems  Compared."  On 
the  appearance  of  that  publication,  though 
Dr.  Priestley  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
read  it,  yet  as  Mr.  Belsham,  it  is  said,  as- 
sured him  it  was  "  well  worthy  of  his  peru- 
sal," it  may  be  presumed  that  he  himself 
has  perused  it.  And  as  he  is  equally  con- 
cerned to  defend  his  assertion,  and  has 
been  called  upon  to  do  so,  it  might  have 
been  expected  that  he  would  have  come 
forward  and  answered  that  publication. 
But,  whatever  be  the  reason,  he  has  al- 
ways shown  himself  averse  to  such  an  un- 
dertaking. 

Two  of  his  brethren,  however,  have 
stood  forward,  namely.  Dr.  Toulrain  and 
Mr.  Kentish;  but  neither  of  them  has 
ventured  to  vindicate  him  or  Dr.  Priestley. 

A  Reply  also  to  these  publications  has 
appeared,  by  the  author  of  "  The  Systems 
Compared;"  and  lately  Mr.  Kentish  has 
published  Strictures  upon  that  Reply. 
There  is  a  certain  point  in  controversy 
at  which  it  is  proper  to  discontinue  it. 
"When,"  as  Dr.  Watts  observes,  "little 
words  and  occasional  expressions  are 
dwelt  upon,  which  have  no  necessary  con- 
nection with  the  grand  point  in  view,"* 
and  when  a  serious  investigation  becomes 
likely  to  degenerate  into  vain  wrangling, 


it  is  best  to  cease.  When  it  comes  to 
this,  the  public  mind  says — Desist;  and 
with  this  decision  it  becomes  a  writer,  in- 
stead of  tenaciously  contending  for  the 
last  word,  respectfully  to  acquiesce. 

To  this  may  be  added,  Avhen  the  mis- 
statements of  an  opponent  are  numerous, 
his  sentiments  sufficiently  explicit,  and  his 
expositions  of  Scripture,  with  all  his  crit- 
ical accoutrements,  too  absurd  to  be  re- 
garded by  serious  and  thinking  minds,  the 
continuation  of  a  controversy  is  not  more 
tedious  to  a  reader  than  it  must  be  irk- 
some to  a  writer.  The  subject  is  before 
the  public  :  let  them  decide. 

A  few  remarks,  however,  may  be  offer- 
ed on  a  passage  or  two  in  Mr  Belsham's 
Review  of  Mr.  Wilberforce's  Treatise. 

Having  given  a  brief  account  of  his  own 
opinions,  he  adds,  "  This  short  abstract  of 
Unitarian  principles  will  enable  us  to 
judge  of  the  value  of  an  argument  proposed 
in  a  work  entitled  '  Calvinism  and  Socini- 
anism  Compared,'  upon  which  Mr.  W^il- 
berforce  passes  a  very  high  encomium  ;  f 
the  amount  of  which  is,  '  We  Calvinists 
being  much  better  Christians  than  you 
Socinians,  our  doctrines  must  of  course  be 
true.'  To  this  masterly  defence  of  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  acute  refu- 
tation of  the  opposite  errors,  Mr.  Wilber- 
force  and  his  friends  are  welcome.  The 
Unitarians  will  not  trespass  upon  the  holy 
ground.  We  have  learned  that  '  not  he 
who  commendeth  himself  is  approved,  but 
whom  the  Lord  commendeth  ;'  and,  sat- 
isfied with  this,  we  wait  with  cheerful  con- 
fidence the  decision  of  that  day  which 
shall  try  every  man's  work.  In  the  mean 
time  we  rest  our  cause  upon  the  Scriptures 
critically  examined  and  judiciously  ex- 
plained. This  way  of  reasoning  is  branded 
in  the  same  masterly  performance  as 
'  mangling  and  altering  the  translation  to 


luipravement,  Part  II.  chap.  viii. 


t  Practical  View,  &c.,  p.  476,  Third  Edit. 


332 


REFLECTIONS    ON    MR.    BELSHAM's    REVIEW, 


our  own  minds,'  which  brings  to  my  re- 
collection the  Quaker's  exclamation,  Oh 
argument,  oh  argument,  the  Lord  rebuke 
thee!"— p.  274. 

Mr.  Wilberforce  having  observed  it  "  as 
an  unquestionable  fact,  a  fact  which  Uni- 
tarians almost  admit,  that  they  are  not 
distinguished  by  superior  purity  of  life, 
and  still  less  by  that  frame  of  mind  which, 
by  the  injunction  to  be  spiritually,  not 
carnally  minded,  the  word  of  God  pre- 
scribes to  us  as  one  of  the  surest  tests  of 
our  experiencing  the  vital  power  of  Chris- 
tianity,"— "  Such,"  Mr.  Belsham  replies, 
"is  the  candid  judgment  which  Mr.  Wil- 
berforce forms  of  the  moral  and  religious 
character  of  the  Unitarians.  How  nearly 
resembling  the  character  of  the  pharisee 
in  the  parable  :  '  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I 
am  not  as  other  men,  nor  even  as  this  pub- 
lican !'  How  closely  bordering  upon  that 
supercilious  spirit  which  our  Lord  re- 
proves in  the  Jews,  who  concluded  be- 
cause the  Son  of  man  came  eating  and 
drinking,  and  affecting  no  habits  of  aus- 
terity, or  unnecessary  singularity,  that  he 
must  therefore  be  the  friend  and  associate 
of  publicans  and  sinners.  But  be  it  known 
to  Mr.  Wilberforce,  and  to  all  who  like 
him  are  disposed  to  condemn  their  breth- 
ren unheard,  that,  if  the  Unitarians  were 
inclined  to  boast  in  the  characters  of  those 
who  have  professed  their  principles,  they 
have  whereof  to  glory  ;  and,  if  they  took 
pleasure  in  exposing  the  faults  of  their 
more  orthodox  brethren,  they  likewise 
have  tales  to  unfold  which  would  reflect 
little  credit,  either  on  the  parties  or  on 
their  principles.  But  of  such  reproaches 
there  would  be  no  end." — pp.  267,  268. 

On  these  passages  I  take  the  liberty  of 
offering  a  few  remarks  : — 

1.  The  amount  of  the  work  to  which 
Mr.  Belsham  alludes  is  not  what  he  makes 
it  to  be  :  that  "  we  Calvinists  being  much 
better  Christians  than  you  Socinians,  our 
doctrines  must  of  course  be  true."  A 
large  proportion  of  that  work  is  designed 
to  point  out  the  native  tendency  of  prin- 
ciples, or  what,  other  things  being  equal, 
they  may  be  expected  to  produce  in  those 
who  imbibe  them. 

2.  If  that  part  of  the  work  which  re- 
lates to  facts  fall  under  a  censure  of  self 
commendation,  the  same  may  be  said  of 
the  writings  of  some  of  the  best  of  men 
who  have  ever  written.  Mr.  Neale,  in 
his  History  of  the  Puritans,  thought  it  no 
breach  of  modesty  to  prove  that  they  were 
far  better  men  than  their  persecutors. — 
Vol.  L  c.  S.  The  reformers,  in  establish- 
ing their  cause,  availed  themselves  of  the 
immoralities  of  the  papists,  and  the  supe- 
rior moral  efficacy  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
reformed  churches    upon  the  hearts  and 


lives  of  men.  The  ancient  fathei'S,  in  their 
apologies  for  Christianity,  constantly  ap- 
pealed to  the  holy  lives  of  Christians  as  a 
proof  of  the  purity  of  their  doctrine.  And 
the  apostles,  though  they  praised  not 
themselves,  yet  made  no  scruple  of  affirm- 
ing that  those  who  believed  their  doctrines 
were  "  purified  in  obeying  them  ;  "  that 
they  "  were  of  God,"  and  that  "  the  whole 
world  was  then  lying  in  wickedness." 
These  things  were  truths,  and  they  had  a 
right  to  insist  upon  them,  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  commending  themselves,  but  for 
the  sake  of  doing  justice  to  the  gospel. 

3.  In  reflecting  upon  the  ground  of  ar- 
gument used  by  the  author  of  "  The  Sys- 
tems Compared,"  contemptuously  calling 
it  "holy  ground,"  does  not  Mr.  Belsham 
cast  a  reflection  upon  the  great  Founder 
of  the  christian  religion,  who  taught  his 
disciples  to  judge  of  the  tree  by  its  fruits'!  * 

4.  By  rejecting  this  ground  of  argument, 
and  professing  to  rest  his  cause  upon  an- 
other, Mr.  Belsham,  after  the  example  of 
Dr.  Toulmin,  has  given  up  the  controver- 
sy as  it  respects  the  moral  efficacy  of 
principles. 

5.  If  reasoning  from  the  moral  efficacy 
of  doctrines  be  improper,  and  imply  the 
Pharisaical  spirit  of  self-commendation, 
Mr.  Belsham  must  have  acted  improperly 
and  pharisaically  in  commencing  an  attack 
on  the  Calvinists  upon  this  principle.  Did 
the  author  of  "  The  Systems  Compared" 
begin  this  war  1  No  :  it  was  Mr.  Belsham 
himself  that  began  it.  This  "holy 
ground,"  from  which  he  now  pretends  to 
retire  in  disgust,  was  of  his  own  marking 
out.  It  was  Mr.  Belsham  who,  in  the 
plenitude  of  his  confidence  that  his  cause 
was  the  cause  of  truth,  first  pleaded  for 
its  comparative  importance,  by  affirming 
that  those  who  were  pious  and  benevolent  \ 
characters  with  our  principles  would  have 
been  much  more  so  with  his.  And  yet 
this  same  Mr.  Belsham,  after  thus  throw- 
ing down  the  gauntlet,  can  decline  the 
contest;  after  two  of  his  brethren  have 
tried  all  their  strength,  and  summoned  all 
their  resources,  in   defence   of  Socinian 

*  If  Mr.  Belsiiam  should  distinguish,  as  Mr.  Ken- 
tish does,  between  the  truth  of  doctrine  and  their 
value,  and  maintain  tliat  the  effects  whicli  they  pro- 
duce are  a  proper  criterion  of  the  latte*',  but  not  of 
the  former  ;  it  might  be  asked  whether  the  value  of 
a  doctrine  does  not  imply  its  truth  ?  Surely  falsehood 
will  not  be  reckoned  valuable  !  and,  if  so,  whatever 
proves  the  value  of  a  doctrine,  proves  it  at  the  same 
time  to  be  true. 

Should  he  farther  allege,  with  the  above  writer, 
that  "  this  celebrated  saying  is  proposed  as  a  test  of 
character,  and  not  as  a  criterion  of  opinion ; "  it 
might  be  answered,  it  is  proposed  as  a  test  oi  false 
prophets  or  teachers  ;  a  cluiracter  never  ascribed  to 
those  whose  doctrines  accord  with  truth.  See  Matt, 
vii.  15. 


REFLECTIONS  ON  MR.  BELSHAM  S  REVIEW. 


333 


piety,  he  can  talk  of  Unitarians  "  not  tres- 
passing upon  tiiis  holy  Lnound,"  and  ol  tlie 
characters  wiiicli  they  could  produce,  were 
they  inclined  lo  hoast.  Yes  :  this  is  the 
writer,  who,  after  acknowledging  that 
"  Unitarians  liad  often  been  represented 
as  inditTerent  to  practical  religion  ;  "  allow- 
ing, too,  "  tliat  there  had  been  some  plau- 
sible ground  lor  the  accusation,"  and  not 
justifying  sudi  tilings,  but  merely  express- 
ing a  hope  that  they  would  continue  "  but 
for  a  time," — this,  I  say,  is  the  writer 
wlio  can  now  accuse  Mr.  Wili)erforce  of 
Pharisaism  lor  repeating  his  own  conces- 
sions ;  and,  what  is  worse,  can  justify  that 
life  of  dissipation  which  he  had  before 
condemned,  by  comparing  it  with  the  con- 
duct of  him  who  "came  eating  and  drink- 
ing, and  affecting  no  habits  of  austerity  or 
unnecessary  singularity." 

6.  It  is  not  true  that  the  author  of  "  The 
Systems  Compared  "  has  objected  either 
to  the  "critical  examination  or  judicious 
explanation  of  the  Scriptures."  It  is  true 
he  has  not  adopted  this  as  his  ground  of 
argument ;  yet  instead  of  denying  it  in 
others,  as  Mr.  Belsham  would  have  it 
thought,  he  has  expressed  his  approbation 
of  it.  It  is  not  of  criticising,  and  much 
less  of  judiciously  explaining  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  he  complains,  but  of  perverting 
them.  In  the  same  page  in  which  he  com- 
plained of  the  Socinians  "  mangling  and 
altering  the  translation  to  their  own 
minds,"  he  also  said,  "Though  it  be  ad- 
mitted that  every  translation  must  needs 
have  its  imperfections,  and  that  those  im- 
perfections ought  to  be  corrected  by  fair 
and  impartial  criticism,  yet,  where  al- 
terations are  made  by  those  who  have  an 
end  to  answer  by  them,  they  ought  al- 
ways to  be  suspected,  and  will  be  so  by- 
thinking  and  impartial  people."  If  Mr. 
Belsliam  had  quoted  this  part  of  the  pas- 
sage, as  well  as  the  other,  it  might  have 
prevented  the  pleasure  which  doubtless  he 
felt  in  repeating  the  Quaker's  exclama- 
tion. To  say  nothing  of  his  pedantic  sup- 
position, that  all  argument  is  confined  to 
criticising  texts  of  Scripture,  let  others 
.judge  who  it  is  that  is  under  the  necessity 


of  exclaiming,  "  Oh  argument,  oh  argu- 
ment, the  Lord  rebuke  thee  !  "  After  all, 
the  stress  which  our  opponents  lay  upon 
criticism  affords  a  strong  presumption 
against  them.  It  was  a  shrewd  saying  of 
Rol>inson's,  "  Sober  criticism  is  a  good 
thing :  but  woe  be  to  the  system  that  hangs 
upon  it ! " 

7.  The  threat  which  Mr.  Belsham  holds 
out  of  "  the  tales  which  they  could  tell  of 
their  ortliodox  brethren"  contains  an  un- 
founded implication.  Any  reader  would 
suppose,  from  this  passage,  that  Mr.  Bel- 
sham's  opj)oncnts  had  dealt  largely  in  such 
tales:  but  this  is  not  true.  If  the  author 
on  whom  he  reflects  had  been  disposed 
to  deal  in  articles  of  this  kind,  he  might 
possibly  have  swelled  his  j)ublication  he- 
yond  its  present  size.  But,  contrary  to 
this,  he  professedly  disclaimed  introducing 
individual  characters  or  private  tales  on 
either  side,  as  being  equally  invidious 
and  unnecessary  to  the  argument.  The 
truth  is,  he  rested  his  cause  upon  the 
concessions  of  his  adversaries  ;  and  this  is 
the  galling  circumstance  to  Mr.  Belsham 
and  his  party.  What  tales  have  been 
told  are  of  their  telling.  They  may  now 
insinuate  what  great  things  they  could 
bring  forward  in  their  own  favor,  and  to 
our  disadvantage,  were  they  not  restrain- 
ed by  considerations  of  modesty  and  gen- 
erosity. But  they  can  do  nothing,  and 
this  they  well  knoAV,  without  first  retract- 
ing what  they  have  conceded  ;  nor  even 
then,  forasmuch  as  all  such  retractions 
would  manifestly  appear  to  the  world  to 
be  only  to  answer  an  end. 

In  fine,  I  appeal  not  merely  to  Mr. 
Belsham's  special  jury  of  "  men  of  en- 
lightened minds  and  sound  learning,"  but 
to  every  man  of  common  understanding, 
whether  his  apology  for  declining  a  de- 
fence of  his  own  assertion  be  either 
ingenuous  or  just;  whether  a  larger  por- 
tion of  misrepresentation  and  self-contra- 
diction could  well  have  been  crowded 
into  so  small  a  compass ;  and  whether 
what  he  has  advanced  can  be  considered 
in  any  other  light  than  as  the  miserable 
groan  of  a  dying  cause. 


/ 


LETTERS 


TO 


MR.   VIDLER, 


ON     THE 


DOCTRINE  OF  UNIVERSAL   SALVATION. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


A  Review  of  the  controversy  between  Mr.  Vidler  and  Mr.  Fuller  on  the  Doctrine 
of  Universal  Salvation,  in  Twelve  Letters  to  a  Universalist,  being  prepared  for  the 
press,  it  was  judged  a  fit  opportunity  for  gratifying  the  wishes  of  many  of  Mr.  Fuller's 
friends  to  reprint  his  Letters  to  Mr.  Vidler  on  that  subject.  He  was  accordingly 
applied  to  for  his  permission,  and  returned  the  following  answer: — "Mr.  Vidler,  in  a 
letter  to  me,  signifies  his  intention  to  reprint  the  whole  controversy.  As  he  has  now, 
I  should  think,  had  sufficient  time  to  fulfil  his  proposal,  and  has  not  done  it,  you  are 
at  liberty  to  publish  that  part  of  it  which  belongs  to  me." 

The  reader  is  requested  to  notice  that  the  first  of  these  Letters  appeared  in  the 
Evangelical  Magazine  for  September,  1795,  and  the  seven  following  ones  in  the 
Universalist's  Miscellany,  between  July,  1779,  and  July,  1800 ;  and  that,  owing  to  this 
circumstance,  the  first  Letter  in  the  present  series  was  not  numbered  in  that  of  the 
Universalist's  Miscellany:  but  what  is  there  called  the  ^rs^s  here  the  second;  and 
so  on  throughout. 

August  2,  1802. 


LETTERS  TO  MR.  VIDLER. 


LETTER  I. 

EXPOSTULATIONS  WITH  MR.  VIDLER,  ON 
HIS  HAVING  EMBRACED  THE  DOCTRINE 
OF  UNIVERSAL  SALVATION. 

My  DEAR  Friend, 

It  has  afforded  me  some  painful  concern 
to  hear  of  your  having  embraced  the  scheme 
of  universal  salvation.     When  you  were 

at  K ,  you  appeared  to  mc  to  be  of  a 

speculative  disposition.  I  have  long 
thought  such  a  turn  of  mind  to  be  very  ad- 
vantageous, or  very  dangerous :  persons 
of  this  description  either  make  great  ad- 
vances in  truth,  or  fall  into  great  errors. 
I  cannot,  in  this  letter,  enter  deeply  into 
the  controversy-;  nor  is  there  any  necessi- 
ty for  it,  as  I  am  told  that  Dr.  Edwards's 
Answer  to  Dr.  Chauncey  is  in  your  hands. 
I  earnestly  wish  you  may  read  that  piece 
with  care,  impartiality,  and  openness  to 
conviction.  I  think'  you  ought  to  have 
read  it  before  you  advanced  your  change 
of  sentiment  ;  and  I  greatly  wish  you  had  : 
for,  though  I  do  not  question  your  open- 
ness to  conviction,  any  more  than  that  of 
any  other  person  in  your  situation,  yet  I 
know  something  of  what  is  in  man  :  I 
know  it  is  a  very  rare  thing,  tchen  ive  have 
once  openly  disavowed  a  sentiment,  to  re- 
turn to  it,  and  openly  avoiv  it  again. 
There  are  many  instances  of  people  chang- 
ing their  principles,  and  there  may  have 
been  instances  of  the  other;  but  I  do  not 
recollect  any.  False  shame,  supported 
by  mistaken  pride,  forms  here  a  very  pow- 
erful temptation.  The  dread  of  being  ac- 
cused of  versatility  and  indecision  insensi- 
bly obtains  such  a  dominion  over  the  mind 
as  to  blind  it  to  one  side  of  the  argument, 
and  to  give  efficacy  to  every  thing  that 
looks  like  an  argument,  or  the  shadow  of 
an  argument,  on  tlie  other. 

It  is  certainly  a  very  serious  matter  that 
we  do  not  err  in  our  ministrations.  Er- 
ror in  a  minister  may  affect  the  eternal 
welfare  of  many.  I  hope  I  may  presume 
upon  the  friendliness  of  your  temper,  while 
I  expostulate  with  you  upon  the  subject. 
I  will  not  be  tedious  to  you  ;  but  let  me 
entreat  you  to  consider  the  following 
things  : — 

VOL  .1.  43 


First :  w  liether  your  change  of  senti- 
ment has  not  arisen  from  an  idea  of  end- 
less punislimcnt  lieing,  in  itself,  unjust. 
If  it  has,  consi(h'r  wlietlicr  this  does  not 
arise  from  diminutive  notions  of  the  evil 
of  sin  :  whetlier  you  be  not  too  much  in- 
fected by  sin  yourself  to  be  a  j)roper  judge 
of  its  demerit — (a  company  of  criminals 
would  be  very  imj)roi)er  judges  of  the  equi- 
ty and  goodness  of  a  law  which  condemns 
them  :)  whether  you  do  not  hold  a  princi- 
ple from  which  it  will  follow  that  millions 
will  be  finally  happy  who  will  not  be  in- 
debted to  either  the  grace  of  God  or  the 
death  of  Christ  for  their  happiness;  and, 
consequently,  must  have  a  iieavcn  to  them- 
selves, not  being  al)le  to  join  with  those 
who  ascribe  theirs  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 
For,  if  endless  misery  heunjust,  exemption 
from  it  must  be  the  sinner's  right,  and  can 
never  be  attributed  to  mercy ;  neither 
could  a  mediator  be  needed  to  induce  a 
righteous  God  to  liberate  the  sinner,  when 
he  had  suffered  jiis  full  desert.  In  fine, 
consider  wliether  you  do  not  contradict 
your  own  experience.  I  think  you  have 
told  me  of  your  great  distress  of  soul, 
arising  from  a  consciousness  of  your  de- 
serving to  be  cast  out  of  God's  fiivor, 
and  banished  forever  from  his  presence. 
Can  you  noiv  say  that  you  did  not  deserve 
this  \  Do  you  not  deserve  it  still  1  If 
you  do,  why  not  otiiers  1 

Secondly  :  Consider  whether  the  genius 
of  the  sentiment  in  question  be  not  oppo- 
site to  that  of  every  other  sentiment  in  the 
Bible.  The  whole  tenor  of  Scripture 
saith  "  to  the  righteous,  it  shall  be  well 
with  him  ;  and,  to  the  wicked,  it  shall  be 
ill  with  him  :"  but  universal  salvation 
saith,  not  only  to  the  righteous,  but  to  the 
wicked,  it  shall  be  well  at  last  with  him. 
Do  consider  whether  you  can  find  any  one 
scripture  trutiv  that  resembles  it  in  this 
respect.  What  doctrine,  besides  this, 
can  you  find  in  the  Bible  that  affords  en- 
couragement to  a  sinner  going  on  still  in 
his  trespasses  ;  and  which  furnishes  ground 
for  hope  and  joy,  even  supposing  him  to 
persevere  in  sin  till  death  1  Instead  of 
siding  with  God  against  a  wicked  world, 
as  a  servant  of  God  ought  to  do  ;  is  not 
this  siding  with  a  wicked  world  against 
God,  and  encouraging  them  to  believe, 
what  tliey  are  apt  enough  to  believe  with- 
out encouragement,  that  they  "  shall  have 


338 


LETTERS    TO    MR.     VIDLER. 


peace,  Uiough  they  add  drunkenness  to 
thirst "!  "  "  Wo  is  me,"  said  an  apostle, 
"  If  I  preacli  not  the  gospel!  "  "  If  an 
angel  from  heaven  preach  any  other  gos- 
pel," he  is  declared  to  be  "accursed!" 
Do  seriously  consider  whether  the  doc- 
trine of  Universal  Salvation  will  not  ren- 
der your  preaching  "  another  gospel." 
The  gospel  of  Christ  is  good  tidings  to 
the  meek,  healing  to  the  broken-hearted, 
and  comfort  to  them  that  mourn  :  but  must 
not  yours  be  good  tidings  to  the  proud 
and  impenitent,  and  comfort  to  those 
whom  the  Scripture  declares  under  con- 
demnation and  the  curse  1  The  gospel  of 
Christ  is  a  system  of  holiness  ;  a  system  en- 
tirely opposite  to  every  vicious  bias  of  the 
human  heart ;  a  system,  therefore,  which  no 
unrenewed  heart  embraces  :  "he  that  be- 
lieveth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  born  of 
God."  But  the  good  news  which  you 
must  publish  requires  no  change  of  heart 
that  it  may  be  embraced,  being  just  suit- 
ed to  the  wishes  of  an  abandoned  mind. 

Thirdly  :  Consider  whether  your  min- 
istrations, on  this  principle,  will  not  savor 
of  his  who  taught  our  first  parents,  "Ye 
shall  not  surely  die."  If  you  should  raise 
the  hopes  of  the  ungodly  part  of  your 
audience,  that^  though  they  should  live  and 
die  in  their  jilthincss,  yet  they  shall  not 
be  filthy  still;  though  they  go  down  to  the 
pit,  yet  it  shall  not  prove  bottomless; 
though  the  worm  may  prey  upon  them, 
yet,  at  some  period  or  other,  it  shall  die  ; 
and,  though  they  may  have  to  encounter 
devouring  fire,  yet  they  shall  not  dwell  in 
everlasting  burnings  :  if,  I  say,  you  should 
raise  such  hopes,  and  if  all  at  last  should 
prove  a  deception,  think  how  you  will  be 
able  to  look  them  in  the  face  another  day  ; 
and,  what  is  still  more,  how  you  will  be 
able  to  look  Hmi  in  the  face  who  hath 
charged  you  to  be  "free  from  the  blood 
of  all  men;"  and  to  "say  unto  the  wick- 
ed, it  shall  be  ill  witli  him  ;  for  the  reward 
of  his  hands  shall  be  given  him  !" 

My  dear  friend !  do  not  take  it  un- 
kindly. My  soul  is  grieved  for  you,  and 
for  the  souls  of  many  around  you.  How 
are  you  as  to  peace  of  mind,  and  com- 
munion with  God  1  Beware  of  the  whirl- 
pool of  Socinianism.  From  what  I  un- 
derstand of  the  nature  and  tendency  of 
your  principles,  it  appears  to  me  you  are 
already  within  the  influence  of  its  destruc- 
tive stream.  All  who  hold  this  senti- 
ment, I  know,  are  not  Socinians ;  but 
there  are  few,  if  any,  Socinians  who  do 
not  hold  this  sentiment ;  which  is  cer- 
tainly of  a  piece  with  their  whole  system. 
It  would  greatly  rejoice  my  heart  to  be 
able  to  acknowledge  you,  as  heretofore, 
my   brother    and    fellow-laborer    in    the 


gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.     Do  let  me  hear 
from  you,  and  lielieve  me  to  be 

Yours,  &c.  A.  F. 


LETTER  II. 

REASONS  FOR  NOT  CONTINUING  THE  CON- 
TROVERSY, AND  REPLIES  TO  MR.  VID- 
LEr's  objections  to  THE  FOREGO- 
ING. 

Sir, 

In  the  year  1793,  when  I  understood 
that  you  had  imbibed  the  doctrine  of  Uni- 
versal Salvation,  I  wrote  you  a  private 
expostulatory  letter,  to  which  you  return- 
ed no  answer.  You  speak  of  this  letter 
as  being  no  secret  in  the  circle  of  my 
acquaintance.  I  do  not  think  it  was 
shown  to  more  than  two  or  three  individ- 
uals. Some  time  after,  as  a  request  was 
made,  in  the  Evangelical  Magazine,  for 
some  thoughts  on  that  subject,  and  as 
there  was  nothing  private  in  the  contents 
of  that  letter,  I  took  the  liberty  to  send  it 
up  for  insertion.  Accordingly  it  appeared 
in  the  Magazine  for  September,  1795, 
under  the  signature  of  Gains.  To  this 
letter  you  have  since  written  an  answer, 
in  the  two  first  numbers  of  your  Miscel- 
lany :  I  received,  from  you,  a  copy  of 
those  numbers  at  the  time ;  and,  since 
then,  another  of  tlie  second  edition  ;  for 
both  of  which  I  thank  you.  To  this  I 
made  no  reply.  In  your  second  edition, 
you  inform  your  readers  of  the  case,  and 
seem  to  wish  much  to  know  the  reasons 
of  my  silence.  Some  of  your  friends  in 
the  country,  possessing  a  little  of  the  san- 
guine temper  perhaps  of  your  Birming- 
ham correspondent,  appear  to  have  enter- 
tained a  hope  that  it  was  owing  to  the  im- 
pression which  your  letters  had  made  up- 
on my  mind.  If  such  be  also  your  hope, 
I  can  only  say  it  has  no  foundation. 

Whether  the  reasons  of  my  silence  be 
"cogent"  or  not,  the  reader  will  judge, 
when  I  have  stated  them.  If  I  do  not  con- 
sider them  as  requiring  a  continued  si- 
lence, it  is  because  you  have  compelled 
me  to  pursue  a  diiferent  conduct.  To  the 
best  of  my  recollection,  I  had  three  rea- 
sons for  not  writing  at  that  time  : — 

First :  I  did  not  know  that  it  would  be 
agreeable  to  you  to  insert  in  your  Mis- 
cellany what  I  might  write  upon  the  sub- 
ject; and,  though  I  considered  the  Evan- 
gelical Magazine  as  a  suitable  work  for 
the  introduction  of  a  single  piece,  yet  it 
did  not  appear  to  be  a  proper  vehicle  for 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


339 


a   continued  discussion,  unless  what  was 
said  on  hotli  sides  were  introduced. 

Secondly  :  Tlioiiirli  I  was  not  very 
deeply  impressed  with  tiic  (brce  of  your 
aririinients  ;  yet,  being  lully  persuaded, 
notwithstandinji  what  you  say  of  the  lioly 
nature  ot  your  doctrine,  that  it  needed  only 
to  le  read  l)y  a  certain  description  of  peo- 
ple in  order  to  he  inibilied;  and  not  sup- 
posinj^  your  work  to  have  a  very  extensive 
circulation  at  present,  I  tiiouglit  it  niijrlit 
be  as  well  to  let  it  alone.  You  may  con- 
sider this,  if  you  jdease,  as  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  weakness  of  my  cause. 

Thirdly  :  Your  two  letters  appeared  to 
me  to  contain  so  many  misapprehensions, 
and  such  a  (juantity  of  perversions  of  the 
plain  meaning  of  Scripture,  that  I  felt  it 
a  kind  of  hopeless  undertaking  to  go  about 
to  correct  them. 

I  do  not  entertain  a  mean  opinion  of 
your  talents  ;  but  I  think  they  are  per- 
verted by  a  system.  You  write  as  though 
you  did  not  understand  the  plain  meaning 
of  words.  I  should  not  have  thouglit  that, 
by  saying,  "  I  observed  you  to  be  of  a 
speculative  disposition,"  I  should  either 
have  puzzled  or  offended  you.  I  cer- 
tainly did  not  mean,  by  that  form  of 
speech,  either  that  you  discovered  a  dispo- 
sition "not  to  take  the  assertions  of  men  as 
the  rule  of  your  faith,"  on  the  one  hand; 
or  any  particular  "want  of  respect  to- 
wards the  sacred  writings,"  on  the  other. 
I  should  not  have  thought  of  using  such 
modes  of  expression  to  convey  either  of 
these  ideas.  If  you  choose  to  pay  your- 
self such  a  compliment,  or  load  yourself 
with  such  a  censure,  you  are  at  liberty  to 
do  so  ;  but  do  not  attribute  either  of  them 
to  me.  You  might  have  supposed  that 
I  meant  to  exhibit  no  very  heavy  charge, 
nor  indeed  any  charge  at  all,  under  this 
form  of  expression ;  seeing  I  added  that 
"  such  a  turn  of  mind  might  be  very  ad- 
vantageous, as  well  as  very  dangerous." 

In  suggesting  that  "  it  is  a  serious  mat- 
ter that  we  err  not  in  our  ministrations," 
I  do  not  mean,  either  to  take  it  for  grant- 
ed that  you  were  in  an  error,  or  to  prove 
that  you  were  so  ;  but  merely  to  bespeak 
your  serious  attention  to  the  subject. 
Your  stumbling  at  the  threshold,  in  this 
manner.  Sir,  afforded  but  little  hope  that, 
if  I  wrote,  it  would  produce  any  other 
effect  than  a  wrangle  of  words,  for  which 
I  had  neither  time  nor  inclination. 

The  three  questions  which  I  put  to  you, 
and  "  entreated  you  to  consider,"  were, 
it  seems,  totally  irrelative  to  the  subject, 
equally  so  as  to  "  the  doctrine  of  election  :" 
yet  you  thought  proper  to  offer  answers  to 
some  parts  of  them,  as  well  as  to  pass 
over  others.  Waving,  for  the  present,  the 
consideration   of  those    parts  which  you 


have  noticed,  I  shall  remind  the  reader  of 
a  lew  things  which  you  have  not  noticed, 
and  leave  him  to  judge  whether  even  they 
were  totally  irrelative  to  the  subject. 

You  have  not  told  us,  that  I  recollect, 
whether  you  claim  an  exemption  from 
endless  punishment  as  a  right  ;  but  seem 
to  wish  us  to  think  that  this  is  not  your 
ground,  especially  as  you  ascribe  it  to 
the  death  of  Christ  (j).  10  :)  yet,  in  other 
parts  of  your  Miscellany,  I  jjerceive  the 
gift  of  Christ  itself  is  considered  as  airepar- 
ationfor  an  injury  (p.  G9  ;)  which  alVords 
but  too  plain  a  proof  that,  notwithstanding 
all  you  say  of  grace  and  love,  it  is  not  on 
the  footing  of  grace,  but  debt,  that  you 
hold  with  universal  salvation. 

Under  the  second  question,  you  were 
asked,  "  What  doctrine,  besidi-s  that  of 
Universal  Salvation,  you  would  find  in  the 
Bible,  which  affords  encouragement  to  a 
sinner,  going  on  still  in  his  trespasses  ;  and 
which  furnishes  ground  for  hope  and  joy, 
even  supposing  him  to  persevere  in  sin  till 
death  1"  To  this  you  have  given  no  an- 
swer. Was  this  question  equally  irrel- 
ative to  the  subject  as  to  the  doctrine  of 
election  1 

Under  the  third  question,  you  were  ad- 
dressed as  follows  : — "  If  you  should  raise 
the  hopes  of  the  ungodly  part  of  your  au- 
dience, that  though  they  should  live  and 
die  in  the'iv  filthin ess,  yet  they  shall  not  be 
filthy  still;  though  they  go  down  to  the 
pit,  yet  it  shall  not  prove  bottomless; 
though  the  worm  prey  upon  them,  yet  at 
some  period  or  other  it  shall  die ;  and 
though  they  may  have  to  encounter  de- 
vouring fire,  yet  they  shall  not  dwell  with 
everlasting  burnings  :  if,  I  say  you  should 
raise  such  hopes,  and  if  all  at  last  should 
prove  a  deception,  think  how  you  will  be 
able  to  look  them  in  the /ace  another  day  ; 
and,  what  is  still  more,  how  you  will  be 
able  to  look  Him  in  the  face  who  hath 
charged  you  to  be  pure  from  the  blood  oj 
all  men  !  "  Was  this  equally  irrelative  to 
the  subject  as  to  the  doctrine  of  election'? 
Yet  to  no  part  of  this  have  you  given  any 
answer,  except  your  attempting  to  explain 
away  the  term  everlasting  may  be  so  call- 
ed. You  represent  the  whole  of  this  third 
question  as  proceeding  on  the  supposition 
of  your  denying  all  future  punishment. 
But  is  not  this  a  gross  misrepresentation'! 
Does  not  the  whole  foregoing  passage  al- 
low that  you  admit  of  future  punishment 
of  a  limited  duration  ;  and  hold  up,  though 
not  in  the  form  of  arguments,  several 
scri|)tural  objections  to  that  notion  1  I 
consider  this.  Sir,  as  a  farther  proof  of 
your  talents  for  fair  and  plain  reasoning 
being  perverted  by  a  system. 

You  appeal  to  the  Scriptures,  and  con- 
tend that  they  nowhere  teach  the  doctrine 


340 


LETTERS    TO     MR.    VlDLER. 


of  endless  punishment :  yet  you  are  aware 
that  they  appear  to  do  so,  and  are  obliged 
to  have  recourse  to  a  method  of  weaken- 
ing the  force  of  terms,  in  order  to  get  rid 
of  them.  It  has  been  long  the  practice  of 
writers  on  your  side  of  the  question  to 
ring  changes  on  the  words  aion  and 
aionios, — pretty  words,  no  doubt;  and, 
could  they  be  proved  to  be  less  expres- 
sive of  endless  duration  than  the  English 
words  everlasting  and  eternal,  they  might 
be  something  to  the  purpose  :  but,  if  not, 
the  continual  recurrence  to  them  is  a  mere 
affectation  of  learning,  serving  to  mislead 
the  ignorant.  Be  this  as  it  may,  this  is  an 
exercise  which  hardly  becomes  you  or 
me.  I  shall  only  observe  upon  it  that, 
by  this  method  of  proceeding,  you  may 
disprove  almost  any  thing  you  please. 
There  are  scarcely  any  terms,  in  any  lan- 
guage, but  what,  through  the  poverty  of 
language  itself,  or  the  inequality  of  the 
number  of  words  to  the  number  of  ideas, 
are  sometimes  used  in  an  improper  or  fig- 
urative sense.  Thus,  if  one  attempt  to 
prove  the  divinity  of  the  Son  of  God,  or 
even  of  the  Father,  from  his  being  called 
Jehovah,  God,  &c.,  you  may  reply  that  the 
name  Jehovah  is  sometimes  given  to 
things ;  as  to  an  altar,  a  city,  and,  once, 
to  the  church  ;  therelbre  nothing  can  be 
concluded,  from  hence,  in  favor  of  the  ar- 
gument. Thus,  also,  if  one  go  about  to 
prove  the  ominiscience  of  God,  from  its 
being  declared  that  his  understanding  is 
infinite ;  you  might  answer,  the  term 
"infinite"  is  sometimes  used  to  express 
only  a  very  great  degree  ;  as  when  the 
strength  of  Ethiopia  and  Egypt  is  said  to 
have  heeninfinite. — Nahum  iii.  9.  Again, 
If  one  endeavor  to  prove  the  endless  ex- 
istence of  God  from  his  being  called  the 
eternal  God,  the  everlasting  God,  &c.,  or 
the  endless  duration  of  the  heavenly  inhe- 
ritance, from  its  being  called  eternal  life, 
an  inheritance  incorruptible  and  that  fadeth 
not  away  ;  you  miglit  answer,  these  terras 
are  sometimes  used  to  signify  only  limited 
duration ;  and  that  a  thing,  in  common 
language,  is  said  to  be  incorruptible  when 
it  will  continue  a  long  time  without  any 
signs  of  decay. 

The  question  is,  Could  stronger  terms 
have  been  used,  concerning  the  duration 
of  future  punishment,  than  are  used  ?  To 
object  against  the  words  everlasting,  eter- 
nal, &c.,  as  being  too  weak  or  indeter- 
minate in  their  application  for  the  pur- 
pose, is  idle,  unless  others  could  be 
named  which  are  stronger,  or  more  deter- 
minate. What  expressions  could  have  been 
used  that  would  have  placed  the  subject 
beyond  dispute  1  You  ordinarily  make 
use  of  the  term  endless  to  express  our 
doctrine :    it  should    seem,  then,  tliat    if 


we  read  of  endless  punishment,  or  puU' 
ishment  without  end,  you  would  believe 
it.  Yet  tlie  same  objections  might  be 
made  to  this  as  to  the  words  evei'lasting, 
eternal,  &c-  It  is  common  to  say  of  a 
loquacious  person,  He  is  an  endless  talk- 
er :  it  might,  therefore,  be  pretended  that 
the  term  endless  is  very  indeterminate ; 
that  it  often  means  no  more  than  a  long 
time ;  and,  in  some  instances,  not  more 
than  three  or  four  hours,  at  longest. 
Thus  you  see,  or  may  see,  that  it  is  not 
in  the  power  of  language  to  stand  before 
such  methods  of  criticising  and  reasoning 
as  those  on  which  you  build  your  system. 

Admitting  all  tliat  you  allege  in  favor 
of  the  limited  sense  of  the  above  terms, 
still  the  nature  of  the  subject,  the  con- 
nection and  scope  of  the  passages,  to- 
gether with  the  use  of  various  other  forms 
of  expression,  which  convey  the  same 
thing,  are  sufficient  to  prove  that,  when 
applied  to  the  doctrine  of  future  pun- 
ishment, they  are  to  be  understood  with- 
out any  limitation. 

If  Ave  read  of  a  disease  cleaving  to  a 
man  forever,  the  plain  meaning  is,  to  the 
end  of  his  life  ;  if  of  an  everlasting  priest- 
hood, the  meaning  is,  one  that  should 
continue  to  the  end  of  the  dispensation  of 
which  it  was  an  institute  :  if  of  everlast- 
ing hills,  or  mountains,  the  meaning  is, 
that  they  will  continue  till  the  end  of  the 
world :  but,  if  after  this  world  is  ended, 
and  successive  duration  consequently  ter- 
minated, we  read  that  the  wicked  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  and 
that  in  the  same  passage  in  which  it  is 
added,  but  the  righteous  into  everlasting 
life,  (Matt.  xxv.  46,)  woe  be  to  the  man 
who  dares  to  plunge  into  that  abyss,  on 
the  presumption  of  finding  a  bottom  ! 

The  evidence  which  you  offer  of  a  suc- 
cessive duration  after  this  period  is  a 
proof  of  the  scarcity  of  tliat  article  in 
the  paths  which  you  are  in  the  habit  of 
tracing.  A  plain,  unbiassed  reader  of 
Scripture  would  have  supposed  that  the 
terms  day  and  night,  in  Rev.  xiv.  11,  had 
been  a  figurative  mode  of  expression,  to 
denote  perpetuity ;  and  especially  as  the 
same  language  is  used  by  the  inhabit- 
ants of  heaven,  chap.  vii.  15.  For  my 
part,  I  confess,  I  should  as  soon  have 
dreamed  of  proving,  from  what  is  said 
in  Chap.  xxi.  24 — "  The  nations  of  them 
that  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of 
the  New  Jerusalem," — that  mankind  will 
maintain  their  present  political  distinc- 
tions in  a  future  state,  as  of  founding, 
upon  such  language,  the  idea  of  suc- 
cessive duration.  Your  expositions  on 
other  parts  of  the  Revelations  are  of  the 
same  description,  as  frigid  as  they  are 
puerile.     It  is  a  wonder  the  New  Jerusa- 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


341 


lem  corning  down  from  heaven  had  not 
been  supposed  to  liave  fallen  into  the  sea, 
and  to  liave  tilled  it  up ;  and  an  artju- 
ment  been  drawn  I'roni  its  ^reat  dimen- 
sions ot  its  being  large  enough  to  eontain 
the  whole  human  race.  You  must  not  be 
surprised,  Sir,  if  I  do  not  perceive  the 
force  of  these  passages,  in  proving  that  all 
beyond  the  last  judgment  is  not  proper 
eternity. 


LETTER  III. 

difficulties  attending  mr.  vidleu's 
scheme,  and  its  inconsistenc  v 
with  scripture. 

Sir, 

You  complain,  more  than  once,  of  my 
not  understanding  the  subject  against 
which  I  write  ;  and  here,  for  aught  I  see, 
I  must  fall  under.  I  confess  I  do  not,  nor 
can  I  understand  what  it  is  that  you  be- 
lieve. Having  heard  and  seen  so  much 
of  your  professing  to  hold  the  doctrine  of 
Universal  Salvation,  Universal  Restitu- 
tion, and  that  "all  men  will  be  tinally 
benefited  by  the  death  of  Christ,"  I 
really  thought  you  had  meant  so ;  and 
could  not  have  imagined  that,  with  these 
pretensions,  you  would  have  avowed  the 
notion  of  annihilation.  Hence  it  was 
that  in  my  third  question,  though  I  did 
not,  as  you  allege,  proceed  upon  the 
supposition  of  your  denying  all  future 
punishment,  yet,  I  acknowledge,  I  did 
proceed  upon  the  supposition  that  you 
hold  with  no  other  future  punishment 
than  w^hat  should  terminate  in  everlasting 
life.  And  who  could  have  thought  other- 
wise! After  all  the  information  you 
have  since  given  me,  I  am  still  so  igno- 
rant as  not  to  understand  how  all  men  are 
to  be  tinally  saved,  and  yet  a  part  of  them 
annihilated  !  Neither  can  I  comprehend 
how  there  can  come  a  time  with  sinners 
when  he  thaf  made  them  will  not  have 
mercy  upon  them,  on  the  supposition  that 
all  punishment,  of  all  degrees  and  dura- 
tion, is  itself  an  exercise  of  mercy,  (p.  10.) 

Neither  can  I  comprehend  how  you  re- 
concile many  things  in  your  scheme  with 
the  holy  Scriptures.  I  have  been  used  to 
understand  the  terms  death  and  perish,  he- 
ing  opposed  to  everlasting  life  (Jolm  iii. 
16,  X.  28,)  as  expressive,  not  of  the  loss  of 
being,  but  of  well-being.  But  with  you 
they  signify  annihilation  (p.  42.)  The  de- 
sign of  God,  it  seems,  in  giving  his  Son  to 
suffer  for  us,  was  not  to  save  us  from  suf- 
fering, but  merely  from  becoming  extinct, 


and  to  perpetuate  our  existence.  And  the 
death  which  those  who  keep  his  sayings 
slndl  never  taste,  John  viii.  52,  means  the 
same  thing:  they  shall  exist  forever;  a 
blessing  which  your  scheme  makes  equal- 
ly applicalile  to  many  who  do  not  keep 
his  savings  as  to  those  who  do.  And  w  here 
do  you  find  the  al'ove  terms  used  to  con- 
vey the  idea  of  annihilation  on  any  other 
subject;  and  whence  was  this  notion 
learned  1  * 

When  we  are  told  "  that  God  will  not 
contend  forever,  neither  will  he  be  always 
w  roth  ;  for  the  spirit  should  fail  before 
him,  and  the  souls  which  he  hath  made," 
Isa.  Ivii.  16,  I  sujjposed  it  had  i)een  meant 
only  of  them  who,  in  the  context,  are  said 
to  put  their  trust  in  the  Lord ;  and  that  in 
the  present  life,  seeing  it  was  promised  them 
that  they  should  possess  the  land,  and  in- 
herit his  holy  mountain  ;  of  them  who  were 
of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit,  and  not  of 
the  ivicked,  who  are  likened  to  the  trou- 
bled sea,  for  whom  there  is  no  peace  ;  but 
you  consider  all  these  promises  as  belong- 
ing to  the  same  people  as  the  threatening 
in  chap,  xxvii.  11,  "  He  that  made  them 
will  not  have  mercy  upon  them,  and  he 
that  formed  them  will  show  them  no  fa- 
vor!" 

I  observe,  when  such  terms  as  forever 
seem  to  favor  your  cause,  they  are  to  be 
taken  in  their  utmost  latitude  of  meaning. 
If  it  had  been  said  of  the  Divine  Being,  he 
will  contend  forever,  you  would  have  in- 
troduced your  sing-song  of  aionas  and 
aionon,\  as  sometimes  meaning  only  a  lim- 
ited duration  ;  but,  seeing  it  is  said  he  will 
710^  contend  forever,  here  the  word  must 
be  understood  of  duration  without  end. 
You  must  excuse  me,  however,  if  I  for 
once  avail  myself  of  your  critical  labors, 
and  remind  you  that  forever,  in  this  pass- 
age, refers  merely  to  the  present  life,  as 
the  context  plainlj'  shows. 

I  never  imagined,  till  I  saw  it  in  the 
writings  of  Universalists,  that  finishing 
transgressio7i  and  making  an  end  of  sin, 
Dan.  ix.  24,  had  any  reference  to  what 
was  to  be  done  after  the  resurrection  and 
the  last  judgment ;  and  especially  since 
what  is  there  predicted  was  to  be  accom- 
plished within  seventy  weeks,  or  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety  years,  from  the  time  of 
the  prophecy. 

I  have  been  used  to  think  that  the  me- 
diation of  Christ  was  not  on  liehalf  of  fal- 
len angels,  whose  nature  he  took  not  on 
him,  of  whose  salvation  the  Scriptures  are 

*  The  reader  will  perceive,  Iiereafter,  tliat  Mr. 
Fuller  was  mistaken  in  supposing  ."Vlr.  Vidler  to  hold 
the  doctrine  of  Annihilation;  tiiis  he  acknowledges 
in  Letter  VIL — Ed. 

t  Alluding  to  Mr.  Vidler's  quotation  in  the  Uni- 
versalist's  Miscellany,  No.  L  p.  8. 


34^ 


LETTERS    TO     MR.    VIDLER. 


silent,  and  whose  own  ideas  are  that  they 
have  nothing  to  do  with  him. — Matt.  viii. 
29.  But,  according  to  your  reasonings, 
they  also  must  be  either  saved  or  annihila- 
ted ;  yea,  they  must  have  at  least  the  of- 
fer of  salvation,  otherwise  their  present 
and  future  sufferings  would  not  be  in  mer- 
cy, which  you  consider  as  belonging  to  all 
punishment  whatever. 

It  had  been  usual  with  me  to  think  that 
the  triumph  of  mercy  in  the  day  of  retri- 
bution, as  described  in  James  ii.  13,  Psalm 
Ixii.  12,  respected  another  description  of 
people  than  those  who  were  to  receive 
judgment  without  mercy  j  namely,  tliose 
that  should  "  so  speak,  and  so  do,  as  they 
that  should  be  judged  by  the  perfect  law 
of  liberty  :"  but  you  have  found  out  a 
scheme,  it  seems,  in  which  these  opposites 
are  united  in  the  same  persons  ;  and  in 
which  the  ungodly,  while  receiving  judg- 
ment without  mercy,  have  no  judgment  but 
what  is  in  mercy. — p.  10.  Is  it  surprising, 
Sir,  that  a  man  of  plain  and  ordinary  ca- 
pacity should  be  at  a  loss  to  understand 
such  things  as  these  1 

It  would  not  have  occurred  to  me  that 
an  argument  could  have  been  drawn  from 
the  threatenings  of  God  to  Israel  in  the 
present  life,  Lev.  xxv.,  to  what  shall  be 
done  to  the  ungodly  world  in  the  life  to 
come  ;  yet  so  it  is,  p.  43  :  and  the  ground 
on  which  the  analogy  is  justified  is  the  im- 
mutability of  the  divine  character.  But 
what  the  immutable  character  of  God  re- 
quires to  be  done  must  be  done  alike  in  all 
ages,  and  to  all  people  :  whereas  what  was 
there  threatened  of  Israel  was  not  done  at 
the  same  time  to  other  nations,  nor  has  it 
been  done  since  to  any  nation  beside  them. 
— Amos  iii.  2.  Acts  xvii.  30.  There  is 
nothing  in  it  analogous  to  his  dealings  with 
mankind,  unless  it  be  the  general  idea  of 
his  "  making  use  of  natural  evil  to  correct 
moral  evil."  This  being  known  to  lie  the 
case  on  earth,  you  "cannot  but  think  it 
must  be  the  design  of  future  punishment." 
Such  is  the  whole  of  your  argument,  which 
you  recommend  to  my  "  serious  consid- 
eration !  "  But  how  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
I  should  say,  though  natural  evil  be  used 
on  earth  to  correct  moral  evil  in  society  at 
large,  yet  it  is  not  always  sent  for  the  pur- 
pose of  correcting  the  parties  themselves  1 
We  have  no  proof  that  the  men  of  Sodom 
were  destroyed  by  fire,  or  Pharaoh  drown- 
ed in  the  sea,  for  their  good  ;  therefore,  I 
cannot  but  think  there  is  a  similar  design 
in  future  punishment. 

I  always  supposed  that  the  sense  in 
which  God  is  said  to  be  "the  Saviour  of  all 
men,  especially  of  them  that  believe,"  (p. 
44,)  was  that  in  which  the  apostle  there 
puts  his  trust  in  him  ;  namely,  as  the  God 
of  providence,  whose  care  is  extended  to 


all  his  creatures,  but  especially  to  lie- 
lie  vers. 

I  have  read  of  the  "dispensation  of  the 
fulness  of  times  ;"  but  the  idea  never  oc- 
curred to  me  that  these  times  were  to  be 
understood  of  ages  beyond  the  last  judg- 
ment. I  have  no  doubt  but  the  "  gather- 
ing together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ 
which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on 
earth,"  will  be  accomplished,  and  that 
within  the  limits  of  time.  If  it  be  done,  as 
you  allow  it  will  (p.  10,)  by  the  time  "  that 
he  shall  have  put  down  all  rule,  and  all  au- 
thority, and  power,  and  shall  have  subdued 
all  things  unto  himself,"  it  will  be  done  by 
the  time  he  shall  have  raised  the  dead  and 
judged  the  world  ;  for  then  is  this  work 
described  as  being  accomplished. — 1  Cor. 
XV.  24. 

In  reading  the  account  of  the  "  new 
heaven  and  new  earth,"  in  the  21st  chap- 
ter of  the  Revelation,  I  find,  amongst  oth- 
er things,  it  is  said,  "  there  shall  be  no 
more  death  ;  "  and  afterwards,  "  no  more 
curse  ;"  but  I  should  not  have  thought  of 
these  things  being  applied  to  the  universe 
at  large,  but  merely  to  the  inhaliitants  of 
that  blessed  state  ;  and  the  rather,  seeing 
it  is  said  in  the  same  chapter,  that  "  the 
fearful,  and  the  unbelieving,  and  the  abom- 
inable, and  murderers,  and  whoremongers, 
and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars, 
shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which 
burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is 
the  second  death."  Neither  could  I  have 
supposed  it  possible,  from  such  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  second  death,  to  conclude 
that  it  consisted  in  annihilation. 

By  the  "times  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things,"  Acts  iii.  21,  I  have  been  used  to 
understand  the  times  of  the  resurrection 
and  the  last  judgment ;  for  that  till  then, 
and  no  longer,  will  Christ  be  detained  in 
the  heavens.  Whenever  Christ  descends 
from  heaven,  then,  according  to  Peter, 
will  be  the  times  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things  :  but  this  will  be  previously  and  in 
order  to  his  raising  the  dead,  and  judging 
the  world. — 1  Thes.  iv.  16.  Consequent- 
ly, these  are  the  times  of  which  the  apos- 
tle speaks.  The  utter  ove;-throw  which 
will  then  be  given  to  the  kingdom  of  Satan 
by  the  general  conflagration,  2  Pet.  iii. 
12 ;  the  destruction  of  the  last  enemy, 
death,  by  the  resurrection,  1  Cor.  xv.  23, 
26  ;  and  the  final  adjustment  of  human  af- 
fairs by  the  last  judgment.  Matt.  xxv.  31 
— 46  ;  will  be  a  restitution  of  all  things  ; 
the  empire  of  sin  will  be  crushed,  and  the 
government  of  God  completely  restored, 

But  the  times  in  which  your  scheme  is 
to  be  accomplished  must  be  after  the  final 
judgment;  for  from  that  period  there  is 
an  everlasting  punishvient  for  the  wicked 
to  endure,  a  lake  of  fire  into  which  they 


LLTTLKS    TO      MR.    VIDLER. 


343 


are  to  be  cast,  Matt.  xxv.  4G  ;  Rev.  xx. 
15;  and  from  which  your  restitution  of 
all  things  is  to  recover  thcin.  Your  res- 
titution, therefore,  and  tiiat  of  tlie  Scrip- 
tures, are  not  the  same. 

You  cannot  conceive  of  a  restitution 
of  all  things,  and  of  sin  being  made  an 
end  of,  unless  all  the  individuals,  in  the 
creation  l>e  eitlier  reconciled  to  God  or 
annihilated  ;  l)ut  what  authority  have  you 
lor  sucii  a  construction  of  these  terms  T 
Did  tiie  reslorinu;  of  all  things  on  tiie  Mes- 
siah's tirst  appearance.  Matt.  xvii.  11, 
include  all  individuals,  as  far  as  it  went  1 
When  God  said  to  Zcdekiah,  "  And  thou, 
profane,  wicked  prince  of  Israel,  whose 
day  is  come,  when  iniquity  shall  have  an 
end,"  did  it  mean  tiiat  he  should  he  either 
converted  or  annihilated  ] — Ezek.  xxi.  25. 
And  wlien  the  same  language  is  used  of 
the  sins  of  the  people,  chap.  xxxv.  5,  does 
it  mean  that  they  should  lie  either  convert- 
ed or  annihilated  1  Rather,  is  it  not  man- 
ifest that,  by  ini<]itity  having  an  end,  is 
meant  that  the  perpetrators  of  it  were 
brought  to  condign  punishment,  shut  up 
in  Babylon,  as  in  a  prison,  and  rendered 
incapable  of  doing  farther  mischief  1  Such 
will  be  the  case  with  all  the  ungodly  at 
the  second  coming  of  Christ ;  and  this 
will  be  the  restoration  of  peace,  order, 
and  happiness  to  the  rest  of  the  universe. 

The  doctrine  of  endless  misery  appears 
to  you  to  "  confound  all  degrees  of  punish- 
ment, in  giving  infinite  punishment  to 
all." — p.  42.  You,  it  seems,  can  conceive 
of  no  diversity  of  suffering,  unless  it  be 
in  duration.  Will  the  reflection  of  lost 
souls  on  their  past  life,  then,  be  in  all 
exactly  the  same  1 — the  same  in  the  ob- 
jects reflected  on ;  and,  consequently, 
the  same  in  the  intenseness  of  their  mis- 
ery 1  How  grossly  absurd.  Sir,  must  be 
your  notions  of  future  punishment,  to  ad- 
mit of  such  an  idea  !  Besides,  there  is 
equal  reason  to  believe  that  there  will  be 
different  degrees  of  glory  as  of  misery.  If 
heavenly  bliss  bear  any  relation  to  the  la- 
bors and  sufferings  of  the  present  life  on 
behalf  of  Christ,  which  the  Scriptures  as- 
sure us  it  does  (Matt.  V.  12  ;  2  Cor.  iv.  17,) 
these  being  diverse,  that  must  also  be  the 
same.  But,  according  to  your  reasoning, 
there  can  be  no  diversity,  unless  it  be  m 
duration  :  either,  therefore,  all  degrees  of 
happiness  must  be  confounded,  in  giving 
happiness  to  all  ;  or  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven,  as  well  as  those  of  hell,  must, 
after  a  certain  period,  be  continually  di- 
minishing by  annihilation. 

Such,  Sir,  are  your  expositions  of 
Scripture.  Except  in  the  productions  of  a 
certain  maniac  in  our  ow  n  country,  I  never 
recollect  to  have  seen  so  much  violence 
done  to  the  word  of  God  in  so  small  a 
compass. 


According  to  your  scheme,  al]  tilings 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
not  God,  as  w  ell  as  to  them  that  love  him. 
Thus  you  confound  what  the  Scriptures 
discriminate. 

Our  Lord  told  the  Jews  that,  if  they  be- 
lieved not  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  they 
should  die  in  their  sins,  and  whither  he 
went  they  could  not  come  (John  viii.  21  ;) 
but,  according  to  your  scheme,  they  might 
die  in  their  sins,  and  yet  be  able  to  go 
whither  he  went,  and  inherit  eternal  life. 

The  Scriptures  describe  a  sort  of  char- 
acters who  shall  be  exposed  to  "a  certain 
fearful  looking  for  of  judgment"  (Heb.  x. 
27;)  but  this,  according  to  your  scheme, 
can  be  nothing  more  than  annihilation. 
For,  as  the  case  of  the  characters  describ- 
ed is  suggested  to  be  irrevocal)le  and  hope- 
less, they  cannot  be  punished,  during  ages 
of  ages,  in  a  loay  of  mercy,  or  with  a  view 
to  their  recovery  :  and  as  to  their  being 
punished  during  this  long  period,  and  in 
the  end  annihilated,  this  would  be  contra- 
ry to  all  your  ideas  of  punishment,  which 
must  always  have  its  foundation  in  mercy. 
Hence  it  follows  that  all  this  fearful  look- 
ing for  of  judgment  amounts  to  no  more 
than  what  Atheists  and  Infidels  generally 
prefer ;  death  being  to  them  an  everlasting 
sleep. 

Nor  is  your  hypothesis  less  at  variance 
with  itself  than  with  the  holy  Scriptures. 
Your  notion  of  temporary  punishment 
clashes  with  all  your  arguments  drawn 
from  the  benevolent  feelings  of  a  good 
man.  You  ask,  "Doth  not  every  good 
man  love  his  enemies,  and  forgive  even  the 
worst  of  themi  Is  there  a  man  living, 
whose  heart  is  fdled  with  the  love  of  God, 
that  would  not  promote  the  best  interest 
of  his  most  inveterate  foe,  if  it  lay  in  his 
power  1  And  has  not  God  more  love  than 
the  best  of  menl  And  are  not  his  wis- 
dom and  his  power  equal  to  his  lovel  " — 
p.  74. 

In  return,  I  ask,  Is  there  a  man  living, 
whose  heart  is  filled  with  the  love  of  God, 
who  would  be  w  illing  that  his  worst  enemy 
should  be  cast  into  hell  for  ages  of  ages,  or 
for  a  single  age,  or  even  a  single  day,  when 
it  was  in  his  power  to  deliver  him  from  if? 
But  God  hath  more  love  than  the  best  of 
men  ;  and  his  wisdom  and  power  are  equal 
to  his  love  :  consequently  there  will  be  no 
future  punishment ! 

Your  notion  of  annihilation  will  also 
contradict  the  greater  part  of  your  preten- 
sions. You  talk  of  universal  salvation; 
but  you  do  not  believe  it :  for  a  part  of  the 
human  race  are  to  be  given  up,  as  incura- 
ble, to  annihilation.  You  plead  the  fifth 
chapter  to  the  Romans  in  favor  of  your 
doctrine  ;  contending  that  justification  of 
life  will  be  as  extensi%e  as  condemnation  : 
but  you  believe  no  such  thing  ;  for  a  part 


344 


LETTERS    TO     MR.    VIDLER. 


of  those  who  are  condemned,  instead  of 
being  justified  and  saved,  will  be  given  up, 
as  incurables,  to  annihilation.  You  think 
you  see  times  beyond  the  last  judgment  in 
which  all  things,  or  rather,  as  you  under- 
stand it,  all  persons,  are  to  be  gathered  to- 
gether in  Christ,  and  reconciled  by  the 
blood  of  his  cross  :  howbeit,  you  mean 
not  so,  neither  doth  your  heart  think  so  ; 
for  a  part  of  them  will  be  struck  out  of 
existence,  who  can,  therefore,  be  neither 
gathered  nor  reconciled.  You  pretend  to 
unite  the  opinions  of  Calvinists  and  Ar- 
minians  :  the  Ibrmer,  you  say,  render  the 
death  of  Christ  effectual,  but  limit  its  de- 
sign to  a  part  of  mankind  ;  the  latter  ten- 
der it  to  all,  but  consider  it  as  ineffectu- 
al ;  while  you  maintain  that  it  is  designed 
for  all,  and  effectual  to  all, — pp.  70,  71. 
But  this  is  mere  pretence  ;  you  believe  no 
such  thing ;  for  a  part  of  mankind  are  to 
be,  at  last,  annihilated.  By  an  anecdote 
which  you  have  inserted  in  p.  65  of  your 
Miscellany,  you   flatter  yourself  that  you 

have  fastened  a  difficulty  on  a  Mr.  R , 

from  which  he  cannot  extricate  himself, 
but  by  embracing  your  doctrine.  But  nei- 
ther could  he,  if  he  did  embrace  it ;  for 
you  no  more  believe  that  God  will  save 

all  mankind  than  Mr.  R . 

You  pretend  to  urge  it  as  a  difficulty  on 
me  that  "  either  God  cannot  or  loill  not 
make  an  end  of  sin;  that  there  is  not  effi- 
cacy enough  in  the  blood  of  Christ  to  de- 
stroy the  works  of  the  devil  ;  or  else  that 
the  full  efficacy  of  the  atonement  is  with- 
held by  the  divine  determination  :  " — p. 
44.  But  it  is  all  pretence.  If  it  be  a  diffi- 
culty, it  equally  bears  upon  your  own  hy- 
pothesis as  upon  mine.  If  Christ  died 
with  an  intention  to  save  all,  why  are  not 
all  saved  1  Why  must  a  number  of  them 
be  annihilated  1  Is  it  because  God  cannot 
bring  them  to  repentance  and  salvation ; 
or  because  he  will  not?  Is  there  not  effi- 
cacy enough  in  the  blood  of  the  cross  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  without 
his  having  recourse  to  a  mere  act  of  pow- 
er ;  an  act  which  might  have  been  exerted 
without  that  blood  being  shed  1  Or  is  the 
full  efficacy  of  the  atonement  withheld  by 
the  divine  determination  1 


LETTER  IV. 

replies,  and  defences  of  former 
reasonings. 

Sir, 

I  MUST  be  very  weak,  if,  while  writing 
in  a  publication  of  which  my  opponent  is 
the  Editor,  I  should  expect  to  have  the 


last  word.  When  I  have  said  what  ap- 
pears to  me  necessary  on  any  point,  and 
on  the  whole  matter  of  dispute,  I  shall 
leave  it  to  the  judgment  of  the  candid 
reader. 

From  any  thing  I  had  advanced,  you 
had  no  ground  to  conclude  that  I  formed 
an  improper  estimate  of  my  own  reputa- 
tion. Any  man  who  has  been  in  the  habit 
of  writing,  and  whose  writings  have  been 
at  all  regarded  by  the  public,  must  be  pos- 
sessed of  some  reputation ;  and,  whether 
it  be  small  or  great,  it  is  his  duty  not  to 
make  use  of  it  for  the  propagation  of  what 
he  believes  to  be  pernicious  error. 

"Truth,"  you  say,  "  courts  the  public 
observation  of  men:"  and  so  may  error. 
If  it  be  true  that  wisdom  "  crieth  in  the 
top  of  high  places;"  it  is  equally  true 
that  folly  is  loud  and  stubborn.  The  ad- 
vocates of  infidelity.  Sir,  are  not  less  bold 
than  yourself,  nor  less  loud  in  their  chal- 
lenges of  examination.  Such  challenges 
afford  no  criterion  ot  truth  :  nor  is  it  any 
proof  of  the  goodness  of  a  cause  that  its 
abettors  court  the  public  attention.  They 
may  be  well  aware  that  public  prejudice 
is  in  their  favor;  or  may  entertain  a 
much  greater  dread  of  sinking  into  insig- 
nificance, by  neglect,  than  of  being  over- 
come in  the  field  of  contest. 

You  have  repeatedly  reminded  me  of 
the  favor  which  you  confer  upon  me,  by 
permitting  my  papers  to  appear  in  your 
Miscellany.  Now,  Sir,  I  consider  it  as 
no  favor  at  all ;  nor  as  affording  any  proof 
of  your  impartiality.  If  you  think  other- 
wise, you  are  at  perfect  liberty,  after  in- 
troducing this  series  of  letters,  to  discon- 
tinue them.  If  I  wish  to  write  anything 
farther  on  the  subject,  I  shall  not  be  at  a 
loss  for  a  proper  medium. 

"  The  prejudices  of  both  professor  and 
profane,"  you  tell  me,  "  are  in  my  favor." 
Had  you  used  the  term  consciences,  in- 
stead of  prejudices,  you  would  have  been 
nearer  the  truth.  So  far  as  my  observa- 
tions extend,  the  prejudices  of  the  bulk 
of  mankind  are  on  the  other  side.  Deists 
and  libertines  lead  the  way,  by  an  open 
or  affected  rejection  of  all  future  punish- 
ment. Socinians,  who  generally  include 
Universal  Salvation  in  their  scheme,  fol- 
low hard  after  them.  Mrs.  Barbauld,  if 
I  remember  right,  in  her  Remarks  on  Mr. 
Wakefield's  Inquiry,  goes  so  far  as  to 
represent  the  ideas  of  access  to  God 
through  a  mediator,  and  of  punishment  in 
a  bottomless  pit,  as  originating  in  the  ig- 
norance and  servility  of  eastern  customs. 
Unbelievers,  it  is  well  known,  rejoice  in 
the  spread  of  Socinianism,  as  being 
favorable  to  their  views  ;  and  Socinians 
rejoice  no  less  in  the  spread  of  Universal - 
ism,  as  favorable  to  theirs.  This  is  suf- 
ficiently manifest  by  the  applauses  which 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


345 


writers  on  your  side  commonly  meet 
with  in  tlie  Monthly  Review.  There  are 
great  numbers  of  nominal  Christians, 
of  loose  characters,  who  would  be  glad 
to  believe  your  doctrine  of  temporary 
punishment,  and  to  j)rocced,  by  an  easy 
transition,  to  that  of  no  punishment  at 
all  :  nor  is  there  any  bar  which  prevents 
their  falling  in  with  these  views,  but  the 
remonstrance  of  their  consciences.  They 
fear  it  is  too  favorable  to  their  vices  to  be 
true  :  and  therefore  are  deterred  from 
embracing  it.  Such,  Sir,  is  the  "de- 
scription of  people"  after  whom  you  in- 
quire ;  such  is  the  company  with  whom 
you  associate,  and  to  whom  you  adminis- 
ter consolation ;  and  such  is  the  justness 
of  your  remark  that  "the  prejudices  of 
both  professor  and  profane  are  in  my  fa- 
vor." If  you  yourself  had  not  been  per- 
suaded of  the  contrary,  I  question  wheth- 
er you  would  have  given  that  title  to  my 
first  two  Letters  which  appears  on  the 
blue  covers  of  your  work.*  The  word 
torment,  it  is  true,  can  give  no  just  of- 
fence, as  it  is  a  scriptural  expression  ;  yet, 
to  persons  who  judge  on  these  subjects 
merely  by  their  feelings,  the  ideas  con- 
veyed by  it  are  sufficient  to  prejudice 
tliem  against  every  thing  wliich  a  writer 
may  advance. 

Your  Magazines,  Sir,  I  presume,  would 
be  less  accental)le  to  many  of  your  readers 
than  they  are,  if,  instead  of  employing  so 
large  a  portion  of  them  in  attempting  to 
prove  tliat  all  will  be  finally  happy,  you 
were  frequently  to  insist  that  some  men 
would  be  tormented  in  hell,  without  any 
mixture  of  mercy,  for  a  number  of  ages ; 
and,  if  you  insisted  on  this  doctrine  also 
in  your  pulpit  exercises,  you  yourself 
might  possii)lyl)e  considered  as  a  "brawl- 
er of  damnation." 

You  carefully  avoid  claiming  universal 
salvation  as  a  right,  and  are  pleased  to 
represent  my  inquiry  on  that  subject  as 
"a  quibble."  I  am  not  surprised.  Sir, 
that  you  should  ferl  reluctant  on  this 
head  ;  that  you  should  decline  the  defence 
of  your  friend,  and  that  you  should  alter- 
nately compliment  and  reproach  your  op- 
ponent, as  if  to  keep  him  at  a  distance 
from  the  subject. — No.  I.,  p.  5;  No. 
XXXIV.,  p.  309.  If  I  mistake  not,  this 
is  a  fundamental  principle  in  your  system, 
and  that  which  proves  it  to  be  fundamen- 
tally wrong.  There  is  no  need  of  having 
recourse  to  the  pieces  of  oth"r  writers; 
your  own  productions  atTord  sufficient 
evidence  that  the  salvation  for  which  you 
plead  is  not  that    which  arises  from  the 

*"LeUer  I.  from  .Mr.  A.  Fuller,  in  defence  of 
eternal  torments." 


free  grace  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ ; 
and,  consequently,  that  it  is  no  [)art  of  the 
salvation  revealed  in  the  gospel.  V'ou  reject 
the  idea  of  invalidating  the  divine  threat- 
enings  towards  sinners  (No.  XXXIV'.  p. 
310,)  admitting  "them  in  their  lull  lati- 
tude, and  the  execution  of  them  too  ;" 
maintaining  that  "  God  will  deal  with  his 
creatures  according  to  their  character,"  and 
that  "  siimers  will  be  punished  according 
to  their  works." — No.  II.  p.  42.  Now, 
Sir,  if  there  be  any  meaning  in  all  this  lan- 
guage, it  is.  That  justice  will  have  its 
course  on  the  ungodly  ;  and  that,  what- 
ever punishment  they  endure,  whether  it 
be  vindictive  or  corrective,  endless  or  tem- 
porary, it  is  all  that  their  sins  deserve. 
If  the  threatenings  of  God  mean  more  than 
a  punishment  which  is  temporary,  and  tor 
the  good  of  sinners,  their  conduct  caji  de- 
serve no  more ;  for  we  cannot  have  a 
more  certain  rule  of  estimating  the  just 
demerit  of  sin  than  the  wrath  of  God 
which  is  revealed  from  heaven  against  it. 
But,  if  sinners  endure  the  full  desert  of 
their  sins,  there  is  no  room  for  grace,  or 
undeserved  favor ;  nor  is  any  place  left 
for  the  work  of  mediation.  A  criminal 
who  has  sutlcred  the  lull  penalty  of  the 
law  has  no  right  to  be  told  that  his  liber- 
ation is  an  act  of  grace,  or  that  it  was 
owing  to  the  mediation  of  another.  Your 
Universal  Salvation,  therefore,  is  no  part 
of  that  which  arises  from  the  grace  of  God, 
or  the  death  of  Christ;  nor  is  it,  prop- 
erly speaking,  salvation  at  all,  but  a  legal 
discharge,  in  consequence  of  a  full  satis- 
faction to  divine  justice  being  made,  by 
the  sufferings  of  the  sinner. 

If  you  contend  that  the  liberation  of 
the  sinner  is  owing  to  the  grace  of  God, 
through  the  mediation  of  his  Son,  which 
mitigates  and  shortens  his  punishment, 
then  you  at  once  give  up  all  you  have 
before  maintained  :  That  sinners  w  ill  be 
punished  according  to  their  ivorks,  and 
that  the  threatenings  of  God  will  be  fully 
executed  upon  them.  You  may  have 
read  of  "instances  of  both  punishment 
and  pardon  to  the  same  persons,  and  for 
the  same  sins  ;"  (No.  XXXV.  p.  337;) 
but  this  must  be  where  the  punishment 
has  not  been  according  to  the  desert  of 
the  sin,  otherwise  there  had  been  no  need 
of  pardon. 

You  talk  much  of  my  dealing  in  "sup- 
positions, instead  of  arguments,"  and  of 
my  "resting  my  conclusions  on  unfounded 
assumptions." 

I  have  carefully  examined  these  charg- 
es, and  am  unable  to  perceive  the  justice 
of  them  in  a  single  instance.  Though 
the  Letter  which  appeared  in  the  Evan- 


VOL.    I. 


44 


346 


LETTERS    TO     MR.    VIDLER. 


gelical  Magazine  was  chiefly  in  the  form 
of  supposition,  yet  that  supposition  was 
not  destitute  of  argument  to  support  it. 
It  is  possible,  Sir,  though  it  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  occurred  to  your  mind,  that 
arguments  themselves  may  be  conveyed 
under  the  form  of  suppositions.  To  con- 
vince you  that  this  was  the  case,  in  the 
above  Letter,  I  will  put  the  very  passage 
to  which  you  object  into  the  form  of  ar- 
gument. 

The  Scriptures  teach  us  that  those 
who,  at  a  certain  period,  are  found  filthy, 
shall  be  filthy  still  j  that  they  shall  be  cast 
into  that  bottomless  pit  which  was  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels  ;  and 
that  they  shall  dwell  with  everlasting 
burnings. 

But  your  doctrine  teaches  that  though 
they  be  filthy  at  death,  or  judgment,  or 
any  other  period,  yet  they  shall  not  be  al- 
loays  so  ;  that,  though  they  be  cast  into  the 
pit  of  destruction,  yet  it  shall  not  prove 
bottomless  ;  and  that,  though  they  have  to 
encounter  devouring  fire,  yet  they  shall 
not  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings. 

Therefore  your  doctrine  is  anti-scriptu- 
ral. But,  if  your  doctrine  b-e  anti-scriptu- 
ral, it  is  of  that  nature  which  tends  to 
deceive  the  souls  of  meii ;  and  you  will 
not  be  able  to  look  them  in  the  face  an- 
other day,  a;.d  still  less  Him  who  hath 
charged  you  to  be  pure  from  the  blood  of 
all  men. 

The  first  three  positions  contain  the 
argument,  and  the  last  the  inference. 

I  should  think  "the  world,"  or  rather 
the  reader,  did  not  need  to  be  informed 
what  argument  there  was  in  this  string  of 
suppositions  ;  if  he  did,  however,  I  have 
attempted,  at  your  request,  to  give  him 
that  information. 

With  respect  to  building  on  "  unfound- 
ed assumptions,"  for  which  I  am  accused 
of  "  betraying  my  ignorance  of  the  sub- 
ject I  have  written  against,"  (No.  II.  ]). 
45,)  you  have  given  us  two  instances, 
which  I  shall  briefly  examine. 

First:  I  had  asked,  "What  doctrine, 
besides  that  of  Universal  Salvation,  will 
you  find  in  the  Bible,  which  affords  en- 
couragement to  a  sinner  going  on  still 
in  his  trespasses ;  and  which  furnishes 
ground  for  hope  and  joy,  even  supposing 
him  to  persevere  in  sin  till  death  1"  What 
principle  is  it  that  is  here  assumed  1  Why, 
you  answer,  that  the  doctrine  of  Univer- 
sal Salvation  does  afford  encouragement 
to  a  sinner  going  on  still  in  his  trespasses, 
and  does  furnish  ground  for  hope  and  joy, 
even  supposing  him  to  persevere  in  sin  till 
death.  .  And  is  this  indeed  a  question  1 
I  t(^k  it  for  a  self-evident  truth,  and  sup- 
posed you  must  and  would  have  acknowl- 


edged it.  Whether  you  will,  or  not, 
however,  I  appeal  to  the  common  sense 
of  the  reader,  whether  any  position  can 
be  more  self-evident  than  the  following : 
If  the  Scriptures  teach  that  all  men  shall 
be  finally  saved,  every  sinner,  whatever 
be  his  vicious  courses,  is  encouraged  to 
expect  eternal  life;  and,  though  he  should 
persist  in  sin  till  death,  is  warranted  to 
hope  and  rejoice  in  the  prospect  of  all 
being  well  with  him  at  last. — For  any 
man  to  deny  this  position  is  to  deny  what 
is  self-evident,  and  there  can  be  no  far- 
ther reasoning  with  him. 

To  allege,  in  answer,  that  it  will  be 
always  ill  with  the  wicked  while  he  con- 
tinues so  is  trifling;  for  if  the  sinner  be 
taught  to  believe  that,  at  some  future 
period  beyond  this  life,  he  shall  be  deli- 
vered both  from  sin  and  punishment ; 
whether  the  former  branch  of  this  deliv- 
erance afford  him  joy  or  not,  the  latter 
must. 

The  same  question,  you  say,  might  be 
asked  concerning  the  doctrine  of  election. 
It  might ;  but  I  should  readily  answer. 
No  sinner,  while  going  on  in  his  trespass- 
es, is  warranted  to  consider  himself  as 
elected  to  salvation  :  therefore,  that  doc- 
trine affords  no  ground  of  hope  and  joy 
to  persons  of  this  description.  Can  you 
say  the  same  of  the  doctrine  of  Universal 
Salvation^  If  there  were  the  same  ground 
for  an  ungodly  sinner  to  conclude  himself 
elected  as  your  doctrine  affords  for  his  con- 
cluding that  he  shall  be  eternally  saved, 
the  cases  would  be  parallel,  and  both  these 
doctrines  would  be  alike  subject  to  the 
charge  of  comforting  those  whom  God 
would  not  have  comforted  :  but,  as  this 
is  not  true  of  election,  your  notion  is  still 
solitary,  and  )  our  difficulty  remains  where 
it  was.  All  the  encomiums  which  you 
pass  upon  the  Universal  scheme  (No.  II. 
pp.  41 — 44)  furnish  not  a  single  example 
of  any  other  divine  truth  which  gives  en- 
couragement to  a  sinner,  while  in  his  sins, 
to  believe  that  in  the  end  it  shall  be  well 
with  him.  The  question,  therefore,  still 
returns  upon  you,  What  doctrine,  besides 
that  of  Universal  Salvation,  will  you  find 
in  the  Bible,  ivhich  affords  encouragement 
to  a  sinner  going  on  still  in  his  trespasses, 
and  which  furnishes  ground  for  hope  and 
joy,  even  supposing  him  to  persevere  in 
them  till  death  ? 

I  do  not  say,  "let  the  world  judge" 
whether  this  question  proceeded  on  any 
unfounded  assumption,  and  whether  it  be 
equally  applicable  to  election  as  to  uni- 
versal salvation,  because  I  imagine  it  will 
be  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  world  that 
will  examine  our  productions  :  but  I  am 
willing  to  make  my  appeal  to  the  intelli- 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


347 


gent  and  impartial  reader.  And  with  re- 
spect to  y  u,  Sir,  the  task  whicliyou  liave 
set  yourself  is  before  you  :  eitiier  to  "  con- 
fess it  to  be  true"  tluil  your  doctrine  gives 
encouragement,  hope,  and  joy  to  wicked 
men;  or  to  "expose  the  falsehood  of  this 
supposition  more  tully." 

In  the  second  place,  you  charge  me  with 
"  taking  it  for  granted  that  your  views  in- 
validate the  divine  threatenings  towards 
sinners;"  and  intimate  that  there  is  no 
"  reason"  in  what  I  say,  but  upon  the  sup- 
position of  your  denying  "  all  future  pun- 
ishment."— No.  II.  p.  45.  That  I  nev- 
er sujiposed  you  to  deny  all  future  pun- 
ishment, I  have  already  prov6<l  ;  and  tliat 
any  tiling  which  I  advanced  required  sucii 
a  supposition,  you  have  not  hitherto  made 
appear.  As  to  your  invalidating  tiie  di- 
vine threatenings,  so  far  as  the  doctrine  of 
Universal  Salvation  appears  to  me  to  op- 
erate in  that  way,  so  far  I  must  of  neces- 
sity believe  that  you  do  :  but,  whatever 
may  be  my  belief,  the  question  is.  Have  I 
built  any  conclusion  upon  it  as  an  ac- 
knowledged truth  1  If  so,  how  came  I  to 
entreat  you  to  consider  lohcthcr  it  tvas  not 
so  1  Is  it  usual  to  entreat  an  opponent  to 
consider  whether  that  which  we  take  for 
granted  as  an  acknowledged  truth  be  true  1 
Undoubtedly,  I  suggested  this  idea  to  you, 
as  being  my  judgment ;  which,  however,! 
did  not  desire  to  impose  upon  yo'u,  any 
farther  than  it  was  supported  by  evidence  ; 
and,  therefore,  at  the  same  time,  intimated 
what  was  the  ground  of  that  judgment; 
namely,  the  near  resemblance  between  your 
labors  and  those  of  the  deceiver  of  man- 
kind. If  you  cannot  perceive  this  resem- 
blance, I  cannot  help  it.  Other  people 
can,  and  will.  He  persuaded  his  auditors 
that,  though  they  should  transgress,  yet 
the  evil  they  had  dreaded  would  not  come 
upon  them  :  they  believed,  and  were  not 
afraid  to  transgress.  You  persuade  your 
auditors  that  though  they  should  die  in 
their  sins,  yet  the  evil  w  ill  not  be  so  great 
as  they  had  been  used  to  apprehend  :  God 
hath  not  said.  Ye  shall  die  eternally  ;  and 
he  means  that  you  siiall  all  come  where 
Jesus  is.  If  tliey  believe,  must  they  not 
be  less  afraid  of  transgression  than  be- 
fore 1 

And  now.  Sir,  who  is  "  ignorant  1"  and 
who  has  been  employed  in  "  raising  a  dust 
to  hide  the  truth  1"  are  questions  which  I 
leave  to  you  to  resolve.  It  is  enough  for 
me  if  I  have  proved  your  charges  to  be  un- 
founded ;  for,  if  this  be  accomplished,  your 
work  still  returns  upon  your  hands  ;  as  it 
will  follow  that,  notwith.>*tanding  all  your 
challenges,  and  calling  out  for  more  to  be 
written,  you  have  not  yet  answered  the 
first  Letter. 


LETTER  V. 

evidences  of  endless  punishment. 

Sir, 

You  seem  to  wish  to  persuade  your 
readers  that  tlic  grounds  on  which  I  rest 
my  i>elief  of  the  doctrine  of  endless  pun- 
ishment are  very  slender.  The  truth  is,  I 
have  not,  at  present,  attempted  to  state 
those  grounds.  Considering  myself  as  not 
engaged  in  a  formal  controversy,  I  only 
introduced  a  few  passages  ;  and  to  several 
of  tiiem  you  have  iiilhcrto  made  no  reply. 
The  principal  grounds  on  which  I  rest  my 
belief  of  the  doctrine  you  oppose  are  as 
follow  : — 

I  Al,I,  THOSE  PASSAGES  OF  ScRIP- 
TURE  WHICH  DESCRIBE  THE  FUTURE 
STATES   OF  MEN   IN  CONTRAST. 

"  Men  of  the  world,  who  have  their 
portion  in  this  life  :  I  shall  be  satisfied 
when  I  awake  in  thy  likeness. — The  hope 
of  the  righteous  shall  be  gladness ;  but 
the  expectation  of  the  wicked  shall  perish. 
— The  wicked  is  driven  away  in  his  wick- 
edness :  but  the  righteous  hath  hope  in  his 
death. — And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in 
the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  aw  ake  ;  some 
to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame  and 
everlasting  contempt. — He  will  gather  his 
wheat  into  the  garner,  and  will  burn  up 
the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire. — Wide 
is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be 
who  go  in  thereat ;  because  strait  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  that  leadeth 
unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it. — 
Not  every  one  that  saith.  Lord,  Lord, 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven ; 
but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father 
who  is  in  heaven. — Many  shall  come  from 
the  east  and  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with 
Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  ;  but  the  children  of 
the  kingdom  sliall  lie  cast  out  into  outer 
darkness  :  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth. — Gather  ye  first  the 
tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles,  to  burn 
them  :  but  gather  the  w  heat  into  my  barn. 
— The  Son  of  Man  shall  send  forth  his 
angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his 
kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and 
them  that  do  iniquity,  and  shall  cast 
them  into  a  furnace  of  fire  :  there  shall  be 
wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth  :  then  shall 
the  righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the 
kingdom  of  their  Father. — The  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net  that  gathered 
fish  of  every  kind;  which,  when  it  was 
full,  they  drew  to  the  shore,  and  sat  down, 
and  gathered  the  good   into  vessels,  and 


348 


LETTERS    TO     MR.    VIDLER. 


cast  the  bad  away.     So  shall  it  be  at  the 
end  of  the  world ;  the   angels  shall  come 
forth,  and  sever  the  Avicked   from   among 
•  the  just,  and  shall  cast  them  into  the  fur- 
nace of  fire:  there   shall   be  wailing,  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.— Blessed    is   that  ser- 
vant, whom,   when   his    lord    cometh,  he 
shall   find  so  doing  :  but  and   if  that  evil 
servant  should  say   in  his  heart,   My  lord 
delayeth  his   coming,   and  shall  begin   to 
smite  his  fellow-servants,   and  to  eat  and 
drink  with  the  drunken,  the  lord  of  that 
servant  shall  come  in  a  day  when  he  look- 
eth  not  for  him,  and  shall  cut  him  asunder, 
and  appoint  him  his  portion  with  the  hy- 
pocrites :    tliere     shall    be   weeping     and 
gnashing  of  teeth. — Well  done,   good  and 
faithful  servant ;  enter   thou  into  the  joy 
of  thy  lord.     But  cast  ye  out  the  unprofit- 
able servant  into    outer  darkness :  there 
shall  be  weeping,  and  gnashing  of  teeth. — 
Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his 
right  hand,  Come,  ye   blessed  of  my  Fa- 
ther,   inherit   the    kingdom   prepared    for 
you  from    the    foundation   of  the   world  : 
then  shall   he  also   say  unto  them  on  the 
left   hand.   Depart  from    me,   ye  cursed, 
into     everlasting    fire,    prepared   for    the 
devil  and  his  angels. — And  these  shall    go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment ;  but  the 
righteous  into  everlasting  life. — He  that 
believeth   and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ; 
but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. — 
Blessed   are  ye,  when  men  shall  hate  you 
for  the  Son  of  Man's   sake.     Rejoice  ye 
in  that  day,  and  leap  for  joy  ;  for,  behold, 
your  reward  is  great  in  heaven.     But  woe 
unto  you  that   are   rich  !  for  ye  have   re- 
ceived your  consolation. — He  that  heareth 
my  sayings,  and  doeth  them,  is  like  unto  a 
man  who   built  his  house   upon  a  rock ; 
and,  when  the  flood  arose,  the  storm  beat 
vehemently  against  that  house,  and  could 
not  shake  it  ;  for  it  was  founded   upon  a 
rock.     But  he  that  heareth,  and  doeth  not, 
is  like   unto  a   man  who   built   his    house 
upon  the  earth,   against  which   the   storm 
did  beat  vehemently,  and   immediately  it 
fell,  and  the  ruin  of  that  house  was  great. 
— God  so   loved  the  world,   that  he  gave 
his     only-begotten    Son,    that   whosoever 
believeth  on  him   should  not  perish,   but 
have  everlasting  life. — Ail  that  are  in  their 
graves  shall   come  forth  :  they  that   have 
done  good  unto   the  resurrection  of  life ; 
and  tiiey  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  res- 
urrection  of  damnation. — Hath    not   the 
potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same 
lump  to  make  one  vessel  unto  honor,  and 
another   unto  dishonor  1      What   if  God, 
willing  to  show  his  wrath,  and  to  make  his 
power  known,  endured  with  much  long- 
suffering   the   vessels    of  wrath    fitted  to 
destruction  :     and   that    he  might    make 
known  the  riches  of  his  glory  on  the  ves- 


sels of  mercy,  which  he  had  afore  prepar- 
ed unto  glory  1 — The  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  are  his. — But  in  a  great  house  there 
are  vessels  to  honor,  and  vessels  to  dis- 
honor.— Be  not  deceived ;  God  is  not 
mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a,  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap.  For  he  that  sow- 
eth to  his  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  cor- 
ruption ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  Spirit 
shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting. — 
That  which  beareth  thorns  and  briers  is 
rejected,  and  is  nigh  unto  cursing  ;  Avhose 
end  is  to  be  burned.  But,  beloved,  we 
are  persuaded  better  things  of  you,  and 
things  which  accompany  salvation." 

I  consider  these  passages  as  designed  to 
express  the  final  states  of  men; 
which,  if  they  be,  is  the  same  thing,  in  ef- 
fect, as  their  being  designed  to  expi-ess  the 
doctrine  of  endless  punishment :  for,  if  the 
descriptions  here  given  of  the  portion  of  the 
wicked  denote  their  filial  state,  there  is  no 
possibility  of  another  state  succeeding  it. 

That  the  above  passages  do  express  the 
final  states  o(  men  may  appear  from  the 
following  considerations  : — 

1.  The  state  of  the  righteous  (which  is 
all  along  opposed  to  that  of  the  wicked)  is 
allowed  to  be  final  :  and,  if  the  other  were 
not  the  same,  it  would  not  have  been,  in 
such  a  variety  of  forms,  contrasted  with  it ; 
for  it, would  not  be  a  contrast. 

2.  All  these  passages  are  totally  silent 
as  to  any  other  state  following  that  of  de- 
struction, damnation,  &c.  If  the  punish- 
ment threatened  to  ungodly  men  had  been 
only  a  purgation,  or  temporary  correction, 
we  might  have  expected  that  something 
like  this  would  have  been  intimated.  It 
is  supposed  that  some,  who  are  upon  the 
right  foundation,  may  yet  build  upon  it 
wood,  hay,  and  stubble  ;  and  that  the  party 
shall  suffer  loss  ;  but  he  himself  shall  be 
saved,  though  it  be  as  by  fire.  Now,  if  the 
doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation  were  true, 
we  might  expect  some  such  account  of  all 
lapsed  intelligences  when  their  future  state 
is  described  ;  but  nothing  like  it  occurs 
in  any  of  the  foregoing  passages,  nor  in 
any  other. 

3.  The  phraseology  of  the  greater  part 
of  them  is  inconsistent  with  any  other  state 
following  that  which  they  describe.  On 
the  supposition  of  salvation  being  appoint- 
ed as  the  ultimate  portion  of  those  Avho 
die  in  their  sins,  they  have  not  their  por- 
tion in  this  life;  but  will,  equally  with 
those  who  die  in  the  Lord,  behold  his  right- 
eousness, and  be  satisfied  in  his  likeness. 
Their  expectation  shall  not  perish ;  but 
shall  issue,  as  well  as  that  of  the  righteous, 
in  gladness  :  and,  though  driven  aivay  in 
their  loickcdness,  yet  they  have  hope  in 
their  death,  and  that  hope  shall  be  realized. 
The  broad  way  doth  not  lead  to  destruction. 


LETTERS     TO      Mil.     VIDLER. 


849 


but  merely  (o  a  toinporary  correction,  the 
end  of  whicii  is  e\crlaslinjir  life.  The 
chaff  will  not  be  burned,  hut  turned  into 
wheat,  and  jrathered  into  the  irarner.  The 
tares  will  be  ti\e  same,  and  gathered  into 
the  barn;  and  tlie  Inxl  fish  will  be  turned 
good,  and  gathered  into  vessels.  The 
cursed,  as  well  as  the  i)lessed,  shall  inher- 
it the  kingdom  ol  God;  which  also  was 
prepared  lor  them  (rom  the  (bundation  of 
the  world.  There  may  be  a  woe  against 
the  wicked,  that  they  shall  be  kept  from 
their  consolation  for  a  long  time,  but  not 
that  they  have  received  it.  Those  who, 
in  the  present  life,  believed  7iot  in  Christ, 
shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 
This  life,  also,  is  improperly  represented 
as  the  seed  time,  and  the  lile  to  come  as 
the  harvest,  inasmuch  as  the  seeds  of 
heavenly  bliss  may  be  sown  in  hell  :  and 
though  the  sinner  may  reap  corruption,  as 
the  fruit  of  all  his  present  doings,  yet  that 
corruption  will  not  be  the  ojtposite  of  ev- 
erlasting life,  seeing  it  will  issue  in  it. 
Finally  :  Though  they  bear  briers  aiid 
thorns,  yet  their  end  is  not  to  be  burned, 
but  to  obtain  salvation.  To  the  foregoing 
Scripture  testimonies  may  be  added, 
II.    All    those     passages      which 

SPEAK  OF  THE  DURATION  OF  FUTURE 
PUNISHMENT  BY  THE  TERMS  "EVER- 
LASTING, ETERNAL,  FOREVER,  AND  FOR- 
EVER AND  EVER  :  " ' 

"  Some  shall  awake  to  everlasting  life, 
and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  con- 
tempt.— It  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into 
life  halt,  or  maimed,  than  having  two 
hands,  or  two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  everlast- 
ing fire. — Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlast- 
ing fire. — And  these  shall  go  into  everlast- 
ing punishment. — They  shall  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction,  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory 
of  his  power. — He  that  shall  l)laspheme 
against  the  Holy  Spirit  is  in  danger  of  (or 
subject  to)  eternal  damnation. — The  in- 
habitants of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  set 
forth  for  an  example,  sufTering  the  ven- 
geance of  eternal  fire. — These  are  wells 
without  water,  clouds  that  are  carried  with 
a  tempest,  to  whom  the  mist  of  darkness 
is  reserved  forever. — Wandering  stars,  to 
whom  is  reserved  the  blackness  of  dark- 
ness forever. — If  any  man  worship  the 
beast,  or  his  image,  and  receive  his  mark 
in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the  same 
shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  which  is  poured  out,  without  mix- 
ture, into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  :  and 
he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  ahd  brim- 
stone, in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb  :  and  the 
smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up  for- 
ever and  ever  :  and  they  have  no  rest  day 
nor  night. — And  they  said,  Alleluia.     And 


her  smoke  rose  up  forever  and  ever. — And 
the  devil  that  deceived  them  was  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the 
beast  and  the  false  j)rophct  are;  and  shall 
be  tormented  day  and  night  forever  and 
pi'<?r." 

I  have  not  mentioned  Isa.  xxxiii.  14, 
because  I  wish  to  introduce  no  passage  but 
v\hat  shall  be  allowed  to  refer  to  a  future 
life.  The  IIei)rcw  word  uD"?;*  in  Dan.  xii. 
2,  answers  to  the  Greek  <"<ui  ;  and,  what- 
ever may  be  said  of  the  ambiguity  of  the 
term,  the  antithesis,  in  this  passage,  as 
in  Matt.  xxv.  -1(),  determines  it  to  mean 
the  same  v\hen  applied  to  "shame  and 
contempt"  as  when  apjtlied  to  life. 

As  to  the  term  um-'i  "<.•  rendered  everlast- 
ing, or  eternal,  which  you  consider  as 
proving  nothing,  on  account  of  its  ambigui- 
ty, there  is  a  rule  of  interpretation,  which 
I  have  long  understood  to  be  used  on  other 
sulijects  by  all  good  critics,  and  which  I 
consider  as  preferable  to  yours.  In  my 
next  Letter  I  may  examine  their  compara- 
tive merits.  This  rule  is.  That  every  term 
be  taken  in  its  proper  sense,  except  there 
be  something  in  the  subject  or  connection 
which  requires  it  to  be  taken  othertcise. 
Now,  so  far  as  my  acquaintance  with  this 
subject  extends,  it  appears  to  be  generally 
allowed  by  lexicographers  that  "'ox  is  a 
compound  of  <«i  and  «  >■  and  that  its  literal 
meaning  is  always  being;  *  also,  that  the 
meaning  of  its  derivative  aiionog  is  endless, 
everlasting,  or  eternal.  This  term,  "iwnoc, 
which  is  very  sparingly  applied  in  the 
New  Testament  to  limited  duration,  I  al- 
ways take  in  its  proper  sense,  except  there 
be  something  in  the  connection  or  subject 
which  requires  it  to  be  taken  otherwise  : 
and,  as  I  do  not  find  this  to  be  the  case  in 
any  of  those  places  where  it  is  applied  to 
punishment,  I  see  no  reason,  in  these  ca- 
ses, to  depart  from  its  proper  acceptation. 

*  Aristotle,  the  philosopher,  who  liveil  upwards  of 
three  hundred  years  before  the  IVew  Te.^t.imeiit  was 
written,  plaitily  tells  us  the  meaning  which  tiie  Greek 
wi  iters  of  his  time,  and  those  who  in  his  time  were 
accounted  ancients,  affixed  to  this  term.  Sjjeaking 
of  the  gods,  whom  he  considered  as  inmiortal,  and  as 
having  their  residence  above  the  heavens,  he  says, 
"  The  l)eings  which  exist  there,  neither  exist  in 
place,  nor  does  lime  make  tliem  grow  old  ;  nor  un- 
dergo they  any  changes,  being  |)lared  beyond  die  mo- 
lion  even  of  those  who  arc  the  farthest  removed  (from 
the  centre  ;)  but  possessing  an  unchangeable  life,  free 
from  all  outward  impressions,  perfectly  happy,  and 
self-sufficient,  they  continue  through  all  ato>ra,  eter- 
nity. And  this  the  ancients  admirably  signified  by 
the  word  itself  :  for  they  call  the  time  of  each  per- 
son's life  his  ai'vjy,  inasmuch  as  according  to  the  Jaws 
of  nature  nothing  (respecting  him)  exists  out  of  the 
limits  of  it  ;  and,  for  the  .smie  reason,  that  which 
comprehends  the  duration  of  the  whole  heaven,  the 
whole  of  infmite  time,  and  infinity  itself,  is  called 
ai'oiru,  eternity;  taking  its  name  from  always  tniing 
(ail  tnai,)  iiumortal  and  divine." 


350 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


Everlasting  punishment  is,  in  some  of 
them,  opposed  to  everlasting  life ;  which, 
so  far  as  an  antithesis  can  go  to  fix  the 
meaning  of  a  term,  determines  it  to  be  of 
the  same  force  and  extent. 

To  allege  that  the  subject  requires  a  dif- 
ferent meaning,  in  this  case,  to  be  given  to 
the  term,  is  to  assume  what  will  not  be 
granted.  The  ;jroo/ that  has  been  offered 
on  this  point  will  be  considered  hereafter. 

With  respect  to  the  phrases,  t(?  r'ov  almva^ 
forever,  and  «''?  tot;  alonac  too/  altaiMV^  for 
ever  and  ever,  I  believe  you  will  not  find  a 
single  example  in  all  the  New  Testament 
of  their  being  used  to  convey  any  other 
than  the  idea  of  endless  duration.  You 
tell  us  i\\?ii  iii  aii7i\ Hi  ulonoii-^  forever  and 
ever,  in  Rev.  xiv.  11,  should  be  rendered, 
"to  the  age  of  ages."  Are  you  certain 
of  this  1  Admitting  the  principle  of  your 
translation,  some  would  have  rendered  it 
to  ages  of  ages :  but,  render  it  how  you 
will,  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  is  the 
same.  You  might  render  it  thus  in  other 
instances,  wherein  it  is  applied  to  the  hap- 
piness of  the  righteous,  or  the  glory  to  be 
ascribed  to  God  ;  but  this  would  not  prove 
that  such  happiness  and  such  glory  Avere 
of  limited  duration,  or  that  the  phrase  in 
question  is  expressive  of  it. 

To  the  above  may  be  added, 

III.  All  those  passages  which  ex- 
press THE  DURATION  OP  FUTURE  PUN- 
ISHMENT BY  IMPLICATION,  OR  BY  FORMS 
OF  SPEECH  WHICH  IMPLY  THE  DOCTRINE 
IN  QUESTION. 

"  I  pray  for  them  :  I  pray  not  for  the 
world. — The  blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
Spirit  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto  men,  nei- 
ther in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to 
come. — He  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is 
in  danger  of  eternal  damnation. — There  is 
a  sin  unto  death  :  I  do  not  say  that  ye  sliall 
pray  for  it. — It  is  impossible  to  renew 
them  again  unto  repentance. — If  we  sin 
wilfully,  after  we  have  received  the  know- 
ledge of  the  truth,  there  remaineth  no 
more  sacrifice  for  sins,  Vmt  a  fearful  look- 
ing for  of  judgment  which  shall  devour  the 
adversaries. — What  is  a  man  profited  if 
he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose 
himself,  or  be  cast  away  1 — Woe  unto  that 
man  by  whom  the  Son  of  Man  is  betray- 
ed :  it  had  been  good  for  that  man  if  he 
had  not  been  born. — Their  worm  dieth 
not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched.* — Be- 
tween us  andyouthere  isagreat  gulf  fixed; 
so  that  they  who  would  pass  from  hence 
to  you  cannot,  neither  can  they  pass  to  us 
who  would  come  from  thence. — He  that 
believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  sec  life  ; 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him.  I 
go  my  way,  and  ye  shall  seek  me,  and  shall 

*  Several  times  repeated  in  a  few  verses. 


die  in  your  sins  ;  whither  I  go  ye  cannot 
come. — Whose  end  is  destruction. — He 
that  showeth  no  mercy,  shall  have  judg- 
ment without  mercy." 

If  there  be  some  for  whom  Jesus  did 
not  pray,  there  are  some  who  will  have  no 
share  in  the  benefits  of  his  mediation, 
without  which  they  cannot  be  saved. — If 
there  be  some  that  never  will  be  forgiven, 
there  are  some  that  never  will  be  saved  ; 
for  forgiveness  is  an  essential  branch  of 
salvation.  Let  there  be  what  uncertain- 
ty there  may  in  the  word  eternal,  in  this 
instance,  still  the  meaning  of  it  is  fixed  by 
the  other  branch  of  the  sentence, — they 
shall  never  be  forgiven.  It  is  equal  to 
John  X.  28.  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life, 
and  they  shall  never  perish.  If  there  were 
any  uncertainty  as  to  the  meaning  of  the 
word  eternal  in  this  latter  passage,  yet 
the  other  liranch  of  the  sentence  would 
settle  it :  for  that  must  be  endless  life, 
which  is  opposed  to  their  ever  perishing; 
and,  by  the  same  rule,  that  must  be  end- 
less damnation  which  is  opposed  to  their 
ever  being  forgiven.  If  there  be  a  sin  for 
the  pardon  of  which  Christians  are  forbid- 
den to  pray,  it  must  be  on  account  of  its 
being  the  revealed  will  of  God  that  it  nev- 
er should  be  pardoned.  If  repentance  be 
absolutely  necessary  to  forgiveness,  and 
there  be  some  who  it  is  impossible  should 
be  renewed  again  unto  repentance,  there 
are  some  whose  salvation  is  impossible. 
If  there  be  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins,  but 
a  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment,  this  is 
the  same  thing  as  the  sacrifice  already  of- 
fered being  of  no  saving  effect ;  for,  if  it 
were  otherwise,  the  language  would  not 
contain  any  peculiar  threatening  against 
the  wilful  sinner,  as  it  would  be  no  more 
than  might  be  said  to  any  sinner :  nor 
would  a  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  he 
his  certain  doom.  If  the  souls  of  some 
men  will  be  lost,  or  castaway,  they  cannot 
all  be  saved;  seeing  these  things  are  op- 
posites.  A  man  may  be  lost  in  a  desert, 
and  yet  saved  in  fact ;  or  he  may  suffer 
loss,  and  yet  himself  be  saved  :  but  he 
cannot  be  lost  so  as  to  be  cast  away,  and 
yet  finally  saved ;  for  these  are  perfect 
contraries.  Whatever  may  be  the  pre- 
cise idea  of  the^re  and  the  worm,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  their  expressing  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked  ;  and  its  being 
declared  of  the  one  that  it  dieth  not,  and 
of  the  other  that  if  is  not  quenched,  is  the 
same  thing  as  their  being  declared  to  be 
endless.  It  can  be  said  of  no  man,  on  the 
principle  of  Universal  Salvation,  that  it 
were  good  for  him  not  to  have  been  born; 
since  whatever  he  may  endure  for  a 
season,  an  eternal  weight  of  glory  will  in- 
finitely outweigh  it.  An  impassable  gulf, 
between   the   blessed   and   the   accursed, 


LETTERS    TO    MH.    VIDLEU. 


351 


equally  militates  against  the  recovery  of 
the  one  and  the  relapse  of  the  other.  If 
Some  shall  not  see  life,  hut  the  wrath  of 
God  abidcth  on  them — if  those  wlio  die  in 
their  sins  shall  not  come  where  Jesus  is 
— if  their  end  be  destruction,  and  their  por- 
tion be  judgment  without  mercy — tliere 
must  be  some  who  will  not  be  finally 
saved. 

To  these  may  be  added, 

IV.  All  those  passages  which  in- 
timate THAT  A  CHANGE  OF  HEART,  AND 
A  PREPAREDNESS  FOR  HEAVEN,  ARE 
CONFINED  TO  THE    PRESENT  LIFE. 

"  Seek  ye  the  Lord  ivhile  he  may  be 
found ;  call  ye  upon  him  tohile  he  is  near  : 
let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thouf:;lits  ;  and  let  him 
return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have 
mercy  upon  him  ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he 
will  abundantly  pardon. — Because  I  have 
called,  and  ye  refused  ;  I  have  stretched 
out  my  hand,  and  no  man  regarded — I  al- 
so will  laugh  at  your  calamity,  and  mock 
when  your  fear  cometh.  When  your  fear 
Cometh  as  desolation,  and  your  destruction 
Cometh  as  a  w  iiirlwind  ;  when  distress  and 
anguish  cometh  upon  you  ;  then  shall  they 
call  upon  me,  but  I  will  not  answer  ;  they 
shall  seek  me  early,  but  shall  not  find  me. 
— Then  said  one  unto  him.  Lord,  are  there 
few  that  shall  be  saved  1  And  he  said  un- 
to them.  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate  ;  for  many,  I  say  unto  you,  shall  seek 
to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be  able.  When 
once  the  master  of  the  house  is  risen  up, 
and  hath  shut  to  the  door,  and  ye  begin  to 
stand  without,  and  to  knock  at  the  door, 
saying.  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us ;  he 
shall  answer  and  say  unto  you,  I  know  you 
not  whence  you  are — Depart  from  me,  all 
ye  workers  of  iniquity — there  shall  be 
weeping,  and  gnashing  of  teeth. — While 
ye  have  the  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that 
ye  may  be  the  children  of  light. — While 
they  (the  foolish  virgins)  went  to  buy,  the 
bridegroom  came  ;  and  they  that  were  rea- 
dy went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage,  and 
the  door  ivas  shut. — We  beseech  you,  that 
ye  receive  not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain — 
Behold,  noto  is  the  accepted  time,  now  is 
the  day  of  salvation. — To-day,  if  ye  will 
hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts. — 
Looking  diligently,  lest  any  man  fail  of  the 
grace  of  God — lest  there  be  any  fornicator, 
or  profane  person,  as  Esau,  who  for  one 
morsel  of  meat  sold  his  birthright.  For 
ye  know  how  that  afterward,  when  he 
would  have  inherited  the  blessing,  he  was 
rejected  :  for  he  found  no  place  of  repent- 
ance, though  he  sought  it  carefully  with 
tears. — He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  un- 
just still ;  and  he  which  is  filthy,  let  him 
be  filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous, 


let  him  be  righteous  still  ;  and  he  that  is 
holy,  let  him  be  holy  still." 

According  to  these  Scriptures,  there  will 
be  no  successful  calling  upon  the  Lord  af- 
ter a  certain  period,  and,  consequently, 
no  salvation.  Whether  there  be  few  that 
shall  uilirnatoly  be  saved,  our  Lord  does 
not  inform  us  ;  but  he  assures  us  that  there 
are  inany  icho  luill  not  be  saved;  or  which 
is  the  same  thing,  who  will  not  be  able  to 
enter  in  at  the  strait  gate.  None,  it  is 
plainly  intimated,  will  l)e  able  to  enter 
there  who  have  not  agonized  here.  There 
will  be  no  l)elieving  unto  salvation,  but 
ivhilc  ^ce  have  the  light  ;  nor  any  admission 
into  the  kingdom,  unless  we  be  ready  at 
the  coming  of  the  Lord.  The  [)resenl  is  the 
accepted  time,  the  day  of  salvation,  or  the 
season  lor  sinners  to  be  saved.  If  we  con- 
tinue to  harden  our  hearts  through  life,  he 
will  swear  in  his  wrath  that  we  shall  not 
enter  into  his  rest.  If  we  turn  away  from 
him  ivho  spcaketh  from  heaven,  it  will  be 
equally  impossible  for  us  to  obtain  the  bless- 
ing, as  it  was  tor  Esau  after  he  had  despi- 
sed his  birthright.  Finally:  beyond  a  cer- 
tain period,  there  shall  be  no  more  change 
of  character,  but  every  one  will  have  re- 
ceived that  impression  which  shall  re- 
main forever,  whether  he  be  just  or  un- 
just, fdthy  or  holy. 

In  this  letter  I  have  endeavored  to  state 
the  grounds  of  my  own  persuasion  :  in  the 
next  I  may  examine  the  reasonings  and 
objections  which  you  have  advanced 
against  it.  The  greater  part  of  this  evi- 
dence being  taken  from  our  Lord's  dis- 
courses, who  knew  the  truth,  and  was  him- 
self to  be  the  Judge  of  the  world,  renders 
it  peculiarly  interesting.  If  a  preacher  in 
these  times  delivered  half  so  much  on  the 
subject,  you  would  denominate  him  a 
"  brawler  of  damnation." 


LETTER    VI. 
replies  to  objections. 

Sir, 

In  a  former  Letter  I  suggested  that, 
whether  the  Scriptures  teach  the  doctrine 
of  endless  punishment  or  not,  they  certain- 
ly appear  to  do  so.  Whether  this  sugges- 
tion was  unfounded,  the  evidence  in  my 
last  Letter  must  determine.  You  attempt, 
however,  to  discredit  it  by  alleging  the  few 
instances  in  which  the  terms  ever,  ever- 
lasting, &c.,  as  connected  with  future 
punishment,  are  used  in  the  Scriptures. 

"Everlasting,    as   connected   with  the 


352 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


future  punishment  of  men,"  you  say,  "  is 
used  only  Jive  times  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament;  and  yet  this  same  word  is 
used  in  the  Scriptures  at  least  ninety 
times  (very  generally  indeed)  in  relation 
to  things  that  either  have  ended  or  must 
end."  You  proceed,  "As  to  the  word 
eternal,  which  is  of  the  same  meaning,  it 
is  used  in  the  text  and  margin  upward  of 
forty  times  in  the  whole  Bible;  out  of 
,  which  there  are  only  two  which  can  be 
supposed  to  relate  to  future  punish- 
ment."* You  should  have  proceeded  a 
little  farther.  Sir,  and  have  told  us  how 
often  the  terms  ever,  forever,  and  forever 
and  ever,  are  applied  to  this  subject;  for 
the  distinction  between  them  and  the 
words  everlasting  and  eternal  is  chiefly 
English,  and  you  have  allowed  that  it  is 
from  the  use  of  the  one  as  well  as  the 
other  that  I  suppose  the  Scriptures  must 
"appear"  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment.  As  a  candid  reasoner, 
you  should  also  have  forborne  to  mention 
Jude  6,  with  a  view  to  diminish  the  num- 
ber of  testimonies  ;  as  it  is  not  to  the 
endless  punishment  of  7nen  only  that  you 
object.  By  these  means,  your  number 
would,  at  least,  have  extended  to  eleven 
instead  of  seven. 

But,  passing  this,  I  shall  offer  a  few 
observations  on  your  reasoning.  First : 
If  the  term  everlasting  be  applied  to  fu- 
ture punishment  five  or  six.  times  out  of 
ninety,  in  which  it  is  used  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, this  may  be  as  large  a  proportion 
as  the  subject  requires.  It  is  applied,  in 
the  Scriptures,  to  more  than  twenty  dif- 
ferent subjects  ;  so  that  to  be  applied  five 
or  six  times  to  one  is  full  as  frequent  a 
use  of  it  as  ought  to  be  expected. 

Secondly  :  If  the  application  of  the  term 
everlasting  to  future  punishment  only  five 
or  six  times  discredit  the  very  appearance 
of  its  being  endless,  the  same,  or  nearly  the 
same,  may  be  said  of  the  existence  of  God, 
to  which  it  is  applied  not  much  more  fre- 
quently. You  might  go  over  a  great  part 
of  the  sacred  writings  on  this  subject,  as 
you  do  on  the  other ;  telling  us  that  not 
only  many  of  the  Old  Testament  writers 
make  no  use  of  it,  but  a  large  proportion 
of  the  New  :  that  Matthew  never  applies 
the  word  to  this  subject,  nor  Mark,  nor 
Luke,  nor  John ;  that  it  is  not  so  applied 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  ;  and  though 
Paul  once  uses  it,  in  his  Epistle  to  the 
Romans,  yet  he  closes  that,  and  all  his 
other  Epistles  without  so  using  it  again ; 
that  James  did  not  use  it,  nor  Peter,  nor 
John  either  in  his  three  Epistles  or  in  the 
Apocalypse.  And,  when  you  had  thus  es- 
tablished your  point,  you  might  ask,  with 

*  Universaliat's  Miscellany,  No.  XXXV.  p.  328. 


an  air  of  triumph,  "  Is  this  a  proof  that  the 
Scriptures  appear  to  teach  "  the  eternal 
existence  of  God  1  Truly,  Sir,  I  am 
ashamed  to  refute  such  trifling:  yet,  if  I  did 
not,  your  readers  might  be  told  that,  doubt- 
less I  had  "cogent  reasons"  for  my  silence. 

Thii'dly  :  If  any  conclusion  can  be 
drawn  from  the  number  of  times  in  which 
a  term  is  used  in  the  Scriptures,  that 
number  should  be  ascertained  from  the 
languages  in  which  they  were  written,  and 
not  from  a, translation,  which,  on  such  a 
subject,  proves  nothing;  but,  if  this  had 
been  done,  as  it  certainly  ought  by  a  wri- 
ter of  your  pretensions,  we  should  have 
heard  nothing  of  number  two,  nor  of  num- 
ber ^ue. 

Fourthly  :  You  tell  us  not  only  that 
"the  word  everlasting  is  used  very  gener- 
ally indeed  in  relation  to  things  that  ei- 
ther have  ended  or  must  end;"  but  that 
the  word  which  is  so  rendered  was,  by 
the  Old  Testament  writers,  most  gener- 
ally so  applied.— pp.  328,  329.  By  "the 
word  which  we  render  everlasting''  I  sup- 
pose you  mean  CD^iy,  though  there  are 
other  words  as  well  as  this  which  are 
rendered  everlasting,  and  this  word  is  not 
always  so  rendered.  I  have  carefully  ex- 
amined it  by  a  Hebrew  concordance,  and, 
according  to  the  best  of  my  judgment, 
noticed,  as  I  went  along,  when  it  is  appli- 
ed to  limited  and  when  to  unlimited  dura- 
tion ;  and  I  find  that,  though  it  is  fre- 
quently used  to  express  the  former,  yet 
it  is  more  frequently  applied,  even  in  the 
Old  Testament,  to  the  latter.  I  do  not 
allege  this  fact  as  being  of  any  conse- 
quence to  the  argument ;  for,  if  it  had 
been  on  the  other  side,  it  would  have 
proved  nothing.  It  would  not  have  been 
at  all  surprising  if,  in  a  book  wherein  so 
little  is  revealed  concerning  a  future  state, 
the  word  should  have  been  used  much 
more  frequently  in  a  figurative  than  in  a 
proper  sense  :  but,  as  far  as  I  am  able 
to  judge,  the  fact  is  otherwise. 

In  looking  over  tlie  various  passages  in 
which  the  word  occur,s,  I  perceive  that, 
in  many  of  those  instances  which  I  noted 
as  examples  of  the  limited  use  of  it,  the 
limitation  is  such  as  arises  necessarily 
from  the  kind  of  duration,  or  state  of  be- 
ing, which  is  spoken  of.  When  Hannah 
devoted  her  child  Samuel  to  the  Lord 
forever,  there  was  no  limitation  in  her 
mind ;  she  did  not  intend  that  he  should 
euer  return  to  a  private  life.  Thus  also, 
when  it  is  said  of  a  servant  whose  ear 
was  bored  in  his  master's  house,  he  shall 
serve  him  forever;  the  meaning  is,  that 
he  should  never  go  out  free.  And  when 
Jonah  lamehted  that  the  earth  with  her 
bars  Avas  about  him  forever,  the  term  is 
not  expressive  of  what  it  actually  proved, 


LETTER?    TO     MR.    VIDLER. 


S63 


namely,  a  three  days'  imprisonment,  ns 
you  unaccountably  construe  it,  (p.  G;)  but 
of  what  it  was  in  his  aj)jirchcnsions,  which 
were,  tliat  he  was  cut  ofT  liom  the  land  of 
the  living  and  should  never  more  see  the 
light. 

So  far  as  my  observations  extend,  the 
word,  whenever  applied  to  a  future  state, 
is  to  be  taken  in  tlio  endless  sense  ;  and 
this  you  yourself  will  allow,  except  in 
those  passai^es  which  relate  to  future  pun- 
ishment. You,  therefore,  plead  for  a 
meaiiinjr  to  the  term,  in  relation  to  this 
subject,  which  has  nothing  })arallel  in  the 
Scriptures  to  support  it. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  future  state 
is  a  frequent  topic  w  ith  the  sacred  writers  ; 
and  there,  as  might  be  expected,  the  terms 
rendered  everlasting,  eternal,  forever, 
&c.,  are  generally  applied  in  the  endless 
sense.  Of  this  you  seem  to  be  aware  ; 
and,  therefore,  after  asserting  that,  by  Old 
Testament  writers,  the  term  rendered  ev- 
erlasting was  "  most  generally  "  applied 
otherwise,  you  only  add,  concerning  New 
Testament  writers,  that  they  "  use  it  but 
a  few  times  in  relation  to  iuture  punish- 
ment ;  a  remark,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
of  but  very  little  account.  If  a  particular 
term  should  be  applied  to  one  subject  on- 
ly five  or  six  times,  it  does  not  follow  that 
the  evidence  is  scanty.  There  may  be 
other  terms  equally  expressive  of  the  same 
thing;  and  the  foregoing  Letter,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, has  given  proof  that  this  is  the  case 
in  the  present  instance.  And,  if  there 
were  no  other  terms  to  convey  the  senti- 
ment, five  or  six  solemn  asservations  on 
any  one  subject  ouglit  to  be  reckoned  suf- 
ficient, and  more  tiian  sufficient,  to  com- 
mand our  assent ;  and,  if  so,  surely  they 
may  l)e  allowed  to  justify  tlie  assertion 
that  the  Scriptures  appear,  at  least,  to 
teach  the  doctrine  of  everlasting  punish- 
ment. 

In  answering  wliat  I  considered  as  a 
misconstruction  of  a  passage  of  Scripture, 
(Rev.  xiv.  11,)  I  suggested  that  the  phrase 
day  and  night  was  not  expressive  of  a  suc- 
cessive or  terminable  duration,  but  a  fig- 
urative mode  of  speech,  dcnoimg  perpetui- 
ty. "  It  follows  then,"  say  you,  "  that 
your  best  ground  for  believing  that  there 
is  no  successive  duration  after  the  end  of 
this  world  is  only  a  figurative  expression 
or  two." — p.  329.  Did  ever  a  writer 
draw  such  an  inference  !  What  I  alleged, 
was  not  for  tiie  j)urpose  of  proving  end- 
less punishment,  but  merely  to  correct 
what  I  considered  as  a  misinterpretation 
of  a  passage  of  Scripture.  If  this  V^e  your 
method  of  drawing  consequences,  we  need 
not  be  surprised  at  your  inferring  the  doc- 
trine of  universal  salvation  from  the  holy 
Scriptures. 

VOL.    I.  45 


I  thought  that  you,  as  well  as  myself, 
had  better  not  have  attempted  to  criticise 
on  Hebrew  and  Greek  terms.  You  think 
otherwise.  Very  well  :  we  have  a  right, 
then,  to  expect  the  more  at  your  hands. 
Yet,  methinks,  you  should  have  been  con- 
tented to  meet  an  ojiponcnt  who  never  pro- 
fessed to  have  a  competent  acquaintance 
with  either  of  those  languages  on  his  own 
ground  :  or,  if  not,  you  siiould  either  have 
assumed  a  little  less  consequence,  or  have 
supported  your  jjretcnsions  with  a  little 
better  evidence.  To  be  sure,  it  was  very 
kind  in  you  to  inform  me  tliat  tiiough  ui^v 
and  (.(hUvioQ  agree,  in  some  respects,  with 
the  English  words  eternity  and  eternal,  yet 
they  will  not  always  bear  to  be  rendered 
by  these  terms.  I  ought  equally  to  thank 
you,  no  doubt,  for  teaching  me,  and  that 
repeatedly,  that  "as  for  the  word  eternal 
it  is  the  same  in  the  original  which  is 
translated  everlasting." — ])p.  7,  2.38.  Se- 
riously, may  not  a  person,  without  pre- 
tending to  l)e  qualified  for  Greek  criticisms, 
understand  so  much  of  tlie  meaning  of 
words  as  to  stand  in  no  need  of  tlie  fore- 
going information  1  Nay  more  :  is  it  not 
possible  for  him  to  know  that  tiie  Greek 
words  "(wi  and  u/t.jiio?  will  not  always  bear 
to  be  rendered  by  the  English  words  eter- 
nity, everlasting,  or  eternal ;  and  yet  per- 
ceive no  evidence  of  the  one  being  less  ex- 
pressive of  endless  duration  than  the  other? 

This,  if  it  must  be  so  called,  was  my 
"hypothesis."  To  overturn  it,  you  al- 
lege that  the  Greek  terms  will  "  admit  of 
a  plural,"  and  of  the  pronouns  this  and 
that  before  them  ;  which  the  English  will 
not. — pp.  332,  333.  So  far  as  this  is  the 
case,  it  may  prove  that  there  is  some  dif- 
ference between  them  ;  but  not  that  this  dif- 
ference consists  in  the  one  being  less  ex- 
pressive of  endless  duration  than  the  other. 
Words  in  English  that  are  properly  ex- 
pressive of  endless  duration  may  not  or- 
dinarily admit  of  a  plural  ;  and,  if  this 
were  universally  the  Ccasc,  it  would  not 
follow  that  it  is  the  same  in  Greek.  Nor 
is  it  so  :  for  the  idea  of  endless  duration  is 
frequently  conveyed  by  these  very  plural 
forms  of  expression.  Thus,  in  Ephes.  iii. 
W,  xixi u  riniiiita IV  r^iv  uiw\ wv -^  according  to 
his  eternal  purpose.  So  also,  in  1  Tim.  i.  17, 

T(o  ie  liuni/Si  tmi' ae'<ui<;)v  uip&unrv),  aoQuru;, 
nuto)  ao(fJ>  Qiu),  T/i(>,  y.a'i  ('ucu  iic  Tot'g  aiojia; 
Twv  ai'witui .  Now  unto  the  King  eternal, 
immortal,  invisible,  the  only  vAsc  God,  be 
honor  and  glory  forever  and  ever.  Ren- 
der these  passages  how  you  will,  you  can- 
not do  them  justice,  unless  you  express 
the  idea  of  unlimited  duration.  And, 
though  the  English  terms  may  not  admit 
of  what  is  termed  a  plural  form,  yet  they 
admit  of  what  is  etpuil  to  it  :  for  though 
we  do  not  say  everlastings,  nor  eternities, 


354 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


yet  we  say  forever  and  ever;  and  you 
might  as  well  contend  that  forever  cannot 
properly  mean  unlimited  duration,  seeing 
another  ever  may  be  added  to  it,  as  that 
aicor  must  needs  mean  a  limited  duration, 
on  account  of  its  admitting  a  plural  form 
of  expression.  You  might  also,  with 
equal  propriety,  plead  for  a  plurality  of 
evers  in  futurity,  I'rom  the  English  phrase- 
ology, as  for  a  plurality  of  ages  from  the 
Greek. 

With  respect  to  the  admission  of  the 
pronouns  this  and  that,  we  use  the  ex- 
pressions, this  eternity  of  bliss,  or  that 
eternity  of  bliss :  nor  does  such  lan- 
guage, being  applied  to  a  state  of  ex- 
istence, express  the  idea  of  limitation. 
The  very  passage  that  you  have  quoted 
(Luke  XX.  35,)  where  at'ov  is  rendered 
world,  and  admits  of  the  pronoun  that  be- 
fore it,  refers  to  a  state  which  you  your- 
self, I  should  suppose,  would  allow  to  be 
endless. 

For  any  thing  you  have  hitherto  alleged 
the  Greek  words  «uoi  and  aloonoQ  are  no 
less  expressive  of  endless  duration  than 
the  English  words  everlasting  and  eternal : 
the  latter  when  applied  to  temporary  con- 
cerns, are  used  in  a  figurative  or  improper 
sense,  as  frequently  as  the  former.  And,  if 
this  be  a  truth,  it  must  follow  that  the  con- 
tinual recurrence  to  them  by  your  loriters 
is  no  better  than  a  sing-song  ;  a  mere  af- 
fectation of  learning,  serving  to  mislead 
the  ignorant. 

You  make  much  of  your  rule  of  interpre- 
tation, that  "  where  a  word  is  used  in  rela- 
tion to  different  things,  the  subject  itself 
must  determine  the  meaning  of  the  word." 
— p.  333.  You  are  so  confident  that  this 
rule  is  imobjectionableas  to  intimate  your 
belief  that  I  "  shall  not,  a  second  time, 
have  the  temerity  to  reprove  you  for  the 
use  of  it."  If  you  examine,  you  Avill  per- 
ceive that  I  have  not  objected  to  it  a  first 
time  yet,  but  rather  to  your  manner  of  ap- 
plying it.  I  shall  take  the  liberty,  howev- 
er, to  object  to  it  now,  whatever  "  temer- 
ity" it  may  imply.  I  know  not  who  those 
"  best  critics  "  are,  from  whom  you  pro- 
fess to  have  taken  it;  but,  to  me,  it  ap- 
pears disrespectful  to  the  Scriptures,  and 
inadmissible.  It  supposes  that  all  those 
words  which  are  used  in  relation  to  differ- 
ent things  (which,  by  the  way,  almost  all 
words  are)  have  no  proper  meaning  of 
their  own,  and  that  they  are  to  stand  for 
nothing  in  the  decision  of  any  question  ; 
but  are  to  mean  any  thing  that  the  subject 
to  which  they  relate  can  be  proved  to 
mean  without  them.  Had  you  said  that 
the  subject,  including  the  scope  of  the  wri- 
ter, must  commonly  determine  whether  a 
word  should  be  taken  in  a  literal  or  a  fig- 
urative sense,  that  had  been  allowing  it  to 


have  a  proper  meaning  of  its  own  ;  and  to 
this  I  should  have  no  objection  :  but  to 
allow  no  meaning  to  a  term,  except  what 
shall  be  imparted  to  it  by  the  subject,  is 
to  reduce  it  to  a  cypher. 

But,  exceptionable  as  your  rule  of  in- 
terpretation is  in  itself,  it  is  rendered 
much  more  so  by  your  manner  of  apply- 
ing it.  If,  under  the  term  "  subject,"  you 
had  included  the  scope  and  design  of  the 
writer,  it  had  been  so  far  good  ;  but,  by 
this  term,  you  appear  all  along  to  mean  the 
doctrine  of  future  punishment,  considered 
abstractedly  from  ivhatthe  Scriptures  teach 
concerning  it ;  at  least,  from  what  they 
teach  by  the  terms  which  professedly  de- 
note its  duration.  You  require  that 
"there  be  something  in  the  nature  of  fu- 
ture punishment  which  necessarily  leads 
us  to  receive  the  woi'd  atwriog  in  an  end- 
less sense ;  in  which  case  (as  you  very 
properly  add)  it  is  not  the  word,  but  the 
subject  which  gives  the  idea  of  endless 
duration."— p.  329.  What  is  this  but 
saying.  We  are  to  make  up  our  minds  on 
the  duration  of  future  punishment,  from 
the  nature  and  fitness  of  things  ;  and,  hav- 
ing done  this,  we  are  to  understand  the 
scripture  terms,  Avhich  are  designed  to  ex- 
press that  duration,  accordingly  1  But, 
if  we  can  settle  this  business  without  the 
aid  of  those  scripture  terms,  why  do  we 
trouble  them  ;  and  what  is  the  meaning  of 
all  your  criticisms  upon  them  1  If  they 
are  so  "  weak,  from  their  vague  and  inde- 
terminate application  in  Scripture,"  that 
nothing  certain  can  be  gathered  from  them, 
why  not  let  them  alone  1  It  should  seem 
as  though  all  your  critical  labor  upon  these 
terms  was  for  the  sake  of  imposing  silence 
upon  them. 

I  do  not  know  that  endless  punishment 
can  be  proved  from  the  nature  of  things  : 
but  neither  can  it  be  disproved.  Our  ideas 
of  moral  government,  and  of  the  influence  of 
sin  upon  it,  are  too  contracted  to  form  a 
judgment,  a  ;)ri'ori,  upon  the  subject.  It 
becomes  us  to  listen,  with  humility  and 
holy  awe,  to  what  is  revealed  in  the  ora- 
cles of  truth,  and  to  form  our  judgment  by 
it.  When  I  suggested  that  "the  nature 
of  the  subject  determined  that  the  term 
everlasting,  when  applied  to  future  pun- 
ishment, was  to  be  taken  in  the  endless 
sense,"  I  intended  no  more  than  that  such 
is  the  sense  in  which  it  is  used  when  ap- 
plied to  a  future  state. 

By  your  rule  of  interpretation,  I  have 
the  "  temerity"  to  say  again,  you  might 
disprove  almost  any  thing  you  please.  I 
observed  before,  that  if  one  should  at- 
tempt to  prove  the  divinity  of  the  Son  of 
God,  or  even  of  the  Father,  from  his  being 
called  Jehovah,  your  mode  of  reasoning 
would  render  all  such  evidence  of  no  ac- 


LETTERS    TO  MR.    VIDLER. 


355 


count ;  because  the  samo  appellation  is 
sometimes  <iivon  to  an  altar,  ik.c.  You 
reply,  l)y  insist ine;  tiiat  you  inlcr[)ret  tiiis 
term  by  tlic  subject.  But,  if  you  interpret 
it  as  you  do  tlic  term  «i"<"iio;,  it  is  not  the 
name  of  Jeliovah  that  forms  any  part  of  the 
ground  of  your  conclusion.  You  do  not, 
on  tliis  principle,  believe  fJod  to  be  self- 
existent,  from  liis  beinsj;  called  Jehovah  ; 
but  that  the  name  Jehovah  means  self- 
existent,  because  it  is  applied  to  Grod, 
whom,  from  other  considerations,  you 
know  to  be  a  self-existent  l)ein!r.  If  Christ 
were  called  Jehovah  a  thousand  times, 
you  could  not,  on  this  account,  believe 
him  to  be  the  true  God,  according  to  your 
priacii)le  ;  because  the  same  word  being 
applied  to  other  tilings,  its  meaning  can 
only  be  determined  by  {he  subject  ;  and,  in 
this  case,  as  you  say,  it  is  not  the  word, 
but  the  suliject,  that  gives  tlie  idea. 

The  rule  adopted  in  my  last  letter  al- 
lows a  proper  meaning  to  every  scripture 
term,  and  does  not  atfemjtt  to  set  it  aside 
in  favor  of  one  that  is  improper,  or  figur- 
ative, unless  tfie  scope  of  the  passage,  or  the 
nature  of  the  subject,  require  it.  This  is  a 
very  different  thing  from  not  admitting  it, 
"unless  the  subject,  from  its  own  nature, 
render  it  absolutely  necessary.  The  one 
is  treating  the  proper  meaning  of  a  scrip- 
ture word  with  respect,  not  dispensing  with 
it,  but  upon  urgent  necessity  :  the  other 
is  treating  it  with  indignity,  refusing  it  ad- 
mission, except  where  it  cannot  be  denied. 

You  refer  me  to  Hab.  iii.  6,  as  a  paral- 
lel passage  with  Matt.  xxv.  46,  in  which 
the  same  word  is  used,  in  the  same  text, 
in  a  different  sense. — p.  331.  But  these 
passages  are  not  parallel  ;  for  there  is  no 
such  antitliesis  in  the  one  as  in  the  other. 
It  has  been  thought,  and  I  apprehend  is 
capable  of  being  proved,  that  the  everlast- 
ing ways,  or  paths,  of  God,  denote  those 
very  goings  ibrtii  by  which  he  scattered 
the  mountains,  and  caused  the  hills  to 
bow  ;  and  that  the  term  everlasting,  in  l)oth 
instances,  is  expressive  of  merely  limited 
duration.  But,  admitting  that  the  ever- 
lasting hills  are  opposed  to  the  everlasting 
ways  of  God,  or  that  the  one  were  only 
lasting,  and  the  other  properly  everlast- 
ing;  still  the  antithesis,  in  this  case,  nat- 
urally directs  us  so  to  expound  them ; 
Avhereas,  in  Matt.  xxv.  46,  it  directs  us  to 
the  contrary.  If  there  be  an  opposition  of 
meaning  in  the  one  case,  it  lies  in  tiie  very 
term  everlasting ;  or  between  the  duration 
of  the  hills,  and  tliat  of  the  divine  ways  : 
but  the  opposition  in  the  other  is  between 
life  and  punishment ,  and  the  adjective  ev- 
erlasting is  applied  in  common  to  both ; 
which,  instead  of  requiring  a  different  sense 
to  be  given  to  it,  requires  tlie  contrary. 
The  words  recorded  by  Matthew  are  pa  ^' 


allel  to  those  in  John  v.  29,  "  Some  shall 
x-ome  forth  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and 
some  to  tiie  resurrection  of  damnation;  " 
and  we  might  as  rationally  contotid  for  a 
(iitlVrcnt  meaning  to  the  term  "  resurrec- 
tion ''  in  the  one  case,  as  to  the  term  "  ev- 
erlasting "  in  the  other. 

But,  beside  all  this,  by  your  manner  of 
quoting  the  passage,  you  would  induce  one 
to  suppose  that  you  had  taken  it  merely 
from  the  English  translation,  which,  in  a 
man  of  your  [)retensions,  would  be  hardly 
excusable;  for  though  the  same  word  be 
twice  used  in  the  passage,  yet  it  is  not  in 
those  places  whicii  you  have  marked  as 
being  so  :  tiie  instances  which  you  have 
pointed  out,  as  being  the  same  word,  are 
not  the  same,  except  in  the  English  trans- 
lation. 

It  was  asked,  whether  stronger  terms 
could  have  been  used  concerning  the  du- 
ration of  future  punishment  than  those 
that  are  used  1  You  answer,  "  The  ques- 
tion ought  not  to  be,  what  language  God 
could  have  used;  but  what  is  the  meaning 
of  that  which  he  has  used  1  "—p.  334.  I 
should  have  thought  it  had  been  one  way 
of  ascertaining  the  strength  of  the  terms 
that  arc  used,  to  inquire  whether  they  be 
equally  strong  with  any  which  the  lan- 
guage affords  !  Should  tliis  be  the  case,  it 
must  follow  that,  if  they  do  not  convey 
the  idea  of  endless  duration,  it  is  not  in 
the  power  of  language,  or  at  least  of  that 
language,  to  convey  it. 

You  suggest  a  few  examples,  however, 
which  in  your  apprehension  would  have 
been  stronger,  and  which,  if  it  had  been 
the  design  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  teach  the 
doctrine  Of  endless  punishment,  might  have 
been  used  for  the  purpose.  "  I  refer 
you,"  say  you,  "  to  Heb.  vii.  16,  uy.aru?.vTog 
endless,  say  our  translators."  "  The 
word,"  you  add,  "  is  never  connected  in 
Scripture  with  punishment,  and  but  this 
once  only  with  life  ;  whicji,  however,  shows 
that  the  sacred  writers  speak  of  future 
life  in  a  different  way  than  they  do  of  pun- 
ishment,"— p.  334.  It  is  true  tlie  term 
uxaTu/.vTuc  is  here  apjilicd  to  life  ;  but  not, 
as  you  insinuate,  to  that  life  of  future  hap- 
piness which  is  ojiposed  to  j)unishmcnt. 
The  life  here  spoken  of  is  that  wliich  jier- 
tains  to  our  Lord's  priesthood,  which  is 
opposed  to  that  of  Aaron,  wherein  men 
were  not  suffered  to  continue  by  reason  of 
death.  The  word  signifies  indissoluble; 
and,  being  applied  to  the  nature  of  a  priest- 
hood which  death  could  not  dissolve,  is 
very  properly  rendered  endless.  It  possi- 
Uy'might  be  applied  to  the  endless  happi- 
ness of  good  men,  as  opposed  to  the  disso- 
luble or  transitory  enjoyments  of  the  pres- 
ent state;  but  as  to  tiie  punisliment  of  the 
wicked,  supposing  it  to  be  endless,  I  ques- 


356 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


tion  whether  it  be  at  all  applicable  to  it. 
I  can  form  no  idea  how  the  terra  indissolu- 
ble, any  more  than  incorruptible,  can  apply 
to  punishment.  The  word  y-arakvu},  to 
loose  or  dissolve,  it  is  true,  is  said  to  re- 
fer to  travellers  loosing  their  own  burdens, 
or  those  of  their  beasts,  when  they  are 
resting  by  the  way  :  but  there  are  no  ex- 
amples of  its  being  used  with  reference  to 
the  termination  of  punishment ;  nor  does 
it  appear  to  be  applicable  to  it.  In  its 
most  common  acceptation,  in  the  New 
Testament,  it  signifies  to  destroy,  or  de- 
molish ;  and  you  will  scarcely  suppose  the 
sacred  writers  to  suggest  the  idea  of  a 
destruction  which  cannot  be  destroyed. 

You  offer  a  second  example  ;  referring 
me  to  Isa.  xlv.  17,  "  Israel  shall  not  be 
confounded,  world  without  end,  (p.  364  :) 
but  this  is  farther  off  still.  In  the  first 
place  :  The  phrase  is  merely  English  :  and, 
therefore,  affords  no  example  of  "  Greek," 
for  which  it  is  professedly  introduced. 
Secondly  :  It  is  not  a  translation  from  the 
Greek,  but  from  the  Hebrew.  To  have 
done  any  thing  to  purpose,  you  should 
have  found  a  Greek  word,  which  might 
have  been  applied  to  punishment,  stronger 
than  atdjiioc :  or,  if  you  must  needs  go  to 
another  language,  you  should  have  proved 
that  the  Hebrew  words  in  Isa.  xlv.  17, 
which  are  applied  to  future  happiness, 
are  stronger  than  the  Greek  word  aiw)  loc, 
which  is  applied  to  future  punishment  : 
but  if  you  had  attempted  this,  your  criti- 
cisms might  not  have  perfectly  accorded  ; 
as  they  are  the  same  words  which  you 
elsewhere  tell  us  would,  if  "  literally  ren- 
dered, be  age  and  ages,  (p.  364;)  and, 
therefore,  are  properly  expressive  of  only 
a  limited  duration.  And  why  did  you  re- 
fer us  to  the  OZcZ  Testament  1  It  could  not 
be  for  the  want  of  an  example  to  be  found 
in  the  New.  You  know,  I  dare  say,  that  the 
English  phrase,  ivorld  without  end,  occurs 
in  Ephes.  iii.  21.  And  are  the  Greek 
words  there  used  stronger  than  uuov  and  its 
derivatives  1  On  the  contrary,  they  are 
the   very  words  made  use   of;  and  in  a 

plural  form,  too  ;    ci'?    Tnirrac    Tu?    yj vsac    Toti 

auoroi  rwv  aiihrov,  throughout  all  ages,  ivorld 
ivithout  end.  Had  these  very  terms  been 
applied  to  future  punishment,  you  would 
have  pleaded  for  a  different  translation, 
and  denied  that  they  were  expressive  of 
endless  duration. 

Without  pretending  to  any  thing  like  a 
critical  knowledge  of  either  the  Greek  or 
Hebrew  language,  I  can  perceive.  Sir,  that 
all  your  arguments  have,  hitherto,  been 
merely  founded  upon  English  phraseology  : 
and,  from  your  translating  ij^?  and  tzihv 
age  and  ages,  (p.  364,)  as  though  one  were 
the  singular  and  the  other  the  plural ;  and 
tig  uimug  auoruv,  "to  the  age  of  ages,"  as 


though  one,  here  also,  were  the  singular, 
and  the  other  plural ;  as  w  ell  as  from  your 
reference  to  uhutu/^vto?,  as  a  proper  term 
to  be  applied  to  endless  punishment ;  I  am 
furnished  with  but  little  inducement  to 
retract  my  opinion,  that  you  had  better 
not  have  meddled  with  these  subjects. 


LETTER   VII. 

AN  EXABIINATION  OF  MR.  VIDLEr's  SYS- 
tem, and  of  his  argument  in  sup- 
port of  it. 

Sir, 

I  HAVE,  certainly,  to  beg  your  pardon 
for  having  misunderstood  you  with  respect 
to  the  doctrine  of  annihilation.  I  did  not 
observe  how  you  opposed  the  idea  of  end- 
less punishment  on  the  one  hand  and  anni- 
hilation on  the  other.  In  this  matter  I 
submit  to  your  correction,  and  readily  ac- 
quit you  of  all  those  absurdities  which 
would  have  followed  the  admission  of  that 
principle.  Other  parts  of  that  Letter, 
however,  you  have  but  lightly  touched ; 
and  some  of  them  are  entii-ely  passed  over. 

As  to  your  conjectures  about  my  mo- 
tives,  both  you  and  your  friends  might 
have  been  as  well  employed  in  something 
else.  I  can  truly  say  that  I  never  wrote  a 
line  in  my  life  with  a  view  to  "  raise  a 
dust "  that  might  obscure  the  truth;  and 
it  is  difficult  to  suppose  that  any  person, 
unless  he  himself  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
doing  so,  would  have  thought  of  imputing 
it  to  another. 

It  is  my  desire  to  understand  you,  and 
not  to  wrest  any  of  your  words  to  a 
meaning  which  they  do  not  fairly  include. 
I  have  endeavored  to  collect  your  senti- 
ments as  well  as  I  am  able.  The  amount 
of  your  first  maxim,  in  p.  330,  appears  to 
me  to  be  this  : — "  That  if  God  created 
men,  and  placed  them  in  circumstances 
which  he  certainly  foreknew  would  issue 
in  their  fall  and  ruin,  he  willed  this  their 
fall  and  ruin  ;  and  that  it  is  of  no  impor- 
tance that  he  forewarned  them  to  avoid 
the  evil :  whatever  be  the  event,  he  is 
chargeable  with  it."  "But  God,"  you 
say,  "hath  sworn  by  himself  that  he  will- 
eth  not  the  death  of  him  who  dieth ;  that 
is,  he  willeth  it  not  as  death  finally  or 
simply,  or  destruction  irrecoverable.  If, 
therefore,  it  occur,  it  is  a  part  of  his 
economy  of  grace,  and,  finally,  a  ministra- 
tion unto  life ;  for  he  hath  declared  that 
it  is  his  will  that  all  should  be  saved ; 
therefore,  the  doctrine  Avhich  forges  any 
contrary  will,  falsifies  supreme,  unchange- 
able truth."  ■ 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


367 


Time,  it  seems,  you  reckon  tliat  you 
•nequit  your  Creator  of  injustice,  wliicli 
must,  otherwise,  attach  to  his  character 
and  conduct.  Let  us  examine  tliis  mat- 
ter. It  is  true  tliat  wiiatcver  exists  must, 
in  some  sense,  accord  with  the  will  of 
God.  Let  the  bhispliemer  nuike  wliat 
use  he  may  of  it,  it  may  lie  asked,  "  Wiio 
hath  resisted  his  will  T'  God  willeth  not 
evil,  however,  as  evil,  but  permits  its  ex- 
istence for  wise  ends.  The  good  that 
shall  arise  from  it,  and  not  the  evil,  is  the 
proper  object  of  divine  volition.  But  it 
is  not  true  that  God  is  on  this  account 
chargeable  with  man's  sin  ;  that  all  his 
cautions  and  warnings  arc  of  no  account ; 
and  that  he  is  to  be  "accused"  of  the 
death  of  the  sinner,  if  he  die  eternally. 
If  it  be,  however,  it  is  not  the  doctrine 
of  Universal  Salvation  that  will  free  him 
from  the  charge. 

I  am  surprised,  Sir,  that  you  could  al- 
low yourself  in  this  manner  to  reproach 
your  Maker.  You  cannot  allege  all  these 
things  as  merely  attaching  to  my  system. 
It  is  a  fact  (is  it  nof?)  that  God  did  place 
man  in  circumstances  which  he  certainly 
foreknew  would  issue  in  his  fall ;  and 
that  he  did,  notwithstanding,  caution  and 
warn  him  against  apostasy,  and  still  con- 
tinues to  caution  and  warn  sinners  against 
those  very  sins  which  he  certainly  fore- 
knows they  will  commit :  who,  then,  is 
this  that  dares  to  arraign  his  conduct  and 
to  accuse  him  of  insincerity  ] — Who  that, 
at  one  stroke,  aims  to  sweep  away  the 
accountableness  of  his  creatures,  and  to 
charge  him  with  the  evil  of  their  sin,  on 
account  of  his  having  placed  them  in  such 
circumstances  1 

If  it  be  as  you  insinuate,  it  must  follow 
that  man  is  not  blameworthy  in  all  his 
rebellion  against  his  Maker,  nor  justly 
accountable  tor  any  of  its  consequences. 
Whether  those  consequences  be  eternal, 
makes  nothing  to  the  argument.  Sin,  and 
all  the  evils  which  follow  upon  it,  are, 
by  you,  transferred  from  the  sinner  to 
the  account  of  his  Creator !  State  your 
supposition  witli  reference  to  your  own 
principles  :  "  Suppose  him  about  to  create 
twenty  men  ;  he  knows  ten  of  them  w  ill 
become  vicious,  and,  consequently,  ex- 
posed to  the  tremendous  penalty  of  dam- 
nation/or ages  of  ages.  Who  doubts,  in 
such  a  case,  that  he  wills  that  penalty, 
who,  being  almighty  and  all -knowing, 
does  that  w  ithout  which  it  could  not  come 
to  pass  ;  and  w  ho  will  not  accuse  him  of 
their  damnation — having  sent  them  into 
such  circumstances!"  Thus,  Sir,  you 
undermine  the  justice  of  all  punishment, 
present  and  future,  and  every  principle  of 
•moral  government. 

"Let  no  man  say,  when  he  is  tempted, 


I  am  tempted  of  God."  Yes,  eays  Mr. 
Vidler,  it  is  he,  who,  knowing  all  events 
and  placing  us  in  such  circumstances  as 
he  does,  tliat  is  accountable  !  And  it  is 
of  no  importance,  in  the  consideration  of 
common  sense,  that  he  cautions,  or  lore- 
warns,  us  against    the  evil. 

If  what  you  have  suggested  be  true,  it 
must  also  follow  that  there  is  no  need  of 
a  mediator,  or  of  forgiving  mercy.  W^here 
there  is  no  blame  it  is  an  insult  to  talk  of 
forgiveness,  or  of  the  need  of  a  mediator 
to  effect  a  reconciliation.  All  that  is 
necessary  to  recover  man  is  justice.  If 
the  Creator  only  l)e  accountable  for  the 
evil,  it  belongs  to  him  to  remedy  it. 
Thus,  instead  of  supporting  the  doctrine 
of  Universal  Salvation,  you  undermine  all 
salvation  at  the  very  foundation. 

Think  not  that  you  shall  l.'e  able  to  roll 
away  this  reproach,  which  jou  have  had 
the  temerity  to  charge  on  your  Creator, 
by  suggesting  that  all  the  evil  which  fol- 
lows will  be  ultimately  a  benefit ;  for  still 
it  follows  that  man  has  not  been  blame- 
worthy in  sinning  against  God,  that  God 
has  never  been  sincere  in  his  cautions  and 
warnings,  and  that,  being  accountable  for 
the  whole,  it  is  but  justice  to  man  that  he 
furn  all  to  his  ultimate  advantage  as  a 
recompense  tor  present  injury.  "  He  sent 
his  children  into  the  wood,  it  seems, 
where  he  knew  the  poisonous  fruit  abound- 
ed; and,  though  he  warned  them  against 
it,  yet  he  was  not  in  earnest ;  and  w  hen 
they  had  eaten,  to  the  endangering  of 
their  lives,  he  counteracted  tlie  poison, 
but  was  conscious,  at  the  same  time,  tliat, 
if  there  were  any  fault  in  the  afTair,  it 
was  his  own ;  and  if  the  children  w  ere  to 
perish  he  would  be  justly  accused  of  their 
death."  And  can  you.  Sir,  with  these 
sentiments,  continue  to  disavow  your  in- 
validating the  divine  threatenings  towards 
sinners;  and  concurring  with  him  who 
taught  our  first  parents,  "Ye  shall  not 
surely  diel"  What  better  exposition 
could  the  deceiver  of  mankind  have  wish- 
ed for  than  what  your  words  afTord  1 
"Ye  shall  not  surely  die;"  namely, 
"finally,  or  simply,  or  with  destruction 
irrecoverable."  "For  God  doth  know 
that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then  your 
eyes  shall  be  opened."  "If  death  occur, 
it  is  a  part  of  his  economy  of  grace,  and 
finally  a  ministration  unto  life."  That  is, 
it  shall  prove  a  benefit. 

"  God  hath  sworn  that  he  willeth  not 
the  death  of  him  that  dieth.  That  is,  he 
willeth  it  not  as  death  finally,  or  sim- 
ply, or  destruction  irrecovcralJe."  Death 
simply  and  finally,  then,  means  irrecover- 
able clestruction,  does  it?  But,  if  it  does 
so  in  this  passage,  it  may  in  others ;  and 
then  the  threatenings  of  death,  provided 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


they  were  put  in  execution,  may  mean 
eternal  damnation.  Yea,  if  death,  in  this 
passage,  mean  irrecoverable  destruction, 
it  will  follow  that  some  are  irrecoverably 
destroyed;  for  the  death  in  which  God 
taketh  no  pleasure,  whatever  it  be,  the 
sinner  is  supposed  to  suffer — He  hath  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth. 
God  taketh  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of 
him  that  dieth,  in  the  same  sense  as  he 
doth  not  afflict  loillingly,  nor  grieve  the 
childi*en  of  men.  It  does  not  mean  that 
he  doth  not  afflict  them,  for  this  is  con- 
trary to  fact ;  but  he  doth  not  afflict  for 
affliction's  sake,  or  for  any  pleasure  that 
he  takes  in  putting  his  creatures  to  pain. 
In  all  his  dealings  with  sinners  he  acts 
like  a  good  magistrate,  who  never  pun- 
ishes from  caprice,  but  for  a  good  end  ; 
in  many  cases  for  the  correction  of  the 
party,  and  in  all  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity. 

To  your  second  maxim  I  have  no  ob- 
jection— "  That,  whatever  God  does,  is 
intended  by  his  goodness,  conducted  by 
his  wisdom,  and  accomplished  by  his 
power."  But  your  application  of  it  is 
inadmissible.  Some  parts  of  it  are  tri- 
fling; others  rest  on  unfounded  assump- 
tions ;  and  others  are  adapted  to  over- 
throw all  future  punishment. 

First :  The  greater  part  of  it  is  mere 
trijling. — Whoever  supposed  that  eter- 
nal punishment,  or  any  punishment,  was 
a  benefit  to  God,  or  even  a  pleasure  to 
him,  or  any  holy  beings,  for  its  own  sakel 
Or  who  pretends  that  it  is  inflicted 
for  the  honor,  pleasure,  or  benefit  of  the 
sinner  1 

Secondly  :  Some  parts  of  it  which  ob- 
ject to  endless  punishment,  because  it 
cannot  be  for  the  honor  of  God  or  the  ben- 
efit of  creatures,  proceed  altogether  upon 
unfounded  assumptions. — The  only  proof 
you  have  offered  for  the  first  branch  of 
this  position  is  naked  assertion,  "  that 
every  unsophisticated  heart  would  so  de- 
termine." Suppose,  I  say,  every  unso- 
phisticated heart  Avould  determine  the 
contrary,  my  assertion  would  prove  as 
much  as  yours  :  and,  I  may  add,  if  our 
hearts  be  sophisticated,  it  must  be  by 
malignity,  or  the  wish  of  having  our  fel- 
low-creatures miserable  ;  which,  I  imag- 
ine, you  will  not  generally  impute  to  us. 
But,  if  your  hearts  be  sophisticated,  it  is 
m\ich  more  easily  accounted  for.  The  de- 
cision of  sinful  creatures,  in  such  a  case 
as  this,  is  like  that  of  a  company  of  crim- 
inals, who  should  sit  in  judgment  on  the 
nature  of  the  penalties  to  which  they  are 
exposed  ;  whose  prejudices  are  much  more 
likely  to  cause  them  to  err  on  the  favor- 
able than  on  the  vuifavorable  side. — The 
second  branch  of  this  position  is  as  unsup- 


ported as  the  first.  Only  one  reason  is  al- 
leged, and  that  is  far  from  being  an  ac- 
knowledged truth  ;  viz.  That  no  possible 
good  can  arise  to  society  from  the  punish- 
ment of  sinners,  but  that  of  safety.  Com- 
mon sense  and  universal  experience  teach 
us  that  this  is  not  the  only  end  of  punish- 
ment. Israel  might  have  been  safe,  if  Pha- 
raoh and  his  host  had  not  been  drowned  ; 
yet  they  were  drowned.  Was  safety  the 
only  end  answered  to  the  world  by  the 
overtlirow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  1  or 
were  they  not  rather  set  forth  for  an  ex- 
ample 1  Is  it  only  for  the  safety  of  socie- 
ty that  a  murderer  is  publicly  executed  1 
That  end  would  be  equally  answered  by 
perpetual  imprisonment,  or  banishment,  or 
a  private  execution  :  but  there  would  be 
wanting  an  example  to  express  the  dis- 
pleasure of  a  good  government  against 
crimes,  and  to  impress  the  public  mind 
with  it. 

Thirdly  :  Most  of  what  you  say  on  this 
subject,  if  admitted,  would  overturn  all 
future  punishment.  You  might  ask, 
Would  it  be  honorable  to  God  to  have  any 
of  his  creatures  miserable,  for  ages  of  ages, 
rather  than  happy  1  Would  it  be  a  great- 
er pleasure  1  Benefit  he  can  have  none  ; 
for  there  is  no  profit  in  their  blood.  As  to 
the  punished,  future  punishment  can  be 
neither  honor  nor  pleasure  to  them  :  and, 
if  their  salvation  could  be  accomplished 
without  it,  it  cannot  be  any  beneflt  to  them. 
If  they  may  not  be  saved  without  it,  it  must 
be  either  because  there  was  not  efficacy 
enough  in  the  blood  of  Christ  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  or  else  that  "  the  full  efficacy  of  the 
atonement  was  withheld  by  the  divine  de- 
termination." As  to  fellow-creatures,  can 
the  future  punishment  of  any  of  the  human 
race  be  an  honor  to  them  1  Who  ever 
thought  it  an  honor  to  him  that  any  of  his 
family  were  punished  in  any  way  1  Is  it 
not  a  dishonor  to  human  nature  at  large  to 
be  sent  to  hell  1  Can  any  creature  have 
pleasure  in  the  punishment  of  another  1 
Would  not  every  benevolent  mind  possess 
a  greater  pleasure  in  seeing  sinners  con- 
verted and  saved,  without  going  to  hell, 
than  to  see  them  condemned  to  weeping, 
and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth, /or  ages 
of  ages  1  Benefit  they  can  have  none,  ex- 
cept safety ;  and  that  is  better  answered 
by  their  enmity  being  conquered  in  the 
present  life.  As,  then,  future  torments 
can  answer  no  possible  good  end  to  any 
one  in  the  universe,  I  conclude  them  to  be 
neither  the  work  nor  the  will  of  God  ;  and 
consequently,  not  the  doctrine  of  Scrip- 
ture ! 

You  "  think  there  is  a  vast  difference, 
indeed,  in  the  nature  of  future  blessedness 
and  future  punishment ;  such  as  fully  to 
justify  us  in  giving  a  very  different  sense 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLEIl. 


359 


to  the  word  ctorniil,  when  aj)pliccl  to  those 
sulyerts." — p.  331.  It  imiy  lioso  ;  but  your 
thouglits  prove  notl»in;j;.  "Sin  and  mise- 
ry," you  say  "  have  no  root  or  (ouiuhition 
in  God  ;  and,  tiiereforc,  must  come  to  an 
end."  A  while  ai^o  tiicy  seemed  to  have 
their  sole  root  in  liim,  so  much  so  as  to  ex- 
clude the  accountal)leness  of  creatures  ; 
but,  alhiwin;jc  they  iiave  not,  tliis  intcronce 
is  a  more  creature  of  tlie  imairination. 
Reduce  your  argument  to  form,  and  see 
wliat  it  will  amount  to : — 

Wiiatevor  has  its  root  in  tlic  creature 
must  come  to  an  end  : 

But  sin  and  misery  have  their  root  in 
the  creature  : 

Therefore,  sin  and  misery  must  come  to 
an  end. 

Now  what  i)roof,  I  ask,  have  you  for 
your  major  proposition  1  None  at  all.  It 
is  an  argument,  therefore,  without  any 
medium  of  proof,  founded  upon  mere  im- 
airination. Another,  with  equal  plausibili- 
ty, might  imagine  that,  as  sin  and  misery 
had  tiieir  origin  in  the  present  state,  they 
will  also  terminate  in  the  j)rcscnt  state; 
and,  consequently,  that  there  will  be  no  fu- 
ture punishment.  And  another  might 
imagine  that,  as  the  acts  of  human  beings 
are  i)crformod  within  a  few  years,  the  ef- 
fects of  them  upon  society  cannot  extend 
much  farther;  and,  consetjueatly,  it  is  ab- 
surd to  suppose  that  a  whole  nation  still 
feels  the  consecpionce  of  what  was  trans- 
acted in  a  few  hours  at  Jerusalem,  neai'ly 
1800  years  ago;  and  a  whole  world,  of 
what  was  wrought,  perhaps,  in  less  time 
in  the  garden  of  Eden.  In  short,  there 
are  no  bounds  to  the  imagination,  and  will 
be  no  end  to  its  absurdities,  if  it  go  on  in 
this  direction.  If,  instead  of  taking  our 
religion  from  the  Bible,  we  labor  to  form 
a  system  from  our  own  ideas  of  fitness  and 
unfitness,  and  interpret  the  Bible  accord- 
ingly, there  will  be  no  end  of  our  wander- 
ings. 

Because  all  judgment  is  committed  to 
the  Son,  you  conclude  that  future  punish- 
ment has  its  origin  in  mercy,  and  will  end 
in  eternal  salvation.  To  this  I  answer, 
First:  If  it  be  owing  to  the  mediation  of 
Christ  that  punislunont  should  be  a  work 
of  mercy,  this  is  allowing  that,  if  no  medi- 
ator had  been  provided,  it  must  liave  heen 
the  reverse.  But,  if  so,  all  your  argu- 
ments against  eternal  punishment  from  the 
divine  perfections,  and  all  your  attempts 
to  maintain  that  the  original  meaning  of 
the  divine  threatenings  never  include  this 
idea,  are  given  up.  Secondly:  If  whatso- 
ever is  done  by  Christ  in  his  mediatorial 
capacity  shall  terminate  on  his  delivering 
up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  the  re- 
wards of  the  righteous,  as  well  as  the  pun- 
ishments of  the  wicked,  must,  at  that  pe- 


riod, come  to  an  end  :  tor  he  will  equally 
confer  the  one  as  indict  the  other.  The 
"  execution  of  judgment  "  committed  to 
the  Son  denotes,  not  merely  the  carrying 
into  execution  of  the  sentence  at  the  last 
day,  but  the  general  administration  of 
God's  moral  government,  both  in  this 
world  and  that  which  is  to  come. — See. 
Jer.  xxiii.  5;  xxxiii.  15;  Matthew  xii. 
18—20. 

You  talk  of  our  "ascribing  a  proper 
eternity  to  sin  and  misery,  as  if  we  con- 
sidered sin  and  misery  to  be  necessarily 
eternal.  The  existence  of  intelligent 
creatures  is  no  more  eternal  than  their 
moral  qualities  or  sensations;  and  there- 
fore it  would  lie  improper  to  ascribe  eter- 
nity either  to  the  one  or  tiie  other  :  but,  if 
God  perpetuates  the  existence  of  intelli- 
gent beings  to  an  endless  duration,  he  may 
also  perpetuate  their  moral  qualities  to 
the  same  extent,  whether  they  originated 
with  their  existence  or  were  acquired  at 
any  subsequent  period.  Holiness  and 
happiness,  in  respect  to  creatures,  are  not 
necessarily  eternal,  any  more  than  sin  and 
misery  ;  and,  in  this  view,  it  would  be  as 
improper  to  ascribe  eternity  to  the  purity 
and  blessedness  of  the  saved  as  to  the  sin 
and  misery  of  the  lost,  seeing  that  the 
endless  duration  of  l)otli  depends  upon  the 
will  of  God.  You  speak  of  the  "  life  and 
blessedness  of  holy  beings,  as  having  their 
root  and  foundation  in  God;  and  that, 
being  thus  grounded  in  him,  they  will  l)e, 
like  him,  eternal  in  duration."  But  this 
position  is  contrary  to  fact  ;  for  was  not 
"  God  the  source  and  proper  spring  both 
of  the  life  and  blessedness"  of  the  unsin- 
ning  angels  1  Yet  they  "  kept  not  their 
first  estate,"  but  lost  their  blessedness,  and 
"  are  reserved  in  chains  of  darkness  unto 
the  judgment  of  the  great  day."  The 
life  and  blessedness  of  man,  in  a  state  of 
innocence,  had  their  origin  in  God,  as  well 
as  those  of  saints  and  angels  :  yet  they 
were  not,  on  this  account,  like  their  Au- 
thor, "  eternal  in  duration."  To  make 
such  an  assertion  is,  "to  say  the  least  of 
it,  an  unguarded  mode  of  expression :" 
but,  more  than  this,  it  is  contrary  to  fact, 
and  tends  to  lessen  the  dependence  of 
creatures  upon  God  as  the  constant  author 
of  all  their  happiness.  The  argument  to 
prove  that  sin  and  misery  cannot  be  eter- 
nal is  the  counterpart  of  the  above  posi- 
tion; and,  of  course,  it  is  equally  falla- 
cious. 

"  Sin  and  misery  being  contrary  to  the 
holiness  and  benevolence  of  God,  they 
must,"  it  seems,  "  come  to  an  end." 
Such  an  assertion  is  soon  made ;  but 
where  is  the  proof?  A  little  more  as- 
surance might  lead  another  to  say  that 
sin   and  misery,   being   contrary   to   the 


360 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


.holiness  and  benevolence  of  God,  cannot 
exist  in  a  future  state  :  and,  were  it  not 
for  the  awful  evidence  of  facts,  another 
might  assert  that  sin  and  misery  do  not 
now  exist ;  for,  in  theoi-y,  it  would  be  as 
easy  to  prove  that  the  present  existence 
of  sin  and  misery  is  as  contrary  to  the 
holiness  and  benevolence  of  God  as  their 
existence  in  future  ;  and  that  their  exist- 
ence in  future,  for  ages  of  ages,  is  as 
contrary  to  the  holiness  and  benevolence 
of  God  as  their  existence  to  an  endless 
duration.  By  such  kind  of  reasoning, 
some  men  have  become  atheists,  because 
they  cannot  reconcile  the  present  state 
of  things  with  their  ideas  of  a  superin- 
tending power,  possessed  of  infinite  holi- 
ness and  benevolence  :  and  I  cannot  but 
tremble  for  the  man  who  begins  to  travel 
in  this  unwary  path,  by  measuring  the 
divine  administration  by  his  own  unhal- 
lowed notions  of  moral  litness. 

If  your  attempts  to  prove  that  all  judg- 
ment is  a  work  of  mercy,  and  yet  that 
there  maybe  "judgment  without  mercy," 
should  prove  fruitless,  it  is  no  more  than 
maybe  expected;  for  the  thing  itself  is 
a  contradiction.  "The  Scriptures  afford 
instances  of  punishment  and  pardon  to 
the  same  persons,  and  for  the  same  sins," 
(p.  337  :)  but  was  this  punishment  "Avith- 
out  mercyl"  "Judgment  and  mercy  were 
united  in  God's  dealings  with  Jerusalem." 
— p.  338.  Granted :  but,  for  this  very 
reason,  it  could  not  be  "judgment  with- 
out mercy."  You  might  as  well  allege 
the  union  of  wisdom  and  righteousness 
in  all  the  works  of  God  as  a  proof  that 
there  are  some  works  in  which  wisdom 
will  be  exercised  without  righteousness  ! 


LETTER  VIII. 

A    FARTHER    EXAMINATION    OF    MR.   VID- 
LER's   scheme,  WITH    REPLIES    TO   HIS 

animadversions. 

Sir, 

I  DO  not  know  whether  I  fully  under- 
stand your  remarks  on  proper  eternity. — 
p.  364.  It  is  certainly  one  of  those  ideas  in 
which  the  human  mind  is  easily  lost ;  as 
it  infinitely  surpasses  our  comprehension  : 
but  whether  "the  Scriptures  have  re- 
vealed any  thing  past  or  to  come,  besides 
what  is  connected  with  successive  dura- 
tion," and  whether  we  be  "left  to  infer 
a  proper  eternity  only  from  the  nature  of 
deity,"  are  other  questions.  You  will 
allow  that  the  Scriptures  attribute  a  prop- 
er eternity  to  the  Divine  Being,  and  to 


his  all -comprehending  purposes,  which,  I 
should  think,  is  not  leaving  us  to  infer  it 
from  his  nature.  They  speak  also  of  a 
period  when  "God  shall  be  all  in  all;" 
when  the  end  cometh  ;  and  of  the  "  end 
of  all  things"  being  at  hand.  They  like- 
Avise  promise  an  inheritance  that  shall 
"be  without  end."  I  should  think,  there- 
fore, that  this  inheritance,  of  which  the 
New  Testament  speaks  very  fully,  cannot 
be  said  to  be  connected  with  successive 
duration ;  not  so  connected,  at  least,  as 
to  be  commensurate  with  it. 

By  successive  duration  being  ended  I 
meant  no  more  than  what  I  apprehended 
you  must  mean  by  the  cessation  of  day  and 
night  (p.  8,)  and  the  state  of  things  when 
Christ  shall  have  delivered  up  the  kingdom 
to  the  Father.  Strictly  speaking,  it  may 
be  true  that  the  idea  of  successive  dura- 
tion necessarily  attaches,  and  ever  will  at- 
tach, to  the  existence  of  creatures  ;  and 
that  none  but  God  can  be  said  to  exist 
without  it  :  but  there  is  a  period,  by  your 
own  acknowledgment,  when  the  states  of 
creatures  will  be  forever  fixed  ;  and  if,  at 
this  period,  sinners  be  doomed  to  everlast- 
ing punishment,  the  term  "everlasting" 
must  be  vmderstood  to  mean  endless  du- 
ration. This  period  I  conceive  to  be  at  the 
last  judgment :  you  extend  it  to  ages  be- 
yond it.  Here,  therefore,  is  our  differ- 
ence. I  did  not  allege  Rev.  X  6,  in  favor 
of  there  being  an  end  of  time.  I  did  not 
apprehend  it  needed  proof.  Your  formal 
answer  to  it,  therefore,  is  only  removing 
an  objection  of  your  own  creating;  and,  if 
designed  to  prove  that  time  will  have  no 
end,  it  is  as  contrary  to  your  own  avowed 
principles  as  to  mine. 

You  contend  that  "  the  day  of  judgment 
is  not  the  finishing  period  of  Christ's  king- 
dom ;"  for  which  you  offer  a  number  of 
reasons.  To  the  greater  part  of  them  I 
have  already  replied.  The  rest  I  shall 
briefly  consider  : — 

"  This  earth  (which  is  to  be  the  hell  of 
wicked  men,  2  Pet.  iii.  7 — 13)  is  to  be  re- 
newed, whereby  hell  itself  will  be  no 
more." — p.  365.  If  this  gloss  will  bear 
the  test,  you  have  certainly,  for  once,  hit 
upon  a  clear  proof  of  your  point ;  for  none 
can  imagine  the  conflagration  to  be  eter- 
nal. But,  first :  The  Scriptures  speak  of 
a  hell  already  existing,  wherein  the  angels 
who  kept  not  their  first  estate  are  "  re- 
served in  everlasting  chains,  under  dark- 
ness, unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day  ;" 
and  in  which  the  departed  spirits  of  wicked 
men, "  lift  up  their  eyes,  being  in  torment;" 
and  intimate  that  this,  whatsoever  and 
wherever  it  be,  will  be  the  hell  of  ungodly 
men  :  for  they  are  doomed  to  depart  into 
everlasting  fire,  "  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels."     But  this  cannot  be  upon 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    TIDLKR. 


361 


earth,  as  its  present  condition  does   not 
admit  of  it. 

Secondly  :  If  the  earth,  as  being  dis- 
solved by  tire,  is  to  be  the  hell  of  ungodly 
men,  their  punisiinicnt  must  precede  the 
day  of  judgment,  instead  of  following  it  : 
for  the  conHagration  is  uniformly  repre- 
sented as  prior  to  that  event.  It  is  de- 
scribed not  as  your  scheme  supposes,  as 
taking  place  a  thousand  years  after  Christ's 
second  coming,  but  as  attending  it.  The 
"  dav  of  the  Lord's  coming  "  is  the  same 
as  "  the  day  of  God,"  wliich  Christians 
look  for  and  hasten  to ;  "wherein  the  hea- 
vens, being  on  fire,  shall  be  dissolved. — 
Our  God  shall  come,  and  shall  not  keep 
silence  :  a  fire  shall  devour  before  him, 
and  it  shall  be  very  tempestuous  round 
about  him  ;"  and  all  this  previous  to  his 
giving  orders  for  liis  saints  to  be  *'  gather- 
ed unto  him."  And  thus  we  are  taught, 
by  the  apostle  Paul,  that  "  the  Lord  Jesus 
shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  injlaviing 
fire.''— 2  Pet.  ii.  7.  12,  13;  Psa.  1; 
Thes.  i.7,  S. 

Thirdly  :  I  appeal  to  the  judgment  of 
the  impartial  reader,  whether  by  the  jaer- 
f/(7!0>i  of  ungodly  men,  be  not  meant  the 
destruction  of  their  lives,  and  not  their 
souls?  It  is  spoken  of  in  connexion  with 
the  deluge,  and  intimated  that,  as  the  un- 
godly were  then  destroyed  from  the  face  of 
the  earth  by  water,  in  like  manner  they 
should  now  be  destroyed  by  fire. 

You  i)lead  the  promise  that,  "every 
knee  shall  bow  to  Christ,"  and  consider 
this  as  inconsistent  with  "  a  stubborn  knee, 
even  in  hell."  But  the  question  is, 
Whether  the  bowing  of  the  knee  to  Christ 
be  necessarily  expressive  of  a  voluntary 
and  holy  sul)mission  to  him.  The  same 
inspired  writer  applies  the  language  to  that 
universal  conviction  which  shall  be  pro- 
duced at  the  last  judgment,  when  every 
mouth  will  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world 
become  guilty  before  God.  "  We  shall  all 
stand,"  saith  he,  "before  the  judgment- 
seat  of  Christ :  for  it  is  written,  As  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord,  every  knee  shall  bow  to 
me,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess  to 
God."— Rom.  xiv.  10—1-2.  But  you  will 
not  pretend  that  every  knee  will,  in  that 
day,  bow  to  Christ  in  a  way  of  voluntary 
submission. 

"All  things,"  you  allege,  "are  to  be 
reconciled  to  the  Father  by  the  blood  of 
the  cross  :  but,  while  any  continue  in  en- 
mity against  God,  this  can  never  be  per- 
formed."— p.  364.  You  refer,  I  supi)ose, 
to  Col.  i.  20.  But  if  the  reconciliation  of 
things  in  earth,  and  things  in  heaven,  de- 
note the  salvation  of  all  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven  and  earth,  it  would  follow:  (1) 
That  the  holy  angels  are  saved  as  well  as 
the  unholy;  though,  in  fact,  they  never 

VOL.  I.  46 


sinned.  (2)  That  when  the  apostle  adds, 
"  And  you  that  were  sometime  alienated, 
and  enemies  in  your  minds  by  wicked 
works,  yet  now  hath  he  reconciled,"  he 
deals  in  unmeaning  tautology.  Things  in 
heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  were  at  vari- 
ance through  sin.  Men  becoming  the  en- 
emies of  God,  all  his  faithful  subjects  and 
all  the  works  of  his  hands  were  at  war 
with  them ;  yea  they  were  at  variance 
wiih  each  other.  But,  through  the  blood 
of  Christ,  all  things  are  reconciled ;  and, 
under  his  headship,  all  made  to  sub- 
serve the  present  and  everlasting  good  of 
them  who  believe  in  him.  Such  appears 
to  me  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  passage, 
and  it  involves  neither  of  the  foregoing  ab- 
surdities. 

"Christ,"  you  add,  "is  to  rule  till  his 
enemies  are  subdued  ;  till  there  be  no  au- 
thority, power,  or  dominion,  but  what  shall 
be  subservient  to  him  ;  till  death,  the  last 
enemy  shall  be  destroyed  ;  and,  as  the 
wages  of  sin  is  death,  the  second  death 
must  be  here  included." — p.  365.  This 
language,  which  is  taken  from  1  Cor.  xv. 
is  manifestly  used  in  reference  to  the  res- 
urrection of  the  bodies  of  those  that  sleep 
in  Jesus,  which  is  an  event  that  precedes 
the  last  judgment ;  for  "  when  this  corrup- 
tible shall  have  put  on  incorruption — then 
shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is 
written.  Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victo- 
ry," which  is  the  same  thing  as  the  last  ene- 
my beinp;destroued.  And  "  then  cometh  the 
end,"  the  last  judgment,  and  the  last  wind- 
ing-up of  all  things,  "  ivhen  he  shall  have 
delivered  up  the  kingdom  to  God  even  the 
Father  ;  w  hen  he  shall  have  put  down  all 
rule,  and  all  authority,  and  power." — ver. 
24,  25.  For  you  to  interpret  this  lan- 
guage of  things  that  are  to  follow  the  last 
judgment,  and  to  say  that  it  must  include 
the  second  death,  proves  nothing  but  the 
dire  necessity  to  which  your  system  re- 
duces you. 

"  Finally :  the  character  of  God  is 
LOVE  ;  which  is  expressly  against  the  hor- 
rible idea  of  the  endless  misery  of  any  of 
his  rational  creatures." — p.  395.  So,  Sir, 
you  are  pleased  to  assert.  Another  might 
from  the  same  premises  infer  that  the 
punislimcnt  of  any  of  his  rational  creatures 
in  hell,  for  ages  of  ages,  where  there  shall 
be  weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of 
teeth  (and  this  notwithstanding  the  death 
of  his  Son,  and  the  omnipotence  of  his 
grace,  which  surely  was  able  to  have  saved 
them  from  it,)  is  horrible  and  incredible! 
Is  it  inconsistent  with  the  i)enevolence  of 
a  supreme  magistrate  that  he  dooms  cer- 
tain characters" to  death  T  Rather,  is  it  not 
an  exercise  of  his  benevolence  1  Should  a 
malefactor  persuade  himself  and  his  com- 
panions in  guilt  that  Hii  Majesty  cannot 


362 


LETTERS    TO      MR.    VIDLER. 


possibly  consent  to  their  execution,  with-  of  the  devil ;  or  else  that  the  full  efficacy 
out  ceasing  to  be  that  lovely  and  good  cha-  of  the  atonement  is  withheld  by  the  divine 
racter  for  which  he  has  been  famed,  would  determination."  It  has  been  already  ob- 
not  his  reasoning  be  as  false  in  itself  as  it  served,  and  I  hope  proved,  that  the  scrip- 
was  injurious  to  the  king  1  Nay  ;  would  ture  phrases,  making  an  end  of  sin,  &c., 
it  not  be  inimical  to  his  own  interest  and  convey  no  such  idea  as  you  attach  to  them, 
that  of  his  fellow  criminals  ;  as,  by  raising  — p.  264.  And  as  to  your  dilemma,  to 
a  delusive  hope,  they  are  prevented  from  which  you  ascribe  great  "  weight,"  I  an- 
making  a  proper  and  timely  application  to  swer  again,  you  need  be  under  no  appre- 
the  throne  for  mercy  1  hension  of  my  limiting  the  power  of  God, 

Such  are  your  reasons  for  successive  or  the  efficacy  of  the  Saviour's  blood  ;  and, 
duration  and  final  salvation  after  the  last  if  I  say  that  both  the  one  and  the  other 
judgment ;  but,  whether  they  ought  to  are  applied  under  the  limitations  of  his 
satisfy  any  other  person,  let  the  reader  own  infinite  wisdom,  I  say  not  only  what 
judge.  I  shall  close  with  replies  to  a  few  the  Scriptures  abundantly  teach,  but  what 
of  your  animadversions.  you  yourself  must  admit.     Can  you  pre- 

Your  misrepresentation  of  what  I  had  tend  that  your  scheme  represents  God  as 
advanced  concerning  the  Jews  as  a  distinct  doing  all  he  can  do,  and  as  bestowing  all 
nation,  I  should  hope,  needs  no  correction.  Ihe  mercy  which  the  efficacy  of  the  Sa- 
If  any  of  your  readers  can  mistake  what  viour's  blood  has  rendered  consistent  1  If 
you  have  said  for  a  just  statement  of  the  so,  you  must  believe  that  God  cannot  con- 
views,  or  an  answer  to  the  argument,  of  vert  more  than  he  actually  does  in  the 
your  opponent,  they  are  beyond  the  reach  present  life,  and  that  the  efficacy  of  the 
of  reasoning.  blood  of  Christ  is  not  equal  to  the  saving 

You  inferred,  from  what  was  God's  end  of  more  than  a  part  of  mankind  from  the 
in  punishing  Isi-ael  in  the  present  life,  that    second  death. 

(seeing  lie  was  an  immutable  being)  it  must  You  think  that  "  the  Scripture  is  not  si- 
be  the  same  in  his  punishing  others  in  the  lent  concerning  the  future  emendation  of 
life  to  come. — pp.  43,  44.  I  answ'ered,  the  ancient  Sodomites  ;"  and  refer  me  to 
"  That  I  might  as  well  infer  from  what  Ezek.  xvi.  44 — 63,  arguing  that  "  Sodom 
appears  to  be  his  end  in  punishing  Pharaoh  and  her  daughters  must  be  taken  literally 
and  Sodom  i?i  the  present  life,  which  was  for  the  city  of  Sodom,  and  the  neighbor- 
not  their  good,  but  the  good  of  others,  ing  cities  of  the  plain ;  that  the  prophecy 
that  such  will  be  the  end  of  future  punish-  must  refer  to  the  very  persons  who  were 
ment." — p.  261.  You  reply  by  sttjsjjosmg-  destroyed,  seeing  they  left  no  descendants  ; 
that  these  characters  were  destroyed  for  and  that  there  is  the  same  reason  to  ex- 
their  good. — p.  367.  What,  in  the  pre-  pect  the  restoration  of  Sodom  as  the  fulfil- 
sent  life  1  No  ;  but  in  the  life  to  come  !  ment  of  God's  gracious  promises  towards 
And  do  you  call  this  reasoning  1  Jerusalem." — p.  368.     But,  if  your  inter- 

You  say,  "  If  any  be  finally  incorrigible,  pretation  prove  any  thing,  it  will  prove — ■ 
it  must  be  in  consequence  of  the  divine  I  will  not  say  too  much,  but  too  little.  It 
purpose,  or  else  the  purpose  of  God  has  will  prove,  not  that  the  ancient  Sodomites 
been  frustrated."  I  have  in  my  last  letter  will  be  saved  from  "  the  vengeance  of  eter- 
replied  to  the  substance  of  this  dilemma,  nal  fire,"  and  introduced  into  the  heaven- 
I  may  add,  you  need  be  under  no  appre-  ly  world,  but,  barely,  that  they  are  to  re- 
hension  that  I  shall  be  tempted  to  give  up  turn  to  their  former  estate. — ver.  55.  And 
the  infrustrableness  of  the  divine  purpose  ;  do  you  seriously  think  that  after  the  last 
and  if  I  admit  tliat  God,  in  just  judgment,  judgment  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
has  purposed  to  give  some  men  up  to  rah,  of  Samaria  and  Jerusalem,  will  be  re- 
stumble,  and  fall,  and  perish,  it  is  no  more  built,  and  repossessed  by  their  ancient  in- 
than  the  Scriptures  al)undantly  teach,  habitants  1  If  so,  it  is  time  for  me  to  lay 
You  talk  of  the  "  last  state  of  a  creature    down  my  pen. 

according  with  the  divine  purpose  :"  but  The  former  part  of  the  above  passage 
I  know  of  no  evidence  for  this  which  does 
not  equally  apply  to  every  state.  If  you 
be  tempted  to  ask,  "  Why  doth  he  yet 
find  fault ;  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will  1" 
you  may  possibly  recollect  that  these 
questions  have  been  asked  before,  and  an- 


(ver.  46 — 59)  I  apprehend  to  be  no  promise, 
but  the  language  of  keen  reproof;  and  in- 
stead of  intimating  a  return  to  either  So- 
dom or  Jerusalem,  the  latter  is  reasoned 
with  on  the  footing  of  her  own  deserts,  and 
told  in  effect  not  to  expect  it  any  more 


swered  too ;  and  it  may  be  of  use   to  you  than  the  former.*     The  latter  part  (ver. 

to  study  the  answer.  60 — 63)  contains  the  language  of  free  mer- 

Akin  to  this  is  your  dilemma,."  That  cy ;  not,  however,  towards  the  same  indi- 
God  cannot  or  will  not  make   an  end  of 

siu;  that  there  is   not   efficacy   enough  in  *  See  ;i  similar  kiml   of   phraseology   in  Jer. 

thy  blwud  ©f  Christ  to  destroy    ti>o  wwrks  ''x'^"'-  19—26. 


LETTERS    TO    MR.    VIDLER. 


3G3 


Ti(iual6  against  whom  the  threatenings  are 
directed,  but  to  their  distant  posterity, 
who,  under  the  gospel  dispensation,  siiouUl 
be  brought  home  to  God;  and,  by  a  new 
and  better  covenajit,  liave  the  Gentiles 
given  to  them.  The  conversion  of  the 
heathen  is  expressed  by  tliis  kind  of  lan- 
guage more  than  once;  as  by  "  bringing 
again  the  captivity  of  Moab,  of  Elam,  and 
of  the  diildrcn  of  Amnion  in  the  latter 
days." — Jer.  xlviii.  47;  xlix.  6.  39. 

You  "have  not  discernment  enough," 
it  seems,  "  to  j)crccive  the  gross  absurdi- 
ty "  of  maintaining  that  there  can  be  no 
diversity  in  luture  punishment  unless  it  be 
in  duration  ;  that  is,  that  the  reflections  of 
sinners  on  their  past  life  must  all  be  ex- 
actly the  same.  It  may  be  so  ;  but  I  can- 
not help  it .  Your  answer  amounts  to  this  : 
Diversity  of  degrees  in  future  punishment 
may  be  accounted  for  by  varying  the  dura- 
tion of  it;  "for  every  one  knows  there 
needs  not  so  much  time  to  inflict  a  hun- 
dred stripes  as  to  inflict  ten  times  that 
number."  Therefore,  that  must  be  the 
way,  and  the  only  way  ;  and,  if  you  do  not 
admit  it,  you  "  confound  all  degrees  of 
punishment,  in  giving  infinite  punishment 
to  all."— pp.  42.  264.  369. 

You  believe,  you  say,  that  "  those  who 
die  in  their  sins  cannot  go  where  Christ 
is."  You  must  mean  to  say  merely  that 
they  cannot  follow  him  now,  but  shall  fol- 
low him  AFTERWARDS.  Such  things,  in- 
deed, are  said  of  Christ's  friends,  but  not 
of  his  enemies. 

You  have  represented  me  as  maintain- 
ing that  all  punishment  clashes  with  the 
benevolence  "  both  of  God  and  his  people." 
I  have  said  no  such  thing  concerning  God  : 
and  if  we  were  equally  wise  and  righteous, 
and  equally  concerned  to  guard  the  in- 
terests of  the  universe,  as  he  is,  we  should 
be,  in  all  respects,  of  the  same  mind  with 
hira.     The  misery  which  I  suppose  true 


benevolence  to  clash  with  is  misery  inflict- 
ed lor  its  own  sake  ;  and  to  this,  whether 
it  be  temporary  or  endless,  it  is  alike  ab- 
horrent. God  has  also  made  it  owr  duty, 
while  sinners  arc  not  his  confirmed  ene- 
mies, to  do  ail  in  our  power  to  preserve 
their  lives,  and  save  their  souls  :  but  He 
is  not  obliged  to  do  all  that  he  can  to  these 
ends,  nor  docs  he.  Temporary  punish- 
ment, you  contend,  may  consist  with  be- 
nevolence, "because  it  is  directed  to  a 
good  and  glorious  end  :"  and  do  I  contend 
for  endless  punislimcnt  on  any  other  prin- 
ciple 1  If  you  can  form  no  idea  of  an  end 
that  is  good  and  glorious,  save  that  which 
respects  "  the  amendment  of  the  sufferer," 
it  does  not  follow  that  no  sucii  end  exists. 
A  murderer,  contemplating  his  approach- 
ing exit,  might  be  so  much  absorbed  in  the 
love  of  himself  as  to  be  of  your  opinion  ; 
but  the  community  would  not. 

Whether  I  have  entered  into  the  "merits 
of  the  cause,"  or  conducted  the  contro- 
versy in  a  becoming  "  spirit,"  I  consider 
it  as  no  part  of  my  province  to  determine. 
The  impartial  reader  will  judge  whether 
I  have  dealt  in  "soft  words,  or  hard  argu- 
ments ;"  and  if,  in  this  particular,  I  have 
been  so  happy  as  to  follow  your  counsel, 
whether  I  liave  not  been  obliged  to  deviate 
from  your  example.  On  this  account,  I 
shall  be  excused  from  taking  any  notice  of 
your  animadversions  on  these  subjects, 
together  with  those  of  your  new  ally,  the 
"  Hoxton  Student,"  unless  it  be  to  thank 
you  for  affording  additional  proof  of  the 
justness  of  my  remark,  That  Socinians 
rejoice  in  the  spread  of  Universalism. 

Whether  tlie  kingdom  of  heaven  be  pre- 
pared for  all  men,  or  not,  that  you  and  I 
may  so  agonize,  in  the  present  life,  as,  at 
last  to  enter  in,  is  the  desire  and  prayer  of 
your  sincere  well-Avisher, 

A.  F. 


GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION, 

'  OB 

THE  DUTY  OF  SINNERS  TO  BELIEVE  IN  JESUS  CHRIST. 

WITH    CORRECTIONS   AND    ADDITIONS. 

TO   WHICH   IS   ADDED 

AN    APPENDIX, 

ON   THE    NECESSITY    OP    A    HOLY    DISPOSITION    IN    ORDER    TO    BELIEVING 

IN    CHRIST. 


"Go, ...  .  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  :  he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved  ;  but  he  that  believelh  not  ehall  be  damned ! " 

Jesus  Christ. 


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TO    THE 

SECOND    EDITION. 


The  author  had  no  thoughts  of  reprinting  the  present  publication  till  he  was 
repeatedly  requested  to  do  so  from  very  respectable  quarters. 

The  corrections  and  additions,  which  form  a  considerable  part  of  this  edition,  are 
such  as,  after  a  lapse  of  fifteen  years,  the  writer  thought  it  proper  to  make.  It  would 
be  inexcusable  for  him  to  have  lived  all  this  time  without  gaining  any  additional  light 
by  what  he  has  seen  and  heard  upon  the  subject :  and  still  more  so  to  publish  a  Sec- 
ond Edition  without  doing  all  in  his  power  towards  improving  it.  The  omissions, 
however,  which  also  are  considerable,  are  not  always  owing  to  a  disapprobation  of 
the  sentiment,  but  to  other  things  presenting  themselves  which  appeared  to  be  more 
immediately  in  point. 


PREFACE. 


When  tlie  following  pages  were  written,  (1781.)  tiie  autiior  had  no  intention  of  pub- 
lishing them.  He  had  formerly  entertained  dilTerent  senlinicnts.  For  some  few 
years,  however,  he  had  begun  to  doubt  whether  all  his  principles  on  these  sulijects 
were  scriptural.  These  doubts  arose  chiefly  from  thinking  on  some  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, particularly  the  latter  part  of  the  second  Psalm,  where  kings,  who  "  set  them- 
selves against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  Anointed,"  are  positively  commanded  to 
"kiss  the  Son;"  also  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  Christ,  and  his  apostles,  who, 
he  found,  did  not  hesitate  to  address  unconverted  sinners,  and  that  in  the  most  point- 
ed manner — saying,  "  Repent,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  band." — "Repent,  and 
be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out."  And  it  appeared  to  him  there 
must  be  a  most  unwarrantable  force  put  upon  these  passages  to  make  them  mean  any 
other  repentance  and  faith  than  such  as  are  connected  with  salvation. 

Reading  the  lives  and  labors  of  such  men  as  Elliot,  Brainerd,  and  several  others^ 
who  preached  Christ  with  so  much  success  to  the  American  Indians,  had  an  effect 
upon  him.  Their  work,  like  that  of  the  apostles,  seemed  to  be  plain  before  them. 
They  appeared  to  him,  in  iheir  addresses  to  those  poor,  benighted  heathens,  to  have 
none  of  those  difficulties  with  which  he  felt  himself  encumbered.  These  tilings  led 
him  to  the  throne  of  grace,  to  implore  instruction  and  resolution.  He  saw  that  he 
wanted  both;  the  one  to  know  the  mind  of  Christ,  and  the  other  to  avow  it. 

He  was,  for  some  time,  however,  deterred  from  disclosing  his  doubts.  During 
nearly  four  years  they  occupied  his  mind,  and  not  without  increasing.  Being  once  in 
company  with  a  minister  whom  he  greatly  respected,  it  was  thrown  out,  as  a  matter 
of  inquiry,  Whether  we  had  generally  entertained  just  notions  concerning  unbelief. 
It  was  common  to  speak  of  unbelief  as  a  calling  in  question  tlie  truth  of  our  own  per- 
sonal religion;  whereas,  he  remarked,  "  it  was  the  calling  in  question  the  truth  of 
what  God  had  said."     This  remark  appeared  to  carry  in  it  its  own  evidence. 

From  this  time,  his  thoughts  upon  the  subject  began  to  enlarge.  He  preached  upon 
it  more  than  once.  From  hence,  he  was  led  to  think  on  its  opposite,  faith,  and  to 
consider  it  as  a  persuasion  of  the  truth  ofichat  God  has  said  ;  and,  of  course,  to  sus- 
pect his  former  views  concerning  its  not  being  the  duty  of  unconverted  sinners. 

He  was  aware  that  the  generality  of  Christians  with  whom  he  was  acquainted 
viewed  the  belief  of  the  gospel  as  something  presupposed  in  faith,  rather  than  as 
being  of  the  essence  of  it :  and  considered  the  contrary  as  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Sande- 
man,  which  they  were  agreed  in  rejecting,  as  favorable  to  a  dead  or  inoperative  kind 
of  faith.  He  thought,  however,  that  what  they  meant  by  a  belief  of  the  gospel  was 
nothing  more  than  a  general  assent  to  the  doctrines  of  revelation,  unaccompanied  with 
love  to  them,  or  a  dependence  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation.  He  had  no 
doubt  but  that  such  a  notion  of  the  subject  ought  to  be  rejected  :  and,  if  this  be  the 
notion  of  Mr.  Sandcman,  (which,  by  the  way,  he  docs  not  know,  having  never  read 


363  PREFACE. 

any  of  his  works,)  he  has  no  scruple  in  saying,  it  is  far  from  any  thing  which  he  in- 
tends to  advance.* 

It  appeared  to  him  that  we  had  taken  unconverted  sinners  too  much  upon  their 
word,  when  they  told  us  that  they  believed  the  gospel.  He  did  not  doubt  but  that  they 
might  believe  many  things  concerning  Jesus  Christ  and  his  salvation ;  but  being  blind 
*o  the  glor]]  of  God,  as  it  is  displayed  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  their  belief  of  the  gos- 
pel must  be  very  superficial,  extending  only  to  a  few  facts,  without  any  sense  of  their 
real  intrinsic  excellency;  which,  strictly  speaking,  is  not  faith.  Those  who  see  no 
form  nor  comeliness  in  the  Messiah,  nor  beauty,  that  they  should  desire  him,  are  de- 
scribed as  not  believing  the  report  concerning  him.     Isa.  liii.  1,  2. 

He  had  also  read  and  considered,  as  well  as  he  was  able.  President  Edwards's  In- 
quiry into  the  freedom  of  the  Will,  with  some  other  performances  on  the  difference 
between  natural  and  moral  inability.  He  found  much  satisfaction  in  this  distinction, 
as  it  appeared  to  him  to  carry  with  it  its  own  evidence — to  be  clearly  and  fully  con- 
tained in  the  Scriptures — and  calculated  to  disburden  the  Calvinistic  system  of  a 
number  of  calumnies  with  which  its  enemies  have  loaded  it,  as  well  as  to  afford  clear 
and  honorable  conceptions  of  the  divine  government.  If  it  were  not  the  duty  of 
unconverted  sinners  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  that  because  of  their  inability,  he  sup- 
posed this  inability  must  be  natural,  or  something  which  did  not  arise  from  an  evil 
disposition ;  but  the  more  he  examined  the  Scriptures  the  more  he  was  convinced 
that  all  tlie  inability  ascribed  to  man,  with  respect  to  believing,  arises  from  the  aver- 
sion of  his  heart.  They  ivill  not  come  to  Christ  that  they  may  have  life ;  will  not 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  charmer,  charm  he  never  so  wisely ;  luill  not  seek  after 
God  ;  and  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  his  ways. 

He  wishes  to  avoid  the  error  into  which  we  are  apt  to  be  betrayed,  when  engaged 
in  controversy — that  of  magnifying  the  importance  of  the  subject  beyond  its  proper 
bounds  :  yet  he  seriously  thinks  the  subject  treated  of  in  the  following  pages  is  of  no 
small  importance.  To  him,  it  appears  to  be  the  same  controversy,  for  substance, 
as  that  which  in  all  ages  has  subsisted  between  God  and  an  apostate  world.  God 
has  ever  maintained  these  two  principles  :  All  that  is  evil  is  of  the  creature ;  and  to 
him  belongs  the  blame  of  it :  and  all  that  is  good  is  of  himself ;  and  to  him  belongs 
ths  praise  of  it.  To  acquiesce  in  both  these  positions  is  too  much  for  the  carnal 
heart.  The  advocates  for  free-will  would  seem  to  yield  the  former,  acknowledging 
themselves  blameworthy  for  the  evil ;  but  they  cannot  admit  the  latter.  Whatever 
honor  they  may  allow  to  the  general  grace  of  God,  they  are  for  ascribing  the  prepon- 
derance in  favor  of  virtue  and  eternal  life  to  their  own  good  improvement  of  it.  Oth- 
ers, who  profess  to  be  advocates  for  free  grace,  appear  to  be  willing  that  God  should 
have  all  the  honor  of  their  salvation,  in  case  they  should  be  saved ;  but  they  discover 
the  strongest  aversion  to  take  to  themselves  the  blame  of  their  destruction  in  case 
they  should  be  lost.  To  yield  both  these  points  to  God  is  to  fall  under  in  the  grand 
controversy  with  him,  and  to  acquiesce  m  his  revealed  will;  which  acquiescence  in- 

*  Since  the  first  edition  of  this  piece  made  its  appearance,  the  author  has  seen  Mr.  Sandeman's  writings 
and  those  of  Mr.  A.  M'Lean,  who,  on  this  subject,  seems  to  agree  with  Mr.  Sandeman.  Justice  requires 
him  to  say  tliat  these  writers  do  not  appear  to  plead  for  a  kind  of  faith  which  is  not  followed  with  love,  or 
by  a  dependnace  on  Christ  alone  for  salvation ;  but  their  idea  of  faith  itself  goes  to  exclude  every  thing  cor- 
dial from  it.  Though  he  accords  with  them  in  considering  the  belief  of  the  gospel  as  saving  faith;  yet  there 
is  an  important  difference  in  the  ideas  which  they  attach  to  believing.  This  difference  witli  some  other 
things  is  examined,  in  an  appendix,  at  the  end  of  this  edition. 


PllF.FACE.  369 

t'ludos  ^' rrpentanre  toirardu  (ioil,  and  fa'itlt  tntrartls  our  Lord  Jeftvs  C/u'is/."  Indeed 
it  were  not  very  dilluiilt  to  prove  that  each,  in  rejecting  one  of  these  truths,  does  not, 
in  reality,  einlirace  the  other.  The  Arniinian,  lliough  he  j)rofesses  to  take  the  blame 
of  the  evil  upon  hinisell,  yet  feels  no  guilt  lor  being  a  sinner,  any  farther  than  he  im- 
agines he  could,  by  the  help  of  divine  grace,  given  to  him  and  all  mankind,  have 
avoided  it.  If  he  admit  the  native  depravity  of  his  heart,  it  is  his  misfortune,  not  his 
fault :  his  fault  lies,  not  in  being  in  a  state  of  alienation  and  aversion  from  God,  but  in 
not  making  the  best  use  of  the  grace  of  God  to  get  out  of  it.  And  tlie  Antinomian> 
though  he  ascribes  salvation  to  free  grace,  yet  feels  no  obligation  for  the  pardon  of 
his  impenitence,  his  unbelief,  or  his  constant  aversion  to  God,  during  his  supposed 
unresreneracy.  Thus,  as  in  many  other  cases,  opposite  extremes  arc  known  to  meet. 
Where  no  grace  is  given,  they  are  united  in  supposing  that  no  duty  can  be  required  ; 
which,  if  true,  "grace  is  no  more  grace." 

The  following  particulars  are  premised,  for  the  sake  of  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  subject : — 

First :  There  is  no  dispute  about  the  doctrine  of  election,  or  any  of  tlie  discrimina- 
tin"-  doctrines  of  grace.  They  are  allowed  on  both  sides  ;  and  it  is  granted  that  none 
ever  did  or  ever  will  believe  in  Christ,  but  those  who  are  chosen  of  God  from  eter- 
nity. The  question  does  not  turn  upon  what  are  the  causes  of  salvation,  but  rather 
upon  what  are  tiie  causes  of  damnation.  "No  man,"  as  Mr.  Charnock  hapjtily  ex- 
presses it,  "is  an  unbeliever,  but  because  he  will  be  so;  and  every  man  is  not  an 
unbeliever,  because  the  grace  of  God  conquers  some,  changeth  their  wills,  and  bends 
them  to  Cl)rist."* 

Secondly  :  Neither  is  there  any  dispute  concerning  who  ought  to  V)e  encoui-aged  to 
consider  themselves  as  entitled  to  the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  Though  sinners  be 
freely  invited  to  the  participation  of  spiritual  blessings  ;  yet  they  have  no  interest  in 
them,  according  to  God's  revealed  will,  while  they  continue  in  un])elicf :  nor  is  it 
any  part  of  the  design  of  these  pages  to  persuade  them  to  believe  that  they  have. 
On  the  contrary,  the  writer  is  fully  convinced  that,  whatever  be  the  secret  i)urpose 
of  God  concerning  them,  they  are  at  present  under  the  curse. 

Thirdly  :  The  question  is  not  whether  men  are  bound  to  do  any  thing  more  than 
the  law  requires,  but  whether  the  law,  as  the  invariable  standard  of  right  and  wrong, 
does  not  require  every  man  cordially  to  embrace  whatever  God  reveals  :  in  other 
words,  whetlier  love  to  God,  with  all  the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength,  does  not 
include  a  cordial  reception  of  whatever  plan  he  shall  at  any  period  of  time  disclose. 

Fourthly  :  The  question  is  not  whether  men  arc  required  to  believe  any  n.ore  than 
is  reported  in  the  gospel,  or  anything  that  is  not  true;  but  whether  that  which  is 
reported   ought   not  to  be  believed  with  all  the  heart;  and  whether  this  be  not  sav.ng 

faith  1 

Fifthly  •  It  is  no  part  of  the  controversy  whether  unconverted  sinners  be  able  to 
turn  to  God,  and  to  embrace  the  gospel;  but  what  kind  of  inability  they  he  under 
with  respect  to  these  exercises:  whether  it  consists  in  the  want  of  natural  powers 
and  advantages,  or  merely  in  the  want  of  a  heart  to  make  a  right  use  of  them.  If 
the  former,  obligation,  it  is  granted,  would  be  set  aside;  hut,  if  the  latter,  it  ren.ams 
in  lull  force.  Thev  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God;  but  it  does  not  follow 
that   they  arc   not   obliged  to  do  so;  and  this  their  obligation  requires  to  be  clearly 


VOL.    I. 


*  Discourses,  Vol.  II  p.  473. 

47 


370  PREFACE. 

insisted  on,  that  they  may  be  ronvinced  of   their  sin,  and  so  induced  to  embrace  the 
gospel  remedy. 

Sixthly  :  the  question  is  not  whether  faith  be  required  of  sinners  as  a  virtue,  whichs 
if  complied  with,  shall  be  the  ground  of  their  acceptance  with  God,  or  that  on  account 
of  which  they  may  be  justified  in  his  sight ;  but  whether  it  be  not  required  as  the 
appointed  means  of  salvation.  The  righteousness  of  Jesus  believed  in  is  the  only 
ground  of  justification;  but  faith  in  him  is  necessary  to  our  being  interested  in  it. 
We  remember  the  fatal  example  of  the  Jews,  which  the  apostle  Paul  holds  up  to 
our  view.  "The  Gentiles,"  saith  he,  "who  followed  not  after  righteousness,  have 
attained  to  righteousness ;  even  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith  :  but  Israel,  who 
followed  after  the  law  of  righteousness,  hath  not  attained  to  the  law  of  righteousness  : 
wherefore  1  because  they  sought  it  not  by  faith,  but,  as  it  were,  by  the  works  of  the  law  ; 
for  they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling-stone."  Though  we  had  not  been  elsewhere 
told  (1  Pet.  ii.  8)  that  in  doing  this  they  were  disobedient,  yet  our  judgments  must 
be  strangely  warped  by  system  if  we  did  not  conclude  it  to  be  their  sin,  and  that  by 
which  they  fell  and  perished.  And  we  dare  not  but  charge  our  hearers,  whether  they 
will  hear  or  whether  they  will  forbear,  to  beware  of  stumbling  upon  the  same  stone, 
and  of  falling  after  the  same  example  of  unbelief. 

Finally  :  the  question  is  not  whether  unconverted  sinners  be  the  subjects  of  exhor- 
tation; but  whether  they  ought  to  be  exhorted  to  perform  spiritual  duties.  It  is  be- 
yond all  dispute  that  the  Scriptures  do  exhort  them  to  many  things.  If,  therefore, 
there  be  any  professors  of  Christianity  who  question  the  propriety  of  this,  and  who 
would  have  nothing  said  to  them,  except  that,  "if  they  be  elected  they  will  be  called," 
they  are  not  to  be  reasoned  with,  but  rebuked,  as  setting  themselves  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  the  word  of  God.  The  greater  part  of  those  who  may  differ  from  the  author 
on  these  subjects,  it  is  presumed,  will  admit  the  propriety  of  sinners  being  exhorted 
to  duty;  only  this  duty  must,  as  they  suppose,  be  confined  to  merely  natural  exer- 
cises, or  such  as  may  be  complied  with  by  a  carnal  heart,  destitute  of  the  love  of  God. 
It  is  one  design  of  the  following  pages  to  show  that  God  requires  the  heart,  the 
whole  heart,  and  nothing  but  the  heart ;  that  all  the  precepts  of  the  Bible  are  only  the 
dififerent  modes  in  which  we  are  required  to  express  our  love  to  him ;  that,  instead 
of  its  being  true  that  sinners  are  obliged  to  perform  duties  which  have  no  spirituality 
in  them,  there  are  no  such  duties  to  be  performed ;  and  that,  so  far  from  their  being 
exhorted  to  every  thing  excepting  what  is  spiritually  good,  they  are  exhorted  to  noth- 
ing else.  The  Scriptures  undoubtedly  require  them  to  read,  to  hear,  to  repent,  and 
to  pray,  that  their  sins  may  be  forgiven  them.  It  is  not,  however,  in  the  exercise  of 
.a  carnal,  but  of  a  spiritual  state  of  mind,  that  these  duties  are  performed. 


T  H  i:    G  O  S  P  K  1.    OF    CHRIST 


WORTHY    OF    ALL   ACCEPTATION. 


PART  I. 

THE      SUBJECT      SHOWN      TO      BE      IMPOR- 
TANT,   STATED,    AND    EXPLAINED. 

God,  having  blessed  mankind  with 
the  glorious  gospel  of  his  Son,  hath 
spoken  much  in  his  word,  as  it  might  he 
supposed  he  would,  of  the  treatment 
which  it  should  receive  from  those  to 
whom  it  was  addressed.  A  cordial  re- 
ception of  it  is  called,  in  Scripture,  re- 
ceiving Christ,  allowing  '■  him,  believing 
in  him,  8{c.,  and  the  contrary,  refusing, 
disallowing,  and  rejecting  him;  and  those 
who  thus  reject  him  are,  in  so  doing,  said 
to  judge  iheinselves  umvorthy  of  everlast- 
ing life.'*  These  are  things  on  which  the 
New  Testament  largely  insists  :  great 
stress  is  there  laid  on  the  reception  which 
the  truth  shall  meet  with.  The  same 
lips  which  commissioned  the  apostles  to 
go  and  "preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture," added,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth not  shall  be  damned.''^  "  To  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God;"  but 
to  them  "  who  receive  him  not,"  but  re- 
fused him,  and  rejected  his  way  of  salva- 
tion, he  became  a  stumbling-stone,  and  a 
rock  of  offence,  that  they  might  stumble, 
and  fall,  and  perish.  Thus  the  gospel, 
according  to  the  different  reception  it 
meets  with,  becomes  a  "savor  of  life  un- 
to life,  or  of  death  unto  death." 

The  controversies  which  have  arisen 
concerning  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  are  not 
so  much  an  object  of  surprise  as  the  con- 
duct of  those  who,  professing  to  be  Chris- 
tians, affect  to  decry  the  subject  as  a 
matter  of  little  or  no  importance.  There 
is  not  any  principle  or  exercise  of  the 
human  mind  of  which  the  New  Testa- 
ment speaks  so  frequently,  and  on  which 
so  great  a  stress  is  laid.  And,  with  re- 
gard to  the  inquiry  whether  faith  be  re- 
quired of  all  men  who  hear,  or  have  op- 
portunity to  hear,  the  word,  it  cannot  be 

♦John  i.  12;  ill.  16.  Ps .  cxviii.  22.  1  Pet.  ii.  7. 
Matt.  xxi.  42.  Acts  xiii.  46. 


uninteresting.  If  it  be  not,  to  inculcate 
it  would  l)e  unwarrantal)le  and  cruel  to 
our  fellow-sinners,  as  it  sul>jects  them  to 
an  additional  charge  of  abundance  of 
guilt :  liut,  if  it  be,  to  explain  it  away  is 
to  undermine  the  divine  prerogative,  and, 
as  far  as  it  goes,  to  subvert  the  very  in- 
lent  of  the  promulgation  of  the  gospel, 
which  is  that  men  "should  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and, 
believing,  have  life  through  his  name." — 
John  XX.  31.  This  is  doubtless  a  very 
serious  thing,  and  ouglit  to  be  seriously 
considered.  Though  some  good  men 
may  be  implicated  in  this  matter,  it  be- 
comes them  to  remember  that  "  whoso- 
ever breakcth  one  of  the  least  of  Christ's 
commandments,  and  teacheth  men  so, 
shall  1)6  called  the  least  in  the  kingdom 
of  heaven."  If  believing  be  a  command- 
ment, it  cannot  be  one  of  the  least:  the 
important  relations  which  it  sustains,  as 
well  as  the  dignity  of  its  object,  must 
prevent  this  :  the  knowledge  of  sin,  re- 
pentance for  it,  and  gratitude  for  pardon- 
ing mercy,  all  depend  upon  our  admit- 
ting it.  And,  if  it  be  a  great  command- 
ment, the  breach  of  it  must  be  a  great 
sin ;  and  whosoever  teaches  men  other- 
wise is  a  partaker  of  their  guilt ;  and,  if 
they  perish,  will  be  found  to  have  been 
accessary  to  their  eternal  ruin.  Let  it 
be  considered  whether  the  apostle  to 
the  Hel)rcws  did  not  proceed  upon  such 
princii)les,  when  he  exclaimed,  "  How 
shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation  1"  And  the  Lord  Jesus  him- 
self when  he  declared,  "  He  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned!" 

Ill  order  fo  determine  whether  faith  in 
Christ  be  the  duty  of  all  men  who  have 
opportunity  to  hear  the  gospel,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  determine  what  it  is,  or 
wherein  it  consists.  Some  have  main- 
tained that  it  consists  in  a  persuasion  of 
our  interest  in  Christ  and  in  all  the  bene- 
fits and  blessings  of  his  mediation.  The 
author  of  The  Further  Inquiry,  Mr.  L. 
Wayman,  of  Kimbolton,  who  w  rote  about 
sixty  years  ago  unon  the  subject,  ques- 
tions "  whether  there  be  any  act  of  special 
faith  which  hath  not  the  nature  of  appro- 


372 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


prlation  in  it"  (p.  13;)  and  by  appropria- 
tion he  appears  to  mean  a  persuasion  of 
our  interest  in  spiritual  blessings.  This 
is  the  ground  upon  which  he  rests  the 
main  body  of  his  argument :  to  overturn 
it,  therefore,  will  be  in  effect  to  answer 
his  book.  Some,  who  would  not  be 
thought  to  maintain  that  a  persuasion  of 
interest  in  Christ  is  essential  to  faith,  for 
the  sake  of  many  Christians  whom  they 
cannot  but  observe,  upon  this  principle,  to 
be,  generally  speaking,  unbelievers,  yet 
maintain  what  fully  implies  it.  Though 
they  will  allow,  lor  the  comfort  of  such 
Christians,  that  assurance  is  not  of  the 
essence  of  faith  (understanding  by  assur- 
ance an  assured  persuasion  of  our  salva- 
tion) but  that  a  reliance  on  Christ  is  suf- 
ficient;  yet,  in  almost  all  other  things, 
they  speak  as  if  they  did  not  believe  what 
at  those  times  they  say.  It  is  common 
for  such  persons  to  call  those  fears  which 
occupy  the  minds  of  Christians,  lest  they 
should  miss  of  salvation  at  last,  by  the 
name  of  unbelief;  and  to  reprove  them 
for  being  guilty  of  this  God-dishonoring 
sin,  exhorting  them  to  be  strong  in  faith, 
like  Abraham,  giving  glory  to  God ; 
when  all  that  is  meant  is,  that  they 
should,  without  doubting,  believe  the 
goodness  of  their  state.  If  this  be  saving 
faith,  it  must  inevitably  follow  that  it  is 
not  the  duty  of  unconverted  sinners ;  for 
they  are  not  interested  in  Christ,  and  it 
cannot  possibly  be  their  duty  to  believe 
a  lie.  But,  if  it  can  be  proved  that  the 
proper  object  of  saving  faith  is  not  our 
being  interested  in  Christ,  but  the  glorious 
gospel  of  the  ever-blessed  God  (which 
is  true,  whether  we  believe  it  or  not,)  a 
contrary  inference  must  be  drawn ;  for 
it  is  admitted,  on  all  hands,  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  man  to  believe  what  God 
reveals. 

I  have  no  objection  to  allowing  that 
true  faith  "hath  in  it  the  nature  of  ap- 
propriation," if  by  this  term  be  meant  an 
application  of  the  truths  believed  to  our 
own  particular  cases.  "  When  the  Scrip- 
tures teach,"  says  a  pungent  writer,  "?oe 
are  to  receive  instruction,  for  the  enlight- 
ening of  our  oivn  minds  ;  when  they  ad- 
monish, toe  are  to  take  warning;  when 
they  reprove,  ioe  are  to  be  checked ; 
when  they  comfort  we  are  to  be  cheered 
and  encouraged ;  and,  when  they  recom- 
mend any  grace,  ive  are  to  desire  and 
embrace  it ;  when  they  command  any 
duty,  ice  are  to  hold  ourselves  enjoined  to 
do  it ;  when  they  pi'omise,  vje  are  to  hope  ; 
Avhen  they  threaten,  ive  are  to  be  terri- 
fied, as  if  the  judgment  were  denounced 
against  us;  and,  when  they  forbid  any 
sin,  we  are  to  think  they  forbid  it  unto 
us.      By  which  application  we  shall  make 


all  the  rich  treasures  contained  in  the 
Scriptures  wholly  our  own,  and  in  such  a 
powerful  and  peculiar  manner  enjoy  the 
fruit  and  benefit  of  them,  as  if  they  had 
l)een  wholly  written /or  us,  and  none  oth- 
er else  liesides  us."* 

By  saving  faith,  we  undoubtedly  em- 
brace Christ  for  ourselves,  in  the  same 
sense  as  Jacob  embraced  Jehovah  as  his 
God,  (Gen.  xxviii.  21  ;)  that  is,  to  a  re- 
jecting of  every  idol  that  stands  in  com- 
petition with  him.  Christ  is  all-suffi- 
cient, and  suited  to  save  us,  as  well  as 
others  ;  and  it  is  for  the  forgiveness  of 
our  sins  that  we  put  our  trust  in  him. 
But  this  is  very  different  from  a  persua- 
sion of  our  being  in  a  state  of  salvation- 

My  objections  to  this  notion  of  faith  are 
as  follow  : — 

First:  Nothing  can  be  an  object  of 
faith,  except  what  God  has  revealed  in 
his  word  :  but  the  interest  that  any  indi- 
vidual has  in  Christ  and  the  blessings  of 
the  gospel,  more  than  another,  is  not 
revealed.  God  has  nowhere  declared, 
concerning  any  one  of  us,  as  individuals, 
that  we  shall  be  saved  :  all  that  he  has 
revealed  on  this  subject  respects  us  as 
characters.  He  has  abundantly  promis- 
ed that  all  who  believe  in  him,  love  him, 
and  obey  him,  shall  be  saved  ;  and  a  per- 
suasion that,  if  loe  sustain  these  charac- 
ters, we  shall  be  saved,  is  doubtless  an 
exercise  of  faith  :  but,  whether  we  do  or 
not,  is  an  object  not  of  faith,  but  of  con- 
sciousness. "Hereby  we  do  know  that 
we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  command- 
ments. Whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him 
verily  is  the  love  of  God  perfected  :  here- 
by know  we  that  we  are  in  him." — "  My 
little  children,  let  us  not  love  in  word 
and  in  tongue,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth  : 
hereby  we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth, 
and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before  hijn."f 
If  any  one  imagine  that  God  has  revealed 
to  him  his  interest  in  his  love  ;  and  this 
in  a  special,  immediate,  and  extraordina- 
ry manner,  and  not  by  exciting  in  him 
the  holy  exercises  of  grace,  and  thereby 
begetting  a  consciousness  of  his  being  a 
subject  of  grace,  let  him  beware  lest  he 
deceive  his  soul.  The  Jews  were  not 
wanting  in  what  some  would  call  the  faith 
of  assurance  :  "  We  have  one  Father," 
said  they,  "even  God:"  but  Jesus  an- 
swered, "If  God  were  your  Father,  ye 
would  love  me." 

Secondly  :  The  Scriptures  always  rep- 
resent faith  as  terminating  on  something 
without  us ;  namely,  on  Christ,  and  the 
truths  concerning  him  :  but,  if  it  consists 
in  a  persuasion  of  our  being  in  a  state  of 

*  Downame's  Guide  to  Godliness,  p.  647. 
tl  John  ii.  3.  5;  iii.  18,  19. 


TllK    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACC  F.J'TATl  ON. 


S7S 


salvation,  it  must  tciiniiiatc  principally 
on  son)ethin}i  within  us  :  namely,  the 
work  ol'  grace  in  our  hearts  ;  lor  to  be- 
lieve mysell"  interested  in  Christ  is  the 
same  thing  as  to  helieve  myselt  a  subject 
of  special  grace.  And  hence,  as  was 
said,  it  is  common  for  many  who  enter- 
tain this  notion  of  faith  to  consider  its  op- 
l>osite,  unlielicf,  as  a  doubting  whether  loe 
have  been  really  converted.  But,  as  it 
is  the  truth  and  excellence  of  the  things 
to  he  interested  in,  and  not  his  interest  in 
them,  that  the  sinner  is  apt  to  disi)elievc  ; 
so  it  is  these,  and  not  that,  on  wiiich  the 
laith  of  the  believer  primarily  terminates. 
Perhaps  what  relates  to  personal  interest 
may  in  general,  more  properly  be  called 
hope  than  faith ;  and  its  oi)posite  fear, 
than  uni)elicf. 

Thirdly  :  To  believe  ourselves  in  a 
state  of  salvation  (however  desirable, 
when  grounded  on  evidence)  is  far  infe- 
rior in  its  object  to  saving  faith.  The 
grand  object  on  which  faith  fixes  is  the 
glory  of  Christ,  and  not  the  happy  condi- 
tion we  are  in,  as  interested  in  him.  The 
latter  doubtless  affords  great  consolation  ; 
and  the  more  we  discover  of  his  excel- 
lence the  more  ardently  shall  we  desire 
an  interest  in  him,  and  be  the  more  dis- 
consolate while  it  continues  a  matter  of 
doubt.  But,  if  we  be  concerned  only 
lor  our  own  security,  our  faith  is  vain, 
and  we  are  yet  in  our  sins.  As  that  re- 
pentance which  fixes  merely  on  the  con- 
sequences of  sin  as  subjecting  us  to  misery 
is  selfish  and  spurious,  so  that  faith  w  hich 
fixes  merely  on  the  consequences  of 
Christ's  mediation  as  raising  us  to  happi- 
ness is  equally  selfish  and  spurious,  it  is 
the  peculiar  property  of  true  faith  to  en- 
dear Christ :  "Unto  you  that  believe,  Ac 
is  precious."  And  where  this  is  the 
case,  if  there  be  no  impediments  arising 
from  constitutional  dejection  or  other 
accidental  causes,  we  shall  not  be  in 
doubt  about  an  interest  in  him.  Conso- 
lation will  accompany  the  faith  of  the  gos- 
pel :  "Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have 
I>eace  with  God,  throuirh  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

Fourthly  :  All  those  exercises  of  faith 
which  our  Lord  so  highly  commends  in 
the  New  Testament,  as  that  of  the  centu- 
rion, the  woman  of  Canaan,  and  others, 
are  represented  as  terminating  on  his  all- 
sufficiency  to  heal  them,  and  not  as  con- 
sisting in  a  persuasion  that  they  were  in- 
terested in  the  divine  favor,  and  therefore 
should  succeed.  "  Speak  the  word  only, 
says  the  one,  "and  my  servant  shall  be 
healed  ;  for  I  am  a  man  in  authority,  hav- 
ing soldiers  under  me  ;  and  I  say  to  this 
man.  Go,  and  he  goeth  :  and  to  another, 
Come,  and  he  cometh  :    and  to  my  ser- 


vant. Do  this,  and  he  docth  it."  Such 
was  the  persuasion  which  the  other  en- 
tertained of  his  all-sulliciency  to  help  her 
that  she  judged  it  enough  if  she  might  but 
partake  of  the  crumbs  of  his  table — the 
scatterings  as  it  were  of  mercy.  Similar 
to  this  is  the  following  language  : — "If  I 
may  but  touch  the  hem  of  his  garment,  I 
shall  be  made  whole." — "  Believe  ye  that 
I  am  able  to  do  this  ^  They  said  unto 
him.  Yea,  Lord." — "  Lord,  if  thou  wilt, 
thou  canst  make  mc  clean." — "If  thou 
canst  do  any  thing,  have  compassion  on 
us,  and  help  us  :  Jesus  said.  If  thou  canst 
believe,  all  things  arc  possii)le  to  him  that 
belicveth."  1  allow  that  the  case  of  these 
people,  and  that  of  a  sinner  applying 
for  forgiveness,  are  not  exactly  the  same. 
Christ  had  nowhere  promised  to  heal  all 
who  came  for  healing;  but  he  has  gra- 
ciously bound  himself^  not  to  cast  out  any 
who  come  to  him  for  mercy.  On  this 
account,  there  is  a  greater  ground  for  faith 
in  the  willingness  of  Christ  to  save  than 
there  was  in  his  willingness  to  heal  :  and 
there  was  less  unbelief  in  the  saying  of 
the  leper,  "■  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make 
me  clean,"  than  there  would  be  in  simi- 
lar language  from  one  who,  convinced  of 
his  own  utter  insufficiency,  applied  to 
him  for  salvation.  But  a  persuasion  of 
Christ  being  both  able  and  willing  to  save 
all  them  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  and 
consequently  to  save  us  if  we  so  apply, 
is  very  different  from  a  persuasion  that 
we  are  the  children  of  God,  and  inter- 
ested in  the  blessings  of  the  gospel. 

Mr.  Anderson,  an  American  writer, 
has  lately  published  a  pamphlet  on  the 
Scripture  doctrine  of  the  Appropriation 
lohich  is  in  the  Nature  of  saving  Faith. 
The  scheme  which  he  attempts  to  defend 
is  that  of  Hervey,  Marshall,  &c.,  or  that 
which  in  Scotland  is  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Marrow  doctrine.*  These  divines 
write  much  about  the  gospel  containing 
a  gift  or  grunt  of  Christ  and  spiritual 
blessings  to  sinners  of  mankind  ;  and  that 
it  is  the  office  of  faith  so  to  receive  the  gift 
as  to  claim  it  as  our  own  ;  and  thus  they 
seem  to  have  supposed  that  it  becomes 
our  own.  But  the  gospel  contains  no  gift 
or  grant  to  mankind  in  general  beyond 
that  of  an  offer  or  free  invitation ;  and 
thus,  indeed,  Mr.  Boston,  in  his  notes  on 
the  Marroio  of  Modern  Divinity,  seems 
to  explain  it.  It  warrants  every  sinner 
to  believe  in  Christ  for  salvation  ;  but  no 
one  to  conclude  himself  interested  in  sal- 
vation till  he  has  believed  :  consequently, 
such  a  conclusion,  even  where  it  is  well 

*  Alluding  to  a  work  piiblisliet)  some  years  since,, 
under  the  title  of  "The  Marrow  of  Modern  Divini- 


374 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OT    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


founded,  cannot  be  faith,  but  that  whicli 
follows  it. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  careful  to  distinguish 
the  appropriation  for  which  he  contends 
from  "  the  knowledge  of  our  being  be- 
lievers,  or  already  in  a  state  of  grace." 

p.  61.     He  also  acknowledges  that  the 

ground  of  saving  faith  "is  something  that 
may  be  known  before,  and  in  order  to  the 
act  of  faith;"  that  it  is  "among  the 
things  that  are  revealed,  and  which  be- 
long to  us  and  to  our  children." — p.  60. 
Yet  he  makes  it  of  the  essence  of  faith, 
to  believe  "  that  Christ  is  ours.''' — p.  56. 
It  must  be  true,  then,  that  Christ  is  ours, 
antecedently  to  our  believing  it,  and 
whether  we  believe  it  or  not.  This,  it 
seems,  Mr.  Anderson  will  admit;  for  he 
holds  that  "  God  hath  made  a  gift  or  grant 
of  Christ  and  spiritual  IMessings  to  sinners 
of  mankind,"  and  which  denominates 
him  ours  "before  we  believe  it."  Yet 
he  does  not  admit  the  tinal  salvation  of 
all  to  whom  Christ  is  thus  supposed  to 
be  given.  To  what,  therefore,  does  the 
gift  amount,  more  than  to  a  free  invitation, 
concerning  which  his  opponents  have  no 
dispute  with  himl  A  free  invitation, 
though  it  affords  a  warrant  to  apply  for 
mercy,  and  that  with  an  assurance  of 
success  ;  yet  gives  no  interest  in  its  bless- 
ings, but  on  the  supposition  of  its  being 
accepted.  Neither  does  the  gift  for 
which  Mr.  A.  contends  :  nothing  is  con- 
veyed by  it  that  insures  any  man's  salva- 
tion. AH  the  author  says,  therefore, 
against  what  he  calls  conditions  of  salva- 
tion, is  no  less  applicable  to  his  own 
scheme  than  to  that  of  his  opponents. 
His  scheme  is  as  really  conditional  as 
theirs.  The  condition  which  it  prescribes 
for  our  becoming  interested  in  the  bles- 
sings of  eternal  life,  so  interested,  at 
least,  as  to  possess  them,  is,  to  believe 
them  to  be  our  own ;  and  without  tliis  he 
supposes,  we  shall  never  enjoy  them. 

He  contends,  indeed,  that  the  belief  of 
the  promises  cannot  be  called  a  condition 
of  our  right  to  claim  an  interest  in  them  ; 
because,  if  such  belief  be  claiming  an 
interest  in  them,  it  would  be  making  a 
thing  the  condition  of  itself. — pp.  50,  51. 
But  to  this  it  is  replied  :  First,  Although 
Mr.  A.  considers  saving  faith  as  including 
appropriation,  yet  this  is  only  one  idea 
which  he  ascribes  to  it.  He  explains  it  as 
consisting  of  tliree  things  :  a  persuasion  of 
divine  trutli,  wrought  in  the  heart  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  ;  a  sure  persuasion  ;  and  an 
appropriating  persuasion  of  Christ's  being 
ours. — 'Pp.  54 — 50.  Now,  though  it  were 
allowed  that  the  last  branch  of  this  defini- 
tion is  the  same  thing  as  claiming  an  inter- 
est in  the  promises,  and  therefore  cannot 
be  reckoned  the  condition  of  it,  yet  this  is 


more  than  can  be  said  of  the  former  two, 
which  are  no  less  essential  to  saving  faith 
than  the  other.  Secondly,  The  sense  in 
which  the  promise  is  taken,  by  what  is 
called  appropriating  faith,  is  not  the  same 
as  that  in  which  it  is  given  in  the  promise 
itself.  As  given  in  the  word,  the  promise 
is  general,  applying  equally  to  one  sinner 
as  to  another;  but,  as  taken,  it  is  consid- 
edas  particular,  and  as  insuring  salvation. 
Thirdly,  If  an  interest  in  the  righteousness 
of  Christ  were  the  immediate  object  of  sa- 
ving faith,  how  could  it  be  said  that  "unto 
us  it  shall  be  imputed,  if  avc  believe  on 
him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead1" 
If  Christ's  righteousness  be  ours,  it  must 
be  so  as  imputed  to  us  :  but  this  would  be 
making  the  apostle  saj'.  If  we  believe 
Christ's  righteousness  to  be  imputed  to  us, 
it  shall  be  imputed  to  us. 

I  have  no  partiality  for  calling  faith,  or 
any  thing  done  by  us,  the  condition  of  sal- 
vation ;  and,  if  by  the  term  were  meant  a 
deed  to  be  performed  of  which  the  prom- 
ised good  is  the  reward,  it  would  be  inad- 
missible. If  I  had  used  the  term,  it  would 
have  been  merely  to  express  the  necessa- 
ry connection  of  things,  or  that  faith  is 
that  without  which  there  is  no  salvation  ; 
and,  in  this  sense,  it  is  no  less  a  condition 
in  Mr.  A's  scheme  than  in  that  which  he 
opposes.  He  thinks,  however,  that  the 
promises  of  God  are,  by  his  statement  of 
things,  disencumbered  <^f  conditions  ;  yet 
how  he  can  prove  that  God  has  absolutely 
given  Christ  and  spiritual  blessings  to 
multitudes  who  will  never  possess  them, 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive.  I  should  have 
supposed  that  whatever  God  has  absolute- 
ly promised  would  take  effect.  He  says, 
indeed,  that  "  the  Lord  may  give  an  ab- 
solute promise  to  those  who,  in  the  event, 
never  come  to  the  actual  enjoyment  of  the 
promised  blessing,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Is- 
raelites being  brought  to  the  good  land 
(Exod.  iii.  17,)  though  the  bulk  of  them 
that  left  Egypt  perished  in  the  wilderness 
through  unbelief." — p.  43.  It  is  true  God 
absolutely  promised  to  plant  them,  ''■as  a 
nation,"  in  the  good  land,  and  this  he  per- 
formed ;  but  he  did  not  absolutely  promise 
that  every  individual  who  left  Egypt 
should  be  amongst  them.  So  far  as  it 
respected  individuals  (unless  it  were  in 
reference  to  Caleb  and  Joshua)  the  pro- 
mise was  not  absolute. 

Upon  the  mere  ground  of  Christ  being 
exhibited  in  the  gospel,  "I  am  persuad- 
ed," says  Mr.  A.,  "  that  he  is  7uy  Saviour  ; 
nor  can  I,  without  casting  reproach  upon 
the  wisdom,  faithfulness,  and  mercy  of 
God,  in  setting  him  forth,  entertain  any 
doubts  about  my  justification  and  salvation 
through  his  name." — p.  65.  Has  God 
;jro?/itscd  justification  and  salvation,  then. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHV    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


375 


to  cvciy  one  lo  whom  Christ  is  exhil'ited  ] 
Uhe  hu5,  it  doubtless  belongs  to  faith  to 
i^ivo  liiin  credit  :  hut,  in  this  case,  wc 
ought  also  to  laaintairi  that  tl»e  promise 
will  i)e  performed,  wliatcver  be  the  state  of 
our  minds  ;  for,  thouffh  we  believe  not,  he 
abideth  faitiiful.  On  the  otlier  hand,  if  the 
blessintr  ol  justification,  tiiough  freely  of- 
fered to  all,  be  only  promised  for  believers, 
it  is  not  faith,  but  presumi)tion,  to  be  per- 
suaiied  of  my  justification,  any  otiierwisc 
than  as  being  conscious  of  my  Itelicving  in 
Jesus  for  it. 

Mr.  A.  illustrates  his  doctrine  by  a 
similitude.  ''  Suppose  that  a  great  and 
generous  prince  had  made  a  grant  to  a 
certain  class  of  persons,  therein  described, 
of  large  estates,  including  all  things  suit- 
alile  to  their  condition  ;  and  had  j)ublicly 
declared  that,  whosoever  of  the  persons  so 
described  would  believe  such  an  estate, 
in  virtue  of  tlie  gi'ant  now  mentioned,  to 
be  Iiis  own,  should  not  Vie  disappointed, 
but  should  immediately  enter  upon  the 
granted  estate,  according  to  the  order 
specified  in  the  grant.  Suppose,  too,  that 
the  royal  donor  had  given  the  grant  in 
writing,  and  had  added  his  seal,  and  his 
oath,  and  his  gracious  invitation,  and  his 
most  earnest  entreaty,  and  his  authorita- 
tive command,  to  induce  the  persons  de- 
scribed in  the  grant  to  accept  it.  It  is 
evident  that  any  one  of  these  persons, 
having  had  access  to  read  or  hear  the 
grant,  must  either  be  verily  persuaded 
that  the  granted  estate  is  his  own,  or  be 
chargeable  with  an  attempt  to  bring  dis- 
honor upon  the  goodness,  the  veracity, 
the  power,  and  authority  of  the  donor ; 
on  account  of  which  attempt  he  is  liable 
not  only  to  be  debarred  forever  from  the 
granted  estate,  but  to  suffer  a  most  ex- 
emplary and  tremendous  punishment." — 
p.  6G. 

I  suppose  the  object  of  this  similitude 
is  expressed  in  the  sentence,  "  It  is  evi- 
dent that  any  one  of  these  persons,  having 
had  access  to  read  or  hear  the  grant,  must 
either  be  verily  persuaded  that  the  grant- 
ed estate  is  his  oicn,  or  be  chargeable 
with  dishonoring  the  donor."  In  what 
sense,  then,  is  i7  his  own?  He  is  freely 
invited  to  partake  of  it ;  that  is  all.  It  is 
not  so  his  own  but  that  he  may  ultimately 
be  debarred  from  possessing  it  :  but,  in 
whatever  sense  it  is  his  own,  that  is  the 
only  sense  in  which  he  is  warranted  to 
believe  itio  be  so.  If  the  condition  of  his 
actually  possessing  it  be  his  believing  that 
he  shall  actually  possess  it,  he  must  be- 
lieve what  was  not  revealed  at  the  ti-me, 
except  conditionally,  and  what  would  not 
have  been  true  but  for  his  believing  it. 

The  above  similitude  may  serve  to  il- 
lustrate Mr.  A.'s  scheme  ;  but  I  know  of 


nothing  like  i(,  either  in  the  concerns  of 
men  or  the  oracles  of  God.  I  will  ven- 
ture to  say  there  never  was  a  gilt  or  grant 
made  u|)on  any  such  terms  ;  and  the  man 
that  should  make  it  would  expose  himself 
to  ridicule.  The  Scriptures  furnish  us 
witii  an  illustration  of  another  kind.  The 
gospel  is  i\  feast  freely  provided ;  and  sin- 
ners of  mankind  arc  freely  invited  to  par- 
take of  it.  There  is  no  mention  of  any 
ffi//,  or  grant,  distinct  from  this,  but  this 
itself  is  a  ground  suflicient.  It  afl'ords  a 
complete  warrant  for  any  sinner,  not  in- 
deed to  believe  the  provisions  to  be  his 
own,  whether  he  accepts  the  invitation  or 
not,  but  that,  relinquishing  every  thing 
that  stands  in  competition  with  them, 
and  receiving  them  as  a  free  gift,  they 
shall  be  his  own.  "  If  we  confess  our 
sins  he  is  laithful  and  just  to  forgive  us 
our  sins." — "To  us  it  shall  be  imputed, 
if  we  believe  on  him  that  raised  up  Jesus 
our  Lord  from  the  dead."  Those  who 
were  persuaded  to  embrace  the  invitation 
are  not  described  as  coming  to  make  a 
claim  of  it  as  their  property,  but  as  grate- 
fully accepting  it :  and  those  who  refused 
are  not  represented  as  doubting  whether 
the  feast  was  provided  for  them,  but  as 
making  light  of  it,  and  preferring  their 
farms  and  merchandize  before  it. 

In  short,  if  this  writer  can  prove  it  to 
be  true  that  justification  and  eternal  life 
are  absolutely  given,  granted,  and  prom- 
ised, to  all  who  hear  the  gospel,  there 
can  be  no  dispute  whether  saving  faith 
includes  the  belief  of  it  with  respect  to 
ourselves,  nor  whether  it  be  a  duty  ;  but, 
if  the  thing  be  false,  it  can  be  no  part  of 
the  faith  of  the  gospel,  nor  of  the  duty  of 
a  sinner  to  give  credit  to  it. 

But  to  return.  That  the  belief  of  the 
truth  which  God  hath  revealed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures concerning  Christ  is  saving  faith 
is  evident  from  the  follow  ing  passages  : 
— "Go  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture :  he  that  believcth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved."  Believing,  here,  mani- 
festly refers  to  the  gospel  to  be  preach- 
ed, and  the  rejection  of  which  would  sub- 
ject the  unbeliever  to  certain  damnation. 
— "  These  things  are  written  that  ye 
might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  that,  believing,  ye 
might  have  life  through  his  name."  Be- 
lieving unto  life  is  here  described  as  a 
persuasion  of  Jesus  being  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God  ;  and  that  on  the  ground  of 
what  was  written  in  the  Scriptures. — 
"Those  by  the  way-side  are  they  that 
hear  :  then  cometh  the  devil  and  taketh 
away  the  word  out  of  their  hearts,  lest 
they  should  believe  and  be  saved."  This 
language  plainly  denotes  that  a  real  be- 
lief of  the  word  is  connected  with  salva- 


376 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


tion.  Peter  confessed,  "  Thou  art  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God.  Jesus  an- 
swered, Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar- 
jona;  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  reveal- 
ed it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  who  is  in 
heaven."  Here  it  is  plainly  intimated 
that  a  belief  of  Jesus  being  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  is  saving  faith; 
and  that  no  man  can  be  strictly  said  to  do 
this,  unless  he  be  the  subject  of  a  spir- 
itual illumination  from  above.  To  the 
same  purpose  are  those  express  declara- 
tions of  Paul  and  John  :  "If  thou  shall 
confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath 
raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be 
saved." — "Whoso  believeth  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ  is  born  of  God."—"  Who  is 
he  that  overcometh  the  world,  but  he  that 
believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  Godl" 
— "  Whosoever  shall  confess  that  Jesus 
is  the  Son  of  God,  God  dwelleth  in  him 
and  he  in  God." — "He  that  hath  receiv- 
ed his  testimony  hath  set  to  his  seal  that 
God  is  true." — "No  man  can  say  that 
Jesus  is  the  Lord  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 
— Again,  "  While  ye  have  the  light,  be- 
lieve in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the 
children  of  light."  The  light  they  then 
had  was  that  of  the  gospel ;  and  had  they 
believed  it  they  would  have  been  the  chil- 
dren of  light,  or  true  Christians.  "Ye 
sent  unto  John,  and  he  bare  witness  unto 
the  truth." — "  These  things  I  say  that  ye 
might  be  saved."  Our  Lord  could  not 
mean  less  by  this  language  than  that,  if 
they  believed  those  things  which  John 
testified,  and  which  he  himself  confirmed, 
they  would  be  saved ;  which  is  the  same 
thing  as  declaring  it  to  be  the  saving 
faith.  Christ  "shall  come  to  be  glori- 
fied in  his  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in  all 
them  that  believe  (because  our  testimony 
among  you  was  believed)  in  that  day." 
The  words  in  a  parenthesis  are  evidently 
intended  to  give  the  reason  of  the  phrase, 
"  them  that  believe,"  and  intimate  that 
it  was  the  belief  of  the  gospel  testimony 
that  denominated  them  believers.  "  God 
hath  chosen  us  to  salvation  through  sanc- 
tification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the 
truth."  It  cannot  be  doubted  that,  by 
the  "  belief  of  the  truth,"  is  here  meant 
faith  in  Christ ;  and  its  being  connected 
with  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  eter- 
nal salvation  proves  it  to  be  saving. 

If  the  foregoing  passages  be  admitted 
to  prove  the  point  (and  if  they  do  not  we 
may  despair  of  learning  any  thing  from 
the  Scriptures,)  the  duty  of  unconverted 
sinners  to  believe  in  Christ  cannot  fairly 
be  called  in  question  ;  for,  as  before  said, 
it  is  admitted  on  all  hands  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  man  to  believe  what  God 
reveals. 


But,  to  this  statement,  it  is  objected  that 
Christianity  having  at  that  time  great  op- 
position made  to  it,  and  its  professors  be- 
ing consequently  exposed  to  great  perse- 
cution and  reproach,  the  belief  and  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  gospel  was  more  a 
test  of  sincerity  than  it  now  is  :  men  are 
now  taught  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion  from  their  youth,  and  believe  them, 
and  are  not  ashamed  to  acknowledge  them ; 
while  yet  they  give  no  evidence  of  their 
being  born  of  God,  but  on  the  contrary. 
There  is  some  force  in  this  objection,  so 
far  as  it  respects  a  confession  of  Christ's 
name  ;  but  I  do  not  perceive  that  it  affects 
the  belief  of  the  gospel.  It  was  no  more 
difficult  to  believe  the  truth  at  that  time 
than  at  this,  though  it  might  be  much  more 
so  to  avow  it.  With  respect  to  that  tra- 
ditional assent  which  is  given  to  Christian- 
ity in  some  nations,  it  is  of  the  same  na- 
ture as  that  which  is  given  to  Mahometan- 
ism  and  Paganism  in  others.  It  is  no  more 
than  that  of  the  Jewish  nation  in  the  time 
of  our  Lord  towards  the  Mosaic  Scriptures. 
They  declared  themselves  to  be  Moses' 
disciples,  and  had  no  doubt  but  they  be- 
lieved him  ;  yet  our  Lord  did  not  allow 
that  they  believed  his  writings.  "  Had  ye 
believed  Moses,"  said  he,  "  ye  would  have 
believed  me  ;  for  he  wrote  of  me."  The 
same  is  doubtless  true  of  all  others  who 
assent  to  his  gospel,  merely  from  having 
been  educated  in  it.  Did  they  believe  it, 
they  would  be  consistent  and  embrace  those 
things  which  are  connected  with  it.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark  that  those  professors 
of  Cliristianity  who  received  not  the  love  of 
the  truth,  that  they  might  be  saved,  are  rep- 
resented as  not  believing  the  truth,  and  as 
having  pleasure  in  unrighteousness. — 2 
Thess.  ii.  10.  12.  To  admit  the  existence 
of  a  few  facts,  without  possessing  any  sense 
of  their  humiliating  implication,  their  holy 
nature,  their  vast  importance,  or  the  prac- 
tical consequences  that  attach  to  them,  is 
to  admit  the  body  without  the  spirit.  Paul, 
notwithstanding  his  knowledge  of  the  law, 
and  great  zeal  on  its  behalf,  while  blind  to 
its  spirituality,  reckoned  himself  to  be 
"without  the  law." — Rom.  vii.  9.  And 
such  are  those  professing  Christians,  with 
respect  to  the  gospel,  "who  i-eceive  not 
the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  may  be 
saved." 

It  is  farther  objected  that  men  are  said 
to  have  believed  the  gospel,  who,  notwith- 
standing, were  destitute  of  true  religion. 
Thus  some  among  the  chief  rulers  are  said 
to  have  "  believed  in  Jesus ;  but  did  not 
confess  him  :  for  they  loved  the  praise  of 
men  more  than  the  praise  of  God."  It  is 
said  of  Simon  that  he  "  believed  also  ;" 
yet  he  was  "  in  the  gall  of  bitterness,  and 
in  the  bond  of  iniquity."     Agrippais  ac- 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTIIV    OF    ALL    ACt  EI'TATIOiN. 


377 


knowlcdgod  by  Paul  to  have  believed  the  are,  properly  speaking,  the  objects  of  our 
prophets;  anil  (aitli  is  attrilnilcd  even  to  faith;  for  without  sucli  a  revelation  it 
the  devils.  The  term  liclief,  like  almost  were  iiiipossil)le  to  believe  in  them, 
every  other  term,  is  sometimes  used  in  an  Mr.  Booth,  and  various  other  writers, 
inij)roi)cr  sense.  Judas  is  said  to  have  re-  have  considered  faith  in  Christ  as  a  depcn- 
pented  and  hanired  himself,  though  nothing  dence  on  him,  a  receiving  him,  a  coming 
more  is  meant  by  it  than  his  l)eing  smitten  to  him  and  trusting  in  him  for  salvation, 
with  remorse,  wishing  he  had  not  done  as  There  is  no  doul)t  but  these  terms  are 
he  did,  on  account  of  the  consequences,  frequently  used,  in  the  New  Testament, 
Through  the  poverty  of  language  there  is  to  e\i)ress  believing.  "  As  many  as  re- 
not  a  name  for  every  thing  that  diflcrs,  and  ceived  hiui,  to  them  gave  he  power  to 
therefore  where  two  tilings  have  the  same  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them 
visible  appearance,  and  diller  only  in  some  that  believe  on  his  name." — "  He  that 
circumstances  which  are  invisible,  it  is  comcth  to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he 
common  to  call  them  by  the  same  name,  that  bclicveth  in  me  shall  never  thirst." — 
Thus  men  are  termed /(o;iPs/ who  are  j)unc-  "  That  we  should  i)e  to  llie  |)raise  of  his 
tual  in  their  dealings,  though  such  conduct  glory  who  first  trusted  in  Christ." — "I 
in  many  instances  may  arise  merely  from  know  whom  I  have  trusted,  and  am  per- 
a  regard  to  their  own  credit,  interest,  or  suaded  that  he  is  alilc  to  keep  that  which 
safety.  Thus  the  remorse  of  Judas  is  call-  I  have  committed  to  him  against  that  day." 
ed  repentance ;  and  thus  the  convictions  Whether  these  terms,  however,  strictly 
of  the  Jewish  rulers,  of  Simon,  and  Agrip-  speaking,  convey  the  same  idea  as  believ- 
pa,  and  the  fearful  apprehension  of  apos-  ing,  may  admit  of  a  question.  They  seem 
tate  angels,  from  what  they  had  already  rather  to  be  the  immediate  cfiects  of  faith 
felt,  is  called /«i7A.  But  as  we  do  not  in-  than  faith  itself.  The  author  of  the  Epis- 
fer,  from  the  application  of  the  term  re-  tie  to  tiie  Hebrews  describes  tlie  order  of 
pentance  totlie  feelings  of  Judas,  that  there  these  things,  in  what  he  says^f  the  faith 
is  nothing  spiritual  in  real  repentance,  so  of  Enoch  r  "  He  that  comcth  to  God  must 
neither  ought  we  to  conclude,  from  the  believe  thatlic  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder 
foregoingapplicationsofthetermtc/tcrin^-,  of  them  that  diligently  seek  him."  Here 
that  there  is  nothing  spiritual  in  a  real  be-  are  three  diflerent  exercises  of  mind  : 
lief  of  the  gosi)el.  First,    believing  that   God  is;  Secondly, 

"  The  objects  of  faith,"  it  has  been  said,  believing  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that 
"are  not  bare  axioms  or  propositions  :  the  diligentiij  seek  him;  Thirdl}^  coming  to 
act  of  the  believer  does  not  terminate  at  an  him:  and  tiie  last  is  represented  as  the 
axiom,  but  at  the  thing;  for  axioms  are  effect  of  the  foiiner  two.  The  same  may 
not  formed  but  that  by  them  knowledge  be  applied  to  Christ.  He  that  cometh  to 
may  be  had  of  things.'"  To  believe  a  Christ  must  l)elieve  the  gospel-testimony, 
bare  axiom  or  proposition,  in  distinction  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Saviour 
from  the  thing,  must  l)e  barely  to  believe  of  sinners;  the  only  name  given  under 
that  such  and  such  letters  make  certain  heaven,  and  among  men,  by  which  wo 
words,  and  that  such  words  j)ut  together  must  be  saved  :  he  must  also  believe  the 
have  a  certain  meaning;  but  who  would  gospel  promise,  that  he  will  bestow  eter- 
call  this  l)elieving  the  proposition  1  To  nal  salvation  on  all  them  that  obey  him  ; 
believe  the  proposition  is  to  believe  the  and,  under  the  influence  of  this  persuasion, 
thing.  Letters,  syllal)les,  words,  and  he  comes  to  him,  commits  himself  to  him, 
propositions,  are  only  means  of  convey-  or  trusts  the  salvation  of  his  soul  in  his 
ance  ;  and  these,  as  such,  are  not  the  ob-  hands.  This  process  may  be  so  quick  as 
Jects  of  faith,  but  the  thing  conveyed,  not  to  admit  of  the  mind  being  conscious 
Nevertheless,  those  things  must  have  a  of  it ;  and  especially  as,  at  such  a  time,  it 
conveyance,  ere  they  can  be  believed  in.  is  otherwise  employed  than  in  speculating 
The  person,  blood,  and  righteousness  of  upon  its  own  operations.  So  far  as  it  is 
Christ,  for  instance,  are  often  said  to  be  able  to  recollect,  the  whole  may  appear  to 
objects  of  faith;  and  this  they  doubtless  be  one  complex  exercise  of  the"  soul.  In 
are,  as  they  are  objects  held  forth  to  us  this  large  sense  also,  as  comprehending 
by  the  language  of  Scripture:  l>ut  they  not  only  tiie  credit  of  the  gospel  testimony, 
could  not  meet  our  faith,  unless  something  but  the  soul's  dependence  on  Christ  alone 
were  affirmed  concerning  them  in  letters  for  acceptance  with  God,  it  is  allowed  that 
and  syllables,  or  vocal  sounds,  or  by  some  believing  is  necessary,  not  only  to  salva- 
means  or  other  of  conveyance.  To  say  tion,  but  to  justification.  We  must  come 
therefore  that  these  are  objects  of  faith  is  to  Jesus  that  we  may  have  life.  Those 
to  say  the  truth,  but  not  the  whole  truth  ;  who  attain  the  blessing  of  justification, 
the  person,  blood,  and  righteousness  of  must  seek  it  by  faith,  and  not  by  the  works 
Christ  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  of  the  law;  submitting  themselves  to  the 
xoay   of  a  sinner'' s   acceptance   with   God,    righteousness   of  God.     This  blessing  is 

VOL.  I.  48 


378 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL   ACCEPTATION. 


constantly   represented  as  following  our 
-union  with  Christ :  and  "  he  that  is  joined 
to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit."* 

Let  it  but  be  granted  that  a  real  belief 
of  the  gospel  is  not  merely  a  matter  pre- 
supposed in  saving  faith,  but  that  it  enters 
into  the  essence  of  it,  and  the  writer 
of  these  pages  will  be  far  from  contending 
for  the  exclusion  of  trust,  or  dependence. 
He  certainly  has  no  such  objection  to  it  as 
is  alleged  by  Mr.  M'Lean,  that  "to  in- 
clude, in  the  nature  of  faith,  any  holy  ex- 
ercise of  the  heart,  affects  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  grace  alone,  without  the 
works  of  the  law."t  If  he  supposed,  with 
that  author,  however,  that,  in  order  to 
justification  being  wholly  of  grace,  no  ho- 
liness must  precede  it ;  or  that  the  party 
must,  at  the  time,  be  in  a  state  of  enmity 
to  God,  he  must,  to  be  consistent  unite 
with  him  also  in  excluding  trust  (which, 
undoubtedly,  is  a  holy  exercise)  from  hav- 
ing anyplace  in  justifying  faith  ;  but,  per- 
suaded as  he  is  that  the  freeness  of  justi- 
fication rests  upon  no  such  ground,  he  is 
not  under  this  necessity. 

The  term  trust  appears  to  be  most  ap- 
propi'iate,  or  best  adapted  of  any,  to  ex- 
press the  confidence  Avhich  the  soul  reposes 
in  Christ  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  promises. 
We  may  credit  a  report  of  evil  tidings  as 
well  as  one  of  good ;  but  we  cannot  be 
said  to  trust  it.  We  may  also  credit  a 
report,  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  which 
does  not  at  all  concern  us ;  but  that  in 
which  we  place  trust  must  be  something  in 
which  our  well-being  is  involved.  The 
relinquishment  of  false  confidences,  which 
the  gospel  requires,  and  the  risk  which  is 
made  in  embracing  it,  are  likewise  better 
expressed  by  this  term  than  by  any  other. 
A  true  belief  of  the  record  which  God  has 
given  of  his  Son  is  accompanied  with  all 
this ;  but  the  term  belief  does  not,  of  it- 
self, necessarily  convey  it.  When  Jacob's 
sons  brought  the  coat  of  many  colors  to 
him,  he  credited  their  story  ;  he  believed 
Joseph  to  be  torn  to  pieces  ;  but  he  could 
not  be  said  to  trust  that  he  was.  When 
the  same  persons,  on  their  return  from 
Egypt,  declared  that  Joseph  was  yet  alive, 
Jacob,  at  first,  believed  them  not ;  but, 
on  seeing  the  waggons,  he  was  satisfied  of 
the  truth  of  their  declaration,  and  trusted 
in  it  too,  leaving  all  behind  him  on  the 
ground  of  it. 

But,  whatever  difference  there  may  be 
between  credit  and  trust,  they  agree  in 
those  particulars  which  affect  the  point  at 
issue  :  the  one,  no  less  than  the  other,  has 
relation  to  revealed  truth  as  its  foundation. 

*  John  V.  40.  Rom.  ix.  31,  32  j  x.  3.  1  Cor  vi.  17. 
t  On  the  Commission,  p.  83. 


In  some  cases  it  directly  refers  to  the  di- 
vine veracity  ;  as  in  Psalm  cxix.  42,  /  trust 
in  thy  word.  And  where  the  immediate  ref- 
erence is  to  the  power,  the  wisdom,  or  the 
mercy  of  God,  or  to  the  righteousness  of 
Christ,  there  is  a  remote  relation  to  vera- 
city ;  for  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
would  be  objects  of  trust,  were  they  not 
revealed  in  a  way  of  promise.  And,  from 
hence,  it  will  follow  that  trusting  in  Christ, 
no  less  than  crediting  his  testimony,  is  the 
duty  of  every  sinner  to  whom  the  revela- 
tion is  made. 

If  it  be  asked.  What  ground  could  a  sin- 
ner, who  shall  at  last  prove  to  have  no  in- 
terest in  the  salvation  of  Christ,  ever  pos- 
sess for  trusting  in  him  1  let  it  be  consid- 
ered what  it  was  for  which  he  was  Avar- 
ranted,  or  obliged,  to  trust.  Was  it  that 
Christ  would  save  him,  whether  he  be- 
lieved in  him,  or  not  1  No  :  there  is  no 
such  promise  ;  but  an  explicit  declaration 
of  the  contrary.  To  trust  in  this,  there- 
fore, would  be  to  trust  in  a  falsehood. 
That  for  which  he  ought  to  have  trusted 
in  him  was  the  obtaining  of  mercy,  in  case 
he  applied  for  it.  For  this  there  was  a 
complete  warrant  in  the  gospel-declara- 
tions, as  Mr.  Booth,  in  his  Glad  Tidings 
to  Perishing  Sinners,  has  fully  evinced. 
There  are  principles,  in  that  performance, 
which  the  writer  of  these  pages,  highly 
as  he  respects  the  author,  cannot  approve. 
The  principal  subjects  of  his  disapproba- 
tion have  been  pointed  out,  and  he  thinks 
scripturally  refuted,  by  Mr.  Scott  ;|  but, 
with  respect  to  the  warrant  which  every 
sinner  has  to  trust  in  Christ  for  salvation, 
Mr.  B.  has  clearly  and  fully  established 
it.  I  may  add,  if  any  man  distrust  either 
the  power  or  willingness  of  Christ  to  save 
those  that  come  to  him,  and  so  continue  to 
stand  at  a  distance,  relying  upon  his  own 
righteousness,  or  some  false  gi'ound  of 
confidence,  to  the  rejection  of  him,  it  is 
criminal  and  inexcusable  unbelief. 

Mr.  Booth  has  (to  all  appearance,  de- 
signedly) avoided  the  question.  Whether 
faith  in  Christ  be  the  duty  of  the  ungodly. 
The  leading  principle  of  the  former  part 
of  his  work,  however,  cannot  stand  upon 
any  other  ground.  He  contends  that  the 
gospel  affords  a  complete  warrant  for  the 
ungodly  to  believe  in  Jesus ;  and  surely 
he  will  not  affirm  that  sinners  are  at  lib- 
erty either  to  embrace  the  warrant  afford- 
ed them  or  to  reject  it  1  He  defines  be- 
lieving in  Jesus  Christ  "receiving  him  as 
he  is  exhibited  in  the  doctrine  of  grace, 
or  depending  upon  him  only."  But,  if  the 
ungodly  be  not  obliged,  as  well  as  war- 
ranted, to  do  this,  they  are  at  liberty  to 

t  See  his  Warrant  and  Nature  of  Faith. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


379 


do  as  the  Jewish  nation  did,  to  receive 
him  not,  and  to  ^o  on  depcndinj;  upon  the 
works  of  the  law  for  acceplanoc  with 
God.  In  the  course  of  his  work,  ho  de- 
scribes the  gospel-inessaije  as  full  of  kind 
invitations,  winninjj;  persuasions,  and  im- 
portunate entreaties  ;  and  the  messenjrers 
as  commissioned  to  persuade  and  entreat 
sinners  to  he  reconciled  to  God,  and  to 
rej:;ard  the  vicarious  work  of  Jesus  as  the 
only  pro'Jnd  of  their  justification." — pp. 
36,  37,  2d  ed.  But  how,  if  tliey  should 
remain  unreconciled,  and  continue  to  dis- 
regard the  work  of  Christ  ?  How,  if  they 
should,  after  all,  make  light  of  this  "  royal 
banquet,"  and  prefer  their  farms  and  their 
merchandizes  to  these  "  plentiful  provi- 
sions of  divine  grace  1"  Are  tliey  guilt- 
less in  so  doing,  and  free  from  all  breach 
of  duty  1  I  am  persuaded,  whatever  was 
Mr.  Booth's  reason  for  being  silent  on 
this  subject,  he  will  not  say  they  are. 


PART  II. 

ARGUMENTS  TO  PROVE  THAT  FAITH  IN 
CHRIST  IS  THE  DUTY  OF  ALL  MEN 
WHO  HEAR,  OR  HAVE  OPPORTUNITY 
TO    HEAR,    THE    GOSPEL. 

What  has  been  already  advanced,  on 
the  nature  of  faith  in  Christ,  may  con- 
tribute to  the  deciding  of  the  question 
whether  faith  be  the  duty  of  the  ungodly  : 
but,  in  addition  to  this,  the  Scriptures 
furnish  abundance  of  positive  evidence. 
The  principal  part  of  that  which  has  oc- 
curred to  me  may  be  comprehended  under 
the  following  propositions  : — 

I.  Unconverted  sinners  are  com- 
manded, EXHORTED,  AND  INVITED,  TO 
BELIEVE  IN  Christ  for  salvation. 

It  is  here  taken  for  granted  that  what- 
ever God  commands,  exhorts,  or  invites 
us  to  comply  with,  is  the  duty  of  those  to 
whom  such  language  is  addressed.  If, 
therefore,  saving  faith  be  not  the  duty  of 
the  unconverted,  we  may  expect  ne\er  to 
find  any  addresses  of  this  nature  directed 
to  them  in  the  holy  Scriptures.  We  may 
expect  that  God  will  as  soon  require  them 
to  become  angels  as  Christians,  if  the  one 
be  no  more  their  duty  than  the  other. 

There  is  a  phraseology  suited  to  differ- 
ent periods  of  time.  Previously  to  the 
coming  of  Christ,  and  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  we  read  but  little  of  believing  :  but 
other  terms,  fully  expressive  of  the  thing, 
are  found  in  abundance.  I  shall  select  a 
few  examples,  and  accompany  them  with 


such  remarks  as  may  show  them  to  be  ap- 
j)licablc  to  the  subject. 

Psalm  ii.  11,  12.  "  Serve  the  Lord  with 
fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling  :  kiss  the 
Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from 
tiie  way,  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a 
little  :  i>lessed  are  all  tliey  that  put  their 
trust  in  him."  The  Psalm  is  evidently  a 
prophecy  of  the  resurrection  and  exalta- 
tion of  the  Messiah.  Whatever  reference 
may  be  had  to  Solomon,  there  are  several 
things  which  are  not  true  of  either  him  or 
his  government  ;  and  the  whole  is  applica- 
ble to  Christ,  and  is  plentifully  applied  to 
him  in  the  New  Testament. 

The  "  kings  and  judges  of  the  earth," 
who  are  iiere  admonished  to  "  serve  the 
Lord  (Messiah)  with  fear,"  and  to  "kiss 
the  Son  lest  he  be  angry,"  are  the  same 
persons  mentioned  in  verse  2,  which  words 
we  find,  in  the  New  Testament,  applied  to 
"  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  with  the 
Gentiles,  and  the  people  of  Israel"  (Acts 
iv.  27  :)  that  is,  they  were  the  enemies  of 
Christ,  unregenerate  sinners  ;  and  such, 
for  any  thing  that  appears,  they  lived  and 
died. 

The  command  of  God  addressed  to 
these  rulers  is  of  a  spiritual  nature,  inclu- 
ding unfeigned  faith  in  the  Messiah,  and 
sincere  obedience  to  his  authority.  To 
"  kiss  the  Son"  is  to  be  reconciled  to  him, 
to  embrace  his  word  and  ordinances,  and 
bow  to  his  sceptre.  To  "serve  him  with 
fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling,"  denote 
that  they  should  not  think  meanly  of  him, 
on  the  one  han<i,  nor  hypocritically  cringe 
to  him,  from  a  mere  apprehension  of  his 
wrath,  on  the  other ;  but  sincerely  em- 
brace his  government,  and  even  rejoice 
that  they  had  it  to  embrace.  That  which 
is  here  required  of  unbelievers  is  the  very 
spirit  which  distinguishes  believers,  a 
holy  fear  of  Christ's  majesty,  and  a  hum- 
ble confidence  in  his  mercy ;  taking  his 
yoke  upon  them,  and  wearing  it  as  their 
highest  delight.  That  t'ae  object  of  the 
command  was  spiritual  is  also  manifest 
from  the  threatening  and  the  promise  an- 
nexed to  it,  "  lest  ye  perish  from  the 
way" — "blessed  are  all  they  that  put 
their  trust  in  him."  It  is  here  plainly 
supposed  that,  if  they  did  not  embrace 
the  Son,  they  should  perish  from  the 
way,  and,  if  they  did  put  their  trust  in 
him,  they  should  be  blessed.  The  result 
is,  unconverted  sinners  are  commanded  to 
believe  in  Christ  for  salvation  :  therefore 
believing  in  Christ  for  salvation  is  their 
duty. 

Isaiah  Iv.  1 — 7.  "  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he 
that  hath  no  money  :  come  ye,  buy  and 
eat ;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  with- 
out money,  and  without  price.     Where- 


380 


THE    GOSPEL   WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


fore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which 
is  not  bread;  and  your  labor  for  that 
which  satisfieth  not  1  Hearken  diligently 
unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good,  and 
let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness. 
Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto  me; 
hear,  and  your  souls  shall  live ;  and  I 
will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
you,  even  the  sure  mercies  of  David. 
Behold,  I  have  given  him  for  a  wit- 
ness to  the  people,  a  leader  and  com- 
mander to  the  people.  Behold,  thou 
shalt  call  a  nation  that  thou  knewest  not ; 
and  nations  that  knew  not  thee  shall  run 
unto  thee,  because  of  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  for  the  holy  One  of  Israel ;  for  he 
hath  glorified  thee.  Seek  ye  the  Lord 
while  he  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  him 
while  he  is  near.  Let  the  wicked  forsake 
his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts ;  and  let  him  return  unto  the 
Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him ; 
and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly 
pardon."  This  is  the  language  of  invita- 
tion :  but  divine  invtation  implies  an  obli- 
gation to  accept  it;  otherwise  the  con- 
duct of  those  who  "made  light  of  the 
gospel-supper,  and  preferred  their  farms 
and  merchandize  before  it,  had  been 
guiltless. 

The  concluding  verses  of  this  passage 
express  those  things  literally  which  the 
foregoing  ones  described  metaphorically  : 
the  person  invited,  and  the  invitation,  are 
the  same  in  both.  The  thirst  which  they 
are  supposed  to  possess  does  not  mean  a 
holy  desire  after  spiritual  blessings,  but 
the  natural  desire  of  happiness  which 
God  has  implanted  in  every  bosom,  and 
which,  in  wicked  men,  is  directed  not  to 
"the  sure  mercies  of  David,"  but  to  that 
which  "is  not  bread,"  or  which  has  no 
solid  satisfaction  in  it.  The  duty,  to  a 
compliance  with  which  they  are  so  pa- 
thetically urged,  is  a  relinquishment  of 
every  false  way,  and  a  returning  to  God 
in  His  name  who  was  given  for  "  a  wit- 
ness, a  leader  and  a  commander  to  the 
people;"  which  is  the  same  thing  as 
"  repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  to- 
wards our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  The 
encouragement  held  up  to  induce  a  com- 
pliance with  this  duty  are  the  freeness, 
the  substantialness,  the  durableness,  the 
certainty,  and  the  rich  abundance  of  those 
blessings  which  as  many  as  repent  and 
believe  the  gospel  shall  receive.  The 
whole  passage  is  exceedingly  explicit,  as 
to  the  duty  of  the  unconverted ;  neither 
is  it  possible  to  evade  the  force  of  it  by 
any  just  or  fair  method  of  interpretation. 

Jeremiah  vi.  16.  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  Stand  ye  in  tlie  ways  and  see,  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good 
way,  and  Avalk  therein,  and  ye  shall  find 


rest  for  your  souls  :  but  they  said.  We  will 
not  walk  therein.  The  persons  here  ad- 
dressed are,  beyond  all  doubt,  ungodly 
men.  God  himself  bears  witness  of  them 
that  "their  ears  were  uncircumcised,  and 
they  could  not  hearken ;  for  the  word  of 
the  Lord  was  to  them  a  reproach,  and  they 
had  no  delight  in  it."  ver.  10.  Yea,  so 
hardened  were  they  that  "  they  were  not 
ashamed  when  they  had  committed  abom- 
ination," and  so  impudent  that  "they 
could  not  blush."  ver.  15.  And  such,  for 
any  thing  that  appears,  they  continued ; 
for,  when  they  were  exhorted  to  "walk 
in  the  good  way,"  their  answer  was,  "We 
will  not  walk  therein."  Hence,  the  aw- 
ful threatening  which  follows  :  "  Hear, 
O  earth,  behold,  I  will  bring  evil  upon  this 
people,  even  the  fruit  of  their  thoughts, 
because  they  have  not  hearkened  unto 
my  words,  nor  to  my  law,  but  rejected 
it."  ver.  19. 

The  "good  way,"  in  which  they  were 
directed  to  walk,  must  have  been  the 
same  as  that  in  which  the  patriarchs  and 
prophets  had  walked  in  former  ages ; 
who,  we  all  know,  lived  and  died  in  the 
faith  of  the  promised  Messiah.  Hence 
our  Lord  with  great  propriety,  applied  the 
passage  to  himself. — Matt.  xi.  2S.  Jere- 
miah directed  to  "  the  old  paths,"  and 
"the  good  way,"  as  the  only  medium  of 
finding  rest  to  the  soul :  Jesus  said, 
"  Come  unto  me,  dll  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest. 
Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of 
me,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls." 

We  see  in  this  passage  also,  as  in  many 
others,  in  what  manner  God  requires  sin- 
ners to  use  the  means  of  grace  :  not  by  a 
mere  attendance  upon  them  (which,  while 
the  end  is  disregarded,  and  the  means  rest- 
ed in  instead  of  it,  is  not  using,  but  pervert- 
ing them,)  but  with  a  sincere  desire  to  find 
out  the  good  way  and  to  walk  in  it.  God 
requires  no  natural  impossibilities.  No 
man  is  required  to  believe  in  Christ  before 
he  has  opportunity  of  examining  the  evi- 
dence attending  his  gospel :  but  he  ought 
to  search  into  it  like  the  noble  Bereans, 
immediately,  and  with  a  pure  intention 
of  finding  and  following  the  good  way ; 
which,  if  he  do,  like  them  he  will  soon 
be  found  walking  in  it.  If  we  teach  sin- 
ners that  a  mere  attendance  on  the  means 
of  grace  is  that  use  of  them  which  God 
requires  at  their  hands,  and  in  which  con- 
sists the  whole  of  their  duty,  as  to  repent- 
ance towards  God  and  faith  towards  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  shall  be  found  false 
witnesses  for  God,  and  deceivers  of  the 
souls  of  men. 

The  New  Testament  is  still  more  ex- 
plicit than  the  Old.     Faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY   OF    ALL    ACCETTATION. 


381 


even  that  which  is  accompanied  with  sal- 
vation, is  there  constantly  liehl  up  as  the 
duly  ot  all  to  whom  tlic  <i()S|>el  is  prcailioil. 

Johnxii.  8G.  "While  ye  have  the  li;;ht, 
believe  in  the  liiiht,  that  ye  may  lie  the 
children  of  light."  The  persons  to  whom 
this  passage  was  addressed  were  unhe- 
lievcrs,  such  as  "  though  Jesus  had  done 
so  many  miracles  among  ihem,  yet  believed 
not  on  him"  (ver.  37;)  and  it  appears  that 
they  continued  unbelievers,  lor  they  are 
represented  as  given  over  to  judicial  blind- 
ness and  hardness  of  heart,  ver.  40.  The 
liglil  which  they  were  exhorted  to  believe 
in  appears  to  be  himself  as  revealed  in  the 
gospel  ;  for  thus  he  s|)eaks  in  the  context, 
"  I  am  come  a  light  into  the  world,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  me  should  not  abide 
in  darkness."  And  that  the  believing 
which  Clirist  re(iuire(l  of  them  was  such 
as,  had  it  been  complied  with,  would  have 
issued  in  their  salvation,  is  manifest  from 
its  being  added,  "  that  ye  may  be  the  chil- 
dren of  light;"  an  appellation  never  be- 
stowed on  any  but  true  believers. 

John  vi.  29.  "  This  is  the  work  of  God, 
that  ye  believe  on  him  whom  he  hath  sent." 
These  words  contain  an  answer  to  a  ques- 
tion. The  persons  who  asked  it  were  men 
who  "  followed  Christ  for  loaves,"  who 
'*  believed  not,"  and  who  after  this  "  walk- 
ed no  more  with  him,"  ver.  20.  36.  66. 
Christ  had  been  rebuking  them  for  their 
mercenary  principles  in  thus  following  him 
about,  and  charging  them,  saying,  "  La- 
V)or  not  for  the  meat  that  perisheth,  but  for 
that  w  Inch  endureth  unto  everlasting  life," 
ver.  27.  They  replied  by  asking,  "  What 
shall  we  do,  that  we  might  w^ork  the  works 
of  God  1  "  which  was  saying  in  effect, 
We  have  been  very  zealous  for  thee  in  fol- 
lowing thee  hither  and  thither ;  yet  thou 
dost  not  allow  that  we  please  God  :  thou 
directest  us  "to  labor  for  that  which  en- 
dureth unto  everlasting  life."  What 
wouldst  thou  have  us  to  do'!  what  can 
we  do'?  what  must  we  do,  in  order  to 
please  God  1  To  this  question  our  Lord 
answers,  "This  is  the  work  of  God,  that 
ye  believe  on  him  whom  he  hath  sent  : 
which,  if  it  be  a  proi)er  answer,  is  the  same 
as  saying,  This  is  the  first  and  greatest  of 
all  duties  ;  and  without  it  no  other  duty 
can  be  acceptable. 

It  has  been  said,  in  answer  to  the  argu- 
ment from  this  passage,  "  The  words  con- 
tain a  declaration  that  believing  in  Christ 
for  salvation  is  necessary  to  the  enjoyment 
of  eternal  life,  and  that  faith  in  him  is  an 
act  acceptable  and  pleasing  to  God ;  but 
afford  no  proof  that  it  is  required  of  men 
in  a  state  of  unregeneracy.  To  declare 
to  unregenerate  persons  the  necessity  of 
faith  in  order  to  salvation,  which  is  what 
our  blessed  Lord  here  does,  falls  very  far 


short  of  asserting  it  to  be  their  present 
duty."  • 

We  see  by  this  answer  that  Mr.  Brine, 
who  will  be  allowed  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  judicious  writers  on  that  side  the 
(lueslion,  was  fully  convinced  of  three 
things.  First :  That  the  persons  here  ad- 
dressed were  unregenerate  sinners.  Sec- 
ondly :  That  the  faith  recommended  is 
saving.  Thirdly  :  That  when  faith  is  here 
called  the  rr:)rlc  of  God  it  does  not  mean  the 
work  which  God  performs,  but  an  act  of 
theirs,  which  would  be  acceptable  and 
]>leasing  to  him.  Yet  we  are  told  that  our 
Lord  merely  expresses  the  necessity  of  it, 
without  asserting  it  to  be  their  present  du- 
ty. Was  it  not  the  oi)ject  of  tlicir  incjuiry 
then,  What  was  their  present  duty,  or 
what  they  ought  to  do  in  order  to  please 
God  ^  What  else  can  be  made  of  it  1 
Further  :  How  can  our  Lord  be  supposed 
in  answer  to  their  question  to  tell  them  of 
an  act  which  was  necessary,  acceptable, 
and  pleasing  to  God,  but  which  was  not 
their  present  duty '?  Is  such  an  answer 
worthy  of  him "?  Nay,  how  could  their 
believing  be  an  act  acceptable  and  pleasing 
to  God,  if  it  were  not  their  present  duty'! 
God  is  pleased  with  tliat  only  in  us  which 
he  requires  at  our  hands. 

John  V.  23.  "The  Father  hath  com- 
mitted all  judgment  unto  the  Son,  that  all 
men  should  honor  tiie  Son,  even  as  they 
honor  tlie  Father.  He  that  honoreth  not 
the  Son,  honoreth  not  the  Father  which 
hath  sent  him."  That  men  are  obliged  to 
honor  the  Father  by  a  holy  hearty  love  to 
him,  and  adoration  of  him  under  every 
character  by  which  he  has  manifested  him- 
self, will  be  allowed  by  all  except  the 
grossest  Antinomians  :  and,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  the  Father  that  all  men  should 
honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Fa- 
ther, nothing  less  can  be  required  of  them 
than  a  holy  hearty  love  to  him,  and  adora- 
tion of  him  under  every  character  by  which 
he  has  manifested  himself.  But  such  a  re- 
gard to  Christ  necessarily  supposes  faith 
in  him;  for  it  is  impossible  to  honor  him, 
while  we  reject  him  in  all  or  any  of  his  of- 
fices, and  neglect  his  great  salvation.  To 
honor  an  infallii)le  teacher  is  to  place  an 
implicit  and  unl)ounded  confidence  in  all 
he  says  :  to  honor  an  advocate  is  to  com- 
mit our  cause  to  him  :  to  honor  a  physi- 
cian is  to  trust  our  lives  in  his  hands  :  and 
to  honor  a  king  is  to  bow  to  his  sceptre, 
and  cheerfully  obey  his  laws.  These  are 
characters  under  which  Christ  has  mani- 
fested himself".  To  treat  him  in  this  man- 
ner is  to  honor  him ;  and  to  treat  him 
otherwise  is  to  dishonor  him. 

*  Mr.  Brine's  Motives  to  Love  and  Unity,  &c., 
p.  42. 


382 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


The  Scriptures  both  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  abound  with  exhortations  to 
hear  the  word  of  God,  to  hearken  to  his 
counsel,  to  loait  on  him,  to  seek  his 
favor,  &c.,  all  which  imply  saving  faith. 
"  Hearken  unto  me,  O  ye  children  ;  for 
blessed  are  they  that  keep  my  ways. 
Hear  instruction  and  be  wise,  and  refuse 
it  not.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  heareth 
me,  watching  daily  at  my  gates,  waiting  at 
the  posts  of  my  doors.  For  whoso  findeth 
me,  findeth  life,  and  shall  obtain  favor  of 
the  Lord.  But  he  that  sinneth  against 
me,  wrongeth  his  own  soul.  All  they  that 
hate  me  love  death  !" — "  How  long,  ye 
simple  ones,  will  ye  love  simplicity  "?  and 
the  scorners  delight  in  their  scorning,  and 
fools  hate  knowledge  1  Turn  you  at  my 
reproof :  behold,  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit 
unto  you,  I  will  make  known  my  words 
unto  you." — "  Hear,  ye  deaf,  and  look,  ye 
blind,  that  ye  may  see.  Hearken  diligent- 
ly unto  me.  Incline  your  ear,  and  come 
unto  me  :  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live." 
— "  Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near." 
— "  This  is  my  beloved  Son:  hear  him." 
— "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every 
soul  which  will  not  hear  that  prophet 
shall  be  destroyed  from  among  the  peo- 
ple."— "Labor  not  for  the  meat  that  per- 
isheth,  but  for  that  which  endureth  unto 
everlasting  life." 

It  is  a  grievous  misapplication  of  such 
language  to  consider  it  as  expressive  of  a 
mere  attendance  upon  the  means  of  grace, 
without  any  spiritual  desire  after  God; 
and  to  allow  that  unregenerate  sinners 
comply  with  it.  Nothing  can  be  farther 
from  the  truth.  The  Scriptures  abound 
in  promises  of  spiritual  and  eternal  bless- 
ings to  those  who  thus  hearken,  hear,  and 
seek  after  God  :  such  exercises,  therefore, 
must  of  necessity  be  spiritual,  and  require 
to  be  understood  as  including  faith  in 
Christ.  The  Scriptures  exhort  to  no  such 
exercises  as  may  be  complied  with  by  a 
mind  at  enmity  with  God  :  the  duties 
which  they  inculcate  are  all  spiritual,  and 
no  sinner  while  unregenerate  is  supposed 
to  comply  with  them.  So  far  from  allow- 
ing that  ungodly  men  seek  after  God,  or 
do  any  good  thing,  they  expressly  declare 
the  contrary.  "  God  looked  down  from 
heaven  upon  the  children  of  men,  to  see  if 
there  were  any  that  did  understand,  that 
did  seek  God.  Every  one  of  them  is  gone 
back ;  they  are  altogether  become  filthy  : 
there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one." 
To  reduce  the  exhortations  of  Scripture  to 
the  level  of  a  carnal  mind  is  to  betray  the 
authority  of  God  over  the  human  heart ; 
and  to  allow  that  unconverted  sinners  com- 
ply with  them  is  to  be  aiding  and  abetting 
in  their  self-deception.     The  unconverted 


who  attend  the  means  of  grace  generally 
persuade  themselves,  and  wish  to  persuade 
others,  that  they  would  gladly  be  convert- 
ed and  be  real  Christians,  if  it  were  but  in 
their  power.  They  imagine  themselves 
to  be  waiting  at  the  pool  for  the  moving  of 
the  water,  and  therefore  feel  no  guilt  on 
account  of  their  present  state  of  mind. 
Doubtless,  they  are  willing  and  desirous 
to  escape  the  wrath  to  come ;  and,  under 
certain  convictions,  Avould  submit  to  re- 
linquish many  things,  and  to  comply  with 
other  things,  as  the  condition  of  it ;  but 
they  have  no  direct  desire  after  spiritual 
blessings.  If  they  had,  they  would  seek 
them  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and,  thus  seek- 
ing, would  find  them.  That  preaching, 
therefore,  which  exhorts  them  to  mere 
outward  duties,  and  tells  them  that  their 
only  concern  is,  in  this  manner,  to  wait  at 
the  pool,  helps  forward  their  delusion,  and 
should  they  perish  will  prove  accessory  to 
their  destruction. 

Simon  the  sorcerer  was  admonished  to 
"  repent,  and  pray  to  the  Lord,  if  perhaps 
the  thought  of  his  heart  might  be  forgiven 
him."  From  this  express  example  many, 
who  are  averse  from  the  doctrine  here  de- 
fended, have  been  so  far  convinced  as  to 
acknowledge  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  un- 
converted to  pray,  at  least  for  temporal 
blessings  ;  but  Simon  was  not  admonished 
to  pray  for  temporal  blessings,  but  for  the 
forgiveness  of  sin.  Neither  was  he  to 
pray  in  a  carnal  and  heartless  manner ; 
but  to  repent,  and  pray.  And,  being  di- 
rected to  repent,  and  pray  for  the  forgive- 
ness of  sin,  he  was,  in  effect,  directed  to 
believe  in  Jesus  ;  for  in  what  other  name 
could  forgiveness  be  expected  1  Peter, 
after  having  declared  to  the  Jewish  rulers 
that  there  was  none  other  name  under  hea- 
ven given  among  men  whereby  we  must  be 
saved,  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  direct- 
ed Simon  to  hope  for  forgiveness  in  any 
other  way. 

To  admonish  any  person  to  pray,  or  to 
seek  the  divine  favor,  in  any  other  way 
than  hy  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  is  the  same 
thing  as  to  admonish  him  to  follow  the  ex- 
ample of  Cain,  and  of  the  self-righteous 
Jews.  Cain  was  not  averse  from  worship. 
He  brought  his  offering ;  but,  having  no 
sense  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  of  the  need  of 
a  Saviour,  he  had  taken  no  notice  of  what 
had  been  revealed  concerning  the  promis- 
ed seed,  and  paid  no  regard  to  the  present- 
ing of  an  expiatory  sacrifice.  He  thanked 
God  for  temporal  blessings,  and  might 
pray  for  their  continuance  ;  but  this  was 
not  doing  well.  It  was  practically  saying 
to  his  Maker,  I  have  done  nothing  to  de- 
serve being  made  a  sacrifice  to  thy  dis- 
pleasure ;  and  I  see  no  necessity  for  any 
sacrifice  being  offered  up,  either  now  or 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHV  OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


383 


at  the  end  ol  the  world.  In  sliort,  it  was 
claiming  to  approach  God  merely  as  -a 
creature,  and  as  though  nothing  had  taken 
place  which  required  an  atonement.  The 
self-righteous  Jews  did  not  live  without 
religion  :  they  followed  after  the  law  of 
righteousness  ;  yet  they  did  not  attain  it  : 
and  wherefore  1  "  Because  they  soitghl  it 
not  bij  faith,  but,  as  it  were,  by  the  icorks 
of  the  law ;  for  they  stumbled  at  that 
stumhlinE;-stone."  And  shall  we  direct 
our  hearers  to  follow  this  example,  hy  ex- 
horting them  to  pray,  and  seek  the  divine 
favor  in  any  other  way  than  hy  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ  1  If  so,  liow  can  we  deserve 
the  name  of  Christian  ministers  1 

The  Scriptures  exhort  sinners  to  put 
their  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  censure  them 
for  placing  it  in  an  arm  of  flesh.  Whether 
trusting  in  Ciirist,  for  the  salvation  of  our 
souls,  be  dislinguishaV)le  from  believing  in 
him,  or  not,  it  certainly  includes  it.  To 
trust  in  Christ  is  to  believe  in  him  :  if, 
therefore,  the  one  be  required,  the  other 
must  l>e.  Those  who  "  loved  vanity, 
and  sought  after  lying,"  are  admonished 
"  to  ofTer  the  sacrifices  of  righteousness, 
and  to  j)ut  their  trust  in  the  Lord  :  and  a 
trust  connected  with  the  sacrifices  of  right- 
eousness must  be  spiritual.  To  rely  on 
any  other  object  is  to  "  trust  in  vanity/' 
against  which  sinners  are  repeatedly  w  arn- 
ed :  "Trust  not  in  oppression;  become 
not  vain  in  rob])ery."  "  He  that  trusteth 
in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool."  "  Cursed  be 
the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  rnaketh 
flesh  his  arm,  and  whose  heart  departeth 
from  the  Lord." 

It  is  allowed  that,  if  God  had  never  sent 
his  Son  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  or 
if  the  invitations  of  the  gospel  were  not  ad- 
dressed to  sinners  indefinitely,  there  would 
be  no  warrant  for  trust  in  the  divine  mer- 
cy :  and,  as  it  is,  there  is  no  warrant  for 
trust  beyond  what  God  has  promised  in 
his  word.  He  has  not  promised  to  save 
sinners  indiscriminately,  and  therefore  it 
would  be  presumption  in  sinners  indis- 
criminately to  trust  that  they  shall  be 
saved.  But  he  has  promised,  and  that  in 
great  variety  of  language,  that  whosoever, 
relinquishing  every  false  ground  of  hope, 
shall  come  to  Jesu^  as  a  perishing  sinner, 
and  rely  on  hirri  alone  for  salvation,  shall 
not  be  disappointed.  For  such  a  reliance, 
therefore,  there  is  a  complete  warrant. 
These  promises  are  true,  and  will  be  ful- 
filled, whether  we  trust  in  them  or  not : 
and  whosoever  still  continues  to  trust  in 
his  own  righteousness,  or  in  the  general 
mercy  of  his  Creator,  without  respect  to 
the  atonement,  refusing  to  build  upon  the 
foundation  which  God  has  laid  in  Zion,  is 
guilty  of  the  greatest  of  all  sins  ;  and,  if 
God  give  him  not  repentance  to  the  ac- 


knowledgment of  the  truth,  the  stone  which 
ho  has  refused  will  fall  upon  him,  and  grind 
him  to  powder. 

But,  "until  a  man  through  the  law  is 
dead  to  the  law,"  says  Mr.  Brine,  "  he 
hatli  no  warrant  to  receive  Christ  as  a  Sa- 
viour, or  to  hope  for  salvation  through 
him."  *  If,  by  receiving  Christ,  were 
meant  the  claiiniiig  an  interest  in  the  bless- 
ings of  his  salvation,  this  objection  would 
be  well  founded.  No  man,  while  adher- 
ing to  his  own  righteousness  as  the  ground 
of  acceptance  with  God,  has  any  warrant 
to  conclude  himself  interested  in  the  right- 
eousness of  Jesus.  The  Scriptures  every 
where  assure  him  of  the  contrary.  But 
the  question  is.  Does  he  need  any  warrant 
to  be  dead  to  the  law ;  or,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  to  relinquish  his  vain  hopes  of 
acceptance  by  the  works  of  it,  and  to  choose 
that  Rock  for  his  foundation  w  hich  is  cho- 
sen of  God  and  precious  1  To  "  receive" 
Christ,  in  the  sense  of  Scripture,  stands 
opposed  to  rejecting  him,  or  to  such 
a  non-reception  of  him  as  was  practised 
by  the  body  of  the  Jewish  nation. — John 
i.  11,  12.  An  interest  in  spiritual  bless- 
ings, and,  of  course,  a  persuasion  of  it,  is 
represented  as  following  the  reception  of 
Christ,  and,  consequently,  is  to  be  distin- 
guished from  it :  "  To  as  many  as  received 
him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the 
sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on 
his  name."  The  idea  that  is  generally 
attached  to  the  term,  in  various  cases  to 
which  the  reception  of  Christ  liears  an  al- 
lusion, corresponds  with  the  above  state- 
ment. To  receive  a  gift  is  not  to  believe 
it  to  be  my  own,  though,  after  I  have  re- 
ceived it,  it  is  so  ;  but  to  have  my  pride 
so  far  abased  as  not  to  be  above  it,  and  my 
heart  so  much  attracted  as  to  be  willing  io 
relinquish  every  thing  that  stands  in  com- 
petition with  it.  To  receive  a  guest  is  not 
to  believe  him  to  be  my  particular  friend,, 
though  such  he  may  be  ;  but  to  open  my 
doors  to  him,  and  make  him  heartily  wel- 
come. To  receive  an  instructor  is  not  to 
believe  him  to  be  my  instructor  any  more 
than  another's  ;  but  to  embrace  his  instruc- 
tion, and  follow  his  counsel.  For  a  town, 
or  city,  after  a  long  siege,  to  receive  a 
king,  is  not  to  believe  him  to  be  their  spe- 
cial friend,  though  such  he  may  be,  and, 
in  the  end,  they  may  see  it;  l)ut  to  lay 
down  their  arms,  throw  open  their  gates, 
and  come  under  his  government.  These  re- 
marks are  easily  applied  ;  and  it  is  no  less 
easy  to  perceive  that  every  sinner  has  not 
only  a  warrant  thus  to  receive  Christ,  but- 
that  it  is  his  great  sin,  if  he  receive  him 
not. 

II.  Every  man  is  bound  cordially 

*  Motives  to  Love  and  Unity,  pp.  38,  39. 


384 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


to  receive  and  approve  whatever 
God  reveals. 

It  may  be  presumed  that,  if  God  reveal 
any  thing  to  men,  it  will  be  accompanied 
with  such  evidence  of  its  being  what  it  is, 
that  no  upright  mind  can  continue  to  doubt 
of  it.  "  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth  God's 
words." 

It  will  be  allowed,  by  those  with  whom 
I  am  now  reasoning,  that  no  man  is  justi- 
fiable in  disbelieving  the  truth  of  the  gos- 
pel, or  in  positively  rejecting  it :  but  then 
it  is  supposed  that  a  belief  of  the  gospel 
is  not  saving  faith ;  and  that,  though  a 
positive  rejection  of  divine  truth  is  sinful, 
yet  a  spiritual  reception  of  it  is  not  a 
duty.  I  hope  it  has  been  made  to  appear, 
in  the  foi-mer  part  of  this  piece,  that  a 
real  belief  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  is 
saving  faith,  and  includes  such  a  cordial 
acquiescence  in  the  way  of  salvation  as 
has  the  promise  of  eternal  life.  But,  be 
this  as  it  may,  whether  the  belief  of  the 
gospel  be  allowed  to  include  a  cordial  ac- 
quiescence in  God's  way  of  salvation  or 
not,  such  an  acquiescence  will  be  allowed 
to  include  saving  faith.  "Acting  faith," 
says  Mr.  Brine,  "is  no  other  than  suitable 
thoughts  of  Christ,  and  a  hearty  choice 
of  him  as  God's  appointed  way  of  salva- 
tion."* If,  therefore,  it  can  be  proved 
that  a  cordial  approbation  of  God's  way 
of  saving  sinners  is  tlie  duty  of  every  one, 
it  will  amount  to  proving  the  same  thing 
of  saving  faith. 

I  allow  there  is  a  difficulty  in  this  part 
of  the  work ;  but  it  is  that  which  attends 
the  proof  of  a  truth  which  is  nearly  self- 
evident.  Who  could  suppose  that  Mr. 
Brine,  after  such  an  acknowledgment 
concerning  faith,  could  doubt  of  its  being 
the  duty  of  all  mankind  1  Ought  we  not, 
if  we  think  of  Christ  at  all,  to  think  suit- 
ably of  him  1  and  are  we  justifiable  in  en- 
tertaining low  and  unsuitable  thoughts  of 
him  1  Is  it  not  a  matter  of  complaint  that 
the  ungodly  Jews  saw  "no  form  nor 
comeliness  in  him,  nor  beauty,  that  they 
should  desire  himV  And  with  respect 
to  a  hearty  choice  of  him,  as  God's  ap- 
pointed way  of  salvation,  if  it  be  not  the 
duty  of  sinners  to  choose  him,  it  is  their 
duty  to  refuse  him,  or  to  desire  to  be  ac- 
cepted of  God  by  the  works  of  their 
hands,  in  preference  to  himl  Mr.  Brine 
would  censure  men  for  this.  So  does 
Mr.  Wayman.  Speaking  of  self-right- 
eous unbelievers,  he  says,  "They  plainly 
declare  that  Christ  is  not  all  and  in  all  to 
them,  but  that  he  comes  in  but  at  second- 
hand ;  and  their  regard  is  more  unto  them- 
selves, and  their  dependence  more  upon 
their  own  doings,  than  upon  the  Mighty 


One  upon  whom  God  hath  laid  our  help."f 
But  why  thus  complain  of  sinners  for  their 
not  choosing  Christ,  if  they  be  under  no 
obligation  to  do  so  1  Is  there  no  sin  in  the 
invention  of  the  various  false  schemes  of 
religion,  with  which  the  Christian  world 
abounds,  to  the  exclusion  of  Christ  1 
Why,  then,  are  heresies  reckoned  among 
the  works  of  the  flesh?— Gal.  v.  20.  If 
we  are  not  obliged  to  think  suitably  of 
Christ,  and  to  choose  him  wliom  the  Lord 
and  all  good  men  have  chosen,  there  can 
be  no  evil  in  these  things  ;  for,  where  no 
law  is,  there  is  no  transgression. 

"A  hearty  choice  of  God's  appointed 
way  of  salvation"  is  the  same  thing  as 
falling  in  with  its  grand  designs.  Now, 
the  grand  designs  of  the  salvation  of 
Christ  are  the  glory  of  God,  the  abasement 
of  the  sinner,  and  the  destruction  of  his 
sins.  It  is  God's  manifest  purpose,  in 
saving  sinners,  to  save  them  in  this  way  : 
and  can  any  sinner  be  excused  from  cor- 
dially acquiescing  in  if?  If  any  man  prop- 
erly regard  the  character  of  God,  he  must 
be  willing  that  he  should  be  glorified  :  if 
he  knew  his  own  unworthiness,  as  he 
ought  to  know  it,  he  must  also  be  willing 
to  occupy  that  place  which  the  gospel- 
way  of  salvation  assigns  him :  and,  if 
he  be  not  wickedly  wedded  to  his  lusts, 
he  must  be  willing  to  sacrifice  them  at 
the  foot  of  the  cross.  He  may  be  averse 
from  each  of  these,  and,  while  an  unbe- 
liever, is  so :  but  he  will  not  lie  able  to 
acquit  himself  of  guilt;  and  it  is  to  be 
lamented  that  any  who  sustain  the  char- 
acter of  Christian  ministers  should  be 
employed  in  laboring  to  acquit  him. 

If  a  way  of  salvation  were  provided 
which  did  not  provide  for  the  glory  of 
God,  which  did  not  abase,  but  flatter  the 
sinner,  and  which  did  7iot  require  him  to 
sacrifice  his  lusts,  he  would  feel  no  want 
of  power  to  embrace  it.  Nominal  Chris- 
tians, and  mere  professors,  in  all  ages, 
have  shown  themselves  able  to  believe 
any  thing  but  tlie  truth.  Thus  it  was 
with  the  carnal  Jews  ;  and  thus  our  Lord 
plainly  told  them  : — "  I  am  come  in  my 
Father's  name,  and  ye  receive  me  not : 
if  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name, 
him  ye  will  receive." — "Because  I  tell 
you  the  truth,  ye  believe  me  not.  Which 
of  you  convincetli  me  of  sin  1  And,  if  I 
say  the  truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe 
me  1  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth  God's 
words  :  ye,  therefore,  hear  them  not,  be- 
cause ye  are  not  of  God."  This  is  the  true 
source  of  the  innumerable  false  schemes 
of  religion  in  the  world,  and  the  true  rea- 
son why  the  gospel  is  not  universally  em- 
braced. 


*  Johnson's  Mistakes  Noted  and  Rectified,  p.  34. 


t  Further  loquii^,  p.  160. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


386 


Unbelievers  are  descrilied  tis  "disal- 
lowinsr"  of  him  wlio  is  "  clioson  of  God, 
and  precious."  Now,  either  to  allow  or 
disallow,  sii])poses  a  claim.  Christ  claims 
to  he  the  wiiole  I'oimdation  of  a  dinner's 
hope ;  and  God  claims,  on  his  hehaif, 
that  he  l>e  treated  as  "the  head  of  the 
corner."  But  the  heart  of  unbelievers 
cannot  allow  ot  the  claim.  Tiie  Jewish 
builders  set  him  at  nouirlit  ;  and  every 
sell-riirhteous  heart  lollows  their  exam- 
ple. God,  to  express  l»is  displeasure  at 
tliis  conduct,  assures  tliem  that  their  un- 
l)elici  shall  afl'ect  none  l)ut  themselves  : 
it  shall  not  deprive  the  Saviour  of  his 
lionors ;  "for  the  stone  wiiich  they  re- 
fuse," notwithstandinu;  their  opi)Osition, 
"shall  become  llie  head  of  the  corner." 
What  can  lie  made  of  all  this,  but  that 
(hey  on^ht  to  have  allowed  him  tlie  place 
whicli  he  so  justly  claimed,  and  to  have 
citosen  him  whom  the  Lord  liad  chosen  1 
On  no  other  ground  could  the  Scripture 
censure  them  as  it  does  ;  and  on  no  other 
principle  could  tliey  be  characterized  as 
disobedient  :  for  all  disobedience  consists 
in  a  breach  of  duty- 
Believers,  on  the  other  hand,  are  de- 
scribed as  tliinkina:  higlily  of  Christ ; 
reckoning  tiiemselves  unworthy  to  "  un- 
loose tiie  latchet  of  his  shoes,"  or  that  he 
should  "come  under  their  roof;"  treat- 
ing Ids  gospel  as  "  worthy  of  all  accepta- 
tion," and  "  counting  all  tilings  but  loss, 
for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
him."  They  are  of  the  same  mind  with 
the  blessed  aliove,  who  sing  his  praise, 
"saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is 
the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power, 
and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  iilessing."  In  fine, 
they  are  of  the  same  mind  with  God  him- 
self: him  whom  God  has  chosen  they 
choose ;  and  he  that  is  precious  in  his 
sight  is  precious  in  theirs. — 1  Pet.  ii.  4 — 
7.  And  do  they  over-estimate  his  char- 
acter! Is  he  not  worthy  of  all  the  honor 
they  ascribe  to  him,  of  all  the  affection 
they  exercise  towards  him ;  and  that 
whether  he  actually  receive  it  or  noti  If 
all  the  angels  had  l)cen  of  the  mind  of 
Satan,  and  all  the  saints  of  the  spirit  of 
the  unbelieving  Israelites,  wlio  were  not 
gathered;  yet  would  he  have  been  "  glo- 
rious in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord."  The 
belief  or  unbelief  of  creatures  makes  no 
difference  as  to  his  worthiness,  or  their 
obligation  to  ascribe  it  to  him. 

It  is  allowed  Iiy  all,  except  the  grossest 
Antinomians,  that  every  man  is  obliged 
to  love  God  with  all  his  heart,  soul,  mind, 
and  strength ;  and  this  notwithstanding 
the  depravitv  of  his  nature.  But  to  love 
God  with  ail  the  heart  is  to  love  him  in 
every  character  in  which  he  has  made  him- 
voL.  I.  49 


selfknoivn;  and,  more  especially  in  those 
n'herein  his  moral  excellences  appear  with 
the  brightest  lustre.  The  same  law  that 
obliged  Adam  in  innocence  to  love  God 
in  all  his  perfections,  as  displayed  in  the 
works  of  creation,  obliged  Moses  and 
Israel  to  love  him  in  all  the  glorious  dis- 
plays of  himself  in  his  wonderful  works 
of  providence,  of  whicii  they  were  Avit- 
nesses.  And  the  same  law  that  obliged 
them  to  love  him  in  those  discoveries  of 
himself  obliges  us  to  love  him  in  other 
discoveries,  by  whicli  he  has  since  more 
gloriously  api)eared,  as  saving  sinners 
through  the  death  of  his  Son.  To  sup- 
pose that  we  arc  obliged  to  love  God  as 
manifesting  himself  in  the  works  of  cre- 
ation and  jirovidence,  Imt  not  in  the  work 
of  redemption,  is  to  suppose  tiiat  in  the 
highest  and  most  glorious  display  of  him- 
self lie  deserves  no  regard.  The  same 
perfections  which  appear  in  all  his  other 
works,  and  render  him  lovely,  ajipear  in 
this  with  a  tenfold  lustre  ;  to  be  obliged 
to  love  him  on  account  of  the  one,  and 
not  of  the  other,  is  not  a  little  extra- 
ordinary. 

As  these  things  cannot  be  separated  in 
point  of  ol)ligalion,  so  neither  can  they 
in  fact.  He  that  loves  God  for  any  ex- 
cellency, as  manifested  in  one  form,  must 
of  necessity  love  him  for  that  excellency, 
let  it  be  manifested  in  what  form  it  may; 
and  the  brighter  the  dis])lay  the  stronger 
will  he  his  love.  This  remark  is  verified 
in  the  holy  angels.  At  first  they  loved 
their  Maker  for  what  (hey  saw  in  his 
works  of  creation.  They  saw  him  lay 
the  foundation  of  the  earth,  and  they 
"shouted  for  joy."  In  process  of 
time  they  witnessed  the  glorious  displays 
of  his  moral  character  in  the  government 
of  the  world  which  he  had  made ;  and 
now  their  love  increases.  On  every  new 
occasion,  they  cry  "  holy,  holy,  holy 
IS  THE  Lord  of  Hosts  :  the   whole 

EARTH    is     full     OF    HIS     GLORY."        At 

length,  they  beheld  an  event  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  which  all  former  events 
were  subservient  :  they  saw  the  Messiah 
born  in  Bcddchcm.  And  now  their  love 
rises  still  higher.  As  though  heaven  could 
not  contain  them  on  such  an  occasion, 
they  resort  to  the  place,  and  contemplate 
the  good  that  should  arise  to  the  moral 
system,  bursting  fortli  into  a  song  :  "glo- 
ry TO  God   in  the  hk;hest,  and  on 

EARTH     peace,      GOOD      WILL     TOWARDS 

MEN."  All  this  was  but  the  natural  op- 
eration of  love  to  God;  and,  from  the 
same  principle,  they  took  delight  in  at- 
tending the  Redeemer  through  his  life, 
strengthening  him  in  his  sufferings,  watch- 
ing at  his  tornb,  conducting  him  to  glory, 
and  looking  into  the  mysteries  of  redemp- 


386 


THK    GOSPEL    WORTHIi;     OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


tion.  With  a  heart  like  theirs,  is  it  pos- 
sible to  conceive  that  we  should  continue 
impenitent  or  unl)elieving^  If,  in  our 
circumstances,  we  possessed  that  love  to 
God  by  which  they  were  influenced,  it 
would  melt  us  into  holy  lamentation  for 
having  sinned  against  him.  If  the  gospel- 
invilation  to  partake  of  the  water  of  life 
once  sounded  in  our  ears,  we  should  in- 
stantly imbibe  it.  Instead  of  making 
"light  of  it,"  and  preferring  our  "  farms  " 
and  our  "merchandize"  before  it,  we 
should  embrace  it  with  our  whole  heart. 
Let  any  creature  be  affected  towards  God 
as  the  holy  angels  are,  and  if  he  had  a 
thousand  souls  to  be  saved,  and  the  invi- 
tation extended  to  every  one  that  is  wil- 
ling, he  would  not  hesitate  a  moment 
whether  he  should  rely  on  his  salvation. 
It  is  owing  to  a  want  of  love  to  God  that 
any  man  continues  impenitent  or  unbe- 
lieving. This  was  plainly  intimated  by 
our  Lord  to  the  Jews:  "I  know  you, 
that  ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you. 
I  am  come  in  my  Father's  name,  and  ye 
receive  me  not."  It  is  impossible  to  love 
God,  and  not  to  embrace  the  greatest 
friend  of  God  that  ever  existed ;  or  to 
love  his  law,  and  not  approve  of  a  system 
Avhich  above  all  things  tends  to  magnify 
and  make  it  honorable. 

"  The  affections  included  in  divine 
love,"  says  an  able  writer,  "  are  founded 
on  those  truths  for  which  there  is  the  great- 
est evidence  in  the  world.  Every  thing  in 
the  world  that  proves  the  being  of  God 
proves  that  his  creatures  should  love  him 
Avith  all  their  hearts.  The  evidence  for 
these  things  is  in  itself  very  strong,  and 
level  to  every  capacity.  Where  it  does 
not  beget  conviction,  it  is  not  owing  to  the 
weakness  of  men's  capacities ;  but  the 
strength  of  their  prejudices  and  preposses- 
sions. Whatever  proves  that  reasonable 
creatures  are  obliged  to  love  God  and  his 
law  proves  that  sinners  are  obliged  to  ex- 
ercise a  suitable  hatred  of  sin,  and  abase- 
ment for  it.  A  sinner  cannot  have  due 
prevalent  love  to  God,  and  hatred  of  sin, 
without  prevalent  desire  of  obtaining  de- 
liverance from  sin,  and  the  enjoyment  of 
God.  A  suitable  desire  of  ends  so  impor- 
tant cannot  be  without  proportionable  de- 
sire of  the  necessary  means.  If  a  sinner, 
therefore,  who  hears  the  gospel  have  these 
suitable  affections  of  love  to  God,  and 
hatred  of  sin,  to  which  he  is  obliged  by 
the  laws  of  natural  religion,  these  things 
cannot  be  separated  from  a  real  complacen- 
cy in  that  redemption  and  grace  which  are 
proposed  in  revealed  religion.  This  does 
not  suppose  that  natural  religion  can  dis- 
cover, or  prove,  the  peculiar  things  of  tlie 
gospel  to  be  true  :  but,  when  they  are  dis- 
covered, it  proves  them  to  be  infinitely 


desirable.  A  book  of  laws  that  are  enfor- 
ced with  awful  sanctions  cannot  prove  that 
the  sovereign  has  })assed  an  act  of  grace  or 
indemnity  in  favor  of  trangressors  :  but  it 
proves  that  such  favor  is  to  them  the  most 
desirable  and  the  most  necessary  thing  in 
the  world.  It  proves  that  the  way  of  sa- 
ving us  from  sin  which  the  Gospel  reveals 
is  infinitely  suital)le  to  the  honor  of  God, 
to  the  dignity  of  his  law,  and  to  the  exi- 
gences of  the  consciences  of  sinners."  * 

"  If  any  man  has  a  taste  for' moral  ex- 
cellency," says  another,  "  a  heart  to  ac- 
count God  glorious  for  being  what  he  is, 
he  cannot  but  see  the  moral  excellency  of 
the  law,  and  love  it  and  conform  to  it,  be- 
cause it  is  the  image  of  God ;  and  so  he 
cannot  but  see  the  moral  excellency  of  the 
gospel,  and  believe  it,  and  love  it,  and  com- 
ply with  it ;  for  it  is  also  the  image  of 
God  :  he  that  can  see  the  moral  beauty  in 
the  original  cannot  but  see  the  moral 
beauty  of  the  image  drawn  to  life.  He, 
therefore,  that  despises  the  gospel,  and  is 
an  enemy  to  the  law,  even  he  is  at  enmity 
against  God  himself. — Rom.  viii.  7.  Ig- 
norance of  the  glory  of  God,  and  enmity 
against  him,  make  men  ignorant  of  the 
glory  of  the  law  and  of  the  gospel,  and  en- 
emies to  both.  Did  men  know  and  '  love 
him  that  begat,  they  wotild  love  that  which 
is  begottenjof  him.' — 1  |John  v.  1.  'He 
that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words  :  ye 
therefore  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are 
not  of  God.'— John  viii.  47."  f 

III.  Though  the  gospel,  strictly 

SPEAKING,  IS  NOT  A  LAW,  BUT  A  MES- 
SAGE OP  PURE  grace;  YET  IT  VIRTU- 
ALLY REQUIRES  OBEDIENCE..  AND  SUCH 
AN  OBEDIENCE  AS  INCLUDES  SAVING 
FAITH. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  distinguish 
betAveen  a  formal  requisition  and  that 
which  affords  the  ground,  or  reason,  of  that 
requisition.  The  goodness  of  God,  for  in- 
stance, though  it  is  not  a  law  or  formal 
precept,  yet  virtually  requires  a  return 
of  gratitude.  It  deserves  it;  and  the  law 
of  God  formally  requires  it  on  his  behalf. 
Thus  it  is  with  respect  to  the  gospel, 
which  is  the  greatest  overflow  of  divine 
goodness  that  was  ever  witnessed.  A  re- 
turn suitable  to  its  nature  is  required  vir- 
tually by  the  gospel  itself;  and  formally 
by  the  divine  precept  on  its  behalf. 

I  suppose  it  might  be  taken  for  granted 
that  the  gospel  possesses  some  degree  of 
virtual  authority  ;  as  it  is  generally  ac- 
knowledged that,  by  reason  of  the  dignity  of 
its  author  and  the  importance  of  itssubject- 
matter,  it  deserves  the  audience  and  atten- 
tion of  all  mankind ;    yea,  more,  that  all 

*  M  'Laurin's  Essay  on  Grace,  332. 
t  Bellamy's  True  Religion  Delineated,  p.  332. 


THE    G08PEL    AVORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


387 


iir.inkitul  who  have  opportunity  ol  hcnrin<i 
it  arc  ohli»ecl  to  l)clieve  it.  The  only 
question  tlicrcfore  is  whctlicr  tlic  luith 
which  it  requires  lie  spiritual,  or  sudi  as  has 
the  promise  ol  sal\ation. 

We  may  form  some  idea  of  the  manner 
in  wliich  tlic  gospel  ouL'ht  to  he  received, 
from  its  heinir  represented  as  an  nnhassy. 
"  We  are  ambassadors  tor  Christ,"  saith 
the  apostle,  "  as  though  God  did  he- 
seech  you  hy  us  :  we  pray  you,  in  Christ's 
stead,  he  ye  reconciled  to  God."  The 
object  of  an  embassy,  in  all  cases,  is  peace. 
Ambassadors  are  sometimes  employed 
between  tViendly  powers  ibr  the  adjust- 
ment of  their  atfairs  ;  but  the  allusion,  in 
this  case,  is  manifestly  to  a  righteous 
prince,  who  should  condescend  to  speak 
peaceably  to  his  rel)ellious  subjects,  and, 
as  it  were,  to  entreat  them  for  their  own 
sakes  to  be  reconciled.  The  language  of 
the  apostle  supposes  that  the  world  is  en- 
gaged in  an  unnatural  and  unprovoked  re- 
bellion against  its  Maker;  that  it  is  in  his 
power  utterly  to  destroy  sinners  ;  that,  if 
he  were  to  deal  with  them  according  to 
their  deserts,  this  must  l)c  their  portion  : 
but  that,  through  the  mediation  of  his  Son, 
he  had,  as  it  were,  suspended  hostilities, 
had  sent  his  servants  w  ith  words  of  peace 
and  commissioned  them  to  persuade,  to 
entreat,  and  even  to  V)eseech  them  to  be 
reconciled.  But  reconciliation  to  God 
includes  every  thing  that  belongs  to  true 
conversion.  It  is  tiie  opposite  of  a  state 
of  alienation  and  enmity  to  him. — Col.  i. 
21.  It  includes  a  justification  of  his  gov- 
ernment, a  condemnation  of  their  own 
unprovoked  reliellion  against  him,  and  a 
thankful  reception  of  the  message  of 
peace  ;  which  is  the  same  for  substance  as 
to  repent  and  believe  the  gospel.  To 
speak  of  an  embassy  from  the  God  of 
heaven  and  earth  to  his  rebellious  crea- 
tures being  entitled  to  nothing  more  than 
an  audience,  or  a  decent  attention,  must 
itself  be  highly  otfensive  to  the  honor  of 
his  majesty ;  and  that  such  language 
should  proceed  from  his  professed  friends 
must  render  it  still  more  so. 

"  When  the  apostle  beseecheth  us  to  be 
'  reconciled  '  to  God,  I  would  know,"  says 
Dr.  Owen,  "whether  it  lie  not  a  part  of 
our  duty  to  yield  obedience  1  If  not,  the 
exhortation  is  frivolous  and  vain."*  If 
sinners  are  not  obliged  to  be  reconciled  to 
God,  both  as  a  law-giver  and  a  Saviour, 
and  that  with  all  their  hearts,  it  is  no  sin 
to  be  unreconciled.  All  the  enmity  of 
their  liearts  to  God,  his  law,  his  gospel,  or 
his  Son,  must  be  guiltless.  For  there  can 
be  no  neutrality  in  this  case  :  not  to  be 
reconciled  is  to  be  unreconciled  ;  not  to  fall 

*  Display  of  Annioianism.    Chap.  x. 


in  w  ith  the  message  of  peace  is  to  fall  out 
with  it  ;  and  not  to  lay  down  arms  and 
suimiit  to  mercy  is  to  maintain  the  war. 

It  is  in  j)erfect  harmony  with  the  fore- 
going ideas  that  those  who  acquiesce  in 
the  way  of  salvation, in  this  spirittial  man- 
ner, are  re|>resented,  in  so  doing,  as  exer- 
cising onEDiKNCE  ;  as  "obeying  the  gos- 
pel," "  obeying  the  truth,"  and  "  obeying 
Christ."— Rom.  x.  Iti ;  vi.  17.  The  very 
end  of  the  gospel  being  preached  is  said  to 
be  for  "obedience  to  the  faith  among  all 
nations." — Rom.  i.  5.  Hut  obedience  sup- 
poses previous  obligation.  If  repentance 
towards  God  and  faith  towards  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  were  not  duties  required  of 
us,  even  prior  to  all  consideration  of  their 
being  blessings  bestowed  upon  us,  it  were 
incongruous  to  speak  of  tliem  as  exercises 
of  obedience.  Nor  woidd  it  be  less  so  to 
speak  of  that  impeniterwce  and  unlielief 
which  expose  men  to  "  eternal  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  glory  of  his  power,"  as  consisting  in 
their  not  obeying  the  gospel. — 2  Thess.  i. 
8,  9.  The  j)assage  on  which  the  former 
part  of  this  argument  is  founded,  (viz.  2 
Cor.  v.  19,  20,)  has  been  thought  inappli- 
cable to  the  suliject,  because  it  is  sup- 
posed to  be  an  address  to  the  members  of 
the  Church  at  Corinth,  who  were  consid- 
ered by  the  apostle  as  believers.  On  this 
principle  Dr.  Gill  expounds  the  reconcil- 
iation exhorted  to,  submission  to  provi- 
dence, and  obedience  to  the  discipline  and 
ordinances  of  God.  But  let  it  be  consid- 
ered whether  the  apostle  be  here  imme- 
diately addressing  the  members  of  the 
church  at  Corinth,  beseeching  them,  at 
that  time,  to  lie  reconciled  to  God;  or 
whether  he  be  not  rather  rehearsing  to 
them  tvhat  had  been  his  conduct,  and  that 
of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  in  vindica- 
tion of  himself  and  them  from  the  base  in- 
sinuations of  false  teachers  ;  to  whom  the 
great  evils  that  had  crept  into  that  church 
had  been  principally  owing.  The  methods 
they  appear  to  have  taken  to  supplant  the 
apostles  were  those  of  underhand  insinua- 
tion. By  Paul's  answers,  they  appear  to 
have  suggested  that  he  and  his  friends 
were  either  sulitle  men,  who,  by  their  soft 
and  beseeching  style,  ingratiated  them- 
selves into  the  esteem  of  the  simple, 
catching  them,  as  it  were,  icith  guile,  (2 
Cor.  i.  12;  xii.  16  ;)  or  weak-headed  en- 
thusiasts, "  beside  themselves,"  (chap.  v. 
13,)  going  up  and  down  "  beseeching"  peo- 
ple to  this  and  that,  (chap.  xi.  21;)  and 
that,  as  to  Paul  himself,  however  great  he 
might  appear  in  his  "letters,"  he  was 
nothing  in  company  :  "  His  bodily  pres- 
ence, say  they,  is" weak,  and  his  speech 
contemptible." 

In  the  First  Epistle  to  this  church,  Paul 


388 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


generously  waved  a  defence  of  himself 
and  bis  brethren  ;  being  more  concerned 
for  the  recovery  of  those  to  Christ  who 
were  in  danger  of  being  drawn  off  from 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  than  respecting 
their  opinion  of  him  :  yet,  when  the  one 
was  accomplished,  he  undertook  the  oth- 
er;  not  only  as  a  justification  of  himself 
and  his  bretJiren,  but  as  knowing  that  just 
sentiments  of  faithful  ministers  bore  an  in- 
timate connexion  with  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  their  hearers.  It  is  thus  that  the 
apostle  alludes  to  their  various  insinua- 
tions, acknowledging  that  they  did  indeed 
beseech,  entreat,  a.i\d persuade  men;  but  af- 
firming that  such  conduct  arose  not  from 
the  motives  of  which  they  were  accused,  but 
from  the  "  love  of  Christ." — "  If  we  are 
beside   ourselves,   it  is  for  your  sakes." 

If  the  words  in  chap.  v.  19,  20,  be  an 
immediate  address  to  tlie  members  of  the 
church  at  Corinth,  those  which  follow,  in 
chap.  vi.  1,  must  be  an  address  to  its  min- 
isters ;  and  thus  Dr.  Gill  expounds  it. 
But,  if  so,  the  apostle  in  the  continuation  of 
that  address  would  not  have  said,  as  he 
does,  "  In  all  things  approving  ourselves 
as  the  ministers  of  God :  his  language 
would  have  been,  "  In  all  things  approving 
yourselves,"  &c.  Hence  it  is  manifest  that 
the  whole  is  a  vindication  of  their  preach- 
ing and  manner  of  life  against  the  insinua- 
tions of  the  Corinthian  teachers. 

There  are  two  things  which  may  have 
contributed  to  the  misunderstanding  of 
this  passage  of  Scripture,  one  is  the  sup- 
plement you,  which  is  unnecessarily  in- 
troduced three  times  over  in  chap.  v.  20, 
and  vi.  1.  If  any  supplement  had  been 
necessary,  the  word  men,  as  it  is  in  the 
text  of  chap.  v.  11,  might  have  better  con- 
veyed the  apostle's  meaning.  The  other 
is  the  division  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  chap- 
ters in  the  midst  of  the  argument.* 

IV.  The  want  of  faith  in  Christ 

IS  ASCRIBED  I*N  THE  ScRIPTURES  TO 
men's  DEPRAVITY,  AND  IS  ITSELF  REP- 
RESENTED AS   A  HEINOUS   SIN. 

It  is  taken  for  granted  that  whatever  is 
not  a  sinner's  duty,  the  omission  of  it  can- 
not be  charged  on  him  as  a  sin,  nor  impu- 
ted to  any  depravity  in  him.  If  faith  were 
no  more  a  duty  than  election  or  redemption, 
which  are  acts  peculiar  to  God,  the  want 
of  the  one  would  be  no  more  ascribed  to 
the  evil  dispositions  of  the  heart  than  that 
of  the  other.  Or,  if  the  inability  of  sin- 
ners to  believe  in  Christ  were  of  the  same 
nature  as  that  of  a  dead  body  in  a  grave  to 
rise  up  and  walk,  it  were  absurd  to  sup- 
pose that  they  would  on  this  account  fall 
under  the  divine  censure.  No  man  is  re- 
proved for  not  doing  that  which  is  natu- 

*  Sep.  Dr.  Guyse  on  the  place. 


rally  impossible  ;  but  sinners  are  reproved 
for  not  believing,  and  given  to  understand 
that  it  is  solely  owing  to  their  criminal  ig- 
norance, pride,  dishonesty  of  heart,  and 
aversion  from  God. 

Voluntary  ignorance  is  represented  as  a 
reason  why  sinners 'believe  not.  "Being 
ignorant  of  God's  righteousness,  and  go- 
ing about  to  establish  their  own  righteous- 
ness, they  have  not  submitted  themselves 
unto  the  righteousness  of  God." — "  If  our 
gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost : 
in  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath  blind- 
ed the  minds  of  them  that  believe  not,  lest 
the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ, 
who  is  the  image  of  God,  should  shine  un- 
to them."  To  the  same  purpose  we  are 
taught  by  our  Lord  in  the  parable  of  the 
sower,  "  when  any  one  heareth  the  word 
of  the  kingdom,  and  understandeth  it  not„ 
then  cometh  the  wicked  one,  and  catchetli 
away  that  which  was  sown  in  his  heart ;" 
and  this,  as  Luke  expresses  it,  "lest they 
should  believe  and  be  saved." 

If  men,  even  though  they  were  possess- 
ed of  the  same  principles  as  our  first  fa- 
ther in  paradise,  would  nevertheless  be 
blind  to  the  glory  of  the  gospel,  with  what 
propriety  is  their  blindness  attributed  to 
the  god  of  this  world  1  Is  he  ever  repre- 
sented as  employing  himself  in  hindering 
that  which  is  naturally  impossible,  or  in 
promoting  that  Avhich  is  innocent  1 

Pride  is  another  cause  to  which  the  want 
of  saving  faith  is  ascribed,  "  The  wicked, 
through  the  pride  of  his  countenance,  will 
not  seek."  "  God  is  not  in  all  his 
thoughts."  We  have  seen  already  that 
seeking  God  is  a  spiritual  exercise,  which 
implies  faith  in  the  Mediator :  and  the 
reason  why  ungodly  men  are  strangers  to  it 
is  the  haughtiness  of  their  spirits,  which 
makes  them  scorn  to  take  the  place  of  sup- 
plicants before  their  offended  Creator,  and 
labor  to  put  far  from  tlieir  minds  every 
thought  of  him.  "  How  can  ye  believe,'^ 
said  our  Lord  to  the  Jews,  "  who  receive 
honor  one  of  another,  and  seek  not  the 
honor  that  cometh  from  God  only  1 " 

If  believing  were  here  to  be  taken  for 
any  other  faith  than  that  which  is  spiritual 
or  saving,  the  suggestion  would  not  hold 
good ;  for  we  are  told  of  some  who  could 
and  did  lielieve  in  Christ,  in  some  sense, 
but  who  did  not  confess  him ;  for  they 
"loved  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the 
praise  of  God." — John  xii.  43.  It  was 
pride  that  blinded  the  minds  of  the  "  wise 
and  prudent  of  this  world  "  to  the  doctrines 
of  Christ ;  and  what  is  it  but  this  same 
proud  spirit,  working"  in  a  way  of  self-con- 
ceit and  self-righteousness,  that  still  forms 
the  grand  objection  to  the  doctrine  of  sal- 
vation by  mere  grace  1 

Dishonesty  of  heart  is  that  on  account 


THE    (iOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


389 


of  wliich  men  receive  not  the  word  of  God, 
so  as  to  brinj;-  forth  fruit.  This  is  fully 
iinjilied  in  the  panilde  of  the  sower,  re- 
corded in  theeiirhth  ciiapter  of  Luke.  The 
reason  why  those  hearers  represented  hy 
the  {rood  jrround  received  the  word,  and 
brouglit  forth  fruit  rather  than  the  others, 
•was  that  they  had  "  irood  and  lioncst 
hearts  ;"  |)lainly  intinialinLT  that  the  rea- 
son why  the  others  did  not  so  receive  it 
was  that  their  hearts  were  not  upright  be- 
fore God.  Indeed,  such  is  the  nature  of 
divine  truth  that  every  heart  which  is  lion- 
est  towards  God  must  receive  it.  An  hon- 
est heart  must  needs  approve  of  God's 
holy  law,  wliich  requires  us  to  love  him 
with  all  our  powers  ;  and  this  because  it 
is  no  more  tlian  givins;  him  the  glory  due 
to  liis  name.  °An  honest  heart  will  ap- 
prove of  Ijeing  justified  wholly  for  Christ's 
sake,  and  not  on  account  of  any  of  its  own 
works,  whether  legal  or  evangelical  ;  for 
it  is  no  more  than  relinquishing  a  claim 
which  is  justly  forleited,  and  accepting  as 
a  free  gilt  that  which  God  was  under  no 
obligation  to  l)estow.  Farther  :  An  hon- 
est heart  must  rejoice  in  the  way  of  salva- 
tion as  soon  as  he  understands  it  ;  because 
it  provides  a  w  ay  in  which  mercy  can  be 
exercised  consistently  loith  righteousness. 
A  right  spirit  would  revolt  at  the  idea  of 
receiving  mercy  itseli  in  a  way  that  should 
leave  a  blot  upon  the  di\ine  character.  It 
is  the  glory  of  Christ  that  he  has  not  an 
honest  man  for  an  enemy.  The  upright 
love  him. 

We  are  not  ignorant  who  it  is  that  must 
now  give  men  honest  hearts,  and  what  is 
the  source  of  every  thing  in  a  fallen  crea- 
ture that  is  truly  good  ;  but  this  does  not 
affect  the  argument.  How  ever  lar  sinners 
are  from  it,  and  whatever  divine  agency  it 
may  require  to  produce  it,  no  man  who  is 
not  disposed  to  deny  tlie  accountal)leness 
of  creatures  to  the  God  that  made  them 
■will  deny  that  it  is  their  duty  ;  for,  if  we 
are  not  obliged  to  be  upright  towards  God, 
we  are  obliged  to  nothing;  and,  if  obliged 
to  nothing,  we  must  be  guiltless,  and  so 
stand  in  no  need  of  salvation. 

Finally  :  Aversion  of  heart  is  assigned 
as  a  reason  why  sinners  do  not  believe. 
This  truth  is  strongly  expressed  in  that 
complaint  of  our  Lord  in  John  v.  40,  "Ye 
will  not,  or  ye  arc  not  ivilling,  to  come  un- 
to me,  that  ye  might  have  liie."  Proudly 
attached  to  their  own  righteousness,  when 
Jesus  exhibited  himself  as  "  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  lite,"  they  were  stumbled 
at  it  ;  and  thousands  in  tlie  religious  world 
are  the  same  to  this  day.  They  are  wil- 
ling to  escape  God's  wrath,  and  to  gain 
his  favor;  yea,  and  to  relinquish  many  an 
outward  vice  in  order  to  it  :  but  to  come 
to  Jesus  among  the  chief  of  sinners,  and 


lie  indebted  wholly  to  his  sacrifice  for  life, 
they  are  not  icilling.  Yet,  can  any  man 
plead  that  this  their  unwillingness  is  inno- 
cent ! 

Mr.  Hussey  understands  the  foregoing 
passage  of  barely  owning  Christ  to  l)e  the 
Messiah,  which,  he  says,  would  have  saved 
them  as  a  nation  from  temporal  ruin  and 
death  ;  or,  as  he  in  another  place  express- 
es it,  "  from  having  their  brains  dashed 
out  by  the  i)aUering  rams  of  Titus,"  the 
Roman  general.  "^^  But  it  ought  to  be  ol)- 
served  that  the  life  for  which  they  were 
"not  willing"  to  come  to  him  was  the 
same  as  that  which  they  thought  they  had 
in  the  Scriptures  ;  and  this  was  "  eternal  " 
life. — "  Search  tiie  Scriptures  ;  for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life,  and 
they  are  they  which  testify  of  me  :"  and 
"  ye  w  ill  not  come  unto  me,  that  ye  might 
have  life."  This  was  the  same  as  saying. 
These  very  Scriptures,  in  which  ye  think 
ye  have  eternal  life,  testify  of  me,  as  the 
only  way  to  it ;  but  such  is  the  pride  and 
aversion  of  your  hearts  that  ye  will  not 
come  to  me  for  it. 

Ur.  Gill,  in  general,  op|)osed  these 
principles  ;  yet  frequently,  when  his  sys- 
tem was  out  of  sight,  he  established  them. 
His  exposition  of  this  passage  is  a  proof 
of  this  remark.  He  tells  us  that  the 
"  perverseness  of  their  wills  was  blame- 
worthy, being  owing  to  the  corruption  and 
vitiosity  of  their  nature ;  w  hidi  being 
blameworthy  in  them,  that  which  follows 
upon  it  must  be  so  too." 

There  is  no  inconsistency  t)etween  this 
account  of  things  and  that  which  is  given 
elsewhere,  that  "  no  man  can  come  to 
(Christ,)  excc})t  the  Father  draw  him." 
No  man  can  choose  that  from  which  his 
heart  is  averse.  It  is  common,  both  in 
Scripture  and  in  conversation,  to  speak  of 
a  person  w  ho  is  under  the  influence  of  an 
evil  bias  of  heart,  as  unalile  to  do  that 
which  is  inconsistent  with  it. — "  Tliey 
have  eyes  lull  of  adultery,  and  tv/mio/ cease 
from  sin." — "  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God ;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the 
law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  So 
then  they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot 
please  God." 

On  account  of  this  dilTcrent  phraseology, 
some  writers  have  affirmed  that  men  are 
under  both  a  moral  and  a  natural  inability 
of  coming  to  Christ ;  or  that  they  neither 
loill  nor  can  come  to  him  :  but,  if  there 
be  no  other  inability  than  what  arises  from 
aversion,  this  language  is  not  accurate; 
for  it  conveys  the  idea  that,  if  all  aversion 
of  heart  were  removed,  there  would  still 
be  a  natural  and  insurmountable  bar  in  the 
way.     But  no  such  idea  as  this  is  convey- 

*  Glory  of  Cfirisf  Revealed,  pp.  627.  61.5, 


390 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


ed  by  our  Lord's  words  :  the  only  bar  to 
which  he  refers  lies  in  that  reluctance  or 
aversion  which  tiie  drawing  of  the  Father 
implies  and  removes.  Nor  will  such  an 
idea  comport  with  what  he  elsewhere 
teaches.  "  And,  because  I  tell  you  the 
truth,  ye  believe  me  not.  Which  of  you 
convinceth  me  of  sin  1  And,  if  I  say  the 
truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  me  1  He 
that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words  :  ye 
therefore  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are 
not  of  God.  Why  do  ye  not  understand 
my  speech  "?  Because  ye  cannot  hear  my 
loord."  These  cutting  interrogations  pro- 
ceed on  the  supposition  that  they  could 
have  received  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  if  it 
had  been  agreeable  to  their  corrupt  hearts  ; 
and  its  being  otherwise  was  the  only  rea- 
son tchy  they  could  not  understand  and  be- 
lieve it.  If  sinners  were  naturally  and  ab- 
solutely unable  to  believe  in  Christ,  they 
would  be  equally  unable  to  disbelieve  ; 
for  it  requires  the  same  powers  to  reject 
as  to  embrace.  And,  in  this  case,  there 
would  be  no  room  for  an  inal)ility  of  anoth- 
er kind  :  a  dead  body  is  equally  unable 
to  do  evil  as  to  do  good  ;  and  a  man  nat- 
urally and  absolutely  blind  could  not  be 
guilty  of  shutting  his  eyes  against  the  light. 
It  is  indwelling  sin,"  as  Dr.  Owen  says, 
"  that  both  disenableth  men  unto,  and 
hinders  them  from  believing,  and  that 
alone.  Blindness  of  mind,  stubbornness 
of  the  will,  sensuality  of  the  affections,  all 
concur  to  keep  poor  perishing  souls  at  a 
distance  from  Christ.  Men  are  made 
blind  by  sin,  and  cannot  see  his  excellen- 
cy ;  obstinate,  and  will  not  lay  hold  of  his 
righteousness  ;  senseless,  and  take  no  no- 
tice of  their  eternal  concernments."* 

A  voluntary  and  judicial  blindness,  obsti- 
nacy, and  hardness  of  heart,  are  represent- 
ed as  the  bar  to  conversion. — Acts  xxviii. 
27.  But  if  that  spirit  which  is  exercised  in 
conversion  were  essentially  different  from 
any  thing  which  the  subjects  of  it  in  any 
state  possessed,  or  ought  to  have  possess- 
ed, it  were  absurd  to  ascribe  the  want  of 
it  to  such  causes. 

Those  who  embraced  the  gospel  and 
submitted  to  the  government  of  the  Mes- 
siah were  baptized  with  the  baptism  of 
John,  and  are  said,  in  so  doing,  to  have 
"justified"  God  :  their  conduct  was  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  justice  of  the  law, 
and  of  the  wisdom  and  love  of  the  gospel. 
On  the  other  hand,  those  who  did  not  thus 
submit  are  said  to  have  "  rejected  the 
counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  being 
not  baptized."— Luke  vii.  29,  30.  But  no 
Christian,  I  suppose,  (certainly  no  Bap- 
tist,) thinks  it  was  their  sin  not  to  be  bap- 
tized while   they    continued   enemies   to 

*  On  Indwelling  Sin.    Chap.  XIV, 


Christ ;  and  probably  very  few,  if  any, 
serious  Pajdobaptists  would  contend  for 
its  being  the  duty  of  adults  to  be  baptized 
in  Christ's  name,  without  first  embracing 
his  word.  How  then  can  this  passage  be  un- 
derstood, but  by  supposing  that  they  ought 
to  have  repented  of  their  sins,  embraced 
the  Messiah,  and  submitted  to  his  ordi- 
nances 1  Nor  can  the  force  of  the  argu- 
ment be  evaded  by  distinguishing  between 
different  kinds  of  repentance  and  faith  ;  for 
a  profession  of  true  repentance,  and  of 
faith  unfeigned,  was  required  in  order  to 
baptism. 

Finally  :  Unbelief  is  expressly  declared 
to  be  a  sin  ofivhich  the  Spirit  of  truth  has 
to  convince  the  world. — John  xvi.  8,  9. 
But  unbelief  cannot  he  a  sin  if  faith  were 
not  a  duty.  I  know  of  no  answer  to  this 
argument,  but  what  must  be  drawn  from 
a  distinction  between  believing  the  report 
of  the  gospel  and  saving  faith  ;  allowing 
the  want  of  the  one  to  be  sinful,  but  not 
of  tlie  other.  But  it  is  not  of  gross  unbe- 
lief only,  or  of  an  open  rejection  of  Jesus 
as  the  Messiah  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
to  convince  the  world  ;  nor  is  it  to  a  bare 
conviction  of  this  truth,  like  what  prevails 
in  all  christian  countries,  that  men  are 
brought  by  his  teaching.  When  he,  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  cometh,  his  operations  are 
deeper  than  this  amounts  to  :  it  is  of  an 
opposition  of  heart  to  the  way  of  salvation 
that  he  convinces  the  sinner,  and  to  a  cor- 
dial acquiescence  with  it  that  he  brings 
him.  Those  who  are  born  in  a  christian 
land,  and  who  never  were  the  subjects  of 
gross  infidelity  stand  in  no  less  need  of  be- 
ing thus  convinced  than  others.  Nay,  in 
some  respects  they  need  it  more.  Their 
unbelieving  opposition  to  Christ  is  more 
subtile,  refined,  and  out  of  sight,  than  that 
of  open  infidels  :  they  are  no  less  apt, 
therefore,  to  suspect  themselves  of  it; 
and  consequently  stand  in  greater  need  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  search  them  out,  and 
show  them  to  themselves.  Amongst  those 
who  constantly  sit  under  the  gospel,  and 
who  remain  in  an  unconverted  state,  there 
are  few  who  think  themselves  the  enemies 
of  Christ.  On  the  contrary,  they  flatter 
themselves  that  they  are  willing  at  any 
time  to  be  converted,  if  God  would  but 
convert  them ;  considering  themselves  as 
lying  at  the  pool  for  the  moving  of  the 
waters.  But  "  when  he,  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  cometh,"  these  coverings  will  be 
stripped  from  off  the  face,  and  these  re- 
fuges of  lies  will  fail.f 

V.  God  has  threatened  and  in- 
flicted    THE     MOST     AWFUL     PUNISH- 

t  See  Charnock's  excellent  discourse,  on  Unbe- 
lief the  Greatest  Sin,  from  the  above  passage.  Vol. 
II.  of  his  Works. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCKPTATION. 


391 


MEXTS      ON     SINNERS,     FOR     THEIR     XOT 
BELIEVING  ON   THE  LoRI)  JeSLS  ChRIST. 

It  is  here  taken  lor  granted  tliat  notliing 
l)ut  sin  can  ho  the  cause  of  Goil's  intlict- 
injj  punisliincnt  :  and  nothing  can  l)c  sin 
which  is  not  a  breach  of  duty. 

"  Go  yp  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  gosi)el  to  every  creature.  He  that  he- 
lie\etli  ami  is  l>apti/.e<i  shall  lie  saved  ;  hut 
he  that  hciievcth  not  nhdll  be  damned." 
Tliis  awlul  passage  appears  to  hea  kind  of 
iiltimutum,  or  last  resolve.  It  is  as  il'  our 
Lord  had  said,  This  is  your  message 
....  go  and  proclaim  it  to  all  nations  : 
whosoever  receives  it,  and  submits  to  my 
authority,  assure  him  from  me  that  eter- 
nal salvation  awaits  him:  but  whosoev- 
er rejects  it  let  him  see  to  it  ...  .  dam- 
nation shall  be  his  portion  !  Believing 
and  not  believing,  in  this  passage,  serve  to 
explain  each  other.  It  is  saving  faith  to 
which  salvation  is  promised,  and  to  the 
want  of  this  it  is  that  damnation  is  threat- 
ened. 

It  has  l)een  alleged  that,  "as  it  is  not 
infernble  from  that  declaration  that  the 
faith  ot  lielicvers  is  the  procuring  cause  of 
their  salvation,  so  it  is  not  to  be  inferred 
from  thence  that  the  want  of  that  special 
faith  in  unbelievers  is  the  procuring  cause 
of  their  damnation.  That  declaration 
contains  in  it  the  descriptive  characters  of 
those  w  ho  are  saved,  and  of  those  who  are 
damned  ;  but  it  assigns  not  special  faith 
to  be  the  procuring  cause  of  the  salvation 
of  the  former,  nor  the  want  of  it  to  be  the 
procuring  cause  of  the  damnation  of  the 
latter."* 

But,  if  this  mode  of  I'easoning  were  ad- 
milted,  we  should  find  it  very  difficult,  if 
not  impossible,  to  prove  any  thing  to  be 
evil  from  the  threatenings  of  God  against 
it.  A  multitude  of  plain  texts  of  Scrip- 
ture, wherein  sin,  as  any  common  reader 
would  suppose,  is  threatened  w  ith  punish- 
ment, might,  in  this  manner,  be  made  to 
teach  nothing  with  regard  to  its  being  the 
procuring  cause  of  it.  For  example, 
Pslam  xxxvii.  18.  20:  "  The  Lord  know- 
eth  the  days  of  the  upright;  and  their  in- 
heritance shall  be  forever.  But  the  w  ick- 
ed  shall  perish,  and  the  enemies  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  as  the  fat  of  lambs  :  they 
shall  consume  ;  into  smoke  shall  they  con- 
sume away."  But  it  might  be  said,  as  the 
uprightness  of  the  upright  is  not  the  pro- 
curing cause  of  his  enjoying  an  everlasting 
inheritance,  so  neither  will  this  prove  that 
the  wickedness  of  the  wicked,  or  the  en- 
mity of  the  Lord's  enemies,  is  the  procur- 
ing cause  of  their  being  consumed.  Again, 
Psalm  cxlvii.  6  :  "  The  Lord  lifteth  up 
the  meek  ;  he  casteth  the  w  icked  down  to 

*  Mr.  Brine's  Motives  to  Love  and  Unity,  pp.  31, 32. 


the  ground."  But  it  might  lie  alleged  that 
as  tlic  meekness  of  the  former  is  not  the 
}ir()curing  cause  of  his  being  lifted  up,  so 
it  cannot  i>e  from  hence  inferred  that  the 
wickedness  of  the  latter  is  the  j)rocuring 
cause  of  his  being  cast  down.  Again, 
Psalm  cxiv.  20:  "The  Lord  preserveth 
all  Ihcm  that  love  him  :  but  all  the  wicked 
will  lie  destroy."  But  it  might  be  sa^, 
as  the  love  of  the  one  is  not  the  procuring 
cause  of  ids  preservation,  so  it  cannot  be 
proved  from  hence  that  tiie  wickedness  of 
the  other  is  the  procuring  cause  of  his  de- 
struction ;  and  that  these  declarations 
contain  only  the  "descriptive  characters" 
of  those  who  are  saved,  and  of  those  who 
perish. 

In  this  manner  almost  all  the  threaten- 
ings in  the  i)ook  of  God  might  be  made  to 
say  nothing  as  threatenings  ;  for  the  mode 
in  which  they  are  delivered  is  the  same 
as  that  in  the  passage  in  question.  For 
example,  "  What  shall  be  given  unto 
thee  1  or  what, shall  be  done  unto  thee, 
thou  false  tongue  ?  Sharp  arrows  of  the 
mighty,  with  coals  of  juniper." — "He 
that  showeth  no  mercy  shall  have  judg- 
ment without  mercy." — "  Whoremongers 
and  adulterers  God  will  judge." — "Be 
not  deceived :  neither  fornicators,  nor 
idolaters,  nor  adulterers,  nor  eflfeminate, 
nor  abusers  of  themselves  with  mankind, 
nor  thieves,  nor  covetous,  nor  drunkards, 
nor  revilers,  nor  extortioners,  shall  in- 
herit the  kingdom  of  God." — "Behold 
the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  like  an 
oven,  and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that 
do  wickedly,  shall  be  stul)l)le." — "Bring 
hither  those  mine  enemies,  which  would 
not  that  I  sliould  reign  over  them,  and 
slay  them  before  me." — "  The  fearful 
and  unbelieving,  and  aliominable,  and 
murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sor- 
cerers and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall 
have  their  portion  in  the  lake  which  burn- 
efh  with  fire  and  brimstone  :  which  is 
the  second  death."  But  none  of  these 
awful  threatenings  declare  that  the  re- 
spective crimes  which  are  mentioned  are 
the  procuring  cause  of  the  evils  denounc- 
ed. Though  it  is  said,  concerning  the 
"false  tongue,"  that  "sharp  arrows  of 
the  mighty,  with  coals  of  juniper,"  shall 
be  given  him;  yet  it  does  not  say  that 
these  shall  be  given  him  because  of  his 
falsehood  :  and  so  on  of  the  rest.  And  thus 
they  may  })e  only  "descriptive  charac- 
ters "  of  those  who  shall  be  damned  ;  and 
all  these  things  may,  for  aught  these  de- 
nunciations prove,  be  blameless.  If  this 
reasoning  be  just,  it  cannot  be  inferred, 
from  the  laws  of  England  declaring  that 
a  murderer  shall  be  put  to  deatii,  that  it 
is  on  account  of  his  being  a  murderer. 
Neither  could  our  first  parents  justly  in,- 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


fer,  from  its  being  told  them  "  The  day 
ye  eat  thereof  ye  sliall  surely  die,"  that  it 
should  be  on  that  account. 

The  truth  is,  though  eternal  life  be 
the  gift  of  God,  yet  eternal  death  is  the 
proper  wages  of  sin;  and  though  faith  is 
not  represented,  in  the  above  passage,  as 
the  procuring  cause  of  salvation,  yet  un- 
belief is  of  damnation.  It  is  common  for 
the  Scriptures  to  describe  those  that  shall 
be  saved  by  sometliing  which  is  pleasing 
to  God,  and  by  which  they  are  made  meet 
for  glory;  and  those  that  shall  be  lost  l)y 
something  which  is  displeasing  to  God, and 
by  which  they  are  fitted  for  destruction. 

John  iii.  18.  "  He  that  bclieveth  on 
him  is  not  condemned  :  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  is  condemned  already,  be- 
cause he  halh  not  believed  in  the  name  of 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God."  Two 
things  are  here  observable.  First  :  Be- 
lieving is  expressive  of  saving  faith,  see- 
ing it  exempts  from  condemnation.  Sec- 
ondly :  The  want  of  this  i'aith  is  a  sin  on 
account  of  which  the  unl)eliever  stands 
condemned.  It  is  true  that  unbelief  is  an 
evidence  of  our  being  under  the  condem- 
nation of  God's  righteous  law  for  all  our 
other  sins  ;  but  this  is  not  all  :  unbelief  is 
i<se//a  sin,  which  greatly  aggravates  our 
guilt,  and  which,  if  persisted  in,  gives  the 
finishing  stroke  to  our  destruction.  That 
this  idea  is  taught  liy  the  Evangelist  ap- 
pears, partly  from  his  dwelling  upon  the 
dignity  of  the  character  offended,  the  "  on- 
ly begotten  Son  of  God  ;"  and  partly  from 
his  expressly  adding,  "this  is  the  condem- 
nation, that  light  is  come  into  the  world, 
and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light, 
because  their  deeds  were  evil." 

Luke  xix.  27.  "But  those  mine  ene- 
mies, which  would  not  that  I  should  reign 
over  them,  bring  hither,  and  slay  them 
before  me."  If  Christ,  as  wearing  his 
mediatorial  crown,  has  not  a  right  to  un- 
reserved submission  and  hearty  obedi- 
ence, he  has  no  right  to  be  angry ;  and 
still  less  to  punish  men  as  his  enemies  for 
not  being  willing  that  he  should  reign 
over  them.  He  has  no  right  to  reign 
over  them,  at  least  not  over  their  hearts, 
if  it  be  not  their  duty  to  obey  him  from 
their  hearts.  The  whole  controversy,  in- 
deed, might  be  reduced  to  an  issue  on  this 
argument.  Every  sinner  ought  to  be 
Christ's  friend,  or  his  enemy,  or  to  stand 
by  as  neutral.  To  say  he  ought  to  be  his 
enemy  is  too  gross  to  be  defended.  To 
plead  for  his  being  neutral  is  pleading  for 
what  our  Lord  declares  to  be  impossible  : 
"he  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me." 
There  is,  therefore,  no  room  for  any  other 
position  than  that  he  ought  to  be  his  cor- 
dial friend  ;  and  this  is  the  plain  implica- 
tion of  the  passage. 


2  Thes.  ii.  10 — 12.  "Whose  coming 
is — with  all  deceivaV^leness  of  unrighte- 
ousness in  them  that  perish  ;  because  they 
received  not  the  love  of  the  truth,  that 
they  might  be  saved.  And  for  this  cause 
God  shall  send  them  strong  delusion,  that 
they  should  believe  a  lie  :  that  they  all 
might  1)6  damned,  who  believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
ness." From  hence  we  may  remark  two 
things  :  First,  that  faith  is  here  called  a 
receiving  the  love  of  the  truth :  and  that 
it  means  saving  faith  is  manifest,  seeing 
it  is  added,  "that  they  miglit  be  saved." 
Secondly  :  That  their  not  receiving  the 
love  of  the  truth,  or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  not  believing  with  such  a  faith  as 
that  to  which  salvation  is  promised,  was 
the  "  cause  "  of  their  being  given  up  of 
God,  and  carried  away  with  all  deceiv- 
ableness  of  unrighteousness.  The  loose 
and  cold-hearted  manner  in  which  merely 
nominal  Christians  held  the  truth  would 
occasion  the  introduction  of  the  grand  Pa- 
pal apostasy,  by  which  great  numbers  of 
them  would  be  swept  away.  And  this, 
assuredly,  ought  to  afford  a  lesson  to 
nominal  Christians  of  the  present  day, 
who,  owing  to  the  same  cause,  are  fast 
approaching  to  infidelity.  But,  unless 
we  suppose  that  these  professors  of  reli- 
gion ought  to  have  "received  the  love  of 
the  truth,"  there  is  no  accounting  for  the 
awful  judgments  of  God  upon  them  foir 
the  contrary. 

VI.     Other    spiritual    exercises, 

WHICH  SUSTAIN  AN  INSEPARABLE  CON- 
NECTION WITH  FAITH  IN  ChRIST,  ARE 
REPRESENTED  AS  THE  DUTY  OF  MEN  IN 
GENERAL. 

Though  this  controversy  has  been  most- 
ly carried  on  with  respect  to  the  duty  of 
faith,  yet  it,  in  reality,  extends  to  the 
whole  of  spiritual  religion.  Those  who 
deny  that  sinners  are  obliged  to  believe  in 
Christ  for  salvation  will  not  allow  that  it 
is  their  duty  to  do  any  thing  truly  and 
spiritually  good.  It  is  a  kind  of  maxim, 
with  such  persons,  that  none,  can  be 
obliged  to  act  spiritually,  but  spiritual 
men.'  Spiritual  exercises  appear  to  me 
to  mean  the  same  as  holy  exercises ;  for 
the  "new  man,"  which  is  created  after 
God,  is  said  to  be  "  created  in  righteous- 
ness, and  true  holiness :"  and,  as  to  two 
kinds  of  true  holiness,  the  Scriptures,  I 
believe,  are  silent.  But,  as  my  opponents 
afiix  different  ideas  to  the  term  spiritual, 
to  prevent  all  disputes  about  it,  I  shall 
proceed  on  a  ground  which  they  will  not 
refuse.  Whatever  has  the  promise  of 
spiritual  blessings  is  considered  as  a  spir- 
itual exercise.  With  this  criterion  of  spir- 
ituality in  view,  let  the  following  passages 
of    Scripture    be     carefully    considered. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    AtC  EPTATION. 


393 


"How  long,  ye  simple  ones,  will  ye  love 
simplicity ;  and  tlie  scorners  deliglit  in 
their  scornin}:!:,  and  fools  liate  knowledge  ] 
Turn  you  at  my  reproof:  behold  I  will 
pour  out  my  Spirit  unlo  you,  I  will  make 
known  my  words  unto  you."  "  The  lear 
of  the  Lord  is  the  bejiinning  of  knowl- 
edge :  but  fools  despise  wisdom  and  in- 
struction." "Wisdom  crieth  at  tlie 
gates,  at  the  entry  of  the  city,  at  the 
coming  in  at  tiie  doors.  Unlo  you,  O 
men,  I  call  ;  and  my  voice  is  to  the  sons 
of  men.  O  ye  simple,  understand  wis- 
dom ;  and  ye  Ibols,  be  ye  of  an  under- 
standing heart.  Hear,  for  I  will  speak 
of  excellent  things  ;  and  the  opening  of 
my  lips  siiall  be  right  things."  "Re- 
ceive my  instruction,  and  not  silver,  and 
knowledge  rather  tiian  choice  gold." 
"  Hearken  unto  me,  O  ye  children;  for 
blessed  are  they  tiiat  keep  my  ways. 
Hear  instruction,  and  be  wise,  and  re- 
fuse it  not.  Blessed  is  the  man  that 
heareth  me,  watching  daily  at  my  gates, 
waiting  at  tlie  posts  of  my  doors.  For 
whoso  findeth  me  lindeth  life,  and  shall 
obtain  favor  of  the  Lord.  But  he  that 
sinneth  against  me,  wrongeth  his  own 
soul :  all  they  that  hate  me,  love  death." 
"  And  now,  .Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord 
thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  the 
Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways, 
and  to  love  him,  and  to  serve  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  a/7  thy  heart,  and  ivith  all  thy 
soul .'"  "  Circumcise,  therefore,  the  fore- 
skin of  your  heart,  and  be  no  more  stitT- 
necked."  "Rend  your  heart,  and  not 
your  garments,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord 
your  God."  "Repent  ye  ;  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  at  hand."  "Repent 
ye,  therefore,  and  be  converted,  that  your 
sins  may  be  blotted  out,  when  the  times 
of  refreshing  shall  come  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord." 

We  may  remark  on  these  passages, 
First :  The  persons  addressed  were  un- 
converted  sinners,    as    appears    by     their 

characters  ;    fools scorners — haters   of 

knowledge — uncircumcised  in  heart — im- 
penitent. Secondly  :  The  things  to  which 
they  were  exhorted  were  things  spiritual- 
ly good.  This  appears,  in  part,  from  the 
names  by  which  the  exercises  themselves 
are  distinguished;  namely,  such  under- 
standing as  originates  in  the  fear  of  tiie 
Lord — fearing — loving — serving  God  with 
all  the  heart,  and  with  all  the  soul — cir- 
cumcision of  the  heart — repentance — con- 
version :  and,  partly,  from  tlie  blessings  of 
salvation  being  promised  to  them  :  these 
are  expressed  by  the  terms,  blessedness 
— life — favor  of  the  Lord — the  blotting 
out  of  sin. 

More  particularly  :  The  love  of  God  is 
a  spiritual  exercise  ;  for  it  has  the  prom- 

voL.  I.  50 


ise  of  spiritual  blessings.  "All  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God."  "He  that  dwelleth  in  love, 
dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him."  "Eye 
hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  iiave 
entered  into  tlie  heart  of  man,  the  things 
whidi  (rod  hath  prepared  for  them  lliat 
love  him."  But  the  love  of  God  is  re- 
(juired  of  men  without  distinction.  The 
people  of  Israel,  like  all  other  people, 
were  composed  of  good  and  bad  men; 
but  they  were  all  required  to  "love  "  Je- 
hovah, and  to  "  cleave"  to  him,  and  that 
"  with  all  their  heart,  and  soul,  and  mind, 
and  strength." — Deut.  vi.  5;  xxx.  20. 
The  moral  part  of  those  precepts  which 
God  gave  to  tiiem  on  tables  of  stone  was 
binding  on  all  mankind.  Even  those  who 
had  no  other  means  of  knowing  God  than 
were  aflbrded  by  the  works  of  nature, 
with,  perhaps,  a  portion  of  tradition,  were 
required  to  glorify  him  as  God,  and  to  be 
thankful. — Rom.  i.  21. 

The  love  of  God,  as  is  here  intimated, 
is  either  a  holy  thankfulness  for  the  in- 
numerable instances  of  his  goodness,  or  a 
cordial  aji[)rol)ation  of  his  glorious  char- 
acter. It  is  true  there  are  favors  for 
which  the  regenerate  are  obliged  to  love 
him,  which  are  not  common  to  the  unre- 
generate  ;  but  every  one  has  shared  a  suf- 
licient  portion  of  his  bounty  to  have  in- 
curred a  debt  of  gratitude.  It  is  general- 
ly allowed,  indeed,  by  our  opponents, 
that  God  ought  to  be  loved  as  our  Crea- 
tor and  benefactor;  but  this,  they  sup- 
pose, is  not  a  spiritual  exercise.  There 
is  a  kind  of  gratitude,  it  is  granted,  which 
is  not  spiritual,  but  merely  the  effect  of 
natural  self-love,  and  in  which  God  is  no 
otherwise  regarded  than  as  subservient  to 
our  happiness.  But  this  does  not  always 
respect  the  bestowing  of  temporal  mer- 
cies :  the  same  feelings  which  possessed 
the  carnal  Israelites,  when  they  felt  them- 
selves delivered  from  Pharaoh's  yoke, 
and  saw  their  oppressors  sinking  in  the 
sea,  are  still  the  feelings  of  many  profess- 
ors of  religion,  under  a  groundless  per- 
suasion of  their  being  elected  of  God, 
and  having  their  sins  forgiven  thera. 
Gratitude  of  this  sort  has  nothing  spir- 
itual in  it :  but  then  neither  is  it  any  part 
of  duty.  God  nowhere  requires  it,  ei- 
ther of  saints  or  sinners.  That  which 
God  requires  is  a  spiritual  exercise : 
whether  it  be  on  account  of  temporal  or 
spiritual  mercies  is  immaterial ;  the  ob- 
ject makes  no  difference  as  to  the  nature 
of  the  act :  that  thanksgiving  with  which 
the  common  mercies  of  life  are  received 
by  the  godly,  and  by  which  they  are 
sanctified  to  them,  (1  Tim.  iv.  3—5)  is  no 
less  of  a  spiritual  nature,  and  is  no  less 
connected  with  eternal  life,  than  gratitude 


394 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


for  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  This  thankful 
spirit,  instead  of  being  an  operation  of 
self-love,  or  regarding  God  merely  in 
subserviency  to  our  own  happiness,  great- 
ly consists  in  self-abasement,  or  in  a  sense 
of  our  own  unworihiness.  Its  language 
is,  "Who  am  I,  O  Lord  God  1  and  what 
is  my  house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me 
hitherto'?"  "  What  shall  I  render  unto 
the  Lord,  for  all  his  benefits'!"  This  is 
holy  gratitude ;  and  to  be  destitute  of  it 
is  to  be  "unthankful,  unholy." 

With  respect  to  a  cordial  approbation  of 
the  divine  character,  or  glorifying  God  as 
God,  and  which  enters  into  the  essence  of 
holy  love,  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt 
whether  it  be  obligatory  on  sinners.  Such 
is  the  glory  of  God's  naine  that  nothing 
but  the  most  inexcusable  and  deep-rooted 
depravity  could  render  any  intelligent  crea- 
ture insensible  to  it.  Those  parts  of 
Scripture  which  describe  the  devout  feel- 
ings of  godly  men,  particularly  the  Psalms 
of  David,  abound  in  expressions  of  affec- 
tion to  the  name  of  the  Lord.  "  How  ex- 
cellent is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth  ! " 
"Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but 
unto  thy  name  give  glory."  "  O  magnify 
tlie  Lord  with  me  ;  and  let  us  exalt  his 
name  together."  "  Sing  unto  God,  sing 
praises  to  his  name  :  let  them  that  love 
thy  name  say  continually,  the  Lord  be 
magnified."  "Blessed  be  his  glorious 
name  forever,  and  let  the  wliole  earth  be 
filled  with  his  glory.     Amen,  and  Amen." 

This  affection  to  the  nmne  of  the  Lord, 
as  it  is  revealed  in  ids  word  and  works, 
and  particularly  in  the  work  of  redemption, 
lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  true  desire  af- 
ter an  interest  in  his  mercy.  If  we  seek 
mercy  of  any  one  whose  character  we  dis- 
esteem,  it  is  merely  for  our  ow^n  sakes  ; 
and,  if  he  be  acquainted  with  our  motives, 
we  cannot  hope  to  succeed.  Tliis  it  is  that 
leads  us  to  mourn  for  sin  as  sin,  and  not 
merely  for  the  inconvenience  to  which  it 
exposes  us.  This  it  is  which  renders  sal- 
vation through  the  atonement  of  Christ  so 
acceptable.  He  that  loves  only  himself, 
provided  he  might  be  saved,  would  care 
little  or  nothing  for  the  honor  of  the  divine 
character ;  but  he  that  loves  God  will  be 
concerned  for  his  glory.  Heaven  itself 
would  be  no  enjoyment  to  liim  if  his  ad- 
mission must  be  at  the  expense  of  right- 
eousness. 

"God  is  to  be  loved,"  says  Dr.  Gill, 
"  for  himself,  because  of  his  oAvn  nature 
and  the  perfections  of  it,  which  render  him 
amiable  and  lovely,  and  worthy  of  our 
strongest  love  and  affection  ;  as  these  are 
displayed  in  the  works  of  creation  and  pro- 
vidence, and  especially  of  grace,  redemp- 
tion, and  salvation,  to  all  which  the  Psalm- 
ist has  respect,  when  he  says,  '  0  Lord, 


our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name,''  na- 
ture, and  perfections,  '  in  all  the  earth  !' — 
Psalm  viii.  1.  As  God  is  great  in  himself 
and  greatly  to  be  praised,  great  and  great- 
ly to  lie  feared,  so  great  and  greatly  tobe 
loved,  for  what  he  is  in  himself.  And  this 
is  the  purest  and  most  perfect  love  of  a 
creature  towards  God  ;  for,  if  we  love  him 
only  for  his  goodness  towards  us,  it  is  lov- 
ing ourselves  rather  tlian  him,  at  least  a 
loving  him  for  ourselves,  and  so  a  loving 


ourselves    more   than   him. 


But   this 


"  most  pure  and  perfect  love"  is  manifestly 
the  duty  of  all  mankind,  however  far  they 
are  from  a  compliance  with  it.  "  Give 
unto  the  Lord,  ye  kindreds  of  the  people, 
give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength. 
Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his 
name  :  bring  an  offering  and  come  before 
him  :  worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of 
holiness." — "Make  a  joyful  noise  unto 
the  Lord,  all  ye  lands." — "Kings  of  the 
earth,  and  all  people ;  princes  and  all 
judges  of  the  earth  ;  both  young  men  and 
maidens,  old  men  and  children;  let  them 
praise  the  name  of  the  Lord, /or  his  name 
alone  is  excellent :  his  glory  is  above  the 
earth  and  heaven." — "Let  the  people 
praise  thee,  O  God,  let  all  the  people  praise 
thee  !  " 

That  love  to  Christ  is  a  spiritual  exer- 
cise may,  I  suppose,  be  taken  for  granted. 
The  grace  or  favor  of  God  is  xoith  all  who 
possess  it  in  sincerity. — Eph.  vi.  24.  But 
love  to  Christ  is  the  duty  of  every  one  to 
whom  the  gospel  is  preached.  On  no  oth- 
er principles  could  the  apostle  have  writ- 
ten as  he  did  :  "If  any  one  love  not  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  anathema, 
Maran-atha !  "  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that 
this  awful  sentence  is  not  denounced 
against  sinners  as  positively  Iiating  Christ, 
but  US  not  loving  him;  plainly  implying 
his  ivorthiness  of  a  place  in  our  best  affec- 
tions, and  that,  were  it  possible  for  us  to 
be  indifferent  towards  him,  even  that  in- 
difference would  deserve  the  heavy  curse  of 
the  Almighty  at  the  last  judgment.  Paul 
appears  to  have  felt  as  a  soldier  would  feel 
towards  the  best  of  princes  or  command- 
ers. If,  after  David's  return  from  his  en- 
gagement with  Goliath,  when  the  women 
of  Israel  were  praising  him  in  their  songs, 
any  of  the  sons  of  Belial  had  spoken  of 
him  in  the  language  of  detraction,  it  would 
have  been  natural  for  one  of  a  patriotic 
spirit,  deeply  impressed  with  an  idea  of  the 
hero's  worth,  and  of  the  service  he  had 
rendered  to  his  country,  thus  to  have  ex- 
pressed himself :  If  any  man  love  not  the 
son  of  Jesse,  let  him  be  banished  from 
among  the  tribes  of  Israel.  Of  this  kind 
were  the  feelings  of  the  apostle.     He  had 

*  Body  of  Divinity.  Vol.  III.  Chap.  IX 


THE    GOSPF.L    ^VOUTHY    OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


39{ 


served  under  liig  Lord  and  Saviour  lor 
many  years  ;  and  now,  sensiMe  in  a  liijrli 
deg^ree  of  the  glory  of  Iiis  character,  he 
scruples  not  to  pronounce  that  man  wlio 
loves  him  not  "  accursed  I  " 

71ic  fear  of  God  is  a  spiritual  exercise  ; 
for  it  has  the  promise  of  spiritual  Mcssings. 
— Ps.  xxxiv.  T,  9;  ciii.  11,  13,  17.  But 
it  is  also  a  duty  required  of  men,  and  tiiat 
without  tiie  distinction  of  regenerate  or 
unregenerate.  "  O  that  tiicre  were  such 
an  licart  in  tliem,  that  they  would  /eor  me 
and  kce*p  all  my  commaiulments  always  !  " 
— "  i<>or  lieforc  him  ail  the  earth." — "  Let 
all  that  he  round  aliout  him  bring  presents 
unto  him  that  ought  to  be  feared." — "  Who 
would  noi  fear  thee,  O  King  of  nations  '?  " 
— "  Fear  thou  God." — "  Fear  God  and 
keep  his  commandments,  for  this  is  the 
whole  duty  of  man." — "  Gather  the  peoj)le 
togetl«?r,  men,  and  women,  and  children, 
and  thy  stranger  that  is  witliin  thy  gates, 
that  they  may  hear,  and  that  tiiey  may 
learn,  and  fear  the  Lord  your  God:" — 
"  and  that  their  cliildren,  which  have  not 
known  any  thing,  may  hear  and  learn  to 
fear  the  Lord  your  God." — "  Serve  tlie 
Lord  with  fear,  and  i"ejoice  with  tremb- 
ling."— "  And  I  saw  another  angel  lly  in 
the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting 
gospel  to  preach  unto  lliem  that  dwell  on 
the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  saying, — Fear 
God  and  give  glory  to  him  ;  for  the  hour 
of  his  judgment  is  come  ;  and  worshij)  him 
that  made  heaven  and  earth  !" — "  Wiio 
shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify 
thy  name  ]  for  thou  only  art  holy."  To 
say  of  men  "  they  have  no  fear  of  God  be- 
fore their  eyes,"  is  to  represent  them  as 
under  the  dominion  of  depravity. 

Ii  may  be  oi)jectcd  tliat  the  Scriptures 
distinguish  betweon  that  holy  fear  of  of- 
fending God  wliicli  is  peculiar  to  his  chil- 
dren, and  a  mere  dread  of  the  misery 
threatened  against  sin,  which  is  found  in 
the  wicked.  True  ;  there  is  a  fear  of  God 
which  is  not  spiritual ;  such  was  that  of 
the  slothful  servant ;  and  the  same  is  found 
in  hypocrites  and  devils,  (Luke  xix.  21  ; 
James  ii.  19:)  this,  however,  is  no  part  of 
duty,  but  ratlier  of  punishment.  God  does 
not  require  this,  either  of  saints  or  sinners. 
That  w  hich  he  requires  is  of  a  holy  nature, 
such  as  is  expressed  in  the  passages  l)el'ore 
quoted,  which  is  spiritual,  and  has  the 
promise  of  s]>iritvial  blessings.  It  resem- 
bles tliat  of  a  dutiful  child  to  his  tatiier, 
and  is  therefore  properly  CdWt'dfiUal  ;  and, 
though  none  are  possessed  of  it  but  the 
children  of  God,  yet  that  is  because  none 
else  are  possessed  of  a  right  spirit. 

Repentance,  or  a  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  is 
a  spiritual  exercise  ;  for  it  abounds  with 
promises  of  spiritual   blessings.     But  re- 


pentance is  a  duty  required  of  every  sin- 
ner. "  Repent  ye,  ibr  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand." — "  Repent  ye,  there- 
fore, ami  l)e  converted,  that  your  sins  may 
be  blotted  out." — "  Cleanse  your  hands, 
ye  sinners, .  and  purify  your  hearts,  ye 
double-minded.  Be  alUictcd,  and  mourn, 
and  weep  ;  let  your  laughter  be  turned  to 
mourning,  and  your  joy  to  heaviness. 
Huml)le  yourselves  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord,  and  he  shall  lilt  you  up."  The 
"  hardness  of  heart"  which  our  Lord  found 
in  the  Jews,  and  which  is  the  opposite 
of  repentance,  "grieved"  him;  which  it 
woud  not,  had  it  not  been  their  sin. — Mark 
iii.  5.  Finally  :  A  hard  and  impenitent 
heart  treasures  up  ivrath  against  the  day  of 
icratli :  J)ut  impenitence  could  be  no  sin  if 
penitence  were  not  a  duty. — Rom.  ii.  5. 

Repentance,  it  is  allowed,  like  all  other 
spiritual  exercises,  has  its  counterfeit,  and 
which  is  not  spiritual  ;  but  neither  is  it 
that  which  God  recpures  at  the  hands  of 
either  saints  or  sinners.  What  is  called 
natural,  and  sometimes  legal  re])entance, 
is  merely  a  sorrow  on  account  of  conse- 
quences. Such  was  the  repentance  of  Saul 
and  Judas. 

In  order  to  evade  the  argument  arising 
from  the  addresses  of  John  the  Baptist,  of 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  who  called  upon 
the  Jewish  people  "  to  repent  and  believe 
the  gospel,"  it  has  been  alleged  that  it  was 
only  an  outward  repentance  and  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  truth  to  which  they  were 
exhorted,  and  not  that  which  is  spiritual 
or  which  has  the  promise  of  spiritual 
blessings.  But  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  to  prove  that  such  repentance 
and  faith  are  any  where  required  of 
sinners,  or  tliat  it  is  consistent  with  the 
divine  perfections  to  require  them.  An 
outward  repentance  and  reformation  of 
manners,  as  distinguished  from  that  w  hich 
consists  in  godly  sorrow,  is  only  repent- 
ance in  appearance.  Whatever  sorrow 
there  is  in  it,  it  is  not  on  account  of  sin, 
but  its  consequences  ;  and  to  suppose  that 
Christ  or  his  servants  required  this  would 
be  doing  them  infinite  dishonor.  It  is  no 
other  than  supposing  them  to  have  betray- 
ed the  authority  of  God  over  the  human 
heart,  to  have  sactioned  hypocrisy,  and  to 
have  given  counsels  to  sinners  which,  if 
taken,  would  leave  them  still  exposed  to 
everlasting  destruction. 

The  case  of  the  Ninevites  has  been  al- 
leged as  furnishing  an  example  of  that  re- 
pentance which  is  the  duty  of  men  in  gen- 
eral, and  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  re- 
quired of  he  Jews.  I  do  not  know  that 
the  repentance  of  the  Ninevites  was  gen- 
uine, or  connected  with  spiritual  bless- 
ings :  neither  do  my  opjionents  know  that 
it  was  not.     Probably  the  repentance  of 


396 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


some  of  them  was  genuine,  while  that  of 
the  greater  part  might  be  only  put  on  in 
conformity  to  the  orders  of  government ; 
•or,  at  most,  merely  as  the  effect  of  terror. 
But,  whatever  it  was,  even  though  none 
of  it  were  genuine,  the  object  professed 
was  godly  sorroio  for  sin;  and  if  God 
.treated  them  upon  the  supposition  of  their 
being  sincere,  and  it  repented  him  of  the 
evil  which  he  had  threatened,  it  is  no  more 
than  he  did  to  Pharaoh,  Abijah,  Ahab,  and 
others.*  It  is  a  very  unjust  conclusion  to 
draw  from  his  conduct  that  their  repent- 
ance was  such  as  he  approved,  and  the 
whole  which  he  required  at  their  hands. 
So  far  from  it,  there  might  be  nothing  in 
any  of  them  which  could  approve  itself  to 
him  as  the  searcher  of  hearts  :  and  though 
for  wise  reasons  he  might  think  it  proper, 
in  those  instances,  to  overlook  their  hy- 
pocrisy, and  to  treat  them  on  the  supposi- 
tion of  their  repentance  being  what  they 
professed  it  to  be;  yet  he  might  still  re- 
serve to  himself  the  power  of  judging  them 
at  the  last  day  according  to  their  works. 

The  object  of  John  the  Baptist  was  not 
to  effect  a  mere  outward  reformation  of 
manners  :  but  to  "  turn  the  hearts  of  the 
fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  disobedi- 
ent to  the  wisdom  of  the  just,  to  make 
ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord." 
Such  was  the  effect  actually  produced  by 
his  ministry,  and  by  that  of  Christ  and  the 
apostles.  The  repentance  which  they 
called  upon  sinners  to  exercise  was  such  as 
entitled  those  who  possessed  it  to  Chris- 
tian "baptism,"  and  which  had  the  prom- 
ise of  "the  remission  of  sins." — Marki. 
4  ;  Acts  ii.  38. 

It  is  plainly  intimated,  by  the  apostle 
Paul,  that  all  repentance  except  that 
which  worketh  in  a  way  of  godly  soitow, 
and  which  he  calls  repentance  to  salvation, 

NEEDS    TO    BE    REPENTED    OF.        It  is     the 

mere  sorroio  of  the  world,  tvhich  loorketh 
death. — 2  Cor.  vii.  10.  But  that  which 
requires  to  be  repented  of  cannot  be  com- 
manded of  God,  or  constitute  any  part  of 
,a  sinner's  duty.  The  duty  of  every  trans- 
gressor is  to  be  sorry  at  heart  for  having 
sinned. 

Humility,  or  lowliness  of  mind,  is  a  spir- 
itual disposition,  and  has  the  promise  of 
spiritual  blessings.  "Though  the  Lord 
is  high,  yet  hath  he  respect  unto  the  low- 
ly."— "  He  giveth  grace  unto  the  hum- 
ble."— "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit; 
for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :"  yet 
this  disposition  is  required  as  the  duty  of 
all.  "Cleanse  your  hands,  ye  sinners; 
and  purify  your  hearts,  ye  double-minded. 
Be  afflicted,  and  mourn,  and  weep  :  let 

*  Exod.  viii.  8,9;  2  Chroii.  xiii.,  vvitli  1  Kings 
XX ;  1  Kings  xxi.  27,29. 


your  laughter  be  turned  to  mourning,  and 
your  joy  to  heaviness.  Humble  yourselves 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  lift 
you  up."  Humility  does  not  consist  in 
thinking  less,  or  more  meanly,  of  our- 
selves tlian  is  true.  The  difference  be- 
tween one  that  is  lowly  and  one  that  is 
proud  lies  in  this  :  the  one  thinks  justly  of 
himself,  and  the  other  unjustly.  The 
most  humble  Christian  only  thinks  of 
himself  "  soberly,  as  he  ought  to  think." 
All  the  instances  of  humility  recorded  of 
the  godly  in  the  Scriptures  are 'but  so 
many  examples  of  a  rigid  spirit,  a  spirit 
brought  down  to  their  situation.  "  Carry 
back  the  ark  of  God  into  the  city,"  says 
David  :  "  If  I  shall  find  favor  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord,  he  will  bring  me  again,  and 
show  me  both  it  and  his  habitation  :  but 
if  he  thus  say,  I  have  no  delight  in  thee, 
behold,  here  am  I ;  let  him  do  to  me  as 
seemeth  good  unto  him."  This  was  very 
different  from  the  spirit  of  his  predecessor, 
when  he  was  given  to  expect  the  loss  of 
the  kingdom  ;  yet  it  was  no  more  than 
was  the  duty  of  Saul,  as  well  as  of  David  ; 
and  all  his  proud  and  reViellious  opposi- 
tion served  only  to  increase  his  guilt  and 
misery.  The  spirit  of  the  publican  was 
no  more  than  was  becoming  a  sinner,  and 
would  have  been  becoming  the  Pharisee 
himself. 

Finally  :  If  whatever  has  the  promise 
of  spiritual  blessings  be  a  spiritual  exer- 
cise, every  thing  that  is  right,  or  which 
accords  with  the  divine  precept,  must  be 
so  ;  for  the  Scriptures  unilbrmly  promise 
eternal  life  to  every  such  exercise.  They 
that  "  do  good  "  shall  come  forth  to  the 
resurrection  of  life.  He  that  "  doeth 
righteousness  is  righteous."  The  giving 
of  "  a  cup  of  cold  water  "  to  a  disciple  of 
Christ  because  he  belongs  to  him  will  be 
followed  with  a  disciple's  reward.  Nay, 
a  "blessing"  is  pronounced  upon  those 
who  are  "not  offended"  in  him.  But, 
though  these  things  are  spiritual  and  are 
characteristic  of  the  godly,  yet  who  will 
say  they  are  not  binding  on  the  ungodly  1 
Are  they  excused  from  "  good,"  from 
"  doing  right,"  from  bestowing  "  a  cup  of 
water  "  on  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  because  he 
belongs  to  him  1  At  least,  are  they  al- 
lowed to  be  "  offended  "  in  him  1 

If  God's  law  be  spiritual,  and  remain 
in  full  force  as  a  standard  of  obligation — - 
if  men,  while  unconverted,  have  no  real 
conformity  to  it — if  regeneration  be  the 
writing  of  it  upon  the  heart,  or  the  renew- 
al of  the  mind  to  a  right  spirit — all  these 
things  are  clear  and  consistent.  This  is 
for  the  same  thing,  in  different  respects, 
to  be  "man's  duty  and  God's  gift:"  * 
position  which  Dr.  Owen  has  fully  estab- 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTIIV    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


897 


lishod  ;*  ami  soinowhorc  remarks  tliat  he 
who  is  iirnorant  of  it  lias  yet  (o  learn  one 
of  the  first  principles  of  reli<iion.  In  siiort, 
this  is  rendering  the  work  of  tiic  Spirit 
what  the  Scriptures  denominate  it — "  lead- 
ing us  by  the  wiiy  tlutt  we  should  go."  Isa. 
xlviii.  17.  But,  il  that  which  is  bestowed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  l)e  somethina;  difl'erent 
in  its  nature  from  that  which  is  reipiired 
in  tlie  divine  precepts,  I  see  not  what  is 
to  be  made  of  the  Scriptures,  nor  how  it  is 
that  righteuusness,  goodness,  or  any  thing 
else  which  is  recpiired  of  men,  should  lie 
accompanied,  as  it  is,  with  the  promise  of 
eternal  life. 


PART    III. 

ANSWERS     TO    OBJECTIONS. 

The  principal  objections  that  are  made 
to  the  foregoing  statement  of  things  are 
taken  from — the  nature  of  original  holi- 
ness, as  it  existed  in  our  first  parents — 
the  divine  decrees — particular  redemption 
— the  covenant  of  works — the  inability  of 
man — the  operations  of  the  Spirit — and 
the  necessity  of  a  divine  principle  in  order 
to  believing. 

It  may  be  worthy  of  some  notice,  at 
least  from  those  who  are  perpetually  re- 
proaching the  statement  here  defended  as 
leading  to  Arminianism,  that  the  greater 
part  of  these  objections  are  of  Arininian 
original.  They  are  the  same,  for  sub- 
stance, as  have  been  alleged  by  the  lead- 
ing writers  of  that  scheme,  in  their  con- 
troversies with  the  Calvinists  ;  and  from 
the  writings  of  the  latter  it  were  easy  to 
select  answers  to  them.  This,  in  effect, 
is  acknowledged  by  Mr.  Brine,  who,  how- 
ever, considers  these  answers  as  insuffi- 
cient, and  therefore  prefers  others  before 
them.f 

It  also  deserves  to  be  considered  wheth- 
er objections  drawn  from  such  subjects  as 
the  above,  in  which  we  may  presently  get 
beyond  our  depth,  ought  to  weigh  against 
that  body  of  evidence  which  has  been 
adduced  from  the  plain  declarations  and 
precepts  of  the  holy  Scriptures.  What 
t  if,  by  reason  of  darkness,  we  could  not 
ascertain  the  precise  nature  of  the  princi- 
ple of  our  first  parents  1  It  is  certain  we 
know  but  little  of  original  purity.  Our 
disordered  souls  are  incapable  of  form- 
ing just  ideas  of  so  glorious  a  state.  To 
attempt,  therefore,  to  settle  the  bound- 


aries of  even  their  duty,  by  an  abstract 
in()uiry  into  the  nature  of  their  powers 
and  principles,  would  lie  improper;  and 
still  more  so  to  make  it  the  medium  l)y 
which  to  judge  of  our  oivn.  There  are 
but  two  ways  by  which  we  can  judge  on 
such  a  subject :  the  one  is  from  the  char- 
acter of  the  Creator,  and  the  other  from 
Scripture  testimony.  From  the  former, 
we  may  infer  the  perfect  purity  of  the 
creature,  as  coming  out  of  the  hands  of 
God  ;  but  nothing  can  be  concluded  of 
his  inability  to  believe  in  Christ,  had  he 
been  in  circumstances  which  required  it. 
As  to  the  latter,  the  only  passage  that  I 
recollect  to  have  seen  produced  for  the 
purpose  is  1  Cor.  xv.  47 :  "  The  first 
man  was  of  the  earth,  earthy,"  which 
Mr.  Johnson  of  Liverpool  alleged  to  prove 
the  earthiness  of  Adam's  mind,  or  princi- 
ples :  but  Mr.  Brine  sufficiently  refutes 
this,  proving  that  this  divine  proposition 
respects  the  body  and  not  the  principles 
of  our  first  father  ;J  and  thus  Dr.  Gill  ex- 
pounds it. 

With  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  divine 
decrees,  Sfc,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  great 
body  of  the  divines  who  have  believed 
those  doctrines  have  also  believed  the 
other.  Neither  Augustine,  nor  Calvin, 
who  each  in  his  day  defended  predestina- 
tion, and  the  other  doctrines  connected 
with  it,  ever  appear  to  have  thought  of 
denying  it  to  be  the  duty  of  every  sinner 
who  has  heard  the  gospel  to  repent  and 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ.  Neither  did  the 
other  Reformers,  nor  the  Puritans  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  nor  the  divines  at  the 
synod  of  Dort,  (who  opposed  Arminius,) 
nor  any  of  the  Nonconformists  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  so  far  as  I  have  any 
acquaintance  with  their  writings,  ever  so 
much  as  hesitate  upon  this  subject.  The 
writings  of  Calvin  himself  would  now  be 
deemed  Arminian  by  a  great  number  of 
our  opponents.  I  allow  that  the  princi- 
ples here  defended  may  be  inconsistent 
with  the  doctrines  of  grace,  notwithstand- 
ing the  leading  advocates  of  those  doc- 
trines have  admitted  them  ;  and  am  far 
from  wishing  any  person  to  l)uild  his  taith 
on  the  authority  of  great  men :  but  their 
admission  of  them  ought  to  suffice  for  the 
silencing  of  that  kind  of  ojiposition  against 
them  which  consists  in  calling  names. 

W^ere  a  difficulty  allowed  to  exist,  as 
to  the  reconciling  of  these  subjects,  it 
would  not  warrant  a  rejection  of  either  of 
them.  If  I  find  two  doctrines  affirmed, 
or  implied  in  the  Scriptures,  which,  to 
my  feeble  understanding,  may  seem  to 
clash,  I  ought  not  to  embrace  the  one  and 


*  Di.'play  of  .\rininianism.  Chap.  X.  ifJohnson's   Mistakes   Noted   and  Rectified,  |;p, 

+  Anniuian  Principles  of  a  Late  Writer  Refuted.     IS— 23. 
p.  6. 


398 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


to  reject  the  other  because  of  their  sup- 
posed inconsistency ;  for,  on  the  same 
ground,  another  person  might  embrace 
that  wliich  I  reject,  and  reject  that  which 
I  embrace,  and  have  equal  scriptural  au- 
thority for  his  faith  as  I  have  for  mine. 
Yet  in  this  manner  many  have  acted  on 
both  sides  :  some,  taking  the  general  pre- 
cepts and  invitations  of  Scripture  for  their 
standard,  have  rejected  the  doctrine  of 
discriminating  grace  ;  others,  taking  the 
declarations  of  salvation  as  being  a  fruit  of 
electing  love  for  their  standard,  deny  that 
sinners  without  distinction  are  called  up- 
on to  believe  for  the  salvation  of  their 
souls.  Hence  it  is  that  we  hear  of  Cal- 
vinistic  and  Arviinian  texts ;  as  though 
these  leaders  had  agreed  to  divide  the 
Scriptures  between  them.  Tlie  truth  is, 
there  are  but  two  ways  for  us  to  take  : 
one  is  to  reject  them  both,  and  the  Bible 
with  them,  on  account  of  its  inconsist- 
encies ;  the  other  is  to  embrace  them 
both,  concluding  that,  as  they  are  both 
revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  they  are  both 
true,  and  both  consistent,  and  that  it  is 
owing  to  the  darkness  of  our  understand- 
ings that  they  do  not  appear  so  to  us. 
Those  excellent  lines  of  Dr.  Watts,  in 
his  Hymn  on  Election,  one  should  think, 
must  approve  themselves  to  every  pious 
heart : — 

But,  O  my  soul,  if  trudi  so  bright 
Should  dazzle  and  confound  thy  sight, 
Yet  still  his  written  will  obey, 
And  wait  the  great  decisive  day. 

Had  we  more  of  that  about  which  we 
contend,  it  would  teach  us  more  to  sus- 
pect our  own  understandings,  and  to  sub- 
mit to  the  wisdom  of  God.  Abraham, 
that  pattern  of  faith,  might  have  made 
objections  to  the  command  to  offer  up  his 
son,  on  the  ground  of  its  inconsistency 
with  the  promise,  and  might  have  set 
himself  to  find  some  other  meaning  for 
the  terms:  but  he  "believed  God,"  and 
left  it  to  him  to  reconcile  his  promise  and 
his  precepts.  It  was  not  for  him  to  dis- 
pute, but  to  obey. 

Tiiese  general  remarks,  however,  are 
not  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  avoid- 
ing a  particular  attention  to  the  several 
objections,  but  rather  as  preparatory  to  it. 

On  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  HOLINESS  POS- 
SESSED  BY  MAN  IN  INNOCENCE. 

The  objection  drawn  from  this  subject 
has  been  stated  in  the  following  words  : 
"  The  holy  principle  connatural  to  Adam, 
and  concreated  with  him,  was  not  suited 
to  live  unto  God  through  a  mediator; 
that  kind  of  life  was  above  the  extent  of 
his  powers,  though  perfect;  and  there- 
fore, as  he  in  a  state  of  integrity  had  not 
a  capacity  of  living  unto  God,  agreeably 


to  the  nature  of  the  new  covenant,  it  is 
apprehended  that  his  posterity,  while  un- 
der the^rs^  covenant,  are  not  commanded 
to  live  unto  God  in  that  sort,  or,  in  other 
words,  to  live  by  faith  on  God  through  a 
mediator."* 

The  whole  weight  of  these  important 
conclusions  rests  upon  the  first  two  sen- 
tences, which  are  mere  unfounded  asser- 
tions. For  the  truth  of  them  no  proof 
whatever  is  offered.  What  evidence  is 
there  that  "  the  principle  of  holiness  con- 
created  with  Adam  was  not  suited  to  live 
unto  God  through  a  mediator'!"  That 
his  circumstances  were  such  as  not  to 
need  a  mediator  is  true  ;  but  this  involves 
no  such  consequence.  A  subject,  while 
he  preserves  his  loyalty,  needs  no  medi- 
tor  in  approaching  the  tlirone  :  if  he  have 
offended,  it  is  otherwise  ;  but  a  change  of 
circumstances  would  not  require  a  change 
of  principles.  On  the  contrary,  the  same 
principle  of  loyal  affection  that  would  in- 
duce him  while  innocent  to  approach  the 
throne  with  modest  confidence  would  in- 
duce him  after  having  offended  to  ap- 
proach it  with  penitence,  or,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  to  be  sorry  at  heart  for  what 
he  had  done  :  and  if  a  mediator  were  at 
hand,  with  whose  interposition  the  sove- 
reign had  declared  himself  well  pleased, 
it  would  at  the  same  time  lead  him  to 
implore  forgiveness  in  his  name. 

Had  Cain  lived  before  the  fall,  God 
would  not  have  been  offended  at  his  bring- 
ing an  offering  without  a  sacrifice ;  but 
after  that  event,  and  the  promise  of  the 
woman's  seed,  together  with  the  institu- 
tion of  sacrifices,  such  a  conduct  was 
highly  offensive.  It  was  equally  disre- 
garding the  threatening  and  the  promise  : 
treating  the  former  as  if  nothing  were 
meant  by  it ;  and  the  latter  as  a  matter  of 
no  account.  It  was  i)ractically  saying, 
God  is  not  in  earnest.  There  is  no  great 
evil  in  sin;  nor  any  necessity  for  an  atone- 
ment. If  I  come  with  my  offering,  I  shall 
doubtless  be  accepted,  and  my  Creator 
will  think  himself  honored.  Such  is  still 
the  language  of  a  self-righteous  heart. 
But  is  it  thus  that  Adam's  posterity  while 
"under  the  first  covenant"  (or,  rather, 
while  vainly  hoping  for  the  promise  of  the 
first  covenant,  alter  having  broken  its 
conditions)  are  required  to  approach  an 
offended  God  ]  If  the  principle  of  Adam 
in  innocence  was  not  suited  to  live  to  God 
through  a  mediator,  and  this  be  the  stand- 
ard of  duty  to  his  carnal  descendants,  it 
must  of  course  be  their  duty  either  not  to 
worship  God  at  all  or  to  worship  him  as 
Cain  did,  without  any  respect  to  an  aton- 
ing sacrifice.     On  the  contrary,  is  there 

*  Mr.  Brine's  Motives  to  Love  and  Unity,  jip. 
50,  51. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


399 


not  reason  to  conclude  tliat  the  case  of 
Cain  and  Al>el  was  designed  to  teach 
mankind,  from  the  very  outset  of  the 
worUi,  God's  determination  to  have  no 
fellowship  witli  sinners,  hut  throu<rli  a 
mediator;  and  tlrat  all  attempts  to  ap- 
proach him  in  any  otiicr  way  would  be 
vain  and  presumptuous] 

It  is  true  that  man  in  innocence  was 
unable  to  repent  of  sin,  or  to  believe  in 
the  Saviour ;  for  he  had  no  sin  to  repent 
of,  nor  was  any  Saviour  revealed  or  need- 
ed. But  he  was  equally  unable  to  rej)ent 
with  such  a  tiaturul  sorrow  lor  sin  as  is 
allowed  to  lie  the  duty  of  his  posterity,  or 
to  believe  the  history  of  the  gospel  in  the 
way  which  is  also  allowed  to  be  binding 
on  all  who  hear  it.  To  this  it  might  be 
added  he  was  unable  to  perform  the  duty 
of  a  father ;  for  he  had  no  children  to  ed- 
ucate :  nor  could  he  pity  or  relieve  the 
miserable ;  for  there  were  no  miserable 
objects  to  be  pitied  or  relieved.  Yet  we 
do  not  conclude  from  thence  that  his  de- 
scendants are  excused  from  these  duties. 

"That  Adam  in  a  state  of  innocence," 
says  Dr.  Gill,  "had  the  power  of  believ- 
ing in  Christ,  and  did  believe  in  him  as 
the  second  person  of  the  Trinity,  as  the 
Son  of  God,  cannot  well  be  denied  ;  since 
with  the  other  two  persons  he  was  his 
Creator  and  Preserver.  And,  his  not  be- 
lieving in  him  as  the  Mediator,  Saviour, 
and  Redeemer,  did  not  arise  from  any  de- 
fect of  power  in  him,  but  from  the  state, 
condition,  and  situation  in  which  he  was, 
and  from  tfie  nature  of  the  revelation  inade 
unto  hiyn  ;  for  no  doubt  Adam  had  a  pow- 
er to  lielieve  every  word  of  God,  or  any 
revelation  that  was  or  might  be  made  un- 
to him."  * 

The  reader  will  perceive  the  origin  of 
this  objection,  if  he  look  into  Dr.  Owen's 
Display  of  Arminianism,  Chap.  VIII.  He 
there  comjdains  of  the  "attempt  of  Ar- 
minians  to  draw  down  our  first  parents, 
even  from  the  instant  of  their  forming,  in- 
to the  same  condition  wherein  we  are  en- 
gaged by  reason  of  corrupt  nature."  He 
mentions  several  of  their  maxims  and 
sentiments,  and,  among  others,  two  of 
their  sayings  ;  the  one  of  the  Remonntrants 
in  their  Apology,  and  the  other  of  the  six 
Arminian  Collocutors  at  the  Hague. 
"  The  will  of  man,"  say  the  former,  "  had 
never  any  spiritual  endowments."  "  In 
the  spiritual  death  of  sin,"  say  the  latter, 
"there  are  no  spiritual  gifts  properly 
wanting  in  will,  because  they  were  never 
there."  "  The  sum  is,"  adds  the  Doctor, 
ironically,  "  man  was  created  with  a  na- 
ture not  only  weak  and  iiniierfect,  unable 
by  its  native  strength  and  endowments  to 

*  Cause  of  God  ami  Truth,  Part  III.  Chap.  III. 


attain  that  supernatural  end  for  which  he 
was  made,  and  which  he  was  commanded 
to  seek  ;  but  depraved  also  with  a  love 
and  desire  of  tilings  repugnant  to  the  will 
of  God,  l)y  reason  of  an  inbred  inclination 
to  sinning!  It  doth  not  properly  belong 
to  this  place  to  show  how  they  extenuate 
tliose  gifts  also  with  which  they  cannot 
deny  but  that  he  was  endued,  and  also 
deny  those  which  he  had  ;  as  a  power  to 
believe  in  Christ,  or  to  assent  unto  any 
truth  that  God  should  reveal  unto  him  : 
and  yet  they  grant  this  privilege  unto 
every  one  of  his  posterity,  in  that  deprav- 
ed condition  of  nature  whereunto  by  siii 
he  cast  himself  and  us.  We  have  all  now, 
they  tell  us,  a  power  of  believing  in  Christ ; 
that  is,  Adam  by  his  fall  obtained  a  su- 
pernatural endowment  far  more  excellent 
than  any  he  had  before!  " 

That  there  are  dillerences  between  the 
principle  of  holiness  in  innocent  Adam 
and  that  which  is  wrouglit  in  believers  may 
be  admitted.  The  production  of  the  for- 
mer was  merely  an  expression  of  the 
Creator's  purity  ;  the  latter  of  his  grace  : 
that  was  capable  of  being  lost;  this  is  se- 
cured by  promise  :  the  one  was  exercised 
in  contemplating  and  adoring  God  as  the 
Creator  and  Preserver  ;  the  other,  not 
only  in  these  characters,  but  as  tlie  God 
of  salvation.  The  same  may  be  allowed 
concerning  the  life  promised  to  Adam  in 
case  of  obedience  and  that  which  is  enjoy- 
ed through  a  Mediator.  The  one  will  be 
greater  than  the  other ;  for  Christ  came 
not  only  that  we  might  have  life,  but  that 
we  might  have  it  "  moi"e  al)undantly  :" 
but  these  ditleiences  are  merely  circum- 
stantial, and  therefore  do  not  alYcct  the 
argument.  The  joy  of  angels  is  greatly 
increased  by  man's  redemption;  imt  it 
does  not  follow  that  their  principles  are 
ditTerent  from  what  they  were  prior  to 
that  event.  A  life  of  joy  in  heaven  is  far 
more  glorious  than  a  life  of  communioa 
with  God  on  eartii ;  yet  the  principles  of 
saints  on  earth  and  saints  in  heaven  are 
not    therefore   of  a  different  nature. 

That  the  ]trinciple  of  holiness  in  Adam, 
and  that  which  is  wrought  in  believers, 
are  essentially  the  same,  I  conclude  from 
the  following  reasons  : — 

First :  IViey  are  both  formed  after  the 
same  likeness,  the  im.vge  of  God.  "  God 
created  man  in  his  own  image  ;  in  the 
image  of  God  created  he  him."  "  Put  ye 
on  the  new  man,  which  after  God  is  crea- 
ted in  righteousness  and  true  holiness." 
If  God  be  immutable  in  his  nature,  that 
whicii  is  created  after  him  must  be  the  same 
for  substance  at  all  times  and  in  all  cir- 
cumstances. There  cannot  be  two  spe- 
cifically different  images  of  the  same 
original. 


400 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


Secondly  :    They  arc  both  a  conformity 
to  the  same  standard,  the   moral  law. 
That  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  man  in  in- 
nocence was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a 
perfect  conformity  to  this  law,  I  suppose, 
will  be   allowed  ;  and  the   same   may  be 
said  of  the   spirit   and  conduct  of  Jesus 
Christ  so  far  as  he  teas  our  exemplar,  or 
the   model    after   which   we   are    formed. 
God's  law  was   within  his  heart.     It  was 
"  his  meat  and  drink  to  do  his  will."    He 
went  to  "  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteous- 
ness ;"   but   it   does    not   appear  that  he 
went   beyond  it.     The  superiority  of  his 
obedience  to  that  of  all  others  lay,  not  in 
his  doing  more  than  the  law  required,  but 
in  the  dignity  of  his  person,  which  stamp- 
ed  infinite  value   on  every  thing  he  did. 
But  if  such  was  the  spirit  and  conduct  of 
Christ,  to  whose  image  we  are  predestina- 
ted to  be  conformed,  it  must  of  necessity 
be  ours.     This  also  perfectly  agrees  with 
those  scriptural  representations  which  de- 
scribe the  work  of  the  Spirit  as  "  writing 
God's  law  in  the  heart,"  (Ps.  xl.  8;  Jer. 
xxxi.  33;)  and  with    those  which  repre- 
sent  the   ultimate    state     of  holiness   to 
which    we    shall   arrive   in  heaven  as   no 
more  than  a  conformity  to   this  law  and 
this    model :    "  The    spirits    of  just   men 
made  perfect." — "  We  shall  be  like  him." 
Thirdly  :    The  terms  used  to  describe  the 
one  imply  that  it  is  oj  the  same  nature  as 
the  other.     Conversion  is  expressed  by  a 
return  to  God,  (Is.  Iv.  7,)  which  denotes 
a  recovery  to  a  right  state  of  mind,  after 
a  departure    from  him.     Regeneration  is 
called  a  "washing,"  which  expresses  the 
restoring  of  the  soul  to  purity,  from  which 
it  had  degenerated  ;  and  hence  the  same 
divine  operation  is  in  the    same  passage 
called  the  "  renewing  "  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
But  "  this  renovation,"  it  has  been  said, 
"  is  spoken  of  the  mind,  and  not  of  a  prin- 
ciple in  the  mind."*     The  renewal  of  the 
mind  must  either  be  natural  or  moral.     If 
the  former,  it  would  seem  as  if  we  had  di- 
vested ourselves  of  the  use  bf  our  natural 
faculties,  and  that  regeneration  consists  in 
restoring  them.     If  the  latter,  by  the  mind 
must  be  meant  the  disposition  of  the  mind, 
or,  as   the  Scripture  speaks,   "  the   spirit 
of  our   minds." — Eph.  iv.    23.     But   this 
amounts  to  the  same  thing  as  a  principle 
in  our  minds.     There  is  no  difference  be- 
tween  a   mind  being  restored  to  a  right 
state  and  condition,  and  a  right  state  and 
condition  being  restored  to  the  mind. 

Fourthly  :  Supreme  love  to  God,  ivhich 
is  acknowledged  to  be  the  principle  of  man 
in  innocence,  would  necessarily  lead  a  fall- 
en creature  to  embrace  the  gospel  way  of 
salvation.     This  is  clearly  intimated  in  our 


Lord's  reasoning  with  the  Jews  :  "  I  know 
you,  that  ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in 
you.  I  am  come  in  my  Father's  name, 
and  ye  receive  me  not."  This  i-easoning 
on  the  contrary  hypothesis  was  invalid  ; 
for,  if  receiving  the  Messiah  was  that 
to  which  a  principle  of  supreme  love  to 
God  was  unequal,  a  non-reception  of  him 
would  afford  no  proof  of  its  absence. 
They  might  have  had  the  love  of  God 
in  them,  and  yet  not  have  received  him. 

The  love  to  God  which  was  possessed 
by  Adam  in  innocence  was  equal  to  that  of 
the  holy  angels.  His  being  of  the  "  earth, 
earthy,"  as  to  his  body,  no  more  proves 
his  inferiority  to  them,  as  to  the  princi- 
ples of  his  mind,  than  it  proves  the  inferi- 
ority of  Christ  in  this  respect,  who  before 
his  resurrection  was  possessed  of  a  natu- 
ral and  not  a  spiritual  body.  But  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  the  angels  are  capable  of 
understanding,  believing,  and  approving 
of  the  gospel  way  of  salvation.  It  is  above 
all  others  their  chosen  theme  :  "  which 
things  ihe  angels  desire  to  look  into."  It 
is  true  they  do  not  embrace  the  Messiah 
as  their  Saviour,  because  they  do  not  stand 
in  need  of  salvation  :  but  give  a  free  invi- 
tation and  their  principles  to  a  being  that 
wants  a  Saviour,  and  he  would  not  scruple 
a  moment  about  accepting  it.  It  is  not 
possible  for  a  creature  to  love  God  without 
loving  the  greatest  friend  of  God,  and  em- 
bracing a  gospel  that  more  than  any  thing 
tends  to  exalt  his  character  :  neither  is  it 
possible  to  love  mankind  with  a  holy  and 
affectionate  regard  towards  their  best  in- 
terests without  loving  the  friend  of  sin- 
ners, and  approving  of  a  doctrine  that 
breathes  "  good  will  to  men." 

COKCERNING  THE   DECREES    OF   GOD. 

A  general  invitation  to  sinners  to  return 
to  God,  and  be  saved  through  Christ,  it 
has  been  thought,  must  be  inconsistent 
with  an  election  of  some  and  a  consequent 
rejection  of  others.  Such  has  been  the 
mode  objecting  used  by  the  adversaries  to 
the  doctrines  of  discriminating  grace  ;f  and 
such  is  the  mode  of  late  adopted  by  our 
opponents. 

In  general,  I  would  observe,  if  this 
mode  of  reasoning  prove  any  thing,  it 
will  prove  too  much  :  it  will  prove  that  it 
is  not  the  duty  of  some  men  to  attend  the 
means  of  grace,  or  in  any  way  to  seek  af- 
ter the  salvation  of  their  souls,  or  to  be  in 
the  least  degree  concerned  about  it ;  for 
it  may  be  pleaded  that  God  cannot  have 
made  it  their  duty,  or  have  invited  them 
to  attend  the  means  of  salvation,  seeing 
he  is  determined  not  to  bestow  salvation 
upon  them.  And  thus  we  must  not  only 
be  driven  to  explain  the  general  invitation 


*  Motives  to  Love  and  Unity,  p.  22. 


+  See  Owen's  Death  of  Deatli,  Book  IV.  Ch.  1. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY  OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


401 


to  many  wlio  never  came  to  the  trospel- 
supper  ol  a  more  invitation  to  attend  the 
means  of  frrace,  hut  must  al'solulely  irivc 
it  up,  anO  the  Bil)lc  witli  it,  on  account  of 
its  inconsistent-}' 

Farther  :  Tiiis  mode  of  reasonin<:  woukl 
pro\  c  tliat  tlic  Tise  of  means  in  order  to 
obtain  a  temporal  subsistence,  and  to  pre- 
serve life,  is  altoircther  vain  and  inconsist- 
ent. If  we  believe  that  the  future  states 
of  men  are  determined  by  God,  we  must 
also  believe  the  same  of  their  prf.sfn/.s/a/f.s. 
Tlie  Scriptures  teach  tiie  one  no  less  than 
the  other.  "  God  hath  determined  tJie 
times  before  appointed,  and  the  bounds  of 
our  habitation."  Our  "  <cup  "  is  raeasure,il, 
and  our  "lot"  assigned  us. — Ps.  xvi.  5. 
There  is  also  "  an  appointed  time  for  man 
upon  earth  :"  his  days  are  as  "the  days 
of  an  hireling,"  "  His  days  are  determin- 
ed, tl)e  number  of  his  months  is  with 
God  :"  he  has  "  appointed  his  iiounds  that 
he  caiinot  pass."  Yet  tliose  who  reason 
as  above,  with  regard  to  things  of  another 
life,  are  as  attentive  to  the  alTairs  of  this 
life  as  other  people.  They  are  no  less 
concerned  than  their  neighi)ors  for  their 
present  accommodation  ;  nor  less  employ- 
ed in  devising  means  for  the  lengthening 
out  of  their  lives,  and  of  their  tranquillity. 
But,  if  the  purpose  of  God  may  consist 
with  the  agency  of  man  i^i  present  con- 
cerns, it  may  in  those  which  are  future, 
whether  we  can  perceive  the  link  that 
unites  them,  or  not;  and  if  our  duty,  in 
the  one  case,  he  the  same  as  if  no  such 
purpose  existed,  it  is  so  in  the  other. 
"  Secret  tilings  belong  unto  the  Lord  our 
God,  but  those  things  which  are  revealed 
belong  unto  us  and  to  our  children  for- 
ever." 

It  was  the  duty  of  Pharaoh  to  have  fol- 
lowed the  counsel  of  Moses,  and  to  have 
let  the  people  go ;  and  his  sin  to  pursue 
them  into  the  sea  :  yet  it  was  the  purpose 
of  God  by  this  means  to  destroy  him. — 
Exod.  vii.  1 — 4.  Moses  "sent  messen- 
gers to  Sihon  king  of  Heshbon,  with  words 
of  peace,  saying.  Let  me  pass  through  thy 
land  ;"  and  it  was,  doubtless,  tiie  duty  of 
Sihon  to  have  complied  with  the  request ; 
yet  it  appears  by  the  issue  tlrat  the  Lord 
had  determined  to  give  his  country  to  Is- 
rael for  a  possession,  and  therefore  gave 
him  up  to  hardness  of  heart,  by  which  it 
was  accomplished. — Deut.  ii.  26 — 30. 

If  the  days  of  man  are  determined,  and 
his  bounds  appointed  that  he  cannot  pass 
them,  it  must  have  been  determined  that 
the  generation  of  the  Israelites  which 
went  out  of  Egypt  should  die  in  the  wil- 
derness :  yet  it  was  their  duty  to  have 
believed  God,  and  to  have  gone  up  to 
possess  the  land;  and  their  sin  to  disbe- 
lieve him  and  turn  back  in  their  hearts  to 

VOL.    I.  51 


Egypt.  And  it  deserves  particular  no- 
tice that  this  their  sin  is  held  up,  both  by 
David  and  Paul,  as  an  example  for  oth- 
ers to  shun,  and  that  in  spiritual  concerns. 
— 1  Cor.  X.  (3 — 12.  It  was  the  determin- 
ation of  God  that  Aliab  should  fall  in  his 
expedition  against  Hamoth-giload,  iis  was 
plainly  intimated  to  him  by  Micaiah  :  yet 
it  was  his  duty  to  have  hearkened  to 
the  counsel  that  was  given  him,  and  to 
have  desisted  from  his  purpose. — 1  Kings 
xxii.  1.5 — 22.  The  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem by  the  Chaldeans  was  determined 
of  God,  and  frequently  foretold  by  the 
prophets  :  yet  the  inhabitants  were  as 
frequently  counselled  to  return  from  their 
evil  ways,  that  they  might  avoitl  it.  Jer- 
emiah particularly  entreated  Zedekiah  to 
follow  his  counsel,  that  he  might  save  the 
city  and  himself  from  ruin.-ch.  xxxviii.  20. 
However  such  things  may  gi-ate  upon 
the  minds  of  some,  yet  there  are  cases  in 
which  we  ourselves  are  in  the  habit  of 
using  similar  language,  and  that  without 
any  idea  of  attributing  to  God  any  thing 
inconsistent  with  the  greatest  perfection  of 
moral  character.  If  a  wicked  man  l»e  set 
on  mischievous  pursuits,  and  all  the  ad- 
vices and  warnings  of  his  friends  be  lost 
upon  him,  we  do  not  scruple  to  say,  It 
seems  as  if  God  had  determined  to  de- 
stroy him,  and,  therefore,  has  given  him 
up  to  infatuation.  In  the  use  ef  such  lan- 
guage, we  have  no  idea  of  the  determin- 
ation of  God  being  unjust  or  capricious. 
On  the  contrary,  we  suppose  he  may 
have  tcisc  and  just  reasons  for  doing  as  he 
does  ;  and,  as  such,  notwithstanding  our 
compassion  towards  the  party,  we  acqui- 
esce in  it. — Whenever  we  speak  of  God 
as  having  determined  to  destroy  a  person, 
or  a  people,  we  feel  the  subject  too  pro- 
found for  our  comprehension ;  and  well 
indeed  we  may.  Even  an  inspired  apos- 
tle, when  discoursing  of  God's  rejection 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  though  he  glances 
at  the  merciful  aspect  which  this  awful 
event  wore  towards  the  Gentiles,  and 
traces  some  great  and  wise  designs  that 
should  be  answered  by  it;  yet  feels  him- 
self lost  in  this  sul)ject.  Standing  as  on 
the  brink  of  an  unfathomable  abyss,  he 
exclaims,  "  O  the  depth  of  the  riches 
both  of  the  wi?doni  and  knowledge  of 
God!  How  unsearchable  are  his  judg- 
ments, and  his  ways  past  fin<ling  out !  " 
He  believed  the  doctrine  of  diviive  decrees, 
or  that  God  "  worketh  all  things  after 
the  counsel  of  his  own  will  :"  Imt  he  had 
no  idea  of  making  these  things  any  part 
of  the  rule  of  duty :  either  so  as  to  ex- 
cuse his  countrymen  from  the  sin  of  un- 
belief, or  himself  from  using  every  pos- 
sible means  that  might  accomplish  their 
salvation.     On  the  one  hand,  he  quoted 


402 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


the  words  of  David  as  applicable  to  them, 
"  Let  their  table  be  made  a  snare,  and  a 
trap,  and  a  stumbling-block,  and  a  rec- 
ompense unto  them."  On  the  other  he 
declares,  "I  speak  to  you.  Gentiles" — 
"  if  by  any  means  I  may  provoke  to  emu- 
lation them  which  are  n:iy  liesh,  and  might 
save  some  of  them  !" 

There  were  those  in  that  day,  as  well 
as  in  this,  who  objected,  If  things  be  as 
God  hath  purposed,  "Why  doth  he  yet 
find  fault ;  for  who  hath  resisted  his  willl" 
This  was  no  other  than  suggesting  that 
the  doctrine  of  decrees  must  needs  ope- 
rate to  the  setting  aside  of  the  fault  of 
sinners ;  and  this  is  the  substance  of  what 
has  been  alleged  from  that  day  to  this. 
Some,  because  they  cannot  conceive  of 
the  doctrine  but  as  drawing  aiter  it  the- 
consequence  assigned  to  it  by  this  replier 
against  God,  reject  it  :  others  appear  to 
have  no  objection  to  the  consequence  it- 
self, stamped  as  it  is  with  iniamy  by  the 
manner  in  which  the  apostle  repelled  it, 
and  therefore  admit  the  doctrine  as  con- 
nected with  it!  But  so  did  not  Paul.  He 
held  fast  the  doctrine  of  decrees,  and  held 
it  as  comporting  with  the  fault  of  sinners. 
After  all  that  he  had  written  upon  God's 
electing  some,  and  rejecting  others,  he,  in 
the  same  chapter,  assigns  the  failure  of 
those  that  failed  to  their  "  not  seeking 
justification  by  faith  in  Christ ;  but  as  it 
were  by  the  works  of  the  law,  stumbling 
at  that  stimibling-stone." 

"God's  word,"  says  Mr.  Brine,  "and 
not  his  secret  purpose,  is  the  rule  of  our 
conduct."  *  We  must  exactly  distin- 
guish," says  Dr.  Owen,  "between  man's 
duty  and  God's  purpose ;  there  being  no 
connection  between  them.  The  purpose 
and  decree  of  God  is  not  the  rule  of  our 
duty ;  neither  is  the  performance  of  our 
duty,  in  doing  what  we  are  commanded, 
any  declaration  of  what  is  God's  purpose 
to  do,  or  his  decree  that  it  should  be 
done.  Especially  is  this  to  be  seen  and 
considered  in  the  duty  of  the  ministers  of 
the  gospel ;  in  the  dispensing  of  the  word, 
in  exhortations,  invitations,  precepts,  and 
threatenings  committed  unto  them ;  all 
"which  are  perpetual  declaratives  of  our 
duty,  and  do  manifest  the  approbation  of 
the  thing  exhorted  and  invited  to,  with 
the  truth  of  the  connection  lietween  one 
thing  and  another  ;  but  not  of  the  counsel 
or  purpose  of  God  in  respect  of  individ- 
ual persons,  in  the  ministry  of  the  word. 
A  minister  is  not  to  make  inquiry  after, 
nor  to  trouble  himself  about  those  secrets 
of  the  eternal  mind  of  God,  viz.  whom  he 
purposeth  to  save,  and  whom  he  hath  sent 
Christ  to  die  for  in  ])articular :  it  is  enough 

*  Certain  Efficacy,  &c.  p.  151. 


for  them  to  search  his  revealed  will,  and 
thence  take  their  directions,  from  whence 
they  have  their  commissions.  Wherefore 
there  is  no  conclusion  from  the  universal 
precepts  of  the  word,  concerning  the 
things,  vxnto  God's  purpose  in  himself 
concerning  persons  :  they  command  and 
invite  all  to  repent  and  believe  ;  but  they 
know  not  in  particular  on  whom  God  will 
bestow  repentance  unto  salvation,  nor  in 
whom  he  will  effect  the  work  of  faith 
with  power,  "f 

On  Particular  Redemption. 

Objections  to  the  foregoing  principles, 
from  the  doctrine  of  election,  are  general- 
ly united  with  those  from  particular  re- 
demption ;  and,  indeed,  they  are  so  con- 
nected that  the  validity  of  the  one  stands  or 
falls  with  that  of  the  other. 

To  ascertain  the  force  of  the  objection, 
it  is  proper  to  inquire  wherein  the  pecu- 
liarity of  redemption  consists.  If  the 
atone-ment  of  Christ  were  considered  as  the 
literal  payment  of  a  debt — if  the  measure 
of  his  sulTerings  were  according  to  the 
number  of  those  for  whom  he  died,  and  to 
the  degree  of  their  guilt,  in  such  a  manner 
as  that  if  more  had  been  saved,  or  if  those 
who  are  saved  had  been  more  guilty,  his 
sorrows  must  have  been  proportionably 
increased — it  might,  for  aught  I  know,  be 
inconsistent  with  indefinite  invitations. — 
But  it  would  be  equally  inconsistent  with 
the  free  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  with  sin- 
ners being  directed  to  apply  for  mercy  as 
supplicants,  rather  than  as  claimants.  I 
conclude,  therefore,  that  an  hypothesis 
which  in  so  many  important  points  is 
manifestly  inconsistent  with  the  Scrip- 
tures cannot  be  true. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  atonement  of 
Christ  proceed  not  on  the  principle  of 
commercial,  but  of  moral  justice,  or  jus- 
tice as  it  relates  to  crime — if  its  grand  ob- 
ject were  to  express  the  divine  displea- 
sure against  sin,  (Rom.  viii.  3,)  and  so  to 
render  the  exercise  of  mercy,  in  all  the 
ways  wherein  sovereign  wisdom  should 
determine  to  apply  it,  consistent  with 
righteousness  (Rom.  iii.  25) — if  it  be  in 
itself  equal  to  the  salvation  of  the  whole 
world,  were  the  whole  world  to  embrace 
it — and  if  the  peculiarity  which  attends  it 
consists  not  in  its  insufficiency  to  save 
more  than  are  saved,  but  in  the  sovereign- 
ty of  its  application— no  such  ^inconsist- 
ency can  justly  be  ascribed  to  it. 

If  the  atonement  of  Christ  excludes  a 
part  of  mankind  in  the  same  sense  as  it 
excludes  fallen  angels,  why  is  the  gospel 
addressed  to  the  one  any  more  than  to  the 
other'?  The  message  of  wisdom  is  ad- 
dressed to  men  and  not  to  devils.     The 

t  Death  of  Death:  Book  IV.  Chap.  I. 


TFIK    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACt  KI'TATION. 


403 


former  are  invited  to  tlio  gospel-supper, 
but  the  latter  arc  not.  These  tacts  allord 
prool  that  Christ,  l)v  his  deatli,  opened  a 
door  of  iiope  to  sinners  ol  the  iiuiiian  race 
as  sin/iers  ;  ajf'ordinc;  a  s;r(n(nil  for  their 
belns;  invited,  without  distinction,  to  believe 
and  be  saved. 

But  as  God  mijrht  send  his  Son  into 
the  world  to  save  men,  rather  than  ang;els, 
so  he  may  apply  Ids  sacrifice  to  tl»c  salva- 
tion of  some  men,  and  not  of  others.  It  is 
certain  tiiat  a  <rreat  part  of  tlie  world  have 
never  lieard  the  gospel  ;  tliat  the  greater 
part  of  those  who  have  li*ard  it  disregard 
it  ;  and  that  tliose  who  lielieve  are  taught 
to  ascribe  not  only  tiieir  salvation,  but 
faitli  itself,  tlirough  which  it  is  obtained, 
to  [he  free  s;ift  of  God.  And,  as  the  ap- 
plication of  redem[)tion  is  solely  directed 
by  sovereign  wisdom,  so,  like  every  other 
event,  it  is  the  result  of  previous  design. 
That  wliich  is  actually  done  was  intended 
to  be  done.  Hence  the  salvation  of  those 
that  are  saved  is  descrilied  as  the  end 
which  the  Saviour  had  in  view :  "  He 
gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem 
us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  him- 
self a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
works."  Herein,  it  is  apprehended,  con- 
sists the  peculiarity  of  redemption. 

There  is  no  contradiction  between  this 
peculiarity  of  design  in  the  death  of  Christ, 
and  a  universal  ol)ligation  on  those  who 
hear  the  gospel  to  l)e]ieve  inliim,  or  a  uni- 
versal invitation  being  addressed  to  tliem. 
If  God,  througli  the  deatii  of  his  Son,  have 
promised  salvation  to  all  who  comply  witli 
the  gospel ;  and  if  there  be  no  natural  im- 
possibility as  fo  a  compliance,  nor  any 
obstruction  but  that  which  arises  from 
aversion  of  heart ;  exhortations  and  invi- 
tations to  l)elieve  and  lie  saved  are  con- 
sistent :  and  our  duty,  as  preachers  of  the 
gospel,  is  to  administer  them,  without  any 
more  regard  to  particular  redemption  than 
to  election  ;  both  being  secret  things,  which 
belong  to  the  Lord  our  God,  and  which, 
however  tliey  be  a  rule  to  him,  are  none  to 
us.  If  that  which  sinners  are  called  up- 
on to  believe  res|)ected  the  particular  de- 
sign of  Christ  to  save  them,  it  would  then 
be  inconsistent  :  but  they  arc  neither  ex- 
horted nor  invited  to  believe  any  thing  but 
what  is  revealed,  and  what  will  prove  true, 
whether  they  believe  it  or  not.  He  that 
believeth  in  Jesus  Christ  must  believe  in 
him  as  lie  is  revealed  in  the  gospel ;  and 
that  is  as  the  Saviour  oi  sinners.  It  is  on- 
ly as  a  sinner,  exposed  to  the  righteous 
dis|)leasurc  of  God,  that  he  must  approach 
him.  If  he  think  of  coming  to  him  as  a 
favourite  of  heaven,  or  as  possessed  of  any 
good  qualities  which  may  recommend  him 
before  other  sinners,  he  deceives  his  soul  : 
such  notions  are  thebar  tobclievine.  "  He 


that  will  know  iiis  own  particular  redemp- 
tion before  he  will  believe,"  says  a  well- 
known  writer,  "  begins  at  the  wrong  end 
of  iiis  work,  and  is  very  unlikely  to  come 
tliat  way  to  the  knowledge  of  it. — Any 
man  tiiat  owns  himself  a  sinner  hath  as 
fair  a  ground  for  iiis  faith  as  any  one  in 
the  world  tiiat  hath  not  yet  believed;  nor 
may  any  person,  on  any  account,  exclude 
himself  from  redemption,  unless,  by  his 
ol)stinate  and  resolved  continuance  in  un- 
belief, he  hath  marked  out  himself."  *^ 

"  The  preachers  of  the  gospel,  in  their 
particular  congregation,"  says  another, 
"  i)eing  utterly  unaccjuainted  with  the 
purpose  and  secret  counsel  qf  God,  being 
also  foriiidden  to  pry  or  search  into  it, 
(Deut.  xxix.  29,)  may  justiliai)ly  call  up- 
on every  man  to  believe,  with  assurance 
of  salvation  to  every  one  in  particular, 
upon  his  so  doing;  knowing  and  being 
fully  persuaded  of  this,  that  there  is  e- 
nough  in  the  death  of  Christ  to  save  ev- 
ery one  that  siiall  do  so  :  leaving  the  pur- 
pose and  counsel  of  God,  on  whom  he 
will  l)estov,'  faith,  and  for  whom  in  par- 
ticular Christ  died  (even  as  they  are  com- 
manded) to  himself." — "When  God  call- 
eth  upon  men  to  believe,  he  doth  not,  in 
the  first  place,  call  upon  them  to  believe 
that  Christ  died  for  tiiem;  but  that  '  there 
is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved,' 
but  only  of  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom 
salvation  is  preached. "f 

Of  sinners  being  under  the  cov- 
en.vnt  of  works. 

Much  has  been  said  on  this  suViject,  in 
relation  to  the  present  controversy. J 
Yet  I  feel  at  a  loss  in  forming  a  judgment 
wherein  the  force  of  the  objection  lies,  as 
it  is  nowhere,  that  I  can  recollect,  form- 
ed into  a  regular  argument.  If  I  un- 
derstand Mr.  Brine,  he  supposes.  First, 
That  ail  duty  is  required  by  the  law  ei- 
ther as  a  rule  of  life  or  as  a  covenant. 
Secondly  :  That,  all  unconverted  sinners 
being  uiider  the  law  as  a  covenant,  what- 
ever the  revealed  will  of  God  now  re- 
quires of  them  is  to  be  considered  as  the 
requirement  of  that  covenant.  Thirdly  : 
That  the  terms  of  the  covenant  of  works 
being  "  Do  and  live,"  they  cannot,  for  this 
reason,  be  "  Believe  and  be  saved." 

But,  allowing  the  distinction  between 
the  law  as  a  rule  of  life  and  as  a  covenant 
to  be  just,  before  any  conclusion  can  be 
drawn  from  it,  it  requires  to  be  ascertain- 
ed in  what  sense  unbelievers  are  under  a 
covenant  of  works,  and  whether,  in  some 
respects,  it  be   not   their  sin  to  continue 

*  Elisha  Coles  on  God's  Sovereignty,  on  Redemp- 
tion, t  r)r.  Owen's  Deatli,  &c.,  B.  IV.  Ch.  1. 
i  Mr.  Brine  s  Motives,  &c.,  pp.  37 — 42. 


404 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


SO.  That  they  are  under  the  curse,  for  his  heart,  and  his  neighbor  as  himself, 
having  broken  it,  is  true  ;  and  that  they  Intimations  are  often  given,  however,  that 
are  still  laboring  to  substitute   something    it  is  absurd   and   cniel   to   require   of  any 


in  the  place  of  perfect  obedience,  by 
which  they  may  regain  the  divine  favor, 
is  true  also  ;  but  this  latter  ought  not  to 
be*  A  self-righteous  attachment  to  a 
covenant  of  works,  or,  as  the  Scripture 


man  what  it  is  beyond  his  power  to  per- 
form ;  and,  as  the  Scriptures  declare  that 
"  no  man  can  come  to  Christ,  except  the 
Father  draw  him,"  and  that  "the  nat- 
ural man  receiveth  not  the  thingfs  of  the 


expresses  it,    a  being   "  of  the  works  of    Spirit  of  God,  neither  c«ri  he  know  them, 
the  law,"  is  no  other  than  the  working  of   because  they  are  spiritually  discerned,"  it 


unbelief,  and  rebellion  against  the  truth 
Strictly  speaking,  men  are  not  now  under 
the  covenant  of  works,  but  under  the 
curse  for  having  broken  it.  God  is  not  in 
covenant  with  them,  nor  they  with  him. 
The  law,   as  a  covenant,  was  recorded, 


is  concluded  that  these  are  things  to  which 
the  sinner,  while  unregenerate,  is  under 
no  obligation. 

The  answer  that  has  frequently  been 
made  to  this  reasoning  is,  in  effect,  as 
follows  :  Men  are  no  more   unable   to   do 


and  a  new  and  enlarged  edition  of  it  giv-  things  spiritually  good,  than  they  are  to 
en  to  Israel  at  mount  Sinai;  not,  howev-  be  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  which  "  the 
er,  for  the  purpose  of  "giving  life"  to  carnal  mind  is  not,  nor  can  be."  And 
those  who  had  broken  it ;  but  rather  as  a  the  reason  why  we  have  no  power  to  com- 
preparative  to  a  better  covenant.  Its  ply  with  these  things  is,  we  have  lost  it 
precepts  still  stand  as  the  immutable  will  by  the  fall  :  but,  though  Ave  have  lost  our 
of  God  towards  his  creatures ;  its  prom-  ability  to  obey,  God  has  not  lost  his  au- 
ises  as  memorials  of  what  might  have  thority  to  command. — There  is  some  truth 
been  expected  from  his  goodness,  in  case  in  this  answer ;  but  it  is  apprehended  to 
of  obedience  ;  and  its  curses  as  a  flaming  be  insufficient.  It  is  true  that  sinners  are 
sword  that  guards  the  tree  of  life.  It  is  no  more  and  no  otherwise  unable  to  do 
stationed  in  the  oracles  of  God  as  a  faith-  any  thing  spiritually  good  than  they  are 
ful  watchman,  to  repel  the  vain  hopes  of  to  yield  a  perfect  submission  to  God's 
the  self-righteous,  and  convince  them  holy  law ;  and  that  the  inability  of  both 
of  the  necessity  of  a  Saviour. — Rom.  vii.  arises  from  the  same  source — the  original 
10;  Matt.  xix.  17.  Hence  it  was  given  apostasy  of  human  nature.  Yet,  if  the 
to  Israel  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  as  a  me-  nature  of  this  inability  were  direct,  or 
diator. — Gal.  iii.  19 — 21.  such  as  consisted  in  the  Avant  of  rational 
But,  if  unbelievers  be  no  otherwise  un-  faculties,  bodily  powers,  or  eocternal  ad- 
der the  covenant  of  works  than  as  they  vantages,  its  being  the  consequence  of  the 
are  exposed  to  its  curse,  it  is  impi'oper  to  fall  would  not  set  aside  the  objection, 
say  that  whatever  is  required  of  them  Some  men  pass  through  life  totally  in- 
in  the  Scriptures  is  required  by  that  cov-  sane.  This  may  be  one  of  the  effects  of 
enant,  and  as  a  term  of  life.  God  re-  sin;  yet  the  Scriptures  never  convey  any 
quires  nothing  of  fallen  creatures  as  a  idea  of  such  persons  being  dealt  with,  at 
term  of  life.  He  requires  them  to  love  the  last  judgment,  on  the  same  ground  as 
him  with  all  their  hearts,  the  same  as  if  if  they  had  been  sane.  On  the  contrary, 
they  had  never  apostatized,  but  not  with  they  teach  that  "  to  whom  much  is  given, 
a  view  to  regain  his  lost  favor;  for,  were  of  him  much  shall  be  required."  Anoth- 
they  henceforward  perfectly  to  comply  er  is  deprived  of  the  sight  of  his  eyes, 
with  the  divine  precepts,  unless  they  and  so  rendered  unable  to  read  the  Scrip- 
could  atone  for  past  offences,  (which  is  tures.  This  also  may  be  the  e^ecf  of  sin  ; 
impossible,)  they  could  have  no  ground  to  and,  in  some  cases,  of  his  own  personal 
expect    the    bestowment    of    everlasting    misconduct ;    but,    whatever   punishment 


life.  It  is  enough  for  us  that  the  reveal- 
ed will  of  God  to  sinners  says.  Believe; 
while  the  gospel  graciously  adds  the 
promise  of  salvation. 

On  the  inability  of  sinners  to 
BELIEVE  IN  Christ,  and  do  things 
spiritually  good. 


may  be  inflicted  on  him  for  _guch  miscon- 
duct, he  is  not  blameworthy  for  not  read- 
ing the  Scriptures,  after  he  has  lost  his 
ability  to  do  so.  A  third  possesses  the 
use  of  reason,  and  of  all  his  senses  and 
members ;  but  has  no  other  opportunity 
of  knowing  the  will  of  God  than   what  is 


This  objection  is  seldom  made  in  form,  afforded  him  by  the  light  of  nature.  It 
unless  it  be  by  persons  who  deny  it  to  be  would  be  equally  repugnant  to  Scripture 
the  duty  of  a  sinner  to  love  God  with  all    and  reason  to  suppose  that  this  man  will 

be  judged  by  the  same  rule  as  others  who 


*  The  sinner's  hope,  that  he  can  be  justified  by 
the  law  he  has  broken,  is  an  illegal  hope;  and  a 
just  view  of  the  extent,  strictness,  spirituality,  and 
equity  of  the  law,  would  cut  it  up  by  the  roots.       R. 


have  lived  under  the  light  of  revelation. 
"As  many  as  have  sinned  without  law 
shall    also    perish    without   law ;  and   as 


THE    GOSPEL    UOKTIIY    OF    ALL    Al  t  KPTATION. 


405 


many  as  have  sinned  in  the  law  shall  lie 
judged  hy  the  law." 

The  iiuiliilily,  in  each  of  these  eases,  is 
natural ;  and,  to  whatever  deiirce  it  exists, 
let  it  arise  iVoni  what  cause  it  may,  it  ex- 
cuses its  subject  ol    blame,  in  the  account 
of  both  God  and   man.      The  law  of  God 
itself  requires  no  creature  to  love  him,  or 
obev  liim,  beyond  his  "  strenjrth,"  or  with 
more  than  all  the  powers  which  he  pos- 
sesses.    If  the  inabililY  of  sinners  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ,  or  to  do  things  spiritually 
good,  were  ot    this    nature,    it    would   un- 
doul)tedly  form  an  excuse  in  their  favor; 
and  it  must  be  as  absurd  to  exhort  them 
to    such  duties  as   to  exhort  the   blind   to 
look,  the  deaf  to  hear,  or  the  dead  to  walk. 
But  the  inal>ility  of  simicrs  is  not  such  as 
to  induce  the  Judge  of  all   the  earth  (who 
cannot  do  oilier  than  right)  to  abate  in  his 
demands.     It  is  a  fad  lliat  he  does  require 
Ihcm,  and  that  without  Jiaying  any  regard 
to  their  inability,  /o   love  him,  and  to  fear 
him,  and  to  do  all  his   commandments  al- 
ways.     The  blind  are  admonished  to  look, 
the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dead  to  arise. — 
Isa.  xlii.  18  ;  Ephes.  v.  14.     If  there  were 
no  other  proof  than  what  is  aflbrded  by  this 
single  fact,  it  ought  to  satisfy  us  that  the 
blindness,  deafness,  and  death  of  sinners, 
to  that  which  is  spiritually  good,  is  of  a 
different  nature  from  that  which  furnishes 
an  excuse.     This,  however,  is  not  the  on- 
ly ground  of  proof.     The  thing  speaks  for 
itself.     There    is   an    essential    difference 
between  an  inability  which  is  indejiendent 
of  the  inclination  and  one  that  is  owing  to 
nothing  else.     It  is  just  as  impossiiile,  no 
doul)t,  lor  any  person  to  do  that  which  he 
has  no  mind  to  do  as  to  perform  tliat  which 
surpasses  his  natural  powers  ;  and  hence 
it  is  that  the  same  terms  are  used  in  the 
one  case  as  in  the  other.     Those  who  w  ere 
under  the  dominion  of  envy  and  malignity 
"could  not  speak  peaceably;"  and  those 
who  have  "  eyes   full  of  adultery  cannot 
cease  from  sin."     Hence,  also,  the  follow- 
ing language  :   "  How  can  ye,   being  evil, 
speak  good  things  1 " — "  The  natural  man 
receivelh    not    the    things    of    the    S})irit 
of   God,    neither  can  he  know  them." — 
"  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  ; 
and  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  nei- 
ther indeed  can  be." — "  They  that  are  in 
the  flesh  cannot  please  God." — "No  man 
can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father,  which 
hath  sent  me,  draw  him."     It  is  also  true 
that  many  have  affected  to  treat  the  dis- 
tinction between  natural  and  moral  inal)il- 
ity  as  more  curious  than  solid.     "  If  we 
be  unable,"  say  they,  "  we  are  unable. 
As  to  the  nature  of  the  inability,  it  is  a 
matter  of  no  account.     Such  distinctions 
are  perplexing  to  plain  Christians,  and  be- 
yond  their   capacity."      But    surely   the 


plainest  and  weakest  Christian,  in  reading 
his  Bible,  if  he  pay  any  regard  to  what  he 
reads,  must  jierceive  a  manifest  difference 
between  the  blindness  of  Bartimeus,  who 
was  ardently  desirous  that  "  he  might  re- 
ceive his  sight,"  and  that  of  the  unbeliev- 
ing Jews,  who  "closed  their  eyes,  lest 
they  should  sec,  and  be  converted,  and  be 
healed  ;"  and  between  the  want  of  the  nat- 
ural sense  of  hearing,  and  the  slate  of  those 
who  "  have  ears,  but  hear  not." 

So  far  as  my  observation  extends,  those 
persons  who  affect  to  treat  this  distinction 
as  a  matter  of  mere  curious  speculation 
are  as  ready  lo  make  use  of  it  as  other 
people  where  their  own  interest  is  con- 
cerned. If  they  be  accused  of  injuring 
their  fellow-creatures,  and  can  allege  that 
what  they  did  was  not  knonnnglij,  or  of 
dcsisrn,  I  believe  they  never  fail  to  do  so ; 
or,  when  charged  with  neglecting  their  du- 
ty to  a  parent  or  a  master,  if  they  can  say 
in  truth  that  they  were  unable  to  do  it  at 
the  time,  let  their  will  have  been  ever  so 
good,  Ihey  are  never  known  to  omit  the 
plea:  and  should  such  a  master  or  j)arent 
reply,  by  suggesting  that  their  want  of 
ability  arose  from  want  o(  inclination,  they 
would  very  easily  understand  it  to  be  the 
language  of  reproach,  and  be  very  earnest 
to  maintain  the  contrary.  You  never  hear 
a  person  in  such  circumstances  reason  as 
he  does  in  religion.  He  does  not  say,  "  If 
I  be  unable  I  am  unable;  it  is  of  no  ac- 
count whether  my  inability  be  of  this  kind 
or  that :"  but  he  labors  with  all  his  might 
to  establish  the  difference.  Now,  if  the 
sul  jcct  be  so  clearly  understood  and  act- 
ed upon  where  interest  is  concerned,  and 
never  appears  difficult  but  in  religion,  it  is 
but  too  manifest  ichcrc  the  difficulty  lies. 
If,  by  fixing  the  guilt  of  our  conduct  upon 
our  father  Adam,  we  can  sit  comfortably 
in  our  nest,  we  shall  he  very  averse  from 
a  sentiment  that  tends  to  disturb  our  re- 
pose by  planting  a  thorn  in  it. 

It  is  sometimes  objected  that  the  ina- 
bility of  sinners  to  believe  in  Christ  is  not 
the  effect  of  their  depravity  ;  for  that 
Adam  himself,  in  his  purest  state,  was 
only  a  natural  vian,  and  had  no  |)ower  to 
perform  sjtiritual  duties.  But  this  objec- 
tion belongs  to  another  topic,  and  has,  I 
hope,  been  already  answered.  To  this, 
however,  it  may  lie  added,  "the  natural 
man,  who  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,"  (1  Cor.  ii.  14,)  is  not  a 
man  possessed  of  the  holy  image  of  God, 
as  was  Adam,  l)ut  of  mere  natural  accom- 
plishments, as  were  the  "  wise  men  of  the 
world,"  the  philosophers  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  to  whom  the  things  of  God  were 
"foolishness."  Moreover,  if  the  inabil- 
ity of  sinners  to  perform  spiritual  duties 
were  of  the  kind  alleged  in  the  objection. 


406 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


they  must  be  equally  unable  to  commit 
the  opposite  sins.  He  that,  from  the  con- 
stitution of  his  nature,  is  absolutely  una- 
ble to  understand,  or  believe,  or  love,  a 
certain  kind  of  truth,  must,  of  necessity, 
be  alike  unable  to  shut  his  eyes  against  it, 
to  disbelieve,  to  reject,  or  to  hate  it.  But 
it  is  manifest  that  all  men  are  capable  of 
the  latter;  it  must  therefore  folio iv  that 
nothing  but  the  depravity  of  their  heart 
renders  them  incapable  of  the  former. 

Some  writers,  as  has  been  already  ob- 
served, have  allowed  that  sinners  are  the 
subjects  of  an  inability  which  arises  from 
their  depravity ;  but  they  still  contend 
that  this  is  not  all,  Init  that  they  are  both 
naturally  and  morally  unable  to  believe  in 
Christ  :  and  this  they  think  agreeable  to 
the  Scriptures,  which  represent  them  as 
l>oth  unable  and  unwilling  to  come  to  him 
for  life.  But  these  two  kinds  of  inability 
cannot  consist  with  each  other,  so  as  both 
to  exist  in  the  same  subject  and  towards 
the  same  thing.  A  moral  inability  sup- 
poses a  natural  ability.  He  who  never, 
in  any  state,  was  possessed  of  the  power 
of  seeing,  cannot  be  said  to  shiit  his  eyes 
against  the  light.  If  the  Jews  had  not 
been  possessed  of  natural  powers  equal  to 
the  knowledge  of  Christ's  doctrine,  there 
had  lieen  no  justice  in  that  cutting  ques- 
tion and  answer,  "  Why  do  ye  not  under- 
stand my  speech  1  Because  ye  cannot 
hear  my  word."  A  total  jihysical  inabili- 
ty must,  of  necessity,  supersede  a  moral 
one.  To  suppose,  therefore,  that  the 
phrase,  "  No  man  can  come  to  me,"  is 
meant  to  describe  the  former;  and,  "Ye 
loill  not  come  to  me  that  ye  may  have 
life,"  the  latter  ;  is  to  suppose  that  our 
Saviour  taught  what  is  self-contradictory. 

Some  have  supposed  that,  in  attribut- 
ing physical  or  natural  power  to  men, 
we  deny  their  natural  depravity.  Through 
the  poverty  of  language,  words  are  obliged 
to  be  used  in  diiferent  senses.  When  we 
speak  of  men  as  by  nature  depraved,  we 
do  not  mean  to  convey  the  idea  of  sin 
being  an  essential  part  of  human  nature, 
or  of  the  constitution  of  man  as  man  :  our 
meaning  is,  that  it  is  not  a  mere  effect  of 
education  and  example  ;  but  is,  from  his 
very  birth,  so  interwoven  through  all  his 
powers,  so  ingrained,  as  it  were,  in  his 
very  soul,  as  to  grow  up  with  him  and  be- 
come natural  to  him. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  the  term  nat- 
ural is  used  as  opposed  to  moral,  and  ap- 
plied to  the  powers  of  the  soul,  it  is  de- 
signed to  express  those  faculties  which 
are  strictly  a  part  of  our  nature  as  men, 
and  which  are  necessary  to  our  being  ac- 
countable creatures.  By  confounding 
these  ideas  we  may  be  always  disputing 
and  bring  nothing  to  an  issue. 


Finally  :  It  is  sometimes  suggested  that 
to  attribute  to  sinners  a  natural  ability  of 
performing  things  spiritually  good  is  to 
nourish  their  self-sufficiency  ;  and  that  to 
represent  it  as  only  moral  is  to  suppose 
that  it  is  not  insuperable,  but  may,  after 
all,  be  overcome  by  etforts  of  their  own. 
But  surely  it  is  not  necessary,  in  order  to 
destroy  a  spirit  of  self-sufficiency,  to  deny 
that  we  are  men  and  accountable  crea- 
tures ;  which  is  all  that  natural  ability 
supposes.  Ifanypei'son  imagine  it  pos- 
sible, of  his  own  accord,  to  choose  that 
from  which  he  is  utterly  averse,  let  him 
make  the  trial. 

Some  have  alleged  that  "  natural  j)ower 
is  only  sufficient  to  perform  natural  things, 
and  that  spiritual  power  is  required  to  the 
performance  of  spiritual  things."  But 
this  statement  is  far  from  accurate.  Nat- 
ural power  is  as  necessary  to  the  perform- 
ance of  spiritual  as  of  natural  things  ; 
we  must  possess  the  powers  of  men  in 
order  to  perform  the  duties  of  good  men. 
And  as  to  spiritual  power,  or,  which  is 
the  same  thing,  a  right  state  of  mind,  it  is 
not  properly  a  faculty  of  the  soul  but  a 
quality  which  it  possesses  ;  and  which, 
though  it  be  essential  to  the  actual  per- 
formance of  spiritual  obedience,  yet  is  not 
necessary  to  our  being  under  obligation  to 
perform  it. 

If  a  traveller,  from  a  disinclination  to 
the  western  continent,  should  direct  his 
course  perpetually  towards  the  east,  he 
would,  in  time,  arrive  at  the  place  which 
he  designed  to  shun.  In  like  manner,  it 
has  been  remarked,  by  some  who  have 
observed  the  progress  of  this  controversy, 
that  there  are  certain  imj)ortant  points  in 
which  false  Calvinism,  in  its  ardent  desire 
to  steer  clear  of  Arminianism,  is  brought  to 
agree  with  it.  We  have  seen  already  tliat 
they  agree  in  their  notions  of  the  original 
holiness  in  Adam,  and  in  the  inconsistency 
of  the  duty  of  believing  with  the  doctrines 
of  election  and  particular  redemption. 
To  this  may  be  added,  they  are  agreed 
in  making  the  grace  of  God  necessary 
to  the  accountableness  of  sinners  with 
regard  to  spiritual  obedience.  The  one 
pleads  for  graceless  sinners  being  free  from 
obligation,  the  other  admits  of  obliga- 
tion, but  founds  it  on  the  notion  of  univer- 
sal grace.  Both  are  agreed  that  where 
there  is  no  grace  there  is  no  duty.  But 
if  grace  be  the  ground  of  obligation  it  is 
no  more  grace  but  debt.  It  is  that  which, 
if  any  thing  good  be  required  of  the  sinner, 
cannot  justly  be  withheld.  This  is,  in 
effect,  acknowledged  by  both  parties. 
The  one  contends  that,  where  no  grace  is 
given,  there  can  be  no  obligation  to  spirit- 
ual obedience  ;  and  therefore  acquits  the 
unbeliever  of  guilt  in  not  coming  to  Christ 


THE    UOSPEI.    ^VORTIIV    OF    ALL    ACC  F.  PTATION. 


'107 


that  he  might  have  life,  and  in  the  neglect 
of  all  spiritual  religion.  Tiic  other  argues 
tliat,  it  man  l>e  totally  depraved,  and  no 
grace  lie  given  him  to  counteract  his  de- 
pravity, he  is  hlaii\cless  ;  that  is,  his  de- 
pravity is  no  longer  depravity  ;  he  is  in- 
nocent in  tlie  account  of  his  Judge  ;  con- 
sequently, he  can  need  no  Saviour;  and, 
if  justice  lie  done  him,  will  he  exempt 
from  punishment,  (if  not  entitled  to  hea- 
ven,) in  virtue  of  his  i)ersonal  innocence. 
Thus  the  whole  system  of  grace  is  render- 
ed void  ;  and  fallen  angels,  who  have  not 
been  partakers  of  it,  must  he  in  a  far 
])refcralile  state  to  tliat  of  fallen  men, 
who,  hy  Jesus  taking  hold  of  their  nature, 
are  liable  to  become  blameworthy  and 
eternally  lost.  But,  if  the  essential  pow- 
ers of  the  mind  be  the  same  wliethcr  we 
be  pure  or  depraved,  and  be  sufficient  to 
render  anv  creature  an  accountalile  being, 
whatever  be  his  disposition,  grace  is  what 
its  proper  meaning  imports — free  favor, 
or  favor  towards  the  unicorthy  ;  and  the 
redemption  of  Christ,  with  all  its  holy  and 
happy  cflects,  is  what  the  Scriptures  rep- 
resent it — necessary  to  deliver  us  from  the 
state  into  loliich  ive  arc  fallen  antecedently 
to  its  being  bestoived.* 

Of  the  wouk  of  the  Hoi.y  Spirit. 

The  Scriptures  clearly  ascril)e  both  re- 
pentance and  faith  wherever  they  exist  to 
divine  influence. f  Whence  many  have 
concluded  that  they  cannot  be  duties  re- 
quired of  sinners.  If  sinners  have  been 
required  from  the  pulpit  to  repent  or  be- 
lieve, they  have  thought  it  sufficient  to 
show  the  absurdity  of  such  exhortations 
by  saying,  A  heart  of  flesh  is  of  God's 
giving :  faith  is  "  not  of  ourselves  ;  it  is 
the  gift  of  God  :"  as  though  these  things 
were  inconsistent,  and  it  were  improper 
to  exhort  to  any  thing  but  what  can  be 
done  of  ourselves,  and  without  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  whole  weight  of  this  objection 
rests  upon  the  supposition  that  ive  do  not 
stand  in  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable 
us  to  comply  with  our  duty.  If  this  prin- 
ciple were  admitted,  we  must  conclude 
either,  with  the  Arminians  and  Socinians, 
that  "faith  and  conversion,  seeing  they 
are  acts  of  obedience,  cannot  be  wrought 
of  God ;  "  I  or  with  the  objector  that, 
seeing  they  are  wrought  of  God,  they 
cannot  be  acts  of  obedience.  But,  if  we 
need  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
enable  us  to  do  our  duty,  iioth  these  meth- 
ods of  reasoning  fall  to  the  ground. 

And  is  it  not  manifest  that  the  godly  in 
all  ages  have  considered  themselves  in- 

*  Rom.  V.  5.  L>— 2L  Heh.  ix.  27,  28.  1  Thess.  i.  10. 
t  Ezek.  xi.  19.  2  Tim.  ii.  25.  Eplies.  i.  19  ;  ii.  8. 
t  See  Owen's  Display  of  Anniiiianisin,  Chap.  X. 


sufficient  to  perform  those  things  to  which 
nevertheless  they  ;uknowled'.e  themselves 
to  lie  obliged  1  The  rule  of  duty  is  what 
God  recpiires  of  us  :  but  he  reijuires  those 
tilings  whicii  good  men  ha\e  always  con- 
fessed themselves,  on  account  of  liic  sin- 
fulness of  their  nature,  insufficient  to  per- 
form. He  "desireth  truth  in  the  inward 
part :"  yet  an  apostle  acknowledges, 
"  We  are  not  sufficient  of  ourselves  to 
think  any  thing  as  of  ourselves  :  but  our 
sufTiciency  is  of  God."— "  The  Spirit," 
saith  he,  "  heliieth  our  infirmities  ;  for  we 
know  not  what  we  should  pray  for  as  tee 
ought:  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us  witii  groanings  which  can- 
not be  uttered."  The  same  things  arc 
required  in  one  place  which  are  })roinised 
in  another:  ''Only  fear  the  Lord,  and 
serve  him  in  trutii  with  all  your  iieart." — 
"  I  will  put  my  fear  in  their  hearts  that 
they  shall  not  depart  from  me."  When 
the  sacred  writers  speak  of  the  divine 
precepts,  they  neither  disown  them  nor 
infer  from  them  a  self-sufiiciency  to  con- 
form to  them,  but  turn  them  into  prayer  : 
"  Thou  hast  commanded  us  to  keep  thy 
precepts  diligently.  O  that  my  ways 
were  directed  to  keep  thy  statutes  !  "  In 
fine,  the  Scriptures  uniformly  teach  us 
that  all  our  sufTiciency  to  do  good  or  to 
al.stain  from  evil  is  from  above  ;  repent- 
ance and  faith,  tiierefore,  may  be  duties, 
notwithstanding  their  beintr  the  gifts  of 
God. 

If  our  insufficiency  for  this  and  every 
other  good  thing  arose  from  a  natural  im- 
potency,  it  would  indeed  excuse  us  from 
obligation;  but  if  it  arise  from  the  sinful 
dispositions  of  our  hearts  it  is  otherwise. 
Those  whose  eyes  are  "  full  of  adultery, 
and  (therefore)  cannot  cease  from  sin," 
are  under  the  same  obligations  to  live  a 
chaste  and  sober  life  as  other  men  are  : 
yet,  if  ever  their  dispositions  be  changed, 
it  must  be  by  an  influence  from  witliout 
them;  for  it  is  not  in  them  to  relinquish 
their  courses  of  their  own  accord.  I  do 
not  mean  to  suggest  that  this  species  of 
evil  prevails  in  all  sinners  :  but  sin  in 
some  form  prevails  and  has  its  dominion 
over  them,  anil  to  such  a  degree  that  noth- 
ing l)ut  the  grace  of  God  can  effectually 
cure  it.  It  is  depravity  only  that  renders 
the  regenerating  influence  of  the  Holy- 
Spirit  necessary.  "  The  bare  and  out- 
ward declaration  of  the  word  of  God," 
says  a  great  Avriter,§  "  ought  to  have  large- 
ly sufficed  to  make  it  be  believed,  if  our 
own  l)lindness  and  stubbornness  did  not 
withstand  it.  But  our  mind  hath  such  an 
inclination  to  vanity  that  it  can  never 
cleave  fast  to  the  truth  of  God  ;  and  such 

§  Calvin  :    See  Institutes,  Book  III.  Chap.  II. 


408 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHY    OP    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


a  dulness  that  it  is  always  blind  and  can- 
not see  the  light  thereof.  Therefore  there 
is  nothing  available  done  by  the  word 
without  the  enlightening  of  the  Holy 
Spirit." 

On    the    necessity    of    a    divine 
principle  in  order  to  believing. 

About  fifty  years  ago  much  was  written 
in  favor  of  this  position  by  Mr.  Brine. 
Of  late  years  much  has  been  advanced 
against  it  by  Mr.  Booth,  Mr.  M'Lean,  and 
others.  I  cannot  pretend  to  determine 
what  ideas  Mr.  Brine  attached  to  tKe  term 
principle.  He  probalily  meant  something 
different  from  what  God  requires  of  every 
intelligent  creature  :  and,  if  this  were  ad- 
milled  to  be  necessary  to  believing,  such 
believing  could  not  be  the  duty  of  any  ex- 
cept those  who  were  possessed  of  it.  I 
have  no  interest  in  this  question  farther 
than  to  maintain  that  the  moral  state  or 
disposition  of  the  sotil  has  a  necessary  in- 
fluence on  believing  in  Christ.  This  I 
feel  no  difficulty  in  admitting  on  the  one 
side,  nor  in  defending  on  the  other.  If 
faith  were  an  involuntary  reception  of  the 
truth,  and  were  produced  merely  by  the 
power  of  evidence  ;  if  the  prejudiced  or 
unprejudiced  state  of  the  mind  had  no  in- 
fluence in  retarding  or  promoting  it;  in 
fine,  if  it  were  wholly  an  intellectual  and 
not  a  moral  exercise  ;  nothing  more  than 
rationality,  or  a  capacity  of  understanding 
the  nature  of  evidence,  would  be  necessa- 
ry to  it.  In  this  case  it  would  not  be  a 
duty  ;  nor  would  unbelief  be  a  sin,  but  a 
mere  mistake  of  the  judgment.  Nor  could 
there  be  any  need  of  divine  influence  ;  for 
the  special  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
are  not  required  for  the  production  of  that 
which  has  no  holiness  in  it.  But  if  on 
the  other  hand  faith  in  Christ  be  that  on 
which  the  will  has  an  influence  ;  if  it  be 
the  same  thing  as  receiving-  the  love  of  the 
truth  that  we  may  he  saved;  if  aversion  of 
heart  be  the  only  obstruction  to  it,  and  the 
removal  of  that  aversion  be  the  kind  of  in- 
fluence necessary  to  produce  it  (and  wheth- 
er these  things  be  so  or  not,  let  the  evi- 
dence adduced  in  the  Second  Part  of  this 
Treatise  determine,)*  a  contrary  conclu- 
sion must  be  drawn.  The  mere  force  of 
evidence,  however  clear,  will  not  change 
the  disposition  of  the  heart.  In  this  case 
therefore,  and  this  only,  it  requires  the  ex- 
ceeding greatness  of  divine  power  to  enable 
a  sinner  to  believe. 

But,  as  I  design  to  notice  this  svdiject 
more  fully  in  an  Appendix,  I  shall  here 
pass  it  over,  and  attend  to  the  objection  to 
faith  being  a  duty  which  is  derived  from 
it.  If  a  sinner  cannot  believe  in  Christ 
without  being  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  his 

*  Pailicularly  Propositions,  IV,  V. 


mind,  believing,  it  is  suggested,  cannot  be 
his  immediate  duty.  It  is  remarkable  in 
how  many  points  the  system  here  opposed 
agrees  with  Arminianism.  The  latter  ad- 
mits believing  to  be  the  duty  of  the  unre- 
generate ;  but  on  this  account  denies  the 
necessity  of  a  divine  change  in  order  to  it. 
The  former  admits  the  necessity  of  a  di- 
vine change  in  order  to  believing ;  but  on 
this  account  denies  that  believing  can  be 
the  duty  of  the  unregenerate.  In  this  they 
are  agreed,  that  the  necessity  of  a  divine 
change  and  the  obligation  of  the  sinner 
cannot  comport  with  each  other. 

But,  if  this  argument  have  any  force,  it 
will  prove  more  than  its  abettors  wish  it 
to  prove.  It  will  prove  that  divine  in- 
fluence is  not  necessary  to  believing;  or, 
if  it  be,  that  faith  is  not  the  immediate 
duty  of  the  sinner.  Whether  divine  in- 
fluence change  the  bias  of  the  heart  in  or- 
der to  believing,  or  cause  us  to  believe 
without  such  change,  or  only  assist  us  in 
it,  makes  no  difference  as  to  this  argu- 
ment :  if  it  be  antecedent  and  necessary 
to  believing,  believing  cannot  be  a  duty, 
according  to  the  reasoning  in  tiie  objec- 
tion, till  it  is  communicated.  On  this 
principle,  Socinians,  who  allow  faith  to  be 
the  sinner's  immediate  duty,  deny  it  to  be 
the  gift  of  God.f 

To  me  it  appears  that  the  necessity  of 
divine  influence,  and  even  of  a  change  of 
heart,  prior  to  believing,  is  perfectly  con- 
sistent with  its  being  the  immediate  duty 
of  the  unregenerate.  If  that  disposition 
of  heart  whch  is  produced  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  be  no  rnore  than  every  intelligent 
creature  ought  at  all  times  to  possess,  the 
want  of  it  can  afford  no  excuse  for  the 
omission  of  any  duty  to  which  it  is  neces- 
sary. Let  the  contrary  supposition  be 
applied  to  the  common  affairs  of  life,  and 
we  shall  see  what  a  result  will  be  pro- 
duced : — 

I  am  not  possessed  of  a  principle  of 
common  honesty  : 

But  no  man  is  obliged  to  exercise  a 
principle  which  he  does  not  possess  : 

Therefore  I  am  not  obliged  to  live  in 
the  exercise  of  common  honesty. 

While  reasoning  upon  the  absence  of 
moral  principles,  we  are  exceedingly  apt 
to  forget  ourselves,  and  to  consider  them 
as  a  kind  of  natural  accomplishment,  which 
we  are  not  obliged  to  possess,  but  merely 
to  improve  in  case  of  being  possessed  of 
them  ;  and  that  till  then  the  whole  of  our 
duty  consists  either  in  praying  to  God  to 
bestow  them  upon  us,  or  in  waiting  till  he 
shall  graciously  be  pleased  to  do  so.  But 
what  should  we  say,  if  a  man  were  to  rea- 
son thus  with  respect  to  the  common  du- 

t  Narrative  of  the  York  Baptists,  Letter  III. 


THE    GOSPEL    WORTHy    OF    ALL    ACCEPTATION. 


409 


ties  of  life'?  Does  the  wliole  duty  of  ii 
<lishonest  man  consist  in  either  prayins: 
to  God  to  Hiake  him  lionest,  or  ivaiting  till 
he  does  so  1  Every  one,  in  this  case,  feels 
that  an  honest  heart  is  itself  that  which 
he  ou<j;ht  to  possess.  Nor  would  any  man, 
in  matters  that  concerned /us  own  interest, 
tliink  of  excusini;  such  deficiency  by  al- 
Iciiinir  that  the  poor  man  could  not  jrive  it 
to  himself,  nor  act  otherwise  than  he  did, 
till  lie  possessed  it. 

If  an  npri^dit  heart  towards  God  and 
man  lie  not  itself  reciuired  of  us,  nothing 
is  or  can  be  required;  for  all  duty  is 
comprehended  in  the  acting-out  of  the 
heart.  Even  those  who  would  comjiro- 
mise  the  matter  by  allowing  that  sin- 
ners arc  not  obliged  to  possess  an  upright 
heart,  but  merely  to  pray  and  wait  for  it, 
if  they  would  ol>lige  tliemselves  to  under- 
stand words  before  they  used  them,  must 
perceive  that  there  is  no  meaning  in  this 
language.  For  if  it  be  the  duty  of  a  sin- 
ner to  pray  to  God  for  an  upright  heart, 
and  to  icait  for  its  bcstowincnt,  I  would 
inquire  whether  these  exercises  ought  to 
be  attended  to  sincerely  or  insincerely, 
with  a  true  desire  after  the  oliject  souglit 
or  without  it.  It  will  not  be  pretended  that 
he  ought  to  use  these  means  insincerely  : 
but  to  say  he  ought  to  use  them  sincerely, 
or  with  a  desire  after  that  for  which  he 
jirays  and  waits,  is  equivalent  to  saying  he 
ought  to  be  sincere;  which  is  the  same 
ihing  as  j)ossessing  an  upright  heart.  If 
a  sinner  be  destitute  of  all  desire  after 
God  and  spiritual  things,  and  set  on  evil, 
all  the  forms  into  which  his  duty  may  be 
thrown  will  make  no  difference.  The 
carnal  heart  will  meet  it  in  every  approach 
and  repel  it.  Exhort  him  to  repentance  : 
he  tells  you  he  cannot  repent;  his  heart 
is  too  hard  to  melt,  or  be  anywise  affected 
with  his  situation.  Say,  with  a  certain 
writer,  he  ought  to  endeavor  to  repent  : 
he  answers  he  has  no  heart  to  go  about 
it.  Tell  him  he  must  pray  to  God  to 
give  him  a  heart :  he  replies.  Prayer  is  the 
expression  of  desire,  and  I  have  none  to 
express.  What  shall  we  say  then  1  See- 
ing he  cannot  repent,  cannot  find  in  his 
heart  to  endeavor  to  repent,  cannot  pray 
sincerely  for  a  heart  to  make  such  an  en- 
deavor, shall  we  deny  his  assertions,  and 
tell  him  he  is  not  so  wicked  as  lie  makes 
himselfl  This  might  be  more  than  we 
should  be  al)le  to  maintain.  Or  shall  we 
allow  them  and  accjuil  him  of  obligation! 
Rather  ought  we  not  to  return  to  the 
place  whence  we  set  out,  admonishing 
him,  as  the  Scriptures  direct,  to  "repent 
and  believe  the  gospel  :"  declaring  to 
him  that  what  he  calls  his  inability  is  his 
sin  and  shame  ;  and  warning  him  against 
the  idea  of  its  availing  him  another  day  ; 

VOL.    I.  52 


not  in  expectation  that  of  his  own  accord 
he  may  change  his  mind,  but  in  hope 
"  tliat  God,  peradventure,  may  give  him 
repentance  to  the  acknowledging  of  the 
truth."  This  doctrine,  it  will  be  said, 
must  drive  sinners  to  despair.  Be  it  so  : 
it  is  such  despair  as  I  wish  to  see  prevail. 
Until  a  sinner  despair  of  any  help  from 
himself,  he  will  never  fall  into  the  arms 
of  sovereign  mercy  :  but  if  once  we  are 
convinced  that  there  is  no  help  in  «s,  and 
that  this,  so  iar  from  excusing  us,  is  a 
jiroof  of  the  greatest  wickedness,  we  shall 
then  begin  to  pray  as  lost  sinners;  and 
such  i>rayer,  oflered  iu  the  name  of  Jesus, 
will  be  heard. 

Other  objections  may  have  been  ad- 
vanced ;  l)ut  I  hope  it  will  be  allowed  that 
the  most  important  ones  have  been  fairly 
stated  ;  whether  they  have  been  answered 
the  reader  will  judge. 


CONCLUDING  REFLECTIONS. 

First  :  Though  faith  be  a  duty,  the 
requirement  of  it  is  not  to  be  considered  as 
a  mere  exercise  (j/*  authority,  but  o/ in- 
finite goodness  ;  binding  us  to  pursue 
our  best  interests.  If  a  message  of  peace 
were  sent  to  a  company  of  rebels  who 
had  been  conquered,  and  lay  at  the  mercy 
of  their  injured  sovereign,  they  must  of 
course  be  required  to  repent  and  embrace 
it,  ere  they  could  be  interested  in  it ;  yet 
such  a  requirement  would  not  be  consid- 
ered, by  impartial  men,  as  a  mere  exer- 
cise of  authority.  It  is  true  the  author- 
ity of  the  sovereign  would  accompany  it, 
and  the  proceeding  would  be  so  conducted 
as  that  the  honor  of  his  government  should 
be  preserved  :  but  tlie  grand  character  of 
the  message  would  be  mercy.  Neither 
would  the  goodness  of  it  be  diminished 
by  the  authority  which  attended  it,  nor 
by  the  malignant  disposition  of  the  par- 
ties. Should  some  of  them  even  prove 
incorrisiible,  and  be  executed  as  hardened 
traitors,  the  mercy  of  the  sovereign  in 
sending  the  message  would  be  just  the 
same.  They  might  possii)ly  oliject  that 
the  government  which  they  had  resisted 
was  hard  and  rigid ;  that  their  parents 
before  them  had  always  disliked  it,  and 
had  taught  them  from  their  childhood  to 
despise  it ;  that  to  re(iuirc  them  to  em- 
brace with  all  their  hearts  a  message  the 
very  import  of  which  was  that  they  had 
transgressed  without  cause,  and  deserved 
to  die,  was  too  humiliating  for  flesh  and 
blood  to  bear;  and  that  if  he  would  not  par- 
don them  without  their  cordially  subscrib- 


410 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


by  it.  It  is  true  God  does  reward  the  ser- 
vices of  his  people,  as  the  Scriptures 
abundantly  teach  :  but  this  follows  upon 
justification.  We  must  stand  accepted  iu 
the  Beloved,  before   our  services   can  be 


Ing  such  an  instrument,  he  had  better  have   ject  the  way  of  salvation,  but  it  could  not 

left  thfetn  to  die  as  they  were  :  for,  instead    be  unlawful. 

of  its  being  good  news  to  them,  it  would        Secondly  :  Though  believing  in  Christ 

prove  the  means  of  aggravating  their  mis-    is  a  compliance  with  a  duty,  yet  it  is  not 

ery.   Every  loyal  subject,  however,  would    as  a  duty,   or  by  way  oi  reward  for  a  vir- 

easily  perceive   that  it   was   good   news,    tuous  act,  that  we  are  said  to  he  justified 

and  a  great  instance  of  mercy,  however 

they  might  treat  it,  and  of  whatever  evil, 

through   their  perverseness,   it   might   be 

the  occasion. 

If  faith  in  Christ  be  the  duty  of  the  un- 
godly, it  must  of  course  follow  that  every    acceptable  or  rewardable.     Moreover,  if 
sinner,  whatever  be  his  character,  is  com-    we  were  justified  by  faith  as  a  duty,  justi- 
pletely  warranted  to  trust  in  the  Lord  Je-    fication  hy  faith  could  not  be,  as  it  is,  op- 
sus  Christ  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  In    posed  to  justification  by  works  :   "  To  him 
other  words,  he  has  every  possible  encou-    that  worketh  is  the  reward  not  reckoned 
ragement  to  relinquish  his  i'ormer  attach-    of  grace,  but  of  debt.     But  to  hini   that 
ment  and  confidences,  and  to  commit  his    worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him   that 
soul  into  the  hands  of  Jesus  to  be  saved,    justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted 
If  believing  in  Christ  be  a  privilege  be-    for  righteousness."     The   Scripture   doc- 
longing  only  to  the  regenerate,  and  no  sin-    trine  of  justification  by  faith,  in  opposition 
ner  while   unregenerate  be  warranted  to    to  the  works  of  the  law,  appears  to  me  as 
exercise  it,   as   Mr.  Brine   maintains,*  it    follows:  By  believing  in  Jesus  Christ,  the 
will  follow  either  that  a  sinner  may  know    sinner  becomes  vitally  united  to  him,  or, 
himself  to  be   regenerate  before   he  be-    as  the   Scriptures  express  it,  "joined  to 
lieves,  or  that  the  first  exercise  of  faith  is    the   Lord,"    and   is    of  "one  spirit  with 
an  act  of  presumption.     That  the  bias  of   him;"   and  this  union,  according  to  the 
the  heai't  requires   to  be  turned  to   God    divine  constitution,  as  revealed  in  the  gos- 
antecedently  to  believing  has  been  admit-    pel,  is   the   ground  of  an  interest  in  his 
ted ;   because   the   nature   of  believing  is    righteousness.     Agreeable   to  this   is  the 
such  that  it  cannot  be  exercised  while  the    following    language  : — "  There    is    now, 
soul  is  under  the  dominion  of  wilful  blind-    therefore,   no   condemnation  to  them  that 
ness,  hardness,  and  aversion.     These  dis-    are  in  Christ  Jesus." — "  Of  him  are  ye  in 
positions  are  represented  in  the  Scriptures    Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us 
as  a  bar  in  the  way  of  faith,  as  being  in-    righteousness,^'   &c. — "That  I    may    be 
consistent   with   it ;  f    and    which    conse-    found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own  right- 
quently  require   to   be  taken   out  of  the    eousness   which   is  of  the   law,    but  that 
way.     But,  whatever  necessity  there  may    which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ."    As 
be   for  a  change  of  heart  in  order  to  be-    the  union  which,  in  the  order  of  nature, 
lieving,  it  is  neither  necessary  nor  possi-    precedes    a  revealed   interest   in  Christ's 
ble  that  the  party  should  be  conscious  of    righteousness,  is  spoken  of  in  allusion  to 
it   till  he   has   believed.     It  is    necessary    that  of  marriage,  the  one  may  serve  to  il- 
that  the   eyes   of  a  blind  man  should  be    lustrate  the   other.     A  rich  and  generous 
opened  before  he  can  see  ;  but  it  is  neither    character,  walking  in  the   field.'?,  espies  a 
necessary  nor  possible   for  him   to  know    forlorn  female   infant,    deserted  by  some 
that  his  eyes  are  open  till  he  does  see.     It    unfeeling  parent  in  the  day  that  it  was  born, 
is  only  by  surrounding  objects  appearing    and   left  to  perish.     He  sees  its   helpless 
to  his  view  that  he  knows  the  obstructing    condition,  and  resolves  to  save  it.     Under 
film  to  be  removed.  But,  if  regeneration  be    his  kind  patronage  the  child  grows  up   to 
necessary  to  loarrant  believing,  and  yet  it    maturity.     He  now  resolves  to  make  her 


be  impossible  to  obtain  a  consciousness  of 
it  till  we  have  believed,  it  follows  that  the 
first  exercise  of  faith  is  without  founda- 
tion; that  is,  it  is  not  faith,  but  presump- 
tion. 


his  wife  :  casts  his  skirt  over  her,  and  she 
becomes  his.  She  is  now,  according  to  the 
public  statutes  of  the  realm,  interested  in 
all  his  possessions.  Great  is  the  transi- 
tion !     Ask  her,  in  the  height  of  her  jilory. 


If  believing  be  the  (Zztiy  of  every  sinner  how  she  became  possessed  of  all  this 
to  whom  the  gospel  is  preached,  there  can  wealth  ;  and,  if  she  retain  a  proper  spirit, 
be  no  doubt  as  to  a  loarrant  for  it,  what-  she  will  answer  in  some  such  manner  as 
ever  be  his  character;  and  to  maintain  this:  It  was  not  mine,  but  my  deliverer's ; 
the  latter,  without  admitting  the  former,  his  who  rescued  me  from  death.  It  is  no 
would  be  reducing  it  to  a  mere  matter  of  reward  of  any  good  deeds  on  my  part  :  it 
discretion.    It  might  be  inexpedient  to  re-    js  hy  marriage  ;  ...  it  is  "  of  grace." 

It  is  easy  to  perceive,  in  this  case,  that 
«  Motives,  &c.  pp.  38,  39.  t  See  Prop.  IV.      it  was  necessary  she  should  be  voluntarily 

married  to  her  husband,  before  she  couldj. 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


411 


according  to  the  puMic  statutes  of  tlic 
realm,  l)e  interested  in  Ins  possessions  ; 
and  tlial  she  now  enjoys  tliose  possessions 
fiy  marriai^e.  :  yet  who  wonhl  think  of  as- 
serting: that  her  consentinj^  to  l)c  his  wife 
was  a  meritorious  act  and  that  all  his  j)os- 
sessions  w  ere  i;iven  her  as  the  reward  of  it  ] 

Tliirdly  :  From  tlie  foregoinji  view  of 
things,  we  may  perceive  the  iilannijig  sit- 
udt'ton  of  unbelievers.  By  unlielievers,  I 
mean  not  only  avowed  inlidels,  l>ut  all 
persons  wlio  hear  or  have  o|)p(>r(unit\'  to 
hear  the  g(»s|)el,  or  to  come  at  thi»  knowl- 
edge of  what  is  taught  in  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures, and  do  not  cordially  embrace  it.  It 
is  an  alarmiii;^  thought  to  he  a  sinner 
against  the  greatest  and  best  of  beings  :  but 
to  be  an  unbelieving  sitmer  is  much  more 
so.  There  is  deliverance  from  "  the  curse 
of  the  law,"  through  liim  who  was  "made 
a  curse  for  us."  But  if,  like  the  barren 
fig-tree,  we  stand  from  year  to  year,  un- 
der gospel-culture,  and  bear  no  fruit,  we 
may  expect  to  fall  under  the  curse  of  the 
Saviour;  and  who  is  to  deliver  us  from 
this  ]  "  If  tiie  word  spoken  by  angels 
was  steadfast,  and  every  transgi-ession  and 
disobedience  received  a  just  recompence 
of  reward  ;  how  shall  we  escape  if  we 
neglect  so  great  salvation  1  " 

We  are  in  the  habit  of  pitying  heathens, 
who  are  enthralled  l)y  abominable  super- 
stition, and  immersed  in  the  immoralities 
which  accompany  it  :  but  to  live  in  the 
midst  of  gospel-light,  and  reject  it,  or  even 
disregard  it,  is  abundantly  more  criminal, 
and  will  be  followed  w  ith  a  heavier  pun- 
ishment. We  feel  for  the  condition  of 
profligate  characters;  for  swearers,  and 
drunkards,  and  fornicators,  and  liars,  and 
thieves,  and  murdei-cvs  :  but  these  crimes 
become  tenfold  more  heinous  in  being 
committed  under  tiie  light  of  revelation, 
and  in  contempt  of  all  the  warnings  and 
gracious  invitations  of  the  gospel.  The 
most  profligate  character,  who  never  pos- 
sessed these  advantages,  may  l)e  far  less 
criminal,  in  the  sight  of  God,  than  tiie 
most  solier  and  decent  who  possesses  and 
disregards  them.  It  was  on  this  principle 
that  such  a  heavy  woe  was  denounced 
against  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida,  and  that 
their  sin  was  represented  as  exceeding 
that  of  Sodom. 

The  gospel  wears  an  aspect  of  mercy 
towards  sinners  ;  but  towards  unbelieving 
sinners  the  Scriptures  deal  wholly  in  the 
language  of  threatening.  "  I  am  come," 
saith  our  Saviour,  "  a  light  into  the  world, 
that  whosoever  iielieveth  on  me  should  not 
abide  in  darkness.  If  any  man  hear  my 
tcords  and  believe  not,  I  judge  liim  not — 
(that  is,  not  at  present  ;)  for  I  came  not  to 
judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the  world. 
He  that  rejecteth  me,  and  receiveth  not 


my  words,  hath  one  that  Judgeth  him  :  the 
word  that  1  iiave  spoken,  the  same  shall 
judge  him  in  the  last  day."  It  will  be  of  but 
small  account,  in  that  day,  that  we  have 
escaped  a  few  of  "  the  lusts  of  the  flesh," 
if  we  have  been  led  captive  by  those  of 
the  "mind."  If  the  greatest  gift  of  hea- 
ven be  set  at  nought  by  us,  through  the 
pride  of  science,  or  a  vain  conceit  of  our 
own  righteousness,  how  shall  we  stand 
w  hen  he  appeareth  1 

It  will  then  be  found  that  a  price  was  in 
our  hands  to  get  wisdom,  but  tliat  we  had 
"  no  heart  to  it  :  "  and  tiiat  herein  consists 
our  sin,  and  hence  proceeds  our  ruin. 
God  called,  and  we  would  not  hearken; 
he  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  no  man  re- 
garded :  tlierefore,  he  will  laugh  at  our 
calamity,  and  mock  when  our  fear  cometh. 
It  is  intimated,  both  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  that  the  recollection  of  the 
means  of  salvation  having  l)een  within  our 
reach  will  be  a  liitter  aggravation  to  our 
punisliment.  "  They  come  unto  thee," 
saith  the  Lord  to  Ezekiel,  "  as  the  people 
come,  and  they  sit  before  thee  as  my  peo- 
ple, and  they  hear  thy  words,  but  they 
will  not  do  them." — "And  when  this 
cometh  to  pass,  (lo,  it  will  come!)  then 
shall  they  knoio  that  a  prophet  hath  been 
among  them."  To  the  same  purpose  our 
Saviour  speaks  of  them  who  should  reject 
the  doctrine  of  his  apostles  :  "  Into  what- 
soever city  ye  enter,  and  they  receive  you 
not,  go  your  ways  out  of  the  streets  of  the 
same,  and  say,  Even  tlie  very  dust  of  your 
city,  which  cleaveth  on  us,  we  do  wipe  off 
against  you  :  notwithstanding,  be  ye  sure 
of  this,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come 
nigh  unto  you." 

Great  as  is  the  sin  of  unbelief,  however, 
it  is  not  unpardonable  :  it  becomes  such 
only  l)y  persisting  in  it  till  death.  Saul  of 
Tarsus  was  an  unbeliever,  yet  he  "  obtain- 
ed mercy  :  "  and  Ids  being  an  unbeliever, 
rather  than  a  presumptuous  ojiposer  of 
Christ  against  conviction,  placed  him  with- 
in the  pale  of  forgiveness,  and  is,  therefore, 
assigned  as  a  reason  of  it. — 1  Tim.  i.  13. 

This  consideration  afTords  a  hope  even 
to  unlielievers.  O  ye  self-righteous  de- 
spisers  of  a  free  salvation  through  a  Me- 
diator, be  it  know  n  to  you  that  there  is  no 
other  name  given  under  heaven,  or  among 
men,  by  which  you  can  be  saved.  To  him 
whom  you  have  disregarded  and  despised 
you  must  either  voluntarily  or  involunta- 
rily submit.  "To  him  every  knee  shall 
bow."  You  cannot  go  back  into  a  state  of 
non-existence,  however  desirable  it  might 
be  to  many  of  you  ;  for  God  hath  stamped 
immortality  upon  your  natures.  You  can- 
not turn  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left, 
with  any  advantage:  whether  you  give  a 
loose  to  your  inclination,   or  put  a  force 


412 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


upon  it  by  an  assumed  devotion,  each  will 
lead  to  the  same  issue.  Neither  can  you 
standstill.  Like  a  vessel  in  a  tempestu- 
ous ocean,  you  must  go  this  way,  or  that ; 
and,  go  which  way  you  will,  if  it  be  not  to 
Jesus,  as  utterly  unworthy,  you  are  only 
heaping  up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath. 
Whether  you  sing,  or  pray,  or  hear,  or 
preach,  or  feed  the  poor,  or  till  the  soil; 
if  self  he  your  object,  and  Christ  be  disre- 
garded, all  is  sin,*  and  all  Avill  issue  in 
disappointment  :  "  the  root  is  rottenness, 
and  the  blossom  shall  go  up  as  the  dust." 
Whither  will  you  go  1  Jesus  invites  you 
to  come  to  him.  His  servants  beseech 
you,  in  his  name,  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
The  Spirit  saith.  Come ;  and  the  bride 
saith.  Come;  and  "whosoever  will,  let 
him  come,  and  take  of  the  water  of  life 
freely."  An  eternal  heaven  is  before  you, 
in  one  direction ;  and  an  eternal  hell  in 
the  other.  Your  answer  is  required.  Be 
one  thing,  or  another.  Choose  you,  this 
day,  whom  ye  will  serve.  For  our  parts, 
we  will  abide  by  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 
If  you  continue  to  reject  him,  so  it  must  be  : 
"  nevertheless,  be  ye  sure  of  this,  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  has  come  nigh  unto  you  !" 
Finally  :  From  lohat  has  been  advanced, 
we  may  form  a  judgment  of  our  duty,  as 
ministers  of  the  loord,  in  dealing  ivith  the 
unconverted.  The  work  of  the  Christian 
ministry,  it  has  been  said,  is  to  preach  the 
gospel,  or  to  liold  up  the  free  grace  of 
God  through  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  only 
way  of  a  sinner's  salvation.  This  is, 
doubtless,  true ;  and,  if  this  be  not  the 
leading  theme  of  our  ministrations,  we 
had  better  be  any  thing  than  preachers. 
"Wo  unto  us,  if  we  preach  not  the  gos- 
pel!" The  minister  who,  under  a  pre- 
tence of  pressing  the  practice  of  religion, 
neglects  its  all-important  principles,  la- 
bors in  the  fire.  He  may  enforce  duty 
till  duty  freezes  upon  his  lips ;  neither 
his  auditors  nor  himself  will  greatly  re- 
gard it.  But,  on  the  contrary,  if  by 
preaching  the  gospel  be  meant  the  insist- 
ing solely  upon  the  blessings  and  privi- 
leges of  religion,  to  the  neglect  of  exhort- 
ations, calls,  and  warnings,  it  is  sufficient 
to  say  that  such  was  not  the  practice  of 
Christ  and  his  apostles.  It  will  not  be 
denied  that  they  preached  the  gospel ; 
yet  they  warned,  admonished,  and  en- 
treated sinners  to  "repent  and  believe;" 
to  "believe  while  they  had  the  light;" 
to  "  labor  not  for  the  meat  that  perisheth, 
but  for  that  which  endureth  unto  ever- 
lasting life;"  to  "repent,  and  be  con- 
verted, that  their  sins  might  be  blotted 
out  ;"  to  "  come  to  the  marriage  supper, 

*  Prov.  XV.  8,9;  xxviii.  9;  xxi.  4. 


for  that  all  things  were  ready;"    in  fine, 
to  "be  reconciled  unto  God." 

If  the  inability  of  sinners  to  perform 
things  spiritually  good  were  natural,  or 
such  as  existed  independently  of  their 
present  choice,  it  would  be  absurd  and 
ci'uel  to  address  them  in  such  language. 
No  one  in  his  senses  would  think  of  call- 
ing the  blind  to  look,  the  deaf  to  hear,  or 
the  dead  to  rise  up  and  walk ;  and  of 
threatening  them  with  punishment  in  case 
of  their  refusal.  But,  if  the  blindness 
arise  from  tlie  love  of  darkness  rather 
than  light ;  if  the  deafness  resemble  that 
of  the  adder,  which  stoppeth  her  ear,  and 
will  not  hear  the  voice  of  the  charmer, 
charm  he  never  so  wisely ;  and,  if  the 
death  consist  in  alienation  of  heart  from 
God,  and  the  absence  of  all  desire  after 
him,  there  is  no  absurdity  or  cruelty  in 
such  addresses. 

But  enforcing  the  duties  of  religion, 
either  on  sinners  or  saints,  is  by  some 
called  preaching  the  law.  If  it  were  so, 
it  is  enough  for  us  that  such  was  the 
preaching  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 
It  is  folly  and  presumption  to  affect  to  be 
more  evangelical  than  they  were.  All 
practical  preaching,  however,  is  not 
preaching  the  law.  That  only,  I  appre- 
hend, ought  to  be  censured  as  preaching 
the  law,  in  which  our  acceptance  with 
God  is,  in  some  way  or  other,  placed  to 
the  account  of  our  obedience  to  its  pre- 
cepts. When  eternal  life  is  represented 
as  the  reward  of  repentance,  faith,  and 
sincere  obedience,  (as  it  too  frequently  is, 
and  that  under  the  complaisant  form  of 
being  "  through  the  merits  of  Christ,") 
this  is  preaching  the  laAV,  and  not  the  gos- 
pel. But  the  precepts  of  the  law  may  be 
illustrated  and  enforced  for  evangelical 
purposes  ;  as  tending  to  vindicate  the  di- 
vine character  and  government;  lo  con- 
vince of  sin;  to  show  the  necessity  of  a 
Saviour,  with  the  freeness  of  salvation  ; 
to  ascertain  the  nature  of  true  religion ; 
and  to  point  out  the  rule  of  Clmstian 
conduct.  Such  a  way  of  introducing  the 
divine  law,  in  subservience  to  the  gospel, 
is,  properly  speaking,  preaching  the  gos- 
pel ;  for  the  end  denominates  the  action. 

If  the  foregoing  principles  be  just,  it  is 
the  duty  of  ministers  not  only  to  exhort 
their  carnal  auditors  to  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ    for  the  salvation  of  their  souls ; 

but  IT  IS  AT  OUR  PERIL  TO  EXHORT 
THEM  TO  ANY  THING  SHORT  OF  IT,  OR 
WHICH    POES    NOT     INVOLVE      OR     IMPLY 

IT.  I  am  aware  that  such  an  idea  may 
startle  many  of  my  readers,  and  some 
who  are  engaged  in  the  Christian  minis- 
try. We  have  sunk  into  such  a  com- 
promising way  of  dealing  with  the  uncon- 
verted as  to  have  well  nigh  lost  the  spirit 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


413 


of  the  pritnitive  preachers;  and  henoe  it 
is  that  sinners,  of  every  (lescrij)ti()n,  can 
sit  so  (piictly  as  tliey  do,  year  alter  year, 
in  our  phices  of  worsliip.  It  was  not  so 
Avith  tlie  hearers  of  Peter  and  Paul. 
They  were  eitiier  "  |>ricked  in  the  heart  " 
in  one  way,  or  "cut  to  the  heart"  in 
another.  Their  preacliinjr  conjnicnded 
itself  to  "  every  man's  conscience  in  tlie 
sijiht  of  God."  How  shall  we  account 
for  tiiis  diflcrcnce  !  Is  there  not  some  im- 
portant error  or  defect  in  our  ministra- 
tions ]  I  liave  no  reference  to  the  prcacli- 
ing  of  those  who  disown  the  divinity  or 
atonement  of  Christ,  on  the  one  hand, 
whose  sermons  arc  little  more  than  ha- 
rangues on  morality,  nor  to  that  of  gross 
Antinomians  on  the  qlher,  whose  chief 
business  it  is  to  feed  the  vanity  and  ma- 
lignity of  one  part  of  tlieir  audience,  and 
the  sin-extenuating  principles  of  the  oth- 
er. Tliese  are  errors  the  folly  of  which 
is  "  manii'est  to  all  men  "  who  pay  any  se- 
rious regard  to  the  religion  of  the  New 
Testament.  I  refer  to  those  who  are 
commonly  reputed  evangelical,  and  who 
approve  of  addresses  to  the  unconverted. 
I  hope  no  apology  is  necessary  for  an  at- 
tempt to  exliilut  the  scriptural  manner  of 
preaching.  If  it  aflects  the  laliors  of 
some  of  my  brethren,  I  cannot  deny  but  that 
it  may  also  affect  my  own.  I  conceive  there 
is  scarcely  a  minister  amongst  us  wliose 
preaching  has  not  been  more  or  less  influ- 
enced by  the  lethargic  systems  of  the  age. 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  without  any 
hesitation,  called  on  sinners  to  "repent, 
and  believe  the  gospel;"  but  we,  consid- 
ering them  as  poor,  impotent,  and  de- 
praved creatures,  have  been  disposed  to 
drop  this  part  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
Some  may  have  felt  afraid  of  being  ac- 
counted legal ;  others  have  really  thought 
it  inconsistent.  Considering  such  things 
as  beyond  the  poioer  of  their  hearers, 
they  seem  to  have  contented  themselves 
with  pressing  on  them  tldngs  whicli  they 
coxild  perform,  still  continuing  tlie  ene- 
mies of  Christ;  such  as  behaving  decently 
in  society,  reading  the  Scriptures,  and 
attending  the  means  of  grace.  Thus  it 
is  that  hearers  of  this  description  sit  at 
ease  in  our  congregations.  Having  done 
their  duty,  the  minister  has  nothing  more 
to  say  to  them  :  unless,  indeed,  it  be  to 
tell  them,  occasionally,  that  something 
more  is  necessary  to  salvation.  But,  as 
this  implies  no  guilt  on  their  part,  they 
sit  unconcerned,  conceiving  that  all  that 
is  required  of  them  is  "to  lie  in  the  way, 
and  to  wait  the  Lord's  time."  But  is 
this  the  religion  of  the  Scriptures  1  Where 
does  it  appear  that  the  propliets  or  a])os- 
tles  ever  treated  that  kind  of  inability 
which    is    merely  the    effect  of  reigning 


aversion  as  affording  any  excuse  1  And 
where  liave  they  descended,  in  tlieir  ex- 
hortations, to  things  wliidi  miglit  l)e  done 
and  tite  ))arties  still  continue  liic  ene- 
mies of  God  1  Instead  of  leaving  out 
every  thing  of  a  spiritual  nature,  because 
their  hearers  could  not  fmd  in  their  hearts 
to  comply  witii  it,  it  may  safely  be  af- 
firmed they  exhorted  to  nothing  else; 
treating  such  inability  not  only  as  of  no 
account,  witii  regard  to  tlie  lessening  of 
oliligntion,  but  as  rendering  the  suiijects 
of  it  wortiiy  of  tlie  severest  rel)uke.  "  To 
wliom  sliall  I  sjicak,  and  give  warning, 
that  they  mayiicar]  Behold,  their 'ear 
is  uncircumcised,  and'tliey  cannot  heark- 
en :  beiiold,  tiie  word  of  the  Lord  is  unto 
them  a  reproach,  and  they  have  no  de- 
ligiit  in  it."  What  then]  Did  the  proi)het 
desist  from  his  work,  and  exhort  them  to 
something  to  which,  in  tlieir  present  state 
of  mind,  they  could  hearken  ]  Far  from 
it.  He  delivers  his  message,  whether 
they  would  hear,  or  whether  tliey  would 
forl)ear.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Stand 
ye  in  the  ways,  and  see,  and  ask  for  the 
old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and 
walk  therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for 
your  souls.  But  they  said.  We  will  not 
walk  therein."  And  did  this  induce  him 
to  desist  1  No  :  he  proceeds  to  read  their 
doom,  and  calls  the  world  to  witness  its 
justice  :  "Hear,  O  earth  !  Behold,  I  will 
bring  evil  upon  this  people,  even  the  fruit 
of  their  thoughts,  because  they  have  not 
hearkened  luito  my  words,  nor  to  my  law, 
but  rejected  it."— Jer.  vi.  10—19.  Many 
of  those  who  attend  the  ministry  of  Christ 
were  of  the  same  sjiirit.  Tiicir  eyes  iccrc 
blinded,  and  their  hearts  hardened,  so  that 
they  COULD  not  bklieve;  yet,  paying 
no  manner  of  regard  to  this  kind  of  ina- 
bility, he  exhorted  them  "  to  believe  in 
the  light  while  they  had  the  light."  And, 
when  they  had  heard  and  believed  not,  he 
proceeded,  without  hesitation,  to  declare, 
"  He  that  rejecteth  me,  and  recciveth  not 
my  words,  hath  one  that  judgeth  him  : 
the  word  that  I  have  spoken,  the  same 
shall  judge  him  in  the  last  day." 

Such  also  were  many  of  Paul's  hearers 
at  Rome.  They  believed  not;  but  did 
Paid,  seeing  they  could  not  receive  the 
gospel,  recommend  to  them  something 
which  they  could  receive  1  No  :  he  gave 
them  "one  word"  at  parting:  "Well 
spake  the  Holy  Spirit  by  Esaias  the 
prophet  unto  our  fathers,  saying,  Go  unto 
this  people,  and  say.  Hearing  ye  shall 
hear,  and  shall  not  understand  ;  and  see- 
ing ye  shall  see,  and  not  perceive.  For 
the  heart  of  this  people  is  waxed  gross, 
and  their  ears  are  dull  of  hearing,  and 
their  eyes  have  they  closed ;  lest  they 
should  see  w  ith  their  eyes,  and  hear  with 


414 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


their  ears,  and  understand  with  their 
hcai-t,  and  sliould  be  converted,  and  I 
should  heal  them.  Be  it  known  therefore 
unto  you  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent 
to  the  Gentiles,  and  that  they  will  hear  it." 

When  did  Jesus  or  his  apostles  go  about 
merely  to  form  the  manners  of  men  ] 
Where  do  they  exhort  to  duties  which  a 
man  may  comply  with  and  yet  miss  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  1  If  a  man  "kept 
their  sayings "  he  was  assured  that  he 
"should  never  see  death."  In  address- 
ing the  unconverted,  they  began  by  ad- 
monishing them  to  "repent  and  believe 
the  gospel;"  and  in  the  course  of  their 
labors,  exhorted  to  all  manner  of  duties  : 
but  all  were  to  be  done  spirlluaUy ;  or 
they  would  not  have  acknowledged  them 
to  have  been  done  at  all.  Carnal  duties, 
or  duties  to  be  performed  otherwise  than 
"to  the  glory  of  God,"  had  no  place  in 
their  system. 

The  answer  of  our  Lord  to  those  carnal 
Jews  who  inquired  of  \\m\  what  ihey 
"must  do  to  work  the  works  of  God  "  is 
worthy  of  special  notice.  Did  Jesus  give 
them  to  understand  that  as  to  believing 
in  him,  however  willing  they  might  be,  it 
was  a  matter  entirely  lieyond  their  pow- 
er 1  that  all  the  directions  he  had  to  give 
were  that  they  should  attend  the  means 
and  wait  for  the  moving  of  the  waters  1 
No:  Jesus  answered,  "This  is  the  work 
of  God,  that  ye  lielieve  on  him  whom  he 
hath  sent.  This  was  the  gate  at  the  head 
of  the  way,  as  the  author  of  The  Pilgrim'' s 
Progress  has  admirably  represented  i,t,  to 
which  sinners  must  be  directed.  A  world- 
ly-ivise  instructor  may  inculcate  other 
duties  ;  but  the  true  eiwngelisf,  after  the 
example  of  his  Lord,  will  point  to  this  as 
the  first  concern,  and  as  that  upon  whicl) 
every  thing  else  depends. 

There  is  another  species  of  preaching 
which  proceeds  upon  much  the  same  prin- 
ciple. Repentance  towards  God,  and 
faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  are 
allowed  to  be  duties  ;  but  not  immediate 
duties.  The  sinner  is  considered  as  un- 
able to  comply  with  them,  and  therefore 
they  are  not  urged  upon  him  ;  but  instead 
of  them  he  is  directed  to  "  pray  for  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  enable  him  to  repent  and 
believe;"  and  this  it  seems  he  can  do, 
notwithstanding  the  aversion  of  his  heart 
from  every  thing  of  the  kind.  But,  if  any 
man  be  recjuired  to  pray  for  the  Holy 
Spirit,  it  must  be  either  sincerely,  and  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  ;  or  insincerely,  and  in 
some  other  way.  The  latter  I  suppose 
will  be  allowed  to  be  an  abomination  in 
the  sight  of  God  ;  he  cannot  therefore  be 
required  to  do  this  ;  and,  as  to  the  former, 
it  is  just  as  difficult  and  as  opposite  to  the 
carnal  heart  as  repentance  and  faith  them- 


selves. Indeed,  it  amounts  to  the  same 
thing  ;  for  a  sincere  desire  after  a  spiritual 
l)lessing  presented  in  the  name  of  Jesus  is 
no  other  than  "  the  pi'ayer  of  faith." 

Peter  exhorted  Simon  to  pray,  not 
with  an  impenitent  heart  that  he  might 
obtain  repentance,  Imt  with  a  penitent  one 
that  he  .might  obtain  forgiveness  ;  and 
this  no  doubt  in  the  only  way  in  which  it 
was  to  be  obtained,  "  through  Jesus 
Christ."  "  Repent,"  saith  he,  "  and 
pray  to  God,  if  perhaps  the  thouglit  of 
thine  heart  may  be  forgiven  thee."  Our 
Saviour  directed  his  disciples  to  pray  for 
the  "  Holy  Spirit  :  but  surely  the  prayer 
which  they  were  encouraged  to  offer  was 
to  be  sincere,  and  with  an  eye  to  the  Sa- 
viour ;  that  is,  it  Avas  "the  prayer  of 
faith,"  and  therefore  could  not  be  a  duty 
directed  to  be  performed  antecedently  and 
in  order  to  the  obtaining  of  it. 

Tiie  mischief  arising  from  this  way  of 
preaching  is  considerable.  First:  It  gives 
up  a  very  important  question  to  the  sinner, 
even  that  question  which  is  at  issue  be- 
tween God  and  conscience  on  the  one 
hand,  and  a  self-righteous  heart  on  the 
other  :  namely,  whether  he  be  obliged 
immediately  to  repent  and  believe  the 
gospel.  "  I  could  find  nothing  in  the 
Scriptures,"  says  he,  "  that  would  give 
me  any  comfort  in  my  present  condition ; 
nothing  short  of  '  repent  and  believe,' 
which  are  things  I  cannot  comply  with  : 
but  I  have  gained  it  from  my  good  minis- 
ter. Now  my  heart  is  at  ease.  I  am  not 
obliged  immediatehj  to  repent  and  sue  for 
mercy  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  It  is  not 
therefore  my  sin  that  I  do  not.  All  I  am 
obliged  to  is  to  pray  God  to  help  me  to  do 
so  ;  and  that  I  do."  Thus,  after  a  bitter 
conflict  with  Scripture  and  conscience, 
which  have  pursued  him  through  all  his 
windings  and  pressed  upon  him  the  call  of 
the  gospel,  he  finds  a  shelter  in  the  house 
of  God  !  Such  counsel,  instead  of  aiding 
the  sinner's  convictions,  (which,  as  "  la- 
borers with  God,"  is  our  proper  busi- 
ness,) has  many  a  time  been  equal  to  a 
victory  over  them,  or  at  least  to  the  pur- 
chase of  an  armistice.  Secondly  :  It  de- 
ceives the  soul.  He  understands  it  as  a 
compromise,  and  so  acts  upon  it.  For 
though  he  be  in  fact  as  far  from  sincerely 
praying  for  repentance  as  from  repenting, 
and  just  as  unable  to  desire  faith  in  Christ 
as  to  exercise  it,  yet  he  does  not  think  so. 
He  reckons  himself  very  desirous  of  these 
things.  The  reason  is,  he  takes  that  in- 
direct desire  after  them,  which  consists  in 
wishing  to  be  converted  (or  any  thing, 
however  disagreeable  in  itself)  that  he 
may  escape  the  wrath  to  come,  to  be  the 
desire  of  grace  ;  and,  being  conscious  of 
possessing  this,  he  considers  himself  in  a 


CONCLUDING     UEFLKCriONS. 


•n5 


fair  way  at  least  ()ri)eiii;j:(()HvcrlL'(I.  Tims 
he  dereiscs  his  sovil  ;  and  thus  he  is  hel|)e(i 
forward  in  his  delusion!  Nor  is  this  all  : 
he  feels  himself  set  at  liherty  from  the 
hard  re«iuiremeiit  ol'  rcfurniiiu;  innnrdialc- 
ly  to  God  hij  Jesus  Clirist,  as  ufterlij  tin- 
tcortlnj ;  and,  l)eini,^  told  to  pray  that  he 
may  he  cnal)led  to  do  so,  he  supposes  tiiat 
such  prayer  will  avail  him,  or  that  God 
will  give  him  the  power  of  repentin>r  and 
believiiii;  in  answer  to  liis  |)rayers  :  l)ray- 
ers,  he  it  ol)served,  whieh  must  necessa- 
rily he  ofTered  up  with  an  impenitent  un- 
believing heart.  This  just  suits  his  self- 
righteous  spirit  :  hut  alas,  all  is  delusion  ! 

"  You  have  no  relief  then,"  say  some, 
"  for  the  sinner."  I  answer,  if  the  gos- 
pel or  any  of  its  blessings  will  relieve  him 
there  is  no  want  of  relief.  But  if  there  be 
nothing  in  Christ,  or  grace,  or  heaven, 
that  will  suit  his  inclination,  it  is  not  for 
me  to  furnish  him  with  any  thing  else,  or 
to  encourage  him  to  hope  that  things  will 
come  to  a  good  issue.  The  only  jiossible 
way  of  relieving  a  sinner,  while  his  heart 
is  averse  from  God,  is  by  lowering  the 
requirements  of  heaven  to  meet  his  incli- 
nation ;  or  in  some  way  to  model  tiie  gos- 
pel to  his  mind.  But  to  relieve  him  in 
this  manner  is  at  my  peril.  If  I  were 
commissioned  to  address  a  company  of 
men  who  had  engaged  in  an  unprovoked 
rebellion  against  their  king  and  country, 
w  hat  ought  I  to  say  to  them '?  I  might 
make  use  of  authority  or  entreaty,  as  oc- 
casion might  require ;  I  might  caution, 
warn,  threaten,  or  persuade  them  ;  but 
there  would  lie  a  point  from  which  I  must 
not  depart  :  Be  ye  reconciled  to  your  ris^ht- 
ful  sovereign  ;  lay  down  arms  and  submit 
to  mercy  !  To  this  I  must  inviolably  ad- 
here. They  might  allege  that  they  could 
not  comply  with  such  hard  terms.  Should 
I  admit  their  plea,  and  direct  them  oidy  to 
such  conduct  as  might  consist  with  a  re- 
bellious spirit,  instead  of  recovering  them 
from  rebellion,  I  should  go  far  towards 
denominating  myself  a  rel>el. 

And,  as  Christ  and  his  apostles  never 
appear  to  have  exhorted  the  unconverted 
to  any  thing  which  did  not  include  or  im- 
ply repentance  and  faith,  so  in  all  their 
explications  of  the  divine  law,  and  preach- 
ing against  particular  sins,  their  object 
was  to  bring  the  sinner  to  this  issue. 
Though  they  directed  them  to  no  means, 
in  order  to  get  a  penitent  and  believing 
heart,  but  to  repentance  and  faith  them- 
selves ;  yet  they  used  means  v:ith  them  for 
that  purpose.  Thus  our  Lord  expounded 
the  law  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  and 
concluded  by  enforcing  such  a  "  hearing 
of  his  sayings  and  doing  them,"  as  should 
be  equal  to  "digging  deep,  and  l)uilding 
one's  house  upon  a  rock."     And  thus  the 


apostle  Peter,  having  charged  his  coun- 
trvmen  with  the  murder  o(  the  Lord  of 
glory,  presently  brings  it  to  this  issue  : 
"  Repent  ye,  therefore,  and  lie  converted, 
that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out." 

Some  years  ago  I  met  with  a  passage  in 
Dr.  Owen  on  this  sul)ject,  which,  at  that 
time,  sunk  deej*  into  my  heart;  and  the 
more  observation  I  have  since  made  the 
more  just  his  remarks  ap|)ear.  "  It  is  the 
duly  of  ministers,"  says  he,  "  to  plead 
with  men  aliout  their  sins  ;  but  always  re- 
meml)er  that  it  l>e  done  witii  that  which  is 
the  proper  end  of  law  and  gospel ;  that  is, 
that  they  make  use  of  the  sin  they  speak 
against  to  the  discovery  of  the  state  and 
condition  wherein  the  sinner  is,  otherwise, 
haply,  they  may  work  men  to  formality 
and  hypocrisy,  but  little  of  the  true  end  of 
preaciiing  the  gos])el  will  l>e  brought  al)()ut. 
It  will  not  avail  to  beat  a  man  off  from  his 
drunkenness  into  a  sober  formality.  A 
skilful  master  of  the  asscml)lies  lays  his 
axe  at  the  root,  drives  still  at  the  heart. 
To  inveigh  against  particular  sins  of  igno- 
rant unregenerate  persons,  such  as  the 
land  is  full  of,  is  a  good  work  ;  but  yet, 
though  it  may  be  done  with  great  clficacy, 
vigor,  and  success,  if  this  be  all  the  effect 
of  it,  that  they  are  set  upon  the  most  sedu- 
lous endeavors  of  mortifying  their  sins 
preached  down,  all  that  is  done  is  i)ut  like 
the  beating  of  an  enemy  in  an  open  licld, 
and  driving  him  into  an  impregnable  castle 
not  to  be  prevailed  against.  Get  you,  at 
any  time,  a  sinner  at  the  advantage  on  the 
account  of  any  one  sin  whatever ;  have 
you  any  thing  to  take  hold  of  him  by, 
bring  it  to  his  state  and  condition,  drive  it 
up  to  the  head  and  there  deal  with  him. 
To  break  men  olT  from  particular  sins,  and 
not  to  break  their  hearts,  is  to  deprive 
ourselves  of  advantages  of  dealing  witK 
them."* 

When  a  sinner  is  first  seized  with  con- 
viction, it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  he 
v.ill  alistain  from  many  of  his  outward  vi- 
ces, though  it  be  only  for  the  quiet  of  his 
own  mind  :  but  it  is  not  for  us  to  adminis- 
ter comfort  to  him  on  this  ground  ;  as 
though  liecause  he  had  "broken  off"  a  few 
of  "  his  sins,"  he  must  needs  have  broken 
them  off  "  by  righteousness,"  and  either  be 
in  the  road  to  life,  or  at  least  in  a  fair  way 
of  getting  into  it.  It  is  one  of  the  devices 
of  Satan  to  alarm  the  sinner,  and  till  him 
witli  anxiety  for  the  healing  of  outward 
eruptions  of  sin,  while  the  inward  partis 
overlooked,  though  it  l)e  nothing  but  sin. 
But  we  must  not  be  aiding  and  abetting 
in  these  deceptions,  nor  administer  any 
other  relief  than  that  which  is  held  out  in 
the   gospel   to   sinners    as  sinners.     And 

*  On  the  Mortification  of  Siu.  Chap.  VII. 


416 


CONCLUDING    REFLECTIONS. 


when  we  see  such  characters  violating 
their  promises  and  falling  anew  into  their 
old  sins  (which  is  frequently  the  case,)  in- 
stead of  joining  with  tliem  in  lamenting 
the  event  and  assisting  them  in  healing  the 
wound  by  renewed  efforts  of  watchfulness, 
it  becomes  us  rather  to  probe  the  wound  ; 
to  make  use  of  that  which  has  appeared  for 
the  detecting  of  that  which  has  not  ap- 
peared; and  so  to  point  them  to  the  blood 
that  cleanses  from  all  sin.  "  Poor  soul  I  " 
says  the  eminent  writer  just  quoted,  "it 
is  not  thy  sore  finger,  but  thy  hectic  fever, 
from  which  thy  lile  is  in  danger  !  "  If  the 
cause  be  removed,  the  effects  will  cease. 
If  the  spring  be  purified,  the  waters  will 
be  healed  and  the  barren  ground  become 
productive. 

I  conclude  with  a  few  remarks  on  the 
order  of  addressing  exhortations  to  the 
unconverted.  There  being  an  established 
order  in  the  workings  of  the  human  mind,  it 
has  been  made  a  question  whether  the 
same  ought  not  to  be  preserved  in  ad- 
dressing it.  As,  for  instance,  we  cannot 
be^convinced  of  sin  without  previous  ideas 
of  God  and  moral  government,  nor  of  the 
need  of  a  Saviour  without  being  convinced 
of  sin,  nor  of  the  importance  of  salvation 
without  suitable  conceptions  of  its  evil 
nature.  Hence,  it  may  be  supposed,  we 
ought  not  to  teach  any  one  of  these  truths 
till  the  preceding  one  is  well  understood ; 
or,  at  least,  that  we  ought  not  to  preach 
the  gospel  without  prefacing  it  by  repre- 
senting the  just  requirements  of  the  law, 
our  state  as  sinners,  and  the  impossibility 
of  being  justified  by  the  works  of  our 
hands.  Doubtless,  such  representations 
are  proper  and  necessary,  but  not  so  ne- 
cessary as  to  render  it  improper,  on  any 
occasion,  to  introduce  the  doctrine  of  the 
gospel  without  them,  and  much  less  to  I'e- 
frain  from  teachinij-  it  till  they  are  under- 
stood and  felt.  In  this  case  a  minister 
must  be  reduced  to  the  greatest  perplex- 
ity; never  knowing  when  it  was  safe  to 
introduce  the  salvation  of  Christ,  lest 
some  of  his  hearers  should  not  be  suffi- 
ciently prepared  to  receive  it.  Tlie  truth 
is,  it  is  never  unsafe  to  introduce  this  doc- 
trine. There  is  such  a  connection  in  di- 
vine truth  that,  if  any  one  part  of  it  reach 
the  mind  and  find  a  place  in  the  heart,  all 
othei's,  which  may  precede  it  in  the  order 
of  things,  will  come  in  along  with  it.  In 
receiving  a  doctrine,  we  receive  not  only 
what  is  expressed  but  what  is  implied  by 
it ;  and  thus  the  doctrine  of  the  cross  may 
itself  be  the  means  of  convincing  us  of 
the  evil  of  sin.  An  example  of  this 
lately  occurred  in  the  experience  of  a  child 
eleven  years  of  age.  Her  minister,  visit- 
ing her  under  a  tlircatening  affliction,  and 
perceiving  her  to  be  unaffected  with  her 


sinful  condition,  suggested  that  "  It  was 
no  small  matter  that  brought  down  the 
Lord  of  glory  into  this  world,  to  suffer  and 
die  ;  there  must  be  something  very  offen- 
sive in  the  nature  of  sin  against  a  holy 
God."  This  remark  appears  to  have  sunk 
into  her  heart  and  to  have  issued  in  a  sav- 
ing change.*  Divine  truths  are  like  chain- 
shot  ;  they  go  together,  and  we  need  not 
perplex  ourselves  which  should  enter  first ; 
if  any  one  enter,  it  will  draw  the  rest  af- 
ter it. 

Remarks  nearly  similar  may  be  made 
concerning  duties.  Though  the  Scriptures 
know  uothing  of  duties  to  be  performed 
without  faith,  or  which  do  not  include  or 
imply  it ;  yet  they  do  not  wait  for  the  sin- 
ner's being  possessed  of  faith  before  they 
exhort  him  to  other  spiritual  exercises  ; 
such  as  "seeking"  the  Lord,  "  loving" 
him,  "serving"  him,  &c.;  nor  need  we 
lay  any  such  restraints  upon  ourselves. 
Such  is  the  connection  of  the  duties  as 
well  as  the  truths  of  religion,  that,  if  one 
be  truly  complied  with,  we  need  not  fear 
that  the  others  will  be  wanting.  If  God 
be  sought,  loved,  or  sei-ved,  we  may  be 
sure  that  Jesus  is  embraced;  and  if  Jesus 
be  embraced  that  sin  is  abhorred.  Or 
should  things  first  occur  to  the  mind  in 
another  order,  should  sin  be  the  immedi- 
ate object  of  our  thoughts,  if  this  be  ab- 
horred, the  God  against  whom  it  is  com- 
mitted must,  at  the  same  instant,  be  loved, 
and  the  Saviour  who  was  made  a  sacrifice 
to  deliver  us  from  it  embraced.  Let  any 
part  of  truth  or  holiness  but  find  place 
in  the  heart  and  the  rest  will  be  with  it. 
Those  parts  which,  in  the  order  of  things, 
are  required  to  precede  it,  will  come  in 
by  way  of  implication ;  and  those  which 
follow  it  Avill  be  produced  by  it.  Thus 
the  primitive  preachers  seem  to  have  had 
none  of  that  scrupulosity  which  appears 
in  the  discourses  and  writings  of  some 
modern  preachers.  Sometimes  they  ex- 
horted sinners  to  "believe"  in  Jesus; 
but  it  was  such  belief  as  implied  repent- 
ance for  sin:  sometimes  to  "  repent  and 
be  converted  ;"  but  it  was  such  repent- 
ance and  conversion  as  included  believ- 
ing; and  sometimes  to  "labor  for  the 
meat  that  endureth  unto  everlasting  life;" 
but  it  was  such  laboring  as  comprehended 
both  repentance  and  faith. 

Some  have  inferred,  from  the  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith  in  opposition  to 
the  works  of  the  law,  that  sinners  ought 
not  to  be  exhorted  to  any  thing  which 
comprises  obedience  to  the  \a\w,  either  in 
heart  or  life,  except  we  should  preach  the 
law  to  them  for  the   purpose   of  convic- 

*  Dying  Exercises  of  Susannah  Wright,  of 
Weekly,  near  Kettering. 


AIM'KXDIX. 


•117 


tioti  ;  and  this  lost  \vc  should  be  found 
directing  tlicin  to  the  works  of  their  own 
hands  as  the  ground  of  aece|)tance  witli 
God.  From  the  same  principle,  it  has  Ween 
concluded  tiiat  faith  itself  cannot  include 
any  holy  disposition  of  Ihc  heart,  because 
all  holy  disposition  contains  ohedience  to 
the  law.  If  this  reasoning  lie  just,  all 
exhorting  of  sinners  to  things  expressive 
of  a  iiojy  exercise  of  heart  is  either  im- 
proper, or  requires  to  he  understood  as 
merely  preaching  the  law  for  the  ]uir|)ose 
of  con\  iction  ;  as  our  Saviour  directed  the 
young  ruler  to  "  kceji  the  commandments 
if  he  wouhl  enter  into  life."  Yet  tlie 
Scriptures  ai)ound  with  sucii  exhortations. 
Sinners  are  exhorted  to  "seek"  God,  to 
"serve  "  Iiim  with  fear  and  joy,  to  "  for- 
sake "  their  wicked  way  and  "return" 
to  him,  to  "repent"  and  "he  converted." 
Tliese  are  manifestly  exercises  of  the 
heart,  and  addressed  to  the  unconverted. 
Neither  are  they  to  he  understood  as  the 
requirements  of  a  covenant  of  works. 
That  covenant  neither  requires  repentance 
nor  promises  forgiveness.  But  sinners 
are  directed  to  these  things  under  a  prom- 
ise of  "  mercy  "  and  "  abundant  [lardon." 
There  is  a  wide  ditTcrence  between  these 
addresses  and  the  address  of  our  Lord  to 
the  young  ruler;  tliat  to  which  he  was 
directed  was  tlie  pro(hicing  of  a  righteous- 
ness adequate  to  the  dcmantls  of  the  law, 
which  was  naturally  inqiossiiile  ;  and  our 
Lord's  design  was  to  show  its  impossi- 
bilitv,  and  thereby  to  convince  him  of 
the  need  of  gospel-mercy;  but  that  to 
which  the  above  directions  point  is  not  to 
any  natural  impossii)ility,  but  to  the  very 
way  of  mercy.  The  manner  in  which  the 
primitive  preachers  guarded  against  self- 
righteousness  was  very  dilTcrent  from  this. 
They  were  not  afraid  of  exhorting  either 
saints  or  sinners  to  holy  exercises  of  heart, 
nor  of  connecting  with  them  the  prom- 
ises of  mercy.  But  though  they  exhibited 
the  promises  of  eternal  life  to  any  and 
every  spiritual  exercise,  yet  they  never 
taught  that  it  was  on  account  of  it,  but  of 
mere  grace,  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Jesus  Christ.  The  ground  on  which 
they  took  their  stand  was,  "Cursed  is 
every  one  who  continueth  not  in  all  things 
written  in  the  liook  of  the  law  to  do  them." 
Hence  they  inferred  the  impossiliility  of 
a  sinner  being  justified  in  any  other  way 
than  for  the  sake  of  him  who  was  "made 
a  curse  for  us  :  "  and  hence  it  clearly 
follows  that  whatever  holiness  any  sinner 
may  possess  before,  in,  or  atter  believing, 
it  is  of  no  account  whatever  as  a  ground 
of  acceptance  with  God.  If  we  inculcate 
this  doctrine,  we  need  not  fear  exhorting 
sinners  to  holy  exercises   of  heart,   nor 


holding  up  the  promises  of  mercy  to  all 
who  thus  return  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ. 


APPENDIX. 

ON  THE  QUESTION  WHETHER  THE  EX- 
ISTENCE OF  A  HOLY  DISPOSITION  OF 
HEART  BE  NECESSARY  TO  BELIEV- 
ING. 

It  is  not  from  a  fondness  for  controver- 
sy that  I  am  induced  to  ofTer  my  senti- 
ments on  this  suliject.  I  feel  myself  called 
upon  to  do  so  on  two  accounts.  First: 
The  leading  principle  in  the  foregoing 
treatise  is  implicated  in  the  decision  of  it. 
If  no  holy  disposition  of  heart  be  presup- 
posed or  Included  in  belie\  ing,  it  has  noth- 
ing holy  in  it;  and,  if  it  have  nothing  holy 
in  it,  it  is  absurd  to  plead  for  its  being 
a  duty.  God  requires  nothing  as  a  duty 
which  is  merely  natural  or  intellectual,  or 
in  which  the  will  has  no  concern.  Second- 
ly :  Mr.  M'Lean,  of  Edinburgh,  in  a  sec- 
ond edition  of  his  treatise  on  TIic  Commis- 
sion of  Christ,  has  published  several  |)ages 
of  animadversions  on  w  hat  I  have  advan- 
ced on  this  subject,  and  has  charged  me 
with  very  serious  consecpiences  :  conse- 
quences which,  if  substantiated,  will  go  to 
prove  that  I  have  subverted  the  great  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  grace  alone,  with- 
out the  works  of  the  law. — pp.  74 — 86.  It 
is  true  he  has  made  no  mention  of  my 
name ;  owing,  as  I  suppose,  to  what  I  had 
written  being  contained  in  two  private  let- 
ters, one  of  which  was  addressed  to  him. 
I  certainly  had  no  expectation,  when  I 
wrote  those  letters,  that  what  I  advanced 
would  have  been  piihlichi  answered.  I  do 
not  pretend  to  understand  so  much  of  the  et- 
iquette of  writing  as  to  decide  whether  thi.s 
conduct  was  proper:  but,  if  it  were,  some 
people  may  be  tempted  to  think  that  it  is  ra- 
ther dangerous  to  correspond  with  authors. 
I  have  no  desire,  however,  to  complain  on 
this  account,  nor  indeed  on  any  other,  ex- 
cept that  my  sentiments  are  very  partially 
stated,  and  things  introduced  so  much  out 
of  their  connection  that  it  is  impossible  for 
the  reader  to  form  any  judgment  concern- 
ing them. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  agree  with  Mr. 
M'L.  in  considering  the  belief  of  the  gos- 
pel as  saving  faith.  Our  disagreement  on 
this  subject  is  confined  to  the  question, 
What  the  belief  of  the  gospel  includes. 
Mr.  M'L.  so  explains  it  as  carefully  to 
exclude  every  exercise  of  the  heart  or 
will  as  either  included  in  it  or  having  anjt, 


VOL.   I. 


63 


41H 


APPENDIX. 


Influence  upon  it      Whatever  of  this  ex-  that  could  it  be  separated  from  its  effects, 

ists  in  a  believer  he  considers  as  belong-  (as  he   supposes   it  is   in  justification,)  it 

ino-  to  the  effects  of  faith,  rather  than   to  would   leave    the  person    who    possessed 

iaflli    itself        If    I    understand   him,    he  it  among  the  enemies  of  God. 

lilcads  fbr  such  a  belief  of  the   gospel   as  Notwithstanding    the    above,    however, 

has  nothiu"-  in  it  of  a  holy  nature,  nothing  Mr.  M'L.  allows  faith  to  be  a  duty.     He 

olconfonnitv  to  the  moral  law  "in  heart  has  largely  (and,  I  believe,  successfully,) 

or  life-"  a  Prtssiue  reception  of  the  truth,  endeavored  to   prove   that   "faith   is   the 

in    winch   the  will  has  no   concern;  and  command  of  God;"  that   it   is    "part   of 

this  because  it  is  opposed  to  the  ivorks  of  obedience  to  God;"  that  "  to  believe  all 

//je /fliw  in  the  article  of  justification. — pp.  that  God  says  is  right;"  and   that  unbe- 

g;3 8(3      On  this  ground  he  accounts  for  lief,  which  is  its  opposite,  is  "  a  great  and 

the  apostle's  language  in   Romans   iv.   5,  heinous  sin."*     But  how  can  these  things 

"  To  him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  agree  1     If  there  be  nothing  of  the  exer- 

on  him   that  justifieth  the  ungodly;''  un-  cise  of  a  holy  disposition  in  what  is   com- 

derstanding,  by  the  terms  "he  that  work-  manded  of  God,  in  what   is   right,   and   in 

eth  not,"  one  that  has   done  nothing  yet  what  is  an  exercise  of  obedience,  by  what 

which  is   pleasing  to   God;    and,  by  the  rule  are  we  to  judge   of  what  is  holy  and 

term  "ungodly,"  one  that  is  actually  an  what  is  notl     I  scarcely  can  conceive  of  a 

enemy    to    God.      He   docs   not  suppose  truth    more    self-evident   than   this :  that 

that  God  justifies  unbelievers :  if,  there-  God's    commands    extend    only    to    that 

fore    he  justifies  sinners  while  in  a  state  which    comes  under   the   influence    of  the 

of  enmity  against  him,  there  can  be  noth-  ivill.     Knowledge  can  be  no  further  a  du- 

ing  in  the  nature  of  faith  but  what   may  ty,  nor  ignorance   a  sin,   than   as    each  is 


consist  with  it.  And  true  it  is,  if  faith 
have  nothing  in  it  of  a  holy  nature,  noth- 
ing of  conformity  to  the   divine  law 


influenced  by  the  moral  state  of  the  heart ; 
and  the  same  is  true  of  faith  and  unbelief. 
We  miaht  as  well   make   the   passive   ad- 


heart  or  life,"  nothing  of  the  exercise  of  mission  of  light  into  the  eye,  or  of  sound 

any  holy   disposition  of  heart,   it  cannot  into  the  ear,  duties,  as   a  passive   admis- 

denominate    the    subjects    of    it     godly,  sion  of  truth  into  the  mind.     To  receive 

Godliness    must,    in    this    case,    consist  it  into  the  heart,  indeed,  is  duty  ;  for  this 

merely  in  the   fruits   of  faith ;  and,   these  is  a  voluntary  acquiescence  in  it :  but  that 

fruits   being   subsequent   to  justification,  in  which  the  will  has  no   concern  cannot 

the  sinner  must  of  course  be  justified  an-  possibly  be  so. 

tecedently  to  his  being  the  subject  of  god-        Mr.   M'L.   sometimes  writes    as    if  he 

liness,  or  while  he  is   actually  the   enemy  would  acknowledge  faith  to  be  not  only  a 

of  God.  duty,    but    to   "  contain  virtue,"   or  true 

If   Mr.   M'L.   had  only   affirmed   that  holiness;  seeing,   as  he  observes,  "it  is 

faith  is  opposed  to  works,   even  to  every  the  root  of  all  Christian  virtues,  and  that 

good    disposition    of    the    heart,  as    the  which    gives  glory   to   God,   and  without 

ground  of  acceptance  ivith  God;  that  we  which   it  is    impossible  to    please   him." 

are  not  justified   by   it   as    a    work;    or  Nay,  the  reader   would   imagine,    by  his 

that,    whatever   moral    goodness    it    may  manner  of  writing,  that  he   was  pleading 

possess,  it  is   not  as  such  that  it  is  im-  for  the   holy  nature    of  faith,  and  that  I 


puted  unto  us  for  righteousness ;  there 
had  been  no  dispute  between  us.  But 
this  distinction  he  rejects,  and  endeavors 
to  improve  the  caution  of  those  who  use 
it  into  a  tacit  acknowledgment  that  their 
views  of  faith  were  very  liable  to  miscon- 
struction: in  other  words,  that  they  bor- 


had  denied  it ;  seeing  I  am  represented  as 
having  made  the  "  too  bold  "  and  "  unfoun- 
ded assertion,"  that  mere  belief  contains  no 
virtue.  The  truth  is  I  affirmed  no  such 
thing,  but  was  pleading  for  the  contrary  ; 
as  is  manifest  from  what  Mr.  M'L.  says 
the  same  note  :   "  But  why  so   solicit- 


der  upon  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  ous  to  find  virtue  or  moral  excellence  in 
works  in  so  great  a  degree  as  to  be  in  faith  1  "  It  is  true  I  contended  that  if 
danger  of  being  mistaken  for  its  advo-  the  belief  of  the  gospel  were  a  mere  ex- 
cates  — p.  76.  He  is  not  contented  with  ercise  of  tlie  und'erstanding,  uninfluenced 
faith  being  opposed  to  works  in  point  of  by  the  moral  state  of  the  heart,  it  could 
justification;  it  must  also  be  opposed  to    contain  no  virtue,  nor  be  the  object  of  a 


them  in  its  own  nature.  "Paul,"  he  af- 
firms, "did  not  look  upon  faith  as  a 
work."  In  short,  if  there  be  any  possi- 
bility   of    drawing    a   certain   conclusion    , 

from  what  a  writer,  in  almost  every  form    opposite  "  is  not 

of  speecJi,  has  advanced,  it  must  be  con-   judgment,  but  a  n 

eluded  that  he  means  to  deny  that  there  is 

any  thing  holy  in  the  nature  of  faith,  and       *  Belief  of  the  Gospel  Saving  Faith,  pp.  34-44. 


divine  command  :  but  I  supposed  it  to  be  a 
persuasion  of  divine  truth  arising  from  the 
state  of  the  heart,  in  the  same  sense  as  un- 
belief, which  Mr.  M'L.  justly  calls  "  its 
a  mere  mistake  of  the 
ersuasion  arising  from 


APPF.NDIX. 


'119 


aversion  to  tho  Inith.  From  the  above, 
however,  it  would  seem  that  we  are  agreed 
in  rnakinu;  (aitli  in  Christ  sonietIiin<:;  wiiicli 
•comprehends  "  true  virtue,"  or,  whidi  is 
the  same  tliin;ij,  true  holiness.  Yet  Mr. 
M'L.  will  not  al)ide  l>v  all  or  any  of  this  : 
if  he  would,  indeed,  there  would  be  an 
«nd  of  the  dispute.  But  he  proceeds  to 
reason  in  favor  of  that  very  "  unfounded 
assertion  "  for  makin>r  wbicli  I  am  unwar- 
rantal)lv  accused  of  havint;  lieen  "  too 
bold."  Tims  he  reasons  in  support  of  it  : 
— "  If  mere  lielief  contain  no  viiiue,  it 
■would  not  follow  that  unl)ellef  could  con- 
tain no  sin ;  for  such  an  argument  pro- 
ceeds upon  this  principle,  that,  if  there  be 
no  virtue  in  a  thing,  there  can  be  no  sin  in 
its  opposite  ;  but  this  does  noi  hold  true  in 
innumerable  instances.  There  is  no  posi- 
tive virtue  in  abstaining  from  many  crimes 
that  might  be  mentioned  ;  yet  the  commis- 
sion of  them,  or  even  the  neglect  of  the 
opposite  duties,  would  lie  very  sinful. 
There  is  no  moral  virtue  in  taking  food 
•when  hungry  ;  but  wilfully  to  starve  one's 
self  to  death  would  be  suicide  :  and,  to 
•come  nearer  the  point,  there  is  no  moral 
virtue  in  believing  the  testimony  oi  a  friend 
when  I  have  every  reason  to  do  so  ;  yet, 
in  these  circumstances,  were  I  to  discredit 
his  word,  he  would  feel  the  injury  very 
sensibly.  Now,  supposing  there  was  no 
more  virtue  contained  in  believing  the  wit- 
ness of  God  than  in  believing  the  witness 
of  men,  to  which  it  is  compared,  it  does 
not  follow  that  there  would  l)e  no  sin  in 
unbelief,  which  is  to  make  God  a  liar. 
To  deny  that  faith  is  tiie  exercise  of  a 
virtuous  temper  of  heart  is  to  refuse  some 
praise  to  the  creature  ;  but  to  deny  that 
unbelief  is  a  sin  is  to  impeach  the  moral 
character  of  God. — And  why  so  solicit- 
ous to  find  virtue  or  moral  excellence  in 
faith  ?  " 

Now,  whether  this  reasoning  be  just  or 
not,  it  must  be  allowed  to  prove  that  Mr. 
M'L.,  notwithstanding  what  he  has  said 
to  the  contrary,  does  no/ consider  faith  as 
containing  any  virtue.  It  is  true  what  he 
says  is  under  a  hypothetical  form,  and  it 
may  appear  as  if  he  were  only  allowing  me 
my  argument,  for  the  sake  of  overturning 
it :  but  it  is  manifestly  his  own  ))rinciple 
which  he  labors  to  establish,  and  not  mine  ; 
the  very  principle  on  which,  as  he  con- 
ceives depends  the  freeness  of  justification. 
I  cannot  but  express  my  surjjrise  that  so 
acute  a  writer  should  deal  so  largely  in 
inconsistency. 

Mr.  M'L.  cannot  conceive  of  any  end  to 
be  answered  in  finding  moral  excellence 
in  faith,  unless  it  be  to  give  some  "  praise 
to  the  creature."  He  doubtless  means, 
by  this  insinuation,  to  lurnisli  an  argument 
agains  tit.    As  for  any  thing  which  is  spirit- 


ually good  in  us,  and  which  is  wrought  by 
him  who  "  worketh  all  our  works  in  us," 
is  praiseworthy,  so  far  the  same  may  be 
granted  of  faith  :  and,  as  wc  shovihl  not 
think  of  denying  the  one  to  contain  moral 
excellence  for  the  sake  of  humbling  the 
creature,  neither  is  tliere  any  ground  for 
doing  so  with  respect  to  the  other. 

But  there  are  other  ends  to  be  answered 
by  maintaining  the  holy  nature  of  faith; 
and  such  as  Mr.  M'L.  himself  will  not 
deny  to  be  of  importance. 

First :  It  is  of  importance  that  faith  be 
considered  as  a  duty  ;  for,  if  this  be  de- 
nied, Christ  is  denied  the  honor  due  to  his 
name.  But  it  is  impossible  to  maintain 
that  faith  is  a  duty,  if  it  contain  no  holy 
exercise  oi'  the  heart.  This,  I  presume, 
has  already  been  made  to  appear.  God 
requires  nothing  of  intelligent  creatures 
but  what  is  holy. 

Secondly  ;  It  is  of  importance  that  the 
faith  which  we  inculcate  be  genuine,  or 
such  as  ^cill  carry  us  to  heaven.  But,  if 
it  have  no  holiness  in  its  nature,  it  is  dead, 
and  must  be  unproductive.  Mr.  M'L. 
considers  true  faith  as  the  root  of  holi- 
ness :  but,  if  it  be  so,  it  must  be  holy  itself 
for  the  nature  of  the  fruit  corresponds  with 
that  of  the  root.  If  the  difference  between 
a  living  and  dead  faith  do  not  consist 
in  this,  that  the  one  is  of  a  holy  nature  and 
the  other  not  so,  I  should  be  glad  to  be 
informed  w  herein  it  does  consist ;  and 
whetlierthe  nature  of  the  one  be  the  same 
as  the  other,  the  difference  between  them 
arising  merely  from  circumstances. 

Thirdly:  It  is  of  importance  that  unbe- 
lief be  allowed  to  be  a  sin ;  as  it  is  that 
which,  by  Mr.  M'L.'s  acknowledgment, 
"impeaches  the  moral  character  of  God." 
But  if  there  be  no  holiness  in  faith,  there 
can  be  no  sin  in  its  opposite.  It  is  true 
Mr.  M'L.  denies  the  principle  of  this  argu- 
ment, and  speaks  of  "innumerable  instan- 
ces" of  things  which  have  no  virtue,  and 
yet  the  opposite  of  them  is  sin.  This,  I  am 
persuaded,  is  not  true.  Whatever  is  the 
proper  opposite  of  sin  is  holiness.  The 
instances  which  are  given  do  not  prove 
the  contrary  ;  as  abstinence  from  various 
crimes,  eating  when  we  are  hungry,  and 
believing  a  human  testimony.  There  may, 
indeed,  be  no  holiness  in  these  things,  as 
they  are  performed  by  ajiostate  creatures  : 
but  if  they  were  performed  as  God  re- 
quires them  to  be,  (which  they  should  be, 
in  order  to  their  l)eing  the  proper  oppnsites 
to  the  sins  referred  to,)  they  would  be  ho- 
ly exercises.  God  requires  us  to  al)stain 
irom  all  sin,  from  a  regard  to  his  name  ; 
to  "eat  and  drink,  and  do  whatever  we 
do,"  even  the  giving  credit  to  the  testimo- 
ny of  a  friend,  "wiien  we  have  reason  io 
do  so,"   ''to  his  glory."      These  things, 


430 


APPENDIX. 


thus  performed,  would  be  exercises  of  ho- 
liness. 

I  am  aware  that  those  who  have  oppo- 
sed the  doctrine  of  total  depravity  have 
argued  that,  as  being  "  without  natural 
affection"  is  sin,  so  the  being  possessed  of 
it  must  be  virtue.  To  this  it  has  been 
justly  answered  that,  though  a  being  with- 
out natural  affection  argues  the  highest 
degree  of  depravity  (as  notliing  else  could 
overcome  the  common  principles  of  hu- 
man nature)  yet  it  does  not  follow  that 
mere  natural  affection  is  virtuous  ;  for,  if 
so,  virtue  would  be  found  in  mere  animals. 
This  answer  is  just,  and  sufficient  to  repel 
the  objection  on  the  subject  of  human  de- 
pravity :  but  it  will  not  apply  to  the  case 
in  hand.  The  question  there  relates  to  a 
matter  of  fact,  or  what  men  actually  are  ; 
but  here  to  a  matter  of  right,  or  what 
they  ought  to  be.  Whatever  is  capable  of 
being  done  by  a  moral  agent,  with  an  eye 
to  the  glory  of  God,  ought  to  be  so  done  : 
and,  if  it  be,  it  is  lioly  ;  if  not,  whatever 
may  be  thought  of  it  by  men,  it  is  sinful. 
Natural  affection  itself,  if  subordinate  to 
him,  would  be  sanctified,  or  rendered 
holy  ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  every 
natural  inclination  or  action  of  life.  It  is 
thus  that  God  should  be  served,  even  in 
our  civil  concerns;  and  "holiness  to  the 
Lord"  written,  as  it  were,  upon  the  "bells 
of  the  horses." 

I  have  known  several  persons  in  Eng- 
land who  have  agreed  with  Mr.  M'L.  as 
to  faith  belonging  merely  to  the  intellec- 
tual faculty,  and  the  moral  state  of  the 
heart  having  no  influence  upon  it ;  but 
then  they  either  denied,  or  have  been  very 
reluctant  to  admit,  that  it  is  duty.  "  The 
mind,"  say  they,  "  is  passive  in  the  be- 
lief of  a  proposition :  we  cannot  believe 
as  we  will,  but  according  to  evidence. 
It  may  be  our  duty  to  examine  that  evi- 
dence ;  but,  as  to  faith,  it,  being  altogeth- 
er involuntary,  cannot  be  a  duty."  And, 
if  it  be  a  mere  passive  reception  of  the 
truth,  on  wliich  the  state  of  the  will  has 
no  influence,  I  do  not  perceive  how  this 
consequence  can  be  denied.  But  then  the 
same  might  be  said  of  unbelief:  If  evi- 
dence do  not  appear  to  us,  how  can  we 
believe  1  It  may  be  our  sin  not  to  ex- 
amine :  but,  as  to  our  not  believing,  it, 
being  altogether  involuntary,  cannot  be  a 
sin. — By  this  mode  of  .reasoning,  the  sin 
of  unbelief  is  explained  away  ;  and  unbe- 
lievers commonly  avail  themselves  of  it 
for  that  purpose.  As  both  these  conse- 
quences (I  mean  the  denying  of  faith  be- 
ing a  duty,  and  unbelief  a  sin)  are  allowed 
by  Mr.  M'L.  to  be  utterly  repugnant  to 
the  Scriptures,  it  becomes  him,  if  he  will 
defend  the  premises,  to  show  that  they 
have  no  necessary  connection  with  them. 


The  above  reasoning  -might  hold  good, 
for  aught  I  know,  in  things  which  do  not 
interest  the  heart  :  but  to  maintain  it  in 
things  which  do,  especially  in  things  of  a 
moral  and  practical  nature,  is  either  to 
deny  the  existence  of  prejudice  or  that  it 
has  any  influence  in  hindering  belief. 

The  author  of  Glad  Tidings  to  Perish- 
ing Sinners,  though  he  pleads  for  faith  as 
including  our  receiving- Christ,  and  coming 
to  him,  yet  is  decidedly  averse  from  all 
holy  disposition  of  the  heart  preceding  it, 
not  only  as  affording  a  warrant,  but  as 
any  Avay  necessary  to  the  thing  itself. 
And,  as  he  unites  with  Mr.  M'L.  in  con- 
sidering the  sinner  as  an  enemy  to  God 
at  the  time  of  his  being  justified,  he  must, 
to  be  consistent,  consider  faith  as  having 
no  holiness  in  its  nature.  His  method  of 
reasoning  on  tlie  priority  of  repentance  to 
believing  would  seem  to  denote  the  same 
thing.  He  allows  speculative  repentance, 
or  a  change  oj  mind  which  has  "  no  holi- 
ness "  in  it,  to  be  necessary  to  l)elieving; 
giving  this  as  the  reason  :  "  While  a  sin- 
ner is  eitlier  stupidly  inattentive  to  his  im- 
mortal interests,  or  expecting  justification 
by  his  own  obedience,  he  Avill  not  come  to 
Christ."  It  should  seem,  then,  that  aver- 
sion oj  heart  from  the  gospel  plan,  or  a 
desire  to  be  justified  by  one's  own  obedi- 
ence, is  no  objection  to  coming  to  Christ ; 
and  that  a  sinner  ivill  come  to  him,  not- 
withstanding this,  provided  he  be  right  in 
speculation,  and  his  conscience  sufficient- 
ly alarmed.  If  so,  there  certainly  can  be 
nothing  spiritual  or  holy  in  the  act  of 
coming.  The  respect  which  I  feel  both 
towards  Mr.  Booth  and  Mr.  M'Lean  is 
not  a  little  ;  but  there  needs  no  apology 
for  opposing  these  sentiments.  Truth 
ought  to  be  dearer  to  us  that  the  greatest 
or  best  of  men. 

Mr.  M'L.  writes  as  if  he  were  at  a 
loss  to  know  my  meaning.  "  By  a  cor- 
responding  temper  of  heart,'''  he  says, 
"  cannot  lie  meant  some  good  disposition 
previous  to  faith  ;  for,  as  the  question  re- 
lates to  faith  itself,  that  would  be  foreign 
to  the  point."  I  have  no  scruple  in  say- 
ing, however,  that  I  consider  it  as  previous 
to  faith  ;  and,  as  to  what  is  suggested  of 
its  irrelevancy,  the  same  might  be  said  of 
unbelief.  Were  I  to  say  that  unbelief 
includes  the  exercise  of  an  evil  temper  of 
heart,  and  that  herein  consists  the  sin  of  it, 
I  should  say  no  more  than  is  plainly  inti- 
mated by  the  sacred  writers,  who  de- 
scribe unbelievers  as  "stumbling  at  the 
word,  being  disobedient." — 1  Pet.  ii.  8. 
Yet  Mr.  M'L.  might  answer,  by  an  evil 
temper  of  heart  you  cannot  mean  any 
thing  previous  to  unbelief;  for,  as  the 
question  relates  to  unbelief  itself,  that 
would  be  foreign  to  the  point.     Neither 


APPENDIX. 


421 


can  you  mean  that  it  is  the  inunediatc  ami 
insL'|)aral>lo  elf'ect  of  uiilieliel  ;  ibr  tliat  is 
(iilly  "rraiitcd  :  ami  it  is  not  thecflcct,  Iml 
the  nature,  or  essence,  of  unl)elier  tiiat  is 
the  point  in  ijuestion.  Yonr  nieaiiinLT, 
tlieicfoie,  niusl  lie  this  :  that  uiilieliel, 
in  its  very  nutttre,  [is  a  temper  or  tlisposi- 
tion  oT  heart  (lisairreein,?  with  tlie  truth. — 
To  tliis  I  should  answer,  I  do  not  consider 
unlielief  as  an  evil  temper  of  heart,  liut  as 
a  persuasion  arising  out  of  it  and  jnirtuk- 
ins;  of  it  :  and  the  same  answer  is  ai)pli- 
caiile  to  the  subject  in  hand. 

I  shall  lirst  oiler  evidence  that  faith  in 
Christ  is  a  persuasion  influenced  l>y  the 
moral  state  of  the  heart,  and  partaking  of 
it ;  and  tiicn  consider  the  principal  objec- 
tions advanced  au;ainst  it. 

If  what  has  been  said  already,  on  duty 
being  confmed  to  things  in  which  the  will 
has  an  influence,  be  just,  the  whole  of  the 
second  part  of  the  foregoing  treatise  may 
be  considered  as  evidence  in  favor  of  the 
point  now  at  issue  ;  as  whatever  proves 
faith  to  be  a  duty  proves  it  to  be  a  holy 
exercise  of  the  soul  towards  Christ,  aris- 
ing from  the  heart  being  turned  towards 
him. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  following  par- 
ticulars are  submitted  to  the  reader: — 

First  :  Faith  is  a  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  is  ranked  with  hope  and  char- 
ity, which  are  spiritual  or  holy  exercises. 
Indeed,  whatever  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a 
sanctijier  produces,  must  resemble  his 
own  nature.  "  That  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  spirit."  As  "the  wisdom  which 
is  from  above  is  pure,"  and  of  a  practi- 
cal nature,  so  faith  which  is  from  above 
resembles  its  divine  origin. 

Secondly  :  it  is  that  in  the  exercise  of 
which  we  "  sive  trlorv^  to  God." — Rom. 
iv.  20.  If  faith  be,  w'hat  Mr.  M'L.  ac- 
knowledges it  to  lie,  a  duty,  and  an  exer- 
cise of  obedience,  its  possessing  such  a 
tendency  is  easily  conceived ;  but  if  it  be 
a  passive  reception  of  the  truth,  on  which 
the  moral  state  of  the  heart  has  no  influ- 
ence, how  can  such  a  property  l)e  ascril)ed 
to  it!  There  is  a  way  in  which  inanimate 
nature  glorifies  God,  and  he  may  get  him- 
self glory  l)y  the  works  of  the  most  un- 
godly :  hut  no  ungodly  man  truly  gives 
glory  to  nim ;  neither  does  a  godly  man, 
but  in  the  exercise  of  holiness. 

Thirdly ;  Faith  is  represented  as  de- 
pending upon  choice,  or  the  state  of  the 
heart  towarls  God.  "Said  I  not  un- 
to thee,  if  thou  ivouldst  believe,  thou 
shouldst  see  Uie  glory  of  God  ! — "  How 
can  ye  believe,  which  receive  honor  one 
of  another,  and   seek  not  the  honor   that 

cometh    from    (rod    only?'' "If    thou 

canst  believe,   all   things   are   possible   to 
him  that  believeth."     If  faith   be  a  mere 


passive  reception  of  tiio  truth  into  the  un- 
derstanding, on  which  the  state  of  the 
will  has  no  influence,  what  fair  inter|)ret- 
ation  can  be  given  to  these  passages  ?  If 
a  ilisjiosition  to  seek  the  divine  honor  be 
not  necessary  to  believing,  how  is  it  that 
the  want  of  it  should  render  it  imjmssi- 
ble  I  And  if  i)elieving  had  no  depend- 
ence upon  choice,  or  the  state  of  the 
heart,  how  is  it  that  our  Saviour  should 
suspend  his  healing  of  the  chihl  upon  the 
parent's  being  able  to  exercise  it!  Did 
he  suspend  his  mercy  on  the  i)crformance 
of  a  natural  imjiossiljility  ;  or  upon  some- 
thing on  which  the  state'of  the  heart  had 
no  influence  1 

Fourthly:  Faith  is  frequently  rep- 
resented as  implying  repentance  for  sin, 
which  is  acknowledged  on  all  hands  to  l)e 
a  holy  exercise.  It  does  not  come  up  to 
the  scripture-re|)rcsentation  to  say,  re- 
pentance is  a  fruit  of  faith.  There  is  no 
doubt  but  that  faith,  where  it  exists,  will 
operate  to  ])romote  repentance,  anrl  every 
other  holy  exercise.  It  is  true,  also,  that 
a  conviction  of  the  being  and  attriiiutes  of 
God  must,  in  the  order  of  nature,  precede 
repentance;  l)ecause  we  cannot  repent 
for  offending  a  being  of  whose  existence 
we  doul)t,  or  of  whose  character  we  have 
no  just  conception  :  but  the  faith  of  the 
gospel,  or  a  believing  in  Jesus  for  the  sal- 
vation of  our  souls,  is  represented  in  the 
New  Testament  as  implying  repentance 
for  sjn.  "  Repent  ye,  and  l)elieve  the 
gospel." — "  And  ye,  when  ye  had  seen  it, 
repented  not  that  ye  might  believe.'" — "  If, 
peradventure,  God  will  give  them  repent- 
ance to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth." 
Whenever  the  Scriptures  speak  of  re- 
pentance as  followed  by  the  remission  of 
sins,  it  will  be  allowed  that  faith  is  sup- 
posed ;  for  repentance  without  faith  could 
not  please  God,  nor  have  any  connection 
Avitii  the  promise  of  forgiveness  :  and  it 
is  equally  evident  that,  when  they  sj)cak 
of  faith  as  followed  by  justification,  re- 
pentance is  supposed;  for  faith  without 
repentance  would  not  be  genuine.  It  is 
impossible  to  discern  the  glory  of  Christ's 
mediation,  or  to  believe  in  the  necessity, 
the  importance,  the  loveliness,  or  the 
suitableness  of  his  undertaking,  while  we 
feel  not  for  the  dishonor  done  to  God  by 
the  sin  of  creatures,  and  particularly  by 
our  own  sin.  Ignorance,  tiierefore,  is  as- 
cribed to  obduracy  or  insensibility  of 
heart.*  Indeed  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that, 
where  there  is  no  sense  of  the  evil  and 
demerit  of  sin,  there  can  be  no  "  form 
nor  comeliness  "  discerned  in  the  Saviour, 
"  nor  beauty  that  we  should  desire  him ;" 
and,  while  this  is  the  case,  the  servants  of 

*  Eph.  iv.  18. 


422 


APPENDIX. 


Christ  will  have    to  lament,   "who  hath 
believed  our  report  1" 

Fifthly:  Faith  is  often  expressed  by 
terms  which  indicate  the  exercise  of  affec- 
tion. It  is  called  receiving  Christ,  which 
stands  opposed  to  rejecting  him,  or  receiv- 
ing him  not ;  and  which  is  descriptive  of 
the  treatment  he  met  with  from  the  body 
of  the  Jewish  nation.  It  is  called  "  re- 
ceiving the  love  of  the  truth,  that  we  may 
be  saved;"  and,  by  salvation  being  thus 
connected  wilh  it,  it  is  implied  that  no 
other  reception  of  the  truth  is  saving. 
Christ's  word  is  said  to  have  ''no  place  " 
in  unbelievers  ;  which  implies  that  in  true 
believers  it  has  place,  and  which  is  ex- 
pressive of  more  than  a  mere  assent  of 
the  understanding.  The  good  ground  in 
the  parable  is  said  to  represent  those 
"  who  in  an  honest  and  good  heart,  having 
heard  the  word,  keep  it,  and  bring  forth 
fruit  with  patience."  It  is  here  intimated 
that  no  one  receives  the  word  to  purpose, 
but  in  the  es.ercise  of  an  honest  and  good 
heart  * 

Sixthly:  Belief  is  expressly  said  to  be 
m^ith  the  heart.  "  If  thou  shalt  confess 
with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  be- 
lieve in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised 
him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved. 
For  ivith  the  heart  man  believeth  unto 
righteousness,  and  with  the  mouth  confes- 
sion is  made  unto  salvation." — "  If  thou 
believest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  may- 
est."  It  is  allowed  that  the  heart,  in  these 
passages  does  not  denote  the  affections  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  understanding;  nor 
.-does  the  argument  require  that  it  should  : 
but  neither  does  it  denote  the  understand- 
ing to  the  exclusion  of  the  affections,  (which 
is  required  by  the  argument  on  the  other 
side,)  but  the  inmost  soul,  in  opposition  to 
the  mouth  with  which  confession  is  made 
unto  salvation.  Doing  any  thing  with  the 
heart  or  ivith  all  the  heart,  are  modes  of 
speaking  never  used  in  Scripture,  I  believe, 
for  the  mere  purpose  of  expressing  what 
is  internal,  or  mental,  and  which  may  per- 
tain only  to  the  understanding  :  they  rath- 
er denote  the  quality  of  unfeignedness,  a 
quality  repeatedly  ascribed  to  faith,  and 
which  marks  an  honesty  of  heart  which  is 
essential  to  it.— 1  Tim.  i.  5  ;  2  Tim.  i.  5. 
Seventhly  :  The  want  of  faith  is  ascribed 
to  moral  causes,  or  to  the  want  of  a  right 
disposition  of  heart.  "Ye  have  not  his 
word  abiding  in  you  ;  for  whom  he  hath 
sent,  him  ye  believe  not.  Search  the 
Scriptures  ;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have 
eternal  life  :  and  they  are  they  which  tes- 
tify of  me.  And  ye  will  not  come  to  me 
that  ye   might  have  life.     I   receive   not 


*  John    i.    12.     2Tli.    ii.   10. 
Luke  viii.  15. 


John   viii.    37. 


honor  from  men.  But  I  know  you,  that  ye 
have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you.  I  am 
come  in  my  Father's  name,  and  ye  receive 
me  not ;  if  another  shall  come  in  his  own 
name,  him  will  ye  receive.  How  can  ye 
believe,  which  receive  honor  one  of  anoth- 
er, and  seek  not  the  honor  that  cometh 
from  God  only  1  " — "  Because  I  tell  you 
the  truth,  ye  believe  me  not." — "  If  I  say 
the  truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  me  1  He 
that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words  :  ye, 
therefore,  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are 
not  of  God."  If  a  holy  disposition  were 
unnecessary  to  believing  in  Christ,  neither 
the  want  of  it,  nor  the  existence  of  the 
contrary,  could  form  any  obstruction  to  it. 

Lastly  :  Unbelief  is  not  a  mere  error  oj 
the  understanding,  but  a  positive  and  prac- 
tical rejection  of  the  gospel.  It  is  actually 
treating  God  as  a  liar,  and  all  the  bless- 
ings of  the  gospel  with  contempt  :  but 
faith  is  the  opposite  of  unbelief;  there- 
fore it  is  not  a  mere  assent  of  the  under- 
standing, but  a  practical  reception  of  the 
gospel,  actually  treating  God  as  the  God 
of  truth,  and  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  as 
worthy  of  all  acceptation.  This  state- 
ment of  things  is  clearly  taught  to  us  by 
the  pointed  address  of  our  Lord  to  the 
Jews,  quoted  under  the  foregoing  argu- 
ment. "  Because  I  tell  you  the  truth, 
ye  believe  me  not." — "  If  I  say  the  truth, 
why  do  ye  not  believe  me  1  "  If  faith 
were  a  mere  exercise  of  the  understand- 
ing, why  do  not  men  as  readily  believe  the 
truth  as  they  believe  a  liel  Surely  truth 
is  not  less  evident  to  the  mind,  nor  less 
consistent,  than  falsehood.  It  is  evident 
that  their  not  believing  the  truth  was  owing 
to  the  aversion  of  their  hearts,  and  nothing 
else,  and,  by  what  follows,  it  is  equally 
evident  that  the  belief  of  the  truth  is  owing 
to  the  removal  of  this  aversion,  or  to  the 
heart's  being  brought  to  be  on  the  side  of 
God  :  "  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth 
God's  words  :  ye,  therefore,  hear  them 
not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God." 

I  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  ob- 
jections. The  first  and  principal  objec- 
tion that  Mr.  M'L.  alleges  against  this 
statement  of  things  is,  that  it  afftcts  the 
doctrine  of  justification  by  grace  alone, 
without  the  ivorks  of  the  laio.  "  The 
Scriptures  pointedly  declare,"  •'le  says, 
"  that  God  justifies  sinners  ' freely  by  his 
grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Jesus  Christ,'  and  that  this  justification  is 
received  'through/«i^/t  in  (Christ's)  blood.' 
Faith  in  this  case  is  always  distinguished 
from  and  opposed  to  the  works  of  the  law  ; 
not  merely  of  the  ceremonial  law,  which 
was  peculiar  to  the  Jews,  but  of  that  law 
by  which  is  the  knowledge  of  sin,  which 
says,  '  Thou  shalt  not  covet,'  and  which 
requires  not  only  outward  good  actions. 


AI'PF.NDIX. 


423 


but  love,  and  every  good  disposition  ol'llic 
heart,  botli  towards  God  and  our  neinh- 
hor  ;  so  tliat  the  works  ofCliis  law  respect 
the  lieart  as  well  as  life.  The  dislinclion 
therefore,  between  /'«(//«  and  works  on  this 
subject  is  not  that  wliich  is  iietween  in- 
ward and  outward  conl'orniity  to  the  h\w  ; 
for  if  tailh  be  not  in  tliis  case  distin<ruisli- 
ed  Iroin  and  opposed  to  our  conlorniity  to 
the  hiw,  l>oth  outwardly  and  inwardly,  it 
cannot  be  said  that  we  are  '  justil'ietl  by 
faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the  law,'  or 
(hat  God  ' justifietli  tlie  uniiodly.'  Faith, 
intieed,  as  a  principle  of  action,  '  workcth 
liylove;'  but  it  is  not  as  thus  working 
that  it  is  imputed  for  rifrhteousness  ;  lor  it 
is  expressly  declared  that  righteousness  is 
imputed  to  him  tliat  'workcth  not,  l)ut  be- 
lievethon  him  tiiat  justifieth  the  ungodly.' 
'  It  is  of  faith,  that  it  mijrht  be  by  grace;  ' 
and  L^race  and  works  arc  represented  as 
incompatible  with  each  other  ;  for  to  him 
that  'workcth  is  the  reward  not  reckoned 
of  grace  but  ol  debt.'  Now,  when  men  in- 
clude in  the  very  nature  of  justifying  faith 
such  good  dispositions,  holy  affections,  and 
pious  exercises  of  heart,  as  the  moral  law- 
requires,  and  so  make  them  necessary  (no 
matter  under  what  consideration)  to  a  sin- 
ner's acceptance  with  God,  it  perverts  the 
apostle's  doctrine  upon  this  important 
subject,  and  makes  justification  to  be  at 
least  'as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the 
law.'  "  * 

There  is  no  dispute  whether  justifica- 
tion be  of  grace  thrnugli  tfie  redemption 
which  is  in  Jesus  Christ ;  nor  whether  jus- 
tification by  faith  he  opposed  to  justifi- 
cation by  the  works  of  the  law,  even 
those  works  which  are  internal,  as  we!!  as 
tliose  which  are  external.  But  it  is  ap- 
prehended that,  in  order  to  maintain  these 
doctrines,  there  is  no  necessity  to  explain 
away  the  holy  nature  of  faith,  or  to  main- 
tain that  it  consists  in  mere  speculation, 
wliicli  it  must  if  it  liave  notliing  of  the  dis- 
position of  tlie  liearl  in  it. 

If  considering  faith  as  arising  from  tlie 
disposition  of  the  heart  l)e  unfriendly  to 
justification  by  grace  without  tlic  works 
of  the  law,  it  must  be  on  one  or  other  of 
these  suppositions  :  First,  either  thai, 
sliould  there  be  any  holiness  in  us  antece- 
dently to  justification,  it  must  be  imputed 
unto  us  for  righteousness.  Or,  secondly. 
If  it  be  not  so  in  fact,  yet  it  will  be  so  in 
the  view  of  awakened  sinners. 

The  first  of  these  suppositions,  so  far 
from  being  friendly  to  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  grace,  utterly  subverts  the 
grand  principle  on  which  the  necessity  of 
it  is  founded.  Tlie  grand  principle  on 
which  the  apostle  rests  the  doctrine  is  this  : 

*  On  the  Comiuission.  pp.  83,  84- 


"  It  is  written,  Cursed  is  every  one  that 
continueth  not  in  all  things  written  in 
tl»e  book  of  the  law  to  do  tliem."  This 
declaration  goes  to  an  utter  denial  of  the 
possil)ility  of  a  sinner's  being  justified  by 
ilic  works  of  liis  hands.  But,  if  the  fore- 
going supposition  be  true,  the  declaration 
must  be  false  ;  for,  according  to  this,  the 
holiness  of  one  that  lias  710/  continued  in 
all  things  written  in  the  book  of  tlie  law  to 
do  them,  proNidcd  he  have  any,  is  admis- 
sible to  his  justification.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  declaration  be  true,  the  sup- 
position is  false  ;  for  according  to  the 
apostle's  doctrine  it  must  follow  that  what- 
ever holiness  any  creature  may  possess 
before,  in,  or  after  his  believing,  unless  he 
could  produce  a  righteousness  conforming 
in  all  things  to  God's  righteous  law,  it 
will  avail  him  nothing  in  respect  of  justi- 
fication. I  have  no  idea  of  any  holiness 
antecedently  to  justification,  any  farther 
than  what  is  necessarily  imi)lied  in  the 
nature  of  justifying  faith;  but  if  it  were 
otherwise,  and  a  sinner  could  produce  a 
series  of  holy  actions  performed  in  a  course 
of  years,  all  must  be  reckoned  as  loss  and 
dung  in  respect  of  his  being  accepted  of 
God.  He  that  would  win  Christ  must  be 
"  found  in  him." 

If  antecedent  holiness  destroy  the  free- 
ness  of  grace,  I  know  of  no  solid  reason 
why  consequent  holiness  should  not  ope- 
rate in  the  same  way  :  and  then,  in  order 
to  be  justified  by  grace,  it  will  be  necessa- 
ry to  continue  the  enemies  of  God  throusrh 
life.  It  is  not  the  priority  of  tiyne  that 
makes  any  difference,  but  that  of  causa- 
tion. Holiness  may  precede  justification 
as  to  time,  and  it  may  be  necessary  on 
some  account  that  it  should  jirecede  it, 
and  yet  have  no  causal  influence  on  it. 
The  self-abasement  of  the  pulilic an  pre- 
ceded his  going  down  to  his  house  "justi- 
fied ;  "  yet  it  was  not  on  this  ground  that 
his  justification  rested.  Holiness,  on  the 
other  hand,  may  follow  justification  as  to 
time,  and  yet,  for  any  thing  that  this 
will  prove,  may  be  that  which  is  account- 
ed for  righteousness.  The  righteousness 
of  Christ  was  imputed  to  Old-testament 
believers,  long  before  it  was  actual- 
ly wrought  :  and  good  was  promised  to 
Abraham,  on  the  ground  that  God  "knew 
him  that  he  would  command  his  children 
and  his  household  after  him." 

It  was  the  denial  of  personal  holiness 
being  necessary  to  justification  as  a  pro- 
curing cause,  and  not  any  thing  which  re- 
garded the  tii/ie  of  it,  that  excited  those 
objections  against  the  doctrine  as  leading 
to  licentiousness  which  are  repelled  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans,  and  which  have 
been  pleaded  in  this  controversy.  The 
doctrine    here  defended   is   liable    to   the 


424 


APPENDIX. 


same  ;  not  justly,  indeed :  neither  was 
that  of  tlie  apostle  :  but  so  long  as  we 
maintain  thataccej)tance  with  God  is  whol- 
ly out  of  regard  to  the  righteousness  of 
another,  and  not  for  any  thing  done  by  us 
before,  in,  or  after  believing,  a  self-right- 
eous spirit  will  be  offended,  and  reproach 
the  doctrine  as  immoral. 

The  argument  for  the  necessity  of  a  sin- 
ner's being  an  enemy  to  God  at  the  time 
of  his  justification,  in  order  to  its  being 
wholly  of  grace,  resembles  that  of  some 
divines  who  for  the  same  purpose  have 
pleaded  for  our  being  justified  from  eter- 
nity. They  seem  to  have  supposed  that  if 
God  justified  us  l)efore  we  had  any  exist- 
ence, or  could  have  performed  any  good 
works,  it  must  be  on  the  footing  of  grace. 
Yet  these  divines  maintained  that  some 
men  were  ordained  to  condemnation  from 
eternity ;  and  that  as  a  punishment  for 
their  sin  which  God  foresaw.  But  if  an 
eternal  decree  of  condemnation  might  rest 
upon  foreseen  evil,  who  does  not  perceive 
that  an  eternal  decree  of  justification  miglit 
equally  rest  upon  foreseen  good  1  The 
truth  is,  the  freeness  of  justification  does 
not  depend  upon  the  date  of  it. 

Mr.  M'Lean  charges  the  sentiment  he  op- 
poses, as  a  perversion  of  the  apostle's  doc- 
trine, and  with  making  justification  to  be, 
at  least,  "  as  it  luere  by  the  works  of  the 
law."  Yet  he  is  fully  aware  that  what- 
ever is  pleaded  in  behalf  of  the  holy  na- 
ture of  faith,  it  is  not  supposed  to  justify 
us  as  a  work  or  holy  exercise,  or  as  being 
any  part  of  that  which  is  accounted  unto 
us  for  righteousness  ;  but  merely  as  that 
which  unites  to  Christ,  for  the  sake  of 
whose  righteousness  alone  we  are  accept- 
ed. I  have  no  idea  of  merit,  either  of 
condignity  or  congruity,  or  of  justification 
being  bestowed  as  a  reward  to  believing, 
any  more  than  he  has.  But  I  shall  be 
told  this  is  "a  caution  which  intimates  an 
apprehension  that  my  idea  of  faith  is 
very  lial)le  to  such  a  misconstruction."* 
And  was  the  apostle's  doctrine  liable 
to  no  misconstruction  1  and  did  he  use 
no  caution  to  guard  against  itl  Is  Mr. 
M'L.'s  doctrine  liable  to  none  1  and  does 
he  never  use  caution  for  the  same  pur- 
pose 1  What  else  does  he  mean  when, 
discoursing  on  God's  justifying  the  un- 
godly, he  adds,  "  Faith,  indeed,  as  a  prin- 
ciple of  action,  worketh  by  love  j  but  it  is 
not  as  thus  working  that  it  is  imputed  for 
righteousness  1  "  t  I  confess  I  am  not 
able  to  discern  the  difference  between  this 
distinction  and  that  which  he  discards ; 
for,   if  there  be   any   meaning  in   words, 

either  in  the  apostle's  or  his,  faith  does 
work  l)y  love  ;  and  that  from  its  first  ex- 


*  On  the  Commission,  p.  76 


t  Ibid.  p.  84. 


istence  :  and  its  thus  working  belongs  to 
it  as  genuine  justifying  faith  :  but  though 
it  always  possessed  this  property,  and 
without  it  coidd  not  have  been  genuine ; 
yet  it  is  not  on  this  account,  or  in  a  way 
of  reward,  that  we  are  said  to  be  justified 
by  it. 

If  he  alleges  that  the  property  o{  work- 
ing by  love  does  not  belong  to  the  nature 
of  faith,  as  justifying;  and  that,  in  the 
order  of  time,  we  are  justified  by  it  pre- 
viously to  its  thus  working,  he  must  con- 
tradict the  apostle,  who  speaks  of  "re- 
ceiving the  love  of  the  truth,  that  toe  may 
be  saved,^'  and  pronounces  those  persons 
unbelievers  who  do  not  thus  receive  it. — 
2  Thess.  ii.  10 — 1"2.  His  own  words  also 
will,  in  this  case,  be  ill  adapted  to  express 
his  ideas.  Instead  of  saying,  "Faith  in- 
deed worketh  by  love ;  but  it  is  not  as 
thus  loorking  that  it  justifies;  "  he  ought 
to  have  said  to  this  effect :  Faith  indeed 
worketh  by  love;  l>ut  it  is  not  till  it  has 
first  performed  its  office  in  respect  of  jus- 
tification, which  it  does  previously  to  its 
working  at  all. 

The  Scriptures  constantly  represent 
union  loitli  Christ  as  the  foundation  of  our 
interest  in  the  blessing  of  justification  : 
"  Of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  Avho  of 
God  is  made  unto  us — righteousness." — 
"  That  I  may  be  found  in  him,  not  having 
my  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith 
of  Christ." — "We  are  accepted  in  the 
Beloved." — "There  is — no  condemnation 
to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus."  Now, 
faith  in  him  being  that  by  which  this 
union  is  effected,  hence  arises  the  neces- 
sity of  it  in  order  to  justification.  It  is 
that  liy  vv'hich,  as  in  a  marriage,  we  are 
joined  to  the  Lord,  and  so  by  his  gracious 
constitution  of  things  are  interested  in  all 
he  is,  and  all  he  possesses.  And  thus  it 
is  supposed  that  living  faith,  or  faith  that 
"  worketh  by  love,"  is  necessary  to  justi- 
fication ;  not  as  being  the  ground  of  our 
acceptance  with  God — not  as  a  virtue  of 
which  justification  is  the  reward;  but  as 
that  without  which  we  could  not  be  uni- 
ted to  a  living  Redeemer. 

But  we  are  told,  "If  any  thing  holy  in 
us  be  rendered  necessary  to  our  being  ac- 
cepted of  God,  (no  matter  under  what 
consideration,)  we  pervert  the  apostle's 
doctrine,  and  make  justification  to  be  at 
least,  as  it  were,  by  the  works  of  the  law." 
Is  Mr.  M'L.  sure  that  he  does  not  per- 
vert, or  at  least  sadly  misapply,  the  apos- 
tle's words  1  Whatever  be  the  meaning 
of  the  phrase  "as  it  were,"  it  does  not 
describe  the  principles  of  those  who  re- 
nounce all  dependence  upon  their  own 
holiness,  and  plead  for  the  holy  nature  of 
faith  only  as  being  necessary  to  render  it 


APPENDIX. 


425 


gonuiiio,  ami  consoiiufntly  to  unite  \is  to 
a  lioly  Saviour.  Tiic  cliaractt'rs  tlicic 
referred  to  were  uuii^odly  men,  wiio  relied 
upon  tiieir  own  works  lor  juslilicalion, 
"  stumlilin'j;  at  that  stuml)lin.;i-stonc." 

That  we  may  judu;e  whether  tliis  as- 
sertion be  well  t'oinided,  it  is  neeessary 
to  examine  the  cvidenec  on  which  it 
rests;  and  this,  it"  I  mistake  not,  is  con- 
fined to  the  pliraseology  of  a  siniric  pas- 
sajre  of  Scripture.  If  this  jjassau^e  (Rom. 
iv.  4,  5)  do  not  prove  the  point  for  which 
it  is  allejred,  I  know  of  no  otlicr  that 
does  ;  and,  what  is  more,  the  whole  tenor 
of  Scripture  teaches  a  doctrine  directly 
opposite;    that  is   to  say,  that   repext- 

AXCE      PRECEDES      FORGIVENESS.         But, 

waving  tliis,  we  will  attend  to  the  passage 
itself.  If  hy  "him  that  workcth  not," 
and  the  "  ungodly  "  whom  God  justilieth, 
be  meant  j)ersous  wlio,  at  the  time,  had 
never  clone  any  good  thing  in  llic  sight  of 
God,  and  who  were  actually  under  the 
dominion  of  enmity  against  him,  Mr. 
M'L.'s  assertion  will  lie  granted  him  : 
but,  if  tliese  terms  be  meant  to  describe 
persons  who  work  not  with  respect  tojus- 
tijicatinn,  and  who,  in  their  dealings  with 
God  for  acceptance,  come  not  as  righte- 
ous, but  as  ungodly,  no  such  consequence 
will  follow.  On  the  contrary,  it  will 
follow  that,  if  the  apostk's  doctrine  be 
perverted,  it  is  Mr.  M'L.  that  has  per- 
verted it. 

That  the  apostle  is  speaking  of  believers 
we  arc  expressly  told  in  the  passage  it- 
self. He  that  "  worketh  not"  is  said,  at 
the  same  time,  to  "believe:"  but,  when- 
ever this  can  be  said  of  a  man,  it  cannot 
with  truth  be  atlirmed  of  him  that  he  has 
done  nothing  good  in  the  sight  of  God,  or 
that  he  is  under  the  dominion  of  enmity 
against  him.  By  Mr.  M'L.'s  own  ac- 
count he  has,  by  the  influence  of  divine 
grace,  done  "what  is  right,  in  giving 
credit  to  what  God  says  ;  "  he  has  "  obey- 
ed the  gospel ;  "  he  has  complied  with 
*'  the  command  of  God,"  that  we  should 
believe  in  him  whom  he  hath  sent.  It 
may,  however,  be  truly  affirmed  of  him 
that  he  worketh  not  icith  respect  to  justi- 
fication ;  for  it  is  of  the  nature  of  faith  to 
overlook  and  reliiiquish  every  thing  of  the 
kind.  Whate\cr  necessity  there  Tnay  be 
for  a  writer,  in  vindication  of"  the  truth,  to 
enumerate  these  things,  they  are  such  as 
the  sul>ject  of  them  thinks  nothing  of  at 
the  time ;  especially  as  the  ground  of  his 
acceptance  with  God.  All  his  hopes  of 
mercy  are  those  of  a  sinner,  an  ungodly 
sinner. 

"Him  that  worketh  not "  stands  op- 
posed, by  the  apostle,  to  "  him  that  work- 
eth ;  to  whom,"  he  says,  "the  reward  is 
not  reckoned  of  grace,  but  of  debt." — Rom. 

VOL.    I-  54 


iv.  4.  And  is  this  a  description  of  acln 
ally  working  for  God  1  The  character 
referred  to  is  either  real  or  supposed: 
either  that  of  a  self-riglitcous  siimer,  who 
would  at  last  be  dealt  with  on  the  footing 
of  that  covenant  to  which  he  adhcreti ;  or 
of  a  perfect  conformist  to  the  divine  law. 
If  it  be  the  former,  "  he  that  worketh  " 
undoubtedly  means  not  one  that  actually 
labors  for  God,  init  one  that  worketh  irith 
a  view  to  justification  ;  and,  consequently, 
"he  that  worketh  not"  must  mean,  not 
one  that  has  actually  wrought  nothing  for 
God,  l)ut  one  thai  workcth  not  with  a  view 
ofbcingjustijiedbyit.  Or  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  character  i)c  allowed  to  lie  only 
a  supposed  one  ;  namely,  a  perfect  con- 
formist to  the  divine  law;  yet,  as  what  is 
done  by  him  that  so  worketh  is  done  ^LHth  a 
view  to  justification,  it  is  on  this  account 
properly  opposed  to  the  life  of  a  believer, 
who,  whatever  he  may  do,  does  nothing 
with  such  an  end,  but  derives  all  his  hopes 
of  acceptance  with  God  from  the  right- 
eousness of  another. 

To  this  may  be  added  the  examples 
which  the  apostle  refers  to  for  the  illus- 
tration of  his  doctrine.  These  are  Abra- 
ham and  David  ;  and  let  the  reader  judge 
whether  they  be  not  decisive  of  tiie  ques- 
tion. It  is  of  Abraliam's  justification  that 
he  is  speaking.  '  He  it  is  that  is  held  up 
as  a  pattern  of  justification  by  faith,  in 
opposition  to  the  works  of  the  law.  Of 
him  it  was  supposed  "  that  he  worked  not, 
but  believed  on  him  that  justifieth  the  un- 
godly." If  Abraham,  tlierefore,  at  the 
time  when  he  is  said  to  have  "believed 
God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  right- 
eousness, had  never  done  any  good  thing, 
and  was  actually  the  enemy  of  God,  "  Mr. 
M'L.'s  position  is  established;  but,  if 
the  contrary  be  true,  it  is  overturned.  To 
determine  this,  the  reader  has  only  to  con- 
sult Gen.  XV.  G  ;  xii.  1,  and  Heb.  xi.  8. 
He  will  there  perceive  that  it  was  several 
years  after  his  departure  from  Haran  (at 
which  time  the  apostle  bears  witness  to  his 
being  a  believer,)  that  he  is  said  to  have 
"  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him 
(or  righteousness."  Hence  it  is  manifest 
that  the  character  described  by  the  apos- 
tle is  not  that  of  an  enemy,  but  a  friend  of 
God  ;  and  that  it  is  not  merely  applicable 
to  a  Christian  at  the  first  moment  of  his 
believing,  but  through  the  whole  of  life. 
We  have  to  deal  with  Christ  for  pardon  and 
justification  more  than  once  ;  and  nuist 
always  go  to  him  as  "  working  not,  but 
believing  on  him  that  justifieth  the    un- 

godlv." 

Nor  is  the  example  of  David  less  de- 
cisive than  that  of  Abraham.  When  the 
"  blessedness "  of  w  hich  the  apostle 
speaks  "came  upon  him,"  he  was  not  in 


APPENDIX. 


a  state  of  enmity  to  God ;  but  had  been 
bis  friend  and  servant  for  a  series  of  yeai's. 
The  thirty-second  appears,  evidently,  to 
be  one  of  his  penitential  Psalms,  compos- 
ed after  his  fall  in  the  case  of  Uriah. 
Yet  he  also  is  supposed  to  have  "  worked 
not,  but  believed  on  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly."  And  it  is  worthy  of  notice 
that  the  very  principle  inculcated  through 
this  whole  Psalm  is,  the  necessity  of  re- 
pentance in  order  to  forgiveness,  a  princi- 
ple which  requires  to  be  disowned,  before 
the  position  maintained  by  Mr.  M'L.  can 
be  admitted. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  term  ungodly 
is  never  used  but  to  describe  the  party  as 
being  under  actual  enmity  to  God  at  the 
lime,  I  apprehend  this  is  a  mistake. 
Christ  is  said  to  have  died  for  the  "  un- 
godly." Did  he  then  lay  down  his  life 
only  for  those  who,  at  the  time,  were  ac- 
tually his  enemies  1  If  so,  he  did  not  die 
for  any  of  the  Old-Testament  saints,  nor 
for  any  of  the  godly  who  were  then  alive, 
not  even  for  his  own  apostles.  All  that 
can  in  truth  be  said  is,  that,  whatever 
were  their  characters  at  the  time,  he  died 
for  them  as  ungodly ;  and  thus  it  is  that 
he  ^'justifieth  the  ungodly."  Gospel- 
justification  stands  opposed  to  that  which 
is  in  ordinary  use :  the  one  acquits  the 
righteous,  the  worthy,  the  deserving  :  the 
other  the  unrighteous,  the  unworthy,  the 
ungodly. 

But  let  us  examine  the  other  branch  of 
Mr.  M'L. 's  objection;  namely,  the  efcct 
which  such  a  doctrine  must  have  on"  the 
mind  of  an  awakened  sinner.  "This," 
he  says,  "is  obvious.  He  who  conceives 
that,  in  order  to  his  pardon  and  accept- 
ance with  God,  he  must  be  first  possessed 
of  such  good  dispositions  and  holy  affec- 
tions as  are  commonly  included  in  the  na- 
ture of  faith,  will  find  no  immediate  relief 
from  the  gospel,  nor  any  thing  in  it  which 
fully  reaches  his  case,  while  he  views 
himself  merely  as  a  guilty  sinner.  In- 
stead of  believing  on  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly,  he  believes,  on  the  contrary, 
that  he  cannot  be  justified  till  he  sustains' 
an  opposite  character.  Though  Christ 
died  for  sinners — for  the  ungodly,  yet  he 
does  not  believe  that  Christ's  death  will 
be  of  any  benefit  to  him  as  a  mere  sinner, 
but  as  possessed  of  holy  dispositions ;  nor 
does  he  expect  relief  to  his  conscience 
purely  and  directly  from  the  atonement 
but  through  the  medium  of  a  better  opin- 
ion of  his  own  heart  or  character.  This 
sentiment,  if  he  is  really  concerned  about 
his  soul,  must  set  him  upon  attempts  to 
reform  his  heart  and  to  do  sometliing  un- 
der the  notion  of  acting  faith  tliat  he"  may 
be  justified;  and  all  his  endeavors,  pray- 
ers, and  religious  exercises,  will  be  di- 
rected to  that  end." 


By  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  M'L. 
speaks  of  "pardon  and  acceptance  with 
God,"  uniting  them  together,  and  denying 
all  holy  affection  to  be  necessary  to  either, 
it  is  manifest  that  he  denies  the  necessity 
of  repentance  in  order  to  forgiveness  ;  a 
doctrine  taught  not  only  in  the  thirty- 
second  Psalm,  from  which  the  apostle  ar- 
gued the  doctrine  oi  free  justification,  but 
also  in  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture.* 

Secondly  :  By  rejecting  this  doctrine 
he  finds  in  the  gospel  "  relief  foi-  the  mere 
sinner."  This  "  mere  sinner  "  is  describ- 
ed as  "  awakened,"  and  as  "  vieiving  him- 
self merely  as  a  guilty  sinner."  At  the 
same  time,  however,  he  is  supposed  to  be 
destitute  of  all  "holy  affection."  It  may 
be  questioned  whether  this  account  of 
things  be  consistent  with  itself,  or  whether 
any  "  mere  sinner  "  ever  "  views  himself 
merely  as  a  guilty  sinner;"  for  such 
views  include  a  just  sense  of  the  evil  of 
sin  and  of  his  own  utter  unworthiness  of 
the  divine  favor,  which  no  "  mere  sinner  " 
ever  possessed.  But,  passing  this,  what- 
ever be  his  "  awakenings,"  and  whatever 
the  load  of"  guilt  "  that  lies  upon  his  con- 
science, seeing  he  is  allowed  to  be  desti- 
tute of  all  "  holy  affection,"  he  must  be, 
in  fact,  no  other  than  a  hard-hearted  ene- 
my to  true  religion.  He  has  not  a  grain 
of  regard  to  God's  name,  nor  concern  for 
having  offended  him  ;  nor  the  least  degree 
of  attachment  to  the  atonement  of  Christ 
on  account  of  its  secui'ing  his  honor  ;  in  a 
word,  his  whole  affection  centres  in  him- 
self. This  character  wants  "relief." 
And  what  is  it  that  will  relieve  him  1 
Pardon  and  acceptance  with  God,  through 
the  atonement  of  Jesus  1  If  so,  he  needs 
neither  to  climb  to  heaven  nor  to  descend 
into  the  deep  ;  the  word  is  nigh  him.  But 
this  is  not  what  he  wants  ;  for  he  sees 
"  no  form  nor  comeliness  in  him,  nor 
beauty  that  he  should  desire  him.'''  Is  it 
to  be  saved  from  his  sins?  No  :  It  is  to 
be  saved  in  them.  It  is  to  obtain  ease  to 
his  troubled  conscience,  and  exemption 
from  the  dread  of  divine  wrath,  without 
relinquishing  his  self-righteous  lusts,  and 
submitting  to  the  righteousness  of  God. 
And  is  it  true  that  such  a  character  stands 
in  need  of  "  relief  1  "  He  may  think  he 
does,  and  may  labor  hard  to  obtain  it :  but 
surely  he  needs  to  be  wounded,  instead  of 
healed,  and  killed  rather  than  made  alive. 
Nay,  in  such  a  state  of  mind,  is  it  possible 
that  he  should  be  "relieved  "  by  the  gos- 
pel "  as  it  is  in  Jesus  '?  "  Rather,  is  it 
not  self-evident  that,  to  relieve  him,  we 
must  assimilate  our  doctrine  to  his  incli- 
nations'?    It  were  as  absurd  to  suppose 

*1  Kings  viii.  29—50;  Prov.  xxviii.  13;  Isa. 
Iv.  6—8  ;  Matt.  iii.  2  ;  Mark  i.  4  ;  Luke  iii.  3. 
xxiv.  47  J  Acts  ii.38.  iii.  19;  v.  31.  xxvi.  18. 


\PPEND1X. 


427 


that  a  hard-hearted  sinner  should  be  rc- 
lioved  liy  tlic  (rue  irospel,  as  that  the  whole 
8ho\ihl  liiui  rolieliii  a  physician. 

Thirdly  :  The  hard-hearted  sinner  is 
not  only  to  be  "  relieved  "  by  the  assu- 
rance o(  "  pardon  and  acceptance  with 
God  ;  "  liut  this  is  supposed  to  lie  derived 
*'  directly  from  the  atonement."  If  l)y 
this  were  meant  merely  for  the  sake  of  the 
atonement,  it  were  unoi)jectionable  ;  but 
the  ii\eanin,!j;  is  (hat  (he  mere  sinner  is  par- 
doned without  repentance,  or  any  "  holy 
affection  to  Christ."  There  must  be  no 
consciousness  of  any  (hiiii^ol  (he  kind  pre- 
viously (o  forD^iveness  ;  (or  then  it  would 
not  l)e  "  direct,  l)ut  through  the  medium 
of  a  good  opinion  of  his  own  heart  or 
character.  "  And  does  Mr.  M'L.  really 
believe  in  all  this  ]  What  then  w  ill  he 
make  of  the  concurrent  language  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament  T  "  Let  the  wick- 
cd forsake  his  tray  and  the  unrighteous  man 
liis  thoughts :  and  let  him  return  unto  the 
Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him ; 
and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly 
pardon." — "  Preaching  the  baptism  of 
repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins." — 
*'  Repent  ye  therefore  and  be  converted, 
that  your  sins  may  he  blotted  out." — "To 
turn  them  from  (he  power  of  Satan  unto 
God,  that  they  may  receive /or^/i'cness  of 
sins."  What  can  be  made  of  this  lan- 
guage 1  Shall  we  say,  it  is  the  voice  of 
the  laio  directing  a  sinner  what  he  must 
do  in  order  to  be  accepted  by  his  own  obe- 
dience? *  An  ingenious  mind  will  seldom 
be  at  a  loss  for  something  to  say  ;  but  let 
us  take  heed  lest  we  be  found  perverting 
the  Scriptures  in  support  of  an  hypothesis. 
If  there  be  any  meaning  in  language,  it  is 
manifest  that  these  exhortations  are  ad- 
dressed to  sinners  as  the  means,  not  of 
legal,  but  of  evangelical  justification, — 
justification  of  which  the  forgiveness  of 
sins  is  an  essential  branch. 

From  the  foregoing,  and  many  such 
passages,  it  is  evident  that,  when  we  are 
said  to  be  justified  by  faith,  it  is  such  a 
faith  as  involves  re[)entance  ;  equally  so 
as,  when  we  are  said  to  be  forgiven  on  re- 
pentance, it  is  such  repentance  as  involves 
believing. 

Nay,  more  :  If  Mr.  M'L.  believes  as 
above,  what  can  be  made  of  his  own  writ- 
ings 1  How  are  we  to  understand  his 
note  in  page  92,  containing  a  brief  but  ju- 
dicious answer  to  Mr.  John  Barclay  1 
He  there  proves  that  no  man  is  pardoned 
or  accepted  of  God  till  he  sustain  a  differ- 
ent charac(er  from  (hat  which  lielongs  to 
him  merely  as  a  sinner  ;  that  is,  till  he  is 
Q.  believer;  and  thai  "  the  assurance  of  a 
man's   own  justification   is   not    founded 

*  See  Mr.  M'L.'s  Simple  Truth,  pp.  21—26. 


merely  upon  the  direct  testimony  of  God, 
but  also  upon  the  testimony  of  his  own 
conscience  i)earing  him  witness  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  he  believes  the  gospel 
testimony."  Mr.  Barclay  might  rei)ly  to 
him  as  he  does  to  others.  He  might  say, 
concerning  the  awakened  sinner,  that,  on 
Mr.  M'L/s  princii)lcs,  "Though  Christ 
died  for  sinners,  for  the  ungodly,  yet  he 
does  not  believe  that  Christ's  death  will  be 
of  any  benefit  to  him  as  a  viere  sinner,  but 
as  possessed  of  faith  ;  nor  does  he  expect 
any  sa(isfac(ion  as  to  the  salvadon  ot  his 
soul  purely  and  directly  from  the  atone- 
ment ;  but  through  (lie  medium  of  a  bet- 
ter opinion  of  himself,  a  consciousness 
that  he  is  a  believer.  This  sentiment,  if 
he  is  really  concerned  about  the  salvation 
of  his  soul,  must  set  him  upon  attempts 
that  he  may  obtain  this  laith  in  order  to  be 
justified  ;  and  all  his  endeavors,  prayers, 
and  religious  exercises,  will  be  directed 
to  that  end." — If  Mr.  M'L.  can  answer 
this  objection  he  will  answer  his  own. 

After  all,  there  is  a  w  ay  of  deriving  re- 
lief, as  "  mere  sinners,  directly  from  the 
atonement  :  "  but  this  is  what  a  mere  sin- 
ner, in  Mr.  M'L.'s  sense  of  the  terms, 
never  does.  They  are  believing  sinners 
only,  sinners  possessed  of  "  holy  alTec- 
tion  "  to  Christ,  who  are  thus  rendered 
dead  to  every  thing  in  themselves,  and 
alive  to  him.  By  Mr.  M'L.'s  reasoning, 
it  should  seem  as  though  impenitent  and 
unhumbled  sinners  not  only  derived  their 
comfort  in  this  way,  but  as  if  they  were 
the  only  persons  that  did  so  !  To  derive 
relief,  as  mere  sinners,  directly  from  the 
atonement,  it  is  not  necessary  that  we 
should  possess  no  holy  affection  towards 
Christ ;  but  that,  whatever  we  possess, 
we  make  nothing  of  it  as  a  ground  of  ac- 
ceptance, "  counting  all  things  but  loss 
and  dung  that  we  may  tvin  and  be  found 
in  him."  And  this  manner  of  deriving 
relief  is  not  peculiar  to  the  time  of  our 
first  believing,  but  belongs  to  a  "  life  of 
faith  on  the  Son  of  God." 

Again  :  It  is  supposed  that  the  includ- 
ing of  holy  airection  in  the  nature  of  faith, 
and  rendering  it  necessary  to  acceptance 
with  God,  (no  matter  under  what  consid- 
eration,) must,  of  necessity,  lead  the  sin- 
ner from  Christ,  to  rely  on  something 
good  in  himself.  It  is  true  that,  if  any 
holiness  in  us  were  required  as  a  ground 
of  acceptance  with  God,  it  would  be  so ; 
and  the  same  would  be  true  of  the  re- 
quirement of  a  faith  without  holiness, 
provided  it  were  required  to  this  end. 
That  faith,  whatever  be  its  nature,  is  re- 
quired, and  is  necessary  to  i)rccede  justi- 
fication, Mr.  M'L.  w'ill  not  deny.  He 
denies  its  being  necessary  as  that  on  ac- 
count of  which  we  arc  justified;  and  so 


428 


APPENDIX. 


do  I :  but,  whatever  be  the  place  which  it 
occupies,  it  is  allowed  to  be  necessary. 
Now,  if  the  necessity  of  a  holy  faith  be 
more  favorable  to  self-righteousness  than 
of  one  which  has  nothing  holy  in  it,  it 
must  be  either  because  it  is  of  the  nature 
of  holiness  rather  than  of  unholiness,  so 
to  operate ;  or  because  the  depravity  of 
the  heart  can  find  an  occasion  for  glorying 
in  the  one  case,  which  it  cannot  in  the 
other.  To  suppose  the  former  is  the 
same  as  supposing  that  it  is  of  the  nature 
of  holy  affection  to  Christ  to  reject  his 
salvation,  of  godly  sorrow  for  sin  to  ren- 
der us  more  attached  to  it,  and  of  humil- 
ity of  heart  to  lift  us  up  with  pride. 
With  respect  to  the  latter,  I  cannot  an- 
swer for  it  that  the  proud  spirit  of  a  mere- 
ly "  awakened  sinner  "  sliall  not  make  a 
righteousness  of  a  supposed  holy  faith ; 
nor  can  Mr.  M'L.  answer  for  it  that  he 
shall  not  do  the  same  of  his  "simple  be- 
lief." Whether  faith  have  any  holiness 
in  it,  or  not,  seeing  he  is  taught  to  con- 
sider it  as  necessary  to  justiiication,  and 
told  that  God  makes  so  great  account  of 
it  that  without  it  the  atonement  itself  will 
avail  him  nothing,  there  is  no  wonder  if 
his  unhumbled  heart  should  take  up  its 
rest  in  his  supposed  believing,  instead  of 
looking  to  the  doctrine  of  the  cross.  An 
unrenewed  sinner  will  make  a  righteous- 
ness of  any  thing  rather  than  submit  to 
the  righteousness  of  God.  But  this  I  can 
answer  for,  if  he  really  have  repentance 
towards  God,  and  faith  towards  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  his  mind  will  not  be  em- 
ployed in  self-admiration.  And  this,  I 
am  persuaded,  is  more  than  Mr.  M'L. 
can  say  respecting  a  faith  in  the  nature 
of  which  there  is  nothing  holy ;  for,  if 
faith  have  no  holiness  in  its  nature,  the 
einner  must  and  will,  in  the  very  exercise 
of  it,  admire  himself.  It  is  only  in  the 
exercise  of  a  holy  disposition  of  heart 
that  the  attention  is  turned  another  way; 
if  this,  therefore,  be  absent,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  counteract  a  self-righteous  spirit; 
and  if,  at  the  same  time,  the  sinner  be 
flattered  with  having  gained  more  clear 
and  evangelical  views  of  faith  than  the 
generality  of  professing  Christians,  there 
is  every  thing  to  feed  it.  To  make  the 
requirement  of  a  speculative  assent  of  the 
judgment,  in  which  there  is  no  holiness, 
necessary  to  the  destruction  of  self-right- 
eousness, is  supposing  that  this  spirit  can- 
not exist  unless  it  have  true  holiness  to 
feed  upon;  but  every  one  knows  that,  in 
"mere  sinners,"  it  reigns  uncontrolled; 
and  that,  according  to  the  degree  in  which 
true  holiness  exists,  it  is  so  far  counter- 
acted. It  is  natural  that  it  should  be  so  ; 
for  it  is  essential  to  this  principle  to  sink 


us  into  our  native  nothingness,  and  to  em- 
brace the  Saviour  as  all  in  all. 

From  these  considerations  I  conclude 
that,  instead  of  its  being  necessary  for  a 
sinner  to  be  in  an  ungodly  state  of  mind, 
in  order  to  his  believing  in  Christ,  and 
he\x\g  justified  as  ungodly,  i\\e  direct  con- 
trary is  true.  To  believe  in  Christ,  as 
"justifying  the  ungodly,"  is  to  forego  all 
claim  and  expectation  of  favor  on  the 
ground  of  our  own  deservings ;  to  feel 
that  unto  us  belongs  nothing  but  shame 
and  confusion  of  face ;  and  that  the  only 
hope  which  remains  for  us  is  in  the  free 
mercy  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ :  but 
this  no  man  ever  did  whose  heart  was 
still  under  the  dominion  of  enmity  ;  for 
the  thing  itself  is  a  contradiction.  Enmi- 
ty necessarily  blinds  the  mind,  both  to  its 
own  deformity,  and  to  the  glory  of  the 
Saviour.  An  enemy  of  God,  therefore, 
and  a  self-righteous  unbeliever,  are  one 
and  the  same  character. 

I  cannot  but  express  my  surprise  that  it 
should  ever  have  entered  into  the  heart  oi 
wise  and  good  men  to  imagine  that  a  faith 
which  implies  contrition  and  self-annihi- 
lation in  its  very  nature  (the  spirit  of  the 
publican,)  should  be  supposed  to  be  fa- 
vorable to  self-righteousness  ;  while  that 
which  may  consist  with  a  hard  heart,  a 
proud  spirit,  and  perfect  enmity  to  God 
(the  very  temper  of  the  Pharisee,)  is 
pleaded  for,  as  necessary  to  root  it  up  ! 
Why,  then,  did  not  the  Pharisee  go  down 
to  his  house  '^justified,''  rather  tiran  the 
publican!  The  one  had  humbled  himself: 
for  God  to  justify  him,  therefore,  would, 
it  seems,  be  inconsistent  with  the  freeness 
of  his  grace.  As  to  the  other,  assuredly 
he  was  not  wanting  in  ungodliriess,  nor 
had  he  ever  wrought  a  single  loork  for 
God,  notwithstanding  all  his  boasting. 
He  was  "  a  mere  sinner;  "  and,  if  Christ's 
death  will  prove  a  benefit  to  such,  why 
was  it  not  so  to  himi  At  least,  he  came 
very  near  to  the  character  which,  accord- 
ing to  Mr,  M'L.'s  doctrine,  God  should 
justify.  "No  :  "  it  Avill  be  said,  "  he  did 
not  believe.''  It  seems,  then,  that  some- 
thing more  is  necessary,  after  all,  than 
being  "a  mere  sinner."  Yet,  why  should 
it1  Did  not  Christ  "die  for  sinners,  for 
the  ungodly?  "  Why  should  he  not,  as 
"a  mere  sinner,"  become  a  partaker  of 
his  benefits  1  Or,  if  not,  why  does  Mr. 
M'L.  write  as  if  he  should  1  "He  did 
not  believe."  ....  True  :  nor,  while  he 
was  under  the  dominion  of  such  a  spirit, 
could  he  believe.  Ere  he  could  come  to 
Jesus,  or  believe  in  him,  he  must  have 
heard  and  learned  another  lesson.  * 

*  John  V.  44;  xii.  39,  40;  vi.  45. 


APPENDIX. 


429 


It  is  raitlier  oUjcctod  tliat,  lo  suppose 
faith  to  include  in  it  iiny  iioly  disposition 
of  heart,  is  confounding  it  willi  its  e[fccls, 
and  niakinir  those  to  lie  one  which  the 
Scriptures  declare  to  lie  three;  namely, 
faith,  hoi)c,  and  charity.  I  do  not  know 
that  l\\c  Scrijitures  any  where  teach  us 
that  all  lioly  disposition  is  the  clVcct  of 
faith.  It  is  not  more  so,  I  aiiprchcnd, 
than  all  unholy  disposition  is  the  elfect  of 
unlielief :  but  unbelief  itself  is  the  effect  of 
xmholy  disposition,  as  I  suppose  will  he 
allowed  :  all  unholy  disposition,  therefore, 
cannot  he  the  elfect  oi  vmi)elief.  Mr. 
M'L.  has  proved  that  faith  also  is  not 
only  a  principle  of  evangelical  oliedience, 
but  is  itself  an  exercise  of  obedience  :  all 
obedience,  therefore,  by  his  own  account, 
is  not  the  efl'cct  of  faith  ;  for  nothing  can 
iie  an  effect  of  itself.  And,  unless  it  be 
possiltle  to  obey  God  without  any  holy 
disposition  of  heart  to  do  so,  it  will  equal- 
ly follow  that  all  holy  disposition  cannot 
be  the  effect  of  faith.  With  respect  to 
the  confounding  of  what  the  Scriptures 
distiniruish,  whatever  distinction  there  is 
between  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  it  makes 
nothing  to  Mr.  M'L.'s  argument,  unless 
tiiey  can  be  proved  to  be  so  distinct  as 
that  nothing  of  the  one  is  to  be  found  in 
the  other.  Faith  must  not  only  have  no 
love  in  it,  but  no  hope ;  hope  must  in- 
clude neither  faith  nor  love ;  and  love 
must  possess  neither  faith  nor  hope.  But 
are  they  thus  distinct  1  On  the  contrary, 
it  may  be  found,  upon  strict  inquiry,  that 
there  is  not  a  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
which  does  not  possess  a  portion  of  every 
other  grace.  Yet  faith  is  not  love,  nor 
hope,  nor  joy,  nor  long-suffering,  nor  gen- 
tleness, nor  goodness,  nor  meekness,  nor 
patience  :  each  has  a  distinctive  charac- 
ter; and  yet  each  is  so  blended  with  the 
other  that,  in  dissecting  one,  you  must 
cut  tlirough  the  veins  of  all. 

"Some  affirm,"  says  Mr.  M'L.,  "that 
faith,  hope,  and  love  are  three,  considered 
only  in  respect  of  their  objects."  *  I  had, 
indeed,  suggested  that  they  arc  three  con- 
sidered with  respect  to  their  objects,  but 
never  thought  of  affirming  that  they  are 
three  in  that  view  only.  They  may  be 
three  in  many  other  respects,  lor  aught  I 
know.  My  argument  only  required  me  to 
point  out  a  sense  in  which  they  were  dis- 
tinct, provided  they  were  not  so  in  respect 
of  their  holy  nature.  I  see  no  solidity  in 
Mr.  M'L.'s  olijection  to  an  olijeclive  dis- 
tinction; and  it  is  ratlier  extraordinary  that 
Avhat  he  substitutes  in  its  place,  from  Mr. 
Sandeman,  is  a  distinction  merely  ob- 
jective. 

Mr.  M'L.  thinks  that  faith,  hope  and 

^  On  the  Commission,  p.  82.  Note. 


love  arc  distinct  as  to  their  7i«/ure ;  and 
that  the  excellence  ascrilicd  to  love  con- 
sists in  its  being  iioly  ;  whereas  faith  is  not 
so.  But  what  becomes  of  hope  f  Love 
is  not  said  to  excel  faith  only  :  hope, 
therefore,  is  retiuired  to  have  no  holiness 
in  it,  any  more  than  faith.  And  has  it 
none?  Mr.  M'L.,  when  asked  whether 
hope  did  not  imply  desire,  and  desire  love, 
answered,  "Yes:  hope  is  a  modification 
of  love."  It  was  replied,  "  Tiicn  you 
have  given  up  your  argument?  " 

It  has  been  farther  objected  that  the  re- 
ception of  God's  testimony  is  compared 
to  the  reception  of  human  testimony  ;  and 
that  as  a  disposition  of  heart,  whether 
holy  or  unholy,  is  not  necessary  to  the 
one,  so  neither  is  it  to  the  other.  It  is 
allowed  that  the  testimony  of  man  may,  in 
many  cases,  he  believed  merely  by  the  un- 
derstanding, and  without  lieing  at  all  influ- 
enced i)y  the  state  of  the  heart  :  but  it  is 
only  in  cases  with  wiiich  the  heart  has  no 
concern.  If  the  admission  of  a  human 
testimony  respected  things  of  which  there 
was  no  sensible  evidence — things  the  be- 
lief of  which  would  require  a  total  relin- 
quishment of  a  favorite  system,  and  the 
pursuit  of  an  opposite  course  of  action — 
things  which  the  greater  part  of  those 
about  us  disregarded,  and  which,  if  true, 
might  be  at  a  considerable  distance — ob- 
jections would  arise  against  the  admission 
of  it,  which,  if  it  were  otherwise,  would 
have  no  existence.  Nor  could  tiicy  be  re- 
moved while  the  heart  remained  averse. 
The  fact,  it  is  true,  might  become  so  noto- 
rious as  to  silence  opposition,  and,  in  the 
end,  extort  conviction ;  but  conviction, 
thus  extorted,  would  not  be  faith.  Faith 
implies  that  we  think  well  of  the  testifier, 
or  possess  a  confidence  in  his  veracity  : 
but  conviction  may  consist  with  lioth  ill 
opinion  and  ill  will.  It  is  the  ])ersuasion 
of  sense,  rather  than  of  faith.  Such  was 
that  of  some  of  the  chief  rulers,  that 
Christ  was  the  Messiah.— John  xii.  42,43. 
The  miracles  which  he  wrought  silenced 
their  opposition,  and  ])lante(l  in  their  con- 
sciences a  conviction  that  it  must  be  so. 
It  is  true  this  conviction  is  called  believing; 
but  it  is  only  in  an  improper  sense  ;  it  was 
not  that  faith  which  is  connected  with  jus- 
tification or  salvation.  Whatever  convic- 
tion any  man  may  have  of  the  truth,  while 
it  is  against  the  grain  of  his  heart,  he  is  not 
a  believer  in  the  proper  seirse  of  the  term  ; 
nor  do  the  Scriptures  acknowledge  him  as 
such.  It  is  only  the  receiving  the  love  of 
the  truth  that  will  prove  saving:  and  he 
that  docs  not  thus  receive  it  is  described 
as  an  unbeliever. — 2  Thess.  ii.  10 — 12.  If 
Micaiah's  testimony  of  what  God  had  re- 
vealed to  him  had  lieen  in  favor  of  the  ex- 
pedition   against    Ramoth    Gilead,   Ahab 


430 


APPENDIX. 


could  have  believed  it ;  for,  a  little  before 
tliis,  he  had  believed  a  prophet  who  spake 
good  concernina;  him. — 1  Kings  xx.  13, 
14.  Or  if  it  had  been  delivered  by  a  per- 
son against  whom  he  had  no  prejudice, 
and  on  a  subject  that  neither  I'avored  nor 
thwarted  his  inclinations,  he  might  have 
believed  it  merely  with  his  understanding, 
uninfluenced  by  any  disposition  of  his 
heart :  but  as  it  was,  while  four  hundred 
prophets  were  for  him  to  one  against  him, 
and  while  sensible  that  appearances  were  in 
his  favor,  he  believed  it  not,  and  even  bade 
defiance  to  it.  It  is  possible  he  might 
have  some  7nisgivings,  even  while  he  was 
ordering  Micaiah  to  prison ;  and,  when 
the  arrow  pierced  him,  his  fears  would 
rise  high.  As  death  approached,  he  would 
feel  the  truth  of  what  he  had  been  told, 
and  be  possessed,  it  is  likely,  of  tremen- 
dous/ore6w(Zmgs  of  an  hereafter;  but  all 
this  was  not  faith,  but  involuntary  convic- 
tion ;  a  species  of  conviction  this,  which 
neither  possesses  nor  produces  any  good, 
and  which  has  not  a  promise  made  to  it 
in  the  oracles  of  truth. 

It  is  acknowledged,  by  the  author  of 
A  Dialogue  between  David  and  Jonathan, 
that,  "  after  all  we  can  say  of  the  specula- 
tive knowledge  of  practical  truth,  we  must 
still  remember  that  it  implies  some  very 
essential  imperfection  and  error."  But, 
if  practical  truth  require  something  more 
than  speculative  knowledge  to  enter  into 
it,  why  is  not  the  same  acknowledged  of 
believing  it  1  Can  spiritual  things  require 
to  be  spiritually  discerned,  and  yet  be  be- 
lieved while  the  heart  is  wholy  carnal  1 

Lastly  :  it  is  objected  that  the  word  of 
God  is  represented  as  the  means  of  regen- 
eration :  "Of  his  own  will  begat  he  us 
with  the  word  of  truth." — "  Being  born 
again,  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  in- 
corruptible, by  the  word  of  God,  which 
liveth  and  abideth  forever."  And,  as  it 
is  supposed  that  the  word  must  be  under- 
stood and  believed,  before  it  can  have  any 
saving  influence  upon  us  ;  so  it  is  conclu- 
ded that  regeneration  must  rather  he  pre- 
ceded by  faith,  than  faith  by  regeneration  ; 
or,  at  least,  that  they  are  coeval.  This 
objection  has  been  advanced  from  several 
quarters  and  for  several  purposes.  In  an- 
swiM-  to  it,  I  would,  in  the  first  place,  offer 
two  or  three  general  remarks. 

First :  Whether  regeneration  influence 
faith,  or  faith  I'egeneration  ;  if  either  of 
them  influence  the  other,  they  cannot  be 
coeval.  One  must  be  prior  to  the  other, 
at  least  in  the  order  of  nature  ;  as  the 
effect  is  ever  preceded  by  the  cause. 

Secondly  :  Whatever  weight  this  olijec- 
tion  may  possess,  it  ought  not  to  be  made 
by  any  one  who  denies  the  belief  of  the 
gospel  to  be  saving  faith.     For,  allowing 


the  woi*d,  understood  and  believed,  to  be 
that  by  which  we  are  regenerated,  still,  if 
this  belief  be  not  faith,  but  something 
merely  presupposed  l)y  it,  faith  may,  not- 
withstanding, he  j)receded  by  regenera- 
tion. If  faith  be  the  same  thing  as  com- 
ing to  Christ,  receiving  him,  and  relying 
upon  him  for  acceptance  with  God,  all 
this,  in  the  order  of  things,  follows  upon 
believing  the  trutli  concerning  him  ;  no 
less  so  than  coming  to  God  follows  a  be- 
lieving that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  reward- 
er  of  them  that  diligently  seek  him.  We 
may,  therefore,  be  regenerated  by  a  per- 
ception and  belief  of  the  truth,  and,  as  the 
immediate  effect  of  it,  come  to  Jesus  and 
rely  upon  liim  for  salvation. 

Thirdly  :  It  may  be  questioned  whether 
this  objection  ought  to  lie  made  by  tliose 
who  admit  the  necessity  of  a  spiritual  dis- 
cernment of  the  glory  of  divine  things  in 
order  to  believing.  That  this  is  a  prin- 
ciple clearly  established  in  the  Scriptui'es 
cannot  be  denied.  Seeing  the  Son  is  ne- 
cessary to  believing  in  him.  Unbelief  is 
attributed  to  spiritual  blindness,  (2  Cor. 
iv.  4;)  and  those  who  believed  not  the 
"report"  of  the  gospel  are  described  as 
"seeing  no  form  nor  comeliness  "  in  the 
Saviour,  nor  "beauty  that  they  should 
desire  him." 

Mr.  M'L.,  speaking  of  the  saving  truth 
of  the  gospel,  says,  "  It  is  no  sooner  per- 
ceived  and  believed  than  it  takes  posses- 
sion of  tlie  will  and  affections." — p.  82. 
This,  I  sliould  think,  is  allowing  that^^er- 
ception  is  distinct  from  lielieving,  and  ne- 
cessarily precedes  it.  But  if  a  spiritual 
perception  of  the  glory  of  divine  truth  pre- 
cedes believing,  this  may  be  the  same,  in 
effect,  as  regeneneration  preceding  it.  Al- 
lowing that  the  word  requires  to  be  per- 
ceived, ere  the  will  and  affections  can  be 
changed,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  must 
also  be  believed,  for  this  purpose ;  for  the 
perception  itself  may  change  us  into  the 
same  image  ;  and,  in  virtue  of  it,  we  may 
instantly,  with  our  whole  heart,  set  to  our 
seal  that  God  is  true. 

Now,  I  apprehend  that  all  my  opponents 
are  included  under  one  or  other  of  these 
descriptions  :  and,  if  so,  I  might  very  well 
be  excused  from  any  farther  answer.  The 
word  of  God  may  be  allowed  to  be  the 
means  of  regeneration  ;  and  yet  regenera- 
tion may  precede  believing. 

I  do  not  wish,  however,  to  dismiss  the 
subject  without  stating  my  views  of  it, 
and  the  grounds  on  whicli  they  rest.  To 
me  it  appears  that  the  Scriptures  trace  a 
change  of  heart  to  an  origin  beyond  either 
belief  or  perception,  even  to  that  divine 
influence  which  is  the  cattse  of  both  ;  an 
influence  which  is  with  great  propriety 
compared  to  the  power  that  at  first  "  com- 


APPENDIX. 


431 


inandt'd   tlie   litrlit   to  shine   out  of  dark- 
ness." 

Tliat  there  is  a  divine  intluenee  upon 
tlie  soul,  wliieii  is  necessary  to  spiritual 
perception  and  l>elief,  as  beins:;  tlie  cause 
of  tlieni,  tliose  with  wlioin  1  am  now  rea- 
soninir  will  admit.  The  only  cpiestion  is, 
in  wliat  or</<'r  tliese  thin<;;s  are  caused:  — 
Whether  the  Holy  Spirit  causes  the  mind, 
\\hile  carnal,  to  discern  and  believe  spirit- 
ual thinirs,  and  therei)y  rentU'rs  it  spirit- 
ual ;  or  whether  he  imparts  a  holy  sus- 
ceptihility  and  relish  lor  the  truth,  in 
conseijuencc  of  which  we  discern  its  tjlo- 
ry,  and  embrace  it.  The  latter  a|)pears 
to  me  to  be  the  truth.  The  following  are 
the  principal  srounds  on  which  I  embrace 
it:— 

First :  The  Scriptures  represent  the  do- 
minion of  sin  in  the  heart  as  utterly  in- 
consistent with  a  spiritual  perception  and 
belief  of  the  gospel ;  and,  so  long  as  it 
continues,  as  rendering  both  the  one  and 
the  otiicr  impossible.  Spiritual  blindness 
is  ascribed  to  aversion  of  heart.  "  Their 
eyes  have  they  closed." — "  They  say  unto 
God,  Depart  from  us;  for  we  desire  not 
tlie  knowledge  of  thy  ways." — "  The  ig- 
norance that  is  in  them,  because  of  the 
hardness,"  obduracy,  or  callousness  of 
the  heart. — Eph.  iv.  IS.  The  obstinacy 
and  aversion  of  heart  is  the  film  to  the 
mental  eye,  preventing  all  spiritual  glory 
entering  into  it.  The  natural  man,  there- 
fore, "  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spi- 
rit of  God ;  for  they  are  foolishness  to 
him,  neither  c«?i  he  know  them."  Hence 
it  will  follow  that,  unless  the  Holy  Spirit 
etTect  that  which  he  has  declared  to  be 
impossible,  his  influence  must  consist,  not 
in  causing  the  mind  to  see,  notunthstand- 
ing  the  obstruction,  but  in  removing  the 
obstruction  itself  out  of  the  way.  If  it 
1)6  said,  though  it  be  im})ossible  with  men, 
yet  it  may  be  possil)le  with  God;  I  an- 
swer, those  things  which  arc  impossil)le 
with  men,  but  possible  with  God,  are  not 
such  as  are  impossil)le  in  tlieir  own  na- 
ture. Where  this  is  the  case,  the  power 
of  God  is  never  introduced  as  accomplish- 
ing them,  any  more  than  the  power  of 
man.  We  should  not,  for  instance,  think 
of  affirming  that  the  heart,  while  carnal 
and  in  a  state  of  "  enmity  against  God," 
can  by  his  almighty  power  l>e  made  to 
love  him,  and  l)e  "subject  to  his  law;" 
for  this  is  in  itself  impossible.  But  the 
impossil)ility  of  the  natural  man  receiving 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  while  they 
appear  "  foolishness  "  to  him,  is  manifest- 
ly of  the  same  nature  as  this,  and  is  de- 
scribed in  the  same  language."  God  does 
not  cause  the  mind  while  carnal  to  be  sub- 

*  Compare  I  Cor.  ii.  14  with  Roa.  viii.  7. 


ject  to  liis  law,  but  imparts  that  which  re- 
moves the  obstruction,  "  taking  away 
the  stony  heart  out  of  our  flesh,  and  giv- 
ing us  a  heart  of  flesh."  And  thus  it  is 
supposed  to  be  in  respect  of  spiritual  dis- 
cernment :  God  docs  not  cause  the  natu- 
ral man  to  receive  spiritual  things,  and 
thereby  render  him  spiritual ;  but  removes 
the  obstructing  film  liy  imparting  a  spirit- 
ual relish  for  those  things.  Thus  it  is 
that  "spiritual  things  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned." 

Secondly:  Though  holiness  is  fre(|uent- 
ly  ascriiied  in  the  Scriptures  to  a  spiritual 
perception  of  the  truth,  yet  that  spiritual 
perception  itself,  in  the  first  instance,  is 
ascrii)ed  to  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  the  heart.  "The  Lord  open- 
ed the  licurt  of  Lydia,  and  slie  attended  to 
the  things  which  were  spoken  of  Paul." — 
"  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine 
out  of  darkness,  Jiath  shined  in  our 
hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ." — "The  anointing  which  ye  have 
received  of  him  abideth  in  you;  and  ye 
need  not  that  any  man  teach  you  :  but  as 
the  same  anointing  teaclieth  you  of  all 
things." — Ye  have  an  unction  from  the 
Holy  One,  and  ye  know  all  things." 

Finally  :  Every  thing  which  proves  that 
spiritual  lilindiiess  and  unbelief  have  their 
origin  in  the  depravity  of  the  heart  proves 
that,  whatever  may  lie  said  of  particular 
volitions  being  caused  by  ideas  received 
into  the  mind,  original  biasscs  are  not 
so  :  f  and  every  thing  which  proves  spir- 

t  President  Edwards  (tlian  whom  no  man  will  he 
allowed  to  liave  possessed  a  clearer  insight  into  these 
dirticult  snlyoct.s)  .speaks  willi  great  c.iiitioii  on  the 
will  beioL;  delerinincd  hy  the  uiiderstandiiig.  He 
denies  lliat  it  is  so,  if  h_v  the  iinder.siandii)g  be  meant 
wiiat  is  ealleil  reason  ov  judgment  ;  and  (jnly  al- 
lows it  "  in  a  largo  sense,  as  including  the  whole 
faculties  of  perception  or  apprehension."  And,  even 
when  taken  in  this  large  sense,  he  rather  chooses  to 
say,  that  "  the  will  always  is  as  the  greatest  ap- 
parent good,  or  as  what  appears  most  agreeable, 
J.s,"  than  to  say  that  the  will  is  determined  by  the 
greatest  apparent  good,  or  by  what  seems  most 
agreeable;  Ijecause  an  ap[)eariiig  most  agreeable,  or 
pleasing  to  the  mind,  and  the  mind's  preferring  and 
choosing,  seem  hardly  to  be  properly  and  [jerfectly 
distinct — On  the  IVill,  pp.  11.  17.  London  Ed. 
Thus  also  lie  writes  in  his  Treatise  on  the  Affec- 
tions:— "  .Spiritual  understanding  consists,  prima- 
rily, in  c  sense  of  heart  of  spiritual  beauty.  I  say 
in  a  sense  of  heart;  for  it  is  not  s|x,'culation  merely 
that  is  concerned  in  this  kind  of  understanding;  nor 
can  there  be  a  clear  distinction  made  l)et ween  the 
two  faculties  of  underslanding  and  will,  as  acting 
distinctly  and  separately,  in  this  matter.  When  the 
mind  is  sensible  of  the  sweet  l)eauty  and  aniiableness 
of  a  thing,  that  implies  a  sensihieness  of  sweetness 
and  delight  in  the  jirestnce  of  the  idea  of  it  :  and 
this  sensibleness  of  the  aniiableness  or  delightfulness 
of  beauty  carries  in  the  nature  of  it  the  sense  of  the 
heart ;  or  an  effect  and  impression  llie  soul  is  llie 


432 


APPENDIX. 


itual  perceptions  and  faith  to  be  holy  ex- 
ercises proves  that  a  change  of  heart  must 
of  necessity  precede  them;  as  no  holy 
exercise  can  have  })lace  while  the  heart  is 
under  the  dominion  of  carnality.  And 
whether  these  principles  have  not  been 
sufficiently  proved  in  the  foregoing  pages 
the  reader  must  determine. 

It  is  thus,  I  apprehend,  that  God  reveals 
the  truth  to  us  by  liis  Spirit,  in  order  to 
our  discerning  and  lielieving  it.  "  Blessed 
art  thou,  Simon-Barjona  :  ilesh  and  blood 
hath  not  revealed  these  things  unto  thee, 
but  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." — "Thou 
hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  revealed  them  unto  babes." 
— "  Eye  hath  not  seen  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man 
(that  is,  into  the  heart  of  the  worldly  man,) 
the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for 
them  that  love  him  :  but  God  hath  revealed 
them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit ;  for  the  spirit 
searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things 
of  God.  Now  we  have  received  not  the 
spirit  of  the  world,  bul  the  spirit  which,  is 
of  God,  that  we  might  knoiv  the  things  that 
are  freely  given  to  us  of  God.  Which 
things  also  we  (as  ministers)  speak,  not  in 
the  words  that  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  teachetli,  compar- 
ing spiritual  things  with  spiritual.  But  the 
natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto 
him  :  neither  can  he  know  them,  because 
they  are  spiritually  discerned.''  This 
revelation  from  above  communicates  no 
new  truths,  but  imparts  a  holy  suscepti- 
bility of  spirit,  SiSpirit  irhich  is  of  God,  (and 
which  stands  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the 
world,)  by  which  those  trutiis  that  were 
already  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  but 
which  were  hid  from  us  by  our  pride  and 
hardness  of  heart,  become  manifest.  Thus 
faith  is  the  gift  of  God.  Believing  itself, 
I  should  think,  cannot  with  any  propriety 
be  termed  a  gift;  but  he  gives  us  that  from 

suljject  of,  as  a  substance  possessed  of  taste,  inclina- 
tion, and  will." 

"  There  is  a  distinction  to  be  made  between  a 
mere  notional  understanding,  wherein  the  mind 
only  beholds  things  in  the  exercise  of  a  speculative 
faculty,  and  tlie  sense  of  the  heart,  wherein  tiie 
mind  does  not  only  speculate  and  behold,  but  rel- 
ishes and  feels.  That  sort  of  knowledge,  by  which 
a  man  has  a  sensible  perception  of  amiableness  and 
loathsomeness,  or  of  sweetness  and  nauseousness,  is 
not  just  the  same  sort  ol  knowledge  with  that  by 
which  he  knows  what  a  triangle  is  and  what  a 
square  is.  The  one  is  mere  speculative  knowledge  ; 
the  other  sensible  knowledge,  in  which  more  than 
the  mere  intellect  is  concerned,  the  heart  is  the  prop- 
er subject  of  it,  or  the  soul,  as  a  being  that  not  only 
beholds,  but  has  inclination,  and  is  pleased  or  dis- 
pleased. And  yet  there  is  the  nature  of  instruction 
in  it :  as  he  that  hath  perceived  the  sweet  taste  of 
honey  knows  much  more  about  it  than  he  who  has 
only  looked  upon  and  felt  it."  pp.  227,  228,  4tli  Ed. 


which  it  immediately  follows  ;  namely,  "  a 
heart  to  know  him,  a  heart  to  perceive,  and 
eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear." — Jer.  xxiv. 
7.     Deut.  xxix.  4. 

I  see  nothing  inconsistent  between  this 
statement  of  things  and  that  of  James  and 
Peter.  We  are  as  properly  said  to  be 
"born  again  by  the  word  by  God,"  as  we 
are  said  to  be  born  into  the  world  by  means 
of  our  parents  ;  yet  as,  in  this  case,  the 
instru.mcntality  of  man  was  consistent 
with  tlie  inspiration  of  him  "  who  quicken- 
all  things,"  and  who,  by  an  immediate 
though  mysterious  operation  of  his  hand, 
gave  us  life  ;  so  I  conceive  it  is  in  the  other. 
The  tenn  "  regeneration,"  in  the  sacred 
writings,  is  not  always  used  in  that  strict 
sense  in  which  we  use  it  in  theological  dis- 
cussion. Like  almost  every  other  term,  it 
is  sometimes  used  in  a  more  strict  and 
sometimes  in  a  more  general  sense.  Thus 
repentance  is  sometimes  distinguished  from 
faith  :  at  other  times,  it  comprehends  the 
whole  of  that  whic4i  is  necessary  to  for- 
giveness, and  must  therefore  comprehend 
believing.  And  thus  regeneration  is  some- 
times expressive  of  that  operation  in  which 
the  soul  is  passive  ;  and  in  tiiis  sense  stands 
distinguished  from  conversion  or  actual 
turning  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ.  At  other 
times,  it  includes  not  only  the  first  impart- 
ation  of  spiritual  life,  but  the  whole  of 
that  change  which  denominates  us  Chris- 
tians, or  by  which  we  are  brought  as  into 
a  new  moral  world.  When  the  tertn  is 
introduced  as  a  cause  of  faith,  or  as  that 
ol  which  believing  in  Jesus  is  a  proof,  (as 
it  is  in  John  i.  12,  13,  and  1  John  v.  1,)  we 
may  be  certain  it  stands  distinguished 
from  it  :  but,  when  the  same  things  are 
ascribed  to  it  which  peculiarly  pertain  to 
faith,  we  may  be  equally  certain  that  it  in- 
cludes it.  Thus  we  read  of  "  the  wash- 
ing of  regeneration,  and  the  renewing  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  he  shed  on  us  abun- 
dantly through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour  : 
that,  being  justified  by  his  grace,  we  should 
he  made  heirs  according  to  the  hope  of 
eternal  life."  If  regeneration  did  not  here 
include  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  it  would  not 
I  conceive  stand  connected  as  it  does  with 
justification,  which  is  peculiarly  ascribed 
to  faith. 

Regeneration,  taken  in  this  large  sense 
of  the  term,  is  undoubtedly  "  by  the  word 
of  God."  It  is  by  means  of  this  that  a 
sinner  is  first  convinced  of  sin,  and  by  this, 
as  exhil)iting  mercy  through  Jesus  Christ, 
he  is  kept  from  despair.  It  is  liy  this  only 
that  he  can  become  acquainted  with  the 
character  of  the  Being  he  has  offended,  the 
nature  and  demerit  of  sin,  and  the  way  in 
which  he  must  be  saved  from  it.  These 
important  truths,  viewed  with  the  eye  of 
an  enlightened  conscience,  frequently  pro- 


APPENDIX. 


433 


ilucc  irrcat  effects  upon  the  soul  even  j>re- 
viously  to  its  yieldinir  itxelC  up  to  Christ. 
And  the  inii)aitatioM  ot  spiritual  lite,  or  a 
suseeptiliility  oi  iiearl  to  receive  the  truth, 
may  generally  it  not  always  «rco7H^flni/ the 
representation  ot  truth  to  tiie  mind.  It 
was  while  Pa»d  was  speakin;r  tliat  the  Lord 
opened  the  heart  of  Lydia.  It  is  also  al- 
lowed that  wlien  the  word  is  received  into 
the  sovd,  and  tinds  i)Iace  there,  it  "  work- 
eth  cllVctually,"  and  l)ecomes  a  principle 
ot  holy  action,  "  a  well  of  water  spriniiin<r 
xip  to  everlastinu;  life."  All  I  contend 
tor  is,  that  i7«is  not  by  meajis  of  a  spiritual 
perception,  or  belief  of  the  gosjiel,  that  the 
heart  is  for  the  first  time  effectually  injlu- 
enccd  towards  God;  for  spiritual  percep- 
tion and  belief  are  represented  as  the  ef- 
Jects  and  not  the  causes  of  such  influence. 

A  spiritual  perception  of  the  glory  of 
divine  tilings  api)ears  to  be  the  tirst  sen- 
sation of  which  the  mind  is  conscious  ; 
but  it  is  not  the  first  operation  of  God 
upon  it.  Spiritual  jierception  is  that  which 
the  Scriptures-  call  uio^/ot:^  judgment,  or 
sense,  or  the  judgment  arising  from  holy 
sensibility. — Phil.  i.  9.  It  is  that  in  spir- 
itual things,  which  a  delicate  sense  of  pro- 
j)riety  is  in  natural  things,  in  which  the 
mind  judges  as  it  were  instinctively  from 
a  feeling  of  what  is  proper.  It  is  l>y  this 
"unction  from  the  Holy  One"  that  wc 
perceive  the  glory  of  the  divine  character, 
the  evil  of  sin,  and  the  lovely  fitness  of  the 
Saviour ;  neither  of  w  hich  can  be  j)rop- 
erly  known  by  mere  intellect,  any  more 
than  the  sweetness  of  honey  or  the  bitter- 
ness of  wormwood  can  be  ascertained  by 
the  sight  of  the  eye.  Nor  can  one  he  per- 
ceived, but  in  connection  with  the  other. 
Without  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  the  object 
offended,  it  is  impossil)le  to  have  any  just 
perco[)tion  of  the  evil  nature  of  the  offence, 
and,  without  a  sense  of  the  evil  nature  of 
the  olTence,  it  is  equally  impossil>le  to  dis- 
cern either  the  necessity  or  the  fitness  of 
a  Saviour;  but,  witii  such  a  sense  of  things, 
each  naturally,  and  perhaps  instantane- 
ously, follows  the  other.  Hence  arise  the 
exercises  of  "repentance  towards  God, 
and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  " 
and  in  the  order  in  which  the  Scriptures 
represent  them. 

Much  has  been  said  of  this  statement  of 
things,  as  involving  the  absurdity  of  a  god- 
hj  unbeliever.  Scri|>ture  declarations  and 
promises,  expressive  of  the  safety  of  the 
regenerate,  have  been  urged,  and  a  con- 
clusion drav>n,  that,  if  regeneration  pre- 
cede believing,  men  may  be  in  a  safe  state 
without  coming  to  Christ.*  It  will  be  al- 
lowed, I  suppose,  that  spiritual  perception 
necessarily    precedes   believing;    or   that 

*  Ml.  Booth's  Glad  Tidiugi-,  &.c.    p|).    17G,  ISO. 
VOL.    I.  35 


seeing  the  Son  goes  before  believing  in 
him;  also  that  a  belief  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ  precedes  our  coming  to  him  for 
life,  as  much  so  as  believing  that  God  is, 
and  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently 
seek  him,  precedes  coming  to  him.  But,  it 
were  as  easy  to  produce  a  number  of  dec- 
larations and  promises  which  express  the 
safety  of  those  who  know  Christ  and  i)e- 
lieve  his  doctrine,  as  of  those  who  are  re- 
generate :  and,  it  might  with  ecpial  jiro- 
priety  be  said.  There  is  but  little,  if  any, 
occasion  for  those  who  know  Christ  to 
believe  in  him  ;  or  for  those  who  believe 
his  doctrine  to  come  to  him  for  eternal 
life,  seeing  they  are  already  in  a  state  of 
salvation. — The  truth  appears  to  be,  these 
things  are  inseparable;  and,  when  promises 
are  made  to  one,  it  is  as  connected  with 
the  other.  The  priority  contended  for  is 
rather  in  order  of  nature  than  of  time  ;  or, 
if  it  be  the  latter,  it  may  be  owing  to  the 
disadvantages  under  which  the  party  may 
be  placed  as  to  the  means  of  understanding 
the  gospel.  No  sooner  is  the  heart  turn- 
ed tow  ards  Christ  than  Christ  is  embraced. 
It  is  necessary  that  the  evil  humors  of  a 
jaundiced  eye  should  be  removed,  before 
we  can  see  things  as  they  are  ;  but  no 
sooner  are  they  removed  than  we  see. 
And  if  there  be  a  priority  in  order  of  time, 
owing  to  the  want  of  op])ortunity  of  know- 
ing the  truth  ;  yet,  where  a  person  embra- 
ces Christ  so  far  as  he  has  the  means  of 
knowing  him,  he  is  in  effect  a  lieliever. 
The  Bereans  "received  the  word  with  all 
readiness  of  mind,  and  searched  the  Scrip- 
tures daily  w  hether  these  things  w  ere  so  : 
therefore,"  it  is  said,  "many  of  them  be- 
lieved." And,  had  they  died  while  en- 
gaged in  this  noiile  pursuit,  they  would 
not  have  been  treated  as  unbelievers. 
This  principle,  therefore,  does  not  involve 
the  absurdity  of  a  godly  unbeliever.  But, 
if  its  opposite  be  true,  the  absurdity  of  an 
ungodly  believer  must  undoubtedlj'  be  ad- 
mitted. Indeed,  those  who  plead  for  it 
avow  this  consequence  ;  for,  though  they 
allow  that  none  but  believers  are  justified, 
yet  they  contend  that  at  the  time  of  justi- 
fication the  party  is  absolutely  and  in  ev- 
ery sense  ungodly  ;  that  is,  he  is  at  the 
same  instant  both  a  believer  and  an  enemy 
of  God  ! 

I  shall  conclude  with  a  reflection  or  two 
on  the  consc(iuences  of  the  principle  I  op- 
pose, w  ith  res])ect  to  addressing  the  un- 
converted. 

First:  If  the  necessity  of  repentance  in 
order  to  forgiveness  be  given  up,  we  shall 
not  be  in  the  practice  of  urging  it  on  the 
unconverted.  Wc  shall  imagine  it  will  be 
leading  souls  astray  to  press  it  before  and 
in  order  to  believing  :  and  afterwards  it 
will  be  thought  umiecessary  ;  as  all  that 


434 


APPENDIX. 


is  wanted  will  come  of  itself.  Thus  it  will 
in  effect  be  left  out  of  our  ministry  :  but 
whether  in  this  case  we  can  acquit  our- 
selves of  having:  deserted  the  examples, 
and  of  course  the  doctrine,  of  John  the 
Baptist,  Christ,  and  his  apostles,  deserves 
our  serious  consideration. 

Secondly  :  For  the  same  reason  that  we 
give  up  the  necessity  of  re]»entance  in  or- 
der to  forgiveness,  we  may  give  up  all 
exhortations  to  things  spiritually  good  as 
means  of  salvation.  Instead  of  uniting 
with  the  sacred  ^vrilers  in  calling  upon  the 
wicked  to  forsake  his  Avay,  and  the  un- 
righteous man  his  thouglits,  and  to  return 
to  the  Lord,  that  he  may  have  mercy,  upon 
him  ;  Ave  shall  consider  it  as  tending  to 
make  them  Pharisees.  Indeed,  Mr.  M'L. 
seems  prepared  for  this  consequence.  If 
I  understand  him,  he  does  not  approve  of 
unconA  erted  sinners  being  exhorted  to  any 
thing  spiritually  good,  any  otlierwise  than 
as  holding  up  to  tliem  the  language  of  the 
law  for  convincing  them  of  sin.  It  is  thus 
he  answers  the  question,  "  Are  unbeliev- 
ers to  be  exhorted  to  obedience  to  God's 
commandments  1  "  referring  us  to  the  an- 
swer of  our  Lord  to  the  young  ruler,  which 
directed  him  to  keep  tlie  commandments 
if  he  would  enter  into  life.*  It  is  easy  to 
perceive  that  his  scheme  requires  this  con- 
struction of  the  exhortations  of  the  Bi- 
ble ;  for  if  he  allow  that  sinners  are  called 
to  the  exercise  of  any  thing  spiritually 
good,  in  order  to  their  partaking  of  spirit- 
ual blessings,  he  must  give  up  his  favorite 
notion  of  God's  justifying  men  while  in  a 
state  of  enmity  against  him.  True  it  is 
that  all  duty  in  some  sort  belongs  to  the 
law  :  considering  it  as  the  eternal  standard 
of  right  and  wrong,  it  requires  the  heart 
in  every  modification.  Rei)entance,  faith, 
and  all  holy  exercises  df  the  mind  are  in 
this  sense  required  by  it.  But  as  a  cove- 
nant of  life  it  does  not  admit  of  repentance, 
and  much  less  hold  up  the  promise  of  for- 
giveness. When  God  says  "  Repent  and 
turn  yourselves  from  all  your  transgres- 
sions, so  iniquity  shall  not  be  your  ruin," 
this  is  not  the  language  of  the  law  as  a 
covenant  of  life.  Mr.  M'L.  tells  us,  in 
the  same  page,  "  there  is  no  promise  of  life 
to  the  doing  of  any  good  thing,  except  all 
the  commandments  lie  ke])t."  How  then 
can  the  law  as  a  covenant  of  life  so  much 
as  admit  of  repentance,  and  much  less 
hold  up  a  hope  that  in  case  of  it  iniquity 
shall  not  be  our  ruin  1  The  Scriptures 
exhort  on  this  wise  :  "  Incline  your  ear, 
and  come  unto  me  :  hear,  and  your  soul 
shall  live;  and  I  will  make  an  everlasting 
covenant  Avith  }ou,  even  (lie  sure  mercies 
of  David." — "  Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he 

*  Simple  Truth,  p.  21.     Second  Edition. 


may  be  found  :  call  ye  upon  him  while  he 
is  near :  let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way, 
and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts  :  and 
let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will 
have  mercy  upon  him ;  and  to  our  God, 
for  he  will  abundantly  pardon." — "Labor 
not  for  the  meat  that  perisheth ;  but  for 
that  which  endureth  unto  everlasting 
life." — "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor 
and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn 
of  me,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls."  Is  this  the  mere  language  of  the 
law,  and  designed  to  suggest  what  they 
must  do  if  they  would  be  justified  by  the 
works  of  it^ 

It  should  seem  that,  if  Mr.  M'L.  was 
called  to  visit  a  dying  sinner,  he  would  be 
careful  not  to  use  any  such  language  as 
this  ;  or,  if  he  did,  it  must  be  ironically, 
teaching  him  what  he  must  do,  on  his  own 
self-justifying  principles,  to  gain  eternal 
life.  If  he  be  serious,  he  has  only  to 
state  to  him  what  Christ  has  done  upon 
the  cross,  and  assure  him  that,  if  he  be- 
lieves it,  he  is  happy.  Far  lie  it  from  me 
tliat  I  sliould  disapprove  of  an  exhibition 
of  the  Saviour  as  the  only  foundation  of 
hope  to  a  dying  sinner,  or  plead  for  such 
directions  as  fall  short  of  believing  in 
him.  In  both  these  particulars  I  am  per- 
suaded INIr.  M'L.  is  in  the  right,  and  that 
all  those  counsels  to  sinners  which  are 
adapted  only  to  turn  their  attention  to  the 
workings  of  their  own  hearts,  to  their 
prayers,  or  their  tears,  and  not  to  the 
blood  of  the  cross,  are  delusive  and  dan- 
gerous. But  does  it  i'ollow  that  they  are 
to  be  exhorted  to  nothing  spiritually  good 
unless  it  be  for  their  conviction!  Mr. 
M'L.,  to  be  consistent,  must  not  serious- 
ly exhort  a  sinner  to  come  off  from  those 
refuges  of  lies,  to  renounce  all  dependence 
on  his  prayers  and  tears,  and  to  rely  upon 
Christ  alone  as  necessary  to  justification, 
lest  he  make  him  a  Pharisee ;  for  this 
would  be  the  same  thing  as  exhorting  him 
to  humble  himself  and  submit  himself  to 
the  righteousness  of  God ;  exercises  in 
v.hich  the  mind  is  active,  and  which  are 
spiritually  good. 

Why  should  we  1)6  wise  above  wliat  is 
v.'ritten  ?  wliy  scruple  to  address  such  a 
character  in  the  language  of  inspiration  ! — 
"Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thoughts  :  and  let 
him  return  to  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have 
mercy  upon  him;  and  to  our  God,  for  he 
will  abundantly  pardon."  The  sacred 
writers  warn  and  exhort,  as  well  as  teach. 
While  they  exhibit  the  Saviour,  they  ex- 
jjostulate,  entreat,  and  persuade  men  to 
embrace  him  with  all  their  hearts;  and 
this  without  any  apparent  apprehensions 


I 


APPENDIX. 


435 


of  undermininp;  the  flortrino  of  free  jus- 
tification. 

II"  it  he  said,  The  exercises  includeil  in 
the  torcgoiiiii  exhortations  imply  Jh it li  ;  1 
grant  it.  Without  faith  in  Christ,  neither 
repentance,  nor  any  otlier  spiritual  exer- 
cise, wouki  be  IbUowed  with  forgiveness. 
Those  who  seek  the  Lord  must  he  ex- 
horted to  seek  him  in  tlie  way  in  whicli  he 
is  to  he  fountl  ;  those  that  call  upon  him 
must  do  so  in  the  name  of  Jesus ;  tlie  way 
and  thoughts  to  l)e  forsaken  respect  not 
merely  a  course  ol  outward  crimes,  hut 
the  self-righteous  schemes  of  the  heart  ; 
and  returnini^  to  the  Lord  is  notliing  less 
than  returning'home  to  God  hy  Jesus 
Christ.  But  this  does  not  prove  that  the 
exhortation,  unless  it  he  to  teach  them 
what  tiiey  must  do  to  he  justified  hy  a 
covenant  of  works,  is  improperly  address- 
ed to  the  unconverted.  It  is  manifestly 
intended  for  no  such  purpose,  but  as  a  di- 
rection to  ol)tain  salvation. 

The  Scriptures  sometimes  give  direc- 
tions as  to  the  way  of  our  olitaining  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  acceptance  with 
God ;  and   sometimes   of  being  saved   in 


general,  or  of  obtaining  everlasting  life ; 
and  we  ought  to  give  the  same.  If  they 
direct  us  to  seek  tor  pardon,  it  is  l)y  re- 
Itentance;'  if  for  justification,  it  is  hy  be- 
lieving;! and  if  for  eternal  salvation,  it  is 
l)y  a  life  of  evangelical  ol)e(lience.|  When 
they  speak  of  pardon,  justification  is  sup- 
posed ;§  and,  when  they  exhort  to  repent- 
ance in  order  to  it,  lielicving  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  is  supposed. II  On  the  other 
hand,  when  they  speak  of  justification, 
tiicy  include  forgiveness  ;ir  and  vvlicn  they 
exhort  to  l)elieving,  in  order  to  it,  it  is  to 
such  a  l)ciieving  as  comprehends  repent- 
ance."* 

JMany  of  these  directions,  on  the  i>rin- 
cii)!e  I  oi)pose,  must  be  omitted  ;  hut,  if 
they  l)e,  some  of  the  most  essential  l)ranch- 
es  of  the  Christian  ministry  will  be  neg- 
lected. 

*Isa.  Iv.  6,  7.  Acts  viii.  22.  f  Acts  xiii.  39. 
Rom.  iv.  4,  5.  ix.  32.  J  Jloiii.  ii.  7.  Heb.  xi.  14. 
§  I*s:i.  xxxii.  1,  2,  compared  with  Rom.  iv.  6,  7. 
II  Luke  XV.  4,  7.  Acts  xiii.  38.  Eplie.s.  i.  7.  Col. 
i.  14.  IT  Rom.  iv.  6,  7.  **  Mark  i.  15.  Matt.  xxi. 
32.  Acts  xvi.  31,  compared  with  xx.  21.  Luke, 
xiii.  3. 


-1 


DEFENCE    OF   A    TREATISE 


ENTITLED 


THE  GOSPEL  OF  CHRIST  WORTHY   OF  ALL  ACCEPTATION: 


CONTAINING 


A  REPLY  TO  MR.  BUTTON'S  REMARKS 


OBSERVATIONS    OF    PHILANTHROPOS. 

Wliile  ye  have  light,  Ixjlieve  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  light. 

Jesus  Christ. 

By  grace  are  ye  saved,  tlirough  faith ;    and  that  not  of  yourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of 
God.  Paul. 


PREFACE. 


The  prevalence  of  truth  and  righteousness  is,  doubtless,  an  object  of  great  importance  ; 
nor  is  the  former  any  less  necessary  to  the  latter  than  both  are  to  tlie  interest  of  man- 
kind. If  controversy  is  of  any  use,  it  is  because  it  tends  to  l>ring  truth  to  light.  It 
too  often  unhappily  falls  out,  however,  that  the  parties  themselves  are  not  the  first 
who  are  convinced  by  each  other's  reasonings  ;  but,  on  tlie  contrary,  are  as  dxr,  and 
perhaps  farther,  asunder  when  they  leave  off  than  when  they  began  :  this  is  not  very 
difficult  to  be  accounted  for,  though  it  is  much  to  be  lamented.  Perhaps  there  are 
very  few  controversies  wherein  there  is  not  room  for  mutual  concessions.  The  back- 
wardness so  generally  discovered  to  this  by  writers,  and  the  determination  that  too 
commonly  appears  on  both  sides  to  maintain,  at  all  events,  their  own  principles,  have 
given  much  disgust  to  many  readers,  and  made  them  almost  ready  to  despair  of  edi- 
fication by  reading  controversy. 

But,  though  it  must  be  granted  that  such  conduct  affords  a  just  ground  of  disgust 
towards  a  writer,  yet  there  is  not  the  same  reason  for  being  disgusted  with  contro- 
versial writing.  Whatever  be  the  prejudices  of  the  parties,  and  their  rigid  adherence 
to  their  own  opinions,  if  a  controversy  is  carried  on  with  any  good  degree  of  judgment, 
truth  is  likely  to  come  out  between  them  ;  and  what  avails  it  on  whose  side  it  is  found, 
if  it  is  but  found  1  The  obstinacy  of  the  writers  is  a  sin;  but  it  is  a  sin  tliat  belongs 
to  themselves  :  the  reader  may  get  good,  notwithstanding  this,  sufficient  to  repay  him 
for  all  his  trouble. 

For  my  own  part,  I  never  imagined  myself  infallible.  I  all  along  thought  that, 
though  at  the  time  I  could  see  no  mistakes  in  the  piece  I  had  written,  (if  I  had  I  should 
certainly  have  corrected  them,)  yet  no  doubt  other  people,  who  would  look  at  it  with 
different  eyes  from  mine,  would  discern  some  ;  and  I  trust  it  has  been  my  desire  to 
lie  open  to  instruction  from  every  quarter.  It  would  be  the  shame  and  folly  of  any 
man,  especially  of  one  of  my  years,  to  act  otherwise. 

I  will  not  pretend  to  be  free  from  that  spirit  which  easily  besets  a  person  engaged 
in  controversy  :  but  thus  much  I  can  say,  I  have  endeavored  to  read  each  of  my  oppo- 
nents with  a  view  to  conviction  ;  and  it  becomes  me  to  acknowledge  tliat  I  have  not 
been  altogether  disappointed.  There  are  some  passages  which,  if  I  had  tiie  piece  to 
write  over  again,  I  should  expunge,  and  others  which  I  should  alter  :  I  should  en- 
deavor, in  some  places,  to  be  more  explicit,  and  in  otiiers  more  upon  my  guard  against 
every  aj)pearunce  of  unkind  reflection.*  There  are  also  some  lesser  matters,  which 
I  shall  acknowledge  in  their  place.  Justice  requires  me  to  say  thus  much  :  but,  as  to 
the  main  sentiment  endeavored  to  be  established,  notwithstanding  what  has  been 
written,  I  must  say,  it  appears  to  me  unshaken.  If,  in  my  judgment,  that  had  been 
overthrown,  the  attention  of  the  reader  should  not  have  been  called  upon  by  the  pres- 
ent reply. 

*In  a  second  edition  of  (he  publication  to  which  Mr.  F.  refers  these  aUerations  were  made  ;  aiul  the 
piece,  as  it  appears  in  the  present  volume,  is  printed  from  the  corrected  edition. 


440  PREFACE. 

In  the  publications  of  both  my  opponents  *  I  see  different  degrees  of  merit ;  and  for 
each  of  their  persons  and  characters  I  feel  a  most  sincere  regard.  I  doubtless  think 
them  both  beside  the  truth  ;  and,  I  suppose,  they  may  think  the  same  of  me.     I  de- 

*"Both  your  opponents — but  why  not  reply  to  Dr.  Withers  1  "  Because  his  Letter  appears  to  me  to 
contain  nothing  like  an  answer  to  that  against  which  it  is  written.  The  utmost  I  can  gather,  that 
looks  any  thing  like  evidence,  may  be  summed  up  in  a  very  small  compass.  "  There  can  be  no  duty,"  it  is 
said,  "  without  a  voluntary  compact.  If  a  compact  with  God  cannot  be  found  on  holy  record — if  it  he  evi- 
dent that  man  is  destitute  of  the  powers  essential  to  the  existence  of  such  a  compact,  it  cannot  be  his  duly 
to  believe." — ])p.  21,  26.  It  might  have  been  added  with  equal  propriety — nor  to  do  any  thing  else  which 
is  enjoined  him.  But  I  would  ask  to  whom  arc  we  unjirofitable  servants,  as  doing  no  more  than  our 
DITTY  1  To  men,  with  whom  we  make  compacts,  or  to  God  1  If  Dr.  W.'s  reasoning  be  just,  it  is  not  the 
duty  of  children  to  be  subject  to  their  parents. 

Again  :  Men  are  not  all  bound  to  have  an  equal  "  number  of  ideas,  to  believe  without  evidence,  examina- 
tion, or  beyond  their  natural  capacities." — pp.  40,  59,  73 — 76.  This  is  very  true  ;  neither  is  there  any 
thing  in  the  treatise  which  Dr.  W.  has  opposed  that  asserts  the  contrary. 

I  had  said,  if  men  are  not  obliged  to  approve  of  what  God  reveals,  they  may  be  right  in  disapproving  it. 
Much  is  said  to  expose  tliis  to  ridicule.  It  is  said  to  be  "  either  an  identical  proposition  or  such  an  ar- 
bitrary combination  of  words  as  it  seems  will  prove  any  thing." — pp.  85,  86.  It  is  not  the  former,  unless  a 
negative  and  a  positive  idea  are  necessarily  the  same.  Christ  declared,  saying,  "  He  that  is  not  with  me 
is  against  me."  This  is  as  much  an  identical  proposition  as  that  in  question,  and  might  be  treated  in  the 
same  manner.  If  there  is  any  mistake  in  the  argument,  it  must  lie  in  my  taking  it  for  granted,  upon  Christ's 
testimony  just  quoted,  that,  though  there  is  an  evident  difi'erence  between  a  negative  and  a  positive  idea, 
yet,  in  this  case,  the  difference  is  not  such  as  to  admit  a  possibility  of  a  medium.  Every  one  knows  there 
are  ca.ses  in  which  a  medium  between  ideas  of  that  description  may  have  place;  as  between  my  "  not 
watching  my  neighbor's  house,  and  breaking  it  ojien."  In  that  case,  it  is  not  my  duty  to  do  eitlier  :  but 
unless  such  a  medium  could  be  affirmed  between  not  approving  and  disapproving  of  what  God  reveals,  the 
argument  still  retains  its  force,  and  the  syllogistical  parade  must  appear  to  be  only  a  play  of  words. 

Dr.  VV.  had  given  us  reason  to  expect  something  very  considerable  against  the  distinction  o{  natural  and 
moral  inability  ;  but  what  does  it  all  amount  to "?  Why,  ability  or  inability  is  not,  strictly  speaking, 
predicable  of  the  will,  but  of  the  man. — pp.  89,  90.  I  have  looked  over  what  I  have  written  on  that  sub- 
ject, and  cannot  find  that  I  have  any  where  predicated  inability  of  the  toill.  but  of  the  man,  through  the 
perversion  of  his  will.  Be  that,  however,  as  it  may.  Dr.  W.'s  reasoning  is  of  no  force.  An  idle  ser- 
vant is  enjoined  a  piece  of  labor  :  he  replies,  I  cannot  do  it:  he  is  told  his  inability  lies  in  his  will;  he 
turns  metaphysician,  and  gravely  assures  his  master  that  inability  is  not  predicable  of  the  will,  but  of  the 
man;   and,  therefore,  insists  upon  it  that  he  is  blameless  ! 

If  Dr.  W.  means  no  more  than  this,  that  when  the  terms  ability  and  inability  are  applied  to  the  volitions 
of  the  mind  they  are  not  used  in  a  literal  but  a  figurative  sense,  I  do  not  know  any  person  that  will  dis- 
pute what  he  says.  At  the  same  time  it  ought  to  be  observed  that  these  terms  are  applied  to  what  depends 
upon  the  volitions  of  the  mind,  though  it  be  in  a  figurative  sense,  and  tliat  both  in  Scripture  and  in  common 
life.  It  is  as  common  to  say,  of  a  person  of  a  very  covetous  temper,  that  he  is  incapable  of  a  generous  ac- 
tion as  it  is  to  say,  of  a  person  who  has  lost  the  use  of  his  faculties,  he  is  incapable  of  acting  at  all.  And 
thus  the  Scriptures  apply  the  terms.  It  is  as  expressly  said  of  Joseph's  brethren  that  they  could  not  speak 
peaceably  to  him;  as  it  is  said  of  Zacharias  that  he  was  dumb,  and  could  not  speak  to  the  people,  when  lie 
came  out  of  the  temple. 

The  ideas  in  these  cases  are  really  and  essentially  distinct  ;  and  so  long  as  they  continue  to  be  expressed 
both  in  Scripture  and  in  common  conversation  by  the  same  word,  if  we  would  understand  what  we  speak 
or  write,  a  distinction  concerning  the  nature  of  inability,  amounting  to  what  is  usually  meant  by  natural 
and  moral,  becomes  absolutely  necessary. 

Dr.  W.,  instead  of  overthrowing  this  sentiment,  has  undesignedly  confirmed  it ;  for  though  he  can  ex- 
cuse a  want  of  love  to  God,  yet,  if  any  thing  is  ,  directed  against  himself,  the  case  is  altered.  Our  Lord 
speaking  of  the  Pharisees,  and  their  blasphemous  reproaches  against  him,  says,  "  How  can  ye  being  evil 
speak  good  things  V     Now,  according  to  the  theory  of  this  writer,  such  an   inability  must  sufficiently  ex- 


r'RrFAcn.  441 

sire  to  feel  every  (Icirrce  of  candor,  towards  all  that  difler  from  iiic,  which  a  person 
ought  to  foel  towards  those  whom  he  believes  to  be  mistaken:  and  this,  I  think, 
should  go  to  such  a  length  as  to  entertain  the  most  sincere  good  will  towards  their 
persons,  and  to  put  the  most  favorable  construction  that  can  in  justice  be  put  upon 
their  supposed  mistakes.  But,  after  all,  I  believe  truth  to  be  important  ;  and  so  long 
as  I  consider  the  belief  of  it  to  be  every  person's  duty,  according  to  his  natural  ca- 
pacities and  opportunities  to  understand  it,  I  cannot  subscribe  to  the  innocence  of 
error.  God  is  the  governor  of  the  mind,  as  well  as  of  the  actions.  He  governs  the 
former  by  rule,  as  well  as  the  latter ;  and  all  deviations  from  that  rule  must  arise 
either  from  its  not  being  sufficiently  level  to  ourcapacitieSj  or  from  inattention,  preju- 
dice, or  some  other  criminal  cause. 

cuse  tliem.  But,  if  a  Pharisee  speak  evil  of  liim,  he  is  grievously  provoked.  Who  these  Pharisees  are, 
and  what  tliey  have  said  of  Dr.  W.,  I  know  not.  I  onlj'  ask,  is  it  not  a  pity  but  his  pliiiautliropy  could 
excuse  those  who  reproach  him,  as  well  as  those  who  dishonor  God  "i 

Phiianlln'opy*  is,  doubtless,  an  amiable  temper  of  mind,  when  regulated  by  rules  of  righteousness;  but 
tliere  is  a  sort  of  love  which  the  language  of  inspiration  deems  hatred.  If  I  were,  merely  as  a  member  of 
civil  society,  to  visit  a  number  of  convicts  under  a  righteous  sentence  of  death;  and  if,  instead  of  persuadin" 
them  of  the  goodness  of  the  laws  which  they  had  violated,  of  the  great  evil  of  their  conduct,  and  of  the 
equity  of  ihcir  punishment,  and  conjuring  them  to  justify  their  country,  and  sue  for  mercy; — if,  I  say,  in- 
stead of  this,  I  should  go  about  to  palliate  their  crimes,  and  assure  them  that  the  governor  by  whose  laws 
they  were  condemned  was  the  author  of  all  their  misfortunes — that  though  I  believed  some  of  tiiem  at  least 
must  certainly  suffer,  yet,  I  must  acknowledge,  I  could  see  no  justice  in  the  aflair,  there  being  no  propor- 
tion between  the  punishment  and  the  crime — I  might  call  my.self  the  friend  of  mankind,  and  give  what  flat- 
tering titles  I  pleased  to  what  I  had  l)een  doing:  but  impartial  spectators  would  deem  uie  an  enemy  to  truth 
and  righteousness,  an  enemy  to  my  country,  yea,  an  enemy  to  tlie  veiy  persons  whose  cause  I  espoused. 

But  with  the  principles  or  Dr.  W.  I  have  no  concern.  There  is  reason  to  hope  they  are  too  undisguised 
to  gain  credit  witli  serious  minds.  lam  under  no  obligation  to  refute  them;  none,  at  least,  at  present. 
Before  the  sentiments  of  any  writer  are  entitled  to  a  refutation,  it  is  reqiii.-.ite  that  lie  pay  some  regard,  at 
least,  to  sobriety  and  truth. 

Whether  Dr.  W.  can  acquit  himself  of  io/Z/'m/  and  known  falsehood,  I  cannot  tell;  but  this  I  know,  lie 
has,  in  very  many  instances,  imputed  sentiments  to  me  of  which  I  never  thought,  and  sentences  which  nev- 
er proceeded  from  my  pen.  The  former  might  be  im])uted  to  mistake;  and,  if  there  had  been  only  an  in- 
stance or  two  of  the  latter,  charity  miglit  have  overlooked  them;  but  the  number  of  gross  misrepresentations 
ia  such  iis  admits  of  no  such  construction. 

Not  to  mention  his  exclamations  of  "  punishment  without  guilt" — of"  unmerited  damnation,"  pp.  6,  7, 
(which  seem  to  Ije  his  own  sentiments  rather  than  mine  ;  as  he  believes,  if  I  understand  him,  that  men  and 
devils  will  be  eternally  punished  for  that  of  which  God  is  the  author,)  pp.  17.5,  witii  50,  55:  not  to  mention 
these,  I  say,  what  could  he  think  of  himself,  in  taking  such  freedoms  as  the  following  ?  "  You  draw  I 
know  not  what  conclusions  concern ing/at</t.  As  though  a  generation  of  vipers  had  been  perfectly  holy,  if 
tlie  fulness  of  time  had  not  given  Jesus  to  his  people." — pp.  176,  178.  "  What  combinations  of  deformity 
and  weakness  occur  in  many  pious  attempts  to  spiritualize,  as  you  phrase  it,  the  works  of  nature." — 
p.  63.  "  To  assert  it  to  be  the  duty  of  all  to  Ijelieve  tliat  they  are  o/tlie  fold  of  the  heavenly  shepherd  is 
an  impious  absurdity." — p.  95,  Note.  "  When  y''U  inform  us  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  man  to  believe 
that  HE  IS  of  the  remnant  of  salvation,  you  certainly  are  mistaken." — p.  151.     "  Tremendous  defonnity 

of  tllOUght  !      To  PERISH  IF  WE   DO    BELIEVE    A     LIE,  To     BE     DAMNED    IF    wE    DO     NOT    BELIEVE 

IT  !  !  !  " — p.  153.  "  God  cannot,  you  say,  love  any  but  his  chosen,  nor  can  omnipotence  itself  make  any 
but  his  chosen  love  him." — p.  87.  "You  say  that  omnipotence  itself  cannot  make  a  man  choose  and  de- 
light in  God,  p.  181." 

I  should  be  glad  to  Ix^  informed  in  what  pages,  and  in  what  lines,  the  above  passage:^  are  to  be  found,  and 
what  authority  Dr.  W.  had  for  these  imputations. 

*  Aliufling  to  the  title  of  his  book. 

VOL.  I.  56 


442  PREFACE. 

I  am  far  from  wishing,  in  any  case,  to  impute  blame  to  another,  farther  than  I  am 
willing,  on  a  similar  supposition,  to  take  it  to  myself.  I  am  liable  to  err  as  well  as 
others  ;  but  then  I  appreliend,  so  far  as  I  do  err,  that  it  is  owing  to  a  want  of  diligence 
or  impartiality,  or  to  some  such  cause,  which  God  forbid  that  I  should  ever  vindicate 
by  pronouncing  it  innocent ! 

If  I  am  in  error,  in  the  sentiments  here  defended,  it  will  be  the  part  of  candor  in 
my  opponents  to  allow  that  I  sincerely  believe  what  I  write  ;  but  it  would  be  a  spuri- 
ous kind  of  candor  to  acquit  me  of  all  blame  in  the  affair.  If  I  have  erred,  either  God 
has  not  sufficiently  revealed  the  thing  in  question,  so  as  to  make  it  level  with  my  ca- 
pacity, or  else  I  have  not  searched  after  truth  with  that  earnestness  and  impartiality 
which  I  ought. 

1787. 

'  In  the  last  instance,  it  is  true,  he  has  referred  us  to  the  page;  and  there  are  some  of  the  words,  but  noth- 
ing of  the  meaning  to  be  found  in  page  181  of  my  treatise.*  What  is  there  said  is,  that  "  Omnipotence  it- 
self cannot  make  the  flesh  choose  and  delight  in  God;  "  and  what  is  there  meant  by  the  term  flesh  is 
sufficiently  plain  from  page  182. 

It  18  possible  this  gentleman  may  exclaim,  and  multiply  words,  and  pretend  to  infer  the  above  passages 
from  what  I  have  advanced.  I  do  not  believe  that  any  one  of  them  can  be  fairly  inferred  from  any  thing  I 
have  written.  But  suppose  he  thinks  they  can,  in  order  to  acquit  himself  of  falsehood,  it  is  not  enough 
that  in  his  opinion  they  may  be  inferred  from  what  I  have  said  ;  they  must  be  proved,  the  chief  of  them,  to  be 
MY  WORDS  and  all  of  them  my  sentiments;  and  the  places  where  they  are  found  particularly  specified. 
Any  thing  short  of  this  will  amount  to  an  acknowledgment  of  the  charge,  and  will  require  no  farther  notice 
in  a  way  of  reply. 

*  The  references  to  Mr.  Fuller's  Gospel  Worthy  of  all  Acceptation,  &lc.,  are  made  to  the  First  Edi- 
tion. In  the  Second  Edition  (from  which  this  is  ])rinted)  several  passages  were  altered,  and  some  omitted  : 
it  is  therefore  impossible,  generally,  to  refer  the  reader  to  the  proper  pages  in  this  volume. 


REPLY   TO    lAIR.    BUTTON. 


SECTION  I. 

JNTRODUCTION,  GENERAL  REMARKS,  &C. 

When  tlie  former  treatise  was  publisli- 
cd,  I  did  not  fUittcr  inyselt  with  tlic  tliought 
of  its  lueotiiii!;  with  no  opposition.  The 
sentiments  there  maintained  I  knew  to  be 
different  from  those  of  many  wliose  char- 
acters I  sincerely  respected.  I  also  knew 
that  they  had  the  same  right  to  examine 
as  I  had  to  advance.  Any  person,  there- 
fore, who  miiilit  tliink  me  mistaken,  and 
should  Ite  so  disposed,  was  there  invited  to 
point  out  my  mistakes  ;  witii  the  addition 
of  only  this  single  caution — that  he  would 
■not  only  call  them  mistakes,  but  prove 
them  such. 

Mr.  Button  has  accepted  the  invitation. 
He  had  a  right  to  do  so.  He  has  "  at- 
tempted," he  says,  "  not  barely  to  call  the 
sentiments  he  opposes  by  the  name  of  mis- 
takes, but  to  prove  them  such  by  solid, 
scriptural  evidence."  I  have  no  objection 
to  his  attempt ;  but  I  do  not  think  he  has 
succeeded  in  it.  The  leading  sentiments 
in  the  former  treatise,  which  are  charged 
as  "mistakes,"  still  appear  to  me  in  the 
light  of  scriptural  and  important  truths. 
In  defending  them  against  Mr.  B.'s  excep- 
tions, I  hope  I  shall  give  him  no  just  cause 
ofotfence.  I  am  sure  it  is  my  desire  to 
avoid  every  thing  of  a  personal  nature,  and 
to  attend  simply  to  the  inquiry,  "  What  is 
truth!"  Before  we  enter  upon  the  sub- 
ject, however,  it  will  be  proper  to  notice 
some  other  things.  Although,  in  writing 
^le  pamphlet  on  which  Mr.  B.  has  animad- 
verted, it  was  my  study  to  avoid  wound- 
ing the  character  or  misrepresenting  the 
sentiments,  of  any  one,  whether  dead  or 
living;  yet,  if  any  thing  therein  l)e  capable 
of  such  a  construction,  it  bccoines  me  to 
explain  or  retract  it.  Accordingly,  I  free- 
ly acknowledge  that  the  passage  alluded  to 
in  my  preface  (p.  vii.')  if  applied  to  the 
body  of  those  from  whonr  I  differ,  is  too 
severe.  I  am  happy  to  say,  I  consider 
neither  Mr.  B.  on  the  one  hand,  nor  Philan- 
thropos  on  the  other,  f  (whatever  be  the 
tendency  of  their  principles,  if  pursued  in 

*  See  p.  367,  of  this    vol. 
■\  Pliilamhropos  also  complained  ortlii.s  passage,  p.  9 


their  consecpiences,)  as  deserving  that  cen- 
sure. I  did  not  mean  it  indiscriminately  of 
all  whose  sentiments  I  opposed  ;  and  I  sup- 
pose the  ivorld,  l)y  this  time,  docs  not  want 
evidence  that  it  is  true   of  some   of  them. 

While  trutii  and  justice  require  the  above 
ackno^^lc(lgIncnt,  there  are  several  other 
charges  to  which  they  equally  oblige  me  to 
plead  Not  guilty.  I  am  accused  (p.  4)  of 
having  made  a  personal  attack  upon  Mr. 
Brine  ;  Imt,  I  conceive,  without  any  reason. 
I  do  not  think  I  remembered,  at  the  time 
of  writing,  that  Mr.  Brine  had  used  such 
a  mode  of  ex{)ression  :  nor  are  they  tiie  ex- 
press words  of  any  author,  though  it  is  a 
manner  of  speaking  whicii  has  i)een  too 
frequently  used.  However,  suppose  I  had 
it  in  recollection,  and  purposely  omitted  the 
mentioning  of  any  name,  surely  a  censure 
passed  upon  a  certain  mode  oV  speaking, 
tliough  exemplified  nearly  in  the  words  of 
some  one  author,  is  yet  far  enough  otT  from 
a  personal  attack ;  and  I  should  suppose 
the  omission  of  tlie  name  would  render  it 
still  farther. 

Ought  I  to  be  accountable  for  it,  if  any 
persons  have  said  tj»at  "  this  Iiook  will  cure 
some  of  their  Gillism  and  Brincism  T' — 
Preface,  p.  v.  I  iiavc  a  liigh  opinion  of  the 
respectal)le  characters  alluded  to.  At  the 
same  time,  the  successors  of  these  worthy 
men  ought  not  to  set  them  up  as  the  stand- 
ards of  ortliodoxy.  In  some  things  they 
diilcred  from  one  another;  and,  on  this 
subject,  from  almost  all  Avho  had  gone  be- 
fore them,  from  hundreds  of  men  whom 
they  loved,  and  whom  they  knew  to  be 
their  equals  in  piety  and  respectability. 
Yea,  in  some  parts  of  this  controversy,  they 
took  ditferent  grounds.  Though  Mr.  Brine 
maintained  the  argument  from  Adam's 
incapacity  to  believe,  yet  Dr.  Gill,  when 
contending  with  the  Arminians,  gave  it  up.j: 
But  they  were  great  and  ujjright  men,  and 
tiiought  for  themselves  ;  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  others  may  do  the  same. 

Mr.  B.  blames  me  for  desiring  people 
to  read  my  iiook. — p.  6.  I  only  desired  tlicy 
would  read  it  before  they  condemned  it. 
And  wliat  law  is  that  which  will  condemn 
a  man  before  it  hears  him  1 

I  am  accused  (p.  103)  of  seeming  to  avail 

%  Cause  of  God  and  Tiiuli,  Part  III.  CImp.  III.  §  7. 


444 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


myself  of  the  numbers  I  have  on  my  side : 
but  whoever  reads  p.  ITS  of  my  treatise 
will  perceive  that  I  there  found  my  argu- 
ment not  upon  the  number  of  those  who 
have  been  on  my  side,  but  upon  the  great 
works  which  God  has  wrought  by  them. 
These  all  went  forth  in  the  use  of  "pre- 
cepts, prohibitions,  and  promises  ;"  which 
the  author  of  the  Further  Inquiry,  whom 
I  was  there  opposing'represents  as  irrecon- 
cilable with  the  covenant  of  grace. 

Truth  obliges  me  to  repeat  what  I  as- 
serted in  p.  109,  that  the  main  objections 
against  us  originated  with  Arminius,  or 
his  followers.  But  I  do  not  thereby  in- 
sinuate, as  Mr.  B.  (p.  75)  says  I  do,  "that 
all  who  oppose  my  ideas  of  faith  are  Ar- 
minians." 

I  speak  with  the  greatest  sincerity  when 
I  say  I  have  a  high  esteem  for  Mr.  B.  and 
many  others  of  his  sentiments.  I  do  not 
account  them  as  adversaries,  but  as  breth- 
ren in  Christ,  as  fellow-laborers  in  the 
gospel;  and  "could  rejoice  (as  was  said 
before)  to  spend  my  days  in  cordial  friend- 
ship with  them."  The  most  cordial  friend- 
ship, however,  docs  not  I'cquire  us  to  sup- 
press what  we  believe  to  be  a  part  of  our 
sacred  commission,  but  rather  to  endea- 
vor to  speak  the  truth  in  love. 

Having  said  thus  much  in  my  own  de- 
fence, I  shall  now  proceed  to  make  a  few 
general  remarks  upon  Mr.  B.'s.  publica- 
tion. 

In  the  first  place,  I  think  it  cannot  fair- 
ly be  called  an  answer  to  my  treatise, 
were  there  no  other  reason  than  that,  al- 
though something  is  said  concerning  most 
of  the  leading  topics  in  dispute,  yet  the 
main  arguments  under  those  topics  are 
frequently  left  unnoticed.  This  will  ap- 
pear to  any  person  who  will  inspect  the 
contents  of  both  performances,  and  com- 
pare what  each  has  advanced  under  every 
topic. 

Farther :  Mr.  B.  has  taken  great  pains  to 
prove  a  number  of  things  which  I  never 
thought  of  denying.  Thus  he  labors  to 
convince  us  that  faith  is  the  gift  of  God, 
the  effect  of  spiritual  illumination ;  that 
the  apostle,  in  2  Thess.  ii.  13,  meant  such  a 
faith  as  is  connected  with  sanctification 
of  the  Spirit,  (p.  12  ;)  that  God  has  decreed 
only  to  punish  for  sin,  for  the  breach  of 
his  commands,  (p.  88  ;)  that  Christ's  obedi- 
ence was  gloriously  superior  to  that  of 
Adam,  (p.  78;)  that  human  depravity  shall 
not  prove  an  absolute  bar  to  an  elect  soul's 
believing,  (p.  60;)  that  supreme  love  to 
God  would  not  lead  a  heathen  to  embrace 
Christ  in  any  sense,  because  Christ  is  not 
revealed  even  in  an  external  manner,  p. 
85.  Since  my  sentiments  are  the  same  as 
Mr.  B.'s,  respecting  these  things,  his  la- 
bor in  proving  them  seems  to  me  to  be 
Jost. 


The  far  greater  part  of  Mr.  B.'s  quota- 
tions I  heartily  approve.  They  are  in  no 
wise  contradictory  to  what  I  have  ad- 
vanced. Many  others,  particularly  from 
Dr.  Owen,  which  seem  to  be  contrary, 
would  be  found  otherwise  if  the  connec- 
tion and  scope  were  consulted.  Bat  it  is 
easy  to  foresee  that  a  particular  discus- 
sion of  this  kind  would  lead  off  from  the 
point  in  hand,  and  spin  out  the  controversy 
to  an  unnecessary  length.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, treat  all  that  is  said  as  if  it  Avere  Mr. 
B.'s  own,  and  no  farther  attend  to  any 
quotations  than  as  they  contain  argument 
which  requires  to  be  considered.* 

It  seems  to  me  that  Mr.  B.  very  fre- 
quently confounds  the  thing  with  the  cause 
which  produces  it,  and  hereby  loses  him- 
self and  the  argument  in  a  maze  of  obscu- 

*  I  ought  to  observe  that,  although  Cahin,  Per- 
kins, Goodwin,  Owen,  Charnock,  13iin3an,  M-Laii- 
rin,  and  others,  are  amongst  the  number  of  Mr.  B.'s 
authorities,  they  are  all  decidedly  against  him  in  the 
main  point  in  debate.  Indeed,  I  believe,  no  writer 
of  eminence  can  be  named,  before  the  present  centu- 
ry, who  denied  it  to  be  the  duty  of  men  in  general 
to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  the  salvation 
of  their  souls. 

I  think  Mr.  Hussey  was  the  first  |ierson  who,  by 
the  general  tenor  of  his  writings,  laid  the  foundation 
for  this  sentiment.  And  yet  even  Mr,  Hussey  did 
not,  that  I  recollect,  expressly  avow  it.  On  the  con- 
trary he  allowed  it  to  be  "  the  duty  of  those  who 
were  not  efiectually  called  to  hear  spiritually,  and 
open  their  hearts  to  Chrint;  though,  as  he  justly 
asserted,  the  preaching  of  this  as  their  duty  would 
not  effect  a  cure.'''     Operations  of  Grace,  p.  442. 

Mr.  Hussey  was,  doubtless,  a  man  of  considerable 
eminence,  in  some  respects.  Mr.  Beart,  in  his 
Eternal  Law,  and  Everlasting  Gospel,  I  think 
hasgiven  as  fair  and  as  candid  an  account  of  his  writ- 
ings as  could  well  be  given.  But  Mr.  Hussey, 
though  in  some  respects  a  great  man,  was  neverthe- 
less possessed  of  that  warm  turn  of  mind  which  fre- 
quently misleads  even  the  greatest  of  men,  especial- 
ly^in  defending  a  favorite  sentiment. 

Mr.  Brine  is  the  only  writer  of  eminence  who  has 
expressly  defended  the  sentiment.  Dr.  Gill  took  no 
active  part  in  the  controversy.  It  is  allowed  that 
the  negative  side  of  the  ([uestion  was  Iiis  avowed  sen- 
timent, and  this  appears  to  be  implied  in  the  general 
tenor  of  his  writings.  At  the  same  time,  it  cannot 
be  denied  that,  when  engaged  iu  other  controversies, 
he  frequently  argued  in  a  manner  favorable  to  our 
side  ;  and  his  writings,  contain  various  concessions 
on  this  subject,  which,  if  any  one  else  had  made  them, 
would  not  be  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  our  opposing 
brethren.  However  they  may  be  inclined  to  repre- 
sent us  as  verging  towards  Arminianism,lit  is  certain 
that  Dr.  Gill,  in  his  answer  to  Dr.  Whitby,  the 
noted  Arminian,  frequently  makes  use  of  our  argu- 
ments; nor  could  he  easily  have  gone  through  that 
work  without  them.  (See  his  Cause  of  God  and 
Truth,  Part  I.  pp.  63,  69,  118,  159,  160,  165. 
Part  II.  pp.  88,  211,  215,  222,226.  First  Edition.) 
And  the  very  title  of  Mr.  Brine's  chief  pamphlet 
again.st  our  sentiment  which  he  called  Motives  to 
Love  and  Unity  among  Calvinist?.  differing  in 
Opinion,  as  well  as  the  most  explicit  acknowledg- 
ments therein  contained,  might  teach  those  who  pay 
any  deference  to  his  judgment  not  to  claim  to  them.; 
selves  the  title  of  Calvinists  exclusively. 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON- 


445 


rity.  This  seems  especially  to  be  the  case 
when  he  enters  upon  the  sul)jocl  of  tliat 
spiriluul  life  which  wo  derive  ironi  Christ, 
—pp.  12, '-iS,  70,  Dl.  n  Mr.  IJ.  means 
tiiat  spiritual  dispositions  are  not  duties, 
consiiiered  as  under  the  idea  nj  blessini^s, 
that  is  wliat  1  iiave  all  alon;j;  asserted. 
But,  if  he  mean  tliat  nothin<r  can  lie  our 
dutv  wliich  it  derived  Irom  Ciirisl,  and  is 
a  new-covenant  l>lessinjr,  then  lie  not  only 
asserts  that  which  is  irrecoiu  ileuMe  with 
the  prayers  of  the  jrodly  in  all  at'cs  (who 
have  ever  prayed  lor  v;r(icc  to  |)crforni  w  hat 
they  acknowledsrc  to  he  their  duly,)  hut 
also  contradicts  his  own  sentiments.  He 
allows  that  the  principle  of  urace  in  believ- 
ers is  a  conformity  to  the  law,  though  not 
to  the  law  only. — p.  68.  Be  it  so  :  so  far, 
then,  as  it  is  a  coni'ormity  to  the  law,  so  far 
it  was  always  incumbent  upon  us  ;  and  yet 
I  hojic  Mr.  B.  will  not  deny  that  our  con- 
formity to  the  law  is  derived  from  Christ, 
is  a  new-covenant  blessinjf,  and  is  wrought 
in  the  believer's  heart  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

Whether  I  have  been  so  unhappy  as,  at 
times,  to  express  myself  in  a  manner  not 
sullicienfly  explicit,  or  whether  Mr.  B. 
has  lieen  wanting  in  calm  and  close  atten- 
tion; so  it  is,  that  he  sometimes  proceeds 
upon  a  total  misunderstanding  of  the  argu- 
ment. Tliis  will  appear  to  an  attentive 
reader,  if  he  please  to  compare  pages  10, 
11,  of  mine,  with  12,  13,  of  his  remarks  ; 
and  59,  60,  with  54;  also  131,  with  89, 
concerning  Adam. 

The  places  are  too  numerous  to  recite 
wherein  principles  appear  to  me  to  be 
assumed  instead  of  being  proved,  and  con- 
clusions to  be  drawn  from  premises  which 
are  themselves  the  very  subject  in  debate. 
Thus  we  are  told,  "Pharaoh  had  an  ex- 
press command  to  let  the  people  go;" 
therefore  it  was  his  duty  to  have  com- 
plied.*— p.  88.  Very  well;  what  then! 
Mr.  B.'s  meaning  must  be  to  add,  "But 
tliere  is  no  express  command  to  believe  in 
Christ ;  therefore,"  &c.  I  answer  that 
this  is  begging  the  question.  I  suppose 
there  is  such  a  command  ;  but,  whether 
there  is  or  not,  the  contrary  ought  not  to 
be  taken  for  granted. 

Mr.  B.  does  not  fail  to  make  his  own 
reasonings  and  observations  in  one  place 
the  data  of  his  conclusions  in  another. 
Thus  we  are  told,  "There  is  no  com- 
mand for  special  faith,  as  we  have  en- 
deavored TO   prove;  therefore  no  one 

*  In  no  one  case  do  the  Scriptures  speak  so 
strongly  of  God's  abandoning  a  man  to  the  hardness 
of  bis  own  iicart  as  in  that  of  Pharaoh ;  yet  the  Lord 
God  of  ilie  Hebrews  said  "  How  long  wilt  thou  refuse 
to  luimbic  tliyself  liefore  me  1 "  (E.\od.  x.  3.)  plain- 
ly showing  that  the  want  of  a  better  mind  was  no 
.excuse  for  his  refu.sal  to  obey. 


shall  be  condemned  for  the  want  of  it." — 
p.  89.  Again,  in  the  same  page,  "Adaro 
had  not  faith  or  any  other  spiritual  dispo- 
sition,   AS    I    HAVE    already    OBSERVED, 

therefore,"  &c. — But,  passing  general  re- 
marks, let  us  follow  Mr.  B.  in  what  he 
has  advanced  under  each  of  the  particular 
topics  in  debate. 


SECTION  n. 

ON    THE    N.\TURE    AND    DEFINITION 
OF    FAITH. 

I  HAVE  the  happiness  to  find  Mr.  B. 
agreeing  with  me  that  faith  in  Christ  is 
not  a  persuasion  of  our  interest  in  him. 
But  though  he  agrees  with  me  in  this 
point,  yet  he  is  far  from  being  satisfied 
with  the  definition  I  have  given.  He  ob- 
jects that  it  makes  no  mention  of  "super- 
natural illumination  and  assistance;  "  (p. 
12,)  and  proposes  one  that  shall  include 
those  ideas.  If,  by  this,  he  only  means 
to  maintain  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  sole 
author,  or  cause,  of  faith,  no  one,  I  should 
think,  who  has  read  my  former  treatise, 
can  entertain  a  doubt  of  my  maintaining 
the  same  doctrine. 

But  though  this  is  a  truth  which  I  verily 
believe,  yet  I  must  still  be  excused  from 
thinking  it  necessary  to  a  definition.  Def- 
initions are  designed,  I  apprehend,  to  ex- 
press the  nature  and  not  the  causes  of 
things.  Thus,  if  man  were  to  be  defined 
a  rational  creature,  created  of  God,  the 
last  part  of  the  definition  would  be  super- 
fluous. 

What  Mr.  B.'s  ideas  of  faith  are,  it  is 
difficult  to  learn.  Mr.  Brine  says,  "Act- 
ing faith  is  no  other  than  suitable  thoughts 
of  Christ,  and  a  hearty  choice  of  him  as 
God's  appointed  way  of  salvation ;"  f 
and  Mr.  Button  says,  "  I  do  think  that 
every  man  is  bound  cordially  to  receive 
and  heartily  to  approve  of  the  gospel." — 
p.  49.  But  it  seems  special  faith  is  some- 
thing distinct  from  all  this;  so  distinct 
that  this  has  "iwthing  to  do  "  with  it,  (p. 
54;)  yea,  so  distinct  that  a  person  may 
do  all  this  and  yet  perish  everlastingly. 
And  yet  it  is  not  a  believing  of  our  inter- 
est in  Christ ;  what  then  is  it  1  Mr.  B. 
tells  us  what  is  its  cause  and  what  are  its 
effects ;  but  what  the  thing  itself  is  we 
have  yet  to  learn. 

f  The  reader  may  sen  a  larger  drflnition  of  faith 
in  a  letter  from  iMr.  Brine  to  Mr.  Ryland,  of  War- 
wick, in  tlie  Second  Part  of  Serious  Remarks  on 
the  Different  Representations  of  Evangelical  Doc- 
trine, inc.,  by  J.  Ryland  of  Bristol,  pp.  13,  14.      R. 


446 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


Sometimes  I  think  I  can  understand 
him,  but  I  am  soon  again  at  a  loss.  "  It 
is  such  a  reception  of  the  truth,"  says  he, 
"as  transforms  the  soul  into  the  image 
of  Christ."— p.  49.  Very  well:  then  it 
seems  it  is  a  reception  of  the  truth,  after 
all ;  such  a  reception  as  is  productive  of 
real  and  transforming  effects.  This  is 
the  very  thing  for  which  I  plead.  Yes ; 
but  "  a  person  may  cordially  receive  the 
truth  and  yet  not  be  transformed  into  the 
image  of  Christ." — p.  18.  Indeed!  Then 
how  are  we  to  distinguish  true  faith  frona 
that  which  is  counterfeit  or  partial  1  Ac- 
cording to  this,  there  is  no  difference  as 
to  the  thing  itself,  only  a  difference  in  its 
cause  and  effects. 

But  did  not  "Christ's  hearers  at  Naz- 
areth, and  the  stony-ground  hearers,  cor- 
dially receive  the  truth  1  " — p.  18.  I  an- 
swer no  ;  tlie  latter  did  not  understand  it, 
(Matt.  xiii.  23;  1  Cor.  ii.  14,)  and  there- 
fore could  not  cordially  receive  it;  and, 
as  to  the  former,  they  gazed  upon  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  bare  him  witness  "that 
he  was  right,"  as  Dr.  Gill  says,  "in  ap- 
plying Isaiah's  prophecy  to  the  Messiah, 
but  not  that  he  himself  was  the  Mes- 
siah;" much  less  did  they  cordially  re- 
ceive the  gospel.  The  Scripture  declares, 
concerning  the  gospel,  that,  if  we  confess 
it  with  the  mouth  and  believe  it  in  the 
heart,  we  shall  be  saved ;  but,  it  seems  to 
me,  the  tendency  of  Mr.  B.'s  reasoning  is 
to  prove  the  contraiy. 

But  true  faith  "is  such  a  belief  as 
brings  Christ  into  the  soul  :  that  Christ 
may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith." — p.  19. 
Answer :  If  by  bringing  Christ  into  the 
soul  is  meant  his  having  the  supreme 
place  in  our  best  affections,  (which,  I  ap- 
prehend, is  what  the  apostle  intended  in 
the  passage  referred  to,)  then  what  Mr. 
B.  affirms  is  freely  granted ;  nor  is  it  in 
any  way  inconsistent  with  what  he  op- 
poses. 

"Ought  sinners  to  realize  truth,"  Mr. 
B.  asks,  "  so  as  to  affect  tlicir  own  hearts?" 
— p.  21.  This,  I  suppose,  he  'thinks  iis 
self-evident  absurdity.  He  Jiimself,  how- 
ever, allows  it  to  be  every  man's  duty  to 
love  God  with  all  fas  heart ;  and  wlien  he 
shall  inform  me  how  tlfis  is  to  be  done 
without  the  heart's  being  affected,  I  will 
answer  the  foregoing  question.  But  is  it 
*' our  duty  to  do  that  which  God  claims 
as  his  prerogative!"  I  answer,  It  is 
God's  prerogative  to  write  his  law  in  the 
human  heart ;  and  yet  every  one  ought  to 
have  that  law  within  his  heart,  or,  in  oth- 
er words,  lo  love  it  with  his  whole  soul. 
How  strange  it  is  that  the  same  thing,  in 
different  respects,  should  be  denied  to  be 
God's  gift  and  our  obedience  .'  I  sincerely 
wish  Mr.  B.  had  attentively  considered 


the  arguments  which  I  quoted  (pp.  SG — 
88)  from  Dr.  Owen.  Those  arguments, 
doubtless,  ought  to  have  been  solidly  an- 
swered before  any  exclamations  v/ere 
made  of  the  alisurdity  of  making  that  the 
duty  of  men  which  it  is  God's  own  work 
effectually  to  produce. 

"  Devils  and  wicked  men,  it  is  said, 
believe  the  goodness  of  gospel  blessings 
for  others  though  not  for  themselves." — p. 
17.  By  their  believing  them  to  be  good 
for  others,  Mr.  B.  appears  evidently  to 
mean  advantageous  or  profitable ;  and,  in 
that  sense,  there  is  no  doubt  but  what  he 
says  is  true ;  that  is  no  proof,  however, 
that  they  lielieve  in  their  real  intrinsic  ex- 
cellence and  glory.  Cain  believed  the  ad- 
vantage which  his  brother  Abel  had  in 
bringing  a  lamb  for  an  offering,  and  hated 
him  accordingly;  but  he  did  not  believe 
his  own  condition  as  a  sinner  to  be  such 
as  that  his  offering,  being  presented  with- 
out respect  to  the  Mediator,  deserved  to 
be  rejected.  Properly  speaking,  he  did 
not  believe  in  the  necessity  of  a  mediator, 
much  less  in  i\\Q  fitness  and  glory  of  such 
a  way  of  approaching  the  Deity.  The 
Scriptures  speak  of  those  who  believe 
not,  as  blind  to  the  glory  of  the  gospel. 
— 2  Cor.  iv.  4.  Whatever  goodness  wick- 
ed men  believe  to  be  in  the  blessings  of 
the  gospel,  they  do  not  believe  the  life 
and  portion  of  the  godly  to  be  so  good  as, 
all  things  considered,  to  be  preferred  be- 
fore their  own. 

Mr.  B.,  it  seems,  thinks  that  "a  man 
may  pursue  evil  as  evil." — p.  23.  In  this 
I  do  not  differ  from  him.  Nay,  I  believe 
that  unregenerate  persons,  without  any 
exception,  pursue  evil  as  evil.  If  any  ask 
me  to  explain  my  assertion,  quoted  by 
Mr.  B.,  that  "human  nature  cannot  pur- 
sue evil  as  evil,"  I  refer  them  to  the  note 
in  the  very  same  page  whence  the  quota- 
tion is  taken.  Unregenerate  men  pursue 
evil  as  that  which  is  agreeal)le  to  their 
own  sinful  inclinations.  In  so  doing  they 
pursue  it  as  a  moral  evil  and  as  a  natural 
good.  He  who  pursues  evil,  considered 
as  moral,  acts  against  his  conscience. 
This  was  the  case  with  Felix  in  dismiss- 
ing Paul.  But  no  one  pursues  moral  evil 
itself  under  the  notion  of  its  being  tm- 
lovely.  The  instances  Mr.  B.  has  pro- 
duced do  not  prove  this.  People  do  not 
take  poison,  or  pursue  death  itself,  under 
any  other  notion  than  tliat  of  its  being  a 
good.  The  Gentoo  women,  who  volunta- 
rily cast  themselves  into  the  fire  at  their 
husbands'  death,  are  no  more  in  love  witlx 
death,  for  its  own  sake,  than  we  are,  liut 
are  struck  eitlier  with  the  honor  of  so  dy- 
ing or  with  the  hope  of  being  the  happier 
hereafter.  People  are  npt  guilty  of  sui- 
cide, but  under  the  notion  of  its  contain- 


Klil'LY    TO    MR.    UL'TTON. 


447 


inir  n  sort  ol  good.  Tlicv  consider  it  as 
adapted  to  release  them  Irom  a  hurden 
wiiirli  they  coneeise  tluMiiscl\(!s  imalilc  to 
sustain,  not  considering  what  Ibllows  ilealh 
in  tiie  worhl  to  come. 

But  does  not   every  man  "  i»clicve  tliat 
he  shall  die  ^  and  vet  docs  he  act  accord- 


?iy?"-p 


To  tills  I   rejily,   Death 


IS  more  an  olyecl  of  intuition  than  of 
(aith.  If  people  did  not  set;  the  death  of 
their  fellow-creatures,  and  had  no  otiier 
evidence  tiiat  they  nmst  die  luit  the  tes- 
limonv  of  God,  they  would  he  as  apt  to 
disbelieve  that  as  they  arc  other  things. 
And  even  as  it  is,  if  they  realized  death, 
and  wliaf  follows,  it  would  have  an  clVect 
upon  their  spirit  and  life  very  diflerent 
from  what  it  has. 

Mr.  13.  produces  a  numhev  of  qiioiafioiis 
fur  the  j)ur[)Ose  of  giving  us  a  better  defi- 
nition of  iaith  than  that  which  lie  opposes. 
— p.  '26.  But  some  of  these  were  never 
designed  liy  their  authors  as  defniitions, 
hut  rather  as  descriptions  of  faith.  Those 
of  them  which  represent  it  as  "  such  a  be- 
lieving of  the  testimony  of  God  in  the  sa- 
cred Scriptures  as,  in  a  w  ay  of  trust  and 
dei)endence,  to  resign  ourselves  up  to  Je- 
sus Clirist,"  do  not  in  any  wise  contradict 
what  I  have  advanced.  On  the  contrary, 
I  shoidd  i)c  very  willing  to  let  the  aliove 
stand  as  a  dciinilion  of  faith.  Nor  have  I 
any  objection  to  have  it  prefaced  with  its 
being  "a  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  &c., 
excepting  this,  that  it  does  not  ai)pear  to 
inc  at  all  necessary  to  introduce  the  au- 
thor, or  cause,  of  any  thing  in  a  definition 
of  that  thing. 

At  tlie  same  time,  I  would  not  wish 
to  contend  about  words.  1  therefore  ac- 
knowledge that  it  may  be  of  use,  when 
discoursing  about  faith  in  certain  connec- 
tions, to  speak  of  it  in  a  more  large  or 
extensive  meaning.  That  might  be  the 
case,  for  aught  I  know,  with  resjicct  to 
some  of  Mr.  B.'s  autliorities.  But  what 
if  they  had  a  mind  to  bring  into  their  defi- 
nitions the  cause  and  the  effects  of  faith  1 
And  if  another,  witli  a  view  to  simplify 
the  subject,  define  it  merely  by  what  it  is 
in  itself  considered,  without  any  design, 
however,  of  denying  either  cause  or  ef- 
fect; docs  it  follow  that  his  definition 
must  he  defective  ] 

Wherein  does  the  definition  of  Cover- 
dale,  Ferrar,  Hooper,  Taylor,  Philpot, 
Bradford,  Crome,  Sanders,  Rogers,  and 
Lawrence,  differ  from  mine,  except  in 
this,  that  they  mean  to  define  not  only  the 
thing  itself,  but  its  cause  and  effects  1  "  It 
is,"  say  they,  "not  only  an  opinion,  Imt 
a  ccrlmn  persuasion,  wrought  by  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  which  doth  illuminate  the  mind, 
and  supple  the  heart  to  subniit  itself  un- 
feignedly  to  God."— p.  27.     The  thing  it- 


self Ihey  make  to  be  neither  more  nor  less 
than  PKKSUASioN. 

It  never  was  my  design  to  exclude  the 
idea  of  trust,  or  confidence,  in  Christ. 
Whether  that  be  of  the  essence  of  faith 
ilselt,  or  an  effect  which  instantaneously 
Ibllows,  I  always  sup|)osed  them  insepa- 
rable. It  was  iiefore  allowed,  (p.  28.)  that 
it  is  in  this  large  sense,  including  not  only 
the  Itelief  of  the  truth,  but  the  actual  out- 
going ol  the  soul  towards  Jesus  Christ  in 
a  way  of  dependence  upon  him,  that  faith 
in  him  is  generally  to  be  taken  in  the  New- 
Testament :  "  and  it  was  in  this  sense 
that  1  undertook  to  prove  it  incumbent  on 
men  in  general. 

Those  with  whom  I  contend  will  allow 
it  to  be  the  duty  of  every  one,  where  the 
gospel  comes,  to  believe  it.  I  knew  this 
would  i)e  allowed  when  I  penned  the  for- 
mer publication.  My  whole  design,  in 
the  first  part,  was  to  reason,  ujton  their 
own  principles,  wiih  those  who  differ  from 
me.  They  allow  it  to  be  every  one's 
duty  to  believe  the  gospel.  I  therein  en- 
deavored to  prove  that,  in  allowing  this, 
they  allow  that  to  be  the  duty  of  men 
which  is  of  the  essence  of  special  faith. 
The  arguments  used  in  proof  of  this,  have 
not,  I  think,  been  overthrown.  I  there- 
fore earnestly  entreat  Mr.  B.,  and  those  of 
his  sentiments,  to  consider  attentively  the 
following  questions  :  Can  any  person  tru- 
ly believe  the  gospel,  and  yet  perish  ever- 
lastingly 1  and  can  those  scriptures  which 
were  produced  before,  in  proof  of  the  con- 
trary,* be  fairly  explained  upon  such  a 
supposition  1 

Mr.  B.  thinks  I  have  mistaken  the  mean- 
ing of  John  iii.  30,  and  1  John  v.  20,  where 
I  suppose  a  believing  on  Clirist,  and  a  not 
believing  Christ  are  spoken  of  as  oppositcs, 
in  such  a  way  as  implies  that  there  is  no 
medium  between  them.  Mr.  B.  thinks, 
it  seems,  that  they  are  not  opposites. — p. 
24.  According  to  what  he  has  said,  the 
criterion  of  true  faith  lies  in  the  terms  in 
or  on;  for  he  observes  that  "it  is  not 
said,  He  that  believeth  not  on  the  Son, 
&c.  No  :  it  is  not  for  the  want  oi'  special 
faith  he  is  condemned,  but  because  he  be- 
lieves not  what  he  says." — p.  2.5.  To 
this  I  answer — Fi'rst  :  The  term  on  is  used 
to  express  such  a  faith  as  is  not  connected 
with  salvation.  John  xii.  42.  Secondly  : 
Suppose  it  were  otherwise,  and  the  phrase 
believing  on  Christ  were  to  be  the  criteri- 
on of  special  faith,  this  would  make  against 
Mr.  B.  rather  than  for  him.  For  it  is 
said  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  that  "  though 
he  had  done  so  many  miracles  before  them, 

*  1  John  V.  1.  Mark  xvi.  16.  Rom.  x.  9-  Acts 
viii.  37.  See  the  Scriptures  urged  in  my  former 
treatise,  pp.  29,  30. 


44S 


REPLT    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


yet  they  believed  not  on  him,"  (John  xii. 
37  ;)  plainly  intimating  that  tliey  had  such 
evidence  as  ought  to  have  induced  them 
to  believe  on  him.  On  the  other  hand, 
Christ  says,  the  Spirit  shall  reprove  the 
world  of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on 
me.  And,  contrary  to  what  Mr.  B.  as- 
serts, men  are  expressly  said  to  be  "  con- 
demned, because  they  believe  not  on  the 
name  of  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God." — 
John  iii.  18. 

Mr.  B.,  before  he  concludes  his  Fourth 
Letter,  throws  in  one  argument  against 
faith  being  a  duty  :  "If,"  says  he,  "this 
faith  be  the  duty  of  man,  and  is  I'equired 
by  the  law,  it  is  then  undoubtedly  aivork; 
and  when  the  apostle  says,  '  By  grace  ye 
are  saved  through  faith,'  we  must  consid- 
er him  as  joining  grace  and  works  togeth- 
er."— p.  29.  To  this  it  is  replied,  Every 
thing  required  by  the  law,  I  should  think, 
is  not  a  toork.  That  sacred  standard  of 
right  and  wrong  requires  a  holy  state  of 
mind,  as  well  as  the  exercises  of  it.  But, 
supposing  it  is  a  work,  does  not  Mr.  B. 
maintain  the  same  1  Only  a  few  pages 
back,  he  quoted  several  definitions  of  faith 
from  certain  eminent  divines  ;  most  of 
Avhom  speak  of  it  as  a  coming  to  Christ,  a 
trusting  in  him  for  salvation.  Now,  is 
is  not  this  a  loork  or  exercise,  of  the  mindl 
And  yet  we  are  saved  by  grace  notwith- 
standing ;  for  God  does  not  save  us  out  of 
regard  to  faith  as  our  act,  but  on  account 
of  him  in  whom  it  terminates. 

A  poor  invalid,  who  derives  his  subsist- 
ence wholly  from  the  public,  may  be  said, 
Avith  tiie  greatest  propriety  to  live,  not  by 
his  own  works,  but  upon  the  generosity  of 
others.  This,  however,  does  not  imply 
that  he  is  not  active  in  his  applications  for 
relief;  or  that  every  such  application  may 
not,  in  some  sense,  be  called  a  work.  Yet 
it  plainly  appears  he  does  not  live  upon  his 
applications,  considered  as  acts,  or  exer- 
cises, but  upon  what,  through  those  means, 
he  freely  receives  :  and  it  would  be  con- 
trary to  the  common  use  of  language  to 
say  that  he  lived  partly  by  grace  and  partly 
by  works. 

Before  I  conclude  this  section,  it  may  not 
be  amiss  to  drop  a  few  additional  thoughts 
concerning  the  defining  of  faith  :  these, 
however,  have  no  immediate  reference  to 
Mr.  B.,  but  are  merely  added  with  a  view, 
if  it  might  be,  to  throw  some  farther  light 
upon  the  subject. 

I.  Faith,  in  its  most  general  sense,  sig- 
nifies a  credit  of  some  testimony,  whether 
that  testimony  be  true  or  false. 

II.  When  we  speak  of  the  faith  of  the 
gospel  as  a  belief  of  the  truth,  it  is  not  to 
be  understood  of  all  kinds  of  truth,  nor 
even  of  allj  kinds  of  scripture -truth.  A 
true  believer,  so  far  as  he  understands  it, 


does  believe  all  Scripture-truth  ;  and  to 
discredit  any  one  truth  of  the  Bible,  know- 
ing it  to  be  such,  is  a  damning  sin ;  but 
yet  it  is  not  the  credit  of  a  chronological 
or  historical  fact,  for  instance,  that  de- 
nominates any  one  a  true  believer.  The 
peculiar  truth,  by  embracing  of  which  we 
become  believers  in  Christ,  is  the  gospel 
or  the  good  news  of  salvation  through  his 
name.  The  belief  of  this  implies  the  be- 
lief of  other  truths  ;  such  as  the  goodness 
of  God's  government,  as  the  lawgiver  of 
the  world ;  the  evil  of  sin ;  our  lost  and 
ruined  condition  by  it ;  our  utter  insuffi- 
ciency to  help  ourselves,  &c.  ;  but  it  is  the 
soul's  embracing,  or  falling  in  with,  the 
way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  that  pe- 
culiarly denominates  us  true  believers. 

III.  True  faith  includes  a  spiritual 
understanding  of  the  glory  of  the  gospel, 
but  it  includes  something  more.  It  does 
not  appear  to  me- to  have  its  seat  barely 
in  the  understanding,  but  in  the  whole 
soul.  It  is  the  whole  soul's  yielding  up 
its  own  false  notions  and  dependences, 
and  falling  in  with  God's  way  of  salva- 
tion by  Jesus  Christ.  By  a  spiritual  dis- 
cernment of  the  glory  of  the  gospel,  we 
see  the  Son :  and,  by  the  whole  soul's 
concurring  with  it,  Ave  believe  in  him.  It 
is  Avith  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  right- 
eousness. If  it  is  said.  The  heart  here  is 
not  opposed  to  the  understanding,  but  to 
the  mouth,  with  Avhich  confession  is  made 
unto  salvation,  I  ansAver,  This  is  true : 
but  then  neither  is  it  used,  I  apprehend, 
for  the  understanding,  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  affections,  but  for  the  whole  soul,  in 
distinction  from  the  mouth,  by  which  our 
faith  is  openly  professed. 

IV.  Though,  as  I  attempted  to  prove 
in  my  former  treatise,  true  faith  does  not 
include  an  assurance  of  our  interest  in 
Christ,  yet  it  is  ever  attended  Avith  an  ap- 
plication of  the  truths  of  the  gospel  to  our 
OAvn  particular  cases.  "When  the  Scrip- 
tures teach,"  says  the  excellent  Mr.  Doav- 
name,  "  Ave  are  to  receive  instruction,  for 
the  enlightening  of  our  own  mind  ;  Avhen 
they  admonish,  we  are  to  take  Avarning ; 
Avhen  they  reprove,  Ave  are  to  be  checked; 
Avhen  they  comfort,  Ave  are  to  be  cheered 
and  encouraged;  Avhen  they  command  any 
grace,  Ave  are  to  desire  and  embrace  it ; 
Avhen  they  command  any  duty,  Ave  are  to 
hold  ourselves  enjoined  to  do  it;  Avhen 
they  promise,  Ave  are  to  hope ;  Avhen  they 
threaten,  Ave  are  to  be  terrified,  as  if  the 
judgment  Avere  denounced  against  us; 
and,  Avhen  they  forbid  any  sin,  we  are  to 
think  that  they  forbid  it  unto  us.  By 
Avhich  application  Ave  shall  make  all  the 
rich  treasures  contained  in  the  Scriptures 
wholly  our  OAvn,  and  in  such  a  poAverful 
and  peculiar  manner  enjoy  the  fruit  and 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


449 


benefit  of  them,  as  if  they  had  been  wholly 
written  for  us,  and  (or  none  other  else 
besides  us." — Giiiilr  to  Godliness,  j).  G  17. 
These  oliservations  may  be  eonsidercd 
as  an  addition  to  what  was  written  before; 
and  I  i)elieve  they  will  be  found  to  be 
peifectly  consistent  witli  it. 


SECTION  III. 

REPLY  TO  Mil.  B.'S  FIFTH  AND  SIXTH 
LETTERS,  WHEREIN  HE  REMARKS 
ON  THOSE  PASSAGES  OF  SCRIPTURE 
WHERE  FAITH  IS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE 
COMMANDED    OF    GOD. 

To  PROVE  that  faitii  in  Ciirist  is  the 
duty  of  unconverted  sinners,  divers  pas- 
sages of  Sciii)turc  were  produced,  which 
represent  it  as  the  command  of  God.  In 
answer  to  tiiese,  Mr.  B.  observes,  in  gen- 
eral, that  conjiuands  are  sometimes  used 
whicii  do  not  imply  duty,  but  denote  some 
extraordinary  exertion  ol  divine  power;  as 
when  God  said  to  the  Israelitisli  nation, 
''Live"  &,c.  — p.  31.  But  are  the  com- 
mands in  question  to  be  so  understood  \ 
Mr.  B.  does  not  pretend  to  say  any  such 
thing.     He  adds, 

"Commands  sometimes  denote  encour- 
agement;  as  in  Isa.  li.  17;  "Awake, 
awake,  stand  up,  O  Jerusalem,"  &c. ; 
Acts  xvi.  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved;"  and 
John  xiv.  1:  "Ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  me." — p,  32.  Very  true  :  but  do 
they  denote  merely  encouragement  \  Can 
the  idea  of  duty  be  excluded  \  Was  it 
not  the  duty  of  the  Jews,  for  instance, 
when  Babylon  fell  into  the  hands  of  Cy- 
rus, and  a  proclamation  was  issued  in 
their  favor,  to  l)estir  tliemselvcs  1  Would 
it  not  have  been  their  sin  to  have  neglect- 
ed the  opportunity,  and  continued  care- 
less in  Babylon  1  Was  it  not  the  duty  of 
the  jailor  to  follow  liie  apostle's  counsel, 
and  would  it  not  have  been  sinful  to  have 
done  otherwise  1  Was  it  not  the  duty  of 
the  disciples  to  place  an  equal  confidence 
in  the  testimony  of  Christ  as  in  that  of 
the  Father;  and  would  it  not  have  been 
■sinful  to  have  distrusted  him'!  "These 
passages,"  says  Mr.  B.,  "do  not  appear 
so  much  to  carry  in  them  the  nature  of 
injunctions  as  of  directions  and  encour- 
agements." But  do  they  carry  in  them 
the  nature  of  injunctions  id  all  ?  or  can 
that  idea  be  excbuh'd  from  them  1  It 
seems,  he  himself  tiiinks  it  cannot,  or  Ire 
would  not  have  so  exj)ressed  himself. 


Mr.  B.  now  proceeds  to  consider  the 
particular  passages  produced.  He  re- 
marks, on  the  second  P.salm,  that  "kiss- 
ing sometimes  denotes  no  more  than  civil 
homage  and  subjection;  as  in  1  Sam.  x. 
1  :  w  here  we  are  told  that  Samuel  anoint- 
ed Saul,  and  A:isscc/him;  which  was  not, 
I  i)resume,"  says  he,  "  a  spiritual  act,  l)ut 
nothing  more  than  a  token  of  allegiance, 
loyalty,  &c." — p.  34.  I  think  wilii  him 
the  case  of  Samuel's  kissing  Saul  serves 
for  a  tine  illustration  of  the  passage;* 
and  if  Christ  had  been  a  civil  ,s;overnor, 
and  nothinj:!;  else,  then  it  is  allowed  that 
civil  homage,  subjection,  and  loyally, 
would  have  been  tiic  whob;  o(  his  due; 
but  not  otiierwise.  According  to  the  na- 
ture of  his  governmenl  must  be  the  kind  of 
suiijection  required.  If  Christ's  kingdom 
had  been  of  this  world,  or  somewhat  like 
what  tiie  Jews  expected  it  to  be,  such  an 
exposition  as  the  above  miglrt,  be  admit- 
ted ;  but,  if  his  government  be  spiritual, 
then  subjection  and  loyalty  to  him  must 
be  the  same. 

The  comment  on  Jer.  vi.  IG  (p.  35)  1  think 
needs  but  little  ro])Iy.  It  may  deserve  to 
be  considered  whether,  if  the  people  there 
addressed  had  been  of  ]Mr.  B.'s  sentiments, 
they  might  not  have  found  some  more 
plausible  and  less  mortifying  answer  than 
that  which  thej'  are  obliged  to  give.  Sure- 
ly they  migiit  have  replied,  "  Stand  in  the 
ways  and  see  .'  "  we  have  not  a  capacity  for 
spiritual  discernment.  "  Ask  for  the  good 
old  way,  and  ivalk  therein  !"  it  was  never 
discovered  to  us.  All  that  we  are  obliged 
to  is  diligently  to  attend  j)ul)lic  ordinances, 
and  this  we  have  done  from  our  youth  up ; 
what  more  w  ould  the  prophet  have  1 — But 
these  were  sentiments,  it  seems  of  which 
they  had  never  heard.  They  were  oblig- 
ed, therefore,  to  speak  out  the  honest, 
though    awful    truth,    "  We    will    not 

WALK    THEREIN." 

John  xii.  3G.  "While  ye  have  light, 
believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the 
children  of  light."  "  These,"  it  is  said, 
"  are  evidently  words  of  direction  to  in- 
quiring people." — p.  37.  That  they  were 
inquiring  people  is  true  ;  but  not  such  as 
inquired  from  any  thing  of  a  right  spirit, 
which  is  what  Mr.  B.  must  mean  to  sug- 
gest. They  are  called  the  people  (ver.  34) 
in  distinction  from  the  Greeks  w  ho  wanted 
to  see  Jesus  ;|  and  it  immediately  follows 
what  sort  of  people  they  were  :  "  But 
though  he  had  done  so  many  miracles  be- 
fore them,  yet  they  believed  not  on  him  : 
that  the  saying  of  Isaiah  the  prophet  might 
be  fulfilled,  which  he   spake.  Lord,  who 

*Sce  Dr.  Jcnning's  Antif|uities.  Vol.  I.  p.  184, 
t  Stee  Dr.  Gill  on  verse  34. 


VOL.  I. 


57 


450 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON- 


hath  believed' our  report  1    and  to  whom  of  special   faith.     Tlie  doctor,  however, 

hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed'!  does  not  suppose  that  the  tvork   of  God 

Therefore  they  could  not  believe,  because  means  a  work  that  was  to  be  wrought  in 

that   Isaiah  said    again,  He  hath  blinded  them,    but  a  work  that  was    required   of 

their  eyes,  and  hardened  their  heart,"  &t.  them.     He    there  explains    it,  not  of  an 

Lest   the  foregoing  remark  should  not  operation  of  God,  but  of  what  was  enjoin- 

suffice,  it  is  supposed  that  the  passage  may  ed  by  his  "  will  and  commandment ." 

speak  only  of  such  a  believing  as  falls  short  But  Mr.  Button  tiiinks  it  "  strange,  if 

of  special  faith. — p.  38.     But,  unless  it  can  faith  in  Christ  were  i\\e  first  great  duty 

be  proved  that  the  phrase  children  of  light  incumbent   upon   them,  that  they  should 

is  ever  used  of  any  but  true  believers,  this  first  be  directed  to  labor  lor  that   which 

supposition  is  inadmissible.  should  endure  to  everlasting  life,  as  they 

Mr.  B.    speaks    frequently   of  Christ's  were  in  verse  27." — p.  40.     It  is  replied. 


addresses  being  by  way  of  "  ministerial 
direction.'^'  Be  it  so  :  I  do  not  see  how 
this  alters  the  case,  unless  we  could   sup- 


Laboring  for  that  which  should  endure 
to  everlasting  life  includes  faith  in  Christ  ; 
that  being  the  only  way  in  which  eternal 


pose  that  Christ,  as  a  preacher,  directed    life  can  be  obtained  :  and  it  is  no  unusual 


people  to  a  way  in  which  it  was  not  their 
duty  to  walk.  In  short,  if  there  were  not 
another  passage  in  the  Bible  besides  the 
above,  that  were,  in  my  opinion,  sufficient 
to  prove  the  point  contested. 

John  vi.  29.  "  This  is  the  work  of  God 
that  ye  believe  on  him  whom  he  hath  sent." 
From  the  connection  of  this  passage  it  was 
observed  that  the  phrase  work  of  God 
could  not  be  understood  of  a  work  which 


thing  first  to  lay  down  a  g-cneraZ direction, 
and  then  proceed  to  that  which  is  more 
jjarticular. 

John  V.  23.  It  is  the  Father's  will 
"that  all  men  should  honor  the  Son,  even 
as  they  honor  the  Father."  As  Mr.  B. 
has  not  thought  proper  to  answer  what 
was  advanced  from  this  passage,  it  need 
only  be  replied  that,  according  to  his 
sense  of  it,  Christ  ought  to  be  honored  in 


God  should  ivork  in  them,  but  of  a  woi'k  one  character  but  not  in  another." — p.  42. 

Avhich   he   required   of    them.*     Mr.    B.,  As  to   what  is  said    of  Isa.  Iv.  6,  (the 

however,  takes   it   in   the  first  sense,  and  seventh  verse,  I  observe,  is  passed  over,) 

thinks   it  "  very  clear  and  plain,  from  the  that  "  Arminians  have  quoted  it,"  (p.  42  ;) 

whole  context,   that  this  special    faith  is  what  is  that  to  the  purpose  T     It  has  some 

no  duty." — p.  41.     To  which  I   only  say,  meaning;  and    one    should    suppose    that 

that  which  appears  so  plain  to  Mr.  Button  their   quoting   it   has   not  destroyed   that 

did  not  appear  so  to  Mr.  Brine.    Mr.  Brine,  meaning.     Mr.  B.  must  excuse  me  in  not 

it  seems,  felt  difficulties  where  Mr.  Button  being  satisfied  with  a  part  of  an  exposition 

feels  none.     Though  he  agrees  with  Mr.  upon  it  from  Dr.  Gill.     The  whole  of  the 

Button  that  special  faitli  is  not  a  duty,  yet  doctor's  words,  I  observe,  are  not  quoted. 

he  undoubtedly  felt  a  difficulty  in  the  pas-  Abundant  pardon  was  never  promised  to 

sage  in  question.     He  felt  the  force  of  that  such  an  attendance  as  this  quotation  makes 

remark,  that  the  meaning  of  the  answer  to  be  their  duty. 

must  be  determined  by  that  of  the  ques-  Simon  Magus  was  exhorted  to  pray  for 

tion  ;  and  he  did  not  suppose,  when  they  the  pardon  of  sin.     Mr.  B.  asks,   "Who 

asked.  What  shall  we  do  that  we  may  work  denies  it  1  ''■ — p.  43.  I  answer,  Many,  who> 

the  works  of  God  1  that  they  were  inquir-  deny  that  faith  is  the  duty  of  the  unregen- 

ing  what  they  must  do  that   they    might  erate,  deny  that  it  is  their  duty  to  pray  at 

work  such  works  as  were  peculiar  to   an  all  ;  and  especially  to  i)ray  for  spiritual 

arm  of  omnipotence.  blessings,  such  as  the  forgiveness  of  sin. 


Mr.  Brine,  therefore,  never  pretended  to 
understand  it  of  a  work  which  should  be 
wrought  in  them,  but  of  "  an  act  accept- 
able AND  PLEASING  TO  Goi>." MotlvCS, 

&c.    p.  42. 

Dr.  Gill,  in  his  Cause  of  God  and  Truth, 
(Part  I.  p.  154,)  understands  the  passage 


I  rejoice,  however,  that  Mr.  B.  is  not  of 
that  sentiment. 

But  it  was  asked.  In  whose  name  ought 
Simon  to  have  prayed  for  that  blessing "? 
To  this  we  have  received  no  answer.  It 
was  likewise  asked  whether  spiritual, 
blessings  ought  to  be  sought  in  the  only 


as  speaking  of  such  a  faith  as  is   not  con-    way  in  which  they  can  be  found,  or  in  any 

""  other.     In   answer  to  this,  we    are  told, 

"  they  may  be  sought  after  in  the  use  of 
means  without  special  faith  ;  and  that  is 
all  which  is  here  exhorted  to."  Is  Mr. 
B.  sure  of  that  1  If  so,  Simon  was  barely 
exhorted  to  do  as  Cain  did, — to  bring  an 
offering  without  respect  had  to  the  great 
atonement  for  acceptance, — to  do  that  by 


nected  with  salvation.     Mr.  Brine  never 
pretended  to  this,  but  allows  it  to  speak 

*Tlie  reader  is  desired  to  observe,!  never  denied, 
but  constantly  maintained  that  faith,  wherever  it 
exists,  is  the  effect  of  divine  influence;  as  is  every 
thing  else  in  ns  which  is  truly  good:  but  las  well 
mainiain  that  it  is  man's  duty,  and  that  this  passage 
i»eans  the  latter  and  not  the  former. 


REPLY    TO     MR.    BUTTON. 


451 


which  it  was  impossiMc  to  please  God. 
After  all,  are  we  to  uiulerstaiul  IVIr.  B. 
tliat  sinners  ouirht  not  to  seek  spiritual 
lilessinjis  in  the  name  of  Christ,  l)ut  in 
some  other  tray?  Surely  he  will  not 
alTirin  this  ;  and  yet  I  do  not  see  how  he 
can  avoid  it. 

But  we  arc  told  that  Simon  was  not  ex- 
liorlod  to  "  lind  or  iret  pardon  of  sin,  l)ut 
to  pray  for  it."  Tliis  is  true,  l>ut  not  to 
the  purpose.  Faith  in  Cluist  is  not  tlie 
fiiidini:  or  sicttinsi  of  pardon,  l)ut  the  vienuj^ 
of  ohtainina;  it.  We  cnmc  to  Christ  that 
we  may  have  life.  The  one  is  the  way  in 
which  we  find  or  enjoy  the  other.  This 
as  farther  confirmed  liy  the  passage  which 
we  shall  next  consider. 

Rom.  ix.  31,  32,  "  Because  they  sought 
it  not  l>y  faith,"  &c.  "  By  faith  is  here 
meant,"  says  Mr.  B.,  "not  the  grace  but 
tlie  doctrine  of  faith,  the  gospel,  a-s  ap- 
pears clearly  l>y  its  lieing  opposed  to  the 
law.^' — p.  43.  Suppose  it  were  so,  seek- 
ing righteousness  l)y  the  gospel,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  law,  would  amount  to  the 
same  thing  as  the  other.  But  this  is  not 
the  case  :  faith  is  not  here  opposed  to  the 
law,  but  to  the  works  of  the  law  ;  and  is, 
therefore,  here  to  be  understood  of  the 
right  way  of  seeking  righteousness,  which 
is  in  the  name  of  Christ. 

Concerning  tliose  passages  which  ex- 
hort men  to  put  their  trust  in  the  Lord, 
Mr.  B.  remarks  that  "  trust  is  a  natural 
duty;  but  what,"  he  asks,  "has  this  to 
do  with  evangelical  trust  1  " — p.  44.  Why 
did  he  not  answer  what  was  said  on  that 
.su1)ject  in  p.  46  1  Wliy  did  he  pass  over 
that  dilemma  1  As  to  what  he  says  on  the 
Iburth  Psalm,  that  the  persons  there  ad- 
dressed were  "good  men"  (p.  45;)  it  is 
replied,  They  certainly  were  wicked  who 
arc  addressed  in  the  second  verse  ;  and 
there  is  no  notice  given,  in  any  part  of  the 
Psalm,  of  a  change  of  person.  To  under- 
stand sacrifices  of  rii^hteousness,  of  sacri- 
Jfices  righteously  obtained,  appears  to  me 
to  be  putting  a  low  sense  upon  the  phrase, 
and  what  I  think  is  not  at  all  countenanced 
liy  similar  jjhraseology  in  Scripture.  The 
same  mode  of  speaking  occurs  in  Deut. 
xxxiii.  19,  and  in  Psalm  li.  19,  neither  of 
-which  passages  can  well  be  thought  to 
mean  barely  that  the  sacrifices  should  not 
be  obtained  by  robbery. 

Mr.  B.  thinks,  it  seems,  that  the  declar- 
ation, "  Whosoever  will  let  him  come,  " 
is  not  indefinite,  but  limited,  and  so  is  not 
a  warrant  for  any  sinner  to  come  to  Jesus 
Christ.  "All,"  says  he,  "have  not  a 
will;  therefore  it  is  not  a  warrant  for 
every  man." — p.  46.  That  multitudes  of 
men  are  unwilling  to  forego  self-will,  self- 
conceit  and  self-righteousness,  and  to  ven- 


ture their  souls  wholly  upon  the  Lord  Je- 
sus is  a  melancholy  fact  ;  l)ut  to  conclude 
thence  that  they  have  no  warrant  so  to  do 
is  a  very  extraordinary  species  of  reason- 
ing. If  "whosoever  will  let  him  come  " 
be  not  an  indefinite  mode  of  expression, 
Mr.  B.  should  have  jtointcd  out  what  sort 
of  language  should  have  been  used  for 
such  a  puri>ose. 

A  generous  Wnefactor,  in  the  hard  sea- 
son of  the  year,  procures  a  quantity  of 
provision  to  be  distributed  amongst  the 
poor  of  a  country  village.  He  orders 
public  notice  to  be  given  that  every  poor 

MAN  WHO  IS  WILLING  TO  RECEIVE  IT 
SHALL  IN  NO  WISE  MEET  WITH  A  REFU- 
SAL. A  number  of  the  inhabitants,  how- 
ever, are  not  only  poor  i)ul  proud,  and 
cannot  find  in  their  hearts  to  unite  with 
the  miserable  throng  in  receiving  an  alms. 
Query  ;  Would  it  l)e  just  for  sucii  inhabit- 
ants to  allege  that  they  had  no  warrant 
to  apply  1  or  that  the  declaration  was 
limited  ;  seeing  it  extended  only  to  such 
as  were  willing  ;  and,  for  their  parts,  they 
were  unwilling  1  If  it  were  expedient  to 
give  such  objectors  a  serious  answer,  they 
might  be  asked.  In  what  language  could 
the  donor  have  expressed  himself  to  have 
rendered  his  declaration  more  indefinite. 
If  it  is  insisted  that,  to  make  an  invita- 
tion indefinite,  it  should  be  addressed  to 
men  simply  as  sinners,  it  is  replied.  If  that 
would  put  the  matter  out  of  doubt  the 
Scripture  is  not  wanting  in  that  mode  of 
speaking  any  more  than  in  the  other  : 
"  Hearken  unto  me,  ye  stout-hearted  and 
far  from  righteousness.  I  bring  near  my 
righteousness  ;  it  shall  not  l)e  far  off;  and 
my  salvation  shall  not  tarry."  "  Let  the 
ivicked  forsake  his  way  and  the  unrighte- 
ous man  his  thoughts,  and  let  him  re- 
turn unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mer- 
cy upon  him  ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will 
abundantly  pardon."  For  other  passages 
to  the  same  purpose,  I  ask  leave  to  refer 
to  pages  84  and  So  of  the  former  treatise. 


SECTION  IV. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  SEVENTH  JLETTER,  ON 
THE  OBLIG.\TIONS  OF  MEN  TO  EM- 
BRACE WHATEVER  GOD  REVEALS. HIS 

CHARGE  OF  ILLIBERALITY,  &C.   &C- 

It  was  observed,  in  my  former  publica- 
tion, that  every  man  was  bound  cordially 
to  receive  and  heartily  to  approve  whatev- 
er God  reveals.  A  definition  of  faith  was 
also  quoted  from  Mr.  Brine,  wherein  he 
says,  "Acting  faith  is  no  other  than  suit- 


452 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


able  thoughts  of  Christ,  and  a  hearty  choice 
of  him  as  God's  appointed  way  of  salva- 
tion." And  thence  it  was  argued  that,  if 
faith  was  not  incumbent  on  men  in  gene- 
ral, then  they  were  riglit  in  not  thinking 
suitably  of  Ciirist,  &c. 

Mr.  B.  here  expresses  his  "  astonish- 
ment ; "  and  without  hesitation  charges 
me  with  "  illiberality." — p.  48.  To  this 
I  answer,  I  apprehended  this  to  be  a  co7i- 
se(7Jte;icc  naturally  arising  from  the  senti- 
ments I  opposed;  but  never  imagined  that 
they  who  imbibed  these  sentiments  held  or 
asserted  this  consequence  :  yet,  as  Paul 
urged  the  consequences  of  denying  the 
resurrection,  in  order  to  show  the  errone- 
ousness  of  the  premises  from  which  those 
consequences  followed,  I  apprehended  I 
might  do  the  same.  Such  a  mode  of  rea- 
soning is  universally  practised  by  both  in- 
spired and  uninspired  writers.  The  Co- 
rinthians might  have  charged  the  apostle 
with  illiberality,  and  have  had,  for  aught  I 
see,  as  good  reason  for  so  doing  as  Mr.  B. 
had  for  charging  it  upon  me.  He  iiad 
said,  "  If  the  dead  rise  not,  then  is  not 
Christ  raised  ;  and,  if  Christ  be  not  raised, 
your  faith  is  vain  ;  ye  are  j'et  in  your 
sins."  They  might  have  exclaimed  against 
these  consequences,  and  said  of  him  who 
urged  them.  He  knows  these  are  senti- 
ments Avhich  we  never  asserted  or  even 
imagined. 

Mr.  B.,  instead  of  exclaiming  in  this 
sort,  should  have  invalidated  those  con- 
sequences, but  this  he  has  not  attempted; 
and,  unless  he  will  maintain  it  to  be  men's 
duty  to  stand  neuter,  (which  ourLord  de- 
clared to  be  impossible,)  and  neither  think 
nor  choose  at  all  in  the  affair,  I  do  not  see 
how  they  can  be  fairly  removed.  The 
difficulty  stands  thus  :  "  If  true  faith  is  no 
other  than  suitable  thoughts  of  Christ  and 
a  hearty  choice  of  him  as  God's  appointed 
way  of  salvation,"  as  Mr.  Brine  affirms, 
then,  it  is  either  men's  duty  to  think  suit- 
ably of  Christ,  or  it  is  not ;  to  choose  him  as 
God's  appointed  way  of  salvation  or  not. 
If  it  is,  the  point  is  given  up  ;  if  it  is  not, 
then  it  must  be  right  in  them  either  not  to 
think  suitably  of  Christ,  or  not  to  think  at 
all ;  either  to  choose  some  other  way  of 
salvation,  or  not  to"  choose  at  all. 

It  is  not  sufficient  for  Mr.  B.  to  allege 
that  he  disclaims  these  sentiments  ;  that 
he  allows  an  opposition  to  God's  way  of 
salvation  to  be  sinful :  I  know  he  does  ; 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  I  acknowledge  it  : 
but  the  question  is.  Is  he  herein  consistent 
with  himself  1  The  Corinthians  could 
have  said  the  same  in  respect  of  Christ  not 
being  raised  ;  none  of  them  thought  of  as- 
serting that,  though  they  asserted  what 
must  necessarily  -infer  it.     If  it  is  men's 


sin  to  oppose  and  reject  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  it  must  be  their  duty  to  choose 
and  accc])t  him,  or  else  to   stand  neuter, 
and  so  lie  neither  for  him  nor  against  him. 
Mucli  the  same  might  be  said  in  reply 
to  what  Mr.  B.   frequently  speaks   of  as 
due  to  the  gospel,  viz.   "  a  veneration  for 
it."     This  veneration  either  amounts  to  a 
hearty  choice  of  Christ  as  God's  appointed 
way  of  salvation — to  a  being  on  his  side — 
or  it   does   not.     If  it  does,  this  implies 
special   faith  ;  wr  to  choose  that  way   is 
the  same  thing  as  to  be  icilling  to  be  saved 
in  that  way,  (which  Mr.  B.  allows  is  the 
case  with  no  unregenerate  man  :)   and   to 
be   on  Christ's  side,   is  the  same  thing  as 
to  be   a   real   Christian.     If  it  does    not, 
then  I  should  be  glad  to  know  what  sort 
of  a  veneration  for  the  gospel  that  must  be 
whicli  can  consist  with  an  unwillingness  to 
fall  in  with  its   and  designs,  and  a  reigning 
aversion  from  its  great  Author?and  Objecti 
What  Mr.  B.  says  (p.  49)  of  "  peace  be- 
ing made,"  and"  the   work  being  done," 
is  a  gTcat  and  glorious  truth,  on  which  de- 
pends all  my  salvation  and  all  my  desire. 
I  rejoice  with  him  in  the  doctrines  of  ev- 
erlasting love  and  the  eternal  settlements 
of  grace.     But,  as   the   covenant  between 
the  FathcT'and   the  Son  before  time  does 
not  supersede  a  believer's  actually   cove- 
nanting with  God  in  time,*  so  neither,  as 
I  apprehend,  does  peace  being  made  by 
the  blood  of  Christ's   cross  supersede  a 
peace  taking  place  between  God  and  us 
on  our  believing.     God,   as   the  lawgiver 
of  the    world,   is  represented   as   "  angry 
with  the  wicked  every  day."     Every  un- 
believer is  said  to  be  under  "  condemna- 
tion ;  "  he  is  "  under  the  law,"  as  a  cov- 
enant of  works  ;  and,  being  of  the  works 
of  the  law,  he  is  under  the  curse.     On  the 
contrary,  those  who  believe  in  Christ  are 
"  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace  :  " 
their  sins  are  "  forgiven  "  for  Jesus'  sake  ; 
there  is    no    "condemnation"    to   them; 
God  is  represented  as  being  pacified  to- 
wards them  for  all   that  they  have  done 
against  him.f     This  pacification,  however, 
is  not  founded  upon  their  faith,  or  return- 
ing to   God  ;  but  upon   the  atonement  of 
Christ,    in   which  their  faith  terminates  : 
hence,  though  they  are  said,  being  justi- 
fied by  faith,  to  have  peace  with  God  ;  yet 
it  is  "  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

When  I  spake  of  the  gospel's  "publish- 
ing a  way  Avherein  God  can  and  will  make 
peace  with  sinners  on  terms  infinitely  hon- 
orable to  himself,"  &c.,  I  had  no  respect 

*  See  Jer.  1.  5.     Isa.  xliv.  5. 
t  Psa.  vii.  11.  John  iii.  18.  Ga).  iii.  10.  Rom. 
vi.  14.  1  John  ii.  12.  Rom.  viii.  1.   Ezek.  xvi.  ()5. 
Rom.  V.  1. 


RKI'LV    TO    MR.    BUTTON, 


453 


to  termf;  and  conditions,  to  be  performed 
by  us,  that  should  entitle  us  to  lilessings 
annexed  to  sudi  ixTlorniance.  My  mean- 
ing was  ratlier  this  :  that  Clirist  havinji 
olicycd  tlie  hiw  and  endured  the  curse,  and 
so  lullilled  the /crm.s of  his  eternal  enjrajie- 
inent,  Goil  can  in  a  way  honoralile  to  all 
his  pcrleetions  pardon  and  receive  the  most 
guilty  sinner  that  shall  return  to  him  in 
Christ's  name. 

In  respect  oftennfi  and  cnndilions,  as  ap- 
plied to  faitii  in  Clirist,  thoujrh  I  believe 
such  lailh  to  1  e  cumbent  on  men  in  gen- 
eral, yet,  properly  speakinsr,  I  do  not  sup- 
pose cither  that  or  any  thing  else  in  us  to 
be  the  condition  of  salvation;  unless  by 
condition  is  barely  meant  titat  to  tchich  the 
promise  of  salvation  is  made,  and  irithoiit 
ii'hich  we  cannot  l)e  saved.  In  this  sense  I 
should  have  no  objection  to  its  being  so  call- 
ed ;  and  I  should  think  Mr.  B.  could  have 
none,  any  more  tlian  myself.  But,  as  it 
is  a  term  lialile  to  ainise,  and  apt  to  con- 
vey very  ditlerent  sentiments,  I  had  rath- 
er express  my  ideas  in  other  language 
than  go  about  to  qualify  it  by  an  explana- 
tion. 

Dr.  Owen  does  not  reject  the  word  con- 
dition, but  puts  an  explanation  upon  it 
suited  to  his  sentiments.  "It  is  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  Lord,"  says  he,  "that 
there  should  be  such  a  connection  and  co- 
herence between  the  things  purchased  for 
us  by  Jesus  Christ  tliat  the  one  should  be 
a  means  and  way  of  attaining  tiie  other; 
the  one  the  condition,  and  tlie  other  the 
thing  promised  upon  that  condition;  but 
both  e(]ually  and  alike  procured  for  us  by 
Jesus  Christ;  for,  if  either  be  omitted  in 
his  purchase,  the  other  would  be  vain  and 
fruitless." — Death  oj  Death,  Book  II. 
Chap  I.*  Whatever  words  may  be  used, 
I  know  of  no  difference  in  this  matter  be- 
tween Dr.  Owen's  sentiments  and  my 
own. 

That  the  gospel  is  an  einbassij  of  peace, 
addressed  to  sinners  indefinitely,  and  that 
any  sinner  whatever  has  a  warrant  to  ap- 
ply to  the   Saviour,  and  a  promise  of  ac- 

*  See  also  Dr.  Owen  on  fleb.  viii.  10.  Vol.  III. 
p.  269.  "  Unt(ia  full  and  complete  interest  in  all  the 
promises  of  the  covenant,  faith  on  our  part,  from 
which  evangelical  rejientancc  is  inseparahle,  is  re- 
quired, lint,  whereas  these  al.-o  are  wrought  in  us 
hy  virtue  of  that  promise  and  grace  which  are  abso- 
lute, it  is  a  mere  strif.'  about  words  to  contend 
whether  they  may  Ix;  called  conditions,  or  no.  Let 
it  be  granted,  on  the  ohp  hand,  that  we  cannot  have 
an  actual  participatitm  of  ihe  relative  grace  of  this 
covenant,  in  adoption  aiidjuslification,  without  faith 
or  believing  :  and,  on  the  ot/ier,  that  this  f;iith  is 
wrougbt  in  us,  given  unto  us,  bestowed  upon  us,  by 
that  grace  of  the  covenant  which  depends  on  no  con- 
dition in  us,  as  untcj  its  discriniin:iting  administra- 
ion  ;  and  1  shall  not  concern  myself  what  men  will 
call  it." 


ceptance  on  his  application,  is  evident  from 
the  whole  current  of  Scripture.  To  op- 
j)osc  Arminianism  by  the  denial  of  this 
well-known  trutii  must  be  an  unsuccessful 
attempt.  Instead  of  destroying,  it  is  the 
most  efl'ectual  method  to  establish  it. 
IS'o  Arminian,  so  long  as  he  has  a  Bilile  in 
his  hand,  can  ever  be  persuaded  that  the 
language  of  scripture  exhortations  to  re- 
pentance and  faith  in  Christ  is  not  indefi- 
nite. If,  then,  his  system  is  acknowledged 
to  stand  or  fall  with  the  universality  of 
such  exhortations,  he  will  not  desire  a 
greater  concession.  He  is  well  satisfied 
of  this,  that,  if  general  invitations  speak 
the  language  of  Arminianism,  the  Bil)lc 
must  be  written  upon  Arminian  j)rinci- 
ples.  Such  a  concession,  therefore,  tends 
to  confirm  him  in  his  sentiments  ;  and,  I 
believe,  such  a  way  of  speaking  and  writ- 
ing amongst  the  Calvinists  has  been  more 
than  a  little  advantageous  to  the  Armin- 
ian cause. 

God  gathers  his  elect  out  of  mankind  by 
a  gospel  equally  addressed  to  one  man  as 
to  another.  No  one,  on  his  first  applica- 
tion to  Christ,  comes  to  him  considering 
himself  as  an  elect  person,  or  as  having 
any  peculiar  i)rivilege  belonging  ^to  him 
above  the  rest  of  mankind ;  but  every 
such  person  applies  to  Christ  merely  as  a 
poor,  guilty,  self-ruined  sinner;  and,  if 
the  gospel  did  not  speak  an  indefinite  lan- 
guage to  sinners,  considered  as  such,  he 
could  have  no  hope.  If  it  is  said.  Yes; 
he  feels  himself  a  sensible  sinner,  and  so 
considers  himself  as  hereliy  warranted  to 
apply  for  mercy  :  I  answer,  This  is  sup- 
posing that  a  person  may  have  solid  evi- 
dence to  conclude  himself  elected  before 
he  has  believed  in  Christ;  that  is,  while 
he  is  an  unbeliever  :  than  which  nothing 
surely  can  be  more  unscriptural  and  dan- 
gerous. The  heart  of  every  man  who  has 
heard  the  gospel  either  does,  or  does  not, 
fall  in  with  God's  way  of  salvation  by  Je- 
sus Christ.  If  it  does,  he  is  a  believer; 
if  it  does  not,  he  is  an  unbeliever,  and  has 
no  revealed  warrant  to  conclude  himself 
an  object  of  divine  favor.  A  being  sensi- 
ble of' our  guilty  and  lost  condition  is  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  an  application  to  the 
Saviour  ;  not,  however,  as  afTording  us  a 
loarrant  to  come  to  Christ,  but  as  being 
necessary  to  the  act  itself  of  coming.  A 
right  spirit  does  not  give  us  a  warrant  to 
do  a  right  action  ;  but  it  is  essential  to 
our  compliance  with  the  warrant  which 
we  already  have. 

Mr.  B."  thinks  I  have  given  a  wrong 
sense  to  2  Cor.  v.  (p.  50.)  Su}>pose  it 
should  be  so,  I  apprehend  the  weight  of 
the  proposition  docs  not  rest  upon  that 
passage.     I  am  not  convinced,  however, 


464 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


by  what  has  been  said  concerning  it;  but 
enough  has  been  said  upon  that  part.  If 
the  reader  choose  carefully  to  look  over 
the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  chapters  of  that 
Epistle,  and  to  compare  what  each  of  us 
has  said  upon  it,  he  may  be  better  enabled 
thereby  to  judge  of  the  meaning  than  l)y 
any  thing  that  can  be  farther  advanced 
upon  the  subject. 

Mr.  B.  thinks  that  "  faith  itself  is  not 
called  obedience,  but  that  obedience  is  the 
fruit  of  faith."— p.  53.  That  taith  is 
productive  of  obedience  is  readily  allow- 
ed ;  but  I  also  apprehend  that  faith  itself 
is  so  called.  Unbelief,  in  our  first  pa- 
rent, was  the  root  of  all  the  evil  Avhich 
followed  after  it;  yet  unbelief  was  itself 
an  evil :  so  it  is  supposed  that  faith  is  not 
only  the  root  of  evangelical  obedience, 
but  is  an  instance  of  obedience  itself. 
These  thoughts  are  founded  upon  such 
phrases  as  "  obeying  the  truth,"  "  obey- 
ing the  gospel,"  &c.,*  which,  I  suppose, 
mean  a  real  believing  it,  and  falling  in 
with  its  grand  designs. 

These  passages  were  quoted  before,  to 
which  Mr.  B.  makes  no  other  reply  than 
by  barely  asserting  that  "  they  none  of 
them  prove  faith  to  be  an  act  of  obe- 
dience, but  only  show  that  obedience  is 
the  fruit  of  faith." — p.  53.  Obeying  the 
gospel,  in  Rom.  x.  16,  is  supposed  by  t!ie 
inspired  penman  to  be  of  similar  import 
with  believing  its  report ;  but  it  will  hard- 
ly be  said  that  believing  the  gospel-report 
is  not  faith  itself,  but  a- fruit  of  it.  "  The 
passage,"  Mr.  B.  adds,  "in  Rom.  i.  5, 
*  By  whom  we  have  received  grace  and 
apostleship  for  obedience  to  the  faith,' 
must  I  think,  to  every  common  under- 
standing, clearly  appear  to  point  out  the 
grand  design  of  the  gospel-ministry,  which 
is,  through  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
to  bring  men  to  obedience  to  Christ 
the  object  of  faith,  and  to  the  doctrine  ol 
faith."  Very  true :  and  we  apprehend 
that  faith  in  the  doctrine  is  that  obedience 
which  is  required  to  the  doctrine  of  faith  ; 
and  that  a  rejecting  of  every  rival  and 
false  confidence,  and  a  being  Avilling  to 
receive  Christ,  that  he  may  teaeh,  save, 
and  rule  us  in  his  own  way,  is  that  obe- 
dience which  is  due  to  him. 

Obedience  to  the  gospel,  and  disobe- 
dience to  it,  are  doubtless  to  be  considei-ed 
as  opposites.  The  former  is  true  special 
faith,  having  the  promise  of  eternal  sal- 
vation, Heb.  v.  9 :  the  latter,  therefore, 
cannot  mean  as  Mr.  B.  explains  it,  (p. 
54,)  the  want  of  merely  such  a  reveren- 
tial regard  to  the  gospel  as  a  man  may 
have  and  yet  perish  everlastingly. 

*  Rom.  X,  16;  vi.  17, 


SECTION  V. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  EIGHTH  LETTER,  ON 
THE  CAUSES  TO  WHICH  THE  WANT 
OP    FAITH    IS    ASCRIBED. 

Mr.  B.  here  commences  a  new  mode  of 
opposition.  Instead  of  an  answer  to  those 
Scriptures  which  were  produced  to  prove 
that  ignorance,  pride,  dishonesty  of  heart, 
and  aversion  from  God,  are  assigned  as 
the  causes  of  men's  not  believing,  he  has 
presented  us  with  some  other  parts  of 
Scripture,  which  he  flunks  ascribe  it  to 
other  causes.  Such  a  method  of  reason- 
ing, I  should  think,  can  have  but  little 
tendency  to  convince  a  serious  inquirer 
after  truth.  It  will  be  natural  for  such  an 
inquirer  to  say.  Supposing  Mr.  B.  to'Jiave 
proved  what  he  has  undertaken,  namely, 
that  the  want  of  faith  is  to  be  ascribed  to 
the  sovereign  will  of  God,  aud  that  alone, 
what  are  we  to  do  with  those  Scriptures 
which  ascribe  it  to  other  causes  1 

One  passage  of  Scripture  under  this 
head  is  entirely  passed  over,  (Luke  vii. 
29,  30:)  a  passage  too  that  was  partic- 
ularly recommended  to  tlie  attention  of 
the  Baptists  ;  and  a  number  of  others  are 
but  very  slightly  touched.  All  the  an- 
swer that  I  can  find  to  what  was  advanced 
between  pages  66 — 74  of  my  treatise  is 
included  in  the  following  passage  :  "  That 
human  depravity,  that  ignorance,  pride, 
dishonesty  of  heart,  aversion  to  God,  and 
the  like,  often  prevent  a  sinner's  attend- 
ing to  the  gospel,  (which  the  Holy  Spirit 
useth  as  a  means  to  convey  faith  into  tiie 
hearts  of  his  people,  for  faith  cometh  by 
hearing,  Rom.  x.  17,)  and  that  these 
things  are  of  a  criminal  nature  is  certain  ; 
but  what  then  1  Does  this  prove  faith  a 
duty  1  and  the  want  of  it  a  sin  for  which 
man  shall  be  damned  1  By  no  means  : 
so  far  as  human  depravity  prevails  man  is 
criminal;  and  the  things  aforementioned 
prevailing  are  certain  evidences  of  the  per- 
son's being  destitute  of  special  faith  :  but 
to  say  that  these  things  are  an  absolute 
bar  to  faith,  as  Mr.  F^does,  (p.  67,)  is  a 
great  mistake  ;  neither  tliese  things,  nor 
a  thousand  worse  things,  if  worse  can  be 
named,  shall  be  an  absolute  bar  to  any 
elect  soul's  believing." — pp.  59,  60. 

To  this  it  is  replied,  If  the  reader 
please  to  review  page  67  of  my  treatise, 
he  will  instantly  perceive  that  I  was 
speaking  of  what  was  a  bar  to  men's  be- 
lieving, not  to  God's  causing  them  to  be- 
lieve. Christ  did  not  say,  how  can  God 
cause  you  to  believe,  who  receive  honor  one 
of  another  1  but  "how  can  ye  believe  1  " 
It  is  granted  that  with  God  all  thinjs  are 
possible :    but,  if  the  pride  and  aversion 


RF.I'LY    TO    .-NIK.    BUTTOIV. 


455 


of  men's  liearts  lie  that  wliirli  renders 
lielie\iii<r  in\possilile  to  theiit,  tliat  is  sulli- 
cient  to  ilt-eide  llie  i|iiesti()ii  in  hand  ;  and 
this  was  eertaiiily  the  wliole  o(  my  (lesi;j;n. 
In  pajze  tit),  tlie  very  patre  before  that  in 
wliirii  is  tlie  jiassaire  to  whicli  Mr.  B. 
objects,  I  liatl  said,  "  We  know  that  lilinil- 
tuss  of  inintl  is  not  sueli  an  olistruelion 
l)Ut  what  is  overcome  l>y  the  grace  of 
God  in  the  elect  j  Imt  that  heinij;  removed 
in  the  elect  does  not  disprove,  l>ut  imply, 
tiiat  it  is  a  remaining  obstruction  to  the 
rest."  I  suppose  Mr.  B.  must  have  read 
this  passage  just  before  tiiat  on  wliich  his 
remark  is  made  ;  how,  therefore,  he  could 
so  strangely  mistake  my  meaning,  I  am 
at  a  loss  to  conceive. 

Surely  Mr.  B.  could  not  think  the 
above  a  sutricient  answer  to  that  against 
which  it  is  written.  "  Human  depravity," 
he  admits,  "  prevents  a  sinner's  attending 
to  the  gospel ;'^  but  he  will  not  allow  that 
it  hinders  him  from  believing.  By  "at- 
tending to  the  gospel,"  I  suppose,  he  may 
mean  something  more  than  merely  at- 
tending upon  it;  but  yet  he  cannot  mean 
any  thing  spiritually  good  :  if  he  did,  and 
allowed  that  human  depravity  prevented 
it,  that  would  be  giving  up  a  main  i)oint 
in  the  debate.  I  suppose,  therefore,  he 
means  no  more  than  such  an  attention  to 
the  gospel  as  may  be  exercised  without 
any  real  love  to  it,  or  desire  after  an  in- 
terest in  its  blessings.  But  will  Mr.  B. 
pretend  to  say  that  this  is  all  that  is 
meant  in  the  passage  to  which  I  had  re- 
ferred 1  Did  Christ  barely  tell  the  Jews 
(John  V.  44)  that  they  could  not  attend  to 
the  gospel  who  received  honor  one  of 
another,  and  sought  not  the  honor  which 
Cometh  from  God  onlyl  Would  this  have 
been  true  upon  Mr.  B.'s  principles'!  At- 
tending to  the  gospel,  in  his  sense  of  it, 
is  what  men  in  an  unregenerate  state  can 
do  ;  and  tliat  in  the  exercise  of  a  jjroud 
spirit.  Did  the  want  of  "  an  honest  and 
good  heart"  keep  the  three  sorts  of  hear- 
ers, in  the  parable  of  the  sower,  from  at- 
tending to  the  gospel  1  So  far  from  this, 
Mr.  B.  elsewhere  informs  us  that  the 
stonv-ground  hearers  "cordially  received 
the  truth."— p.  19.  Though  I  think,  in 
this  matter,  he  goes  too  far;  yet  thus 
much  is  certain — ^that  a  mere  attention  to 
the  gospel  was  not  the  thing  wherein  they 
were  wanting.  When  Christ  blamed  the 
Jews,  saying,  "Ye  will  not  come  unto 
me  that  ye  might  have  life,"  did  he  barely 
mean,  Ye  will  not  give  attention  to  the 
gospell      Surely  not! 

Mr.  B.  admits  that  "  pride,  aversion  to 
God,  and  the  like,  where  they  prevail,  are 
certain  evidences  of  a  person's  being  des- 
titute of  special  faith,"  but  denies,  it 
seems,  that  they  have  any  causal  influence 


to  prevent  his  believing.  And  yet,  if 
there  be  any  meaning  in  words,  surely  the 
fore-cited  passages  must  convey  the  latter 
idea,  as  well  as  the  former.  When  Christ 
told  the  Jews,  "  Ye  will  not  come  unto 
me  that  ye  might  have  life,"  did  he  mean 
that  their  unwillingness  was  merely  an  ev- 
idence of  their  not  coming  to  him,  and  not 
that  which  had  any  causal  iiillucnce  upon 
them  toj'|>revent  their  coming  1  Surelynot  ! 

As  the  above  passage,  which  I  have 
transcribed  from  Mr.  B.,  is  the  only  an- 
swer he  has  made  to  my  f^ourth  Proposi- 
tion, I  cannot  but  consider  it  as  unan- 
swered. He  has  advanced  something, 
however,  of  an  opposite  tendency,  which 
I  shall  now  consider. 

It  was  aflirmed  that  the  want  of  faith 
in  Christ  is  ascribed,  in  the  Scriptures,  to 
men's  depravity.  Mr.  B.  thinks  this  po- 
sition contrary  to  John  x.  20,  "  Ye  believe 
not,  because  ye  are  not  of  my  sheep;" 
which  passage,  he  thinks,  ascril)es  the 
want  of  faith  to  "non-election." — p.  55. 
To  this  T  reply,  On  some  occasions  Mr. 
B.  would  make  nothing  of  such  a  term  as 
because,  (\).  63;)  and,  were  I  to  follow 
his  example,  I  might  say.  It  means  no 
more  than  this  :  Your  unbelief,  if  you 
persist  in  it,  will  be  a  certain  evidence 
that  you  are  not  of  my  sheep. — No  com- 
plaint could  justly  be  made  if  the  matter 
were  left  here,  especially  as  the  above  are 
the  very  words  of  Mr.  Henry,  which  Mr. 
B.  has  quoted  for  a  difTerent  purpose. 
But,  waving,  this,  be  it  oljserved  the  truth 
which  thev  did  not  believe  was,  that  Jesus 
ivas  the  Christ..  "If  thou  be  the  Christ," 
said  they,  "tell  us  plainly.  Jesus  an- 
swered, I  have  told  you,  and  ye  believed 
not :  the  works  that  I  do,  in  my  Father's 
name,  they  bear  witness  of  me ;  but  ye 
believe  not,  because  ye  are  not  oj  my 
sheep."  This  text,  therefore,  if  it  prove 
any  thing  for  Mr.  B.,  will  prove  too 
much  ;  it  will  prove  that  non-election  is 
the  cause  of  that  which  he  acknowledges 
to  be  sinful  ;  namely,  a  discrediting  of 
Jesus  being  the  Christ. 

Farther :  Though  Christ's  people  are 
sometimes  called  sheep  simply  on  account 
of  their  being  given  to  him  in  eternal  elec- 
tion, as  in  verse  16  of  this  chapter;  yet 
this  is  not  always  the  case.  They 
sometimes  bear  that  name  as  being  not 
only  elected,  ])ut  called;  as  the  followers 
of  Christ  ;  and  thus  they  are  represented 
in  the  context:  "I  know  my  sheep,  and 
am  known  of  mine  ;  "  they  "  follow  "  the 
Shepherd,  for  they  "know  his  voice;" 
they  "go  in  and  out,  and  find  ])asture." 
And,  in  the  next  verse  to  that  in  (piestion, 
"  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know 
them,  and  they  follow  me."  All  those 
who  looked  for  redemption  in  Israel  read 


456 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


ily  embraced  Christ  as  the  Messiah  as 
soon  as  they  heard  of  him  ;  they  knew  his 
voice,  as  soon  as  they  heard  it,  and  fol- 
lowed him  :  but  others,  though  they  were 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  yet,  not  being  the 
real  people  of  God,  rejected  him  as  the 
Messiah,  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep. 
"He  that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words; 
ye  therefoie  hear  them  not,  because  ye 
are  not  of  God." — John  viii.  47.  There 
appears  to  me  a  great  probability  of  this 
bei'vr  tho  meaning  of  the  passage. 

But,  suppose  a  being  not  of  Christ's 
sheep,  here,  to  meantlie  same  as  not  being 
of  the  number  of  the  elect  ;  this  can  be  no 
otherwise  assigned  as  the  cause  of  their 
not  believing  than  as  we  assign  the  ab- 
sence of  the  sun  as  the  cause  of  darkness. 
Because  of  God's  fobearing  to  execute 
vengeance,  the  hearts  of  the  sons  of  men 
are  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil :  but  no  one, 
it  is  hoped,  will  think  evil  excusable  on 
that  account.  See  Dr.  Gill's  Cause  of 
God  and  Truth,  Part  II.,  pp.  100,  222; 
Part  III.,  p.  77,  First  Edition. 

Mr.  B.  assigns^man's  natural  incapacity 
as  another  reason  of  his  not  believing,  and 
says,  "  Sacred  Scripture  every  tvherc 
abounds  with  passages  to  this  purpose." — 
p.  55.  Well,  if  this  'assertion  can  be 
made  good,  something  will  be  effected  to 
purpose.  In  proof  of  it,  however,  no 
more  than  tivo  passages  are  produced  ; 
viz.  John  vi.  44,  "No  man  can  come  unto 
me,"  &c.  ;  and  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  "  The  natu- 
ral man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  neither  can  he  know  them," 
&c.  It  is  true,  if  these  two  will  prove  the 
point,  they  are  equal  to  two  hundred :  but 
it  were  as  well  not  to  speak  of  such  great 
numbers,  unless  more  were  produced. 
To  what  Mr.  B.  says,  on  both  these  pas- 
sages, it  is  replied.  If  the  term  cannot 
will  prove  this  their  inability  to  be  natural 
and  innocent,  it  will  prove  the  same  of  the 
inability  of  those  who  are  in  the  flesh,  and 
cannot  please  God,  and  of  those  whose 
eyes  are  full  of  adultery,  and  who  cannot 
cease  from  sin.  Mr.  B.  takes  no  notice 
of  what  was  said  before  on  these  modes  of 
speaking ;  but,  instead  of  that,  puts  us  off 
with  barely  inlbrming  us  that  "  this  is  suf- 
ficient/or /im;  and  with  asking  his  reader, 
"  Does  not  this  seem  to  strike  you  at  once 
that  our  Lord  is  here  representing  man's 
natural  inability]" — pp.  56,  57. 

Mr.  B.  thinks  I  am  strangelyiinconsist- 
ent,  in  maintaining  that  man's  inability 
consists  wholly  in  the  evil  states  of  his 
heart,  or  will,  and  yet  allowing  it  to  be  to- 
tal (p.  56  ;)  and  elsewhere  seems  to  wonder 
greatly  at  the  same  thing. — p.  93.  I  also 
might  wonder  that  one  who  professes  to 
believe  in  the  total  depravity  of  human 
Must  not  that  inability  be  total  which  pro- 


nature  should  object  in  such  a  manner, 
ceeds  from,  or  rather  consists  in,  total  de- 
pravity 1 

If  by  total  Mr.  B.  means  unable  in  every 
respect,  I  grant  I  do  not  think  man  is,  in 
that  sense,  totally  unable  to  believe  in 
Christ.  But  an  in  ability  in  one  respect  may 
be  so  great  Ln  degree  as  to  become  total.* 
It  is  thus  in  things  which  relate  merely  to 
a  natural  inability.  A  man  may  have 
books,  and  learning,  and  leisure,  and  so 
may  not,  in  every  respect,  be  unable  to  read 
and  yet,  being  utterly  blind,  he  is  totally 
unable  notwithstanding.  In  respect  of  the 
inability  in  question,  those  that  are  in  the 
flesh  are  totally  unable  to  please  God  ;  and 
yet  their  inability  lies  Avholly  in  the  evil 
state  of  their  hearts  towards  God,  and  not 
in  his  being  so  difficult  to  be  pleased  that, 
if  his  creatures  were  to  do  all  they  ought 
to  do,  it  would  be  to  no  purpose.  Men, 
by  nature,  are  totally  unable  to  love  God 
with  their  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength  ; 
and  yet,  as  Mr.  B.  allows  this  to  be  their 
duty,  he  cannot  say  their  incapacity  for  so 
doing  is  natural  and  innocent.  We  con- 
sider men  as  spiritually  tZeafZ  ;  and  we  con- 
sider spiritual  death  as  a  total  privation  of 
all  real  good  ;  and  this  we  may  do  with- 
out considering  them  as  destitute  of  such 
faculties  as,  if  the  state  of  their  hearts 
were  but  what  it  ought  to  be  would  in- 
fallibly discern  and  embrace  things  of  a 
spiritual  nature. 


SECTION   VI. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  NINTH  LETTER,  ON 
PUNISHMENTS  BEING  THREATENED 
AND  INFLICTED  FOR  THE  WANT  OF 
FAITH    IN    JESUS    CHRIST. 

In  proof  of  this  point,  reference  was 
had  to  Mark  xvi.  16,  "  He  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."     This  passage  had 

*•  When  we  say  the  depravity  of  man  is  total,  we 
do  not  mean  that  it  is  incapable  of  augmentation  ;  but 
that]it  amounts  to  a  total  privation  of  all  real  good. 
The  depravity  of  the  fallen  angels  is  total;  and  yet 
they  are  capable  of  adding  iniquity  to  iniquity. 

1  would  wish  Mr.  B.  to  remember  tliat  a  moral 
ability,  whether  virtuous  or  vicious,  may  be  as  to- 
tal as  a  natural  inability.  And  I  would  also  beg  him 
to  examine  whether  he  can  form  a  clear  idea  of  a 
person  being  under  a  moral  inability  to  perform  any 
action  which  he  is,  and  always  was  naturally  una- 
ble to  perf(jrm  ?  For  instance,  can  he  conceive  of  a 
man  born  blind,  as  having  a  violent  and  invincible  aver- 
sion from  light '?  I  own  it  appears  to  me  inconceiv- 
able ;  and  it  seems|ec|ually  absurd  to  suppose  that  sinners 
should  be  capable  of  aversion  from  a  plan  of  salvation 
which  was  utterly  unsuited  to  their  natural  \>o\\'Ccs. 


KEPLV    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


457 


•  icon  cxjilaiiicd  hy  Mr.  Brine  as  only  {liv- 
injr  the  descriptive  characters  of  tlie  siived 
and  tlic  lost.  To  prove  the  contrary,  I 
produced  a  nuinl)er  of  threateninj^s  in  the 
word  of  God,  delivered  ajjainst  sin,  in  the 
same  mode  of  speaking  as  llie  above 
passaire  is  directed  against  unbelief.  Mr. 
Button  tldnks  tliat  these  also  are  mere 
descriptive  characters  ;  and  that,  if  tiie 
Scri|)turcs  used  no  other  modes  of  speak- 
ing, we  could  not  justly  infer  that  the  pun- 
ishments therein  threatened  were  on  ac- 
count oi  the  crimes  therein  specified. — p. 
G2.  This  is  very  extraordinary  indeed. 
As  though,  from  such  a  threatening  as, 
"God  shall  destroy  thee,  O  thou  false 
tongue,"  we  were  not  warranted  to  con- 
clude that  falsehood  is  a  crime,  and  the 
procuring  cause  of  the  punislimcnt  threat- 
ened! If  this  reasoning  be  just,  it  cannot 
be  inferred,  from  the  laws  of  England  de- 
claring tiiat  a  murderer  sliall  be  put  to 
death,  that  it  is  on  account  of  his  being 
a  murderer.  Xeitiier  could  our  first  pa- 
rents justly  infer  from  its  being  told  them, 
Tiie  day  ye  eat  of  tlie  fruit  ye  shall  surely 
die,  that  it  should  be  on  account  of  their 
so  eating  ! 

John  iii.  IS.  "  He  that  believeth  not  is 
condemned  already,  because  he  hath  not 
believed  on  the  name  of  the  only-begot- 
ten Son  of  God!  "  In  urging  this  pas- 
sage I  had  grounded  pretty  much  on  the 
term  because.  But  Mr.  B.  produces  an- 
other text  of  Scripture  where  that  term  is 
used,  and  cannot,  he  thinks,  denote  a 
procuring  cause. — pp.  63,  64.  The  pass- 
age to  which  he  refers  is  John  xvi.  17, 
"  The  Father  himself  loveth  you,  because 
ye  have  loved  me."  To  this  it  is  replied, 
Suppose  a  word,  in  one  instance,  be  un- 
derstood in  a  peculiar  sense,  is  this  sense 
to  be  urged  as  a  rule  of  interpreting  that 
word  in  other  places  1  If  it  is,  Mr.  B, 
would  be  puzzled,  notwithstanding  what 
he  said  in  p.  62,  to  prove  that  sin  is  the 
procuring  cause  of  damnation.  This  is 
the  method  taken  by  the  adversaries  to 
the  proper  deity  and  satisfaction  of  Christ. 

But,  farther  :  I  apjirehend  tlie  term  he- 
cause,  even  in  this  jiassage,  is  to  be  taken 
in  its  proper  sense,  as  denoting  the  ground 
or  reason  of  a  thing.  The  love  of  God 
has  (with  great  propriety,  I  think)  been 
distinguished  into  7ia/urai  and  sovereign  : 
the  former  is  God's  necessary  approbation 
of  every  intelligent  creature  in  proportion 
as  it  bears  his  holy  likeness  ;  the  latter  is 
his  free  favor,  fixed  upon  his  elect  with- 
out the  consideration  of  any  thing  in  them 
or  done  by  them.  The  one  is  exercised 
towards  an  object  while  that  object  con- 
tinues pure,  and  ceases  when  it  becomes 
impure  :  thus  God  loved  those  angels, 
wlien  holy,  who  arc  now  fallen  under  his 

VOL.  I.  53 


most  awful  displeasure.  The  other,  not 
being  founded  on  any  thing  in  the  creature, 
removes  not  from  its  object,  but  abideth 
forever.  The  ])ropricty  of  the  above  dis- 
tinction may  be  argued  from  the  doctrine 
of  reconciliation  by  the  death  of  Christ. 
To  be  reconciled  is  to  be  restored  to  fa- 
vor. Now  the  sovereign  favor  of  God 
was  not  forfeitable  ;  we  could  not,  there- 
fore, be  restored  to  that  :  but  his  neces- 
sary approbation,  as  the  Lawgiver  of  the 
world,  was  forfeitable  ;  and  to  that  we  are 
restored  by  the  death  of  Christ.* 

The  godly  arc  the  objects  of  God's 
natural  love  as  bearing  his  holy  likeness. 
"If  any  man  love  me,"  says  Christ,  "he 
will  keep  my  words,  and  jny  Father  tcill 
love  him,  and  we  will  come  and  make  our 
abode  with  him.  If  ye  keep  my  comrnand- 
ments,  ye  shall  abide  in  my  love  ;  even  as 
I  have  kept  my  Father's  commandments, 
and  ai)ide  in  his  love."  And  thus,  in  the 
passage  referred  to,  "  The  Father  himself 
loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  me." 
All  this  may  be  affirmed  without  making 
inherent  qualities  any  part  of  our  justify- 
ing righteousness,  or  in  tlic  least  injuring 
the  doctrine  of  God's  sovereign,  eternal, 
and  immutable  love  to  his  elect. f 

Mr.  B.'s  expositions  of  divers  passages 
of  Scripture  are  founded  uiion  the  suppo- 
sition that  nothing  more  than  an  external 
acknowledgment  of  the  Messiah  was  re- 
quired of  tiie  Jews.  Thus  he  interprets 
Luke  xix.  27,  "  Those  mine  enemies,  who 
would  not  that  I  should  reign  over  them, 
bring  hither,  and  slay  them  before  me," 
(p.  6.5;)  and  John  v.  1.3,  "I  am  come  in 
my  Father's  name,  and  ye  receive  me 
not."— p.  8.5.  In  reply  to  these  inter- 
pretations, I  might  refer  the  reader  to 
what  was  said  before  on  the  second  Psalm; 
namely,  that  if  Christ  had  been  a  mere 
civil  governor,  or  such  a  Messiah  as  the 
Jews  expected,  then  an  external  submis- 
sion might  have  been  sufficient;  but  not 
otherwise. 

I  seriously  wish  Mr.  B.  to  consider  the 
import  of  his  own  words  in  page  8.5.  "  Su- 
preme love  to  God,  "  he  says,  "  would 
have  led  the  Jews  to  have  embraced  Christ 
as  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Messiah  ;  but 
not  to  embrace  him  in  a  way  of  special 
faith."  What  is  special  faith,  unless  it  is 
to  embrace  Christ  in  his  true  character, 

AS      REVEALED      IN       THE      ScRIPTUREsl 

Surely  it  is  not  a  receiving  of  him  under 
some  representation  in  which  he  is  not 
THERE  exhibited.  To  receive  him  as  the 
Messiah  is  to  fall  in  with  the  ends  and  de- 

*  The  reader  u- ill  reincniber  I  an  reasoning  with 
those  who  allow  of  tlie  love  of  God  to  elect  sinners 
ein,'  .soviMei;,'n  and  unforfeitable. 

t'See  .Mr.  R.  Hall's  Help  to  Zion's  Travellers, 
pp.  25—41. 


458 


REPLy    TO    ]MR.     BUTTON. 


signs  of  his  mission;  and  these  were  the    men  in  general,  I  thought  it  best,  at  enter- 
glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  sinners    ing  upon  that  subject,  to  express  my  own 
in  a  wa}"  that  should  abase  their  pride  and    ideas  of  the  term  spiritual.     It  appeared 
destroy  their  idols.     Nothing  short  of  this    to  me  that,   when  applied   to  the   disposi- 
can,  witli  any  j)ropriety,  be  called  a  re-    tions  of  the  mind,  it  always  signified  tru- 
ceiving   him   as    the  Messiah.     I  believe    ly  holy,  in  opposition  to  carnai.     At  the 
the  Scripture  knows  nothing,  and  makes    same  time,  I  supposed  my  views  on  this 
nothinw,  of  any  thing  else.     "  He  came  to    subject  might  not  be  universally  granted.    I 
his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not ;    never  meant,  therefore,  to  lay  them  down  as 
but,  as  many  as  received  him,    to   them    the  data  of  the   argisment ;  but  proposed 
gave  he   power   to   become    the   sons    of   rather  to  proceed  upon  undisputed  princi- 
God."     No  intimation  is  here  given  that    pies.     On  that  account  I  passed  over  this 
there  is  a  third  class  of  people  who  nei-    part  of  the  sul)ject  without  dwelling  upon 
ther   receive   Christ  spiritually  nor  reject    it;  which  Mr.  H.  calls  "  giving  it  up." — p- 
him.     According  to  tlie  New  Testament,    70.     The  criterion,   as  he  acknowledges, 
they  who  received  him  were  true  Chris-    by  which  it  was  proposed  to  judge  ofspir- 
tians  ;  and  they  who  heard  the  gospel,  and    itual    dispositions,  was     their   having   the 
were  not  true  believers,  received  him  not.    promise  of  spiritual  blessings.     This  was 
Mr.  B.'s  remarks  upon  2  Thess.  ii.   10    the  ground  on  which  I  all  along  proceeded; 
— 12,  conclude  his  Ninth  Letter. — p.  65.    trying  the  matter  wholly  by  Scripture  ev- 
Notwiths landing  what  he  has  there  said,  I    idence,  endeavoring   to   prove  that   those 
continue  to  think  that  sinners  are  culpable    things  arc  required   of  men  in  general  to 
{or  not  receiving  the  love  of  the  truth.     Mr.    which  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings  are 
B.  supposes  that  their  not  receiving  the    abundantly  promised.      But  Mr.    B.   has 
love  of  the  truth  is  only  mentioned  as  an    passed  all  this  over,  and  has  only  carried 
evidence   of    their   being    the   non-elect ;    on  what   I  should   think  an   unnecessary 
though  he,    at   the   same    time,    explains    dispute  about  what  he  calls  "  natural  and 
God's  sending  them  strong  delusions,  as  a    spiritual  holiness."     Surely  he  could  have 
giving  them  u^io  judicial  blindness.     But    but  very  little  concern  with  that  on  which 
it  ought  to  be  remembered  that  God   does    I  grounded  no  argument ;  his  business  was 
not  give  men  up  to  judicial  blindness  he-    to  attend  to  that  upon  which  the   whole 
cause  they    are   not  elected,   nor   merely    was  rested.     But,  instead  of  fairly  discuss- 
from  the  "  sovereignty  of  his  will ;  "  but    ing  the  subject  upon  that  gi'ound,  he  has 
as  a  punishment  of  former  sins.     I  would    taken  up  the  whole  of  his  letter  in  finding 
therefore  ask.  What  is  the  sin  for  which    fault  with  my  definition  of  spiritual  dispo- 
the  persons  in  the  text  are  thus  punished  1    sitions  ;  though  no  other  end  is  answered 
The  apostle  himself  answers,  "  Because    by  it,  that  I   can  perceive,  than   to  show 
they  received  not  the  love  of  the  truth."       that  he  is  of  one  opinion  and  I  of  another. 
Farther  :  I  cannot  grant  that  a  not  re-        In  one  part  of  his  letter,  Mr.  B.  gave  us 
ceiving  the  love  of  the  truth  is  an  evidence    some  reason  to  hope  that  he  would  have 
of  non-election ;  since  it   is    true   oi    the    left  this  mannerof  writing,  and  have  come 
elect  while  unbelievers  as  well  as   of  the    to  the  argument :   "  I  shall  add  no  more," 
non-elect.  says   he,   "on  this    head;  especially,    as 

In  the  punishing  of  sinners  in  this  life,  Mr.  F.  soon  gives  it  up  by  saying,  '  If  this 
God  frequently  adapts  the  nature  of  the  (that  is,  the  defining  of  spiritual  disposi- 
punishment  to  that  of  the  crime.     Oi  this    tions  to  be  such  as  are  truly  holy,)-'  how- 


the  text  in  question  is  an  awful  illustra- 
tion. Because  men  believe  not  the  truth, 
God  sends  them  a  strong  delusion,  that 
they  may  believe  a  lie  ;  and,  because  they 


ever  plain  it  may  appear  to  me,  should  not 
be  universally  allowed,  I  may  go  upon  a 
more  undisputed  ground.'  "  Mr.  B.  asks, 
"  And  what  ground  is   this'?" — He  then 


have  pleasure  in  unrighteousness,  he  suf-    answers  himself,  *'  Why,  says  Mr.  F.,  'the 


fers  them  to  be  deceived  with  all  deceiv- 
ableness  of  unrighteousness 


SECTION  VII. 


criterion  by  which  I  shall  all  along  judge 
of  what  are  spiritual  dispositions  will  be 
their  having  the  promise  of  spiritual  bless- 
ings.' Whether  these  dispositions  be  in- 
cumbent on  carnal  men, ^  let  us  now  in- 
quire."—p.  70.  Thus  far  Mr.  B.  in  his 
quotation  from   mine.       Would   not   the 


REPLY  TO    MR.    B.S     TENTH    LETTER, 
SPIRITUAL  DISPOSITIONS. 


*  I  suppose  it  must  be  entirely  by  niLstake  that 
Mr.  B.  lias  representetl  me  (in  p.  70)  as  maintain- 
ing the  distinction  of  "  natural  and  spiritual  holi- 
ness; "  and  as  informing  my  readers  that  this  dis- 
tinction "  appears  plain  to  me."  I  have  ventured. 
Being  about,  in  my  former  essay,  to  therefore,  to  alter  what  he  had  inclosed  in  a  paren- 
prove  spiritual  dispositions   incumbent  on    thesis  to  what  I  suppased  lie  intended  to  write. 


REPLY    TO    MR.   BUTTON.  459 

reader  now  expect  that  he  was  about  to  common  for  us  to  call  a  carnal  unconvcrt- 
entcrupoii  a  lair  discussion  of  tlic  subject,  ed  state  a  state  of  nature  ;  and  tlic  Scrip- 
upoii  the  ibre-inoiitioned  criterion,  to  ture  speaks  ol  our  l)ciat]f  by  nature  the 
whicli  he  could  have  no  reasonal)]e  ob-  children  of  wrath.  A  state  of  nature, 
jection  ?  And  yet,  strange  as  it  is,  he  in  this  use  of  the  term,  is  evidently  put 
never  touches  the  subject  upon  that  not  for  the  state  of  man  as  crea/*'*/,  but  as 
grounf]  ;  but,  though  he  had  said  he  fallen.  And,  respecting  the  text  in  ques- 
"  should  inid  no  more  "  upon  liie  other,  tion,  it  does  not  appear  probal)b-  that  tlie 
yet  immediately  returns,  saying  nothing  Holy  Spirit  would  have  here  used  a  term 
but  the  same  things  o\er  and  over  again.  to  have  expressed  tlie  nature  of  man  in 
Wlien  we  come  to  Mr.  B.'s  remarks  on  its  purest  stale  wliich  he  every  where  else, 
the  capacity  of  man  in  innocence  lor  spir-  when  ajjplying  it  to  the  dispositions  of  the 
itual  oi)edience,  we  shall  take  notice  of  mind,  uses  to  express  a  state  of  abomina- 
wiiat  is  here  offered   in  support   of  a  dis-    ble  iniquity.* 

tinction  of  holiness  into  natural  and  spirit-  Dr.  Gill  says  of  the  law  that  "it  re- 
^al.  At  present,  I  may  reply  to  some  quireth  spiritual  service  and  obedience." 
other  tilings  included  in  this  letter.  This  I  quoted  before,  sup})osiugit  expres- 

Spiritual  dispositions  were  said  to  be  sive  of  my  own  sentiments  ;  but  Mr.  B. 
such  as  were  truly  holy.  Mr.  B.  finds  assures  me  I  am  mistaken,  and  that  Dr. 
great  fault  with  this,  as  it  might  be  sup-  Gill  meant  no  such  thing.  By  "  spiritual 
posed  he  would.  service    and   obedience,  "    it   is    said,    he 

And  yet  I  sec  not  wherein  it  differs  meant  "a  serving  it  with  our  minds;  a 
from  tiie  apostle's  account  of  the  >ic!fj  j/ian,  worshipping  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth;  a 
that  it  is  created  after  God  in  righteous-  loving  it  with  all  our  hearts  and  souls,  as 
ness  and  true  holiness,  (Kph.  iv.  24,)  well  as  a  performance  of  all  tlie  outward 
to  which  the  same  objections  might  be  acts  of  religion  and  duty." — p.  71.  What 
tiiade  as  to  the  above.  That  God  is  im-  was  Dr.  Gill's  meaning  I  cannot  tell,  nor 
mutable  in  his  nature  Mr.  B.  will  allow  ;  is  it  worth  while  to  dispute  al)out  it,  as 
and  that  his  image  must  be  the  same  is  the  opinion  of  the  greatest  uninsi)ired  wri- 
«qually  evident.  That  which  is  created  ter  is  not  decisive  ;  otherwise  I  should 
nfter  him  must  ever  be  the  same  in  one  think  he  had  no  such  distinctions  in  his 
period  as  in  another.  If  the  image  of  God  mind  as  Mr.  B.  imputes  to  him.  But,  be 
is  not  now  what  it  was  formerly,  it  must  his  meaning  what  it  might,  there  certainly 
be  owing  to  an  alteration  in  the  nature  of  is  no  difference  between  worshipping  God 
his  moral  perfections.  There  cannot  be  in  spirit  and  in  truth  and  the  exercise  of 
two  essentially  different  images  of  tlie  "spiritual  principles  and  dispositions, 
same  divine  original.  such  as   flow  from  Christ  Jesus."     Sup- 

Farther  :  It  was  said,  "  Whenever  ap-  pose  we  follow  Mr.  B.  in  his  distinction 
plied  to  the  dispositions  of  the  mind,  spir-  of  holiness  into  natural  and  spiritual,  and 
j7uflZ  stands  opposed  to  carnal;  and  that  of  spirituality  into  legal  and  evangelical; 
in  the  criminal  sense  of  the  word.  "  Mr.  a  worshipping  of  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth 
B.  remarks,  this  is  a  mistake  ;  "  for,  "  must  belong  to  the  latter  and  not  to  the 
says  he,  "spiritual,  in  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  is  former.  It  must  be  not  only  spiritual  Imt 
opposed  to  natural.  "The  natural  iwAn  "evangelically  spiritual;"  for  Ciirist  is 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  speaking  of  true  worshippers  nnder  the 
God,"  &c. — p.  67.  But  I  apprehend  that  gos/)e/-dispensation  ;  and  they  are  said  to 
the  word  "natural  "  [iiv/ixo:)  in  the  text  be  such  as  the  Father  seeketh  to  ivorship 
is  of  the  same  import  with  carnal.  To  him.  See  John  iv.  23,  24.  The  above  dis- 
say  that  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  tinctions  appear  to  me  to  be  more  curious 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  is  equal  to  say-  than  just ;  but,  be  they  ever  so  just,  they 
ing  that  the  carnal  man  receiveth  them  will  not  furnish  us  with  an  answer  to  the 
not  ;  or  he  who,  whatever  Vie  his  acquisi-  argument  ujion  the  fore-cited  passage, 
tions  in  science,  is  under  the  influence  of  If  I  understand  what  Mr.  B.  means  by  a 
that  corrupt  nature  which  we  all  derive  spirituality  which  is  different  in  nature 
from  Adam.  Havintr  nothing  in  him  from  that  which  is  evangelical,  it  is  what 
which  is  truly  good,  nothing  correspond-  is  so  called,  not  on  account  of  its  nature, 
ent  with  divine  truths,  all  his  vain  labor  but  of  the  subject  over  which  it  extends  ; 
and  toil  about  those  truths  is  to  as  little  viz.  tlie  spirit  or  mind  of  man.  But  he 
purpose  as  that  of  the  men  of  Sodom  about  should  have  considered  that,  when  the  law 
Lot's  door.  This,  I  take  it,  is  the  pur-  is  called  spiritual  f  (which  it  is  only  in  one 
port  of  Mr.  B.'s  quotation  from  Calvin. — 

p.  .58.  *See  James  ill.  1.5, "  E;utlilv,  sknscal,  devil- 

Depravity,  though  it  is,  strictly  speak-  ish  ;"  and  Jude  19,  "  Sensua'l,  having  not  U»e 
inor    no    part  of  our  na/wre,  yet  is  become   spirit. 

^/       ,    '     .,  .  11  i  ■„  i  ITyenicerr/.og  liora.  mi.  -14. 

•natural,  as  it  were,  to  us  ;  and  lience  it  is  '         ■ 


460 


REPLY    TO    MR.   BUTTON. 


passage)  it  is  not  in  opposition  to  corporeal 
but  to  carnal;  just  as  tlie  principle  of  ho- 
liness in  tlie  hearts  of  believers,  or  the 
spirit:,  is  opposed  to  the  flesh.  This  was 
noticed  before,  to  which  Mr.  B.  has  made 
no  reply. 

"Accordinf--  to  Mr.  F.,"  it  is  said, 
"  there  is  no  alteration  made  in  religion 
by  the  interposition  of  Christ  to  be  incar- 
nate, and  his  mediation  ;  no  change  in  the 
abolishing  of  the  old  covenant  and  the 
establishment  of  the  new  ;  no  alteration 
in  the  nature  of  our  obedience." — p.  73. 
I  hope  the  inclosing  of  this  passage  in  re- 
versed commas  and  ascribing  it  to  me  was 
without  design.  The  passage  was  taken 
by  Mr.  B.  from  Dr.  Owen  on  the  Spirit, 
p.  461.  He  has  given  us  it  at  large  in  p. 
68  of  his  remarks.  Dr.  Owen  delivered 
it  as  containing  the  sentiments  of  those 
against  whom  he  was  writing,  who  held 
the  gospel  to  be  only  a  sort  of  new  edition 
of  the  law  of  nature.  I  must  do  myself 
the  justice,  however,  to  deny  their  being 
my  sentiments  any  more  than  my  words. 
I  have  acknowledged  the  contrary  in  p.  119. 
Nor  are  they  so  much  as  consequences 
deducible  from  any  thing  I  have  advanced. 
Mr.  B.  might,  with  equal  propriety,  go 
about  to  prove  a  difference  between  the 
principles  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
saints  ;  since  the  religion  under  the  law 
is  different  from  that  under  the  gospel, 
though  they  agree  (as  Dr.  Owen,  in  the 
same  passage,  observes)  in  their  "  author, 
object,  and  end."  "No:"  Mr.  B.  will 
reply,  "these  are  doubtless  the  same." 
Then  we  might  retort,  in  his  own  mode  of 
reasoning.  If  so,  "  there  is  no  change  made 
by  abolishing  the  Mosaic  dispensation ; 
no  difference  between  that  and  the  gospel 
dispensation,  and  no  alteration  thereby 
made  in  religion." 

But  Mr.  B.'s  arguments  and  objections 
upon  this  subject  will  be  considered  more 
particularly  in  the  two  following  sections. 


SECTION  VIII. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  ELEVENTH  LETTER, 
ON  THE  STATE  OF  MAN  IN  INNO- 
CENCE; WHETHER  HE  WAS  INCAPA- 
BLE OF  DOING  THINGS  SPIRITUALLY 
GOOD. 

Upon  this  single  point,  of  Adam's  in- 
capacity to  do  things  spiritually  good,  Mr. 
B.  rests  almost  all  his  arguments.  He 
seems  very  desirous  of  taking  this  matter 
for  granted,  and  actually  does  take  it  for 
granted  in  various  places  ;    arguing  and 


exclaiming  upon  the  supposition  of  this? 
sentiment  being  true,  though  he  knows 
that  will  not  be  granted  him.  Hence  his 
answer  to  my  reply  to  the  objection  on 
the  necessity  of  a  divine  principle  in  order 
to  believing.— p.  94.  If  I  held  Mr.  B.'s 
s*cntimcnt  in  tliis  matter,  then  I  should 
not  be  able  upon  that  ground  to  establish 
my  own  !  This  is  the  amount  of  what  he 
has  there  advanced.  Hence,  also,  his 
exclamation  of  my  imputing  cruelty  to 
the  Holy  One,  (pp.  56,  88,  96;)  that  is, 
that  it  would  be  "  cruel  and  shocking  for 
God  to  require  that  which  is  beyond  the 
powers  of  man  in  his  present  or  primitive 
state."  I  grant  it;  but  that  is  what  I 
never  affirmed.  If  our  principles  are 
charged  with  absurdity,  they  should  be 
proved  to  be  inconsistent  with  themselves, 
or  with  some  allowed  principle,  and  not 
barely  with  those  of  our  opponents. 

I  can  see  no  force  in  the  quotation  from 
Mr.  Brine  (p.  57,)  wherein  a  cannot  and  a 
will  not,  in  respect  of  coming  to  Christ, 
are  said  to  be  distinct  things,  unless  this 
sentiment  is  first  taken  for  granted. 
"  We  cannot  come  to  Christ,"  he  says, 
"  as  we  are  destitute  of  a  principle  of  life ; 
and  we  will  not,  as  we  ace  the  subjects  of 
vicious  habits."  Now,  I  would  ask,  what 
is  the  want  of  a  principle  of  life,  but  the 
want  of  a  holy  bias  of  mind  to  glorify 
Godl  And  this  is  no  otherwise  a  differ- 
ent thing  from  aversion  of  heart  from  him 
than  as  a  negative  evil  differs  from  one 
that  is  positive.  The  want  of  a  principle 
of  honesty  in  an  intelligent  being  is  no 
excusable  thing,  any  more  than  positive 
villany.  I  know  of  no  answer  that  can  be 
made  to  this  way  of  reasoning,  but  by 
maintaining  that  a  principle  of  life  is 
something  different  from  a  principle  of 
uprightness  towards  God  ;  something  dif- 
erent,  in  its  nature,  from  what  man,  in  his 
most  upright  condition,  could  possess. 
If  this  were  asserted,  I  should  no  other- 
wise reply  than  by  asking  for  proof.  In 
the  above  argument,  this  sentiment  is  as- 
sumed as  if  it  were  a  truth  allowed  on 
both  sides;  whereas  that  is  not  the  case. 
Supposing  the  notion  of  Adam's  incapaci- 
ty to  do  things  spiritually  good  were  a 
truth ;  to  take  it  for  granted  in  such  a 
manner  as  this  is  contrary  to  all  fair  rea- 
soning. It  is  no  other  than  begging  the 
question.  But  I  am  not  yet  convinced 
that  the  thing  itself  is  true ;  and,  if  the 
foundation  is  bad,  the  superstructure 
must  fall. 

Two  questions  here  require  a  discus- 
sion; viz.  What  evidence  has  Mr.  B. 
produced  in  support  of  this  his  favorite 
hypothesis'?  and  what  has  he  done  to- 
wards overturning  the  arguments  for  the 
contrary  1 


REPLV    TO    MR.   BUTTON. 


461 


I.  What  evidence  has  Mr.  B.  pno- 

nUCEP  IN  SUPPORT  OF  THIS  HIS  FAVOR- 
ITE HYPOTHESIS  ]  Tlie  subject  we  arc 
now  (lisrussiiitj  is  of  n  fundamental  nature, 
in  respect  ol  llie  main  tiuestioii  lietweeii 
us.  It  is  the  corner  stone  upon  wliich  tiie 
whole  lahric  of  Mr.  B.'s  scheme  is  iouiul- 
ed  :  we  have  reason  to  expect,  iherelbre, 
tlrat  tliis  should  be  well  laid  in  solid  scrip- 
tural evidence.  However  some  truths 
may  be  more  fully  revealed  than  others, 
I  should  think  I  ouu^ht  to  suspect  that 
system  whose  first  and  lundamcntal  prin- 
ciples arc  not  well  supported. 

Let  us  examine  what  Mr.  B.  has  offer- 
ed. He  apj)rehends  the  piirases  neiv  man 
— new  heart — new  spirit — neto  creature, 
&c.,  imply  this  sentiment,  and  are  incon- 
sistent with  that  which  he  opposes. — p. 
S3.  To  this  it  is  replied,  The  whole 
force  of  this  ar;:ument  rests  upon  tiie  sup- 
position that  the  term  new,  in  these  pas- 
sages, stands  opposed  jto  a  state  of  prim- 
itive i)urity :  whereas  every  one  knows 
that  the  neio  heart  stands  opposed  to  the 
stony  heart ;  and  the  neio  man  to  the  old 
man,  which  is  '■'corrupt  according  to  the 
deceitful  lusts.''  * 

Farther :  Mr.  B.  thinks  this  sentiment 
supported  by  a  passage  in  Rom.  vii.  6, 
"IBut  now  we  are  delivered  from  the  law, 
that  being  dead  wlierein  we  were  held; 
that  we  sliould  serve  in  neicness  of  spirit, 
and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter." — p. 
73.  But  his  sense  of  the  passage,  if  it 
l)roye  any  thing  for  him,  will  prove  too 
much.  He  maintains  that  spiritual  dis- 
positions are  a  conformity  to  the  laic, 
though  not  to  the  law  only,  (p.  68;)  but 
the  apostle  says,  they  were  delivered  from 
the  law  of  which  he  speaks.  Yet  Mr.  B. 
will  not  say  that  we  are,  by  grace,  deliv- 
ered troin  all  obligation  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  moral  law.  To  suit  his 
sentiments,  therefore,  it  should  ratlier 
have  l)een  said,  we  serve  partly  in  new- 
ness of  the  spirit,  B.nd  partly  in  the  oldness 
of  the  letter. 

Whether  "the  oldness  of  the  letter," 
be  here  to  be  understood  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  unconverted  Jews  used  former- 
ly to  worship  God,  tenaciously  adhering 
to  the  letter  of  their  ceremonial  law,  in- 
stead of  entering  into  its  spirit,  or  design, 
and  of  worshipping  God  in  spirit  and  in 
truth;  or  whether  it  mean  the  moral  law, 
in  its  particular  form  of  a  covenant  of 
>vorks,  (which  seems  to  agree  with  the 
scope  of  the  place,)  it  certainly  does  not 
mean  that  for  which  Mr.  B.  produces  it. 
The  "  oldness  of  the  letter,"  in  which 
they  once  served,  is  not  here  put  for  that 

*Ezek.  xxxvi.  26.  Ephes.  iv.  22—24.  2  Cor. 
V.  17. 


way  of  serving  God  which  was  exercised 
in  a  state  of  innocence,  but  in  a  state  of 
unrei^eneracy.  It  was  tchen  they  icere  in 
the  flesh  (v.  5,)  that  this  sort  of  service 
was  carried  on,  to  which  the  other  is  op- 
posed. It  must  be  such  a  sort  of  service, 
tiierefore,  as  could  have  in  it  no  real  con- 
formity to  the  law;  seeing  they  that  are 
in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God  :  the  car- 
nal mind  is  enmity  against  God,  is  not 
suhject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  lie. 

It  is  very  common  for  Mr.  B.  to  apply 
that  which  is  spoken  of  man  as  now  horn 
into  the  world  to  man  in  a  state  ol  inno- 
cence. Thus  he  has  a))plied  a  j)assage  in 
Dr.  Owen,  p.  81.  The  Pelagian  figment, 
that  "  what  we  have  by  nature  we  have 
by  grace,  because  God  is  the  author  of 
nature,"  means  what  we  have  "by  nat- 
ural propagation ;"  as  the  Doctor  himself 
explains  it,  as  we  are  now  born  into  the 
world. —  On  the  Spirit,  p.  4.52. 

I  do  not  recollect  any  other  passages  of 
Scripture  on  which  Mr.  B.  has  pretended 
to  ground  his  fundamental  principle  ;  fun- 
damental I  call  it,  because,  as  was  said 
before,  it  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  his 
other  principles  wherein  we  differ.  I 
wish  Mr.  B,  and  the  reader  seriously  to 
consider  Avhether  the  above  passages  con- 
vey such  a  sentiment;  whether  they  can 
fairly  be  applied  to  the  support  of  it;  and, 
if  not,  whether  that  which  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  his  hypothesis  has  any 
foundation  in  the  word  of  God. 

But  Mr.  B.,  though  he  has  not,  that  I 
recollect,  produced  any  other  scriptural 
evidence  for  the  sentiment  in  question 
than  what  has  been  noticed,  yet  has  at- 
tempted to  argue  the  matter  out  by  rea- 
son. I  had  said,."  It  ai)pears  to  me  that 
the  Scripture  knows  nothing  of  natural 
holiness,  as  distinguished  from  spiritual 
holiness  ;  that  it  knows  but  of  one  kind 
of  real  holiness,  and  that  is  a  conformity 
to  the  holy  law  of  God."  In  answer  to 
this,  Mr.  B.  does  not  pretend  to  inform 
us  where  the  Scripture  does  make  this 
distinction,  or  from  what  parts  of  it  such 
a  distinction  may  be  inferred ;  but  only 
asserts  that  "  there  is  a  difference,"  and 
goes  about  to  inform  us  wherein  that  dif- 
ference consists. — pp.  67,  68.  Let  us 
now  attend  to  what  is  there  advanced. 
The  sum  of  the  supposed  difference  is 
made  to  consist  in  three  things. 

1.  "The  one  was  possessed  by  Adam 
in  innocence,  and  would  have  been  con- 
veyed, by  natural  generation,  to  his  pos- 
terity ;  the  other  we  derive  from  Christ, 
by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Answer  :  This  does  not  jirove  them  to  be 
of  a  different  nature,  but  merely  to  spring 
from  tliiferent  causes,  and  to  flow  through 


462 


REPLV    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


different  channels.  Man,  in  innocence, 
enjoyed  the  approbation  of  his  Maker; 
so  do  believers,  as  justilied  in  Christ's 
righteousness,  and  sanctitied  by  his  Spirit. 
Divine  approhatum,  in  itself  consider- 
ed, is  the  same  thing  in  the  one  case  as 
in  the  other;  but  the  means  by  which  it 
is  enjoyed  are  very  different. 

2.  "  Natural  holiness  consists  in  con- 
formity to  the  holy  law  of  God  :  spiritual 
holiness  to  the  law  and  gospel  too."  An- 
swer :  that  all  holiness  is  a  conformity  to 
some  law,  or  rule  of  action,  given  by  God 
to  his  creatures,  is  certain ;  and,  if  spirit- 
ual holiness  is  a  conforndty  to  the  gospel 
in  something  wherein  it  is  not  a  conform- 
ity to  the  moral  law,  then  the  gospel  must, 
after  all,  be  a  new  law,  or  a  new  rule  of 
action.  But  what  necessity  for  this  1  "  If 
the  pure  and  holy  law  of  God  requires 
every  man  cordially  to  receive  and  heart- 
ily to  approve  of  the  gospel,  "  (as  Mr.  B. 
in  p.  49.  says  it  does,)  then  what  room  is 
there  for  the  above  distinction  1  A  cor- 
dial reception  and  hearty  approbation  of 
the  gospel  are  the  very  essence  of  con- 
formity to  it. 

3.  "Natural  holiness  was  liable  to  be 
lost;  but  spiritual  holiness  never  was  li- 
able to,  never  was,  never  can  be,  lost." 
Answer:  This  proves  nothing  to  the  point, 
unless  the  reason  why  spiritual  holiness 
cannot  be  lost  is  owing  to  its  nature,  or 
■kind,  and  not  to  the  promise  and  perpetual 
preservation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  A  prin- 
ciple the  same  in  nature  niay  be  produced 
in  one  subject,  and  lelt  to  the  conduct  of 
that  subject  to  preserve  it  in  being  ;  while, 
in  another  subject  in  different  circumstan- 
ces, its  existence  may  be  infallibly  secur- 
»ed  by  the  promise  and  power  of  God.  It 
is  generally  supposed  that  the  elect  angels 
were  confirmed  in  their  state  of  original 
purity.  Supposing  this  to  have  been  the 
case,  that  confirmation,  though  it  rendered 
their  holiness  like  that  in  believers,  ina- 
missible,  yet  it  did  not,  in  the  least,  alter 
\\s  nature.  It  had  not  been  a  confirma- 
tion, if  it  had.  Nor  is  there  any  reason, 
that  I  know  of,  to  conclude  that  the  holi- 
ness in  the  elect  angels  was  of  a  different 
nature  from  that  which  originally  existed 
in  those  who  fell.  I  have  no  notion  of  any 
principle  in  my  soul  that  is,  in  its  own 
nature,  necessarily  immortal.  My  ex- 
perience teaches  me  that  I  should  as  soon 
cease  to  love  Christ,  and  the  gospel,  and 
every  thing  of  a  spiritual  nature,  as  Adam 
ceased  to  love  God,  were  it  not  for  the 
perpetual  influence  of  his  Holy  Spirit. 

That  none  of  the  above  differences  make 
any  thing  in  proving  the  point  is  ecpially 
•evident  from  Mr.  B.'s  own  principles,  as 
from  what  has  been  now  alleged.  He 
supposes  spiritual  holiness,  or  the  holiness 


which  is  in  believers,  to  be  a  conformity 
to  the  law,  though  not  to  the  law  only. 
Very  well ;  so  far,  then,  as  spiritual  holi- 
ness is  a  conformity  to  the  law,  it  is  and 
must  he  the  same  in  nature  as  what  he 
calls  natural  holiness  ;  and  yet  they  differ 
in  all  the  circumstances  above  mentioned. 
That  conformity  to  the  law  of  which  be- 
lievers are  now  the  subjects,  and  which 
must  have  been  incumbent  upon  them 
while  unbelievers,  is  "derived  from  Christ 
as  their  head,  and  comes  by  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  not  by  natural  gene- 
ration ;  neither  "  can  it  ever  be  lost,"  so 
as  to  become  totally  extinct.  These  are 
things,  therefore,  which  do  not  affect  the 
nature  of  holiness  ;  and  so  are  insufficient 
to  support  a  distinction  of  it  into  two  kinds, 
the  one  essentially  different  from  the 
other. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  think  Mr.  B.,  in  treat- 
ing upon  this  subject,  has  proceeded  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  when  discuss- 
ing the  definition  of  faith.  In  order  to 
prove  thai  holiness  in  the  hearts  of  believ- 
ers is  something  essentially  different,  or 
different  in  its  nature,  from  what  was 
possessed  by  man  in  innocence,  he  proves, 
or  rather  asserts,  from  Dr.  Owen,  that 
it  "is  an  effect  of  another  cause, 
and  differs  in  the  objects  of  its  vital 
acts ;  there  being  neio  revelations  now, 
which  were  not  before." — pp.  76,  77. 
All  this  is  allowed :  and  it  proves  what 
Dr.  Owen  meant  it  to  prove  ;  viz.  that  we 
are  not,  after  the  manner  of  the  Socinians, 
to  make  Christianity  a  mere  revival  of 
the  law  of  nature.  It  proves  that  there 
are  "  some  differences,"  as  he  expresses 
it,  l)etween  the  life  of  Adam  and  that  of  a 
believer :  but  it  does  not  prove  an  essen- 
tial difference  in  their  principles;  nor  did 
the  Doctor  mean  it,  I  should  suppose,  to 
jjrovc  any  such  thing. —  On  the  Spirit,  p- 
241. 


SECTION  IX. 

the  capacity  op  man  in  innocence 
to  believe,  and  to  do  things  spir- 
itually good,  farther  consid- 
ERED. 

We  noAV   proceed  to  the  second  ques- 
tion;  viz.  What  has  Mr.  B.  done  to 

OVERTURN  THE  ARGUMENTS  ON  THIS 
SUBJECT    WHICH     HE    HAS     UNDERTAKEN 

TO  ANSWER  1  Some  things  he  has  pass- 
ed over  :  he  has  said  nothing,  for  instance, 
to  what  was  advanced  on  the  case  of  Cain 
and  Abel;  or  on  the  difference  between 


REI'LV    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


463 


an  essential  inula  circutnstantial  incapiici- 
ty  in  our  lirsl  [uirents  to  hclieve  in  Christ. 
I  had  atteiiiptecl  to   prove   thai  tlie  spirit 
and  conduct  of  Adam  in   innocence   were 
uotliiniT  more  nor  less  than  a  perfect  conlbr- 
niity  to  the  holy  law  of  God  ;  that  the  same 
might  l)e  said  ol  Jesus  Cluist,  so  fur  us  fie 
loas  our  example;  and,  consecpienlly,  the 
same    of   Ciiristians,   so  fur    as    they   arc 
funned  after   tliat    example.     In    proof  of 
the  lust  ttro  positions,  several   passajres  of 
Scripture  were  produced.      On  tiiese  Mr. 
B.  lias  made  some  remarks. 

Psalm  \1.  8.     "  I  dcli.-;ht  to  do  thy  will, 

0  mv  God  ;  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my 
heart."  What  Mr.  B.  says  (p.  19)  of  the 
(/•///  of  the  Father  extending:  to  Christ's 
layinj:  down  his  life  as  a  sacrifice  lor  sin- 
ners, 1  think  is  true,  but  notiiing  to  the 
purpose.  I  was  speaking  of  Jesus  Christ, 
so  fur  as  lie  was  our  example;  l)ut  what 
have  his  suirerings,  "as  a  sacrifice  for  sin- 
ners," to  do  in  this  matter  1  Was  he  de- 
signed herein  to  be  our  example  1  Surely 
not.  If  the  moral  law  lie  allowed  to  l»e 
"  iicrein  included,"  that  is  sulTicient. 
And,  if  this  were  not  allowed,  since  Mr. 
B.  acknowledges  "that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  throughout  his  life  yielded  obedience 
to  the  moral  law,"  and  lias  pointed  out  no 
other  ol>cdience,  wherein  he  urns  our  exam- 
ple, than  this,*  the  point  is  given  up,  and 
all  the  questions  in  pages  78  and  SI  arc  to 
no  purpose. 

Jer.  xxxi.  33.  "  I  will  ])ut  my  law  in  their 
inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts," 
&c.  Mr.  B.  thinks  the  term  law  here  in- 
cludes the  law  of  faith,  or  the  gospel,  and 
also  wiiat  the  apostle  in  Rom.  vii.  23  calls 
"  the  law  of  the  mind,"  and  especially  as 
"  the  ajtostle,  when  he  quotes  the  passage 
in  Hel).  viii.  10,  uses  the  plural  word 
laws."— pp.  80,  81.  The  plural  word 
laws,  in  Scripture,  and  in  common  speech, 
signifies  no  more  than  the  different  parts 
or  branches  of  the  same  law,  and  is  ol  the 
same  import  with  the  word  comandnierits. 

1  think  witii  Mr.  B.  that  each  of  the  al)ovc 
ideas  is  included  ;  not,  however,  as  so 
many  distinct  laws  put  into  the  heart. 
For;  God  to  write  his  law  in  the  heart 
is  only  another  mode  of  speaking  for  giving 
us  a^hearl  to  love  that  law;  and,  if  the 
law  "requires  a  cordial  reception  and 
hearty  approbation  of  the  gospel,"  (as 
IVIr.  B.  in  page  19  owns  it  does,)  then, 
in  a  fallen  creature  to  whom  the  gos- 
pel is  preached,  a  heart  to  love  that  law 
must  include  a  heart  to  embrace  the  gos- 

*  It  is  true  Christ  was  oiir  example  in  hi.<<  con- 
fortning  to  positive  institutions;  but  this  is  inclu- 
(ieri  in  obedience  to  the  moral  hiw,  which  rccpiireH  a 
compliance  wilh  whatever  find  .~lnll  at  any  time 
think  proper  to  enjoin  ;  and  will  hardly  be  supposed  to 
require  a  distinct  principle  for  the  iierformance  of  it. 


pel  ;  and  a  heart  to  love  tiie  law  and  em- 
brace the  gospel  is  tiie  principle  of  holi- 
ness, called  the  law  of  the  mind,  f 

An  argument  was  drawn  from  the  term 
renewed,  as  applied  to  our  regeneration. 
On  this  Mr.  B.  remarks  as  follows  :  "  I 
think  at  the  resurrection  the  same  body 
that  dies  will  i)e  raised  ;  but  I  think  the 
state  in  which  it  will  rise  will  be  more  than 
circumstantially,  it  will  be  essentially  dif- 
ferent from  that  in  which  it  was  laid  in  the 
grave  ;  except  corruption  and  incorrui)- 
tion,  dishonor  and  glory,  weakness  and 
power,  natural  and  spiritual,  are  essential- 
ly the  same." — p.  83.  So  far  from  this 
making  for  Mr.  B.,  one  need  not  desire  a 
better  argument  against  him.  He  thinks, 
he  says,  that  the  same  body  that  dies  will 
be  raised  ;  I  think  so  too,  or  it  would  not 
have  been  called  a.  resurrection :  let  him 
only  acknowledge  that  the  some  principle 
that  was  lost  is  restored,  or  it  would  not 
have  been  represented  as  a  renovation ; 
and  we  arc  satisfied.  Let  him  but  allow 
this,  and  he  is  welcome  to  dwell  ujxtn  as 
many  differences,  as  to  causes  nni.\  objects, 
as  he  can  find.  If  this  be  l)ut  granted,  all 
that  he  can  say  besides  cannot  prove  an 
essential  dilTerence.  It  is  very  extraordi- 
nary for  Mr.  B.  to  suppose  that  it  can. 
That  which  is  essential  to  any  thing  is  that 
without  which  it  would  not  be  that  thing. 
If  corruption,  dishonor,  or  weakness,  be- 
longed to  tire  essence  of  the  body,  then  it 
could  not  be  the  same  body  without  them. 
These  cause  a  difference  as  to  the  circum- 
stances and  condition  of  the  body  ;  they  do 
not,  however,  so  alter  its  essence  but  that 
it  is  the  sa)nc  body  through  all  its  changes. 

t  After  Mr.  B.  has  acknowledged  that ''the  law 
of  God  re(|uires  a  cordial  reception  of  the  gospel," 
it  is  somewhat  surprising  that  he  should  rea.-'on  as 
follows  : — "  If  the  law  connnanded  faith,  in  relation 
to  Christ  crucified,  it  must  then  actjuaint  us  with 
Christ  crucified.  It  would  be  an  unreasonable  law 
to  enjoin  an  act  ;ibout  such  an  object,  and  never  dis- 
cover one  svll.ihle  <if  that  object  to  us." — p.  92.  It 
certainly  would  l>e  unreascjnable  to  leijuire  faith 
without  a  revelation  of  the  object ;  and,  where  ihat 
is  not  revealed,  we  do  not  sup|X)se  it  inciunl)ent. 
But,  if  the  gospel  reveal  the  object  of  faith,  the 
moral  law  may  re<iuire  it  to  be  .embraced,  Mr.  B. 
himself  being  judge.  If  the  law  cannot  reasonably 
retiuire  faith  towards  an  object  which  itself  doth  not 
reveal;  then  what  will  become  of  his  7ia<t/ra/ and 
common  fiith  in  a  crucified  Christ,  which  he  allows 
is  rcc|uircd  by  the  Jaw  1  Does  the  law  reveal 
Christ  as  the  object  of  this  kind  of  faith  any  more 
than  the  other  T  Mr.  B.  cannot  say  it  does.  The 
above  quotation,  I  suppose,  is  taken  from  .Mr.  Char- 
nock.  I  have  not  the  firU  edition  of  his  works, 
and  so  cannot  follow  Mr.  B.,  in  his  references; 
but,  if  .Mr.  Charnock's  meaning  were  what  the  con- 
nection of  his  words,  as  introduce  I  l)y  Mr.  B.,  seema 
to  represent,  it  is  certainly  contraiy  to  the  whole 
tenor  of  his  writings  ;  and  I  Ijclieve  no  such  thought 
ever  entered  his  heart  as  to  question  whether  faith  io 
Chi'ist  were  the  duty  of  sinners. 


464 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


What  is  here  advanced  does  not  suppose 
that  "  corruption  and  incorruption,  natural 
and  spiritual,  are  essentially  the  same." 
Doubtless  they  are  different  and  opposite 
qualities;  but  the  question  is,  Do  these 
qualities  cause  an  essential  difference  in 
the  bodies  to  which  they  pertain  1  If  any 
one  were  disposed  to  prove  an  essential 
difference  between  the  principles  of  saints 
on  earth  and  saints  in  heaven,  he  might 
easily  accomplish  his  purpose,  according 
to  Mr.  B.'s  mode  of  reasoning.  He  might 
say.  They  are  more  than  circumstantially , 
they  are  essentially  different  :  the  one  are 
weak,  the  other  strong  ;  these  are  exercis- 
ed in  believing,  those  in  seeing  ;  these  are 
attended  with  opposing  carnality,  those  are 
freed  from  all  opposition.  Now  here  is  an 
essential  difference ;  unless  weakness  and 
strength,  faith  and  sight,  remaining  impu- 
rity and  perfect  holiness,  are  essentially 
the  same ! 

If  Mr.  B.  should  reply  that  he  did  not 
plead  for  an  essential  difference  between 
the  body  when  it  dies  and  when  it  is  rais- 
ed, but  between  the  state  of  the  body  at 
those  different  periods ;  I  answer,  then 
what  he  has  said  is  mere  trifling,  nothing 
at  all  to  the  purpose.  His  design  was  to 
illustrate  an  essential  difference  between 
the  principles  of  man  in  innocence  and 
those  in  believers,  and  not  barely  in  the 
state  and  circumstances  of  those  princi- 
ples ;  otherwise  there  had  been  no  dispute 
between  us. 

The  only  question,  it  was  before  observ- 
ed, to  which  the  whole  ought  to  be  reduc- 
ed was  this,  WHETHER  SUPREME  LOVE 
TO  GOD  WOULD  NOT  NECESSARILY  LEAD 
A  FALLEN  CREATURE,  WHO  HAS  THE  GOS- 
PEL PREACHED  TO  HIM,  TO  EMBRACE  THE 
LORD  JESUS     CHRIST,    AND     HIS    WAY    OF 

SALVATION.  The  arguments  which  were 
thought  sufficient  to  establish  this  question 
in  the  affirmative  were  urged  in  pages  53 
— 56,  and  120—123,  of  the  former  treatise. 
To  this  Mr.  B.  has  made  no  other  reply 
than  the  following  :  "  Supreme  love  to 
God  will  lead  a  man  to  embrace  any  rev- 
elation God  makes  of  himself;  but  it  will 
not,  it  cannot,  lead  a  man  to  embrace  what 
God  does  not  reveal.  Supreme  love  to 
God  would  lead  no  fallen  creature  to  em- 
brace Christ  in  a  way  of  special  faith, 
without  Christ  being  revealed,  and  reveal- 
ed in  an  internal  manner  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  There  is  no  true  believing  without 
the  revelation,  without  evidence." — pp. 
85,  86.  Special  faith,  then,  it  seems,  con- 
sists ,in  believing  something  which  is  not 
revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  of  which 
there  is  there  no  evidence.  Well  :  if  this 
be  special  faith,  we  need  have  no  farther 
dispute  about  it ;  for  I  shall  agree  with  him 


that  it  is  what  no  man  is  in  the  least  obli- 
ged to. 

Mr.  B.  in  the  outset,  the  reader  will  re- 
member, allowed  that  a  believing  of  our 
interest  in  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  was 
not  essential  to  true  faith  (p.  10,)  and  yet 
what  is  here  advanced  cannot,  one  should 
think,  pi'oceed  upon  any  other  supposition. 
His  view  of  the  subject,  so  far  as  I  under- 
stand it,  supposes  that  common  faith,  such 
as  a  man  may  have  and  perish,  consists  in 
believing  no  more  than  what  is  already  re- 
vealed in  the  Bible  ;  and  that  special  faith 
consists  in  lielieving  our  personal  interest 
in  it.  But  this  being  nowhere  revealed  in 
the  Scriptures,  any  otherwise  than  by  giv- 
ing descriptive  characters,  an  immediate 
I'evelation  from  heaven  becomes  necessary 
to  acquaint  the  party  with  his  peculiar 
privilege  before  he  can  believe  himself 
entitled  to  it. 

That  there  is  an  internal  as  well  as  an 
external  revelation  is  readily^allowed;  but  I 
apprehend  this  revelation  to  consist  in  the 
eyes  of  the  understanding  being  enlight- 
ened ;  and  that  not  to  discover  any  new 
truth,  which  was  never  before  revealed,  but 
that  which  was  already  sufficiently  made 
known  in  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  which 
nothing  but  our  criminal  blindness  could 
conceal  from  our  minds.  See  Ephes.  i. 
17,  IS.  I  think,  with  Mr.  Brine,  that  "  to 
imagine  tliat  God  now  affords  such  light 
as  will  enal)le  us  to  make  discoveries  of 
truths  not  already  revealed  to  us  in  his 
word  is  real  enthusiasm,  and  has  nothing 
to    support  it  in  the  holy  Scriptures."* 

Perhaps  I  shall  be  told  that  Mr.  Brine 
made  an  internal  revelation  the  ground  ot 
an  obligation  to  believe  in  Christ.  I  sup- 
pose he  did,  when  engaged  in  this  contro- 
versy ;  but  when  engaged  with  a  Deist,  in 
the  piece  referred  to,  he  probably  forgot 
what  in  other  instances  had  escaped  from 
his  pen,  and  nobly  defended  the  Christian 
religion  from  irrationality  or  enthusiasm.^ 

*  Christian  Religion  not  destitute  of  Arguments,  p.  44. 
t  It  is  somewhat  singular  that  Mr.  B.  should  charge 
me  with  making  it  the  duty  of  any  man  to  believe 
witliout  evidence.  This  nearly  amounts  to  wliatotli- 
ers  have  asserted,  that  I  make  it  incumbent  on  them 
to  believe  a  lie.  The  definition  of  faith  wliichi  liave 
heretofore  given  is  the  belief  of  the  truth.  If 
truth  and  falsehood,  then,  are  the  same  thing,  the 
charge  may  be  well  founded,  but  not  otherwise.  If  a 
persuasion  of  a  jiersonal  interest  in  the  blessings  of  the 
{gospel  were  what  denominated  us  believers,  there  might 
be  something  plausible  in  Mr.  B's  mode  of  reason- 
ing; but  this  Ac  does  not  pretend  to  maintain.  Dr, 
Withers  appears,  in  some  places,  to  maintain  this 
idea  ;  and  considers  faith,  as  generally  used  in 
Scripture,  to  signify  "  either  an  assent  to  the  Bible,'' 
as  containing  the  history  of  our  Lord,  and  other  im- 
portant matters  ;  or  else  denoting  "  the  knowledge,  , 
i\\e  assurance,  of  an  interest  in  its  present  and  prom- 
ised blessings,"  (p.  73:)  and,  from  pages  153  to  156, 


REPLV    TO    MR.     BUTTON. 


465 


A  great  deal  of  Mr.  B.  's  reasoning  tends, 
in  my  opinion,  ratlier  to  degrade  a  stale 
of  primitive  purity  than  to  exalt  lliat  in 
which  we  are  placed  through  Ciirist.  1 
cannot  perceive  that  he  represents  the  lat- 
ter to  any  better  advantage  than  we  do. 
All  ihediU'erenceis,  tliat  he  seems  to  think 
meanly  ol  supreme  love  to  God,  as  il  it 
were  something  vastly  interior  to  that  ol 
which  Christians  are  now  the  sulijects. 
Thus  he  tells  us,  from  Mr.  Charnock, 
"  that  a  new  creature  doth  exceed  a  ra- 
tional creature,  considered  only  as  rational, 
more  than  a  rational  doth  a  brute." — p.  85. 
True  :  l)ut  is  man  in  his  primitive  state  to 
he  considered  only  as  rational?  Does  he 
not  continue  to  be  a  rational  being,  notwilli- 
standing  he  has  lost  his  primitive  purity  ? 
Did  Mr.  Charnock,  in  the  place  relerred 
to,  mean  to  re|)resent  man  in  a  state  of 
primitive  purity  as  being  merely  rational? 
"  Adam  in  a  state  of  innocence,"  as  Dr. 
Owen  observes,  "  besides  his  natural  life, 
whereby  he  was  a  living  soul,  had  a  super- 
natural lite  with  respect  to  its  e;i(/ whereby 
he  lived  unto  God.'' — On  the  Spirit,  p. 
240.* 


SECTION  X. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  TWELFTH  LETTER, 
ON  DIVINE  DECREES,  THE  USE  OF 
MEANS,  PARTICULAR  REDEMPTION,  &C. 

The  objection  from  divine  decrees  is,  to 
all  intents  and  purposes,  given  up.  I  had 
said,  the  destruction  of  Pharaoh  was  deter- 

he  presents  us  with  a  long  list  of  scriptures,  as  if  to 
confirm  this  second  idea  of  faith  ;  but  wliicii  evidently 
only  prove  (what  I  never  thought  of  doubting)  that 
lielievers  may  have  a  consciousness  of  their  having 
passed  from  death  unto  life,  and  not  that  it  is  this 
consciousness  which  denominates  them  believer.". 
Indeed,  he  himself  tells  us  in  a  note  (p.  155)  that  a 
man  may  \>e  a  lx;liever  without  this  con-sciousness. 
What  is  it,  then,  which  constitutes  him  a  believer  in 
that  sense  which  is  connected  with  a  title  to  eternal 
life  ?  He  will  hardly  assert  that  every  one  who  as- 
.«ents  to  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  in  a 
state  of  salvation.  And  as  to  an  as.«urance  of  being 
interested  in  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  (sup|X}singthis 
were  a  just  idea  of  faith,)  he  could  not  be  ignorant 
tluit  I  never  made  it  incuml)ent  upon  all  who  hear 
thegos|iel:  but  one  should  think  a  man  must  be  a 
believer  l)efore  he  can  lje  conscious  of  it,  or  of  any 
thing  in  him  that  is  truly  good,  or  possess  any  well- 
grounded  persuasion  of  an  interest  in  Christ ;  and,  if 
80,  such  a  consciousness,  or  persuasion,  cannot  be 
that  which  denominates  him  a  believer. 

*  In  a  Testimony  in  favor  of  the  principles  main- 
tained by  the  Norfolk  and  Sufiolk  .Association,  we 
are  told  "  he  was,  while  he  stood,  an  upright  garden- 
er." Can  this  be  the  image  of  God  meDtioned  Gen. 
i.  27  ]  R. 

VOL.    I.  59 


mined  of  God  to  be  at  tlie  time,  place,  and 
manner  in  which  it  actually  came  to  pass; 
and  yet  who  will  say  that  he  ought  not  to 
have  taken  the  counsel  of  Moses,  and  let 
the  peo|»le  go  1"  To  this  Mr.  B.  replies, 
"  But  Pharaoh  had  an  express  command 
to  let  the  peoi)le  go  ;  therefore  he  was  un- 
doubtedly criminal  for  not  doing  it:  so  it 
may  be  said  of  the  rest  of  the  instances 
produced  ;  and  therefore  these  are  nothing 
to  the  purpose."— p.  88.  I  might  ask, 
then.  What  woidd  have  been  to  the  pur- 
pose 1  The  very  circumstance  of  an  ex- 
press command,  so  far  from  destroying 
the  propriety  o(  the  al)ove  instances,  is  one 
thing  that  renders  them  in  point.  The 
question  here  was  not.  Is  faith  a  com- 
manded duty? — that  was  discussed  else- 
vvhere,t — but  Can  it  be  such,  consistently 
ivith  the  divine  decrees  ?  I  undertook  to  prove 
thai  it  could  ;  inasmuch  as  the  compliance  of 
Pharaoh  and  Sihon  witli  the  messages 
which  were  sent  them,  was  a  commanded 
duty,  notwithstanding  the  divine  decrees 
concerning  them.  Mr.  B.,  on  the  contrary, 
undertakes  to  prove  that  it  cannot, — that 
to  suppose  faith  in  Christ  a  commanded 
duty  must  clash  with  the  decrees  of  God. 
Now,  how  does  he  prove  his  point  1  Why, 
by  acknowledging  tiiat,  if  the  command 
be  express,  it  may  be  consistent  with  those 
decrees;  that  is,  in  other  words,  by  giv- 
ing up  the  very  point  in  question.  If  I 
understand  Mr.  B.'s  mode  of  reasoning, 
it  amounts  to  what  is  usually  called  rea- 
soning in  a  circle.  In  the  contents,  it  is 
intimated  that  faith  cannot  be  a  command- 
ed duty,  because  it  is  inconsistent  with  the 
divine  decrees  ;  in  the  page  to  w  hich  those 
contents  refer,  it  is  suggested  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  divine  decrees,  because  it 
is  not  commanded  !  After  all,  if  the  thing 
itself  were  inconsistent,  no  command,  how- 
ever express,  could  make  it  otherwise. 

Mr.  B.  here,  and  in  several  other  pla- 
ces, allows  that  men  ought  to  use  the  means, 
and  lie  diligently  concerned  about  their 
eternal  salvation  ;  to  strive  to  enter  in  at 
the  strait  gate,  &c.— pp.  36—43.  He  has 
said  nothing,  however,  to  inform  us  how 
this  is  more  consistent  with  the  doctrine 
of  decrees  than  an  oltligation  to  believe  is. 
But,  passing  this,  it  is  observable  that 
what  one  evangelist  calls  striving  to  enter, 
another  calls  entering,  (Luke  xiii.  24 ; 
Matt.  vii.  13:)  and,  indeed,  it  must  ap- 
pear very  extraordinary,  if  men  ought  to 
strive  to  do  that  which  they  are  not  obliged 
to  do.  Farther:  using  the  means  of  sal- 
vation, waiting  and  praying  for  a  blessing 
upon  them,  ought  to  be  attended  to  either 

t  In  proof  that  faith  in  Christ  is  expressly  com- 
manded, the  reader  is  referred  to  Prop.  I .  Part  II. 
of  tlie  former  Treatise,  and  to  Section  II,  of  this. 


466 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


with  the  heart  or  without  it.  If  without 
it,  it  will  be  but  poor  striving  to  enter  in 
at  the  strait  gate — far  enough  irom  the 
sense  of  the  passage  just  cited,  which  de- 
notes such  a  striving  as  that  of  a  person  in 
an  agony  :  if  icith  ii,  this  amounts  to  some- 
thing spiritually  good,  and  shall  certainly 
terminate  in  salvation. 

What  our  brethren  can  mean,  in  consist- 
ency with  their  own  sentiments,  by  mak- 
ing it  the  duty  of  men  to  use  the  means  of 
salvation,  is  difficult  to  say.  Mr.  B.  will 
not  allow  it  to  be  a  bare  attendance,  but 
"  a  diligent  waiting,  and  seeking  of  spir- 
itual blessings." — pp.  36 — 43.  And,  in 
the  exposition  upon  Isa.  xlii.  IS,  "  Look, 
ye  blind,"  &c.,  the  purport  of  the  exhor- 
tation is  said  to  be,  "  that  they  (uncon- 
verted sinners)  would  make  use  of  their 
external  hearing  and  sight  which  they  had, 
that  they  niigiit  attain  to  a  spiritual  hear- 
ing and  understanding  of  divine  things." — 
p.  102.  But  a  real,  diligent,  use  of  means 
always  implies  a  true  desire  after  the 
end.  It  is  an  abuse  of  language  to  call 
any  thing  short  of  this  by  that  name. 
Men,  continuing  wicked,  may  attend  what 
are  properly  called  the  means  of  grace ; 
but  they  never  attend  them  as  the  means 
of  grace.  It  is  impossible  a  man  should 
use  means  to  obtain  that  after  which  he 
has  no  real  desire  ;  but  a  wicked  man  has 
no  real  desire  to  be  saved  from  that  from 
which  the  gospel  saves  us.  Using  the 
means  of  grace,  therefore,  and  waiting 
upon  God,  are  spiritual  exercises,  and  have 
salvation  plentifully  connected  with  them 
in  the  Bible.  "  Every  one  that  asketh 
receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth  ; 
and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be 
opened."*  Many  of  our  brethren,  who 
scruple  to  exhort  sinners  to  things  of  a 
spiritual  nature,  will  yet  counsel  them  to 
watch  at  wisdom's  gates,  and  wait  at  the 
posts  of  her  doors  ;  but  these  are  as  much 
spiritual  exercises  as  believing  in  Christ. 
Those  who  ivatch  daily  at  wisdom's  gates, 
waitiiig  at  the  posts  of  her  doors,  are  bless- 
ed. They  shall  find  him  whom  they  seek  ; 
and,  finding  him,  they  "  find  life,  and  shall 
ohi'eiin  favor  of  the  Lord."\  The  language 
of  wisdom  is,  "  I  love  them  that  love  me, 
and  those  that  seek  me  early  shall  find 
me."t 

It  is  true,  in  some  instances,  persons 
are  spoken  of,  not  according  to  what  they 
do,  but  according  to  what  they  profess  to 
do ;  and,  after  this  manner  of  speaking, 
hypocrites  are  said  to  seek  the  Lord,  and 
to  "  delight  to  know  his  ways,  as  a  nation 
that  did  righteousness. "§  That  is,  they 
did  those  things  which  are  the  usual  ex- 


*  Luke  xi.   10. 
t  Ibid.   viii.  17. 


t  Prov.  viii.  34,35. 
§  Isa.  Iviii.  2. 


pressions  of  a  delight  in  God  and  a  desire 
to  seek  his  face,  as  if  they  had  been  a 
righteous  people ;  but,  as  to  the  things 
themselves,  they  are,  strictly  speaking, 
spiritual  exercises,  and  are  constantly  so 
to  be  understood  throughout  the  Bible. 
That  manner  of  seeking  God  which  is 
practised  by  hypocrites  will  hardly  be  pre- 
tended to  be  the  duty  of  men  in  general ; 
and,  except  in  those  cases,  neither  seek- 
ing God's  face  nor  waiting  upon  him,  J  be- 
lieve, are  ever  used  in  the  Scripture  for 
such  an  attendance  on  God's  worship  as  a 
man  may  practise  and  perish  notwith- 
standing :  it  is  certain,  however,  this  can- 
not be  said  of  a  "  diligently  waiting,  and 
seeking  of  spiritual  blessings."  To  use 
our  external  hearing  and  sight,  that  loe 
may  attaint  to  a  spiritual  hearing  and  un- 
derstanding oj  divine  things,  is  not  "  with- 
in THE   COMPASS    OP    A    NATURAL    MAN." 

The  end  of  every  action  determines  its 
nature  :  to  read  and  hear,  therefore,  with 
a  true  desire  that  we  may  attain  to  a  spir- 
itual hearing  and  understanding,  are  them- 
selves spiritual  exercises.  In  this  matter 
I  entirely  coincide  with  Mr.  Brine,  that 
"  no  unsanctified  heart  will  ever  pray  to 
God  for  grace  and  holiness  ;  but  that  this 
is  men's  dreadful  sin,  and  justly  exposes 
them  to  direful  vengeance." — Motives  to 
Love  and  Unity,  pp.  36,  37. 

If  to  this  should  be  objected  the  words 
of  our  Lord,  that  "  many  will  seek  to  en- 
ter in  and  shall  not  be  able,"  I  answer. 
What  is  there  spoken  respects  not  the 
present  state,  but  the  period  "  when  the 
master  of  the  house  is  risen  up  and  hath 
shut  to  the  door." — Luke  xiii.  24,  25. 

The  case  of  the  man  waiting  at  the 
pool  of  Bethesda  has  often  been  applied 
to  that  of  an  unconverted  sinner  attending 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel :  but  let  it  be 
closely  considered  whether  such  an  ap- 
plication of  the  passage  be  warrantable 
from  the  tenor  of  Scripture,  and  whether 
the  characters  to  whom  it  is  thus  applied 
are  not  hereby  cherished  in  a  thought 
with  which  they  are  too  apt  to  flatter 
themselves ;  viz.  that,  for  their  parts, 
their  hearts  are  so  good  that  they  would 
fain  repent  and  be  converted,  but  cannot, 
because  God  is  not  pleased  to  bestow 
these  blessings  upon  them.  No  one  can 
imagine  that  I  wish  to  discourage  people 
from  reading  or  hearing  the  word  of  God. 
God's  ordinances  are  the  means  by  which 
he  ordinarily  works ;  and,  whatever  be 
their  motives,  I  rejoice  to  see  people  give 
them  attendance.  At  the  same  time,  I 
think,  we  should  be  careful  lest  we  cher- 
ish in  them  an  opinion  that,  when  they 
have  done  this,  they  are  under  no  farther 
obligations.  By  so  doing  we  shall  furnish 
them  with  an  unwarrantable  consolation. 


REPLY    TO    MR.    DUTTOlt. 


467 


and  contiii)utc  to  sliicld  tliciu  against  the 
arrows  of  coiiviclion. 

Particular  Rkdk.mption.  I  had 
said,  "II  it  were  essciilial  to  true  saving 
fait!)  to  claim  a  personal  interest  in 
Christ's  death,  tlic  ohjcction  would  l>c 
unanswerahle."  Mr.  B.  replies,  "But 
lie  who  lias  laith  haft  a  jjcrsonal  interest, 
\vhether  lie  ean  elaiiii  it  or  not ;  therefore 
the  olijcction  is  cciually  unaiis\\eralile  on 
this  trround  ;  for  it  is  making  it  the  duty 
of  all  to  hase  that  which  is  an  undoiihted 
evidence  of  a  personal  interest,  wiieliier 
they  have  that  interest  or  not,  which  ap- 
pears to  me  very  al)surd  and  ridiculous." 
— p.  90.  Perhaps  so  :  hut,  if  the  same 
spiritual  dispositions  which  are  bestowed 
hy  the  gospel  arc  required  by  the  law 
(which  Mr.  B.  lias  scarcely  attempted  to 
disiprofp,  though  he  has  said  so  much 
about  it,)  there  can  be  notiiing  absurd  or 
ridiculous  in  it. 

The  matter  entirely  rests  upon  the  so- 
lution of  this  question,  Doks  the  Scrip- 
ture REPRESENT  ANY  THING  AS  THE 
DUTY  OF  MANKIND  IN  GENERAL  WITH 
WHICH  ETERNAL  H.\PPINESS  IS  CON- 
NECTED"? I  only  wish  Mr.  B.  had  fairly 
tried  the  matter  liy  this  criterion,  and  had 
been  willing  to  be  decided  by  the  issue. 
There  is  scarcely  a  truth  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures  capable  of  a  clearer  demon- 
stration. This  was  the  ground  which 
Mr.  B.  declined  in  his  Tenth  Letter — p. 
70.  In  addition  to  what  was  said  from 
pp.  84  to  96  of  my  former  treatise,  I  shall 
now  only  add  as  follows  : — 

I  hope  Mr.  B.  will  allow  that  every 
man  ought  to  love  GoiTu  law  ;  do  his  com- 
mandments ;  do  righteousness;  be  of  a 
meek,  lowly,  pure,  and  merciful  spirit ; 
and  bear  so  much  good  will,  surely,  to 
Christ,  as  to  give  a  disciple  a  cup  of  cold 
ii'uter  for  his  sake;  at  least,  he  must  al- 
low, he  does  allow,  that  men  ought  not  to 
be  offended  in  him;  for  he  himself  con- 
fesses, "  they  ought  not  to  despise,  if  they 
cannot  embrace  him." — p.  9(3.  And  yet 
these  are  all  evidences  of  an  interest  in 
Christ  and  eternal  blessedness.* 

Mr.  B.  farther  objects  that  I  "make 
foith  warranlaiile  and  incumbent  where 
there  is  an  impossibility." — p.  90.  Well: 
whenever  Mr.  B.  can  find  a  man,  or  a 
body  of  men,  whose  salvation  he  can  be 
assured  is  impossible,  he  is  welcome  from 
me  to  assure  them  they  have  no  warrant, 
and  are  under  no  obligation,  to  believe  in 
Christ.  In  some  sense,  the  salvation  of 
every  sinner  is  possible  ;  as  no  one  knows 
what  will  be  his  end,  every  man  while  in 
the  land  of  the  living  is  in  the  field  of 

•Ps.  cxix.  165;  Rev.  xxii.  14;  1  John  ii.  29; 
Matt.  V.  3—9.  xi.  6;  Mark  ix.  41. 


hope.  And  that  was  all  1  meant  by  pos- 
sibility in  pp.  13.3,  1.34.  Mr.  B.  -allows 
that,  "  inasmuch  as  we  know  not  who  are 
and  who  are  not  elect,  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  one,  where  the  gosjiel  of  salvation 
comes,  to  be  concerned,  seek,  iiu|uire," 
&c. — p.  88.  But  what  solid  reason  can 
be  given  for  the  consistency  of  this,  which 
will  not  equally  api>ly  to  the  other  ]  If 
it  be  said.  These  are  things  expressly 
commanded  ;  I  answer.  This  is  allowing 
that,  IF  faith  in  Christ  is  expressly  voin- 
mandcd,  it  may  be  consistent  with  the  sub- 
jects in  question;  which  is  giving  up  the 
point. 

But  farther  :  Though  I  admit  that  the 
salvation  of  some  men  is  impossible,  that 
it  is  certain  they  will  perish  ;  yet  I  con- 
ceive it  is  not  such  a  kind  of  impossibil- 
ity as  to  render  exhortations  to  believe  in 
Christ  inconsistent.  It  is  no  otherwise 
impossible  for  them  to  be  saved  than  it 
was  for  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  to 
have  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  a  peace  with 
Israel.  If  there  is  an  infinite  worth  and 
fulness  in  the  sufTerings  of  Christ,  in 
themselves  considered — if  the  particular- 
ity of  redemjition  does  not  consist  in  any 
want  of  sufficiency  in  the  death  of  Christ, 
but  in  God's  sovereign  purpose  to  render 
it  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  some  men 
and  not  of  others  ;  and  in  Christ's  being 
the  covenant-head  and  representative  of 
some  men  and  not  of  others — then  the 
matter  must  be  supposed  to  rest  upon  the 
same  footing  with  all  the  rest  of  the  di- 
vine purposes.  And  as  it  was  the  duty 
of  Sihon  to  have  accepted  the  message  of 
peace,  and  to  have  trusted  in  the  goodness 
of  him  by  whose  order  it  was  sent  him, 
notwithstanding  the  purpose  of  God  con- 
cerning him,  so  it  may  be  the  duty  of 
every  sinner  to  accept  of  the  message  of 
peace  which  is  sent  by  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  and  trust  in  Christ  for  the  sal- 
vation of  his  soul. 

Objections  equally  jilausilde  might  be 
made  to  that  case  as  to  this.  One  might 
say.  What  end  could  be  answered  by  a 
message  of  peace  being  senf?  Peace  was 
not  ordained  for  him,  but  destruction; 
and  his  country  was  previously  assigned 
to  Israel  for  a  possession  :  for  him,  there- 
fore, to  have  received  the  message  of 
peace,  and  trusted  in  the  goodness  of  the 
God  of  Israel,  would  have  been  trusting 
in  an  impossibility.  If  told,  the  purposes 
of  God  are  a  great  deep  which  we  cannot 
fathom  ;  that,  if  we  kucw  the  whole  sys- 
tem we  should  see  it  otherw  ise  ;  that  there 
was  no  natural  impossibility  in  the  affair, 
no  such  impossibility  as  to  cause  any  in- 
consistency in  it;  and  that,  in  the  i)resent 
state,  we  must  take  the  revealed  and  not 
the  secret  will  of  God  for  the  rule  of  our 


468 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


duty ;  he  might  have  replied,  like  Mr.  B., 
True ;  but  God's  secret  will  is  the  rule  of 
his  conduct  to  us  ;  and  surely  he  has  not 
decreed,  by  giving  Sihon  up  to  hard- 
ness of  heart,  to  leave  him  destitute  of  a 
right  spirit,  and  then  punish  hira  for  the 
want  of  it:  this  would  be  cruel  and  shock- 
ing ! — p.  88. 

After  all  that  Mr.  B.  has  said,  it  is  evi- 
dent from  the  above  manner  of  speaking 
that  he  does,  in  fact,  make  the  decrees  of 
God  rules  of  human  action  ;  and  herein 
lies  a  considerable  part  of  the  difference 
between  us.  We  believe  the  doctrine  of 
divine  predestination  as  fully  as  he  does, 
but  dare  not  apply  it  to  such  purposes. 


SECTION    XI. 

REPLY  TO  MR.  B.'s  THIRTEENTH  LET- 
TER, ON  THE  TENDENCY  OF  THESE 
PRINCIPLES  TO  ESTABLISH  THE  DOC- 
TRINES OF  HUBIAN  DEPRAVITY,  DI- 
VINE GRACE,  THE  WORK  OF  THE 
SPIRIT,  &C. 

I  HAD  observed  that  the  sentiment  I 
opposed,  as  well  as  that  which  I  attempt- 
ed to  establish,  "  represented  man  as  utter- 
ly unable  to  do  things  spiritually  good  ; 
but  then  it  made  that  inability  to  be  no 
part  of  his  depravity,  but  altogether  inno- 
cent in  its  nature."  Mr.  B.  quotes  this 
passage,  not,  however,  as  I  wrote  it,  but 
very  diiferently  in  sense  as  well  as  in 
words,  and  then  finds  fault  with  that 
which  he  himself  had  inserted. — p.  96.  I 
never  imagined  that  he  would  maintain 
men's  aversion  from  all  "  moral  good  "  to 
be  innocent,  nor  even  their  aversion  from 
spiritual  things  ;  though  I  did  not  suppose 
he  would  have  allowed  that  aversion  to 
make  any  part  of  their  inahUihj.  Mr.  B. 
complains  of  being  injured,  in  that  he  is 
represented  as  maintaining  the  inability  of 
man  to  things  spiritually  good  to  be  alto- 
gether innocent.  What  I  affirmed  was 
that  "  the  sentiment,  when  it  spake  con- 
sistently with  itself,  did  so."  I  think  so 
still ;  for  it  appears  to  me  an  inconsistency 
for  a  man  to  be  "  both  naturally  and  mo- 
rally unable  "  to  come  to  Christ.  Some- 
thing has  been  said  upon  this  subject  al- 
ready in  the  note,  p.  320  ;  but,  as  this  is  a 
subject  on  which  Mr.  B.  frequently  in- 
sists, let  us  examine  it  more  particularly. 

In  the  first  place  :  Supposing  men's  in- 
ability to  do  things  spiritually  good  to  be 
partly  natural,  and  partly  moral ;  then, 
after  all,  it  must  follow  that  they  are  in 


part  to  blame  for  their  non-compliance 
with  those  things  ;  and  so  consequently 
the  contrary  must  in  part  have  been  their 
duty.  That  this  sentiment  follows  from 
the  position  of  Mr.  B.  is  certain ;  but 
whose  cause  it  will  subserve  I  cannot  tell : 
it  seems  to  suit  neither.  Mr.  B.,  beyond 
doubt,  means  all  along  to  deny  every  thing 
spiritually  good  being  either  in  whole  or 
in  part  the  duty  of  carnal  men.  I  have  at- 
tempted on  the  other  hand  to  maintain 
that  such  obedience  is  not  merely  in  part, 
but  fully,  incumbent  upon  them.  And 
one  should  think  it  eitlier  is  incumbent 
upon  them  or  it  is  not ;  but  the  above  po- 
sition implies  that  it  is  neither. 

Farther  :  I  question  if  both  these  kinds 
of  inability  can  possibly  obtain  in  the  same 
instance.  Where  there  is,  and  always 
was,  an  entire  natural  inability,  there  ap- 
pears to  be  no  room  for  an  inability  of  a 
moral  nature.  It  would  sound  uncouth  to 
affirm  of  any  of  the  brute  creation  that 
they  are  morally  as  well  as  naturally  una- 
ble to  credit  the  gospel.  It  would  be 
equally  uncouth  to  affirm  of  a  man  in  his 
grave  that  he  is  unwilling  as  well  as  una- 
able  to  rise  up  and  walk. 

That  men  are  capable  of  hating  spirit- 
ual things  nobody  will  dispute.  But  it  is 
impossible  that  there  should  subsist  any 
aversion  from  what  there  is  an  entire  nat- 
ural inability  to  understand.  We  cannot 
hate  that  of  which  we  have  no  idea,  any 
more  than  love  it.  A  brute,  be  his  savage 
disposition  ever  so  great,  is  incapable  of 
aversion  from  every  thing  superior  to  his 
nature  to  understand.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  any  being,  intelligent  or  unintelli- 
gent. 

I  may  be  told,  perhaps,  that  a  poor  man 
may  be  of  such  a  temper  of  mind,  that,  if 
he  had  a  natural  ability  to  relieve  the  dis- 
tressed, he  would  still  be  under  a  moral 
inability.  Be  it  so :  it  is  not  proper  to 
say  he  is  morally  as  well  as  natui'ally  una- 
ble to  relieve  the  indigent.  It  might  with 
truth  be  said  that  he  is  morally  unable  to 
do  such  kind  actions  as  are  within  his 
reach  ;  and  we  may  conclude  he  loould  be 
equally  so  to  relieve  the  indigent,  if  his 
wealth  were  to  increase.  Bui  this  does 
not  prove  that  moral  inability  can  exist 
without  natural  ability.  Besides,  the  in- 
ability of  the  poor  man  to  relieve  the  dis- 
tressed is  not  in  every  respect  total,  and 
so  is  not  of  equal  extent  with  that  plead- 
ed for  in  carnal  men,  as  to  the  discernment 
of  spiritual  things.  No  man,  however 
poor,  is  destitute  of  those  faculties  and 
powers  of  mind  by  which  generous  actions 
are  performed.  It  is  impossible,  perhaps, 
to  find  a  man  naturally  unable  in  every 
respect  to  do  good  in  some  way  or  other 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


469 


to  his  fellow-crcaturos  ;  or,  if  a  man  of 
that  description  could  he  found,  he  must 
he  utterly  void  of  reason ;  and  in  that 
case  he  cannot  he  said  to  he  morally  as 
well  as  naturally  unal)le  to  do  fcood. 

Tliose  who  jiossess  j^rcat  natural  ahility 
are  capahle  of  heing  the  suhjccts  of  great- 
er moral  inal)ility  and  suilt  than  others 
whose  capacities  are  less.  It  is  not  in 
some  men's  power  to  he  so  w  ickcd  as  oth- 
ers. And,  wlicre  there  is  and  always  was 
an  entire  natural  incapacity,  there  is  no 
place  for  an  incapacity  of  a  moral  nature 
in  any  degree.  Mr.  B.  denies  that  men 
either  have  or  ever  had  any  natural  al)ility 
for  the  einhracing  of  spiritual  things.  We 
reply,  If  so,  they  would  he  equally  incapa- 
ble of  rejecting  «s  of  embracing  them. 
The  aversion  of  the  human  mind  from 
things  of  that  nature  I  conceive  to  be  a 
strong  additional  argument  in  our  favor ; 
for  which  argument  my  thanks  are  due  to 
Mr.  Button.  The  above  observations 
may  be  considered  as  a  farther  reply  to 
the  quotation  from  Mr.  Brine. — p.  57. 

Can  Mr.  B.  seriously  pretend  to  main- 
tain that  his  sentiments  represent  human 
depravity  in  an  equal  light  with  ours  1  It 
seems  he  wishes  to  have  it  thouglit  so  ; 
but  with  what  color  of  evidence  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  conceive.  We  suppose  men's  aver- 
sion is  so  great  as  to  amount  to  a  total 
moral  inability,  and  so  to  render  divine 
influence  absolutely  necessary.  Mr.  B. 
expresses  his  surprise  that  we  should  call 
this  inability  total. — pp.  56,  93.  It  seems, 
then,  he  does  not  think  that  the  chain  of 
men's  native  aversion  from  God  and  spir- 
itual things  is  strong  enough  to  keep  them 
from  coming  to  Christ,  without  having 
something  else  in  conjunction  with  it. 

But,  if  this  cannot  be  maintained,  he 
seems  certain  of  the  advantage  in  one  re- 
spect, at  least.  "We  certainly,"  says 
Mr.  B.,  "lay  man  much  lower  than  he 
does  :  "  and  this  he  thinks  has  a  tendency 
to  abase  his  pride,  while  our  sentiments 
tend  to  gratify  and  promote  it. — p.  96.  It 
is  true  Mr.  B.  does  lay  man  lower  than 
we  do  :  but  it  is  observable  that,  so  far 
as  this  is  the  case,  it  is  not  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  sinner  but  of  a  creature  of 
God ;  not  on  account  of  what  he  has 
made  himself,  but  on  account  of  what 
God  has  made  him  :  and,  if  this  is  the 
way  in  which  we  are  to  be  humbled,  it 
might  be  done  still  more  effectually  if  we 
were  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  stock 
or  a  stone. 

In  reply  to  what  is  said  on  the  doctrine 
of  grace,  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit  (j)p. 
1,  93,  97,)  little  need  be  said  in  addition  to 
the  above.  Though  Mr.  B.  sometimes 
speaks  of  men's  inability  as  being  partly 
innocent  and  partly  criminal ;  yet,  as  was 


said  before,  it  was  manifestly  his  design 
all  along  to  prove  men  trholly  excusable 
in  their  omission  of  every  thing  sjiiritually 
good.  But,  suppose  it  were  otherwise  ; 
su]>pose  they  were  only  in  part  excusable  ; 
i(  it  he  a  more  glorious  instance  of  grace, 
and  a  greater  exertion  ol  ilivine  inlluence, 
to  save  one  who  is  partly  innocent  than 
one  who  is  entirely  to  blame,  it  must  he 
upon  this  principle,  that,  in  proportion  as 
criminality  is  lessened,  the  glory  o( divine 
grace  in  salvation  is  increased  :  and,  if  so, 
then  the  most  glorious  display  of  grace 
that  could  he  manifested  in  our  salvation, 
must  l)e  upon  the  supposition  of  our  being 
altogether  innocent ! 

"  When  ye  shall  have  done  all  those 
things  which  are  commamded  you,"  says 
Christ  to  his  disciples,  "  say,  We  arc  un- 
profitable servants :  ive  have  done  that 
ivhich  loas  our  duty  to  do.''' — Luke  xvii. 
10.  From  this  passage  two  things  are  ob- 
servable :  First,  That  ol)edience  to  God 
cannot  merit  any  thing  at  his  hands. — 
Secondly,  The  reason  why  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  merit  in  our  obedience  is,  that 
all  the  good  we  have  done,  or  may  do,  is 
commanded,  is  our  duty.  Hence  it  fol- 
lows, 1.  Tiiat  the  very  idea  of  duty  ex- 
cludes merit  and  cuts  off  boasting.  2.  That 
the  more  attached  we  are  to  our  duty,  as 
such,  the  more  distant  we  are  from  all 
pretence  of  merit  or  Iwasting.  The  very 
way  to  extirpate  the  notion  of  human 
merit  is  to  consider  all  which  we  do  as 
heing  our  duty.  3.  That  if  it  were  possi- 
ble to  perform  any  thing  which  does  not 
come  under  the  idea  of  duty,  then  would 
there  be  some  ground  for  merit.  If  the 
foregoing  observations  be  just,  it  scarcely 
needs  asking.  Which  sentiment  is  it  that 
cuts  off  boasting,  that  of  faith  being  con- 
sidered as  a  duty  or  the  opposite  1 

Perhaps  it  may  be  said,  in  answer  io 
this,  that  when  a  man  is  enlightened  l)y 
the  Spirit  of  God,  it  is  then  his  duty  to  be- 
lieve. But  I  think,  if  it  be  not  incumbent 
before,  it  will  be  ditTicult  to  prove  it  so  at 
all.  In  this  case  the  work  of  the  Si)irit 
upon  the  heart  must  constitute  tlie  ground 
of  duty,  and  then  it  is  necessary  that  the 
person  should  know  that  he  is  the  subject 
of  this  work,  before  he  can  see  it  is  his 
duty  to  believe.  But  by  what  evidences 
can  he  obtain  this  knowledge  1  Surely 
not  l)y  his  impenitency  and  unbelief;  and 
yet,  till  he  has  repented  and  believed,  he 
can  have  nothing  better. 

If  it  be  as  Mr.  B.  represents,  the  work 
of  the  Spirit  must  consist  in  giving  us 
neiv  natural  powers.  If  we  have  no  nat- 
ural power  to  embrace  spiritual  things  till 
we  are  regenerated,  then  regeneration 
must  be  the  creation  of  natural  power. 
And  what  this  is  different  from  creating  a 


4'70 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


neio  soul  is  difficult  to  determine.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  the  creating  of  natural 
power  cannot  he  a  spiritual  exertion  any 
more  than  the  creation  of  a  leg  or  an  arm, 
and  so  cannot  be  reckoned  amongst  the 
special  spiritual  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Whatever  grace  there  may  be  in 
it,  it  is  no  part  of  the  grace  of  the  gos- 
pel; it  is  no  part  of  salvation.  It  is  not 
any  thing  that  became  necessary  through 
sin;  for  it  is  supposed  that  man  was  as 
destitute  of  it  in  his  created  as  in  his  fallen 
state.  One  should  think,  therefore,  it  can 
be  nothing  which  is  given  us  in  behalf  of 
Christ  as  mediator,  or  for  which  we  shall 
have  to  praise  him  in  that  character  to 
eternity. 

Among  a  catalogue  of  other  bad  conse- 
quences imputed  to  my  sentiments,  they 
are  said  to  be  "distressing  to  saints."— p. 
105.  This,  for  aught  I  know,  may  be 
just.  They  certainly  have  a  tendency  to 
convince  both  saint  and  sinner  of  abun- 
dance of  sin,  which  the  sentiments  here 
opposed  make  to  be  no  sin.  It  is  no  won- 
der, therefore,  that  true  saints,  by  discern- 
ing their  great  obligations,  both  before  and 
after  conversion,  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  should  nowl)e  greatly  distressed  in 
a  way  of  godly  sorrow.  Looking  upon 
him  whom  they  pierced,  they  mourn,  as 
one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  firstborn. 
But  this,  so  far  I'rom  lieing  brought  as  an 
objection,  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  cor- 
roboration. Tliat  Avhich  tends  to  soothe 
and  quiet  the  minds  of  men,  by  giving 
diminutive  representations  of  the  causes 
of  retlection  and  grief,  is  not  the  gospel. 
The  gospel  gives  peace  which  passeth  all 
understanding  ;  and  this  is  consistent  with 
the  exercise  of  the  most  imngent  grief: 
but  that  quietness  of  mind  which  arises 
from  a  diminution  of  blame-worthiness 
rather  deserved  tlie  name  of  ease  than  of 
peace,  and  is  much  more  to  be  dreaded 
than  desired. 

It  was  acknowledged,  in  the  former 
treatise,  "  that  many  who  have  dealt  in 
addresses  to  unconverted  sinners  have 
dabbled  in  Arminianism."  Mr.  B.  hence 
repeatedly  represents  me  as  acknowledg- 
ing that  they  tend  that  way. — p.  i.  Pref. 
and  p.  100.  This  I  must  beg  leave  abso- 
lutely to  deny.  There  is  no  such  acknow- 
ledgment, nor  anything  like  it;  but  tlie 
very  reverse.  Mr.  B.  cannot  be  ignorant 
that  many  who  have  maintained  the  doc- 
trines of  grace  have  more  than  dabbled  in 
Antinomianism,  and  yet  that  is  no  proof 
that  the  doctrines  of  grace  are  really  of 
that  tendency. 

As  to  the  use  that  is  made  of  my  con- 
cession concerning  the  manner  of  address- 
ing sinners  ;  such  as  "  Come  to  Christ 
now,  this  moment,"  &c.,  (p.  99,)  I  might 


refer  the  reader  for  answer  to  the  passage 
itself;  yea,  to  that  part  of  it  which  Mr.  B. 
has  quoted.  Surely  he  had  no  reason  to 
conclude  that  I  thought  a  believing  in 
Christ  was  a  matter  that  might  safely  be 
deferred.  He  professes  to  maintain  that 
men  ought  to  be-  perfectly  holy,  in  some 
sense  or  other  ;  but  does  he  ever  say  to 
his  auditory,  Be  perfectly  holy  now,  this 
moment  1 

j_:,.One  remark  more  on  this  stdiject  re- 
quires a  reply.  I  had  attempted  to  re- 
move the  supposed  absurdity  of  addresses 
to  dead  sinners,  by  observing  that  we  sup- 
posed spiritual  death  to  be  altogether  a 
criminal  alfair.  Mr.  B.  answers,  from 
Mr.  Wayman,  "  It  was  man's  sin  to  de- 
stroy a  moral  life,  but  it  is  not  man's  sin 
that  he  hath  not  a  spiritual  one.  It  is 
God's  eternal  grace  that  gives  life." — p. 
102.  To  this  it  is  replied,  This  position 
requires  a  higher  authority  to  support  it 
than  Mr.  Wayman.*  If  we  admitted  this 
sentiment  as  true,  then,  it  is  granted,  our 
manner  of  address  to  unconverted  sinners 
would  be  inconsistent ;  but  we  deny  it. 
In  order  to  prove  our  conduct  absurd,  it 
should  be  proved  to  be  inconsistent  with 
some  allowed  principle,  and  not  barely 
with  the  principles  of  our  opponents. 


SECTION  XII. 

SOME   SERIOUS   CONSIDERATIONS   RECOM- 
MENDED TO   MR.    B.   AND  THE   READER. 

There  is  great  danger,  in  all  disputes,  of 
running  into  extremes.  Mr.  B.  thinks  my 
sentiments  "  the  high  road  to  Arminian- 
ism,''' (p.  100,)  and  perhaps  to  "  some^Aing- 
ivorse." — p.  2.  I  am  not  convinced,  at  pre- 
sent, of  their  having  any  such  tendency. 
However,  it  becomes  me  to  watch  against 
every  thing  that  might  lead  me  aside  from 
the  simplicity  of  the  gospel,  be  that  what 
it  may  ;  and  I  hope  I  shall  so  far  take  Mr. 
B.'s  advice.  I  hope  also,  in  my  turn,  I 
may  be  allowed,  without  offence,  to  sug- 
gest a  few  serious  hints  to  the  same  end. 
Mr.  B.  seems  to  think  all  the  danger  of 
erring  to  lie  on  one  side  (pp.  i.  ii.  Pref.;) 
it  is  allowed  there  is  danger  on  that  side, 

*  "  It  is  not  man's  sin  ihat  he  hath  not  a  spirit- 
ual one:" — If  spiritual  life  be  wliat  we  never  had, 
then  we  cannot  be  said  to  be  spiritually  dead;  for 
death  is  not  a  mere  negative,  Init  a  privative  idea.  "It 
is  God's  eternal  grace  that  gives  life." — True;  and 
is  it  not  God's  eternal  grace  that  gives  to  a  fallen 
creature  a  conformity  to  his  holy  law?  and  yet  it 
does  not  follow  from  thence  that  it  is  not  man's  duty 
to  have  it. 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


471 


1)iit  not  on  tluit  side  only.  In  jrencnil, 
ihtMi,  I  wisli  Mr.  B.  to  consiik'r  wlietlicr 
his  principles  do  not  lend  to  lead  him  far- 
ther than  he  seriously  intends  to  go.  Par- 
ticularly. 

If,  in  the  course  of  his  ministry,  he 
avoids  giving  the  carnal  part  of  his  audi- 
tory to  understand  that  God  rc(juires  any 
thing  of  them  which  is  spiritually  good  ; 
whether  it  will  not  he  natural  for  them  so 
to  understand  it  as  to  reckon  themselves 
not  at  all  obliged  to  love  Gon,  to  be  truly 
holy,  to  be  the  subjects  of  any  internal  re- 
ligion whatever;  and  whether  they  do  not, 
in  fact  so  understand  it.  Whatever  dilTer- 
cnce  there  is  lietwecn  these  things  in  the 
o{)inion  of  tiie  preacher,  I  incline  to  think, 
not  one  hearer  in  a  innulred  makes  any  ac- 
count of  it.  They  understand  it  of  every 
thim;  which  concerns  the  heart.  The  gen- 
erality of  those  who  would  be  olVended 
with  us  for  enjoining  spiritual  obedience 
upon  our  carnal  auditors  would,  I  appre- 
hend, be  equally  olFended  with  Mr.  B. 
were  he  to  signify  that  they  ought  to  wor- 
ship God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  or  to  love 
him  with  their  whole  heart.  Were  any 
thing  of  this  sort  delivered,  and  nothing 
added  to  explain  it  away,  it  is  likely  the 
preacher  would  be  interrogated  in  some 
such  manner  as  this :  How  can  unregen- 
erate  sinners  love  God,  or  worship  him  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  ?  You  might  as  well  call 
to  the  dead  to  come  forlh,  or  bid  people 
take  wings  and  ily  to  heaven.  Their  busi- 
ness is  to  attend  the  means,  and,  if  God 
j)lease  to  give  them  a  heart  to  love  him, 
well  and  good  ;  but,  if  not,  to  what  pur- 
pose are  all  your  harangues  about  what 
people  ought  to  do  1  Cease  this  legal  bu- 
siness, preach  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
and  leave  the  Holy  Spirit  to  do  his  own 
work. 

In  the  above,  no  respect  whatever  is  had 
"n  a  personal  way  to  Mr.  B.  or  any  of 
lis  friends.  Wliat  is  written  is  founded 
upon  such  facts  as  have  fallen  under  my 
-  oliservation  ;  and  I  suppose  that  the  same 
causes  are  usually  productive  of  the  same 
effects  in  one  place  as  in  another. 

Farther:  It  may  be  well  for  Mr.  B.  to 
consider,  while  he  professes  to  allow  that 
men  ought  to  do  whatever  was  in  the  power 
of  man  in  a  state  of  innocence,  whether 
his  sentiments  do  not  insensibly  lead  him  to 
excuse  men  from  every  thing  but  what  may 
be  done  by  a  tvicked  mind,  ivithout  any  true 
love  to  God,  or  regard  for  his  glory.  Mr. 
B.,  when  asked  in  controversy  "  whether 
any  internal  religion  is  now  required  of 
men  towards  God  or  not,"  answers  in 
the  affirmative. — p.  72.  But  is  it  a  matter 
which  his  views  of  things  would  ever,  of 
their  own  accord,  lead  him  to  dwell  uponl 
I  am  glad  to  see  the  frankness  with  which 


he  expresses  himself  concerning  the  law 

of  God  being  e.vcecdingly  broad.  "If  the 
principles  1  have  advanced,"  says  he, 
"contradict  this  truth,  let  them  forever 
be  discarded. "r— p.  I'o.  Mr.  B.'s  meaning, 
in  tiiis  ingenuous  sentence,  cannot  i)e  sup- 
posed to  amount  to  less  than  this — that,  if 
he  perceived  his  present  sentiments  to 
clasli  with  tiie  spirituality  of  the  law,  he 
would  disow  n  them  ;  and,  if  he  found  them 
to  have  such  a  tendency,  he  would  at  least 
sus|)ect  them.  Now  I  desire,  in  this  mat- 
ter, to  be  determined  \)y  facts  ;  and  by 
facts  that  cannot  fairly  be  disputed.  I 
ask,  then,  in  what  maimer  do  Mr.  B.'s 
sentiments  load  itim  to  expound  Scrip- 
turkI  How  has  he  expounded  the  Second 
Psalm  and  tiie  Sixth  of  Jeremiah  1  What 
has  he  made  tiiese  passages  to  recpiire  more 
than  external  obedience  \  Is  it  not  the 
tendency  of  all  he  says  concerning  the  ad- 
dresses of  Christ  and  his  apostles  to  their 
carnal  auditors  to  reduce  them  to  the  ca- 
pacity, not  of  a  right  sjiirit,  such  as  man 
possessed  in  a  state  of  innocence,  but  of 
an  apostate  mind?  Are  they  not  all  along 
made  to  mean  no  more  than  what  may  be 
done  without  any  real  love  to  God,  or  re- 
gard for  his  glory  1  Is  not  such  a  sense 
put  upon  Isa.  xlii.  18,  "  Look,  ye  blind," 
&c.,   as   that   its    requirements    shall    be 

"  WITHIN  THE  COMPASS  OF  NATURAL 
MEN,  WHO  ARE  INTERNALLY  DEAF  AND 
BLIND  1"— p.   103. 

This  is  certaiidy  a  serious  matter;  and 
I  hope  Mr.  B.  will  seriously  consider  it. 
If  he  does  indeed  i)elieve  the  law  to  be 
spiritual,  and  to  require  internal  religion, 
it  is  hoped  he  will,  on  all  proper  occasions, 
acknowledge  it,  and  not  attempt  to  bring 
down  the  precepts  of  the  Bible  to  the  dis- 
positions of  an  apostate  creature  ;  other- 
wise people  may  be  ready  to  say  he  holds 
the  spirituality  of  the  law  as  some  others 
do  the  doctrines  of  grace,  who  never  think 
proper  to  mention  them,  except  when  an 
occasion    offers   to    exj)lain  them  away. 

If  any  thing  in  the  })reccding  pages 
should  be  thought  unkind,  or  exceeding 
the  liberty  we  are  allowed  to  use  with  a 
Christian  brother,  I  hope  for  Mr.  B.'s  for- 
giveness. I  can  truly  say.  If  tiiere  is,  it  is 
unknown  to  me.  It  has  been  my  endeav- 
our, all  along,  to  make  him  feel  nothing, 
except  it  be  the  force  of  truth. 

Before  I  conclude,  I  would  beg  leave 
to  recommend  a  few  serious  hints  to  the 
reader.  Whoever  he  is,  and  whatever  his 
opinion  may  be  in  reference  to  this  contro- 
versy, let  me  entreat  him  to  put  one  serious 
question  to  his  own  soul,  "  Dost  thou  be- 
lieve on  the  Son  of  Godl"  Let  him  re- 
member that  nothing  less  than  his  eternal 
salvation  or  destruction  hangs  upon  the 
answer;   that   the   question  must  be   an- 


472 


REPLY    TO    MR.    BUTTON. 


swered,  sooner  or  later;  that  there  is  no 
medium  between  being  Christ's  friend  and 
his  enemy  ;  and  that  it  is  not  taking  this  or 
the  other  side  of  a  dispute  that  will  de- 
nominate any  man  a  Christian.  Neither 
let  him  evade  the  question  by  answering 
that  he  has  already  been  acknowledged  as  a 
believer  in  Christ,  is  a  member  of  a  Chris- 
tian church,  perhaps  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  and  has  long  been  in  the  habit  of 
taking  this  matter  for  granted,  and  of  sit- 
ting in  judgment  upon  other  men  and  other 
things.  All  this  may  be  true  ;  and  yet 
things  may  issue  in  a  dreadful  disappoint- 
ment! 

But,  supposing  the  reader  a  real  Chris- 
tian, still  there  is  great  reason  for  prayer 
and  watchfulness.  Reading  controversies 
may  be  advantageous,  or  it  may  be  hurt- 
ful ;  and  that  according  to  the  spirit  with 
which  it  is  attended  to.  Every  man  had 
need  to  read  with  some  degree  of  judgment 
of  his  own  :  and  yet,  if  he  set  out  with  a  de- 
termination to  receive  nothing  but  what 
shall  accord  with  his  own  present  view  of 
things,  he  is  likely  to  derive  no  real  good, 
and  perhaps  much  harm.     He  may  meet 


with  what  confirms  him  in  his  sentiments ; 
and  those  sentiments  may  be  on  the  side  of 
truth  :  but  if  he  have  such  sdetermination, 
though  his  creed  is  right,  his  faith  is  wrong ; 
especially  if  it  lead  him  to  despise  others 
who  think  differently,  and  to  glory  over 
them  as  being  confuted.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  may  meet  with  that  which  con- 
tradicts his  sentiments ;  he  may  reject  it 
with  abhorrence  ;  and,  in  so  doing,  think 
his  heart  very  much  establisned  with  grace, 
so  as  not  to  be  carried  away  with  every 
wind  of  doctrine  ;  and  yet  all  may  amount 
to  nothing  but  a  being  ivisc  in  his  oion  eyes. 
We  are  never  so  safe  as  when  we  go 
about  these  matters  with  prayer,  fear,  and 
trembling.  The  subject  her  discussed  is 
not  a  mere  matter  of  speculation  :  it  enters 
deeply  into  our  spiritual  concerns,  relating 
both  to  this  life  and  that  to  come.  It  is  a 
matter,  therefore,  that  is  well  worthy  of 
earnest  prayer,  and  of  serious  and  impar- 
tial attention.  If  truth  is  but  sought  in 
this  manner,  it  will  be  found.  *'  The  meek 
will  he  guide  in  judgment,  and  the  meek  will 
he  teach  his  way." 


A   R  j:  ply 


OBSERVATIONS  OF  PHILANTIIROPOS. 


It  may  appear  somewhat  extraordinary 
that  the  same  sentiments  should  He  liable 
to  opposition  from  two  o^entlcmen  of  such 
contrary  princijdes  as  Mr.  Buttox  and 
Phila.vtiiropos.  It  may  be  less  surpris- 
ing, however,  when  it  is  considered  that 
there  arc  certain  points  in  which  the  most 
opposite  extremes  are  known  to  meet. 
An  attentive  reader  will  perceive  a  great 
affinity  in  the  tendency  of  their  reasonings 
on  various  subjects.  If  I  am  not  greatly 
mistaken,  they  both  particularly  agi'ee  in 
denying  faith  in  Christ  to  be  a  duty  requir- 
ed by  the  moral  laio  ;  and  in  excusing  the 
sinner,  unless  grace  is  bestowed  upon  him, 
in  his  non-compliance  with  every  thing 
spiritually  good. 

As  to  the  spirit  of  Philanthropos,  he  has 
treated  me  with  candor  and  respect. 
Though  I  quite  disapprove  of  many  of  his 
sentiments,  and  though  I  think  he  has  writ- 
ten in  some  places  (pp.  SS,  92,  93)  in  a 
manner  bordering  on  irreverence,  yet,  so 
far  as  it  concerns  myself,  what  he  has  ad- 
vanced has  never,  that  I  remember,  "  giv- 
en me  a  moment's  pain."  He  has  exam- 
ined with  freedom  what  I  advanced.  I  re- 
spect him  for  so  doing.  I  can,  with  the 
less  fear  of  offence,  use  a  like  freedom  in 
return. 

Complaint  is  made  of  the  use  of  the  terms 
Arminian,  Calvinist,  &c. — pp.  52 — 5(i. — 
When  I  have  used  the  former  of  these 
terms,  I  am  not  conscious  of  ever  having 
used  it  as  "  a  term  of  reproach."  As  to 
calling  P.,  or  any  other  person,  an  Armin- 
ian, I  never  desire  to  athx  to  an  honest 
man  a  name  by  which  he  would  not  call 
himself.  For  my  own  part,  though  I  nev- 
er mean  to  set  up  any  man  as  a  standard 
of  faith,  and  though  in  some  things  I  think 
differently  from  Calvin,  yet,  as  I  agree 
with  him  in  the  main,  particularly  in  the 
leading  sentiments  advanced  in  the  former 
treatise,  and  as  it  served  to  avoid  un- 
necessary circumlocution,  I  have  used  the 
term  Calvinist,  and  have  no  objection  to 
VOL.    I.  60 


being  so  called  by  others.  Whether  P.  is 
an  Arminian  or  not  is  of  very  little  account 
with  me  ;  it  is  not  very  dillicult,  however, 
to  discern  the  leading  features  of  hi» 
scheme  in  the  works  of  those  who  have 
chosen  to  be  called  by  that  name.  But 
complaint  is  farther  made  of  the  Arminian 
divines  l)eing  misrepresented. — p.  52. 
Though  I  have  no  better  an  opinion  of  Ar- 
minius'  doctrine  of  the  Spirit's  work,  as 
given  us  by  P.  (p.  53,)  than  I  had  before, 
and  though  I  believe  it  would  be  no  diffi- 
cult matter  to  prove  that  the  generality  of 
Arminian  divines  have  carried  matters  far- 
ther than  Arminius  himself  did,  (as  P. 
seems  in  part  to  admit,)*  yet  I  acknowl- 
edge what  I  said  on  that  subject,  in  the 
passage  referred  to,  was  too  strong,  though, 
at  the  time  I  wrote,  I  was  not  aware  of 
it. 

To  what  is  said  in  p.  10  I  have  no  ma- 
terial objection.  What  I  meant  was  mere- 
ly to  disown  that  any  sinner  was  encour- 
aged by  the  gospel  to  hope  for  eternal  life, 
without  returning  home  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ.  The  omission  of  part  of  Isaiah. 
Iv.  7,  as  also  the  mistake  respecting  the 
prayer  of  the  publican,  were  altogether 
without  design. 

There  are  some  remarks  which,  I  think, 
are  made  merely  for  want  of  considering 
that   those   with    whom  I  was    in    debate 

*  If  I  am  not'iiiisinformpil,  tliR  Reinr>iislraiit.«,  in 
their  Apology,  maintained  that  "  that  ought  not  to 
lie  commanded  which  is  wrought  in  us;  and  cannot 
l>e  wrought  in  us  which  is  comm.indcd;  that  he 
foolisldy  cominandetli  tliat  to  Ije  <fone  of  others  who 
will  wori\  ill  th(  111  what  he  cuuimandetii." — Cap.  9, 
p.  105.  AHd  to  (lie  same  purpose,  Episcopius: 
'■That  is  a  most  alisurd  thing  to  aflirm  tliat  l^od 
either  elTects  by  his  power,  or  procuretli  by  iiis  wis- 
dom, that  the  eh'ct  ."iiiould  do  those  things  that  he  re- 
f|uireth  of  tliem." — Disp.  pri.  8,  Thes.  7.  These 
sentiments,  if  I  understand  them,  amount  to  the 
same  thing  as  "  denying  the  necexaity  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  to  enable  us  to  do  our  duty."  Tlie  aljove 
passages  arc  taken  from  Dr.  Owen's  Di.^play  of  Ar- 
minianism,  c.  X. 


474 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


were  professed  Calvinists.  Thus,  in  p. 
30,  I  am  corrected  for  taking  for  granted 
that  which  should  have  been  proved. 
Had  the  controversy  been  with  P.,  or 
those  of  his  sentiments,  the  observation 
had  been  just ;  or  had  I  called  any  senti 


cellency  of  the  gospel,  and  ''being  able  to 
describe  it,  or  even  to  ascertain  all  the 
general  truths  of  Christianity."  The 
weakest  Christian  believes  and  lives  upon 
THAT  in  the  gospel  of  which  a  wicked 
man,  whatever  be  his  intellects  and  advan- 


ment,  which  was    professedly  a  subject  in    tages,  has  no  idea.     "We  all,  with  open 


debate,  a  "  gospel-doctrine,"  as  P.  has 
done  (p.  38,)  perhaps  the  complaint  had 
been  made  with  greater  propriety. 

I  need  not  have  any  dispute  with  P. 
concerning  tlie  definition  of  faith  ;  for, 
though  he    tells  his    correspondent    that  I 

do  not  suppose  faith  to  include  in  it  co7i 


face,  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of 
the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  im- 
age, from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord."  But  "the  god  of 
this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them 
which  believe  not." 

P.  allows  the  necessity  of  believing  the 


fidence,'^  yet  he  knows  I,  all  along,  main-    gospel  (p.  16,)  and  yet  seems,   afterwards. 


tain  confidence,  or  trust,  to  be  incumbent 
on  men  in  general.  God  ought,  no  doubt, 
to  be  trusted,  or  confided  in,  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  whatever  he  has  'promised,  be  that 
what  it  may.     I  acknowledged  before  that 


rather  to  wish  to  set  this  idea  aside,  and 
to  place  the  essence  of  faith  in  trusting, 
or  confiding,  in  Christ  for  salvation. — pp. 
17,  18.  But  shall  we  not  talk  without 
meaning,  if  we  talk  of  confiding  in  Christ 


"  faith  in  Christ,  as  generally  used  in  the  without  respect  had  to  something  testified, 

New    Testament,    was    to  be  taken   in  a  or  some  rule  by   which  our  confidence  is 

large  sense  ;  as  including  not  only  the  he-  to  be  directed  1     If  we  dispense  with  the 

lief  of  the  truth,   but  the   actual  outgoing  truth  of  God,  as  the  warrant  and  rule  of 

of  the  soul  towards  Christ  in  a  Avay  of  (Ze-  our   confidence,   however   it  may  become 

pendence   upon  him." — p.  23.     My  views  very  extensive,  and  fit  professors   of  op- 

of  ^rws^,  or  confidence,  will  be    seen  more  posite  ways  of  thinking,  it  will   be  found, 

fully  in  the  Third   Section  of  this    Reply,  at  the  great  day,  no  better  than  a  building 


By  what  I  said  of  believing  the  gospel- 
report,  and  of  this  report  extending  not 
only  to  general  truths,  but  to  the  partic- 
ular description  of  their  intrinsic  nature, 


erected  upon  the  sand. 

As  to  the  question,  "  To  what  degree, 
or  extent,  must  a  poor  sinner  believe  the 
truth  of  the  gospell  "  (p.  16.)  it  is  not  for 


I  certainly  did  not  mean,  as  P.  has  under-  me  to  answer  it.     If  I   were   asked,   "  To 

stood  me,  "  that  all  poor  sinners,  who  are  what  degree  of  holiness  must  a  man  ar- 

brought   to   the    enjoyment   of  salvation,  rive  in  order  to  see  fAe  LordV     I  should 

must  have  the  very   same  ideas  of  what-  be    equally  unable   to  reply.     That   men 

ever  God  hath  reported  concerning  Christ  have  different  natural   capacities   and   op- 

and   his   salvation;  and  this   to   the   very  portunities  is  certainly   true,  and   accord- 


same  extent.'" — p.  17.  My  intention  was 
to  prove  that  a  real  belief  of  the  gospel- 
report  carried  in  it  a  belief  of  its  glory 
and  importance,  and  so  included  more 
than  it  was  frequently  supposed  to  do. 
Many  persons,  observing  that  people  would 
avow  the  general  doctrines   of  Christian- 


ing  to  the  different  degrees  of  these  are 
their  obligations  both  to  receive  God's 
tiaith  and  to  exert  themselves  for  his  glo- 
ry. That  there  is  also  great  contrariety/ 
of  sentiment  is  equally  true  :  and  how  far 
the  rnercy  of  God  may  extend,  through 
the  death  of  his  Son,  in  passing  over   the 


ity,  and  yet  live  in  a  course  of  sin,   have  errors  of  men's  minds,   or  those  of  their 

hence  concluded  tliat  a  belief  of  the  gos-  conduct,  is  not  for  me  to  say;  but  I  think 

pel  was  no  more  than  a  man   might  have,  it  is  our  business  to  maintain  a  rule  for 

and    perish    everlastingly.     It    was    this  faitli,  as  well  as  for  practice. 


opinion  that  I  meant  to  oppose ;  and,  by 
proving  that  a  real  belief  of  the  gospel  is 
a  belief  of  its  intrinsic  nature,  as  well  as 
of  its  general  truths,  I  suppose  I  proved 
what  was  there  intended;  viz.  that  it  ex- 
tends farther  than  the  faith  of  any  wicked 
man,  let  him  have  assorted  his  notions 
with  ever  so  much  accuracy. 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  a 
want  of  ideas,  through  a  natural  weak- 
ness of  intellect  or  lack  of  opportunity  to 
obtain   them,  and  a  positive   rejection  of 


But,  waving  lesser  remarks,  the  sub- 
stance of  what  is  advanced  may,  I  think, 
be  reduced  to  the  following  heads : — 
Whether  regeneration  is  prior  to  coming 
to  Christ,  as  a  cause  is  prior  to  its  effect ; 
— whether  moral  inability  is  or  is  not  ex- 
cusable ; — whether  faith  in  Christ  is  re- 
quired by  the  moral  law  ; — and  whether 
an  obligation  upon  all  those  to  whom  the 
gospel  is  preached  to  believe  in  Christ, 
and  the  encouragements  held  out  to  them 
to  do  so,  is  inconsistent  with  a  limitation 
of  design  in  his  death.     On  each  of  these 


what    God   has    revealed.       There    is    an 

equal   difference   between   a  Christian  of    subjects  I  shall  make  a  few  remarks. 

weak  capacity  believing  the  intrinsic  ex- 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHnOPOS. 


475 


SECTION  I. 

WHETHER    REGENERATION    IS     PRIOR    TO 
OUR    COMING    TO    CHRIST. 

Those  writers  whose  sentiments  I  made 
free  to  examine  generally  maintain  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  princi|)le  and  the  act 
of  faith.  I  did  not  dispute  tliis  matter, 
Imt  admitted  it  ;  and,  upon  those  princi- 
])les,  endeavored  to  prose  the  point  then 
in  (|uestion.  P.  jjreatly  disapproves  ot 
this  distinction,  and  asks,  "  w  herein  the 
distinction  lies  :"  and  where  the  Scripture 
teaches  us  to  make  it. — p.  14.  The  dif- 
ference hetween  a  principle  and  an  actual 
exertion  was  supposed  to  be  illustrahle  by 
a  principle  of  honesty  beina;  previous  to 
an  upright  conduct :  but  P.  thinks  this 
will  not  answer  the  end,  because  faith  is 
purely  rnental ;  it  being  loith  the  heart 
that  man  believeth.  Although  this  is 
true,  yet  I  see  not  how  it  affects  the  mat- 
ter. A  principle  of  honesty  is  as  neces- 
sary to  a  purpose  to  act  uprightly  (which 
is  a  mental  exertion)  as  it  is  to  the  action 
itself. 

It  is  not  supposed,  however,  that  there 
is  a  distinct  principle  wrought  in  the  heart, 
which  mav  1)0  called  a  principle  o(  faith, 
in  distinction  from  other  graces  ;  but  rath- 
er a  new  turn  or  l)ias  of  mind,  previously 
to  all  acts  or  exercises  whatsoever,  inter- 
nal or  external,  which  are  spiritually  good. 
And  if  faith  is  an  act  of  the  mind  at  all, 
if  especially  it  be  taken  for  tlie  soul's 
coming  to  Christ,  as  P.  contends,  then, 
unless  an  evil  tree  can  bring  forth  good 
fruit,  there  must  be  a  new  bias  of  mind 
previously  to  such  an  act.  Again,  coming 
to  Christ,  if  it  be  a  duty,  (and  P.  will  al- 
low it  is,)  must  be  something  pleasing  to 
God ;  and,  if  this  may  be  done  prior  to 
the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  us,  then  it 
should  seem,  notwithstanding  what  the 
Scripture  affirms  to  the  contrary,  that 
they  who  are  in  the  flesh  may  please  God; 
for  every  man  is  in  the  flesh  till  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  him. — Rom.  viii.  8,  9. 

One  should  think  that  not  only  Scrip- 
ture, but  a  common  observation  of  the 
workings  of  our  own  minds,  miglit  teach 
us  the  need  of  a  bias  of  mind  different 
from  that  which  prevails  over  men  in 
general,  in  order  to  their  coming  to  Christ. 
Whoever  be  the  cause  of  such  a  bias,  let 
that  at  present  be  out  of  the  question : 
suppose  it  is  man  himself,  still  a  turn  of 
some  sort  there  must  be  ;  for  it  w  ill  hard- 
ly be  said  that  the  jame  thoughts  and 
temper  of  mind  which  lead  a  man  to  des- 
pise and  reject  the  Saviour  will  lead  him 
to  esteem  and  embrace  him  !  That  a  turn 


of  mind  is  necessary  to  our  coming  to 
Christ  seems  evident,  tlien,  from  the  na- 
ture of  things  ;  and  if  so,  our  mistake  must 
lie,  if  any  where,  in  ascribing  it  to  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

Whether  the  first  beginning  of  God's 
work  upon  tiie  mind  consists  in  giving  us 
a  spiritual  discernment,  whereby  spiritual 
things,  or  the  importance  and  glory  of 
divine  truth,  are  discerned,  or  whether  it 
consists  in  a  divine  energy  attending  the 
word  itself,  causing  it  to  l)reak  in  as  it 
were  upon  the  mind,  and  l)ear  down  every 
opposition  before  it,  are  (juestions  each  of 
whicli  has  its  difliculties.  But  whatever 
difliculties  might  attend  a  discussion  of 
these  questions,  and  whatever  might  be 
the  issue,  it  would  very  little,  if  at  all, 
affect  the  present  controversy.  If  it  is 
said.  It  does  affect  it — for  if  the  first 
beginning  of  God's  work  upon  the  mind 
is  by  the  word,  it  must  lie  by  tiie  word 
believed — I  answer,  first,  that  this  may  be 
questioned.  The  word  it  is  true  must  be 
understood,  in  a  measure,  in  order  to  have 
any  effect;  but  it  is  a  question  with  me 
whetlier  a  person  must  believe  the  gospel 
before  it  can  have  any  effect  upon  him. 
We  know  that  truth  frequently  maintains 
a  long  struggle  with  darkness  and  error 
before  they  are  overcome  ;  during  which 
time  it  may  be  said  that  God  has  been  at 
work  upon  tiie  mind  by  means  of  his 
word ;  and  yet  f liat  word  cannot  be  said 
to  be  believed  till  the  opposition  drops, 
and  the  soul  becomes  a  captive ;  in  other 
words,  till  the  heart  is  brought  to  set  seal 
that  God  is  true.  If  it  is  insisted  that  that 
degree  of  conviction  which  exists  in  the 
mind,  while  the  heart  remains  unsubdued, 
is  properly  called  believing  the  word  so 
far  as  it  goes,  I  shall  not  dispute  about 
terms,  but  shall  at  the  same  time  insist 
that  it  is  not  such  believing  as  to  denom- 
inate any  person  a  believer.  But,  sec- 
ondly, P.  insists  that  true  faith  in  Christ 
is  something  more  than  believing  the  di- 
vine testimony  :  that  it  is  the  soul's  actual 
coming  to  Christ :  now  if  so,  tliough  the 
word  siiould  be  allowed  to  be  instrumen- 
tal in  the  renewal  of  the  mind,  yet  that 
renewal  must  precede  believing,  or  the 
soul's  application  to  the  Saviour.  So 
that,  granting  him  all  he  can  desire,  it 
will  not  prove  that  regeneration  follows 
upon  believing,  in  his  sense  of  the  word. 

The  great  question  between  us  is  this. 
Whether  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God 
IS  the  proper  and  efficient  cause 
OF  a  sinner's  believing  in  Jesus 
Christ;    or   whether   it    be    owing 

TO     HIS     holy      influence,     AND     THAT 
alone,  THAT    ONE    SINNER  BELIEVES   IN 

Christ    rather   than  another.      If 
this  were  but  allowed,  we  should  be  con- 


476 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS, 


tenledi  If  the  first  beginning  of  God's 
work  upon  the  mind  is  by  the  word,  let  it 
but  be  granted  that  it  is  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  causing  that  word  to  be 
embraced  by  one  person,  as  it  is  not  by 
another,  and  so  as  to  become  effectual ; 
and  we  are  satisfied.  If  this  is  but  grant- 
ed it  will  amount  to  the  same  thing  as 
that  which  we  mean  by  regeneration  pre- 
ceding our  coming  to  Christ,  since  the 
cause  always  precedes  the  effect. 

But  if  I  rightly  understood  P.,  he  leaves 
out  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
act  itself  of  believing;  maintaining  that 
the  Spirit  is  not  given  till  after  we  have 
believed. — p.  22.  If  there  is  any  divine 
agency  in  the  matter,  it  can  be  only  a  sort 
of  grace  which  is  given  to  men  in  com- 
mon ;  and  this  can  be  no  reason  why  one 
man  believes  rather  than  another :  it  is 
the  man  himself,  after  all,  who  is  the 
proper  cause  of  his  own  believing.  It  is 
owing  to  himself,  it  seems,  that  the  good 
work  is  begun  ;  and  then  God  promises 
to  carry  it  on  to  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  cannot  but  think  this  sentiment  highly 
derogatory  to  tlie  honor  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  contrary  to  the  tenor  of  the 
sacred  Scriptures.  In  proof  of  this  let 
the  following  ol)servations  be  duly  con- 
sidered : — 

1.  The  Scriptures  not  only  represent 
salvation  as  being  "through  faith,"  but 
they  ascribe  faith  itself  to  the  operation 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Those  who  come 
to  Chi'ist  are  described  as  having  first 
"heard  and  learned"  of  the  Father,  and 
as  being  drawn  by  him  ;  nor  can  any  man 
come  to  him,  except  it  be  given  him  of 
the  Father.  Nor  can  this  learning  be 
applied  to  the  mere  outward  ministry  of 
the  word ;  for  all  who  are  thus  taught  oj 
God  do  not  come  to  Christ.  Faith,  as 
well  as  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  and  goodness,  is  a  fruit  of  the 
Spirit.  "  We  believe  according  to  the 
working  of  his  mighty  power ;  "  a  power 
equal  to  that  which  raised  our  Lord  from 
the  dead.  Faith  is  expressly  said  to  be 
"of  the  operation  of  God."  We  are  not 
only  saved  "by  grace  through  faith;" 
but  even  that  is  not  of  ourselves  ;  it  is  the 
gift  of  God."  If  regeneration  be  brought 
about  by  any  exertion  of  ours,  it  is  not 
only  contrary  to  all  ideas  of  generation 
(to  which  undoubtedly  it  alludes)  but  also 
to  the  express  testimony  of  Scripture, 
which  declares  that  "  we  are  born  not  of 
the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  Avill  of 
man,  but  of  God."  * 

Those  parts  of  Scripture  which  speak  of 
the   instrumentality   of  the    word  in   our 

♦John  vi:  44,  45,  65;  Gal.  v.  22;  Eph.  i.  19; 
Col.  ii.  12;  Eph.  ii.  8;  John  i.  13. 


sanctification  take  care  to  ascribe  all  to 
the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  who 
understand  the  gospel,  and  who  are  chang- 
ed into  the  same  image,  are  represented  as 
so  doing  "  by  the  Spirit  of  God."  Christ 
did  not  pray  that  the  truth  might  sanctify 
men,  but  that  God  would  sanctify  them  by 
his  truth.  If  the  word  become  effectual, 
it  is  when  it  comes  "  not  in  word  only,  but 
also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
in  much  assurance."  If  it  bring  about  the 
salvation  of  those  who  believe,  it  is  be- 
cause it  is  the  poiver  of  God  to  that  end.f 

II.  The  Scriptures  represent  all  the 
great  instances  of  conversion  as  effects  of 
some  peculiar  out-pourings  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  We  may  instance  two  periods  ;  the 
time  of  the  great  conversions  in  the  apos- 
tles' days,  and  the  time  of  latter-day  glory 
yet  to  come.  Of  theybrmer  of  these  pe- 
riods it  was  promised,  "  The  Lord  shall 
send  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion; 
rule  thou  in  the  midst  of  thine  enemies. 
Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of 
thy  power."  And  again,  "  In  that  day 
will  I  pour  out  upon  the  house  of  David, 
and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
the  spii'it  of  grace  and  of  supplications, 
and  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom  tliey 
have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn." — 
"  In  that  day  there  shall  be  a  foimtain  open- 
ed," &c.  These  promises  were  glorious- 
ly accomplished  soon  after  Christ's  ascen- 
sion, when  thousands  of  those  who  had 
voted  for  the  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah 
became  captives  to  all-conquering  grace  ! 

The  Lord  Jesus  himself  preached  to 
these  very  people  :  yet,  though  he  was  the 
greatest  of  all  preachers,  he  laliored  in 
vain.  They  believed  not  his  report.  He 
was  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground  in  their 
eyes.  How  came  they  to  believe  the 
apostles  rather  than  him  1  To  what  cause 
can  it  be  imputed  but  to  the  arm  of  the 
Lord  being  revealed?  To  what  cause  can 
we  ascribe  their,  superior  success,  not  on- 
ly in  Judea,  but  throughout  the  Gentile 
world,  except  to  the  Spirit  bdng  poured 
down  from  on  high,  in  consequence  of 
Christ's  ascension  1  Christ  told  his  disci- 
ples that  they  should  do  the  works  that 
he  did,  and  greater  works  than  those, 
"because,"  says  he,  "  I  go  unto  my  fa- 
ther." Yes  :  hence  it  was  that  the  Spirit 
of  truth  was  sent,  not  only  to  comfort  be- 
lievers, but  to  convince  the  tvorld  of  sin.  | 

The  prayers  of  the  apostles  and  primi- 
tive ministers  show  that  their  hope  of  suc- 
cess did  not  arise  from  the  plial)lcness  of 
man's  tempers,  or  the  suitableness  of  the 
gospel  to  their  dispositions,  but  from  the 

t  2  Cor.  iii.  18;  John  xvii.  17;  IThess.  i.  5; 
Rom.  i.  16. 

J  Isa.  liii.  1.  xxxii.  15;   John  xiv.  12,  xvi.  8. 


RF.PT.V     TO     PHIT-ANTIIROrOS. 


477 


power  of  Almiirlity  God  attoiulinsr  thoir 
ministrations.  "  Tlic  \voii|i()ns  oC  tlioir 
warfare, "  however  fitted  for  tlie  purpose, 
"  were  mis;htij  niuoi'cn  f;on  to  tlie  pull- 
\\v^  down  of  stronii  holds."  To  God  they 
sent  ii|)  their  earnest  and  united  petitions 
before  they  opened  their  commission. 
Mcetin.ii  in  an  upper  room,  "  tliey  eon  in- 
ued  with  one  aecord  in  |>rayer  and  suppli- 
cation." And,  afterwards,  we  find  the 
apostle  Paul  requestinjz  his  Thessalonian 
brethren  to  pray  for  him  and  his  asso- 
ciates in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  "  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  might  have  free 
course  and  be  irlorified."  * 

The  great  accesion  to  the  churcli  of 
God  in  the  laitrr  days  arc  ascribed  to  the 
Same  cause.  In  tlie  (iOth  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
after  abundance  of  rich  promises  of  a  large 
and  glorious  increase,  after  the  nudtitudes 
of  conversion  to  Christ  had  I)een  rajiturous- 
ly  compared  to  a  cloud,  and  the  flockings  of 
doves  to  their  windows,  tlie  whole  is  thus 
concluded  :  "  Thy  people  shall  lie  all  right- 
eous :  they  shall  inherit  the  land  forever, 
the  branch  ofviy  planting,  the  work  of  my 
hands,  that  I  may  be  glorified.  A  little 
one  shall  become  a  thousand,  and  a  small 
one  a  strong  nation  :  I  the  Lord  will  hast- 
en it  iti  his  time.''  When  the  seventh 
angel  sounded,  and  voices  were  heard  say- 
ing, "  The  kingd()7ns  of  this  world  arc  be- 
come the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his 
Christ,  the  four-and-twenty  elders  imme- 
diately fell  upon  their  faces,  and  blessed 
him  who  was,  who  is,  and  is  to  come,  be- 
cause he  had  taken  to  him  his  great  power, 
and  reigned.^' 

But,  if  the  Spirit  of  God  is  not  the  cause 
why  one  sinner  believes  in  Christ  rather 
than  another,  then  he  is  not  the  cause  why 
there  are  more  believers  at  one  period  of 
time  than  at  another.  And,  if  so,  to  what 
purpose  are  the  before-cited  prayers  or 
promises  ?  As  to  the  former,  however 
strongly  they  speak  of  latter  day  glory, 
and  of  God's  taking  to  him  his  great  pow- 
er, and  reigning,  they  are,  after  all,  mere 
predictions  of  what  will  be,  rather  than 
jiromises  of  what  shall  be.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  the  promises  concerning  the 
success  of  the  gospel  after  Christ's  ascen- 
sion. As  to  the  latter,  to  what  purpose 
was  it  to  pray  for  what  they  already  had  ] 
They  had  a  gospel  adapted  to  the  condi- 
tion of  lost  sinners  ;  and  as  to  divine  grace, 
if  any  thing  of  that  be  necessary  to  a  re- 
ception of  it,  their  hearers  are  supposed 
to  have  had  a  sufficiency  of  that  already 
bestowed  upon  them,  otherwise  it  would 
have  been  a  mockery  to  address  them. 
Now,  if  things  are  so,  might  not  the  apos- 
tles have  expected  some  such  an  answer 

*  Cor  X.  4  ;  Acts  1.  14  ;  2  Tliei?s.  iii.  1. 


to  their  prayers  as  was  given  to  Dives'? 
"  They  have  Moses  and  the  pro|)hets," 
yea,  Christ  Jind  the  apostles,  "  let  them 
iiear  them  ;"  I  have  given  them  grace  suf- 
ficient already;  I  shall  do  nothing  nnjie 
in  oriler  to  their  conversion,  nothing]al  all, 
until  they  have  believed. 

III.  The  Scriptures  represent  God  as 
having  a  determinate  design  in  his  goings 
fortii  in  a  way  of  grace,  a  design  which 
shall  never  be  frustrated.  "  My  counsel," 
saith  the  I..ord,  "  shall  stand,  and  I  will  do 
all  my  pleasure." — "  I  will  work,  and  who 
shall  let  if]"  In  the  sending  forth  of  his 
gospel,  particularly,  he  speaks  on  this 
wise  :  "  For  as  the  rain  cometh  down,  and 
the  snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth  not 
thither,  but  waterelh  the  earth,  and  mak- 
cth  it  firing  forth  and  l)U(l,that  it  may  give 
seed  to  the  sower,  and  liread  to  the  eater; 
so  shall  my  word  be  that  goetli  forth  out 
of  my  mouth  :  it  shall  not  return  unto  me 
void,  but  it  shall  accom|)lish  that  which  I 
please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing 
whereto  I  sent  it."  But  the  scheme  of  P., 
if  I  understand  it,  supposes  no  such  design. 
On  the  contrary,  it  supposes  that  God,  in 
sending  his  Son  into  the  world,  and  the 
gospel  of  salvation  by  him,  never  absolute- 
ly determined  the  salvation  of  one  soul  ; 
that,  notwithstantling  any  provision  which 
he  had  made  to  the  contrary,  the  whole 
world,  after  all,  might  have  eternally  per- 
ished ;  the  Son  of  God  might  never  havo 
seen  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  ;  the  gospel 
might  have  been  a  universal  savor  of  death 
unto  death  ;  and  the  whole  harvest  of  the 
divine  proceedings  "  an  heaji  in  the  day  of 
grief,  and  of  desperate  sorrow  !  " 

To  say  that  God  designed  to  save  believ- 
ers, and  therefore  his  design  is  not  frus- 
trated, is  to  say  true,  but  not  sufficient. 
For  how  if  there  had  been  no  believers  to 
savel  And  there  might  have  been  none 
at  all  according  to  this  scheme  ;  and  so, 
instead  of  the  serpent's  head  being  bruised 
by  the  seed  of  the  woman,  Satan  might  at 
last  have  come  off  trium|ihant ;  and  the 
Creator,  the  Redeemer,  and  the  Sanctifier 
of  men  might  have  lieen  baffled  in  all  the 
works  of  their  hands  ! 

IV.  The  character  of  the  converted,  dur- 
ing their  carnal  state,  is  frequently  such 
as  proves  that  their  conversion  is  to  lie  as- 
cribed to  sovereign,  discriminating,  and  ef- 
ficacious grace.  It  is  not  owing  to  any 
excellency  in  the  objects,  either  natural 
or  moral,  tliat  they  are  converted,  rather 
than  others.  The  apostle  appeals  to  the 
Corinthians  in  respect  of  the  former  kind 
of  excellences  :  "  Forye  see  your  calling, 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  af- 
ter the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many 
nofde,  are  called.  But  God  hath  chosen 
the  foolish — the  weak — and  the  base  things 


478 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


of  this  world,  to  confound  the  wise  the 
mighty,"  &c.  And  all  this  is  said  to  be, 
"  That  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  pres- 
ence. But  ojT/tim,"  continues  the  apostle, 
"  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is 
made  unto  us  wisdom  and  righteousness, 
and  sanctification,  and  redemption ;  that 
he  that  glorieth  may  glory  in  the  Lord." 

God  bestows  converting  grace  without 
any  respect  to  moral  qualities.  The  chief 
of  sinners  are  frequently  brought  to  believe 
in  Christ  before  others,  who  are  far  be- 
hind them  in  iniquity.  Numberless  ex- 
amples might  be  produced  of  this.  I  shall 
only  instance  the  case  of  those  two  fa- 
mous, or  rather  infamous,  cities  Jerusalem 
and  Corinth.  The  one  had  been  guilty  of 
shedding  the  Redeemer's  blood,  and  the 
other  was  a  sink  of  abominations.  And 
yet  there  were  more  believers  in  these 
cities  than  in  almost  any  other.  How  this 
can  be  accounted  for,  but  upon  the  sup- 
position of  sovereign  and  invincible  grace, 
is  difficult  to  say.  For,  whether  the  de- 
pravity of  man  is  sufficient  to  overcome 
any  grace  that  is  not  invincible  or  not,  it 
will  be  allowed,  surely,  to  have  a.  tendency 
that  way.  And  if  so,  one  should  think, 
the  the  greater  depravity  of  any  man  is  the 
more  improbable  must  be  his  conversion. 
The  worst  of  sinners,  therefore,  believing 
before  others,  appears  to  be  altogether  in- 
explicable on  the  scheme  here  opposed ; 
but  to  sovereign  and  omnipotent  grace  every 
mountain  becomes  a  plain ;  and  to  this  the 
conversions  in  both  tliese  cities  are  attri- 
buted in  Scripture.  Of  the  one  it  was 
promised,  "  Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in 
the  day  of  thy  power."  As  to  the  other, 
they  were  reminded  tliat,  though  they  had 
been  of  the  worst  of  characters,  yet  now 
they  were  "washed — they  were  sanctified 
by  the  Spirit  of  God."  And,  before  their 
conversion,  the  apostle  was  encouraged 
in  preaching,  by  this  testimony,  "  I  have 
much  people  in  this  city." 

V.  The  Scriptures  represent  the  grace 
given  by  the  Holy  Spirit  as  being  effectual  ; 
or  as  producing  certain  and  abiding  effects. 
One  great  difference  between  the  cove- 
nant made  with  the  whole  nation  of  Israel 
at  Sinai,  and  that  wiiich  God  promised  to 
make  with  his  elect  under  the  gospel,  ap- 
pears to  consist  in  this  :  that  the  former 
only  propounded  things  by  way  of  moral 
suasion,  but  the  latter  not  only  admits  of 
this,  but  provides  for  its  becoming  effec- 
tual:  "Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the 
Lord,  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant 
with  the  house  of  Israel  and  the  house  of 
Judah  :  not  according  to  the  covenant  that 
I  made  with  their  fathers — which  covenant 
they  brake. — But  this  shall  be  the  cove- 
nant that  I  will  make  with  the  house  of 
Israel,  After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I 


will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and 
write  it  in  their  hearts,  and  will  V)e  their 
God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people."  This 
seems  to  constitute  one  essential  difference 
between  the  law  and  he  gospel;  on  ac- 
count of  which  the  one  is  called  the  letter, 
and  the  other  the  spirit.  The  one  is  a 
mere  inefficient  rule  of  right  and  wrong ; 
the  otlier  makes  provision  for  the  bestow- 
ment  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  observable, 
also,  that  these  promises,  which  respect 
the  first  beginning  of  real  good  in  the  soul, 
are  in  every  respect  absolute.  When 
promises  are  made  of  things  which  folloio 
after  our  believing,  they  are  generally,  if 
not  always,  connected  with  something  good 
in  the  subject  :  thus  it  is  promised  that  the 
righteous  sliall  hold  on  his  way,  and  that 
they  that  endure  to  the  end  shall  be  saved. 
But  nothing  of  that  kind  is  mentioned  here. 
If  it  is  objected  that,  after  mention 
made  of  some  such  things  in  the  prophecy 
of  Ezekiel,  it  is  added,  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God,  I  will  yet  for  this  be  inquired 
of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for 
them:"  I  reply,  It  is  granted  that  noth- 
ing is  more  reasonable  than  that  every 
man  should  pray  to  God  to  create  in 
him  a  clean  heart,  and  renew  in  him  a 
right  spirit ;  and  yet  nothing  is  more  cer- 
tain than  that  no  man  ever  did  so  pray,  in 
sincerity  and  truth,  while  under  the  do- 
minion of  sin.  And  if  God,  in  the  be- 
stowment  of  a  new  heart,  were  to  wait 
for  this,  not  an  individual  would  be  found 
amongst  the  fallen  race  of  man  to  be  a  re- 
cipient of  his  favor.*  But  how,  then,  are 
we  to  understand  the  passage  Ijefore  cited  1 
I  answer.  Does  not  the  Lord  there  speak 
of  what  he  would  do  for  his  church  ;  in  a 
way  of  increasing  it  loith  men  like  a  flock? 
If  giving  a  new  heart,  in  the  former  part  of 
the  chapter,  is  to  be  understood  of  regen- 
eration, God  might  make  promises  to 
them  to  renew  souls  for  their  enlargement, 
and  these  promises  might  be  fulfilled  in 
answer  to  their  prayers,  though  not  in  an- 
swer to  the  prayers  of  the  unregenerate. 
VI.  The  apostle  Peter  styles  those  to 
whom  he  wrote,  "  Elect,  according  to  the 
foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obe- 
dience." Obedience,  it  should  seem,  in 
all  its  parts,  according  to  this  passage,  is 
that  of  which  election  and  the  sanctifi- 
cation of  the  Spirit  are  the  proper  causes. 
By  the  former  they  are  chosen  to  it; 
through  the  latter  they  are  fitted  for  it. 
Now  P.  must  admit  that  faith  in  Christ  is 


Grace 


Comes  iinprevented,  unimplored,  unsought. 
Happy  for  man  so  coming  !     He  lier  aid 
Can  never  seek,  once  dead  in  sins,  and  lost. 
Milton. 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTIIROPOS. 


479 


not  only  on  the  root  ol  evangelical  obedience 
but  that  itself,  beinfi;  a  duty,  is  a  part  of 
oliedieiice.  Hence  it  is  that  bclievinii;  in 
Christ  is  callocl  ()/>ci/inijhini,  (Rom.  x.  IG  ; 
vi.  17;  i.  5.  Hel>.  v.  i)  ;)  and  the  contrary 
is  represented  as  disobeyingh'im.  2  Thess. 
i.  S,  9.  1  Pet.  iv.  17.  it  follows,  then, 
that,  if  election  and  the  sanctification  of 
the  Spirit  are  tiie  causes  of  our  ol)edionce, 
they  must  l)c  tiie  causes  of  our  believing, 
and  consecjuently  must  precede  it,  since 
the  cause  always  precedes  the  effect. 
"God  be  thankep,"  says  the  grateful 
apostle,  "that  ye  have  obeyed  from  the 
heart  that  form  of  doctrine  which  was  de- 
livered you  I" 

VII.  Wiiatevcr  difference  there  is  l)e- 
tween  us  and  others,  we  arc  taught  in  the 
Scriptures  to  ascribe  it  all  to  God,  and 
not  to  boast  as  if  it  were  of  ourselves  : 
"  are  we  better  than  they  1  no,  in  no  wise  " 
— "By  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I 
am." — "  Who  makelh  thee  to  differ  1  and 
what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst  not  re- 
ceive"? Now,  if  thou  didst  receive  it, 
why  dost  thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst  not 
received  it  1" 

That  there  is  a  difference  between  be- 
lievers and  unbelievers  all  will  allow  :  V)ut 
if  the  question  be  asked,  "  Who  maketh 
thee  to  differ!"  wiiat  must  be  tiie  answer  1 
If  the  scheme  of  P.  be  true,  I  should 
think  it  must  be  a  person's  oivn  self,  and 
not  God.  If  he  reply,  "No,  I  do  not 
maintain  tiiat  man  of  liimself  can  do  any 
thing  spiritually  good,  it  is  all  by  the 
grace  ol'  God."  Be  it  so:  this  grace  is 
sup})Osed  to  be  given  indiscriminately  to 
mankind  in  general.  This,  therefore, 
does  not  in  the  least  alter  the  case. 
However  the  grace  of  God  may  be  a  re- 
mote cause  of  the  good  that  is  in  me,  yet 
it  is  easy  to  see  that,  upon  this  suppo- 
sition, it  is  no  cause  whatever  of  the  differ- 
ence between  me  and  another.  My  unbe- 
lieving neighbor  had  or  might  have  had  as 
much  giace  given  him  as  I,  but  either  he 
did  not  ask  it,  or  did  not  improve  the 
stock  imparted  to  him,  which  I  did.  He 
resisted  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  I  was  of  a 
pliable  temper  and  yielded  to  his  persua- 
sions. I  have,  therefore,  by  a  good  im- 
provement of  the  grace  given  or  offered  to 
me  in  common  with  my  neighbor,  to  all 
intents  and  {)urposes,  made  myself  to  dif- 
fer. But  who  am  I  personating! — Phi- 
lanthropes ] — No  surely!  It  is  the  lan- 
guage of  his  creed,  not  of  him  :  no,  no, 
whatever  may  escape  from  the  lip  or  the 
pen,  his  heart  must  unite  with  ours,  "Not 
UNTO  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but 

TO    THY    NAME    GIVE     GLORY  !" 

If  it  is  objected  that  the  apostle  is  writ- 
ing to  the  Corinthians  concerning  spirit- 
ual gifts  and  advantages,  and  cutting  off 


their  vain  boastings  on  that  score,  and  not 
concerning  spiritual  dispositions,  I  answer, 
there  is  in  my  oi)iiiion  consiilcralile  evi- 
dence of  the  contrary."  But,  be  that  as 
it  may,  tiie  rcasoniiig  with  wiiicli  this  is 
effected  is  e<pially  applicable  to  the  latter 
as  the  former.  If  there  is  any  force  in 
the  ajiostle's  reasoning,  it  certainly  im- 
plies thus  much,  that,  if  in  any  thing 
whatever  we  do  make  ourselves  to  differ, 
then  we  have  so  far  a  ground  for  boasting; 
and,  if  as  believers  we  make  ourselves  to 
differ  from  unbelievers,  then  boasting  in 
the  affairs  of  our  salvation,  alter  all,  is 
not  c\clu<lc(l  ;  no,  not  by  the  law  of  faith. 
I  remember  a  noted  writer  admits  as 
much  as  this,  and  maintains  that  tliough 
the  primitive  Christians  had  no  reason  to 
boast  or  glory  in  their  enjoyment  of  spirit- 
ual gifts,  seeing  they  were  immediately  in- 
fused without  human  industr  ,  and  were 
dispensed  l>y  God  and  by  his  Spirit  ac- 
cording to  his  good  pleasure  ;  yet  that  is  not 
the  case  in  respect  of  virtue  and  pious  dis- 
positions :  in  these  he  avers  we  may  l)oast ; 
yes,  in  these  we  may  glory  in  ourselves.} 
But  I  have  too  good  an  ojiinion  of  the  hu- 
mility of  P.  to  imagine  that  such  senti- 
ments can  occupy  his  bosom.  I  cannot 
persuade  myself  that  he  has  so  learned 
Christ.  I  w  ill  venture  to  repeat  it,  what- 
ever his  hostile  creed  \m\y  affirm,  his  heart, 
especially  in  liis  near  addresses  to  God, 
must  accord  with  the  apostle  :  "  Of  him," 
yes,  of  him,  "are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus." — 
"  He  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory  in  the 
Lord."t 

*  See  Gill's  "  Cause,"  &c.,  P.  II.,  C.  IV.,  No. 
V.  and  Giiyse's  parapliru.oe  and  note   on  the  text. 

tWIiilby,  on  1  Corinth,  iv.  17.  'Tis  true  tlie 
Doctor  observes  "  that  we  having  otir  faculties  from 
God,  the  action  may  well  be  a.^cribed,  and  the  wlmle 
glory  must  lie  due  to  him."  Indeed  !  If  the  whole 
lie  due  to  him,  how  is  it  that  we  are  entitled  to  a 
part  T  Besides,  how  does  this  ascrilx;  to  (iod  the 
glory  of  our  lx;ing  made  to  differ;  seeing  one  is 
possess'd  of  these  faculties  as  well  as  another  1 

^  The  hinge  of  a  great  part  of  the  controversy  be- 
tween us  turns  on  the  solution  uf  the  alwve  subject. 
Tliat  there  is  a  difterence  between  one  man  and  an- 
other cannot  be  called  in  question.  This  difi'ercnce 
is  either  to  be  ascribed  to  the  grace  of  Go<l  or  to 
the  goodness  of  the  creature.  If  to  the  former,  the 
supposition  of  God's  making  mo  difference  between 
one  man  and  another  must  be  given  up ;  if  to  the 
latter,  then  boasting  is  not  excluded,  but  cherished, 
even  by  the  law  of  faith. 

It  may  seem  ixs  if  we  were  wanting  in  our  love 
TO  MA.SKI^D;  and,  by  the  name  my  opponent  has 
assumed,  he  seems  to  wish  to  remind  us  of  it,  and  to 
suggest  the  superiority  of  his  system  in  point  of  phi- 
lanthropy. I5ut  it  is  not  for  human  pa.-'sions  to  gov- 
ern tiie  divine  conduct.  We  shoidd  rejoice  in  the 
salvation  of  the  w  hole  human  race,  if  it  plL'a.-ed  God ; 
but  the  whole  human  rare  will  not  be  linally  saved. 
That  is  a  (act  admitted  on  both  sides  ;  and  a  fact 
which  the  utmost  liow  of  philanthropy  cannot  alter  : 
tlie   question   then   with    us    is,    Who  deserves   the 


480 


REPLY    TO     PHILANTHR0P03. 


But  it  is  time  for  me  to  attend  to  the 
E.EASONINGS  and  OBJECTIONS  of  P.  upon 
tlrs  subject.  Are  there  not  passages  of 
Scripture,  it  may  be  asked,  which  repre- 
sent the  Spirit  as  being  given  to  us  after 
we  believe  1  Yes,  there  are  ;  and  to  some 
of  them  P.  refers  us — p.  22.*  To  which 
it  is  replied,  The  Holy  Spirit  is  said  to  be 
given  in  other  respects  as  well  as  for  the 
purpose  of  regeneration.  The  Spirit  was 
given  for  the  endowing  of  the  primitive 
Christians  with  extraordinary  gifts  and 
grace,  (  see  Acts  xix.  2;)  and  this  is  evi- 
dently the  meaning  of  John  vii.  39.  The 
Spirit  which  they  that  believed  on  him 
were  to  receive  was  not  yet  given,  because 
Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified.  But  surely 
the  eleven  apostles  were  not  till  then,  in 
every  sense,  destitute  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Farther,  The  Holy  Spirit  was  giv- 
en as  the  enlightener,  comforter,  andsanc- 
tifier  of  true  Christians.  Thus  Christ 
promised  to  send  them  the  Comforter  to 
guide  them  into  all  truth  ;  and  this,  it  is 
apprehended,  is  the  meaning  of  Ephes.  i. 
13,  14,  "  After  ye  believed,  ye  were  seal- 
ed," &c.  The  apostle  prayed  for  these 
Ephesians  (ver.  17)  that  God  would  give 
them  the  Spirit  of  wisdom,  &c.  We 
might  as  well  infer  from  this  that  they 
were  at  that  time  destitute  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  as  from  the  other  that  they  were  so 
in  every  sense  till  after  they  believed. 
Much  the  same  might  be  said  of  the  other 
passages  produced. 

That  men  are  the  children  of  God  by 
faith  in  Christ  Jesus  is  true  ;  but  I  ap- 
prehend the  godly  sustain  that  character  on 
two  accounts.  One  is  from  their  bearing 
the  image  of  their  heavenly  Father,  which 
is  communicated  in  regeneration  ;  the  oth- 
er is  from  their  sharing  the  rights,  privi- 
leges, and  inheritance  of  the  sons  of  God, 
which  follow  upon  believing.  The  one 
is  a  work  of  grace  upon  us  ;  the  other  an 
act  of  grace  towards  us.  Both  are  men- 
tioned by  the'evangelist  John,  (chap.  i.  12, 
13  ;)  and  the  former  I  apprehend,  is  there 
represented  as  being  prior  to  the  latter. 
As  to  the  consequence  which  P.  observes 
must  follow — as  that  a  man  must  be  "  re- 
generated and  condemned  at  the  same 
time,"  (p.  22,)  I  answer.  This  proceeds 
upon  the  supposition  of  ?i  ■period  of  time 
taking  place  between  regeneration  and 
coming  to  Christ.  When  we  speak  of  one 
being  prior  to  the  other,  we  mean  no  more 
than  as  a  cause  is  prior  to  an  effect  which 
immediately   follows.     A  blind  man  must 

praise  of  the  difference  between  one  man  and  anoth- 
er'] If  God  has  made  no  difference,  we  must  have 
made  it  ourselves:  and  to  us  must  belong  the  glory  of 
that   difference  to  eternal  ajres. 

*  These  are   John  vii.  38.  39.     Eph.  i.   13,    14. 
Gal.  iii.  2,  14. 


have  his  eyes  open  before  he  can  sec ; 
and  yet  there  is  no  period  of  time  between 
the  one  and  the  other.  As  soon  as  his 
eyes  are  opened,  he  sees.  And  thus  it  is 
supposed  a  man  must  be  "  born  again," 
in  order  to  "  see  the  kingdom  of  God." 
A  man  of  a  wicked  temper  of  mind  must 
be  turned  to  be  of  another  spirit,  liefore 
he  can  love  or  choose  that  which  is  love- 
ly :  but  yet  there  is  no  supposable  period 
of  time  between  them ;  for  no  sooner  is 
he  turned,  than  he  is  of  another  spirit,  and 
does  love  and  choose  different  objects 
from  what  he  did  before. 

If,  however,  P.  should  not  be  satisfied 
with  this  answer,  let  him  reflect  that  if 
an  absurdity  remains  it  is  such  a  one  as 
attends  his  own  principles  equally  with 
ours.  He  supposes  we  receive  the  Spirit 
after  believing,  and  refers  us  for  proof  to 
Ephes.  i.  13,  "After  that  ye  believed, 
ye  were  sealed  with  that  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise." — p.  22.  Now  the  Scripture  is 
express,  "  he  that  hath  not  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  is  none  of  his."  We  might  there- 
fore retort,  and  ask.  In  what  condition  is 
a  man  when  he  has  believed,  and  before 
he  has  received  the  Spirit  of  Christ  %  He 
is  supposed  to  be  a  believer,  and  there- 
fore shall  not  come  into  condemnation ; 
but  yet,  not  having  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
he  is  none  of  his.  To  what  master  then 
does  he  belong  1  and  to  what  world  must 
he  go,  if  he  should  happen  to  die  in  this 
condition]  "  But  this  is  mere  trifling  !" 
Be  it  so  :  it  is  such  as,  when  used  against 
us,  occupies  the  place  of  reasoning. 

But,  "  if  men  are  regenerated  before 
they  come  to  Christ,  then  believing  in 
Christ,  is  not  the  means  of  a  sinner's  re- 
covery, but  only  a  consequence  of  that  re- 
covery."— p.  23.  Coming  to  Christ  is  the 
means  of  a  sinner's  enjoying  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  with  various  other  blessings, 
all  included  in  the  term  life,  (John  v.  40;) 
but  that  is  no  proof  that  it  is  the  means  of 
his  regeneration  ;  which  it  cannot  be,  un- 
less, contrary  to  every  law  of  nature 
to  which  regeneration  alludes,  spiritual 
motion  can  precede  and  be  the  means  of 
spiritual  life.  Perseverance  is  the  means 
of  our  enjoyment  of  eternal  glory;  but  it 
does  not  thence  follow  but  that  persever- 
ance is  a  consequence  of  the  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

But,  if  regeneration  precede  our  coming 
to  Christ,  then  "  men  are  excusable,  it  is 
supposed,  in  not  coming ;  and  it  must  be 
absurd  to  exhort  them  to  it  while  they  are 
unregenerate." — p.  22.  If  I  understand 
this  reasoning,  the  amount  of  it  is  this  : 
If  men  are  so  bad  that  none  but  God  can 
turn  their  hearts,  then  their  badness  be- 
comes excusable  ;  and  if,  in  our  exhort- 
ing them,  no  hope  is  to  be  placed  in  them. 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


481 


then  neither  is  (lierc  any  to  he  placed  Hi 
God  I  Were  I  to  enter  the  company  of  a 
nialicious  reliel,  \villi  a  view  to  persuade 
him  to  ^o  and  cast  liiniseir  at  the  feet  of 
his  ahused  sovereign,  I  shouhi  have  no 
hope  of  succeedinsi,  or  of  liringing  liim  to 
a  compliance,  wiiile  he  remained  under  the 
dominion  of  such  a  spirit.  "  Wiiy,  tlien," 
it  may  l>e  asked,  "  do  you  exhort  him  to 
it,  till  you  see  his  spirit  changed  V  Why  ] 
What  if  I  go  in  hoj)e  of  being  instniment- 
;il  in  the  changing  of  his  spirit  1  Suppose 
I  urge  u|)on  him  the  goodness  of  the  law 
lie  hii-s  broken,  his  wicked  and  unreason- 
able revolt,  his  great  and  imminent  dan- 
ger, and,  above  all,  the  clemency  of  the 
prince  towards  returning  rebels  ;  suppose 
I  conjure  him,  therefore,  to  go  and 
submit  to  mercy  :  may  not  all  this  be  done 
M'ithout  imagining  that  going  and  submit- 
ting to  mercy  is  a  matter  so  easy  that  it 
may  be  done  by  a  person  possessing  a  mind 
still  under  the  dominion  of  wickedness  ^ 
May  it  not  rather  be  done  in  the  hope  that 
such  means  may  be  succeeded  to  the  redu- 
cing him  to  a  right  spirit  1  * 

*  But  might  we  not,  upon  these  principles,  as  well 
let  them  alone  ?  Some,  I  pm  aware,  of  very  difi'er- 
ent  sentiments  from  P.,  would  sayj  we  might ;  and 
tliat  such  a  mode  of  exiiorting  is  only  setting  them  to 
work,  which  lends  to  fill  them  with  an  idea  of  iheir 
oien  righteousness.  It  is  granted,  if  the  works  to 
which  they  are  directed  are  mere  external  things, 
such  as  are  "  within  the  compass  of  acarnal  heart," 
and  such  as  they  may  go  on  in  with  ease;  then  it 
may  tend  to  lift  them  up  with  pride  and  self-sufficien- 
cy. But  if  things  which  are  spiritually  good  are 
pressed  upon  them,  and  tliey  go  about  a  compliance, 
it  is  so  far  from  having  a  tendency  to  promote  self- 
righteousne.-!S  that  it  is  the  most  likely  means  to  de- 
stroy it.  People  who  never  try  to  repent,  pray,  &c., 
generally  think  they  can  do  these  things  at  any  time. 
Putting  a  [ler.son  to  the  ex|)eriment  is  the  most  likely 
way  te  convince  him  of  his  insufficiency,  or,  in  other 
words,  of  his  dreadful  depravity;  and,  if  this  is  but 
effected,  he  will  then  cry  in  earnest  to  the  .strong  for 
strength.  I  believe  it  is  God's  usual  way  thus  to 
convince  people  of  their  insufJiciency.  Wiiile  Saul 
went  on  in  external  services,  he  was  at  ease,  alive, 
and  in  high  spirits,  not  doubting  but  that  all  was 
right,  and  that  he  was  doing  God  service  ;  Ixjt  a 
view  of  his  great  obligations  to  things  ^spiritually 
good  di.sco\ered  to  him  a  world  of  inii|uity  of  which 
he  had  ne\er  thought.  It  was  from  this  [leriod  that 
hi."  self-rightcousncss  receivcil  its  fatal  wound  ;  yes, 
then  it  was  that  sin  revived,  and  he  died.  Rom. 
vii.  9.  IVow,  if  this  is  God's  usual  methoil  of  work- 
ing, surely  we  ought  not,  as  ministers,  to  set  ourselves 
against  it,  but  rather  to  concur  with  it. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  how  well  our  opponents 
here  agree  amongst  themselves.  'Tis  true  they  dif- 
fer in  some  respects:  some  think  coming  to  Christ  a 
matter  so  easy  that  an  unrenewed  heart  may  some- 
how or  other  accom|)lish  it ;  the  others  cannot  think 
so,  and  therefore  confine  their  exhortations  to  things 
of  an  external  nature.  But  both  agree  in  this,  that  men 
should  not  be  exhorted  to  any  thing  but  what  may  Ix; 
done  by  an  unregenerate  heart ;  that  i  s,  by  a  iieart 
at  enmity  with  God.  "  Surely,"  says  P.,  "  it  can- 
not be  sin  for  men,  as  depraved,  not  to  attempt  that 
which  the  word  tells  them  they  cannot  perform." — 

VOL.    I.  61 


This  also  may  serve  for  a  reply  to  what 
P.  observes  on  "  exhorting  those  who 
are  in  doubt  of  their  conversion  to  apply 
to  Christ."— p.  25.  I  think,  with  him,  it 
is  much  belter  to  direct  such  persons  im- 
mediately to  apply  to  Christ  than  to  set 
them  about  examining  tiic  evidences  of 
their  regeneration  to  the  neglect  of  that. 
And  tlioiigh  lie  is  jdeased  to  call  this  "  ab- 
surd and  ridiculous"  upon  my  principles, 
yet  he  has  not  condescended  to  back  that 
assertion  with  any  thing  like  evidence.  If 
regeneration  were  that  which  constituted 
our  warrant  to  apply  to  Christ,  his  reason- 
ing would  be  just ;  but  if  it  is  only  a  be- 
getting in  us  a  ris;ht  spirit,  a  spirit  to  com- 
ply with  the  warrant  which  we  already 
have,  then  there  is  no  weight  in  it.  All 
right  action,  whether  corporeal  or  mental, 
must  proceed  from  a  right  spirit;  yet,  if  a 
man  were  in  doubt  whether  he  was  of  a 
right  spirit,  which  would  be  reckoned  the 
most  ridiculous,  to  exhort  him  to  right  ac- 
tion, or  to  set  him  to  examine  his  spirit  by 
rules  of  theory,  and  bid  him  wait  till  he 
found  he  was  of  a  good  spirit,  and  then 
perform  a  good  action  1  The  latter  would 
be  pernicious,  or,  to  say  the  least,  per- 
plexing ;  but  a  compliance  with  the  for- 
mer would  be  attended  with  both  safety  and 
satisfaction. 

P.  frequently  makes  mention  of  a  pas- 
sage from  Mr.  Caleb  Evans,  which  I  also 
had  quoted,  and  which  is  as  follows  : 
"  The  calls  and  invitations,  the  promises 
and  threatenings,  of  the  word  of  God,  are 
means  which  every  one  knows  are  in 
their  own  nature  adapted  to  remove  a 
moral  indisposition  of  the  mind,  just  as 
much  as  the  prescriptions  of  a  physician, 
or  the  operations  of  a  surgeon,  are  suited 
to  remove  any  natural  disorder  of  the 
body."  He  also  frequently  speaks  as  if 
the  reason  why  the  gospel,  rather  than 
the  law,  succeeded  to  the  conversion  of  a 
sinner  was  because  of  this  fitness,  adapt- 
edness,  or  innate  tendency  of  which  it  is 
possessed. — p.  67.  But,  it  should  be  ob- 
served, Mr.  Evans'  words  are  not  spok- 
en simply  of  tiie  gospel ;  they  are  spoken 
of  the  threatenings  as  well  as  the  promises 
in  the  word  of  God,  which,  I  should  think, 

p.  23.  And  the  reasonings  of  Mr.  Button  are  fre- 
quently of  the  same  tendency.  But,  whether  such  a 
position  be  agreeable  or  contraiy  to  the  word  of  God, 
let  the  following  pas.sages,  amongst  many  others,  de- 
termine: Jer.  vi.  8 — 11,  15,  16.  Matt.  xii.  34. 
John  V.  44,  4.5;  viii.  43—46.  Rom.  viii.  8.  2  Pet. 
ii.  14.  If. Mr.  Button  should  here  complain,  and 
say  he  has  acknowle<lged  that  "  internal  religion  is 
require'l  of  men  in  general,"  I  answer.  If  Mr.  B., 
or  any  other  minister,  does,  indeed,  exhort  the  car- 
nal part  of  their  auditory  to  any  thing  more  than 
what  is  "  within  the  compassof  acarnal  heart,"  then 
it  is  acknowledged  they  are  not  affected  by  what  is 
above  advanced . 


482 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


are  no  part  of  the  gospel ;  though,  as  P. 
somewhere  expresses  it,  they  are  neces- 
sarily attendant  on  it,  and  so  make  a  part 
of  the  ministerial  message. 

Farther  :  Our  dispute  is  not  whether 
the  gospel  be  a  suitable  means  in  the  hand 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convert  a  sinner, 
but  whether  it  is  sufficient,  in  virtue  of 
this  its  suitableness,  to  effect  the  chang-e 
without  an  almighty  and  invincible  agen- 
cy attending  it.  A  sword  is  a  suitable  in- 
strument to  cause  a  wound ;  but  it  does 
not  thence  follow  that  it  is  of  itself 
sufficient  to  effect  this  without  a  hand  to 
wield  it.  Three  things  I  would  here  beg 
leave  to  offer:  1.  The  Holy  Spirit  can 
and  does  make  use  of  the  law  as  well 
as  the  gospel,  in  a  sinner's  conversion. 
"I  had  not  known  sin,"  says  the  apos- 
tle, "but  by  the  law." — "The  law  is  a 
schoolmaster,  to  bring  us  to  Christ."  2. 
If  the  success  of  the  gospel  is  to  be  at- 
tributed to  its  suitableness,  then,  I  sup- 
pose, it  must  be  on  account  of  its  contain- 
ing good  tidings  ;  and  so  tending  to  slay 
men's  native  enmity,  and  to  conciliate 
their  hearts  to  God.  But  the  Scripture 
represents  the  human  heart  as  equally 
prone  to  abuse  God's  mercy  as  to  despise 
his  severity.  "  Let  favor  be  showed  to  the 
wicked,"  says  the  prophet,  "yet  will  he 
not  learn  righteousness :  in  the  land  of 
uprightness  will  he  deal  unjustly,  and  will 
not  behold  the  majesty  of  the  Lord." 
The  reason  why  men  hate  God  is  not 
because  they  consider  him,  in  every  sense, 
as  their  enemy ;  if  so,  could  you  Init  per- 
suade them  that  God  loved  them,  and 
Christ  died  for  them,  their  enmity  would 
subside.  But  is  that  indeed  the  easel 
Do  not  the  generality  of  men  consider 
God  as  their  friend  1  Nor  can  you  per- 
suade them  that  they  are  under  his  dis- 
pleasure. Yet  this  has  no  tendency  to 
remove  their  enmity.  What  they  hate 
in  God  is  that  from  which  their  hearts 
are  wholly  averse  ;  and  that  is,  his  true 
character.  3.  The  success  which  has  at- 
tended the  gospel  is  not  ascribed  to  its 
supposed  fitness  to  conciliate  a  sinner's 
heart,  but  to  the  power  of  Almighty  God 
attending  it.  I  hope  this  last  has  been 
sufficiently  proved  already.  God  ordered 
Moses  to  take  a  rod,  and  smite  the  rock. 
The  rod,  to  be  sure,  was  the  means  of 
breaking  the  rock ;  not,  however,  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  equal  to  such  an  effect : 
the  rock  rather  had  a  tendency  to  Vireak 
the  rod  than  the  rod  the  rock.  But  an 
almighty  energy  attended  it  from  Him 
with  whom  all  things  are  possible. 

That  the  gospel  is  suited  to  the  state 
of  men,  as  fallen,  is  granted,  (p.  23  :)  it  is 
suited  to  their  forlorn  circumstances,  but 
not  to  their  evil  propensities.      It  could 


not  be  of  God,  if  it  were.  But  to  make 
believing  in  Christ  something  that  may 
be  done  liy  a  wicked  mind  is  to  reduce 
the  gospel  to  the  latter,  rather  than  the 
former  ;  and  this  contrary  to  the  apostle's 
declaration,  "  They  that  are  in  the  flesh 
cannot  please  God." 

P.  observes  that,  if  believing  is  the  ef- 
fect of  regeneration,  then  men  certainly 
"ought  to  i)e  taught  this  truth;"  and 
seems  greatly  to  tremble  for  the  conse- 
quences of  such  teaching. — p.  22.  It  is 
granted  there  is  a  way  of  conveying  this 
sentiment  which  is  very  pernicious  :  nev- 
ertheless, I  see  no  reason  why  we  should 
scruple  the  publishing  of  the  sentiment 
itself  in  the  course  of  our  ministry.  To 
tell  a  sinner  he  cannot  love  God,  repent 
of  sin,  and  come  to  Christ,  is  only  anoth- 
er mode  of  telling  him  that  he  has  the 
very  heart  of  a  devil.  "But  this  is 
killing  work."  It  is  granted  ;  and  all  my 
hope  is  that  God  will  please  to  succeed 
my  labors,  first  to  kill,  and  then  to  make 
alive.  A  conviction  of  our  being  utterly 
lost  must  precede  an  ajjplication  to  the 
Saviour.  So  long  as  a  sinner  can  find 
any  hope,  or  any  help,  in  himself,  he  will 
never  fall  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  as  utterly 
undone.  The  whole  need  not  a  physi- 
cian, but  those  that  are  sick.  If  it  tends 
to  drive  sinners  to  despair,  it  is  such  a 
despair  as  lies  at  the  foundation  of  gospel- 
hope.  The  sinner  may  be  alive  without 
the  law  ;  but,  if  he  live  to  God,  the  com- 
mandment must  first  come,  sin  revive, 
and  he  die. — Rom.  vii.  9.  So  far  from 
shunning  to  declare  this  sentiment,  hu- 
miliating as  it  is,  I  should  on  that  account 
rejoice  to  see  it  propagated  throughout 
the  earth.  That  which  renders  it  pecu- 
liarly offensive  is  one  thing  on  account  of 
which  it  appears  to  me  to  be  a  truth ;  and 
that  is,  its  laying  the  sinner  absolutely  at 
the  divine  discretion,  and  cutting  off  all 
hope  whatever,  but  what  shall  arise  from 
the  sovereignty  of  God. 


SECTION  II. 

ON    NATURAL    AND    MORAL     INABILITY. 

On  this  subject  I  find  it  difficult  to  col- 
lect the  real  sentiments  of  P.  Sometimes 
he  seems  to  admit  of  the  distinction,  and 
allows  that  I  have  written  upon  it  with 
"perspicuity." — p.  63.  At  other  times 
he  appears  utterly  to  reject  it,  and  to 
reason  upon  the  supposition  of  there  be- 
ing no  difference  between  the  one  and  the 
other,  and  that  to  command  a  person  to 


RCTLY    TO    PniLANTIIRni'OS. 


483 


perform  any  lhin<;;  \vitli  which  it  is  not  in 
(lie  power  ol  his  licart  to  comply,  (for  this, 
lie  must  kn«)w,  is  tlic  only  idea  we  have 
of  moral  inal>ility,)  is  as  unrcasonaltle, 
unless  {irace  is  bestowed,  as  to  "com- 
mand a  stone  to  walk,  or  a  horse  to  sing." 
— p.  44.  II  tills  is  indeed  the  case,  the 
distinction  ought  to  l)c  jriven  up.  Be 
lirat,  however,  as  it  may,  whether  there 
lie  any  real  dill'erence  hetwcen  natural 
and  moral  inal)ility  in  point  of  hlamc- 
worlhincss  or  not,  P.  knows  that  I  sup- 
pose there  is;  by  what  rule  of  fair  reas- 
oning, therel'ore,  he  could  take  the  con- 
trary lor  granted,  it  is  diflicult  to  deter- 
;iiine. 

But,  passing  tliis,  from  the  wiiole  of 
wiuit  P.  has  written  on  this  sulyect,  I 
observe,  there  are  three  tilings  which, 
somehow  or  other,  either  severally  or 
jointly,  are  supposed  to  constitute  even  a 
moral  inal)ility  blameless.  One  is,  men 
could  not  avoid  it ;  they  were  depraved 
and  ruined  by  Adam's  transgression;  an- 
otiicr  is,  its  being  so  great  in  degree  as  to 
be  insuperable;  and  tlie  last  is,  if  i^^race 
is  not  given  sufficient  to  deliver  us  from 
it.  "  If,"  says  he,  "  men  could  never 
avoid  it,  and  cannot  deliver  themselves 
from  it,  and  the  blessed  God  will  not  de- 
liver them,  surely  they  ought  not  to  be 
punished  for  it,  or  for  any  ol  its  necessary 
ctTects." — p.  G7. 

The  first  two  of  these  suppositions,  be 
it  oi)served,  are  admitted  l)y  P.  as  facts. 
Men  are,  he  acknowledges,  i)orn  in  sin, 
and  "  their  inability  to  do  things  spiritu- 
ally good  is  real  and  total." — pp.  44,  57. 
They  cannot  love  God  nor  keep  his  holy 
law.  Now  these  facts  either  do  excuse 
mankind  in  their  want  of  conformity  to 
the  law  or  they  do  not.  If  they  do  not, 
why  are  tliey  produced  I  If  tiiey  do,  there 
is  no  need  for  what  respects  the  last  sup- 
position. There  is  no  need,  surely,  for 
grace  to  deliver  men  from  a  state  wherein 
they  are  already  blameless.  The  justice 
of  God,  one  should  think,  would  see  to 
that,  and  prevent  the  innocent  from  being 
condemned.  But  let  us  give  each  of  these 
sulijects  a  separate  consideration. 

1.  Men  being  horn  in  six,  or  inherit- 
ing their  evil  propensities  from  Adam's 
fall.  It  has  been  observed  already  that 
P.  admits  the  fact:  now  to  admit  this 
fact  is,  I  should  think,  to  admit  a  constitu- 
ted union  having  taken  place  lietwecn  Ad- 
am and  his  posterity  ;  and  yet  the  whole 
of  w  hat  he  says  upon  this  sul>ject  proceeds 
upon  the  supposition  of  no  such  u/i(Vm  ex- 
isting; for  he,  all  along,  speaks  of  Adam 
and  his  descendants  in  a  separate  capaci- 
ty. Thus  he  insists  upon  it  that  "  we 
could  not  be  to  lilame  for  what  we  could 
not  avoid;"     with  many  passages  of  the 


like  kind.  Very  true  :  but,  if  the  notion 
of  a  union  l)clween  Adam  and  hispinurity 
i)a  admitted,  then  it  cannot  properly  be 
said  it)e  could  not  avoid  it:  fjr,  in  tliat 
case,  he  was  the  head  and  we  the  mem- 
bers ;  the  whole  constituting  one  body,  or, 
as  it  were,  one  person.  A  union  of  this 
nature  must  cither  be  admitted  or  denied  ; 
if  admitted,  why  consider  the  descendants 
of  Adam  \\\  i\  separate  capacity? — il  de- 
nied, why  sjieak  of  inheriting  any  thing 
from  him,  unless  it   were  i)y  ill  example  I 

Infants  are  not  to  blame  in  a  personal 
cap;>.iity  ;  but,  if  there  be  a  union  between 
the  parent  of  mankind  and  his  posterity, 
through  which  their  depravity  is  derived, 
as  it  is  supposed  there  is,  tiiey  must  be  to 
blame  relatively.  No  one,  I  suppose,  can 
be  to  i)lame  in  a  |)ersonal  capacity,  till  he 
is  capable  of  the  knowledge  of  right  and 
wrong  ;  but  it  does  not  follow  thence  that, 
till  then,  he  is  in  every  sense  blameless, 
for  that  would  be  the  same  thing  as  to  be 
sinless  ;  and,  if  so,  I  sec  not  how  they  can 
be  said  to  be  born  in  siii.  If  there  is  not 
blame  somewhere,  it  will  be  very  difficult 
to  account  for  the  misery  and  death  to 
which  infants  arc  exposed,  and  for  the 
apostle's  mode  of  reasoning,  who  first  as- 
serts that  l)elbre  the  Mosaic  law  sin  was 
in  the  world,  and  then  proves  this  asser- 
tion by  the  reign  of  death,  "  even  over 
them  that  iiad  not  sinned  after  the  simili- 
tude of  Adam's  transgression." 

That  this  is  a  difficult  and  awful  sub- 
ject is  allowed  ;  and  so  is  the  introduc- 
tion of  moral  evil  into  the  world,  be  it  up- 
on what  hypothesis  it  may.  It  is  a  sub- 
ject, however,  which,  in  my  apprehension, 
I  must  cither  admit  or  reject  on  the  au- 
thority of  the  Bilde ;  and,  when  I  had 
done  that,  my  difficulties,  instead  of  being 
diminished,  would  be  al)undantly  increas- 
ed. I  therefore  admit  it  upon  the  credit 
of  divine  revelation  ;  and  herein,  it  seems, 
I  have  the  happiness  to  agree  with  P.  He 
admits  that  men  become  sinners  in  conse- 
quence of  Adam's  fall.  The  question, 
then,  between  us  seems  to  be  this  :  Wheth- 
er to  be  a  sinrier  is  the  same  thing  as  to 
be  a  subject  of  blame  ;  or  whether  there 
be  a  sort  of  sin  which  has  nothing  blame- 
worthy in  it,  and  a  sort  of  sinners  who, 
nevertheless,  are  blameless  beings. 

P.  admits  of  our  I'cing  born  with  impure 
propensities,  and  yet  supposes  these  pro- 
pensities in  themselves  to  be  blameless. 
He  reckons  the  whole  blame  to  lie,  not  in 
being  the  subject  of  these  propensities, 
but  in  the  exercise  and  indulgence  of  them. 
— pp.  6-5,  G6.  I  confess  I  cannot  under- 
stand how  this  can  consist  either  with  his 
own  sentiments  or  with  the  nature  of 
things.  Not  with  his  own  sentiments  ; 
for  he  allows  that  "  men  are   ruined  and 


4S4 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


depraved  by  Adam's  fall."  But  how  can 
we  be  ruined  and  depraved  by  that  which 
does  not  in  any  sense  constitute  us  blame- 
worthy 1  What  though  we  derive  impure 
propensities  from  him,  yet,  if  these  pro- 
pensities are  innocent,  how  can  they  ruin 
usl  how  can  they  deprave  usi  Our  de- 
pravity must  consist  in,  and  our  ruin  arise 
from,  that  which  constitutes  blame,  and 
that  alone  ;  and  if  blame  lies  merely  in 
the  indulgence  of  impure  propensity,  and 
not  in  being  the  subject  of  the  thing  itself, 
why  then  it  is  there  we  have  to  look  for 
the  beginning  of  depravity  and  ruin,  and 
nowhere  else.  How  far  these  sentiments 
will  agree  likewise  with  the  doctrine  of 
human  depravity,  Avhich  P.  assures  us  he 
by  no  means  intended  to  oppose,  may  de- 
serve his  attention. 

Farther :  I  see  not  how  the  above  sen- 
timents can  consist  with  the  nature  of 
things.  If  blame  does  not  lie  in  being 
the  subject  of  an  evil  disposition,  because 
as  individuals  we  could  not  avoid  it ;  then, 
for  the  same  reason,  it  cannot  lie  in  the 
exercise  of  that  disposition,  unless  that 
also  can  be  avoided.  And  this  is  what  P. 
seems  to  allow  ;  for  he  extends  blameless- 
ness  not  only  to  evil  dispositions,  but  to 
all  their  "necessary  effects." — p.  67. — 
Now,  there  is  either  a  possibility  of  that 
exercise  being  totally  avoided  or  there  is 
not :  there  is  either  a  possibility,  for  in- 
stance, of  a  person  living  all  his  life  with- 
out a  foolish  thought,  or  there  is  not.  If 
there  is,  then  there  is  a  possibility  of  go- 
ing through  life  in  a  sinless  state  ;  and,  if 
so,  how  are  we  depraved  by  Adam's  fall  1 
If  there  is  not,  then  it  must  follow  that 
the  exercise  of  evil  dispositions  may  be 
blameless,  as  well  as  the  dispositions 
themselves  ;  and,  contrary  to  the  decision 
of  Holy  Scripture,  that  "the  thought  of 
foolishness  "  is  not  sin. 

We  may  go  on  to  distinguish  an  evil 
propensity  from  its  exercise,  till  we  use 
words  without  ideas  ;  for  what  is  an  evil 
propensity  but  an  evil  bias,  or  a  bias  of 
the  soul  towards  evil  1  and  whether  it  is 
possible  to  conceive  of  an  inactive  pro- 
pensity in  a  rational  being  is  doubtful  with 
me.  But,  suppose  we  may,  the  common 
sense  of  mankind  never  teaches  them  so 
to  distinguish  them  as  to  excuse  the  one 
and  place  all  blameworthiness  in  the  oth- 
er. An  impure  propensity  is  an  impure 
temper  of  mind,  and  a  propensity  to  re- 
venge is  the  same  thing  as  a  revengeful 
temper  :  but  tempers  of  this  description 
are  so  far  from  being  excusable  that  there 
is  nothing  mankind  are  more  apt  to  cen- 
sure. 'Tis  true  they  cannot  censure  them 
but  as  they  see  them  discovered,  because 
they  have  no  other  method  of  knowing 
the  evil  stock  but  by  its  evil  branches  ; 


but,  when  they  do  discover  them,  they 
seldom  fail  to  curse  both  root  and  branch.* 

Neither  do  people  think  of  excusing  a 
churlish,  haughty,  or  covetous  temper  in 
any  man,  because  of  his  father's  being  so 
before  him.  On  the  contrary,  they  often 
turn  that  very  circumstance  to  his  re- 
proach. You  are  a  villain,  say  they,  by 
nature,  and  all  your  family  were  so  before 
you. — If  men  offend  one  against  another, 
strict  inquiry  is  made  whether  the  offence 
proceeded  from  an  evil  disposition  or  from 
mere  inadvertency ;  and,  according  as  this 
is  found,  allowances  are  made.  But  I 
know  not  that  it  is  ever  asked  how  the 
party  came  by  his  evil  disposition  :  that  is 
a  matter  introduced  into  divinity,  where 
God  is  the  object  offended  ;  but  it  cannot 
be  admitted  into  the  common  affairs  of 
life  between  man  and  man.  Now,  if  the 
common  sense  of  mankind  never  leads 
them  to  take  this  circumstance  into  con- 
sideration in  matters  between  themselves, 
it  is  at  least  a  presumptive  argument  that 
it  will  not  bear  advancing  in  matters  of 
offence  against  God.  "  Out  of  thine  own 
mouth  will  I  judge  thee,  thou  wicked 
servant." 

That  evil  dispositions  are  in  themselves 
blameworthy,  notwithstanding  their  deri- 
vation from  our  first  parents,  not  only 
accords  with  the  common  sense  of  man- 
kind, but  also  with  the  word  of  God. 
The  word  of  God  requires  us  to  love 
him  with  all  the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and 
strength ;  but  to  love  God  in  this  manner 
supposes  the  absence  of  all  evil  propen- 
sity to  rebel  against  him,  and  of  every  ap- 
proach towards  a  spirit  of  contrariety  to 
him.  It  must  follow,  then,  so  long  as  this 
holy  law  of  God  is  allowed  to  be  an  "in- 
fallible test  of  right  and  wrong,"  (p.  67,) 
that  such  a  propensity  is  in  itself  sinful, 
being  directly  contrary  to  its  righteous 
requirements.  It  is  not  merely  a  some- 
thing which  "leads  to  evil  tempers,"  (as 
P.  speaks,  p.  66,)  but  it  is  itself  an  evil 
temper  of  the  mind  :  a  temper  that  can 
take  no  delight  in  God,  or  in  any  thing 
that  bears  his  holy  likeness. 

Farther :    His   ideas   of  blameworthi- 

*  'Tis  true  there  are  certain  propensities  which 
constitute  a  part  of  our  nature  as  men,  and  which, 
therefore,  are  simply  nc^ttra/;  the  excessive  indul- 
gence whereof  is  nevertheless  sinful.  Thus  emula- 
tion in  itself  is  natural,  but  carried  to  excess  it  be- 
comes p»'tdc.  Thus  also  the  love  of  pleasure  is  in 
itself  natural,  but  carried  to  excess  it  becomes  vo- 
luptuousness, &c.  &c.  But  P.  cannot  justly  pre- 
tend that  when  he  makes  blame  to  consist  not  in  the 
propensity  itself,  but  in  the  exercise  or  indulgence  of 
it,  he  means  these  natural  propensities,  because  he 
speaks  of  them  as  derived  from  Adam's  fall,  which 
these  are  not,  and  calls  them  impure,  whereas  these, 
in  themselves  considered,  area  part  of  human  nature 
in  its  purest  state. 


RKI'LY    TO     IMIILANTIIROPOS. 


485 


ncss,  if  I  understand  it,  agrees  to  nothing 
lull  positive  acts  of  sin;  the  exercise  or 
indulgence  of  an  evil  propensity  can  agree 
to  nothing  else.  Now,  according  to  tliis, 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  sin  or  lihune  in 
lliat  universal  want  of  love  to  God  which 
lias  place  in  all  unregenerate  men,  and  to 
an  awtul  degree  in  good  men;  (or  that, 
strictly  speaking,  is  not  so  nuicii  a  posi- 
tively evil  disposition  as  it  is  the  alisence 
of  a  good  one.  But,  if  the  law  of  God  is 
the  "test  of  right  and  wrong,"  this  must 
nevertheless  be  found  sinful  ;  for  it  is  the 
very  reverse  of  what  that  law  requires. 
If  there  is  notiiing  blameworthy  in  the 
want  of  a  heart  to  love  God,  nor  even  in 
a  propensity  to  hate  him,  then  surely  the 
moral  law  must  be  abrogated  by  man's 
apostasy,  and  can  be  no  longer  to  us  "  the 
standard  of  right  and  wrong." 

The  law  is  said  to  have  entered  "  that 
the  offence  might  abound  ;  "  and  "  by  the 
law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  The  only 
certain  rule,  therefore,  of  determining  what 
is  sin,  is  to  inquire  into  the  extent  of  that 
unerring  rule.  Now  the  law,  as  given  in 
the  decalogue,  requires  love  to  God  with 
all  the  heart,  without  making  any  allow- 
ance for  our  being  born  destitute  of  a 
disposition  so  to  do.  It  should  seem, 
therefore,  that  God  considered  the  want 
of  a  disposition  to  love  him  as  offensive; 
and  gave  the  law,  which  requires  such  a 
disposition,  that  that  offence  might  abound 
or  be  made  manifest.  But,  if  there  V»e 
nothing  l)laraeworthy  in  it,  there  can  be 
nothing  offensive  ;  and,  if  no  ofTence  exists, 
none  can  be  made  to  abound. 

P.  allows  my  "  reasonings  on  the  extent 
of  the  moral  law  to  be  very  conclusive." 
This,  I  should  think,  is  rather  extraordi- 
nary ;but  this  is  not  all :  he  thinks  "  it  would 
most  certainly  contribute  much,  under  the 
blessing  of  God,  to  the  conversion  of  sinners 
if  a  due  regard  were  always  paid  to  it." — p. 
67.  But,  according  to  the  reasoning  above, 
I  see  no  such  tendency  it  could  have.  For 
the  carnal  mind  of  man  is  "  enmity  against 
God,  and  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  it  be  ;  and  they  were 
born  in  this  condition.  How  then  could  it 
promote  rational  convictionl  Whatever 
tendency  it  might  have  to  bring  them  to  love 
the  Saviour,  it  must  be  at  the  expense  of 
their  regard  for  the  Lawgiver.  Yea,  it 
must  fill  them  with  greater  enmity  against 
him  to  hear  of  his  requiring  that  of  them 
which  is  not  reasonal)le  in  their  present 
circumstances  should  be  required.  If 
they  are  taught  to  consider  the  Lawgiver 
of  the  world  as  reseml)ling  a  cruel  Egjp- 
tian  task-master,  and  the  Saviour  as  one 
who  came  into  the  world  to  deliver  them 
by  repealing  his  rigorous  edicts,  then  they 
may  love  the  one  and  hate  the  other.     But 


if  the  Saviour  is  viewed  in  his  true  charac- 
ter as  not  coming  to  abrogate  the  law,  but 
to  magnify  and  make  it  honornhle,  to  con- 
demn the  sinner's  conduct  while  he  saves 
his  soul,  then  they  cannot  hate  the  one 
without  equally  hating  the  other. 

"I  do  not  know,"  says  P.,  "that  the 
Scripture  ever  blames  man,  much  less  con- 
demns him,  iiccause  he  is  born  impure,  or 
because  he  is  the  subject  of  impure  j)ro- 
pensities." — p.  05.  As  to  the  actual  exe- 
cution of  condemnation,  it  is  not  lor  me  to 
say  how  far  the  mercy  of  God  will  be  ex- 
tende<l.  If  those  who  die  before  their  evil 
propensities  are  reduced  to  action  arc  all 
saved,  I  supjjose  they  are  saved  through 
the  mediation  of  Christ,  and  not  taken  to 
heaven  on  the  footing  of  jiersonal  imiocen- 
cy.  But,  in  respect  to  blame-xoorthiness, 
I  remember  a  num  who  once  took  blame 
and  shame  to  himself  for  his  original  impu- 
rity, bringing  it  in  amongst  his  penitential 
confessions  that  he  was  shapen  in  iniquity, 
and  conceived  in  sin,  and  that  surely  with 
an  intention  not  to  excuse,  but  to  aggravate 
his  crimes.  In  the  same  Psalm,  and  in  the 
next  sentence,  after  acknowledging  the  de- 
pravity of  his  nature,  the  jienitent  Psalmist 
adds,  "  Thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward 
parts  ;"  which,  I  should  think,  must  intend 
the  opposite  of  that  in  which  he  had  just 
confessed  himself  to  have  been  conceived 
and  shapen.  Farther  :  we  are  said  to  have 
been,  "  by  nature,  the  children  of  wrath;" 
but  one  should  suppose  there  could  be  no 
tvrath  due  to  us,  if  no  blame  were  found 
in  us. 

P.  asserts  that,  in  respect  of  the  impuri- 
ty of  our  nature,  we  arc  under  a  natural 
inability  of  avoiding  it  ;  which,  therefore, 
must  be  innocent. — p.  65.  But  to  call 
such  an  inability  as  this  7i«/ura/,  is,  I  ap- 
prehend, to  apply  the  term  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  tends  to  produce  a  confusion  of 
ideas.  Whatever  defect  attends  any  man, 
which  is  simply  natural,  it  must  belong  to 
some  constituent  part  of  his  nature,  or  of 
that  which  constitutes  him  a  man.  If  the 
definition  which  I  have  heretofore  given  of 
natural  aliility  be  just,  (aiul  this  P.  has  ful- 
ly acknowledged,  p.  64,)  it  must  be  either 
a  defect  in  "  rational  faculties,  or  bodily 
powers,  or  opportunity  to  put  those  facul- 
ties, or  powers,  in  exercise."  But  neither 
purity  nor  impurity,  come  by  them  how 
we  may,  are  any  constituent  parts  of  hu- 
man nature  ;  a  defect,  therefore,  in  that 
matter,  cannot,  with  propriety,  be  called  a 
natural  defect.  The  depravity  of  our 
hearts  is  not  owing  to  natural  weakness, 
either  of  body  or  mind,  nor  yet  to  the  want 
of  opportunity  to  know  and  glorify  God. 
Wlien  we  speak  of  it  as  being  the  sin  of 
our  nature,  we  use  the  term  in  a  very 
different  sense    from  what   wc   do   when 


4^6 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTIiROPOS. 


speaking  of  na^M/rti  inability.  By  the  siii 
of  our  nature,  we  mean  not  any  thing  which 
belongs  to  our  nature  as  human,  but  what 
is,  by'the  fall,  so  interwoven  with  it  as  if 
it  were,  though  in  fact  it  is  not,  a  part  of 
it ;  and  so  deeply  rooted  in  our  souls  as  to 
become  natural,  as  it  were,  to  us. 

But  it  will  be  said.  It  must  be  a  natural 
inability  ;  for  it  is  not  at  our  option  whether 
we  will  be  born  pure  or  impure;  it  is,  there- 
fore, what  we  cannot  avoid,  in  any  sense 
whatever. — To  this  it  is  replied,  as  before, 
There  is  no  justice,  or  fairness,  in  con- 
sidering mankind  as  united  to  Adam,  or 
not  united,  just  as  it  may  serve  a  purpose. 
If  they  are  not  to  be  considered  as  one, 
why  speak  of  inheriting  impure  propen- 
sities 1  If  they  are,  why  speak  of  them  in 
a  separate  capacity  1  To  admit  of  a  union 
between  Adam  and  his  posterity,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  keep  exclaiming,  Wc  could 
not  avoid  being  sinners — tve  are  not  to 
blame,  and  ought  not  to  suffer — is  as  un- 
reasonable as  if  a  criminal  should  complain, 
at  the  hour  of  execution,  that  he  was  to  be 
hanged  by  the  neck  for  what  he  had  stol- 
en with  his  hands.  Whatever  difficulty 
may  attend  us  in  this  part,  it  is  a  difficulty 
that  belongs  not  to  the  doctrine  of  natural 
and  moral  inability,  but  to  that  of  original 
sin:  a  difficulty,  therefore,  which  atfects 
us  no  more  than  it  does  those  who  differ 
from  us. 

II.  The  next  thing  which  P.  considers 
as  contributing  to  render  even  a  moral  in- 
ability blameless  is  its  being  so  great  in 
degree  as  to  become  insuperable.  Accord- 
ing to  my  principles,  he  says,  our  moral 
inability  is  invincible  ;  and  insists  upon  it 
that,  if  so,  it  is  excusable.  "No  man," 
says  he,  "  blames  a  lion  because  he  has 
not  the  disposition  of  a  lamb ;  and,  if  a 
lion  had  the  understanding  of  a  man,  yet, 
if  he  could  not  alter  his  native  ferocity,  he 
would  certainly  be  as  unblamable  as  he  is 
without  understanding."  Tlie  same  rea- 
soning holds  good  in  all  other  instances. — 
p.  68.  To  all  which  it  is  replied.  If  he 
mean  that  they  cannot  but  sin,  though  they 
would  do  otherwise  never  so  fain,  it  is 
granted  all  this  reasoning  is  fair  and  just  : 
it  would  then  be  a  natural  inability,  and, 
therefore,  excusable.  But,  if  this  were 
all  he  meant,  it  would  amount  to  nothing. 
If  he  mean  any  thing  to  the  purpose,  any 
thing  different  from  that  which  he  opposes, 
it  must  be  this  :  that,  if  their  hearts  are  so 
set  in  them  to  do  evil  that,  though  they 
could  do  otherwise  if  they  would,  yet  they 
will  not,  but  ivill  be  sure,  in  every  instance, 
to  choose  the  xorongpath  ;  then  they  must, 
of  course,  be  excusable.  And,  if  this  be 
what  he  maintains,  his  reasoning  appears 
to  me  not  only  inconsistent,  but  extrava- 
gant. 


P.  must  know,  surely,  that  when  the 
terms  cannot,  inability,  &c.,  are  used  in 
these  connections,  they  are  used  not  in  a 
proper,  but  in  n  figurative  sense  ;  that  they 
do  not  express  the  state  of  a  person  hindered 
by  something  extraneous  to  his  own  will, 
but  denote  what  we  usually  mean  by  the 
phrase,  cannot  find  in  his  heart  ;  that  de- 
pravity is  not  natural  to  us,  in  the  same 
sense  as  ferocity  is  to  a  lion  ;  tha  it  is  rath- 
er the  ruin  and  disgrace  of  our  nature  than 
any  part  of  it;  and  that  therefore  such 
comparisons  are  but  ill  adapted  to  illus- 
trate the  subject. 

We  suppose  that  the  propensities  of 
mankind  to  evil  are  so  strong  as  to  become 
invincible  by  every  thing  but  omnipotent 
grace  :  but,  whether  that  is  allowed  or  not, 
1  think  it  must  be  allowed  that  they  are 
such  as  to  render  spiritual  exercises  very 
difficult  ;  at  least,  they  have  some  tendency 
that  way.  Now,  if  the  above  reasoning 
be  just,  it  wull  follow  that,  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  that  difficulty,  the  subjects 
thereof  fought  to  be  excused  in  the  omis- 
sion of  spiritual  exercises.  P.  supposes 
that,  in  this  case,  there  is  no  difference  be- 
tween natural'and  moral  inability  ;  and  his 
argument  proceeds,  all  along,  upon  this 
supposition.  Now,  we  know  that,  in  all 
cases  where  impediments  are  simply  natu- 
ral, it  is  not  at  all  more  evident  that  an 
entire  inability  amounts  to  a  full  excuse 
than  that  a  great  difficulty  excuses  in  a 
great  degree.  If,  therefore,  such  reason- 
ing be  just,  it  must  follow  that  men  are 
excusable  in  exact  proportion  to  the 
strength  of  their  evil  propensities  ;  that  is, 
they  are  excusable  in  just  the  same  pro- 
portion as,-  according  to  the  common  sense 
of  mankind,  they  are  internally  wicked, 
or  culpable  ! 

If  we  suppose  a  man,  for  example,  in 
his  younger  years  to  have  had  but  very  little 
aversion  to  Christ,  and  his  way  of  salva- 
tion ;  he  is  then  exceedingly  loicked  for 
not  coming  to  him.  As  he  advances  in 
years,  his  evil  propensities  increase,  and 
his  aversion  becomes  stronger  and  strong- 
er ;  by  this  time,  his  guilt  is  greatly  di- 
minished. And,  if  it  were  possible  for 
him  to  become  so  much  of  a  devil  as  for 
his  prejudices  to  be  utterly  invincible,  he 
would  then,  according  to  P.,  be  altogether 
innocent  !  * 

P.  thinks  this  matter  so  plain,  it  seems, 
that  he  even  tells  his  correspondent,  "  nei- 
ther he  nor  his  friend  (meaning  me)  could 
imagine  that  a  command  given,  and  not 
obeyed,  renders  the  subjects  of  such  com- 
mand criminal,  unless  these  subjects  have 
power,  or  might  have  power,  to  obey  such 

*  See  President  EJvvards  on  the  Will,  Part  III. 
Sect.  III. 


RKPLY    TO    PllILANTHROl'OS. 


4S7 


command." — p.  K^.  Il  l>y  "  power"  lie 
had  MUMiit  natural  al)ilily,  I  sliouM  cer- 
tainly have  accoriloti  with  llic  scnliment  ; 
but  it  is  very  plain  he  means  to  apply  it 
to  moral  as  well  as  natural  ability,  and 
then  he  is  certainly  mistaken.  For  I  not 
only  can  imairine  that  to  he  the  rase,  luit 
do  vcrilv  helieve  it.  Vea,  I  can  scarcely 
tliink  that  P.  himself  can  lielieve  tiie  con- 
trary ;  at  least,  he  will  not,  he  cannot, 
abide  by  its  just  and  necessary  consequen- 
ces. If  what  he  says  be  true,  it  is  either 
possible  that  no  offences  should  come,  or 
else  no  icoc  is  due  to  those  bij  xchom  they 
come. — Luke  xvii.  1.  It  must  likewise 
follow  that  every  man  has,  or  might  have, 
power  to  live  entirely  blameless  through 
life,  both  towards  God  and  towards  man  ; 
for,  be  it  so  that  some  degree  of  imperfec- 
tion will  continue  to  attend  him,  yet  that 
imperfection,  being  supposed  to  be  "  a 
necessary  ctVect  "  of  the  fall,  cannot  be 
blameworthy,  (p.  67  ;)  and  so  it  is  possible 
for  a  fallen  son  of  Adam  to  live  and  die 
blameless,  and,  consequently,  to  appear 
in  his  own  righteousness  without /«u/^  be- 
fore the  throne  of  God.  These  conse- 
quences, however  anti-scriptural  and  ab- 
surd, are  no  more  than  must  inevitably 
follow  from  the  position  of  Philanthropos. 
"According  to  my  principles,"  I  am 
told,  "men's  moral  inaliility  is  invinci- 
ble."— p.  68.  If  I  liave  used  that  term  in 
the  former  treatise,  or  the  present,  it  is 
for  want  of  a  better.  It  is  easy  to  see 
that  my  principles  do  not  so  much  main- 
tain that  the  moral  inaliility  of  men  is 
such  as  to  render  all  their  attemjits  to 
overcome  it  vain,  as  that  sin  hath  such  a 
dominion  in  their  heart  as  to  prevent  any 
real  attempts  of  that  nature  being  made. 
If  a  whole  country  were  possessed  by  a 
foreign  enemy,  and  all  its  posts  and  ave- 
nues occupied  by  his  forces,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  dead  that  so  much  as  wished 
to  oppose  him;  in  that  case,  to  say  his 
power  was  become  invincible  by  any  op- 
position Jrom  that  country,  would  hardly 
be  proper ;  seeing  all  opposition  there  is 
subdued,  and  all  the  country  are  of  one 
side.  Invincible  is  a  relative  term,  and 
supposes  an  opposition  made,  though 
made  in  vain.  But  moral  inai>ility  is  of 
such  a  nature,  where  it  totally  prevails, 
as  to  prevent  all  real  and  direct  opposi- 
tion being  made.  It  is  the  same  thing  as 
for  the  "hearts  of  the  sons  of  men"  to  be 
"fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil  " — to  be 
full  of  evil,  while  they  live  ;  "  for  "every 
imagination  of  the  heart"  to  be  "only 
evil,  and  that  continually."  Now,  if  we 
say  this  moral  indisposition  is  invincible, 
it  is  for  the  want  of  a  better  term.  What 
we  affirm  is  this,  rather:  that,  suppose  it 
were  conquerable,  there  is  nothing  of  real 


good  in  the  sinner's  heart  to  concjuer  it. 
If  sin  is  conquered  by  any  efforts  oi'  ours, 
it  must  be  by  such  as  are  voluntary.  It 
is  not  enough  that  we  be  "  rational  be- 
ings," and  that  conscience  suggests  to  us 
what  ought  to  be,  (p.  66  :)  we  must  choose 
U\  go  aliout  it,  and  that  in  good  earnest, 
or  we  shall  never  elFect  it.  But  where 
the  thoughts  of  the  heart  are  only  evil,  and 
that  continually,  il  is  supposing  a  plain 
contradiction  to  suppose  our.-iches  the 
sui)jects  of  any  such  volition,  or  desire. 

III.  But  it  will  be  said,  Though  moral 
inability  is  total,  yet  it  is  contjuerable  by 
THE  GRACE  OF  GoD  ;  and  this  grace  is 
given  to  every  one  in  the  world,  or  would 
be  given,  were  he  to  ask  it  :  and  this  it  is 
which  renders  men  inexcusable. — p.  66. 
Without  this,  P.  avows  that  "any  man, 
be  his  practices  as  vile  as  they  may,  may 
excuse  himself  from  l)lame  ;  and  all  real 
good  whatever  may  be  denied  to  be  the 
duty  of  an  ui\principled  mind." — p.  59. 
This  seems  to  l)e  his  last  and  grand  re- 
sort, and  what  he  often  dwells  upon. 
The  discussion  of  this  subject  will  finish 
the  present  section. 

I  bless  God  that  moral  inability  is  in- 
deed conqueralile  by  the  grace  of  God, 
though  I  question  whether  it  is,  or  ever 
was,  conquered  by  what  P.  calls  by  that 
name.  But  su[)posc,  for  argument's  sake, 
we  grant  him  his  hyj)othcsis,  I  question  if 
it  will  answer  his  end.  This  grace  is 
either  actually  given  to  all  mankind,  or 
rcould  be  given  upon  their  application. 
If  actually  given,  I  should  lie  glad  to  know 
what  it  is.  Is  it  light  in  the  understand- 
ing, or  love  in  the  heart  1  Is  it  anv  thing, 
or  productive  of  any  thing,  that  is  truly 
goodl  If  so,  how  does  this  accord  with 
the  description  given  of  men,  that  their 
minds  are  darkness,  their  hearts  enmity, 
and  that  there  is  none  of  them  that  doeth 
good,  no  not  one  1  *  Or  is  it  something 
for  which  there  is  no  name,  a  sort  of  seed 
sown  in  the  heart,  which,  if  neglected, 
will  perish,  but,  if  watered  by  human  in- 
dustry, will  be  productive  1  If  so,  the 
difficulty  is  not  at  all  removed;  for  then 
the  question  is,  whether  a  mind  so  de- 
praved as  to  be  totally  unable  to  do  any 
thing  spiritually  good  will  ever  be  inclined 
to  improve  that  grace,  to  water  the  seed, 
so  as  that  it  may  bring  forth  fruit. 

If  the  latter  member  of  the  position  be 
adopted,  viz.  that  all  mankind  might  have 
grace  sufficient  to  overcome  their  moral 
inability,  if  they  would  apply  for  it;  still 
the  question  returns,  will  a  mind  totally 
destitute  of  any  thing  spiritually  good, 
and  fully  set  upon  doing  evil,  aj)ply  to 
God  for  grace  to  such  an  end  ?     Is  it  not 

*  Ephes.  v.  S.     Rom.  viii.  7;  ill.  12. 


488 


RELLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


inconsistent  for  a  tree  that  is  wholly  evil 
to  brins?  forth  good  fruit '?  Or  are  we  to 
imagine,  after  all,  that  Satan  will  rise  up 
against  himself  1  To  apply  to  God  in  any 
right  manner  for  grace,  for  the  cure  of  an 
evil  propensity,  must  suppose  a  desire  to 
have  that  propensity  cured;  but  to  sup- 
pose a  person  totally  under  the  dominion 
of  a  propensity,  and  at  the  same  time 
properly  and  directly  desiring  to  have 
such  propensity  removed,  is  what  some 
people  would  call  by  the  hard  name  of 
self-contradiction.* 

Farther  :  I  query  if  the  hypothesis  of 
P.,  instead  of  answering  his  end,  will  not 
be  found  subversive  of  itself,  and  destruc- 
tive of  his  main  design.  Making  this 
supposed  grace  the  only  thing  which  con- 
stitutes men  accountable  beings  is  making 
it  debt,  surely,  rather  than  grace.  I  have 
too  good  an  opinion  of  the  humility  and 
integrity  of  P.  to  imagine  he  intends 
merely  to  compliment  the  Almighty  in 
calling  it  grace;  but  I  think  it  becomes 
him  to  examine  his  scheme,  and  see 
Avhether  it  amounts  to  any  thing  less. 
Grace  is  free  favor  towards  the  unworthy. 
It  supposes  the  subject  destitute  of  all 
claim  whatever,  and  the  author  to  be  free 
to  give  or  to  withhold.  But  all  that  this 
supposed  grace  amounts  to  is,  not  to  prove 
that  God  has  done  any  thing  more  than 
he  was  bound  to  do,  but  barely  that  he 
has  done  what  we  had  a  right  to  expect, 
or  else  be  at  liberty  to  throw  off  his  yoke 
with  impunity.  It  does  not,  therefore,  at 
all  prove  Jehovah  to  be  gracious;  if  it 
serve  for  any  thing,  it  can  be  only  to  jus- 
tify his  character  from  the  imputation  of 
injustice  and  cruelty,  or  from  being  what 
P.  calls  "a  merciless  tyrant." — p.  88. 

But  farther  :  I  question  if  even  tins  end 
will  be  answered  by  it.  I  question  if  it 
will  not  be  found,  upon  the  principles  and 
reasonings  of  P.,  that  this  supposed  grace, 
instead  of  being  any  real  favor  towards 
mankind,  is  the  greatest  curse  that  could 
ever  befal  them.  If  Christ  had  never 
come,  and  no  grace  had  been  given  in 
him,  then  according  to  the  reasoning  of 
P.  men  had  never  been  responsible  for 
any  part  of  their  conduct.  They  Avould, 
it  is  true,  have  been  born  depraved,  and 
lived  depraved ;  but,  having  no  power  to 
avoid  it,  or  to  free  themselves  from  it, 
"  where,"  he  asks,  "  would  have  been  their 
criminality  1  " — pp.  44,  57.  He  does  not 
scruple  to  acknowledge  that,  if  no  grace 
were  provided,  "  any  man,  be  his  prac- 
tices as  vile  as  they  might,  might  excuse 
himself  from  blame  :    and   all  real  good 

*  See  President  Edwards  on  the  Will,  Part 
III.,  Sect,  v.,  on  sincere  endeavors. 


whatever  might  be  denied  to  be  the  duty 
of  an  unprincipled  mind." — p.  59.  Now, 
if  things  are  so,  that  men  without  the  be- 
stowment  of  grace  would  have  been  free 
from  criminality,  surely  the  righteousness 
of  God  could  never  have  suffered  them  to 
be  sent  to  hell,  and  the  goodness  of  God, 
we  may  suppose,  would  have  raised  them 
to  eternal  life ;  and  so  they  might  have 
been  innocent  and  happy,  if  Jesus  had 
never  died :  but  now,  alas  !  in  conse- 
quence of  his  coming  and  of  grace  being 
given  them,  to  deliver  them  from  some- 
thing wherein  they  were  never  blame- 
worthy— now  they  lie  all  exposed  to  in- 
excusable blame  and  everlasting  ruin!  f 

P.  speaks  of  the  "  almighty  and  all- 
gracious  God  being  represented  as  con- 
triving to  make  poor  sinners  miserable 
under  the  color  of  invitations,"  &c. — p. 
45.  I  delight  not  in  the  use  of  such  ex- 
pressions ;  they  appear  to  me,  to  say  the 
least,  as  bordering  on  irreverence.  But 
if  such  language  must  be  used,  and  such 
consequences  urged,  let  the  reader  judge 
to  whose  sentiments  they  belong ;  to  those 
of  P.  or  mine. 

"  That  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  accord- 
ing to  the  Scriptures,"  is  allowed  by  P., 
and,  I  should  think,  by  every  Christian, 
to  be  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  Christian- 
ity.— p.  34,  note.  The  apostle,  doubtless, 
considered  this,  and  his  resurrection  from 
the  dead,  in  such  a  light,  when  he  conclu- 
ded that,  if  the  opposite  were  true,  the 
faith  of  the  Corinthians  ivas  vain,  and  they 
were  'yet  in  their  sins. — 1  Cor.  xv.  3 — 17. 
But,  fundamental  as  these  sentiments  are, 
if  the  scheme  of  P.  be  true,  the  first  of 
them  must,  of  necessity,  be  false.  If  his 
sentiments  a^re  true,  Christ  did  not  come 
into  the  world  to  save  men  from  sin,  but 
rather  to  put  them  into  a  capacity  of  sin- 
ning ;  as  it  is  in  consequence  of  his  death, 
and  that  alone,  that  guilt  becomes  charge- 
able upon  them.  So  far  from  being  yet  in 
their  sins,  if  Christ  had  neither  died  for 
them  nor  risen  from  the  dead,  they  had 
then  been  incapable  of  sinning  at  all,  and 

t  When  I  consider  the  above  positions,  I  am  en- 
tirely at  a  loss  to  understand  the  following  passage  : 
— "  It  is  granted,  Sir,  that  God  might  justly  have 
left  man  in  ihe  state  he  was  born  in,  and  brought  in- 
to by  Adam's  sin,  whatever  state  that  be." — p.  57. 
What  such  a  state  would  have  been,  P.  does  not  de- 
termine: he  seems  here  to  consider  it,  however,  as 
deserving  some  sort  of  punishment ;  otherwise  there 
is  no  meaning  in  that  comparative  mode  of  speaking, 
which  he  so  frequently  uses,  ofheing  punished  more 
severely.  But  does  P.  really  mean  what  he  writesl 
Compare  this  passage  with  what  he  has  asserted  in 
pages  44,  57,  59,  and  it  amounts  to  nothing  less  than 
this — that  it  ivould  have  been  just  in  God  to  have 
punished  the  human  race  by  acquitting  them  of  all 
blame,  and  bringing  them  in  guiltless  ! 


REPLY    TO    nilLANTIIROPOS. 


489 


ought  not  to  have  been  accountable  to  God,  It  seems,  if  men  liad  but  power  to 
let  their  practices  iiavc  been  what  tliey  comply,  all  this  injustice  would  subside. 
luiKht  !  Well  :  we  aOinn   they  have  puwcr.     They 

It  is  possible  the  reader  may  be  startled    ha\e  the  same  natural  aliility  to    eml)raco 
at  the  imputation  of  sucii  consc(juences  as    Christ    as     to    reject    him.      Tiiey    could 
the  al)ove;  and,  truly,  they  are  ot   such  a    comply    with    the   gospel    if  thcij    would. 
nature  as  ouuht  to  startle  not  the   reader    Is  any   thin>i  more  necessary   to  denomi- 
oniy.     "  But  are  not  tilings  carried   to  an    nate  them   accountal)lc   beings  1     Wc  be- 
extrenieV     \\i  they  are,  it  is  unknown    lieve   not;  and   perhaps,    in  tact,   P.  be- 
to  me  :   but  let  us  go  over  the  ground  again    lieves   the  same.     In   some  jilaces,   how- 
and  sec.     P.  supposes,  1.  That  man  was   ever,  he  appears  to  think  there  is.     Well  : 
so  reduced   l)y  the   tall   as   to  be   ^^  really    what  is   it]     If  any   thing,  it  must   bean 
and  totally  unahlc  to  do  good." — p.  57.  2.    inclination    as   well  as   an  ability.     Now, 
That,  if  he  had  been  lelt  in  this  condition,    would  P.  be  willing  to  have  his  objection 
he  would  not  have  been  to  blame   tor  not    thus  stated   : — It  is  hard  that  new  obliga- 
doing  it,  but  that  his  inability  would  have    tions    should  be   laid    uj)on   persons   who 
been  his  excuse,  (pp.  44,   57,   59:)    yea,    have  no  inclination  \.o  what  tliey  already 
"let  his   practices   have  been  as   vile  as    lie  under  1     If  so,  it   will  afford    final  un- 
thcy  might,  he  would  have   been  excusa-    believers  a  powerful  })lca  at  the  last  day. 
bio'"— p.  59.     But,  3.   That  God  has  not    "  No,"  it  will  be  said,  "  they  might  have 
left  him  in  this  condition.     He  has  sect    had  an  inclination  if  they  uumld  ;  "  l)ut 
his   Son  to   die   for   all  men   universally;    let    it  be   considered  whether    any  thing 
and,   by  giving,   or  at  least  ofTering,  his    like  this    is  revealed    in    Scripture,     and 
Spirit  to  all  men,  he  removes  the  inability    whether  it  is  not  repugnant  even  to  com- 
which   they  derived   from   the    tall  ;    and    mon  sense.  If  they  had    been  tcilUng,  they 
hence    they   become    accountable   beings,    might,  or  ivould,   have  been  ivilling  !  that 
and  are  inexcusable  if  they  do  not  comply    is  the  amount   of  it,   which  is    saying  just 
with  things  spiritually  good. — p.   66.     If   nothing  at  all.     But,  passing  this, 
words  have  any  meaning,  I  should  think        Whoever  Vie   right,   he   or  I,   neither  of 
tlicse  are  the  real  sentiments  of  P.     Now,    us  ought  to  take   his   own    hypothesis  for 
if  these  be  true,  it  must  follow  that  Christ    granted  and  proceed  to  charge  the  conse- 
did  not  die  for  the  si^s  of  any  jnan  excc\)t    quences  upon  the    other.     And  yet  this  is 
it  were  Adam  ;  since  none  of  tlie  fallen    what  P.   has   done.     The  w  hole   force  of 
race  could  have  sinned  if  he   had  never    his   reasoning  in  p.  45,   and   divers  other 
died.       The    reasonings    of    P.    suppose    places,  rests  upon   the  sui)position  of  that 
that  men  are  not  chargeable  with  sin  or    being  true  which  is  a  matter  of  dispute  ! 
blameirorthiness,     independently     of    the    viz.  that  natural    power  is  not  power,  and 
death  of  Christ  and  the  grace  of  the  gos-    is  not  sutTicient   to   denominate    men   ac- 
pel ;  and,  if  so,  it  could  not  be  to  atone    countable   beings.     His  statement  of  the 
for,  s;;i  that  he  laid  down  his  life  ;  for,  pri-    above  objection  takes    this   for   granted; 
or  to  the  consideration  of  this,  there  was    whereas   this  is  what  we  positively  deny, 
no  sin  for  which  he  could  have  to  atone.       maintaining  that   natural  power  is  power. 
If  I  have  unhappily  adopted  an  indefen-    properly  so  called,   and    is,  to  all  intents 
sible  mode  of  reasoning,  let  it  be  fairly    and  purposes,  sufficient  to  render  men  ac- 
confuted.       Till  I   see  that  done   I    shall    countable  beings  ;  that  the  want  of  incli- 
nation in  a  sinner  is  of  no  account  with 
the  Governor  of  the  world;   that  he  pro- 
ceeds in  his  requirements,    and   that  it  is 
right  he  should  jiroceed,  in  the  same  way 
as   if  no   such    disinclination   existed.     If 


continue  to  think  the  sentiments  of  P.  on 
this  sulijcct  eversive  of  one  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  Christianity. 

There  is  a  thought  on  which  P.  repeat- 
edly insists.     It  is  this,  that,   "  supposing 


ittol)ejust  to  punish  men  eternally   for  this   can   be   solidly   disproved,   let  it;  it 

that  depravity  whicii  they  derive  Irom  their  will  be   time   enough   then   to   exclaim  of 

first  parents,  (this,  however,  is  more  than  injustice   and  cruelty,  and  to  compare  the 

he  in  fact  will  allow,)  yet  it  is  very  hard  Divine  Being  to  an  Egyptian  task-master, 

that  any  addition  should  be   made  to  the  or  to  "  a  wicked  Rehoboam." — p.  92,* 
obligations  they  lie  under,  and  that  pun- 


ishments should  be  annexed  to  these  ol)li- 
gations  which  they  have  no  power  either  to 
regard  or  avoid." — p.  45.  Heoftenspeaks 
of  the   injustice   of  punishing  those   who 


♦  I  wish  P.  had  ppoken  oCtlie  Divine  Being-,  Iiere 
and  in  some  otlier  places,  in  language  more  becom- 
ing a  worm  of  the  dust.  1  have  no  ohjoction  to  the 
consequences  of  a  sentiment  being  fairly  pointed 
out  and  thoroughly   urged :   but,   suppose  siicli  a  eon- 


enjoy    gospel-opportunities,     and    neglect    sequence  as  tliis  had  been  just,  it  might  have  been 
them,  "  7uore  set-eWi/ tiian  if  they  had  nev- 
er enjoyed  them,  if  they  had  not  power  suf- 
ficient to  have  enibraccd  them." — ]).   57. 
To  all  which  I  reply, 

VOL.  I.  62 


urged  in  more  sober  language.  Surely  it  is  [too 
much  for  a  creature  to  talk  of  his  Creator  Ijeing 
wicked  !  But  I  have  no  conviction,  at  present,  of 
such  a  consetjuence  being  just.  If  it  Ix;,  it  must  be 
upon  this  supposition,  that  not  capacity  and  oppor^ 


490 


REPLY    TO    PHIL.\NTHROPOS. 


The  question  appears  to  me  to  be  this, 
7s  it  unrighteous  in  God  to  do  right  be- 
cause he  knows  men  loill  be  sure  to  take 
occasion  thence  to  do  wrong  and  aggravate 
their  own  destruction  1  God  knew  assur- 
edly that  all  the  messages  sent  to  Pharaoh 
would  only  harden  his  heart  and  aggravate 
his  ruin  ;  lam  sure,  said  Jehovah  to  his 
servant,  that  the  king  of  Egypt  unll  not 
let  you  go  :  no,  not  by  a  mighty  hand,  and 
yet  he  did  not  in  the  least  hold  himself 
obliged  either  to  give  him  grace  that 
should  soften  his  heart  or  to  discontinue 
his  messages,  which,  without  such  grace, 
were  certain  to  issue  in  the  aggravation 
of  his  ruin.  "  But  Pharaoh  could  have 
complied  if  he  would."  We  grant  it ; 
and  so  could  they  who  reject  Christ. 
They  are  under  no  other  necessity  in 
the  one  case  than  Pharaoh  was  in  the 
other. 

Whatever  dissimilarity  there  may  be 
between  the  condition  of  fallen  angels 
and  that  of  sinners  in  the  present  life 
who  will  finally  perish,  the  case  of  the 
former  sufficiently  serves  to  refute  the 
supposition  of  P.  The  redemption  of 
man  has  certainly  been  an  occasion  of  a 
world  of  guilt  to  those  revolted  spirits. 
Had  not  Christ  come,  Satan  could  never 
have  had  an  opportunity  to  have  sinned  in 
the  manner  he  has  in  tempting  him,  insti- 
gating his  murderers,  and  all  along  op- 
posing the  spread  of  his  kingdom.  But 
would  it  be  right,  therefore,  for  Satan,  in 
behalf  of  himself  and  his  associates,  to 
plead  in  this  manner  at  the  great  assize — 
Why  were  we  not  confined  to  the  deep  1 
Seeing  no  mercy  was  designed  for  us, 
where  was  the  justice  of  suffering  us  to 
range  in  the  world,  Avhere  it  was  certain 
we  should  only  increase  our  guilt  and  so 
be  punished  the  7nore  severely  1  Surely 
our  first  revolt  was  enough  for  us,  with- 
out being  suffered  to  go  any  farther. 

If  the  reasoning  of  P.  on  this  subject, 
particularly  in  p.  57,  prove  any  thing,  it 
will  prove  not  merely  that  sinners  ought 
not  to  be  punished  more  severely,  but  that, 
if  it  were  not  for  grace  provided  for  them, 
they  ought  not  to  be  punished  at  all.  In 
that  case,  one  should  think,  the  greatest 
grace  would  have  been  to  have  let  them 
alone,  and  left  them  under  the  ruins  of 
the  fall  :  then  had  they  been  blameless 
and  harmless,  without  rebuke,  and  conse- 
quently unexposed  to  misery,  either  here 
or  hereafter. 

After  all,  I  question  if  P.  really  means 
any  thing  more  by  his  notion  of  grace 
than  we  do  by  natural  ability.     We  allow 

tunity,  but  inclination  to  do  good,  is  analogous  to 
the  straw  with  which  the  Israelites  ought  to  iiave 
been  furnished  for  the  making  of  brick. 


that  men   can   come    to  Christ,   and   do 
things  spiritually  good,  if  they  will.    He  is 
not  satisfied,    it  seems,    with    this  :  they 
must   have   something  oi  grace  given,  or 
offered,  or  otherwise   they  cannot  be  ac- 
countable   beings.     Well  :  what   does    it 
all   amount  to  1   Does  he  mean  that  they 
must  have  something  of  real  good  and  ho- 
ly inclination  in  them  %     I  question   if  he 
will  affirm  this.     Does  he  mean  that  this 
supposed  grace  does  any   thing  effectually 
towards  making  them  willing  1     No  such 
thing.      What,    then,     does    he     mean  1 
Nothing    that  I  can     comprehend     more 
than  this — that  men   may  come  to  Christ, 
if  they  will.     His  whole  scheme  of  grace, 
therefore,   amounts  to   no  more  than  our 
natural   ability.     We  admit   that  men  in 
general  are  possessed   of  this  ability  !  but 
then  we  have  no  notion  of  calling  it  grace. 
If  we  must  be  accountable  beings,  we  ap- 
prehend this  to  he  no   more  than  an  exer- 
cise  of  justice.     And  in  fact  our   oppo- 
nents, whatever  terms  they  use,  think  the 
same  ;  for  though  they  call  it  grace,  and 
so  would  seem   to  mean  that  it  is   some- 
thing for  which  we  had  no  claim,  yet  the 
constant  drift   of  their  writing  proves  that 
they  mean   no    such    thing  :  for  they   all 
along  plead  that  it  would  be  unjust  and 
cruel  in   God  to  withhold  it  and  yet   to 
treat    them   as   accountable    beings.      P. 
does  not  scruple  to  compare  it  to  the  con- 
duct  of  an   Egyptian    task-master,   who 
required  brick  without  straw.     What  end, 
therefore,   they  can  have  in   calling  this 
power  by  the  name  oi  grace  it  is  difficult 
to  say,   unless  it  be  to  avoid  the  odium  of 
seeming  to  ascribe  to  divine  grace  noth- 
ing at  all. 

For  my  part,  I  apprehend  that,  whatever 
grace  is  provided  for  or  bestowed  upon  men, 
they  are  altogether  inexcusable,  without 
any  consideration  of  that  nature  whatever. 
Some  of  the  principal  reasons  for  which 
are  as  follow  : — 1.  The  term  grace  implies 
that  the  sulject  is  totally  unworthy,  alto- 
gether inexcusable,  and  destitute  of  any 
claim  ;  and  all  this  previously  to,  and  in- 
dependent of,  its  bestowment ;  otherwise 
grace  is  no  more  grace.  2.  The  heathen, 
in  their  ignorance  of  God,  are  said  to  be 
without  excuse  :  and  that  not  from  the  con- 
sideration of  grace,  bestowed  upon  them, 
unless  by  "  grace  "  is  meant  simply  the 
means  of  knowledge  by  the  works  of  crea- 
tion, answering  to  the  testimony  of  con- 
science within  them.  "  That  which  may 
be  known  of  God,"  says  the  apostle,  ".is 
manifest  in  them  ;  for  God  hath  showed  it 
unto  them.  For  the  invisible  things  of  him 
from  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly 
seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that 
are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  God- 
head ;  so  that  they  are  without  excuse." 


REPLY    TO    I'lIILANTIIROPOS. 


491 


3.  The  manner  in  uliich  Ihe  godly  have  do  the  same  l)usiness  which  it  was  before, 
prayeci  for  grace  to  fullil  their  duly,  aiul  It  is  true  it  does  not  excuse  his  foriricr 
to  i)reser\  e  iheni  from  sin,  sliow  s  tliat  they  inteiii|)erancc  ;  lor  in  that  he  was  to  hiainc  : 
considered  themselves  as  ol)ii<;ed  to  duty,  but  il  excuses  his  present  cessation  Iroiu 
und  as  lial)le  to  sin,  antecedently  to  its  business:  for  that  lie  is  not  to  Idamc  ;  nor 
bcstowmeiit.  "  Tiiou  hast  commanded  can  any  person  l)lame  him.  Tliis  will  hold 
us  that  we  should  keej)  thy  precepts  dili-  good  in  all  cases  of  natural  inaliilily  what- 
gently  :  O  that  my  ways  were  directed  to  ever;  and,  if  there  is  no  difl'erence  l)etwecn 
keep  thy  statutes  !  " — "  We  know  not  wiiat  tiiat  and  what  is  of  a  moral  nature,  the 
we  should  pray  lor  as  wc  ought  ;  i)ut  the  same  reasoning  will  apply  to  the  fallen 
JSpirit  itself  helpeth  our  inlirmities." —  angels.  They  were  certainly  to  blame  for 
"Hold  up  my  goings  in  thy  |)alhs,  that  their  first  revolt,  l)y  which  they  contracted 
my  footsteps  slip  not." — "O  that  tliou  their  inability;  but  how  can  they  be  to 
wouldest  keep  mc  I'rom  e\il,  that  it  may  not  blame  for  continuing  wliat  they  are  I 
grieve  me!" — "Keep  back  thy  servant  Their  propensity  to  evil  is  now  become 
from  presumptuous  sins  :  then  shall  I  be  invincible,  and  no  grace  is  bestowed  upon 
innocent  from  the  great  transgression."  them  to  deliver  them  from  it:  how,  then, 
4.  Fallen  angels  are  under  amoral  inal)ili-  can  they  be  to  blamed  And  if  truth  is  of 
ty  to  love  God,  or  to  do  any  tiling  that  is  like  force  in  all  places,  and  at  all  times, 
really  good,  and  no  grace  is  provided  for  why  should  not  the  ploughl)oy's  argument, 
them ;  yet  they  are  without  excuse.  as  it  is  called,   "  VVIiat  wc  cannot  do,  we 

P.  informs  us  of  some  unsuccessful  con-    cannot  do,"  be  as  irrefragable  in  the  lan- 
ferences  which  he  has  frequently  had  with    guage  of  an  apostate  angel  as  in  that  of  an 
unconverted  sinners,  in  endeavoring,  upon    apostate  man  1 
Calvinistic  principles,  to  fix  blame  upon 
their  consciences. — p.   GO.     If  I  had  had 

the  pleasure  of  being  a  bystander  in  one  or  

more  of  those  conferences,  I  imagine  I 
should  have  seen  a  very  easy  conquest : 
and  no  wonder  ;  people  seldom  manage  to 
the  best  advanta.j^e  those  princijiles  which 
they  do  not  lielieve.  We  too  often  see 
this  exemplified,  when  a  controversy  is 
written  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue. 

I  do  not  apprehend  that  P.   intended  to        I  find  it  difficult  to   come   at  the  real 
plead  the  cause  of  the  infernal  legions   in    sentiments  of  P.  touching  the   moral  law. 
their  C07i/mMe(/   enmity  to,  and   rebellion    Sometimes  he  speaks  of  it  as"aninvari- 
against,  the  Most  High  ;  but,  if  I  am  not    able  rule  of  human  conduct,  and  infallible 
greatly  mistaken,  the  purport  of  his  reason-    test  of  right  and  wrong,"  (|).  07  ;)  at  other 
ing  is   fully   of  that   tendency.     There  is    times  he  speaks  of  il  as  wholly  abrogated, 
only  one  particular  wanting,  viz.  deriving    as  if  "final  misery  was  not  brought  uponsin- 
their  depravity  from  a  predecessor,  to  ren-    ners  by  their  transgression  of  the  law,  but 
der  all    their   iniquities,  according  to  his    by  their  rejection  of  the  overtures  of  mer- 
reasoning,  entirely  excusai'le.     They  can-    cy." — p.  86.     In  his  Ninth  Letter  he  ad- 
not  7io!t'  find  in  their  hearts  to  do   au^'ht    mits  that  men  "are  bound,  as   sul)jects  of 
but  evil:  and,  no    grace   lieing   bestowed    God's  moral  government,  to  embrace  what- 
upon  them  to  deliver  them,  wherein   can    ever   he    reveals." — p.    89.     One    should 
consist  their  blame]      It  is   true  each  of   think  that,  if  so,  a  rejection  of  the  over- 
them  brought  his  depravity  ujjon  himself,    tures  of  mercy  must  itself  he  a  transgres- 
without  deriving  it  from  another  ;  and  this    sion  of  the  law.     And  yet  he,    all   along, 
may  prove  them  to  have  been  to  blame  in    speaks  of  our  obligations  to  obey  the  gos- 
ihch  first  revolt,  but  not  in  any  thing  that    pel  as  arising,  if  not  wholly,  yet  chiefly, 
follows.     They  sinned,  to  lie  sure,  at  the    from  the  gospel  itself.     He  does  not  seem 
beginning;  but,  if  the  reasoning  of  P.  be    willing  (o  deny  the  thing  in  full  ;   for  he 
just,  I  do  not  see  how  they  can  have  sin-    cautiously    uses   the  terms    "  wholly  and 
ned  from  it.     He  insists  upon  it  that  in    chiefly  :  "  and  yet  if  his  arguments,    es- 
these  cases  there  is  no  difference  between    pecially  from  the  contrary  nature  of  the 
a  natural  and  moral  inability;  "  for  what    two  dispensations,  (p.  90,)  from  the  silence 
wecannotdojwecannotdo."-- -p.GO.  Now,    of  Scrij)ture,  &c.   &c.,  prove  any    thing, 
in  all  cases  of  natural  inaltility,  the  party  is    they   will   prove   that   our   obligations   to 
excusal)le,  even  though  he  may,  by  his  own    obey  the  gospel  must  arise  wholly  and  en- 
fault,  have  brought  that  inability  upon  him-    tirely  from  the  gospel  itself,  and  not  from 
self.     If  a  man,  by  dcl)auchery  or  excess    the  moral  law.* 
bring  upon  himself  an  utter  disal)ility  for  all 
future  employment,  it  is  not  then  his  duty  to        *  That  there  is  a  tense  in  \\\nd\  our  oLligation  to 


SECTION  III. 

ON    FAITH    IN    CHRIST   BEING    A    REQUIR- 
MENT    OF    THE    MORAL    LAW. 


492 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


The  purport  of  all  the  reasoning  of  P.  on 
this  subject  supposes  me  to  maintain  that 

MEN  ARE  EXHORTED  AND  INVITED  TO 
SUCH  AND  SUCH  THINGS,  MERELY  AS 
MATTER  OF  DUTY,  WITHOUT  ANY  PROM- 
ISE OF  SALVATION  ON  THEIR  COMPLI- 
ANCE. Hence  he  speaks  of"  binding  men 
down  in  chains  of  darkness  ;  "  of  their 
"  seeking  the  salvation  of  their  souls  in 
vain,"  (p.  46;)  with  various  things  of  the 
kind  :  whereas  I  have  given  sufficient 
proof  of  the  contrary  throughout  the 
former  treatise,  particularly  in  pp.  157 — 
159.  It  is,  all  along,  supposed  that  eter- 
nal salvation  is  promised  by  a  faithful  God 
to  any  and  every  exercise  of  what  is  spirit- 
ually good  ;  and  that,  if  every  sinner  who 
hears  the  gospel  were  truly  to  come  to 
Christ  for  salvation,  every  such  sinner 
would  undoubtedly  be  saved. 

It  must  be  upon  this  mistaken  supposi- 
tion that  P.  denies  the  gospel  upon  our 
principles  to  be  in  itself  "  good  news,"  (p. 
92,)  or  in  its  own  nature,  a  "  real  privi- 
lege."— p.  87.  But  unless  the  aversion  of 
men's  hearts  from  embracing  the  gospel 
(if  grace  is  not  provided,  to  enable  them 
to  do  so)  makes  that  to  be  no  privilege 
which  would  otherwise  be  so,  such  a  con- 
sequence cannot  justly  be  imputed  to  our 
sentiments.  This,  however,  will  not  be 
admitted  :  yet  P.  seems  to  take  it  for 
granted,  and  proceeds  to  draw  consequen- 
ces from  it,  as  an  undoubted  truth. 

There  is  some  force  in  what  P.  has  ad- 
vanced on  the  subject  of  trust  (p.  32  ;)  and, 
for  any  thing  I  yet  perceive,  he  is  in  the 
right  in  supposing  that  the  venture  of  the 
four  lepers  into  the  Syrian  camp  could  not 
pi'operly  be  called  by  that  name.  It  should 
be  considered,  however,  that  the  above 
case,  which  I  produced  for  illustration, 
was  not  designed  as  a  perfect  representa- 
tion of  a  sinner's  application  to  Christ.  1 
never  supposed  it  possible  for  a  soul  to  ap- 
ply to  Christ  and  be  disappointed.  Wheth- 
er the  resolution  of  the  lepers  can  be  call- 
ed trust,  or  not,  it  never  was  my  design  to 
prove  that  a  sinner  has  no  greater  encour- 
agement to  apply  to  Christ  than  they  had 
in  their  proposed  application  to  the  Syri- 
ans. On  the  contrary,  the  purport  of  the 
argument  in  that  place  was  thus  express- 
ed :  "If  it  would  be  right  to  venture, 
even  in  such  a  case  as  that,  surely  Christ's 
having  promised,  saying,  '  Hiin  that  cometh 
unto  me  I  will  in  no  loise  cast  out,'  cannot 
make  it  otherwise." — p.  133. 

I  admit  there  is  no  doubt  of  a  sinner's 
acceptance  who,  from  his  heart,  applies  at 
the  feet  of  Christ,  as  one  who  is   utterly 

comply  with  die  gospel  does  arise  from  the  gospel 
itself  is  allowed.  On  this  subject  I  have  given  my 
thoughts  ill  the  former  treatise,  p.  57. 


lost,  and  righteously  condemned  :  yet  I  do 
not  feel  the  force  of  my  opponent's  censure 
when,  speaking  of  coming  to  Christ  with 
a  "  J) er adventure  he  will  save  my  life,''  lie 
calls  it  the  mere  language  of  heathenism. 
A  heathen's  having  used  such  language 
does  not  prove  it  to  be  the  mere  language 
of  heathenism  ;  nor  is  it  so.  Peter  exhort- 
ed the  sorcerer,  saying,  "  Repent  there- 
fore of  this  wickedness,  if  perhaps  the 
thought  of  thy  heart  may  be  forgiven  thee." 
Though  there  be  no  doubt  of  one  who 
truly  comes  to  Christ  being  accepted,  yet 
there  may  be  some  doubt  concerning  a 
person's  coming  in  the  spirit  of  the  gos- 
pel :  and  I  believe  it  is  not  usual  for  a 
person,  on  his  first  application  to  Christ, 
to  be  able  to  decide  upon  that  matter.  On 
these  accounts,  I  should  think  it  is  usual 
for  a  sinner,  on  his  first  application  to  the 
Saviour,  to  pray  to  the  Lord,  if  so  be  that 
ihe  evils  of  his  heart  and  life  may  be  for- 
given him.  It  is  not  the  way  of  a  contrite 
sinner  to  come  as  a  claimant,  but  as  a  sup- 
pliant :  "  He  putteth  his  mouth  in  the 
dust,  if  so  be  there  may  be  hope." 

Trust,  according  to  my  present  appre- 
hensions, when  used  to  express  faith  in 
Christ,  refers,  like  that,  to  a  divine  testi- 
mony, or  promise.  That  for  which  every 
sinner  who  hears  the  gospel  ought  to  trust 
to  Christ  is  this  :  that,  if  he  truly  come  to 
him,  he  shall  surely  be  accepted  of  him  ;  for 
this  is  testified,  or  promised.  He  ought 
not  so  to  trust  in  Christ  as  to  depend  upon 
being  saved  by  him  whether  he  come  to 
him  in  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  or  not,  (for 
that  would  be  trusting  in  a  falsehood,)  but 
so  as  to  give  up  every  false  object  of  con- 
fidence, and  make  trial  of  the  divine  vera- 
city. 

If  there  is  any  difference  between  the 
manner  in  which  a  sinner  ought  to  trust  in 
Christ,  and  in  which  a  saint  does  trust  in 
him,  it  appears  to  be  this  :  the  former  ought 
to  trust  in  God's  promise  that,  if  he  come, 
he  shall  be  accepted,  and  so  make  the  trial : 
the  latter  may  be  conscious  that  he  has 
come  to  Christ,  and  does  fall  in  with  his 
gospel  and  governmeiit ;  and,  if  so,  he 
trusts  in  his  promise  for  the  happy  issue. 
There  are  seasons,  however,  in  which  true 
saints  are  in  great  darkness  about  their 
evidences  for  glory.  At  those  times,  they 
find  it  necessary  to  exercise  renewed  acts 
of  trust  on  Christ  in  the  manner  first  de- 
scribed. Not  possessing  a  certain  con- 
sciousness that  they  do  fall  in  with  his 
gospel  and  government,  all  they  can  do  is 
to  consider  that  the  promise  is  stillin  force, 
''Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no 
ivise  cast  out ;  "  and  so  make  trial  afresh 
of  the  Redeemer's  veracity. 

P.  seems  to  think  that  his  sentiments 


KI.I'LY    TO     I'lm.AiNTllUOI'OS. 


493 


lay  II  i)roj)er  foiinihition  lor  trust  to  every 
jK)or  sinner  ;  and  tliat  ours  do  not.  But 
what  lias  any  sinner  to  trust  in  uj)on  liis 
priniiples,  more  tlian  upon  ours  !  Ac- 
cordini^  to  our  prii\ciples,  any  sinner  may 
trust  tliat  he  shall  l>e  saved  (/"  he  comr  to 
Christ  :  and  what  do  his  do  more  !  They 
do  not  w  arrant  a  sinner  to  trust  that  he  shall 
lie  sa\  ed  whether  he  come  to  Christ  or  not  ; 
lor  thouirli  F.  siipposes  Christ  died  lor  all, 
yet  he  maintains  that  many  of  those  for 
whom  he  ilied  will  linally  perish.  I  see 
no  aihantajic  whatever,  therelore,  attend- 
inji  his  scheme,  in  layin_a:a  more  solid  and 
extensive  tbundation  lor  a  sinner's  trust 
than  ours. 

in  am  not  very  much  mistaken,  P.  has 
jrrcatly  confounded  two  very  dilTerent 
things,  viz.  an  obligation  and  an  encourage- 
ment to  believe.  The  one,  I  suppose,  arises 
from  the  moral  law  ;  the  other  Irom  the 
gospel.  That  the  encouragements  held 
out  to  sinners  to  return  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ  lieloniT  to  the  law  is  what  1  never 
afTirmed.  P.  has  quoted  various  Scrip- 
tures, in  his  Ninth  Letter,  of  an  encourag- 
ing nature;  and  these,  doubtless,  are  the 
language  of  the  gospel.  But  the  question 
is,  does  our  obligation  to  believe  arise  from 
these  encouragements,  or  from  the  injunc- 
tions witli  which  they  are  connected  1 
The  encouragement  of  the  j>rodigal  to 
return,  and  make  a  frank  acknowledgment 
to  Ids  father,  arose  from  his  father's  well- 
known  clemency,  and  there  being  bread 
enough  in  his  house,  and  to  spare;  but 
that  was  not  the  ground  of  his  obligation. 
It  had  been  right  and  fit  for  him  to  have 
returned,  wjiether  such  a  ground  of  en- 
couragement had  existed  or  not. 

As  to  those  encouragements  being  im- 
proper without  a.  provision  of  mercy  ;  if  it 
were  possible  for  any  returning  sinner  to 
be  refused  admittance  for  want  of  a  suf- 
ficiency in  the  death  of  Christ,  this  might 
be  admitted,  V)ut  not  else.  And  if  by  a 
provision  of  mercy  is  meant  no  more  than 
a  provision  of  pardon  to  all  who  believe, 
and  supposing,  for  argument's  sake,  every 
man  in  the  world  should  return  to  God  in 
Christ's  name,  thai  Ihey  would  all  be  ac- 
cepted, I  have  no  objection  to  it.  At  the 
same  time,  it  is  insisted  that  no  man  ever 
did  come  to  Christ,  or  ever  can  find  in  his 
heart  to  do  so,  but  whom  the  Father 
draws.  But  more  of  this  hereafter:  at 
present  I  shall  offer  a  few  arguments  for 
the  following  position  : — Though  the  en- 
couragements of  a  sinner  to  come  to  Christ 
arise  wholly  from  the  gospel,  yet  his  ob- 
ligation so  to  do  arises  from  the  moral 
law. 

I.  All  obligation  must  arise  from  some 
law.  If,  therefore,  our  obligations  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ  do  uot  arise  from  the  moral 


law,  thev  must  arise  from  the  gospel  as  a 
7i<'ii'  law:  Vuit  the  gospel,  as  P.  admits, is 
sim\t\\  goodneivs,{\).  5,)  and  ncirs,  whether 
good  or  bad,  relates  not  to  [irccepts  or  in- 
junctions, but  to  tidings  proclaimed. 

II.  Sin  is  defined,  by  an  inspired  apostle, 
to  be  "  the  transgression  of  the  lan\" — I 
John  iii.  1.  If  this  be  a  perfect  definition, 
it  must  extend  to  all  sin  ;  and  conse(pient- 
ly  to  unbelief,  or  a  rejection  of  God's  way 
of  salvation.  But,  if  unl)elief  be  a  trans- 
gression of  the  law,  faith,  which  is  the  op- 
j)osite,  must  be  one  of  its  requirements. 

III.  If  love  to  God  include  faith  in  Christ 
wherever  he  is  revealed  by  the  gospel, 
then  the  moral  law,  which  expressly  re- 
quires the  former,  must  also  recjuire  the 
latter.  In  proof  that  love  to  God  includes 
faith  in  Christ,  I  ask  leave  to  refer  the 
reader  to  pages  33 — 35,  and  69  of  the 
former  treatise. 

P.  allows  my  "reasonings  on  the  extent 
of  the  moral  law,  in  pages  ISS,  189,*  are 
very  conclusive  ;  "  but  what  he  calls  "  ana- 
logical reasonings,  in  this  and  other  places, 
from  the  law  to  the  gospel,  he  cannot  think 
to  be  equally  conclusive,  unless  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  law  and  that  of  the  gos- 
pel were  the  same." — p.  67.  If  I  under- 
stand what  he  refers  to  by  analogical  rea- 
sonings, it  is  the  argument  contained  in 
those  pages  to  which  I  have  just  now  re- 
ferred the  reader.  I  might  here  ask.  Is 
what  was  advanced  in  those  pages  answer- 
ed ^  I  do  not  recollect  that  any  thing  like 
an  answer  to  it  is  attempted  by  any  one  of 
my  opponents.  If  the  reasoning  is  inconclu- 
sive, I  should  suppose  its  deficiency  is 
capable  of  being  detected.  Let  P.  or  any 
other  person  prove,  if  he  is  able,  that 
supreme  love  to  God  would  not  necessari- 
ly lead  a  fallen  creature,  who  has  heard 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  to  embrace  him  as 
God's  way  of  salvation  ;  or  let  him  invali- 
date those  arguments,  in  the  pages  referred 
to,  in  which  the  contrary  is  maintained. 
Let  him  consider  also,  whether,  if  he  suc- 
ceed, he  will  not,  in  so  doing,  invalidate 
the  reasoning  of  our  Lord  to  the  Jews, 
"  I  know'  you,  that  ye  have  not  the  love  of 
God  in  you.  I  am  come  in  my  Father's 
name,  and  ye  receive  me  not." 

That  the  law  and  the  gospel  are  two 
very  different  dispensations  is  allowed. 
The  one  is  a  mere  inefficient  rule,  requir- 
ing what  is  right,  but  giving  no  disposi- 
tion to  a  compliance  ;  the  other  provides 
for  the  bestowment  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by 
which  we  are  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  our 
mind.  The  gospel  makes  effectual  j)rovi- 
sion  for  the  producing  of  those  dispositions 
which  the  law  simply  requires.     The  law 

*  This  refers  to  the  fir.-ited.  Tlie  substance  will 
be  found  in  App.  p.  423. 


494 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


condemns  the  sinner,  the  gospel  justifies 
him.  On  these  accounts,  the  former  is 
filly  called  the  letter  lohich  killeth, 
and  the  latter  the  spirit  which  giveth 
LiPE. — 2  Cor.  iii.  6.  For  these  reasons 
also,  with  others,  the  gospel  is  a  better 
covenant.  All  this  may  be  allowed,  with- 
out making  it  a  new  law,  requiring  a  kind 
of  obedience  that  shall  be  within  the  com- 
pass of  a  carnal  mind,  and  different  in  its 
nature  Irom  that  required  by  the  moral 
law. 

IV.  Unbelievers  will  be  accused  and 
convicted  by  Moses  ;  their  unbelief  must, 
therefore,  be  a  breach  of  the  law  of  Mo- 
ses. After  our  Lord  had  complained  of 
the  Jews  that  "  they  would  not  come  un- 
to him  that  they  might  have  life  ;  "  that, 
though  he  was  come  in  his  "  Father's 
name,  yet  they  received  him  not ;  "  he 
adds,  "  Do  not  think  that  I  will  accuse 
you  to  the  Father  ;  there  is  one  that  accu- 
seth  you,  even  Moses,  in  whom  ye  trust. 
For  had  ye  V^elieved  Moses,  ye  would  have 
believed  me."  It  is  very  plain,  I  think, 
from  this  passage,  that  the  thing  for  which 
Moses  would  accuse  them  was  a  rejection 
of  Christ  and  the  way  of  salvation  by  him ; 
which,  according  to  our  Lord's  reasoning, 
implied  a  rejection  of  the  writings  of  Mo- 
ses.* From  hence,  therefore,  it  is  infer- 
red that  a  compliance  with  the  gospel  is 
what  the  law  of  Moses  requires,  and  a 
noncompliance  with  it  is  a  matter  for 
which  that  law  will  accuse  and  condemn. f 

*  By  Moses's  accusing  diem,  I  apprehend,  is 
meant  the  law  of  IMoses,  which  condemns  the  Jews 
to  tliis  present  lime  lor  not  believing  in  that  prophet 
whom  Moses  i'>  letold.  Dent,  xviii.  18,  19. 

•f  If  I  II  derstaed  P.,  he  considers  the  moral  law 
as  a  s\\^lem  of  government  now  no  longer  in  force; 
aixl  tlie  gospel  as  a  new  system  of  government,  more 
suited  to  the  state  of  fallen  creatures,  wiiich  has  taken 
place  of  it;  for  he  supposes  that  "  final  misery  is  not 
now  brought  upon  men  by  their  transgression  of  the 
moral  law,  but  by  their  reception  of  the  overtures  of 
mercy." — p.  86.  Final  misery,  we  are  sure,  must 
be  brougiit  upon  men  by  sin,  he  it  against  what  law 
it  may;  and,  whatever  law  it  is  the  breach  of  which 
subjects  us  to  final  misery,  that  must  be  the  law  that 
we  are  under.  If  this  is  not  the  moral  law,  then  men 
are  not  under  that  law,  nor  can  it  be  to  us  "  the 
standard  of  right  and  wrong."  If  the  gospel  be  a 
new  system  of  government,  taking  place  of  the  moral 
law,  then  all  the  precepts,  prohibitions,  promises,  and 
threatenings,  the  neglect  of  which  subjects  men  to  final 
misery,  must  belong  to  the  former  and  not  to  the 
latter. 

How  far  the.se  sentiments  accord  with  the  Scripture 
account  of  eitlier  law  or  gospel,  let  the  reader  judge. 
Let  it  be  considered,  also,  whether  it  is  not  much 
more  consistent  with  both  to  conceive  of  the  former 
as  the  guardian  of  the  latter,  enjoining  whatever  re- 
gards are  due  to  it,  and  punishing  every  instance  of 
neglect  and  contempt  of  it.  iSuch  a  view  of  things 
accords  with  the  passage  in  John  v.,  just  cited,  and  is 
in  no  wise  contradicted  by  those  Scriptures  to  which 
we  are  referred  in  page  86.  On  the  contrary,  one  of 
those  passages,  viz.  2  Thes.  i.  8,  in   my    opinion, 


P.  has  brought  many  proofs  of  the  invita- 
tions of  Scripture  being  enforced  on  gospel 
principles.  This  is  a  matter  I  should  nev- 
er thought  of  have  denying.  But  if  an  invi- 
tation to  believe  in  Christ,  enforced  by  gos- 
pel motives,  will  prove  that  faith  is  not  a 
requirement  of  the  moral  law,  then  invi- 
tations to  love  God,  to  fear  him,  and  to  lie 
low  before  him,  enforced  in  the  same 
manner,  will  prove  the  same  of  them. 
Love,  fear,  and  humility,  are  enforced 
upon  gospel  principles,  as  well  as  faith  in 
Christ.  Things  which  eye  hath  not  seen, 
nor  ear  heard,  and  of  which  it  hath  not 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, 
are  prepared  for  them  who  love  God. 
The  exhortations  to  Jear  God  are  not 
more  numerous  than  the  promises  of  mer- 
cy to  those  who  are  of  such  a  spirit.  Men 
are  exhorted  to  humble  themselves  under 
the  mighty  hand  of  God,  with  the  encour- 
agement that  he  will  lift  them  up.  These 
are  all  gospel  motives ;  yet  P.  Avill  not 
deny  that  the  dispositions  enforced  are 
requirements  of  the  moral  law.  Even  rel- 
ative duties,  such  as  those  of  husbands 
and  wives,  parents  and  children,  masters 
and  servants,  &c.,  which  certainly  are  of 
a  moral  nature,  are  nevertheless  enforced 
by  gospel  motives. 

But  "  how  can  the  gospel  answer  the 
end  of  recovering  miserable  men,"  it  is 
asked,  "if  it  contain  new  injunctions, 
equally  impossible,  if  not  more  so,  than  the 
moral  law  itself;  and  these  injunctions 
enforced  by  more  awful  punishments  1  " 
— p.  93.  I  might  ask,  in  return.  How  can 
the  gospel  have  a  tendency  to  recover  sin- 
ful men  from  their  evil  propensities,  if  it 
is  a  kind  of  law  which  requires  only  such 
exercises  as  may  consist  with  those  pro- 
pensities 1  It  can  have  no  such  tendency, 
unless  tolerating  an  evil  has  a  tendency  to 
destroy  it. 

"  But  is  not  the  gospel  adapted,  as  a 
means,  to  recover  lost  sinners  1"  Yes, 
it  is.  By  the  cross  of  Christ,  it  exhib- 
its the  evil  of  sin  in  stronger  colors 
than  all  the  curses  of  the  law  could 
paint  it ;  and  so  has  a  tendency,  in  the 
hand  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  convince 
the  world  of  sin.  Nor  is  this  all  :  it 
exhibits  a  Saviour  to  the  guilty  soul, 
to  keep  him  from  despair,  which,  at  the 
same  time,  tends  to  conquer  his  heart 
with  a  view  of  God's  free  and  self- 
moved  goodness.  A  person  thus  con- 
quered would  admire  the  free  and  sove- 
reign grace  of  the  gospel,  but  he  would 

tends  to  establish  it,  and  is  in  direct  contradiction  to 
the  hypothesis  of  P.  Vengeance  is  said  to  be  taken 
on  men,  not'merely  for  their  disobedience  to  ihe 
gospel,  but,  as  well,  for  their  ignorance  of  God, 
which  is  distinguished  from  the  other,  and  is  mani- 
festly a  breach  of  the  moral  law. 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


495 


abhor  the  thought  of  a  gospel  that  should 
make  Jehovah  stoop  to  the  vile  inclina- 
tions of  his  apostate  creatures.  His 
prayer  would  l)c, — "  lucline"  not  tliy 
testimonies  to  my  heart — l)ut  "  my  heart 
to  thy   testiiiionios." 

liut  "  could  the  gospel  have  a  tenden- 
cy to  recover  lost  sinners,  if  it  contain- 
ed new  injunctions  eipially  imp()ssii)lc, 
if  not  more  so  than  the  moral  law  it- 
self 1"  I  own,  I  think  it  could  not. 
And  who  supposes  it  could  "!  Surely  P. 
jMUst  have  here  forgotten  himself.  Does 
he  not  know  tliat  those  are  his  own 
sentiments  ratiier  than  mine  ;  so  far,  at 
least  as  relates  to  tiic  gospel  containing 
neio  injunctions.  I  suppose  the  gospel, 
strictly  speaking,  to  contain  no  injunc- 
tions at  all,  but  merely  the  good  tidings 
of  salvation  by  Jesus  Ciu'ist  ;  and  tiiat, 
whatever  precepts  or  injunctions  arc  to 
be  found  respecting  its  being  embraced, 
they  are  the  diversified  language  of  the 
moral  law,  which  obliges  men,  as  P. 
himself  allows,  to  "  end)race  whatever 
God  reveals."— p.  89. 

Sometimes  the  word  gospel  is  used, 
in  a  large  sense,  for  the  whole  of  the 
Christian  dispensation,  as  contained  in 
the  New  Testament,  or  the  whole  of 
that  religion  taught  by  Christ  and  Ids 
apostles,  whether  doctrinal  or  practical. 
In  this  use  of  the  word  we  sometimes 
speak  of  tlie  precepts  of  the  gospel.  But, 
when  the  term  gospel  is  used  in  a  strict 
sense,  it  denotes  merely  the  good  news 
proclaimed  to  lost  sinners  through  the 
mediation  of  Christ.  In  this  view  it 
stands  opposed  to  the  moral  law,  and, 
in  itself,  contains  no  injunctions  at  all. 
If  the  gospel  were  a  new  system  of 
governnjent,  taking  place  of  the  moral 
law,  one  should  think  there  would  be 
no  farther  need  of  tiie  latter  ;  whereas 
Christ,  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount, 
maintained  its  perpetuity,  and  largely  ex- 
plained and  enforced  its  precepts.  "  Do 
we  then  make  void  the  law  through  faith  1 
God  forbid  ;  yea,  we    estal)lish  the  law. 


SECTION  IV. 

ON    THE    DEATH    OF    CHRIST. 

The  extent  of  Christ's  death  is  well 
known  to  have  been  a  matter  of  great 
controversy.  For  my  part  I  cannot  pre- 
tend to  so  much  reading  upon  the  sub- 
ject as  to  be  fully  acquainted  with  the 
arguments  used  on  either  side.  If  I 
write    any    thing   about    it,    it  will  be  a 


few  plain  thoughts,  chiefly  the  result  of 
reading  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

I  think  no  one  can  imagine  that  I  am 
under  any  obligation  from  the  laws  of 
controversy  to  Ibllow  P.  into  a  long  and 
labored  defence  of  the  limited  extent  of 
Ciirisl's  death.  All  that  can  l)e  reason- 
ably thougiit  incumbent  upon  me  is  to 
treat  of  it  so  lar  as  respects  its  consist- 
ency or  inconsistency  with  indelinite  in- 
vitations. On  this  score  I  might  very 
well  be  excused  from  entering  upon  any 
defence  of  the  subject  itself,  or  answer- 
ing the  arguments  advanced  ibr  the  con- 
trary. Whatever  notice  is  taken  of  ei- 
ther will  l)e  rather  in  comj)liance  with 
what  has  l)een  done  by  my  opponent 
than  in  conformity  to  the  laws  of  dis- 
putation. 

I  suppose  P.  is  not  ignorant  that  Cal- 
vin ists  in  general  have  considered  the 
particularity  of  redemption  as  consisting 
not  in  the  degree  of  Christ's  sufferings, 
(as  though  he  must  have  suffered  more 
if  more  had  been  finally  saved,)  or  in 
any  insufficiency  that  attended  them,  but 
in  the  sovereign  purpose  and  design  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son,  whereby  they 
were  constituted  or  appointed  the  price  of 
redemption,  the  objects  of  that  redemption 
ascertained,  and  the  ends  to  be  answer 
ed  by  the  whole  transaction  determined. 
They  suppose  the  sufferings  of  Christ, 
in  themselves  considered,  are  of  injinile 
value,  sufTicient  to  have  saved  all  the 
world,  and  a  thousand  worlds,  if  it  had 
pleased  God  to  have  constituted  them  the 
l)rice  of  their  redemption,  and  to  have 
made  ihern  effectual  to  that  end.  Far- 
ther :  w  hatever  difficulties  there  may  ap- 
pear in  these  subjects,  they  in  general 
suppose  that  there  is  in  the  death  of 
Christ  a  sufficient  ground  for  indefinite 
calls  and  universal  invitations  ;  and  that 
there  is  no  mockery  or  insincerity  in  the 
Holy  One  in  any  one  of  these  things.* 

*  "  The  obedience  and  sufTerings  of  Christ,"  says 
Witsiiis,  "  considered  in  themselves,,  are,  on  account 
of  ihc  infinite  dignity  of  ilie  person,  of  such  value  as 
to  liave  been  suflicient  fitr  redeeming  not  all  and  every 
man  in  particular,  but  many  myriads  lx;sides,  had  it 
so  pleased  God  and  Christ  that  he  should  have  under- 
taken and  satisfied  for  them."  And  again,  "  The 
ol3c<lience  and  sufferings  of  Christ  are  of  .^nch  worth 
that  all  without  exception  who  come  to  him  may  find 
perfect  salvation  in  him:  and  it  was  the  will  of  God 
that  this  truth  should  without  distinction  Ije  proposed 
both  to  them  that  are  to  l)e  saved,  and  to  them  that 
are  to  perish:  with  a  charge  not  to  neglect  so  great 
salvation,  but  to  repair  to  Christ  with  true  contrition 
of  soul;  and  with  a  most  sincere  declaration  that  all 
who  come  to  him  shall  find  salvation  in  him,  John  vi. 
40."  CEconomy,  Vol.  I.  Chap.  IX.  To  the  same 
purpose  S|)eaks  Peter  Du  Moulin,  in  his  Anatomy  of 
Arminianism,  Chap.  XXVII  §  9.  And  Dr.  Ow- 
en, in  \us  Deatti  of  Death,  Rook  IV.  Chap.  I.; 
also  in  his  Display  of  Arminianism,  Chap.  IX. 


496 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTIIROPOS. 


These  views  of  the  subject  accord  with 
my  own.  I  know  not  but  that  there  is  the 
same  objective  fulness  and  sufficiency  in 
the  obedience  and  sufterings  of  Christ  for 
the  salvation  of  sinners  as  there  is  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  for  their  renovation  :  both  are 
infinite  :  yet  both  are  applied  under  the  di- 
rection of  infinite  Avisdom  and  uncontrolla- 
ble sovereignty.  It  is  allowed  that  the  death 
of  Christ  has  opened  a  way  whereby  God 
can  consistently  with  his  justice  forgive  any 
sinner  whatever  who  returns  to  him  by 
Jesus  Christ.  If  we  were  to  suppose,  for 
argument's  sake,  that  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  globe  should  thus  return,  it  is  sup- 
posed not  one  soul  need  be  sent  away  for 
want  of  a  sufficiency  in  Christ's  death  to 
render  his  pardon  and  acceptance  consist- 
ent with  the  rights  of  justice.  But,  great 
and  necessary  as  this  mercy  is,  if  nothing 
more  than  this  had  been  done,  not  one  of 
the  human  race  had  ever  been  saved.  It  is 
necessary  to  our  salvation  that  a  toay  and 
a  highioay  to  God  should  be  opened  :  Christ 
is  such  a  way,  and  is  as  free  for  any  sinner 
to  walk  in  as  any  highway  whatever  from 
one  place  to  another  :  but,  considering  the 
depravity  of  human  nature,  it  is  equally 
necessary  that  some  effectual  provision 
should  be  made  for  our  walking  in  that 
way.*  We  conceive  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  made  such  a  provision  by  his  death, 
thereby  procuring  the  certain  bestowment 
of  faith,  as  well  as  all  other  spiritual 
blessings  which  follow  upon  it;  that,  in 
regard  of  all  the  sons  who  are  finally 
brought  to  glory,  he  was  the  surety  or  cap- 
tain of  their  salvation  ;  that  their  salvation 
was,  properly  speaking,  the  end  or  design 
of  his  death.  And  herein  we  suppose  con- 
sists the  particularity  of  redemption. 

I  think  I  might  reduce  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  be  said  upon  this  subject  to  two 
questions — First :  Had  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  any  absolute  determination  in  his 
death  to  save  any  of  the  human  race  1 
Secondly  ;  Supposing  such  a  determination 
to  exist  concerning  some  which  does  not 
exist  concerning  others,  is  this  consistent 
with  indefinite  calls  and  universal  invita- 
tions 1  The  discussion  of  these  two  ques- 
tions will  contain  the  subtance  of  what  I 
shall  advance  upon  the  subject  ;  but,  as 
pretty  much  is  required  to  be  said,  I  shall 
subdivide  the  whole  into  four  lesser  sec- 
tions. 

Sect.  I.  Containing  a  discussion  of  the 
first  question,  Whether  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  had  any  absolute  determination  in 
his  death  to  save  any  of  the  human  race. 

If  the  affirmative   of  this  question  be 

*  I  use  the  metaplior  of  a  way  the  rather  because 
it  conveys  an  idea  sufficiently  clear,  and  is  frequently 
applied  to  Christ  in  the  Scriptures.  John  xiv.  4. — 6. 
Isa.  XXXV.  8.    Jer.  vi.  16, 


proved;  if  it  be  shown  that  Christ  had  such 
an  absolute  purpose  in  his  death  ;  the  limit- 
ed extent  of  that  purpose  must  follow  of 
course.  The  reason  is  plain:  an  absolute 
purpose  must  be  effectual.  If  it  extended 
to  all  mankind,  all  mankind  would  certain- 
ly be  saved.  Unless,  therefore,  we  will 
maintain  the  final  salvation  of  all  mankind, 
we  must  either  suppose  a  limitation  to  the 
absolute  determination  of  Christ  to  save  or 
deny  any  such  determination  to  exist. 
The  scheme  of  P.  concurs  with  the  latter, 
supposing  that  by  the  death  of  Christ  a 
merely  conditional  provision  of  redemp- 
tion is  made  for  all  mankind.  I  own  I 
think  otherwise ;  some  of  the  reasons  for 
which  are  as  follows  : — 

1.  The  promises  made  to  Christ  of  the 
certain  efficacy  of  his  death.  One  of  our 
grand  objections  to  the  scheme  of  P.  is 
that,  in  proportion  as  he  extends  the  ob- 
jects for  whom  Christ  died  beyond  those 
who  are  actually  saved,  he  diminishes  the 
efficacy  of  his  death,  and  renders  all  the 
promises  concerning  it  of  no  account.  His 
scheme,  instead  of  making  redemption  uni- 
versal, supposes  that  Ciirist's  death  did 
not  properly  redeem  any  man,  nor  render 
the  salvation  of  any  man  a  matter  of  cer- 
tainty. It  only  procured  an  offer  of  re- 
demption and  reconciliation  to  mankind  in 
general.  We  apprehend  this  is  diminish- 
ing the  efficacy  of  Christ's  death,  without 
answering  any  valuable  end.  Nor  is  this 
all :  such  an  hypothesis  appears  to  us 
utterly  inconsistent  with  all  those  Scrip- 
tures where  God  the  Father  is  represent- 
ed as  promising  his  Son  a  reward  for  his 
sufferings  in  the  salvation  of  poor  sinners. 
God  the  Father  engaged,  saying,  "Thy 
people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy 
power,  in  the  beauties  of  holiness  from  the 
womb  of  the  morning;  thou  hast  (or  shalt 
have)  the  dew  of  thy  youth."  Yes:  he 
engaged  that  he  should  "see  his  seed;" 
that  "  the  pleasure  of  Jehovah  shotild  "  see 
of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied  ; 
and  by  his  knowledge,"  it  was  added, 
"shall  my  righteous  servant  justify  many, 
for  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities."  It  was 
promised  to  Christ  as  the  reward  of  his 
sufferings  that  "kings  should  see,  and 
arise  :  princes  also,"  it  was  added,  "shall 
worship,  because  of  the  Lord  that  is  faith- 
ful ;  and  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  shall 
choose  thee;  thus  saith  Jehovah,  In  an  ac- 
ceptable time  have  I  heard  thee,  and  in  the 
day  of  salvation  have  I  helped  thee,  and  I 
will  preserve  thee,  and  gave  thee  for  a 
covenant  of  the  people  :  to  establish  the 
earth,  to  cause  to  inherit  the  desolate 
heritages  ;  that  thoH  mayest  say  to  the  pris- 
oners. Go  forth,  and  to  them  that  sit  in 
darkness.  Show  yourselves." — "Behold 
these  shall  come  from  far,  and  lo  these  from 


REPLY    TO    PIIILANTHROPOS. 


497 


north  and  from  the  west,  and  those  from 
the  h\ti(l  of  Sinim  I"  But  what  security,  I 
ask,  was  tlierc  for  the  lulfilment  of  these 
promises,  l)ut  upon  the  supposition  of  the 
certain  salvation  of  some  ol  the  liuman 
race  ?  How  couhl  it  l)e  certain  tliat  Christ 
should  jusl if y  inimy,  if  there  was  no  etVcc- 
tual  provision  made  that  any  shouhl  knuti- 
anil  l)elieve  in  him!  and  what  propriety 
was  there  in  assiiininii  liis  hearini^  their 
iniijulifs  as  his  uk.vso.n  and  kvidknce  ot 
it,  if  there  is  no  necessary  connection  lie- 
tween  our  initpiitics  iieina;  l)orne  away  and 
our  j)ersons  l)eini^  justified  ! 

"2.  The  chargctpr  under  which  C'lirist 
died.  He  laid  dow  n  his  life  as  a  shepherd  ; 
and  lor  whom  should  we  expect  him  to  die 
in  that  character  f  For  the  sheep,  no 
doubt.  So  the  Scripture  informs  us : 
"  The  good  shepherd  givcth  his  life  for  the 
sheep." — "  I  lay  down  my  life  ior  the 
sheep."  Those  for  whom  Christ  laid 
down  his  life  are  represented  as  being  his 
sheep  prior  to  their  coming  to  the  told  : 
"Those,"  saith  the  blessed  Redeemer, 
"I  must  bring;  and  they  shall  hear  my 
voice  ;  and  there  sliall  be  one  fold,  and  one 
shepherd."  As  siieep  are  committed  into 
the  hands  of  a  shepherd,  and  as  he  becomes 
responsive  for  their  preservation  or  restor- 
ation, so  Ciirist  is  represented  as  the  great 
shepherd  of  the  sheep,  whose  i)lood  was  shed 
by  covenant;  and  who,  by  fulfdling  that 
covenant,  was  entitled  to  a  discharge,  which, 
as  the  representative  of  those  for  whom  he 
died,  he  enjoyed  in  his  resurrection  from 
the  dead. — Johnx.  11,15,  16;  Heb.  xiii.  20. 
Again  :  Christ  laid  down  his  life  as  a 
husband  ;  and  for  whom  should  we  expect 
him  to  die  in  that  character?  For  his 
bride,  surely.  So  the  Scriptures  inform  us  : 
"  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as 
Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave 
himself  for  it."  The  love  of  a  husband, 
of  which  his  death  is  here  supposed  to  be 
the  RESULT,  is  certainly  discriminating. 
If  it  is  said,  True;  but  the  church  here 
means  actual  believers — I  reply,  If  they 
were  actual  believers,  I  should  suppose  they 
were  not  unsanctified ;  for  faith  purifies 
the  heart :  but  Christ  "  gave  himself  that 
he  might  sanctify  them  with  the  washing 
of  water  by  the  word."  Besides,  he  did 
not  die  for  believers,  as  such  ;  for,  "  while 
we  were  yet  enemies,  Christ  died  for  us  :" 
but  he  died  for  the  church,  as  such  con- 
sidered. This  is  evident,  because  his 
death  is  represented  as  resulting  from  his 
love,  which  he  exercises  as  a  husband.  I 
conclude,  therefore,  the  church  cannot,  in 
this  place,  be  understood  of  those  only 
who  actually  believed. 

Again  :  Christ  laid  down  his  life   as  a 
surety.  He  is  expressly  called  "  the  sure- 
ty of  a  better  testament."     He  needed  not 
VOL.  I.  63 


to  be  a  surety  in  behalf  of  the  Father,  to 
see  to  the  fuliilment  of  his  promises,  see- 
ing there  was  no  possibility  of  his  fail- 
ing in  what  he  had  engaged  to  bestow  ;  but 
there  was  danger  on  our  part.  Ought  we 
not,  therolore,  to  suppose  that,  alter  the 
example  of  the  high-priest  under  the  law, 
Christ  was  a  sureiy  fur  the  people,  to  God! 
and,  if  so,  we  cannot  extend  the  objects 
(or  wiiom  he  was  a  surety  beyond  those 
who  are  linally  saved,  without  su|>posing 
him  to  lail  in  what  ho  has  undertaken.  In 
perfect  conformity  with  those  sentiments, 
the  following  Scriptures  represent  our 
Lord  Jesus,  I  apprehend,  as  havingunder- 
taken  the  certain  salvation  of  all  those  for 
whom  he  lived  and  died.  "  It  became 
him  (or  whom  are  all  things — in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  captain 
of  tiieir  salvation  perfect  through  sufier- 
ings."  He  died,  not  for  the  Jewish  na- 
tion only,  "  but  that  he  might  gatlier  to- 
gether in  one  the  children  of  God  that 
were  scattered  abroad." — "  Tiie  children 
being  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
took  part  of  the  same." — "  Here  am  I, 
and  the  children  whom  the  Lord  hath  giv- 
en me."  Though  we  receive  not  the 
"  power  (or  privilege)  to  become  the  sons 
of  God  "  till  after  we  believe  in  Christ ; 
yet,  from  "before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,"  were  we  "predestinated  to  the 
adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  unto 
himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of 
his  will  ;  and  so,  in  the  esteem  of  God, 
were  considered  as  children,  even  while 
as  yet  we  lay  scattered  abroad  under  the 
ruins  of  the  fall. 

Once  more  :  Christ  laid  down  his  life 
as  a  sacrifice  of  atonement;  and  for  whom 
did  the  priest  under  the  law  offer  up  the 
sacrifice  \  For  those,  surely,  on  whose 
behalf  it  was  sanctified,  or  set  apart  for 
that  purpose.  Some  of  the  Jewish  sacri- 
fices were  to  make  atonement  for  the  sins 
of  an  individual ;  others  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  nation  :  but  every  sacrifice  had  its 
special  appointment,  and  was  supposed  to 
atone  for  the  sins  of  those,  and  those  only, 
on  wliose  behalf  it  was  offered.  Now 
Ciirist,  being  about  to  offer  himself  a  sac- 
rifice for  sin  spake  on  this  wise  :  "  For 
their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they 
also  may  be  sanctified  through  the  truth." 
For  their  sakes,  as  though  he  had  said,  who 
were  given  me  of  the  Father,  I  set  myself 
apart  as  a  victim  to  vengeance,  that  I  may 
consecrate  and  present  them  faultless  lie- 
fore  the  presence  of  .ny  Father. — John 
xvii.  9,  19. 

3.  Such  effects  arc  ascribed  (o  the  death 
of  Christ  as  do  not  terminate  upon  all 
mankind.  Those  for  whom  Christ  died 
are  represented  as  bcin^  redeemed  by  the 
shedding  of  his  blood  :  "  He  hath  redeem- 


498 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


ed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being 
made  a  curse  for  us."  But  redemption 
includes  the  forgiveness  of  s'm,  (Ephes.  i. 
7  ;  Col.  i.  14;)  and  we  know  that  to  be  a 
blessing  which  does  not  terminate  upon  all 
mankind.*  Farther  :  it  is  not  only  ascri- 
bed to  the  death  of  Christ  that  pardon  and 
acceptance  arc  procured  for  all  who  return 
in  his  name  ;  but  that  any  return  at  all  is 
attributed  to  the  same  cause  :  "  He  gave 
himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us 
from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  himself 
a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works." 
He  gave  himself  for  the  church,  "  that  he 
might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it."  Our  "  old 
man  "  is  said  to  be  "crucified  with  him, 
that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed." 
But  we  see  not  these  effects  produced  up- 
on all  mankind;  nor  are  all  mankind  his 
peculiar  people. 

4.  Christ  is  said  to  have  borne  the  sin 
of  many  ;  and  the  blood  of  the  new  cove- 
nant was  "shed  for  many,  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins."  The  term  many,  it  is  al- 
lowed, when  opposed  to  one,  or  to  feui,  is 
sometimes  used  for  an  unlimited  number  : 
in  one  such  instance  it  is  put  lor  all  man- 
kind. But  it  is  self-evident  that,  when 
no  such  opposition  exists,  it  is  always  used 
for  a  limited  number,  and  generally  stands 
opposed  to  all.  Who  the  many  are  in  Isa. 
liii.  12,  whose  sins  he  bare,  may  be  known 
by  comparing  it  with  the  verse  foregoing  : 
"  by  his  knowledge  (that  is,  by  the  knowl- 
edge of  him)  shall  my  righteous  servant 
justify  many;  for  he  shall  bear  their  in- 
iquities. Therefore  will  I  divide  him  a 
portion    with  the   great,   and  he  shall  di- 

*  P,  I  suppose  li;is  felt  the  force  of  this  reasoning 
heretofore,  and  therefore,  if  I  am  rightly  informed, 
he  disowns  a  universal  redemption;  supposing 
that,  properly  speaking,  Christ  did  not,  by  laying 
down  his  life,  redeem  any  man;  that  no  person  can 
be  said  to  have  been  redeemed,  till  he  has  believed 
in  Christ.  It  is  true  we  receive  this  blessing  when 
we  believe,  as  we  then  receive  the  atonement.  It  is 
then  that  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood, 
even  the  forgiveness  of  sins:  but  as  it  does  not  follow, 
from  our  receiving  the  atonement  when  we  believe, 
that  atonement  was  not  properly  made  when  Christ 
hung  upon  the  cross,  so  neither  does  it  follow  from 
our  having  redemption  when  we  believe  that  Christ 
did  not  properly  redeem  us  when  he  laid  down  his 
life.  Certain  it  is  that  the  passage  before  cited 
(Gal.  iii.  13)  refers  not  to  what  takes  place  on  our 
believing,  but  to  what  was  done  at  the  time  when 
Christ  was  made  a  curse  for  us  b\  hanging  upon  the 
tree, 

Thougli  I  appreliend,  for  the  reasons  above,  that 
being  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  the  law  does  not 
necessarily  suppose  the  subject  to  be  in  the  actual 
possession  of  that  blessing;  yet  to  understand  it  of 
any  thing  less  than  such  a  virtual  redemption  as  ef- 
fectually secured  our  enjoyment  of  deliverance  in  (he 
fulness  of  time  is  to  reduce  it  to  no  meaning  at  all. 
M'e  must  either  allow  it  to  mean  thus  much,  or  say 
With  P.  that  Christ,  in  laying  down  his  life  for  us,  did 
not  redeem  any  man;  but  this,  at  present,  appears 
to  me  to  be  contradicting,  rather  than  explaining, 
Scripture. 


vide  the  spoil  with  the  strong, because  he 
hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death ;  he 
was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,  he 
bore  the  sins  of  many,  and  madeinterces- 
sion  for  the  transgressors."  There  is  no 
reason,  that  I  know  of,  to  be  given  why 
the  many,  whose  sins  he  bore,  should  be 
understood  of  any  other  persons  than  the 
many  who  by  his  knowledge  are  justified, 
and  who,  it  must  be  allowed,  are  not  all 
mankind. 

5.  The  intercession  of  Christ,  which  is 
founded  upon  his  death,  and  expressive  of 
its  grand  design,  extends  not  to  all  man- 
kind :  "I  pray  for  them,"  says  Christ; 
"  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  for  they 
are  thine."  The  intercession  of  the 
priests  under  the  law,  so  far  as  I  know, 
was  always  in  behalf  of  the  same  persons 
for  whom  the  oblation  was  offered.  The 
persons  prayed  for  by  our  Lord  must 
either  mean  those  who  were  then  believers, 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  unbelieving  world  ; 
or  all  who  should  at  any  period  of  time 
believe,  to  the  exclusion  of  those  who 
should  finally  perish.  That  Christ  pray- 
ed for  those  who  then  believed  in  him 
is  granted ;  but  that  his  intercession 
was  confined  to  them,  and  excluded  all 
that  did  not  believe  in  him,  cannot  be 
admitted,  for  the  following  reasons:— (1) 
Christ  prays  for  all  that  were  given 
him  of  the  Father  ;  but  the  term  given 
is  not  applied  to  believers  as  such ;  for 
men  are  represented  as  given  of  the  Fa- 
ther prior  to  their  coming  to  Christ. — John 
vi.  37.  (2)  The  Scripture  account  of 
Christ's  intercession  does  not  confine  it  to 
those  who  are  actually  believers,  which  it 
must  have  done  if  the  sense  I  oppose  be 
admitted.  When  he  hung  upon  the  cross 
he  prayed  for  his  enemies ;  and  herein 
most  evidently  fulfilled  that  prophecy : 
"  He  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death,  he 
was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,  he 
bore  the  sin  of  many,  and  made  interces- 
sion for  the  transgressors."  (3)  It  is  ex- 
pressly said,  John  xvii.  20,  "  Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also 
who  s/i«Wbelieve  in  me  tlirough  their  word." 

6.  If  the  doctrine  of  eternal,  personal, 
and  unconditional  election  be  a  truth,  that 
of  a  special  design  in  the  death  of  Christ 
must  necessarily  follow.  I  do  not  sup- 
pose P.  will  admit  the  former;  but  I  ap- 
prehend he  will  admit  that,  if  the  former 
couUUbe  proved  a  Scripture-truth,  the  lat- 
ter would  follow  of  course.  I  might  then 
urge  all  those  Scriptures  and  arguments 
which  appear  to  me  to  prove  the  doctrine 
of  election.  But  this  would  carry  me  be- 
yond my  present  design.  I  only  say  the 
following  Scriptures,  among  many  others, 
appear  to  me  to  be  conclusive  upon  that 
subject,  and  such  as  cannot  be  answered 


REPLY    TO    PIIILANTHROPOS. 


499 


without  a  manifest  force  heino:  put  upon 
tlu'in.  "  God  the  Father  hath  lilossod  us 
with  ail  spiritual  hlessings  in  Christ  Je- 
sus, according  as  he  liath  chosen  us  in 
him  before  the  foundation  of  the  worhi, 
that  we  should  he  lioly."— "  God  hath 
from  the  lieLMnninji  ciiosen  you  to  salva- 
ti(ui  tiirouL'h  sanctification  of  tlie  Spirit 
and  the  belief  of  the  truth."— "All  that 
the  Father  Lnveth  to  me  shall  come  to 
me." — "Whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  did 
predestinate  to  he  ronlbrmed  to  tlie  im- 
aire  of  his  Son.  Moreo\  er,  whom  he  did 
predestinate,  them  he  also  called  ;  whom 
he  called,  them  he  also  justified;  and 
whom  he  justified,  them  he  also  glorili- 
ed." — "  I  have  much  peo|)le  in  this  city." 
— "As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal 
life  believed." — "  Elect,  according  to  the 
foreknowledire  of  God  the  Father,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedi- 
ence."— "  Who  hath  saved  us  and  called 
us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to 
our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  pur- 
pose and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began." — 
"  Ye  have  not  chosen  me,  but  I  have  cho- 
sen you,  and  ordained  you,  that  you  should 
go  and  bring  forth  fruit,  and  that  your 
fruit  should  remain." — "I  thank  thee,  O 
Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  he- 
cause  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the 
wise  and  prudent,  and  revealed  them  unto 
babes.  Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed 
good  in  thy  sight." — "Except  the  Lord 
of  hosts  had  left  us  a  seed  we  had  been  as 
Sodom,  and  been  made  like  unto  Gomor- 
rah."— "At  this  present  time,  also,  there 
is  a  remnant,  according  to  tlie  election  of 
grace.  The  election  hath  obtained  it,  and 
the  rest  were  blinded." — "I  will  have 
mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy  ;  and  I 
will  have  compassion  on  whom  I  will  liave 
compassion.  So  then  it  is  not  of  him  that 
willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of 
God  that  showeth  mercy."* 

The  above  passages  must  be  allowed  to 
speak  only  of  a  part  of  mankind.  This 
part  of  mankind  must  be  styled  the  chosen 
of  God,  s:iven  of  the  Father,  &c.,  either 
because  of  their  actually  being  believers, 
or  because  it  was  foreseen  that  they  would 
believe,  or,  as  we  suppose,  because  God 
eternally  j)urposed  in  himself  that  they 
should  believe  and  be  saved.  It  cannot 
be  on  account  of  the  Jirst ;  seeing  they 
were  chosen  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  and  given  to  Christ  prior  to  their 
believing  in  him.  It  cannot  be  on  account 
of  the  second,  because  then  what  he  had 
done  for  us  must  have  been  according  to 

*  Kph.  i.  3:  2  Thp.=s.  ii.  13;  John  vi.  37;  Rom. 
viii.  29;  Acts  xviii.  10,  xiii.  48;  1  Peter  i.  2;  2 
Tim.  i.  9;  John  xv.  16;  iMalt.  xi.  25;  Iloin.  ix. 
15,  29,  xi.   5,  7. 


something  good  in  us,  and  not  according 
to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  given  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began.  It 
would  also  be  contrary  to  all  those  Scrip- 
tures recited  above  which  represent  our 
being  chosen  and  given  of  the  Father  as 
the  cause  of  faith  and  holiness.  If  our 
conformity  to  the  image  of  the  Son  of  God, 
our  faith,  holiness,  and  obedience,  are  the 
effects  of  election,  they  cannot  be  the 
ground  or  reason  of  it.  If  men  are  given 
to  Christ  prior  to  the  consideration  of  their 
coming  to  him,  then  they  cannot  be  said 
to  be  given  on  account  of  their  so  coming. 
If,  then,  it  cannot  be  on  account  of  either 
the  Jirst  or  the  second,  I  conclude  it  must 
be  on  account  of  the  last. 

The  death  of  Christ  is  assigned  as  a 
reason  why  none,  at  the  last  day,  shall  be 
able  to  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of 
God's  elect.— Rom.  viii.  33,  34.  But,  if 
it  extends  equally  to  those  who  are  con- 
demned as  to  those  who  are  justified,  how 
does  it  become  a  security  against  such  a 
charge"?  Whatever  difference  there  may 
be,  in  point  of  security,  between  those 
who  at  that  day  are  justified  and  those 
who  are  condemned,  the  death  of  Christ 
is  not  supposed  to  have  had  any  influence 
towards  it.  The  security  of  the  elect 
should  rather  have  been  ascribed  to  what 
they  themselves  have  done  in  embracing 
the  Saviour  than  to  any  thing  done  by  him, 
seeing  what  he  did  was  no  security  what- 
ever. It  was  no  more  than  a  cipher  in 
itself  considered.  The  efficacy  of  the 
whole,  it  seems,  rested,  not  upon  what 
Christ  had  done,  but  upon  what  they 
themselves  had  done  in  believing  in  him. 

7.  The  character  of  the  redeemed  in  the 
world  above  implies  the  sentiment  for 
which  we  plead.  Not  only  did  the  four 
living  creatures  and  the  four-and-twenty 
elders  (wliich  seem  to  represent  the  church 
militant)  adore  the  Lamb,  saying,  "  Thou 
wast  slain  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ;  "  but  it 
is  witnessed  of  those  who  are  without 
fault  before  the  throne  of  God,  that  they 
were  redeemed  (or  bought)  from  among 
men,  being  the  first  fruits  unto  God  and 
the  Lamb.  But  if  all  of  every  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation,  were 
l)ought  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  there  could 
be  no  possiVnlity  of  any  being  bought/rom 
among  them. 

The  above  are  some  of  the  reasons 
which  induce  me  to  think  there  was  a  cer- 
tain, absolute,  and  consequently  limited, 
design  in  the  death  of  Christ,  securing  the 
salvation  of  all  those,  and  only  those,  who 
are  finally  saved.  The  reader  will  now 
judge  of  the  confident  manner  in  which  P. 
asks,  "  What  end  can  it  answer  to  take  all 


500 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


these  pains  to  vindicate  a  doctrine  which 
God  has  never  revealed  1" — p.  36. 

Sect.  II. —  Wherp.insome  notice  is  taken 
of  the  arguments  of  P.  for  the  contrary  hy- 
pothesis. 

The  limited  extent  of  Christ's  death  is 
said  to  be  "  inconsistent  with  divine  good- 
ness, and  with  tlie  tender  mercies  of  God 
over  all  his  ivorks.  "  * — p.  73.  To  this  it 
is  replied,  Fallen  angels  are  a  part  of 
God's  works,  as  well  as  fallen  men  ;  but 
Christ  did  not  die  for  them  :  if,  therefore, 
his  death  is  to  be  considered  as  the  crite- 
rion of  divine  goodness,  and  if  the  exer- 
cise of  punitive  justice  is  inconsistent 
with  that  attribute,  then,  suppose  we  were 
to  admit  that  Christ  died  for  all  mankind, 
still  the  Psalmist's  assertion  cannot  be 
true,  and  the  difficulty  is  never  the  nearer 
being  removed. 

That  God  loves  all  mankind  I  make  no 
doubl,  and  all  the  works  of  his  hands,  as 
such  considered,  fallen  angels  themselves 
not  excepted  ;  but  the  question  is  whether 
he  loves  them  all  alike  ;  and  whether  the 
exercise  of  punitive  justice  be  inconsistent 
with  universal  goodness.  It  is  going  great 
lengths  for  a  weak  worm  to  take  upon  him 
to  insist  that  divine  goodness  must  be  ex- 
ercised in  such  a  particular  instance,  or  it 
can  have  no  existence  at  all.  I  dare  not 
say  there  is  no  love,  no  goodness,  in  all  the 
providences  of  God  towards  mankind,  nor 
yet  in  his  giving  them  the  means  of  grace 
and  the  invitations  of  the  gospel,  though 
he  does  not  do  all  for  them  which  he  could 
do  to  incline  them  to  embrace  them,  and 
has  neither  purposed"  nor  provided  for  such 
an  end.  On  the  contrary,  I  believe  these 
things,  in  themselves  considered,  to  be  in- 
stances of  divine  goodness,  whatever  the 
issue  of  them  may  be  through  men's  de- 
pravity. 

But  if  Christ  did  not  die  for  all  man- 
kind, it  is  said,  "  his  tender  mercies 
cannot  be  exercised  towards  them ;  no, 
not  in  the  good  things  of  this  life ;  for 
these  only  increase  their  misery  :  nor  in 
life  itself  ;  for  every  moment  of  it  must 
be  a  dreadful  curse." — p.  73.  But,  hor- 
rid as  these  consequences  may  appear, 
a  denier  of  God's  forcknoiuledge  would 
tell  P.  that  the  same  consequences  fol- 
lowed upon  his  own  scheme,  and  in  their 

*  Surely,  it  is  of  vast  importance  to  remember 
that  the  death  of  Christ  was  intended  not  to  prevent 
the  divine  character  from  being  leproached  on  ac- 
coimt  of  tiie  strictness  of  his  law  in  condemning  all 
transgressors,  but  to  prevent  it  from  being  censured 
on  account  of  the  exemption  of  any  ti-ansgressors 
from  deserved  punishment.  Whatever  considerations 
prove  the  necessity,  or  infinite  expediency,  of  the 
atunemeiit,  must  prove  it  was  akogether  optional, 
and  au  instance  of  infinite  and  sovereign  goodness  in 
God,  to  provide  a  name  for  a  sin  offering, 


full  extent.  He  would  say,  You  pre- 
tend to  maintain  the  tender  mercies  of 
God  over  all  his  works  ;  and  yet  you 
suppose  him  perfectly  to  know,  before 
any  of  these  works  were  brought  into 
being,  the  part  that  every  individual 
would  act,  and  the  consequent  misery 
that  would  follow.  He  was  sure  that 
millions  of  the  human  race  would  so  act, 
place  them  under  what  advantages  he 
would,  as  that  they  would  certainly  in- 
volve themselves  in  such  a  condition 
that  it  tvere  better  for  them  never  to 
have  been  born.  He  knew  precisely  who 
would  come  to  such  an  end,  as  much 
as  he  will  at  the  day  of  judgment.  Why 
then  did  he  bring  them  into  existence  1 
Surely  they  had  better  never  have  been 
born  ;  or,  if  they  must  be  born,  why 
were  they  not  cut  off  from  the  womb, 
seeing  he  was  sure  that  every  moment 
of  time  they  existed  would  only  increase 
their  misery  ]  Is  this  goodness  1  Are 
these  his  tender  mercies  1  ....  I  trem- 
ble while  I  write !  For  my  part  I  feel 
difficulties  attend  every  thing  I  think 
about.  I  feel  myself  a  poor  worm  of 
the  dust,  whose  understanding  is  infi- 
nitely too  contracted  to  fathom  the  ways 
and  works  of  God.  I  wish  to  tremble 
and  adore ;  and  take  comfort  in  this — 
that  what  I  know  not  now,  I  shall  know 
hereafter. 

But  "it  IS  nowhere  expressly  said  that 
Christ  died  only  for  a  part  of  mankind." 
— p.  71.  It  is  expressly  said  that  he 
gave  himself  that  he  might  purify  unto 
himself  a  peculiar  people ;  that  he  laid 
down  his  life  for  the  sheep  ;  that  he 
loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for 
it ;  that  he  died  that  he  might  gather 
together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that 
were  scattered  abroad  ;  and  that  those 
who  are  without  fault  before  the  throne 
of  God  were  bought  from  among  men. 
But,  be  it  so  that  we  nowhere  express- 
ly read  that  Christ  did  not  die  to  re- 
deem all  mankind  ;  the  Scriptures  do 
not  so  much  deal  in  negatives  as  in  posi- 
tives :  their  concern  is  not  so  much  to 
inform  mankind  what  is  not  done,  as 
what  is  done.  I  know  not  that  it  is 
any  where  expressly  said  that  all  man- 
kind are  not  to  be  baptized ;  yet  I  sup- 
pose P.  well  understands  that  part  of 
our  Lord's  commission  to  be  restrictive. 

There  was  no  necessity  for  the  apos- 
tles to  publish  the  divine  purposes  to  man- 
kind in  their  addresses  to  them.  These 
were  not  designed  as  a  rule  of  action 
either  for  the  preachers  or  the  hearers.  It 
was  sufficient  for  them  both  that  Christ 
was  ready  to  pardon  and  accept  of  any 
sinner  whatever  that  should  come  unto 
him.     It  was   equally   sufficient,    on   the 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHR0P05. 


501 


other  hand,  if,  after  people  l^elieved,  they 
were  taiiirlit  tliose  truilis  wliich  relate  to 
the  purposes  of  grace  on  their  lioliall, 
with  a  view  to  cut  off  all  glorying  in 
themselves,  and  that  they  might  learn 
to  astril)e  the  whole  difference  hetween 
themselves  and  others  to  the  mere  sove- 
reign grace  of  God.  Hence  it  is  that 
the  chief  of  those  Scriptures  which  we 
conceive  to  hold  lortii  a  liniilalion  ot de- 
sign in  the  death  of  Christ,  or  any  other 
doctrine  nl'  discritniniitim^  grace,  arc  such 
as  were  addressed  to  iielievers. 

But  the  main  stress  of  the  argument 
seems  to  lie  in  the  meaning  of  such  gene- 
ral expresssions  as  all  men — world — ivhole 
world,  &c.  If  these  are  discussed,  I  sup- 
pose I  shall  lie  allowed  to  have  replied  to 
the  substance  of  what  P.  has  advanced  ; 
and  that  is  all  I  can  think  of  attending  to. 

It  is  admitted,  as  was  before  observed, 
that  there  is  in  the  deatii  of  Christ  a  suffi- 
cient ground  for  indefinite  calls  and  uni- 
ve'-sal  invitations;  that  God  docs  invite 
mankind  without  distinction  to  return  to 
him  through  the  mediation  of  his  Son, 
and  i)romises  j)ardon  and  acceptance  to 
whomsoever  shall  so  return.  There  have 
been  and  now  are  many  considerable  wri- 
ters, who  are  far  from  disowning  the  doc- 
trine of  particular  redemption,  (or  that  the 
salvation  of  those  who  are  saved  is  owing 
to  an  absolute  and  consequently  limited 
design  in  the  death  of  Christ,)  who  yet 
apprehend  that  a  way  is  opened  tor  sinners, 
without  distinction,  l)eing  invited  to  re- 
turn to  God  with  the  promise  of  free  par- 
don on  their  return.  And  they  suppose 
the  above  general  expressions  are  intend- 
ed to  convey  to  us  this  idea.  For  my 
part,  though  I  think  with  them  in  respect 
to  the  thing  itself,  yet  I  question  if  these 
general  expressions  are  so  to  be  under- 
stood. The  terms  ransom,  propitiation, 
&c.,  appear  to  me  to  express  more  than 
this,  and  what  is  true  only  of  those  who 
are  finally  saved.  To  die /or  us  appears 
to  me  to  express  the  design  or  intention 
of  the  Redeemer.  Christ's  death  effect- 
ed a  real  redemption,  through  which  ice 
are  justified.  He  redeemed  us  from  the 
curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for 
us,  and  thereby  secured  the  blessing  to 
come  upon  us  in  due  time. — Rom.  iii.  24. 
Gal.  iii.  13,  14.  Such  a  meaning,  there- 
fore, of  the  general  expressions  above 
mentioned  does  not  appear  to  me  agree- 
able ;  much  less  can  I  accede  to  the  sense 
put  upon  them  by  Philanthropos. 

The  rule  of  interpretation  mentioned 
by  P.  (p.  76)  I  approve.  His  sense  of  the 
passages  referred  to  I  apprehend  to  be 
"  contradicted  by  other  Scriptures — con- 
trary to  the  scope  of  the  inspired  writers — ■ 
and  what  involves  in  it  various  absurdities." 


The  following  observations  are  submit- 
ted to  the  judgment  of  the  impartial  read- 
er : — 

1.  It  is  the  usual  language  of  Scripture, 
when  speaking  of  the  blessings  of  salvation 
extending  to  the  Gentiles,  to  describe  them 
in  indcjinite  terms  :  "  O  thou  that  hearest 
prayer,  unto  thee  siiall  all  llesji  con»e." — 
"  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed, 
and  all  llcsh  shall  see  it  together." — "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  that  Irom  one  new 
moon  to  another,  and  Irom  one  sabbath  to 
another,  shall  all  llcsh  come  to  worship  be- 
fore me,  sailh  the  Lord." — "And  1  will 
pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your 
sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy," 
&c. — "  Thy  Maker  is  thy  husband  (the 
Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name;)  the  God  of  the 
whole  earth  shall  he  be  called." — "  All  the 
ends  of  the  world  shall  remember  and  turn 
unto  the  Lord  :  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
nations  shall  worship  before  thee." — "  And 
I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
me." — "Every  valley  shall  be  fdled,  and 
every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low  ;  and  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation 
of  God." — "All  nations  whom  thou  hast 
made  shall  come   and  worship  before  thee, 

0  Lord,  and  shall  glorify  thy  name." — 
"  All  kings  shall  fall  down  before  him  :  all 
nations  shall  serve  him.  Men  shall  be 
blessed  in  him  ;  all  nations  shall  call  him 
blessed." 

These  passages,  with  many  others,  ex- 
press blessings  which  cannot  be  understood 
universally,  as  P.  himself  must  acknow- 
ledge. Now,  1  ask,  would  not  these  fur- 
nish a  contender  for  the  universal  and  fi- 
nal salvation  of  all  mankind  with  as  good 
an  argument  as  that  which  P.  uses  against 
us  ]  Might  he  not  say,  "  The  suliject  in 
question  can  require  no  figures.  Surely 
the  great  God  could  not  intend  to  impose 
upon  his  poor,  ignorant  creatures.  He 
could  receive  no  honor  from  such  an  impo- 
sition. It  would  be  no  glory  to  you.  Sir, 
to  ensnare  a  fly  or  a  gnat.  We  are  infi- 
nately  more  below  Deity  than  a  fly  or  a 
gnat  is  inferior  to  us.  He  cannot,  then, 
be  honored  by  deceiving  us.  And  we  may 
say,  with  reverence,  that  his  justice,  and 
all  his  moral  perfections,  require  that  he 
should  be  explicit  in  teaching  ignorant 
men  on  subjects  of  such  importance  as 
this  !"— p.  40.* 

2.  The  time  in  which  the  New  Testament 

♦P.  ppeiiks  of  reverence  ;  nml  I  have  no  doubt 
but  that  in  general  he  feels  it ;  hut  surely,  in  this  pUce, 
he  must  have  forgotten  himself.  Surely  a  greater 
degree  of  sobriety  would  iiave  i>ec<)me  a  creature  go 
ignorant  and  insignificant  as  he  describes  him.seif, 
than  to  determine  wiiat  kind  of  language  God  shall 
use  in  conveying  his  mind  to  men.  I'here  is  no 
d  libt  but  God's  word,  in  all  its  parts,  is  sutKcientlv  ex- 

1  it.     Every  thing  that  relates  to  tJie  warrant  and 


502 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


was  written  renders  such  a  sense  of  the  in- 
definite terms  there  used  very  possible  and 
very  probable.  The  Jews,  it  is  well 
known,  were  at  that  time  very  tena- 
cious of  exclusive  privileges.  Their  preju- 
dices taught  them  to  expect  a  Messiah 
whose  blessings  should  be  confined  to  their 
own  peculiar  nation.  The  generality  of 
even  those  who  believed  were  exceedingly 
jealous,  and  found  it  hard  work  to  relin- 
quish their  peculiar  notions,  and  be  redu- 
ced to  a  level  with  the  Gentiles.  It  seems 
highly  proper,  therefore,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  should,  in  some  sort,  cut  off  their 
vain  pretensions  ;  and  this  he  did,  not  only 
by  directing  the  apostles  to  the  use  of  in- 
definite language,  but  by  putting  words 
into  the  mouth  of  Caiaphas,  their  own 
high-priest.  He  bore  witness  for  God, 
though  he  meant  no  such  thing,  how  that 
Jesus  "  should  die  for  that  nation  :  and  not 
for  that  nation  only,  but  that  also  he  should 
gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God 
that  were  scattered  abroad.'^ 

3.  The  scope  and  connection  of  several 
of  the  passages  produced  countenance 
such  an  interpretation. 

1  Tim.  ii.  6.  "  He  gave  himself  a  ran- 
som for  all,"  &c.  This  is  a  passage  on 
which  considerable  stress  is  laid.  The 
whole  passage  reads  as  follows  :  "  I  ex- 
hort, therefore  that,  first  of  all,  supplica- 
tions, prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of 
thanks,  be  made  for  all  men  :  for  kings, 
and  for  all  that  are  in  authority  ;  that  we 
may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all 
godliness  and  honesty.  For  this  is  good 
and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our 
Saviour  :  who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved, 
and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  For  there  is  one  God,  and  one 
mediator  lietween  God  and  men,  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  ;  who  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all,  to  be  testified  indue  time.  Where - 
unto  I  am  ordained  a  preacher  and  an 
apostle,  a  teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  faith 
and  verity." 

I  allow  it  to  be  the  revealed  will  of  God 
that  every  man  who  hears,  or  has  oppor- 

rule  of  a  sinner's  application  for  salvation,  especial- 
ly, is  plain  and  easy.  The  wayfaring  man,  though 
a  fool,  shall  not  err.  And  if  some  truths  which  do 
not  affect  either  his  right  to  apply  to  tiie  Saviour  or 
his  hope  of  success  on  application,  should  be  express- 
ed in  figurative  language,  I  hope  such  a  mode  of  ex- 
pre.«sion  will  uol  be  found  to  reflect  upon  the  moral 
character  of  God. 

I  wish,  especially,  that  P.  had  written  with  more 
sobriety  in  what  he  says  of  God's  "  deceiving  and 
ensnaring  us."  What  deception  is  there  in  the 
case  1  Do  we  suppose  it  possible  for  a  poor  sinner, 
encouraged  by  the  invitations  of  the  go.'«pel,  to  apply 
to  Christ  and  there  meet  with  a  repulse?  No  such  thing. 
To  what  purpose  then  is  it  asked,  "  How  can  any 
man  believe  the  promises  of  God,  if  he  be  not  as- 
sured that  God  is  in  earnest,  and  means  to  fulfil 
them  V'—p.  49. 


tunity  to  hear,  the  gospel,  should  return 
to  him  by  Jesus  Christ;  and  whosoever  so 
returns  shall  surely  be  saved.  But  I  ap- 
prehend, let  us  understand  by  the  will  of 
God  in  this  place  what  we  may,  we  can  nev- 
er make  it  applicable  to  all  men  universally. 
By  the  truth  which  God  will  have  all  men 
to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  is  plainly  in- 
tended that  of  ^/te  one  God,  and  one  medi- 
ator betiveen  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ 
Jesus  ;  which  is  here  opposed  to  the  no- 
tion of  many  gods  and  many  mediators 
among  the  heathens.  But  in  no  sense  can 
it  be  said  to  be  God's  will  that  all  men  uni- 
versally should  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  latter  branch  of  this  truth,  unless  it 
be  his  will  that  millions  of  the  human  race 
should  believe  in  him  of  whom  they  have 
never  heard. 

I  should  think  the  latter  part  of  verses 
6,  7,  determines  the  meaning.  The  phrase, 
"  to  be  testified  in  due  time,'''  doubtless  re- 
fers to  the  gospel  being  preached  among 
"all  nations,"  though  not  to  all  the  indi- 
viduals of  any  one  nation,  "  before  the  end 
of  the  world."  Hence  it  follows,  "  Where- 
imto  I  am  ordained  a  preacher — a  teacher 
of  the  Gentiles  in  faith  and  verity."  God 
does  not  now,  as  if  the  apostle  had  said, 
confine  his  church,  as  heretofore,  amongst 
the  Jews.  Your  prayers,  hopes,  and  en- 
deavors, must  now  extend  over  all  the 
world.  God  will  set  up  his  kingdom  in 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth.  Seek  the 
welfare  and  eternal  salvation  of  men, 
therefore,  without  distinction  of  rank  or 
nation.  There  is  not  a  country  under  hea- 
ven which  is  not  given  to  the  Messiah  for 
his  inheritance  ;  and  he  shall  possess  it  in 
due  time.  In  due  time  the  gospel  shall  be 
testified  throughout  all  the  world ;  for  the 
ushering  in  of  which  glorious  tidings  I  am 
appointed  a  herald,  an  apostle,  a  teacher  of 
the  Gentiles  in  faith  and  verity.* 

I  have  seen  nothing  at  present,  sufficient 
to  convince  me  but  that  this  is  the  mean- 
ing of  I  John  ii.  2,  "He  is  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  John,  the 
writer  of  the  epistle,  was  a  Jew,  an  apos- 
tle of  the  circumcision,  in  connection  with 
Peter  and  James.  Gal.  ii.  9.  The  epis- 
tles of  Peter  and  James  were  each  directed 

*  "  He  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified 
indue  time." — Whether  the  ransom  of  Christ  ex- 
tends faillier  than  the  testimony  of  the  gospel  or  not 
is  a  question  which  Ido  not  pietend  to  determine:  be 
that,  however,  as  it  may,  neither  supposition  will 
suit  the  scheme  of  P.  If  it  does  not,  his  point  is 
given  up.  If  it  does,  if  it  includes  the  whole  heathen 
wovld,  it  is  to  lie  hoped  they  are  somewhat  the  better 
for  it,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  in  that  to  come. 
But,  if  so,  either  they  must  go  to  heaven  without  re- 
generation, or  regeneration  in  those  cases  is  not  by 
faith. 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


603 


to  the  Jews  (1  Pet.  i.l  ;2Pct.iii.l  ;Jas.i.  1;) 
and  Dr.  Wliitliy  acknowlcdires  concerniiiir 
this  ciiistle  '  tliat,  "  it  heing  writloii  by  an 
apostle  of  the  circumcision,  it  is  not  doiil>t- 
ed  liut  it  was  written  to  the  Jews."  Tiie 
same  is  intimated  i)y  several  {)assages  in 
the  epistle  itself.  The  f at  hers,  to  wiioin 
he  writes  (chap.  ii.  12,  14,)  knew  Christ 
from  the  bet^innini!;.  In  verse  ISol  the  same 
chapter  he  appears  |)lainly  to  reler  to  our 
Lord's  |)rophccics  concerninir  the  awful  end 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  an<l  to  tiic  false  pro- 
phets that  should  come  into  the  world  |)re- 
viouslv  to  that  event.  He  insists  much 
upon  Christ's  lieinj:  come  in  the  flesh  ; 
which  was  a  truth  more  liaMe  to  he  denied 
by  the  Jews  than  by  the  Gentiles.  Final- 
ly :  the  term  itself,  which  is  rendered  pro- 
pitiation, plainly  alludes  to  the  Jewish 
mercy  seat.  It  is  true  that  many  things  in 
it  will  equally  apply  to  Jews  and  Gentiles. 
Christ  in  the  advocate  of  the  one  as  well  as 
of  the  other  :  but  that  is  no  proof  that  the 
epistle  is  not  directed  to  believing:  Jews  ; 
as  the  same  may  be  said  of  many  thino;s  in 
the  epistle  of  James,  which  also  is  called 
a  catholic  or  general  epistle,  though  ex- 
pressly adressed  to  the  twelve  tribes  which 
were  scattered  abroad.\ 

After  all,  I  wish  it  to  be  considered 
whether  the  lext  refers  to  any  other  than 
believers  of  either  Jews  or  Gentiles.  In 
my  opinion  it  does  not  ;  and  if  so,  the  ar- 
gument from  it  in  favor  of  the  universal 
extent  of  Christ's  death  is  totally  invalida- 
ted. My  reasons  for  this  opinion  are  as 
follow  :  the  term  propitiation  is  not  put 
for  what  Christ  is  unto  us  considered  only 
as  laying  down  his  life  and  offering  himself 
a  sacrifice,  but  tor  what  he  is  unto  us 
through  faith.  He  is  "  set  forth  to  be  a 
propitiation,  through  faith  in  his  blood." — 
Rom.  iii.  2.5.  He  cannot,  therefore,  one 
should  think,  be  a  propitation  to  any  but 
believers.  There  would  be  no  propriety 
in  saying  of  Christ  that  he  is  set  forth  to 
be  an  expiatory  sacrifice  through  faith  in 
his  blood,  because  he  was  a  sacrifice  for 
sin  prior  to  the  consideration  of  our  be- 
lieving in  him.  The  text  does  not  express 
what  Christ  icas  as  laying  down  his  life, 
but  what  he  is  in  consequence  of  it.  Christ 
})eing  our  projjitiation,  certainly  supposes 
his  being  a  sacrifice  for  sin  ;  but  it  also 
supposes  something  more  :  it  includes  the 
idea  of  that  sacrifice  becoming  the  medium 
of  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  of  communion 
with  God.     It  relates,  not  to  what  has  been 

*  Preface  to  liis  Annotationa  on  the  First  Epis- 
tle of  John. 

t  Had  not  an  argument  l)een  drawn  from  tlie  title 
of  this  epistle  in  favor  of  it.s  l)eino[  written  to  botii 
Jews  and  (Jenliics,  I  should  have  taken  no  notice  of 
it  ;  as  these  titles,  I  suppose,  were  given  to  the  epis- 
tles by  uninspired  writers. 


called  the  impelration,  but  to  the  applica- 
tion of  redemption.  Christ  is  our  propitia- 
tion in  the  same  sense  as  he  is  the  Lord 
our  righteousness,  which  also  is  said  to  be 
through  faith  ;  but  how  he  should  be  a  pro- 
pitiation through  faith  to  those  who  have 
no  faith  it  is  diflicult  to  conceive. 

The  truth  seems  to  be  this  :  Christ  is 
that  of  which  the  Jewish  mercy-seat  (or 
propitiatory)  was  a  type.  The  Jewish 
mercy-scat  was  the  medium  of  mercy  and 
covununion  with  God  lor  all  the  worship- 
pers of  God  of  old. — Ev.  XXV.  22.  Christ 
is  that  in  reality  which  this  was  in  figure, 
and  is  not,  like  that,  confined  to  a  single 
nation.  He  is  the  medium  through  which 
all  believers  of  all  ages  and  nations  have 
access  to  God  and  receive  the  forgiveness 
of  their  sins.  All  this  perfectly  agrees 
with  the  scope  of  the  apostle,  which  was 
to  encourage  backslidden  believers  against 
despair. 

Though  it  is  here  supposed  the  apostle 
personates  believing  Jews,  and  that  the 
whole  world  means  the  Gentiles;  yet,  if 
the  contrary  were  allowed,  the  argument 
would  not  be  thereby  affected.  Suppose 
him  by  our  sins  to  mean  the  sins  of  us  who 
now  believe,  ivhether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  slill 
it  amounts  to  the  same  thing;  for  then 
what  follows  is  as  if  he  had  added.  And 
not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  all 
that  ever  came,  or  shall  come  unto  God  liy 
him  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  time. 

P.  objects  the  want  of  other  passages  of 
Scripture,  in  which  the  term  "whole  world 
signifies  the  elect,  or  those  that  believe,  or 
those  that  are  saved,  or  any  thing  contra- 
dictory to  the  sense  he  has  given." — p.  81. 
The  term  ivhole  world  is  certainly  used 
in  a  limited  sense  by  the  apostle  Paul, 
when  he  says  of  the  Christians  at  Rome 
that  their  faith  was  spoken  of  throughout 
the  ichole  world.  Though  Rome  was  at 
that  time,  in  a  sort,  the  metropolis  of  the 
known  world,  and  those  who  professed 
Christianity  in  that  famous  city  were  more 
conspicious  than  those  who  professed  it  in 
other  places  ;  yet  there  were  many  coun- 
tries not  then  discovered,  in  which  the 
news  of  their  faith  could  not  possibly  have 
arrived.  Besides,  it  is  evident  from  the 
drift  of  the  apostle  that  the  faith  of  the 
Romans  was  spoken  of  in  a  way  of  com- 
mendation ;  but  it  is  not  supposable  that 
the  whole  world  universally  would  so  speak 
of  it.  By  the  whole  ivorld,  therefore,  can 
be  meant  no  more  than  the  believing  part 
of  it  in  those  countries  where  Christianity 
had  begun  to  make  its  way.  p^arther: 
Christ  is  called  "the  God  of  the  whole 
earth." — Is.  liv.  5.  The  whole  earth  must 
here  mean  believers  j  as  it  expresses,  not 
his  universal  government  of  the  world,  but 
his'tender  relation  of  a  husband  which  it  was 


504 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHKOPOS. 


here  foretold  he  should  sustain  towards 
the  Gentile  as  well  as  the  Jewish  church. 
Again  :  the  gospel  of  Christ  preached  in 
the  world  is  compared  to  leaven  hid  in 
three  measures  of  ineal  till  the  whole  was 
leavened. — Matt.  xiii.  33.  This,  doubtless, 
implies  that  the  gospel,  before  it  has  fin- 
ished its  operations,  shall  spread  through- 
out the  whole  world,  and  leaven  it.  But 
this  will  never  be  true  of  all  the  individuals 
in  the  world,  for  none  but  true  believers  are 
leavened  by  it. 

But  P.  thinks  the  phrase  whole  .world, 
in  1  John  ii.  2,  ought  to  be  interpreted  by 
a  like  phrase  in  chap  v.  19,  and  yet  he  him- 
self cannot  pretend  that  they  are  of  a  like 
meaning,  nor  does  he  understand  them  so. 
By  the  whole  loorld  in  the  one  place  he 
understands  all  the  inhabitants  that  ever 
were,  or  should  be,  in  the  world,  except- 
ing those  from  whom  they  are  distinguish- 
ed ;  but,  in  the  other,  can  only  be  meant 
the  wicked  of  the  world,  who,  at  that  time, 
existed  upon  the  earth. 

The  most  plausible  argument  advanced 
by  P.  is,  in  my  opinion,  from  2  Cor.  v.  15, 
on  which  he  observes  that  the  phrase  they 
rvho  live  is  distributive,  and  must,  there- 
fore, include  only  a  part  of  the  all  for 
whom  Christ  died. — p.  78.  Whether  the 
following  remarks  are  sufficient  to  invali- 
date the  argument  of  P.  from  this  passage 
the  reader  is  left  to  judge. 

(1)  The  context  speaks  of  the  Gentiles 
being  interested  in  Christ  as  well  as  the 
Jews.  "  Henceforth  know  we  no  man 
after  the  flesh  ;  yea  though  we  have  known 
Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now  henceforth 
know  we  him  no  more." — "  If  any  man  be 
in  Christ  he  is  anew  creature." — Ver.  16, 
17,  compared  with  Gal.  vi.  15. 

(2)  It  does  not  appear  to  be  the  design 
of  the  apostle  to  affirm  that  Christ  died  for 
all  that  were  dead,  but  that  all  were  dead, 
for  whom  Christ  died.  P.  wonders,  and  it 
seems  has  much  ado  to  keep  up  his  good 
opinion  of  my  integrity,  for  what  I  said  in 
a  note  on  this  subject  before. — p.  26. 
That  it  is  the  main  design  of  the  apostle  to 
speak  of  the  condition  of  those  for  whom 
Christ  died  I  conclude,  partly  from  his 
having  been  describing  the  condition  of 
sinners  as  subject  to  the  terrors  of  divine 
vengeance,  (ver.  11,)  and  partly  from  the 
pharaseology  of  ver.  14.  The  apostle's 
words  are,  "  If  one  died  for  all,  then  were 
(they),  all  dead  ;  "  which  proves  both  that 
the  condition  of  those  for  whom  Christ 
died  was  the  subject  of  the  apostle's  main 
discourse,  and  that  the  extent  of  the  term 
all,  in  the  latter  part  of  this  verse,  is  to  be 
determined  by  the  former,  and  not  the 
former  by  the  latter. 

But  "  has  the  little  word  all  lost  its  mean- 
ing 1  "     No,  certainly  ;  nor  does   what   is 


here  advanced  suppose  that  it  has.  The 
main  design  of  a  writer  is  not  expressed 
in  every  word  in  a  sentence  ;  and  yet  every 
word  may  have  its  meaning.  Tiiough  I 
suppose  that  the  term  here  may  refer  to  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  yet  that  does  not  necessarily 
imply  that  it  was  the  apostle's  main  design 
here  to  speak  of  the  extent  of  Christs  death. 

(3)  Though  our  hypothesis  supposes  that 
all  for  whom  Christ  died  shall  finally  live, 
yet  it  does  not  suppose  that  they  all  live 
at  present.  It  is  but  a  part  of  those  for 
whom  he  died,  viz.  such  as  are  called  by 
his  grace,  who  live  not  unto  themselves, 
but  to  him  who  died  for  them  and  rose 
again. 

There  are  some  other  passages  pro- 
duced by  P.,  particularly  Heb.  ii.  9,  and  2 
Pet.  ii.  1  ;  but  I  am  I'eady  to  think  he 
himself  does  not  place  much  dependence 
upon  them.  He  is  not  unacquainted  with 
the  scope  of  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  nor  of  the  word  man  not 
being  in  the  text.  Nor  need  he  be  told 
that  the  apostle  Peter,  in  the  context  of 
the  other  passage,  appears  to  be  speaking 
nothing  about  the  purchase  of  the  Sa- 
viour's blood  ;  that  the  name  there  given 
to  the  purchaser  is  never  applied  to 
Christ ;  and  that,  if  it  is  applied  to  him  in 
this  instance,  it  is  common  to  speak  of 
things,  not  as  they  actually  are,  but  as 
they  are  professed  to  be  ;  thus  apostates 
are  said  to  be  twice  dead,  as  if  they  had 
been  spiritually  alive ;  though,  in  fact, 
that  was  never  the  case,  but  barely  the 
matter  of  their  profession.  See  also 
Matt.   xiii.   12,  and  Luke  viii.   18. 

Sect.  III. —  On  the  consistency  of  the 
limited  extent  of  Christ's  death,  as  sta- 
ted above,  with  universal  calls,  invita-r 
tions,  &fc. 

Here  we  come  to  the  second  question, 
and  to  what  is  the  only  part  of  the  sub- 
ject to  which  I  am  properly  called  upon 
to  reply.  If  a  limitation  of  design  in  the 
death  of  Christ  be  inconsistent  with  ex- 
hortations and  invitations  to  mankind  in 
general,  it  must  be  because  it  is  incon- 
sistent for  God  to  exhort  and  invite  men 
to  any  thing  with  which  he  has  not  made 
gracious  provision,  by  the  death  of  his 
Son,  to  enable  them  to  comply. 

When  I  deny  a  gracious  provision  being 
necessary  to  render  exhortations  consist-, 
ent,  I  would  be  understood  to  mean,  1. 
Something  more  than  a  provision  of  par- 
don in  behalf  of  all  those  who  shall  be- 
lieve in  Christ  :  2.  More  than  the  fur- 
nishing of  men  with  motives  and  reasons 
for  compliance  ;  or  ordering  it  so  that 
these  motives  and  reasons  shall  be  urged 
upon  them.  If  no  more  than  this  were 
meant  by  the  term,  I  should  allow  that 
such  a  provision  is  necessary.     But,  by  a 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


505 


gracious  provision,  I  mean  that,  be  it 
uhat  it  may,  which  removes  a  moral  ina- 
l)ility  to  comply  with  the  posjtel,  and 
which  renders  sncli  a  com|)liancc  possil)lc 
■without  the  invincible  agency  of  the  Holy 
^Spirit. 

What  has  been  said  before  may  t>c  here 
repeated,  tliat  the  doclrine  of  a  limitation 
of  desiirn  in  the  death  of  Christ  stands  or 
falls  with  that  of  the  divine  purposes.  If 
the  latter  can  l)e  inainlained,  and  main- 
tained to  l>e  consistent  with  the  free  agen- 
cy of  man  and  the  entire  use  of  means, 
then  it  will  not  be  very  ditlicult  to  defend 
the  former.  I  confess  that  the  subject  is 
profound,  and  I  enter  upon  it  with  fear 
and  treml)]in;j;.  It  is  a  subject  on  which  I 
dare  not  iudulge  a  spirit  of  speculation. 
Perhaps  the  l)est  way  of  studying  it  is  up- 
on our  knees.  I  hope  it  will  be  my  en- 
deavor to  keep  close  to  what  God  has  re- 
vealed concerning  it.  There  are,  doubt- 
less, many  questions  that  might  be  start- 
ed by  a  curious  mind  which  it  would  be 
difficult,  and  perhaps  impossible,  to  solve. 
JSoT  is  this  to  be  wondered  at.  The  same 
difficulty  attends  us,  in  our  present  state, 
respecting  almost  all  the  works  of  God. 
No  man  could  solve  one  half  of  the  diffi- 
■culties  that  might  he  started  concerning 
Ood's  goodness  in  creating  the  world, 
when  he  knew  all  that  would  follow.  The 
«ame  might  be  said  of  a  thousand  things 
in  the  scheme  of  divine  providence.  Suf- 
fice it  for  us,  at  present,  that  we  know 
our  littleness-,  that,  when  we  come  to  see 
things  as  they  are,  we  shall  be  fully  con- 
vinced of  all  that  has  been  told  us,  and 
shall  unite  in  the  universal  acclamation, 
He  hath  done  all  things  well  ! 

That  there  is  a  consistency  between 
the  divine  decrees  and  the  free  agency  of 
men  I  believe  ;  but  whether  I  can  account 
for  it  is  another  thing.  Whether  it  can 
be  accounted  for  at  all,  so  as  to  enable  us 
■clearly  to  comprehend  it,  I  cannot  tell. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  does  not  distress  me  : 
I  believe  in  both,  because  both  appear  to 
me  to  be  plainly  revealed.  Of  this  I  shall 
attempt  to  give  evidence  in  what  follows. 
1.  The  time  of  viands  life  is  appointed 
of  God.  "  Is  there  not  an  appointed  time 
to  man  upon  earth  1  arc  not  his  days  also 
like  the  days  of  a  hireling!  His  days 
are  determined,  the  number  of  his  months 
is  with  thee,  thou  hast  appointed  his 
bounds  that  he  cannot  pass." — "All  the 
days  of  my  appointed  time  will  I  wait, 
till  my  change  come."  And  yet  men  are 
exhorted  to  use  means  to  prolong  their 
lives,  and  actually  do  use  those  means,  as 
if  there  was  no  appointment  in  the  case. 
God  determines  to  send  afflictions  to  in- 
dividuals and  families  ;  and  he  may  have 
determined  that  those  afflictions  shall  ter- 
voL.  I.  64 


minate  in  death;  nevertheless,  it  is  God's 
revealed  will  that  they  should  use  means 
for  their  recovery,  as  much  as  if  tiierc 
were  no  determination  in  the  affair.  Chil- 
dren were  exhorted  to  honor  their  pa- 
rents, "  that  their  days  mif^ht  be  long  in 
the  land  which  the  Lord  their  God  had 
given  thcnj."  He  that  desired  life,  and 
loved  many  days,  was  exhorted  to  keep 
his  tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  from 
speaking  guile.  If,  by  neglect  or  excess, 
any  one  come  to  what  is  called  an  un- 
timely end,  we  arc  not  to  suppose  either 
that  God  is  disappointed  or  the  sinner  ex- 
culpated. 

2.  Out  portion  in  this  life  is  represent- 
ed as  coming  under  the  divine  appoint- 
ment.* It  is  a  cup,  a  lot,  a  heritage.  Da- 
vid spoke  of  his  portion  as  laid  out  for 
him  by  line.  "  The  lines,"  says  he,  "  are 
fallen  to  me  in  pleasant  places  :  yea,  I 
have  a  goodly  heritage."  The  times  be- 
fore appointed  are  dcterviined,  and  the 
bounds  of  our  habitation  are  fixed. — Acts 
xvii.  26.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  a  humble 
mind  that  his  times  and  concerns  are  in 
God's  hand,  and  that  he  has  the  choosing 
of  his  inheritance. — Ps.  xxxi.  15;  xlvii. 
4.  And  yet,  in  all  the  concerns  of  life,  we 
are  exhorted  to  act  with  discretion,  as 
much  as  if  there  were  no  divine  providence. 
The  purposes  of  God  extend  to  the  bit- 
ter part  of  our  portion  as  well  as  to  the 
sweet.  Tribulations  are  things  to  which 
we  are  said  to  be  appointed.  Nor  is  it  a 
mere  general  determination  :  of  all  the 
ills  that  befel  and  afflicted  Job,  not  one 
came  unordained.  Cutting  and  complica- 
ted as  they  were,  he  calmly  acknowledged 
this,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  relief  under 
his  trouble :  "  He  performeth  the  thiog 
that  is  appointed  for  me ;  and  many  such 
things  are  with  him."  Nevertheless, 
there  are  things  which  have  a  tendency  to 
fill  up  this  cup  with  either  happiness  or 
misery ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  men 
are  exhorted  to  pursue  the  one,  and  to 
avoid  the  other,  the  same  as  if  there  were 
no  divine  purpose  whatever  in  the  affair. 

God  appointed  to  give  Pharaoh  and 
Sihon  up  to  their  own  hearts'  lusts,  which 
would  certainly  terminate  in  their  destruc- 
tion ;  and  yet  they  ought  to  have  accepted 
of  the  messages  of  peace  which  God  sent 
to  them  by  the  hand  of  Moses.  But  here, 
I  am  told,  I  have  obviated  my  own  rea- 
soning, by  observing,  elsewhere,  that  the 
"predeterminations  of  God  concerning 
those  persons  were  founded  on  the  fore- 

*  P,  calls  tills  in  question,  (p.  47;)  and  seems  to 
admit  that,  if  this  could  f)e  proved,  it  would  prove 
the  consistency  of  the  divine  purposes  concerning 
men's  eternal  state  with  their  obligations  to  use  die 
means  of  salvation. 


£06 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


sigR  of  their  wicked  conduct,  of  which  ty  to  have  done  otherwise.     Assyria  was 

their  noncompliance  with  these  messages  God's  rod  to  Judah,  and  the  staff  in  their 

of  peace  was  no  inconsiderable  part."— p.  hands  was  his  indignation.     And  yet  As- 

47      By  this  it  sliould  seem,  tlien,  that  P.  syria  ought  not  so  to  have  oppressed  Ju- 

admits  the  reality  of  divine  decrees,  and  dah.     Pride,   coveteousness,    and  cruelty 

that  the  final  state  of  every  one  is  thereby  were  their   motives  ;  for   all    which   they 

determined  of  God  ;  only"  that  it  is  upon  were    called    to    account    and    punished. 


ihe  foresight  of  faith  or  unbelief.  In  that 
case,  he  seems  to  admit  of  a  consisten- 
cy between  the  purposes  of  God  to  pun- 
ish some  of  the  human  race,  and  their 
being  universally  created  to  believe  and 
be  saved.  And  yet,  if  so,  I  see  not 
the  propriety  of  some  of  his  objections 
against  the  doctrine  of  decrees.  The 
thing  against  which  he,  in  some  places, 
reasons,  is  not  so  much  their  uncondition- 
ality  as  the  certainty  of  their  issue.  "All 
must  be  sensible,"  says  he,  "  that  the  di- 
vine decrees  must  stand.'' — p.  50.  Be  it 
so  :  must  they  not  stand  as  much  upon 
his  own  hypothesis  as  upon  ours  1 

As  to  the  conditionality    of  the  divine 
decrees,    it  is  allowed   that,  in  whatever 


Our  Lord  was  "  delivered  according  to 
the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge 
of  God."  His  worst  enemies  did  nothing 
to  him  but  what  "  his  hand  and  his  coun- 
sel determined  before  to  be  done."  And 
yet  this  did  not  hinder  but  that  with 
"  wicked  hands  "  they  crucified  and  slew 
him,  that  the  contrary  of  all  this  was  their 
duty,  and  that  the  invitations  and  expos- 
tulations of  our  Lord  with  them  were 
founded  in  propriety  and  sincerity.  God 
did  not  determine  to  give  Judas  a  heart  to 
forbear  betraying  his  master,  when  tempt- 
ed by  the  lure  of  gain  :  on  the  contrary,  he 
determined  to  give  him  up  to  his  own 
heart's  lust.  The  Son  of  man,  in  being 
betrayed,   went  "  as  it  was  determined  :  " 


tances   God  has  determined  to  punish    and  yet  there  was   a  woe  due  to,  and  de- 


any  of  the  sons  of  men,  either  in  this 
world  or  in  that  to  come,  it  is  entirely  up- 
on the  foresight  of  evil.  It  was  so  in 
all  the  punishments  that  befel  Pharaoh 
and  Sihon.     But  there  was   not  only  the 


nounced   against,  the  horrid  perpetrator, 
notwilhstandin  g. 

Exclamations  may  abound  ;  but  facts 
are  stubborn  things.  It  is  likely  we  may 
be  told.  If  this  be  the  case,  we  need  not 


exercise  of  punitive  justice  discovered  in  he  uneasy  about  it ;  for  it  is  as  God  would 

these  instances,  but,  as  well,  a  mixture  of  have  it.— "  If  God  has  ordained  it,  why 

If  the    question   be   asked,  should  we  oppose  it  1  "—p.  50.     But  such 

"  the  an-  a  mode  of  objecting,  as  observed  before. 

But  if  though  of  ancient  is   not  of  very    honor- 


sovereignty. 

Why  did  God  punish  these  men  1 
swer  is.  On  account  of  their  sin 
it  be  asked.  Why  did  he  punish  them 
rather  than  others  in  themselves  equally 
wicked?  the  answer  must  be  resolved  into 
sovereignty.     He    that   stopped   a 


persecuting  Saul  in  his  vile  career  could 

have  turned  the  heart  of  a  Pharaoh ;  but 

he  is  a  debtor  to  none  ;  he  hath  said,  he  ,  tvt       ,  i 

"will  have  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have    ficient  to  reply,  "Nay  but,  O  man,  who 

mercv."      The   apostle   Paul   considered    art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  1  " 

After  all,  surely,  there  is  a  wide  differ 


able  extraction.  If  it  be  not  identically 
the  same  which  was  made  to  the  apostolic 
doctrine,  it  is  certainly  very  nearly  akin  to 
it.  I  can  discern  no  difference,  except  in 
words  :  "  Thou  wilt  say,  then.  Why  doth 
he  yet  find  fault  ?  For  who  hath  resisted 
his  will  1  "     To  which  it  was  thought  suf- 


mercy."      me   apos 

the  destruction  of  Pharaoh  as  not  merely 
an  instance  of  justice,  but  likewise  of 
sovereignty  (Rom.  ix.  17;)  and  concludes, 
from  his  example,  "  therefore  hath  he  mer- 
cy on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and  whom 
he  will  he  hardeneth:"  which,  I  should 
suppose,  can  intend  nothing  less  than  leav- 
ing them  to  the  hardness  of  tlieir  hearts. 


ence  between  an  efficient  and  a  permissive 
determination  in  respect  to  the  existence 
of  moral  evil.  To  assign  the  former  to 
the  Divine  Being  is  to  make  him  the  au- 
thor of  sin  :  but  not  so  the  latter.  That 
God  does  permit  evil  is  a  fact  that  cannot 
be  disputed ;  and,  if  we  admit  the  perfec- 
tion of  his  moral  character,  it  must  be  al- 
lowed to  be  consistent  with  his  righteous- 


The  19th   verse,   which   immediately   fol- 
lows, and  contains  the  objections  of  that  -■         r  -^ 
day  is  so  nearly  akin  to  the  objections  of    ness,  whether  we  can  fully  conceive  of  it 
P.  (p.  50)  that  I  wonder  he  should  not  per-    or  not.     But,  if  it  be  consistent  with  the 
ceive  it,  and  learn  instruction  by  it. 

3.  Events  which  imply  the  evil  actions 
of  men  come  under  the  divine  appointment. 
The  visitations  with  which  Job  were  afflict- 
ed were  of  God's  sending.  He  himself 
knew  this,  and  acknowledged  it.  And 
yet  this  did  not  hinder  but  that  the  Sa- 
beans  and  Chaldeans  acted  as  free  agents 
in  what  they  did,  and  that  it  was  their  du- 


righteousness  of  God  to  permit  evil,  it 
cannot  be  otherwise  to  determine  so  to  do, 
unless  it  be  wrong  to  determine  to  do  what 
is  right.  * 

4.  Our  Lord  declared,  concerning  those 

*  Were  it  not  for  the  candor  which  P.  has  discov- 
ered in  other  instances,  and  his  solemn  appeal  to 
"  the  searcher  of  hearts  that  misrepresentation  was 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


507 


who  shoiilil  blaspheme  against  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  their  sin  should  not  he  for- 
given, neither  in  tliis  worhl  nor  in  that  to 

not  his  aim,"  I  slioiild  iilinost  iliink  he  intii^l  take 
pieasiire  in  rupresenliii:^  my  scniimeiils  on  llie  divine 
aecrcf^s  in  as  zthocking  a  lis^hr  ;is  he  is  alile.  Whal 
I  should  r\|)iess  in  some  such  manner  as  lliis  : — (>od 
commands  men  in  general  to  l>elieve  in  Christ, 
thouj;h  he  knows  they  are  so  oljstinately  wicked  that 
thev  cannot  find  in  their  heart  so  to  do;  and  he  lias 
delerniined  not  to  do  all  that  he  is  able  to  remove 
tlieir  olistinany — he  will  express  for  mc  thus  :  "  (Sod 
conimauds  all  to  l)elieve  in  Christ;  and  yet  knows 
that  llii-y  arc  not.  nor  ever  were,  and  determines  they 
never  shall  be  able  to  do  it." — p.  40.  I*,  will  al- 
low, I  .-oppose,  that  (Jod  has  not  delerniined  to  en- 
able men,  in  the  present  slate,  [Mrfectly  to  love  him, 
with  all  their  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength;  and 
yet,  if  this  were  put  into  a  |>osilive  form — if  it  were 
"said  that  God  has  deteruiined  that  men,  in  the  pres- 
ent stale,  shall  not  love  him  with  all  their  heart, 
but  that  they  shall  continue  to  break  his  law — it 
would  wear  a  very  difTiM-ent  appearance. 

'Iliat  there  is  a  conformity  l)etween  ( J od's  revealed 
will  and  his  decrees  I  admit. — p.  49.  There  is  no 
contradiction  in  these  things,  in  themselves  consider- 
ed, however  they  may  ap|x;ar  to  short-sighted  mor- 
tals. That  there  is,  however,  a  real  distinction  be- 
tween llie  secret  and  revealed  will  of  God  is  not  very 
diliicult  to  prove.  The  will  of  God  is  represented 
in  Scripture,  1.  As  that  which  CAN  never  be 
rRUSTR.\TED. — "  Who  luitli  resisted  his  will?" — 
"  He  is  in  one  mind,  and  who  can  turn  hinil  ami  what 
his  soul  desiretli  even  that  he  doetii." — "  Being  pre- 
destinated according  to  the  pmpose  of  liim  who 
workelh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will." 
— "  My  coun.^el  shall  stand,  and  I  will  do  all  my 
pleasure." — "  He  <l<?eth  according  to  his  will  in  the 
army  of  heaven  and  auKjng  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth." — "  Of  a  truth,  Loid,  against  thy  holy  child 
Jesus — Iwth  Hriod  and  I'onlius  I'ilaie,  with  the 
Gentiles  and  people  of  Israel,  were  gathered  together, 
for  to  do  w  hatsoever  thy  hand  and  thy  counsel  deter- 
mined before  to  lie  done."  2.  As  that  which  may 
BE  FRUSTRATED  or  di.«obeyed. — "That  servant 
which  knew  his  Lord's  will  and  prepared  not  him- 
self, neither  did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  l>eaten 
with  many  stri|)es." — "  He  that  doelh  the  will  of 
God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  moth- 
er." The  former  belongeth  unto  God,  being  the 
nde  of  his  own  conduct,  and  to  us  is  secrit:  the  lat- 
ter lielongeth  to  US  and  to  our  children  forever  ;  be- 
ing (he  rule  of  our  conduct,  "  that  we  may  do  all  the 
wfirds  of  his  law;  "  and  this  is  fully  revtalcd. 

It  was  God's  will,  in  some  sense  or  other,  to  per- 
mit Job,  at  the  devil's  recpiest,  to  lie  deprived  of  his 
property  by  the  Sal)eans  and  Chaldeans:  otherwise 
lie  would  noi  have  said  to  .Satan  as  he  did — "  All  ihat 
he  hath  is  in  thy  power,  only  upon  himself  put  not 
forth  thine  hand."  .\nd  yet  the  conduct  of  ihe.-^e  plun- 
derers was  certainly  contrary  to  his  revealed  will, 
and  to  every  rule  of  reason  and  e<|nitv.  Neverthe- 
less, God  was  not  under  obligation  to  do  all  he  could 
have  done  to  restrain  them.  It  was  not,  therefore, 
at  all  inconsistent  with  his  righteous  disapprobation 
that  he  willed  to  permit  their  abominations.  It  was 
the  will  of  God  that  Joseph  should  go  riown  into 
Egypt.  God  is  said  to  have  sent  him.  The  very 
thing  which  his  brethren  meant  loi'  evil  God  meant 
for  good.  They  fuKilleil  his  «;cret  will  in  what  they 
did,  though  without  design;  but  they  certainly  vio- 
lated his  revealed  will  in  ihe  most  llagiant  manner. 

If  ihe  commission  of  evil  were  llie  direct  end,  or 
ultimate  object,  of  the  secret  will  of  God,  that 
would  certainly  be  in  opposition  to  his  revealed  will; 


come.  Anil  there  is  no  tJoubt,  I  think, 
but  that  some  of  the  Jews  were  guilty  of 
tliis  sin,  if  not  before,  yet  after  the  pour- 
ing; out  of  the  Spirit  on  tlic  ilay  of  Pente- 
cost. Tlieir  destruction  then  was  inevit- 
able. And  yet  the  apostles  were  connnis- 
sioned  to  preach  the  gospel  to  "  every  crea- 
ture," witiioiit  tlistinction  ;  and  Christ's 
promise,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  mc  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out,"  continued  of  univer- 
sal force.  The  jirimitivc  ministers  made 
no  scruple  to  call  men  to  repent  and  be- 
lieve, wherever  tlicy  came.  It  is  true 
they  seem  to  have  been  forbidden  to  pray 
for  the  forgiveness  of  the  sin  itself,  (1  John 
V.  16,)  for  that  would  have  been  prayin}? 
in  direct  contradiction  to  God's  revealed 
w  ill ;  but,  as  they  knew  not  the  hearts  of 
men,  nor  who  iiad,  and  who  had  not,  com- 
mitted that  sin,  they  were  never  forbid- 
den, that  I  know  of,  to  pray  for  men's 
souls  without  distinction.  They  certainly 
did  so  pray,  and  addressed  their  auditors 
as  if  no  such  sin  had  existed  in  the  world. 
—Acts  xxvi.  29  ;  Col.  i.  28.  P.  will  allow 
that  the  exhortations  and  invitations  of  the 
gospel  were  addressed  to  men  indefinite- 
ly ;  and,  if  so,  I  should  think  they  must 
have  been  atldressed  to  some  men  whom 
at  the  same  time  it  was  not  the  intention 
of  Christ  to  save. 

5.  God  has  not  determined  to  give  men 
sufficient  grace  in  the  present  slate  to  love 
him  with  all  their  heart,  soul,  mind,  and 
strength,  and  their  neighbor  as  them- 
selves ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  keep  his 
law  perfectly.  He  has  not  made  provi- 
sion for  it  by  the  death  of  his  Son.  I  sup- 
but  this  we  do  not  suppose.  If  God  wills  not  to  hin- 
der sin  in  any  given  instance,  it  is  not  from  any  love 
he  has  to  sin,  but  for  some  oilier  end.  A  master  sees 
his  servant  idling  away  his  time.  He  secretes  him- 
self, and  sudeis  the  idler  to  go  on  without  disturb- 
ance. At  lengtii  he  appears,  and  accosts  him  in  the 
language  of  rebuke.  The  servant,  at  a  loss  for  a 
iHitler  answer,  lepiies.  How  is  this?  I  find  you  have 
been  looking  on  for  hours.  It  was  your  secret  will, 
therefore,  to  let  me  alone,  and  suffer  me  to  idle  away 
your  time;  and  yet  1  am  reproved  for  ilisobeyiug 
your  will !  Il  seems  you  have  two  wills,  and  these  op- 
posite to  each  other.  How  can  I  obey  your  com- 
mands, unless  I  knew  you  would  have  me  to  obey 
theml  Idleness,  it  seems,  was  agreeable  to  you,  or 
you  would  not  have  stood  by  so  long,  and  siifi'ered  me 
to  go  on  ill  it  iindi.-turbed.  Why  do  you  yet  find 
fault?  tcho  hath  resistid  your  will  ? 

would  any  one  admit  ol  such  a  re|)ly  1  And  yet, 
for  aught  I  see,  it  is  as  good  as  that  for  which  my 
opponent  pleads.  In  this  case  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  master  does  not  will  to  permit  the  servant's  idle- 
ne!^:^  for  idleness'  sake,  but  for  another  end.  Nor 
does  the  servant  do  wrong,  as  influenced  by  his 
master's  icUl,  but  by  his  own;  and  therefore  his 
objections  are  altogether  unreasonable  and  wicked. 
"  These  things  hast  thou  done,"  said  God  to  -^nch 
objectors,  "  and  I  kept  silence:  and  thou  thoughtest 
I  was  altogether  such  an  one  as  thyself;  but  I  will  re- 
prove ihec,  and  set  them  in  order  belijre  thine  eyes'.  " 


508 


REPLY    ro    PHlLANTHRaPOS^. 


pose  this  may  be  taken  for  granted.  If, 
then,  a  gracious  provision  is  to  be  made 
the  ground  and  rule  of  obligation,  it  must 
follow  that  all  commands  and  exhortations 
to  perfect  holiness  in  the  present  state  are 
utterly  unreasonable.  What  meaning  can 
there  be,  upon  this  supposition,  in  such 
Scriptures  as  the  following  1  "O  that 
there  were  such  an  heart  in  them,  that 
they  would  love  me,  and  fear  me,  and 
keep  all  my  commandments  always  ! " 
"  And  now,  Israel,  Avhat  doth  the  Lord 
thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  the 
Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and 
to  love  him,  and  to  serve  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul!" — "Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even 
as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect." If  God's  law  continues  to  be  an 
"  invariable  rule  of  human  conduct,  and 
infallible  test  of  right  and  wrong,"  as  P. 
says  it  does,  then  either  there  is  a  gi'acious 
provision  made  for  perfection  in  the  pres- 
ent state,  or  God  requii-es  and  exhorts 
men  to  that  for  which  no  such  provision  is 
made. 

6.  If  I  am  not  misinformed,  P.  allows 
of  the  certain  perseverance  of  all  true  be- 
lievers. He  allows,  I  suppose,  that  God 
has  determined  their  perseverance,  and 
has  made  gracious  and  effectual  provision 
for  it.  He  will  not  say  so  of  hypocrites. 
God  has  not  determined  that  they  shall 
continue  in  his  ivord,  hold  out  to  the  end, 
and  finish  their  course  with  joy.  Never- 
theless, the  Scriptures  address  all  profes- 
sors alike,  with  cautions  and  warnings, 
promises  and  threatenings,  as  if  there  were 
no  decree,  nor  any  certainty  in  the  mat- 
ter, about  one  or  the  other.  "  Holy 
brethren,  partakers  of  the  heavenly  call- 
ing," on  the  one  hand,  are  exhorted  to 
"  fear,  lest,  a  promise  being  left  them  of 
entering  into  rest,  any  of  them  shoidd 
seem  to  come  short  of  it,"  and  are  warn- 
ed, from  the  example  of  the  unbelieving 
Israelites,  to  "  labor  to  enter  into  rest,  lest 
any  man  fall,  after  the  same  example  of 
unbelief."  The  disciples  of  Christ  were 
charged,  upon  pain  of  eternal  damnation, 
"  if  their  right  hand  or  right  eye  caused 
them  to  offend,  to  cut  it  off,  or  pluck  it 
out."  Whatever  some  may  think  of  it, 
there  would  be  no  contradiction  in  saying 
to  the  best  Christian  in  the  world,  "  It  you 
deny  Christ,  he  will  deny  you  !  " — 2  Tim. 
ii.  12.  Such  as  proved  to  be  mere  profes- 
sors, on  the  other  hand,  were  addressed 
by  Christ  in  this  manner,  "  If  ye  continue 
in  my  word,  then  shall  ye  be  my  dis- 
ciples indeed  ;  "  and,  when  any  such  turn- 
ed back,  and  walked  no  more  with  him, 
though  no  such  provision  was  made  for 
their  perseverance  as  is  made  for  true  be- 
lievers, yet  their  falling  away  was  always 


considered  as  their  sin.  Judas,  and  De^ 
mas,  and  many  others,  fell  under  the  divine 
displeasure  for  their  apostasy, 

I  confess  these  things  may  look  like 
contradictions-  They  are,  doubtless,  pro-- 
found  subjects ;  and,  perhaps,  as  some 
have  expressed  it,  we  shall  never  be  fully 
able,  in  the  present  state,  to  explain  the 
link  that  unites  the  appointments  of  God 
with  the  free  actions  of  men  ;  but  such  » 
link  there  is  :  the  fact  is  revealed  abun^ 
dantly  in  Scripture ;  and  it  does  not  dis' 
tress  me,  if  in  this  matter  I  have,  all  my 
life,  to  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight. 

From  the  above  cases  I  conclude  that, 
however  difficult  it  may  appear  to  us,  it  is 
proper  for  God  to  exhort  and  invite  men 
to  duties  with  which  he  has  not  determin- 
ed to  give  them  a  moral  ability,  or  a  heart, 
to  comply ;  and  for  which  compliance  he 
has  made  no  effectual  provision  by  the 
death  of  his  Son  :  and,  if  it  is  so  in  these 
cases,  I  farther  conclude  it  may  be  so  in 
the  case  in  hand. 

Two  remarks  shall  conclude  this  part 
of  the  subject : — 

(1)  Whether  P.  will  allow  of  some  of 
the  foregoing  grounds,  as  proper  data,  may 
be  doubted.  I  could  have  been  glad  to 
have  reasoned  with  him  AvhoUy  upon  his 
own  principles  ;  but,  where  that  cannot 
be,  it  is  right  and  just  to  make  the  word  of 
God  our  ground.  If  he  can  overthrow 
the  doctrine  supposed  to  be  maintained  in 
these  Scriptures,  it  is  allowed  that,  in  so 
doing,  he  will  overthrow  that  which  is  built 
upon  them ;  but  not  otherwise.  In  the 
last  two  arguments,  however,  I  have  the 
happiness  to  reason  from  principles  whichj 
I  suppose,  P.  will  allow. 

(2)  Whether  the  foregoing  reasoning 
will  convince  P.,  and  those  of  his  princi- 
ples, or  not,  it  may  have  some  weight  with 
considerate  Calvinists.  They  must  either 
give  up  the  doctrines  of  predetermination, 
or,  on  this  account,  deny  that  men  are 
obliged  to  act  differently  from  what  they 
do  ;  that  Pharaoh  and  Sihon,  for  instance, 
were  obliged  to  comply  with  the  messages 
of  peace  which  were  sent  them  ;  or  else,  if 
they  will  maintain  both  these,  they  must 
allow  them  to  be  consistent  with  each  oth- 
er ;  and,  if  divine  decrees  and  free  agency 
are  consistent  in  some  instances,  it  be- 
comes them  to  give  some  solid  reason  why 
they  should  not  be  so  in  others. 

Sect.  IV.   General  Reflections. 

1  am  not  insensible  that  the  cause  I  have 
been  pleading  is  such  as  may  grate  with 
the  feelings  of  some  of  my  readers.  It 
may  seem  as  if  I  were  disputing  with 
Philanthropy  itself.  To  such  readers 
I  would  recommend  a  few  additional  con- 
siderations : 

1.  The  same  objection  would  lie  against 


REI'LY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


509 


me  if  I  had  been  opposinsj  the  notion  of  Spirit  to  that  end,  wc  doubt  not  bnt  grace 

universal  salvation;   and  yet  it  would  not  is  provided    for   his    assistance.      God   will 

follow  thence  that  I  must  l»c  in  the  wronj;:.  surely  "  |?ive  his  Holy  Spirit  to  them   that 

The  feelini!;s  of  ecuilty  creatures,  in  mat-  ask  him."     Where,  then,  is  the  superiori- 

ters  wherein  they  themselves  are  so  deep-  ty  of  his  system"!      It  nnikes   no  eflectual 

ly   interested,   are   but  poor  criterions  of  provision  for  begetting  a  right   disposition 

truth  and  error.  in  those  who  are  so  utterly   destitute  of  it 

'2.   There  is  no  difference  between  us  re-  tliat  they  will  not  seek  after  it.      It   only 

specting  the  number  or  cfiaracter  o(  ihose  encourages  the  well-disposed  ;  and,   as   to 

that  shall  Ite  tlnally  saved       We  agree  that  these,    if  their   well-disposedness   is   real, 

whoever  returns  to  God  by  Jesus  Cinist  there   is   no    want   of    encouragement    for 

shall   certainly   be   saved  ;    that   in  every  them  in  the  system  he  opposes, 
nation  they  that  fear  God,  and  work  rigiit-         4.   Whether  the   scheme   of  P.    has    any 

eousncss,  are  accepted.      Wiiat   dilVorence  advantage    of    that  which   he    opposes,    in 

there   is  respects   the    efficacy   of  Christ's  one  respect,  or  not,  it  certainly  has   a   dis- 

death,  and  the  causes  of  salvation.  advantage  in  another.     By  it,  the  redcmp- 

3.   Even  in  point  o( provision,  I  see  not  tion    and    salvation    of   the    whole    human 

wherein  the  scheme  of  P.  has    the   advan-  race  is  left  to  uncertainty  ;   to  such  uncer- 

tage  of  that  which  he  opposes.     The  pro-  tainty  as   to   depend   upon   the  fickle,   ca- 

vision  made  l)y  the  death   of  Christ  is   of  pricious,   and   perverse   will   of  man.      It 

two  kinds  :  (1)  A  provision  of  pardon   and  supposes  no  effectual  provision  made  for 

acceptance  f^or  all  believers  ;    (2)  A  provi-  Christ  to  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,   in 

sion  of  grace  to  enal)le  a  sinner  to  believe,  the   salvation  of  sinners.     P.   has  a   very 

The  former  affords  a  motive  for  returning  great   objection    to    a  sinner's   coming  to 

to  God  in   Christ's  name:  the  latter  ex-  Christ  with  a  per«rfL'CH/wrc,  (p.  33;)  but  it 

cites    to  a    compliance   with    tliat   motive,  seems  he  has  no  objection  to  his  Lord  and 

Now  in  which  of  these  has  the   sciieme  of  Saviour  coming  into  the  world,  and   laying 

P.  any  advantage  of  that  whicli  he  oppos-  down   his    life,    with    no    better    security, 

es  1     Not  in  the /ormer  .•  we   suppose   the  Notwithstanding    any    provision   made   by 

provisions  of  Christ's  death  altogether  suf-  his  scheme,  the  Head  of  the  church  might 

ficient  for  the   i'ulfilment   of  liis   promises,  have  been  without  a  single  member,   the 

be  they  as   extensive   as   tlicy   may  ;  tliat  King  of  Zion  without   a  subject,   and   the 

full  and  free  pardon  is  provided  for  all  that  Shepherd  of  Israel  without  any  to  consti- 

believe  in  him;  and  that,  if  all  the   inhab-  tute  a  flock.     Satan  might  have  triumphed 

itants  of  the  glolie  could  be  persuaded   to  forever,  and  the   many   mansions   in   glory 

return  to  God  in  Christ's  name,  they  would  have  remained  eternally  unoccupied  by  the 

undoulitedly   be   accepted   of   him.     Does  children  of  men  !  * 

the  scheme  of  P.  propose  any  more  1  No:         5.   Do   we   maintain  that  Christ,  in  his 

it  pretends  to  no  such  thing  as  a  provision  death,  designed  the  salvation  of  those,  and 

for  unftc/fei'ers  being  forgiven  and   accept-  only  those,  who   are   finally  saved  ?     The 

ed.     Thus  far,  at  least,  therefore,  we  stand  same   follows    from   our   opponents'   own 
upon  equal  ground. 

But  has  not  P.  tlie  advantage  in  the  lat-        *  V.  observeg,  on  Heb.  ii.  9,  that "  it  is  undoubt- 

ter  particular  1   does   not  his  scheme  boast  edly  a  greater  instance  of  the  grace  of  God  that  Je- 

of  an  universal  provision  of  grace,   suffi-  sus  Chnst  should  die  for  a(/ than  only  for  a  par<  of 

„■       .   .  1,        '  »  1  -ii  mankind;      and  this  he  thniks  "  an   argument  of  no 

cent  to  enable  every  man  to  comply  with  ,i„|^  f„^^;  ;„  r^,.„,  „f  ,,i,  ,,n,e  of  the  ,«,.sage. "-p. 

tlie    gospel]      Yes,    it    docs;    but    what    it  go.     It  is  true,  if  Christ  had  made  ejffc/ua/  pmvi- 

ainounts  to  it  is  difficult    to    say.      Does    it  sion  for  the  salvation  of  all,    it  would   have    Ijeen    a 

effectually  produce,  in  mankind  in  general,  greater  display  of  grace  than  making  su<!h  a  provi- 

anv  thing  of  a  right  spirit— any  thing  of  a  ^ion  for  only  a  part;*  but  CJod  has  other  |)erfections 

tn'ie  desire  to  come  to  Christ  for  the   sal-    '°  '^'^.'^'''J;  '"^  7*^", '''  '"-^  »""=*'^^^i  «"''  "'«  '"';'"'«'•  ".'" 

,•  r  »L    •  \    t      -K"  I    »i  •  ii     1.     perceive,  by  what  has  been  .<airl,  that  to  make  nrovis- 

^atlon  of  their  souls        No  such  thing,  that    ';„„  f„,  „„/i„  „,g  ^,„^  j„  „.,,i,,,;  p    contends  for  it, 

1  know  oi,  IS  pretended.     At  most,  it  only  is  so  far  from  magnifying  the  grace  of  God,  tiiat  it 

amounts  to  this,  that  God  is  ready  to   help  enervates  if  not  anniiiilates  it.     Where  is   the   grace 

them    out    of  their    condition,     if  they    will  of  taking  mankind   from   a  condition    in    which   tiiey 

hut  ask  him;  and  to  give   them   every   as-  would  have  l>eeii forever  6/ame/e4s,  and  putting  ihera 


into  a  situation  in  which,  at  best,  their  happiness 
was  uncertain,  their  guilt  certain,  and  their  everlast- 
ing ruin  very  probable  1 

*  Yet,  would  grace  iiave  appeared  so  evident,  if 


sistance  in  the  good  work,  if  they  will  but 
be  in  earnest,  and  set  about  it.  Well  :  if 
this  is  the  whole  of  which  P.  can  lioast, 
I  see  nothing  superior,   in  this   either,   to 

the  sentiment   he    opposes.      We    consider  no  one  of  our  race  had  sufleied  the  penalty  of  the 

the  least  degree  of  a  rieht  spirit  as   plenti-  ^^"■"1    >^""''!    every    surmise    have    been    precluded 

fully  encouraeed  in  the^vord  of  God.     If  ^  "'  ."fl-cfon  w.jnld  have  Ijcen  too  great  a  stretch 

.      S  II-  of  severity  !     \V  ould  it  have  been  ('(juallv  clear  that 

a  person  do    but    truly    desire   to    come    to  either  theVemoval  of  guilt,  or  the  conquest  of  deprav- 

Christ,  or  desire  the  influence  of  the  Holy  ity,  was  solely  of  grace  1 


510 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


principles.  They  will  admit  that  Christ 
had  a  certain  fore -knowledge  of  all  those 
who  would,  and  who  would  not,  believe  in 
him  :  but  did  ever  an  intelligent  being  de- 
sign that  which  he  knew  would  never  come 
to  pass  1 

6.  The  scheme  of  P.,  though  it  profess- 
edly maintains  that  Christ  died  to  atone 
for  the  sins  of  all  mankind,  yet,  in  real- 
ity, amounts  to  no  such  thing.  The  sin  of 
mankind  may  be  distinguished  into  two 
kinds  :  that  which  is  committed  simply 
against  God  as  a  lawgiver,  antecedently  to 
all  considerations  of  the  gift  of  Christ, 
and  the  grace  of  the  gospel ;  and  that 
which  is  committed  more  immediately 
against  the  gospel,  despising  the  riches  of 
God's  goodness,  and  rejecting  hi^  way  of 
salvation.  Now,  does  P.  maintain  that 
Christ  made  atonement  for  both  these  "?  I 
believe  not :  on  the  contrary,  his  scheme 
supposes  that  he  atoned  for  neither  :  not 
for  the  former ;  for  he  abundantly  insists 
that  there  could  be  nothing  of  the  nature 
of  blameworthiness  in  this,  and  conse- 
quently nothing  to  require  an  atonement — 
not  for  the  latter;  for,  if  so,  atonement 
must  be  made  lor  impenitency  and  unbelief; 
and,  in  that  case,  surely  these  evils  would 
not  prove  the  ruin  of  the  subject. 

7.  If  the  doctrine  of  the  total  depravity 
of  human  nature  be  admitted  (and  it  is  so, 
professedly,)  the  scheme  of  P.  would  be  ut- 
terly inadequate  for  the  salvation  of  one 
soul.  Supposing  Christ  to  have  died  for 
all  the  ivorld,  in  his  sense  of  the  phrase, 
yet,  if  all  the  world  are  so  averse  from 
Christ  that  they  will  not  come  unto  him 
that  they  may  have  life,  still  they  are  never 
the  nearer.  It  is  to  no  purpose  to  say, 
There  is  grace  provided  for  them,  if  they 
will  but  ask  it ;  for  the  question  returns, 
Will  a  mind,  utterly  averse  from  coming 
to  Christ  for  life,  sincerely  desire  grace  to 
come  to  him'!  Nor  is  it  of  any  use  to  sug- 
gest that  the  gospel  has  a  tendency  to  be- 
get such  a  desire;  for,  be  it  so,  it  is  sup- 
posed there  is  no  certainty  of  its  producing 
such  an  effect.  Its  success  depends  en- 
tirely upon  the  will  of  man  in  being  pliable 
enough  to  be  persuaded  by  it :  but,  if  man 
is  totally  depraved,  there  can  be  no  such 
pliability  in  him.  Unless  the  gospel  could 
exhibit  a  condition  that  should  fall  in  with 
men's  evil  propensities,  the  aversion  of 
their  hearts  would  forever  forbid  their 
compliance.  Such  a  scheme,  therefore, 
instead  of  being  more  extensive  than  ours, 
is  of  no  real  extent  at  all.  Those  good 
men  who  profess  it  are  not  saved  according 
to  it ;  and  this,  in  their  near  addresses  to 
God,  they  as  good  as  acknowledge.  What- 
ever they  say  at  other  times,  they  dare 
not  then  ascribe  to  themselves  the  glory  of 


their  being  among  the  number  of  believers 
rather  than  others. 

If  the  supposed  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death  had  a  universal  efficacy,  it 
would  be  worth  the  while  of  a  lover  op 
ALL  MANKIND  to  Contend  for  it;  but  if  it 
proposes  finally  to  save  not  one  soul  more 
than  the  scheme  which  it  opposes — if  it  has 
no  real  advantage  in  point  of  provision  in 
one  respect,  and  a  manifest  disadvantage 
in  another — if  it  enervates  the  doctrine  of 
the  atohement,  confessedly  leaves  the  sal- 
vation of  those  who  are  saved  to  an  uncer- 
tainty, and,  by  implication,  renders  it  im- 
possible— then  to  what  does  it  all  amount  1 
If  P.  holds  that  Christ  died  for  all,  it  is 
neither  so  as  to  redeem  all,  nor  so  much 
as  to  procure  them  the  offer  of  redemption  ; 
since  millions  and  millions  for  whom  Christ 
suffered  upon  his  principles  have  died, 
notwithstanding:,  in  heathen  darkness.* 
P.  thinks  success  to  be  a  proof  of  the 

*  It  seems  to  me  a  poor  and  inconsisfent  answer 
which  is  commonly  given  by  our  opponents  upon  this 
subject.  They  affirm  that  Christ  died  with  a  view  to 
the  salvation  of  the  whole  human  race,  how  wicked 
soever  they  have  been  ;  and  yet  they  suppose  that 
God, /or  the  sin  of  some  nations,  withholds  the 
gospel  from  them.  The  giving  of  Christ  to  die  for 
us  is  surely  a  greater  ihing  than  .^ending  the  gospel  to 
us.  One  should  think,  therefore,  if,  notwithstand- 
ing men's  wickedness,  God  could  find  it  in  his  heart 
to  do  the  greater,  he  would  not,  by  the  self-same 
wickedness,  lie  provoked  to  withhold  the  le.ss.  Be- 
sides, on  some  occasions,  our  ojiponents  speak  of  the 
gospel  as  a  .system  adapted  to  the  condition  of 
sinners,  yea,  to  the  chief  of  sinners  ;  and,  if  so, 
why  not  to  those  nations  who  are  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners *?  P.  observes  very  justly,  however  inconsistent 
with  some  other  things  which  he  elsewhere  advances, 
that  the  gospel  takes  men's  fallen,  polluted  and  de- 
praved state  for  granted,  and  is  properly  adapted  to 
remove  it,  (p.  23  :)  how  is  it,  then,  that  that  which 
renders  them  proper  objects  of  gospel  invitations 
should  be  the  very  reason  assigned  for  those  invita- 
tions being  withheld'? 

Whether  theie  may  not  be  a  mixture  of  punitive 
justice  in  God's  withliolding  the  gospel  from  some  na- 
tinns  I  shall  not  dispute.  At  the  same  time,  suppos- 
ing that  to  be  the  case,  it  may  be  safely  affirmed  that 
the  same  ptmishment  might,  with  equal  justice, 
have  been  inflicted  upon  other  nations  who  have  iill 
along  enjoyed  it  ;  and  that  it  is  not  owing  to  their 
having  been  better  than  others  that  they  have  been  so 
favored.  One  might  ask  of  Jerusalem  and  Corinth, 
Chonizin  and  Uelhsaida,  Were  they  less  infamous 
than  other  cities  1  rather,  were  they  not  the  reverse  1 
And  may  we  not  all  who  enjoy  the  f^ospel,  when  we 
compare  our.selves  with  even  heathen  nations,  adopt 
the  language  of  the  apostle,  "Are  we  better  than 
they  1    no,  in  nowise  !  " 

If  it  be  said.  The  providence  of  God  is  a  great 
deep  ;  and  we  cannot  thence  draw  any  conclusions 
respecting  his  designs  ;  I  answer  by  gianting  that, 
the  providence  of  God  is  indeed,  a  great  deep;  and, 
if  our  opponents  will  never  acknowledge  a  secret  and 
revealed  will  in  God  in  any  thing  else,  one  should 
think  they  must  here;  seeing  Christ's  revealed  will 
is,  "  Go,  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,"  with- 
out distinction  ;  and  yet,  by  their  own  confe.ssion,  it 
is  his  secret  purpose  to  withhold  it  from  some,  even 
whole  nations.     As  to  drawing  conclusions  hence  con- 


REPLY    TO    PIIILANTHROPOS. 


511 


goodness  of  a  doctrine. — pp.  4,5.  I  think 
it  is  a  matter  deserviniTfonsidcrahlc  atten- 
tion ;  luit  cannot  consider  it  as  decisive  : 
especially  as  certain  ijuestions  might  l)C 
asked  concernintt  it  which  it  would  he  dif- 
licult  to  answer  ;  as.  What  is  real  success  ! 
and  what  was  it,  in  the  rnii\istry  of  a 
preacher,  which  was  blessed  lo  that  end  \ 
If,  liDwever,  tiiat  is  to  l>e  a  criterion  ol 
principles,  then  we  miirht  ex|)ect,  it  the 
scheme  of  P.  lie  true,  that  in  proportion 
as  the  do(  trines  maintained  hy  C'ahinand 
the  first  Reformers  iiegan  to  he  laid  aside, 
and  those  of  Arminius  introduced  in  their 
stead,  a  proportionalile  blessing  should 
have  attended  them.  Surely  he  cannot 
complain  that  the  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death,  with  various  other  kindred 
sentiments,  is  not  generally  embraced. 
The  number  of  advocates  for  these  senti- 
ments has  certainly  been  long  increasing. 
If,  therefore,  these  are  gospel  truths,  the 
Christian  world  in  general  may  be  con- 
gratulated lor  having  imbiiied  tlicm  ;  and, 
one  should  think,  a  glorious  harvest  might 
be  expected  as  the  effect.  But,  I  suf)pose, 
were  we  to  be  determined  by  fact,  as  it  has 
occurred  in  our  own  country,  both  in  and 
out  of  the  establishment,  it  would  be  far 
from  confirming  this  representation.  I 
question  if  P.  himself  will  affirm  that  a 
greater  blessing  has  attended  the  ministry 
in  the  Church  of  England,  since  little  else 
hut  these  sentiments  have  sounded  from 
its  pulpits,  than  used  to  attend,  and  still 
attends,  the  labors  of  those  whom  he  is 
pleased  to  style  "  Inconsistent  Calvin- 
isTs."  As  to  Protestant  Dissenters,  if 
such  of  them  as  maintain  the  universal 
extent  of  Christ's  death  have  been,  more 

cerning  God's  designs,  I  slioiild  think  it  no  arrogance 
so  10  do,  provided  we  do  not  pretend  to  judge  thence 
concerning  events  wliich  are  future.  We  are  war- 
ranted to  consider  tjod's  providences  as  .so  many  ex- 
pressions of  what  have  Iteen  hisdesigns.  "  He  work- 
cth  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will."  It 
is  true  we  cannot  thence  learn*  his  revealed  will,  nor 
what  is  tlic  path  of  duty  ;  nor  are  we  to  go  l)y  that 
in  our  preaching,  hut  by  Chri.-sl's  coniini.-sion.  It 
were  well  if  Christian  miiii.sters  could  he  excited  and 
encouraged  lo  enter  into  the  most  dark  ami  heathen- 
isl>  corners  of  the  earth  to  execute  their  commission. 
They  ought  not  to  stand  to  in(|uii'e  what  are  God's  de- 
igns concerning  thorn  :  their  work  is  lo  go  and  do  as 
they  are  commanded.  But,  though  the  providence  of 
God  is  not  that  from  which  weare  to  learn  his  reveal- 
ed will,  yet,  when  we  sec  events  turn  up,  we  may 
conclude  that,  for  some  ends  known  to  himself,  these 
■were  among  the  alt  things  which  he  worketh  after 
the  counsel  of  his  own  will. 

Far  lie  it  from  me  to  pretend  to  falliom  the  great 
deep  of  divine  pru\idence  !  But  when  I  read  in  my 
Bible  that  "  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life 
Ixilieved,"  and  that  the  a|)ostlc  Paul  was  encouraged  lo 
continue  his  ministry  in  one  of  the  most  infimons 
cities  in  the  world  by  this  testimony,  "  I  have  much 
people  in  this  city,"  I  cannot  but  think  such  pass- 
ages throw  a   light  upon   those  darker  dis|)ensation3. 


than  others,  blessed  to  the  conversion  of 
sinners,  and  if  their  congreirations,  upon 
the  whole,  have  more  of  the  lite  and  pow- 
er of  godliness  among  them  than  others, 
it  is  happy  for  them  ;  but,  if  so  it  is,  I  ac- 
knowledge it  is  news  to  me.  I  never  knew 
nor  heard  of  any  thing  snllicienl  to  warrant 
a  supposition  ot  that  nature. 

P.  thinks  my  "  views  of  things,  after  all, 
open  a  wide  door  to  licentiou.sness,"  (p. 
GO;)  but  that,  if  we  were  to  admit  what 
he  accounts  opposite  sentiments  it  would 
"  he  the  most  likely  way  to  put  a  stop  to 
real  and  practical  Antinomianism." — p. 
51.  I  reply,  as  before,  Surely  he  cannot 
complain  that  the  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death,  with  other  kindred  senti- 
ments, is  not  generally  embraced  ;  and  will 
he  pretend  to  say  that  real  and  practical 
Antinomianism  has  been  thereby  rooted 
up1  Since  the  body  of  the  Church  of 
England  have  embraced  those  principles, 
have  they  been  better  friends  to  the  law 
of  God  than  before  1  and  has  a  holy  life 
and  conversation  been  gradually  increas- 
ing among  them  as  the  old  Calvinistic 
doctrines  have  fallen  into  disre|)ute  1  Far- 
ther :  do  the  l)ody  of  those  Protestant  Dis- 
senters who  reject  what  are  commonly 
called  the  Calvinistic  doctrines  discover 
more  regard  to  holiness  of  life  than  the 
body  of  those  who  emltrace  theml  God 
forbid  that  we  should  any  of  us  boast ;  by 
the  grace  of  God  we  are  what  we  are  ; 
and  we  have  all  defects  enow  to  cover  our 
faces  with  .shame  and  confusion!  But, 
without  invidious  reflections,  without  im- 
peaching the  character  of  any  man  or  body 
of  men,  I  am  inclii  ed  to  think  that,  if  such 
a  comparison  were  made,  it  would  fail  of 
proving  the  point  which  P.  proposes.  It 
is  a  well-known  fact  that  many,  who  deny 
the  law  of  God  to  l)e  the  rule  of  life,  do,  at 
the  same  time,  maintain  the  universal  ex- 
tent of  Christ's  death. 

P.  seems  to  have  written  with  the  be- 
nevolent design  of  bringing  me  and  others 
over  to  his  sentiments  ;  and  I  thank  him 
for  his  friendly  intention.  Could  I  see 
evidence  on  his  side,  I  hope  I  should  em- 
brace his  invitation.  But  it  is  a  presump- 
tive argument,  with  me,  that  his  views  of 
things  must  be,  somehow  or  other,  very 
distant  from  the  truth,  or  they  could  not 
abound  with  such  manilest  inconsisten- 
cies. A  scheme  that  requires  us  to  main- 
tain that  we  are  saved  wholly  by  grace, 
and  yet  so  far  as  we  differ  from  others,  it 
is  not  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  we  ourselves 
that  cause  the  difference;  that  to  be  born 
in  sin  is  the  same  thing  as  to  be  born 
blameless,  or,  in  other  words,  free  from  it; 
that,  if  vice  is  so  predominant  that  there 
is  no  virtue  to  oppose  it,  or  not  virtue  suf- 
cient  to   overcome   it,  then  it  ceases  to  be 


512 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


vice  any  longer ;  that  God  is  obliged  to 
give  us  grace,  (or,  in  other  words,  we  may 
demand  that  of  him  to  which  we  can  lay 
no  claim,  or  else  insist  upon  it  that  we  are 
not  accountable  beings;)  that  God  so  lov- 
ed mankind  as  to  give  his  Son  to  die — not, 
however,  to  save  them  from  sin — but  to 
deliver  them  from  a  blameless  condition, 
put  them  into  a  capacity  of  being  blame- 
worthy, and  thus  expose  them  to  the  dan- 
ger of  everlasting  destruction  ; — a  scheme, 
I  say,  that  requires  us  to  maintain  such 
inconsistencies  as  these,  must  be,  some- 
how or  other,  fundamentally  wrong. — 
What  others  may  think,  I  cannot  tell ; 
but,  for  my  part,  I  must  withhold  my  as- 
sent, still  more  substantial  and  consistent 
evidence  is  produced. 

If  I  have  not  taken  notice  of  every  par- 
ticular argument  and  text  of  Scripture  ad- 
vanced by  P.,  I  hope  I  shall  be  allowed 
to  have  selected  such  as  were  of  the  great- 
est force,  and  liy  which  the  main  pillars  of 
his  system  are  supported. 

If  I  have,  in  any  instance,  mistaken  liis 
meaning,  I  hope  he  will  excuse  it.  I  can 
say,  I  have  taken  pains  to  understand  him. 
But  whether  I  have  always  ascertained  his 
meaning  or  not,  and  whether  the  conse- 
quences which  I  have  pointed  out  as  aris- 
ing from  his  sentiments  be  just  or  not,  I 
can  unite  with  him  in  appealing  to  "the 
Searcher  of  hearts,  that  misrepresentation 
has  not,  in  any  one  instance,  been  my  aim." 

As  I  did  not  engage  in  controversy  from 
any  love  I  had  to  the  thing  itself,  so  I  have 
•no  mind  to  continue  in  it  any  farther  than 
some  good  end  may  be  answered  by  it. 
Whether  what  I  have  already  written  tends 
to  that  end,  it  becomes  not  me  to  decide ; 
but,  supposing  it  does,  there  is  a  point  in 
all  controversies  beyond  which  they  are 
unprofitable  and  tedious.  When  we  have 
stated  the  body  of  an  argument,  and  at- 
tempted an  answer  to  the  main  objections, 
the  most  profitable  part  of  the  work  is 
done.  Whatever  is  attempted  afterwards 
must  either  consist  of  little  personalities, 
with  which  the  reader  has  no  concern  ;  or, 
at  best,  it  will  respect  the  minutiae  of  things, 
in  which  case  it  seldom  has  a  tendency  to 
edification.  To  this  I  may  add,  though  I 
see  no  reason,  at -present,  to  repent  of  hav- 
ing engaged  in  this  controversy,  and,  in 
similar  circumstances,  should  probably  do 
the  same  again,  yet  it  never  was  my  in- 
tention to  engage  in  a  controversy  for  life. 
Every  person  employed  in  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel  has  other  things,  of  equal  im- 
portance, upon  his  hands.  If,  therefore, 
any  or  all  of  my  opponents  should  think 
proper  to  write  again,  the  press  is  open  ; 
but,  unless  something  very  extraordinary 
should  appear,  they  must  not  conclude 
that   I   esteem  their  performances   unan- 


swerable, though  I  should  read  them  with- 
out making  any  farther  reply.  The  last 
word  is  no  object  with  me;  the  main  ar- 
guments, on  all  sides  of  the  controversy, 
I  suppose  are  before  the  public ;  let  them 
judge  of  their  weight  and  importance. 

A  reflection  or  two  shall  conclude 
the  whole.  However  firmly  any  of  the 
parties  engaged  in  this  controversy  may 
be  persuaded  of  the  goodness  of  his 
cause,  let  us  all  beware  of  idolizing  a  sen- 
timent. This  is  a  temptation  to  which 
controversialists  are  particularly  liable. 
There  is  a  lovely  proportion  in  divine 
truth  :  if  one  part  of  it  be  insisted  on  to 
the  neglect  of  another,  the  beauty  of  the 
whole  is  defaced ;  and  the  ill  effects  of 
such  a  partial  distribution  will  be  visible 
in  the  spirit,  if  not  in  the  conduct,  of  those 
who  admire  it. 

Farther :  Whatever  difficulties  there 
may  be  in  finding  out  truth,  and  whatever 
mistakes  may  attend  any  of  us  in  this  con- 
troversy (as  it  is  very  probable  we  are  each 
mistaken  in  some  things,)  yet,  let  us  ever 
remember,  truth  itself  is  of  the  greatest 
importance.  It  is  very  common  for  per- 
sons, when  they  find  a  subject  much  dis- 
puted, especially  if  it  is  by  those  whom 
they  account  good  men,  immediately  to 
conclude  that  it  must  be  a  subject  of  but 
little  consequence,  a  mere  matter  of  spec- 
ulation. Upon  such  persons  religious  con- 
troversies have  a  very  ill  effect ;  for,  find- 
ing a  difficulty  attending  the  coming  at  the 
truth,  and  at  the  same  time  a  disposition 
to  neglect  it  and  to  pursue  other  things, 
they  readily  avail  themselves  of  what  ap- 
pears to  them  a  plausible  excuse,  lay  aside 
the  inquiry,  and  sit  down  and  indulge  a 
spirit  of  scepticism.  True  it  is  that  such 
a  variety  of  opinion  ought  to  make  us  very 
diffident  of  ourselves,  and  teach  us  to  ex- 
ercise a  Christian  forbearance  towards 
those  who  differ  from  us.  It  should  teach 
us  to  know  and  feel  what  an  inspired  apos- 
tle acknowledged,  that  here  we  see  but  in 
part,  and  are,  at  best,  but  in  a  state  of 
childhood.  But,  if  all  disputed  subjects 
are  to  be  reckoned  matters  of  mere  spec- 
ulation, we  shall  have  nothing  of  any  real 
use  left  in  religion.  Nor  shall  we  stop 
here  :  if  the  same  method  of  judging  of 
the  importance  of  things  were  adopted  re- 
specting the  various  opinions  in  useful  sci- 
ence, the  world  would  presently  be  in  a 
state  of  stagnation.  What  a  variety  of 
opinions  are  there,  for  instance,  concern- 
ing the  best  modes  of  agriculture  !  but,  if 
any  person  were  to  imagine  from  this  that 
agriculture  itself  must  be  a  matter  of  no 
importance,  and  that  all  those  articles 
therein  which  have  come  under  dispute 
must  be  matters  of  mere  idle  speculation, 
what  a  great  mistake  would  he  be  under ! 


REPLY    TO    PHILANTHROPOS. 


13 


And  if  a  great  niimhcr  were  to  imhihe  the 
same  s|)irit,  and,  seoiiiL'^  there  were  so  ma- 
ny opinioiis,  resolve  to  pay  no  attention  to 
any  ol  them,  and  to  live  in  the  total  ne}r- 
lect  of  all  husiness,  how  al)siird  must  such 
a  conduct  a|)pcar,  and  how  pernicious  must 
be  the  conse(juences  !  But  a  neglect  of  all 
divine  truth,  on  account  of  the  variety  of 
opinions  cnncorninir  it,  is  fully  as  ahsurd, 
and  infinitely  more  pernicious.  As  much 
as  the  concerns  of  our  iiodics  are  exceeded 
by  those  of  our  souls,  or  time  by  eternity, 
so  much  is  the  most  useful  human  science 
exceeded  in  importance  by  those  truths 
which  are  sacred  and  divine. 

Finally  :   Let  us  all  take  heed   that  our 
attachments   to   divine  truth  itself  be  on 


account  of  its  being  divine.  We  are  ever 
in  extremes:  and  whilst  one,  in  a  time  of 
controversy,  throws  otf  all  regard  to  re- 
ligious sentiment  in  the  gross,  reckoning 
the  whole  a  matter  of  speculation,  anotlier 
becomes  excessively  affected  to  his  own 
opinions,  whether  right  or  wrong,  without 
bringing  them  to  the  great  criterion,  the 
word  ol  God.  Happy  will  it  be  for  us  all 
if  truth  be  the  sole  oitject  of  our  inquiries, 
and  if  our  attachment  to  divine  truth  it- 
self be,  not  on  account  of  its  being  what 
we  have  once  engaged  to  defend,  but  what 
God  hath  revealed.  This  only  will  endure 
reflection  in  a  dying  hour,  and' be  approved 
when  the  time  of  disputing  shall  have  an 
end  with  men. 


VOL.    I. 


65 


REALITY  AND  EFFICACY  OF  DIVINE  GRACE, 


WITH    THE 


CERTAIN     SUCCESS     OF     CHRIST'S     KINGDOM, 


CONSIDERED     IN 


A     SERIES    OF    LETTERS: 


CONTAINING 


REMARKS  UPON  THE  OBSERVATIONS  OF  THE  REV.  DAN.  TAYLOR 

ON 

MR.  FULLER'S  REPLY   TO   PHILANTHROPOS. 
BY   AGNOSTOS. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


The  readers  of  the  controversy  between  Mr.  Fuller  and  Mr.  Daniel  Taylor  will 
recollect  that,  at  the  close  of  this  controversy,  a  pamphlet  appeared,  consisting  of 
Letters  addressed  to  Mr.  Fuller  and  bearing  the  signature  of  Agnostos.  As  these 
Letters  now  make  their  appearance  among  Mr.  Fuller's  writings,  it  will  be  proper  to 
state,  for  the  information  of  readers  in  general,  that,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
pages,  they  were  written  by  Mr.  Fuller  himself.  His  reason  for  concealing  his  name 
in  this  publication  may  be  stated  in  a  few  words.  The  controversy  had  already  been 
extended  to  a  considerable  length.  Mr.  Fuller,  while  unwilling  that  it  should  termi- 
nate without  his  making  some  additional  remarks,  conceived  that  these  remarks,  if 
appearing  to  proceed  from  the  pen  of  a  third  person,  would  be  less  likely  to  prolong 
the  discussion,  and  would  be  read  with  greater  interest  by  the  public,  who,  he  con- 
ceived, already  began  to  be  wearied  by  its  prolixity.  As  this  reason  for  concealment 
no  longer  exists,  the  Editor  has  inserted  these  observations  in  the  body  of  Mr.  Ful- 
ler's Works,  and  has  cast  them  into  the  shape  of  Letters  loritten  by  Mr.  Fuller,  in- 
stead of  Letters  addressed  to  him,  by  changing  the  second  person,  wherever  it  was 
necessary,  into  the  first.  This,  with  a  few  other  trifling  changes  and  omissions  un- 
avoidably arising  from  the  form  which  the  Letters  now  assume,  constitutes  the  whole 
of  the  alterations  which  have  been  made  in  them.  The  Letters  were  deemed  too  im- 
portant to  be  left  out  of  a  complete  edition  of  Mr.  Fuller's  Works,  but  could  not, 
with  propriety,  appear  in  their  original  form. 


REALITY  AND  EFFICACY  OF  DIVINE  GRACE. 


LETTER  I. 


Mt  dear  Friend, 

I  HAVE  lately  been  engaged  in  a  reli- 
gious controversy,  in  which  my  original 
design  was  directed  against  what  I  con- 
sidered as  an  abuse  of  the  doctrines  of 
discriminating  grace;  l)ut,  in  executing 
this  design,  I  have  sustained  an  attack 
from  an  opposite  quarter.  At  this  I  am 
not  much  surprised,  as  the  principles 
which  I  maintain  are  equally  repugnant  to 
Arniinianism  as  to  Pseudo-Calvinism. 

Having  carefully  attended  to  this  con- 
troversy in  all  its  parts,  I  must  confess 
myself  still  of  opinion  that  in  the  main  I 
have  engaged  on  the  side  of  truth,  and 
that  the  arguments  which  I  have  advanced 
have  not  yet  been  solidly  answered. 

Mr.  Dan.  Taylor,  who  under  the  sig- 
nature of  Philanthropos  aninuidverted  on 
my  first  publication,  and  to  whose  ani- 
madversions I  have  written  a  reply,  has 
taken  up  his  pen  again.  In  addition  to  V^ 
first  Niiie  Letters,  he  has  written  ^""■- 
teen  more  upon  the  subject ;  y^  '^  ^P" 
pears  to  me  that  he  has  n""^  answered 
my  main  arguments,  but.  «"  fact,  has  in 
various  cases  sufficien*'/  refuted  himself. 

Mr.  T.  appears  to  have  been  hurt  by 
what  I  said  concerning  his  want  of  rever- 
ence, and  the  resemblance  of  his  objec- 
tion to  that  made  against  the  apostle  in 
Rom.  ix.  He  submits  it  "to  the  judg- 
ment of  those  wlio  are  accustomed  to 
think  dclil^rately  how  far  any  part  of  this 
was  just;  whether  I  did  not  arrogate  a 
great  deal  more  to  myself  than  I  ought  to 
have  done  ;  whether  I  ought  not,  prior  to 
these  charges,  to  have  proved  myself  pos- 
sessed of  apostolical  authority,  powers, 
and  infallibility,  and  to  have  proved,  by 
apostolical  methods,  that  the  particular 
sentiments  against  which  he  there  object- 
ed came  from  heaven."  (XIII.  135.)*  Now, 

*  The  refereDces  to  Mr.  Taylor's  two  publica- 
tions are  distingiiished  by  the  numerals  IX,  and 
XIII.  Thus  by  (XIII.  "135)  is  meant  the  135th 
page  of  Mr.   Taylor's   Thirteen  Letters;    and  by 


I  hope  not  to  be  deemed  arrogant,  if  I 
profess  to  have  thought  at  least  with  some 
degree  of  "  deliberation"  upon  the  sub- 
ject ;  and  I  declare  I  cannot  see  the  pro- 
priety of  any  thing  Mr.  T.  here  alleges. 
I  did  not  compare  him  to  those  who  blas- 
phemously opposed  the  apostle's  doctrine  : 
the  com})arison  respected  barely  his  mode 
of  reasoning,  and  not  his  person  or  char- 
acter. Nor  does  what  I  have  alleged  re- 
quire that  I  should  prove  myself  possess- 
ed of  apostolical  infallibility.  The  whole 
of  what  is  said  amounts  to  no  more  than 
this,  that  the  resemblance  of  his  objec- 
tion (IX.  50)  to  that  made  by  the  adver- 
saries of  the  apostle,  in  Rom.  ix.  19, 
ought  to  make  him  suspect  whether  the 
sentiments  he  maintains  are  not  too 
near  akin  to  theirs ;  and  whether  the  sen- 
timents he  opp^^es  are  not  of  the  same 
stamp  with  tnose  of  the  apostle  ;  other- 
wise, h^w  is  it  that  they  should  be  liable 
to  wve  the  same  objections  made  against 
.'uem  ■?  f 

As  to  what  I  said  concerning  reverence, 
I  oi)serve  that  in  one  place  (XIII.  6)  he 
thanks  me  for  it,  and  hopes  he  "  shall 
profit  by  it;"  but,  presently  after,  talks 
of  pardoning  me,  and,  before  he  has  done, 
charges  it  to  a  want  of  candor  or  justice 
(XIII.  135;)  and,  all  through  his  piece, 
frequently  glances  at  it  in  a  manner  that 
shows  him  to  have  been  quite  displeased. 
Now,  what  can  any  one  make  of  all  this 
put  together  1  There  was  either  occa- 
sion for  what  I  wrote,  or  there  was  not. 
If  there  was,  why  talk  of  pardoning  me  I 
and  why  charge  me  with  a  want  of  candor 
or  justice  ? — If  there  was  not,  and  Mr.  T. 
thinks  so,  why  does  he  thank  me  for  it  1 
How   are  we   to  reconcile  these  things  1 

(IX.  50)  is  meant  tlie  50th  page  of  his  Nine  Let- 
ters. The  references  to  the  latter  publication  are  to 
the  second  edition.  Those  to  Mr.  Fuller's  work 
are  corrected  to  the  present  volume. 

t  It  is  a  good  mode  of  reasoning  to  argue  from  the 
similarity  of  the  opposition  madeto  any  doctrine  iu 
the  days  of  the  afwstles  with  tJiat  which  is  made  to 
the  doctrine  in  the  present  day.  Mr.  Caleb  Evans 
has  thus  I  think  solidly  and  excellently  defended  the 
doctrine  of  the  atonement  in  four  sermons  on  1  Cor, 
ii.  23,  ^. 


518 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


Does  the  one  express  the  state  of  mind 
Mr.  T.  would  be  thought  to  possess,  and 
the  other  what  he  actually  feels'!  or  did 
he  set  out  in  a  inild  and  amiable  spirit, 
but,  before  he  had  done,  lose  his  temper, 
and  not  know  how  to  conceal  it  1 

I  would  not  wish,  however,  to  spend 
much  time  in  pointing  out  the  defects  of 
my  opponent's  temper.  We  all,  particu- 
larly when  engaged  in  controversy,  need 
to  take  good  heed  to  our  spirits.  And, 
perhaps,  few  can  be  long  employed  in  so 
difficult  an  affair,  without  affording  their 
antagonists  an  opportunity  to  say,  "  Ye 
know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are 
of."  If  this  does  not  provoke  retaliation, 
it  may  be  of  use  to  the  person  reproved, 
but  is  of  very  little  consequence  to  the 
public,  especially  after  the  first  dispute  is 
over.  Let  us  wave  this  subject  in  future, 
and  pass  on  to  such  things  as  are  of  more 
general  importance. 

I  do  not  intend  minutely  to  particular- 
ise every  article  of  debate  between  myself 
and  Mr.  T.,  though,  if  I  were,  I  am  per- 
suaded the  far  greater  part  of  his  oVjser- 
vations  might  be  proved  to  be  destitute  of 
propriety.  I  would  only  notice  in  this 
Letter  one  or  two  which  seem  to  fall  un- 
der the  head  of  general  remarks,  and  then 
proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  main 
subjects  wherein  we  differ. 

Itjis  matter  of  "wondei  "  to  Mr.  T.  that 
I  should  be  "  unable  to  prono.mce  to  what 
degree  or  extent  a  poor  sinner  Ki^st  be- 
lieve the  truth  of  the  gospel  in  ordei  +0  be 
happy  ;  or  to  what  degree  of  holiness  . 
man  must  arrive  in'order  to  see  the  Lord." 
(XIII.  7.)  It  should  seem  then  to  be  no 
difficulty  with  him.  Well  :  how  does  he 
solve  it  1  why,  by  acknowledging  that  it  is 
not  any  degree  of  faith  in  the  gospel  which 
is  necessary  to  salvation,  nor  any  degree  of 
holi7iess  any  more  than  faith,  but  the  reali- 
ty of  it,  without  which  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord!!!  Mr.  T.  has  a  mind  surely  to 
make  other  people  wonder  as  well  as  him- 
self! 

Again  :  I  was  thronged  with  oppo- 
nents. I  did  not  therefore  think  it  nec- 
essary to  make  a  formal  reply  to  every 
single  argument ;  such  a  plan  must  have 
swelled  the  publication  to  an  enormous 
size  :  I  therefore  only  selected  the  main 
subjects  in  debate,  and  attempted  a  fair 
discussion  of  them,  with  the  arguments 
adduced  in  support  of  them.  Mr.  T. 
seems  to  complain  of  this  my  systemati- 
cal way  of  treating  the  subject,  as  he  calls 
it,  (XIII.  8;)  and  sometimes  singles  out 
a  particular  argument  of  his,  of  which  1 
have  taken  no  notice,  and  insinuates  as  if 
it  was  because  I  felt  it  unanswerable  {XIII. 
14.)  But  is  it  not  wonderful  that  he  should 
complain  c  f  me,  and,  at  the  same  time,  be 


guilty  of  the  same  thing  himself  1  He  has 
omitted  making  any  reply  to  nearly  as 
much  in  mine  as  I  have  in  his,  and  to 
things  also  of  considerable  force.  My 
reasonings  in  pp.  209,  210,  he  has  entire- 
ly passed  over  ;  as  also  my  argument  on 
the  non-publication  of  the  gospel,  pp.  257, 
258,  Note.  If  Mr.  T.  looked  upon  me 
as  obliged  to  answer  every  particular  ar- 
gument, notwithstanding  the  number  of 
my  opponents,  what  can  be  said  for  his 
oimi  omissions,  who  had  only  one  to  op- 
pose 1 

In  my  next  I  will  begin  to  attend  to  the 
main  subjects  on  which  we  differ;  viz. 
The  work  of  the  Spirit — the  excusableness 
of  sinners  on  the  non-provision  of  grace 
— the  extent  of  the  moral  law — and  the  de- 
sign of  Chrisfs  death. 


LETTER  II. 

I  WOULD  now  proceed  to  the  first  of 
the  four  main  subjects  in  debate  between 
myself  and  Mr.  Taylor — the  work  of 
THE  Spirit.  There  has  been  pretty 
much  said  between  us  on  the  order  of  re- 
generation and  faith,  and  the  instrumen- 
tality of  the  word  in  regeneration.  1  did 
not  wish  to  contest  that  matter,  be  it 
which  way  it  might,  provided  the  agency 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  but  acknowledged. 
Mr.  T.,  however,  chooses  to  dwell  up- 
""n  this  subject;  yet  it  seems  rather  exti'a- 
or<!!nary  that  in  all  his  replies  he  has  taken 
no  noi^^e  of  what  I  advanced  in  p.  193. 

Mr.  'X  .  seems  to  think  that  regenera- 
tion includfc:.  the  tvhole  change  that  is 
brought  about  cpon  a  person  in  order  to 
his  being  deiiominB,f  ed  a  true  Christian  ; 
and  not  merely  the  Jlr^t  beginning  of  it 
(XIII.  11.)  I  think  in  tins  1  may  agree 
with  him,  so  far  at  least  as  to  allow  that 
the  term  is  to  be  understood  in  such  a 
large  sense  in  some  places  in  the  New 
Testament ;  and,  if  that  is  the  case,  I  feel 
no  difficulty  in  concurring  with  him  that 
regeneration  is  by  the  word  of  truth.  But 
this,  perhaps,  may  not  satisfy  my  opponent 
after  all.  He  denies  that  men  are  enlight- 
ened previously  to  their  believing  the  gos- 
pel, (XIII.  12;)  and  yet  one  would  think 
that  a  person  must  understand  any  thing 
before  he  believes  it ;  and,  if  so,  his  mind 
cannot  be  said  to  be  illuminated  by  faith. 
But  still  it  is  by  the  word  :  here  Mr.  T. 
will  allow  of  no  difficulties ;  or,  if  I  will 
talk  of  difficulties,  he  will  impute  it  to  my 
forsaking  my  Bible,  (XIII.  12.)  Well  : 
have  but  patience  with  him,  in  twelve  pa- 
ges farther,  when  he  begins  to  feel  diffi- 


THE     REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    OIVIXF    CRATE. 


519 


culties  himself;  we  shiill  liiid  him  atoning    mean  that  men  arc  passive  in  this   matter, 
for  this  severity  liy  coniineiuliii;,^  mo   lor    when  the  Spirit,  by  the  word,  operates  on 


tlie  mind,  that  I  do  not  believe."  This  is 
another  evasion.  My  words  i\o  not  imply 
that  men  are  passive  in  helievin<r  in  Clirist 
I  conceive  that  men  become  active,  wlicn 
the    Spirit    operates    upon     their    minds, 


the  same  thit)<(  upon  wliich  lie  licre  jiuls  so 
heavy  a  construction,'  (XIII.   21.) 

I  attempted  to  prove  that  Mr.  T.'s  sen- 
timents leave  out  the  aijcncy  of  the  Holy- 
Spirit    in  the    act    itself  of  l)elieving ;  or 

that,  "  if  there  is  any  divine  agency  in  the  though  they  were  passive  in  that  operation 
matter,  it  is  only  a  sort  of  grace  given  to  The  very  idea  of  operation  upon  a  subject 
men  in  common  ;  which,  therefore,  can  implies  that  sul>ject  to  be  passive  in  such 
be  no  reason  why  one  man,  rather  than  operation.  The  immediate  effect  may  be 
another,  believes  in  Christ."  Thus  I  sta-  activity.  But,  to  suppose  that  tlie  sutyect 
ted  it  in  p.  194.  Mr.  T.,  in  reply,  com-  on  whom  the  operation  is  performed  is  not 
plains  that  I  have  wronged  him  in  repre-  passive  in  being  tlie  subject,of  the  opera- 
senting  him  as  leaving  out  the  agency  of  tion,  is  to  suppose  that  he  himself,  and  not 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  act  itself  of  believ-  the  Spirit,  puts  forth  that  operation  by 
ing;  and  informs  us  that  he  distinguishes  which  grace  is  produced.  That  the  mind, 
between  "  the  operations  and  indwelling  of  in  receiving  Christ,  is  active,  I  allow  ;  but 
the  Holy  Spirit  "  (XIII.  27.)  But  where-  this  is  no  way  inconsistent  with  the  Holy 
in  have  I  wronged  him1  I  have  allowed  Spirit  being  the  proper,  sole,  efficient 
him  to  maintain  a  sort  of  divine  agency,  cause  of  such  activity.  There  was  no  dis- 
or  grace,  which  is  given  to  men  in  com-  pute  whether  "man  was  the  subject  of 
men  :  but  this  certainly  can  be  no  cause  faith  and  unbelief,"  as  his  answer  seems 
why  one  man,  rather  than  another,  believes  to  represent,  (XIII.  24  ;)  but  whether  the 
in  Christ.  And  with  this  Mr.  T.'s  own  blessed  Spirit  was  the  sole,  efficient,  and 
account  (XIII.  13,)  so  far  as  I  can  under-  proper  cause  of  our  believing, 
stand  him,  perfectly  agrees.  After  all  that  Mr.  T.  says,  in  order  to 

I  maintain  that  it  is  owing  to  divine  get  over  this  difficulty,  (XIII.  24,  25,)  what 
agency,  and  to  that  alone,  that  one  sinner,  does  it  amount  to  1  "  If  the  Spirit  by  the 
rather  than  another,  believes  in  Christ.  I  word,  bring  me  to  believe,  and  not  another, 
must  confess  that  Mr.  T.  writes,  on  this  whatever  is  the  cause  or  the  obstruction, 
subject,  in  a  confused  and  contradictory  that  is.  in  a  general  sense,  done  for  me 
manner,  (XIII.  23  :)  and  well  he  may  ;  liis  which  is  not  done  for  another,  and  demands 
system  will  not  admit  it,  and  yet  his  heart  evcilasting  grateful  acknowledgments." 
knows  not  how  to  deny  it.  First,  he  goo»  Of  this  general  sense,  or  meaning,  I  can 
about  to  qualify  my  question  ;  "  If  hy  the  make  no  meaning  at  all.  Itcertainly  does 
term  a/o?ie,"  saj'' '»e,  "  be  meant  that  no  not  ascribe  the  difference  between  one  sin- 
sinner  wruld  believe  in  Christ  without  ner  and  another  to  God,  but  to  tlie  crea- 
divine  operations,  I  freely  grant  it."  True  ture  ;  and  this  is  the  very  spirit  and  tenden- 
he  might  ;  but  that  is  not  all  I  plead  for,  cy  of  his  whole  system,  which  ought  to 
nor  what  my  words  evidently  intend  :  and  sink  it  in  the  esteem  of  every  humble, 
this  he  knows  very  well,  and  ought  not,  considerate  mind.  But  the  Holy  Spirit 
therefore  to  have  made  such  an  evasion.  "  does  that  for  those  who  do  not  believe 
What  he  allows  may  be  held  without  ad-  which  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  and 
mitting  that  it  is  owing  to  the  Holy  Spirit  which  would  bring  them  to  faith  and'hap- 
that  one  sinner,  rather  than  another,  be-  piness,  if  they  were  not  to  abuse  it,"  (XIII. 
lieves  in  Christ.  He  adds,  "  But,  if  he  25.)  So  far  as  relates  to  objective  evi- 
dence being  presented  (and  which  is  suffici- 
*  Whatever  Mr.  T.  thinks,  some  have  thought 
that  considerable  ditiiciilties  would  attend  our  suppo- 
sing all  divine  illumination  to  be  by  the  word;  nor 
are  these  objections  drawn  from  "  metaphysical  spec- 
ulations," but  from  the  word  itself  Thus  they  rea- 
son: 1.  It  is  a  fact  that  e\il  propensity  in  the  heart  success  does  indeed  depend  upon  the  pli- 
has  a  strange  tendency  to  blind  the  mind.— E|)hes.  iv.  ability  of  the  subject,  then,  SO  far,  salvation 
18.  2.  It  IS  promised  by  the  Holy  Spirit,"  I  will  ig  not  of  grace  ;  for  the  very  turning  point 
give  them  an  heart  to  know  me.   — Jer.  xxiv.  7.  But    .,f  »i,^  ..  u^i«  ,.  <r.-„  •  •       ".     *i  K. 

„.      , .    I,        /•    1       .1        •     .   .1   . 1        I  J        ol  tlie  wtiole  affair  IS  owing  to  the  creature 
a  heart  to  know  God  must  be  prior  to  that  knowledge,  j  .     i-  ,:         *    ^^  >- «>- v.it,m,uic, 

and  cannot   therefore,  be  produced  by  means  of  it.  ^"^  ^?  "'^  O"'"  gOO"  impro\ement  of  what 

3.  "  The  natural  inaii  "  is  said  not  to  receive  "  the  ^^^S  given  to  him  in   common  with    others, 

things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  neither  can  he  know  To  Speak  of  that  being  done  which  is  suf- 

them,  lwcau.se  they  are  spiritually  discerned."    But  ficient,  (/  not  abused,  is  saying  nothing  at 

if  a   .«p.ntual   discernment    .s  necessary,  in  order   to  all.       For  how,  if  the  human    heart  should 

knowing  .spiritual  things,  that  discernment  cannot  be  u„  „       i  i  ,i     .     •.        -.i  i  .. 

produced  by  those  spi.  itual  things,  unless  the  con.e-  ^^  '°  depraved  as  that   it  will  be   sure   to 

quent  can  produce  its  antecedent.     I    wished  not,  ^huse  every  word  and  work  of  God  short  of 

however,  to  dispute  about  the  order  of  things,  but  that    which    is     omnipotent  "?      That    men 

ratlier  te  attend  to  what  is  of  far  greater  importance,  resist  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  abuse  the  grace 


ent  to  render  men  who  are  in  possession 
of  their  natural  faculties  inexcusable,)  we 
are,  in  this  matter,  agreed.  But,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  work  of  the   Spirit  itself,  if  its 


520 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


of  the  gospel,  is  true :  but  the  question  is, 
not  whether  this  their  abuse  is  their  wicked- 
ness, but  how  came  Mr.  T.,or  any  other 
man,  to  be  so  pliable  and  well-disposed 
as  not  to  resist  it  ]  * 

"I  cannot  prove,"  says  Mr.  T.,  "that  the 
Holy  Spirit  does  not  do  as  much,  or  more, 
in  this  (general)  sense,  for  some  who  do 
not  repent  and  believe,  as  for  some  who  do. 
Truth  itself  informs  us  that  what  was  done 
without  effect  for  Chorazin,  Bethsaida, 
and  Capernaum,  would  have  been  effectual 
for  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  Sodom"  (XIII.  25.) 
Truth,  indeed,  does  inform  us  of  something 
being  done  for  those  cities  ;  but  it  makes 
no  mention  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  or 
upon  them,  but  merely  of  the  mighty  works 
or  miracles,  which  were  wrought  among 
them.  These  ought  to  have  led  them  to 
repentance,  though  they  did  not.  "But 
did  not  Christ  speak  as  if  Tyre,  Sidon,  and 
Sodom,  would  have  repented  had  they  en- 
joyed the  same  means  1  "  Yes,  he  did; 
and  so  did  God  speak  concerning  his  peo- 
ple Israel  :  "  Surely  they  are  my  people, 
children  that  will  not  lie  :  so  he  became 
their  Saviour  "  Again :  "  I  looked  that  my 
vineyard  should  have  brought  forth  grapes, 
and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes."  Again  : 
"  Thou  art  not  sent  unto  a  people  of  a 
strange  speech,  and  of  a  hard  language, 
but  to  the  house  of  Israel:  surely,  had  I 
sent  thee  to  them,  they  would  have  ineark- 
ened  unto  thee." — "  Last  of  all,  he  sent, 
his  son  saying.  They  will  reverence  my 
son."  But  do  these  speeches  prove  that 
God  really  thought  things  would  be  so  1 
Rather  are  they  not  evidently  to  be  under- 
stood of  God's  speaking,  after  the  manner 
of  men,  of  what  might  have  been  expected 
according  to  human  appearance  1 

"  I  do  not  remember,"  says  Mr.  T., 
"  that  the  Scripture  ever  ascribes  the  final 
misery  of  sinners  to  the  want  of  divine  in- 
fluences," &c.  (XIII.  27.)  True;  nor  do 
ray  sentiments  suppose  that  to  be  the 
cause  of  final  misery.  His  reasoning  on 
this  subject  (XIII.  32)  is  extravagant.  It 
is  sin,  and  sin  alone,  which  is  the  cause  of 

*  In  page  23  of  his  Thirteen  Letters,  Mr.  T., 
speaking  of  believing  in  Christ,  say.s  he  does  "  not 
appreliend  that  any  man  has  any  will  or  power,  or 
any  concern  about  the  matter,  till  the  Holy  Spirit 
work,  awaken,  and  produce  these  in  the  mind." 
But  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  thinks,  operates  sufficiently 
in  all  men  :  he  does  that  for  those  who  do  not  be- 
lieve which  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose  :  yea,  he  sup- 
pose.s  he  does  as  much,  or  more,  in  this  sense,  for 
some  who  do  not  repent  and  believe,  as  for  some  who 
do. — p.  25.  Mr.  T.  must  allow  tliat  no  man  can 
ever  do  what  he  has  neither  will  nor  poioer  to  per- 
form. The  mind  must  be  either  active  or  passive  in 
the  production  of  the  will  and  power  of  which  he 
speaks.  If  passive,  his  whole  system  is  overthrown  : 
if  ttciire,  the  supposed  prior  activity  is  while  they 
have  neither  will  not  power  to  act,  which  isabsurd. 


any  man's  ruin.  He  might  as  well  say 
that  a  man  is  brought  into  misery  because 
he  is  not  brought  out  of  it.  The  destruc- 
tion of  fallen  angels  is  no  more  ascribed 
to  the  want  of  divine  mercy  than  that  of 
fallen  men. 

Mr.  T.  thinks  the  cases  of  wicked  men 
being  restrained  from  wickedness,  godly 
men  growing  in  grace,  &c.,  may  illustrate 
the  subject  in  question  (XIII.  30.)  I  think 
so  too.  I  also  think  with  him  concerning 
men's  obligations  to  these  things  ;  that 
much  more  might  be  done  than  what  is 
done  :  but  that,  if  they  are  done,  it  is  to 
be  ascribed  to  God,  because  it  is  he 
who  works  all  our  works  in  us  ;  I  think 
the  same  of  faith  in  Christ.  These  are 
not  things  wherein  we  differ;  but  the 
question  is,  though  in  words  Mr.  T.  as- 
cribes these  things,  as  well  as  faith,  to 
God,  whether  his  system  does  not  ascribe 
them  to  the  creature.  This  it  certainly 
does  ;  and  he  as  good  as  acknowledges  it 
(XIII.  52,)  where  (in  contradiction  to 
what  he  here  asserts)  he  pleads  for  men's 
being  able,  independently  of  the  grace  of 
the  gospel,  to  abstain  from  gross  abomina- 
tions. 

Mr.  T.  has  not  thought  proper  to  con- 
trovert my  arguments  in  pp.  194 — 201,  for 
a  special  and  effectual  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit;  but  thinks  that  these  may 
be  admitted,  without  destroying  his  senti- 
ments ;  only  observing  that,  if  he  were  to 
follow  me  through  those  reasonings,  he 
"  should  question  the  propriety  of  the 
turn  I  give  to  a  few  passages  of  Scripture 
(XIII.  26.)  It  will  be  time  e^\ough  to 
reply,  when  we  know  what  he  \>as  to 
object  against  my  sense  of  those  pass- 
ages. But  how  is  it  that  Mr.  T.  would 
have  it  thought  that  his  sentiments  are 
unaffected  by  those  arguments  1  Had  he 
but  admitted  the  sentiment  establish- 
ed by  those  arguments,  it  would  have 
saved  him  much  trouble  which  he  has  ta- 
ken, in  trying  to  account  for  God's  doing 
the  same  for  one  man  as  for  another,  and 
yet  making  men  to  differ.  If  God  works 
effectually  on  some,  that  is  more  than  he 
will  pretend  that  he  does  upon  all ;  and 
this  will  perfectly  account  for  a  difference 
between  one  sinner  and  another.  And,  if 
this  way  of  God's  making  men  to  differ  be 
admitted  in  some  instances,  it  must  in  all, 
seeing  one  believer,  as  much  as  another, 
is  taught  to  ascribe  the  difference  between 
him  and  others  to  God  alone.f  But  Mr. 
T.  does  not  believe  in  an  effectual  influ- 
ence; such  an  influence  admitted,  would  be 
destructive  of  his  whole  system.    He  sup- 

t  Rom.  iii.  9.  2  Cor.  xv.  10.  John  xiv.  22.  I 
Cor.  iv.  7. 


THE    RLALITY     AND    EFFICArV    OP    DIVINK    ORaCE. 


621 


poses  an  cfTectual  infliioiico  would  be  de- 
struclivc  of  free  ngeiuv  and  moral  l'^ovciii- 
meiit  (XIII.  129.)  That  it  would  lie  de- 
structive of  eitluT,  according  to  the  scrip- 
tural account  of  thcin,  has  not  yet  lieen 
proved  ;  but  that  it  would  destroy  his  no- 
tions concerninir  them  is  aibnitted  ;  and 
this  proves  that  an  eircctual  intluence  is 
inconsistent  with  his  sentiments. 

If  Mr.  T.'s  reasonings  (XIII.  33)  prove 
any  thiuL',  they  prove  that  (Jod  will  fur- 
nish every  man  in  the  world  with  the 
means  of  sahation  ;  but  so  far  is  this  from 
corrcspondinfi  with  /he/  that  the  •iosi)el  was 
never  preached  to  the  far  greater  part  of 
mankind  who  have  hitherto  lived;  and 
some  of  whom,  Mr.  T.  supposes,  would 
have  really  believed  and  been  saved,  had 
they  liut  heard  it.— XIII.  2.5. 

1  shall  close  my  remarks  on  this  pari  of 
the  deliate  with  a  few  observations  on  the 
resistiblcness  or  irresistibleness  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  I  apprehend  he  is  both  re- 
sistible and  irresistible,  in  different  re- 
spects. The  following  observations  are 
submitted  to  the  reader's  attention  : — 1. 
God  has  so  constituted  the  human  mind 
that  words,  whether  spoken  or  written, 
shall  have  an  effect  upon  it.  2.  The  Ho- 
ly Spirit  speaks  to  men  in  his  word  :  he 
has  written  to  them  the  great  thing.?  of  his 
law.  3.  It  would  be  strange  if  God's 
word  should  not  have  some  effect  upon 
people's  minds,  as  well  as  the  words  and 
writings  of  men.  It  would  be  very  strange 
if  neither  the  warnings  nor  expostulations, 
the  threatenings  nor  the  promises  of  God, 
should  have  any  effect  upon  the  mind  ; 
whereas  the  same  things  among  men  are 
constantly  known  to  inspire  them  with 
various  feelings.  4.  The  influence  of  the 
word  upon  the  mind,  seeing  that  word  is 
indited  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  may  be  call- 
ed, in  an  indirect  and  figurative  sense,  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  was  with 
this  kind  of  influence  that  he  strove  with 
the  antediluvians  in  the  ministry  of  Noah, 
&c.  (Gen.  vi.  3,)  and  was  resisted  by  the 
Israelites  :  that  is,  they  resisted  the  mes- 
sages which  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  unto 
them  by  Moses  and  the  prophets ;  and 
their  successors  did  the  same  by  the  mes- 
sages sent  them  by  Christ  and  his  aj)0s- 
tles. — Acts  vii.  51.  And  thus  the  admoni- 
tions of  parents,  the  events  of  providence, 
and  the  alarms  of  conscience,  as  well  as 
the  word  preached  and  written,  may  each, 
in  an  indirect  sense,  be  said  to  be  the 
strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  influ- 
ence ought  to  suffice  to  bring  us  to  repent 
of  sin,  and  believe  in  Christ,  and,  were  it 
not  for  the  resistance  that  is  made  to  it, 
ii;ould  have  such  an  effect ;  but  through 
the  perverseness  of  the  human  heart  it 
never  has.     It  is  a  great  sin  to  resist  and 

VOL.    I.  66 


overcome  it ;  but  it  is  such  a  sin  as  every 
man,  while  unregencratc,  is  guilty  of.  5. 
Besides  this,  it  has  licen  allowed,  by  many 
of  the  most  steady  and  able  defenders  of 
the  doctrine  of  efficacious  grace,  that  the 
Holy  S|)irit  may,  by  his  immediate  but 
more  common  influence,  impress  the  minds 
of  unregcnenite  men,  and  assist  reason 
and  natural  conscience  to  perform  their 
office  more  fully  ;  so  that,  notwithstanding 
the  bins  of  the  will  is  still  in  favor  of  sin, 
yet  ihcy  arc  made  sensible  of  many  truths 
contained  in  the  word  of  God,  and  feel 
somewhat  of  that  alarming  apprehension 
of  their  danger,  and  of  the  power  of  the 
divine  anger,  &c.,  which  all  imi)cnitent 
sinners  will  experience  in  a  much  superior 
degree  at  the  day  of  judgment.  But  sin- 
ners, under  these  common  awakenings 
only,  continue  destitute  of  that  realizing 
sense  of  the  excellence  of  divine  things 
which  is  peculiar  to  those  who  are  effec- 
tually renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds; 
and  to  which  the  power  of  sin  has  entirely 
blinded  the  minds  of  the  unregenerate. 
6.  From  the  depravity  or  perverseness  of 
the  human  heart  arises  the  necessity  of  a 
special  and  effectual  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  influence  before  mentioned 
may  move  the  soul  ;  but  it  will  not  bring 
it  home  to  God.  When  souls  are  effec- 
tually turned  to  God,  it  is  spoken  of  as 
the  result  of  a  special  exertion  of  almighty 
power.  "  God,  who  commanded  the  light 
to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in 
our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  know- 
ledge of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ." — "  Thy  people  shall  be 
willing  in  the  day  of  thy  poller. " — "  I  ivill 
put  my  law  in  their  inward  part,  and  write 
it  on  their  hearts ;  and  I  will  l)e  their 
God,  and  they  shall  be  my  peoj)le." — 
"  Who  hath  believed  our  report;  and  to 
whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  re- 
vealed ]  " 

These  observations  may  account  for  sev- 
eral things  which  Mr.  T.  has  remarked, 
(particularly  in  XIII.  28,  29)  without  sup- 
posing that  the  special  operations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  are  ever  finally  overcome. 


LETTER  III. 

The  second  general  subject  in  debate 
respects  the  nature  of  that  inability  of 
which  mankind  are  the  subject'  in  re- 
spect of  compliance  with  the  will  ot  God; 
or,  more  particularly,  original  sin,  human 
depravity,  and  the  grace  of  God.  On 
these  suiyccfs  Mr.  Taylor  has  written  his 
Fourth,  Fifth,  and  Sixth  Letters.  He 
sets  out  with  an  ol'servation  on  free  agen- 


B22 


THR    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OP    DIVINE    GRACE. 


cf,  which  discovers,  in  my  opinion,  the 
ground  of  a  great  many  other  of  his  mis- 
takes. He  supposes  that  a  moral,  as  well 
as  natural,  ability  to  comply  with  the 
commands  of  God  is  necessary  to  render 
us  free  agents.  Hence  he  does  not  seem 
to  cansider  man  as  a  free  agent  in  respect 
to  keeping,  or  not  keeping,  the  laiv, 
but  barely  "with  regard  to  those  objects 
which  God  in  his  gospel  presents  to  him, 
as  a  fallen  creature,  to  recover  him  from 
his  fallen  state."  (XHI.  36  ;)  and  yet  he 
speaks,  in  the  same  page,  of  his  thus  be- 
ing a  "subject  of  God's  moral  govern- 
ment." Strange,  indeed,  that  he  should 
not  be  a  free  agent  in  respect  of  the  moral 
law,  and  yet  that  he  should  be  a  subject 
of  God's  moral  government ;  yea,  and  that 
the  moral  law  should,  notwithstanding,  be 
to  him  "a  rule  of  life"  (XHI.  61.)  If 
we  are  not  free  agents  in  respect  of  the 
moral  law,  we  cannot  be  the  subjects  of 
God's  moral  government,  but,  rather,  of 
some  supposed  evangelical  government. 

A  free  agent  is  an  intelligent  being  xoho 
is  at  liberty  to  act  according  to  his  choice, 
without  compulsion  or  restraint.  And  has 
not  man  this  liberty  in  respect  of  the  laiv, 
as  well  as  of  the  gospel?  Does  he,  in  any 
instance,  break  the  law  by  compulsion,  or 
against  his  will!  Surely  not.  It  is  im- 
possible the  law  should  be  broken  in  such 
a  way  ;  for,  where  any  thing  is  done  with- 
out or  against  volition,  no  equitable  law, 
human  or  divine,  will  ever  blame  or  con- 
demn. Mr.  T.'s  great  mistake  in  these 
matters  lies  in  considering  a  bias  of  mind 
as  destructive  of  free  agency.  If  a  bias 
of  mind  to  evil,  be  it  ever  so  deep-rooted 
and  confirmed,  tends  to  destroy  free 
agency,  then  the  devil  can  be  no  free 
agent,  and  so  is  not  accountable  for  all 
his  enmity  against  God.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  those  who  are,  as  Mr.  T. 
expresses  it,  become  "  unimpressible  " 
(XIII.  28,)  and  cannot  cease  from  sin.  It 
is  not  sufficient  to  say  that  "they  had 
power  to  receive  the  word  till  they  wil- 
fully resisted  and  rejected  the  truth;  "  if 
Mr.  T.'s  notion  of  free  agency  be  just, 
they  ought  to  have  had  power  at  the  time, 
or  else  not  to  have  been  accountable.  Mr. 
T.  constantly  reasons  from  natural  to 
moral  impotency,  and,  in  these  cases,  ad- 
mits of  no  difference  between  them  ;  but 
he  knows  that,  in  respect  of  the  former, 
if  a  man  is  unable  to  perform  any  thing 
that  is  required  of  him  at  the  time,  he  is, 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  excusable ; 
yea,  though  he  may  have  brought  his  im- 
potency upon  himself  by  his  own  crimes. 
If,  for  example,  a  man  destroys  both 
health  and  reason  by  mere  debauchery 
and  wickedness,  so  as  to  become  a  poor 
ghastly  idiot,  can  any  one  suppose  that, 


in  that  state  of  mind,  it  is  just  to  require 
him  to  perform  the  business  of  a  man,  or 
to  punish  him  for  his  omission,  under  the 
pretence  that  he  07ice  had  reason  and 
strength,  but,  by  his  wickedness,  had  lost 
them.  No  :  far  be  it  from  either  God  or 
man  to  proceed  in  this  manner  1  If,  then, 
there  is  no  difference  between  natural  and 
moral  impotency,  those  who  are  become 
"unimpressible,"  and  are  given  up  of 
God  for  sin  (as  were  Judas,  and  the  mur- 
derers of  our  Lord,)  are  not  free  agents, 
and  so  are  not  accountable  beings. 

Farther  :  If  a  bias  of  mind  to  evil,  be 
it  ever  so  confirmed,  tends  to  destroy  the 
free  agency  of  the  subject,  the  same  would 
hold  true  of  a  bias  to  good;  which  Mr.  T. 
indeed  seems  to  allow  ;  for  he  asks,  (XIII. 
51)  "  Are  not  free  agents  capable  of  sin- 
ning 1  "  As  if  it  were  essential  to  free 
agency  to  be  capable  of  doing  wrong. 
But  has  Mr.  T.  forgot  that  neither  God, 
nor  Christ,  (even  when  upon  earth,)  nor 
saints  in  glory,  are  capable  of  doing 
wrong  1  The  bias  of  their  minds  is  so  in- 
variably fixed  to  holiness,  that  it  is  impos- 
sible they  should,  in  any  instance,  deviate 
from  it  ;  and  yet  will  he  deny  them  to 
be  the  subjects  of  free  agency  1 

Mr.  T.'s  ideas  of  free  agency  have  prob- 
ably led  him  into  some  others,  respecting 
the  nature  of  that  sin  which  men  commit 
as  the  effect  of  Adam's  transgression 
(XIII.  52.)  His  language  on  that  sub- 
ject, all  along,  implies  that  all  the  sin 
which  men  commit  as  the  effect  of  Adam's 
transgression  must  be  involuntary  ;  as 
though  it  were  something  that  operated 
within  them,  entirely  against,  or  at  least 
loithout,  their  consent.  If  this  supposi- 
tion were  true,  I  should  not  wonder  at  his 
pleading  for  its  innocence.  If  men  were 
under  such  a  necessity  as  this  of  sinning,  I 
should  coincide  with  Mr.  T.  in  denying 
that  they  were  accountable  for  that  part 
of  their  conduct.  But  the  truth  is,  there 
is  no  such  sin  in  existence.  Sins  of  rg-no- 
rance,  under  the  law,  were  not  opposed  to 
voluntary,  but  to  presumptuous  sins. — 
Numb.  XV.  27 — 31.  There  are  many  sins 
that  men  commit  which  are  not  presump- 
tuous, but  none  which  are,  in  every  sense, 
involuntary.  Mr.  T.  perhaps  will  allege 
the  apostle's  assertions,  in  Rom.  vii.,  that 
what  he  would  not,  that  he  did.  He  makes 
much  ado  (XIII.  42)  about  this,  and  my 
supposed  inconsistency,  but  all  he  there 
says  was,  I  think,  sufficiently  obviated  in 
my  first  treatise.  After  all,  Mr.  T.  does 
not  really  think  there  are  any  sins  besides 
what  are  voluntary.  Though  he  talks  of 
believers  being  guilty  of  such  sins,  and  of 
Christ's  dying  to  atone  for  them,  (XIII. 
52,)  yet  he  would  not  allow  it  to  be  just 
for  ajiy  man,  in  his  own  person,  either  to 


THE    REALITT    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


623 


be  blamed  or  punished  lor  them  :  no  ;  he 
contends  that  it  is  the  nincurrence  of  our 
wills  that  denomiiuites  us  blamcworttn/y 
(XIII.  41;)  which  is  nM(hiul>tedly  true  in 
respect  ol  all  personal  l>liimc. 

When  Mr.  T.  reviewed  my  tirst  pubji- 
crtion,  he  spoke  much  in  praise  of  the 
distinction  between  luitural  and  moral  in- 
ahilily,  and  of  the  perspicuity  ol  the  man- 
ner of  statins;  it  (IX.  9,  (j:J,  04.)  Surely 
he  must  not,  at  that  lime,  have  under- 
stood what  he  a()plaudcil  ;  and  having  since 
discovered  this  sword  to  have  two  edges, 
the  one  ecjually  adapted  to  cut  up  Armin- 
i<inism  as  the  other  is  to  destroy  Antino- 
mianism,  he  has  now  changed  his  mind, 
and  is  striving  to  prevent  its  efficacy  by 
giving  another  meaning  to  the  terms,  and 
thus  involving  the  subject  in  darkness  and 
confusion.* 

By  natural  power,  Mr.  T.  now  under- 
stands a  power  that  is  barely  adapted  to 
the  performance  of  natural  things;  and 
by  moral  power  a  power  for  moral  things 
(Letter  VI.)  But  natural  power  as  I,  and 
aU  others  who  have  heretofore  written 
upon  the  subject,  have  used  it,  is  as  much 
conversant  with  spiritual  as  with  natural 
things;  yea,  and  as  much  with  wicked 
things  as  with  either  of  them.  It  requires 
the  same  members,  faculties,  and  oppor- 
tunities, to  do  good  as  to  do  evil ;  to  per- 
form spiritual,  as  to  perform  natural  ac- 
tions. To  pretend,  therefore,  to  distin- 
guish the  use  of  these  terms  by  the  ob- 
jects with  whicii  they  are  conversant,  can 
answer  no  end  but  to  perplex  the  subject. 

But  is  natural  power  sufficient  for  the 
performance  of  moral  and  spiritual  ac- 
tions ?  Mr.  T.  gays  no;  and  so  say  I  in 
one  respect.  But  he  rx)ncludes,  therefore, 
that  if  God  require  any  thing  of  a  moral 
or  spiritual  nature  of  any  man,  it  is  but 
right  that  he  should  furnish  him  with  moral 
power  for  the  performance  of  it.  Thus  he 
all  along  represents  moral  ability  as  if  it 
were  some  distinct  faculty,  formed  by  the 

*  Had  thp.se  terms,  or  the  distinclion  tliey  are 
used  to  s[)ecify,  been  a  new  inventiun  of  my  own, 
tliere  would  have  been  less  room  to  have  complained 
of  this  treatment  ;  but  it  apixjar.-t  lo  me  a  stmnge,  un- 
warrantable fi-eedom,  when  we  reflect  that  both  had 
been  used,  in  exactly  tlie  same  sense,  by  a  great 
number  of  respectable  theological  writers.  Where- 
as Mr.  T.'s  new  sen.«e  of  them  is  entirely  unprece- 
dented ;  though,  no  doubt,  the  most  rash  and  igno- 
rant of  the  Fseudo-Calvinists  would  find  it  suited  to 
suljserve  their  denial  of  all  obligation  upon  natural 
men  to  perform  any  thing  spiritually  go<jd.  But  let 
men,  as  they  value  their  souls,  be  first  well  aj^sured 
such  an  evasive  distinction  will  be  admitied  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  before  they  dare  to  apply  it  to 
this  sin-extenuating  purpose.  I  do  not  charge  Mr. 
T.  with  intending  to  put  weapons  into  the  hands  of 
deluded  Antinomians;  but  I  beseech  him  to  consid- 
er how  readily  they  would  make  their  advantage  of 
«ich  a  distinction,  if  once  admitted. 


Creator  for  the  performance  of  moral  ac- 
tions, while  natural  power  is  given  for  the 
performance  of  natural  actions  ;  and  thus 
the  reader  is  led  to  imagine  that  God  is  as 
much  ol)liged  to  furnish  sinful  men  with 
the  one  as  with  the  other,  in  order  to  ren- 
der them  accountable  beings.  Whereas 
moral  power  is  not  power,  strictly  speak- 
ing, but  a  heart  to  use  the  power  God  has 
given  us  in  a  right  manner.  It  is  natural 
power,  and  that  only,  that  is  properly  so 
called,  and  which  is  necessary  to  render 
men  accountable  beings.  To  constitute 
me  an  accountal)le  being,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary that  I  should  be  actually  disposed 
to  holy  actions,  (which  is  the  same  Uiin^ 
as  })ossessing  a  moral  ability,)  but  barely 
that  I  could  do  such  actions  if  I  tcere  dis- 
posed. Indeed,  notwithstanding  all  that 
Mr.  T.  has  written  to  tlie  contrary,  and 
by  whatever  names  he  calls  this  power, 
natural  or  moral,  he  himself  means  noth- 
ing more.  He  does  not  mean  to  plead  for 
its  being  necessary  that  men  should  be 
actually  possessed  of  holiness,  in  order  to 
their  being  free  agents,  but  merely  that 
they  might  possess  it  if  they  would.  He 
only  pleads,  in  fact,  for  what  I  allow  ;  and 
yet  he  thinks  he  pleads  for  something  else, 
and  so  goes  on,  and  loses  himself  and  his 
reader  in  a  maze  of  confusion.  It  is  not 
enough  for  Mr.  T.  that  I  allow  men  may 
return  to  God,  if  they  ivill ;  they  must 
have  the  power  of  being  willing  if  they 
will,  (XIII.  57;)  but  this,  as  we  shall  soon 
see,  is  no  more  than  having  the  power  of 
being  ichat  they  are  !  I  represented  this 
matter  in  as  forcible  a  manner  as  I  could 
in  my  reply,  (p.  450 ;)  and  it  is  a  poor  an- 
swer that  Mr.  T.  makes  to  it  (XIII.  58,) 
as  though  I  were  out  of  my  province  in 
writing  about  the  meaning  of  my  oppo- 
nent. Surely  it  is  a  lamentable  thing  if 
the  meaning  of  an  author  cannoi  be  come 
at  by  all  he  writes  upon  a  subject.  If 
what  I  imputed  to  him  was  not  his  mean- 
ing, why  did  he  not  give  it  in  his  ne.\t 
performance]  "Is  it  uncandid  to  con- 
clude be  had  no  other  meaning  io  give  1  " 


LETTER  IV. 

When  I  affirm  natural  power  to  be  suf- 
ficient to  render  men  accountable  beings, 
Mr.  T.  puts  me  upon  proof,  (XIII.  56;) 
and,  what  is  more,  supposes  that  I  have 
aknowledged  the  contrary  in  my  former 
treatise.  Whether  I  have  noi  proved  this 
matter  already — whether  Mr.  T.  has  not 
allowed  me  to  have  proved  it — and  whether 
what  I  say  elsewhere  is  not  in  perfect  con- 


524 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY     OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


sistency  with  it — shall  be  examined. 
Meanwhile  let  us  follow  Mr.  T.  in  his 
three-fold  argument  for  the  supposed  in- 
nocence of  moral  impotence  :  "  If  men 
could  never  avoid  it,  cannot  deliver  them- 
selves from  it,  and  the  blessed  God  will 
not  deliver  them,  surely  they  ought  not  to 
be  punished  for  it  or  for  any  of  its  neces- 
sary effects."*  Mr.  T.  complains  heavi- 
ly of  my  treating  those  subjects  separately , 
which  he  wished  to  have  considered  cu7i- 
jointly.  Well:  there  was  an  answer, 
though  short,  in  p.  483  of  my  Reply,  to 
the  whole  conjointly  considered  ;  and  if 
he  would  solidly  have  answered  that  only, 
he  might  have  been  excused  from  all  the 
rest. 

But  farther:  I  can  see  no  justice  what- 
ever in  his  complaint.  If  three  things 
altogether  constitute  a  moral  inability 
blameless,  it  must  be  on  account  of  some 
tendency  that  each  of  those  three  things 
has  to  such  an  end,  separately  considered. 
What  Mr.  T.  has  said  of  man's  being  com- 
posed of  body,  soul,  and  spirit  (XIlI.  3S,) 
does  not  prove  the  contrary  to  this  ;  be- 
cause, though  body  does  not  constitute  a 
man,  nor  soul,  nor  spirit,  separately  con- 
sidered, yet  each  of  them  forms  a  compo- 
nent part  of  human  nature.  If  it  could  be 
proved  that  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  had 
neither  of  them  any  part  of  human  nature, 
separately  considered,  that  would  prove 
that,  all  together,  they  could  not  consti- 
tute a  man.  Suppose  A.  owes  B.  thirty 
pounds,  and  proposes  to  pay  him  in  three 
ditfeient  articles.  Accordingly,  A.  lays 
down  ten  pounds  in  cash,  ten  pounds  in 
bills,  and  ten  pounds  in  grain.  B.  refuses 
each  of  these  articles  in  payment ;  "  for," 
says  he,  "your  cash  is  all  counterfeit, 
your  bills  are  forged,  and  your  grain  is 
damaged  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be  worth 
nothing."  A.  replies,  not  by  admitting 
that  unless  each  article  can  be  proved  to  be 
of  value,  separately  considered,  he  cannot 
injustice  desire  the  whole  to  be  accepted, 
but  by  complaining  of  B.'s  unwaiTantable 
manner  of  separating  the  articles,  and  ex- 
amining them  apart,  as  if  he  should  say, 
Though  the  cash  may  bo  counterfeit,  the 
bills  forged,  and  the  grain  worthless,  sep- 
arately considered,  yet  all  together  they 
make  up  the  value  of  thirty  pounds  ! 

Farther  :  though  all  these  three  things 
are  in  one  place  mentioned  together,  yet 
Mr.  T.  did  not  all  along  consider  them 
conjointly,  nor  has  he  done  so  now. 
There  need  not  be  a  greater  proof  of  his 
understanding    these    subjects    distinctly 

*  This,  the  reader  will  observe,  is  Mr.  T.'s  own 
way  of  stating  it  (XIII.  37,)  who  always  chooses  to 
represent  moraZ  inability  in  terms  which  are  properly 
applicable  to  natural  inability  only;  and  hereby  it 
is  that  his  positions  wear  the  face  of  plausibility. 


than  his    attempting  to  defend  them   SO, 
which  he  has  done  in  what  follows  : — 

First  :  he  undertakes  to  prove  that  the 
circumstance  of  men  being  born  impure,  or 
inheriting  their  propensities  from  their  first 
parent,  does  excuse  them  in  being  the 
subjects  of  those  propensities  (XIII.  39.) 
Original  sin,  to  be  sure,  is  a  mysterious 
subject.  There  is  a  difficulty  attending 
the  existence  of  evil  in  the  souls  of  all 
mankind  upon  every  hypothesis  ^  but  it 
becomes  us,  as  Mr.  T.  observes,  to 
hearken  to  "  Scripture  evidence,"  and  to 
admit  it  as  decisive;  and,  after  all,  I  be- 
lieve tlie  scriptural  account  of  the  matter 
will  be  found  to  have  the  fewest  difficulties 
of  anj'.  Some,  with  Pelagius,  deny  the 
thing  itself,  and  maintain  that  human  de- 
pravity comes  entirely  l)y  imitatio7i.  Oth- 
ers admit  the  fact,  that  we  "  are  depraved 
by  Adam's  transgression,"  but  deny  the 
guilt  of  such  depravity  on  that  account  : 
this  appears  to  be  the  case  with  Mr.  T. 
Others  admit  the  fact  of  such  depravity, 
yet,  notwithstanding,  acknowledge  its 
guilt ;  this  is  my  sentiment.  Though 
Mr.  T.  admits  that  men  are  born  "  im- 
pure," and  that  this  impurity  is  their  "de- 
pravity," a  depravity  which  David,  in  Ps. 
li.  5,  "  confessed  and  lamented  ;  "  yet  he 
maintains  all  this  to  be  blameless;]  and 
all  along  seems  to  claim  it  as  a  matter  of 
justice  eitiier  to  stand  upon  his  own  ground 
or  to  receive  the  grace  of  the  gospel  as  an 
equivalent  for  it.  The  depravity  of  our 
nature,  then,  is  not  the  fault  but  the  mis- 
fortune  of  it.  It  is,  however,  allowed  to 
be  tiiat  which  is  "  our  ruin,  in  that  it  de- 
prives us  of  happiness  and  exposes  us  to 
misery  "  (XIII.  41,)  that  is,  to  undeserved 
misery ;  for  such  it  must  be,  "  be  the 
misery  what  it  may,"  if  it  be  inflicted 
without  blameworthiness  in  the  subject. 
Surely  such  a  constitution  must  have  been 
very  unrighteous,  and  men  must  have  been 
very  much  injured,  after  all,  to  be  ruined 
by  that  in  the  guilt  of  which  they  have  no 
concern  either  personal  or  relative.  Mr. 
T.  may  well  represent  it  as  an  induce- 
ment for  God  to  give  his  Son  to  die  for 
them,  (XIII.  81,)  if  it  were  only  to  make 

t  By  the  w.iy,  is  it  not  rather  extraordinary  that 
Mr.  T.,  after  distinguishing  between  impurity  and 
sin,  impure  propensities  and  evil  dispositions, 
depravity  and  blameiiwrt hiness,  confessing  iniqui- 
ty anrl  taking  shame  and  blame  to  ourselves  on  account 
of  if,  should  exclaim  against  dealing  in  metaphysics? 
Verily,  a  man  had  need  be  endued  with  somelliing 
more  than  metaphysical  skill  to  make  distinctions 
where  there  is  no  difference.  "  I  do  not  understand 
relative  blame,"  says  Mr.  T.  Then,  obviating  an 
objection  of  mine,  he  asks,  "  But  how  then  can  they 
be  said  to  be  born  in  sin  ?"  and  answers,  "  If  I  use 
the  expression,  I  mean  they  are  born  impure  "  (XIII. 
40.)  Beit  so;  what  does  David  mean?  He  did 
not  say,  "I  was  born  impure,"  but  "  I  was  shapen 
in  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me.' 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


52i 


them  amends  forsuch  an  injury  ;  and  cspc- 
rially  as  he  considers  Go»l  liinisell  as  the 
au'ilior  of  our  native  do|iravity,  in  conslitu- 
tinji  the  union  between  Adam  and  his  olf- 
sprinjr  (XIll.  62.)  To  be  sure  liis  scheme 
is  so  far  consistent.  There  is  only  this 
ditliculty  leiuaininfT,  liow  shall  we  recon- 
cile all  this  with  the  Scriplures ;  and 
with  either  the  justice  of  the  Lawgiver  or 
the  £;•''"<"<'  of  the  Saviour!  For  it  seems  to 
me  that  lioth  law  and  gospel  must  surely 
be  overtiirown  by  such  an  hypothesis. 

The  Scri|)tures  represent  God  as  a 
just  Beinsr,  who  will  iiy  no  n)cans  inflict 
jiunishment  where  there  is  no  guilt.  "  He 
doth  not  alllict  willingly,  nor  grieve  the 
chiklren  of  men.  To  crush  under  feet  all 
the  prisoners  of  the  earth  " — "  to  subvert 
a  man  in  his  cause,  Jehovah  approveth 
not." — "  Surely  God  will  not  do  wickedly, 
neither  will  the  Almighty  pervert  judg- 
ment." Surely  then  we  might  conclude, 
even  though  an  apostle  had  never  told  us 
so,  that  death  would  not  have  passed  upon 
all  men,  by  one  man's  sin,  if,  in  that  sin, 
some  how  or  other,  all  had  not  sinned. 
Surely  death  w  ould  not  have  reigned  in  the 
world  over  them  that  had  not  sinned  after 
the  similitude  of  Adam's  transgression,  if 
si.i  had  not  thus  been  in  the  world  as  its 
procuring  cause.  This  argument  (from 
Rom.  V.  13,  14)  was  urged  before  :  why 
did  not  Mr.  T.  reply  to  it  1  "  Is  it  uncan- 
did  to  conclude,  it  was  because  no  reply 
could  be  made  1  " 

Farther  :  the  Scriptures  represent  the 
whole  world  as  "guilty  before  God  " — as 
void  of  every  claim,  except  it  l)e  that  of 
"shame  and  confusion  of  face."  Jehovah 
speaks  of  himself  as  being  at  perfect  liber- 
ty to  save  or  not  to  save  men  ;  and  as  being 
determined  to  exercise  it  too  :  "  I  will  have 
mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy,  and  I 
will  have  compassion  on  whom  I  will  have 
compassion." 

Once  more  :  the  Scriptures  represent  the 
gift  of  Christ  as  being  of  mere  grace,  and 
the  greatest  instance  of /ore  that  ever  was 
displayed  ;  and  that  because  it  was  alto- 
gether contrary  to  our  deserts.  Christ  is 
now  here  represented  as  dying  for  us  out  of 
pity  for  the  injury  that  we  had  receiveil 
from  the  first  covenant,  but  on  the  contra- 
ry, as  being  actuated  by  mere  self-moved 
goodness  :  "  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we 
loved  God,  but  that  God  loved  us,  and 
gave  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins." — "Christ  died  for  the  ungodly." 
"  For  scarcely  for  a  righteous  man  will 
one  die  :  yet,  peradventure,  for  a  good  man 
some  would  even  dare  to  die.  But  God 
commendeth  his  love  to  us,  in  that,  while 
we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us." 
So  also  the  whole  of  our  salvation  is  al- 
ways represented,  not  as  making  us  amends 


for  an  injury,  but  as  of  mere  grace,  which 
God  might  w  ithout  any  blemish  on  his  char- 
a<ter  have  forever  withheld.  The  whole 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  is  written  with  the 
very  design  to  cut  of  all  claim,  to  prove 
iUixt  all  are  %i7ider  sin ;  and  therefore  that 
justification  and  salvation  are  altogether 
of  sovereign  grace.  The  Epistle  to  the 
Ephesians  is  written  in  much  the  same 
strain,  especially  the  second  chapter, 
wherein  the  apostle  rises  in  gradation 
from  what  they  were  by  practice  to  what 
they  were  "  by  nature,'  namely,  "children 
of  wrath  even  as  others  ;"*  and  all  this  to 
prove,  what  he  immediately  asserts,  that 
"  by  gTflcc  weare  saved."  Yes,  the  whole 
tenor  of  Scripture  breathes  this  language  : 
"I  wrought  for  my  name's  sake  " — "  Not 
for  your  sakes  do  I  this,  saith  the  Lord 
Jehovah,  be  it  know  unto  you  !" 

But  do  not  "  the  children  ot  traitors  " 
frequently  suffer  for  their  father's  crimes, 
even  tliough  they  were  no  way  concerned 
in  their  guilt  ] — XIU.  48.  Answer,  It  is 
not  just  for  the  children  of  a  traitor  to  suf- 
fer the  loss  of  any  natural  right,  or  to  be 
exposed  to  death  or  any  punishment,  for 
that  in  the  guilt  of  which  they  have  no  con- 
cern ;  neither  do  they,  where  they  are  un- 
der just  laws. — Deut.  xxiv.  IG.  There  is 
no  such  union  subsisting  between  a  parent 
and  a  child  as  between  Adam  and  his  pos- 
terity. They  are  not  one  in  law  ;  the  one 
therefore  cannot  justly  suffer  punishment 
for  the  other's  crimes.  No  one  pretends 
that  it  is  right  to  punish  them  with  death, 
or  any  corporeal  jiunishment.  God,  to  be 
sure,  has  a  right  to  inflict  death  where  he 
pleases  ;  as  upon  the  children  of  Achan  ; 
and  that  because  all  men  have  forfeited  their 
lives  to  him  :  and  such  an  instance  of  dis- 
pleasure upon  a  man's  family  might  tend 
to  deter  others  from  the  like  wickedness  : 
l)ut  the  children  of  a  traitor  have  not  for- 
feited their  lives  to  a  civil  government,  and 
therefore  they  cannot  justly  betaken  away. 
The  only  thing  that  befals  them  is  loss  : 
and,  as  to  that,  they  may  miss  of  what 
loould  have  been  iheir  social  privileges, 
such  as  honors  and  property,  had  their 
father  died  in  possession  of  them  ;  but,  as 
they  were  never  theirs,  properly  speaking, 
they  could  not  be  deprived  of  them.  They 
had  no  natural  right  to  them,  nor  any  right 

*  "  But'flie  words  by  nature,'"''  .says  Mr.  T., "  relate 
not  to  our  birti),  but  to  tiie  state  iti  which  we  lived 
in  sin  l)of.)re  our  conversion." — XIII  42.  Let  llie 
reader  look  at  the  passage  (Epiies.  ii.  3,)  and  jinlge 
if  it  is  nol  a  gradation  from  what  we  are  by  prac- 
tice to  what  we  are  by  nature.  But  suppose  it  ro 
relate  in  a  general  way  to  our  unconverted  stale,  the 
question  is,  How  came  that  slate  to  lie  called  a  state 
of  nature,  but  liecanse  it  is  not  accidentally  acquir- 
ed by  mere  imitation,  but  is  the  state  in  which  we  are 
born  into  the  world  1 


556 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF   DIVINE    GRACE. 


at  all  but  by  their  relation  to  their  parent ; 
and  the  parent,  having  deprived  himself  of 
them,  could  not  convey  them  to  his  pos- 
terity.* 

But  it  is  suggested  that  we  might  as 
well  be  "commended  for  what  Christ  did," 
and  for  the  effects  of  our  constituted  union 
with  him,  as  blamed  for  what  Adam  did, 
and  the  effects  of  our  constituted  union 
with  hiin  (XIII.  39.)  This  objection  has 
been  thought  as  plausible  as  any  thing 
Mr.  T.  has  advanced  ;  and  yet,  if  I  am 
not  greatly  mistaken,  there  is  one  part  of 
it  at  least  that  will  entirely  overthrow  his 
own  hypothesis.  Admitting  that  we  in 
no  sense  are  praiseworthy  on  account  of 
what  Christ  has  done,  I  question  if  it  will 
follow  that  we  are  in  no  sense  blame- 
worthy for  what  Adam  did.  It  does  not 
appear  to  me  a  just  conclusion  that  be- 
cause favors  may  be  conferred  without 
merit,  therefore  punishment  may  be  in- 
flicted without  demerit.  But,  suppose  this 
did  follow,  and  that  we  are  in  no  sense 

*  Perhaps  as  near  a  resemblance  as  any  to  that  of 
the  divine  conduct,  in  relation  to  Adam  and  his  pos- 
terity, will  be  found  in  God's  treatment  of  a  nation, 
or  body  pob'tic.  (iod,  in  his  providence,  deals  with 
a  nation  as  if  it  were  one  person.  Thus  God  cove- 
nanted with  Israel,  not  merely  with  those  who  exist- 
ed at  the  time,  but  with  their  unborn  posterity,  Deut. 
xxix.  14,  15.  And  thus  the  crime  of  a  nation  often 
accumulate  t'rom  j;eneralion  to  generation,  like  those 
of  an  individual  fi'om  youth  to  age.  Moab,or  the  na- 
tion of  the  Moabites,  is  said  to  have  been  "  at  ease 
from  his  youth,  and  to  be  settled  upon  his  lees,"  &c. ; 
that  is,  from  his  first  begirming  to  l)e  a  nation.  At 
last,  divine  vengeance  falls  upon  some  one  generation, 
like  a  judgment  befalling  a  man,  in  his  old  age,  for 
the  crimes  of  his  whole  life.  Individuals,  in  such 
seasons,  may  Ije  comparatively  innocent;  but  yet  l)eing 
members  of  a  society  which,  as  such,  is  deeply  in- 
volved in  sin,  they  partake  of  a  kind  of  relative  guilt. 
Considered  as  individuals,  they  are  answerable  only 
for  their  own  personal  faults,  but,  as  members  of  so- 
ciety, it  is  otherwise.  Thus  the  returning  captives 
confessed  their  national  guilt,  saying,  "  Wf.  have 
done  wickeilly,  and  ail  this  is  come  upon  us  because 
of  OUR  sins."  Neh.  xi.  33,  37.  Both  Ezra  and 
JNeheniiah,  no  doubt,  joined  in  this  confession,  though 
we  have  no  reason  to  think  that  their  conducl,  as  in- 
dividuals, had  been  such  as  to  draw  down  the  ven- 
geance of  God  upon  their  coimtry.  God  speaks  of  the 
whole  human  race,  in  relation  to  their  first  head,  as 
he  would  speak  of  a  nation.  Speaking  to  Israel,  he 
says,  "  I  had  planted  thee  a  noble  vine,  wholly  a  right 
seed;  how  then  art  thou  turned  into  the  degenerate 
plant  of  a  strange  vine  unto  me'?  "  And  thus  of  the 
whole  human  race,  "  God  hath  made  man  upright; 
but  they  have  sought  out  many  inventions." — Eccles. 
vii,  2!).  This  is  undoubte<lly  spoken  of  the  whole 
species;  but  it  cannot  be  saicf  of  the  whole  s|jecies 
that  they  were  made  upright,  any  otherwise  than  as 
having  a  kind  of  existence  in  their  first  parent.  Mr. 
T.  himself,  when  he  can  get  out  of  a  difficulty  no 
other  way,  will  acknowledge  such  a  union,  between 
Adam  and  his  posterity,  as  that  what  was  pos.sessed 
by  him  was  possessed  by  them.  He  talks  of  God 
originally  giving  man  power  to  keep  the  law;  and  of 
this  making  man's  condemnation  for  tlie  breach  of 
it  a  matter  of  justice. — XIII.  130. 


blameworthy  for  the  sin  of  Adam,  yet  it 
does  not  follow  that  we  are  not  blame- 
worthy for  any  of  its  effects.  The  case 
from  which  Mr.  T.  argues  will  prove  the 
very  reverse  of  this.  He  supposes  that 
we  are  not  praiseworthy  for  the  effects  of 
our  union  with  Christ,  (XIII.  39,)  than 
which  there  can  hardly  be  a  greater  mis- 
take. Is  not  all  heart-holiness,  and  in- 
deed every  thing  in  us  that  is  truly  com- 
mendable and  praiseworthy,  the  effect  of 
our  union  with  Christ!  I  hope  Mr.  T. 
will  not  deny  this,  though  he  so  strangely 
overlooked  it.  Now,  if  holiness  of  heart 
may  be  and  is  commendable,  notwithstand- 
ing its  being  the  effect  of  our  union  with 
Christ,  then,  according  to  his  own  rea- 
soning, unholiness  of  heart  may  be  blame- 
worthy, notwithstanding  its  being  the  ef- 
fect of  our  union  with  Adam. 

It  ought  to  be  observed,  too,  that  this 
is  the  very  question  in  debate  between  us 
in  this  place.  The  point  that  I  endeav- 
ored to  prove  was,  not  that  we  are  to 
blame  for  Adam's  transgression  (this  was 
only  a  question  that  occured  incidentally,) 
but  that  a  moral  inability  or  evil  propen- 
sity of  heart  in  an  intelligent  creature  is 
blameworty,  notwithstanding  his  hav- 
ing been  born  the  subject  of  it.  So  I  had 
stated  it  in  my  Reply,  p.  484,  and  this  I 
hope  has  been  fully  proved ;  and  that 
from  Mr.  T.'s  own  premises. 

It  may  be  further  remarked,  upon  this 
subject,  that  though  the  holiness  of  believ- 
ers is  the  necessary  or  certain  effect  of 
their  union  with  Christ,  yet  they  are  not 
the  subjects  of  it  by  compulsion,  or  any 
kind  of  natural  necessity  ;  but  what  they 
are  they  freely  choose  to  be ; — and  will  it 
not  hold  equally  true  concerning  the  unho- 
liness of  sinners,  that  though  it  may  be  the 
effect  of  Adam's  fall,  yet,  as  they  freely 
choose  to  be  what  they  are,  it  is  improper 
to  represent  it  as  that  which  they  possess 
by  a  natural  necessity  ? 

But,  whether  the  words  natural  neces- 
sity, or  inability,  be  retained  or  given  up 
in  this  matter,  Mr.  T.  insists  upon  it  that 
our  depravity  comes  upon  us  according  to 
the  nature  of  things  ;  that  is,  if  I  under- 
stand him,  according  to  the  established 
law,  or  settled  order  of  things ;  and  this 
he  thinks  equivalent  to  a  natural  necessity, 
and  must  therefore  denominate  it  blame- 
less (XIII.  62.)  But,  if  Mr.  T.  can  thus 
prove  our  native  depravity  blameless,  I 
think  I  can,  by  the  same  mode  of  reason- 
ing, prove  all  the  fruits  of  it  to  be  blame- 
less too.  Is  there  not  a  settled  order,  or 
an  established  laiv,  of  some  sort,  for  the 
operations  of  the  human  mind,  and  indeed 
for  all  human  actions  1  Js  it  not  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  nature,  according  to 
the  nature  of  things,  that  a  man  always 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINF.    GRACK. 


527 


chooses  that  which,  all  thinjis  considered, 
appears  in  the  view  of  his  own  miiul  tlie 
most  aj!;reeal)le  ;  and  pursues,  if  he  have 
opportunity,  that  which,  all  tilings  consid- 
ered,  is  tiie  olijcct   of  his   choice!      It  is 
impossible  that  a  man  should  choose,  in 
any  instance,  that  which  at  the  same  lime 
and  in  the  same  respects,  all  thinirs  con- 
sidered, appears  in  the  view  o(   his  mind 
disajrreeahle ;    and    refuse    that    which    is 
agreealile.      And  it  is  equally  impossiliie 
that  he  should  act  in  contradiction  to  his 
prevailing  choice.     An  evil   tree,  accord- 
ing to  the  nature  of  things,  will  luring  forth 
evil  fruit  ;  and  a  good  tree  will  bring  forth 
good    fruit ;    and    no    less    certainly    will 
"wickedness  proceed  from  the  wicked," 
according  to  the  proverb  of  the  ancients 
and  the  manifest  implication  of  our  Lord's 
words.— Matt.  xii.  33,  34.     But   does   it 
thence  follow  that  the  evil  fruit  produced 
by  a  bad  heart  comes  Ity  a  natural  neces- 
sity, and  is  blameless  1     Which  way  will 
Mr.  T.  take  1     Will  he  deny  an  establish- 
ed order  in  the  human  mind,  and  maintain 
that  we  choose  totally  at  random,  without 
any  respect  to  what  is  agreeable  or  disa- 
greeable in  the  view  of  the  mind  ;  that  we 
act  without  any  necessary  connection  with 
our  prevailing  choice;  and  that  we  must 
do  so,  in  order  to  be  free  agents T    Or  will 
he    admit   of    such    a   connection    in    the 
operations    of  the   mind,   and    instead    of 
placing  all  blame  in  actions  and  none  in 
the  state  of  the  mind,  as  he  seems  to  have 
done  all  along  hitherto,  will  he  now  ex- 
culpate  from   blame   all  those  acts  which 
necessarily     arise    from    choice,    and    all 
those    volitions    which    necessarily    arise 
from  the  view  of  the  mind,  and  throw   all 
the   blame   upon  the  state  of  the  mind  it- 
self!    He  must  either  do  this,  or  else  al- 
low   that  what   comes   to   pass   according 
to   established  laws  may,  nevertheless,  be 
blame  wothy. 

Mr.  T.  imputes  our  pollution  by  the 
sin  of  Adam  to  the  "direction  of  the  all- 
wise  Creator,  who  constituted  the  union 
between  Adam  and  his  offspring"  (XIII. 
62.)  This,  to  be  sure,  is  the  way  to  prove 
it  innocent ;  for  God  cannot  be  the  author 
of  confusion  in  the  universe  any  more  than 
in  the  churches.  But  let  us  beware  lest 
we  charge  God  foolishly.  That  God  was 
the  author  of  the  union  referred  to  is  ad- 
mitted ;  but  that  he  is  the  author  of  what- 
ever that  union  may  be  the  occasion  of 
is  not  true.  May  not  God  lie  the  author 
of  an  established  connection  between  the 
understanding,  will,  affections,  and  actions, 
without  being  the  author  of  the  depravity 
of  any  action  that  takes  place  through  the 
medium  of  that  connection! 

I  affirm  that  love  to  God  u-ith  all  the 
heart  must,  of  necessity,  imply  the  ab- 


sence of  all  evil  propensity  to  rebel  against 
him.  This  Mr.  T.  denies;  telling  us  that 
I  have  not  proved  it,  and  that  he  appre- 
hends I  am  not  capable  of  proving  it. 
(XIII.  42.)  That  is,  of  proving  that  a 
perfect  degree  of  love  implies  the  absence 
of  all  avcr.sion  !  This  reminds  me  of  what 
is  said  elsewhere,  that  I  have  "taken  it 
for  granted  that  regeneration  alll'ues  to 
that  law  of  nature  wherein  life  precedes 
motion;  but  Mr.  T.  does  "not  think  it 
will  be  easy  to  prove  it."  (XIII.  15.)  It 
is  very  true,  nothing  is  more  difficult  ol 
proof  {]iim  that  which  is  self-evident. 

The  apostle  Paul  declared  that  "to  be 

carnally-minded    is    dcatii because    the 

carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  for  it 
is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither 
indeed  can  be.  So  then  they  who  are  in 
in  the  flesh,"  adds  he,  "  caimot  please 
God."  But  to  be  carnally  minded,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  T.,  does  not  deserve 
death ;  and  the  very  reason  which  the 
apostle  gives  for  its  being  death  serves, 
according  to  his  opinion,  to  prove  it  inno- 
cent;  and  if  so  (unless  God  be  a  hard 
master,)  why  should  not  they  be  able  to 
please  him!  Paul  meant  to  deny  that  the 
carnal  mind  is  subject  to  the  law  of  God 
in  fact ;  but  Mr.  T.'s  reasoning  tends  to 
a  denial  of  its  being  subject  to  it  in  right. 
Paul  considered  unconverted  sinners  as 
incapable  of  pleasing  God  on  account  of 
their  carnality;  Mr.  T.'s  argumentation 
implies  that  God  is,  on  that  account,  inca- 
pable of  being  displeased  with  them. 

When  I  reason  thus,  "  If  blame  does 
not  lie  in  being  the  subject  of  an  evil  dis- 
position (or  impure  propensity,  if  Mr.  T. 
can  tell  the  difference,)  because,  as  indi- 
viduals, we  could  not  avoid  it;  then,  for 
the  same  reason,  it  cannot  lie  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  that  disposition,  unless  that  also 
can  be  avoided."  Mr.  T.  replies,  that  to 
indulge  denotes  the  concurrence  of  our 
ivills ;  but  our  wills  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  state  in  which  we  were  born. 
(XIII.  41.)  But  this  is  no  answer  to  the 
argument.  I  was  not  combating  any  ar- 
gument of  his  arising  from  the  concur- 
rence or  non-concurrence  of  our  wills, 
but  from  what  he  calls  the  want  of  power. 
Men,  by  his  own  confession,  have  not 
power  to  go  through  life  free  from  every 
degree  of  the  indulgence  of  their  propen- 
sities ;  for  that,  according  to  his  ideas, 
would  be  to  keep  the  law  perfectly  :  but 
he  does  not  pretend  that  men  <'an  do  this  : 
no,  not  even  by  the  grace  of  God.  (XIII. 
61.)  But,  if  the  want  of  power  excuses 
in  the  one  case,  it  does  in  the  other;  for 
he  maintains  that  "no  man  is  to  blame 
for  what  he  could  never  avoid."  (XIII. 
48.)    And  so  the  exercise  of  an  evil  pro- 


5^8 


THE     REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


pensity  may  be  as  blameless  as  the  pro- 
pensity itself.     But,  passing  this, 

Mr.  T.  thinks,  it  seems,  that  if  the  loill 
concur  with  an  evil  propensity,  then  it 
becomes  blameworthy.  I  wish  that  he 
would  abide  by  this  doctrine.  If  I  could 
depend  upon  that,  I  would  ask  him  wheth- 
er he  can  conceive  of  an  evil  propensity  in 
his  own  mind  any  otherwise  than  as  the 
very  state  and  bias  of  his  will  towards 
evil?  To  talk  of  an  involuntary  propen- 
sity in  the  mind  of  a  rational  being  is  to 
talk  without  meaning,  and  in  direct  con- 
tradiction to  the  plainest  dictates  of  com- 
mon sense.  If,  then,  the  concurrence  of 
the  will  denominates  a  thing  blameworthy, 
we  need  have  no  more  dispute  whether 
an  evil  disposition  in  a  rational  being  be 
in  itself  blameworthy,  seeing  tiie  concur- 
rence of  the  will  is  included  in  the  very 
nature  of  a  propensity.  Whatever  may 
be  said  about  our  propensities  at  the  time 
we  were  born,  of  which  we  can  form  but 
little  idea,  the  question  between  us  is 
whether  an  impure  propensity  in  a  rational 
being  may  not  be  blameworthy,  notwith- 
standing its  being  received  by  derivation! 
and  Mr.  T.  seems  to  think  that  whatever 
inipurity  obtains  the  concurrence  of  the 
will  is  criminal.  But  this"  is  no  more 
than  may  be  said  of  all  propensity  in  a 
rational  being;  the  thing  itself  being  ex- 
pressive of  the  bias  of  the  will. 

Here  I  expect  Mr.  T.  will  not  be  satis- 
fied. Yet  why  should  he  noti  Because 
he  has  a  notion  in  his  mind  that  it  is  ne- 
cessary not  only  that  we  should  be  volun- 
tary in  a  propensity,  but  that  we  should 
choose  to  be  of  such  a  propensity  before 
we  are  so,  in  order  to  denominate  us 
blameworthy.  It  is  a  leading  principle 
with  Mr.  T.  that  men  migfit  have  a  moral 
ability  to  do  good,  if  they  tvould ;  and 
that,  if  this  were  not  the  case,  they  could 
not  be  blameworthy  :  that  is,  they  might 
have  a  good  disposition,  if  they  were  but 
loell  disposed!  "  I  confess,"  says  Mr.  T., 
"  it  appears  to  me  as  equitable  to  con- 
demn a  porter  because  he  does  not  calcu- 
late eclipses  by  the  strength  of  his  body, 
or  a  feeble  philosopher  because  he  does 
not  perform  the  business  of  a  porter  by 
his  refined  understanding,  as  to  condemn 
a  man  who  has  only  nattiral  ability,  and 
never  had,  and  never  coui.d  have  any 
other,  because  he  does  not  perform  moral 
and  spiritual  duties,"  (XIII.  56.)  To  this 
also  the  Monthly  Reviewers  bear  their 
testimony  of  applause.*     And    elsewhere 

*  The  Monthly  Reviewers,  having  pronounced 
Mr.  T.'s  cau.se  to  l)p  good  and  paiticnlaily  applaud- 
ed tlie  alxive  pa.s.'iage,  add,  "  Here  is  a  di.'^tiiictioii 
between  what  is  called  a  moral  and  a  natural  pow- 
er, with  which  these  writers  perplex  themselves. 
Perhaps,  if  they  introduced  the  term  rational,  which 


Mr.  T.  says,  "  It  is  to  very  little  purpose 
to  allege  that  Pharaoh  and  others  could 
have  complied,  if  they  would;  if  they 
could  never  loill  to  comply  they  could  not 

separates  man  from  the  brute,  it  might  assist  them  a 
little  in  the  contest." — Review  for  Sept.  1788.  I 
cannot  tell  what  use  the  Reviewers  wish  to  have 
made  of  the  term  rational,  nor  whether  they  are 
serious,  or  not,  in  their  advice  j  but,  if  these  gentle- 
men mean  to  suggest  liiat  the  term  rational  would 
do  to  supei-.^ede  the  teims  natural  and  moral,  by 
answeiiug  ;il|  their  purposes,  1  cannot,  for  my  part, 
acquiesce  in  their  opinion. 

I  am  not  inclined  to  think  the  IMonthly  Reviewers 
destitute  of  rational  powers;  and  yet  it  is  pretty 
evident  they  are,  somehow  or  other,  unable  to  do 
justice  to  Calvinistic  writings  J  or  so  much  as  to  read 
them  with  impartial  attention.  Let  any  unprejudiced 
person  look  over  their  Review,  and  he  will  see  that, 
if  any  thing  controversial  is  written  in  favor  of  Ar- 
minianisi7i,  or  Antitrinitarianism,  it  is  generally  much 
applauded;  but,  if  any  thing  comes  out  in  favor  of 
Trinitarianism,  or  Calvinism,  either  its  weaknesses 
are  exposed,  or  cold  water  is  thrown  upon  the  subject. 
See  the  review  of  Bampton's  Lectures,  and  Burder's 
Pamphlet,  Sept.  1788.  Were  I  to  look  over  other 
numbers  of  the  Review,  I  might  soon  add  many  in- 
stances of  similar  conduct;  though  perhaps  few  more 
illiberal  than  their  treatment  of  Mr.  Newton's  Car- 
diphonia,  Sept.  1781.  Vol.  LXV.  p.  202. 

Indeed,  one  need  go  no  farther  in  proof  of  this  than 
to  their  review  of  this  controversy.  In  the  review  of 
Mr.  Taylor's  Nine  Letters  (July,  1787,  p.  85,)  they 
say,  "  This  pamphlet  may  be  of  son)e  use  in  enlarg- 
ing the  conceptions  of  those  narrow-miuiied  Chris- 
tians who  think  the  kingdom  of  heaven  no  larger 
than  the  syn:igogue  of  their  own  little  flock."  As- 
tonishing !  When  the  matter  of  debate  between  my- 
self and  Mr.  1'.  was  not,  in  the  least,  about  the  ex- 
tent of  ihp  kingdom  of  heaven.  It  did  not,  in  the 
least,  respect  either  the  character  or  number  of 
those  that  are  good  men  here,  or  that  shall  be  saved 
hereafter;  but  the  cause  of  their  salvation.  Is  it 
possible  for  gentlemen,  of  only  common  sense  and 
erudition,  to  write  in  this  manner  upon  any  subject, 
except  religion  1  No;  mere  rational  powers  would 
there  liave  taught  them  better.  But,  here,  prejudice 
and  supercilious  contempt  get  the  belter  of  their  un- 
derstandings, and  impel  them  to  write  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  must,  ni  the  end,  cause  their  censures  to  re- 
bound to  their  own  dishonor. 

Though  the  above  critique  (if  it  may  lie  so  called) 
displays  the  gro.ssest  ignorance  of  the  subject;  yet  I 
really  do  not  think  it  was  for  want  o{ rational  pow- 
ers. The  reviewers  are,  generally  speaking,  men  of 
very  good  abilities;  but  religion  is  not  their  prov- 
ince, nor  are  they  able  to  treat  the  subject  with  im- 
partiality. Now,  as  they  unite  with  Mr.  T.  in 
thinking 'that  if  a  man  has  no  jnor at  power,  tliat  is, 
no  disposition  to  do  right,  and  cannot  find  in  his  heart 
so  much  as  to  use  means  that  he  may  have  such  a 
disposition,  then  he  cannot  justly  lje  blamed,  they 
might,  one  should  think,  consider  the  above  as  a 
kind  apology  on  their  behalf.  Should  they  reply, 
by  maintaining  either  that  they  have  a  moral  ability 
or  disposition  to  do  justice  to  Calvinistic  Writings,  or 
at  least  might  have,  if  they  would  use  the  means,  I 
should  answer.  As  to  the  former,  facts  contradict 
it;  and  as  to  the  latter,  if  they  know  of  any  means 
that  persons,  utterly  void  of  an  inclination,  may  use, 
in  order  to  give  themselves  such  inclination,  I  should 
be  glad  if  they  would  begin,  and  make  the  experi- 
ment. 

If,  in  future,  we  should  see  in  the  Monthly  Review 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


529 


justly  be  punished."  (XIII.  57.)   So,  then, 
the  lihunc  docs  not  lie  in  the  choice  ol"  an 
evil,    but     in     the    choice    of    that    choice. 
Pharaoh's  evil,  it  seen)s,  did  not  lie  in  re- 
fusing the   divine    message,    but    in    that, 
thouiih    he  could  have  had  a  j)liable  dis- 
position,   yet    he  would  not  :    he  was  not 
disposed  to  be  of  a  good  disposition  I    But 
still  an  objection   returns  :    That  indisposi- 
tion,  by  which  he  refused  to  be  of  a  good 
disposition,    could    not     be    blameworthy, 
unless    he    could  have  chosen  to  be   of  a 
better.     But  whither  will  this  way  ol   rea- 
soning lead  us  ]     If  a  choice,  or  propensity, 
cannot  be  blameworthy,  urdess  it  be  gov- 
erned by  a  previous  act  of  choice,   neither 
can   that  act   of  choice   be   blameworthy, 
unless  it  is  governed  by  another,  and   that 
by  another,  and  so  on,  in  an  infinite  series. 
This     is    metaphysical    indeed,    or   rather 
hyper-metaphysical.     A  little  while  ago, 
it  was  thougiit  sufficient  if  an  exercise  had 
but  the  concurrence  of  the  tvill,   that  is,  if 
we  had  but  the  power  of  Jo/ng  ichat  ive 
please  ;  but  now,  it  seems,  that  is  a  mat- 
ter that  *•'  is  very  little  to  the  purpose," 
unless  we  have  also  the  power  of  choosing 
what  tee  please. 

"  Pharaoh,"  Mr.  T.  maintains,  "could 
have  willed  to  comply  with  the  messages 
that  were  sent  him,  or  he  was  not  blame- 
worthy." If  no  more  were  meant  by  this 
than  that  he  was  possessed  of  the  faculty 
or  power  of  choice,  which  faculty  were  it 
not  for  the  evil  bias  with  which  it  is  pol- 
luted, is  equal  to  the  choice  of  any  object 
that  might  be  presented,  I  should  have  no 
objection  to  it.  But  this  is  not  Mr.  T.'s 
meaning  :  natural  power  to  choose  is  noth- 
ing with  him  ;  he  is  here  pleading  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  moral  power,  in  order  to  our 
being  accountable  beings.  Here,  then,  I 
must  infer  that  Mr.  T.  does  not  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  his  own  expressions, 
no,  nor  the  Monthly  Reviewers  either ; 
or,  rather,  that  the  expressions  have  no 
meaning  at  all.  What  does  Mr.  T.  main- 
tain 1  that  Pharaoh  could  find  in  his  heart, 
at  the  time,  to  will  a  compliance  1  No, 
he  will  not  say  so  ;  for  that  were  the 
same  as  feeing  icilling :  but  that  would 
contradict  fact  ;  for  we  know  he  was 
not  willing.  What,  then,  does  Mr.  T. 
mean  1  He  must  mean  this,  if  any  thing, 
that  he  could  have  been  icilling,  if  he 
would;  that  is,  he  could  have  willed,  if 
he  had  willed  :  but  this  is  no  meaning  at 
all,  being  a  mere  identical  proposition. 

such  manifest  partiality  against  Calvinistic  writings 
as  we  have  seen  heretofore,  we  sh.ili  then  conclude 
that  the  Monthly  Reviewers  cannot  find  in  their 
heart  to  do  justice,  nor  so  much  as  to  use  the  means 
that  tliey  may  have  a  disposition  to  do  justice;  and 
if  so,  then,  according  to  the  reasonings  wliich  they 
so  highly  applaud,  we  must  bring  tliem  in  guiltless. 

VOL.   I.  67 


It  i.s  possible  Mr.  T.  may  here  exclaim 
against  such  a  method  of  reasoning,  and 
aj)peal  to  common  sense  and  common 
equity,  "  that  no  person  is  blameworthy 
for  the  omission  of  what  he  could  not  per- 
form." It  is  granted  to  be  a  dictate  of 
common  sense  and  common  equity  that  no 
person  should  l»e  blamed  for  the  onnssion 
of  that  which  he  could  not  do  if  he  would; 
but  not  that  he  should  be  excused  for  the 
neglect  of  that  which  he  could  not  will 
if  he  would  ;  for  there  is  no  such  thing  in 
being.  So  far  is  this  from  being  a  dictate 
of  common  sense,  there  is  no  sense  in  it, 
nor  do  they  that  talk  of  it  understand 
what  they  mean.* 

"  When  people  puzzle  themselves  upon 
this  subject,"  says  a  judicious  writer, 
"  and  insist  we  are  not  accountable,  and 
cannot  be  blamed,  any  farther  than  we 
have  a  moral  as  well  as  a  natural  power 
to  do  otherwise  than  we  do,  what  their 
minds  run  upon  is  only  natural  power  af- 
ter all.  They  may  say  they  know  what 
we  mean  by  moral  power,  viz.  that  dispo- 
sition to  do  a  thing  which  is  necessary  in 
order  to  our  doing  it ;  and  they  mean  the 
same.  But,  however,  when  they  get  into 
the  dispute,  they  get  bewildered,  and  lose 
sight  of  the  distinction.  They  do  not  sup- 
pose an  impenitent  sinner,  going  on  still  in 
his  trespasses,  has  a  present,  actual  dispo- 
sition, and  a  sufficiently  strong  one,  to 
hearken  to  and  obey  the  gospel.  But 
something  like  this  seems  to  be  in  the  bot- 
tom of  their  minds,  viz.  that  he  must  be 
able  to  be  disposed  ;  or  he  must  have  such 
a  disposition  as  would  be  sufficient,  if  he 
was  disposed  to  make  a  good  use  of  it. 
Now,  this  is  only  to  use  the  word  disposi- 
tion improperly,  and  to  conceive  of  it  as  a 
mere  natural  power;  a  price  in  our  hands, 
which  may  be  used  well  or  ill,  and  which 
will  turn  to  our  benefit  or  condemnation, 
accordingly  as  we  are  disposed  to  improve 
it.  The  disposition  they  think  of  is  not 
in  the  least  degree  virtuous,  nor  any  ways 
necessarily  connected  with  virtuous  con- 
duct. But  it  may  lie  still,  or  go  wrong, 
and  will  do  so,  unless  a  man  is  disposed, 
and  exerts  himself  to  make  it  act,  and 
keep  it  right.  The  sinner  is  not  helped 
out  of  his  difficulty  in  the  least  by  having 
such  a  disj.osition  as  this.  Yea,  should 
we  go  farther,  and  say  the  impenitent  sin- 
ner might  have  a  heart  to  embrace  the 
gospel,  if  he  would  take  proper  pains  in 
order  to  it ;  and  he  might  do  this,  if  he 
was  so  disposed  ;  and  he  might  be  so  dis- 
posed, if  he  would  try  ;  and  he  could  try, 

*  The  reader  may  consult,  on  this  subject.  Presi- 
dent Edwards  On  the  Will;  particularly  Part  IV. 
Sect.  III.  IV.  XIII.  In  that  piece  he  will  find  this 
notion,  with  many  others  upon  which  Mr.  T.'s  sys- 
tem rests,  thoroughly  refuted 


530 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


if  he  had  a  mind  for  it ;  yet  if,  after  all, 
he  has  not  a  mind  to  try,  to  be  disposed, 
to  take  any  proper  pains,  to  get  a  heart  to 
embrace  tiie  gospel,  or  do  any  thing  that 
is  good,  he  is  still  in  as  bad  a  situation  as 
any  body  supposes  him  to  be  in.  There 
is  no  more  hope  of  his  coming  to  good,  so 
long  as  this  is  the  case  with  him,  no  more 
possibility  of  it,  nor  do  we  say  any  thing 
more  in  his  favor,  than  if  we  had  only  said, 
as  the  Scripture  does  of  the  fool.  There  is 
a  price  in  his  hand  to  get  wisdom;  hut  he 
has  NO  HEART  TO  IT.  Pushing  the  sin- 
ner's moral  depravity  and  impotence  back 
in  this  manner  may  get  it  out  of  sight  of 
those  who  cannot  see  above  two  or  three 
steps  :  but  this  is  all  the  good  it  can  do. 
There  is  still  a  defect  in  him  somewhere  ; 
and  such  a  one  as  will  prove  his  everlast- 
ing ruin,  unless  removed  by  such  grace  as 
he  never  yet  has  experienced."* 


LETTEH  V. 

The  second  thing  which  Mr.  T.  de- 
fends is  what  he  had  written  on  men's  in- 
ability to  deliver  themselves  from  an  ina- 
bility ;  he  conceives  it  must  furnisli  them 
with  an  excuse,  "if  they  cannot  deliver 
themselves  from  it."  This  takes  up  the 
former  part  of  his  Fifth  Letter.  To  be 
sure  we  are  now  got  into  the  regions  of 
metaphysics,  if  not  beyond  them ;  but  it 
ought  to  be  remembered  that  these  modes 
of  speaking  are  of  Mr.  T.'s  own  inven- 
tion. I  had  before  urged  the  conse- 
quences of  Mr.  T.'s  opinion  on  this  sub- 
ject, as  a  sufficient  refutation  of  it;  but  he 
replies  by  resuming  his  old  complaint,  that 
I  consider  those  subjects  separately  which 
ought  to  have  been  considered  conjointly. 
This  is  all  that  he  has  advanced  in  an- 
swer to  what  I  have  written  from  pp.  113 
—215. 

It  should  seem  that,  in  certain  circum- 
stances, Mr.  T.  will  admit  a  moral  inability, 
though  real  and  total,  to  be  blame wortliy. 
That  is,  1.  Where  a  person  brings  it  upon 
himself  by" his  own  personal  wickedness. 
(XIII.  28.)  2.  Where  grace  is  offered 
to  deliver  him  from  it  and  he  refuses  it. 
In  these  cases,  it  seems,  Mr.  T.  will  not 
become  the  sinner's  advocate,  but  admits 
him  to  be  guilty.  (XIII.  47.)  But  let  it  be 
closely  considered,  if -the  thing  itself  is 
aot  blameworthy,  let  us  come  by  it  in  what 
manner  we  may,  and  though  grace  should 
or  should  not  be  provided  to  deliver  us 

*  Smalley  on  Inability  to  comply  with  the  Gos- 
pel, &c.,  pp.  20,  21. 


from  it,  whether  either  of  the  above  cir- 
cumstances will  make  it  so.  We  may 
blame  a  man  for  his  conduct  in  bringing 
his  mind  into  such  an  "unimpressible " 
state ;  but  tlie  state  of  the  mind  itself  is 
not  thereby  made  culpable.  Mr.  T.  often 
appeals  to  common  equity  among  men, 
whether  it  is  right  to  punish  a  man  for  the 
omission  of  what  was  never  within  the 
compass  of  his  power;  but  it  is  as  plain  a 
dictate  of  common  equity  that  a  man  is  not 
to  blame  for  the  omission  of  what  he  has 
not  the  power  to  perform  at  the  time  as  that 
he  is  not  to  blame  for  what  never  was  in  his 
power.  If  once  he  had  power  he  was  then 
to  blame,  but  not  since  he  lost  it;  for,  as 
Mr.  T.  says,  "what  a  man  cannot  do  he 
cannot  do."  Samson  was  to  blame  for 
losing  his  hair,  and  thereby  his  strength  ; 
but  not  for  being  unable  ivhen  he  had  lost 
it,  to  repel  the  enemy  and  preserve  his 
eyes.  Neither  does  the  possibility  of  hav- 
ing our  moral  impotency  removed  make 
any  alteration  as  to  the  thing  itself.  If 
our  opposition  of  heart  to  God,  in  itself 
considered,  is  not  blameworthy,  the  cir- 
cumstance of  our  having  grace  offered  to 
deliver  us  from  it  cannot  make  it  so. 
Suppose  a  man  to  be  fallen  into  some  deep 
pit,  and  that  he  is  weak  and  incapable  of 
getting  out,  but  some  kind  friend  offers 
him  his  hand  ;  noio,  says  Mr.  T.,  the  man 
is  to  blame  if  he  does  not  get  out.  I  an- 
swer, He  is  to  blame  for  rejecting  help ; 
but  that  does  not  prove  him  to  blame  for 
his  own  personal  inability.  Thus,  by 
shifting  the  argument  from  one  to  the  oth- 
er of  these  three  subjects  and  dwelling 
upon  none,  Mr.  T.  shuts  out  blameworthi- 
ness from  all  moral  impotence,  in  itself 
considered,  and  so  no  man  is  to  blame  for 
the  enmity  of  his  heart  to  God,  be  it  ever 
so  great.  Though  the  carnal  mind  is  enmi- 
ty against  God,  and  is  not  suVyect  to  the 
law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be  ;  though 
their  ear  is  uncircumcised  and  they  cannot 
hearken ;  though  they,  being  e\i\,  cannot 
speak  good  things  ;  though  they  have  eyes 
full  of  adultery  and  cannot  cease  from  sin  ; 
and  though  upon  this  account  it  be  impossi- 
ble but  that  offences  will  come  :  yet  there 
is  no  harm  in  all  this,  nothing  for  which 
God  should  speak  in  such  a  tone  of  dis- 
pleasure ;  the  whole  of  their  blameworthi- 
ness consists  either  in  their  getting  into 
such  a  state  of  mind,  or  in  neglecting  to 
use  the  means  of  getting  out  !  And  thus 
my  argument,  after  all,  stands  its  ground, 
that,  according  to  Mr.  T.'s  principles,  men 
are  excusable  in  proportion  to  the  strength 
of  their  evil  propensities. 

Let  us  next  follow  Mr.  T.  in  his  defence 
of  the  third  branch  of  his  position  concern- 
ing the  non-provision  of  grace.  The  read- 
er will  remember  that  the  question  here  is 


THB    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


531 


not  whether  grace  is  or  is  not  provided, 
hut  whether,  su}ip<>sine;  it  is  not,  men  iire 
excusahle  in  their  nou-conipliaiue  with  the 
gospel.  Mr.  T.'s  views  upon  this  suhject 
are  as  a  mill-stone  al>oiil  the  neck  of  his 
systeni,  that  must  needs  sink  it  in  the  es- 
teem oC  all  who  understand  tiie  artrument 
and  ex|)ect  to  be  saved  hy  p;ruce  alone. 
He  talks  nuuh  oljrrare,  of  Tree  }rrace,  and 
of  salvation  l>y  grace  ;  and  yet  it  is  not 
more  evident  tliat  tiie  sun  sliines  at  noon- 
day than  ihal  lie  makes  the  whole  of  our 
salvation  a  debt,  a  del)t  which  God,  of  his 
"  universal  benevolence,"  is  excited  to  pay, 
from  the  consideration  that  "we  did  not 
hring  everlasting  misery  upon  ourselves, 
nor  was  it  ever  in  our  power  to  avoid  it.  " 
(XIII.  81.) 

It  is  pity  that  we  should  cover  our 
ideas  by  improper  words.  It  is  evident 
JVIr.  T.  means  to  appeal  to  the  divine ^'ms<- 
ice  ;  only  he  has  not  courage  sufficient  to 
say  soj  and  tiierefore  uses  the  term  be- 
nevolence. Yet  if  this  be  the  truth,  that 
men  are  pitiable  creatures,  much  injured 
by  the  fall,  but  no  way  concerned  in  the 
guilt  of  it,  nor  in  any  of  its  certain  effects 
— and  if  this  be  a  consideration  with  the 
great  Jehovah  to  save  them — what  a  gos- 
pel have  we  sent  us  at  last,  and  what  a 
representation  of  the  divine  character! 
The  Father  sends  his  Son  to  atone  for 
men's  guilt  and  deliver  them  from  ever- 
lasting misery,  from  the  consideration  that 
there  was  nothing  in  that  guilt,  antecedent- 
ly to  his  sending  his  Son  and  offering  them 
grace,  that  properly  deserved  such  misery, 
or  indeed  any  misery  at  all  !  The  cove- 
nant which  God  originally  made  with  man 
is  so  severe  that,  if  he  aliide  by  it  he  must 
deal  cruelly  with  his  rational  offspring; 
so  severe  that  he  cannot  stand  to  it  through- 
out, but  is  induced,  with  a  view  to  make  the 
sons  of  Adam  amends  for  the  injury  done 
them  by  their  father's  fall,  to  send  them  a 
Saviour,  and  to  offer  them  assistance  that 
they  may  make  their  escape  !  Surely,  all 
this  is  but  the  just  picture  of  the  divine 
character  and  conduct,  according  to  Mr. 
T.'s  scheme.  But  is  this  the  real  charac- 
ter and  conduct  of  God  1  Is  mercy  indeed 
built  up  upon  the  ruins  of  equity,  or  does 
the  grace  of  the  second  covenant  imply  a 
reflection  upon  the  justice  of  the  first  1 
Is  this  the  character  of  that  God  who  de- 
clares that  men  who  never  heard  the  gos- 
pel of  grace  are  without  excuse  ? — that  all 
Itie  world  arc  become  guilty  before  Him — 
that  salvation  is  altogether  of  grace — that 
he  is  not  only  at  liberty  to  "  have  mercy 
on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,"  hut  w  ill  ex- 
ercise that  liberty,  and  "will  have  compas- 
sion on  whom  he  will  have  compassion  1  " 

I  urged  these  consequences  in  my  Re- 
ply, that,  according  to  Mr.  T.'s  scheme. 


"  making  tlris  supposed  grace  the  only 
thing  which  constitutes  men  accountable 
beings  was  making  it  debt  rather  than 
grace.^'  And  what  has  Mr.  T.  said  in 
answer  to  this  objection  1 — XIII.  49.  "  1. 
When  I  sjjcak  of  grace,"  says  he,  "  I  wish 
to  speak  of  real,  not  supposed  grace." 
That  may  be,  and  I  hope  it  is  so;  but 
the  (piestion  is,  will  his  hypotliesis  coin- 
cide with  the  wishes  of  his  heart  on  this 
sul)ject !  2.  "Suppose,"  says  Mr.  T. 
to  ids  friend,  "we  excuse  Mr.  F.'s  play 
on  the  word  grace,  which  is  not  in  the 
sentence  to  which  he  is  making  this  labor- 
ed reply,  and  his  change  o\' punished  for  ac- 
countablc  ;  yet  still  the  jjosition  to  which 
he  refers  does  not  speak  of  grace  as  the 
only  thing  which  renders  men  account- 
able. You  remcnd)er,  Sir,  the  position 
is,  "if  men  could  not  avoid  it,  &c."  Mr. 
T.  seems  all  along  to  wish  to  represent 
me  as  having  bestowed  great  pains  to 
unravel  one  poor  little  period;  whereas 
what  I  have  written  about  grace  is  not 
merely  in  reply  to  that  single  period,  (as 
was  declared  in  my  Reply,  p.  482,)  but  to 
the  whole  of  what  Mr.  T.  had  written 
upon  the  subject,  which  in  that  period 
happens  to  be  nearly  expressed.  But  he 
denies  that  he  has  represented  grace  as 
the  only  thing  which  renders  men  account- 
able ;  how  he  can  make  this  denial  good 
is  more  than  I  can  conceive.  He  advan- 
ces three  things  which,  together,  would 
make  men  not  accountable.  The  first 
two  of  these  he  admits  actually  to  exist, 
(IX.  44,  57,  59;)  the  last,  therefore,  must 
be  the  only  thing  left  which  can  render 
men  accountable,  or,  if  he  likes  it  better, 
punishable.  But  where  is  the  answer, 
after  all,  to  my  objection!  Has  he  proved 
his  notion  of  grace  to  be  any  more  than 
debtl  Not  at  all,  nor  so  much  as  attempt- 
ed it.  "  Is  it  uncandid  to  conclude  that  it 
was  because  he  felt  the  attempt  would 
have  been  in  vain]  "  It  was  farther  ob- 
jected that,  according  to  Mr.  T.'s  scheme, 
there  was  no  need  for  Christ  to  have  died 
at  all;  and  that,  if  the  Divine  Being  had 
but  let  men  alone,  and  had  not  provided 
any  grace  for  them,  they  had  been  all 
very  innocent;  and,  if  justice  had  but 
been  done  them,  very  hap|)y.  To  this 
Mr.  T.  replies,  by  asking,  1.  Whether  I 
can  prove  that,  without  the  bestowment 
of  grace,  there  would  ever  have  been  any 
men  to  be  free  from  criminality  1  "Can 
he  prove,"  says  he,  "that  Adam  would 
not  have  died  immediately,  according  to 
the  threatening,  if  grace  had  not  been 
given  in  the  promise!  "  (XIII.  5^).)—'' Ac- 
cording to  the  threatening,"  that  is  beg- 
ging the  question.  The  question  is  wheth- 
er that  threatening  implied  in  it  the  im- 
mediate and  actual  execution  of  corporal 


532 


THE    REALITY   AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


death.  If  what  Mr.  T.  says  elsewhere 
is  true,  namely,  that  Adam's  posterity 
were  by  his  fall  "exposed  to  misery, 
whatever  that  misery  be,"  (XIII.  41,)  it 
could  not ;  for  non-existences  could  never 
be  exposed  to  misery  of  any  kind.  If  in 
Adam  all  died;  if  by  one  man  sin  en- 
tered into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin, 
and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that 
all  have  sinned ;  this  must  imply  the  ex- 
istence of  all  men;  for  death  cannot  pass 
upon  non-entities.  But  it  is  asked,  2. 
"  Suppose  Adam  had  not  died,  can  Mr. 
F.  prove  that  Adam's  posterity  would 
have  been  sent  to  hell  for  their  father's 
sin,  or  for  any  of  its  necessary  consequen- 
ces'! "  Suppose  they  had  not,  and  ought 
not,  then  it  only  tends  to  confirm  ray  rea- 
soning, rather  than  to  refute  it ;  which 
was  to  prove  that,  if  things  are  as  Mr.  T. 
represents,  men  might  have  been  innocent 
and  happy,  if  Jesus  had  never  died ;  and 
so  that  the  gift  of  Christ  and  the  gospel 
was  no  real  benefit,  but  rather  a  curse 
upon  the  world,  as  it  is  this  only  that  has 
rendered  men  capable  of  sinning,  so  as  to 
become  everlastingly  miserable. 

The  remaining  questions  (XIII.  52) 
have,  for  the  substance  of  them,  been  al- 
ready discussed. — Reply  489,  490.  Nei- 
ther are  they  in  point  to  the  present  sub- 
ject in  debate.  They  contain  a  question 
oi  fact ;  but  that  which  is  now  in  discus- 
sion is  a  question  of  right.  Were  I  to 
admit  the  universal  extent  of  Christ's 
death  as  a  fact,  and  the  utmost  advan- 
tages as  resulting  from  it,  still  I  should 
reprobate,  with  all  the  powers  of  my  soul, 
the  principles  upon  which  Mr.  T.  pleads 
for  it,  as  destructive  of  the  grace  of  the 
gospel,  and  hostile  to  the  throne  of  God. 

Mr.  T.  had  maintained,  (IX.  57,  59,)  1. 
That  man  was  so  reduced  by  the  fall  as 
to  be  totally  unable  to  do  any  thing  really 
good  :  2.  That,  if  he  had  been  left  in  this 
condition,  he  would  not  have  been  to 
blame  for  not  doing  it,  but  that  his  ina- 
bility would  have  been  his  excuse ;  yea 
let  his  practices  have  been  as  vile  as  they 
might,  upon  the  supposition  of  grace  not 
being  provided,  he  declares,  that  he  ivould 
have  been  excusable,  and  that  all  real  good 
whatever  might  be  denied  to  be  the  duty 
of  the  unprincipled  mind."  Hence  I  con- 
cluded that,  if  it  were  so,  then  Christ  did 
Bot  die  for  the  sins  of  any  man,  because 
antecedently  to  the  consideration  of  his 
death,  and  of  grace  being  given  in  him, 
there  was  no  sin  or  blameworthiness  to 
atone  for.  What  a  bustle  does  Mr.  T. 
make  concerning  this  conclusion ;  calling 
it  "a  wonderful  passage,"  and  the  rea- 
sonings "mere  parade;'^  imputing  it  to 
the  "imbecility  of  the  human  mind,  and 
\o  the  disadvantageous  situation  to  which 


the  most  upright  disputant  may  be  re- 
duced." &c.  (XIII.  52.)  I  smile  at  this 
friendly  apology  ;  but  must  own  it  appears 
to  me  more  adapted  to  himself  than  his 
opponent.  I  before  wrote  in  the  language 
of  diffidence  :  the  consequences  of  Mr. 
T.'s  sentiments  appeared  so  eversive  of 
the  whole  gospel  that  I  could  hardly  help 
suspecting  I  must  have  mistaken  him, 
somehow  or  other.  Accordingly,  I  gave 
him  a  fair  opportunity  to  clear  himself  if 
he  could.  But  it  is  now  time  for  that 
language  to  be  laid  aside.  He  has  tried 
to  defend  his  hypothesis,  but  it  is  abso- 
lutely indefensible. 

What  has  Mr.  T.  said  in  answer  to  my 
reasoning  1  Why  he  has,  as  usual,  asked 
a  number  of  questions  .*  "  Suppose  Christ 
had  never  come,  and  no  grace  had  been 
provided,  does  not  Mr.  F.,"  he  asks,  "al- 
low that  man  is  a  free  agent,  and  there- 
fore might  have  sinned  voluntarily."  (XIII. 
51.)  Yes,  I  do  :  I  suppose  the  devil  to  be 
a  free  agent,  though  his  heart  is,  and  ever 
will  be,  invariably  set  in  him  to  do  evil; 
but  the  question  here  is,  not  what  /  allow, 
but  what  Mr.  T.  allows.  Though  I  allow 
man  to  be  a  free  agent,  independently  of  \ 
the  grace  of  the  gospel,  he  does  not :  he  con- 
siders moral  as  well  as  natural  necessity  as 
inconsistent  with  free  agency;  that  if  no 
grace  were  provided,  "  let  a  man's  practices 
be  as  vile  as  they  might,  he  would  be  excu- 
sable." And  it  was  from  his  supposition, 
and  not  from  mine,  that  I  was  reasoning. 

But  he  asks,  farther,  "  Is  nothing  done 
wrong  in  this  world  but  what  is  the  neces- 
sary and  unavoidable  effect  of  Adam's 
transgression  1  Are  not  all  our  voluntary 
sins  justly  chargeable  upon  us  V — (XIII. 
52.)  I  answer,  I  know  of  no  such  necessity 
as  impels  men  to  sin  involuntarily  ;  and  as 
to  the  evils  that  are  noio  done  in  the  world, 
or  not  done,  they  are  nothing  at  all  to  the 
point ;  nor  whether  they  are  done  in  con- 
sequence of  Adam's  transgression  or  not. 
Suppose  they  are  done  simply  in  conse- 
quence of  men's  own  free  agency,  will  Mr. 
T.  allow  that  they  would  have  had  that 
free  agency,  and  have  been  accountable 
beings,  without  the  death  of  Christ  and 
the  grace  of  the  gospel  1  If  he  will  not, 
the  consequence  still  remains  unmoved, 
that,  according  to  him,  "  Christ  did  not 
come  into  the  world  to  save  men  from  sin, 
but  rather  to  put  them  into  a  capacity  of 
sinning,  as  it  is  in  consequence  of  his 
death,  and  that  alone,  that  guilt  becomes 
chargeable  upon  them."  But  if,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  will  allow  this,  he  must  in 

*  Mr.  T.,  it  seems,  expected  to  be  answered  in  a 
way  of  direct  reply.  But  it  would  fill  a  volume  of 
no  small  size  only  to  give  a  direct  answer  to  all  \\is 
and  Mr.  Martin's  questions. 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE     GRACE. 


533 


so  doing  disallow  of  the  substance  of  all 
his  former  rcasoninfjs.  Partiiviiarly,  he 
must  disown  that  extravagant  language, 
that,  "  if  my  principles  are  true,  let  a 
man^s  practices  be  as  vile  as  they  may,  he 
may  excuse  himself  from  blame." 

"  Mr.  F.  justly  observes,"  says  Mr.  T., 
"  that  I  suppose  fallen  man  really  and 
totally  unable  to  do  good,  and  I  explained 
my  meaning  by  saying  spiritually  good  ; 
but  is  there  no  medium  between  doing 
what  is  spiritually  good,  and  going  to  the 
utmost  lengths  of  wickedness!  Are  men 
under  the  necessity  of  working  all  al)om- 
inations  because  they  cannot  without  di- 
vine grace  serve  God  spiritually  1  Do  not 
men  work  these  abominations  1  Did  not 
Christ  die  to  atone  for  them  1  Did  he 
not  thendieforOUR  SINS  1"— XIII.  52. 
Now  Mr.  T.  thinks  he  has  escaped  the 
charge.  But,  let  it  be  observed,  though 
in  one  place  he  had  used  the  term  spirit- 
ual, but  in  another  he  extended  blame- 
lessness  to  "practices  be  they  as  vile  as 
they  MAY  ,"  if  my  sentiments  were  true, 
that  is,  if  grace  were  not  provided.  Now, 
whatever  medium  there  may  be  between 
not  doing  things  spiritually  good  and  work- 
ing all  abominations,  there  is  none  I  should 
think  between  vile  practices  and  abomina- 
tions. Mr.  T.  therefore  is  as  far  off  as 
ever  from  removing  the  shocking  conse- 
quences of  his  sentiments. 


LETTER   VI. 

Perhaps  Mr.  T.  will  again  complain 
that  too  much  is  made  of  the  Ratio  ex 
concessis  and  the  Reductio  ad  absurdum. 
(XIII.  53.)  Well,  it  is  not  my  wish  to 
bear  too  hard  upon  him  ;  though,  after  all, 
it  would  have  discovered  a  commendable 
frankness,  consonant  to  his  own  profession, 
(XIII.  15,)  to  have  confessed  that  he  had 
said  rather  too  much,  instead  of  complain- 
ing of  me  for  having  improved  it  against 
him.  But  let  us  take  it  as  he  has  noto 
stated  it,  that  without  the  grace  of  God 
men  cannot  do  any  thing  really  or  spirit- 
ually good  ;  but  they  may  do  some  things 
otherwise  good,  or,  at  least,  refrain  from 
gross  immoralities  ;  and  this  is  all  they 
are  obliged  to  do  antecedently  to  the  he- 
stowment  of  grace  ;  and,  consequently,  the 
whole  of  their  sin  consists  in  the  contrary 
of  this;  and  these  are  all  the  sins  for 
which  there  was  any  need  for  Christ  to 
atone.  Now,  will  Mr.  T.  stand  to  this 
hypothesis'?  It  is  the  only  ground  left 
him  to  stand  upon,  in  supporting  the  body 
of  his  system.     And,  in  order  to  possess 


this,  he  must  retract  his  extravagant  sen- 
tence in  p.  59  of  his  Nine  Letters;  and 
periiaps  much  more.  Let  him  soberly 
consider  whether  he  can  stand  his  ground 
even  here  witliout  giving  up  at  least  the 
three  following  sentiments,  each  of  which 
he  has  hitherto  avowed,  and  for  one  of 
them  most  strenuously  contended. 

\.  That  the  moral  law  is  spiritual,  and 
requires  love  to  God  with  all  the  lieart ; 
and  that  tiiis  law  is  the  rule  of  life  to 
fallen  men  antecedently  to  and  independ- 
ently of  the  consideration  of  the  bcstow- 
mcnt  of  grace.  If  nothing  but  an  absti- 
nence from  gross  abominations  is  incumbent 
on  men,  antecedently  to  the  bestowment 
of  grace,  then  either  the  moral  law  does 
not  require  the  heart,  or  men  are  not 
under  it  as  the  rule  of  life.     • 

2.  That  if  unconverted  sinners  are  pre- 
served from  the  greatest  lengths  of  icicked- 
ness  it  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  preventing 
and  restraining  grace  of  God.  This  Mr. 
T.  has  hitherto  avowed.  (XIII.  30.)  But, 
if  he  will  maintain  the  above  hypothesis, 
this  also  must  be  given  up.  The  whole 
of  Mr.  T.'s  argument  (XIII.  52)  goes 
upon  the  supposition  that,  if  grace  had 
never  been  bestowed  or  provided,  yet  men 
might  have  refrained  from  gross  abomina- 
tions ;  for  it  is  brought  to  prove  that  men 
would  not  have  been  utterly  blameless 
without  the  provision  of  grace ;  and  so 
that  there  were  soine  sins  for  Christ  to 
die  for,  antecedently  to  the  consideration 
of  his  death  and  the  grace  of  the  gospel. 
But,  if  so,  their  being  preserved  from  gross 
wickedness  is  not,  and  ought  not,  to  be 
ascribed  to  the  grace  of  God. 

3.  That  Christ  died  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world.  I  need  not  prove  to  the 
reader  that  Mr.  T.  maintains  this  senti- 
ment ;  but,  if  he  will  abide  by  the  above 
hypothesis,  this  (  all-important  as  lie  ac- 
counts it)  must  be  given  up.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  far  greater  part  of  the 
world  die  in  infancy;  but  dying  infants, 
according  to  the  above  hypothesis  (and  in- 
deed according  to  all  that  he  has  writen,) 
can  have  no  sin  in  any  sense  whatever, 
for  which  Christ  could  have  to  atone.  He 
could  not,  therefore,  die  for  them  ;  and,  as 
they  make  the  greatest  part  of  the  human 
race,  it  must  follow  that  Christ  did  not 
die  for  the  sins  of  one  half  of  the  world 
after  all.  Thus  Mr.  T.,  by  his  notion  of 
men  being  excusable  on  account  of  their 
moral  inability,  is  driven  to  a  most  painful 
dilemma  :  he  is  driven  to  maintain,  either 
that  men,  antecedently  to  the  death  of 
Christ  and  the  grace  of  the  gospel,  are 
not  free  agents  at  all — are  not  accountable 
beings,  no,  not  for  even  "  the  vilest  of 
practices,"  (as  he  did  in  his  Nine  Letters) 
— and  then  it  follows  that  Christ  did  not 


534 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


die  to  atone  for  the  sins  of  any  man,  but 
only  for  Adam's  first  transgression,  there 
being  no  sins  for  which  he  could  have  to 
atone  ;  and  that  his  death,  and  the  grace 
of  the  gospel,  must  be  a  curse  to  the  world 
rather  than  a  blessing  ;  as  it  is  in  conse- 
quence of  this,  and  this  alone,  that  guilt 
becomes  chargeable  on  men  :  or  else,  ac- 
cording to  what  he  has  advanced  in  his 
last  performance,  that  men  without  the 
grace  of  the  gospel  would  have  been  free 
agents  in  part ;  that  they  would  have  been 
capable  of  performing  the  externals  of  re- 
ligion, and  refraining  from  gross  abomi- 
nation; that  they  as  fallen  creatures  are 
accountable  for  the  contrary  of  these,  and 
for  that  only  ;  and  that  it  is  for  sins  of  this 
description  only  that  Christ  could  have  to 
atone  ;*  and  then  it  follows  that  the  law 
as  a  rule  of  life  to  fallen  men  is  not  spirit- 
ual; that  if  men  are  preserved  from  gross 
aboinations,  it  is  not  to  be  ascribed  to  pre- 
venting grace  ;  and  that  Christ  did  not  die 
for  the  sins  of  all  mankind. 

Mr.  T.,  it  has  been  observed,  has  hith- 
erto allowed  that  the  moral  law  is  spirit- 
ual, and  as  such  is  the  rule  of  life  to  fallen 
men,  (XIII.  60  ;)  but  his  other  sentiments 
will  not  suffer  him  consistently  to  abide  by 
this.  To  be  consistent  with  them,  he 
must  either  deny  the  spirituality  of  the  law, 
or  else  its  justice  and  goodness;  that  is, 
he  must  deny  that  it  is  fit  to  be  a  rule  of 
life  to  fallen  men.  Mr.  T.  admits  the 
law  at  present  to  be  spiritual ;  it  must  not, 
however,  take  cognizance  of  the  state  of 
the  heart  or  mind;  the  mind  may  be  the 
subject  of  an  evil  propensity,  and  yet  be 
innocent,  (XIII.  42  ;)  so,  then,  the  carnal 
mind  which  is  enmity  against  God,  is 
nevertheless  in  that  respect  blameless!  All 
that  is  forbidden  is  "  the  indulgence  of  evil 
propensity,  and  the  neglect  of  grace  by 
which  he  might  be  delivered  from  it." 
Nor  are  these  all  the  subtractions  that  Mr. 
T.'s  scheme  requires.  Even  here,  it  is  not 
just  that  it  should  require  any  more  than 
men  can,  some  way  or  other,  find  in  their 
hearts  to  give ;  for  he  lays  this  down  as  a 
maxim  that  no  man  ought  to  be  punished 
for  what  he  cannot  avoid.  (XIII.  53.)  But 
if  it  is  not  right  that  the  law  should  re- 
quire any  more  than  men  can  in  every 
sense  perform,  or  punish  them  for  their 
defects,  then  it  must  follow  that  either 
men  can  now  peribrm  all  the  law  requires 
of  them,  or  else  that  the  law  is  unreason- 
able, and  so  can  be  neither  just  nor  good, 
nor  fit  to  be  a  rule  of  life  to  fallen  men. 
Which  way  will  Mr.  T.  turn  himself  in 
this  case  1     Will  he  affirm  that  men  now 

*  It  is  true  Mr.  T.  tnlks  of  Christ  having  to  atone 
for  sins  of  oilier  descriptions:  but,  surely,  it  is  quite 
absurd  to  speak  of  his  dying  t(}  atone  for  sins  for 
which  we  were  never  blameworthy  or  accountable. 


can  in  every  sense  perform  all  that  the  law 
requires  1  Sometimes  he  seems  as  if  he 
would  ;  for  he  speaks  of  the  law  as  for- 
bidding only  the  indulgence  of  sin,  and  of 
grace  as  being  provided  to  deliver  us  from 
that.  (XIII.  41.)  Here,  if  his  words  have 
any  meaning,  they  must  mean  that  men 
may  through  the  grace  of  God  comply 
with  all  the  law  requires.  And  yet,  in 
other  places,  he  allows  that  no  man  since 
the  fall  possesses  an  ability,  either  nat- 
urally or  by  the  grace  of  God,  perfectly  to 
keep  the  law.  (XIII.  60,  61.)  But  what  in 
and  out  work  is  here  !  One  of  these  po- 
sitions must  be  retracted ;  and  Mr.  T.  is 
welcome  to  retract  which  of  them  he 
pleases.  He  may  choose  his  ground. 
Neither  will  support  him  without  giving 
up  the  sipritually,  justice,  and  goodness 
of  the  law,  as  a  rule  of  life  to  fallen  men. 

If  he  retract  the  former,  and  allow  that 
men  cannot,  even  with  the  grace  of  the 
gospel,  keep  the  law  perfectly  ;  then  he 
must  either  maintain  the  law  to  be  unrea- 
sonable, or  give  up  all  his  former  reason- 
ings, and  allow  that  it  is  right  that  God 
should  require  men  to  do  that  which  they 
are,  and  always  were,  and  always  will  be, 
in  this  life,  morally  unable  to  do.  If  he 
choose  to  retract  his  other  position,  (XIII. 
61,)  and  maintain  that,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  men  are  now  able  to  comply  with  all 
that  the  law  requires,  and  to  avoid  all  that 
it  forbids,  still  he  is  never  the  nearer. 
This  sentiment  is  as  hostile  to  the  native 
justice  and  goodness  of  the  law  as  any  po- 
sition Mr.  T.  has  advanced.  For,  as  to 
what  men  are  able  to  do  by  the  grace  of 
God,  that  is  nothing  to  the  purpose.  In 
order  to  justify  the  law,  it  is  necessary 
that  we  should,  in  some  sense,  be  able  to 
obey  it,  prior  to,  and  independently  of, 
the  provisions  of  the  gospel.  To  introduce 
the  bestovvment  of  grace,  in  order  to  vin- 
dicate the  equity  of  the  law,  is  injustice 
to  both  law  and  gospel :  to  the  former  as 
supposing  it,  in  itself,  unjust;  to  the  lat- 
ter as  rendering  it  not  grace,  but  debt. 
Suppose  the  king  and  parliament  of  Great 
Britain  should  enact  a  law,  requiring  the 
inhabitants  of  any  particular  town  to  pay 
one  thousand  pounds  annually,  by  way  of 
tax.  At  the  time  of  the  law  being  enact- 
ed those  inhabitants  were  well  able  to  pay 
it,  and  afterwards  became  poor,  and  en- 
tirely unable.  The  government,  however, 
still  continue  the  law  in  force,  notwith- 
standing their  pecuniary  inability.  But 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  with  the  concurrence 
of  the  king  and  parliament,  graciously  re- 
mits, or  offers  to  remit,  to  these' poor  in- 
habitants, what  shall  be  sufficient  for  the 
payment  of  the  tax.  Quere,  1.  Does  this 
remittance  render  the  law  which  contin- 
ued to  require  a  thousand  pounds,  when 


THE    REALITY    AND     EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


535 


the  inhabitants  were  unable  to  pay  it,  in 
ilselj,  just  or  {lood  1  2.  Is  it  to  the  lioiior 
of  the  prince,  any  more  than  of  tlie  king 
and  parliament,  to  call  such  a  remittance 
by  the  name  o( grace,  when  its  only  pur- 
pose is  to  screen  the  government  froni  tiie 
charge  of  injustice  !  I  am  persuaded  that 
such  a  piece  of  conduct  as  Mr.  T.'s  sys- 
tem ascribes  to  the  great  God  is  what  the 
honorable  characters  before  mentioned 
would  scorn  to  be  engaged  in.  Such  a 
law,  undoubtedly,  ought  to  be  repealed. 
Should  it  l)c  urged,  for  its  continuance,  that 
it  should  stand  as  it  was,  for  the  purpose 
of  convincing  the  inhabitants  of  tlieir  sin 
in  not  complying  witli  it,  (XIII.  130,)  they 
would  reply,  Convince  us  of  sin !  No : 
that  it  can  never  do,  but  rather  convince 
us  of  its  own  cruelty  and  its  maker's  ty- 
ranny.— But,  perhaps,  you  have  not  done 
so  much  towards  complying  with  it  as  you 
might  have  done. — Be  it  so  :  this  can  be 
no  proper  means  of  convincing  us  of  sin  : 
let  us  have  a  law  equal  to  our  capacity, 
and  then,  so  far  as  we  fall  short  of  it,  that 
will  be  a  proper  means  of  conviction,  but 
no  other. 

Tlie  reader  will  not  suppose  that  I  am 
pleading  for  the  repeal  of  God's  law  ;  I  sup- 
pose men's  natural  abilities  are  still  equal 
to  its  demands  :  but  my  design  is  barely 
to  show  that,  according  to  the  tendency 
of  Mr.  T.'s  principles,  the  law  cannot  be 
either  just  or  good,  and  the  gospel  is  not 
grace,  but  debt. 

Mr.  T.  often  talks  of  his  opponent  ta- 
king his  threefold  argument,  and  answer- 
ing it  conjointly.  When  an  author  ad- 
vances contrary  positions,  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  know  w  hat  are  his  real  sentiments  ; 
otherwise  Mr.  T.  has  sufficiently  answer- 
ed himself.  1.  He  allows  that  men  are 
unable  to  keep  God's  law  perfectly.  (XIII. 
60.)  2.  He  will  not  pretend  to  say  that 
they  ever  could  so  keep  it,  since  they 
were  intelligent  beings.  (XIII.  60.)  And 
3.  What  is  more,  he  does  not  profess  to 
hold  that  grace  is  provided  sufficient  to 
enable  them  to  keep  it.  (XIII.  61.)  Here, 
then,  all  the  three  members  of  Mr.  T.'s 
position  concur,  respecting  men's  inability 
to  keep  the  law  perfectly.  "  They  could 
never  avoid  it,  cannot  deliver  themselves 
from  it,  and  the  blessed  God  has  not 
made  such  provision  as  is  necessary  to 
deliver  them  :  "  and  yet  Mr.  T.  allows 
that  they  ought  to  keep  it,  notwithstand- 
ing, (XIII.  60  ;)  and,  it  should  seem,  their 
not  keeping  it  is  their  sin,  of  which  the 
law  is  a  proper  means  to  convince  them. 
(XIII.  130.)  The  reader  is  here  left  to 
make  his  own  reflections. 

But  "  is  it  right  for  a  man  to  be  etern- 
ally punished  for  what  he  could  never 
possibly   avoid!    This   is    the    question," 


says  Mr.  T.,  "  to  which  I  think  Mr.  F., 
with  all  his  ingenious  labor,  lias  not  at- 
tempted to  give  a  direct  answer.  Yet 
nothing  is  done  till  a  direct  answer  be  giv- 
en." (XIII.  51.)  I  reply,  1.  If  there  be 
any  weight  in  Mr.  T.'s  reasoning,  it  must 
affect  ail  punishment,  as  well  as  eternal 
punishment :  *  and,  if  so,  the  sentence  of 
corporal  death,  which,  in  consequence  of 
Adam's  transgression,  has  passed  upon 
all  men,  and  is  executed  upon  millions 
who  have  never  actually  sinned,  must  be 
an  unrighteous  sentence  :  2.  If  man,  as  a 
fallen,  polluted  creature,  is  blameless,  he 
must,  if  justice  be  done  him,  as  such,  be 
unexposed  to  punishment,  either  here  or 
hereafter,  and  consequently  must,  as  such, 
need  no  saviour  at  all.  To  speak,  there- 
fore, of  the  fall  as  rendering  a  saviour  ne- 
cessary, as  Mr.  T.  himself  seems  to  do 
(XIII.  140,  142,)  or  to  say,  with  the  apos- 
tle, that,  "  as  by  one  man's  disobedience 
many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obe- 
dience of  one  shall  many  be  made  right- 
eous," must  be  altogether  improper.  But 
perhaps  Mr.  T.  will  still  complain  of  the 
want  of  a  direct  answer.  Well,  if  another 
form  will  please  him  better,  let  it  stand 
thus  : 

The  fall  and  its  necessary  effects  are 
what  Mr.  T.  calls  unavoidable  by  us  : 
Christ,  by  laying  down  his  life,  delivered 

*  My  good  opinion  of  Mr.  T.'s  integrity  and  piety 
makes  me  utterly  at  a  loss  how  to  account  for  the  in- 
sinuation tliat  it  lias  been  genenilly  acknowledged,  by 
the  "  unhappy  men"  who  deny  the  eternity  of  future 
punishment,  and  hold  witli  "  universal  salvation, 
that,  before  a  man  can  !«  of  their  .sentiments,  he 
must  l)e  a  Calvinist."  To  be  sure  we  cannot  be  cer- 
tain that  no  one  person  who  embniced  the  general 
restitution  scheme  w^as  weak  or  wicked  enough  to 
drop  such  an  expression,  though  I  never  heard  of  such 
an  instance.  But,  to  justify  the  manner  in  which 
this  inuendo  is  brought  in,  it  ought,  at  least,  to  have 
been  a  common  repeated  acknowledgment,  made  by 
some  of  the  most  eminent  patrons  of  that  .system. 
Surely  the  late  Bishop  of  Bristol  was  never  led  into 
it  by  his  Calvinism;  nor  have  I  ever  heard  of  Dr. 
Priestley,  or  Dr.  Chauncey,  as  suggesting  that  thia 
was  the  cfiect  of  tlieir  former  Calvinism.  It  is  very 
evident  that  they  were  first.far  from  Calvinism  lx;fore 
they  espoused  tliat  notion.  I  wish  Mr.  T.  (if  this 
paragraph  could  indeed  be  his  writing,  and  was  not 
added  to  his  manuscript  by  some  unknown  |)er.«on, 
devoid  of  con.science,  to  blacken  Calvinism  at  any 
rate)  would  favor  us  with  the  names  of  "  diese  un- 
happy men  who  have  so  frequently  said"  it.  Were 
it  needful,  I  could  name  a  member  of  Mr.  T.'s  own 
church  who  has  pleaded  for  universal  salvation  with- 
out being  led  into  it  by  a  previous  Calvinism. 

But  the  .Monthly  Review  for  July,  17S9,  has  afford- 
ed an  opportunity  of  appealing  to  Mr.T.'s  conscience 
still  more  forcibly  on  this  article.  Does  Mr.  T. 
believe  that  the  gentleman  by  whom  he  himself  is 
there  abused,  for  his  "  sulphurous  discourse"  on  the 
eternity  of  future  punishment,  could  never  have  treat- 
ed a  scriptural  doctrine  with  so  much  contempt,  if 
the  reviewer  had  not  once  been  a  Calvinist  1  Month- 
ly Review,  p.  95. 


536 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


US  from  the  fall  and  its  necessary  effects  ;* 
But  Christ  died,  therefore,  to  deliver  us 
from  what  Mr.  T.  calls  unavoidable.  But 
Christ  would  not  have  died  to  deliver  us 
from  a  punishmeut  which  we  never  deser- 
ved. I  do  not  conclude,  therefore,  that 
we  deserve  everlasting  misery  for  that 
which,  in  Mr.  T.'s  sense  of  the  word,  is 
unavoidable. 


LETTER  VII. 

There  is  one  question  more  which 
Mr.  T.  holds  up  in  his  Sixth  Letter,  the 
solution  of  which  goes  a  great  way  to- 
wards the  deciding  of  the  controversy  be- 
tween us  :  this  is,  whether  natural  power 
is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  sufficient  to 
render  us  accountable  beings  in  respect  of 
moral  or  spiritual  exercises. 

This  question  I  promised  to  discuss  be- 
fore we  had  done.  Previously,  however, 
to  entering  upon  it,  let  it  be  observed  that 
if  natural  power  is  sufficient  for  the  above 
purpose,  and  that  antecedently  to,  and  in- 
dependently of,  the  bestowment  of  grace  ; 
then  five  parts  out  of  six,  at  least,  of  Mr. 
T.'s  Fourth,  Fifth,  and  Sixth  Letters 
are  to  no  purpose.  All  his  exclamations 
against  men  being  required  to  perform 
what  they  have  no  power  to  accomplish, 
blamed  for  their  omission  of  it,  &c.  &c., 
entirely  rests  upon  the  supposition  that 
natural  power  is  not  power  ,  or,  at  least, 
not  such  power  as  to  render  men  account- 
able for  omitting  moral  and  spiritual  ex- 
ercises. All  Mr.  T.'s  exclamations  like- 
wise, in  his  Nine  Letters,  upon  the  cru- 
elty of  punishing  men  more  severely,  rests 
upon  this  supposition,  that  natural  poiver 
is  of  no  account ;  for  the  cruelty  against 
which  he  there  exclaims  consists  in  pun- 
ishing men  "  for  not  doing  what  it  never 
was  in  their  power  to  do."  (XIIL  58.) 
Now,  if  the  contrary  of  this  can  be  proved 
the  body  of  Mr.  T.'s  system  will  be  over- 
turned. 

When  I  affirm  that  natural  power  is,  to 
all  intents  and  purposes,  sufficient  to  ren- 
der men  accountable  beings,"  Mr.  T. 
calls  for  proof ,  (XIII.  56  ;)  yea,  and  sug- 
gests that  I  have  acknowledged  the  con- 
trary in  my  first  treatise.  Whether  I 
have  not  proved  this  matter  already,  and 
whether  Mr.  T.  has  not  alloived  me  to 
have  proved  it,  we  will  now  inquire. 

1.  I  have  proved  that  natural  strength 
is  the  measure  of  men's  obligation  to  love 
God;  being  that  rule  according  to  which 

*  Rom.  V.  15—21.     J  Cor.  xv.  22.     1  Thess.  i.  10. 


we  are  required  to  love  him  :  "  Thou 
shalt  love  Jehovah  thy  God  with  all  thy 
strength."  To  this  Mr.  T.  has  made  no 
reply  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  has  allowed 
my  reasoning  to  be  "  very  conclusive." 
(IX.  67.) 

2.  I  have  proved  that  men  are  obliged  to 
the  performance  of  all  duty,  and  are  inex- 
cusable for  their  omission  of  it,  antecedent- 
ly to,  and  independently  of  the  bestowment 
of  grace,  {Rep.  p.  221.)  To  this  also  Mr. 
T.  has  made  no  reply;  but,  on  the  contra- 
ry, has  told  us  that  he  "  wishes  to  oppose 
nothing  contained  in  it,  so  far  as  the  pres- 
ent subject  is  concerned:"  (XIII.  59.) 
Mr.  T.,  therefore,  has  fully  allowed  me 
to  have  proved  my  point,  and  consequent- 
ly to  have  proved  that  the  body  of  his  own 
reasonings  is  fallacious.  Surely  Mr.  T. 
must  have  engaged  in  a  controversy  which 
he  does  not  sufficiently  understand ;  how 
else  could  he  allow  of  these  sentiments, 
and  at  the  same  time  maintain  their  oppo- 
sites  1 

To  the  above  arguments  might  be  add- 
ed the  universal  silence  of  Scripture  in  re- 
spect of  the  internal  operations  of  grace 
being  necessary  to  render  men  accounta- 
ble beings,  as  to  moral  and  spiritual  exer- 
cises. The  scripture  is  not  silent  upon 
what  it  is  that  renders  us  moral  agents  ; 
but  never,  that  I  remember,  gives  us  the 
least  hint  of  grace,  or  Spirit's  operations, 
being  necessary  to  that  end.  Whenever 
God  speaks  of  men  in  a  way  of  complaint 
or  censure,  he  urges  their  enjoyment  of  nat- 
ural powers,  outward  advantages,  means, 
and  opportunities,  as  what  rendered  it  fit 
and  reasonable  for  better  things  to  have 
been  expected  at  their  hands.  Rehears- 
ing what  he  had  done  for  Israel,  and  com- 
plaining of  their  ungrateful  returns,  he 
says,  "  What  was  there  more  to  be  done 
to  my  vineyard,*  that  I  have  not  done  in 
it  1  Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it 
should  bring  forth  grapes,  brought  it  forth 
wild  grapes  1  " — Isa.  v.  1 — 7.  It  is  plain 
here  that  God  reckoned  himself  to  have 
done  enough  for  them  to  warrant  an  expec- 
tation, speaking  after  the  manner  of  men, 
of  better  returns  ;  and  yet  here  is  no  men- 
tion of  any  thing  but  external  privileges, 
means,  and  opportunities,  which  were 
bestowed  upon  them.  It  is  true  God  is 
said  to  have  given  his  good  Spirit  to  in- 
struct them;  but  the  meaning  of  that  is, 
he  inspired  his  servants  the  prophets,  and 
sent  them  with  repeated  messages  of  in- 
struction ;  or,  as  it  is  explained  in  the 
same  place,  "  He  testified  against  them 
by  his  Spirit  in  the  prophets." — Neh.  ix- 

*  ^D^DS  l)^  n)t^^,^-nO  See  True- 
man's  Discourse  of  Natural  and  Moral  Impotence, 
p.  179. 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACy    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


537 


20,  30.  These  messages  and  messengers 
were  what  Stephen  accused  thcni  with 
having  always  resisteil.  "  Which  of  tlie 
pro|)liets,"  said  he,  "  have  not  your  fa- 
thers persecuted  ?  "  and  this  lie  justly 
calls  a  resistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Acts  vii.  51,  52.  Wiien  Christ  com- 
plained of  Chora/.in  and  Hethsaida,  he 
made  no  mention  of  the  intirnal  opera- 
tions of  his  grace,  as  the  ground  of  his  just 
expectations,  but  barely  of  the  "  mighty 
works  "  which  he  had  wrought  among 
them. — Mattlicw  xi.  20 — 24.  So,  when 
the  apostle  pronounces  tiie  heatlien  to  l)c 
"without  excuse,"  and  informs  us  where- 
fore they  were  so,  he  makes  no  men- 
tion of  grace  whicli  they  cither  had,  or 
might  have  had,  but  of  tlic  evidence  af- 
forded to  tliem  l)y  the  visil)le  creation,  by 
which  he  intimates  tliat  the  invisible  pow- 
er and  Godhead  of  its  Creator  miglit  have 
been  known,  had  they  been  but  of  a  right 
temper  of  mind. — Rom.  i.  19,  26.* 

But  Mr.  T.  thinks  I  have  contradicted 
all  this  by  asserting  that  "  natural  ability 
is  not,  of  itself,  sufficient  for  the  perform- 
ance of  good."  Cannot  Mr.  T.,  then, 
discern  the  difference  between  what  is 
sufficient  to  render  us  accountable  beings 
and  what  is  sufficient  for  the  actual  per- 
formance of  good  1  If  a  man  is  possessed 
of  reason  and  conscience,  he  has  that 
which,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  ren- 
ders him  an  accountable  being,  and  any 
court  upon  earth  would  treat  him  as  re- 
sponsible for  any  trust  which  might  be 
reposed  in  his  hands  ;  but,  if  he  is  not 
possessed  of  integrity,  he  has  not  that  in 
him  which  is  sufficient  for  the  security  of 
his  master's  property,  or  any  service  which 
is  truly  virtuous. 


LETTER   VIII. 

Another  question  in  debate  between 
myself  and  Mr.  T.  is  whetiier  faitli  in 
Christ  be  a  requirement  of  tlie  moral  law. 
On  this  subject  Mr.  T.  has  written  his 
Seventh  and  Eighth  Letters.  If  I  under- 
stand the  force  of  this  question  in'the  pres- 
ent controversy,  it  is  this  :  that  it  involves 
the  doctrine  of  a  provision  of  grace  in  or- 
der to  make  it  equitable.  Mr.  T.  con- 
siders faith  as  an  additional  oV)ligation  to 
those  required  by  the  moral  law,  and 
therefore  thinks  it  a  hard  and  inequitable 
requirement,  if  grace  is  not  provided  to 
enable  us  to  comply,  (IX.  46.) 

*  See  Bellamy's  True  Religion  Delineated,  pp. 
121—127. 


VOL.     1 


68 


On  this  subject  Mr.  T.  admits  that 
"  the  moral  law — demands  that  whatever 
is  revealed  in  the  gosjiel,  or  any  other  dis- 
pensation, be  received  by  all  rational  crea- 
tures to  whom  that  revelation  is  made," 
(XIII.  69.)  This  is  all  that  I  have  plead- 
ed for.  1  do  not  suppose  the  moral  law 
expressly,  but  radically,  or  remotely,  to 
require  faith  in  Christ.  I  only  contend 
that  tliat  love  which  the  moral  law  ex- 
pressly requires  would  lead  a  person  pos- 
sessed of  it  to  cmbr<ice  the  gospel.  And 
herein,  it  seems,  we  are  agreed. 

But  Mr.  T.  seems  to  think  it  very  im- 
proper on  this  account  to  say  that  faith 
in  Christ  is  a  requirement  of  the  moral  law  ; 
as  improper  as  to  say  that  circumcision, 
baptism,  and  the  Lord's-supper,  are  re- 
quirements of  that  law,  on  account  of  their 
being  remotely  required  by  it.  (XIII.  70.) 
In  short,  he  seems  to  consider  faith  in 
Christ  as  a  part  of  positive  law,  and  there- 
fore not,  strictly  speaking,  moral.  To 
which  it  is  replied. 

Supposing  faith  in  Christ  to  be  a  part 
of  positive  law,  yet,  if  compliance  with  it 
is  justly  "  demanded  by  the  moral  law," 
which  Mr.  T.  says  it  is,  then  it  would 
not  follow  that  it  is  such  an  additional  ob- 
ligation on  men  as  to  require  additional 
grace,  in  order  to  render  it  equitable. 
But  farther. 

If  I  understand  the  nature  of  positive 
law,  as  distinguished  from  moral,  it  is  that 
which  arises,  not  from  the  nature  of  things, 
but  from  the  mere  will  of  the  lawgiver.  I 
am  not  acquainted  with  any  one  positive 
law,  the  opposite  of  which  might  not  have 
been  enjoined  in  equal  consistency  with 
the  moral  character  of  God.  But  it  is  not 
so  with  respect  to  moral  obligations  ;  they 
are  such  as  it  would  be  contrary  to  the 
moral  character  of  God  not  to  require  or 
to  require  their  opposites.  Now,  surely 
the  requirement  of  faith  in  Christ,  where 
the  gospel  is  proclaimed,  has  this  proper- 
ty attending  it.  It  would  be  inconsistent 
with  the  perfections  of  God  to  allow  men 
to  reject  the  gospel  of  his  Son  or  to  feel 
indifferent  towards  it. 

Surely  Mr.  T.  is  much  mistaken  in 
supposing  that  whatever  is  strictly  moral 
is  universally  and  alike  binding  in  all 
times,  places,  and  circumstances.  (XIII. 
71.)  Obedience  to  parents  and  love  to 
children,  with  many  other  duties  of  the 
moral  law,  are  binding  on  persons  who 
have  parents  to  obey  and  children  to  love, 
but  not  on  those  who  have  none. 

Mr.  T.,  in  the  beginning  of  his  Seventh 
Letter,  takes  pains  to  reconcile  his  admit- 
ting the  law  to  be  "  an  infallible  test  of 
right  and  wrong,"  and,  at  the  same  time, 
affirming  that  "  tinal  misery  is  not  brought 
upon  sinners  by  their  transgression  of  the 


538 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


law,  but  by  their  rejection  of  the  over- 
tures of  mercy."  (XIII.  65—68.)  In  the 
former  of  these  sentimenls  we  are  both 
agreed.  As  to  the  latter,  I  admit  that  the 
rejection  of  mercy  aggravates  men's  de- 
struction, and  therefore  is  a  cause  of  it, 
which  the  Scriptures  he  has  cited  undoubt- 
edly prove  ;  but  that  sinners  perish  merely 
for  rejecting  the  gospel  and  not  for  trans- 
gressing the  laio  wants  proof.  Perhaps  it 
might  be  much  easier  proved  that  men 
will  not  be  punished  for  rejecting  the  gos- 
pel any  furtlier  than  as  such  rejection  in- 
volves in  it  a  transgression  of  the  law. 
Mr.  T.  complains  (XIII.  77)  of  my  sup- 
posing that  he  makes  the  gospel  a  new 
system  of  government,  taking  place  of  the 
moral  law,  and  is  persuaded  I  had  no 
authority  for  such  a  supposition.  And 
yet,  without  this  supposition,  I  do  not  see 
the  force  of  what  he  labors  to  illustrate 
and  establish  as  above.  If  Mr.  T.  here 
means  any  thing  different  from  what  I  ad- 
mit, it  must  be  to  maintain  that  the  death 
of  Christ  has,  in  such  sort,  atoned  for  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world,  as  that  no  man 
shall  be  finally  condemned  for  his  breaking 
the  moral  law,  but  merely  for  the  sin  of 
unbelief.  If  this  is  not  his  meaning,  I  ask 
his  pardon  for  misunderstanding  him.  If 
it  is,  this  is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
making  the  gospel  a  new  system  of  gov- 
ernment, taking  place  of  the  moral  law. 

It  may,  in  a  sense,  be  said  of  a  rebel 
who  refuses  to  lay  down  his  arms  and 
submit  to  mercy,  (wliich  is  a  case  more  in 
point  than  that  of  a  condemned  criminal 
in  the  hands  of  justice,)  that  when  he 
comes  to  be  punished  he  will  die  because 
he  refused  the  king's  pardon ;  but  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  the  word  because  is,  in 
this  connection,  used  improperly.  It  does 
not  mean  that  the  refusal  of  mercy  is  the 
crime,  and  the  only  crime,  for  which  he 
suffers  ;  no,  this  is  not  the  direct  or  pro- 
curing, so  much  as  the  occasional  cause 
of  his  punishment.  Rebellion  is  that 
for  which  he  suffers  ;  and  his  refusal  of 
mercy  is  no  farther  a  procuring  cause  of 
it  than  as  it  is  a  perseverance  in  rebellion, 
and,  as  it  were,  the  completion  of  it. 


LETTER  IX. 

The  last  article  in  debate  between  my- 
self and  Mr.  Taylor  concerns  the  extent 
of  Christ's  death.  On  this  subject  I  sta- 
ted my  own  views  by  way  of  explanation; 
offered  evidence  that  Christ,  in  his  vicari- 
ous sufferings  and  death,  had  an  absolute 
determination  to  save  some  of  the  human 


race;  noticed  Mr.  T.'s  arguments;  en- 
devored  to  show  the  consistency  of  a  limi- 
tation of  design  in  the  death  of  Christ 
with  the  indefinite  call  of  the  gospel,  &c. ; 
and  concluded  with  some  general  reflec- 
tions upon  the  whole.  On  tiiese  subjects 
Mr.  T.  has  followed  me,  and  I  shall  at- 
tempt to  follow  him  with  a  few  additional 
remarks. 

In  stating  my  sense  of  the  limited  ex- 
tent of  Christ's  death,  I  admitted  that  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  were  sufficient  for  the 
salvation  of  the  whole  world,  had  the  race 
of  mankind  or  the  multitude  of  their  of- 
fences been  a  thousand  limes  more  nume- 
rous than  they  are,  if  it  had  pleased  God 
to  render  them  effectual  to  that  end.  I 
do  not  consider  the  necessity  of  an  atone- 
ment as  arising  from  the  number  of  sins, 
but  from  tlie  nature  of  them.  As  the 
same  sun  which  is  necessary  to  enlighten 
the  present  inhabitants  of  the  earth  is  suf- 
ficient to  enlighten  many  millions  more  ; 
and  as  the  same  perfect  obedience  of 
Christ,  which  was  necessary  for  the  justi- 
fication of  one  sinner,  is  sufficient  to  jus- 
tify the  millions  that  are  saved ;  so,  I  ap- 
prehend, the  same  infinite  atonement  would 
have  been  necessary  for  the  salvation  of 
one  soul,  consistently  with  justice,  as  for 
the  salvation  of  a  world. 

I  admit  that  "  the  death  of  Christ  has 
opened  a  way  whereby  God  can  forgive 
any  sinner  Avhatever  who  returns  to  him 
by  Jesus  Christ;"  and  that  in  perfect  con- 
sistency with  the  honor  of  the  supreme 
Lawgiver,  and  the  general  good  of  his  ex- 
tensive empire.  "  If  we  were  to  suppose, 
for  argument's  sake,  that  all  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  globe  should  thus  return,"  I 
do  not  conceive  that  "  one  soul  need  be 
sent  away  for  want  of  a  sufficiency  in  the 
death  of  Christ  to  i-ender  their  pardon 
and  acceptance  consistent  with  the  rights 
of  justice." — Reply,  p.  496.  All  the  lim- 
itation I  maintain  in  the  death  of  Christ 
arises  from  pure  sovereignty  ;  it  is  a  lim- 
itation of  design. 

Now,  seeing  the  above  is  conceded, 
whence  arises  the  propriety  of  all  those 
arguments  in  Mr.  T.'s  piece  which  pro- 
ceed upon  the  supposition  of  the  contrary  1 
The  latter  part  of  his  Ninth  Letter,  which 
is  taken  up  in  exposing  the  consequences 
of  maintaining  an  indefinite  invitation  with- 
out a  universal  provision,  overlooks  the 
above  concessions.  I  have  admitted  the 
necessity  of  a  universal  provision  as  a 
ground  of  invitation  ;  and  that  in  two  re- 
spects : — 1.  A  provision  of  pardon  in  be- 
half of  all  those  who  shall  believe  in  Christ ; 
2.  A  provision  of  means  and  motives  to 
induce  them  to  believe.  And  if  no  more 
than  this  were  meant  by  the  term  provi- 
sion I  should  not  object  to  it.     And,  if  by 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACB. 


539 


Christ  dymg  for  the  whole  world  were 
meant  no  more  tliaii  tliis,  I  should  not  wish 
to  have  any  {lisjxito  about  it.  Xow,  if 
IVIr.  T.  had  been  dis|)osed  to  attend  to 
things  and  not  merely  to  tronh,  and  to 
keep  to  the  point  in  hand,  lie  shouhl  have 
proved  that  this  provision,  which  /admit- 
ted, was  insufllcient  to  render  the  invita- 
tions of  the  gospel  consistent,  and  should 
have  pointed  out  wherein  the  provision 
for  which  he  pleads  has  the  advantauo  of  it. 
IVIr.  T.  was  reminded  of  this  in  my  Reply, 
p.  509  ;  luit  I  do  not  recollect  that  he  has 
taken  any  notice  of  it. 

I  do  not  see,  I  confess,  but  that  the  par- 
able of  the  marriajre-feast.  Matt.  xxii.  4, 
5,  is  as  consistent  with  mv  hypothesis  as 
with  that  of  Mr.  T.  (XIII.'  134.)  I  never 
supposed  but  that  all  things  were  ready  ;  or 
that  even  those  who  made  light  of  it,  if 
they  had  come  in  God's  way,  would  have 
been  disappointed.  All  I  suppose  is  that 
provision  was  not  made  effectually  to  per- 
suade every  one  to  embrace  it  ;  and  that, 
without  such  effectual  persuasion,  no  one 
ever  did,  or  will,  embrace  God's  ^vay  of 
salvation. 

Mr.  T.  proceeds  to  draw  some  conclu- 
sions which  he  thinks  very  unfavorable  to 
my  sentiments.  "  We  have  no  authority," 
says  he,  "  on  this  scheme,  to  ascribe  the 
limitation  to  any  cause  buticantoflove.'" 
This,  he  apprehends,  is  highly  derogatory 
to  the  honor  of  God;  especially  as  love  is 
his  darling  attribute.  (XIII.  80.)  But  all 
this  reasoning  proceeds  upon  the  supposi- 
tion that  God  must  be  accused  of  want  of 
love  to  his  rebellious  creatures,  unless  he 
does,  for  their  salvation,  all  that  he  could 
do  consistently  with  justice.  Now,  let  it 
be  observed,  Mr.  T.  sometimes  tells  us 
that  he  docs  not  oppose  the  doctrine  of  an 
absolute  determination  for  the  salvation 
of  some  of  the  human  race.  (XIII.  92.) 
But,  if  he  admits  this  as  consistent  with 
what  he  has  advanced,  then  he  must  admit 
that  God  could  have  actually  saved  the 
whole  world  in  the  same  absolute  way, 
and  not  have  suffered  any  of  the  human 
race  to  perish  ;  and  all  this,  too,  in  consist- 
ency with  justice.  And  yet  he  does  not. 
What  then!  According  to  Mr.  T.,  all 
must  be  ascribed  to  rrant  of  love.  Farther  : 
Mr.  T.,  I  should  think,  will  not  deny  that 
God  could  have  spread  the  gospel,  and 
that  consistently  both  with  his  own  justice 
and  with  man's  free  agency,  all  over  the 
earth,  and  at  every  period  of  time  since 
the  fall  of  man  ;  and  yet  he  has  not.  Yea, 
before  the  coming  of  his  Son,  he  suffered 
all  nations  but  one,  for  many  ages,  to  walk 
in  their  own  ways  ;  this,  according  to  Mr. 
T.'s  reasonings,  must  all   be  ascribed  to 


tvant  of  love,  and  so  lie  as  a  reproach  upon 
God's  character.* 

Mr.  T.'s  own  scheme,  as  well  as  mine, 
su|)poses  that  God  does  not  do  all  that  for 
some  men  which  he  could,  and  which  is 
necessary  to  their  salvation.  He  sup- 
j)oses  (hat,  if  what  was  done  for  Chora- 
zin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum,  without 
effect,  had  been  done  for  Tyre,  Sidon,  and 
Sodom,  it  would  have  been  effectual. — 
(XIII.  25.)  And  yet  this  was  not  done.  To 
what  is  this  to  be  imputed  !  Surely  God 
could  have  sent  the  gospel  to  the  one  as 
well  as  to  the  other.  I  see  not  what  cause 
Mr.  T.  will  find  to  impute  this  to  but  what 
he  calls   a  want  of  love. 

But  Mr.  T.  suggests  that  the  conduct 
of  our  blessed  Saviour,  according  to  my 
scheme,  would  resemble  that  of  a  person 
who  should  invite  another  to  an  entertain- 
ment without  a  de.'iign  that  he  should  par- 
take of  it.  (XIII.  84.)  But,  if  a  compari- 
son must  be  made,  ought  it  not  rather  to 
be  with  a  person  who  sincerely  invites  his 
neighbors  to  a  plentiful  banquet,  and  never 

*  An  objection  much  like  the  above  was  once 
urged  l)y  I\Ir.  Wesley  agaiii.«t  Mv.  lletvey. — "Will 
God,"  Slid  .Mr.  W.,  "deny  what  is  necessary  for  tlie 
jiresent  comfort  and  final  acceptance  r)f  any  one  .soul 
that'lie  has  made  1  Would  you  deny  it  to  any  if  it 
were  in  your  power  1" — To  whicl)  the  ingenious  Mr. 
Hervey  replied,  "  To  show  the  error  of  such  a  senti- 
ment, and  the  fallacy  of  such  reasoning,  I  shall  just 
mention  a  recent  melancholy  fact.  News  is  brought 
th.1t  the  Prince  George  man  of  war,  Admiral  Broder- 
ick's  own  ship,  is  burnt  and  sunk,  and  above  four 
hundred  souls  that  were  on  board  are  perished.  H'fx. 
hours  the  flames  prevailed,  while  every  means  were 
used  to  preserve  the  ship  and  crew  ;  but  all  to  no 
pur(X)se.  In  the  mean  time,  shrieks  and  groans, 
bitter  moanings  and  piercing  cries,  were  heard  from 
every  quarter.  Raving,  despair,  and  even  madness, 
presented  them.«elvcs  in  a  variety  of  forms.  Some 
ran  to  and  fro,  dittracted  with  terror,  not  knowing 
what  they  did,  or  what  they  should  do.  Others 
jumjicd  overboard  from  all  parts  ;  and,  to  avoid  the 
pursuit  of  one  death,  leaped  into  the  jaws  of  another. 
Those  unhappy  wretches  who  could  not  swim  were 
obliged  to  remain  upon  the  wreck,  though  flakes  of 
fire  fell  on  their  bodies.  Soon  the  masts  went  away, 
and  killed  niuulH^rs.  Those  who  were  not  killed 
thought  themselves  happy  to  get  upon  the  floating  tim- 
l)er.  Nor  yet  were  they  safe  ;  for,  the  fire  having 
communicated  itself  to  the  guns,  which  were  loaded 
and  shotted,  they  swept  multitudes  from  this  their  last 
refuge. — U  hat  say  you,  Sir,  to  this  dismal  narrative  1 
Does  not  your  heart  bleed  1  Would  you  have  stood 
by,  and  denied  your  succor,  if  it  had  Ijeen  in  your 
power  to  help  1  Yet  the  Lord  saw  thi.s  extreme  dis- 
tress. He  heard  their  piteous  moans.  He  was  able 
to  save  them,  yet  withdrew  his  a.--sistance.  Now, 
l)ecause  you  would  gladly  have  succored  them,  if  you 
could,  and  God  Almighty  could,  but  would  not  send 
them  aid;  will  you,  therefore,  conclude  that  you  are 
above  your  Lord  ?  and  that  your  loving-kindness  is 
greater  than  his  I  I  will  not  offer  to  charge  any  such 
con.se()Ucnce  upon  you.  I  am  persuaded  you  abhor 
the  thought."  Lelttrs  to  Mr.  Wesley,  pp.  288, 
289. 


540 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


designed  any  other  but  that  whoever  comes 
shall  be  entertained  with  a  hearty  wel- 
come; but  did  not  design,  after  all  fair 
means  were  used,  and  repeated  insults  re- 
ceived, to  do  all  that  perhaps  he  could  to 
overcome  their  pride  and  prejudice,  and 
so  bring  them  to  the  entertainment.  If 
this  would  destroy  the  sincerity  of  the  in- 
vitation, so  would  foreknoivledgc  ;  and  it 
might  as  plausibly  be  objected  how  can  any 
being  act  sincerely  in  inviting  men  to  par- 
take of  that  which  he  knows,  at  the  same 
time,  they  never  will  enjoy  1  Mr.  T.'s 
scheme  appears  to  him  to  have  many  ad- 
vantages ;  particularly,  he  thinks  it  is  con- 
sistent with  the  general  tenor  of  Scripture, 
eleai's  the  conduct  of  the  Father  of  mer- 
cies from  the  appearance  of  cruelty,  and 
leaves  the  obdurate  sinner  justly  condem- 
ned. But  admitting,  for  argument's  sake, 
that  the  divine  conduct  is  thereby  cleared 
of  the  appearance  of  cruelty,  the  worst  is 
that  this  is  all.  His  scheme  barely  goes 
to  vindicate  the  Almighty  from  cruel- 
ty. It  is  justice  only ;  there  is  no  grace  in 
it :  nothing  that  God  had  a  right  to  with- 
hold. That  which  we  have  hitherto  call- 
ed the  grace  of  the  gospel  amounts,  then, 
to  no  more  than  this  :  it  bestows  a  benefit 
upon  intelligent  creatures,  without  wliich 
they  could  not  possibly  avoid  being  ever- 
lastingly miserable;  and  that  upon  this 
consideration,  that  "  they  did  not  bring 
this  misery  upon  themselves,  nor  was  it 
ever  in  their  power  to  avoid  it."  (XIII.  82.) 
If  the  Divine  Being  will  do  this,  he  shall 
be  complimented  with  the  character  of 
benevolent  (XIII.  80  ;)  but,  if  not,  he  must 
be  reproached  "  as  not  loving,  but  hating, 
a  great  part  of  his  rational  offspring. "  O, 
Mr.  Taylor  !  does  any  one  maintain  that 
men,  considered  as  the  ojfspring  of  God, 
are  the  objects  of  his  hatred  1  Do  not 
men  sustain  a  more  disagreeable  character 
than  this  1  That  Deists  and  Socinians 
should  write  in  this  strain  is  no  wonder  ; 
but  how  came  the  language  of  infidelity  to 
escape  your  pen  1 

Excuse  this  apostrophe.  Utterly  as  I 
disapprove  of  his  Arminian  tenets  (which, 
under  the  plausible  pretext  of  extending 
the  grace  of  the  gospel,  appear  to  me  to 
enervate  if  not  annihilate  it,  and  to  leave 
little  or  nothing  of  grace  but  the  name,) 
I  still  entertain  a  high  degree  of  personal 
respect  and  esteem  for  my  opponent. 


LETTER  X. 

Mr.  T.,  in  his  Ninth  Letter,  remarks 
on  the  evidence  I  offered  for  an  absolute 
determination  in  the  death  of  Christ  to  save 


some  of  the  human  race.  "  This  senti- 
ment," Mr.  T.  says,  "whether  true  or 
false,  I  do  not  Avish  to  oppose."  (XIII.  92.) 
He  would  not  dispute,  it  seems,  about 
Christ's  dying  with  a  view  to  the  certain 
salvation  of  some,  provided  I  would  admit 
that,  in  another  respect,  he  died  for  all 
mankind.  Here,  then,  we  seem  to  come 
nearer  together  than  we  sometimes  are. 
The  sense  in  which  he  pleads  for  the  univer- 
sal extent  of  Christ's  death  is  only  to  lay 
a  foundation  for  this  doctrine,  that  men,  in 
general,  may  be  saved,  if  they  ivill ;  and 
this  is  what  I  admit :  I  allow  that  the  death 
of  Christ  has  opened  a  way  whereby  God 
can,  consistently  with  his  justice,  forgive 
any  sinner  whatever  who  returns  to  him  by 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  if  this  may  be  called 
dying  for  men,  which  I  shall  not  dispute, 
then  it  is  admitted  that  Christ  died  for  all 
mankind.  But  I  say,  they  ivill  not  come  to 
Christ  for  life;  and  that,  if  Christ  had 
died  for  no  other  end  than  to  give  them 
this  offer,  not  one  of  them  would  have  ac- 
cepted it. 

I  hold  as  much  as  Mr.  T.  holds  to  any 
good  purpose.  I  admit  of  a  loay  being  op- 
ened for  the  salvation  of  sinners  without 
distinction;  and,  what  is  more,  that  an  ef- 
fectual provision  is  made  in  the  death  of 
Christ  that  that  ivay  shall  not  be  unoccupi- 
ed; that  he  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his 
soul,  and  be  satisfied.  Without  this  pro- 
vision, I  suppose,  no  one  would  ever  have 
been  saved ;  and  the  tendency  of  my  rea- 
soning is  to  prove  that  all  who  are  saved 
are  saved  in  consequence  of  it. 

Mr.  T.,  I  observe,  is  not  disposed  to 
controvert  the  doctrine  of  eternal,  person- 
al, and  unconditional  election.  (XIII.  100.) 
I  am  allowed,  therefore,  to  take  that  doc- 
trine, together  with  a  special  design  in  the 
death  of  Christ  for  the  salvation  of  the 
elect,  for  granted.  "  This  sentiment," 
Mr.  T.  says,  "whether  true  or  false,  he 
does  not  wish  to  oppose."  If  any  thing 
is  necessary  to  be  proved,  in  this  place,  it 
is  that  NONE  but  those  ivhose  salvation 
Christ  absolutely  designed  in  his  death  are 
eventually  saved;  or,  in  other  words,  that 
WHOEVER  are  saved  are  indebted  to  sove- 
reign and  efficacious  grace  for  their  salva- 
tion. Now,  let  the  reader  turn  to  my  Reply 
to  Philanthropos,  pp.  498,  490,  and  he  will 
perceive  that  several  of  those  Scriptures 
which  prove  the  doctrine  of  election  prove 
also  that  none  else  are  finally  saved.  The 
apostles  addressed  all  the  believing  Ephe- 
sians,  Thessalonians,  &c.,  as  having  been 
"chosen  in  Christ"  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  that  they  should  be  holy  ;  as 
"  chosen  to  salvation  througli  sanctification 
of  the  Spirit,  and  belief  of  the  truth  ;  "  as 
"  elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of 
God  the  Father,  through  sanctification  of 


TUB    RKALITV    AND    LFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GKACC. 


541 


the  Spirit  unto  oboilience ;  "  ns  Icing 
"  suvcil  and  called  with  a  holy  callinjr,  not 
accordins;  to  their  works,  l.ut  according  to 
God's  own  purpose  and  grace,  given  them 
in  Christ  liclbre  the  world  began."  But, 
if  SOME  were  saved  in  consequence  of  such 
a  J  urposc  in  their  favor,  and  othkus  with- 
out it,  the  a])oslles  had  no  just  ground  to 
write  as  they  did,  concerning  them  all, 
without  distinction.  When  we  are  told 
tliat  "  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal 
life  liclicved,"  this  implies,  as  strongly  as 
any  thing  can  imjdy,  thai  no  more  believ- 
ed, and  were  saved,  than  such  as  v\erc  or- 
dained to  eternal  life.  C'luist  returned 
thanks  to  his  Father  that  he  had  "hid 
these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  revealed  them  unto  babes.  Even  so 
feather,"  said  he,  "  for  so  it  seen)cd  good 
in  thy  sight."  And  again,  wc  are  assured 
by  the  apostle  Paul,  "The  election  hath 
obtained  it,  and  the  rest  were  blinded." 

To  the  aliove  passages  I  shall  add  only 
one  more  :  1  Cor.  i.  26 — 29.  "  Ye  see 
your  calling,  brethren,  how  tliat  not  many 
wise  men  after  tiic  flesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble  are  called ;  but  God  hath 
chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to 
confound  the  wise  ;  and  God  hath  cho- 
sen the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  con- 
found the  things  that  are  mighty  ;  and  b.ase 
thin<rs  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are 
despised,  hath  God  chosen,  and  things 
which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things 
that  are  :  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his 
presence."  The  reasoning  of  the  apostle, 
in  this  passage,  plaiidy  supposes  tlie  fol- 
lowing things  : — 1.  That  there  is  a  special 
and  effectual  vocation,  which  is  peculiar  to 
all  Christians.  The  common  call  of  the 
gospel  extends  alike  to  rich  and  poor,  wise 
and  foolish,  noble  and  ignoble  ;  but  the  ef- 
fectual operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  do 
not  :  it  is  the  latter,  tlierefore,  and  not  the 
former,  which  is  here  meant.  2.  That  this 
vocation,  common  to  all  true  Christians, 
corresponds,  as  to  the  objects  of  it,  with 
election.  The  same  i)ersons,  and  all  of 
them,  said  to  be  called,  are,  in  the  same 
passage,  said  to  be  chosen  ;  which  agrees 
with  the  same  apostle's  account  of  the 
matter,  in  Rom.  \iii.  30,  "  Whom  he  did 
predestinate,  them  he  also  called."  3. 
Vocation  not  only  corresponds  with  elec- 
tion as  to  the  objects  of  it,  but  is  itself  an 
effect  of  it.  The  reason  given  why  the 
foolish,  weak,  and  despised  ones  of  the 
world  were  called,  rather  than  others,  is 
God's  sovereign  choice  of  them  before 
others.  Some  might  have  supposed,  if 
the  apostle  had  not  been  so  particular  in 
his  expressions,  that  the  minds  of  the  weak 
and  illiterate,  though  under  a  disadvantage 
in  one  respect,  yet  possessed  an  advantage 
in  another,   in  that  they  were  more   free 


from  prejudice  ;  and  that  Paul  had  meant 
to  ascribe  their  embracing  Christ  before 
others  to  the  unprejudiced  state  of  their 
minds  ;  but  such  a  supposition  is  entirely 
precluded  by  the  apostle's  language.  He 
does  not  say,*  the  weak  and  foolish  have 
chosen  God,  but  God  hath  chosen  them; 
nor  would  the  other  mode  of  expression 
have  corresponded  with  the  end  assigned, 
to  prove  that  "  no  flesh  shall  glory  in  his 
presence." 

Many  worthy  men,  who  have  maintain- 
ed the  Calvinislic  doctrine  of  predestina- 
tion, have  at  the  same  time  admitted  that 
Christ  might  be  said,  in  some  sense,  to  have 
died  for  the  whole  world.  They  distin- 
guished between  the  sufficiency  and  effic- 
iency of  his  death  ;  and  considered  the  in- 
definite language  of  the  New  Testament, 
relative  to  that  subject,  as  expressing  the 
former  of  these  ideas.  Thus  the  English 
Reformers,  who  composed  the  Thirty-nine 
Articles,  appear  to  have  viewed  the  sub- 
ject. They  fully  avowed  the  doctrine  of 
predestination,  and  at  the  same  time  spoke 
of  Christ's  dying  for  all  mankind.  Mr. 
T.  on  this  ground  afl'irms  that  "  the  doc- 
trine of  the  universality  of  our  Saviour's 
death  both  is,  and  ever  since  the  Reforma- 
tion has  been,  the  doctrine  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church."  (Xni.  141.)  I  believe, 
in  the  sense  above  mentioned,  it  has  been 
so  ;  and,  if  this  was  all  that  Mr.  T.  plead- 
ed for,  he  might  debate  the  point  with 
whomsoever  he  pleased,  I  should  not  in- 
terest myself  in  the  dispute.  But  the 
views  of  Cranmer,  Latimer,  Hooper, 
Usher,  and  Davcnant,  were  very  different 
from  those  of  Mr.  Taylor.  They,  as  well 
as  Eraser  of  Scotland  and  Bellamy  of  New 
England,  and  n)any  other  anti-episcopali- 
an divines  who  have  agreed  with  them  in 
this  j)oint,  never  imagined  that  any  besides 
the  elect  would  finally  be  saved.  And 
they  considered  the  salvation  of  all  tiiat 
are  saved  as  the  effect  of  predestinating 
grace,  as  their  works  abundantly  testify. 

Mr.  T.  may  say.  The  question  is,  not 
whether  more  than  those  whose  salvation 
is  absolutely  determined  tvill  be  eventual- 
ly saved,  but  whether  iheyinii^ht  be.  "If," 
says  he,  "any  such  election  be  maintained 
as  supposes  that  all  the  rest  of  mankind 
never  enjoyed  the  possibility  of  happiness, 
nor  had  any  provision  of  happiness  made 
for  them,  but  were  necessarily,  either  from 
eternity  or  from  their  birth,  exposed  to 
eternal  misery,  such  election  as  this  I  de- 
liberately consider  as  opposite  to  the  spirit 
and  desiirn  of  the  iros])el,  and  to  the  tenor 
of  Scripture."  (XIII.  100.)  To  this  it 
is  replied.  All  such  terms  as  necessary, 
cannot,  impossible,  &c.,  when  applied  to 
these  subjects,  are  used  improperly.  They 
always  denote,  in  strict  propriety  of  speech, 


542 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


an  obstruction  arising  from  something  dis- 
tinct from  the  state  of  the  will.  Such 
terms,  in  their  common  acceptation,  sup- 
pose a  willingness  in  us  to  perform  an  ac- 
tion, or  obtain  an  end,  but  that  we  are 
hindered  by  some  insurmountable  bar  from 
without.  Such  an  idea  is  always  annexed 
to  the  use  of  such  terms  ;  and  Mr.  T.  cer- 
tainly has  this  idea  in  his  use  of  the 
terms  necessary  and  impossible,  in  this 
place.  His  meaning  is  to  oppose  that 
doctrine  which  represents  a  part  of  man- 
kind as  placed  in  such  circumstances 
as  that,  though  they  should  be  willing 
to  embrace  Christ,  or  at  least  willing 
to  use  means  that  they  may  be  willing 
to  embrace  him,  yet  it  would  be  all  in 
vain.  But  such  a  doctrine  nobody  main- 
tains ;  at  least,  I  had  no  such  ideas  of  the 
subject.  I  have  no  such  notion  of  elec- 
tion, or  of  the  limited  extent  of  Christ's 
death,  as  that  it  shall  be  in  vain  for  any  of 
the  sons  of  men  truly  to  seek  after  God. 
If  they  are  willing  to  be  saved  in  God's 
way,  nothing  shall  hinder  their  salvation  ; 
and  (if  there  were  any  meaning  in  the  ex- 
pression) if  they  were  but  truly  willing  to 
use  means  that  they  might  be  willing,  all 
would  be  clear  before  thern.  Now,  where 
this  is  the  case,  it  cannot  be  said,  in  strict 
propriety  of  speech,  that  no  provision  is 
made  for  their  happiness,  or  that  any  man's 
salvation  is  impossible,  or  his  destruction 
necessary  ;  seeing  the  way  of  salvation  is 
open  to  him,  if  he  Avill  but  walk  in  it.  All 
that  can  be  said  in  truth  is  that  there  is  a 
CERTAINTY  in  thesc  things.  It  is  certain 
that  none  will  be  saved  but  those  who 
choose  to  be  saved  in  God's  way.  It  is 
certain  that  no  one  will  choose  that  which 
is  opposite  to  the  prevailing  bias  of  his 
heart.  Yea,  it  is  certain  that,  whatever 
means  there  may  be  adapted  to  the  turning 
of  his  heart,  a  man  who  is  wholly  averse 
from  God  will  never  make  use  of  them 
with  such  a  design.  To  make  use  of  a 
means,  with  a  view  to  accomplish  an  end, 
must  imply  the  existence  of  a  desire  after 
such  end  ;  but  a  desire  after  this  end  ex- 
ists not  till  the  end  is  accomplished.  A 
desire  after  a  change  of  heart  is,  in  some 
degree,  the  very  thing  desired.  Besides, 
if,  as  Mr.  T.  says,  "  men  have  no  ivillnor 
poiver,  nor  any  concern  about  the  matter" 
of  believing  in  Christ,  "till  the  Holy  Spir- 
it work,  awaken,  and  produce  these  in  his 
mind,"  (XIII.  23,)  then  it  is  certain,  even 
from  his  own  premises,  that  no  sinner  ever 
sincerely  applied  to  God  for  grace  before 
he  had  it,  unless  he  could  be  supposed  so 
to  apply  without  will,  or  power,  or  any 
concern  about  it.  These  things,  I  say, 
are  certain,  according  to  the  nature  and 
constitution  of  all  intelligent  beings  ;  and 


there  are  other  things  equally  certain,  as 
consequences  of  them,  which  are  confirmed 
by  Scripture  testimony.  It  is  certain  that 
none  are  willing-  to  be  saved  in  God's  way 
but  those  who  are  made  willing  in  the  day 
of  his  power  :  it  is  certain  that,  whenever 
God  makes  a  sinner  willing  in  the  day  of 
his  power,  he  is  only  working  things  after 
the  counsel  of  his  own  will,  executing  his 
own  eternal  purpose  :  and  hence  it  is  cer- 
tain that  such,  and  only  such,  will  even- 
tually be  saved. 

If  Mr.  T.  objects  against  the  certainty 
of  any  man's  destruction,  and  will  have 
it  that  this  amounts  to  the  same  thing 
as  necessity  and  impossibility ;  let  him 
consider  that,  as  he  admits  tlie  doctrine 
of  divine  foreknowledge,  he  must  allow, 
therefore,  that  God  certainly  foreknew  the 
final  state  of  every  man.  But  certain 
foreknowledge  must  imply  a  certainty  of 
the  event  foreknown.  If  an  event  is  cer- 
tainly foreknown,  the  future  existence  of 
that  event  must  be  certain.  If  there  was 
an  uncertainty  respecting  the  future  exist- 
ence of  an  event,  there  must,  in  the  na- 
ture of  things,  be  an  equal  degree  of  un- 
certainty in  the  foreknowledge  of  that 
event.  Certain  foreknowledge,  therefore, 
implies  a  certainty  of  the  event  foreknown. 

But  foreknowledge,  it  is  alleged,  has  no 
causal  influence  upon  the  thing  foreknown. 
(XIII.  108.)  Be  it  so:  neither  has  any 
purpose  in  God,  that  I  embrace,  any  in- 
fluence towards  a  sinner's  destruction, 
except  in  a  way  of  punishment  for  his  sin. 
The  scheme  which  Mr.  T.  opposes,  so  far 
from  representing  man  as  "forever  unable 
to  improve  one  single  mercy  of  God  to 
any  good  purpose,"  represents  him  as  not 
only  possessing  great  advantages,  but  as 
able  to  comply  with  every  thing  that  God 
requires  at  his  hand ;  and  that  all  his  mis- 
ery arises  from  his  "voluntary  "  abuse  of 
mercy,  and  his  ivilful  rebellion  against 
God.  It  is  not  a  want  of  ability  but  of 
inclination,  that  proves  his  ruin.*  If  Mr. 
T.  had  kept  these  things  in  view,  (which, 
surely,  he  ought  to  have  done,)  he  could 
not  have  represented  my  sentiments  in 
such  a  light  as  he  has  done.  (XIII.  106, 
108.) 

*  Though  Mr.  T.  talks  of  men  a.s  having  "  no 
toill  nor  power  to  believe  in  Christ,  nor  any  concern 
in  the  mattei,"  prior  to  the  Spirit's  work,  (XIII. 
23,)  yet  that  is  what  I  have  never  aflfirmed.  On  the 
contrary,  I  maintain  that  men  have  tiie  same  power, 
strictly  speaking,  before  they  are  wrought  upon  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  as  after;  and  before  conversion  as 
after  :  that  the  work  of  the  Spirit  endows  us  with 
no  new  rational  powers  nor  any  powers  that  are 
necessary  to  moral  agency  :  and  that,  so  far  from  our 
having  "  no  concern  in  the  matter,"  we  were  all 
deeply  concerned  in  rejecting  Christ,  and  the  way 
of  salvation  by  liim. 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACy    OF    DIVINE    (;RACE. 


543 


LETTER  XI. 

Mr.  Taylor  often  speaks  of  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture,  as  if  its  whole  currenl 
was  in  his  favor,  as  if  his  opponent  was 
engaged  in  a  controversy  in  which  he  had 
forsaken  llie  v\ord  of  God.  Now,  sup- 
pose it  were  allowed  that  the  language  of 
several  |)assages  of  Scripture,  taken  in 
their  most  literal  and  plain  meaning,  proves 
Christ,  in  some  sense,  to  have  died  for  all 
mankind;  still,  if  we  will  give  fair  scope 
to  other  parts  of  Scripture,  it  appears  evi- 
dent that,  in  some  sense,  lie  died  for  only  a 
part  of  mankind.  Several  of  these  pass- 
ages I  had  produced;  to  which  Mr.  T. 
has  said  scarcely  any  thing  that  deserves 
being  called  an  answer.  When  I  argued 
from  Christ's  being  said  to  "  lay  down  his 
life  for  his  sheep" — "to  give  himself  for 
his  church,  that  he  might  sanctify  it,"  &c. 
&c.,  could  Mr.  T.  think  it  suflTicient  to 
say,  "  We  arc  nowhere  informed  that  he 
died  for  those  only  ;  this  is  no  proof  that 
he  did  not  die  for  all  mankind  :  it  is  cer- 
tain that,  if  Christ  died  for  all,  he  died 
for  these,  because  the  greater  numlter  in- 
cludes the  less,  and  the  whole  includes 
its  parts  1"*  Did  not  I  argue,  particu- 
larly from  Ephes.  v.  25,  26,  that  the  death 
of  Christ  is  there  represented  as  the  result 
of  his  love  to  the  church,  in  the  charac- 
ter of  a  husband,  and  which  must,  there- 
fore, be  discriminating  ; — that  the  church 
could  not  here  mean  actual  believers,  be- 
cause they  arc  considered  as  unsanct'ified ; 
he  died  that  he  might  sanctify  them  ; — that 
Christ  did  not  die  for  believers  as  such  ; 
he  laid  down  his  life  for  his  enemies; — 
that,  therefore,  it  must  mean  all  the  elect 
of  God — all  those  that  are  finally  saved  1 
And  has  Mr.  T.  answered  this  reasoning"? 
No,  nor  attempted  it.  If,  as  he  often 
suggests,  my  cause  has  so  very  slender  a 
share  of  scriptural  evidence  to  support  it, 
is  it  not  a  pity  l)ut  he  had  given  a  fair  an- 
swer to  those  Scriptures  which  were  ad- 
duced 1 

*XIII.  93.  "  Go,  preach  ihe  gospel,"  said  Christ, 
"to  every  creature;  lie  tliat  Ijelieveth,  and  is  t)ap- 
tized  i<hall  he  saved."  Believers  only,  say  the  Bap- 
tists, you  see,  are  to  be  tjaptized. — IS'o,  say  others, 
this  is  no  proof  that  lieiievers  only  arc  to  Ije  hapiized. 
It  might  l)e  the  design  of  Chri.<t  that  they  should  bap- 
tize all  the  world,  for  aught  this  passage  proves.  It 
is  certain,  if  all  are  to  Ix;  baptized,  believers  ate, 
because  the  greater  nunilx^r  always  includes  tlie  less, 
and  the  whole  includt^  its  parts.  What  would  Mr. 
T.,  as  a  Baptist,  say  to  this  reasoning  1  It  is  ex- 
actly the  same  as  his  own.  This  very  answer  I 
made  to  Mr.  T.  before,  when  he  called  out  for  ex- 
press testimony  for  what  I  supposed  to  be  a  nega- 
tive truth;  which  answer,  I  presume,  he  totally 
misunderstood  :  otherwise,  he  could  not  have  given 
a  reply  so  foreign  to  the  argument . 


I  argued,  farther,  from  Christ's  dying  in 
the  character  of  a  surety,  that  he  might 
"  bring  many  sons  unto  glory  ;  "  might 
"  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of 
God  that  were  scattered  al)road,"  &c. 
Mr.  T.'s  answer  to  this  argument  is  ex- 
ceedingly trilling  and  unfair.  I  did  not 
"  take  for  granted  "  that  Christ  absolutely 
intended  the  salvation  of  all  for  whom  he 
died,  but  brought  the  argument  which  he 
quotes  in  order  (o  pl-ove  it.  Nor  did  I 
rest  my  argument  from  the  passages  of 
Scri[)(ure  there  cited  upon  my  "  aprehen- 
sions,"  but  upon  the  Scriptures  themselves, 
which  surely  prove  none  the  less  for  being 
introduced  in  that  form.  Mr.  T.'s  remark 
upon  tiie  Jewish  sacrifices (XIU.  94)  shows 
an  uncommon  iuatteijtion  to  the  argument. 
I  observed,  by  way  of  introduction,  that 
"  sacrifices  were  offered  on  account  of 
those,  and  those  only,  on  whose  behalf 
they  were  sanctified,  or  set  apart;  that 
every  sacrifice  had  its  special  appointment, 
and  was  supposed  to  atone  for  the  sins  of 
those,  and  those  only,  on  whose  behalf  it 
was  ofTered."  All  this,  I  supposed,  would 
l)e  granted  by  Mr.  T.  These  observa- 
tions were  my  data.  I  then  proceeded  to 
apply  tiiis  reasoning,  and  to  prove  who 
those  were  for  whom  Christ  was  sanctifi- 
ed, or  set  apart,  as  a  sacrifice.  For  this 
purpose  I  quoted  John  xvii.  19,  "  For 
their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they 
may  be  sanctified  through  the  truth  :  " — 
they  who  are  given  hivi  of  the  Father. 
But  Mr.  T.,  instead  of  answering  this 
argument,  never  looks  at  it ;  but  takes  up 
a  part  of  my  premises,  without  touching 
upon  the  conclusion,  and  then  charges  me 
with  "  reasoning  in  a  circle  I"  Consider- 
ing Mr.  T.'s  abilities  and  experience  in 
polemical  divinity,  is  it  not  astonishing 
that  things  so  indigested  should  proceed 
from  his  pen  ] 

I  farther  argued  from  the  certain  effects 
of  Christ's  death  extending  not  to  all  man- 
kind, particularly  the  effect  of  redemp- 
tion. Mr.  T.'s  answer  to  this  argument 
is  abundantly  more  worthy  of  notice  than 
his  answers  to  those  that  went  before. 
(XIII.  95.)  Nor  shall  I  urge  it  upon  him, 
that  his  denial  o{  general  redemption,  while 
he  pleads  for  tiie  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death,  indicates  an  idea  of  re- 
demption as  novel  and  unprecedented  as 
my  interpretation  of  the  term  propitiation, 
which  he  endeavors  to  explode  on  account 
of  its  peculiarity.  (XIII.  115,  116.)  Yet, 
after  all,  there  is  great  reason  from  the 
context  to  conclude  that  what  is  spoken  in 
Gal.  iii.  13,  of  Christ's  having  "redeemed 
us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made 
a  curse  for  us,"  respects  what  was  effect- 
ed by  the  blood  of  Christ  alone,  when 
upon  the  cross,  antecedently  to  our  believ- 


544 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


ing  in  him.     When  the  apostle  speaks  of 

redemption,  he  says,  he  "  hath  redeemed  us, 
being  made  a  curse  for  us."  When  he 
speaks  of  blessings  resulting  fi'om  his  death, 
but  which  do  not  take  place  before  be- 
lieving, he  immediately  changes  his  man- 
ner of  speaking,  as  in  verse  14,  "  That  the 
blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the 
Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ;  that  we 
might  receive  the  promise  of  the  Spirit 
through  faith."  We  are  also  said  to  be 
"justified  through  the  redemption  that  is 
in  Christ  Jesus."  Rom.  iii.  24.  But  would 
it  not  be  making  the  apostle  speak  very 
awkwardly  to  understand  redemption,  not 
of  what  was  obtained  by  the  death  of 
Christ  alone,  but  of  what  has  its  existence 
through  faith.  Can  Mr.  T.  suppose  that 
the  apostle  meant  to  say,  We  are  justified 
through  the  forgiveness  of  sins? 

I  argued,  farther,  from  Christ's  bearing 
the  sins  of  many  ;  particularly  from  Isa. 
liii.  12;  and  I  supposed  the  meaning  of 
the  term  many,  in  verse  12,  might  be  de- 
cided by  its  meaning  in  verse  11.  "  There 
is  no  reason,"  I  observed,  "that  I  know 
of,  to  be  given,  why  the  many  whose  sins 
he  bore  should  be  understood  of  any  other 
persons  than  the  many  who  by  his  knowl- 
edge are  justified,  and  who  are  not  all  man- 
kind." To  this  Mr.  T.,  among  other  things, 
replies,  "  /  do  not  know,  is  no  argument 
at  all.  This  may  be  said  on  any  subject. 
If  the  truth  lie  on  the  side  of  Mr.  F.  he 
must  show  us  that  he  does  know,  and  liotu 
he  knows  it,  by  fair  and  allowed  rules  of 
interpretation."  (XIII.  97.)  This,  to  be 
sure,  is  talking  in  a  high  strain ;  but  to 
what  purpose  1  I  should  have  thought  ex- 
plaining a  term  according  to  its  allowed 
meaning  in  the  context,  except  some  good 
reason  could  be  given  for  the  contrary,  was 
a  fair  and   allowed  rule  of  interpretation. 

Again  :  I  argued  from  the  intercession 
of  Christ,  in  John  xvii.  9,  "  I  pray  for  them, 
I  pray  not  for  the  world,"  &c.,  which, 
like  that  of  the  priests  under  the  law,  was 
in  behalf  of  the  same  persons  for  whom  the 
oblation  was  offered.  Mr.  T.  here,  as 
usual,  calls  out  for  more  proof,  without 
attending  to  what  is  given.  (XIII.  99.)  He 
questions  two  things  ;  first,  whether  this 
prayer  is  to  be  considered  as  a  specimen 
of  Christ's  intercession,  which  he  seems  to 
consider  as  confined  to  heaven :  he  means, 
I  suppose,  to  his  state  of  exaltation.  But 
is  not  his  prayer  upon  the  cross  expressly 
called,  in  prophecy,  making  "intercession 
for  the  transgresors  1"  Isa.  liii.  12.  But, 
farther,  he  calls  for  proof  that  the  death 
and  intercession  of  Christ  are  of  equal  ex- 
tent. (XIII.  99.)  The  intercession  of  the 
priests  under  the  law,  being  on  the  behalf 
of  the  same  persons  on  whose  account 
they  offered  the  oblation,  was  mentioned. 


Whether  this  be  a  sufficient  ground  to  rest 
the  argument  upon,  or  not,  one  should 
think  it  has  some  weight  in  it;  but  of  this 
Mr.  T.  takes  no  notice. 

Finally  :  I  argued  from  Rev.  v.  9,  xiv. 
3,  4,  where  Christians  are  said  to  be  re- 
deemed, or  bought,  from  among  men,  which 
should  seem  to  imply  that  all  men  are 
not  redeemed,  or  bought.  Mr.  T.  here 
goes  about  to  refute  some  things  upon 
which  I  built  nothing.  (XIII.  101,  102.) 
Whether  the  four  living  creatures,  and 
the  Ibur-and-twenty  elders,  repi'esent  the 
church  militant  or  the  church  triumphant, 
or  whether  the  persons  in  question  repre- 
sent the  whole  church  triumphant  or  only 
a  part  of  it,  are  matters  that  signify  but 
little,  if  any  thing,  to  the  point  in  hand. 
If  the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  church  tri- 
umphant were  bought,  or  "  redeemed  by 
blood,  from  amongst  men,"  that  is  suffi- 
cient. Mr.  T.  deals  plentifully,  I  ob- 
serve, in  such  language  as,  if  I  had  used 
it,  he  would  have  held  up  in  italics  to 
great  advantage;  such  as  "/  do  not  re- 
member— /  think — and  /  think."  I  do  not 
mention  this  as  improper  language  :  I  only 
mean  to  remind  him  that  he  should  not 
have  been  so  severe  upon  me  for  using 
the  same.  As  to  what  he  has  said  upon 
this  passage,  I  think,  upon  the  whole,  it 
is  as  forcible  as  any  thing  that  can  be  said 
on  his  side  the  question ;  though  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  natural  meaning  of  the  word 
i.Yoouodt^auv,  they  were  bought,  and  its 
only  meaning,  that  I  recollect,  in  the  New 
Testament,  must  be  utterly  cashiered,  and 
I  apprehend  the  natural  meaning  of  the 
whole  passage  greatly  foi'ced,  to  admit  of 
his  interpretation, 

P.  S.  I  do  not  recollect  that  the  ivhole 
ivorld,  or  all,  or  all  men,  are  ever  said  to 
be  purchased,  or  bought,  or  redeemed,  by 
the  blood  of  Christ ;  or  that  we  ever  read 
of  Christ's  redeeming,  buying,  or  purchas- 
ing, any  Imt  his  church.  Mr.  T.  does  not 
pretencl  that- all  mankind  are  redeemed: 
but  I  think,  if  we  take  our  notions  from 
the  New  Testament,  it  is  evident  that 
buying  or  purchasing,  when  applied  to 
what  Christ  has  done  for  us,  is  as  much 
confined  to  the  church  as  redemption. 
'^■/yoouLw  and  niQiTiouu},  which  are  used  to 
express  the  ideas  of  buying,  purchasing, 
or  acquiring  by  price,  are  applied  to  the 
church  of  God  only  ;  as  well  as  AVTQuoftai, 
to  redeem,  Luke  xxiv.  21;  Tit.  ii.  14; 
and  ivTQor,  a  ransom.  Matt.  xx.  28 ;  Mark 
X.  45.  In  1  Tim.  ii.  6  Christ  is  said  to 
give  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  coTUvTQor 
t'.Tfy  TTixvTuv  ;  but  that  will  be  considered 
in  the  next  letter.  It  is  said  of  the  church 
of  God  that  he  purchased  it  with  his  own 
blood:     TTtQitTTOtt^accTo  Sia  tou  idiov  aiiiarog. 


TIIK    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY     OF     DIVIM:     UllACK. 


545 


Acts  XX.  28.  The  final  (Icliveraiicc  ol 
the  wliolc  collective  luitly  ol  the  saved, 
from  all  remains  of  natural  and  moral  evil, 

is     called     trlu/.i  tnviiu<:     ti]i   ;fH>i.lui[oiuii,     (he 

redemption  of  the  purchased  possession, 
or  of  the  people  acquired,  or  purchased, 
Ephes.  i.  It.  On  which  Calvin  remarks, 
/7«ijc.foir,(Ti,-,  quain  latine  verlimus  acquisi- 
tam  hcereditatcm,  non  e,-t  regnum  cado- 
rum,  aut  beata  immortalitas,  sed  ipsa  ec- 
clesia.*  Thus,  in  1  Pet.  ii.  9,  they  are 
styled,  >'-i«"?  »'«  nnn.Toii,otr,  a  people  ac- 
quired, or  purchased  to  himself  in  a  pecu- 
liar manner ;  or  a  people  for  a  peculiar 
possession.  Paul  says,  1  Thcss.  v.  9, 
"  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath ; 
l>iit  to  the  ifin.iuit^oiy  ov>n,iiiue,  obtaining, 
or  acquirins;,  of  salvation  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Clirist,  who  died  for  us,  that  we 
should  live  with  him."  And  2  Thess.  ii. 
13,  14,  he  says,  "Beloved  of  the  Lord, 
God  hath  from  the  bcfrinning  chosen  you 
to  salvation,  through  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit,  and  belief  of  the  truth:  whereunto 
he  called  you  l>y  our  gospel,  unto  n^n>f7xoi\aiv 
9oii}:,  the  obtaining,  or  acquisition,  of  the 
glory  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Let 
the  impartial  judge  if  these  passages  do 
not  strongly  favor  the  peculiarity  of  de- 
sign in  Christ's  death.  And  thus  it  is 
said  of  Christians,  Till/;?  i];'ondnSi^rt,  ye  are 
bought  with  a  price,  1  Cor.  vi.  20;  vii.  23. 
If  2  Pet.  ii.  1  should  he  alleged  as  an 
objection,  I  hope  I  have  given  a  sufficient 
reason  w  hy  that  passage  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood of  the  Saviour's  blood,  but  of 
God's  deliverance  in  a  way  of  providence, 
p.  504.  It  is  such  a  reason,  at  least,  as 
Mr.  T.  has  not  attempted  to  answer. 


LETTER  XII. 

Mr.  T.,  in  his  Nine  Letters,  offered 
arguments  for  the  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death.  He  argued  from  the  good- 
ness of  God  over  all  his  works,  and  from 
various  passages  of  Scripture  which  speak 
of  the  death  of  Christ  in  indefinite  lan- 
guage. The  principal  of  these  passages 
and  arguments  I  have  considered  in  mv 
Reply.  Mr.  T.,  in  the  Eleventh  Letter  of 
his  last  publication,  defends  his  former 
arguments. 

Before  I  enter  on  a  discussion  of  partic- 
ulars, I  would  observe  that,  although 
Mr.  T.  pleads  for  the  universal  extent  of 
Christ's  death,  yet  he  pleads  for  it  in  no 

*  TTiniTcoir^rit!:,  which  we  render  ike  purchased 
possession,  is  not  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  a  bless- 
ed immmortalily  but  the  church  itself, 

VOL.   I.  69 


other  sense  than  as  laying  a  foundation 
for  sinners,  without  distinction,  being  in- 
vited to  return  home  to  (i()d;l)y  Jesus 
Christ,  with  the  promise  of  forgiveness 
and  acceptance  on  their  return.  He  docs 
not  pretend  tiiat  there  is  provision  made 
l>y  the  death  of  Christ  for  the  certain  sal- 
vation of  all  men.  Now,  the  thing  itself 
for  which  he  pleads  is  no  more  than  I  have 
admitted.  It  is  true  I  have  supposed  that 
this  being  done  for  men  in  general  cannot 
with  propriety  be  called  dying /or  them. 
At  the  same  time,  I  have  allowed  that 
"many  considcial>le  writers,  who  are  far 
from  denying  that  the  salvation  of  all  the 
saved  is  owing  to  an  absolute,  and  conse- 
(juently  limited,  design  in  the  death  of 
Christ,  have  supposccl  that  it  might  ;  and 
that  the  indefinite  language  of  Scripture, 
concerning  the  death  of  Christ,  is  intended 
to  convey  to  us  this  idea."  The  thing  it- 
self I  do  not  controvert ;  only  it  appeared 
to  me  that  the  terms  ransom,  propitiation, 
dying  for  us,  ike,  were  intended  to  con- 
vey something  more  than  this,  and  what 
is  true  only  of  the  finally  saved.  Now, 
admitting  that  I  am  mistaken  in  my 
supposition — admitting  that  the  terms  pro- 
pitiation,  ransom,  &c.,  are  applicable  to 
mankind  in  general,  and  are  designed  to 
express  that  there  is  a  way  opened  for  sin- 
ners, without  distinction,  to  return  home 
to  God  and  be  saved — nothing  follows 
irom  it  but  that  I  have  misunderstood  cer- 
tain passages  of  Scripture,  by  considering 
them  as  conveying  an  indefinite,  but  not 
a  universal  idea.  In  regard  to  the  sen- 
timent itself,  I  do  not  see  that  Mr.  T. 
pleads  for  more  than  I  have  admitted,  ex- 
cept in  one  instance  :  we  agree  that  a  way 
is  opened,  by  the  death  of  Christ,  for  the 
salvation  of  sinners,  without  distinction; 
and  that  any  man  may  be  saved,  if  he  is 
willing  to  come  to  Christ,  that  he  may 
have  life.  Here  I  stop;  but  Mr.  T. 
goes  a  step  farther,  and  maintains  that 
such  a  provision  of  grace  is  made  by  the 
death  of  Christ  that  all  men  have  power 
to  be  loilling  if  they  will;  but  of  this, 
I  am  satisfied,  no  meaning  can  be  made. 
I  now  proceed  to  particulars,  by  ob- 
serving that,  whether  my  sense  of  the  pass 
ages  of  Scripture  adduced  by  Mr.  T.  be 
just  or  not,  it  does  not  appear  to  me  that 
he  has  invalidated  it.  He  argues  in  gen- 
eral from  Psa.  cxiv.  9,  "  His  tender  mer- 
cies are  over  all  his  works."  I  answered 
that  the  death  of  Christ  was  not  the  crite- 
rion of  God's  goodness  ;  that  fallen  angels 
were  a  part  of  God's  works  as  well  as  fal- 
len men.  Mr.  T.  replies  by  observing 
that  fallen  angels  were  not  here  intended. 
(XIII.  106.)  Then  it  seems  Mr.  T.  can 
sometimes  discern  a  restriction  in  the 
word  all,  though  a  universal  terra.     Per- 


546 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


haps  it  may  be  sufficient  to  observe  that 
whether  the  phrase  all  his  works  intends  all 
fallen  angels  or  not,  it  intends  more  than 
that  part  of  God's  works  for  which  Christ 
died.  Is  it  not  evident  from  the  context 
that  it  denotes  God's  providential  good- 
ness towards  the  whole  animate  creation  1 
Is  it  not  said  of  them,  in  verse  16,  that 
"their  eyes  wait  on  him ;  he  openeth  his 
hand,  and  satisfieth  the  desire  of  every 
living  thing  1  " 

But  Mr.  T.  contends  that  "  thei-e  is  no 
goodness,  no  mercy,  no  tender  mercy,  ex- 
ercised towards  a  person  who  is  placed  in 
such  a  situation  that  he  could  not  avoid 
sinning  and  being  damned,  and  whose 
damnation  is  necessarily  increased  by 
calls  and  commands  to  repent,  and  believe 
in  Christ ;  when  the  great  God,  whose 
commands  these  are,  has  provided  no  mer- 
cy for  him,  nor  intends  to  give  him  the 
least  assistance,  though  he  knows  the  poor 
sinner  cannot,  nor  ever  possibly  could, 
obey  these  calls  and  commands,  any  more 
than  he  can  fly  to  the  moon."  (XIII.  106.) 
To  this  shocking  representation  I  have 
only  to  say.  This  is  not  my  hypothesis  nor 
any  thing  like  it ;  and,  if  Mr.  T.  thinks  it 
is,  it  is  time  to  give  over  controverting  the 
matter  with  him.  The  Avhole  passage  is 
mere  declamation,  founded  on  the  abuse 
of  the  terms  cannot,  could  not,  &c  If,  in- 
stead of  "  cannot,  and  never  could,"  he 
had  said  will  not,  and  never  ivould,  his  ac- 
count of  the  poor  sinner's  case  would  not 
have  appeared  so  plausible  :  and  yet  this 
he  knows  is  the  whole  of  our  meaning. 
"  Yes,  but  if  they  could  never  will  to  com- 
ply," says  Mr.  T.,  "that  amounts  to  the 
same  thing."  (XIII.  57.)  That  is,  unless 
they  have  the  power  of  being  willing,  if 
they  will !  Of  this  I  shall  only  say  that, 
when  Mr.  T.  can  make  sense  of  it,  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  answer  it. 

What  follows  has  much  more  of  argu- 
ment in  it.  "  If  the  tender  mercies  of 
God  are  over  all  his  works,  and  if  no  man 
can  enjoy  any  mercy  but  through  Jesus 
Christ,  is  it  not  a  natural  and  reasonable 
conclusion  that  God  has  given  his  Son  to 
die  for  all  mankind  V  (XIII.  105.)  I 
must  observe  however,  by  the  way,  that, 
"  if  no  man  can  enjoy  any  mercy  but 
through  Jesus  Christ,"  I  cannot  lait  con- 
sider this  as  a  full  proof  that  the  whole 
race  were  unworthy  of  all  mercy,  and  that 
God  might  consistently  with  his  justice  and 
essential  goodness  have  witheld  it  from 
them,  and  treated  them  as  worthy  of 
death  ;  for  I  have  no  idea  that  God  need- 
ed the  death  of  his  Son  to  induce  him  to 
do  that  the  omission  of  which  Avould  have 
exposed  him  to  the  charge  of  cruelty.  If 
Mr.  T.  had  always  remembered  this  con- 
sideration, (which  I  think  he  cannot  con- 
trovert,) it  would  have  induced  him   to 


expunge  a  great  deal  of  declamation  in 
his  letters.  Having  noted  this,  I  confess 
I  think  that  much  mercy  is  exercised 
towards  men  in  general  through  Jesus 
Christ ;  and,  consequently,  that  his  death 
was  productive  of  etfects  which  terminate 
on  all.  Nor  do  I  question  whether  the 
opening  of  a  way  for  the  salvation  of  all 
who  shall  come  unto  God  by  him,  and  for 
men  without  distinction  to  be  invited  thus 
to  come,  is  owing  to  the  death  of  Christ ; 
and,  if  this  can  be  called  dying  jor  all 
mankind,  I  should  admit  without  hesita- 
tion that  he  died  for  all.  All  I  contend 
for  is  that  Christ,  in  his  death,  absolutely 
designed  the  salvation  of  all  those  who 
are  finally  saved  ;  and  that,  besides  the 
objects  of  such  absolute  design,  such  is 
the  universal  depravity  of  human  nature, 
not  one  soul  will  ever  believe  and  be 
saved. 

I  am  surprised  at  Mr.  T.'s  manner  of 
treating  the  argument  drawn  from  the 
objections  that  might  be  urged  by  a  deni- 
er of  God's  foreknowledge,  asking  wheth- 
er I  would  seriously  avow  them.  (XIII. 
107.)  One  would  think  he  need  not  be 
told  that  I  seriously  disapprove  of  that 
mode  of  reasoning  as  well  as  of  his,  and 
only  meant  throughjthat  to  show  the  tend- 
ency of  his  own.  Such  a  way  of  arguing 
is  fair  and  upright,  and  is  used  by  writers 
of  every  description  :  it  therefore  ought 
not  to  have  lieen  called  a.  finesse.  Mr.  T. 
in  what  he  has  said  on  this  suhject,  as  in 
many  other  places,  gives  "sufficient  proof 
of  two  things  :  1.  That  he  is  combating  a 
scheme  which  his  opponent  does  not  hold. 
2.  That  to  reason  with  him  upon  such 
terms  as  cannot,  unable,  or  unavoidable, 
and  the  like,  is  to  no  purpose  ;  for  that  he 
either  cannot,  or  will  not,  understand  our 
ideas  concerning  them. 

Mr.  T.  now  enters  on  a  defence  of 
his  arguments  from  the  terms  all  men, 
world,  ivholc  world,  &c.  (XIII.  110.)  I 
apprehended  that  to  understand  these 
terms  as  denoting  men  universally  was 
contrary  to  other  scriptures — to  the  scope 
of  the  inspired  writers  in  the  places  where 
those  expressions  are  found — and  involved 
in  it  various  absurdities.  Mr.  T.  wishes 
I  had  given  some  instances  of  these  con- 
tradictions and  absurdities.  This  I  cer- 
tainly attempted  in  a  gieat  deal  of  what 
followed;  but  Mr.  T.  has  never  yet  fair- 
ly refuted  my  remarks. 

I  pass  over  some  less  important  matters, 
and  observe  what  is  advanced  from  1  Tim. 
ii.  6,  "  He  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all." 
Mr.  T.  here  complains  that  I  have  not  an- 
swered his  reason  for  understanding  the 
term  all  universally ;  and  I  might  as  well 
complain  of  him  for  his  not  considering 
my  reasons  for  understanding  it  otherwise. 
I  remember  that  he  had  argued  (IX.  79 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


547 


Ironi  the  use  of  the  term  all  in  the  con- 
text, and  the  cogency  of  the  apostle's  ar- 
gument, "  Pray  for  oil,  because  Christ 
died  for  all."  I  cannot  hut  think,  with 
Mr.  Robinson,  tiiat  "  this  passage  ought 
not  to  be  urged  in  the  Arniinian  contro- 
versy ;  for  a  i)art  of  this  period  fixes  the 
sense  to  ranks  or  degrees  ol  men.  Pray 
for  kings  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority. 
Tiie  meaning  then  is,  pray  lor  all  ranks 
and  degrees  of  men  ;  for  God  will  save 
some  off///  orders.  Christ  gave  himself  a 
ransom  lor  persons  of  all  t/f^i^rffes."'  The 
arguments  I  had  advanced  in  my  Reply,  p. 
502,  to  |)rovt'  tliat  this  passage  could  not 
be  understood  of  men  universally,  he  has 
not  answered,  but  runs  otfinto  a  declama- 
tion concerning  the  secret  and  revealed 
will  of  God,  the  substance  of  wiiicii  I  iiad 
endeavored  to  obviate  in  my  Reply,  p. 
50t),  507,  note. 

Little  more  I  think  need  be  said  on  1 
John  ii.  1.  Wiiat  each  of  us  has  advanced 
u[)on  it  is  before  tiie  public.  My  sense  of 
the  passage,  which  Mr.  T.  calls  "  a  strange 
notion,"  (XIII.  15,)  surely  is  not  more 
strange  or  singular  than  his  notion  of  re- 
demption.  He  must  produce  some  bet- 
ter proof  for  another  sense  of  the  passage 
than  "  appealing  to  the  understanding  and 
conscience  of  his  friend. '''\ 

It  is  wonderful  that  Mr.  T.  sliould 
plead  for  the  universal  spread  of  the  gospel 
in  the  times  of  the  apostles,  and  for  the 
faith  of  the  Romans  being  celebrated  in  all 
parts.  (XIII.  116.)  In  alf  parts  of  the  Ro- 
man empire  it  might,  and  in  some  other 
nations  ;  but  can  any  man  persuade  him- 
self that  it  was  spoken  of  at  Mexico  or 
Otaheite  1 

Mr.  T.  thinks  that  the  whole  earth 
(Isa.  liv.  5)  is  to  be  understood  universal- 
ly, and  that  God  is  there  called  the  God  of 
the  whole  earth  as  a  creator,  supporter, 
and  judge,  in  distinction  iVom  the  tender 
character  of  a  husband.  But,  as  he  is 
called  both  the  maker  and  tlie  husband  of 
the  church  there  addressed,  so  it  seems 
very  evident  he  is  described  towards  the 
whole  earth.  He  who  had  heretofore 
been  called  "  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  " 
shall  now  be  called  "  the  God  of  the  whole 
earth."     See  Henry's  Exposition. 

The  term  xvholc,'\\\  Matt.  xiii.  33,  un- 
doubtedly is  to  be  understood  restrictive- 
ly ;    for,   though    the   gospel    will   spread 

*  Notes  upon  Claude,  \o\.U.  pp.  269,  270. 
t  It  may  not  be  inexpedient  to  inform  some  read- 
ers that  Mr.  T.'s  letters  were  written  to  an  old  and 
intimate  friend  of  his  own,  who  entirely  agrees 
with  him  in  sentiment,  and  at  who.«e  request  Mr.  T. 
first  commenced   this   controversy;    ihoiigli,  as  that 

Fmtleman  had  .=ome   slight  acqiiaiiitiince  with  Mr. 
uller,  Mr.  T.  all  along  Fpeaks  to  him  of  Mr.  F.  ns 
(he  friend  of  hi.s  correspondent.  R. 


over  all  nations  before  the  end  of  the 
world,  yet  not  so  as  to  renew  every  indi- 
vidual in  them,  much  less  every  individu- 
al that  has  existed  at  every  period.  (XIIL 
117.) 

Mr.  T.  is  astonished  to  find  me  assert- 
ing that  he  himsell'  does  not  understand 
the  terms  whole  world,  in  1  John  ii.  2,  and 
the  same  terms  in  chap.  v.  It),  in  the  same 
sense,  seeing  he  has  declared  the  contrary. 
(XIII.  118.)  Perhaps  I  had  better  have 
said,  IVIr.  T.  cannot,  upon  due  considera- 
tion, understand  those  terms  as  parallel, 
seeing  he  considers  them  in  the  former  as 
meaning  all  the  individuals  in  the  world 
that  ever  did,  or  shall  exist,  except  the 
persons  from  whom  they  are  there  dis- 
tinguished; whereas  he  cannot  pretend 
that  the  latter  mean  any  more  than  the 
world  of  ungodly  men  who  at  that  time 
existed. 

Another  passage  that  has  been  consid- 
ered by  both  of  us  is^  2  Cor.  v.  15,  '*  If 
one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead,"  &c. 
(XIII.  lis.)  Mr.  T.  liere  comj)lains,  as 
he  does  in  other  places,  of  my  not  draw- 
ing my  conclusions  in  form.  I  thought 
the  conclusions  I  meant  to  draw  were  ob- 
vious to  every  attentive  reader,  and  omit- 
ted drawing  them  out  at  length  for  the 
sake  of  brevity.  I  observed,  1.  That  the 
context  speaks  of  the  Gentiles,  as  well  as 
the  Jews,  being  interested  in  Christ.  I 
supposed,  therefore,  it  might  be  under- 
stood of  men  of  all  nations,  in  distinction 
from  its  being  confined  to  the  Jews.  2. 
That  the  apostle  meant  to  affirm  not  that 
Christ  died  for  all  that  were  dead,  .but 
that  all  were  dead  for  whom  Christ  died. 

In  proof  of  this,  I  argued  from  the  apos- 
tle's describing  the  terrors  of  divine  ven- 
geance to  which  they  were  subject ;  arid 
from  the  phraseology  of  verse  14,  "  If 
one  died  for  all,  then  were  they  all  dead." 
For  this  Mr.  T.  has  corrected  me,  charg- 
ing me  with  misquoting  the  Scripture. 
The   words    of  the  apostle    are,    on  t(  tli 

1  :ii'j  .idiTvtt    uoi^uvii,   itnu  ot  nccirtg   uni&a' 

roi .  Not  having  had  those  advantages  for 
literary  improvement  which  I  should  have 
been  glad  to  enjoy,  I  was  not  forward,  by 
a  formal  criticism,  to  tell  my  readers  that 
I  had  acquired  some  small  acquaintance 
with  the  original  language,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  judge  of  the  propriety  of  a  translation; 
l)ut  I  knew  that  the  article  oi',  here  used, 
has  been  thought  by  very  competent  judg- 
es, to  be  anapliorical  or  relative,  and  that 
the  passage  should  be  read,  "  if  one  for  all 
died,  Xhonthny  all,  or  those  all,  were  dead." 
Nothing  can  be  more  exact  than  this  trans- 
lation, unless  Mr.  T.  would  insist  on  hav- 
ing o!  .-fuiTfc  (V7 »,'',o 01  rendered  THE «Wt«erc 
dead;  and  then  he  must  equally  complain 
of  our  comraon  translators,  for  rendering 


648 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


Lwrrec  in  the  next  verse,  they  loho  live, 
instead  of  the  living.  But  would  not  Mr. 
T.  be  ashamed  to  insinuate  on  this  account, 
to  "  the  inattentive  reader,"  that  they 
have  "interlined  and  abused"  the  origi- 
nal language  ol  Scripture  1  I  am  so  well 
assured  of  Mr.  T.'s  learning  that  I  am 
hardly  able  to  consider  his  "hope"  that 
I  quoted  the  passage  wrong  "  through 
mistake"  as  any  other  than  "  a  finesse.'" 
3.  I  observed,  on  the  distributive  tlicy  who, 
that  my  hypothesis,  though  it  supposes 
that  all  for  whom  Christ  died  shall  finally 
live,  yet  does  not  suppose  that  they  all 
live  at  present.  Here,  I  think,  Mr.  T. 
certainly  misunderstands  me.  His  original 
argument  is  this  :  by  the  language  of  the 
text  it  appears  that  Christ  died  for  more 
than  actually  live.  My  answer  is  that, 
upon  my  hypothesis,  Christ  died  for  more 
than  actually  live  at  any  period  of  time  ; 
part  of  them  being,  at  every  period,  in  a 
state  of  unregeneracy. 

I  have  gone  over  the  passages  in  debate 
between  us,  merely  to  prove  that,  whether 
my  sense  of  those  passages  be  just  or  not, 
Mr.  T.  has  not  invalidated  it.  At  the 
same  time,  I  cannot  forbear  repeating  that, 
even  allowing  Mr.  T.  to  have  proved  the 
universal  extent  of  Christ's  death  in  the 
most  forcible  manner,  he  has  not  proved 
that  any  thing  more  is  done,  towards  the 
salvation  of  men  in  general,  than  what  I 
admit,  or  that  renders  the  salvation  of  one 
individual  more  probable.  I  have  all  along 
supposed  tliat  there  is  that  done  for  them 
by  Christ  which  renders  their  salvation  no 
otherwise  impossitZe,  nor  their  destruction 
unavoidable,  than  as  it  is  rendered  so  by 
their  own  temper  of  mind  :  no  other  ob- 
stacle could  prevent  their  believing  to  the 
saving  of  their  soul,  but  an  evil  heart,  ob- 
stinately persisting  in  its  departure  from 
the  living  God. 

Mr.  T.  sums  up  his  evidence  on  this 
subject  in  five  topics  of  argument. — The 
silence  of  Scripture  on  the  limited  extent 
of  Christ's  death  ;  the  willingness  of  the 
blessed  God  that  all  should  turn,  and  live  ; 
those  who  are  not  saved  being  more  mise- 
rable than  if  Christ  had  not  died  ;  the  un- 
limited expressions  used  concerning  the 
death  of  Christ;  and  such  passages  as  dis- 
tinguish between  those  for  whom  he  died 
and  those  who  are  finally  saved.  (XHI. 
120.) 

With  regard  to  the  ^rs^,  the  Bible  is  not 
silent  concerning  a  special  design  in  the 
death  of  Christ,  as  in  all  the  other  works 
of  God,  in  behalf  of  all  who  are  finally 
saved.  I  hope  this  has  been  proved  in 
Letters  X.  and  XI.,  and  in  my  Reply,  pp. 
496 — 500.  It  is  true  there  are  no  such 
express  words  that  I  know  of  in  the  Bible; 
but,  if  the  idea  is   there  conveyed,  that  is 


sufficient.  Mr.  T.  says,  indeed,  that, 
"  if  a  doctrine  is  not  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture, there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that 
doctrine  is  not  true ;  that  we  admit  this 
on  all  other  subjects,  and  ought  to  admit 
it  on  this."  But  so  far  is  this  from  being 
fact,  that  we  never  find  express  mention  of 
a  divine  providence,  and  yet  we  all  allow 
the  Scripture  to  be  full  of  it.  Reasoning 
from  positive  institutions  to  doctrines,  as 
Mr.  T.  has  done,  (XHI.  109,)  is  very  un- 
fair. 

Mr.  T.'s  second  topic  of  argument  is 
taken  from  the  universality  of  divine  love  to 
man,  and  the  willingness  of  the  blessed 
God  that  all  should  turn  and  live.  It  is 
admitted  that  God's  love  to  man  is  in  one 
sense  universal.  He  bears  good  will  to- 
wards them,  as  the  work  of  his  hands; 
but  it  does  not  follow  thence  that  he  must 
do  all  that  he  could  do  for  their  salvation. 
If  God  loves  all  mankind,  he  must  have 
loved  the  inhabitants  of  Tyre,  Sidon,  and 
Sodom  as  well  as  those  of  Chorazin  and 
Bethsaida  :  but  though,  as  Mr.  T.  thinks, 
(XIII.  25,)  if  the  same  things  which  were 
done  for  the  latter  without  effect  had  been 
done  for  the  former,  they  would  have  been 
effectual,  yet  they  were  not  done.  As  to 
God's  willingness  that  all  should  turn  and 
live,  God's  will,  as  has  been  observed, 
sometimes  expresses  what  he  approves, 
and  sometimes  what  he  purposes,  pp.  506, 
507  note.  God  wills,  approves,  and  de- 
sires a  sinner's  turning  unto  him.  It  is 
that  whicli,  through  the  whole  Bible,  is  re- 
quired of  him  ;  and  whosoever  thus  returns 
shall  live.  I  may  add,  God  is  willing  to 
receive  and  forgive  every  sinner  that  re- 
turns to  him  through  Jesus  Christ.  He 
desireth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  ra- 
ther that  he  would  repent  and  live.  But 
he  has  not  purposed  the  salvation  of  every 
sinner,  or  to  incline  his  heart  to  embrace 
the  salvation  exhibited  in  the  gospel.  In 
this  sense,  the  salvation  of  some  is  neither 
desired  nor  designed  :  if  it  were,  it  would 
be  effected  ;  for  "his  counsel  shall  stand,  and 
he  will  do  all  his  pleasure." — "  Whatso- 
ever his  soul  desireth,  even  that  he  doeth." 
— Isa.  xlvi.  10.  Jobxxiii.  13.  "But can 
God,"  says  Mr.  T.,  "will  that  which  he 
knows  to  be  impossible  ?  which  never  teas 
possible  ?  which  none  could  make  possible, 
besides  himself?  which  he  was  never  wil- 
ling to  make  possible  1— XIII.  120.  If, 
by  impossible,  Mr.  T.  means  that  which  is 
naturally  impossible,  it  is  granted  he  can- 
not. But  that  he  wills  what  is  morally  im- 
possible, Mr.  T.  himself  must  allow.  God 
wills  that  Christians  should  be  holy,  as  he 
himself  is  holy  :  and  that  in  the  present 
life,  or  he  would  not  have  enjoined  it  upon 
them.  1  Peter  iv.  16.  Matt.  v.  48.  But 
Mr.  T.  does  not  pretend  that  this  is  possi- 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


549 


ble,  even  by  tho  assistance  of  lUvino  grace. 

(XIII.  01.) 

Mr.  T.'s  third  topic  of  arsrumcnt  is  tiiiis 
expressed  : — "All  who  are  not  saved  will 
he  more  niiseial)le  than  it  Christ  had  never 
died  lor  sinners.  If  Christ  did  not  die  lor 
thtmi  they  cannot,  nor  ever  could,  po.^sihly 
avoid  this.  This  cannot  lie  reconciled  to 
the  Scripture  account  of  divine  justice  and 
goodness."  (XIII.  1"20.)  Answer,  1. 
This  can  only  l)C  said  of  those  who  have 
heard  the  sanspel  and  rejected  it,  and  not  of 
"all  who  are  not  saved,"  that  they  will 
be  more  miserable  than  if  Christ  had  never 
died.  Supposinjx  this  argument,  thereibre, 
to  be  valid,  it  will  not  prove  tiiat  Christ, 
in  laving  down  his  life,  designed  the  sal- 
vation of  all  men  universally,  but  merely 
of  those  to  whom  tlie  gospel  is  exhibited. 
2.  It  is  no  way  inconsistent  with  the  justice 
or  goodness  of  God  to  sutFer  good  to  ])e 
the  occasion  of  evil.  The  gospel  was 
preached  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  even 
after  it  was  said  of  them,  "  Hearing  tliey 
shall  hear,  and  not  understand  ;  and  seeing 
they  shall  see,  and  not  perceive  ;"  and  V>e- 
came  the  occasion  of  much  sin  and  misery. 
— Matt.  xiii.  14.  "  But  they  inight  have 
embraced  the  gosjiel  when  it  was  Jirst 
preached  to  them  if  they  would."  True  : 
and  at  last  too ;  or  it  had  been  absurd  to 
have  preached  it  to  them.  There  was 
nothing  that  hindered  their  believing,  first 
or  last,  but  their  own  wicked  hearts.  On 
that  account  they  could  not  believe. — John 
xii.  39.  Yet  Christ,  at  the  very  time  this 
was  declared,  exhorted  them,  while  they 
had  light,  to  "  believe  in  the  liglit,  that 
they  might  be  the  children  of  light,"  (ver. 
86  ;)  and  their  contempt  of  his  counsel  ag- 
giavated  their  misery. 

Mr.  T.'s  fourth  topic  of  argument  is 
taken  from  the  "  expressions  of  Scripture, 
where  the  extent  of  Christ's  death  is  di- 
rectly mentioned,  being  all  universal  and 
unlimited."  Something  has  been  said,  in 
the  Reply  to  Philanthropos,  p.  501,  which 
accounts  for  these  indefinite  modes  of 
speech;  something,  too,  which  Mr.  T.  I 
think  has  not  sutficiently  answered.  But 
suppose  it  were  allowed,  as  has  been  said 
"  before,  that  the  language  of  Scripture, 
taken  in  its  most  literal  and  plain  meaning, 
])roves  Christ,  in  some  sense,  to  have 
died  for  all  mankind  ;  still,  if  we  will  give 
fair  scope  to  other  parts  of  Scripture,  it  is 
evident  that,  in  some  sense,  he  died  only 
for  a  part."  These  Scriptures  have  been 
considered  in  Letter  X.,  and  in  the  Reply 
to  Philanthropos,  p.  59(3—500. 

Lastly,  Mr.  T.  observes  that  "several 
passages  evidently  distinguish  between 
those  for  whom  Christ  died  and  those  who 
will  befinally  saved."  (Xin.  121.)  The 
passages  to  which  he  refers  are  John  iii. 
16,  "  God  so  loved  the  icorld  that  he  gave 


his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  hc- 
lieveth  in  him  shouhl  not  perish  but  have 
everlasting  life,"  and  Matt.  xxii.  1 — 11, 
concerning  the  marriage-feast,  and  provi- 
sion being  made  for  those  who  did  not 
come;  with  John  vi.  32,  "My  Father 
giveth  you  the  true  bread  from  heaven;  " 
which,  as  he  observes,  was  spoken  to  the 
Jews  in  general  without  restriction. — 
(IX.  83.) 

These  passages  prove  that  there  is  that 
in  the  death  of  Christ  which  lays  a  founda- 
tion lor  any  sinner  to  apply  to  God  in  his 
name  ;  and  that  with  an  assurance  of  suc- 
cess. But  tliis  is  no  more  than  1  have  ad- 
mitted. In  the  invitations  of  the  gospel 
being  general  we  arc  both  agreed  ;  and  also 
in  a  j)rovision  of  jiardon  and  acceptance 
on  belialf  of  all  who  believe  ;  and  that, 
therefore,  there  is  no  impossibility  in  the 
way  of  men's  salvation  but  what  consists 
in  the  temper  of  their  own  minds.  But 
this  does  not  disprove  either  the  reality  or 
necessity  of  an  effectual  provision  of  gi'ace 
in  behalf  of  all  who  are  finally  saved. 

I  conclude  this  letter  by  recommending 
Mr.  T.  to  consider  whether  his  scheme  is 
not  inconsistent  with  fact.  If  I  under- 
stand him,  he  supposes  that  "final  mis- 
ery" comes  not  upon  any  of  the  sons  of 
men  "by  their  original  depravity,  nor 
by  their  transgression  of  the  law,  but  by 
their  rejection  of  the  overtures  of  mercy." 
Hence  he  supposes  that  "  all  who  are  not 
saved  will  be  more  miserable  than  if  Christ 
had  not  died  (or  sinners."  (IX.  86,  XIII. 
120.)  Though  the  above  expression  might 
be  considered  as  meant  only  of  those  sin- 
ners who  hear  the  gospel,  yet  his  subse- 
quent reasonings  indicate  that  he  viewed  it 
as  applicable  to  all  mankind.  He  speaks 
all  along  as  if  our  Saviour  had  not  only 
died  for  the  wliole  world,  but  as  if  the 
whole  world  had  heard  the  gospel,  and  as 
if  none  could  perish,  consistently  with  the 
justice  and  goodness  of  God,  but  for  their 
rejection  of  it.  Thus  he  goes  on,  bearing 
all  down  before  him  :  "If  Christ  died  for 
all,  these  reasons  for  their  final  condem- 
nation and  misery  are  all  perfectly  clear 
and  easy,  because  the  provision  being 
made  for  them  (that  is,  for  all)  axd  ex- 
HiBiTKD  TO  THEM  (that  is,  to  all,)  they 
could  not  perish  unless  by  rejection  of 
that  provision.  Difficulty  and  inconsist- 
ency is  all  removed."  (IX.  ST.)  This  is 
talking  at  a  high  rate.  Thus  many  a  wri- 
ter, as  well  as  Mr.  T.,  has  sat  in  his  study 
and  formed  a  theory,  and  delighted  liim- 
self  with  its  excellence.  But  bring  it  to 
experience  and  fact.  Is  it  fact  that  the 
provision  of  the  gospel  has  been,  or  is, 
"exhibited  to  alH"  Mr.  T.'s  system 
requires  that  it  should;  and  he  seems  to 
wish  to  take  it  for  granted  that  it  actually 
has  :  hut  facts  contradict  it. 


550 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


LETTER  XIII. 

There  is,  doubtless,  an  analogy  be- 
tween the  works  of  God.  Whatever  va- 
riety there  is  in  the  works  of  creation, 
providence,  or  redemption,  there  are  some 
general  principles  wherein  they  all  agree. 
On  this  supposition,  I  argued  ibr  the  con- 
sistency of  sinners  being  exhorted  and 
invited  to  return  home  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ,  though  no  such  provision  be  made 
for  their  return  as  shall  remove  their 
moral  inability  to  comply.  Thus,  or  to 
this  effect,  I  have  expressed  it  in  my  Re- 
ply* Mr.  T.  heie  complains  of  the  dark- 
ness of  my  reasoning.  (XIII.  124.)  How 
far  this  is  just  I  shall  not  decide  ;  but  this 
is  pretty  evident  that  there  must  have 
been  darkness  somewhere  or  there  could 
not  have  been  such  answers  given  as  there 
are. 

I  argued,  in  the  first  place,  from  the 
appointment  of  God  respecting  the  time 
of  human  life.  Men  are  exhorted  to  use 
means  for  prolonging  their  lives  ;  and  yet 
the  time  of  their  life  is  appointed  of  God ; 
and  some  of  them,  as  King  Saul  and  Ju- 
das for  instance,  have  been  under  the  do- 
minion of  a  moral  impotcncy,  in  regard  to 
preserving  life.  They  were  given  up  of 
God  to  their  own  wickedness,  like  those 
who  cannot  cease  from  sin  ;  and  it  was  the 
purpose  of  a  just  God,  for  reasons  satis- 
factory to  himself,  thus  to  give  them  up. 

But  Mr.  T.  asks,  "Supposing  God  has 
fixed  the  duration  of  every  man's  life,  has 
he  appointed  (he  should  have  said  exhort- 
ed) men  to  use  means  to  prolong  their 
lives  beyond  that  duration  1  " — XIII.  126. 
If  self-preservation  is  a  duty,  and  if  God, 
at  all  times,  exhorts  us  to  exercise  it, 
then  it  undoubtedly  was  the  duty  of  Saul, 
Ahithophel,  and  Judas,  to  have  used 
means  to  prolong  their  lives  beyond  the 
period  to  which  they  actually  lived.  The 
former,  and  his  armor-bearer,  ought  to 
have  avoided  the  sword,  and  the  latter  the 
rope.  But  "has  God  told  us  that  we 
shall  certainly  die  at  the  time  he  has  ap- 
pointed if  we  do  not  use  the  means  of  pro- 
longing lifel  "  If  I  understand  this  ques- 
tion, it  is  intended  to  deny  that  the  time  of 
man's  life  is  appointed  of  God,  any  oth- 
erwise than  on  condition  of  their  using 
means.  Doubtless,  he  that  has  appointed 
the  end  has  appointed  the  means ;  and 
Mr.  T.  should  remember  that  he  had  just 
admitted  the  appointment  to  be  absolute, 

*  I  did  not  undertake  to  prove,  as  Mr.  T.  expresses 
it,  "  the  consistency  of  gosjjel-invitations  where  no 
provision  is  made."  I  admitted  a  provision,  and 
explained  in  what  sense  I  admitted  it. — Reply,  p. 
504,  .505. 


and  professed  now  to  be  reasoning  upon 
that  supposition.  But  "has  he  assured 
us  that  all  the  means  we  use  shall  cer- 
tainly succeed  1  "  No  ;  he  has  not :  but 
I  do  not  see  wherein  this  ditference  be- 
tween the  case  in  hand  and  the  call  of  the 
gospel  affects  the  argument.  But,  "if 
we  die  at  the  time  God  has  appointed,  does 
he  charge  that  to  our  account,  and  say  it 
was  because  we  did  not  use  means  to  pro- 
long our  lives  1  Certainly  he  does  not  lay 
his  own  appointments  to  our  charge;  but 
he  may  the  time  and  manner  of  our  death, 
and  punish  us  for  them,  so  far  as  they 
were  owing  to  our  sin,  even  though  he 
has  appointed  to  give  us  up  to  that  sin. 
This  was  true  of  Saul  and  Judas,  who 
ouglil  to  have  used  means'  to  live  longer 
than  they  did,  and  exposed  themselves  to 
future  punishment  for  using  the  contrary. 
But  "  does  the  great  God  declare  and 
swear  that  he  would  not  have  us  die  nat- 
urally at  the  time  when  he  has  absolutely 
appointed  that  we  should  die  1  Does  he 
say,  we  might  live  longer  if  we  would?  that 
he  has  called  vis  to  live  longer;  and,  if  we 
do  not,  it  is  because  we  ivill  not?"  Mr. 
T.  should  remember  I  was  not  reasoning 
from  the  case  of  those  who  "  die  natur- 
ally," but  from  the  case  of  those  who, 
through  their  own  sin,  "come  to  what  is 
called  an  untimely  end,"  as  did  Saul  and 
Judas  ;  and,  in  these  instances,  each  of  his 
questions  may  be  answered  in  the  affirm- 
ative. And  a  similar  instance  we  have 
in  the  case  of  those  Jews  v/ho  died  "by 
the  sword,  by  the  famine,  and  by  the  pes- 
tilence," in  consequence  of  their  refusal 
to  submit  to  the  yoke  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
in  Jer.  xxvii.  13,  which  case  I  would 
recommend  to  the  close  attention  of  the 
Pseudo-Calvinists,  as  well  as  to  that  of 
Mr.  Taylor. 

I  argued,  in  the  second  place,  from  the 
appointments  of  God  respecting  our  por- 
tion in  this  life.  Men  are  exhorted  and 
invited  to  seek  after  those  good  things,  and 
to  avoid  those  evil  things,  which,  yet, 
many  of  them  are  morally  unable  to  pur- 
sue or  to  avoid  ;  and  God  has  appointed 
to  leave  them,  in  this  case,  to  their  own 
negligence  and  depravity. f  Mr.  T.'s 
questions  under  this  head,  (XIII.  127,)  as 
under  the  former,  are  not  in  point.  The 
question  is,  not  whether  all  troubles  arise 
from  indiscretion,  or  any  particular  sin, 

t  Admitting  that,  in  some  sense,  CInist  is  given 
to  the  world  in  general,  yet  I  suppose  that  it  is  in 
the  same  sense  in  which  the  earth  is  said  to  be  given 
to  the  children  of  men,  (Psa.  cxv.  16;)  in  which 
general  gift  God  still  reserves  to  himself  the  power 
of  disposing,  in  a  way  of  special  providence,  of  all  its 
particular  parts  to  particular  persons,  even  to  such  a 
degree  that  every  individual  has  a  cvp  assigned 
him  to  drink — a  lot  which  Providence  murks  out  for 
him. 


THE    UEALITY    AND    EFFICACY    OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


)51 


of  the  [tarty  :  if  any  do,  that  is  sufiicient 
for  my  arzument.  If  there  are  troubles 
which  iiiiirht  he  avoided  if  ice  icould,  and 
if  it  is  the  revealed  will  of  God  that  we 
should  avoid  them,  that  is  sufficient. 
Pharaoh  and  Sihon  were  exhorted  and  in- 
vit«(l  to  comply  with  the  niessatres  of  peace 
that  were  sent  them  ;  and  yet  they  were 
under  the  dominion  of  a  moral  impotcncy  to 
comply  ;  and  God  had  appointed  to  leave 
them  to  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  in 
which  they  [terished,  and  involved  them- 
selves in  ruin. 

Nor  is  it  in  point  for  Mr.  T.  to  allege 
tiiat  no  directions  are  given  in  Scripture, 
with  encouragements  and  promises  an- 
nexed, which  the  great  God  does  not  give 
power  to  practise,  and  with  regard  to  which 
he  has  not  provided  such  a  sufficiency  as 
that  the  practice  invariably  answers  the 
ends  designed  by  it,  according  to  the  tenor 
of  the  directions,  and  promises  or  encour- 
agements connected  with  them."  (XIII. 
128.)  All  this  is  granted,  both  in  respect 
to  the  things  of  this  life  and  also  of  that 
to  come,  and  is  no  more  than  what  perfect- 
ly accords  with  my  views  of  the  gospel. 
I  never  supposed  but  that  Pharaoh  and 
Sihon  had  power,  sti'ictly  speaking,  to 
comply  with  the  messages  that  were  sent 
to  them,  or  that  there  would  have  been  any 
want  of  sufficiency,  on  God's  part,  to  have 
made  good  his  promises,  in  case  they  had 
complied. 

I  argued,  in  the  third  place,  from  events 
whichimply  the  evil  actions  oj  men  coming 
under  divine  appointment.  The  Jews,  in 
the  time  of  Christ,  were  exhorted  and  in- 
vited to  embrace  the  gospel ;  and  yet  they 
were  under  the  dominion  of  a  moral  im- 
potency  to  comply  ;  and  it  appears,  from 
many  passages  of  Scripture,  that  God  had 
determined  not  to  turn  their  hearts,  liut  to 
give  them  over  to  their  own  ways,  which 
would  certainly  issue  in  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ,  and  in  their  own  destruction.  As 
Jehovah  had  said,  long  before,  to  their 
forefathers,  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah,  "Be 
thou  instructed,  O  Jerusalem,  lest  my  soul 
depart  from  thee  ;"  while  yet  the  prophet 
says,  immediately  after,  respecting  those 
very  persons, "  To  whom  shall  I  speak 
and  give  warning,  that  they  may  hcarl 
Behold,  their  ear  is  uncircumcised,  and 
they  cannot  hearken  ;  "  so  our  Lord  re- 
marked to  his  disciples,  '•'  Unto  you  it  is 
given  to  know  the  mystery  of  tiic  king- 
dom of  God  :  but  unto  them  that  are  with- 
out, all  things  are  done  in  parables  :  that 
seeing  they  may  sec,  and  not  perceive, 
and  hearing  they  may  hear,  and  not  un- 
derstand ;  lest  at  any  time  they  should  be 
converted,  and  their  sins  should  be  forgiv- 
en them."  Thus,  of  the  same  persons  to 
whom  the  blessed  Jesus  had  said,  "  While 


ye  have  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that  ye 
may  be  the  children  of  light,"  it  is  added 
immediately,  "  But,  though  he  had  done  so 
many  miracles  before  them,  yel  liioy  Iteliev- 
ed  not  on  him  :  that  the  saying  of  Esaias  the 
prophet  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  spake, 
Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report !  and  to 
whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  re- 
vealed ]  Therefore  they  could  not  believe, 
because  that  Esaias  said  again.  He  hath 
l)linded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their 
heart;  that  they  should  not  see  with  their 
eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and 
be  converted,  and  I  should  heal  tlicm." 

Perhaps  Mr.  T.  will  say,  "  But  they 
might  have  had  grace  before  that  time." 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  makes  nothing  to  the 
argument;  seeing  they  were  exhorted  and 
invited  at  the  time  in  which  it  was  declar- 
ed they  could  not  believe. 

I  suppose  God  has  willed,  appointed, 
or  ordained  to  permit  sin.  Mr.  T.  is  not 
fond  of  saying  that  God  permits  sin.  I 
suppose  he  would  not  object  to  the  term 
suffer,  which  is  applied  to  the  existence 
of  moral  evil.  Acts  xiv.  16.  He  suffered 
all  nations  to  walk  in  their  own  ways  ; 
and  the  term  permit,  as  any  English  dic- 
tionary will  inform  us,  conveys  the  same 
idea,  "  to  suffer  without  authorizing  or 
approving,"  which  is  the  only  sense  in 
which  we  use  it  on  this  subject  ;  though 
the  word  is  sometimes  used  in  a  different 
signification,  as  "  to  allow  by  not  forbid- 
ding," or  even  "  to  authorize."  Mr.  T.'s 
notions  of  what  is  necessary  to  free  agen- 
cy I  have  already  considered  in  the  begin- 
ning of  Letter  III. 

The  next  topic  of  argument  is  taken 
from  those  who  had  sinned  the  sin  against 
the  Holy  Spirit  being,  notwithstanding, 
exhorted  to  embrace  the  Lord  Jesus  : 
whence  I  conclude  that  such  exhortations 
and  invitations  were  addressed  to  some 
men  whom,  at  the  same  time,  strictly 
speaking,  "  it  was  not  the  intention  of 
Christ  to  save."  Mr.  T.'s  answer  to  this 
is  foreign  from  the  point.  He  "  hopes 
Mr.  F.  will  not  assert  that  those  who  sin 
against  the  Holy  Spirit  do  it  necessarily, 
and  never  were  or  could  be  able  to  avoid 
it,  either  liy  their  own  power,  or  by  the 
power  of  divine  grace."  *  How  theycame 
to  sin  that  sin  is  not  the  question.     I  did 

*  XIII.  129.  It  is  to  very  little  purpose  to  con- 
trovert with  Mr.  T.  so  long  as  he  is  determined  to 
affix  to  terms  ideas  which  we  utterly  disavow.  It  is 
plain  tliat  by  necessarily  he  means'  by  compulsion, 
or  in  such  sort  as  tlicy  were  not  able  to  avoid,  let 
tiiem  strive  ever  so  sincerely  against  it.  He  need 
not  question  my  denying  that  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Spirit,  or  any  other  sin,  could  \>e  committed  in 
this  way.  Onr  idea  of  moral  necessity  is  no  other 
tlian  that  of  certainty,  or  a  certain  connexion  between 
evil  principles  and  evil  practices,  unless  prevented  by 
some  exterior  cause. 


552 


THE    REALITY    AND    EFFICACY     OF    DIVINE    GRACE. 


not  argue  from  what  they  were  before,  or 
at  the  time,  but  from  their  state  after  hav- 
ing committed  that  sin.  His  accounting 
for  the  consistency  of  gospel-invitations 
being  addressed  tojthem,  after  they  had  sin- 
ned the  unpardonable  sin,  by  alleging  that 
provision  had  been  made  for  them,  though 
now  "  they  had  sinned  themselves  beyond 
the  reach  of  it,"  (XIII.  130,)  is  equally 
foreign.  To  argue  that  it  is  consistent  to 
give  an  exhortation  or  invitation  to-day, 
because  grace  might  have  been  obtained 
yesterday,  is  absurd.  If  the  gospel  and 
its  invitations  were  addressed  to  them, 
when  their  destruction  was  certain,  then  it 
is  not  inconsistent  to  address  those  invita- 
tions even  to  men  who,  as  it  may  after- 
wards prove,  were  at  the  very  time,  as  the 
just  reward  of  their  iniquity,  appointed 
to  utter  destruction.  The  indefiniite  call  of 
the  gospel  includingthem  as  well  as  others, 
and  the  declaration  of  our  Lord,  "  Him  that 
Cometh  to  me  T  will  in  no  wise  cast  out," 
holding  good  in  regard  to  them,  as  well  as 
any  others ;  it  might  be  said  with  truth 
that  there  was  no  natural  impossibility  in 
the  way  of  their  salvation  ;  that,  if  they  had 
repented,  they  would  have  found  mercy. 
But  the  impossibility  respected  their  being 
brought  to  repentance. — Heb.  vi.  4,  6. 
They  were  under  the  power  of  a  moral 
impotence  ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  of 
a  rooted  enmity  to  Christ;  and  God  had 
determined  to  leave  them  in  that  state  to 
perish  for  their  sin. 

I  argued,  in  the  next  place,  from  the 
moral  impotence  of  all  men  to  "  love  God 
with  all  their  hearts,  and  their  neighbor  as 
themselves,"  which  yet  we  are  exhorted 
to.  Deut.  v.  29.  Matt.  v.  48.  "  Perhaps," 
says  Mr.  T.,  "  these  premises  might  be 
fairly  disputed."  (XIII.  130.)  That  they 
might  be  disputed  is  true ;  but  surely  not 
by  Mr.  T.  He  does  not  profess  that  grace 
is  provided  sufficient  to  enable  men  to 
keep  the  law,  but  barely  to  comply  with 
the  gospel.  (XIII.  61.)  And  surely  he 
cannot  dispute  our  being  exhorted  to  it : 
what  meaning  else  is  there  in  the  above- 
cited  passages  1  "  But  admitting  the  pre- 
mises," says  Mr.  T.,  "  surely  "Mr.  Ful- 
ler will  allow  that  God  originally  gave 
man  power  sufficient  to  keep  the  moral 


law;  otherwise  how  could  men  be  justly 
condemned  for  breaking  it  1  True  ;  but 
what  has  the  original  power  given  to  man 
to  do  with  the  argument  which  concerns 
men  in  their  present  state  1  They  are  noto 
exhorted  to  love  God  with  all  their  hearts  : 
and  yet  they  are  under  a  moral  inability 
to  comply ;  and  grace  is  not  provided  to 
enable  them  to  comply.  Compare  Deut. 
V.  29  with  xxix.  4.  These  are  facts,  and 
facts  that  are  in  point,  too.  The  differ- 
ence between  the  law  and  the  gospel,  on 
which  Mr.  T.  dwells,  makes  nothing  to 
his  purpose.  The  above  facts  will  prove 
that  a  moral  ability,  which  men  either  pos- 
sess or  might  possess,  is  not  necessary  to 
render  exhortations  consistent. 

Mr.  T.'s  argument,  from  the  power 
that  was  given  man  originally  to  keep  the 
law,  for  a  power  in  men  to  comply  with 
the  gospel,  is  very  just,  provided  it  be  un- 
derstood of  power,  properly  so  called  ; 
namely,  a  capacity  to  embrace  it  if  they 
would.  But  if  by  power  he  means  incli- 
nation, (as  he  must,  if  it  is  of  any  use  to 
him,)  that  is  quite  another  thing.  God  is 
under  no  obligation  to  turn  men's  hearts 
in  order  to  free  his  messages  to  them  from 
the  charge  of  inconsistency. 

Lastly,  I  argued  from  the  certain  perse- 
verance of  believers.  This  subject,  if  Mr. 
T.  admits  it,  must  contradict  his  notion 
of  a  certain  and  effectual  influence  upon 
the  mind  being  inconsistent  with  free 
agency,  (XIII.  129,j  and  will  prove  that 
an  absolute  purpose  in  God  to  accomplish 
an  end  is  inconsistent  with  the  use  of 
means,  motives,  warnings,  counsels,  &c. 

What  remains  of  Mr.  T.'s  performance 
has  either  been  occasionally  noticed  al- 
ready, or  is  of  such  a  nature  as  not  to  re- 
quire an  answer.  He  drops  several  re- 
marks towards  the  close  of  his  piece  which 
are  very  good,  and  in  which  I  heartily 
unite  with  him.  Whatever  I  may  think 
of  his  sentiments,  my  good  opinion  of  Mr. 
T.'s  integrity  and  piety  is  not  lessened  by 
this  controversy.  Heartily  desiring  that 
every  blessing  may  attend  us  all,  and 
that  we  may  each  be  led  into  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus, 

I  remain,  &e.  &c., 

AGNOSTOS. 


STRICTURES 


SANDEMANIANISM, 


TWELVE    LETTERS     TO    A    FRIEND. 


VOL.     1.  70 


STRICTURES 


ON 


SANDEIMANIANISM. 


LETTER  I. 

Introduction. 

Mt  dear  Friend, 

I  HAVE  been  told  more  than  once  that 
my  not  answering  the  piece  written  some 
years  since  by  Mr.  A.  M'Lean  has  been 
considered  as  a  proof  that  I  felt  it  unan- 
swerable. But,  if  so,  I  must  have  felt 
the  productions  of  many  other  opponents 
unanswerable  as  well  as  his  ;  for  I  have 
seldom  had  the  last  word  in  a  controversy. 
The  truth  is,  I  was  not  greatly  inclined 
to  answer  Mr.  M.  I  felt  disgusted  with 
the  illiberality  of  his  repeatedly  arraign- 
ing my  motives,  his  accusing  me  of  inten- 
tional misrepresentations,  and  his  insinu- 
ating as  though  I  could  "  take  either  side 
of  a  question  as  I  found  occasion."  I 
contented  myself,  therefore,  with  writing 
a  small  tract,  called  TliC  Great  Question 
Answered;  in  which,  while  comj)lying 
with  the  desire  of  a  friend,  I  endeavored 
to  state  my  views  xcilhoul  controversy ; 
and  as  Mr.  M.  had' given  a  caricature 
description  of  what  my  principles  would 
amount  to,  if  applied  in  the  form  of  an 
address  to  the  unconverted,  I  determined 
to  reduce  them  to  that  form;  hoping  al- 
so that,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  they 
might  prove  of  some  use  to  the  parties 
addressed. 

Whether  it  was  owing  to  this  tract  or 
not,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the 
friends  of  religion,  who  attended  to  the 
subject,  did  me  justice  at  the  time,  and 
that  even  those  who  favored  Mr.  M.'s  side 
of  the  question  thought  he  must  have  mis- 
taken the  drift  of  my  reasoning,  as  well 
as  have  imputed  motives  to  me  of  which  I 
was  innocent. 

Whatever  Mr.  M.  may  think  of  me,  I 
do  not  consider  him  as  capable  of  either 
intentional  misrepresentation,  or  taking 
either  side  of  the  question  as  he  may  find 
occasion.  That  my  principles  are  mis- 
represented by  him,  and  that  in  a  great 
number  of  instances,  I  could  easily  prove  : 
but  the  opinion  tliat  I  have  of  his  charac- 
ter leads  me  to  impute  it  to  misunder- 
standing and  not  to  design. 


'  I  am  not  conscious  of  an  unbrotherly 
feeling  towards  Mr.  M.  In  resuming  the 
sul)ject,  however,  after  sudi  a  lapse  of 
time,  I  have  no  mind  to  write  a  particular 
answer  to  his  pcrlbrmancc,  tiiough  I  may 
frequently  notice  his  arguments.  It  is  in 
consequence  of  observing  the  nature  and 
tendency  of  the  syslevi  that  I  undertake 
to  examine  it.  Such  an  examination  will 
not  only  be  more  agreeable  to  my  own 
feelings,  but  more  edifying  to  the  reader, 
than  either  an  attack  on  an  individual  op- 
ponent or  a  defence  of  myself  against  him. 
In  calling  the  sentiments  I  oppose  San- 
demanianism,  I  mean  nothing  invidious. 
The  principles  taught  by  Messrs.  Glass 
and  Sandeinan,  about  half  a  century  ago, 
did  certainly  give  a  new  turn  and  charac- 
ter to  almost  every  thing  pertaining  to  the 
religion  of  Christ,  as  must  appear  to  any 
one  who  reads  and  understands  their  pub- 
lications. In  the  north  it  is  the  former  of 
these  authors  who  gives  name  to  the  de- 
nomination ;  with  us  it  is  the  latter,  as 
being  most  known  by  his  writings. 

I  have  denominated  Sandemanianism  a 
system,  because  it  not  only,  as  I  have 
said,  affects  the  whole  of  Christianity, 
but  induces  all  who  embrace  it  to  sepa- 
rate from  other  Christians.  Mr.  Sande- 
man  manifestly  desired  that  the  societies 
which  were  connected  with  him  should 
be  unconnected  with  all  others,  and  that 
they  should  be  considered  as  the  only  true 
churches  of  Christ.  Such  a  view  of  things 
amounts  to  more  than  a  difference  on  a 
few  points  of  doctrine  ;  it  is  a  distinct 
species  of  religion,  and  requires,  for  dis- 
tinction's sake,  to  have  a  name,  and  till 
some  other  is  found  by  which  it  can  be 
designated  it  must  be  caJled  after  that  of 
its  author. 

It  is  not  my  design  to  censure  Sande- 
manianism in  the  gross.  There  are  many 
things  in  the  system  which,  in  my  judg- 
ment, are  worthy  of  serious  attention.  If 
Mr.  Sandeman  and  his  followers  had  only 
taught  that  faith  has  revealed  truth  for  its 
object,  or  that  which  is  true  antecedently 
to  its  being  l)elieved,  and  whether  it  be 
believed  ornot ;  that  the  finished  work  of 
Christ,  exclusive  of  every  act,  exercise. 


556 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


or  thought  of  the  human  mind,  is  that  for 
the  sake  of  which  a  sinner  is  justified  be- 
fore God;  that  no  qualifications  of  any 
kind  are  necessary  to  warrant  our  believ- 
ing in  him ;  and  that  the  first  scriptural 
consolation  received  by  the  believer  arises 
from  the  gospel,  and  not  from  reflecting 
on  the  feelings  of  his  own  mind  towards 
it ;  they  would  have  deserved  well  of  the 
church  of  Christ. 

Whether  those  against  whom  Mr.  S.  in- 
veighs, under  the  name  of  popular  preach- 
ers, were  so  averse  to  these  principles  as 
he  has  represented  them  is  another  ques- 
tion. I  have  no  doubt,  however,  but  they 
and  many  other  preachers  and  writers  of 
the  present  times  stand  corrected  by  him 
and  by  other  writers  who  have  adopted 
his  principles. 

Mr.  Ecking  (in  his  Essays,  p.  33)  re- 
marks on  some  passages  in  Mr.  Boston's 
Fourfold  State  with  much  propriety,  par- 
ticularly on  such  language  as  the  follow- 
ing : — "  Do  what  you  can;  and  it  may  be 
while  you  are  doing  what  you  can  for  your- 
selves God  will  do  for  you  what  you  can- 
not." Again:  "  Let  us  believe  as  we  ca?i, 
in  obedience  to  God's  command,  and  while 
we  are  doing  so,  although  the  act  be  at 
the  beginning  but  natural,  yet,  in  the  very 
act,  promised  and  purchased  grace  strikes 
in  and  turns  it  into  a  supernatural  act  of 
believing."  From  other  parts  of  Mr.  Bos- 
ton's work,  it  appears  that  he  did  not  con- 
sider grace  as  promised  to  any  of  the  works 
of  the  unregenerate ;  but  allowing  him, 
by  "  promised  grace"  in  this  passage,  to 
mean  that  which  was  promised  to  Christ 
on  behalf  of  those  who  were  given  him  by 
the  Father,  yet  the  language  is  unscriptural 
and  dangerous,  as  giving  the  sinner  to  un- 
derstand that  his  inability  is  something 
that  excuses  him,  and  that  in  doing  what 
he  can  while  in  enmity  to  God  he  obeys 
the  divine  command,  and  is,  at  least  in  a 
more  hopeful  way  of  obtaining  supernatu- 
ral grace.  The  apostles  exhorted  sinners 
to  repent  and  believe  the  gospel,  and  to 
nothing  short  of  it,  making  no  account  of 
their  inability.  If  we  follow  their  exam- 
ple, God  may  honor  his  own  ordinances  by 
accompanying  them  with  his  Holy  Spirit ; 
but,  as  to  any  thing  being  done  in  concur- 
rence with  the  endeavors  of  the  unregene- 
rate, we  have  no  such  idea  held  out  to  us 
in  the  oracles  of  God. 

It  is  God's  ordinary  method,  indeed, 
prior  to  his  bestowing  that  supernatural 
grace  which  enables  a  sinner  to  repent  and 
believe  the  gospel,  by  various  means  to 
awaken  him  to  reflection  and  to  the  seri- 
ous consideration  of  his  condition  as  a 
transgressor  of  the  divine  law.  Such  con- 
victions may  last  for  a  considerable  time, 
and   may   issue   in  true  conversion  ;  but 


they  may  not  :  and  so  long  as  the  gospel- 
way  of  salvation  is  rejected  or  neglected, 
in  favor  of  some  self-righteous  scheme, 
there  is  nothing  truly  good  in  them.  They 
are  as  the  noise  and  the  shaking  of  the  dry 
bones,  but  not  the  breath  of  life.  They 
are  the  means  by  which  God  prepares  the 
mind  for  a  welcome  reception  of  the  gos- 
pel, but  they  contain  no  advance  towards 
Christ  on  the  part  of  the  sinner.  He  is 
not  nearer  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  nor  less 
in  danger  of  the  wrath  to  come,  than  when 
he  was  at  ease  in  his  sins.  Nay,  notwith- 
standing the  outward  reformation  which 
such  convictions  ordinarily  produce,  he  is 
not,  upon  the  whole,  a  less  sinner  in  the 
sight  of  God  than  he  was  before.  On  the 
contrary,  "  He  who  continues,  under  all 
this  light,  and  contrary  to  the  plain  dic- 
tates and  pressing  painful  convictions  of 
his  own  conscience,  obstinately  to  oppose 
and  reject  Jesus  Christ,  is,  on  the  account 
of  this  his  impenitence  and  obstinacy,  un- 
der this  clear  light  and  conviction  of  con- 
science, (whatever  alteration  or  reforma- 
tion has  taken  place  in  him  in  other  re- 
spects,) more  guilty,  vile,  and  odious  in 
God's  sight  than  he  ivas  before."  * 
For  a  minister  to  withhold  the  invitations 
of  the  gospel  till  he  perceives  the  sinner 
sufficiently,  as  he  thinks,  convinced  of  sin, 
and  then  to  bring  them  forward  as  some- 
thing to  which  he  is  entitled,  holding  up 
his  convictions  and  distress  of  mind  as 
signs  of  grace,  and  persuading  him,  on  this 
ground,  to  think  himself  one  of  God's  elect 
and  warranted  to  believe  in  Christ,  is  do- 
ing worse  than  nothing.  The  comfort 
which  the  apostles  presented  to  awakened 
sinners  consisted  purely  in  the  exhibition 
of  Christ  and  the  invitations  to  believe  in 
him.  Neither  the  company  addressed  by 
Peter  nor  the  Philippian  jailor  were  en- 
couraged from  any  thing  in  the  state  of 
their  own  minds,  though  both  were  deeply 
impressed,  but  from  the  gospel  only.  The 
preachers  might  and  would  take  encour- 
agement on  perceiving  them  to  be  pricked 
in  their  hearts,  and  might  hope  for  a  good 
issue  ;  but  it  had  been  at  their  peril  to  en- 
courage them  to  hope  for  mercy  any  oth- 
erwise than  as  believing  in  the  Son  of  God. 
The  Hyper-Calvinists,  who  set  aside 
the  invitations  of  the  gospel  to  the  unre- 
generate, abound  in  these  things.  They 
are  aware  that  the  Scriptures  do  invite 
sinners  of  some  sort  to  believe  in  Christ ; 
but  then  they  conceive  them  to  be  sensi- 
ble sinners  only. — It  is  thus  that  the  terras 
hunger,  thirst,  labor,  heavy-laden,  &c.,  as 
used  in  the  Scripture  invitations,  are  con- 
sidered as  denoting  spiritual  desire,  and  as 

*  Hopkins's  True  State  of  the  Unregenerate, 
p.  6. 


INTRODUCTION. 


557 


marking  out  the  persons  who  are  untitled 
to  come  to  (Christ.  Tliat  gospel  invita- 
tions sliouhl  lie  addressed  to  sinners  us  the 
subjects  of  those  icants  and  desires  wliich  it 
is  adapted  to  satisl'v,  such  as  the  thirst  for 
happiness,  peace,  rest,  &c.,  is  no  more  than 
mi^iit  he  expected.  It  had  hecn  stranu^c 
if  livinff  waters  had  been  presented  to  them 
who  in  no  sense  were  thirsty,  or  rest  to 
them  who  were  in  710  sense  weary  and 
heavy-hiden  ;  hut  it  does  not  follow  that 
this  ttiirsl  and  tliis  weariness  are  spiritual. 
On  tlio  contrary,  they  wlio  are  invited  to  huy 
and  cat,  without  money  and  without  price, 
are  su|)posod  to  be  "  spending  tiieir  money 
for  that  which  is  not  bread  ;  "  arc  admon- 
ished as  "wicked"  men  to  forsake  their 
way  ;  and  invited  to  return  to  tlie  Lord 
under  a  promise  of  abundant  j)ardon,  on 
ihcir  so  returning.  The  "  heavy-hxden," 
also,  are  supposed  as  yet  not  to  have  come 
to  Christ,  nor  taken  his  yoke,  nor  learned 
his  spirit;  and  surely  it  could  not  have 
been  the  design  of  Christ  to  persuade  tlicm 
to  think  well  of  their  state,  seeing  he  con- 
stantly teaches  that  till  a  sinner  come  to 
him,  or  believe  in  him,  he  is  under  the 
curse.  It  is  also  observable  that  the  prom- 
ise of  rest  is  not  made  to  them  as  heavy- 
laden ,  hut  as  coming  to  Christ  with  their 
burdens.  There  is  no  proof  that  all  who 
were  "  pricked  in  their  hearts"  under  Pe- 
ter's sermon,  and  who  inquired,  "  What 
shall  we  do  1  "  believed  and  were  saved. 
On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  be  intimated 
that  only  a.  pari  of  them  "  gladly  received 
the  word,  and  were  baptized."  Had  they 
all  done  so,  it  would  probably  have  been 
said,  "  Then  they  gladly  received  his  word, 
and  were  baptized."  Instead  of  this  it  is 
said,  "  Then  they  that  gladly  received  his 
word  were  baptized,"  &c.  implying  that 
there  were  some  who,  though  pricked  in 
their  hearts,  yet  "  received  not"  the  word 
of  the  gospel,  and  were  not  baptized  ;  and 
who  might  leave  the  place  under  an  im- 
pression that  the  forgiveness  of  sins  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  was  a  hard  saying. 
There  are  many,  it  is  to  be  feared,  who 
at  this  day  feel  guilt  to  be  a  heavy  burden, 
and  yet  never  bring  it  to  Christ ;  but  lay 
it  down  on  some  self-righteous  resting- 
j)lace,  and  so  ])erish  forever. 

It  does  not  follow,  however,  that  all 
convictions  of  sin  are  to  be  resolved  into 
the  operations  of  an  awakened  con- 
science. There  is  sucli  a  thing  as  a  con- 
viction of  the  evil  nature  of  sin,  and  that 
by  a  view  of  the  spirituality  and  equity  of 
the  divine  law.  It  was  by  the  "  com- 
mandment" that  Paul  perceived  sin  to  be 
exceeding  sinful."  Such  a  conviction 
of  sin  cannot  consist  witii  a  rejection  of 
the  gospel  way  of  salvation,  but,  as  soon 


as  it  is  understood,  instantly  leads  the 
sinner  to  embrace  it.  It  is  thus  that 
"  through  the  law  we  become  dead  to  the 
law,  that  we  may  live  unto  God." 

I  may  add,  the  attention  of  Christians 
a|)pears  to  have  been  too  much  drawn  to- 
wards what  may  be  called  subjective  reli- 
gion, to  the  neglect  of  that  which  is  objective. 
Many  speak  and  write  as  though  the  truth  of 
the  gospel  was  a  suliject  out  of  doubt,  and 
as  though  the  only  question  of  importance 
was,  wiiether  they  be  interested  in  its 
blessings  ;  and  there  are  not  a  few  who 
have  no  doubt  of  their  believing  the  for- 
mer, but  many  doubts  respecting  the  lat- 
ter. Hence,  it  is  proi)able,  the  essence 
of  faith  came  to  be  placed,  not  in  a  belief 
of  the  gospel,  but  in  a  persuasion  of  our 
being  interested  in  its  benefits.  If,  how- 
ever we  really  believe  tiie  one,  there  is  no 
scriptural  ground  to  doul)t  of  the  other  ; 
since  it  is  constantly  declared  that  he  who 
believeth  the  gospel  shall  l)e  saved. 

If  the  attention  of  the  awakened  sinner, 
instead  of  l)cing  directed  to  Christ,  be  turn- 
ed inward,  and  his  mind  be  employed  in 
searching  for  evidences  of  his  conversion, 
the  effect  must,  to  say  the  least,  be  un- 
comfortable, and  may  be  fatal  ;  as  it  may 
lead  him  to  make  a  righteousness  of  his 
religious  feelings,  instead  of  looking  out 
of  himself  to  the  Saviour. 

Nor  is  this  all  :  If  the  attention  of 
Christians  be  turned  to  tlieir  own  feelings, 
instead  of  the  things  which  should  make 
them  feel,  it  will  reduce  their  religion  to 
something  vastly  different  from  that  of 
the  primitive  Christians.  Such  truths  as 
the  following  were  the  life  of  their  spirits  : 
"  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners." — "  Christ  died  for  our  sins 
according  to  the  Scriptures  ;  and  was  bu- 
ried, an(l  rose  again  the  third  day,  accord- 
ing to  the  Scriptures."—"  Remember 
that  Jesus  Christ,  of  the  seed  of  David, 
was  raised  from  the  dead  according  to  the 
gospel." — "  We  have  a  great  high-priest 
that  has  passed  into  the  heavens,  Jesus, 
the  Son  of  God,"  &c.  But,  by  the  turn 
of  thought  and  strain  of  conversation  in 
many  religious  connections  of  the  present 
day,  it  would  seem  as  if  these  things  had 
lost  their  influence.  They  are  become 
"  dry  doctrines,"  and  the  parties  must 
have  something  else.  The  elevation  and 
depression  of  their  hopes  and  fears,  joys 
and  sorrows,  is  with  them  the  favorite 
theme.  The  consequence  is,  as  might  be 
expected,  a  living  to  themselves  rather 
than  to  him  that  died  and  rose  again ;  and 
a  mind  either  elated  by  unscriptural  en- 
joyment or  depressed  by  miserable  des- 
pondency. It  is  not  by  thinking  and  talk- 
ing of  the  sensation  t-  of  hunger,  but  by 


558 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


feeding  on  the  living  aliment,  that  we  are 
filled  and  strengthened. 

Whether  the  above  remarks  will  satisfy 
Mr.  M'Lean  that  these  are  "  really  my 
fixed  sentiments,"  and  that  he  has  great- 
ly misunderstood  the  ends  for  which  I 
wrote  the  piece  on  Avhich  he  animadvert- 
ed, and  of  course  misrepresented  my  prin- 
ciples as  to  their  effect  on  awakened  sin- 
ners, I  cannot  tell.  *  Be  this  as  it  may,  I 
trust  other  readers  will  be  under  no  temp- 
tation to  do  me  injustice. 

But,  whatever  danger  may  arise  from 
those  principles  which  are  too  prevalent 
among  us,  they  are  not  the  only  errors, 
nor  does  all  the  danger  arise  from  that 
quarter.  Subjective  religion  is  as  neces- 
sary in  its  place  as  objective.  It  is  as  true 
that  "  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord,"  as  that  "without  the  shedding 
of  blood  there  is  no  remission."  It  is 
necessary  to  look  into  ourselves  for  the 
purpose  of  conviction,  (hough  not  for  the 
cause  of  salvation  ;  and  though  the  evi- 
dence of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  is  without 
us,  and  independent  of  our  state  of  mind 
towards  it,  yet  this  is  not  the  case  with 
respect  to  evidence  of  an  interest  in  its 
blessings.  We  have  no  warrant  to  ex- 
pect eternal  life  but  as  being  the  subjects 
of  those  things  to  which  it  is  promised. 

I  do  not  perceive,  therefore,  how  it  can 
be  justly  affirmed,  as  it  lately  has  been, 
that  "  self-examination  is  not  calculated 
to  quiet  the  conscience,  to  banish  slavish 
fear,  or  to  remove  doul)ts  and  apprehen- 
sions of  our  being  unbelievers  ;  "  and  slill 
less  how  it  can  be  maintained  that  "  peace 
of  mind  founded  on  any  thing  in  ourselves 
will  always  puff  us  up  with  pride."  If 
the  state  of  our  souls  be  bad,  indeed,  self- 
examination  must  disquiet  the  conscience, 
rather  than  quiet  it :  but  are  there  no  ca- 
ses in  which,  through  the  accusations  of 
others,  or  a  propensity  in  ourselves  to 
view  the  dark  side  of  things  rather  than 
the  bright  one,  or  the  afflicting  hand  of 
God,  our  souls  may  be  disquieted  within 
us,  and  in  which  self-examination  may 
yield  us  peace  1  Did  the  review  which 
Job  took  of  his  past  life  (chap,  xxxi)  yield 
no  peace  to  him  1  And  though  he  was  not 
clear  when  examined  by  the  impartial  eye 
-of  God,  yet  were  all  his  solemn  appeals 
respecting  his  integrity  the  workings  of 
self-righteous  pride  1  Was  David  puffed 
up  when  he  said,  "  Lord,  I  have  hoped  in 
thy  salvation,  and  have  done  thy  com- 
mandments 1  "  Did  John  encourage  a 
confidence  in  (he  flesh,  when  he  said,  "  If 
our  hearts  condemn  us  not,  then  have  we 
confidence  towards  God  1  "  or  Peter, 
when  he  appealed  to  Christ,  "  Lord,  thou 

*  See  his  Reply,  pp.  46,  47,  153. 


knowest  all  things,  thou  knowest  that  I 
love  thee  1  " 

Had  it  been  only  affirmed  that  no  peace 
of  mind  can  arise  from  the  recollection  of 
what  we  have  felt  or  done  in  times  past, 
Avhile  at  present  we  are  unconscious  of 
any  thing  of  the  kind,  this  had  been  true. 
Past  experiences  can  no  otherwise  be  an 
evidence  of  grace  to  us  than  as  the  re- 
membrance of  them  rekindles  the  same 
sentiments  and  feelings  anew.  But  to 
object  to  all  peace  of  mind  arising  from  a 
consciousness  of  having  done  the  will  of 
God,  and  to  denominate  it  "confidence 
in  the  flesh,"  is  repugnant  to  the  whole 
tenor  of  Scripture. 

A  system  may  contain  much  important 
truth,  and  yet  be  blended  with  so  much 
error  as  to  destroy  its  salutary  efficacy. 
Mr.  Sandeman  has  expunged  a  great  deal 
of  false  religion ;  but  whether  he  has  ex- 
hibited that  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  is 
another  question.  It  is  much  easier  to 
point  out  the  defects  and  errors  of  other 
systems  (han  to  substitute  one  that  is  even 
less  exceptionable;  and  to  talk  of  "sim- 
ple truth,"  and  "simple  belief,"  than  to 
exhibit  the  religion  of  Jesus  in  its  genuine 
simplicity. 

In  discussing  the  points  at  issue,  we 
shall  meet  wi(h  some  things  which  may 
be  thought  of  too  metaphysical  a  cast  to 
be  of  any  great  importance  :  and,  had  not 
the  effects  produced  convinced  me  of  the 
contrary,  I  might  have  thought  so  too. 
But  though  the  principles  on  which  the 
system  rests  are  many  of  them  so  minute 
as  almost  to  elude  detection,  yet  they  are 
not  the  less  efficacious.  The  seed  is 
small,  but  the  branch  is  not  so. 

It  has  been  regretted  that  any  person 
who  drinks  thoroughly  into  these  views  is 
at  once  separated  from  all  his  former  re- 
ligious connections,  Avhatever  they  might 
be  ;  and,  where  the  heart  has  been  united, 
it  must  needs  be  a  matter  of  regret :  yet, 
upon  the  whole,  it  may  be  best.  What- 
ever fruits  are  produced  by  this  species  of 
religion,  whether  good  or  bad,  they  are 
hereby  much  more  easily  ascertained. 
Its  societies  bear  some  resemblance  to  so 
many  farms,  taken  in  different  parts  of 
the  kingdom,  for  the  purpose  of  scientific 
experiment;  and  it  must  needs  be  appa- 
rent, in  the  course  of  fifty  or  sixty  years 
experience,  whether  upon  the  whole,  they 
have  turned  to  a  better  account  than  those 
of  their  neighbors. 

I  will  only  add,  in  this  place,  that  though 
I  do  not  conceive  of  every  one  as  embrac- 
ing this  doctrine  who  in  some  particulars 
may  agree  with  Mr.  Sandeman,  (for  in 
that  case  I  should  be  reckoned  to  embrace 
it  myself,)  yet  many  more  must  be  con- 
sidered as  friendly  to  it  in  the  main  than 


GENERAL    VIEW    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


559 


those  who  choose  to  be  called  cither  San- 
demaiiians  or  Glassitcs.  It  has  i)ecii  licid 
by  people  of  various  denoiniinitions  ;  l)y 
Presbyterians,  Independents,  and  Bap- 
tists ;  and  has  been  observed  to  j?ive  a  dis- 
tinctive cliaracter  to  the  wliole  of  tlieir 
reliirion.  In  this  view  of  the  subject  I 
wish  to  examine  it ;  payin}^  attention  not 
so  much  to  persons  or  names  as  to  things, 
let  thenj  be  embraced  by  whom  they  may. 


LETTER  II. 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  SYSTEM,  WITH 
ITS  LEAPING  POINTS  OK  DIFFERENCE 
FROM  THE  SYSTEMS  WHICH  IT  OP- 
POSES. 

Although  the  writings  of  such  men  as 
Flavel,  Boston,  Guthrie,  the  Erskines, 
&c.,  arc  represented  by  Mr.  Sandeman  as 
furnishing  "  a  devout  path  to  hell,"  and 
the  writers  themselves  as  pharisees,  "  than 
whom  no  sinners  were  more  hardened, 
and  none  greater  destroyers  of  mankind," 
yet  he  allows  them  to  have  set  before  us 
**raany  articles  of  the  apostolic  doctrine;" 
yea,  and  to  have  "  asserted  almost  all  the 
articles  belonging  to  the  sacred  truth," 
Considering  this,  and  that  so  far  as  these 
writers  held  wiUi  "  good  duties,  good  en- 
deavors, and  good  motions  "  in  unbeliev- 
ers, preparing  them  for  faith,  we  give 
them  up,  it  may  seem  as  if  tliere  could  be 
no  great  difference  between  Mr.  Sande- 
man and  us.  Yet  a  difference  there  is, 
and  of  such  importance,  too,  as  deeply  to 
affect  the  doctrine,  the  worship,  the  spirit, 
and  the  practice  of  Christianity, 

The  foundation  of  whatever  is  distin- 
guishing in  the  system  seems  to  relate  to 
Ike  nature  of  justifying  faith.  This  Mr. 
S.  constantly  represents  as  the  bare  belief 
of  the  bare  truth ;  by  which  definition  he 
intends,  as  it  would  seem,  to  exclude  from 
it  every  thing  pertaining  to  the  will  and  the 
affections,  except  as  effects  produced  by  it. 

When  Mr.  Pike  became  his  disciple,  and 
wished  to  think  that  by  a  "  liare  belief" 
he  meant  a  hearty  persuasion,  and  not  a 
mere  notional  belief,  Mr.  S.  rejected  his 
construction,  and  insisted  that  the  latter 
was  his  true  meaning.  "Every  one," 
says  he,  "who  obtains  a  just  notion  of  the 
person  and  word  of  Christ,  or  whose  notion 
corresponds  to  what  is  testified  of  him,  is 
justified,  and  finds  peace  with  God  sim- 
ply by  that  notion."* 
^    This  notion  he  considers   as  the  effect 

•  Epistolary  Correspondence,  Letter  IL 


of  truth  being  impressed  upon  the  mind, 
and  denies  that  the  mind  is  active  in  it. 
The  inactivity  of  the  mind  in  l>clieving  is 
of  so  much  importance,  in  his  uccount, 
that  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  gTace 
dc|)cnds  upon  it.  "  He  who  maintains," 
says  he,  "  that  we  are  justified  only  by 
faiti),  and  at  liiesaine  time  affirms,  with  As- 
jyasio,  that  faith  is  a  work  exerted  by  the 
human  mind,  undoul)tedly  maintains,  if  he 
have  any  meaning  to  his  words,  that  we 
are  justified  by  a  work  exerted  by  the  hu- 
man mind."t 

Mr.  Sandeman  not  only  opposes  all  ac- 
tive cndca\ors  previously  to  faith,  and  as 
tending  to  procure  it,  (in  which  I  have  no 
controversy  with  him,)  but  sets  himself 
against  all  exliortations,  calls,  warnings, 
and  expostulations,  with  the  sinner  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ.  "If,"  says  he,  "it  be 
inquired  what  I  would  say  for  the  relief 
of  one  distressed  with  a  sense  of  guilt,  I 
would  tell  him,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
what  the  gospel  says  about  Christ,  If  he 
still  doubted,  I  would  set  before  him  all 
the  evidence  furnished  me  by  the  same 
gospel.  Thus,  and  thus  only,  would  I 
press,  call,  invite,  exhort,  or  urge  him 
to  believe.  I  would  urge  him  with  evi- 
dence for  the  truth."!  And  when  asked 
how  he  would  exhort,  advise,  or  address 
stupid,  unconcerned  souls,  He  answers,  "  I 
am  of  the  mind  that  a  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel, as  such,  ought  to  have  no  influence 
on  men  but  by  means  of  the  gospel  which 
he  preaches. — When  Paul  discoursed  con- 
cerning the  faith  in  Christ,  and  as  he  rea- 
soned of  righteousness,  temperance,  and 
judgment  to  come,  Felix  trembled. — It  is 
the  duty  of  every  man,  in  every  condition, 
to  oVtey  every  divine  command.  The  gos- 
pel always  supposes  this  wliile  addressing 
all  men  as  sinners  ;  it  demonstrates  their 
danger,  and  discovers  the  remedy.  Yet  it 
is  aV)surd  to  suppose  that  any  man  can  love 
the  gospel,  or  obey  it,  till  he  believe  it. 
Therefore,  to  urge  unbelievers  to  any 
shadow  of  that  oliedience  a,s  preparative  to 
justification  by  faith,  can  have  no  other  ef- 
fect than  to  lead  them  to  estal)Iish  their 
own  righteousness,  and  to  stand  in  awe  of 
the  preacher." — p.  29. 

If  there  be  any  meaning  in  this  answer, 
it  would  seem  to  be  that  faith  itself  is  not 
a  duty,  and  that  unbelievers  ought  not  to 
be  exhorted  to  it,  lest  it  should  lead  them 
to  self-righteousness  ;  but  barely  to  have 
the  evidence  of  truth  stated  to  them. 

Mr.  S.  represents  the  sinner  as  justified, 
and  as  having  obtained  peace  to  his  soul 
while  utterly  destitute  of  the  love  of  God. 
"  I  can  never  begin  to  love  God,"  says  he, 

t  Letters  on  Tlieron  and  Aspasio,  Vol.  I.  p.  -163. 
%  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  8. 


560 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEM  ANI ANISM. 


•♦  till  I  first  see  him  just  in  justifying  me 
angodly  as  I  stand." — p.  12.  But,  being 
justified  in  tliis  his  ungodly  state  of  mind, 
he  loves  God  on  account  of  it ;  and  here 
begins  his  godliness  :  "  It  all  consists  in 
Jove  to  that  which  first  relieved  him." — p. 8. 

If  he  had  represented  the  doctrine  of 
Christ  as  giving  relief  to  the  guilty  crea- 
ture, irrespective  of  any  consciousness  of  a 
change  in  himself,  or  as  furnishing  him 
with  a  ground  to  conclude  that  God  can  be 
just  and  the  justifier  of  him  if  he  believes 
in  Jesus,  this  had  accorded  Avith  Paul's 
gospel,  (Rom.  iv.  24  ;)  but  for  a  sinner  to 
perceive  himself  justified  implies  a  con- 
sciousnes  that  he  is  a  believer,  and  such  a 
consciousness  can  never  be  separate  from 
a  conscious  love  to  the  divine  character. 
If,  indeed,  the  gospel  were  an  expedient 
merely  to  give  relief  to  sinners,  and  no  re- 
gard was  had  in  it  to  the  glory  of  God,  a 
sinner  full  of  enmity  to  God,  might  receive 
it,  and  derive  peace  from  it ;  but,  if  it  be 
an  essential  property  of  it  to  secure  the 
glory  of  the  divine  character,  the  belief  of 
it  must  include  a  sense  of  that  glory,  Avhich 
cannot  consist  with  enmity  against  it. 

Let  it  also  be  seriously  considered 
Avhether  it  be  true  that  a  sinner  is  justified 
"  ungodly  as  he  stands  1  "  If  it  be,  he 
must  have  been  so  either  antecedently 
to  his  "  seeing  "  it  to  be  so,  and  then  it 
must  be  equally  true  of  all  ungodly  sinners  ; 
or  it  becomes  so  ivhen  he  sees  it,  and  by  his 
seeing  it,  which  is  the  very  absurdity  which 
Mr.  S.  fastens  on  the  popular  preachers. 

Mr.  S.  and  many  others  have  caught  at 
the  phrase  of  the  apostle  Paul,  of  "  God's 
justifying  the  ungodly;"  but  unless  they 
can  prove  that  by  ungodly  the  apostle 
meant  one  who  was  at  the  time  an  enemy 
of  God,  it  makes  nothing  in  their  favor. 
The  amount  is,  Mr.  S.'s  relief  arises  from 
his  "  seeing  "  what  is  not  to  be  seen;  viz. 
God  to  be  just  in  justifying  him  ungodly^as 
he  stands  ;  and,  his  relief  being  founded  in 
falsehood,  all  his  godliness  which  confess- 
edly arises  from  it,  must  be  delusive.  The 
root  is  rottenness,  and  the  blossoms  loill  go 
up  as  the  dust. 

From  the  leading  principles  of  doctrine 
above  stated  it  is  easy  to  account  for  al- 
most all  the  other  peculiarities  of  the  sys- 
tem. Where  the  root  and  substance  of 
religion  is  placed  in  knowledge,  exclusive 
of  approbation,  it  may  be  expected  that 
the  utmost  stress  will  be  laid  on  the 
former,  and  that  almost  every  thing  per- 
taining to  the  latter  will  be  decried  under 
the  name  of  pharisaism,  or  some  other 
odious  appellation.  Thus  it  is  that  those 
who  have  drunk  into  this  system  generally 
value  themselves  on  their  clear  vieivs ; 
thus  they  scarcely  ever  use  any  other 
phrase  by  which  to  designate    the  state  of 


a  converted  man  than  his  knowing  the 
truth;  and  thus  all  those  Scripture  passages 
which  speak  of  knowing  the  truth  are  con- 
stantly quoted  as  being  in  their  favor, 
though  they  seldom,  if  ever,  mean  know- 
ledge as  distinguished  from  approbation, 
but  as  including  it. 

Farther  :  I  do  not  perceive  how  a  sys- 
tem whose  first  principle  is  "  notion,"  and 
whose  love  is  confined  to  "  that  which 
first  relieves  us,"  can  have  the  love  of  God 
in  it.  It  cannot  justify  God  as  a  Lawgiv- 
er, by  taking  blame  and  shame  to  our- 
selves ;  for  it  necessarily  supposes,  and 
even  professes,  an  abhorrence  to  both  law 
and  justice  in  every  other  view  than  as 
satisfied  by  the  cross  of  Christ.  The  re- 
conciliation to  them  in  this  view,  therefore, 
must  be  merely  on  the  ground  of  their  be- 
coming friendly  to  our  interests.  But,  if 
God  be  not  justified  as  a  Lawgiver,  Christ 
can  never  be  received  as  a  Saviour.  There 
is  no  more  grace  in  justification  than  there 
is  justice  in  condemnation  :  nor  is  it  pos- 
sible we  should  see  more  of  the  one  than 
the  other ;  for  we  cannot  see  things  other- 
wise than  as  they  are  to  be  seen.  But 
surely  a  system  which  neither  justifies  the 
Lawgiver  nor  receives  the  Saviour  as  hon- 
oring him  cannot  be  of  God.  The  love  of 
God  as  God  is  not  in  it.  Conversion,  on 
this  principle,  is  not  turning  to  the  Lord. 
It  professes,  indeed,  to  love  God  ;  but  it 
is  only  for  our  own  sake.  The  whole  pro- 
cess requires  no  renovation  of  the  spirit  of 
the  mind  ;  for  the  most  depraved  creature 
is  capable  of  loving  himself  and  that  which 
relieves  him. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  a  religion  founded 
on  such  a  principle  should  be  litigious, 
conceited,  and  censorious  towards  all  who 
do  not  embrace  it  1  It  is  of  the  nature  of 
a  selfish  spirit  to  be  so.  If  God  himself 
be  loved  only  for  the  relief  he  affords  us, 
it  cannot  be  surprising  that  men  should ; 
nor  that,  under  the  cover  of  loving  them 
only  for  the  truth's  sake,  all  manner  of 
bitterness  and  contempt  should  be  cher- 
ished against  every  one  who  dares  to  dis- 
pute our  dogmas. 

Farther  :  The  love  of  God  being  in  a 
manner  excluded  from  the  system,  it  may 
be  expected  that  the  defect  will  be  sup- 
plied by  a  punctilious  attention  to  certain 
forms  ;  of  which  some  will  be  found  to 
arise  from  a  misunderstanding  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  others  Avhich  may  not,  yet,  be- 
ing regarded  to  the  neglect  of  weightier 
matters,  resemble  the  tithing  of  mint,  an- 
ise, and  cu7nmin. 

Such,  from  the  repeated  views  that  I 
have  been  able  to  take  of  the  system,  ap- 
pear to  me  to  be  its  grand  outlines  ;  and  I 
am  not  surprised  to  find  that,  in  the  course 
of  half  a  century,  it  has  landed  so  large  a 


GENERAL    VIEW    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


561 


part  of  lis  votaries  on  Ihc  shores  of  Infi- 
ilrlih  ,  or  sunk  tlu'iii  in  tlio  uliyss  of  world- 
ly conformity.  Tliose  wlio  li\c  nrartlirni 
say  tlicri-  is  scarcely  any  a])pearancc  ol 
serious  roliiriini  in  tlieir  taniilies,  unless 
we  mijilit  call  liy  that  name  the  scrupu- 
losity that  would  refuse  to  pray  with  an 
unbeliever,  hut  would  have  no  ol)jection 
to  accompany  him  to  the  theatre.  Mr.  S. 
and  his  admirers  have  reproached  many 
for  their  dcvolioti ;  but  I  cannot  learn  that 
they  were  ever  rej>roached  with  this  evil 
in  return. 

The  errand  artrunicnt  of  Mr.  S.  against 
faith  being  an  act  of  the  mind,  and  against 
admitting  of  any  active  advance  of  the 
soul  towards  Christ  as  necessary  to  justi- 
lication,  is  that  it  is  rendering  faith  a  work  ; 
and  that  to  be  justified  l>y  faith  would,  af- 
ter all,  be  to  be  justified  by  a  work  of  our 
own.  Tliis  is  the  principal  idea  pertain- 
ing to  what  he  calls  "  the  very  rankest 
poison  of  the  popular  doctrine."*  If  this 
argument  can  lie  overturned,  the  greater 
part  of  his  system  falls  with  it.  That  it 
may  appear  in  all  its  force  I  will  quote 
his  strongest  representations  of  it. 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be  thought  needful 
that  I  should  detine  with  greater  precision 
than  I  have  hitherto  done  what  I  mean  by 
the  popular  doctrine,  especially  as  I  have 
considered  many  as  preachers  thereof  who 
differ  remarkably  from  each  other ;  and 
particularly  as  I  have  ranked  among  them 
Mr.  Wesley,  who  may  justly  be  reckoned 
one  of  the  most  virulent  reproachers  of 
that  God  whose  character  is  drawn  by  the 
apostles  that  this  island  has  produced. 
To  remove  all  doubt  concerning  my  mean- 
ing, I  shall  thus  explain  myself.  Through- 
out these  letters  I  consider  all  those  as 
teachers  of  the  popular  doctrine  who  seek 
to  have  credit  and  influence  among  the 
people  by  resting  our  acceptance  with 
God,  not  sijnply  on  what  Christ  has  done, 
but  more  or  less  on  the  use  rce  make  of  him, 
the  advance  we  make  towards  him,  or 
some  secret  desire,  wish,  or  sigh  to  do  so  ; 
or  on  something  we  feel  or  do  concerning 
him,  by  the  assistance  of  some  kind  of 
grace  or  spirit  :  or,  lastly,  on  something 
we  employ  him  to  do,  and  suppose  he  is 
yet  to  do  for  us.  In  sum,  all  who  would 
have  us  to  be  conscious  of  something  else 
than  the  hare  truth  of  the  gospel  ;  all  who 
would  have  us  to  be  conscious  of  some  be- 
ginning of  a  change  to  the  better,  or  some 
desire,  however  faint,  toward  such  change, 
in  order  to  our  acceptance  with  God  ; 
these  I  call  the  popular  preachers,  how- 
ever much  they  may  differ  from  each  oth- 
er about  faith,  grace,  special  or  common, 
or  about  any  thing  else. — My  resentment 

*  Letters  on  Theron  and  Aspasio,  p.  448. 
VOL.    I.  71 


is  all  along  chiefly  pointed  against  the 
capital  branch  of  the  }>()pular  doctrine, 
which,  while  it  asserts  uIjuosI  all  the  arti- 
cles bclonuiing  to  the  sacred  trulli,  al  the 
same  time  time  deceitfully  clogs  them 
with  the  o|iposite  falsehoods." 

Again  :  "  That  the  saving  truth  is  ef- 
fectually undermined  by  tliis  confusion 
may  readily  be  seen  in  the  following  easy 
view  " — (this  is  what  I  call  his  grand  ar- 
gument)— "He    who    maintains   that 

WE  ARE  JUSTIFIED  ONLY  HY  FAITH,  AND 
AT  THE  SAME  TIME  AFFIRMS,  WITH  As- 
PASIO,  THAT  FAITH  IS  A  WORK  EXERTED 
BY  THE  HUMAN  MIND,  UNDOUHTEDLV 
MAINTAINS,  IF  HE  HAS  ANY  MEANING  IN 
HIS  WORDS,  THAT  WE  ARE  JUSTIFIED  BY 
A  WORK  EXERTED  BY  THE  HUMAN  MIND." 

"I  have  all  along  studied  to  make  use 
of  every  form  of  expression  I  could  think 
of,  for  evincing  in  the  most  clear,  palpa- 
ble, and  striking  manner,  a  difference  of 
the  last  importance,  which  thousands  of 
preachers  have  labored  to  cover  with  a 
mist.  If  I  have  made  that  difference  man- 
ifest to  those  who  have  any  attention  for 
the  subject,  my  great  end  in  writing  is 
gained,  on  whatever  side  of  it  men  shall 
choose  to  rank  themselves.  It  has  fre- 
quently appeared  to  me  a  thing  no  less 
amazing  than  provoking,  when  the  great 
difference  between  the  ancient  gospel  here 
contended  for  and  the  popular  doctrine 
has  been  pointed  out  as  clear  as  words 
could  make  it,  to  find  many,  after  all,  so 
obstinately  stupid  as  to  declare  they  saw 
no  real  dirtercnce.  Th'is  I  cannot  account 
for  by  assigning  any  other  cause  than  the 
special  agency  of  the  prince  of  darkness,  "f 

After  this,  it  may  be  thouglit  an  act  of 
temerity  to  complain  of  not  understanding 
Mr.  Sandeman  :  and  indeed  I  shall  make 
no  such  conijilaint,  for  I  think  I  do  clearly 
understand  his  meaning;  but  whether  he 
has  fairly  represented  that  of  his  oppo- 
nents I  shall  take  the  liiierty  to  inquire. 

The  poi)ular  preachers  "  rest  our  ac- 
ceptance with  God,"  it  seems,  "not  sim- 
ply on  what  Christ  hath  done,  but  on  the 
active  advance  of  the  soul  towards  him," 
Do  they  then  consider  faith,  whether  we 
be  active  or  passive  in  it,  as  forming  a 
part  of  our  justifying  righteousness'!  In 
other  words,  do  they  consider  it  as  any 
part  of  that  for  the  sake  of  which  a  sinner 
is  accepted  1  They  every  where  declare 
the  contrary.  I  question  if  there  be  one 
of  those  whom  Mr.  S.  ordinarily  denom- 
inates popular  preachers  who  would  not 
cordially  subscribe  to  the  passage  in  As- 
pasio which  he  so  highly  applauds,  and 
considers  as  inconsistent  with  the  popular 

t  Letters  on  Tlicron  and  Aspasio.   Vol.  IL  pp, 
480,  483. 


562 


STRICTURES     ON     S  ANDEMANIANISM. 


doctrine ;  viz.  "Both  grace  and  faith  stand 
in  direct  opposition  to  works ;  all  works 
whatever,  Avhether  they  be  works  of  the 
law  or  works  of  the  gospel,  exercises  of 
the  heart  or  actions  of  the  life,  done  while 
we  remain  unregenerate  or  when  we  be- 
come regenerate,  they  are  all  and  every 
of  them  equally  set  aside  in  this  great  af- 
fair."* If  the  popular  preachers  main- 
tain an  active  advance  of  the  soul  to  be 
necessary  to  our  acceptance  with  God,  it 
is  in  no  other  sense  than  that  in  which  he 
himself  maintains  "the  bare  belief  of  the 
truth  "  to  be  so;  that  is,  not  as  a  procur- 
ing cause,  but  as  that  without  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  established  order  of  things, 
there  is  no  acceptance.  To  accuse  them 
therefore  of  corrupting  the  doctrine  of 
justification,  on  this  account,  must  be 
owing  either  to  gross  ignorance  or  disin- 
genuousness. 

Yet  in  this  strain  the  eulogists  of  Mr. 
Sandeman  go  on  to  declaim  to  this  day. 
"His  main  doctrine,"  says  one,  "appears 
to  be  this  :  the  bare  work  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  he  finished  on  the  cross,  is  sutfi- 
cient,  without  a  deed  or  a  thought  on  the 
part  of  man,  to  present  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners spotless  before  God."t  If  by  suffi- 
cient be  meant  that  it  is  that  only  on  ac- 
count ofiohich,  ov  for  the  sake  of  which,  a 
sinner  is  justified,  it  is  very  true ;  and 
Mr.  Sandeman's  opponents  believed  it  no 
less  than  he  himself:  but  if  it  be  meant  to 
deny  that  any  deed  or  thought  on  the  part 
of  man  is  necessary  in  the  established  or- 
der of  things,  or  that  sinners  are  jiresented 
spotless  before  God  without  a  deed  or  a 
thought  on  the  subject,  it  is  very  false, 
and  goes  to  deny  the  necessity  of  faith  to 
salvation ;  for  surely  no  man  can  be  said 
to  believe  in  Christ  without  thinking  of 
him. 

Mr.  Pike,  who  had  embraced  Mr.  San- 
deman's view  of  faith,  yet  says  to  him,  "  I 
cannot  but  conceive  that  you  are  some- 
times mistaken  in  your  representations  of 
what  you  call  the  popular  doctrine ;  for 
instance.  Upon  the  popular  plan,  say  you, 
loe  can  never  have  peace  in  our  consciences 
until  we  be  sensible  of  some  beginning  of 
a  good  disposition  in  us  towards  Christ. 
Now,  setting  aside  some  few  unguarded 
expressions  and  addresses,  you  will  find 
that  the  general  drift  and  purport  of  their 
doctrine  is  just  the  contrary  to  this  ;  and 
they  labor  this  point,  both  Marshall  and 
Hervey,  to  convince  persons  that  nothing 
of  this  nature  does  or  can  recommend  them 
to  God  or  be  any  part  of  their  justifying 
righteousness  ;  and  their  principal  view  is 
to  beget  or  to  draw  forth  such  thoughts  in 

*  Letters  on  Theron  and  Aspasio,  Vol.  I.  p.  276. 
t  Cooper's  Letters,  p.  33. 


the  mind  as  lead  the  soul  entirely  out  of 
itself  to  Christ  alone  for  righteousness."! 
It  is  observable,  too,  that  though  Mr.  S. 
answered  this  letter  of  Mr.  Pike,  yet  he 
takes  no  notice  of  this  passage. 

I  am  not  vindicating  either  Marshall  or 
Hervey  in  all  their  views;  but  justice  re- 
quires that  this  misrepresentation  should 
be  corrected,  especially  as  it  runs  through 
the  whole  of  Mr.  Sandeman's  writings, 
and  forms  the  basis  of  an  enormous  mass 
of  invective. 

By  works  opposed  to  grace  and  faith 
the  New  Testament  means  works  done 
with  a  view  of  obtaining  lijc,  or  of  procur- 
ing acceptance  with  God  as  the  reward  of 
them.  If  acceptance,  faith,  or  sincere 
obedience,  be  recommended  as  being  such 
a  condition  of  salvation  as  that  God  may 
be  expected  to  bestow  it  in  reward  of 
them,  this  is  turning  the  gospel  into  a 
covenant  of  works,  and  is  as  much  op- 
posed to  grace,  and  to  the  true  idea  of 
justification  by  faith,  as  any  works  of  the 
law  can  be.  But  to  deny  the  activity  of 
the  soul  in  believing,  lest  faith  itself  should 
become  a  work  of  the  law,  and  so  after 
all  we  should  be  justified  by  a  work,  is 
both  antiscriptural  and  nugatory :  anti- 
scriptural,  because  the  whole  tenor  of  the 
Bible  exhorts  simiers  to  forsake  their  ways 
and  return  to  the  Lord,  "  that  he  may 
have  mercy  upon  them  :  "  to  believe  in  the 
light,  "that  they  may  be  children  of 
light;"  and  to  come  to  him  "that  they 
may  have  life  :  " — nugatory,  because  we 
need  not  go  far  for  proof  that  men  know 
how  to  value  themselves  and  despise  oth- 
ers on  account  of  their  notions  as  well  as 
of  their  actions;  and  so  are  capable  of 
making  a  righteousness  of  the  one  as  well 
as  of  the  other. 

Farther  :  If  there  be  any  weight  in  Mr. 
Sandeman's  argument  it  falls  equally  on 
his  own  hypothesis  as  on  that  of  his  oppo- 
nents. Thus  we  might  argue.  He  Avho 
maintains  that  we  are  justified  only  by 
faith,  and  at  the  same  time  affirms,  with 
Mr.  Sandeman,  that  faith  is  a  notion  form- 
ed by  the  human  mind,  undoubtedly  main- 
tains, if  he  has  any  meaning  to  his  words, 
that  we  are  justified  by  a  notion  formed  by 
the  human  mind. 

Mr.  S.,  as  if  aware  of  his  exposedness 
to  this  retort,  labors  in  the  foregoing  quo- 
tation, to  make  nothing  of  the  belief  of  the 
truth,  or  to  keep  every  idea  but  that  of  the 
truth  believed  out  of  sight.  So  fearful  is 
he  of  making  faith  to  be  any  thing  which 
has  a  real  subsistence  in  the  mind  that  he 
plunges  into  gross  absurdity  to  avoid  it. 
Speaking  of  that  of  which  the  believer  is 
"  conscious,"  he  makes  it  to  be  truth  in- 

X  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  24. 


GEiNERAI.    VIEW    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


563 


stead  of  the  belief  of  it ;  as  if  any  thini; 
could  be  an  object  of  consciousness  but 
what  passes  or  exists  in  tlic  mind  ! 

It  may  l)e  thouL'lit  lliat  tiic  piirase,  "  All 
who  would  have  us  to  be  coiiftrious  of 
somethinij  else  tiian  the  iiarc  truth  of  the 
gospel  "  is  a  mere  slip  of  the  pen — i)ut  it 
is  not;  for  had  Mr.  S.  spoken  of  belief, 
instead  of  the  truth  believed,  as  an  object 
of  consciousness,  his  statement  would  have 
l>een  manifestly  liable  to  the  consequence 
which  he  charges  on  his  opponents.  It 
might  then  have  been  said  to  iiim,  He  who 
maintains  that  we  are  justified  only  i)y 
faith,  and  at  the  same  time  airirms  tiiat 
faith  is  something  inherent  in  the  human 
mind,  undoubtedly  maintains,  if  he  has  any 
meaning  to  his  words,  that  we  are  justi- 
fied by  something  inherent  in  the  human 
mind. 

You  must  by  this  time  perceive  that  Mr. 
Sandeman's  grand  argument,  or,  as  he  de- 
nominates it,  his  "  easy  view,"  turns  out 
to  be  a  mere  sophism.  To  detect  it  you 
have  only  to  consider  the  same  thinz,  in 
different  views  ;  which  is  what  Mr.  Sande- 
man  himself  does  on  some  occasions,  as 
do  all  other  men.  "I  agree  with  you," 
says  he  to  Mr.  Pike,  "in  maintaining  that 
faith  is  the  principle  and  spring  of  every 
good  disposition,  or  of  every  good  work  ; 
but  at  the  same  time,  I  maintain  that  faith 
does  not  justify  the  ungodly  as  a  principle 
of  good  dispositions." — p.  10.  Why  then 
may  we  not  maintain  that  we  are  justified 
only  by  faith,  and  at  the  same  time  alTirm 
that  faith  is  a  grace  inherent,  an  act  of  the 
human  mind,  a  duty  commanded  of  God; 
and  all  this  without  affirming  that  we  are 
justified  by  any  thing  inherent,  any  act  of 
ours,  or  any  duty  that  we  perform  1  And 
why  must  we  be  supposed  to  use  words 
without  meaning,  or  to  contradict  our- 
selves, when  we  only,  maintain  that  we  are 
justified  by  that  which  is  inherent,  is  an 
act  of  the  human  mind,  and  is  a  duty  ; 
while  yet  it  is  not  as  such,  but  as  uniting 
us  to  Christ  and  deriving  righteousness 
from  him,  that  it  justifies  1  * 

Assuredly,  there  is  no  necessity  for  re- 
ducing faith  to  a  nullity,  in  order  to  main- 
tain the  doctrine  of  justification  I'y  the 
imputed  righteousness  of  Christ.  While 
we  hold  that  faith  justifies,  not  in  respect 
of  the  act  of  believing,  but  of  the  righteous- 
ness on  which  it  terminates,  or  that  God's 
pardoning  and  receiving  us  to  favor  is  in 
reward,  not  of  our  believing,  but  of  his 
Son's  obedience  unto  death,  every  purpose 
is  answered  and  all  inherent  righteousness 
is  excluded. 

I  have  been  the  more  particular  on  this 

*See  President  Edwards's  Sermom  on  Justifi- 
cation, pp.  14,  26. 


"easy  view  "  of  Mr.  Sandeman,  because 
it  is  manifestly  the  grand  pillar  of  his  doc- 
trine. If  this  be  overturned,  there  is 
nothing  left  standing  but  what  will  fall 
with  a  few  slight  touches  :  and  whether  it 
be  so  I  now  leave  you  and  the  reader  to 
judge. 

To  establish  the  doctrine  of  free  justifi- 
cation Mr.  S.  conceives  it  necessary  to 
reduce  justifying  faith  to  a  bare  "belief," 
exclusive  of  every  "  advance"  of  the  raind 
towards  Christ,  or  of  coming  to  him,  trust- 
ing in  him,  &c.,  and  to  maintain  that  these 
terms  denote  the  effects  of  faith  in  those 
who  are  already  in  a  justified  state. — p.  34. 

In  opposing  Mr.  S.  many  have  denied 
that  the  belief  of  the  gosj)cl  is  justifying 
faith.  Observing,  on  the  one  hand,  that 
numbers  appear  to  believe  the  truth,  on 
whom,  nevertheless,  it  has  no  salutary  ir- 
fluence  ;  and,  on  the  other,  that  believing  in 
Christ  in  the  New  Testament  is  synony- 
mous with  "receiving  him,"  "  trusting  in 
him,"  and  "coming  to  him,"  they  have 
concluded  that  the  belief  of  the  gospel  is 
rather  to  be  considered  as  something /)re- 
supposed  in  faith  than  laith  itself.  But 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  belief  of  the 
gospel  has,  in  a  great  number  of  instances, 
the  promise  of  salvation  ;  and  as  to  those 
nominal  Christians  on  whom  it  has  no 
salutary  influence,  they  believe  Christ  no 
more  than  the  Jews  believed  Moses,  which 
our  Lord  would  not  allow  that  they  did. 
"  If  ye  believed  Moses,"  says  he,  "  ye 
would  believe  me  ;  for  he  wrote  of  me." 

But  though  the  belief  of  the  gospel  is 
allowed  to  have  the  promise  of  salvation, 
and  so  to  be  justifying,  yet  it  does  not  fol- 
low that  it  is  so  exclus've  of  receiving 
Christ,  trusting  in  him,  or  coming  to  him. 
It  were  easy  to  prove  that  repentance  has 
the  promise  of"  forgiveness,  and  that  by  as 
great  a  variety  of  passages  as  are  brought 
to  prove  that  the  belief  of  the  gospel  is 
saving  faith  :  but  were  this  attempted  %ve 
should  be  told,  and  justly  too,  that  we  are 
not  to  consider  repentance  in  these  pass- 
ages as  excluding  but  including  faith  in 
the  Saviour.  Such,  then,  is  the  answer  to 
the  argument  drawn  from  the  promises  of 
salvation  made  to  the  belief  of  the  gospel : 
belief,  in  these  connections,  is  not  to  be 
understood  exclusive  of  receiving  the  Sa- 
viour, coming  to  him,  or  trusting  in  hira, 
but  as  supposing  and  including  them. 

It  is  not  denied  that  the  ideas  conveyed 
by  these  term  are  metaphysically  distinct 
from  that  of  believing  the  gospel,  nor 
that  they  are  its  immediate  effects  ;  but  it 
is  not  in  this  metaphysical  sense  that 
faith  is  used  in  reference  to  justification. 
That  belief  of  the  gospel  which  justifies 
includes  receiving  Christ,  coming  to  him 
and  trustin::  in  him.     Whatever  shades  of 


564 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


difference  there  be  between  belief  and 
these  "  advances  of  the  mind  towards 
Christ,"  the  Scriptures  represent  them, 
with  respect  to  an  interest  in  justification 
and  other  collateral  blessings,  as  one  and 
the  same  thing.  This  is  manifest  from 
the  following  passages  :  "  As  many  as 
received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  (or 
privilege)  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even 
to  them  that  believe  on  his  name." — "  I 
know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  per- 
suaded that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which 
I  have  committed  to  Aim  against  that  day." 
— "  Tlxat  we  should  be  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  his  grace  who  first  trusted  in 
Christ.  In  whom  ye  also  trusted  after  ye 
heard  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of 
your  salvation  ;  in  whom  also  after  ye  be- 
lieved ye  were  sealed,"  &c. — "He  that 
coi.ieth  to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he 
that  believeth  in  me  shall  never  thirst." — 
•'  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  that  ye  may 
have  life." — "  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest." 

In  these  and  many  other  passages  it  is 
manifest  that  believing,  coming,  trusting, 
&c.,  are  used  as  convertible  terms,  and  that 
the  thing  signified  by  them  is  necessary  to 
justification.  If  "  receiving"  Christ  were 
an  effect  of  faith  in  persons  already  justi- 
fied, why  is  it  used  as  synonymous  with  it, 
and  held  up  as  necessary  to  our  being  the 
sons  of  God?  If  "coming"  to  Christ 
were  an  exercise  of  mind  in  one  who  was 
already  in  a  state  of  justification,  why  is 
he  said  to  come  to  him  "  that  he  may  have 
lifel  "  And  why,  if  salvation  be  prom- 
ised to  a  mere  "  notion"  of  the  truth  with- 
out any  love  to  it,  is  it  said  of  apostates, 
that  "  they  received  not  the  love  of  the 
truth  that  they  might  be  saved?"  Let 
those  who  have  their  senses  exercised  to 
discern  between  good  and  evil  judge,  from 
these  things,  whether  a  mere  notion  of  the 
truth,  exclusive,  or,  if  you  please,  antece- 
dent to  the  consideration  of  receiving 
Christ,  coming  to  him,  and  trusting  in  him, 
be  the  faith  that  justifies  ;  and  whether,  if 
the  former  were  separate  from  the  latter, 
it  would  not  leave  the  sinner  under  con- 
demnation. 

It  has  been  said,  "  In  defining  saving 
faith,  some  have  included  in  its  essence  al- 
most every  holy  temper  ;  and,  by  insisting 
so  much  on  this  faith,  and  giving  such  la- 
bored descriptions  of  it,  have  almost  inev- 
itably led  their  followers  to  look  more  to 
their  faith  than  to  the  great  object  of 
faith  ;  to  be  more  occupied  in  attending  to 
the  working  of  their  own  minds  than  with 
that  truth  which  reconciles  the  sinner  to 
God.  It  is  in  consequence  to  be  feared 
that  not  a  few  who  are  reckoned  orthodox 


are  in  fact  trusting  to  their  faith,  and  not 
to  Christ,  making  hirn  merely  a  minister 
of  their  own  self-righteousness  :  for  we 
may  go  about  to  establish  our  own  right- 
eousness under  the  name  of  faith  as  well 
under  any  other  name." 

I  doubt  not  but  preachers   may  abound 
in  describing  one  part  of  divine  truth,  to 
the  neglect  of  another,  and  may    go    even 
beyond  the  truth  ;  people  may  also  make  a 
righteousness  of  their  faith,  as  well  as  of 
other  things.     If  no  more  were  meant  than 
that  a  sinner  whose  inquiry  is,  What  must 
I  do  to  be  saved  1  ought  to  be  directed  im- 
mediately to  Christ,  and  not  to  an  exam- 
ination into  the  nature  of  faith,  I  should 
most  cordially  acquiesce  in  it ;  but  it  does 
not  follow  that  nothing  should  on  any  occa- 
sion be  said  of  the   true  nature  of  faith. 
There  may  be  a  time  when  the  same  per- 
son shall  come  with  another  and  very  dif- 
ferent question ;  namely,  Am  I  a  true  be- 
liever 1      Such  questions  there  must  have 
been  in  the  apostle's  time,  or  there  would 
not  have  been  answers    to  them.     See  1 
John  ii.  3';  iii.  14,  IS — 21.     Now  in  an- 
swer to  such  an  inquiry,  the  true  nature 
and  genuine  effects  of  faith  require  to  1)6 
stated  and  distinguished  from  that  which 
leaves  thousands  short  of  salvation.     And, 
as  to  men  making  a  righteousness  of  their 
faith,  men  may  make  a  righteousness  of 
simple   belief  as  well  as  of  trust,  or  any 
other  idea  supposed  to  be  included  in  jus- 
tifying  faith  ;   and    whether  there  be  not 
actually  as  much  labored  description,  self- 
admiration,  and  contempt  of  others  (things 
nearly  akin  to  self-righteousness,)  among 
the  advocates  of  this  system,  as  among  their 
opponents,  let  the  candid  observer  judge. 
If  we  are  to  say  nothing  about  the  holy  na- 
ture of  faith,  lest  men  should  make  aright- 
eousness  of  it,  we  must  say  nothing  of  any 
thing  else  that  is  holy,  for  the  same  rea- 
son, and  so  cease  to  distinguish  all  true  re- 
ligion in  the  mind  from  that  which  is  coun- 
terfeit ;  but  so  did  not  the  sacred  writers. 
To   the    same    purpose    Mr.    M'Lean 
writes  in  his  treatise  on  the   Commission  : 
"  Now  when  men  include  in  the  very  na- 
ture of  justifying  faith  such  good  disposi- 
tions, holy  affections,  and  pious  exercises 
of  heart  as  the  moral  law  requires,  and  so 
make    them   necessary    (no  matter  under 
what   consideration)  to    acceptation   with 
God,  it  perverts  the  apostle's  doctrine  up- 
on this  important  subject,  and  makes  jus- 
tification to  be  at  least  as  it  were  by  the 
works  of  the  law." 

I  know  not  of  any  writer  who  has  given 
such  a  definition  of  faith  as  these  state- 
ments would  represent.  No  more  holy 
affection  is  pleaded  for  in  faith  tlian  unho- 
ly disaffection  is  allowed  to  be  in  unbe- 


GENERAL    VIEW    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


5G5 


lief.  But  llic  design  is  manifestly  to  ex-  promises,  hut  tlioso  tpor/cs  o/ /Aa /aio  (/one 
cliide  all  iioly  atVeclioii  fnmi  failii,  as  1)C-  by  a  sinful  creature  ivith  a  view  of  uhtain- 
iii<:  favorable  to  sell-rigliteousiiess.  ins;  life,   or  of  proruring  accrplunce   tvith 

If,  therefore,  repentance  he  considered  God  as  the  revard  of  them.  II  holy  af- 
as  neeessarv  to  foririveness,  seeinjr  this  fection  were  urired  with  such  a  view,  then 
must  lie  allowed  to  iiuludo  holy  alVection,  were  it  opposed  to  the  free  grace  of  the 
it  will  he  considered  as  favorable  to  self-  gospel;  but,  while  this  is  not  the  case,  all 
righteousness.  And  as  to  distinguishing  such  reasonings  arc  unscriptural  reline- 
between  what   is   necessary   in  the   eslab-    ments. 

/is/ieJ  or(/rr  o/f/iin^s,  from  what  is  neces-  If  men  make  a  righteousness  ot  their 
sary  as   a  procuring  cause,   this   will  not     faith,  it  is  not  owing  to  these   representa- 


be  admitted  ;  for  it  is  "  no  matter  under 
what  consideration  :"  if  any  thing  recjnir- 
ed   by  the  moral  law  be  rendered  nccessa- 


tions  of  it,  but  to  their  own  corruptions; 
for,  let  faith  include  what  good  disposi- 
tion it  may,  it  is  no  part  of  the  meritorious 


ry,  "  it  makes  justification   to  be  at   least  cause  of  justification  ;  and  let  it   be  sim- 
«"s  it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law."     Yet  plilied  as  it  may,  even  till  it  shall  contain 
Mr.  M.  allows  faith,  whatever  it  is,  to  be  no  more  of  the  holy  nature  of  God  than  a 
a    duty.     Is    it   then   a  requirement  of  a  glance  of  the  eye,  yet  is  it  not  on  tliis  ac- 
new   and  remedial  law  1     VVoiild  not  the  count   more    friendly    to   the    doctrine    of 
love  of  God,  which  is  required  by  the  old  grace,  nor  less  liable  to  become  the  food 
law,  lead  any  sinner  to  believe  in  Christ  1  of  a   self-righteous   spirit.      The   way   in 
If  not,  why  "is  unbelief  alleged  against  the  which   this  spirit  is   cut   up   in  the   New 
Jews  as  a  "proof  that  tliey  had  not  the  love  Testament  is,  not  by  reducing  faith  to  an 
of  God  in  (hem  1   See  John  v.  42,  43.    As  unfeeling  speculation,   but  by  denouncing 
Mr.  AL,  however,  in  his  piece  on  the  Calls  the  curse  against  every  one   who  cometh 
and   Invitations   of  the    Gospel,   has    gone  short  of  perfect  obedience. — Gal.  iii.  10. 
far   towards    answering    himself,     I    shall  It  has  been  further  said,   "  Faith   [)uri- 
transcribe  a  passage  from  that  perform-  fies  the  heart,   worketh   by  love,   and  dis- 
ance  :   "It  is  an  unscriptural  refinement  covereth  itself  sincere  by  the  performance 
upon  divine  grace,"  he  there  says,   "  and  of  good  works.     Faith,  therefore,  is  not 
contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  the   apostles,  holiness,   love,  or  new   obedience,  unless 
to   class    faith    and   repentance    with    the  the  efl'ect  is  the   same  with  the  cause,  or 
works   of  the  law,  and  to   state  them   as  the  evidence  with  the  thing  proved."  Faith 
equally  opposite  to  free  justification.    In-  certainly  is  not  the  same  thing  as  holiness, 
deed,  neither  faith  nor  repentance  is  the  or  love,    or  new   obedience.     Neither   is 
meritorious  or  procuring  cause  of  a  sinner's  unbelief   the    same    thing   as    unholiness, 
justification,  any  more  than   the  works  of  enmity,  or  disobedience  :   but  it  is  not  so 
the  law  are,  (and  who  that  really  believes  distinct  from  either  as  not  to  partake  of 
and  repents  will  imagine  that  they  are  1)  the  same  ^eneraZ  nature.     It  is   not  only 
But  still,  the  one  is  opposed  to  free  justi-  the  root  of  all  other  sin,  but  is  itself  a  sin. 
fication,    the    other   not.       To    him    that  In  like  manner,  faith  is   not  only  the  root 
worketh   is   the   reward    not  reckoned   of  of   all   other  obedience,   but   is   itself   an 
grace  but  of  debt ;  and  faith  and  repent-  exercise  of  obedience.  It  is  called  "  obey- 
ance  corresponding  exactly  with  tlie  man-  ing  the  truth,"    and    "  obeying   the    gos- 
ifestationof  divine  grace,  as  freely  justify-  pel."      To    say    that    faith   includes    no 
ing  the  guilty  through  the  atonement,  are  holiness,    (which   this   objection    certain- 
in  their  very  nature  opposite  to  all  self-  ly   does,)    and    yet    ])roduces    it,   as   the 
dependence,  and  lead  men  to  glory  in  the  seed    produces    the  plant,    is    to    contra- 
Lord."— p.  26.  diet   the   established  laws  of  nature,    ac- 
We  see  here  that  there  is  nothing  in  (he  cording  to  which  every  seed  produces  its 
nature  of  repentance   that  clashes   with  a  oirn   body.     God   can   produce  something 
free  justification,  which   yet  must  be   al-  out  of  nothing,  but  in  the  ordinary  course 
lowed  to  include  a  portion  of  holy  affec-  of  traduction  every  seed  produces  after  its 
tion.     Why  then  object  to  the  same  thing  kind.     If  holiness,  therefore,  were  not  in- 
in  faith!    Is   it   because   holy  affection  is  eluded  in  faith,  it  would  not  grow  outof  it. 
"  required  by  the  moral  law  1  "  Be  it  so  :  Mr.   M'Lean  does  not  agree  with  Mr. 
it  is  the  same   in  repentance  as  in  faith  ;  Sandeman   in  considering  faith  as  a  pas- 
and,    if  the   one   may   in  its   very   nature  sive  admission  of  the  truth,  but  allows  it 
agree  with  a  free  justification,  so  may  the  to  be  an  act  or  exercise  of  the  mind. — Be- 
other.     The  truth  is,  the  moral  law,   7>m-  ply ,  pp.  14,  15.     A  large  part  of  his  work, 
ierially  considered,   is  not  ojiposed  to  free  however,    is    taken    up  in   attempting   to 
justification.       The  love  of  God  and  man    prove  that  it  is  a  mere  exercise  of  (he  un- 
in  its  own  nature  is  as  opposite  to  self-  derstanding,  exclusite  of  every  thing  per- 
righteous   pride   as   faith   and    repentance    taining  to  the  will  and  affections.     It  is  no 
are.     It  is  not  the  law  that  is   against  the    part  of  the  rjuestion  between  him  and  mo 


995 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


whether,  properly  speaking,  it  has  its  seat 
in  the  understanding ;  for  this  it  may  have, 
and  yet  be  influenced  by  the  disposition. 
Unbelief  has  its  seat  in  the  understanding 
as  much  as  belief,  yet  it  is  not  denied  that 
this  is  influenced  by  the  disposition.  "  It 
arises,"  says  Mr.  M'Lean,  "not  merely 
from  ignorance,  but  also  from  the  aversion 
of  the  will,  whereby  the  judgment  is  blind- 
ed, and  most  unreasonably  prejudiced 
against  the  truth." — p.  76.  Nor  had  Mr. 
M'Lean  any  just  ground  for  construing 
what  I  had  said  in  proof  of  faith  in  Christ 
being  such  a  belief  as  arises  from  a  re- 
newal of  the  spirit  of  the  mind,  as  an  at- 
tempt to  "prove  that  faith  is  more  than 
belief." — p.  80.  He  allows  unbelief  to 
arise,  in  part,  from  disposition  ;  yet  I  sup- 
pose he  would  not  be  thought,  by  this  con- 
cession, to  make  it  something  more  than 
unbelief.  If  unbelief  may  consist  in  such 
a  discredit  of  the  gospel  as  arises  from 
aversion  to  it,  and  yet  be  nothing  more 
than  unbelief;  faith  may  consist  in  such 
a  credit  of  the  gospel  as  arises  from  a  re- 
newal of  the  spirit  of  the  mind,  and  yet  be 
nothing  more  than  belief. 

To  this  may  be  added,  if  faith  in  Christ 
be  a  duty  commanded  of  God,  an  act  of 
the  human  mind,  an  exercise  of  obedience 
to  God,  (all  which  Mr.  M.  acknowledges,) 
it  must  be  the  effect  of  regeneration,  or  it 
will  follow  that  they  that  are  in  the  flesh 
may  please  God. 

Mr.  M'Lean  speaks  much  of  simple  be- 
lief, as  Mr.  Sandeman  did  of  bare  belief. 
Mr.  S.  manifestly  intended  hereby  to  ex- 
clude every  "  advance  "  of  the  sinner  to 
Christ,  as  signified  by  such  terms  as  com- 
ing to  Christ,  trusting  in  him,  &c.,  from 
justifying  faith.  Such  may  be  the  inten- 
tion of  Mr.  M'Lean  :  if  it  be  not,  I  do  not 
understand  the  use  of  the  epithet.  He 
cannot,  however,  consistently  reject  eve- 
ry "advance"  of  the  mind  to  Christ  as 
belonging  to  justifying  faith,  since  he  ac- 
knowledges the  soul  to  be  active  in  believ- 
ing. But,  while  dwelling  so  much  on  sim- 
ple belief  why  does  he  not  dwell  also  on 
simple  unbelief?  If  belief  be  simple,  so 
must  unbelief,  for  they  are  opposites. 
And  I  really  acknowledge  there  are  such 
things  as  simple  belief  and  simple  unbe- 
lief; but  neither  of  them  applies  to  the 
credit  or  discredit  of  the  gospel.  If  a 
stranger,  who  has  no  claim  on  my  confi- 
dence, relate  a  story  of  something  that  he 
has  seen  in  a  distant  country,  but  which 
in  no  way  concerns  me,  I  may  believe  him, 
or  disbelieve  him  :  my  faith  in  the  one 
case,  or  my  unbelief  in  the  other,  would 
be  perfectly  simple.  But  if  it  be  a  story 
of  deep  interest,  if  the  undoubted  veracity 
of  the  party  has  a  claim  on  my  confidence, 
and  if  my  future  course  of  life  turns  upon 


the  credit  or  discredit  that  I  give  him,  nei- 
ther the  one  nor  the  other  will  be  simple, 
but  compounded  of  a  number  of  moral  prin- 
ciples which  influence  my  decision  :  if  to 
discredit  his  testimony,  they  are  prejudi- 
ces which  blind  me  to  the  force  of  evi- 
dence ;  if  to  credit  it,  candor,  or  open- 
ness to  conviction.  It  is  thus  in  believing 
the  gospel,  which  is  a  subject  of  the  deep- 
est interest,  testified  by  a  Being  whose  ve- 
racity it  is  a  crime  to  question,  and  of 
such  consequence  to  a  sinner,  even  in  this 
life,  that,  if  he  admit  it,  he  must  relinquish 
all  his  former  courses  and  live  a  new  life. 
Intrenched  in  prejudice,  self-righteous- 
ness, and  the  love  of  sin,  he  continues  an 
unbeliever  till  these  strong  holds  are  beat- 
en down  ;  nor  will  he  believe  so  long  as 
a  wreck  of  them  remains  sufficient  to  shel- 
ter him  against  the  arrows  of  conviction  ; 
nor,  in  short,  till  by  the  renovating  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit  they  fall  to  the 
ground.  It  is  then,  and  not  till  then,  that 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  mere  grace, 
through  a  mediator,  is  cordially  believed. 

Mr.  M'Lean,  in  his  arguing  for  what  he 
calls  simple  belief,  seems  to  be  aware  that 
it  is  not  the  proper  opposite  of  unbelief  as 
described  in  the  Scriptures.  Hence  he 
somewhere  alleges  that  we  cannot  reason 
from  the  nature  of  unbelief,  to  that  of  be- 
lief any  more  than  from  that  of  demerit  to 
merit.  But  the  disparity  between  demerit 
and  merit,  to  which  he  refers,  does  not 
respect  their  nature,  but  the  condition  of 
the  party  who  is  the  subject  of  them.  Mer- 
it is  the  desert  of  good,  and  demerit  is 
the  desert  of  evil  :  they  are,  therefore, 
properly  opposites,  whatever  may  be  the 
condition  of  the  party  as  to  being  equally 
capable  of  exercising  them  ;  and  it  is  fair 
in  ascertaining  their  nature  to  argue  from 
the  one  to  the  other. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  see  no  reason  to  re- 
tract what  I  have  in  substance  said  before, 
that  if  faith  and  unbelief  be  opposites, 
(which  to  deny  were  disowning  that  which 
is  self-evident,)  the  cne  can  be  no  more 
simple,  or  exclusive  of  the  influence  of 
the  will,  than  the  other. 


LETTER  III. 

A  MORE  PARTICULAR  INQUIRY  INTO 
THE  CONSEQUENCES  OF  Mli.  SANDE- 
MAN's    NOTION  OF  JUSTIFYING    FAITH. 

You  will  not  conclude  from  any  thing 
I  have  said,  or  may  yet  say,  that  I  accuse 
every  one  who  favors  this  doctrine  of 
holding  all  tlie  consequences  which  may 


CONSEQUENCES    OF    MR.    S.'s    NOTION    OF    FAITH. 


667 


\Hi  proved  to  arise  from  it:  it  is,  however, 
a  fair  method  of  tryin}^  a  principle,  to 
point  out  otlier  principles  to  which  it 
leads,  which,  if  contrary  to  the  Scri[)- 
turos,  furnish  reasons  for  rejectina;  it. 

If  the  faith  by  wliich  we  are  justified  be 
a  mere  passive  reception  of  lii:ht,  or  con- 
tain no  exercise  of  alVection,  it  follows  : — 

First,  That  rcpcntatice  is  not  necessary 
tofori^ivcness.  It  is  allowed,  on  all  hands, 
that  justification  includes  the  forfriveness 
of  sin.  Whatever  dilTerencos  there  l)e  be- 
tween them,  they  are  not  so  diflerent  but 
that  he  who  is  justified  is  forgiven.  If 
therefore  we  be  justified  by  a  mere  notion 
of  the  truth  antecedently  to  all  exercise 
of  alTection,  we  are  forgiven  in  the  same 
way  ;  that  is,  our  sins  are  forgiven  before 
we  repent  of  them. 

Mr.  Sandeman,  I  conceive,  would  have 
avowed  this  consequence.  Indeed  he  does 
avow  it,  in  effect,  in  declaring  that  "he 
can  never  begin  to  love  God  till  he  first 
see  him  just  in  justifying  him,  ungodly  as 
he  stands."  If  he  cannot  begin  to  love 
God,  he  cannot  begin  to  be  sorry  for  hav- 
ing sinned  against  him,  unless  it  be  for  the 
consequences  which  it  has  brought  upon 
himself.  By  being  justified  "ungodly  as 
he  stands,"  he  means  to  say,  therefore, 
that  he  is  justified  and  forgiven  while  his 
mind  is  in  a  state  of  impenitence,  and  that 
it  is  the  consideration  of  this  that  renders 
him  penitent. 

Whether  this  notion  be  not  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  whole  current  of  both 
the  Old  and  New  Testament,  let  the  fol- 
lowing passages,  out  of  many  more  which 
might  be  selected,  determine.  "I  said  I 
will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  the 
Lord  ;  and  thou  forgavcst  the  iniquity  of 
my  sin." — "  If  thy  people  Israel  sin  against 
thee,  and  repent,  and  make  supplication 
unto  thee  towards  this  house,  then  hear 
thou  from  heaven  thy  dwelling  place  and 
forgive  thy  people." — "He  that  covereth 
his  sins  shall  not  prosper  :  but  whoso  con- 
fesseth  and  forsaketh  them  shall  find  mer- 
cy."— "Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way, 
and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts,  and 
let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  wiil 
have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God,  for 
he  will  abundantly  pardon.'^ — "Thus  it 
behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from 
the  dead  the  third  day,  and  that  repentance 
and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preah  ed 
in  his  name  among  all  nations,  beginning 
at  Jerusalem." — "Repent,  therefore,  and 
be  baptized,  every  one  of  yon,  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins. ^' — "Repent  ye,  therefore, 
and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be 
blotted  out."—"  Him  hath  God  exalted  a 
Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repentance 
to  Israel,  and  the  forgiveness  of  sins." — 


"  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and 
just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

i  siiall  not  stop  here  to  inquire  into  the 
order  in  which  the  Scriptures  represent 
repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  I  shall  at- 
tend to  in  a  letter  l)y  itself.  It  is  sufficient 
at  present  to  ol)serve  that,  whatever  be  the 
order  of  repentance  in  respect  of  faith,  it 
is  uniformly  represented  in  the  Scriptures 
as  necessary  to  forgiveness.  Every  no- 
tion, therefore,  of  standing  forgiven  in  a 
state  of  im|)enitence,  and  of  this  being  the 
only  motive  that  can  lead  a  sinner  to  re- 
pentance, is  talse  and  delusive. 

Secondly  :  On  this  principle,  faith  in 
Christ  is  not  a  duty,  and  unbeliej  is  not  a 
sin.  I  am  not  sure  whether  Mr.  Sande- 
man would  have  avowed  both  or  either  of 
these  consequences.  He,  however,  utter- 
ly disavows  urging  unbelievers  to  the  least 
shadow  of  obedience  to  the  gospel  in  order 
to  justification,  as  leading  them  to  estab- 
lish their  own  righteousness.*  The  faith, 
therefore,  which  he  allows  to  be  necessary 
to  justification  includes  no  obedience, 
which  is  the  same  thing  as  its  being  no 
duty.  And,  if  it  be  not  a  duty,  unbelief 
is  not  a  sin  ;  for,  where  there  is  no  obliga- 
tion, there  can  be  no  transgression. 

But  a  system  which  goes  to  nullify  the 
command  of  God  to  believe  in  his  Son  Je- 
sus Christ,  and  to  excuse  the  sin  which  is 
threatened  with  eternal  damnation,  must 
be  fundamentally  erroneous,  and,  as  far  as 
it  operates,  subversive  of  true  religion. 

Mr.  M'Lean  is  very  far  from  admitting 
this  consequence,  though  he  retains  in  part 
the  principle  from  which  it  proceeds.  He 
allows,  as  we  have  seen  already,  that  faith 
is  a  duty,  an  act  of  obedience  to  God,  and 
a  holy  exercise  of  mind:  yet  he  pleads  for 
its  containing  nothing  pertaining  to  the 
will.  Is  it  possible  then  for  any  thing  to 
be  either  an  act,  or  a  duty,  or  to  contain 
obedience,  which  is  purely  intellectual  1 
In  whatever  belongs  to  the  understanding 
only,  exclusive  of  the  will  and  affections, 
the  soul,  I  conceive,  is  passive.  There 
are  acts,  no  doubt,  which  pertain  to  the 
intellectual,  as  well  as  to  the  visivc  facul- 
ty ;  but  they  are  only  such  as  fall  under 
the  influence  of  the  ivill.  It  is  an  act  to 
look,  but  not  to  see  ;  and  to  collect  infor- 
mation, but  not  to  be  informed.  If,  there- 
fore, believing  be  an  act  of  the  mind,  it 
must  fall  under  the  influence  of  the  will. 
Mr.  Sandeman  is  consistent  with  him- 
self, however  inconsistent  he  may  be  with 
the  Scriptures.  In  confining  faith  to  the 
understanding,  he  was  aware  that   he  dis- 

*  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  29. 


568 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM  . 


owned  its  being  an  act,  and  therefore,  in 
his  usual  strain  of  banter,  selected  some  of 
the  grossest  representations  of  his  oppo- 
nents, and  endeavored  to  hold  up  acts  of 
faith  to  ridicule.  But  Mr.  M'Lean  allows 
of  faith  being  an  act,  and  an  act  of  obedi- 
ence, and  yet  will  have  it  that  it  contains 
nothing  pertaining  to  the  will,  except  in 
its  effects.  I  can  no  otherwise  account 
for  such  reasoning,  in  a  writer  of  his  tal- 
ents, than  by  ascribing  it  to  the  influence 
of  early  prejudices,  contracted  by  having 
drank  too  deeply  into  the  system  of  Mr. 
S.,  and  retained  by  a  partiality  for  what 
he  has  once  imbibed,  though  utterly  incon- 
sistent with  other  sentiments  which  he 
has  since  learned  from  the  Scriptures. 
That  nothing  can  contain  obedience  but 
that  which  includes  the  state  or  exercises 
of  the  will,  or  has  some  dependence  upon 
it,  is  manifest  from  universal  experience. 
Tell  a  man  that  God  has  commanded  him 
to  be  or  to  do  that  in  which  he  is  absolute- 
ly involuntary,  and  that  the  contrary  is  a 
sin,  and  see  whether  you  can  fasten  con- 
viction on  his  conscience.  Nay,  make  the 
experiment  on  yourself.  Did  you  ever 
perceive  yourself  obliged  to  any  thing  in 
which  your  will  had  no  concern,  or  for  a 
moment  repent  of  living  in  the  neglect  of 
if?  Knowledge  may  be  a  duty,  and  igno- 
rance a  sin,  so  far  as  each  is  independent 
on  the  will,  and  comprehensive  of  appro- 
bation,  but    no  further.     i>ove     is    thk 

FULFILLING  OF    THE   LAW,  Or    that    which 

comprehends  the  whole  of  duty.  So  much, 
therefore,  as  there  is  of  love,  in  any  exer- 
cise of  mind,  so  much  there  is  of  duty  or 
obedience,  and  no  more.  Duty  supposes 
knowledge,  indeed,  as  Christianity  suppo- 
ses humanity  ;  but  the  essence  of  it  consists 
in  disposition.  It  may  be  our  duty  to 
examine,  and  that  with  care,  diligence, 
and  impartiality ;  but,  if  disposition  have 
no  place  in  faith,  it  cannot  be  our  duty  to 
believe. 

If  faith  be  merely  light  in  the  under- 
standing, unbelief  must  be  merely  the  ab- 
sence of  it;  and,  if  the  former  include  noth- 
ing pertaining  to  the  will,  neither  does  the 
latter.  To  say  that  though  unbelief  con- 
tain a  voluntary  rejection  of  the  truth,  yet 
faith  contains  no  voluntary  reception  of  it, 
is  saying  that  belief  and  unbelief  are  not 
opposites,  which  is  equal  to  denj'ing  a 
self-evident  proposition.  If  the  one  be 
purely  intellectual,  so  is  the  other;  and, 
if  there  be  no  obedience  in  the  former, 
there  is  no  disobedience  in  the  latter. 

Mr.  M'Lean  has  said  every  thing  on 
this  subject  that  I  could  desire,  except 
drawing  the  conclusion.  Thus  he  reasons, 
when  proving  faith  to  be  a  duty  :  "  Unbe- 
lief, which  is  the  opposite  of  faith,  is  al- 
ways  represented   as    a  very  great    and 


heinous  sin  against  God.  The  unbeliev- 
ing heart  is  termed  an  evil  heart  (Heb.  iii. 
12  ;)  and  there  are  many  evils  in  the  heart 
of  man  which  both  occasion  and  attend 
unbelief.  It  is  frequently  ascribed  to  ig- 
norance, (Matt,  xiii.  19;  Rom.  x.  3  ;  xi. 
7,  25;)  yet  not  to  simple  ignorance,  from 
want  of  information  or  natural  capacity, 
in  which  case  it  would  be  excusable,  (John 
ix.  41;  XV.  22,  24;)  but  such  as  arises 
from  the  agency  of  the  god  of  this  world, 
blinding  the  minds  of  them  that  believe 
not. — 2  Cor.  iv.  4.  It  is  wilful  ignorance, 
occasioned  by  their  loving  darkness  and 
hating  the  light,  (John  iii.  19,  20;)  and  so 
they  are  represented  as  having  closed  their 
eyes  lest  they  should  see. — Matt.  xiii.  15. 
From  this  it  appears  that  unbelief  is 
founded,  not  merely  on  simple  ignorance, 
but  aversion  from  the  things  of  God. 

"  Now,  if  unbelief  be  a  sin,  and  seated 
in  the  depravity  of  the  heart,  as  has  been 
shown,  it  necessarily  follows  that  faith, 
its  opposite,  must  be  a  duty,"  [and  have 
its  seat  also  in  the  heart.]  Sermons,  pp. 
40,  41.  The  words  added  in  crotchets 
merely  go  to  draw  the  conclusion ;  and 
whether  it  be  fairly  drawn  let  the  reader 
judge. 

Mr.  M.  cannot  consistently  object  that, 
by  allowing  unbelief  to  be  seated  in  the 
heart,  he  did  not  mean  to  grant  that  it  was 
seated  in  the  toill,  since  his  whole  argu- 
ment asserts  the  contrary ;  and  he  else- 
where says,  "  The  Scriptures  always  rep- 
resent the  regenerating  and  sanctifying 
influences  of  the  Spirit  as  exerted  upon 
the  heart  J  which  includes  not  only  the 
understanding,  but  the  will  and  affections, 
or  the  prevalent  inclinations  and  disposi- 
tions of  the  soul." — Works,  Vol.  II.  p.  91. 

I  hafl  said,  (in  my  Appendix,)  "  I  can 
scarcely  conceive  of  a  truth  more  self- 
evident  than  this,  that  God's  commands 
extend  only  to  that  which  comes  under 
the  influence  of  the  will."  Mr.  M.  allows 
this  to  be  "  a  principle  on  which  my  main 
arguments  seem  to  be  grounded."  It  be- 
came him,  therefore,  if  he  were  able,  to 
give  it  a  solid  answer.  And  what  is  his 
answer  !  It  is  so  far,  he  says,  from  being 
self-evident,  that  to  him  it  does  not  ap- 
pear evident  at  all.  He  should  instance, 
then,  in  something  which  is  allotoed  not  to 
come  under  the  influence  of  the  will,  but 
which,  nevertheless,  is  a  duty.  Instead  of 
this,  he  says  the  commands  of  God  "ex- 
tend not  only  to  what  comes  uader  the 
influence  of  the  will,  but  also  to  the 
belief  of  the  revealed  truths  and  motives  by 
which  the  loill  itself  is  influenced." — Reply, 
p.  70.  But  who  does  not  perceive  that 
this  is  proving  a  thing  by  itself;  or  alleg- 
ing as  evidence  that  which  is  the  very 
point  in  dispute  1 


CONSEQUENCES    OF    MR.     S.'s    NOTION    OF    FAITH. 


)Ga 


The  argiimont  was  this  :  All  duly  coiiios 
niidcM-  tlif  ir.lluciico  of  (he  will — But  laitij 
is  a  duty — Tlioiclbic  lailli  comes  under 
the  induence  ol"  the  will.  To  have  over- 
turned the  first  of  these  propositions, 
whieii  is  that  whicii  he  ealls  in  (jucslion, 
he  should  have  shown  hy  something  else 
than  belief,  soniethinir  that  is  allowed  not 
to  come  under  the  intlucnce  of  the  will, 
that  it  may,  nevertheless,  he  commanded 
of  God.  But  this  he  has  not  shown,  nor 
attempted  to  show. 

All  that  Mr.  JVl'Lcan  has  done  towards 
answcrinii  this  argument  is  i)y  lal)oring  to 
fasten  eertain  absurdities  upon  it.  "If 
lielievinii  God  with  the  understanding," 
he  savs,  "  he  not  a  duty,  it  must  he  either 
because  he  has  not  given  a  clear  revelation 
of  tlic  truth,  and  supported  it  wilh  suffi- 
cient evidence,  or  if  he  has,  that  llierc  is  no 
moral  tur|)itude  in  mental  error." — p.  70. 

Bv  this  way  of  writing,  it  would  seem 
as  if  I  pleaded  for  men's  helieving  without 
their  understanding,  of  which  I  certain- 
ly have  no  idea,  any  more  than  of  their  dis- 
hclieving  without  it.  I  hold  no  more  in  re- 
spect of  faith  than  Mr.  M.  does  in  respect 
of  unbelief;  namely,  that  it  does  not  per- 
tain to  the  underslandingo?i/i/.  The  great- 
est evidence  or  authority  cannot  oblige  us 
to  that  in  which  wc  are  absolutely  invol- 
untary. God  commands  us  to  love  him 
with  all  our  powers,  but  not  V)eyond  our 
powers.  To  love  him  with  all  our  hearts 
includes  every  thing  that  depends  upon 
disposition,  even  the  bowing  of  our  under- 
standings to  revealed  truth,  instead  of 
proudly  rejecting  it ;  but  that  is  all.  So 
iar  as  knowledge  or  belief  is  absolutely 
involuntary,  we  might  as  well  ascribe  du- 
ty to  the  convulsive  motions  of  the  body 
as  to  them.  And  as  to  "mental  error," 
if  it  could  be  proved  to  be  merely  mental, 
that  is,  not  to  arise  from  indolence,  preju- 
dice, aversion,  or  any  other  evil  disposi- 
tion, it  would  lie  innocent.  Christ  did  not 
criminate  the  Jews  for  simply  misunder- 
standing him,  but  refers  to  the  cause  of 
that  misunderstanding  as  the  ground  of 
censure.  "  Why  do  ye  not  understand 
my  speech  1  because  ye  cannot  hear  my 
word  ."  that  is,  because  they  were  utterly 
averse  from  it.  Mr.  M'Lean  acknowl- 
edges as  much  as  this,  when  he  speaks  of 
the  neglect  of  the  great  salvation  l>cing  the 
effect  of  perverseness  and  aversion,  and 
therefore  inexcusable."  What  is  this  but 
admitting  that  if  it  arose  from  simple  igno- 
rance it  would  be  excusable! 

Another  consequence  which  Mr.  M.  en- 
deavors to  fasten  upon  this  principle  is, 
"  If  faith  be  not  a  duty  unless  it  be  influ- 
enced by  the  moral  staleof  the  heart, then 
it  can  be  no  man's  duty  to  believe  the  tes- 
timony of  God  concerning  his  Son  till  he 

VOL.    I.  72 


is  previousli/  possessed  of  that  moral  state." 
— p.  73.  But,  if  this  conse(pience  were 
just,  it  woidd  follow  from  his  own  |)rinci- 
l)les  as  well  as  mine.  He  considers  the 
illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  neces- 
sary to  believing;  but  does  he  infer  that 
till  such  illumination  take  place  it  is  not  a 
sinner's  duty  to  believe  !  He  also  consid- 
ers repentance  as  the  fruit  of  faith  ;  but 
does  he  infer  that  till  a  sinner  is  in  posses- 
sion of  faith  it  is  not  his  duty  to  repent  1 
The  truth  is  that  God,  inrccpiiring  any  one 
duty  (l)e  it  repentance  or  faith,  or  what  it 
may,)  recjuires  that,  </.s  to  the  state  of  the 
mind,  which  is  necessary  to  it.  Il  was 
not  the  duty  ol  Absalom  to  ask  pardon  of 
Uavid  without  fc  ling  sorry  for  his  ofTence: 
but  it  docs  not  follow  that  while  his  heart 
was  hardened  he  was  under  no  obligation 
to  ask  pardon.  He  was  under  obligation 
to  both  ;  and  so  are  men  with  regard  to 
believing  the  gospel.  They  are  obliged 
to  be  of  an  open,  upright,  unprejudiced 
mind,  and  so  to  believe  the  truth. 

If  faith  be  a  duty,  believing  is  a  holy  ex- 
ercise of  the  mind  ;  for  what  else  is  holi- 
ness but  a  conformity  of  mind  lo  the  re- 
vealed will  of  Godl  Mr.  M.  allows  of  a 
lielief  which  is  "  merely  natural,"  and  that 
it  has  "no  holiness  in  it."  He  also  al- 
lows that  that  which  has  the  promise  of 
salvation  is  holy.  So  far  then  we  seem  to 
be  agreed.  Yet,  when  he  comes  to  state 
.wherein  its  holiness  consists,  he  seems  to 
resolve  every  tiling  into  the  cause^  and  the 
nature  of  the  truth  believed — p.  67.  Each 
of  these,  indeed,  affords /jroo/  of  the  holy- 
nature  of  faith  ;  but  to  say  that  it  consists 
in  either  is  to  place  the  nature  of  a  thing 
in  its  cause,  and  in  the  object  on  which  it 
terminates.  The  objects  of  belief  are  ex- 
actly the  same  as  those  of  unbelief;  but  it 
will  not  be  alleged,  I  presume,  that  unbe- 
lief is  a  holy  exercise  ! 

The  sum  is,  Mr.  M.  thinks  he  ascribes 
duty  and  holiness  to  faith  ;  but  his  hypoth- 
esis is  inconsistent  with  both.  And  this  is 
all  that  I  ever  meant  to  charge  him  with. 
It  never  was  in  my  heart  to  "  impeach  his 
honesty,"  (p.  64,)  though  he  has  more  than 
once  impeached  mine. 

Thirdly  :  On  this  principle,  calls,  invi- 
tations, and  exhortations  to  believe  have  no 
place  in  the  Christian  ministry.  To  call, 
invite,  or  exhort  a  man  to  that  in  which 
his  will  has  no  concern  is  self-evident  ab- 
surdity. Every  man  must  feel  it,  if  he 
only  make  the  experiment.  Mr.  Sande- 
man  is  aware  of  this,  and  therefore  utterly 
gives  up  the  practice,  declaring  that  the 
whole  of  what  he  has  to  offer  is  evidence. 
He  says,  "  I  would  set  before  him  (the 
sinner)"  all  the  evidence  furnished  me  by 
the  gospel.  Thus,  and  thus  only,  would  I 
press,  call,  invite,  exhort,  or  urge  him  to 


570 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEM AN1A51SM. 


believe."*  That  is,  he  would  not  press, 
call,  invite,  exhort,  or  urge  him  to  believe 
at  all.  So  far  he  is  consistent  with  him- 
self, though  at  the  utmost  variance  with 
the  Scriptures. 

God,  however,  by  the  prophets  and  apos- 
tles, did  not  barely  offer  evidence,  but  ad- 
dressed every  power  and  passion  of  the 
human  mind.  Mr.  Sandeman  may  call 
this  "  human  clamor,  pressing  men  on  to 
the  blind  business  of  performing  some  task 
called  believing;"  but  this  will  prove 
nothing  but  his  dexterity,  when  pressed 
■with  an  argument  which  he  cannot  answer, 
at  turning  it  off  by  raillery.  The  clamor 
of  the  prophets  and  apostles  was  such  as 
follows:  "Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  an- 
gry, and  ye  perish  from  the  way." — "  Ho, 
every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money  ;  come 
ye,  buy  and  eat ;  yea  come,  buy  wine  and 
milk  without  money,  and  without  price. 
Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that 
which  is  not  bread,  and  your  labor  for 
that  which  satisfieth  nol^  Hearken  dili- 
gently unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is 
good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in 
fatness.  Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto 
me  ;  hear  and  your  soul  shall  live  ;  and  I 
will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
you,  even  the  sure  mercies  of  David." 

If  this  figurative  language  should  be 
thought  to  leave  the  subject  in  doubt,  the 
following  verses  express  the  same  senti- 
ments without  a  figure :  "  Seek  ye  the 
Lord  while  he  may  be  found  ;  call  ye  upon 
him  while  he  is  near;  let  the  wicked  for- 
sake his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts ;  and  let  him  return  unto  the 
Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him  ; 
and  to  our  God,  for  he  Avill  abundantly 
pardon." — "Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye 
saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  for  I  am 
God,  and  there  is  none  else." — "Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  Stand  ye  in  the  ways  and 
see,  and  ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is 
the  good  way,  and  walk  therein,  and  ye 
shall  find  rest  for  your  souls." — "Come 
onto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my 
yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me  ;  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart :  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls." — "  Repent  ye, 
and  believe  the  gospel." — "  Ho,  every  one 
that  thirsteth,  let  him  come  unto  me  and 
drink!" — "While  ye  have  the  light,  be- 
lieve in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the  chil- 
dren of  light." — "  Labor  not  for  the  meat 
that  perisheth,  but  for  that  which  endureth 
to  everlasting  life." — "  Compel  them  to 
come  in,  that  my  house  may  be  filled." — 
"  Repent  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins 

*  Epistolary  Coriespomlence,  p.  8. 


may  be  blotted  out," — "Draw  nigh  to 
God,  and  he  will  draw  nigh  to  you. 
Cleanse  your  hands,  ye  sinners  ;  and  puri- 
fy your  hearts,  ye  double-minded.  Be 
afflicted,  and  mourn,  and  weep." — "  Hum- 
ble yourselves  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord, 
and  he  shall  lift  you  up." — "All  things 
are  of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to 
himself  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  to 
us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation." — "  Now 
then  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as 
though  God  did  beseech  (men)  by  us,  we 
pray  (them)  in  Christ's  stead  (saying)  be 
ye  reconciled  to  God." 

Mr.  Sandeman  may  tell  us  that  the 
character  of  ambassadors  does  not  belong 
to  ordniary  ministers,  and  may  attribute 
the  invitations  used  in  the  present  day  to 
"priestly  pride,  and  strutting  self-impor- 
tance ;"  but  this  will  only  prove  that  he 
has  reasoned  himself  into  a  situation  from 
which  he  has  no  other  way  of  extricating 
himself  than  by  having  recourse  to  abuse 
instead  of  argument.  What  does  it  avail 
him,  whether  ordinary  ministers  be  ambas- 
sadors for  Christ,  or  not  1  If  faith  be  a 
mere  passive  reception  of  the  truth,  it 
were  as  in)proper  for  the  apostles  to  be- 
seech sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God  as 
for  ordinary  ministers  to  do  so.  Extraor- 
dinary powers  could  not  render  that  con- 
sistent which  is  in  itself  absurd. 

But  I  need  say  the  less  on  this  head  as 
Mr.  M'Lean,  in  the  First  Part  of  his 
Thoughts  on  the  Calls  and  Invitations  of 
the  Gospel,  has  not  only  alleged  the  fore- 
going passages,  with  others,  but  shown 
their  connection  and  pertinency  to  the 
point  at  issue.  Suffice  it  for  me  to  say 
that  a  system  which  requires  the  disuse  of 
the  most  distinguished  means  pertaining  to 
the  ministry  of  the  word  must  be  funda- 
mentally erroneous,  and  of  a  tendency  to 
render  the  good  news  of  salvation  of  none 
effect.  * 

*  It  becomes  me  here  to  acknowletlge  that,  in  the 
Appendix  10  the  last  edition  of  the  Gospel  IVorihy 
of  all  Acceptation,  I  was  guilty  of  an  oversight,  in 
attributing  many  of  the  foregoing  sentiments  to  Mr. 
M'Lean,  which  did  not  belong  to  him.  This  mis- 
statement was  owing  to  my  having,  at  the  time,  entire- 
ly forgot  his  piece  on  the  Culls  of  the  Gospel,  and 
my  considering  an  anonymous  performance,  entitled 
Simple  Truth,  written  by  a  Mr.  Bernard,  as  his. 
It  is  true  I  had  the  means  of  knowing  l)etter,  and 
should  have  been  more  attentive  to  them  :  in  this, 
however,  lay  the  whole  of  my  fault.  It  never  was 
my  design,  for  a  moment,  to  misrepresent  Mr.  M.  or 
any  other  man  ;  nor  did  I  ever  feel  the  least  lekic- 
tance  to  make  the  most  explicit  acknowledgment. 

I  may  add,  though  I  am  sorry  tiiat  I  mistook  him, 
yet  I  am  glad  I  was  mistaken.  The  difierence  be- 
tween us  is  so  much  the  less,  which,  to  any  one  who 
wishes  to  unite  with  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity,  as  far  as  possible,  must  afford  a 
decree  of  satisfaction. 


CONSEQUENCES    OF    MR      S.'s    NOTIONS    OF    FAITH.  571 

"  To  iir^e  unbelievers,"  says  Mr.  San-  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  highest  wick- 
denian, '•  to  any  shadow  ofolwiliciKo  to  the  cchiess  and  a  despising  of  the  work,  of 
jrospol,  as   preparative  to  justHiration   l)y    Ciirist  1  "  f 

lailli,  can  have  no  other  olToct  than  to  lead  I  can  assure  you  that,  while  I  feel  sor- 
(hern  to  establish  their  own  riiihteousness,  ry  to  have  mistaken  Mr.  M'Lean  on  this 
and  to  stand  in  awe  of  the  |)rcacher."  '  sul)jcct,  I  am  not  a  little  happy  in  being 
Ob.'dience  to  the  gospel,  in  Mr.  Sande-  able  to  make  such  important  extracts  as 
man's  view,  is  the  efffct  of  faitii;  the  tiie  ai)ove  from  his  writings.  Yet,  when 
Scriptures,  however,  as  we  have  seen,  I  think  of  sonic  of  the  principles  which  he 
make  faith  itself  to  be  obedience,  and  still  avows,  I  feel  concerned  at  what  ap- 
unbelief  to  be  disobedience.  If,  l)y  "  pre-  pears  to  me  his  inconsistency;  and  not 
parative,"  he  means  any  thing  which  con-  merely  his,  but  that  of  many  others  whom 
tributes  to  the  ground  or  reason  of   jutili-    I  sincerely  esteem. 

cation,  wliat  he  says  of  its  scll-ri;;hlc<>us  If,  after  wiiat  lias  passed,  I  could  hope 
tendency  is  true  ;  and  the  same  would  l)e  for  a  candid  attention,  I  would  intreat 
true  of  his  "notion,"  or  "bare  belief;"  Mr.  M.  and  otiiers  like-minded  with  him, 
but  to  represent  obedience  to  the  gospel  as  to  consider  whether  that  practical  neg- 
necessary  in  the  established  order  of  things  led  of  calls  and  invitations  to  the  uncon- 
fo  justification  is  to  represent  it  according  verted  which  is  said  to  prevail  wherever 
to  the  whole  current  of  Scripture,  as  is  these  sentiments  are  imbibed,  and  which  he 
manifest  from  the  foregoing  passages  ;  and  almost  acknowledges  to  have  attended  his 
this  can  have  no  self-righteous  tendency,  own  ministry,  has  not  arisen  from  his 
He  that  bclicveth  worketh  not  in  respect  cause. |  So  long  as  he  considers  faith  as 
of  justification.  He  does  not  deserve  something  in  which  the  will  is  concern- 
what  he  ol>tains,  but  receives  it  as  a  Iree  ed,  instead  of  my  being  surprised  at  his 
gift ;  and  it  is  of  the  nature  of  faith  so  to  feeling  a  difficulty  in  carrying  the  princi- 
receive  it.  We  can  distinguish  between  a  pies  j)Ieaded  for  in  his  Thoughts  on  the 
man  who  lives  by  his  labors  and  one  that  Calls  of  the  Gospelinto  execution,  I  should 
lives  hy  alms ;  and,  without  denying  that  be  much  more  surprised  at  the  contra- 
the  latter  is  active  in  receiving  them,  can  ry.  If  he  be  able  to  exhort  sinners  to  re- 
clearly  discern  that  his  mode  of  living  is  pent  and  believe  the  gospel,  it  is  more 
directly  opposed  to  that  of  the  other.  He  than  I  should  be  with  his  professed  prin- 
that  should  contend  that  living  by  alms  ciples.  So  far  as  I  know  myself,  Icould 
actively  received  was  the  same  thing  as  not  possibly  call  or  invite  any  man  to  that 
living  by  works  would  not  be  reckoned  a  in  which  his  will  had  no  concern,  without 
reasoner  but  a  driveller.  feeling  at  the  same  time  that  I  insulted 

To  set  ourselves  against  the  practice  of  him. 
the  prophets  and  apostles,  in  order  to  sup-  h  may  seem  a  little  remarka])le  that  this 
port  the  Ireeness  of  justification,  is  sup-  system,  and  that  of  the  high  or  Hyper- 
porting  the  ark  with  unhallowed  hands  ;  Calvinists  in  England,  which  in  almost  all 
or,  as  Mr.  M'Lean  expresses  it,  replying  other  things  are  opposite,  should  on  this 
against  God.  "Cannot  the  wicked,"  point  be  agreed.  The  one  confines  be- 
continues  he,  "be  exhorted  to  believe,  Ijeving  to  the  understandintr,  the  other 
repent,  and  seek  the  Lord,  and  be  en-  represents  sinners,  awakened'  sinners  at 
couraged  to  this  by  a  promise  of  success,  least,  as  being  willing  to  believe  but 
(Isa.  Iv.  6,  7,)  without— making  the  sue-  unable  to  do  so,  any  more  than  to' take 
cess  to  depend  on  human  merit  1  Are  wings  and  fly  to  heaven.  Hence  neither  of 
such  exhortations  and  promises  always  to  them  holds  it  consistent  to  call  on  sinners 
be  suspected  of  having  a  dangerous  and  to  believe  in  Clirist,  nor  is  it  consistent 
self-righteous  tendency  1  Instead  of  ta-  ^-ith  their  principles;  but  how  it  is  that 
king  them  in  their  plain  and  simple  sense,  they  do  not  perceive,  by  the  uniform  prac- 
must  our  main  care  always  be  to  a  guard  tice  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  that  these 
against  some  supposed  self-righteous  use  principles  are  antiscriptural  I  cannot  oth- 
of  them,  till  we  have  explained  away  their  erwise  account  for  than  by  ascribin<^  it  to 
whole  force  and  spirit,  and  so  distinguish-  the  perverting  iufluence  of  hypothesis 
ed  and  refined  upon  thein  as  to  make  men 

more  afraid  to  comply   w  ith  them   than  to  ^  TlioiigliL«!  on  Call?,  &c.,  p.  36. 

reject  them,  lest  they  should  be  guilty  of  X  His  words  are,  "  However  ne'^liijent  I  may  tie 
some  exertion  of  mind  or  body,  some  good  '"  "r^'"?  sinners  to  repentance,  it  lia.s  alwav.f  been 
disposition    or    motion    towards    Christ,    ""y  '^■■'"  '^'''^'^  ''"'''  "'•'^  ""'y  'I'e  unronverted,  Imt 

even  tlie  converted  liiemselves,  need  often  to  be  call- 

*  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  29.  „ts."    XXp'se"'   "'"    '"   "'^"   '"  ''"^"" 


572 


STRICTURES    ON      S  ANDEMANIANISM. 


LETTER  IV. 

ON     THE     FAITH     OF    DEVILS     AND     NOM- 
INAL   CHRISTIANS. 

You  are  aware  that  the  apostle  James 
speaks  of  some  whose  taith  was  dead,  be- 
ing alone  ;  and  that,  in  answer  to  their 
boastings,  he  reminded  them  that  the  dev- 
ils also  believed  and  trembled.  Hence,  it 
has  been  generally  thought,  there  must  be 
an  essential  dilference  between  the  nature 
of  the  faith  of  nominal  Christians  and  devils 
on  the  one  hand  and  that  of  true  Christians 
on  the  other.  But  this  would  overturn  a 
leading  principle  of  the  Sandemanian  sys- 
tem. Its  advocates,  therefore,  have  gene- 
rally contended  that,  "whosoever  among 
men  believes  what  devils  do,  about  the  Son 
of  God,  is  born  of  God  and  shall  be  sa- 
ved;" *  and  that  the  design  of  the  apostle 
was  not  to  compare  but  rather  to  contrast 
it  with  that  of  the  nominal  Christian  ;  the 
latter  as  having  no  effect  on  the  mind,  the 
former  as  causing  its  subjects  to  tremble. 
It  has  also  been  commonly  maintained,  on 
that  side  of  the  question,  that  the  faith  of 
which  the  apostle  James  speaks,  instead  ol 
being  of  a  different  nature  from  that  of  true 
Christians,  was  in  reality  nothing  but  pro- 
fession, or  ''saying  I  have  faith."  "  The 
design  of  the  apostle,"  it  has  been  said, 
"  is  to  represent  that  faith,  whether  it  be 
on  earth  or  in  hell,  if  it  really  existed  and 
Avas  not  merely  pretended  or  professed, 
was  always  productive  of  cosresponding 
works." 

As  the  whole  argument  seems  to  rest 
upon  the  question  whether  the  faith  of 
nominal  Christians  be  here  compared  to 
that  of  devils  or  contrasted  with  it,  and  as 
the  solution  of  this  question  involves  a 
fundamental  principle  of  the  system,  it  is 
worthy  of  a  particular  examination. 

The  words  of  the  apostle  are  as  follow  : 
— "  What  doth  it  profit,  my  brethren, 
though  a  man  say  he  hath  faith  and  have 
not  works'!  Can  faith  save  him'!  If  a 
brother  or  sister  1)e  naked  and  destitute 
of  daily  food,  and  one  of  you  say  unto  them. 
Depart  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  and  filled; 
notwithstanding  ye  give  them  not  those 
things  which  are  needful  to  the  body ; 
what  doth  it  profit  1  Even  so  faith,  if  it 
hath  not  works,  is  dead,  being  alone." — 
"  Yea,  a  man  may  say,  Thou  hast  faith 
and  I  have  works  ;  show  me  thy  faith  with- 
out thy  works,  and  I  will  show  thee  my 
faith  by  my  works.     Thou  Itelievest  that 

*  Ecking's  Esi'nys,  p.  107. 


there  is  one  God ;  thou  doest  well :  the 
devils  also  believe  and  tremble.  But  wilt 
thou  know,  O  vain  man,  that  faith  without 
works  is  dead." 

If  the  design  be  to  contrast  the  faith  of 
devils  with  that  of  nominal  Christians,  the 
apostle  must  undoubtedly  mean  to  render 
the  latter  a  nonentity,  or  a  mere  pretence, 
and  to  hold  up  the  former  as  a  reality  ;  and, 
what  is  more,  to  represent  the  "trem- 
bling" of  the  fallen  spirits  as  a  species  of 
good  fruit,  good  at  least  in  its  nature,  and 
wanting  nothing  to  render  it  saving  but 
the  circumstantial  interference  of  a  more 
favorable  situation. 

To  this  view  of  the  passage  I  have  sev- 
eral ol)jections. — 

First  :  The  apostle  does  not  treat  the 
faith  of  nominal  Christians  as  a  nonenity, 
but  as  something  which  existed,  though 
void  of  life,  as  "  a  dead  body  without  the 
spirit."  On  the  principle  here  opposed 
there  is  no  such  a  thing  as  a  dead  laith  ; 
that  which  is  so  called  being  mere  pre- 
tence. The  party  is,  indeed,  represented 
as  saying  he  has  faith,  but  the  same  may 
be  alleged  of  the  true  Christian  with  re- 
spect to  works,  James,  ii.^lS.  If  hence,  the 
faith  of  the  one  be  considered  as  a  nonen- 
tity, the  works  of  the  other  must  lie  the 
same. 

Secondly  :  The  place  in  which  the  faith 
of  devils  is  introduced  proves  that  it  is  for 
the  purpose  of  comparison  and  not  of  con- 
trast. If  it  had  been  for  the  latter  it 
should  have  been  introduced  in  verse  18, 
and  classed  with  the  operative  belief  of 
true  Christians,  rather  than  in  verse  19, 
where  it  is  classed  with  that  of  nominal 
Christians.  The  argument  then  would 
have  been  this  :  "  Show  me  thy  faith  with- 
out thy  works,  and  I  will  show  thee  my  faith 
by  my  works  :  the  devils  believe  and  trem- 
ble ;  but  thou  believest  and  tremblest  not; 
therefore  thy  faith  is  a  mere  pretence." 

Thirdly  :  The  copulative  particle  '  also,' 
instead  of  the  disjunctive,  determines  it 
to  be  a  comparison  and  not  a  contrast. 
If  it  were  the  latter,  the  argument  re- 
quires it  to  have  been  thus  expressed  : 
— "  Thou  believest  there  is  one  God  ;  thou 
doest  well :  but  the  devils  believe  and 
tremble."  If  ;^"(  be  rendered  and,  or  even, 
instead  of  also,  as  it  often  is,  yet  the 
meaning  is  the  same.  "  Thou  believest 
there  is  one  God  :  thou  doest  well ;  and 
the  devils  believe  and  tremble;  or  even  the 
devils  believe  and  tremlile."  None  of 
these  forms  of  expression  conveys  the  idea 
of  contrast  but  of  likeness. 

Judge,  my  friend,  and  let  the  reader 
judge,  whether  the  meaning  of  the  apostle 
be  not  expressed  in  the  following  para- 
phrase : — Show  me,  if  thou  canst,  a  faith 


ON    THE    FAITH    OF     DEVILS. 


573 


wliicli  is  of  any  value  without  works,  and 
1  will  show  thee  a  laith  whitii  is  ol  value 
by  its  Iruits.  Thou  liclit\esl  that  there  is 
one  God  ;  a  great  uuitter  truly  !  and  may 
not  the  same  he  said  ol  the  worst  ol  beings  ! 
yea,  and  more  :  lor  they,  having  lell  the 
power  ol  God's  anger,  not  only  iielieve  liut 
tremble;  whereas  thy  laith  sutlers  thee  to 
li\e  at  ease.  But  as  theirs,  with  all  their 
tremi)iing,  is  ol  no  account,  neither  is 
thine  ;  lor  faith  without  holy  Iruits  is  dead. 

If  the  language  of  the  apostle  may  be 
understood  as  a  contrast,  it  may  be  used 
to  express  that  which  sulisists  iietween 
other  things  that  diller  as  well  as  these. 
For  example  :  Between  the  faith  olUluis- 
tians  and  liiat  ol  Jews.  But  the  absurdity 
of  this  would  strike  any  reader  of  common 
discernment.  Thou  lielie\est  that  there 
is  one  God;  thou  doest  well  :  "  Christians 
a/so  believe  and  obey!  To  make  sense  of 
it,  it  should  be,  Jiiit  Christians  believe  and 
obey.  On  the  other  hand,  make  an  ex- 
periment in  an  instance  of  likeness,  and 
the  language  is  plain  and  easy.  One 
boasts  that  he  is  not  a  heathen,  nor  a  Jew, 
nor  a  Deist,  but  a  Christian;  while  yet  he 
is  under  ihe  dominion  of  avarice.  A  man 
might  say  to  him,  "  Thou  believest  there 
is  one  God,  thou  doest  well  :  "  Felix  the 
heathen  was  so  far  convinced  of  this,  and, 
what  is  more,  trembled  :  yet  Felix's  con- 
victions were  of  no  value,  and  brought 
forth  no  good  fruit ;  neither  are  thine,  for 
faith  without  works  is  dead. 

There  is  no  reason  to  conclude  that  the 
faith  and  trembling  of  devils  differ  in  any 
thing,  except  in  degree,  from  the  convic- 
tions and  trembling  of  Felix:  If,  there- 
fore, the  former  would  in  our  circumstances 
have  terminated  in  salvation,  w  hy  did  not 
the  latter,  whose  situation  was  sufficient- 
ly favorable,  so  terminate  1  The  convic- 
tions of  James'  nominal  Christians  might 
not  be  so  strong  as  those  of  Felix,  and  his 
might  not  be  so  strong  as  those  of  the  fall- 
en angels  ;  but  in  tiieir  nw/itre  they  were 
one  and  the  same.  The  first  was  convin- 
ced that  there  was  one  God  ;  l)ut  it  was 
mere  light  w  ithout  love.  It",  like  what  is 
said  of  the  stony -ground  hearers,  a  portion 
of  joy  at  first  attended  it,  yet,  the  gospel 
having  no  root  in  his  mind,  and  being  in 
circumstances  wherein  he  saw  no  remark- 
able displays  of  the  divine  majesty,  it  made 
no  dural>le  impression  upon  him.  The 
second  might  also  be  convinced  that  there 
was  a  God,  and  neither  were  his  convic- 
tions accompanied  i)y  love,  but  "righte- 
ousness, temperance,  and  a  judgment  to 
come,"  being  set  before  him,  he  "trem- 
bled." The  last  are  convinced  of  the  same 
truth  and  neither  are  their  convictions  ac- 
companied by  love ;    but,  being  placed  in 


circumstances  wherein  the  uwful  majesty 
of  God  is  continually  before  their  eyes, 
they  already  know  in  part,  by  sad  experi- 
ence, the  truth  of  his  threatenings,  and 
tremble  in  expectation  of  greater  torments. 

There  is  just  as  much  holiness  in  each 
of  these  cases  as  in  the  tremiiling  of  an 
impenitent  malefactor  under  the  gallows. 
To  reckon  it  in  any  of  them,  therefore, 
among  "  the  corresponding  fruits  which 
always  attend  faith  if  it  really  exists,"  is 
to  reckon  as  fruit  that  which  the  Scriptures 
reject  as  unworthy  of  the  name.  Of  the 
four  sorts  of  hearers,  only  one  brought 
forth  fruit. 

It  is  remarkable  that  Mr.  M'Lcan,  af- 
ter wiiat  he  has  written,  when  discours- 
ing on  the  j)arab!e  ot  the  sower,  jiarticu- 
larly  on  those  who  are  said  to  have  "  be- 
lieved for  a  while,"  should  introduce  the 
following  sentiment  in  the  form  of  an  ob- 
jection : — "Such  as  fall  away  have  never 
been  enlightened  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  nor  really  believed  the  gospel  ;  but 
had  only  professed  to  believe."  His  an- 
swer to  this  objection  is  still  more  remark- 
al)le.  "  The  Scripture,"  he  says,  "  sup- 
poses them  to  have  been  once  enlightened 
— to  have  received  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  and  of  the  way  of  righteousness — 
to  have  believed  for  a  while — and  to  have 
escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world  through 
the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  See  Heb.  vi.  4;  x.  26. 
Lukeviii.  13.  2  Peter  ii.  20.  And  their 
falling  away  after  such  attainments  is  that 
which  constitutes  the  very  sin  of  apostasy, 
and  by  which  the  guilt  of  it  is  aggravated. 
For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to 
have  known  the  way  of  righteousness, 
than  after  they  have  known  it  to  turn 
from  the  holy  commandment  delivered 
unto  them." — Sermons,  p.  66. 

All  this  I  account  very  good,  though  I 
should  not  have  expected  it  from  Mr.  M. 
But  his  refusing  after  this  to  admit  an  es- 
sential ditference  between  Ihe  faitli  of  the 
apostates  and  that  of  true  l)elievers  is  most 
remarkable  of  all.  If  the  diirerciuc  lie 
not  in  the  nature  of  their  faith,  nor  in  the 
nature  of  the  things  lielieved,  against  which 
he  also  reasons,  where  does  it  lie?  They 
must,  one  would  think,  have  been  true  be- 
lievers so  far  as  they  went,  and  so  long  as 
they  continue  to  believe  ;  and  their  falling 
away  must  afford  an  example  of  the  apos- 
tasy of  true  believers.  But,  if  a  person 
may  be  a  true  believer  at  one  time  and  an 
appostate  at  another,  he  can  have  no 
scriptural  ground  at  any  period  of  his  life, 
from  any  consciousness  of  believing  the 
gospel,  to  conclude  on  his  own  particular 
salvation.  Yet  this  is  what  Mr.  M.  has 
pleaded  for  in  his  treatise  on   the   Com- 


574 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


mission.  Moreover,  if  there  be  not  an 
essential  difference  between  the  nature  of 
the  faith  of  apostates,  and  that  of  true  be- 
lievers, why  does  he  himself  when  descri- 
bing them  write  as  follows  1  "  Whatever 
appearances  of  faith  there  may  be  in  false 
professors,  they  have  not  the  same  per- 
ception of  the  truth,  nor  that  persuasion 
of  it  upon  its  proper  evidence,  which  real 
believers  have." — Works,  Vol.  II.  p.  96. 
I  do  not  say  of  Mr.  M.,  as  he  does  of  me, 
that  "  he  can  take  either  side  of  the  ques- 
tion as  he  finds  occasion  :  "  but  this  I  say, 
he  appears  to  me  to  feel  the  force  of  some 
truths  which  do  not  well  comport  with 
some  of  his  former  reasonings  ;  and  not 
being  able,  it  should  seem,  to  reconcile 
them,  he  leaves  them  unreconciled. 

Surely  it  were  more  agreeable  to  the 
truth,  and  to  the  passages  on  which  he  dis- 
courses, to  admit  of  an  essential  difference 
between  the  faith  of  nominal  and  real 
Christians.  In  discoursing  on  the  "good 
ground  "  in  the  parable,  he  very  properly 
represents  true  believers,  and  them  only, 
as  being  "  taught  by  the  special  illumina- 
ting influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  "  but 
surely  that  which  is  the  fruit  of  this  spe- 
cial influence  possesses  a  special  nature. 
Why  else  do  we  read  that  "  that  which 
is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit  1  "  and  why 
does  it  denominate  a  man  spiritual  1 — 1 
Cor.  ii.  15.  We  may  not,  as  he  says,  be 
"  able  to  distinguish,  in  the  first  impres- 
sions of  the  gospel,  the  faith  of  a  stony- 
ground  hearer  from  that  of  a  true  believ- 
er;" but  it  does  not  follow  that  there  is 
not  an  essential  difference  notwithstand- 
ing- 

The  unrenewed  character,  with  all  his 
knowledge,  know eth  nothing  as  he  ought  to 
know.  He  perceives  not  the  intrinsic  evil 
of  sin,  and,  consequently,  discerns  not  the 
intrinsic  excellence  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ.  That  in  the  gospel  which  pleases 
him  is  its  giving  relief  to  his  troubled  con- 
science. Hence  "all  his  godliness,"  as 
Mr.  Sandeman  says,  "consists  in  love  to 
that  which  first  relieved  him." 

We  have  been  told  more  than  once  that 
"there  need  be  no  question  ahonihow  we 
believe,  but  what  we  believe."  Mr. 
M'Lean  will  answer  this,  that  "  the  mat- 
ter or  object  of  belief,  even  in  apostates, 
is  said  to  be  ihe  word  of  the  kingdom — the 
truth — the  way  of  righteousness — the  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  what  oth- 
er object  of  faith  have  true  believers  1  " — 
Sermons,  pp.  66,  67. 

I  have  no  objection  to  allowing,  howev- 
er, that,  if  we  believe  the  very  truth  as  it 
is  in  in  Jesus,  there  can  he  nothing  want- 
ing in  the  manner  of  believing  it.  But 
though  this  be  true,  and  though  an  inquirer 


after  the  way  of  salvation  ought  to  he  di- 
rected to  the  saving  doctrine  of  the  cross, 
rather  than  to  the  workings  of  his  own 
mind  concerning  it,  yet  there  is  in  the 
workings  of  a  believer's  mind  towards  it 
something  essentially  different  from  those 
of  tlie  merely  nominal  Christian ;  and 
which,  when  the  inquiry  comes  to  be, 
"Am  I  a  believer!  "  ought  to  be  pointed 
out.  He  not  only  believes  truths  which 
the  otiier  does  not,  but  believes  the  same 
truths  in  a  different  manner.  In  other 
words,  he  believes  them  on  different 
grounds,  and  with  different  affections. 
That  which  he  knoweth  is,  in  measure, 
"  as  he  ought  to  know  it."  He  discerns 
spiritual  things  in  a  spiritual  manner; 
which  is  the  only  manner  in  which  they 
can  be  discerned  as  they  are. 

It  might  be  said  there  need  be  no  ques- 
tion about  hoto  we  repent,  or  hope,  or 
love,  or  pray  ;  but  ivhat  we  repent  of,  what 
we  hope  for,  what  we  love,  and  what  we 
pray  for.  And  true  it  is  that  if  we  repent 
of  sin  as  sin,  hope  for  the  things  which  the 
gospel  promises,  love  the  true  character  of 
God  and  all  that  bears  his  image,  and 
pray  for  those  things  which  are  according  to 
his  will,  there  will  be  nothing  wanting  as  to 
the  manner  :  but  it  does  not  follow  that 
there  is  no  difference  as  to  the  manner  of 
these  exercises  in  true  Christians  and  in 
merely  nominal  ones.  Our  being  right 
as  to  the  objects  may  be  a  proof  of  our 
being  right  as  to  the  manner,  as  the  nee- 
dle's pointing  to  the  magnet  proves  the 
correspondence  of  the  nature  of  the  one 
with  that  of  the  other :  but,  as  in  this 
case  we  should  not  say  it  is  of  no  account 
whether  the  needle  be  made  of  steel  or  of 
some  other  substance,  so  that  it  points  to 
the  magnet,  neither  in  the  other  should 
we  consider  the  nature  of  spiritual  exer- 
cises as  a  matter  of  no  account,  but  mere- 
ly the  objects  on  which  they  terminate. 

When  we  read,  concerning  the  duty  of 
prayer,  that  "  the  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  that 
call  upon  him  in  truth,"  and  that  "  we 
know  not  what  to  pray  for  as  ice  ought," 
we  infer  that  there  is  something  in  the 
nature  of  a  good  man's  prayers  which 
distinguishes  them  from  others.  But 
there  is  just  the  same  reason  for  inferring 
that  there  is  something  in  the  nature  of  a 
good  man's  knowledge  which  distinguish- 
es it  from  that  of  others  ;  for,  as  he  only 
that  is  assisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit  prays 
as  he  ought,  so  he  only  that  is  taught  of 
God  knoweth  any  thing  as  he  ought  to 
know. 

The  holy  nature  of  living  faith  may  be 
difficult,  and  even  impossible,  to  be  ascer- 
tained but  by  its  effects ;  as  it  is  difficult. 


ON    THE    FAITH    OF    DEVILS.  675 

if  not    iiiij)OSsil>lc,    to    distinguisli     some  nothing.       In   hell   the   circumstances   are 

seeds  iVoin   others  till  they  have  iirouglit  sulTiciently  impressive,  and  they  actually 

forth  their  respective   fruits;  but  a  dilVer-  believe;    but  then  there  is  no  hope,  and 

ence  there  is,   notwithstanding.      If  there  so  again  it  comes  to  nothing  ! 

need  lie   no   in(|uiry   as   to   the   nature   ol  Surely  the  paral)le  of  the  rich  man  and 

faith,   but   merely  concerning  its  objects,  La/arus  might  sulTice  to  teach  us  the  in- 

how  was  it  tlrit  the   Corinthians,  who,  by  suflTiciency  of  all  means  to  bring  sinners  to 

their    unworthy    spirit    and    conduct,    had  God,   when   we  are  assured   that,   if  they 

rendered  their  being  Christ's  disciples  in-  believed    not    Moses    and    the    prophets, 

deed  a  matter  of  doubt,  should  be  told  to  neither  would  they  be  persuaded  though 

examine  themselves  whether   they  were   in  one  should  rise   from  the  dead.      I  am  far 

the   faith,   and  should   be   furnished   with  from  accusing  all  who  have    pleaded  for 

this  criterion,   that   if  they  were   true   be-  the  faith  of  devils  being  such  as  would  be 

lievers,    and    not    rejtrobates,    or   such   as  saving  in  our  circumstances  as  designing 

would    be    disapproved     as     dross,     Jesus  to  undermine  the  work  of  the  Spirit  ;  but 

Christ   was    in    them!     On    the   principle  that    such   is   its   tendency  is,   I  presume, 

here      opposed  they    should    have    exam-  sufficiently  n)anifcst. 

ined,    not    themselves,    but    merely    their  Nor  is  this  all :   not  only  is  the  influence 

creed,  or  what  they  believed,  in   order  to  of   the    Spirit  set  aside,  in  favor  of    the 

know  whether  they  were  in  the  faith.  mere  influence  of  moral  suasion,  but  the 

If  the  faith  of  devils  would  have  issued  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  made  to  consist  of 

in  their  salvation,  provided,  like  us,  they  that  which  is  the  ordinary  effect  of  such 

had  been  placed  in  circumstances  of  hope,  influence.     "  When  any  jierson  on  earth  " 

it  will  follow  that  faith  is  not  produced  by  it  has  l)een  said,  "  believes  Jesus  (who  is 

the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,   but  merely  now  invisil)le)  with  equal  assurance  as  the 

by   Divine   Providence.     No  one,  I  pre-  devils,  he  rejoices  in  hope,  is  animated  by 

sume,  will  ascribe  the  belief  of  devils  to  love  to  him,  and  feels  disposed  to  obey  his 

the   Holy   Spirit  :   whatever  they   believe  will,  and  to  resist  his  own    eyil  inclina- 

must  be  owing  to  the  situation  in  which  lions." 

they  are  placed,  and  the  circumstances  There  are,  I  grant,  sensations  in  the 
attending  them.  But,  if  faith  may  be  the  human  mind  which  arise  merely  from  the 
mere  effect  of  situation  and  circumstances  influences  of  hope  and  fear,  and  which 
in  one  case,  why  not  in  another]  Sande-  bear  a  near  resemblance  to  the  fruits  of 
manians  have  often  been  charged  with  the  Spirit;  but  they  are  not  the  same, 
setting  aside  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  and  The  judgments  of  God  inflicted  upon  the 
have  often  denied  the  charge  :  but,  what-  carnal  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  caused 
ever  may  be  said  of  their  other  principles,  the  survivors  to  tremble,  and  wrought  in 
their  notion  of  the  faith  of  devils  must  them  a  great  care  to  be  more  religious 
sap  the  foundation  of  that  important  doc-  and  toresist  their  evil  inclinations.  "  Wheri 
trine.  If  this  notion  be  true,  all  that  is  he  slew  them,  then  they  sought  him  :  and 
necessary  is  that  the  party  be  placed  un-  they  returned  early  after  God  ;  they  re- 
der  the  influence  of  truth  clearly  stated  membered  that  God  was  their  Rock,  and 
and  sufficiently  impressive,  and  within  the  high  God  their  Redeemer."  Such 
the  limits  of  the  promise  of  salvation,  was  the  effect  of  moral  influence,  or  of  the 
All  the  change,  therefore,  which  is  neces-  word  and  works  of  God  :  but  wliat  follows  1 
sary  to  eternal  life  may  be  wrought  by  "Nevertheless  they  did  flatter  him  with 
only  a  proper  adjustment  of  moral  causes,  their  mouth,  and  they  lied  unto  him  with 
Only  place  mankind  in  circumtances  in  {l\e'\r  tongues  \  for  their  heart  icas  not  right 
which  their  minds  shall  be  irniiressed  with  with  him,  neither  were  they  steadfast  in 
terror  equal  to  that  of  the  fallen  angels,  his  covenant."  Thus,  on  the  approach  of 
and  let  the  jjromise  of  salvation  to  believ-  death,  we  still  see  men  greatly  affected, 
ers  be  continued  as  it  is,  and  all  would  be  Light  as  they  may  have  made  of  religion 
saved.  And,  with  respect  to  the  fallen  an-  before,  they  now  believe  enouL^i  to  make 
gels  themselves,  only  extend  to  them  the  them  tremble.  At  such  times  it  is  com- 
promise to  lielievers,  and  they  are  at  once  mon  for  them  to  think  how  good  they  would 
in  a  state  of  salvation.  Such,  on  this  hy-  be,  and  what  a  different  life  they  would 
pothesis,  would  have  been  the  happy  con-  lead,  if  it  would  please  God  to  restore 
dition  of  both  men  and  devils:  but  the  them.  And,  should  a  favorable  turn  be 
hope  of  mercy  and  the  sense  of  wrath  are  given  to  their  affliction,  they  are  affected 
both  rendered  abortive  for  want  of  being  in  another  way;  they  weep,  and  thank 
united.  Providence  places  sinners  on  God  for  their  hopes  of  "recovery,  not  doubt- 
earth  under  the  hope  of  salvation  ;  but  ing  but  they  shall  become  other  men. 
then  they  are  not  in  circumstances  suffi-  But  I  need  not  tell  you,  or  the  reader,  that 
ciently  impressive,    and    so    it   comes  to  all  this  may  consist  with  a  heart  at  enmity 


)76 


STRICTURES     ON     SANDEMANIANISM. 


with  the  true  character  of  God,  and  that  it 
frequently  proves  so,  by  their  returning,  as 
soon  as  the  impression  subsides,  to  their 
okl  courses.  The  whole  of  this  process 
may  he  no  more  than  an  operation  of  self- 
love,  or,  as  Mr.  Sandeman  calls  it,  "  a  love 
to  that  which  relieves  them,  which  is 
something  at  a  great  remove  from  the  love 
of  God,  and  therefore  is  not  "godliness." 
Godliness  has  respect  to  God,  and  not 
merely  to  our  own  relief.  The  distress  of 
an  ungodly  mind,  consisting  only  in  a  fear- 
ful apprehension  of  consequences,  may  be 
relieved  by  any  thing  that  furnishes  him 
with  a  persuasion  of  the  removal  of  those 
consequences.  It  may  be  from  an  idea 
that  he  has  performed  the  conditions  of 
salvation  ;  or  from  an  impulse  that  his  sins 
are  forgiven  ;  or  from  his  imagining  that 
he  "sees  God  just  in  justifying  him,  un- 
godly as  he  stands."  Any  of  these  con- 
siderations will  give  relief;  and  no  man 
will  be  so  wanting  to  himself  as  not  to 
"  love  that  which  relieves  him."  There 
may  be  some  ditierence  in  these  causes  of 
relief:  the  former  may  be  derived  from 
something  in  ourselves ;  and  the  latter 
may  seem  to  arise  from  what  Christ  has 
done  and  suffered  :  but,  if  the  undertaking 
of  Christ  be  merely  viewed  as  a  relief  to  a 
sinner,  we  overlook  its  chief  glory ;  and 
the  religion  that  arises  from  such  views  is 
as  false  as  the  views  themselves  are  partial. 
The  first  idea  in  the  doctrine  of  the  cross 
is,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest.'"  Its 
proclaiming  "peace  on  earth,  and  good 
will  to  men,"  is  consequent  on  this.  But 
that  which  occupies  the  first  place  in  the 
doctrine  itself  must  occupy  the  first  place 
in  the  belief  of  it.  The  faith  of  the  gos- 
pel corresponds  with  the  gospel :  "  So  we 
preached,  and  so  ye  believed."  God  will 
assert  his  own  glory,  and  we  must  sub- 
scribe to  it,  before  we  are  allowed  to  ask 
or  hope  for  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  ; 
as  is  clearly  taught  us  in  what  is  called  the 
Lord's  prayer.  He,  therefore,  that  views 
the  cross  of  Christ  merely  as  an  expedient 
to  relieve  the  guilty,  or  only  subscribes  to 
the  justice  of  God  in  his  condemnation, 
when  conceiving  himself  delivered  from  it, 
has  yet  to  learn  tlie  first  principles  of 
Christianity.  His  rejoicing  in  the  justice 
of  God,  as  satisfied  by  the  death  oj  Christ, 
while  he  hates  it  in  itself  considered,  is  no 
more  than  rejoicing  in  a  dreaded  tyrant 
being  appeased,  or  somehow  diverted  from 
coming  to  hurt  him.  And  shall  we  call 
this  the  love  of  God  1  To  make  our  de- 
liverance from  divine  condemnation  the 
condition  of  our  subscribing  to  the  justice 
of  it  proves,  beyond  all  contradiction,  that 
Ave  care  only  for  ourselves,  and  that  the 
love  of  God  is  not  in  us.  And  herein,  if 
I  may  adopt  Mr.  Sandeman's  term,  consists 


the  very  "  poison  "  of  his  system.  It  is 
one  of  the  many  devices  for  obtaining  re- 
lief to  tlie  mind,  without  justifying  God, 
and  falHng  at  the  feet  of  the  Saviour;  or, 
which  is  the  same  thing,  without  "  repent- 
ance toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  doctrine  of  the  cross  presupposes 
the  equity  and  goodness  of  the  divine  law, 
the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  the  expo- 
sedness  of  the  sinner  to  God's  righteous 
curse,  and  his  utter  insufficiency  to  deliver 
his  soul.  To  believe  this  doctrine,  there- 
fore, must  needs  be  to  subscribe  with  our 
very  heart  to  these  principles,  as  they 
respect  ourselves  ;  and  so  to  receive  sal- 
vation as  being  what  it  is,  a  message  of 
pure  grace,  through  a  mediator.  Such  a 
conviction  as  this  never  possessed  the  mind 
of  a  fallen  angel,  nor  of  a  fallen  man  un- 
taught by  the  special  grace  of  God. 


LETTER  V. 

ON  THE  CONNECTION  BETWEEN  RE- 
PENTANCE TOWARD  GOD  AND  FAITH 
TOWARD    OUR    LORD    JESUS     CHRIST. 

The  advocates  of  this  system  do  not 
consider  the  order  in  which  these  graces 
are  ordinarily  introduced  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament as  being  the  true  order  of  nature, 
and  therefore  generally  reverse  it,  putting 
faith  before  repentance,  and  invariably 
placing  repentance  among  the  effects  of 
faith.  A  sinner,  therefore,  has  no  spirit- 
ual sense  of  the  evil  of  sin,  till  he  has  be- 
lieved in  the  Saviour,  and  stands  in  a  jus- 
tified state.  Then,  being  forgiven  all 
trespasses,  and  reconciled  to  God  through 
tlie  death  of  his  Son,  he  is  melted  into 
repentance. 

The  question  is  not  whether  the  gospel, 
when  received  by  faith,  operates  in  this 
way  ;  for  of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
Nothing  produces  godly  sorrow  for  sin 
like  a  believing  view  of  the  suffering  Sa- 
viour. Nor  is  it  denied  that  to  be  grieved 
for  having  dishonored  God  we  must  first 
believe  that  he  is;  and,  before  we  can 
come  to  him  in  acceptable  worship,  that 
through  a  mediator  he  is  "  the  rewarder 
of  them  that  diligently  seek  him."  With- 
out a  mediator,  repentance,  even  if  it 
could  have  existed,  must  have  been  hope- 
less. I  have  not  such  an  idea  of  the  sin- 
ner being  brought  to  repentance,  antece- 
dently to  his  believing  in  Christ  for  sal- 
vation, as  Mr.  Sandeman  had  of  his  be- 
lieving antecedently  to  repentance.  Ac- 
cording to  him,  he  believes  and  is  justified, 


CONNECTION    OF    FAITH     AM)    UKl'ENTANCK. 


577 


not  merely  considered  as  ungodly,  or 
without  any  cnn^idcrulion  of  e^odlinrss  in 
him,  l)ut  atlually  "  miirodly  as  lie  stands," 
and  then,  and  not  till  tlien,  begins  to  love 
God,  and  to  he  sorry  for  his  sin.  This  is 
mar.ifestly  holding  up  the  idea  of  rt;i  m- 
penitrnt  believer,  though  not  of  one  that 
continues  such.  But  the  antecedency 
which  I  ascribe  to  repentance  does  not 
amount  to  this.  1  have  no  conception  of  a 
sinner  being  so  brought  to  rcpei\tance  as  to 
sustain  the  c/nirat/ t-r  of  a  penitent,  and  still 
less  to  obtain  (he  Ibrgiveness  ol  sin,  pre- 
viously to  his  Tailing  in  with  the  way  of 
salvation.  I  belive  it  is  not  possible  lor  a 
sinner  to  repent,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
reject  the  Saviour.  The  very  instant  that 
he  perceives  the  evil  ot  sin  so  as  to  repent 
of  it,  he  cannot  think  of  the  Saviour  with- 
out believing  in  him.  I  have,  therefore, 
no  notion  of  a  penitent  unbeliever.  All 
that  I  contend  for  is,  that,  in  the  order  of 
cause  and  effect,  whatever  may  be  said  as 
to  the  order  of  time,  repentance  })reccdes 
as  well  as  follows  the  faith  of  Christ ;  and 
that  faith  in  Christ  cannot  exist  without 
repentance  for  sin.  A  sense  of  sin  ap- 
pears to  me  essential  to  believing  in  the 
Saviour  ;  so  much  so  that,  without  it,  the 
latter  would  not  only  I'e  a  mere  "  notion," 
but  an  essentially  defective  one. 

It  is  admitted,  on  both  sides,  that  there 
is  a  priority  of  one  or  other  of  these  graces 
in  the  order  of  nature,  so  as  that  one  is  in- 
fluenced by  the  other;  and,  if  no  other  pri- 
ority were  pleaded,  neither  the  idea  of  a 
penitent  unbeliever  on  the  one  hand,  nor 
an  impenitent  believer  on  the  other,  would 
follow  ;  for  it  might  still  be  true,  as  Mr. 
M'Lean  acknowledges,  that  "  none  believe 
who  do  not  repent,"  and,  as  I  also  ac- 
knowledge, that  none  repent  who,  accord- 
ing to  the  light  they  have,  do  not  believe. 
But  if  we  maintain,  not  only  that  faith  is 
prior  in  the  order  of  nature,  but  that,  ante- 
cedently to  any  true  sorrow  for  sin  we  must 
"  see  God  to  l)e  just  in  justifying  us  ungod- 
ly as  we  stand,"  this  is  clearly  maintain- 
ing (he  notion  of  an  impenitent  believer. 

From  these  introductory  remarks,  it 
will  appear  that  I  have  no  objection  to 
faith  being  considered  as  contemporary 
with  repentance  in  the  order  of  time,  pro- 
vided the  latter  were  made  to  consist  in 
an  acquiescence  with  the  gospel -way  of 
salvation,  so  far  as  it  is  understood;  but, 
if  it  be  made  to  include  such  a  clear  view 
of  the  gospel  as  necessarily  brings  peace 
and  rest  to  the  soul,  I  believe  that  repent- 
ance for  sin  often  precedes  it,  even  in 
the  order  of  time. 

Such  is  the  connection  between  repent- 
ance and  faith  in  the  Scriptures  that  the 
one  commonly  supposes  the  other.     Re- 


VOL.    1. 


73 


pentance,  when  followed  by  the  remission 
of  sins,  supposes  faith  in  the  Saviour  (Luke 
wiv.  47;)and  faith,  when  followed  with 
justification,  equally  supposes  repentance 
for  sin. 

Attempts  have  been  made,  by  criticis- 
ing on  the]  word  umnun(  to  exi)lain  away, 
as  it  should  seem,  the  proper  object  of  re- 
pentance, as  if  it  were  a  change  of  mind 
with  regard  to  the  gospel.  "  Repent- 
ance," says  Mr.  S.,"  is  the  change  of  a 
man's  mind  to  love  the  truth,  which  always 
carries  in  it  a  sense  of  shame  and  regret  at 
his  former  ()p])osilion  to  it."*  But  this  is 
confounding  repentance  and  faith  object- 
ively considered.  The  olijccls  of  both 
are  so  marked  in  the  apostolic  ministry, 
that  one  would  think  they  could  not  be 
honestly  mistaken.  Repentance  is  toicard 
God,  and  faith  is  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ:  the  one  has  immediate  respect  to 
the  Law-giver,  the  other  to  the  Saviour. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  order  in 
which  the  New  Testament  commonly 
places  repentance  and  faith  is  in  direct  op- 
position to  what  our  opponents  plead  for  ; 
and,  what  is  more,  than  the  former  is 
represented  as  inlluencing  the  latter. 
This  is  manifest  in  the  following  passages  : 
"  Repent  ye,  and  believe  the  gospel." — 
"  Testifying  repentance  toward  God,  and 
faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." — 
"  They  repented  not,  that  they  might  be- 
lieve him." — "  If  God  peradventure  might 
give  them  repentance /o  the  acknowledging 
of  the  truth."  Mr.  Sandeman,  Mr.  M'L 
and  all  the  writers  on  that  side  of  the 
question,  very  rarely  make  use  of  this  lan- 
guage ;  and,  when  they  have  occasion  to 
write  upon  the  subject,  ordinarily  reverse 
it.  To  accord  with  their  ideas  it  should 
have  been  said.  Believe  the  gospel  and  re- 
pent.— Testifying  faith  toward  our  Lord 
Jesus  Clirist,  and  repentance  toward  God. 
— They  believed  not,  that  they  might  re- 
pent.— If  God  peradventure  may  give 
them  faith  to  repent. 

To  this  I  add,  it  is  impossible,  in  the 
nature  of  things,  to  believe  the  gos])eI  but 
as  being  made  sensible  of  that  which  ren- 
ders it  necessary.  The  guilty  and  lost 
state  of  sinners  goes  before  the  revelation 
of  the  grace  of  the  gospel  :  the  latter, 
therefore,  cannot  be  understood  or  be- 
lieved, but  as  we  are  convinced  of  the 
former.  There  is  no  grace  in  the  gospel, 
but  upon  the  suposition  of  the  holiness, 
justice,  and  goodness  of  the  }aw.  If  God 
be  not  in  the  right,  and  we  in  the  wrong; 
if  we  have  not  transgressed  wi(hout 
cause,  and  be  not  fairly  condenmed,  grace 
is  no  more  grace,  but  a  just  exemption  from 
undeserved    punishment.     And,    as    faith 

*  Letters  on  Tlieron  and  Aspasio,  p.  408. 


►78 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


must  needs  correspond  with  truth,  it  is 
impossible  that  we  should  believe  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  in  an  impen- 
itent state  of  mind,  or  without  feeling  that 
we  have  forfeited  all  claim  to  the  divine 
favor.  We  cannot  see  things  but  as  they 
are  to  be  seen :  to  suppose  that  we  first 
believe  in  the  doctrine  of  free  grace,  and 
then,  as  the  effect  of  it,  perceive  the  evil  of 
sin,  and  our  just  exposedness  to  divine 
wrath,  is  like  supposing  a  man  first  to  ap- 
preciate the  value  of  a  physician,  and  by 
this  means  to  learn  that  he  is  sick.  It  is 
true  the  physician  may  visit  the  neighbor- 
hood, or  the  apartments,  of  one  who  is  in 
imminent  danger  of  death,  while  he  thinks 
himself  mending  every  day  ;  and  this  cir- 
cumstance may  be  held  up  by  his  friends 
as  a  motive  to  him  to  consider  of  his  condi- 
tion, and  to  put  himself  under  his  care. 
It  is  thus  that  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
the  setting  up  of  his  spiritual  kingdom  in 
the  world,  were  alleged  as  motives  to 
repentance,  both  to  Jews  and  Gentiles. 
"  Repent, /or  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand." — "Repent  ye  therefore.^' — "The 
times  past  of  this  ignorance  God  winked 
at ;  but  now  commandeth  all  men  every 
where  to  repent."  But  as  it  would  not 
follow  in  the  one  case  that  the  sick  man 
could  appreciate  the  value  of  the  physician 
till  he  felt  his  sickness,  neither  does  it 
follow  in  the  other  that  faith  toward  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  precedes  such  a  sense 
of  the  evil  of  sin  as  involves  the  first  work- 
ings of  repentance  toward  God. 

To  argue,  as  some  have  done,  from  the 
motives  of  repentance  being  fetched  from 
the  gospel,  that  it  supposes  their  believing 
the  gospel  ere  they  could  repent,  proves 
too  much  ;  for  it  is  not  to  repentance  only, 
but  to  faith,  that  the  coming  of  Christ's 
kingdom  is  held  up  as  a  motive  :  but,  to 
say  that  this  supposes  their  belief  of  the 
gospel,  is  saying  they  must  believe  in  or- 
der to  believing. 

That  a  conviction  of  sin  (whether  it 
include  the  first  workings  of  repentance  or 
not)  is  necessary  to  faith  in  Christ  is  a 
matter  so  evident  that  those  w4io  have 
declaimed  most  against  it  have  not  been 
able  to  avoid  such  a  representation  of 
things.  It  is  remarkable  that,  when  Mr. 
Sandeman  comes  to  describe  his  "ungodly 
man,"  he  always  contrives  to  make  him 
not  only  full  of  distress,  but  divested  of  all 
self-righteous  pride :  he  represents  him  as 
conceiving  that  there  are  "  none  more  ripe 
for  hell  than  he,  and  as  having  no  hope 
but  in  the  great  propitiation."  *  Thus  also 
Mr.  Ecking,  when  describing  a  "  mere 
sinner,"  represents  him  as  one  Avho  "feels 

jLetterB  on  Tlieron  and  Aspasio,  pp.  46,  48. 


himself  in  a  perishing  condition,  and  is 
conscious  that  he  deserves  no  favor."  f 

We  must  not  say  that  repentance,  or 
any  degree  of  a  right  spirit,  so  precedes 
faith  in  Christ  as  to  enter  into  the  nature 
of  it ;  but,  if  we  will  but  call  the  sinner  by 
a  few  hard  names,  we  may  describe  him 
in  coming  to  the  Saviour  as  sensible  of  his 
utter  unworthiness,  as  divested  of  self- 
righteousness,  and  as  ripe  for  hell  in  his 
own  eyes  !  In  short,  we  may  depict  him 
as  the  publican  who  sought  mercy  under  a 
humiliating  sense  of  his  utter  unworthines* 
to  receive  it,  so  that  we  still  call  him  un- 
godly. And  to  this  we  have  no  objection, 
so  that  it  be  understood  of  the  character 
under  which  he  is  justified  in  the  eye  of  the 
Lawgiver ;  but,  if  it  be  made  to  mean  that 
at  the  time  of  his  justification  he  is  in  heart 
an  enemy  of  God,  we  do  not  believe  it. 
If  he  be,  however,  why  do  not  these  wri- 
ters describe  him  as  an  enemy  ought  to  be 
described  1  They  teach  us  elsewhere  that 
"an  attachment  to  self-righteousness  is  nat- 
ural to  man  as  depraved ;"  how  then  came 
these  ungodly  men  to  be  so  divested  of  if? 
Why  are  they  not  represented  as  thinking 
themselves  in  a  fair  way  for  heaven,  and 
that  if  God  does  not  pardon  them  he  will 
do  them  wrong  1  Such  is  the  ordinary 
state  of  mind  of  ungodly  men  or  mere 
sinners,  which  is  just  as  opposite  to  that 
which  they  are  constrained  to  represent  as 
the  spirit  of  the  pharisee  was  to  that  of  the 
publican. 

Mr.  M'Lean  will  tell  us  that  "  this  is 
that  part  of  the  scheme  whereby  persons, 
previously  to  their  believing  in  Christ,  are 
taught  to  extract  comfort  from  their  con- 
victions."— Reply,  p.  148.  But,  whatever 
Mr.  M.  may  think  or  say,  I  hope  others 
will  give  me  credit  when  I  declare  that  we 
have  no  idea  of  any  well-grounded  comfort 
being  taken  antecedently  to  believing  in 
Christ.  The  publican  is  described  as  hum- 
bli7ig  himself  before  God  exalted  him  :  but 
he  did  not  derive  comfort  from  this.  If, 
instead  of  looking  to  the  mercy  of  God, 
he  had  done  this,  it  would  have  been  a 
species  of  pharisaical  self-exaltation.  But 
it  does  not  follow  hence  that  there  was 
nothing  spiritually  good  in  his  self-abase- 
ment. 

But  Mr.  M.  "believes  a  person  may  be 
so  convicted  in  his  conscience  as  to  view 
himself  mere^?/  as  a  guilty  sinner;  that  is, 
as  having  no  righteousness  to  recommend 
him  to  the  favor  of  God;  and  that  under 
such  conviction  his  sense  of  the  evil  of  sin 
will  not  be  confined  to  its  punishment ;  but 
his  conscience  or  moral  sense  will  tell  him 
that  he  deserves  punishment  at  Ihe  hands 
of  a  righteous  God." — p.  149. 

*  Essays,  p.   41. 


CONNECTION    OFFAITH    AND    REPENTANCE. 


bl9 


Mr.  M'Leaii  admits,  then,  the  necessity 
of  conviction  of  sin  prcNiously,  in  the  or- 
der of  tliini^s,  to  faitli  in  Clirist ;  only  there 
is  no  holiness  ami  consequently  no  true 
repentance  in  it.  1  have  allowed  in  Let- 
ter I.  that  many  convictions  are  to  lie  re- 
solved into  the  mere  operations  oi  an  en- 
lightened conscience  and  do  not  isnue  in 
true  conversion.  I  may  add,  I  consider 
all  conviction  of  sin  which  docs  not  in  its 
own  nature  lead  to  the  Saviour  as  of  this 
description.  It  matters  not  how  deep  the 
distress  of  a  sinner  may  l>e,  so  long  as  it  is 
accompanied  hy  an  unwillingness  to  l)e 
saved  by  mere  grace  through  a  mediator, 
there  is  no  holiness  in  it,  nor  any  thing 
that  deserves  the  name  of  repentance.  An 
enlightened  conscience,  I  allow,  will  force 
us  to  justify  God  and  condemn  ourselves 
on  many  occasions.  It  was  thus  in  Pha- 
raoh when  he  said,  "  The  Lord  is  right- 
eous, and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked." 
And  this  his  sense  of  the  evil  of  sin  might 
not  be  "  contined  to  its  punishment  ;"  his 
"  conscience  or  moral  sense  might  tell  liim 
that  he  deserved  punishment  at  the  hand  of 
a  righteous  God."  So  far  then  we  are 
agreed.  But  if  Pharaoh  had  had  a  just 
sense  of  the  evil  of  sin  it  would  not  have 
left  him  where  it  did.  There  was  an  es- 
sential difference  between  what  he  saw  by 
the  terrors  of  God's  judgment  and  what 
Paul  saw  when  "  sin  by  the  commandment 
became  exceeding  sinful."  Nor  can  I 
believe  that  any  sinner  was  ever  so  divest- 
ed of  self-righteous  hope  as  to  consider 
himself  a  mere  sinner,  who  yet  continued 
to  reject  the  Saviour  ;  for  this  were  the 
same  thing  as  for  him  to  have  no  ground 
to  stand  upon,  either  false  or  true  ;  but  he 
who  submits  not  to  the  righteousness  of 
God  is,  in  some  form  or  other,  going  about 
to  establish  his  own  righteousness. 

There  is,  I  apprehend,  an  important  dif- 
ference between  the  case  of  a  person  who, 
whatever  be  his  convictions,  is  still  averse 
from  giving  up  every  claim  and  falling  at 
the  feet  of  the  Saviour,  and  that  of  one 
whose  convictions  lead  him  to  take  refuge 
in  the  gospel,  as  far  as  he  understands  it, 
even  though  at  present  he  may  have  but  a 
very  imperfect  view  of  it.  I  can  clearly 
conceive  of  the  convictions  of  the  former 
as  having  no  repentance  or  holiness  in 
them,  but  not  so  of  the  latter.  I  believe 
repentance  has  begun  to  operate  in  many 
persons  of  this  descrii)tion,  who  as  yet 
have  not  found  that  peace  or  rest  for  their 
souls  which  the  gospel  is  adapted  to  afford. 
In  short,  the  question  is,  whether  there  be 
not  such  a  thing  as  spiritual  conviction,  or 
conviction  which  proceeds  from  the  special 
influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  which 
in  its  own  nature  invariably  leads  the  soul 
to  Christ.   It  is  not  necessary  that  it  should 


be  known  by  the  party,  or  by  others,  to 
be  so  al  the  time,  nor  can  it  l>e  known  but 
by  its  effects,  or  till  it  has  led  the  sinner 
to  believe  in  Christ  alone  for  salvation. 
But  this  does  not  prove  but  that  it  may 
exist.  And  when  I  read  of  sin  by  the  com- 
mandment becoming  exceedingly  sinful, — 
of  our  i)eing  through  the  law  dead  to  the 
law,  "  that  we  might  live  unto  God," — of 
the  law  being  appointed  as  a  school-mas- 
ter to  bring  us  to  Christ,  "  that  we  might 
lie  justilied  by  laith," — I  am  persuaded 
that  it  does  exist,  and  that  to  say  all  spir- 
itual conviction  of  sin  is  by  means  of  the 
gospel,  is  antiscriptural  and  absurd. 

In  places  where  the  gosi)el  is  preached, 
and  where  persons  have  long  heard  it,  it  is 
not  supposed  that  they  are  necessarily 
first  led  to  think  of  the  law,  and  of  them- 
selves as  transgressors  of  it ;  and  then,  be- 
ing convinced  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness 
of  sin  by  it,  are  for  the  first  time  led  to 
think  of  Christ.  No,  it  is  not  the  order  of 
time,  but  that  of  cause  and  effect,  for 
which  I  plead.  It  may  be  by  thinking  of 
the  death  of  Christ  itself  that  we  are  first 
led  to  see  the  evil  of  sin  ;  but,  if  it  be  so, 
this  does  not  disprove  the  apostolic  doc- 
trine, that  "  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge 
of  sin."  If  the  death  of  Christ  furnish  us 
with  this  knowledge,  it  is  as  honoring  the 
precept  and  penalty  of  the  law.  It  is  still, 
therefore,  by  the  law,  as  exemplified  iu 
him,  that  we  are  convinced. 

"A  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication"  was 
to  be  poured  "upon  the  house  of  David 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,"  in  con- 
sequence of  w  hich  they  w  ere  to  "  look  upon 
him  whom  they  had  pierced,  and  mouru 
as  for  an  only  son,  and  to  be  in  bitterness 
as  one  that  is  in  l)itterncss  for  his  first- 
born." Is  this  mourning  dcscril)ed  as  fol- 
lowing or  as  i)receding  their  forgiveness  1 
As  preceding  it.  It  is  true  they  are  said 
first  to  "  look  upon  him  whom  they  had 
pierced  ;"  but  this  view  of  the  death  of  the 
Saviour  is  represented  as  working  only  in 
a  wav  of  conviction  and  lamentation:  the 
view  which  gave  peace  and  rest  to  their 
souls  follows  upon  their  mourning,  and  is 
thus  expressed  : — "In  that  day  there  shall 
be  a  fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David, 
and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  for  sin 
and  for  uncleanness." 

Judge,  my  friend,  and  let  the  reader 
judge,  whether  this  account  accords  with 
our  first  viewing  God  as  just,  and  justify- 
ing us  ungodly  as  we  stand,  and  then  be- 
ginning to  love  him,  and  to  repent  of  our 
liaving  sinned  against  him.  Judge  wheth- 
er it  does  not  rather  represent  things  in 
this  order  :  first,  "  a  spirit  of  grace  and 
supplication"  is  poured  upon  the  sinner; 
next  he  is  led  to  think  of  what  he  has  done 
against    the    Lord    and   his     Christ,    and 


580 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


mourns  over  it  in  the  bitterness  of  his 
soul,  and  then  gets  relief  by  washing,  as  it 
were,  in  the  fountain  of  his  blood.  Such 
was  doubtless  the  process  under  Peter's 
sermon. — Acts  ii.  37,  38. 

On  the  connection  of  repentance  and 
faith  I  am  at  a  loss  to  ascertain  Mr.  Ms 
sentiments.  He  says,  indeed  that  I 
know  them  ;  and  suggests  that  I  must 
have  intentionally  misrepresented  them. 
— Reply,  p.  36.  But,  if  they  be  so  plain, 
I  can  only  say,  my  understanding  is  more 
dull  than  he  supposes  ;  for  I  do  not  yet 
comprehend  how  he  can  make  repentance, 
in  all  cases,  a  fruit  of  faith  in  Christ,  and 
yet  consider  it  as  necessary  to  forgiveness. 
He  acknowledges  that  "  none  believe  who 
do  not  repent"  (p.  39.)  and  that  repentance 
is  "  necessary  to  forgiveness,"  (p.  36.) 
"  But  forgiveness,  though  not  the  same 
as  justification,  is  yet  an  essential  part  of 
it ;  if,  therefore,  he  allow  repentance  to 
be  antecedent  to  forgiveness  that  is  the 
same  thing  in  effect  as  allowing  it  to  be  an- 
tecedent to  justification,  or  that  the  faith 
by  which  we  are  justified  includes  repent- 
ance. Yet  he  makes  faith  to  be  such  a 
belief  as  excludes  all  exercise  of  the  will 
or  affections,  and  consequently  repentance 
for  sin.  He  also  considers  repentance  as 
an  immediate  effect  of  faith  (p.  38,)  and 
opposes  the  idea  of  any  effect  of  faith  be- 
ing included  in  it  as  necessary,  not  merely 
as  a  procuring  cause,  but  in  the  estab- 
ished  order  of  things,  to  justification. 
But  this,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  understand 
things,  is  making  repentance  to  follow 
upon  forgiveness  rather  than  necessary 
to  it. 

Mr.  M'Lean  adds,  "  Though  repent- 
ance ought  to  be  urged  upon  all  who  hear 
the  gospel,  and  though  none  believe  it  who 
do  not  repent,  yet  I  strongly  suspect  that 
it  would  be  leading  us  astray  to  press  re- 
pentance upon  them  before  and  in  order  to 
their  believing  the  gospel." — p.  39.  And 
why  does  he  not  suspect  the  sanie  thing  of 
pressing  the  belief  of  tlie  gospel  before 
and  in  order  to  their  repentance  1  If  in- 
deed the  gospel  were  withheld  from  sin- 
ners till  they  actually  repent ;  or  if  it 
were  suggested  that  they  should  first  be- 
come penitents,  and  then  think  of  being 
believers,  this  would  be  leading  them 
astray  :  and  the  same  might  be  said  on  the 
other  side.  If  exhortations  to  repentance 
were  withheld  till  the  sinner  had  actually 
believed,  or  it  were  suggested  that  he 
should  first  become  a  believer  and  then 
think  of  repenting,  this  would  be  as  anti- 
scriptural  as  the  other.  But  why  should 
we  not  content  ourselves  with  following 
the  examples  of  the  New  Testament, — 
"  Repent  and  believe  the  gospel  1  "  As 
Mr.  M'Lean's  placing  faith  before  repent- 


ance does  not  require  him  to  avoid  telling 
sinners  of  the  evil  nature  of  sin  till  they 
have  believed,  nor  to  consider  them  as 
believers  while  they  are  impenitent,  why 
does  he  impute  such  consequences  to  me, 
for  placing  repentance  before  faith  1 

Mr.  M'Lean  refers  to  a  passage  in  the 
preface  to  the  first  edition  of  The  Gospel 
worthy  of  all  Acceptation,  as  favoring 
these  extravagant  constructions.  I  had 
said,  "  No  sort  of  encouragement  or  hope 
is  held  out  in  all  the  book  of  God  to  any 
sinner  as  such  considered."  That  which 
I  meant,  at  the  time,  was  merely  to  dis- 
own that  any  sinner  was  encouraged  to 
hope  for  eternal  life  without  returning  to 
God  by  Jesus  Christ.  Thus  I  explained  it 
in  my  answer  to  Philanthropos  ;  but,  as  I 
perceived  the  idea  was  not  clearly  ex- 
pressed in  the  preface,  and  that  the  words 
were  capable  of  an  ill  construction,  I  al- 
tered them  in  the  second  edition,  and  ex- 
pressed my  meaning  as  follows  :  "  There 
is  no  dispute  concerning  who  ought  to  be 
encouraged  to  consider  themselves  as  enti- 
tled to  the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  Though 
sinners  be  freel)'  invited  to  the  participa- 
tion of  spiritual  blessings,  yet  they  have 
no  interest  in  them,  according  to  God's 
revealed  will,  while  they  continue  in  un- 
belief." I  cannot  consider  Mr.  M'Lean's 
other  references  to  the  first  edition,  after 
a  second  was  in  his  hand,  as  fair  or  can- 
did ;  and  this  appears  to  me  unfair  and 
uncandid  in  the  extreme. 

It  has  been  common  to  distinguish  re- 
pentance into  legal  and  evangelical ;  and  I 
allow  there  is  a  foundation  in  the  nature 
of  things  for  this  distinction.  The  for- 
mer arises  from  the  consideration  of  our 
sin  being  a  transgression  of  the  holy,  just, 
and  good  law  of  our  Creator ;  the  latter 
from  the  belief  of  the  mercy  of  God  as 
revealed  in  the  gospel,  and  the  considera- 
tion of  our  sin  being  committed  notwith- 
standing, and  even  against  it.  But  it  ap- 
pears to  me  to  have  been  too  lightly  taken 
for  granted  that  all  true  repentance  is 
confined  to  the  latter.  The  law  and  the 
gospel  are  not  in  opposition  to  each  other: 
why  then  should  repentance  arising  from 
the  consideration  of  them  be  so  opposite 
as  that  the  one  should  be  false  and  the 
other  ti'ue  1 

If  we  wish  to  distinguish  the  false  from 
the  true,  or  that  which  needs  to  be  re- 
pented of  from  that  which  does  not,  we 
may  perhaps,  with  more  propriety,  de- 
nominate them  natural  and  spiritual ;  by 
the  former  understanding  that  Avhich  the 
mere  principles  of  unrenewed  nature  are 
capable  of  producing,  and  by  the  latter 
that  which  proceeds  from  the  supernatural 
and  renovating  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God, 


CONNECTION    OF    FAITH    AND    REPENTanCK. 


581 


Natural  repentance,  llius  defined,  is 
sorrow  lor  sin  chielly  with  respect  to 
its  consequences,  accompanied,  however, 
with  the  reproaclies  of  conscience  on  ac- 
count of  the  tliiuji  itself.  It  is  composed 
of  remorse,  fear,  and  regret,  and  is  often 
followed  hy  a  change  ot  conduct.  It  may 
arise  from  a  view  ol  tiie  law  and  its  throat- 
enings,  in  which  case  it  hatli  no  hope,  liut 
worketh  death,  on  account  ol  tliore  heing 
nothing  hut  death  held  out  l)y  tlie  law  for 
transgressors.  Or  it  may  arise  from  a 
partial  and  false  view  of  the  gospel,  by 
wliich  the  heart  is  often  meltetl  under  an 
idea  of  sin  being  forgiven  when  it  is  not 
so;  in  this  case  it  hath  iiope,  but,  this  be- 
ing unfountled,  it  notwithstanding  worketh 
death  in  a  way  of  self-deception. 

Spiritual  repentance  is  sorrow  for  sin  as 
sin,  and  as  si7i  committed  against  God. 
It  may  arise  from  a  view  of  the  death  of 
Christ,  through  which  we  perceive  how 
evil  and  i)itter  a  thing  it  is,  and,  looking 
on  him  whom  we  have  pierced,  mourn  as 
one  mourneth  ibr  an  only  son.  But  it  may 
also  arise  from  tlie  consideration  of  our  sin 
being  a  transgression  of  the  iioly,  just,  and 
good  law  of  God,  and  of  our  having  dishon- 
ored him  without  cause.  Such  a  sense 
of  the  evil  nature  of  sin  as  renders  it  ex- 
ceedingly sinful  includes  the  essence  of 
true  repentance  :  yet  this,  in  the  apostle, 
did  not  arise  from  the  consideration  of  the 
gospel,  but  of  the  commandment.  It  was 
therefore  legal  repentance  :  yet  as  its  ten- 
dency was  to  render  him  "  dead  to  the 
law"  as  a  medium  of  justification,  and  to 
bring  him  to  Christ/or  life,  it  was  spiritual. 
It  was  repentance  unto  life. 

The  chief  ground  on  which  repentance 
toward  God  has  been  denied  to  precede 
faith  in  Christ,  in  the  order  of  nature,  is 
that  no  man  can  repent  of  sin  till  he  enter- 
tain tlie  hope  of  forgiveness.  Nay,  it  has 
been  said,  "No  man  can  repent  unless  he 
knows  himself  to  be  of  God  ;  and,  as  this 
cannot  be  known  till  he  hath  received 
Christ,  faith  must  precede  repentance." 
If  the  principle  that  supports  this  argument 
be  true,  we  neither  have,  nor  ought  to 
have,  any  regard  to  God  or  man,  but  for 
our  own  sake.  But,  if  so,  the  command 
ought  not  to  have  been,  "  Tiiou  shall  Jove 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and 
soul  and  mind  and  strength,  and  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself :"  but  thou  shalt  love  thy- 
self with  all  thy  heart  and  soul  and  mind 
and  strength,  and  thy  God  and  thy  neigh- 
bor so  far  as  they  are  subservient  to  thee. 
— Moreover,  if  so,  the  world,  instead  of 
being  greatly  depraved,  is  very  nearly 
what  it  ought  to  be ;  for  it  is  certainly  not 
wanting  in  self-love,  though  it  misses  the 
mark  in  accomplishing  its  object. 


Some  have  allowed  "  that  it  is  our  duty 
to  love  God  supremely,  whether  he  save 
us  or  not ;  but  that,  lunerthdess,  the  ihing 
is  impossil)le."  If  it  be  physically  impos- 
sible it  cannot  lie  duty  ;  ibr  God  requires 
nothing  in  respect  of  obedience  but  that 
we  lo\e  him  with  all  our  strength.  If  it 
be  only  morally  impossible,  that  is  the 
same  as  its  being  so  owing  to  the  corrupt 
state  of  our  minds.  But  we  are  not  to 
supj)ose  that  God,  in  saving  sinners,  any 
more  than  in  judging  them,  consults  their 
depraved  spirit,  and  adapts  the  gospel  to 
it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  design  of  all 
that  God  does  for  us  to  restore  us  to  a 
right  spirit.  His  truth  must  not  bend  to 
our  corruptions;  but  our  hearts  must  lie 
"  inclhied  to  his  testimonies."  So  far, 
thereibre,  as  any  man  is  renewed  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  so  (ar  is  he  brought  to  be 
ol  God's  mind,  and  does  what  he  ought  to 
do.     God's  law  is  written  in  his  heart. 

Farther  :  II  the  principle  that  supports 
this  argument  be  true,  it  will  hold  good  in 
reference  to  men,  as  well  as  to  God.  And 
is  it  true  that  a  man  who  is  under  just 
condemnation  Ibr  breaking  the  laws,  and 
who  has  no  hope  of  obtaining  a  pardon, 
ought  not  to  be  expected  to  repent  for  his 
crime,  and,  before  he  die,  to  pray  God  to 
bless  his  king  and  country  ]  On  this  prin- 
ciple, all  confessions  of  this  kind  are  of 
necessity  mere  hypocrisy.  Even  those  of 
the  dying  thief  in  the  gospel,  so  far  as  they 
respect  the  justice  of  his  doom  from  his 
countrymen,  must  have  been  insincere; 
for  he  had  no  hope  of  his  sentence  being 
remitted.  What  would  an  offended  father 
say,  if  the  offender  should  require,  as  the 
condition  of  his  repentance,  a  previous 
declaration  of  forgiveness,  or  even  of  a 
willingness  to  fbrgive  ?  A  willingness  to 
forgive  might  be  declared,  and  it  would 
heighten  the  criminality  of  the  offender  if 
after  this  he  continued  hardened ;  but  for 
him  to  require  it,  and  to  avow  that  he 
could  not  repent  of  his  sin  upon  any  other 
condition,  would  be  the  height  of  insolence. 
Yet  all  this  is  pleaded  for  in  respect  of 
God.  "If  I  be  a  father,  where  is  mine 
honor  1" 

Besides,  how  is  a  sinner  to  "know  that 
he  is  of  God,"  otherwise  than  as  being 
conscious  of  repentance  toward  God  and 
faitii  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  \  Till 
he  is  sorry  at  lieart  for  having  dishonored 
God,  he  is  not  of  God,  and  therefore  can- 
not know  that  he  is  so. 

If  some  have  gone  into  extremes  in  wri- 
ting of  "disinterested  love,"  as  Mr. 
M'Lean  suggests,  it  does  not  follow  that 
true  religion  has  its  origin  in  self-love. 
Most   men,  who    make   any   pretence   to 


582 


STRICTURES    ON    SaNDEMANIANISM. 


serious  Christianity,  will  allow  that,  if  sin 
be  not  hated  as  sin,  it  is  not  hated  at  all: 
and  why  we  should  scruple  to  allow  that, 
if  God  be  not  loved  as  God,  he  is  not  loved 
at  all,  I  cannot  conceive.  I  am  not  sur- 
prised, however,  that  those  who  have  been 
so  long  and  so  deeply  imbued  in  a  system,  a 
leading  principle  of  which  is  "  that  godli- 
ness consists  in  love  to  that  which  first 
relieves  us,"  should  write  in  the  manner 
they  do. 

On  some  occasions,  however,  Mr.  M. 
himself  can  say  as  much  in  favor  of  "  dis- 
interested love  "  as  his  opponent,  and  can 
represent  that  which  arises  from  "  a  mere 
principle  of  self-love  "  as  being  of  no 
value.  "  There  may  be  some  resemblan- 
ces of  repentance,^'  he  says,  "in  fear,  re- 
morse, and  sorrow  of  mind,  occasioned  by 
sin  ;  as  in  Cain,  Judas,  Felix,  &c.  But  a 
mere  principle  of  self-love  will  make  a 
man  dread  the  consequences  of  sin,  while 
he  has  prevalent  inclinations  to  sin  itself. 
There  is  a  difference  between  mere  fear 
and  sorrow  on  account  of  sin,  and  a  preva- 
lent hatred  of  it ;  between  hatred  of  sin  it- 
self, and  mere  hatred  of  its  consequences  ; 
between  that  sorrow  for  sin  which  flows 
from  the  love  of  God  and  of  holiness,  and 
that  which  flows  from  an  inferior  principle. 
Men  may  have  even  an  aversion  to  some 
kinds  of  sin,  because  they  interfere  with 
others,  or  because  they  do  not  suit  their 
natural  constitutions,  propensities,  tem- 
pers, habits,  age,  worldly  interests,  &c., 
while  they  do  not  hate  all  sin  universally, 
and  consequently  hate  no  sin  as  such,  or 
from  a  proper  principle. —  Works,  Vol. 
II.  p.  95. 


LETTER  VI 

ON  THE  CONNECTION  BETVPEEN  KNOWL- 
EDGE   AND    DISPOSITION. 

You  need  not  be  told  that  this  is  a  sub- 
ject of  prime  importance  in  the  Sandema- 
nian  system.  It  every  where  considers 
knowledge  as  the  one  thing  needful,  and 
disposition  as  its  natural  and  proper  ef- 
fect. 

Mr.  M'Lean  represents  me  as  maintain- 
ing that  the  understanding  or  perceptive 
faculty  in  man  is  directed  and  governed  by 
his  will  and  inclinations  ;  and  this  he  sup- 
poses to  be  the  principle  on  which  my  ar- 
guments are  principally  founded  :  a  prin- 
ciple which  can  be  true,  he  thinks,  only  in 
cases  where  the  original  order  of  things  is 
perverted  by  sin. — Reply,  p.  8^  9.  Wheth- 


er these  sentiments  be  just,  or  contain  a 
fair  statement  of  my  views,  we  shall  in- 
quire as  we  proceed  :  at  present  I  only 
observe  that  the  state  of  the  will  or  dispo- 
sition is,  in  Mr.  M'Lean's  account,  gov- 
erned invariably  by  the  understanding ; 
or,  if  in  any  instance  it  be  otherwise,  it  is 
owing  to  the  disorder  introduced  by  sin. 
I  should  not  have  supposed,  however,  that 
sin  could  have  perverted  the  established 
laws  of  nature.  It  certainly  perverts  the 
moral  order  of  things,  that  is  (as  Dr.  Owen 
represents  it,  to  whom  Mr.  M.  refers,)  in- 
stead of  the  will  being  governed  by  j  udg- 
ment  and  conscience,  judgment  and  con- 
science are  often  governed  by  prejudice. 
But  there  is  nothing  in  all  this  subversive 
of  the  established  laws  of  nature  ;  for  it  is 
a  law  recognized  both  by  nature  and 
Scripture  that  the  disposition  of  the  soul 
should  influence  its  decisions.  A  humble 
and  candid  spirit  is  favorable,  and  a 
proud  and  uncandid  spirit  is  unfavorable, 
to  a  right  judgment. 

"  It  is  a  maxim,"  says  Mr.  Ecking, 
"  that  has  not  yet  been  refuted,  that  the 
determination  of  the  will  must  evermore 
follow  the  illumination,  conviction,  and 
notice  of  the  understanding."*  By  the 
illumination,  conviction,  and  notice  of  the 
understanding  must  be  meant,  either  what 
the  mind  judges  to  be  right,  or  what  it 
accounts  agreeable.  If  the  will  were  al- 
ways determined  by  the  former,  there 
could  be  no  such  thing  as  knowing  the 
will  of  God  and  not  doing  it.  But  I  sup- 
pose this  will  not  be  pretended.  It  must 
therefore  be  of  the  latter  that  Mr.  Ecking 
writes.  His  meaning  must  be,  that  the 
will  evermore  follows  the  mind's  view  of 
the  object  as  agreeable.  But  is  it  certain 
that  the  viewing  of  an  object  agreeable  is 
properly  and  perfectly  distinct  from  choos- 
ing it  1  President  Edwards  conceived 
it  was  not,  and  therefore  did  not  affirm 
that  the  will  was  deetrmined  by  the  great- 
est apparent  good,  but  merely  that  "  i/te 
toill  always  is  as  the  greatest  apparent 
good,  or  as  what  appears  most  agreeable 
is."f  This  is  not  saying  that  the  will  is 
determined  by  the  understanding;  for,  as 
the  same  author  goes  on  to  prove,  the 
cause  of  an  object  appearing  agreeable  to 
the  mind  may  be  "the  state,  frame,  or 
temper  of  tlie  mind  itself."  But  so  far 
as  this  is  the  case,  the  judgment  is  de- 
termined by  the  state  of  the  mind  rather 
than  the  state  of  the  mind  by  the  judg- 
ment. 

A  great  deal  of  confusion  on  this  sub- 
ject has  arisen  from  confounding  simple 

*  Essays,  p.  54. 
tOn  the  Will,  Part  1.  Section  II.  p.  11. 


CONNECTION    OF    KNOWLEDGE    AND    DISPOSITION. 


583 


knowledge,  pcrtaininp:  merely  to  the  intel- 
lectual fiiculty,  with  tliat  which  is  com- 
pound or  comj)rclipnsive  of  approlnition. 
The  former  is  with  propriety  distinguish- 
ed from  wliatever  pertains  to  the  state  of 
tlie  will ;  Iiut  the  latter  is  not,  seeing  it 
inclutles  it. 

Mr.  M'Lean,  speaking  of  certain  char- 
acters who  had  heard  the  gospel,  says,  "  It 
is  supposed  that  such  men  liavc  now  re- 
ceived some  infonniition  whidi  they  had 
not  before,  both  with  respect  to  their  dan- 
ger and  the  remedy  of  it,  and" — whatl 
that  their  w  ills  or  dispositions  are  in  that 
|)roportion  changed  1  No:  but  "that 
they  are  hereby  rendered  quite  inexcusa- 
ble if  they  should  neglect  so  great  salva- 
tion; whicli  neglect  must  now  be  the  ef- 
fect of  perverseuess  and  aversion,  and  not 
of  s'unpic  ignorance. — John  iii.  19;  xv.  2, 
25."  *  I  do  not  say  of  Mr.  M.,  as  he  did 
of  me  when  I  was  only  reasoning  upon  the 
principles  of  my  opponent,  that  "  he  can 
take  either  side  of  the  question  as  he  finds 
occasion  :  "  but  this  I  say,  that,  when 
w  riting  in  favor  of  the  calls  of  the  gospel 
he  felt  himself  impelled  to  admit  prin- 
ciples of  which,  in  his  controversy  on 
the  other  side,  he  has  quite  lost  sight. 
The  above  statement  appears  to  me  to  be 
very  just,  and  as  he  here  so  properly  dis- 
tinguishes sn/ip/e  ignorance  from  ignorance 
which  arises  from  aversion  or  neglect — the 
one  as  tending  to  excuse,  the  other  to 
criminate--hc  cannot  consistently  oViject  to 
my  distinguishing  between  simple  knowl- 
edge, which  barely  renders  men  inexcu- 
sable, and  knowledge  inclusive  of  appro- 
bation, which  has  the  promise  of  eternal 
life. 

Simple  knowledge,  or  knowledge  as  dis- 
tinguisiied  from  approbation,  is  merely  a 
natural  accomplishment,  necessary  to  the 
performance  of  both  good  and  evil,  but  in 
itself  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  In- 
stead of  producing  love,  it  often  occasions 
an  increasing  enmity,  and  in  all  cases  ren- 
ders sinners  the  less  excusable.  In  this 
sense  the  term  knowleds;e,  and  others  re- 
lateil  to  it,  are  used  in  the  following  pas- 
sages : — "  The  servant  w  ho  hncic  his  lord's 
will,  and  did  it  not,  shall  be  beaten  with 
many  stripes," — "  When  they  kneic  God, 
they  glorified  him  not  as  God." — "  If  ye 
know  these  things,  happy  arc  ye  if  ye  do 
them." — "If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken 
unto  them,  they  had  not  had  sin,  but  now 
they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin." — "  If  I 
had  not  done  among  tliem  the  works  which 
none  other  man  did,  they  had  not  had  sin  ; 
but  now  they  have  both  seen  and  hated 
both  me  and  my  Father." 

♦  ThoughtB  on  Calls,  &c.,  p.  17. 


But  knowledge  is  much  more  frequently 
used  in  the  Scriptures  as  includina;  appro- 
bation. The  Lord  is  said  to  know  the 
righteous,  and  never  to  have  known  the 
workers  of  ini(piity.  To  understand  this 
of  simple  knowlecigo  would  deprive  God 
of  his  omniscience.  As  ascribed  to  men, 
it  is  what  is  denominated  fl.s/ririhtfl/ nntZer- 
standine;.  It  is  not  necessary  to  an  obli- 
gation to  spiritual  duties,  but  it  is  necessa- 
ry in  the  nature  of  things  to  the  actual  dis- 
charge of  them.  It  may  be  said  of  the 
want  of  this,  "  The  Lord  hath  not  given 
you  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear,  to  this 
day  ;  "  and  that  without  furnisl>ing  any 
excuse  for  tiic  blindness  of  the  parties.  It 
is  the  wisdom  from  above  imparted  by  the 
illuminating  inlluencc  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

That  knowledge,  in  this  sense  of  the 
term,  produces  holy  affections  is  not  de- 
nied. It  is  in  itself  holy,  and  contains  the 
principle  of  universal  holiness.  It  is  that 
by  wliich  we  discern  the  glory  of  God  in 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  glory  being 
beheld  assimilates  us  into  the  same  image 
from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord.  But  the  question  at  issue  respects 
knowledge  in  its  simple  and  literal  sense^ 
or  that  which  is  purely  intellectual,  exclu- 
sive of  all  disposition  ;  otherwise  it  would 
amount  to  no  more  than  this,  whether  that 
whicli  includes  the  seminal  principles  of 
holy  affection  (namely,  a  se7i.se  of  heart) 
tends  to  produce  it  :  which  never  was  dis- 
puted. 

The  ground  on  which  I  am  supposed  to 
have  proceeded  is  "  that  the  understanding 
or  perceptive  faculty  in  man  is  directed 
and  governed  V)y  his  will  ;  "  but  (his  is  a 
mistake  :  I  ground  no  doctrine  upon  any 
theory  of  the  human  mind  which  I  may 
have  entertained;  but  on  what  I  consider 
as  the  scriptural  account  of  things  ;  in  which 
I  find  spiritual  perception  impeded  by  evil 
disposition,  and  promoted  by  the  contrary. 
— 1  Cor.  ii.  14.  Neither  is  the  above  a 
fair  statement  of  my  views.  If  what  I 
have  written  implies  any  theory  of  the  hu- 
man mind,  it  is  not  that  the  understanding" 
is  in  all  cases  governed  by  the  will  ;  but 
rather  that  they  have  a  mutual  influence 
on  each  other.  I  have  allowed,  in  my 
Appendix,  that  volitions  are  influenced  by 
motives  or  considerations  which  exist  in 
the  view  of  the  mind  ;  and  I  should  think 
it  is  equally  evident,  on  the  other  hand, 
that  our  judgments  are,  in  a  great  number 
of  instances,  determined  by  a  previous 
state  or  disposition  of  the  soul.  In  ob- 
jects which  do  not  interest  the  affections 
the  judgment  may  be  purely  intellectual, 
and  the  choice  may  naturally  follow  ac- 
cording to  its  dictates  ;  but  it  is  not  so  in 
cases,  as  universal  experience  evinces. 


584 


STRICTURES     ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


'"  But  mu^t  it  not  be  owned,"  says  Mr. 
-M.  in  liis  Reply,  "  that,  so  far  as  this  is 
the  case  in  man,  it  is  an  irregular  e^cer else 
of  his  faculties,  arising  from  the  moral  dis- 
order of  his  lapsed  nature,  whereby  judg- 
ment, reason,  and  conscience  are  weaken- 
ed, perverted,  and  blinded,  so  as  to  be 
subjected  to  his  will  and  corrupt  inclina- 
tions!"— p.  8.  It  must  undoubtedly  be 
owned  that  the  influence  of  an  evil  dispo- 
sition in  producing  an  erroneous  and  false 
judgment  is  owing  to  this  cause;  and  if 
that  for  which  I  plead  were  what  Mr.  M. 
elsewere  represents  it,  viz.  a  prejudice  in 
favor  of  a  report  ivhich  renders  the  mind 
regardless  of  evidence,  (p.  67,)  the  same 
might  be  said  of  all  such  judgment.  But 
how  if  the  state  of  the  will  contended  for 
should  be  that  of  a  deliverance  from  pre- 
judice, by  which  evidence  comes  to  be 
properly  regarded  1  It  is  not  to  the  dis- 
order introduced  by  sin  that  we  are  to  as- 
cribe the  general  principle  of  the  moral 
state  or  disposition  of  the  soul  having  an 
influence  on  the  judgment  ;  for  it  is  no 
less  true  that  a  humble,  candid,  and  im- 
partial spirit  influences  the  belief  of  moral 
truth,  or  truth  that  involves  in  its  conse- 
quences the  devoting  of  the  whole  life  to 
God,  than  that  a  selfish  and  corrupt  spi- 
rit influences  the  rejection  of  it.  Surely 
it  is  not  owing  to  the  human  faculties  being 
thrown  into  disorder  that  a  holy  frame  of 
mind  in  believers  enables  them  to  under- 
stand the  Scriptures  better  than  the  best 
expositor !  The  experience  of  every 
Christian  bears  witness  that  the  more 
spiritually-minded  he  is  the  better  he  is 
prepared  for  the  discernment  of  spiritual 
things. 

Mr.  M'Lean  thinks  I  have  mistaken  the 
meaning  of  the  term  heart,  in  applying  it 
to  the  dispositions  and  affections  of  the 
soul,  as  distinguished  from  the  under- 
standing. When  such  phrases  as  a  heart 
of  stone,  a  heart  of  flesh,  a  hard  and  im- 
penitent heart,  a  tender  heart,  a  heart  to 
know  the  Lord,  ^'c,  occur,  though  they 
suppose  the  intellectual  faculty,  yet  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  I  should  think,  of  their 
expressing  the  state  of  the  will  and  affec- 
tions, rather  than  of  the  understanding. 
I  have  no  objection,  however,  to  the  ac- 
count given  of  the  term  by  Dr.  Owen, 
that  "  it  generally  denotes  the  whole  soul 
of  man,  and  all  the  faculties  of  it,  not  ab- 
solutely, but  as  they  are  all  one  principle 
of  moral  operations,  as  they  all  concur  in 
our  doing  good  or  evil.'''  The  term  may 
sometimes  apply  to  what  is  simply  natural ; 
but  it  generally,  as  he  says,  denotes  the 
principle  of  moral  action,  which,  being 
comprehended  in  love,  must  in  all  cases, 
whether  it  relate  to  good  or  evil,  include 


affection.  And  thus,  in  his  Treatise  on 
Justice,  Dr.  Owen  observes  that  "  assent 
is  an  act  of  the  understanding  only ;  but 
believing  is  an  act  of  the  heart,  which  in 
Scripture  comprises  all  the  faculties  of 
the  soul  as  one  entire  principle  of  moral 
and  spiritual  duties.  '  With  the  heart 
man  believeth  unto  righteousness,'  Rom, 
X.  10 ;  and  it  is  frequently  described  by 
an  act  of  the  will,  though  it  be  not  so 
alone.  But  without  an  act  of  the  will  no 
man  can  believe  as  he  ought.  See  John 
V.  40  ;  i.  12;  vi.  35.  We  come  to  Christ 
as  an  act  of  the  will ;  '  and  let  whosoever 
will,  come  :  '  and  to  be  willing  is  taken 
for  believing. — Psa.  ex.  3.  And  unbelief 
is  disobedience. — Heb.  iii.  18,  19."  Chap. 
1.  p.  103. 

Nay,  Mr.  M'Lean  himself  acknowledges 
nearly  as  much  as  this.  He  says,  "  The 
Scriptures  always  represent  the  regenera- 
ting and  sanctifying  influences  of  the 
Spirit  as  exerted  upon  the  heart,  which 
includes  not  only  the  understanding,  but 
the  will  and  affections,  or  the  prevalent 
inclinations  and  dispositions  of  the  soul." 
—  Works,  Vol.  II.  p.  91. 

That  disposition,  in  rational  beings, 
presupposes  perception,  I  never  doubted  ; 
but  that  it  is  produced  by  it  is  much  easier 
asserted  than  proved.  Knowledge  is  a 
concomitant  in  many  cases  where  it  is  not 
a  cause.  If  all  holy  dispositions  be  pro- 
duced by  just  preceptions,  all  evil  dis- 
position is  produced  by  just  or  erroneous 
ones.  Indeed,  this  is  no  more  than  Mr. 
M'Lean,  on  some  occasions  at  least,  is 
prepared  to  admit.  He  tells  us  that  "  the 
word  of  God  represents  the  darkness, 
blindness,  and  ignorance  of  the  mind,  with 
regard  to  spiritual  things,  as  the  source  of 
men's  alienation  from  the  life  of  God,  and  of 
their  rebelling  against  him." — p.  77.  Does 
he  really  think,  then,  that  the  passages  of 
Scripture  to  which  he  refers  means  simple 
ignorance  1  *  If  not,  they  make  nothing 
for  his  argument.  Does  he  seriously  con- 
sider the  blindness  or  hardness  of  heart, 
in  Ephes.  iv.  18,  as  referring  to  ignorance, 
in  distinction  from  aversion,  or  as  includ- 
ing it  1  f  Can  he  imagine  that  the  dark- 
ness in  which  Satan  holds  mankind  is  any 
other  than  a  chosen  and  beloved  darkness, 
described  in  the  following  passages  1 — 
"  They  loved  darkness  rather  than  light, 
because  their  deeds  were   evil." — "  The 

*  Eplies.  iv.  18,  19.  Acts.  xxvi.  18.  Ephes.  vi. 
12.  Col.  i.  13. 

t  TToiQwaic:  Parkhurst  observes,  is  from  ttcqoo) 
and  signifies  hardness,  callousness,  or  blindness. 
"It  is  not  mere  ignorance,"  says  Dr.  Owen,  "  but 
a  siubljorn  resistance  of  liglit  and  conviction  ;  an  ob- 
durate hardness,  whence  it  rejects  the  impressions  of 
divine  triitli." — Discourses  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
Book  III.  Chap.  III. 


CONNECTION    OF    KNOULEUGK    AND    DI  srOSITION. 


685 


heart  of  (his  people  is  waxed  gross,  niul 
tlioir  ears  are  dull  o<  hearintr  and  tlieir 
vyes  lia\e  lliey  closed.'' 

Tliat  voluntary  l>liiidiiess  renders  sin- 
ners estranjred  Iroiu  (jcmI  I  ean  easily  un- 
derstand, nor  am  1  at  any  loss  to  conceive 
of  its  lieiug  "that  l)y  which  Satan  reignS; 
aiulniaiutains  his  power  over  the  minds  of 
men  ;  "  Ixit  I  do  not  perceive,  in  any  of 
these  facts,  the  proof  of  disposition  hav- 
in;j  its  orif^in  in  ijrnorance.  Two  friends, 
wliom  I  will  call  Matthew  and  Mark, 
were  one  evening  conversing  on  this  suii- 
jecl,  when  the  following  sentiments  were 
exchanged.  All  sin  (said  Matthew)  arises 
from  ignorance. — Do  you  think  then,  (said 
Mark)  that  God  will  condemn  men  for  what 
is  owing  to  a  want  of  natural  capacity  ? — O 
no  (said  Matthew;)  it  is  a  voluntary  igno- 
rance to  which  I  refer  :  a  not  likinp;  to  re- 
tain God  in  their  knowledge. — Then  (said 
Mark)  you  reason  in  a  circle  ;  your  argu- 
ment amounts  to  this  :  All  sin  arises  from 
ignorance,  and  this  ignorance  arises  from 
sin ;  or,  which  is  the  same  tiling,  from 
aversion  to  the  light ! 

If  Mr.  M'Lean,  or  others,  will  maintain 
tliat  sin  is  the  elfect  of  simple  ignorance 
(and  this  they  must  maintain,  or  wiiat  they 
hold  is  nothing  diflerent  from  that  which 
they  oppose,)  let  them  seriously  consider 
a  few  of  its  consequences,  as  drawn  l)y 
some  of  our  modern  Infidels.  It  is  on  this 
principle  that  Mr.  Godwin,  in  his  treatise 
on  Political  Justice,  denies  the  original  de- 
pravity of  human  nature;  explains  away 
all  ideas  of  guilt,  crime,  desert,  and  ac- 
countahleness  ;  and  i-epresents  the  devil 
himself  as  a  being  of  considerable  virtue. 
Thus  he  reasons  : — 

"  The  moral  characters  of  men  originate 
in  their  perceptions.  As  there  are  no  innate 
perceptions  or  ideas,  there  are  no  innate 
principles. — The  moral  qualities  of  men 
are  the  produce  of  the  impressions  made 
upon  them,  and  there  is  no  such  thing 

AS   AN   ORIGINAL    PROPENSITY  TO  EVIL." 

Book  I.  Chap.  III. 

Again  :  "Vice  is  nothing  more  than  er- 
ror and  mistake  reduced  to  practice. — Act- 
ing from  an  ill  motive  is  acting  from  a 
mistaken  motive. — Under  the  system  of 
necessity  (that  is,  as  held  by  him,)  the 
ideas  of  GUILT,  crime,  desert,  and  ac- 

COLNTABLENESS,       HAVE      NO       PLACE," 

Book  IV.  Chap.  IV.— VI.  pp.  2.54,  314. 

Again  :  "  Virtue  is  the  offspring  of  the 
understanding. — It  is  only  another  name 
for  a  clear  and  distinct  perception  of  the 
value  of  the  object. — Virtue,  therefore,  is 
ordinarily  connected  witii  great  talents. — 
Caesar  and  Alexander  had  their  virtues. — 
They  imagined  their  conduct  conducive  to 
the  general  good. — The  devil,  as  described 
by  Milton,  also   was  a  being  of  con- 

voL.  I.  74 


siderahle  viutie  !  !  !  Why  did  he  rebel 
against  his  Maker  1  Because  he  saw  no 
suflicient  reason  for  that  extreme  iiie<jual- 
ity  of  rank  and  power  which  tiic  Creator 
assumed. — Alter  his  fall,  why  did  he  still 
cherish  the  spirit  of  opposition!  From  a 
persuasion  tliat  he  was  hardly  and  injuri- 
ously treated. — He  was  not  discouraged 
by  the  inecpiality  ol  the  contest  !  "  Book 
IV'.  Chap.  IV.  App.  No.  1.  p.  201. 

Allowing  this  writer  his  premises,  I 
confess  myself  unable  to  refute  his  conse- 
quences. If  all  sin  be  the  efl'ect  of  igno- 
rance, so  far  from  its  being  exceedingly 
sinful,  I  am  unable  to  perceive  any  sinful- 
ness in  it.  It  is  one  of  the  clearest  dic- 
tates in  nature,  and  that  which  is  suggested 
by  every  man's  conscience,  that  whatever 
he  does  wrong,  if  he  know  no  better,  and 
his  ignorance  be  purely  intellectual,  or, 
as  Mr.  M'Lcan  calls  it,  simple — that  is, 
if  it  be  not  owing  to  any  neglect  of  means, 
but  to  the  want  of  means,  or  of  powers 
to  use  them —  it  is  not  his  fault. 

The  intellectual  powers  of  the  soul,  such 
as  perception,  judgment,  and  conscience, 
are  not  that  to  moral  action  which  the 
first  wheel  of  a  machine  is  to  those  that 
follow  ;  but  that  which  light  and  plain  di- 
rection are  to  a  traveller,  lea\ing  him  in- 
excusable if  he  walk  not  in  the  right  way. 
But  I  shall  be  told  that  it  is  not  natural 
but  spiritual  knowledge  for  which  Mr. 
M'Lean  pleads,  as  the  cause  of  holy  dis- 
position. True  :  l)ut  he  pleads  for  it 
upon  the  general  principle  of  its  being  the 
established  order  of  the  human  mind  that 
disposition  should  be  produced  by  knowl- 
edge. Moreover,  if  spiritual  knowledge 
should  be  found  to  include  approbation, 
it  cannot,  with  projiriety,  be  so  distin- 
guished from  it  as  to  be  a  cause  of  which 
the  other  is  the  effect ;  for  to  say  that 
all  disposition  ari.^es  from  knowledge,  and 
that  that  knowledge  includes  approbation, 
is  to  reason  in  a  circle,  exactly  as,  in 
the  case  just  supjiosed,  Matthew  reasoned 
on  all  sin  arising  from  ignorance,  which 
ignorance  included  aversion. 

That  spiritual  knowledge  includes  ap- 
probation in  its  very  nature,  and  not 
merely  in  its  effect,  appears  evident  to  me 
from  two  considerations.  First:  It  is  the 
opposite  of  spiritual  blindness. — 2  Cor.  iv. 
4 — 6;  Ephes.  v.  S.  But  spiritual  blind- 
ness includes  in  its  very  nature,  and  not 
merely  in  its  effect,  an  aversion  to  the 
truth.  Mr.  Ecking  (whose  Essays  on 
Grace,  Faith,  and  Experience,  have  been 
reprinted  by  the  friends  of  this  system,  as 
containing  what  they  account,  no  doubt, 
an  able  defence  of  their  principles)  allows 
the  inability  of  the  sinner  to  consist  in  his 
loving  darkness  rather  than  light,  and  his 
disinclination  to  depend  upon  a  holy  sove- 


586 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


reign  God,  and  not  in  the  Avant  of  I'ation- 
al  faculties.  Describing  this  inability  in 
other  words,  he  considers  it  as  composed 
of  "  error,  ignorance,  and  unbelief,"  in 
which  he  places  the  "  disease  "  of  the  sin- 
ner, "the  very  essence  op  the  nat- 
ural man's  darkness  ;  "  and  the  oppo- 
sites  of  them  he  makes  to  be  "truth, 
knowledge,  and  faith,  which  being  im- 
planted," he  says,  "  the  soul  must  be  re- 
newed."—pp.  66,  67.*  IfMr.  E.  under- 
stood what  he  wrote,  he  must  mean  to 
represent  spiritual  light  as  the  proper  op- 
posite of  spiritual  darkness  ;  and  as  he  al- 
lows the  latter,  "in  the  very  essence  of 
it,  to  include  aversion,"  he  must  allow  the 
former  in  the  very  essence  of  it  to  include 
approbation.  Secondly:  The  objects  per- 
ceived are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  be  known 
only  by  a  sense  of  their  divine  excellency, 
which  contains  in  it  more  than  a  simple 
knowledge,  even  an  approbation  of  the 
heart.  Those  who  have  written  upon  the 
powers  of  the  soul  have  represented  "  that 
whereby  we  receive  ideas  of  beauty  and 
harmony  as  having  all  the  characters  of  a 
sense,  an  internal  sense,  "f  And  Mr. 
Ecking,  after  all  that  he  says  against  a 
principle  of  grace  in  the  heart  antecedent- 
ly to  believing,  allows  that  "we  must  have 
a  spiritual  principle  before  we  can  discern 
divine  beauties. "|  But  the  very  essence 
of  scriptural  knowledge  consists  in  the 
discernment  of  divine  beauties,  or  the 
GLORY  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
To  speak  of  faith  in  Christ  antecedent  to 
this  is  only  to  speak  at  random.  The 
reason  given  why  the  gospel  report  was  not 
believed  is  that,  in  the  esteem  of  men,  the 
Messiah  had  no  form  nor  comeliness  in  him, 
nor  beauty,  that  they  should  desire  him. 
To  say  we  must  have  a  spiritual  principle 
before  we  can  discern  divine  beauties  is, 
therefore,  the  same  thing  in  effect  as  to 
say  we  must  have  a  spiritual  principle  be- 
fore we  can  believe  the  gospel. 

I  will  close  this  letter  by  an  extract 
from  President  Edwards's  Treatise  on  the 
Affections,  not  merely  as  showing  his 
judgment,  but  as  containing  what  I  con- 
sider a  clear,  scriptural,  and  satisfactory 
statement  of  the  nature  of  spiritual  knowl- 
edge. 

"If  the  Scriptures  are  of  any  use  to 
teach  us  any  thing,  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
a  spiritual  supernatural  understanding  of 
divine  things  that  is  peculiar  to  the  saints, 
and  which  those  who  are  not  saints  have 
nothing  of.  It  is  certainly  a  kind  of  under- 
standing, apprehending,  or  discerning  of 
divine  things,  that  natural  men  have  noth- 

*  I  have  only  the  first  edition  of  Mr.  E.'s  Essays, 
and  therefore  am  obliged  to  quote  from  it. 

•f  Chambers's  Dictionary,  Art.  Sense. 
4:  Essays,  p.  67. 


ing  of,  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  in  1 
Cor.  ii.  14, '  But  the  natural  manreceiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for 
they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ;  neither  can 
he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned.'  It  is  certainly  a  kind  of  seeing 
or  discerning  spiritual  things  peculiar  to 
the  saints  which  is  spoken  of  in  1  John 
iii.  6,  '  Whosoever  sinneth  hath  not  seen 
him,  neither  known  him;'  3  John  ii,  '  He 
that  doeth  evil  hath  not  seen  God ;'  and 
John  vi.  40,  '  This  is  the  will  of  him  that 
sent  me,  that  every  one  that  seeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  everlasting 
life.'  Chap.  xiv.  19, 'The  world  seeth 
me  no  more,  but  ye  see  me.'  Chap.  xvii. 
3,  '  This  is  eternal  life  that  they  might 
know  thee  the  only  true  God  and  Jesus 
Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent.'  Matt.  xi. 
27,  '  No  man  knoweth  the  Son  but  the 
Father,  neither  knoweth  any  man  the 
Father  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever 
the  Son  will  reveal  him.'  John  xii.  45, 
'  He  that  seeth  me  seeth  him  that  sent 
me.'  Psa.  ix.  10,  '  They  that  know  thy 
name  will  put  their  trust  in  thee.'  Phil, 
iii.  8,  '  I  count  all  things  loss  lor  the  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my 
Lord.'  Verse  10,  '  That  I  may  know 
him.'  And  innumerable  other  places  thero 
are,  all  over  the  Bible,  which  show  the 
same.  And  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
an  understanding  of  divine  things,  which 
in  its  nature  and  kind  is  wholly  different 
from  all  knowledge  that  natural  men  have, 
is  evident  from  this,  that  there  is  an  under- 
standing of  divine  things  which  the  Scrip- 
ture calls  spiritual  understanding;  Col.  i. 
9,  '  We  do  not  cease  to  pray  for  you,  and 
to  desire  that  you  may  be  filled  with  the 
knowledge  of  his  will  in  all  wisdom  and 
spiritual  understanding.'  It  has  already 
been  shown  that  that  which  is  spiritual,  in 
the  ordinary  use  of  the  word  in  the  New 
Testament,  is  entirely  different,  in  nature 
and  kind,  from  all  which  natural  men  are 
or  can  be  the  subjects  of. 

"  Hence  it  may  be  surely  inferred 
wherein  spiritual  understanding  consists. 
For  if  there  be  in  the  saints  a  kind  of 
apprehension  or  perception  which  is,  in 
its  nature,  perfectly  diverse  from  all  that 
natural  men  have,  or  that  it  is  possible 
they  should  have,  till  they  have  a  new 
nature ;  it  must  consist  in  their  having  a 
certain  kind  of  ideas  or  sensations  of  mind 
which  are  simply  diverse  from  all  that  is  or 
can  be  in  the  minds  of  natural  men.  And 
that  is  the  same  thing  as  to  say  that  it 
consists  in  the  sensations  of  a  new  spiritual 
sense,  which  the  souls  of  natural  men  have 
not,  as  is  evident  by  what  has  been  before 
once  and  again  observed.  But  I  have 
already  shown  what  that  new  spiritual 
sense  is  which  the  saints  have  given  them 


COiSNECTION    OF    KNOWLF-DOE     AND    DISPOSITION. 


587 


in  rej»eneration,  and  what  is  tlic  object  of    not  speculation  merely  tliat  is  concerned  in 
it.     I    have    shown    that    the    iinuu-diate    tins  iiiiid  of  undorstandinir :  nor  can  there 
object  of  it   is    the    supreme    beauty    and    l)e  a   clear  distinction   made  l)ctwcen    the 
excellency  ol  tiie  nature  ol  divine  things    two  faculties  of  understandinjr  and  will,  as 
as   they  are  in   themselves.     And  this    is    acting   distinctly    and    separately   in    this 
agreeable    to    the   Scripture:  the    apostle    matter.     When  the  mind  is  sensil)le  of  the 
very  plainly  teaches  that  tiie   great  thing    sweet  beauty  and  amiableness  of  a  thing, 
discovered  l)y  spiritual  light  and  understood    that  implies    a  sensil)leness  of  sweetness 
by    sj)iritual    knowledge  is    the    glory   of    and  delight  in  the  presence  of  the  idea  of 
divine  things.  2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4,  'But  if  our    it;  and  this  sensiblcness  of  the  amiableness 
gospel   be   hid,  it  is  hid   to  them  that  arc    or  delightfulness  of  beauty  carries,  in   the 
lost;  in  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath    very  nature  of  it,  the  sense  of  the  heart; 
blinded  the    minds  of  them   which  believe    or  an  etfect  and  impression  the  soul  is  the 
not,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of    subject   of,  as    a   substance    possessed  of 
Christ,  who   is   the  image  of  God,  should    taste,  inclination,  and  will, 
shine  unto  them;'  together  with  verse  G,         "There    is    a  distinction    to   be   made 
'  for   God    who   commanded  the   light    to    between  a  mere   notional  understanding, 
shine  out  of  darkness  hath  shined  in  our    wherein   the   mind   only  beholds  things  in 
hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge    the  exercise  of  a  speculative  faculty;  and 
of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus    the  sense  of  the   heart,  wherein  the   mind 
Christ:'  and   Chap.  iii.    IS,  'But   we   all,    does  not   only  speculate  and   behold,    but 
with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass,  the    relishes  and  feels.     That  sort  of  knowledge 
glory  of  the    Lord,  are  changed  into  the    by  which  a  man  has  a  sensible  j)erception 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as    of  amiableness   and  loathsomeness,  or   of 
by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.'     And  it  must    sweetness  and  nauseousness,   is  not  just 
needs  be  so,  for,  as  has  been  before  observ-    the  same  sort  of  knowledge  with   that  by 
ed,    the  Scripture  often  teaches    that  all    which  he   knows  what    a  triangle  is,  and 
true   religion   summarily   consists    in   the    what  a  square  is.  The  one  is  mere  specula- 
love  of  divine  things.     And  therefore  that    five  knowledge  ;   the  other  sensible  knowl- 
kind  of  understanding  or  knowledge  which    edge;  in    which    more     than    the     mere 
is   the    proper   foundation  of  true  religion    intellect   is   concerned ;  the  heart   is   the 
must  be  the  knowledge  of  the  loveliness  of   proper  subject  of  it,  or  the  soul  as  a  being 
divine  things.   For,  doubtless,  that  knowl-     that  not  only  beholds,  but  has  inclination, 
edge   which  is   the    proper    foundation    of    and  is   pleased   or   displeased.     And   yet 
love,  is  the  knowledge  oi' loveliness.     What    there  is  the  nature  of  instruction  in  it ;  as 
that  beauty  or  loveliness  of  divine  things    he  that  has   perceived  the   sweet  taste  of 
is,    which    is    the   proper  and    immediate    honey  knows  much  more  about  it  than  he 
object   of  a  spiritual  sense  of  mind,  was     who  has  only  looked    upon  and  felt  of  it. 
shown  under  the  last  head  insisted  on,  viz.         "  The  apostle  seems  to  make  a  distinc- 
that  it  is  the  beauty  of  their  moral  perfec-    tion  between  mere  sj)eculative  knowledge 
tion.     Therefore  it  is  in  the  view  or  sense    of    the    things   of    religion,  and   spiritual 
of  this    that  spiritual  understanding  does     knowledge,  in   calling  that    'the   form   of 
more  immediately  and  primarily  consist,     knowledge,  and  of  the  truth  :'  Rom.  ii.  20, 
And  indeed  it   is   plain  it  can  be  nothing    '  Which  hast  the  form  of  knowledge,  and 
else;  for   (as    has   been    shown)   there   is    of  the    truth   in    the  law.'     The  latter  is 
nothing  pertaining  to  divine  things  besides    often   represented  by   relishing,  smelling, 
the  beauty  of  their  moral  excellency  and    or  tasting;  2  Cor.  ii.   14,  '  Now  thanks  be 
those   properties   and    qualities  of  divine    to  God,  who  always  causeth  us  to  triumph 
things  which  this  beauty  is  the  foundation    in  Christ,  and  maketh  manifest  the  savor 
of,  but  what  natural  men  and  devils  can  see    of  his   knowledge  in  every  place.'     Matt, 
and  know,  and  will  know  fully  and  clearly    xvi.    23,   '  Tliou    savorest   not   the  things 
to  all  eternity.  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men.' 

"  From  what  has  been  said,  therefore,  1  Pet.  ii.  2,  3,  'As  new-born  babes  desire 
we  come  necessarily  to  this  conclusion,  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  ye  may 
concerning  that  wherein  spiritual  under-  grow  thereby,  if  so  be  ye  have  tasted  that 
standing  consists;  viz.  That  it  consists  in  the  Lord  is  gracious.'  Cant,  i.3,  'Because 
a  sense  of  the  heart  of  the  supreme  beauty  of  the  savor  of  thy  good  ointments,  thy 
and  sweetness  oj  the  holiness  or  moral  per-  name  is  as  ointmeM  poured  forth;  there- 
fection  of  divine  things,  together  with  all  fore  do  the  virgins  love  thee;'  compared 
that  discerning  and  knowledge  of  things  of  with  1  John  ii.  20,  '  But  ye  have  an  unc- 
religion  that  depends  upon  and  flows  from  tion  from  the  holy  one,  and  ye  know  all 
such  a  sense.  things.' 

"Spiritual  understanding  consists  pri-  "  Spiritual  understanding  prmonVycon- 
marily  in  a  sense  of  heart  of  that  spiritual  sists  in  this  sense,  or  taste,  of  the  moral 
beauty.     I  say  a  sense  of  heart;  for  it  is    beauty  of  divine  things  ;  so  that  no  knowl- 


588 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


edge  can  be  called  spiritual  any  further 
than  it  arises  from  this,  and  has  this  in  it. 
But,  secondarily,  it  includes  all  that  dis- 
cerning and  knowledge  of  things  of  religion 
tohich  depends  upon  and  floivs  from  such 
a  sense.  When  the  true  beauty  and 
araiableness  of  the  holiness,  or  true  moral 
good,  that  is  in  divine  things,  is  discover- 
ed to  the  soul,  it  as  it  were  opens  a  new 
world  to  its  view.  This  shows  the  glory 
of  all  the  perfections  of  God,  and  of  every 
thing  appertaining  to  the  Divine  Being  ; 
for,  as  was  observed  before,  the  beauty  of 
all  arises  from  God's  moral  perfections. 
This  shows  the  glory  of  all  God's  works, 
both  of  creation  and  providence  ;  for  it  is 
the  special  glory  of  them  that  God's 
holiness,  righteousness,  faithfulness,  and 
goodness,  are  so  manifested  in  them  ;  and 
without  these  moral  perfections  there 
would  be  no  glory  in  that  power  and  skill 
with  which  they  are  wrought.  The  glori- 
fying of  God's  moral  perfections  is  the 
special  end  of  all  the  works  of  God's  hands. 
By  this  sense  of  the  moral  beauty  of  di- 
vine things  is  understood  the  sufficiency  of 
Christ  as  a  mediator;  for  it  is  only  by  the 
discovery  of  the  beauty  of  the  moral  per- 
fections of  Christ  that  the  believer  is  let 
into  the  knowledge  of  the  excellence  of  his 
person,  so  as  to  know  any  thing  more  of 
it  than  the  devils  do  :  and  it  is  only  by  the 
knowledge  of  the  excellence  of  Christ's 
person  that  any  know  his  sufficiency  as  a 
mediator ;  for  the  latter  depends  upon  and 
arises  from  the  former.  It  is  by  seeing 
the  excellence  of  Christ's  person  that  the 
saints  are  made  sensible  of  the  precious- 
ness  of  his  l)lood,  and  its  sufficiency  to 
atone  for  sin  ;  for  therein  consists  the 
preciousness  of  Christ's  blood,  that  it  is 
the  blood  of  so  excellent  and  amiable  a 
person.  And  on  this  depends  the  merito- 
riousness  of  his  obedience,  and  sufficiency 
and  prevalence  of  his  intercession.  By 
this  sight  of  the  moral  beauty  of  divine 
things  is  seen  the  beauty  of  the  way  of 
salvation  by  Christ ;  for  that  consists  in 
the  beauty  of  the  moral  perfections  of 
God,  which  wonderfully  shines  forth  in 
every  step  of  this  method  of  salvation 
from  beginning  to  end.  By  this  is  seen 
the  fitness  and  suitableness  of  this  way  ; 
for  this  wholly  consists  in  its  tendency  to 
deliver  vis  from  sin  and  hell,  and  to  bring 
us  to  the  happiness  which  consists  in  the 
possession  and  enjoyment  of  moral  good, 
in  a  way  sweetly  agreeing-  with  God's 
moral  perfections.  And,  in  the  way's 
being  contrived  so  as  to  attain  these  ends, 
consists  the  excellent  wisdom  of  that  way. 
By  this  is  seen  the  excellency  of  the  word 
of  God  :  take  away  all  the  moral  beauty 
and  sweetness  in  the  word,  and  the  Bible  is 
left  wholly  a  dead  letter,  a  dry,  lifeless, 


tasteless  thing.  By  this  is  seen  the  true 
foundation  of  our  duty  ;  the  worthiness  of 
God  to  be  so  esteemed,  honored,  loved, 
submitted  to,  and  served,  as  he  requires 
of  us,  and  the  amiableness  of  the  duties 
themselves  that  are  required  of  us.  And 
by  this  is  seen  the  true  evil  of  sin ;  for  he 
who  sees  the  beauty  of  holiness  must  nec- 
essarily see  the  hatefulness  of  sin,  its  con- 
trary. By  this  men  understand  the  true 
glory  of  heaven,  which  consists  in  the 
beauty  and  happiness  that  is  in  holiness. 
By  this  is  seen  the  amiableness  and  hap- 
piness of  both  saints  and  angels.  He  that 
sees  the  beauty  of  holiness,  or  true  moral 
good,  sees  the  greatest  and  most  important 
thing  in  the  world,  which  is  the  fulness  of 
all  things,  without  which  all  the  world  is 
empty,  no  better  than  nothing,  yea  worse 
than  nothing.  Unless  this  is  seen,  nothing 
is  seen  that  is  worth  the  seeing;  for  there 
is  no  other  true  excellency  or  beauty. 
Unless  this  be  understood,  nothing  is  un- 
derstood that  is  worthy  of  the  exercise  of 
the  noble  faculty  of  understanding.  This 
is  the  beauty  of  the  godhead,  and  the  di- 
vinity of  divinity  (if  I  may  so  speak,)  the 
good  of  the  infinite  fountain  of  good  ;  with- 
out which  God  himself  (if  that  were  pos- 
sible to  be)  would  be  an  infinite  evil,  with- 
out which  we  ourselves  had  better  never 
have  been,  and  without  which  there  had 
better  have  been  no  being.  He  therefore, 
in  effect,  knows  nothing,  that  knows  not 
this.  His  knowledge  is  but  the  shadow  of 
knowledge,  or,  as  the  apostle  calls  it,  the 
form  of  knowledge.  Well,  therefore,  may 
the  Scripture  represent  those  who  are  des- 
titute of  that  spiritual  sense,  by  which  is 
perceived  the  beauty  of  holiness,  as  total- 
ly blind,  deaf,  and  senseless  ;  yea,  dead. 
And  well  may  regeneration,  in  which  this 
divine  sense  is  given  to  the  soul  by  its 
Creator,  be  represented  as  opening  the 
blind  eyes,  and  raising  the  dead,  and 
bringing  a  person  into  a  new  world.  For, 
if  what  has  been  said  be  considered,  it 
will  be  manifest  that,  when  a  person  has 
this  sense  and  knowledge  given  him,  he 
will  view  nothing  as  he  did  before  :  though 
before  he  kneio  all  things  after  the  flesh, 
yet  henceforth  he  will  '  know  them  so  no 
more  ;'  and  he  is  become  '  anew  creature; 
old  things  are  passed  away,  behold  all 
things  are  become  new;'  agreeably  to  2 
Cor.  V.  16,  17. 

"And,  besides  the  things  that  have  been 
already  mentioned,  there  arises  from  this 
sense  of  spiritual  beauty  all  true  experi- 
mental knowledge  of  religion  ;  which  is  of 
itself,  as  it  were,  a  new  world  of  knowl- 
edge. He  that  does  not  see  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  knows  not  what  one  of  the  graces 
of  God's  Spirit  is  ;  he  is  destitute  of  any 
idea  or  conception  of  all  gracious  exercises 


REGENERATION    NECESSARY    TO    BELIEVING. 


589 


of  soul,  and  nil  holy  comforts  and  do- 
lijrhls,  and  all  olTocts  of  the  savinjr  inllii- 
cnios  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  heart  ; 
and  so  is  ignorant  of  the  greatest  \vorks  of 
God,  the  most  important  and  glorious  ef- 
fects of  his  power  upon  tlic  creature  ;  and 
also  is  wholly  ignorant  ot  tlie  saints  as 
saints  ;  he  knows  i\ot  what  tliey  are  :  and 
in  efl'ect  is  ignorant  of  the  whole  spiritual 
world. 

"Tilings  being  thus,  it  plainly  appears 
that  God's  implanting  that  spiritual  super- 
natural sense  wliicii  has  l)een  spoken  of 
makes  a  great  change  in  a  man.  And 
were  it  not  for  the  very  imperfect  degree 
in  which  this  sense  is  commonly  given  at 
first,  or  the  small  degree  of  this  glorious 
light  that  first  dawns  upon  the  soul  ;  the 
change  made  by  this  spiritual  opening 
of  the  eyes  in  conversion,  would  be  much 
greater,  and  more  remarkalile,  every  way, 
than  if  a  man  wiio  had  i)een  born  blind, 
and  with  only  the  other  tour  senses, 
should  continue  so  a  long  time,  and  then 
at  once  should  have  the  sense  of  seeing 
imparted  to  him,  in  tiie  midst  of  the  clear 
light  of  the  sun,  discovering  a  world  of 
visible  objects.  For,  though  sight  be 
more  noble  than  any  of  the  other  external 
senses,  yet  this  spiritual  sense  whidi  has 
been  spoken  of  is  infinitely  more  noble 
than  that,  or  any  other  principle  of  dis- 
cerning that  a  man  naturally  has,  and  the 
object  of  this  sense  infinitely  great  and 
more  important. 

"  This  sort  of  understanding,  or  knowl- 
edge, is  that  knowledge  of  divine  things 
whence  all  truly  gracious  affections  do 
proceed  :  by  which,  therefore,  all  affec- 
tions are  to  be  tried.  Those  affections 
that  arise  wholly  from  any  other  kind  of 
knowledge,  or  do  result  f^rom  any  other 
kind  of  apprehensions  of  mind,  are  vain!" 
—pp.  22^—232. 


LETTER   yil. 

AN  INQUIRY  WHETHER,  IF  BELIEVING 
BE  A  SPIRITUAL  ACT  OF  THE  MIND, 
IT  DOES  NOT  PRESUPPOSE  THE  SUB- 
JECT   OF    IT    TO    BE    SPIRITUAL. 

Mr.  S.'\ndeman,  and  many  of  his  ad- 
mirers, if  I  understand  them,  consider  the 
mind  as  passive  in  believing,  and  charge 
those  who  consider  faith  as  an  act  of  the 
mind  with  making  it  a' work,  and  so  of  in- 
troducing the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
a  work  of  our  own. 

Mr.  Ecking  sometimes  writes  as  if  he 
adopted  this  principle;  for  he  speaks  of  a 
person  being   "passive  in   receiving   the 


truth." — p.  73.  In  another  place,  howev- 
er, he  is  very  explicit  to  the  contrary. 
"  Their  notion  is  absurii,"  he  says,  "  who, 
in  order  to  appear  more  than  ordinarily 
accurate,  censure  and  solemnly  condemn 
the  idea  of  believing  being  an  act  of  the 
mind.  It  is  acknowledged,  indeed,  that 
very  unscriptural  sentiments  have  pre- 
vailed al)oiit  «(7.s  nf  faith,  when  they  are 
sujiposed  to  arise  from  some  previous 
principle  well  disposing  the  minds  of  un- 
l)elievcrs  toward  the  gospel.  Yet,  if  it  be 
admitted  possible  for  the  soul  of  man  to 
act  (and  who  will  deny  that  it  does'?) 
(here  is  nothing  more  |)ropcrly  an  act  of 
the  mind  than  believing  the  truth  ;  in 
which  first  the  mind  perceives  it,  then 
considers  the  evidence  offered  to  support 
it,  and,  finally,  gives  assent  to  it.  And 
can  tins  comport  with  inactivity  1  We 
must  either  say,  then,  that  the  soul  acts  in 
believing  the  gospel,  or  that  tlie  soul  is  an 
inactive  spirit,  which  is  absurd." — p.  98. 
As  Mr.  E.,  in  tiiis  passage,  not  only  states 
his  opinion,  but  gives  liis  reasons  for  it, 
we  must  consider  tliis  as  his  fixed  princi- 
ple ;  and  that  w  hicli  he  says  of  the  truth 
being  "  passively  received  "  as  expressive, 
not  of  faith,  but  of  spiritual  illumination 
previously  to  it.  But,  if  so,  wliat  does  he 
mean  by  opposing  a  previous  principle  as 
necessary  to  believing'?  His  acts  of  faith 
arise  from  spiritual  illumination,  which  he 
also  must  consider  as  "  well  disposing  the 
minds  of  unbelievers  toward  the  gospel." 

If  there  be  any  difference  between  him 
and  those  whom  he  opposes,  it  would 
seem  to  consist,  not  in  the  necessity,  Imt 
in  tiie  nature  of  a  previous  chansre  of  mind  ; 
as  w  hether  it  be  proper  to  call  it  a  priji- 
ciplc,  and  to  suppose  it  to  include  life  as 
well  as  light.  He  no  more  considers  the 
mind  as  discerning  and  believing  the  gos- 
pel without  a  previous  change  wrought  in 
it  by  the  Spirit  of  God  than  his  opponents. 
Nay,  as  we  have  seen,  he  expressly,  and, 
as  he  says,  "  readily  acknowledges  that  we 
must  have  a  s|)iritual  principle  before  we 
can  discern  divine  beauties." — p.  67.  But, 
if  a  spiritual  principle  be  necessary  to  dis- 
cern divine  l)eauties,  it  is  necessary  to 
discern  and  believe  the  glory  of  God  in 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  they  are  one 
and  the  same  thing. 

But  the  previous  change  which  Mr.  E. 
acknowledges,  it  will  be  said,  is  by  means 
of  the  word.  Be  it  so;  yet  it  cannot  be 
by  the  word  as  spiritually  discerned  and 
believed,  for  spiritual  discernment  and  be- 
lief are  supposed  to  be  the  effect  of  it. 

Mr.  E.  says,  indeed,  that  "the  hinge 
upon  which  the  inquiry  turns  is,  what  is 
that  principle,  and  how  is  it  implanted  1" 
But  this  is  mere  evasion  ;  for  let  the  prin- 
ciple be  xchat  it  may,  and  let  it  be  implant- 


590 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


ed  hotv  it  may,  since  it  is  allowed  to  be 
necessary  "before  we  can  discern  divine 
beauties,"  and  of  course  before  we  can  ac- 
tively believe  in  Christ,  the  argument  is 
given  up. 

The  principle  itself  he  makes  to  be 
"  the  word  passively  received  :"  but  as  this 
is  supposed  to  be  previously  to  "  the  dis- 
cernment of  divine  beauties,"  and  to  the 
soul's  actively  believing  in  Christ,  it  can- 
not of  course  have  been  produced  by  ei- 
ther :  and  to  speak  of  the  word  becoming 
a  spiritual  principle  in  us  before  it  is  either 
understood  or  believed,  is  going  a  step  be- 
yond his  opponents.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
the  word  of  God,  when  it  is  once  under- 
stood and  believed,  becomes  a  living  prin- 
ciple of  evangelical  obedience.  This  I 
conceive  to  be  the  meaning  of  our  Lord, 
when  he  told  the  woman  of  Samaria  that 
*'  whosoever  should  drink  of  the  water  tliat 
he  should  give  him  (that  is,  of  the  gospel,) 
it  should  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  spring- 
ing up  to  everlasting  life."  But,  for  the 
word  to  become  a  principle  before  it  is  ac- 
tively received,  or,  to  use  the  language  of 
Peter,  before  we  have  "  purified  our  souls 
by  obeying  it,"  is  that  of  which  I  can 
form  no  idea,  and  I  suppose  neither  did 
Mr.  Ecking. 

As  to  the  second  part  of  what  he  calls 
the  hinge  of  the  inquiry,  viz.  how  this 
principle  is  implanted  1  he  endeavors  to 
illustrate  it  by  a  number  of  examples  ta- 
ken from  the  miracles  of  Christ,  in  which 
the  word  of  Christ  certainly  did  not  ope- 
rate on  the  mind  in  a  way  of  motive  pre- 
sented to  its  consideration,  but  in  a  way 
similar  to  that  of  the  Creator,  when  he 
said,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was 
light."  Such  is  manifestly  the  idea  con- 
veyed V)y  the  words  in  John  v.  25,  "  The 
dead  shall  hear  tlie  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  they  tliat  hear  shall  live."  To 
such  an  application  of  the  word  I  have  no 
objection.  That  for  which  I  contend  is 
that  there  is  a  change  effected  in  the  soul 
of  a  sinner,  called  in  Scripture  "  giv- 
ing him  eyes  to  see,  ears  to  hear,  and  a 
heart  to  understand  " — "  a  new  heart,  and 
a  right  spirit" — "a  new  creation,"  &c. 
&c. ;  that  this  change  is  antecedent  to  his 
actively  believing  in  Christ  for  salvation  ; 
and  that  it  is  not  effected  by  motives  ad- 
dressed to  the  mind  in  a  way  of  moral 
suasion,  but  by  the  mighty  power  of  God. 
Mr.  M'Lean  allows  faith  to  be  a  duty,  or 
an  act  of  obedience.  But,  if  so,  this  obe- 
dience must  be  yielded  either  in  a  spirit- 
ual or  in  a  carnal  state.  If  the  former,  it 
is  all  that  on  this  subject  is  pleaded  for. 
If  the  latter,  that  is  the  same  thing  as  sup- 
posing that  the  carnal  mind,  lohile  such, 
is  enabled  to  act  spiritually,  and  that  it 
thereby  becomes  spiritual. 

To  this  purpose  I  wrote  in  my  Appen- 


dix, pp.  481,  482;  and  what  has  Mr. 
M'Lean  said  in  his  reply  1  Let  him  an- 
swer for  himself.  "This  is  a  a  very  un- 
fair state  of  the  question  so  far  as  it  relates 
to  the  opinion  of  his  opponents  ;  for  he 
represents  them  as  maintaining  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  causes  the  mind  while  carnal, 
or  before  it  is  spiritually  illuminated,  to 
discern  and  believe  spiritual  things  ;  and 
then  he  sets  himself  to  argue  against  this 
contradiction  of  his  own  framing,  as  a 
thing  impossible  in  its  own  nature,  and  as 
declared  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  so.  1 
Cor.  ii.  14.  Were  I  to  state  Mr.  F.'s 
sentiment  thus.  The  Holy  Spirit  imparts 
to  the  mind  tohile  carnal  a  holy  suscepti- 
bility and  relish  for  the  truth,  would  he 
not  justly  complain  that  I  had  misrepre- 
sented his  view,  and  that  he  did  not  mean 
that  the  mind  could  possess  any  holy  sus- 
ceptibility while  it  was  in  a  carnal  state ; 
but  only  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  very 
act  of  imparting  this  holy  susceptibility 
and  relish  for  the  truth,  removed  the  car- 
nality of  the  mind  1  But  then  this  expla- 
riation  applies  equally  to  the  other  side  of 
thi}  question  ;  and  surely  it,appears  at  least 
as  consistent  with  the  nature  of  things, 
and  as  easy  to  conceive  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  should  in  the  first  instance  commu- 
nicate the  light  of  truth  to  a  dark  carnal 
mind,  and  thereby  render  it  spiritual,  as 
that  he  should  prior  to  that  impart  to  it 
a  holy  susceptibility  and  relish  for  the 
truth.''— Reply,  p.  7. 

Now,  my  friend,  I  entreat  your  close 
attention,  and  that  of  the  reader,  to  this 
part  of  the  subject ;  for  here  is  the  hinge 
of  tlie  present  question. 

I  am  accused  of  framing  a  contradiction 
which  my  opponents  do  not  hold.  They 
do  not  hold,  then,  it  seems,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  causes  the  mind  while  carnal  to 
discern  and  believe  spiritual  things.  Spir 
itual  illumination  precedes  belieiving ; 
such  an  illumination,  too,  as  removes  car- 
nality from  the  mind,  renders  the  soul 
spiritual,  and  so  enables  it  to  discern  and 
believe  spiritual  things.  Where  then  is 
the  difference  between  us  1  Surely  it 
does  not  consist  in  my  holding  with  a 
previous  principle  as  necessary  to  believ- 
ing ;  for  they  profess  to  hold  what  amounts 
to  the  same  thing.  If  there  be  any  differ- 
ence, however,  it  must  lie  in  the  nature  of 
that  which  is  communicated,  or  in  the 
order  in  which  it  operates.  And,  as  to 
the  first,  seeing  it  is  allowed  to  remove 
carnality,  and  to  render  the  soul  spiritual, 
there  can  be  no  material  difference  on  this 
head.  With  respect  to  the  second,  name- 
ly, the  order  of  its  operations,  Mr.  M. 
thinks  that  the  communication  of  the  light 
of  truth  to  a  dark,  carnal  mind,  whereby  it 
is  rendered  spiritual,  furnishes   an  easy 


REGENERATION     NECESSARY    TO    BELIEVING. 


591 


and  consistent  view  of  things.  To  whirli 
I  answer,  If  the  carnality  of  tlic  mind  were 
owing  to  its  dariincss,  it  wouhl  he  so. 
But  Mr.  M.  has  himself  told  us  a  dilTcr- 
ent  tale,  and  that  from  unquestional)le  au- 
thority. "Our  Lord,"  he  says,  "asks 
the  Jews,  '  Wiiy  do  ye  not  understand  my 
speech  1  '  and  gives  this  reason  for  it, 
'  even  because  ye  cannot  hear  my  word;  ' 
that  is,  cannot  endure  my  doctrine." — 
IVorks,  Vol.  II.,  p.  110. 

Now,  if  this  be  just  (and  who  can  con- 
trovert it  1),  it  is  not  easy  to  conceive  how 
light  introduced  into  the  mind  should  he 
capable  of  removini,'-  carnality.  It  is  easy 
to  conceive  of  the  removal  of  an  efl'ect  by 
the  removal  of  the  cause,  but  not  of  tiie 
removal  of  a  cause  by  the  removal  of  the 
effect. 

But,  whatever  difference  may  remain  as 
to  the  order  of  operation,  the  idea  of  a 
previous  principle  is  held  by  Mr.  M.  as 
much  as  l)y  his  opponent.  Only  call  it 
"  divine  illumination,  by  which  the  dark 
and  carnal  mind  is  rendered  spiritual," 
and  he  believes  it. 

In  endeavoring  to  show  the  unfairness 
of  the  contradiction  whicli  I  alleged  against 
him,  Mr.  M.  loses  himself  and  his  read- 
er, by  representing  it  as  made  to  the  act  of 
the  Holy  Spiril  in  imparting  spiritual  light 
to  the  soul  while  carnal ;  whereas  that 
which  I  alleged  against  him  respected  the 
act  oj  the  creature  in  discerning  and  believ- 
ing spiritual  things,  while  such.  If  God's 
communicating  either  light  or  holiness  to 
a  dark  and  carnal  mind  be  a  contradiction, 
it  is  of  Mr.  M.'s  framing,  and  not  mine  : 
but  I  see  no  contradiction,  in  it,  so  that  it 
be  in  the  natural  order  of  tilings,  any  more 
than  in  his  "  quickening  us  when  we  w  ere 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  which  phra- 
seology certainly  does  not  denote  that  we 
are  dead  and  alive  at  the  same  time  ! 
The  contradiction  alleged  consisted  in  the 
carnal  mind's  being  supposed  to  act  spirit- 
ually, and  not  to  its  being  acted  upon  by 
divine  influence,  let  that  influence  be 
what  it  might.  It  would  be  no  contradic- 
tion to  say  of  Tabitha,  that  life  was  im- 
parted to  her  ichile  dead  :  but  it  would  be 
contradiction  to  affirm  that  while  she  was 
dead  God  caused  her  to  open  her  eyes,  and 
to  look  upon  Peter! 

Mr.  M'Lean  has,  I  allow,  cleared  him- 
self of  this  contradiction,  by  admitting  the 
sinner  to  be  made  spiritual  through  divine 
illumination,  previously  to  his  believing  in 
Christ ;  but  then  it  is  at  the  expense  of 
the  grand  article  in  dispute,  which  he  has 
thereby  given  up ;  maintaining,  as  much 
as  his  opponent,  the  idea  of  a  previous 
principle,  or  of  the  soul's  being  rendered 
spiritual  antecedently  to  its  believing  in 
Christ. 

The    principal   ground   on   which   Mr. 


M'Lcan,  Mr.  Ecking,  and  all  the  writers 
on  that  side  the  question,  rest  their  cause, 
is  the  use  of  such  language  as  the  follow- 
ing :  "  Being  born  again,  not  of  corrupti- 
ble seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the  icoi  d 
of  God,  which  livcth  and  aliidctli  (brever." 
— "  Of  his  own  will  begat  he  us,  with  the 
word  of  truth." — "  I  have  begotten  you 
through  the  gospel." 

On  this  phraseology  I  shall  submit  to 
you  and  the  reader  two  or  three  observa- 
tions : — 

First  :  A  being  begotten,  or  born  again, 
by  the  word,  does  not  necessarily  signify 
a  being  regenerated  by  faith  in  the  word. 
Faith  itself  is  ascribed  to  the  word  as 
well  as  regeneration;  for  "  faith  cometh 
by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of 
God:"  but,  if  we  say  faith  cometh  by  the 
word  believed,  ihat  is  the  same  as  saying 
that  it  cometh  by  itself.  Mr.  M.  has  no 
idea  of  the  word  having  any  influence  but 
as  it  is  believed  (Reply,  i)p.  16 — 34  :)  yet 
he  tells  us  (p.  113)  that  faith  is  "the  effect 
of  the  regenerating  influence  of  the  Spirit 
and  word  of  God."  But,  if  faith  be  the 
effect  of  the  word  believed,  it  must  be  the 
effect  of  itself.  The  truth  is,  the  word  may 
operate  as  an  inducement  to  believe,  as 
well  as  a  stimulus  to  a  new  life  when  it  is 
believed. 

Secondly  :  The  terms  regeneration,  be- 
gotten, born  again,  &c.,  are  not  always 
used  in  the  same  extent  of  meaning. 
They  sometimes  denote  the  whole  of  that 
change  which  denominates  us  Christians, 
and  which  of  course  includes  repentance 
toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  in  this  sense  the  fore- 
going j)assages  are  easily  understood.  But 
the  question  is  whether  regeneration,  or 
those  terms  by  which  it  is  expressed  in  the 
Scriptures,  such  as  being  begotten,  born 
again,  quickened,  &c.,  be  not  sometimes 
used  in  a  stricter  sense.  Mr.  M.,  con- 
fining what  I  had  said  on  the  subject  of 
regeneration,  as  expressed  by  being  be- 
gotten, born  again,  &c.,  to  the  term  itself, 
is  "  confident  it  bears  no  such  meaning  in 
the  sacred  writings." — p.  17.  But  if  a 
l)eing  born  again,  which  is  expressive  of 
regeneration,  be  sometimes  used  to  ac- 
count for  faith,  as  a  cause  accounts  for  its 
effect,  that  is  all  which  the  argument  re- 
quires to  be  established.  If  it  be  neces- 
sary to  be  born  again  in  order  to  believing, 
we  cannot  in  this  sense,  unless  the  effect 
could  be  the  means  of  producing  the  cause, 
be  born  again  by  believing.  Whether  this 
be  the  case,  let  the  following  passages  de- 
termine. 

John  i.  11 — 13.  "He  came  unto  his 
own,  and  his  own  received  him  not,  but  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to 
them   that   believe  on   his   name :    which 


592 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God."  I  can  conceive  of  no  reason  why 
the  new  birth  is  here  introduced,  but  to 
account  for  some  receiving  Christ,  or  be- 
lieving on  his  name,  while  others  received 
him  not.  Calvin  appears  to  have  ordina- 
rily considered  regeneration  in  the  large 
sense  as  stated  above,  and  therefore  speaks 
of  it  as  an  effect  of  faith.  Yet,  when  com- 
menting on  this  passage,  perceiving  that  it 
is  here  introduced  to  account  for  faith, 
he  writes  thus  :  "  Hereupon  it  followeth, 
first,  that  faith  proceedeth  not  from  us,  but 
that  it  is  a  fruit  of  spiritual  legeneration, 
for  the  evangelist  saith  (in  effect)  that  no 
man  can  believe  unless  he  be  begotten  of 
God  ;  therefore  faitli  is  an  heavenly  gift. 
Secondly  :  That  faith  is  not  a  cold  and 
bare  knowledge  :  seeing  none  can  believe 
but  he  that  is  fashioned  again  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  Notwithstanding  it  seeraeth  that 
the  evangelist  dealeth  disorderly  in  put- 
ting regeneration  before  faith,  seeing  that 
it  is  rather  an  effect  of  faith,  and  therefore 
to  be  set  after  it."  To  this  objection  he 
answers  that  "  both  may  very  well  agree," 
and  goes  on  to  expound  the  subject  of  re- 
generation as  sonaetimes  denoting  the 
producing  of  faith  itself,  and  sometimes  of 
a  new  life  by  faith. 

John  iii.  3.  "  Except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God." 
On  this  passage  Doctor  Campbell,  in  his 
notes,  is  very  particular,  proving  tliat  by 
the  kingdom  or  reign  of  God  is  meant  that 
of  Messiah  in  this  world  ;  and  that  ov  ilv  ru- 
ral [cannot]  denotes  the  incapacity  of  the 
unregenerate  to  discern  or  believe  the  gos- 
pel. The  import  of  this  passage  is,  in  his 
apprehension,  this  : — "The  man  who  is  not 
regenerated,  or  born  again  of  water  and 
Spirit  is  not  in  a  capacity  of  perceiving  the 
reign  of  God,  though  it  were  commenced. 
Though  the  kingdom  of  the  saints  on  the 
earth  were  already  established,  the  unre- 
generate would  not  discern  it,  because  it 
is  a  spiritual,  not  a  worldly  kingdom,  and 
capable  of  being  no  otherwise  than  spir- 
itually discerned.  And,  as  the  kingdom 
itself  would  remain  unknown  to  him,  he 
could  not  share  in  the  blessings  enjoyed 
by  the  subjects  of  it. — The  same  senti- 
ment occurs  in  1  Cor.  ii.  14." 

1  Cor.  ii.  14.  "The  natural  man  re- 
ceiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  :  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they 
are  spiritually  discerned."  Mr.  M.,  in 
his  discourses  on  the  parable  oj  the  sower, 
says,  "  It  is  a  doctrine  clearly  taught  in 
the  scriptures  that  none  have  a  true  un- 
derstanding of  the  gospel  but  such  as  are 
taught  of  God  by  the  special  illuminating 
influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    We  are  ex- 


pressly told  that  '  The  natural  man  receiv- 
eth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  : 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  hira ;  nei- 
ther can  he  know  them,  because  they  are 
spiritually,discerned.  '  "  And  in  answering 
an  objector — who  asks,  "  What  particular 
truth  or  sentiment  is  communicated  to  the 
mind  by  the  enlightening  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  which  unenlightened  men 
can  have  no  idea  of  "J" — Mr.  M.  says,  "  It 
is  not  pleaded  that  any  truth  or  sentiment 
is  communicated  to  the  mind  by  the  Spirit 
besides  ivhat  is  already  clearly  revealed  in 
the  ivord  ;  and  the  illumination  of  the  Spir- 
it IS  TO  MAKE  MEN  FERCEIVE  AND  UN- 
DERSTAND THAT  REVELATION  WHICH  19 
ALREADY  GIVEN  IN  ITS    TRUE    LIGHT." — • 

Sermons,  pp.  78,  80,  81. 

Mr.  M.'s  object,  through  this  whole 
paragraph,  seems  to  be  to  prove  that  the 
illuminating  influence  of  the  Holy  Sprit  is 
necessary  in  order  to  our  understanding  the 
scriptures ;  but,  if  so,  it  cannot  be  by  the 
Scriptures  as  understood  that  we  are  thus 
illuminated,  for  this  were  a  contradiction. 
It  cannot  be  by  any  particular  truth  or 
sentiment  revealed,  any  more  than  unre- 
vealed,  that  we  possess  "  eyes  to  see,  ears 
to  hear,  or  a  heart  to  understand"  it. 
If  the  illuminating  influence  of  the  Ho- 
ly Spirit  consisted  in  imparting  any  par- 
ticular truth  or  sentiment  to  the  mind, 
even  that  which  is  revealed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, where  would  l>e  the  mystery  of  the 
operation!  Instead  of  being  compared  to 
the  operations  of  the  v/ind,  of  which  we 
know  nothing  but  by  its  effects,*  it  might 
have  been  ranked  among  the  operations  of 
motives  as  suggested  by  man  to  man,  or, 
at  least,  as  put  into  the  mind  by  the  provi- 
dence of  God  so  ordering  it  that  such 
thoughts  should  strike  and  influence  the 
mind  at  the  time. — Ezra  vii.  27.  But 
this  would  not  answer  to  the  scriptural 
accounts  of  our  being  quickened,  who  were 
dead  in  sins,  by  the  ;?oioer  of  God  ;  even 
by  the  "exceeding  greatness  of  his  power, 
according  to  that  which  he  wrought  in 
Christ  when  he  raised  him  from  the  dead." 

Mr.  M.  has  taken  great  pains  to  show 
the  absurdity  of  my  reasoning  on  this  sub- 
ject ;  yet  the  sum  otitis  this.  That  which 
is  necessary  in  order  to  understanding  and 
believing  the  word  cannot  be  by  means  oj 
understanding  and  believing  it. 

All  true  knowledge  of  divine  things  is 
no  doubt  to  be  ascribed  to  the  word  as  the 
objective  cause,  in  the  same  way  as  corpo- 
real perception  is  ascribed  to  light.  We 
cannot  see  without  light ;  neither  can  we 
understand  or  believe  spiritual  things  but 

*  Such  is  the  meaning  of  John  iii.  8,  according 
to  Campbell,  and  all  odier  expositors  that  I  have 
seen. 


REGENERATION     NECESSARY    TO    BELFEVING. 


593 


)iy  the  word  of  God.  But  the  question  does 
not  relate  to  wliat  is  ohjoctive,  l>ut  sul)- 
jcctivc  ;  or,  if  I  niisrht  speak  in  rel'ereiue 
to  what  is  corporeal,  not  to  liirlit,  Imt  liis- 
cernnient.  Mr.  Kckintr  speaks  of  lij;ht 
si  ininir  into  a  dark  room,  and  of  the  ab- 
surdity of  supposing;  there  must  he  some 
principles  of  lijrht  in  this  room  which  dis- 
posed it  to  receive  that  which  shone  into 
it. — p.  GS.  Kut,  if  by  the  lii^ht  he  mean  the 
gospel,  he  should  rather  have  compared  it 
to  light  shining  uiutn  a  blind  man,  and 
have  shown  tlic  absurdity,  if  he  could,  of 
supposing  it  necessary  lor  his  eyes  to  i>e 
openetl  ere  he  could  discern  or  enjoy  it. 
Tliere  is  nothing  in  a  dark  room  to  resist 
the  light,  l)ut  that  is  not  tlie  case  with  the 
dark  soul  of  a  sinner.  "  Tlie  liglit  shineth 
in  darkness,  but  the  darkness  compre- 
hcndeth  (or,  as  Campbell  renders  it,  admit- 
teth)  if   not." 

Though  I  cannot  think,  with  Mr.  E., 
that  the  word  of  God  becomes  a  spiritual 
principle  in  us  till  it  is  actively  received, 
yet  I  allow  that  it  is  productive  of  great 
effects.  The  understanding  and  conscience 
being  enlightened  l)y  it,  many  open  sins  are 
forsaken,  and  many  things  done  in  a  way 
of  what  is  called  religious  duty.  And 
though  I  have  no  notion  of  directing  sin- 
ners to  a  course  of  previous  humiliation, 
nor  opinion  of  the  efforts  of  man  toward 
preparing  himself  for  the  reception  of  di- 
vine grace  ;  yet  I  believe  God  ordinarily 
so  deals  with  men  as  gradually  to  beat 
down  their  false  confidences,  and  reduce 
t'nem  to  extremity,  ere  they  are  brought 
to  embi-ace  the  gospel.  Such  things  are 
not  necessarily  connected  with  faith  or 
salvation.  In  many  instances  they  have 
their  issue  in  mere  self-righteous  hope; 
and,  where  it  is  otherwise,  they  are  to 
faith  and  salvation,  as  I  have  said  before, 
but  as  the  noise  and  the  shaking  of  the  dry 
bones  to  the  breath  of  life. 

Moreover,  the  word  of  God  produces 
still  greater  and  better  elTects  ichen  it  is 
believed.  In  them  that  believe  "  it  work- 
eth  effectually."  When  the  commandment 
comes  to  a  soul  in  its  spirituality,  it  gives 
him  to  perceive  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of 
sin  ;  and  when  the  gospel  comes,  not  in 
word  only,  l)ut  in  power,  it  produces  migh- 
ty effects.  It  is  "  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation /o  ereri/  one  that  belicveth."  It 
operated  before  to  the  "pulling  down  of 
strong  holds,"  and  the  casting  down  of 
many  a  vain  "  imagination  ;"  but  now  it 
"  bringeth  every  thought  into  subjection 
to  the  obedience  of  Christ."  It  is  thus 
tiiat  we  "  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth 
(as  known)  makes  us  free."  If  once  we 
are  enabled  to  behold  the  glory  of  God  in 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  changes  us  in- 
to the  same  image,  begets  and  excites  ho- 

VOL  I  75 


ly  afTections,  and  produces  every  kind  of 
gracious  exercise. 

The  gospel  is  the  mould  into  which  the 
mind  of  the  believer  is  cast,  and  l>y  which  it 
is  formed.  The  statement  of  Dr.  Owen, 
as  quoted  by  Mr.  Ecking,  is  very  just  and 
scriptural.  "  As  the  word  is  in  the  gos- 
pel, so  is  grace  in  the  heart;  yea,  they 
are  the  same  things  variously  expressed. — 
Rom.  vi.  17.  As  our  translation  doth  not, 
so  I  know  not  how  in  so  few  words  to  ex- 
press tiiat  wiiich  is  so  emphatically  here 
insinuated  l)y  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  be- 
gets i\\e  form,  figure,  image,  or  likeness  of 
itself  in  the  hearts  of  them  that  believe  : 
so  they  are  cast  into  the  7nould  of  it.  As 
is  the  one,  so  is  the  other.  The  principle 
of  grace  in  the  iiearf ,  and  that  in  the  word, 
are  as  childrei>  of  the  same  parent,  com- 
pletely resembling  and  representing  one 
another.  Grace  is  a  living  word,  and  the 
word  is  figured,  limned  grace.  As  we 
have  heard,  so  have  we  seen  and  found  it : 
such  a  soul  can  produce  the  duplicate  of 
the  Avord,  and  so  adjust  ijll  things  there- 
by," &c.* 

All  this  describes  the  effect  of  the  word 
on  those  U"/io  believe  it :  but  the  question 
i.^,  how  we  come  to  believe  it  T  Dr.  Ow- 
en has  elsewhere  attempted  to  solve  this 
difficulty,  by  proving  that  a  principle  of 
spiritual  life  is  communicated  to  the  sin- 
ner in  regeneration,  antecedently  to  be- 
lieving.f  He  doubtless  considered  these 
things  as  consistent  with  each  other;  and, 
though  Mr.  Ecking  in  making  the  quota- 
tion appears  to  consider  them  as  contra- 
dictory, yet,  while  he  admits  that  "we 
must  have  a  spiritual  principle  before  we 
can  discern  divine  beauties,"  the  same 
contradiction,  if  such  it  be,  attaches  to 
himself. 

I  allow,  with  Dr.  Owen,  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  makes  use  of  "  the  reasons,  mo- 
tives, and  persuasive  arguments  which  the 
word  afl'ords,  to  affect  the  mind  ;  and  that 
converted  persons  are  able  to  give  some 
account  of  the  considerations  whereby  they 
were  prevailed  upon."  But  I  also  think, 
with  him,  that  "  the  whole  work  of  the 
Spirit  in  our  conversion  does  not  consist 
herein  ;  but  tliat  there  is  a  real  physical 
work  whereby  he  imparts  spiritual  life  to 
the  souls  of  all  who  are  truly  retrenera- 

ted."t 

Mr.  M'Lean  rejects  the  idea  of  physical 
injluenre,  and  seems  to  confound  it  with 
something  corporeal  or  mechanical. — 
Works,  p.   84.     If  I  understand  the  term 

*  On  Psalm  130,  pp.  168—  170- :  in  Ecking'g 
Essay.s,  pp.  77 — 79. 

t  Discourses  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  Book  III.  C.  1. 

X  Discourses  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  Book  III.  C.  5, 
Sec.  18. 


594 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


physical,  with  respect  to  influence,  it  is 
opposed  to  moral.  That  influence  is  de- 
nominated moral  that  works  upon  the 
mind  by  motives  or  considerations  which 
induce  it  to  this  or  that,  and  all  beyond 
this  is  physical  and  supernatural.  When 
God  created  the  soul  of  man  originally 
in  righteousness  and  true  holiness,  I  sup- 
pose it  must  be  allowed  to  have  been  a 
physical  work.  Man  certainly  was  not 
induced  by  motives  to  be  righteous  any 
more  than  to  be  rational  ;  yet  there  was 
nothing  corporeal  or  mechanical  in  it.  It 
is  thus  that  I  understand  Dr.  Owen  in  the 
passage  just  quoted,  in  which,  while  he 
admits  ot  the  use  of  moral  suasion,  he  de- 
nies that  the  ivhole  work  of  conversion 
consists  in  it ;  and  I  should  think  Mr.  M. 
could  not  even  upon  his  own  principles 
maintain  the  contrary.  For,  whatever 
motives  or  considerations  the  word  of  God 
may  furnish  in  a  way  of  moral  suasion, 
yet  he  holds  with  the  necessity  of  a  divine 
supernatural  influence  being  superadded  to 
it,  by  which  the  mind  is  illuminated  and 
rendered  spiritual.  But,  if  divine  influ- 
ence consist  in  any  thing  distinct  from  the 
influence  of  the  word,  it  must  be  supernatu- 
ral and  physical.  The  party  is  also  equal- 
ly unconscious  of  it  on  his  pi'inciples  as 
on  mine  :  he  is  conscious  of  nothing  but 
its  effects.  He  finds  himself  the  subject  of 
new  views  and  sensations  ;  but,  as  to 
knowing  whence  tlicy  came,  it  is  likely 
he  thinks  nothing  of  it  at  the  time,  and 
is  ready  to  imagine  that  any  person,  if  he 
would  but  look  into  the  Bible,  must  see 
what  he  sees  so  plainly  taught  in  it.  He 
may  be  conscious  of  ideas  suggested  to  him 
by  the  word,  and  of  their  elfect  upon  his 
mind  ;  but,  as  to  any  divine  influence  ac- 
companying them,  he  knows  nothing  of  it. 
Mr.  Ecking  represents  "  the  inability  or 
spiritual  death  of  sinners  as  consisting  in 
disinclination,  or  lo^ing  darkness  rather 
than  light."  And  tliis  disinclination  he 
ascribes  to  ignorance  and  unbelief;  whence 
he  argues,  "If  the  removal  of  the  elfect 
is  by  removing  the  cause,  it  is  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  this  is  the  way  in  which 
God  works  upon  the  human  mind," — p. 
66.  That  the  removal  of  the  effect  is  by 
the  removal  of  the  cause  I  allow  ;  but 
what  authority  had  Mr.  E.  for  making  ig- 
norance and  unbelief  the  cause  of  spiritu- 
al death  1  Spiritual  death  consists  in  ig- 
norance and  unbelief,  no  less  than  in  dis- 
inclination. It  consists  in  sin  (Ephes.  ii. 
1  ;)  and,  if  ignorance  and  unbelief  are 
sins,  they  are  of  the  essence  of  spiritual 
death.  It  is  true  they  are  productive  of 
other  sins,  and  may  I'c  considered  as 
growing  near  to  the  root  of  moral  evil : 
but,  unless  a  thing  can  be  the  cause  of  it- 
self, they  are  not  the  cause  of  all  evil. 


Before  we  ascribe  spiritual  death  to  ig- 
norance, it  is  necessary  to  inquire  wheth- 
er this  ignorance  be  voluntary  or  involun- 
tary 1  If  involuntary,  it  is  in  itself  sin- 
less ;  and  to  represent  this  as  tlie  cause 
of  depravity  is  to  join  with  Godwin  in 
explaining  away  all  innate  principles  of 
evil,  and  indeed  all  moral  evil  and  ac- 
countableness,  from  among  men.  livol- 
untary,  the  solution  does  not  reach  the 
bottom  of  the  subject;  for  the  question 
still  returns,  what  is  the  cause  of  the  vol- 
untariness of  ignorance,  or  of  the  sinner's 
loving  darkness  rather  than  light  1  Is  this 
also  to  be  ascribed  to  ignorance'?  If  so, 
the  same  consequence  follows  as  before, 
tliat  there  is  no  such  thing  as  moral  evil 
or  accountableness  among  men. 

Mr.  M'Lean  has  stated  this  subject 
much  clearer  than  Mr.  Ecking.  He  may 
elsewhere  have  written  in  a  different 
strain,  but,  in  the  last  edition  of  his  Disser- 
tation on  the  Influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
he  attributes  ignorance  and  unbelief  to 
hatred,  and  not  hatred  to  ignorance  and  un- 
belief. "Our  Lord,"  he  says,  "asks  the 
Jews,  Wliy  do  ye  not  understand  my 
speech?  And  gives  this  reason  for  it,  even 
because  ye  cannot  hear  my  word — that  is, 
cannot  endure  my  doctrine.  Their  love  of 
worldly  honor  and  the  applause  of  men  is 
given  as  a  reason  why  they  could  not  be- 
lieve in  him. — John  v.  44.  He  traces  their 
unbelief  into  their  hatred  both  of  him  and 
his  Father.— John  xv.  22,  24."  Works, 
Vol.  II.  p.  110. 

Nothing  is  more  evident  than  that  the 
cause  of  spiritual  blindness  is,  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, ascribed  to  disposition.  "  Light  is 
come  into  the  world  ;  but  men  love  dark- 
ness rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds 
are  evil." — "They  say  unto  God,  Depart 
from  us,  for  we  desire  not  the  knowieflge 
of  thy  ways." — "Being  alienated  from 
the  life  of  God  through  the  ignorance  that 
is  in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  {hiird- 
ness,  or  callousness)  of  their  heart." — 
"  Why  do  ye  not  understand  my  speech'? 
even  because  ye  cannot  hear  my  word." 
But  if,  as  the  Scriptures  teach,  the  cause 
of  both  ignorance  and  unbelief  is  to  be 
traced  to  hatred  (as  Mr.  M'Lean  acknow- 
ledges ;)  and  if,  as  Mr.  Ecking  says,  "  ef- 
fects are  removed  by  the  removal  of  the 
cause,"  I  scarcely  need  to  draw  the  con- 
sequence— that  though  in  a  general  sense 
it  be  true  that  we  are  regenerated  by  be- 
lieving the  gospel,  yet  in  a  more  partic- 
ular sense  it  is  equally  true  that  we  are 
regenerated  in  order  to  it. 

It  is  somewhat  extraordinary  that  Mr. 
M'Lean,  after  allowing  pride  and  aver- 
sion to  be  the  great  obstructions  to  faith, 
should  yet  deny  the  removal  of  them 
to    be   necessary    to  it.     He  will     allow 


ON    JUSTIFICATION. 


595 


some   sort    of    conviction    of    sin  to    he  that  Dr.  Gill  was  accused  of  sclf-right- 

necessary  to  l)elieving  in  Clirist  ;  but  notli-  cousness   by  Mr.  Sandenian,  on  the  ground 

ing  tliat   includes   the  removal  of  enmity  of  iiis  being  an  anti-|)^'dol)aptist  I 

or  pride,  for  this   were   equal   to   allowing  A  large  part  of  tiiat  wliich  Mr.  M'Lcan 

repentance   to   be  necessary    toil;  but,  if  has  written  on  this  suiiject  is  what  I  never 

ennuty    and   pride   lie   not  removed,  how  meant  to  oppose  ;  much  of  what  he  imputes 


can  tiic  sinner,  according  to  our  Lord's 
reasoning  in  Jolm  viii.  43,  v.  11,  under- 
stand or  l>elieve  the  gospel"?  If  there  lie 
any  meaning  in  words,   it  is   supposed  liy 


to  me  is  witiiout  loundation;  and  even 
where  my  sentiments  arc  introduced  they 
are  generally  in  caricature. 

I  have  no  doubt  ot  the  character  which 


LETTER  VIIL 


AN  INQUIRY  WHETHER  THE  PRINCIPLES 
HERE  DEFENDED  AFFECT  THE  DOC- 
TRINE OF  FREE  JUSTIFICATION  BY 
FAITH  IN  THE  RIGHTEOUSNESS  OF 
CHRIST. 


this  language  thai,  in  order  to  understand  a  sinner  sustains  antecedently  to  his  justi- 
and  iulieve  the  g()S|)el,it  is  necessary  to  fication,  lioth  in  the  account  of  the  Law- 
"  endures"  the  doctrine,  and  to  feel  a  giver  of  the  world  and  in  his  own  account, 
regard  to  "  the  honor  that  cometh  from  being  that  of  unv^odhj.  I  have  no  objec- 
God."  To  account  for  the  removal  of  tion  to  Mr.  M. 'sown  statement,  that  God 
jtride  and  enmity  as  bars  to  believing,  by  may  as  properly  lie  said  to  justify  the  un- 
mcnns  of  believing,  is,  I  say,  very  extraor-  godly  as  to  pardon  the  guilty.  If  the  sin- 
dinary,  and  as  consistent  with  Mr.  M.'s  ner  at  the  instant  of  justification  be  al- 
own  concessions  as  it  is  with  Scripture  lowed  not  to  be  at  enmihj  xriih  God,  that 
and  reason  ;  for,  wlien  writing  on  spirit-  is  all  I  contend  for,  and  that  is  in  effect 
ual  illumination,  he  allows  the  dark  and  allowed  l)y  Mr.  M.  -  He  acknowledges  that 
carnal  mind  to  be  thereby  rendered  spirit-  the  apostle  "docs  not  use  the  word  un- 
ual,  and  so  enabled  to  discern  and  believe  godly  to  describe  the  existing  character  of 
spiritual  things. — Reply,  p.  7.  an  actual   believer." — p.   123.     But  if  so, 

as  no  man  is  justified  till  he  is  an  actual 
believer,  no  man  is  justified  in  enmity  to 
God.  He  also  considers  faith,  justifica- 
tion, and  sanctification,  as  coeval,  and  al- 
lows that  no  lieliever  is  in  a  state  of  en- 
mity to  God. — p.  43.  It  follows  that,  as 
no  man  is  justified  till  he  believes  in  Je- 
sus, no  man  is  justified  till  he  ceases  to  be 
God's  enemy.  If  this  be  granted,  all  is 
granted  for  which  I  contend. 

If  there  fe  any  meaning  in  words,  Mr. 
Sandenian  considered  the  term  ungodly  as 
denoting  the  existing  state  of  the  mind  in  a 
You  are  aware  that  this  subject  has  believer  at  the  lime  of  his  justification  ; 
frequently  occurred  in  the  foregoing  let-  for  he  professes  to  have  been  at  enmity 
ters  ;  but,  being  of  the  first  importance,  with  God,  or,  which  is  the  same  tiling,  not 
I  wish  to  appropriate  one  letter  wholly  to  to  have  "  begun  to  love  him,"  till  he  was 
it.  If  any  thing  I  have  advanced  be  in-  justified,  and  even  perceived  that  he  was 
consistent  with  justification  by  faith  alone,  so.f  It  was  this  notion  that  I  wished  to  op- 
in  opposition  to  justification  by  the  works  pose,  and  not  any  thing  relative  to  the 
of  the  law,  I  am  not  aware  of  it;  and,  on  character  under  which  the  sinner  is  jus- 
conviction  that  it  is  so,  should  feel  it  my  tified.  Mr.  M.'s  third  question,  namely, 
duty  to  retract  it.  I  know  Mr.  M'Lean  "  whether  justifying  faith  respects  God  as 
has  labored  hard  to  substantiate  this  the  justifier  of  the  ungodly,"  was  never 
charge  against  me  ;  but  I  know  also  that  any  question  with  me.  Yet  he  will  have 
it  belongs  to  the  adherents  of  the  system  it  that  I  "  make  the  apostle  by  the  term 
to  claim  the  exclusive  possession  of  this  ungodly  to  mean  godly."  He  might  as 
doctrine,  and  to  charge  others  with  er-  well  say  that  when  1  allow  pardon  to  re- 
ror  concerning  it,  on  very  insufiicient  spcct  men  as  guilty,  and  yet  plead  for 
grounds. '^     You  may  remember,  perhaps,    repentance   as    necessary  to    it,  I    make 

repentance  and  luilt  to  be  the  same  thing. 
*  I  do  not  mean  to  suggest  that  Mr.  M'Lean's         I  am  not   aware  of  anv  difference   with 
»y«/6m  ,.   preciHly   that  of  Mr.   Saml.man.     The     Mr.    M.    as    to   what    coJistitutes   a   -odly 
former,  iii  his    1  nous  lit  s  on  the  Lalls  of  ifie  Gas-       .  .  rr^i  i     /■  -.i    •  ^       J 

pel,  has  ceriainly  depar.e.l  from  it  in  n.anv  things,  ihartider.  Though  faith  IS  necessary  to 
pariiciilarly  in  respect  of  tlie  sinner's  being"jiistiffed  justification,  and  therefore  in  the  order  of 
antecedenlJy  to  any  "  act,  exerci.«e  or  advance,"  ef  nature  previous  to  it,  yet  I  have  no  objec- 
iiis   mind   towards   Christ  ;   anil   on    uliich  account 

Mr.  S.  would  have  set  him  down  among  tlie  popu-  "f  '^b-.  S.  still  in  liis  mind  as  often  to  reason  upon 
lar  preactiers .*  But  he  has  so  much  of  the  system    '1'^  ground  of  it,  and  to  involve  liimself  in  numerous 

J,  ^      ,  _•,  I   .         •      ,r  I    TT  inconsistencies. 

4S1  '"noI^"^'''  ""  A.pasio,  Vol.  IL  p.  ^  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  12. 


596 


STRICTURES    ON     SANDEMANI ANISM. 


tion  to  what  he  says,  that  it  does  not  con- 
stitute a  godly  character,  or  state,  previ- 
ously tojustitication. — p.  145.  And  what- 
ever I  have  written  of  repentance  as  pre- 
ceding faith  in  Christ,  or  of  a  liolij  faith  as 
necessary  to  justification,  I  do  not  con- 
sider any  person  as  a  penitent  or  holy 
character  till  he  believes  in  Christ  and  is 
justified.  Tiie  holiness  for  which  I  plead 
antecedent  to  this  is  merely  incipient ;  the 
rising  beam  of  the  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit.  It  is  no  more  than  the  spirituality 
Avhich  Ml".  M.  considers  as  produced  by 
divine  illumination  previously  or  in  order 
to  believing  (p.  7  ;)  and  all  the  consequen- 
ces that  he  has  charged  on  the  one  might 
with  equal  justice  be  charged  on  the  other. 

Nor  am  I  aware  of  any  difference  in  our 
views  respecting  the  duties  of  unbelievers  ; 
if  there  be  any,  however,  it  is  not  on  the 
side  that  Mr.  M.  imagines,  but  the  con- 
trary. Having  described  the  awakened 
sinner  as  "convinced  of  guilt,  distressed 
in  his  mind  on  account  of  it,  really  con- 
cerned about  the  salvation  of  his  soul,  and 
not  only  earnestly  desiring  relief,  but  dil- 
igently laboring  to  obtain  it,  according 
to  the  directions  given  him  by  the  exercise 
of  holy  atfections  am:l  dispositions,"  he 
adds,  "  all  this  I  admit  may  be  previous  to 
faith  in  Christ  and  forgiveness  through  him. 
And  will  Mr.  Fuller  deny  this  is  the  re- 
pentance he  pleads  for  in  order  to  forgive- 
ness?'^ — p.  148.  Most  certanly  he 
WILL.  Had  this  been  what  he  plead- 
ed for,  he  had  been  justly  chargeable 
with  the  consequences  which  Mr.  M'Lean 
has  attempted  to  load  him  with.  But  it  is 
not.  I  cannot  but  consider  this  question 
as  a  proof  that  Mr.  M.  utterly  mistook  my 
sentiments  on  this  part  of  the  subject,  as 
much  as  I  did  his  in  another,  in  conse- 
quence of  having  considered  him  as  the 
authm*  of  a  piece  called  Simple  Truth.  1 
have  no  more  idea  of  there  being  any  holi- 
ness in  the  exercises  which  he  has  describ- 
ed than  he  himself  has.  I  might  add,  nor 
quite  so  much  ;  for,  notwithstanding  what 
he  has  here  advanced  in  his  Thoughts  on 
the  Calls  of  the  Gospel,  he  does  not  keep 
clear  of  unregenerate  works  being  somewhat 
good,  or  at  least  that  they  are  not  all  and 
altogether  sinful.*  If  this  be  compared 
Avith  what  I  have  written  on  total  deprav- 
ity in  my  Dialogues  and  Letters,  it  will  be 
seen  who  holds  and  who  holds  not  with  the 
holiness  of  the  doings  of  the  unregenerate. 

But,  whether  or  not  I  deny  this  to  be 
the  repentance  for  which  I  plead  as  ne- 
cessary to  lorgiveness,  Mr.  M.  plainly  in- 
timates that  it  is  all  the  repentance  lohich 
HE  allows  to  be  so.  In  all  that  he  has 
written  therefore,  acknowledging   repent- 

*  See  Vol.  II.  of  his  \vorks,pp.  63,  64. 


ance  to  be  necessary  to  forgiveness,  he 
only  means  to  allow  that  a  few  graceless 
convictions  are  so  ;  and,  in  contradiction 
to  the  whole  current  of  Scripture,  even  to 
those  scriptures  which  he  has  produced 
and  reasoned  from  in  his  Thoughts  on  the 
Calls  of  the  Gospel,  still  believes  that  sin- 
ners are  forgiven  prior  to  any  repentance 
but  that  which  needs  to  be  repented  of. 
— Reply,  pp.  36 — 42. 

The  difference  between  us,  as  to  the 
subject  of  this  letter,  seems  chietly  to  re- 
spect the  nature  of  faith,  whether  it  in- 
clude any  exercise  of  the  will;  and,  if  it 
do,  whether  it  affect  the  doctrine  of  free 
justification. 

Mr.  M.  acknowledges  faith,  as  a  princi- 
ple of  sanctification,  to  be  holy  :  it  is  only 
as  justifying  that  he  is  for  excluding  all 
holy  affection  from  it. — p.  97.  But,  if  it 
be  holy  in  relation  to  sanctification,  it 
must  be  holy  in  itself;  and  that  which  is 
holy  in  itself  must  be  so  in  every  relation 
which  it  sustains.  It  is  not  one  kind  of 
faith  that  sanctifies,  and  another  that  jus- 
tifies ;  but  the  same  thing  in  different  re- 
spects. To  represent  faith  sanctifying  as 
being  holy,  and  faith  justifying  as  having 
no  holiness  in  it,  is  not  viewing  the  same, 
but  a  different  thing  in   different  respects. 

For  a  specimen  of  Mr.  M.'s  manner  of 
writing  on  this  subject,  you  will  excuse 
my  copying  as  follows:  "An  awakened 
sinner  asks,  '  What  must  I  do  to  be  sav- 
ed"?' An  apostle  answers,  'Believe  ir» 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved.'  But  a  preacher  of  the  doctrine  I 
am  opposing  would  have  taught  him  an- 
other lesson.  He  might,  indeed,  in  com- 
pliance with  Scripture  language,  use  the 
word  believe  ;  but  he  would  tell  him  that, 
in  this  case,  it  did  not  bear  its  usual  sense, 
that  it  was  not  the  assent  of  his  imderstand- 
ing,  i  n  giving  credit  to  the  testimony  of 
the  gospel,  but  a  grace  arising  from  a 
previous  spiritual  principle,  and  including 
in  it  a  number  oi'  holy  affections  and  dis- 
positions of  heart,  all  which  he  must  ex- 
ercise and  set  a  working,  in  order  to  his 
being  justified  ;  and  many  directions  will 
lie  given  him  how  he  is  to  perform  this. 
But  this  is  to  destroy  the  freedom  of  the 
gospel,  and  to  make  the  hope  of  a  sinner 
turn  upon  his  finding  some  virtuous  exer- 
cises and  dispositions  in  his  own  heart, 
instead  of  placing  it  directly  in  the  work 
finished  by  ihe  Son  of  God  upon  the  cross. 
In  opposition  to  this,  I  maintain  that  what- 
ever virtue  or  holiness  may  be  supposed  in 
the  nature  of  faith  itself,  as  it  is  not  the 
ground  of  a  sinner's  justification  in  the 
sight  of  God,  so  neither  does  it  enter  into 
the  consideration  of  the  person  who  is  really 
believing  unto  righteousness.  He  views 
himself,  not  as  exercising  virtue,  but  only 


ON  JUSTIFICATION. 


697 


ns  a  incic  sinner,  wliile  he  lielievos  on 
liiin  lliat  juslifieth  tlie  ungodly,  through  the 
atonement. " — pp.  98,  99. 

Vou  will  not  expect  ine  to  answer  this. 
It  is  a  proof  how  far  a  writer  may  misun- 
derstand and  so  misrepresent  his  oppo- 
nent ;  and,  even  in  those  things  wherein 
he  understands  him,  describe  him  in  cari- 
cature. I  will  only  apply  a  few  of  the 
leading  trails  in  this  picture  to  Mr.  M.'s 
own  principles. — "  A  preacher  of  this  doc- 
trine, instead  of  directing  a  sinner  to  lie- 
lieve  in  Christ,  and  there  leaving  it,  would 
tell  him  that  iaith  was  an  assent  of  his 
tinderslanding,  a  grace  arising  from  a 
previous  divine  illumintition,  hy  which  he 
liecomes  spiritual,  and  which  he  must 
tlierefore  first  he  possessed  of,  and  tlius  set 
him  a  working  in  order  to  get  it,  that  he 
may  he  justified.  But  this  is  to  deny  the 
treeness  of  the  gospel,  and  to  make  the 
liope  of  a  sinner  turn  upon  his  finding 
some  light  within  him,  instead  of  placing 
it  upon  the  finished  work  of  the  Son  of 
God  upon  the  cross.  In  opposition  to 
this,  I  maintain  that  whatever  illumina- 
tion may  be  supposed  necessary  to  believ- 
ing, and  whatever  spiritual  perception  is 
contained  in  the  nature  of  it,  as  it  is 
not  the  ground  of  a  sinner's  justification  in 
the  sight  of  God,  so  neither  does  it  enter 
into  the  consideration  of  the  person  who 
is  really  believing  unto  righteousness.  He 
views  himself  not  as  divinely  illumi- 
nated, but  merely  as  a  sinner,  believing  in 
liim  who  justitieth  the  ungodly  through 
the  righteousness  of  his  Son." 

Mr.  M.,  when  writing  in  this  strain, 
knew  that  I  had  said  nearly  the  same 
things  ;  and  therefore  that,  if  he  were  op- 
posing me,  I  had  first  opposed  myself. 
He  even  quotes  almost  a  page  of  my  ac- 
knowledgments  on  the  subject. — p.  100. 
But  these  are  things,  it  seems,  which  I 
only  "  sometimes  seem  to  hold."  Well, 
if  Mr.  M.  can  prove  that  I  have  anywhere, 
either  in  the  piece  he  was  aivswering,  or  in 
any  other,  directed  the  sinner's  attention 
to  the  workings  of  his  own  mind,  instead 
of  Christ,  or  have  set  him  a  working  (un- 
less he  please  to  give  that  name  to  an  ex- 
hcrlation  to  forsake  his  way,  and  return  to 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,)  or  have  given 
him  any  directions  liow  to  work  himself 
into  a  believing  frame  ;  then  let  all  that 
he  has  said  stand  against  me.  But,  if  not, 
let  me  be  believed  when  I  declare  my  utter 
disapprobation  of  every  thing  of  the  kind- 

But  Mr.  M.  has  another  charge,  or 
rather  suspicion,  against  me.  "  Mr.  Ful- 
ler admits,"  he  says,  "  liiat  faith  does  not 
justify,  either  as  an  internal  or  external 
work,  or  holy  exercise,  or  as  being  any 
part  of  that  which  is  imputed  unto  us  for 
righteousness  ;  and,  did  not  other  parts  of 


his  writings  appear  to  clash  with  this,  I 
should  rest  satisfied.  But  I  own  that  I 
am  not  without  a  suspicion  that  Mr.  F. 
here  only  means  that  faith  does  not  justify 
as  the  procuring  cause  or  meritorious 
ground  of  a  sinner's  justification;  and 
that,  while  we  hold  tliis  point,  we  may 
include  as  much  virtue  and  holy  exercise 
of  the  w  ill  and  afVeclions  as  we  please, 
without  aflVcting  the  point  of  justifica- 
tion, as  tiiat  stands  entirely  upon  another 
ground,  viz.  the  righteousness  of  Christ. — 
But  it  must  be  carefully  observed  that  the 
difFerence  l)etween  us  does  not  respect  the 
meritorious  procuring  cause  of  justifica- 
tion, but  the  way  in  which  we  receive  it." 
—p.  100. 

Be  it  according  to  tliis  statement  (and  I 
have  no  objection  to  say  that  such  is  the 
whole  of  my  meaning,)  yet  what  is  there 
in  this  that  clashes  with  the  above  ac- 
knowledgments, or  with  free  justfica- 
tionl  There  may  be  a  "  difference  be- 
tween us  "  which  yet  may  not  affect  this 
doctrine.     But  let  us  hear  him  through. 

"  The  Scriptures  abundantly  testify  that 
we  are  justified  by  faith,  which  shows  that 
faith  has  some  concern  in  this  matter." 
True.  "  And  Mr.  Fuller  admits  that  jus- 
tification is  ascribed  to  faith,  merely  as 
that  wliich  unites  to  Christ,  for  the  sake 
of  whose  righteousness  alone  we  are  ac- 
cepted." Very  good.  "  Therefore,  the 
only  question  between  us  is  this  :  Does 
faith  unite  us  to  Christ,  and  so  receive 
justification  through  his  righteousness, 
merely  in  crediting  the  divine  testimony 
respecting  the  sufficiency  of  that  right- 
eousness alone  to  justify  us  ;  or  does  it 
unite  us  to  Christ,  and  ol)tain  justification 
through  his  righteousness,  by  virtue  of 
its  being  a  moral  excellency,  and  as  in- 
cluding the  holy  exercises  of  the  will  and 
affections  ]  The  former  is  my  view  of 
this  matter  :  the  latter,  if  I  am  not  great- 
ly mistaken,  is  Mr.  Fuller's." — j).  101. 
It  is  some  satisfaction  to  find  our  differ- 
ences on  the  important  doctrine  of  justi- 
fication reduced  to  a  single  point.  Al- 
lowing my  sentiments  to  be  fairly  stated 
(and,  though  I  should  not  express  them 
just  in  these  words,  yet  I  certainly  do  con- 
sider a  holy  faith  as  necessary  to  unite  us 
to  a  holy  Saviour,)  the  question  is,  whether 
this  sentiment  clashes  with  the  forgeoing 
acknowledgments,  or  with  the  doctrine  of 
freejustificationl  It  lies  on  Mr.  M.  toprove 
that  it  does  so.  Let  us  hear  him.  "  I  hold 
that  sinners  are  justified  through  Christ's 
righteousness,  by  faith  alone,  or  purely  in 
believing  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
which  he  finished  on  the  cross,  and  which 
was  declared  to  l)e  accepted  l)y  his  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  is  alone  sufficient 
for  their  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God, 


598 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDE3IAN1ANISM. 


however  guilty  and  unworthy  they  are. 
But,  in  opposition  to  this,  the  whole  strain 
of  Mr.  Fuller's  reasoning  tends  to  show 
that  sinners  are  not  justified  by  faith  alone, 
but  by  faith  working  by  love,  or  including 
in  it  the  holy  exercise  of  the  will  and 
affections  ;  and  this  addition  to  faith  he 
makes  to  be  that  qualification  in  it  on 
which  the  iitness  or  congruity  of  an  inter- 
est in  Christ's  righteousness  depends. — 
A])p.  pp.  105,  106.  Without  this  addition 
he  considers  faith  itself,  whatever  be  its 
grounds  or  objects,  to  be  an  empt)',  un- 
holy speculation,  which  requires  no  influ- 
ence of  the  Spirit  to  produce  it. — p.  1'28. 
So  that,  if  what  is  properly  termed  faith 
has  in  his  opinion  any  place  at  all  in  jus- 
tification, it  must  be  merely  on  account 
of  the  holy  exercises  and  affections  which 
attend  it."— pp.  101,  102. 

Such  is  Mr.  M.'s  proofof  my  inconsis- 
tency with  my  own  acknowledgments, 
and  with  the  freeness  of  justification. 

Let  it  be  remembered,  in  the  first  place, 
that  the  ditTerence  between  us,  by  Mr. 
M.'s  own  acknowledgment,  does  not 
i-espect  the  meritorious  or  procuring  cause 
of  justification.  All  he  says,  therefore,  of 
"  tlie  righteousness  of  Christ  as  finished, 
and  declared  to  be  accepted  by  his  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  being  alone  suffi- 
cient for  our  pardon  and  acceptance  with 
God,  however  guilty  and  unworthy  we 
are,"  belongs  equally  to  my  views  as  to 
his  own  :  yet,  immediately  after  these 
words,  he  says,  "  but  in  oppositioJito  this 
Mr.  F,"  &c.,  as  if  these  sentiments  were 
exclusively  his  own.  The  difference  be- 
tween us  belongs  to  the  nature  of  justify- 
ing faith.  He  considers  the  sinner  as 
united  to  Christ,  and  so  as  justified,  by 
the  mere  assent  of  his  understanding  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  exclusive  of  all 
approbation  of  it :  whereas  I  consider 
every  thing  pertaining  to  the  understand- 
ing, when  the  term  is  used  exclusive  of 
approbation,  to  be  either  merely  natural, 
or  a  "  seeing  and  hating  of  Christ  and  the 
Father."  Nor  is  approbation  a  mere  ef- 
fect of  faith,  but  enters  into  its  essence. 
It  is  believing,  but  it  is  believing  unth  the 
heart;  which  all  the  labors  of  Mr.  San- 
deman  and  his  disciples  have  not  been  able 
to  prove  means  only  the  understanding. 
We  may  believe  many  things  without  ap- 
proving them  :  but  the  nature  of  the  ob- 
jects believed  in  this  case  renders  cordi- 
ality essential  to  it.  It  is  impossible,  in 
the  nature  of  things,  to  believe  the  gospel 
without  a  sense  of  the  exceeding  sinful- 
ness of  sin,  and  of  the  suitableness  and 
glory  of  the  Saviour,  which  does  not  mere- 
ly produce,  but  includes  approbation  of 
him.  To  "see  no  form  nor  comeliness 
in  him"  is  the    same  thing    as  to  be  an 


unleliever ;  and    the  contrary   is  to  be  a 
believer. 

But  I  shall  notice  these  remarks  of  Mr. 
M.,  a  little  more  particularly. 

First :  by  the  manner  in  which  he  has 
introduced  them,  it  must  appear  to  the 
reader  that  I  had  not  fully  declared  my 
mind  on  this  subject,  and  that  Mr.  M.,  in 
detecting  my  errors,  was  obliged  to  pro- 
ceed on  the  uncertain  ground  of  "  suspic- 
ion :"  yet  he  could  not  have  read  the  very 
pages  on  which  he  was  animadverting, 
without  having  repeatedly  met  with  the 
most  express  avowals  of  the  sentiment, 
such  as  the  following  : — "  Whatever  is 
pleaded  in  behalf  of  the  holy  nature  of 
faith,  it  is  not  supposed  to  justify  us  as  a 
work,  or  holy  exercise,  or  as  being  any 
part  of  thattohich  is  accounted  unto  us  for 
righteousness  ;  but  merely  as  that  which 
UNITES  TO  CHRIST,  for  the  sake  of  whose 
righteousness  alone  we  are  accepted  :" — 
Again  :  "  Living  faith,  or  faith  that  work- 
eth  by  love,  is  necessary  to  justification, 
not  as  being  the  ground  of  our  acceptance 
with  God,  not  as  a  virtue  of  which  justi- 
fication is  the  reward,  but  as  that  without 
which  loe  could  not  be  united  to  a  liv- 
ing REDEEMER."  Yet,  with  thcse  pas- 
sages before  his  eyes,  Mr.  M.  affects  to 
be  at  a  loss  to  know  my  sentiments  ;  he 
"  suspects  "  I  maintain  holy  affection  in 
faith  as  necessary  to  union  with  Christ! 

Secondly  :  If  the  difference  between  us 
has  no  respect  to  the  meritorious  or  pro- 
curing cause  of  justification,  as  Mr.  M. 
allows  it  has  not,  then  why  does  he  else- 
where tell  his  reader  that  "he  thinks  Mr. 
F.  means  to  plead  for  such  a  moral  fitiiess 
for  justification  as  that  wherein  the  virtue 
of  the  party  commends  him  to  it;  or  in 
which  he  is  put  into  a  good  state  as  a  fit 
or  suitable  testimony  of  regard  to  the 
moral  excellency  of  his  qualifications  or 
acts."— p.  104.  I  know  not  what  Mr.  M. 
may  think,  but  I  should  consider  this  as 
making  faith  the  procuring  cause,  or  mer- 
itorious ground,  of  justification  :  for  what 
is  the  meritorious  ground  of  a  blessing 
but  that  in  consideration  of  which  it  is  be- 
stowed 1 

Thirdiv  :  If  it  is  not  sufficient  that  we 
ascribe  the  meritorious  or  procuring  cause 
of  justification  to  the  work  of  Christ,  un- 
less we  also  exclude  all  holy  affection 
from  the  nature  of  faith  as  uniting  us  to 
him,  how  is  it  that  Mr.  M.  has  written  as 
he  has  on  the  Calls  of  the  Gospel?  He 
seems  to  have  thought  it  quite  enough  for 
him  to  disavow  repentance  or  faith  as 
making  any  part  of  our  justifying  righte- 
ousness, though  the  same  disavowal  on 
my  part  gives  him  no  satisfaction.  "  Did 
Peter,  "  he  asks,  "  overturn  the  doctrine 
of  free  justification   by  faith  when  he  ex- 


ON   JUSTIFICATION. 


599 


hortcd  tlie  unbclieving;Jcws  to  roprnt  and 
be  toiiverteil  tlmt  llicir  sins  mi;j;l>l  l)e  l)l()t- 
ted  out  ?  Does  lie  llicrc  direct  them  to  any 
})art  of  that  work  tvliirk  Christ  hadjinished 
for  the  justijicdlion  of  the  ungodly,  or  lead 
tleni  to  think  that  their  laith,  repentance, 
and  conversion,  were  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  their  sins?  "  Again  :  "  Cannot 
the  wicked  lie  exhorted  to  believe,  repent, 
and  seek  the  Lord,  and  l>e  encourajred  to 
this  by  a  j)roniisc  ol  success,  without 
makinu;  the  success  to  depend  on  human 
merit  !  Are  such  exhortations  and  i)roni- 
ises  always  to  he  suspected  of  having  a 
dangerous  and  self-righteous  tendency  1 
Instead  of  taking  them  in  their  plain  and 
simple  sense,  must  our  main  care  always 
be  to  guard  against  some  supposed  self- 
righteous  use  of  them,  till  we  have  ex- 
plained away  their  whole  force  and  spirit, 
and  so  distinguished  and  refined  upon 
them  as  to  make  men  more  afraid  to  com- 
ply with  than  to  reject  them,  lest  they 
should  lie  guilty  of  some  exertion  of  mind 
or  body,  some  good  disposition  or  motion 
totvard  Christ,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the 
highest  icickrdness,  and  a  despising  of  the 
work  of  Christ?"* 

If  there  be  any  meaning  in  words,  Mr. 
M.  here  most  decidedly  contends  for  re- 
pentance, faith,  and  conversion  (which 
must  be  allowed  to  include  holy  affection,) 
being  necessary,  in  the  established  order 
of  things,  to  mercy,  pardon,  &,c.,  which 
must  also  be  allowed  to  include  justifica- 
tion. 

Fourthly  :  With  respect  to  fitness,  I 
think,  with  Mr.  M.,  that  there  is  a  "pe- 
culiar suitableness  in  faith  to  receive  jus- 
tification, and  every  other  spiritual  bless- 
ing, purely  of  grace." — p.  106.  It  is  "  of 
faith  that  it  might  be  of  grace."  And 
this  peculiar  suitableness  consists  in  its 
being  of  the  nature  of  faith  to  receive  the 
blessings  of  grace  as  God's  free  gifts 
through  the  atonement,  instead  of  perform- 
ing any  thing  in  the  way  of  being  rewarded 
for  it.  Thus  it  is  properly  opposed  to  the 
works  of  the  law.  But  it  docs  not  follow 
that  in  order  to  this  there  must  be  no 
"  good  disposition  or  motion  toward 
Christ"  in  our  believing  in  him.  On  the 
contrary,  if  faith  were  mere  knowledge, 
exclusive  of  approiiation,  it  would  not  be 
adapted  to  receive  the  doctrine  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  it  would  be  either  unholy,  or  at  best 
merely  natural.  If  the  former,  instead  of 
receiving,  it  would  be  certain  to  reject  the 
heavenly  doctrine;  and,  if  the  latter, 
there  would  be  no  more  suitableness  to  re- 
ceive it  than  there  is  in  the  wisdom  of  this 
world  to  receive  the  true  knowledge  of 
God.     A  holy  faith  is  uecessary  to  receive 

*  See  Works,  Vol.  U.,  pp.  38,  55,  56. 


a  holy  doctrine,  and  so  to  unite  us  to  a 
holy  Saviour. 

The  fitness  for  which  I  plead,  in  God's 
justilying  those  who  cordially  acijuiescc  in 
the  gospel-way  of  salvation,  ralhor  than 
others,  and  which  Mr.  M.  considers  as  in- 
consistent with  free  justification  (Reply, 
p.  103,)  is  no  other  than  that  fitness  of 
wisdom,  which,  while  it  preserves  ihe 
honors  of  grace,  is  not  inattentive  to  those 
of  righteousness.  Had  it  been  said.  Though 
the  wicked  vlbrsake  «(>/  his  way,  nor  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thoughts,  and  though 
he  return  7iot  to  the  Lord,  yet  will  he 
have  mercy  upon  him,  nor  to  our  God,  yet 
will  he  abundantly  pardon,  we  should  feel 
a  want  of  fitness,  and  instantly  perceive 
that  grace  was  here  exalted  at  the  ex- 
pense of  righteousness.  He  that  can  dis- 
cern no  fitness  in  such  connections  but 
that  of  works  and  rewards  must  have  yet 
to  learn  some  of  the  first  principles  of  the 
oracles  of  God. 

Fifthly  :  With  respect  to  justification 
by  faith  alone,  Mr.  M.  appears  to  have  af- 
fixed a  new  sense  to  the  phrase.  I  have 
always  understood  it  to  mean  justification 
by  a  righteousness  received,  in  opposition 
lo  justification  by  a  righteousness  per- 
formed, according  to  Gal.  iii.  11,  12, — 
"  That  no  man  is  justified  by  the  law  in 
the  sight  of  God  is  evident  :  for  the  just 
shall  live  by  faith.  And  the  law  is  not  of 
faith  :  but  the  man  that  doeth  them  shall 
live  in  them."  In  this  sense,  justification 
hy  faith  alone  applies  to  my  views  of  the 
subject  as  well  as  to  his  :  but  the  sense  in 
which  he  uses  the  phrase  is  very  nearly 
akin  to  that  in  which  James  uses  it  when 
speaking  of  faith  as  dead,  being  alone. 
We  are,  indeed,  justified  hy  Jaith  alone  ; 
but  not  by  a  faith  which  is  alone. 

Mr.  M.  is  in  the  habit  of  speaking  of 
that  holiness  whicli  I  conceive  essential  to 
the  nature  of  faith  as  something  "  added" 
to  it,  or  as  being  something  "  more  "  than 
faith  :  but  he  might  as  well  say  that  a  cor- 
dial rejection  of  the  gospel  is  something 
"  more  "  than  unbelief.  In  like  manner 
he  seems  to  consider  the  phrase,  "  (aith 
which  worketh  by  love"  as  expressive  of 
what  faith  produces  posterior  to  its  uniting 
us  to  Christ :  whereas  it  is  of  the  nature 
of  faith  in  its  very  first  existence  in  the 
mind  to  work,  and  that  in  a  way  of  love 
to  the  object.  It  is  also  remarkable  that 
Paul  speaks  of  faith  which  "  worketh  by 
love  "  as  availing  to  justification  ;  while 
circumcision  or  uncircumcision  availcth 
nothing. — Galatians  v.  6.  Faith,  hope, 
and  charily,  have,  no  doubt,  their  dis- 
tinctive cliaracters  ;  but  not  one  of  them, 
nor  any  other  grace,  consists  in  its  being 
devoid  of  holy  afTection.  This  is  a  com- 
mon property  belonging  to  all  the  graces. 


600 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANI SM. 


is  coeval  with  them,  and  essential  to  them. 
Whatever  we  may  possess,  call  it  know- 
ledge, or  faith,  or  what  we  may,  if  it  be 
devoid  of  this,  it  is  not  the  effect  of  spe- 
cial divine  influence,  and  therefore  not  a 
fruit  of  the  Spirit.  "  That  which  is  born 
of  the  Spirit  is  spirit." 

Lastly  :  If  union  with  Christ  were  an- 
tecedent to  all  holy  affection,  it  would  not 
be  what  the  Scriptures  represent  it;  viz. 
a  union  of  spirit  :  "  He  that  is  joined  to 
the  Lord  is  one  spirit.'"  Union  of  spirit 
must  include  congeniality  of  disposition. 
Our  heart  must  be  as  Christ's  heart,  or 
we  are  not  one  with  him.  Believing  in 
him  with  all  the  heart,  we  hence,  accord- 
ing to  the  wise  and  gracious  constitution 
of  the  gospel,  and  not  in  reward  of  any 
holiness  in  us,  possess  a  revealed  interest 
in  him,  and  in  all  the  benefits  arising  from 
his  obedience  unto  death.  "He  that  hath 
the  Son  hath  life."  Such  appears  to  be 
the  order  of  things  as  taught  us  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  such  the  connection  be- 
tween faith  and  justification.  If  union 
with  Christ  were  acquired  by  faith,  and 
an  interest  in  him  were  bestowed  in  re- 
ward of  it,  it  would  indeed  be  inconsistent 
with  free  justification  ;  but  if  the  necessi- 
ty of  a  holy  faith  arise  merely  from  the 
nature  of  things,  that  is,  its  fitness  to 
unite  us  to  a  holy  Saviour,  and  if  faith  it- 
self be  the  gift  of  God,  no  such  conse- 
quence follows  :  for  the  union,  though  we 
be  active  in  it,  is  in  reality  formed  by  him 
who  actuates  us,  and  to  him  belongs  the 
praise.  "  Of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and 
righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  re- 
demption :  that,  according  as  it  is  written, 
He  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory  in  the 
Lord." 

Mr.  M.  has  written  much  about  God's 
justifying  the  ungodly;  but  while  he  allows 
that  the  term  is  not  descriptive  of  the  ex- 
isting character  of  a  believer,  I  have  no 
dispute  with  him.  He  admits  that,  when 
Christ  is  said  to  die  for  the  ungodly,  the 
term  includes  many  who  at  the  time  were 
saints,  only  he  died  not  for  them  as  saints 
(p.  115;)  and  this  I  readily  allow.  The 
examples  of  Abraham  and  David  were 
not  introduced  by  me  to  prove  them  to 
have  been  godly  characters  for  many 
years  prior  to  their  justification  ;  but  to 
show,  from  the  examples  of  their  faith 
not  being  taken  from  their  first  believing 
while  yet  it  respected  God  as  the  justifier 
of  the  ungodly,  that  the  doctrine  of  free 
justification  could  not  require  that  the 
party  should  at  the  time  be  at  enmity 
with  God.* 

*  On  this  subject  I  beg  leave  to  refer  to  Discourse 
XXII.  of  my  work  on  Genesis. 


Mr.  M.  has  also  written  much  alx)ut 
the  state  of  an  awakened  sinner.  As  he 
had  disowned  his  being  the  subject  of  any 
holy  affection,  I  concluded  he  must  be 
"a  hard-hearted  enemy  of  God."  This 
was  stated,  not  from  a  want  of  feeling 
toward  any  poor  sinner,  but  to  show 
whither  the  principle  led.  Mr.  M.  an- 
swers— "I  have  not  the  least  idea  that  a 
hard-hearted  enemy  of  God,  while  such, 
can  either  receive  or  enjoy  forgiveness  ; 
but  I  distinguish  between  such  a  state  of 
mind  and  that  of  an  awakened  self-con- 
demned sinner,  and  also  between  the  lat- 
ter and  a  real  convert,  who  believes  the 
gospel,  has  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gra- 
cious, and  is  possessed  of  holy  affections." 
— p.  151.  Is  there  a  medium,  then,  be- 
tween holy  affection  and  hard-hearted  en- 
mity"? If  so,  it  must  be  something  like 
neutrality.  But  Christ  has  left  no  room 
for  this,  having  declared,  "  He  that  is  not 
with  me  is  against  me."  Let  a  sinner  be 
alarmed  as  much  as  he  may,  if  he  have  no 
holy  affection  toward  God,  he  must  be  a 
hard-hearted  enemy  to  him.  Such  I  be- 
lieve are  many  awakened  sinners  notwith- 
standing all  their  terrors,  and  such  they 
will  view  themselves  to  have  been,  if  ever 
they  come  to  see  things  as  they  are. 
Tiiere  are  others,  however,  who  are  not 
so,  but  whose  convictions  are  spiritual, 
like  those  of  Paul,  who  saw  sin,  "through 
the  commandment,  to  be  exceeding  sin- 
ful," and  who  "through  the  law  became 
dead  to  the  law,  that  he  might  live  unto 
God."  Convictions  of  this  kind  lead  the 
sinner  to  Christ.  They  may  not  be  dis- 
tinguishable at  the  time,  either  by  himself 
or  others,  and  nothing  but  the  effects  may 
prove  the  difference  ;  yet  an  essential  dif- 
ference there  is. 

Mr.  M.  refers  to  the  case  of  the  jailor. 
I  know  not  what  was  his  conviction  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  nor  when  he  became  the 
subject  of  holy  affection.  But,  be  it 
when  it  might,  he  was  till  then  a  hard- 
hearted enemy  of  God.  The  case  to 
which  writers  on  Mr.  M.'s  side  the  ques- 
tion more  frequently  refer  is  that  of  the 
self-condemned  publican  ;  but,  antecedent- 
ly to  his  going  down  to  his  house  justified, 
he  "humbled  himself,"  and  that  in  a 
way  oC  holy  though  not  of  joyful  affection. 

According  to  Mr.  M.  there  is  a  state  of 
mind  which  is  not  the  effect  of  renewing 
grace,  and  therefore  contains  nothing  truly 
good,  but  which  is,  nevertheless,  necessary 
and  sufficient  to  prepare  the  sinner  for  re- 
ceiving the  forgiveness  of  his  sin.  "A  hard- 
hearted enemy  of  God  cannot  receive  or 
enjoy  gospel  forgiveness  ;  but  a  sinner  un- 
der terrors  of  conscience,  though  equally 
destitute  of  all  regard  for  God  as  the  oth- 
er, can." 


ON   JUSTIFICATION. 


601 


Far  I'c  it  from  mc  to  impeach  Mr.  I\I.'s    llie  parly  to  a  good,  or,/i's  liiin  lo  enjoy  it. 
inloijrity.     I  (loul)l  not  but  lie  lliiiiks  tlmt  in    Willi  respect   to   entitling    us,  I  suppose, 
writiiii!:  his  Reply  he  was  engajjecl  in  rofu-    there  is  no  dispute.     The  gospel  and  its 
ting  error.     Yet,  il   his  own  words  are  to     invitations  are  our  title  to  come  to  Christ 
lie  helieved,  he  docs    not  know   alter  all     Jbr  salvation.     And,  with  respect  to  fitting 
lull  that   he  has  been   opposing  the  truth,     us,  there  is  nothing  ol    this  kind  thai  is 
In  paj.e  151  he  says,  "  Whether  such  con-    pleadable,  or  which  furnishes  any  ground 
victions  as  issue  in   conversion  diller   in    of  encouragement  to  the    sinner    that   he 
kind  from  others  I  will  not  t.\ke  upon     shall  be    accepted.     It   is    not   any    thing 
ME   TO   DKTEKMiNE."     That  is,  hc  docs     prior  to  coming  to  Christ,  but  coming  it- 
not  know  but  that  it  may  be  so,  and  that     self,  that  lias  tlie  promise  of  acce|)tancc. 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  spiritual  convic-    All  that  is  pleaded  for  is  the  necessity  of 
lion,  a  conviction  of  the  evil  of  sin,  ante-    a  state  ol"  mind   suited  in  the  nature    of 
cedenlly  to   believing  in  the  Saviour  and    things  to  believing,  and  without  which  no 
subservient  to  it.     But  this  is  the  same,     sinner  ever  did  or  can  believe,  and  which 
in   effect,    as    saying   hc    does    not   know    state  of  mind  is  not  self-wrought,  but  the 
whether  that  which  hc  has  been  opposing     effect  of  regenerating  grace, 
throughout  his  [lerformancc  may  not,  after         Mr.    Sandcman   represents  sinners     as 
all,  be  true  !     "  But  I  am  certain  of  this,"     saying  to  ])reachers,  "  If  you  would  preach 
he  adds,  "that  it  would  be  very  unsafe  to    the  gospel  to  us,  you  must  tell  us  some- 
build   up  any  in  an  opinion  of  their  pos-     thing  fit   to   give  us  joy  as    we    presently 
sessing  holiness  merely  upon  the  ground     stand,  unconscious   of  any   distinguishing 
of  their  convictions,  while  they  come  short    rjualijicafion."     That    the    mind,    at    the 
of  a  real  change  and  do  not  believe  in  the     lime  when  it  first  receives  gospel  comfort, 
Lord   Jesus    Christ.     That  conviction  of    may  be  W7iconsc(ot/.5,  not  only  of  every  dis- 
sin  and  its  desert  which  is  subservient  to    tinguiseing  qualification  but  of  being  the 
faith  in  Christ  will  never  lead  a  person  to    subject  of  any  thing  truly  good,  I  allow;  for 
think  that  it  is  any  part  of  his  holiness;     I  believe  that  is  the  first  true  comfort  wliich 
for  such  a  thought  would  be  as  opposite  to    arises    from     the    consideration    of    ichat 
the  nature  of  his  conviction  as  his  feeling     Christ  is  rather  than   of  what  tre  are  to- 
a  disease  would  lie  to  his  thinking  himself    loard  him.     But  to  be  "  unconscious  "  of 
■whole."     Very  good  :  but  against  what  is    any  thing  truly  good  and  actually  destitute 
it  directed]    not  any   thing   advanced   by    of  it  are  two  things  :  and  so  are  its  being 
his  opponent.     It  is,   however,  manifestly    necessary  in  the  nature  of  things  to  our 
against  the  scope  of  his  own  performance,    enjoying  the  consolations   of  the   gospel. 
The  tendency,  though  not  the  design,  of    and  its  being  so  as  a  7ua/iyirrt//on  entitling, 
these  remarks  is   to  show  that  there  is  a     or  in  some  way  recommending,  us   to  the 
"  difference  in  kind  "  between  some  con-    divine  favor.      To    conceive  of  a  sinner 
victions  and  others,  and  a  marked  one  too.     Avho    is    actually   hardened    in    his    sins, 
"That  conviction  of  sin   and   its    desert    bloated  with  self-righteous  pride,  and  full 
which  is  subservient  to  faith  in  Christ  will     of  opposition  to  the    gospel,   receiving  joy 
never  lead  a  person  to  think  that  it  is  any     "  presently  as  he  stands,"  is  not  only  con- 
part  of  his  holiness  ;  "  but  (he  might  liave    ceiving  of  rest  for  the   soul   without  com- 
added)  </ia<  conviction  of  sin  which  is  not    ing  to  the  Saviour  for  it,   Imt  is   in  itself  a 
subservient  to  faith  in  Christ  will.     Grace-    contradiction.      Mr.    M'Lean     acknowl- 
less  convictions  generally,  if  not  always,    edges  as  much  as  this.     "I  have  not  the 
become  objects  of  self-admiration.     Here,    least  idea,"  he  says,  "  that  a  hard-hearted 
then,  Mr.    M.   not  only  determines   that    enemy  of  God,  while  such,  can  either  re- 
therc  is  a  difference  between  some  convic-    ceive  or   enjoy    forgiveness."     Conviction 
tions  and  others,  but  specifies  wherein  that    of  sin  then,  whether  it  have  any  thins  liolv 
difference    consists.      It    never  occurred    in  it  or  not,  is  neccsi:ary,  not,   I  jtresume, 
to  the  self-condemned  publican  that  there    as  a  qualification  recommending  the  sin- 
was  any  thing  good  or  holy  in  his  "hum-    ner  to  the  divine  favor,  but  as  that   wilh- 


bling   himself"  before  God.     Our  Lord, 
however,  held  it  up  as  being  so,  and  re- 
commended it  as  an  examjile  to  others. 
I  shall  conclude  this  letter  with    a  few 


out  which  believing  in  Jesus  were  in  its 
own  nature  impossible.  Such  are  my 
views  as  to  the  necessity  of  a  new  heart 
ere   the  sinner  can    come    Christ.       The 


remarks  on  7uaZ?7!ra/(oris.     This  is  a  term  joy  that   an   unregenerate  sinner  can  re- 

on  which  Mr.  Sanderaan  and  his  followers  ceive  "  presently  as  he  stands"  is  any  thing 

have  plentifully  declaimed.     It  conveys  to  but  that   which  is    afforded    by    the    good 

me  the  idea  of  something  which    cntilles  news  of  salvation  to  the  chief  of  sinners. 


VOL.    I. 


76 


602 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


LETTER  IX. 

ON      CERTAIN     KEW      TESTAMENT     PRAC- 
TICES. 

That  there  are  serious  Christians  who 
have  leaned  to  the  Sandemanian  system  I 
have  no  doubt,  and  in  people  of  this  de- 
scription I  have  seen  things  worthy  of  im- 
itation. It  has  appeared  tome  that  there 
is  a  greater  diligence  in  endeavoring  to 
understand  the  Scriptures,  and  a  stricter 
regard  to  what  they  are  supposed  to  con- 
tain, than  among  many  other  professors 
of  Christianity.  They  do  not  seem  to  tri- 
fle with  either  principle  or  practice  in  the 
manner  that  many  do.  Even  in  those 
things  wherein  they  appear  to  me  to  mis- 
understand the  Scriptures,  there  is  a  re- 
gard toward  them  which  is  woi'thy  of  imi- 
tation. There  is  something,  even  in  their 
rigidness,  which  I  prefer  before  tliat  tri- 
fling with  truth  which,  among  other  pro- 
fessing Christians,  often  passes  under  the 
name  of  liberality. 

These  concessions,  however,  do  not  re- 
spect those  who  have  gone  entirely  into 
the  system,  so  as  to  have  thoroughly  im- 
bibed its  spirit,  but  persons  who  have  man- 
ifested a  considerable  partiality  in  favor 
of  the  doctrine.  Take  the  denomination 
as  a  whole,  and  it  is  not  among  them  you 
can  expect  to  see  the  Christian  practice 
of  the  New  Testament  exemplified.  You 
will  find  them  very  punctilious  in  some 
things,  but  very  defective  in  others.  Re- 
ligion, as  exhibited  by  them,  resembles  a 
rickety  child,  whose  growth  is  confined 
to  certain  parts  :  it  wants  that  lovely  uni- 
formity or  proportion  which  constitutes 
the  beauty  of  holiness. 

Some  of  the  followers  of  Mr.  Sandeman, 
who  in  his  life-time  formed  a  society  in 
St.  Martin's-le-grand,  London,  and  pub- 
lished an  account  of  what  they  call  their 
Christian  practices,  acknowledge  that  the 
command  of  washing  one  another's  feet  is 
binding  "only  when  it  can  be  an  act  of 
kindness  to  do  so,"  and  that  though  there 
be  neither  precept  nor  precedent  i'or  fam- 
ily-prayer, yet  "  it  seems  necessary  for 
maintaining  the  fear  of  God  in  a  family." 
They  proceed,  however,  to  judge  those 
who  insist  on  family-prayer  and  the  first- 
day  Sabbath,  ivhile  they  disregard  the  feasts 
of  charity,  the  holy  kiss,  &c.,  as  persons 
"  influenced  to  their  religious  practices, 
not  by  the  fear  of  God,  the  authority  of 
Christ,  or  the  spirit  of  truth."  It  is  easy 
to  see  hence  what  kind  of  Christian  prac- 


tice that  is  by  which  these  people  are  dis- 
tinguished.* 

A  punctilious  adherence  to  the  letter  of 
Scripture  is  in  some  cases  commendable, 
even  though  it  may  extend  to  the  tithing 
of  mint  and  cummin  ;  but  in  others  it  would 
lead  you  aside  from  the  miiul  of  Christ; 
and  to  pursue  any  thing  to  the  neglect  of 
judgment,  mercy,  and  the  love  of  God,  is 
dangerous  in  the  extreme. 

It  has  long  appeared  to  me  that  a  great 
many  errors  have  arisen  from  applying  to 
moral  obligations  the  principle  which  is 
proper  in  obedience  to  positive  institutions. 
By  confounding  these,  and  giving  to  both 
the  name  of  ordinances,  the  New  Testa- 
ment becomes  little  more  than  ritual,  and 
religion  is  nearly  reduced  to  a  round  of 
mechanical  performances. 

The  distinction  of  obedience  into  moral 
and  positive  has  been  made  by  the  ablest 
writers  of  almost  every  denomination,  and 
must  be  made  if  we  would  understand  the 
Scriptures.  Without  it  we  should  con- 
found the  eternal  standard  of  right  and 
wrong  given  to  Israel  at  Sinai  (the  sum  of 
whicli  is  the  love  of  God  and  our  neigh- 
bor) with  the  body  of"  carnal  ordinances 
imposed  on  them  until  the  time  of  refor- 
mation." We  should  also  confound  those 
precepts  of  the  New  Testament  which 
arise  from  the  relations  we  sustain  to  God 
and  one  another  Avith  those  that  arise 
merely  from  the  sovereign  ivill  of  the  legis- 
lator, and  could  never  have  been  known 
but  for  his  having  expressly  enjoined  them. 
Concerning  the  former,  an  inspired  writer 
does  not  scruple  to  refer  the  primitive 
Christians  to  that  sense  of  right  and  wrong 
which  is  implanted  in  the  minds  of  men  in 
general  ;  saying,  "  Whatsoever  things  are 
true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest,  what- 
soever things  are  just,  whatsoever  things 
are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
whatsoever  things  are  o{ good  report;  if 
there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any 
praise,  think  on  these  things."  But,  con- 
cerning the  latter,  he  directs  their  whole 
attention  to  the  revealed  will  of  Christ. 
"  Now  I  praise  you  brethren  that  you 
remember  me  in  all  things,  and  keep  the 
ordinances  as  I  delivered  them  unto  you." 
— "  I  received  of  the  Lord  that  which  also 
I  delivered  unto  you,"  &c.  The  one  is 
commanded  because  it  is  right ;  the  other 
is  right  because  it  is  commanded.  The 
great  principles  of  the  former  are  of  per- 
petual obligation,  and  know  no  other 
change  than  that  which  arises  from  the 
varying  of  relations   and  conditions ;  but 

*  I  have  not  seen  this  pamphlet,  but  have  taken 
a  iew  quotations  from  it,  contained  in  Backus's  Dis- 
course on  Faith  and  its  Influence. 


ON    CHRISTIAN    PRACTICES. 


003 


those  of  the  latter  may  be  bindinu;  at  one 
period  of  lime,  and  utterly  abolislicd  at 
another. 

\Vc  can  clearly  perceive  that  it  were  in- 
consistent with  the  perfections  of  God  not 
to  have  required  us  to  love  him  and  one 
another,  or  to  have  allowed  of  tlie  contra- 
ry. Children  also  must  needs  be  required 
to  obey  their  parents  ;  for  this  is  Hiam. 
But  it  is  not  thus  in  positive  institu- 
tions. Whatever  wisdom  there  may  be 
in  them,  and  whatever  discernment  in  us, 
we  could  not  have  known  them  had  they 
not  been  expressly  revealed  ;  nor  are  they 
ever  enforced  as  being  in  themselves  rig/ii, 
but  merely  from  the  authority  of  the  law- 
giver. Of  tiiem  we  may  say.  Had  it 
pleased  God,  he  might  in  various  in- 
stances liave  enjoined  the  opposites.  But 
of  the  other  we  arc  not  allowed  to  sup- 
pose it  possible,  or  consistent  witii  right- 
eousness, for  God  to  have  required  any 
thing  difiFerent  from  that  whicli  he  has  re- 
quired. The  obligation  of  man  to  love 
and  obey  hia  Creator  must  have  been  co- 
eval with  his  existence  ;  but  it  was  not 
till  he  liad  planted  a  garden  in  Eden,  and 
there  put  the  man  whom  he  had  formed, 
and  expressly  prohibited  the  fruit  of  one 
of  the  trees  on  pain  of  death,  that  he 
came  under  a  positive  law. 

The  use  to  be  made  of  this  distinction, 
in  the  present  controversy,  is  to  judge  in 
what  cases  ive  are  to  look  for  express  pre- 
cept or  example,  and  in  tvhai  cases  tee  are 
not  to  look  for  them.  Mr.  Braidwood 
very  properly  observes,  "  That  which  is 
morally  good  in  its  own  nature  is  a 
bounden  duly,  although  it  should  not  be 
particularly  commanded  nor  exemplified 
in  all  the  word  of  God." — Letters,  &c.  p. 
42.  In  obedience  of  this  description  there 
is  not  that  need  of  minute  rules  and  ex- 
amples as  in  the  other ;  but  merely  of 
general  principles  which  naturally  lead  to 
all  the  particulars  comprehended  under 
them. 

To  require  express  precept  or  exam- 
ple, or  to  adhere  in  all  cases  to  the  literal 
sense  of  those  precepts  which  are  given 
us,  in  things  of  a  moral  nature,  would 
greatly  mislead  us.  We  may,  by  a  disre- 
gard of  that  for  ivhich  there  is  no  express 
precept  or  precedent,  omit  what  is  mani- 
festly right,  and  by  an  adherence  to  the 
letter  of  scriptural  precepts  overlook  the 
spirit  of  them,  and  do  that  which  is  mani- 
festly wrong. 

If  we  will  do  nothing  without  express 
precept  or  precedent,  we  must  build  no 
places  for  Christian  worship,  form  no  so- 
cieties for  visiting  and  relieving  the  afflict- 
ed poor,  establish  no  schools,  endow  no 
hospitals,   nor   contribute   any   thing  to- 


ward tliem,  nor  any  thing  toward  printing 
or  circulating  the  Holy  Scriptures. — 
Whether  any  person  who  (ears  God 
would  on  (his  ground  consider  himself 
excused  from  these  duties,  I  cannot  tell  : 
it  is  on  no  belter  ground,  however,  that 
duties  of  equal  importance  have  been  dis- 
regarded ;  es|)ecially  those  oi family-pray- 
er and  the  sanctijication  of  the  Lord's 
day. 

In  Mr.  Santleman's  time  it  was  allow- 
ed that  "  though  there  was  neither  pre- 
cept nor  precedent  for  family-prayer,  yet 
it  seemed  necessary  for  maintaining  the 
fear  of  God  in  a  family."  But  this  con- 
cession, being  at  variance  with  more  fa- 
vorite principles,  seems  to  have  meant 
nothing.  It  is  said  that  family-prayer 
has  long  been  disregarded  by  many  who 
drink  the  deepest  into  the  doctrine.  With 
them,  therefore,  the  maintaining  of  "the 
fear  of  God  in  a  family  "  seems  to  be  giv- 
en up.  The  fact  has  operated  much 
against  the  denomination  in  the  esteem  of 
serious  Christians,  by  whom  they  are  con- 
sidered as  little  other  than  a  body  of 
worldly  men.  Of  late,  the  system  has 
been  improved.  Instead  of  owning,  as 
formerly,  that  "  the  fear  of  God  seemed 
to  require  this  duty,"  it  is  now  held  to  be 
unlawful,  provided  any  part  of  the  family 
be  unbelievers,  seeing  it  is  holding  com- 
munion with  them.  On  the  same  princi- 
ple, unbelievers,  it  is  said,  are  not  allow- 
ed to  join  in  public  prayer  and  praise,  un- 
less it  be  in  an  adjoining  room,  or  with 
some  kind  of  partition  between  them  and 
the  V)elievers.  In  short,  it  is  maintained 
by  Mr.  Braidwood  that  "we  ought  only 
to  join  in  j)rayer  and  praise  with  those 
w  ith  whom  we  partake  of  the  Lord's  sup- 
per."— Letters,  pp.  31 — 46.  Such  are 
the  consequences  of  confounding  things 
moral  with  things  positive  or  ceremonial. 

We  have  no  account  of  any  particular 
injunctions  given  to  Abraham  respecting 
the  ordering  of  his  family.  God  had  said 
to  him  in  general,  "  Walk  before  me,  and 
be  tliou  perfect ;  "  and  which,  as  lo  things 
of  this  nature,  was  sufficient.  "  I  know 
Abraham,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  that  he 
wiLi>  command  his  children,  and  his 
household  after  him,  that  they  shall  keep 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  and  do  justice  and 
judgment."  Can  a  child  be  brought  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord 
when  it  never  hears  its  parents  pray  for 
it  1  Paul  would  not  have  eaten  the  Lord's 
supper  with  the  ship's  company ;  but  he 
made  no  scruple  of  "  giving  thanks  to  God 
in  presence  of  them  all"  at  a  common 
meal ;  and  this,  I  presume,  without  any 
partition  between  his  company  and  theirs, 
or  so  much  as  a  mental  reservation  in  re- 


604 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


spect  of  the  latter.  Tojoin  with  unbeliev- 
ers in  what  is  not  their  duty  is  to  become 
partakers  of  other  men's  sins  :  but  to 
allow  them  to  join  with  us  in  what  is  their 
duty  is  not  so.  TIic  believer  is  not  at 
liberty  to  join  in  the  prayer  of  unlielief : 
but  the  unbeliever  is  at  liberty,  if  he  can, 
to  join  in  the  prayer  of  faith.  To  deny 
him  this  were  to  deny  him  the  right  of 
becoming  a  believer,  and  of  doing  what 
every  one  ought  to  do.  We  ought  to  pray 
for  such  things  as  both  believers  and  unbe- 
lievers stand  in  need  of:  if  the  latter  unite 
with  us  in  desire,  it  is  well  for  them  ; 
if  not,  the  guilt  remains  with  themselves, 
and  not  with  us. 

The  sanctification  of  the  Lord's-day 
is  said  to  be  very  generally  disregarded 
among  the  admirers  of  this  system.  Hav- 
ing met  and  kept  the  ordinances,  they 
seem  to  have  done  with  religion  for  that 
day,  and  feel  at  liberty  to  follow  any 
amusement  or  worldly  occupation  during 
the  remainder  of  it.  This  is  Christian  lib- 
erty ;  and  the  opposite  is  pharisaism ! 

So  far  as  relates  to  its  being  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  Christian  worship,  rather  than 
the  seventh  ;  that  is  to  say,  so  far  as  it  is 
positive,  the  keeping  of  it  is  amply  sup- 
ported by  Scripture  precedent :  but  as  to 
keeping  the  day  holy  to  the  Lord,  this, 
being  moral,  is  left  to  be  inferred  from 
general  principles.  This  is  the  case  as  to 
the  manner  of  attending  to  all  positive  in- 
stitutions. No  injunctions  were  laid  on 
the  churches  with  respect  to  their  keeping 
the  Lord's  supper  in  a  holy  manner  ;  yet 
in  the  neglect  of  this  lay  the  sin  of  the 
church  at  Corinth.  And  the  reasoning 
which  the  apostle  used  to  convince  them 
of  their  sin  applies  to  the  case  in  hand. 
He  argues  from  the  ordinance  of  breaking 
bread  being  the  lord's  supper  that  turn- 
ing it  into  their  own  supper  was  render- 
ing'it  null  and  void  :  *  and  by  parity  of  rea- 
soning it  follows,  from  the  tirst  day  of  the 
week  being  the  lord's-day,  that  to  do 
OUR  OWN  work,  find  our  own  pleasure, 
or  speak  our  own  words  on  that  day,  is 
to  make  it  void.  Of  the  former  he  declar- 
ed, "  This  is  not  to  eat  the  Lord's  sup- 
per; "  and  of  the  latter  he  would,  on  the 
same  principle,  have  declared.  This  is  not 
to  keep  the  Lord's-day. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  do  every  thing 
that  is  commanded  in  the  New  Testament, 
according  to  the  letter  of  the  precept,  we 
shall  in  many  cases  overlook  the  true  in- 

^lam  aware  that  their  own  supper  lias 
l^een  understood  as  referring  to  the  love  feasts  ; 
but  the  reason iug  of  tlie  apostle  seems  to  me  to  ad- 
mit of  no  such  meaning.  How  could  he  accuse  them 
of  making  void  the  Lord's  suppei',  if  it  was  not  the 
Lord's  supper  they  were  eating  1 


tent  of  it,  and  do  that  which  is  manifestly 
wrong. 

The  design  of  our  Lord's  precepts  on 
prayer  and  alms-giving,  in  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  is  to  censure  a  spirit  of  osten- 
tation in  these  duties  ;  but  a  strict  confor- 
mity to  the  letter  of  them  would  excuse 
us  from  all  social  prayer  and  public  con- 
tributions. 

The  design  of  the  precept,  "  Resist  not 
evil,"  but  "  if  a  man  smite  thee  on  the  one 
cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other  also,"  is  to 
prohibit  all  private  or  selfish  resentment, 
and  to  teach  us  that  we  ought  rather  to 
suffer  wrong  than  go  about  to  revenge  an 
injury.  Who  does  not  admire  the  con- 
duct of  the  noble  Athenian  who,  in  a  coun- 
cil of  war  held  for  the  common  safety  of 
the  coiuitry,  when  the  Spartan  chief  men- 
aced him  with  his  cane,  cried,  "  Strike  ; 
BUT  hear  me  1  "  Such,  in  effect,  has 
been  the  language  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus 
in  all  ages  ;  and  such  is  the  spirit  of  the 
precept.  But  to  contend  for  a  literal 
compliance  with  it  were  to  reflect  on  the 
conduct  of  Christ  himself,  who,  when 
smitten  before  the  high  priest,  ditl  not  so 
exemplify  it,  but  remonstrated  against  the 
injury. 

If  the  design  of  our  Lord,  in  forbidding 
us  to  lay  up  treasures  on  earth,  were  abso- 
lutely and  in  all  cases  to  prohibit  the  in- 
crease of  property,  it  was  his  design  to 
overthrow  what  the  Scriptures  acknow- 
ledge as  a  dictate  of  nature,  namely,  the 
duty  of  parents  to  provide  for  their  chil- 
dren.— 2  Cor.  xii.  14.  True  it  is  that 
men  may  hoard  wealth  in  order  to  enrich 
and  aggrandize  their  families  to  the  neg- 
lect of  present  duty  toward  the  poor  and 
toward  the  cause  of  God  :  but  this  is  the 
abuse  of  the  principle,  and  ought  to  be  cor- 
rected, and  not  the  principle  itself  destroy- 
ed. Only  let  our  own  interest  and  that 
of  our  children,  be  pursued  in  subordina- 
tion to  God,  and  in  consistency  with  other 
duties,  and  all  will  be  right.  The  contra- 
ry practice  would  load  the  industrious 
poor,  and  prevent  their  ever  rising  above 
their  present  condition,  while  it  screened 
the  indolent  rich,  who  might  expend  the 
whole  of  their  income  in  self-gratification, 
provided  theyjdid  not  increase  their  capital. 

Nor  can  any  good  reason  be  given,  that 
I  know  of,  why  we  should  understand  this 
precept  as  prohibiting  in  all  cases  the  in- 
crease of  property,  any  more  than  that  of 
"selling  what  we  have,  and  giving  alms," 
as  absolutely  forbidding  us  to  retain  it.  To 
be  consistent,  the  advocates  of  this  inter- 
pretation should  dispose  of  all  tiieir  prop- 
erty and  distribute  it  among  the  poor.  In 
other  words,  they  should  abolish  all  dis- 
tinctions of  rich  and  poor  so  far  as  concern^. 


ON    CHRISTIAN    PRACTIIF.S. 


G05 


themselves  ;  not  only  the  very  ridi  and 
very  poor,  but  all  disliuction  wliatcver, 
and  bo  i)tMlVctly  on  an  equality.  When 
they  shall  do  this,  they  will  at  least  prove 
tiieniselves  to  l)e  sincere,  and  impart  a 
weight  to  their  censures  ai^ainsl  others 
wnicii  at  present  they  do  not  possess. 

It  was  not  our  Loril's  design  in  this  par- 
tial manner  to  lop  oil"  tiie  branches  ol  a 
worldly  spirit  ;  but  to  strike  at  the  root  of 
it.  To  lay  up  tnuisurcs  on  earth  denotes 
the  desire  of  amassing  wealth  that  we  may 
be  great,  and  shine,  or  in  some  way  con- 
sume it  upon  our  lusts  ;  and  herein  con- 
sists the  evil.  There  is  as  great  a  diller- 
ence  between  a  ciuiractcr  who  acts  on  tliis 
princi|)lc,  and  one  whom  God  prospers  in 
the  path  of  duty,  and  in  the  full  exercise  of 
l)enevolencc  toward  all  about  him,  as  be- 
tween one  who  engages  in  the  chacc  of 
worldly  applause,  and  another  who,  seek- 
ing tlie  good  of  those  around  him,  must 
needs  l)e  respected  and  loved. 

The  evil  which  arises  from  such  inter- 
pretations, whatever  may  be  their  tend- 
ency, does  not  consist  in  throwing  civil 
society  into  a  state  of  disorder;  for  though 
men  may  admit  them  in  theory,  yet  they 
will  contrive  some  method  of  practically 
evading  them,  and  reconcile  their  conscien- 
ces to  it.  The  mischief  lies  in  the  hypo- 
crisy, self-deception,  and  unchristian  cen- 
sures upon  others,  to  which  they  give 
occasion. 

Much  has  been  spoken  and  written  on 
"  observing  all  things  which  Christ  hath 
commanded  us,"  and  on  the  authority  of 
apostolic  example.  Both  are  literally  bind- 
ing on  Christiajis  in  matters  of  positive  in- 
stitution; and  in  things  moral  the  spirit  or 
design  of  them  is  indispensable  :  but  to 
enforce  a  literal  conformity  in  many  cases 
would  be  to  defeat  the  end,  and  reduce 
obedience  to  unmeaning  ceremony. 

In  eastern  countries  the  ivashing  of  the 
feet,  after  the  toils  of  a  journey,  was  a 
common  and  necessary  refreshment ;  and 
our  Lord,  to  teach  his  disciples  in  love  to 
serve  one  another,  took  upon  himself  the 
humble  office  of  a  servant,  and  washed 
their  leet ;  enjoining  upon  them  to  do  that 
to  one  another  whicii  he  had  done  to  them. 
But  to  conform  to  this  custont  where  it  is 
not  practised,  nor  considered  as  necessary 
to  be  done  by  any  one,  is  to  defeat  the  end 
of  the  precept  by  substituting  a  form  in 
the  place  of  a  huml)le  and  affectionate  ser- 
vice. We  may  wash  the  saints'  feet,  and 
neglect  to  dry  their  clothes,  or  to  adminis- 
ter necessary  comfort  to  them  when  cold 
and  weary.  If,  in  commands  of  this  na- 
ture, no  regard  is  to  be  had  to  times,  pla- 
ces, and  circumstances,    why  do    Sande- 


manians  allow  it  to  be  binding  "  only  when 
it  can  l»c  an  act  of  kindness  to  do  sol" 

It  was  customary  in  the  east,  and  is  still 
so  in  many  countries,  for  men  to  express 
affection  to  each  other  by  fl  kiss;  and 
tiie  apostles  directed  that  this  common 
mode  of  salutation  should  be  used  reli- 
giously. But  in  a  country  where  the 
practice  is  principally  confmed  to  the  ex- 
pression of  love  i)etween  the  sexes,  or  at 
most  among  relations,  it  is  much  more  lia- 
ble to  misconstruction  and  ai)use  ;  and, 
being  originally  a  human  custom,  where 
that  custom  ceases,  thoiigh  the  spirit  of 
tlie  precept  is  binding,  yet  tiic  form  of  it, 
I  conceive,  is  not  so. 

For  a  man  to  have  his  head  uncovered 
was  once  the  commonly  received  sign  of 
his  authority,  and  as  such  was  enjoined  : 
but  with  us  it  is  a  sign  of  subjection.  If, 
therefore,  we  are  oliliged  to  wear  any  sign 
of  the  one  or  of  the  other  in  our  religious 
assemblies,  it  requires  to  be  reversed. 

The  apostle  taught  that  it  was  a  shame 
for  a  man  to  wear  long  hair  like  a  wo- 
man ;  not  that  he  would  have  concerned 
himself  about  the  length  of  the  hair,  but, 
this  being  a  distinctive  mark  of  the  sexes, 
he  appealed  to  nature  itself  against  their 
being  confounded ;  that  is,  against  a 
mam's  appearing  in  the  gar!)  of  a  woman. 

In  the  primitive  times.  Christians  had 
their  love  feasts :  they  do  not  appear, 
however,  to  liave  been  a  divine  appoint- 
ment, but  the  mere  spontaneous  expres- 
sions of  mutual  affection ;  as  when 
"  breaking  bread  from  house  to  house 
they  did  eat  their  meat  with  gladness  and 
singleness  of  heart."  While  these  feasts 
Avere  conducted  with  proj)riety  all  was 
well;  but  in  time  they  were  abused,  and 
then  they  were  mentioned  in  language  not 
very  respectful,  "These  are  spots  in 
your  feasts  of  charity."  Had  they  been 
of  divine  institution,  it  was  not  their  be- 
ing abused  that  would  have  drawn  forth 
such  language.  The  Lord's  supper  was 
abused  as  well  as  they  ;  but  the  abuse  in 
that  case  was  corrected,  and  the  ordinance 
itself  re-inculcated. 

These  brief  remarks  are  intended  to 
prove  that,  in  the  above  particulars,  Mr. 
Sandeman  and  his  followers  have  mis- 
taken the  true  intent  of  Christ  and  his 
apostles.  But,  whetlier  it  be  so  or  not, 
the  proportion  of  zeal  which  is  expended 
upon  them  is  far  beyond  what  tiieir  im- 
portance requires.  If,'as  a  friend  to  be- 
lievers' baptism,  I  cherish  an  overweening 
conceit  of  myself,  and  of  my  denomina- 
tion, confining  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to 
it,  and  shutting  my  eyes  against  the  ex- 
cellences  of    otliers,    am   I    not   carnall 


COG 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


The  Jews,  in  the  time  of  Jeremiah, 
thought  themselves  very  secure  on  ac- 
count of  their  forms  and  privileges. — 
Pointing  to  the  sacred  edifice,  and  its  di- 
vinely instituted  worship,  they  exclaimed, 
"  The  temple  of  the  Lord,  the  temple  of 
the  Lord,  the  temple  of  the  Lord  are 
these:"  but  were  they  not  carnall  In 
how  many  ways,  alas,  are  poor  blind  mor- 
tals addicted  to  err  ! 

When  the  reflecting  Christian  consid- 
ers what  contentions  have  been  maintained 
about  things  of  this  nature,  what  divisions 
have  been  produced,  and  wliat  accusations 
have  been  preferred  against  those  who 
stand  aloof  from  such  strifes,  as  though 
they  did  not  so  much  as  profess  to  observe 
all  things  lohich  Christ  has  commanded, 
he  will  drop  a  tear  of  pity  over  human 
weakness.  But,  when  he  sees  men  so 
scrupulous  in  such  matters  that  they  can- 
not conscientiously  be  present  at  any  wor- 
ship but  their  own,  yet  making  no  scruple 
of  joining  in  theatrical  and  other  vain 
amusements,  he  will  be  shocked,  and  must 
needs  suspect  something  worse  than  weak- 
ness ;  something  whicli  strains  at  a  gnat, 
but  can  swallow  a  camel  ;  something,  in 
short,  which,  however  good  men  may  have 
been  carried  away  by  it,  can  hardly  be 
conceived  to  have  had  its  origin  in  a  good 
man's  mind. 


LETTER  X. 

AN  INQUIRY  INTO  THE  PRINCIPLES  ON 
WHICH  THE  APOSTLES  PROCEEDED  IN 
FORMING  AND  ORGANIZING  CHRISTIAN 
CHURCHES. 

You  need  not  be  told  of  the  fierce  dis- 
putes which  were  first  agitated  by  the 
leaders  of  this  denomination,  and  which 
have  since  extended  to  others  besides  those 
who  choose  to  be  called  after  their  names, 
concerning  the  order,  government,  and 
discipline  of  gospel  churches.  To  write 
upon  every  minute  practice  found  in  the 
New  Testament  would  be  to  bewilder 
ourselves  and  perplex  the  subject.  If  we 
can  ascertain  the  principles  on  which  the 
apostles  proceeded  in  all  they  did,  it  will 
answer  a  much  better  purpose. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  contend  for  an 
Erastian  latitude  in  matters  of  church 
government  and  discipline,  or  to  imagine 
that  no  divine  directions  are  left  us  on 
the  subject,  but  that  the  church  must 
be  modelled  and  governed  according  to 
circumstances.  This  were  to  open  a  door 
to  every  corruption  that  human  ingenuity 


and  depravity  might  devise.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  is  no  less  wide  of  the  truth 
to  consider  the  whole  which  is  left  us 
as  a  system  o{  ordiiiances,  or  positive  in- 
stitutions, requiring  in  all  cases  the  most 
literal  andp  unctilious  observance.  Such  a 
view  of  the  subject,  among  other  evil  con- 
sequences, must  introduce  perpetual  dis- 
cord ;  seeing  it  aims  to  establish  things 
from  the  New  Testament  which  are  not 
in  it. 

It  may  be  thought  that  in  reasoning  thus 
I  adopt  the  principles  of  the  Episcopa- 
lians against  the  Puritans,  who  denied  the 
necessity  of  express  precept  or  precedent 
from  the  Scriptures,  which  the  others 
pleaded  for.  Had  Episcopalians  only  de- 
nied this  in  respect  of  moral  duties,  I 
sliould  have  thought  them  in  the  right. 
It  certainly  is  not  necessary  that  we 
should  have  express  precept  or  precedent 
for  every  duty  we  owe  to  our  neighbors, 
but  merely  that  we  keep  within  the  gener- 
al principle  of  doing  unto  others  as  we 
would  that  they  should  do  unto  us.  And 
the  same  may  be  said  of  various  duties 
toward  God.  If  in  our  thouglits,  affec- 
tions, prayers,  or  praises,  we  be  influen- 
ced by  love  to  his  name,  though  his  pre- 
cepts will  be  our  guide  as  to  the  general 
modes  in  which  love  sliall  be  expressed, 
yet  we  shall  not  need  them  for  every  thing 
pertaining  to  particular  duties.  When  Jo- 
siah,  on  hearing  the  book  of  the  law  read  to 
him,  "rent  his  clothes  and  wept,"  it  was 
not  in  conformity  with  any  particular  pre- 
cept or  precedent,  but  the  spontaneous 
effusion  of  love.  The  question  between 
the  Episcopalians  and  the  Puritans  did 
not  relate  to  moral  obligations,  but  to 
"rites  and  ceremonies  "  in  divine  worship, 
wliich  the  church  claimed  a  "  power  to  de- 
cree." Hence  it  was  common  for  them 
to  urge  it  upon  the  Puritans,  that  if  their 
principles  were  fully  acted  upon  they 
must  become  Antipaedobaptists  ;  or,  as 
they  called  them.  Anabaptists:*  a  proof 
this,  not  only  that  in  their  judgment  there 
was  neither  precept  nor  precedent  in  Ihe 
Scriptures  in  favor  of  pasdobaptism,  but 
that  it  was  in  matters  of  positive  institu- 
tion that  they  claimed  to  act  without 
either. 

The  question  is,  On  what  principles  did 
the  apostles  pi'oceed  in  forming  and  organ- 
izing Christian  churches,  positive  or  mor- 
al ?  If  the  former,  they  must  have  been 
furnished  with  an  exact  model  or  pattern, 
like  that  which  was  given  to  Moses  in  the 
mount,  and  have  done  all  things  according 
to  it:  but,  if  the  latter,  they  would  only 

*  Preface    to     Bishop     Sanderson's  Sermons, 
Sect.  23. 


CHURCH    GOVERNMENT    AND    DISCIPLINE. 


G07 


he  furnished  wilh  general  principles,  com- 
prcliciidin.;,  but  not  specifying,  a  great 
variety  of  particulars. 

Tiuit  the  framing  of  the  tahernacle  was 
positive  tiiere  can  lie  no  doubt ;  and  that  a 
part  of  tlic  religion  of  the  New  Testament 
is  so  is  equally  evident.  Concerning  tliis 
the  injunctions  of  the  apostle  are  minute  and 
very  express.  "  Ee  ye  followers  (imita- 
tors) of  me  as  I  also  am  of  Christ." — "Now 
1  praise  you,  brethren,  that  ye  remember 
me  in  all  things,  and  kee])  the  ordinances 
as  I  delivered  them  to  you." — "For  I  have 
received  of  the  Lord  that  which  also  I  de- 
livered unto  you."  But  were  we  to  at- 
tempt to  draw  up  a  formula  of  church 
government,  worship,  and  dicipline,  which 
should  include  any  thing  more  than  gen- 
eral outlines,  and  to  establish  it  upon 
express  New-Testament  authorities,  we 
should  attempt  what  is  impracticable. 

Doubtless  the  apostles  acted  under  di- 
vine direction  :  but,  in  things  of  a  moral 
nature,  that  direction  consisted  not  in  pro- 
viding them  with  a  model  or  pattern,  in 
the  manner  of  that  given  to  Moses,  but  in 
furnishing  them  with  general  principles, 
and  enduing  them  with  holy  wisdom  to 
apply  them  as  occasions  required. 

VVe  learn,  from  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles, 
that  the  first  churches  were  congregations 
of  faithful  men,  voluntarily  uiyted  togeth- 
er for  the  stated  ministration  of  the  word, 
the  administration  of  Christian  ordinan- 
ces, and  the  mutually  assisting  of  each 
other  in  promoting  the  cause  of  Christ  ; 
that  they  were  governed  by  bishops  and 
deacons  of  their  own  choosing ;  that  a 
bishop  was  an  overseer,  not  of  other  min- 
isters, but  of  the  flock  of  God  ;  that  the 
government  and  discipline  of  each  church 
was  within  itself;  that  the  gifts  of  the 
different  members  were  so  employed  as 
to  conduce  to  the  welfare  of  the  body  ; 
and  that  in  cases  of  disorder,  every  proper 
means  was  used  to  vindicate  the  honor  of 
Christ  and  reclaim  the  party.  These,  and 
others  which  might  be  named,  are  what  I 
mean  by  general  principles.  They  are 
sometimes  illustrated  by  the  incidental 
occurrence  of  examples  (which  examples 
in  all  sitnilar  cases  are  binding  ;)  but  it  is 
not  always  so.  That  a  variety  of  cases 
occur  in  our  time  respecting  which  we 
have  nothing  more  than  general  principles 
to  direct  us,  is  manifest  to  every  person  of 
experience  and  reflection.  We  know  that 
churches  were  formed,  officers  chosen  and 
ordained,  and  prayer  and  praise  conduct- 
ed with  "  the  understanding,"  or  so  as  to 
be  understood  by  others  :  but  in  what  par- 
ticular manner  they  proceeded  in  ^;ach  we 
are  not  told.  We  have  no  account  of  the 
formation  of  a  single  church,  no  ordina- 
tion service,  nor  any  such  thing  as  a  for- 


mula of  worship.  We  are  taught  to  sing 
praises  to  God  in  psalms,  hymns,  and 
spiritual  songs,  but  have  no  inspired 
tunes.  We  have  accounts  of  the  election 
of  church-ofiicers  ;  but  no  mention  of  the 
mode  of  proceeding,  or  how  they  ascer- 
tained the  mind  of  the  church.  If  we  look 
for  express  precept  or  example  for  the  re- 
moval of  a  pastor  from  one  situation  to  an- 
other, we  sliall  find  none.  We  are  taught, 
however,  that  for  the  church  to  grow  unto 
an  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,  it  recjuires  to 
be  "  fitly  framed  together."  The  want 
ofjitness  in  a  connection,  therefore,  espe- 
cially if  it  impede  the  growth  of  the  spir- 
itual temple,  may  justily  a  removal.  Or, 
if  there  be  no  want  of  fitness,  yet,  if  the 
material  be  adapted  to  occupy  a  more  im- 
portant station,  a  removal  of  it  may  be 
very  proper.  Such  a  j)rinciple  may  be 
misapplied  to  ambitious  and  interested 
purposes  ;  but,  if  the  increase  of  the  tem- 
ple be  kept  in  view,  it  is  lawful,  and  in 
some  cases  attended  with  great  and  good 
eft"ects. 

This  instance  may  suffice  instead  of 
a  hundred,  and  serves  to  show  that  the 
forms  and  orders  of  the  New-Testament 
church,  much  more  than  those  of  the 
Old,  arc  founded  on  the  reason  of  things. 
They  appear  to  be  no  more  than  what 
men,  possessed  of  the  wisdom  from  above, 
would,  as  it  were  instinctively,  or  of  their 
own  accord,  fall  into,  even  though  no  spe- 
cific directions  should  be  given  them. 

That  such  were  the  principles  on  which 
the  apostles  proceeded  is  manifest  from 
their  own  professions,  or  from  the  gen- 
eral precepts  which  they  addressed  to  the 

churches.       These    were    as    follows  : 

"  Let  all  things  be  done  to  edifying." — 
"  Let  all  things  be  done  decently,  and  in 
order." — "  Follow  after  the  things  that 
make  for  peace,  and  things  wherewith  one 
may  edify  another."  Whatever  measures 
had  a  tendency  to  build  up  the  church  of 
God  and  individuals  in  their  most  holy 
faith,  these  they  pursued.  Whatever 
measures  approved  themselves  to  minds 
endued  with  holy  wisdom  as  fit  and  love- 
ly, and  as  tending,  like  good  discipline  in 
an  army,  to  the  enlargement  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  these  they  followed,  and  incul- 
cated on  the  churches.  And,  however 
worldly  minds  may  have  abused  the  prin- 
ciple, by  introducing  vain  customs  under 
the  pretence  of  decency,  it  is  that  which, 
understood  in  its  simple  and  original 
sense,  must  still  be  the  test  of  good  or- 
der and  Christian  discipline. 

The  discipline  of  the  primitive  churches 
occupies  no  prominent  place  in  their  char- 
acter. It  is  not  that  ostentatious  thing 
which,  under  the  name  of  an  "  ordinance," 
has  become  of  late  a  mere  bone  of  con- 


608 


STRICTURES    ON    SaNDEMANIANISM. 


tention.  It  was  simply  the  carrying  into 
effect  the  great  principle  of  brotherly  love, 
and  the  spirit  with  which  it  was  exercised 
was  that  of  long-suffering,  gentleness, 
goodness,  faithfulness,  and  meekness. 

The  way  in  whicli  the  apostles  actually 
proceeded,  in  the  forming  and  organizing 
of  churches,  corresponds  with  these  state- 
ments. When  a  number  of  Christians 
were  assembled  together  in  the  days  of 
Pentecost  they  were  the  first  Christian 
church.  But  at  first  they  had  no  deacons, 
*and  probably  no  pastors,  except  the  apos- 
tles :  and  if  the  reason  of  things  had  not 
required  it  they  might  have  continued  to 
have  none.  But  in  the  course  of  tilings 
new  service  rose  upon  their  hands,  there- 
fore they  must  have  new  servants  to  per- 
form it ;  *  for,  said  the  apostles,  "  It  is 
not  reason  that  we  should  leave  the  word 
of  God,  and  serve  tables  :  wherefore, 
brethren,  look  ye  out  among  you  seven 
men  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  of  wisdom,  whom  we  may  ap- 
point over  this  business."  In  this  pro- 
ceeding we  perceive  nothing  of  the  air  of 
a  ceremony,  nothing  like  that  of  a  punctil- 
ious attention  to  forms,  which  marks  obe- 
dience to  a  positive  institute  ;  but  merely 
the  conduct  of  men  endued  with  the  wis- 
dom from  above,  servants  appointed 
when  service  required  it,  and  the  numlier 
of  the  one  proportioned  to  the  quantity 
of  the  other.  All  things  are  done  "de- 
cently and  in  order;"  all  things  are  done 
"to  edifying." 

In  the  course  of  things,  the  apostles, 
who  had  supplied  the  place  of  bishops,  or 
pastors,  would  be  called  to  travel  into  oth- 
er parts  of  the  world,  and  then  it  is  likely 
the  church  at  Jerusalem  would  have  a 
bishop,  or  bishops  of  their  own.  As  the 
number  of  deacons  was  regulated  by  the 
work  to  be  done,  so  would  it  be  by  bishops, 
both  of  this  and  in  other  churches.  A  large 
church  where  much  service  was  to  be  done, 
required  seven  deacons  :  and  where  they 
abounded  in  numbers  and  spiritual  gifts, 
theie  might  be  a  plurality  of  pastors. 
With  respect  to  us,  where  the  reason  of 
the  thing  exists,  that  is,  where  there  are 
churches  whose  numbers  require  it,  and 
whose  abilit}'  admits  of  it,  it  is  still  pro- 
per :  t  but  for  a  small  church  lo  have  more 

*  A  deacon,  as  well  as  a  minister,  means  a  ser- 
vant. 

•j-  I  say  whose  ability  admits  of  it  ;  for  there  is 
equal  proof  from  the  New  Testament  that  they  who 
preach  the  gospel  should  live  of  the  gospel,  as  there 
is  of  a  plurality  of  elders.  But  the  zeal  for  the  lat- 
ter has  not  always  been  accompanied  by  a  zeal  for 
the  former.  If  the  term  elder  nuist  be  understood  to 
be  not  only  a  term  of  cilice,  but  of  the  pastoral 
office  exclusively,  and  a  plurality  of  them  be  re- 
quired,  why   is  not  a  plurality  of  them  supported? 


pastors  than  one,  is  as  unnecessary  as  to 
have  seven  deacons.  Such  a  rule  must 
favor  idleness,  and  confine  useful  ministers 
from  extending  their  labors.  To  place  two 
or  three  in  a  post  which  might  be  filled  by 
one,  must  leave  many  other  places  unoccu- 
pied. Such  a  system  is  more  adapted  for 
show  than  for  promoting  the  kingdom  of 
Christ. 

It  may  serve  to  illustrate  and  simplify 
the  subject,  if  we  compare  the  conduct  of 
the  apostles  with  that  of  a  company  of 
missionaries  in  our  own  times.  What,  in- 
deed, was  an  apostle  but  an  inspired  mis- 
sionary"? Allowing  only  for  ordinary 
Christian  missionaries  being  uninspired, 
we  shall  see  in  their  history  all  the  lead- 
ing characteristics  of  apostolic  practice. 

Conceive  of  a  church,  or  of  a  society  of 
Christians  out  of  a  number  of  churches, 
or  of  "  any  two  agreeing  together,"  as 
undertaking  a  mission  among  the  heathen. 
One  of  the  first  things  they  would  attend 
to  would  be  the  selection  of  suitable  mis- 
sionaries ;  next,  they  would  instruct  them 
in  the  things  necessary  to  their  undertak- 
ing ;  and  after  this  send  them  forth  to 
preach  the  gospel.  Such,  exactly,  was  the 
process  of  our  Lord  toward  his  apostles. 
He  first  selected  them ;  then,  during  his 
personal  ministry,  instructed  them;  and, 
after  his  resurrection,  gave  them  their 
commission,  with  a  rich  effusion  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  fit  them  for  their  under- 
taking. 

The  missionaries  on  arriving  at  the 
place  of  action  would  first  unite  in  social 
prayer  and  fellowship  ;  and  this  would  be 
the  first  Christian  church.  Thus  the 
apostles,  and  those  who  adhered  to  them, 
first  met  in  an  upper  room  for  prayer,  pre- 
paratory to  their  attack  on  the  kingdom  of 
Satan  ;  and  this  little  "  band  of  about  a 
hundred  and  ^^tvventy "  formed  the  first 
Christian  church  ;  and,  when  others  were 
converted  to  Christ  and  joined  them,  they 
are  said  to  be  "added  to  the  church." 

Again  :  the  first  missionaries  to  a  hea- 
then country  could  not  be  chosen  by  those 
to  whom  they  were  sent,  but  by  him  or 
them  who  sent  them ;  nor  would  their  in- 
fluence be  confined  to  a  single  congrega- 
tion, but,  by  a  kind  of  parental  authority, 
would  extend  to  all  the  societies  that 
might  be  raised  by  means  of  their  labors. 

The  office  of  elder  in  those  churches  which  are  par- 
tial to  this  system  is  little  more  than  nominal  ;  for, 
while  an  elder  is  employed  like  other  men  in  the  ne- 
cessary cares  of  life,  he  cannot  ordinarily  fulfil  (he 
duties  of  his  oftice.  JVo  man  that  wan^eth  in  this 
vmrfare  (unless  it  be  in  aid  of  a  poor  church)  ought 
to  entangle  himsclj  loUh  the  ajfairs  of  this  life  ; 
that  he  may  please  him  who  hath  chosen  him  to 
be  a  soldier. 


cnuaCH     G0\  UU^.MLiNT     AND    L»ISC1FL1>E. 


ton 


It  would  be  dilTerent  with  succceilintr  pas- 
tors wlio  luipjlit  lie  raiseii  up  from  anionsr 
the  coinerls  :  they  wouUl  of  course  1  e 
chosen  by  llioir  brethren,  nnd  tlieiraiitlior- 
jty  1)0  confined  to  tliose  wlio  elected  tliem. 
Thus  tlie  apostles  were  not  conslituied 
such  liy  the  churches,  but  received  their 
appoinlnient  iniinediatcly  Iroin  Christ  ; 
nor  was  their  autliority  limited  to  any  par- 
ticular church,  but  exiendcd  to  all.  In 
tins  they  stand  dislinLniishcd  from  ordi- 
nary pastors,  who  wore  elected  by  the 
churches,  and  w  hose  authority  is  confined 
lo  the  churches  that  elected  them. 

Airain  :  The  first  missionaries  to  a 
heathen  country  would  be  employed  in  the 
p/fl;i/i;)g- of  churches  wherever  proi;er  ma- 
terials were  found  lor  the  purpose  ;  and, 
if  the  work  so  increased  upon  their  hands 
as  to  be  too  much  for  tlicm,  they  would 
depute  others  whom  God  should  gift  and 
qualii'y,  Uke-raindcd  with  themselves,  to 
assist  tiiern  in  it.  Some  one  person  at 
least  of  this  description  would  be  present 
at  the  formation  and  oroanization  of  every 
church,  to  see  to  it  that  all  things  were 
done  "  decently  and  in  order."  And,  if 
there  were  any  other  ciiurches  in  the 
neighborhood,  their  elders  and  messengers 
would  doubtless  he  present,  and,  to  ex- 
press their  brotherly  concurrence,  would 
join  in  it.  Thus  the  apostles  planted 
churches  ;  and,  when  elders  were  ordain- 
ed, the  people  chose  them,  and  they,  by 
the  solemn  laying  on  of  hands,  invested 
them  with  the  office  (Acts  xiv.  23,)  and, 
when  the  work  increased  upon  their  hands, 
they  appointed  such  men  as  Timothy  and 
Titus  as  evangelists,  to  "set  things  in 
order"  in  their  stead. — 2  Tim.  ii.  2  ;  Tit.  1. 
5.  In  these  ordinations,  a  Paul  or  a  Titus 
would  preside;  l)ut  tiie  otlier  elders  who 
were  present  would  unite  in  lirotherly  con- 
currence, and  in  importuning  a  blessing  on 
the  parties  :  and  hence  there  w  ould  be  the 
"laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presVjy- 
tery,"  or  elders. 

I  may  add,  though  it  does  not  immedi- 
ately respect  any  question  here  at  issue, 
if  the  first  missionaries,  and  those  apj)oint- 
ed  by  them,  planted  churches,  set  them 
in  order,  and  ])resi(led  at  the  ordination  of 
elders,  it  tfas  not  becaitsK  the  same  th'nif^s 
would  not  have  been  v.^Lin  if  done  by  oth- 
eis,  but  because  they  would  not  have  been 
DOXK.  Let  but  churches  be  planted,  set 
in  order,  and  scripturally  organized,  and, 
whether  it  be  by  the  missionaries  or  suc- 
ceeding native  pastors,  all  is  good  and  ac- 
ceptable to  Christ.  And  such,  I  conceive, 
is  the  state  of  tilings  with  respect  to  the 
apostles  and  succeeding  ministers.  The 
.tame  things  wliich  were  done  by  the  apos- 
tles were  done  V)y  others  np])ointed  by 
VOL.    I.  77 


them;  and  had  Ihcy  been  done  l)y  elders 
whom  they  had  not  aj)pointed,  provided 
the  will  ol  Christ  had  l)een  jjroperly  re- 
garded, they  would  not  have  objected  to 
their  validilij.  This  is  certaiidy  true  in 
some  particulars,  and  I  see  not  why  it 
should  not  be  in  all.  Paul  left  Timothy  at 
EphesMS  flial  he  viight  charge  some  thai 
they  taught  no  other  doctrine  :  but,  if  the 
E|)hcsian  teachers  had  been  themselves 
attached  to  the  truth,  neither  Paul  nor 
Timothy  would  have  been  offended  with 
them  for  having  superseded  their  interfer- 
ence. He  also  left  Titus  in  Crete  to  set 
in  order  the  things  that  were  ivmiting,  and 
to  ordain  ciders  in  every  city  :  but,  if  Ihc 
Cretians  themselves  had  had  suiTicient 
wisdom  and  virtue  to  have  regulated  their 
own  affairs  by  the  word  of  God,  I  believe 
their  order  would  not  have  been  reckoned 
disorder.  Had  there  been  elders  already 
ordained  among  them  competent  to  assist 
in  the  ordination  of  others,  if  we  may 
judge  from  the  general  tenor  of  apostolic 
practice,  instead  of  oljecting  to  the  valid- 
ity of  their  proceedings,  both  Paul  and 
Titus  v.ould,  though  absent  in  the  flesh, 
have  been  with  them  in  the  spirit,  "joy- 
ing and  beholding  their  order,  and  the 
steadfastness  of  their  faith  in  Christ." 

The  sum  is,  that  church  government 
and  discipline  are  not  a  body  of  ceremo- 
nies, but  a  few  general  principles  and  ex- 
amples, sufncient  for  all  practical  purpos- 
es, but  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  those  who, 
in  New-testament  directions,  expect  to 
find  an  Old-testament  ritual.  It  is  not 
difficult  to  perceive  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
thus  varying  the  two  dispensations.  The 
Jewish  church  was  an  army  of  soldiers, 
who  had  to  go  through  a  variety  of  forms 
in  learning  their  discij)line  :  the  Christian 
church  is  an  army  going  forth  to  battle. 
The  members  of  the  former  were  taught 
punctilious  obedience,  f\nd  led  with  gi'eat 
formality  through  a  \ariety  of  religious 
evolutions  :  lait  those  of  the  latter  (though 
they  also  must  keep  their  ranks,  and  act 
in  obedience  to  command  whenever  it  is 
given)  are  required  to  attend,  not  so  much 
to  the  mechanical  as  to  the  mental,  not  so 
much  to  the  minute  observation  of  forms 
as  to  the  spirit  and  design  of  them.  The 
order  of  the  one  would  almost  seem  to  be 
appointed  for  order's  sake  :  but  in  that  of 
the  other  the  utility  of  every  thing  is  ap- 
parent. The  obedience  of  the  former  was 
that  of  children  ;  the  latter  of  sons  airived 
at  malurer  age. 

As  our  Saviour  abolished  the  Jewish 
law  of  divorce,  and  reduced  marriage  to  its 
original  simplicity  ;  so,  having  abolished 
the  form  and  order  of  the  church  as  ap- 
dointed  by  Moses,  he  reduced  it  to  what. 


610 


STRICTURES     ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


as  to  its  first  principles,  it  was  from  the- 
begin  ning,  and  to  what  must  have  corres- 
ponded with  the  desires  of  believers  in 
every  age.  It  was  natural  for  "  the  sons 
of  God,"  in  the  days  of  Seth,  to  assemble 
together,  and  "  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord;"  and  their  unnatural  fellowship 
with  unbelievers  liroiight  on  the  deluge. 
And,  even  under  the  Jewish  dispensation, 
wicked  men,  though  descended  from  Abra- 
ham, were  not  considered  as  Israelites  in- 
deed, or  true  citizens  of  Zion.  The 
friends  of  God  were  then  the  "compan- 
ions of  those  that  feared  him."  They 
"  spake  often  one  to  another,"  and  assem- 
bled for  mutual  edification.  What  then 
is  gospel  church-fellowship  but  godliness 
ramified,  or  the  principle  of  holy  love 
reduced  to  action  1  There  is  scarcely  a 
precept  on  the  subject  of  church  disci- 
pline but  what  may,  in  substance,  be  found 
in  the  proverbs  of  Solomon. 

It  does  not  follow  hence  that  all  forms 
of  worship  and  of  church  government  are 
indifferent,  and  left  to  be  accommodated 
to  times,  places,  and  circumstances.  The 
principles  or  general  outlines  of  things  are 
marked  out,  and  we  are  not  at  liberty  to 
deviate  from  them ;  nor  are  they  to  be 
filled  up  by  worldly  policy,  but  by  a  pure 
desire  of  carrying  them  into  etfect  accord- 
mg  to  their  true  intent :  to  which  may 
be  added,  that,  so  far  as  they  are  exempli- 
fied in  the  New  Testament,  it  is  our  duty 
in  similar  cases  to  follow  the  example. 

It  does  follow,  however,  that  Scripture 
precedent,  important  as  it  is,  is  not  bind- 
ing on  Christians  in  things  of  a  moral  na- 
ture, unless  the  reason  of  the  thing  be 
the  same  in  both  cases.  Of  this  proof  has 
been  offered  in  Letter  IX.,  relative  to  the 
washing  of  the  feet,  the  kiss  of  charity, 
&c.  It  also  follows  that,  in  attending  to 
positive  institutions,  neither  express  pre- 
cept nor  precedent  is  necessary  in  what 
respects  the  holy  manner  of  performing 
them,  nor  binding  in  i-egard  of  merely  ac- 
cidental circumstances,  which  do  not  prop- 
erly belong  to  them.  It  required  neither 
express  precept  nor  precedent  to  make  it 
the  duty  of  the  Corinthians,  when  meeting 
to  celebrate  the  Lord's  supper,  to  do  it 
soberly  and  in  the  fear  of  God,  nor  to  ren- 
der the  contrary  a  sin.  There  are  also 
circumstances  which  may,  on  some  occa- 
sions, accompany  a  positive  institution, 
and  not  on  others,  which  being,  therefore, 
no  part  of  it,  are  not  binding.  It  is  a  fact 
that  the  Lord's  supper  was  first  celebrated 
with  unleavened  bread;  for  no  leaven  was 
to  be  found  at  the  time  in  all  the  Jewish 
habitations  :  but  no  mention  being  made 
of  this,  either  in  the  institution  or  in  the 
repetition  of  it  by  the   apostle,   we   con- 


clude it  was  a  mere  accidental  circum- 
stance, no  more  belonging  to  the  ordinance 
than  its  having  been  in  "a  large  upper 
room."  It  is  a  fact,  too,  that  our  Lord 
and  his  disciples  sat  in  a  reclining  posture 
at  the  supper,  after  the  manner  of  sitting 
at  their  ordinary  meals  ;  yet  none  imagine 
this  to  Vie  binding  upon  us.  It  is  also  a 
fact,  with  regard  to  the  time,  that  our  Sa- 
viour first  sat  down  with  his  disciples  on 
the  evening  of  the  fifth  day  of  the  week, 
the  night  in  which  he  was  betrayed  ;  but 
though  that  was  a  memorable  night,  and  is 
mentioned  by  the  apostle  in  connection 
with  the  supper,  yet  no  one  supposes  it  to 
be  binding  upon  us ;  especially  as  we 
know  it  was  afterwards  celebrated  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week  by  the  church  at 
Troas. 

Much  has  been  advanced,  however,  in 
favor  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  exclu- 
sively the  time  for  the  celebration  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  and  of  its  being  still  bind- 
ing on  Christians.  A  weekly  communion 
might,  for  any  thing  we  know,  be  the  gene- 
ral practice  of  the  first  churches  ;  and  cer- 
tainly there  can  be  no  objection  to  the 
thing  itself;  but  to  render  it  a  term  of 
communion  is  laying  bonds  in  things  where- 
in Christ  has  laid  none.  That  the  supper 
was  celebrated  on  the  first  day  of  the  week 
by  the  church  at  Troas  is  certain  ;  that  it 
was  so  every  first  day  of  the  week  is  pos- 
sible, perhaps  probable;  but  the  passage 
does  not  prove  that  it  ivas  so  ;  and  still 
less,  as  Mr.  Braidwood  affirms,  that  "it 
can  only  be  dispensed  on  that  day." — Let- 
ters, p.  44.  The  words  of  the  institution 
are,  "As  often  as  ye  eat,"  &c.,  without  de- 
termining hoio  often.  Those  who  would 
make  these  terms  so  indeterminate  as  not 
to  denote  freqiiency ,  and  consequently  to 
be  no  rule  at  all  as  to  time,  do  not  suffi- 
ciently consider  their  force.  The  term 
"  often,"  we  all  know,  denotes  frequency  ; 
and  "as  often"  denotes  the  degree  of  that 
frequency ;  but  every  comparative  sup- 
poses the  positive.  There  can  be  no  degree 
of  frequency  where  frequency  itself  is  not. 
It  might  as  well  be  said  that  the  words. 
How  MUCH  she  hath  glorified  herself,  so 
MUCH  torment  give  her,  convey  no  idea  of 
Babylon  having  glorified  herself  more 
than  others,  but  merely  of  her  punish- 
ment being  proportioned  to  her  pride,  be 
it  much  or  little. 

The  truth  appears  to  be  that  the  Lord's 
supper  ought  to  be  frequently  celebrated ; 
but  the  exact  time  of  it  is  a  circumstance 
which  does  not  belong  to  the  ordinance  it- 
self. 

Similar  remarks  might  be  made  on  fe- 
male  communion,  a  subject  on  which  a 
great  deal  has  been  written  of  late  years 


CHURCH    GOVi:RNMt:.NT    AND    DISCI  PLINt. 


CU 


in  the  baptismal  controversy.  Whether 
there  be  express  precept  or  i)receclent  for 
it,  or  not,  is  of  no  consequence  ;  lor  the 
distinction  of  sex  is  a  mere  circunistance 
in  nowise  aflectini^  the  qualifications  re- 
quired, and  thererore  not  belonirinjr  to  the 
institution.  It  is  ol  just  as  much  account 
as  whether  a  believer  be  a  Jew  or  a  Greek, 
a  slave  or  a  free  man  :  that  is,  it  is  of  no 
account  at  all  ;  "  for  there  is  neither  Jew 
nor  Greek,  bond  nor  free,  male  nor  fe- 
male;  l)ut  all  are  one  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Express  precept  or  precedent  miirht  as 
well  be  den)anded  for  ti»e  parties  l)ein^^ 
tall  or  low,  lilack  or  white,  sickly  or  heal- 
thy, as  for  their  being  male  or  iemale. 
To  accommodate  the  spirit  of  New-testa- 
ment practice  to  the  fluctuatinc;  manners 
and  inclinations  of  men  is  certainly  what 
ought  not  to  l)e  :  but  neitiier  can  it  be  dc-. 
nied  that  many  of  the  apostolic  practices 
were  suited  to  tiie  state  of  tilings  at  the 
time,  and  would  not  have  iieen  what  tliey 
were  if  circumstances  had  been  dilFerent. 
To  instance  in  their  proceedings  on  the 
seventh  andjirst  days  of  the  week  : — It  is 
well  known  that,  in  preaching  to  tl  e  Jews, 
and  others  who  attended  with  lliem,  they 
generally  took  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week :  *  the  reason  of  which  doubtless 
was  its  being  the  day  in  whicii  they  were 
to  be  met  with  at  their  synagogues. 
Hence  it  is  that  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  so  little  is  said  of  their  preaching  to 
unbelievers,  and  so  much  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  Christian  ordinances,  which  is  rep- 
resented as  the  specific  object  of  their 
coming  together.!  But  the  same  motive 
that  induced  the  apostles  to  preach  to  un- 
believers chiefly  on  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week  would,  in  oxir  circumstances,  have 
induced  tliem  to  preach  to  them  on  the 
first,  that  being  now  the  day  on  which 
they  ordinarily  assemble  together.  In 
countries  where  Christianity  has  so  far 
obtained  as  for  the  legislature  to  respect 
the  first  day  of  the  week  as  a  day  of  rest, 
instead  of  having  now  and  then  an  indi- 
vidual come  into  our  assemblies,  as  the 
"•rimitive  churches  had,  and  as  churches 
raised  in  heathen  countries  must  still 
have,  we  have  multitudes  w  ho  on  that  day 
are  willing  to  hear  the  word.  In  such 
circumstances  the  apostles  would  have 
preached  both  to  lielicvcrs  and  unbelievers, 
and  administered  Christian  ordinances, 
all  on  the  same  day.  To  frame  our  wor- 
ship in  tilings  of  this  nature  after  apostolic 
example,  without  considering  the  reasons 
of  their  conduct,  is  to  stumble  in  darkness, 
instead  of  walking  as  children  of  the  light. 

*  Acts  xiii.  42;  xviii.  4;  xvi.  13, 
t  1  Cor.  xi.  20.      Acts  XX.  7. 


Yet  this  is  the  kind  of  apostolic  practice 
t)y  which  the  churches  have  been  teazed 
and,divi(led,  the  great  work  of  preaching  the 
gospel  to  the  ungodly  neglected,  and 
Ciirisiianity  reduced  to  litigious  trifling. 

If  the  practice  of  Christ  and  his  apostles 
lie  in  all  cases  binding  upon  Christians, 
whether  the  reason  of  the  thing  be  the 
same  or  not,  why  do  they  not  eat  the 
Lord's  supper  with  unleavened  bread, 
and  in  a  reclining  posture  1  And  why 
do  they  not  assemble  together  merely  to 
celebrate  this  ordinance,  and  that  on  a 
Lord's-day  evening?  From  the  accounts 
in  1  Cor.  xi.  20,  and  Acts  xx.  7,  two 
things  appear  to  be  evident — First : 
That  the  celebration  of  the  Lord',?  supper 
was  the  specific  object  oi'  the  coming  to- 
gether both  of  the  church  at  Corinth  and 
of  that  at  Troas  :  the  former  came  togeth- 
er (professedly) /o  eat  the  Lord's  supper; 
the  latter  are  said  to  have  come  together 
to  break  bread.  Secondly  :  That  it  was 
on  the  evening  of  the  day.  This  is  mani- 
fest not  only  from  its  being  called  the 
Lord's  supper,  but  from  the  Corinthians 
making  it  their  oicn  supper,  and  from  its 
being  followed  at  Troas  by  a  sermon  from 
Paul  which  required  "lights,"  and  con- 
tinued till  "midnight." 

1  do  not  mean  to  say  that  the  church  at 
either  Corinth  or  Troas  liad  no  other  wor- 
ship during  the  first  day  of  the  week  than 
this;  but  that  this  was  attended  to  as  a 
distinct  object  of  assembling,  and,  if  there 
were  any  other,  after  the  other  was  over. 

It  may  be  thought  that  these  were 
merely  accidental  circumstances,  and  there- 
fore not  binding  on  us.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear to  me,  however,  that  we  are  at  liber- 
ty to  turn  the  Lord's  supper  into  a  break- 
fast. But  if  we  be,  and  choose  to  do  so, 
let  us  not  pretend  to  a  punctilious  imita- 
tion of  the  first  churches. 

It  is  well  known  to  be  a  peculiarity  in 
Sandemanian  societies  not  to  determine 
any  question  by  a  majority.  They,  like 
the  first  churches,  must  be  of  one  mind ; 
and,  if  there  be  any  dissentients  who  can- 
not be  convinced,  they  are  excluded. 
Perfect  unanimity  is  certainly  desirable, 
not  only  in  the  great  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel, but  in  questions  of  discipline,  and 
even  in  the  choice  of  ofTicers  ;  but  how  if 
this  be  unattainable!  The  question  is, 
whether  it  be  more  consistent  with  the 
spirit  and  practice  of  the  New  Testament 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  church  to  for- 
bear with  the  less,  or,  Diotrephes-like,  to 
cast  them  out  of  the  church  ;  and  this  for 
having  according  to  the  best  of  their  judg- 
ments acted  up  to  the  scriptural  clirec- 
tions!  One  of  these  modes  of  proceeding 
must  o   necessity  be  pursued,  for  there  is 


STRICTUKES    ON    SA?>'DEMAMA.M  SM. 


no  middle  course ;  and  if  we  loved  one 
another  with  genuine  Christian  affection 
we  could  not  be  at  a  loss  which  to  prefer. 
The  New  Testament  speaks  of  an  election 
of  seven  deacons,  but  says  nothing  on  the 
mode  of  its  being  conducted.  Novv',  con- 
sidering the  number  of  members  in  the 
church  at  Jerusalem,  unless  they  were 
directed  in  their  choice  by  inspii-ation, 
which  there  is  no  reason  to  think  they 
were,  it  is  more  than  a  thousand  to  one 
that  those  seven  persons  Avho  were  chosen 
were  not  the  persons  whom  every  indi- 
vidual member  first  proposed.  What 
then  can  we  suppose  them  to  have  done  1 
They  might  discuss  the  subject  till  they 
became  of  one  mind  :  or,  which  is  much 
more  likely,  the  less  number,  perceiving 
the  general  wish  and  considering  that  their 
brethren  had  understanding  as  well  they, 
might  peaceably  give  up  their  own  opin- 
ions to  the  greater,  "  submitting  one  to 
another  in  the  fear  of  God."  But  sup- 
posing a  hundred  of  the  members  had  said 
as  follows  : — "  Without  reflecting  on  any 
who  have  been  named,  we  tliink  two  or 
three  other  brethren  more  answerable  to 
the  qualifications  required  by  the  apostles 
than  some  of  them  ;  but,  having  said  this, 
we  are  willing  to  acquiesce  in  the  general 
voice" — should  they  or  v.'ould  they  have 
been  excluded  for  this  1  Assuredly  the 
exclusions  of  the  New  Testament  were 
for  very  different  causes  ! 

The  statements  of  the  society  in  St. 
Martin's-le-grand  on  this  subject  are 
sophistical,  self-contradictory,  and  blas- 
phemous. "Nothing,"  say  ihey,  "is  de- 
cided by  the  vote  of  the  majority."  In 
some  cases  indeed  there  are  dissenting 
voices.  The  reasons  of  the  dissent  are 
thereupon  proposed  and  considered.  If 
they  arc  scriptural,  the  whole  church  has 
cause  to  change  its  opinion  ;  if  not,  and 
the  person  persists  in  his  opposition  to  the 
ttwrd  of  God,  the  church  is  bound  to  reject 
him."  But  vv-ho  is  to  judge  whether  the 
reasons  of  the  dissentients  be  scriptural  or 
notl  The  majority  no  doubt,  and  an  op- 
position to  their  opinion  is  an  opposition  to 
the  word  of  God ! 

Humility  and  love  will  do  great  things 
toward  unanimity  ;  but  this  forced  una- 
nimity is  the  highest  refinement  of  spirit- 
ual tyranny.  It  is  a  being  compelled  to 
believe  as  the  church  believes,  and  that 
not  only  on  subjects  clearly  revealed  and 
of  great  importance,  but  in  matters  of 
mere  opinion,  in  which  the  most  upright 
minds  may  differ,  and  to  which  no  stand- 
ard can  apply.  What  can  he  who  exalteth 
himself  above  all  that  is  called  God  do 
more  than  set  up  his  decisions  as  the  word 
of  God,  and  require  men  on  pain  of  ex- 
£oiBmunication  to  receive  them  1 


LETTER  XI. 

ON  THE   KINGDOM   OF   CHRIST. 

You  are  aware  that  the  admirers  of 
Messrs.  Glass  and  Sandeman  generally 
value  themselves  on  their  "  clear  views  of 
tiie  gospel,  and  of  the  nature  of  Christ's 
kingdom  ;"  and  I  doubt  not  but  they  have 
written  things  concerning  both  which  de- 
serve attention.  It  appears  to  me,  how- 
ever, that  they  have  done  much  more  in 
detecting  error  than  in  advancing  truth; 
and  that  their  waitings  on  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  relate  more  to  what  it  is  not,  than 
to  what  it  is.  Taking  up  the  sentence  of 
our  Lord,  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world,"  they  have  said  much,  and  much 
to  purpose,  agaijist  worldly  establishments 
of  religion,  with  their  unscriptural  ap- 
pendages ;  but,  after  all,  have  they  shown 
what  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is;  and  does 
their  religion,  taken  as  a  whole,  exem- 
plify it  in  its  genuine  simplicity  "?  If  wri- 
ting and  talking  about  "simple  truth" 
would  do  it,  they  could  not  be  wanting; 
but  it  will  not.  Is  there  not  as  much  of 
a  worldly  spirit  in  their  religion  as  in  that 
which  they  explode,  only  that  it  is  of  a  dif- 
ferent species  ]  Nay,  is  there  not  a  great- 
er defect  among  them  in  what  relates  to 
"righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  than  will  often  be  found  in  what 
they  denominate    Babylon  itself! 

A  clear  view  of  the  nature  of  Christ's 
kingdom  would  hardly  be  supposed  to 
overlook  the  apostle's  account,  of  it. 
"  The  kingdom  of  God,"  he  says,  "  is  not 
meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness,  peace, 
and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit."  From  this 
statement  we  should  expect  to  find  the 
essence  of  it  placed  in  tilings  moral,  rather 
than  in  things  ceremonial  ;  in  things  clear- 
ly revealed,  rather  than  in  matters  of 
doubtful  disputation ;  and  in  tilings  of 
prime  importance,  rather  than  in  those  of 
but  comparatively  small  account.  We 
certainly  should  not  expect  to  see  the  old 
error  of  the  Pharisees  revived,  that  of  tith- 
ing mint  and  rue  to  the  neglect  of  judg- 
ment, mercy,  and  the  love  of  God. 

We  should  also  expect  the  most  emi- 
nent subjects  of  this  kingdom  would  be 
men  who,  while  they  conscientiously  at- 
tend to  the  positive  instiutions  of  Christ, 
abhor  the  thouglit  of  making  them  a  sub- 
stitute for  sobriety,  righteousness,  and 
godliness  :  men  who  need  not  a  special 
precept  for  every  duty  ;  but,  drinking 
deeply  into  the  law  of  love,  are  ready, 
like  the  father  of  the  faithful,  to  obey  all 
its  dictates. 

And,  as    the  kingdom  of  God  consista 


THE    KINGDOM     OF    f  UniST. 


613 


in  peace,  wc  should  expect  its  most  emi- 
nent subjects  to  be  irKtinguisiied  l)y  that 
dove-like  spirit  vhich  seeks  the  things 
which  make  for  peace.  They  may  in- 
deed be  called  upon  to  contend  for  the 
faith,  and  that  earnestly;  but  contention 
will  not  be  their  element,  nor  will  their 
time  be  chiefly  occupied  in  conversin<!;  on 
the  errors,  absurdities,  and  faults  of  others. 
Considerinir  bitter  zeal  and  strife  in  the 
heart  as  belonging  to  the  wisdom  tliat  de- 
sccndelh  not  from  above,  but  which  is 
earthlv,  sensual,  and  devilish,  they  are 
concerned  to  lay  aside  every  thing  of  the 
kind,  and  to  cherish  the  spirit  of  a  new- 
born babe. 

Finally  :  The  joys  which  they  possess,  in 
having  heard  and  believed  the  good  news 
of  salvation,  may  be  expected  to  render 
them  dead  to  those  of  the  world  ;  so 
much  so,  at  least,  that  they  will  have  no 
need  to  repair  to  the  diversions  of  the 
theatre,  or  other  carnal  pastimes,  in  or- 
der to  be  happy  ;  nor  will  they  dream  of 
such  methods  of  asserting  their  Christian 
liberty,   and  opposing  pharisaism. 

Whether  these  marks  of  Christ's  sub- 
jects be  eminently  consi)icuous,  among 
the  people  alluded  to,  those  wlio  are  best 
acquainted  with  them  arc  able  to  deter- 
mine j  but,  so  far  as  appears  from  their 
writings,  whatever  excellences  distinguish 
them,  they  do  not  consist  in  things  of  this 
nature. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  apostle,  after 
representing  the  kingdom  of  God  as  being 
"  not  meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness, 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Sj)irit,"  adds, 
"  for  he  thot  in  these  things  serveth  Christ 
is  acceptable  to  God  and  approved  of 
men.  Let  us  therefore  follow  after  the 
things  which  make  for  peace,  and  things 
wherewith  one  may  edify  another."  This 
not  onl}'  shows  what  the  prominent  fea- 
tures of  Christ's  kingdom  are,  but  affords 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  kingdom  con- 
tended for  by  Sandemanians,  which,  in- 
stead of  recommending  itself  to  both  God 
and  man,  would  seem  rather  to  liave  been 
copied  from  the  religion  of  that  people 
who  "  pleased  not  God,  and  were  contrary 
to  all  men." 

The  substitution  of  forms  and  ceremo- 
nies for  the  love  of  God  and  man  is  one 
of  the  many  ways  in  which  depravity  has 
been  wont  to  operate.  What  else  is  Pa- 
ganism, apostate  Judaism,  Popery,  and 
many  other  things  which  pass  for  religion  ] 
And  whether  the  same  principle  does  not 
pervade  the  system  in  question,  and  even 
constitute  one  of  its  leading  features,  let 
the  impartial  observer  judge.  If  it  does 
not  place  the  kingdom  of  God  in  meat  and 
drink,  it  places  it  in  things   analogous  to 


them,  rather  than  in  righteousness,  peace, 
and  joy,  in  the  Holy  S[)irit. 

It  is  true  the  forms  contended  for  in 
this  case  are  not  the  same  as  in  many  oth- 
ers, being  such  only  as  are  thought  to  be 
enjoined  in  the  Scriptures.  That  many  of 
them  arise  from  a  misunderstanding  ol  the 
Scriptures,  I  have  endeavored  to  show  in 
a  former  letter ;  hn\,  whether  it  be  so  or 
not,  if  an  improper  stress  be  laid  upon 
them  they  may  be  as  injurious  as  though 
they  were  not  scriptural.  When  the  bra- 
zen serpent  became  an  idol  it  was  as  per- 
nicious as  other  idols.  The  tithing  of 
heriis,  though  in  itself  right,  yet,  being 
done  to  the  neglect  of  "  weightier  mat- 
ters," became  the  very  characteristic  of 
hypocrisy. 

It  has  been  said  that  obedience  to  the  least 
of  God's  commands  cannot  be  unfriendly 
to  obedience  to  tiie  greatest  ;  and  if  it  he 
genuine  it  cannot  ;  but  to  deny  the  possi- 
bility of  the  great  things  of  God's  law 
being  set  aside  by  a  fondness  for  little 
things,  is  to  deny  the  fact  just  referred  to, 
and  discovers  but  a  slender  acquaintance 
with  the  human  heart,  which  certainly  can 
burn  in  zeal  for  a  ceremony,  when,  as  to  the 
love  of  God  and  man,  it  is  as  cold  as 
death. 

If  the  nature  of  Christ's  kingdom  were 
placed  in  those  things  in  which  the  apostle 
places  it,  the  government  and  discipline 
of  the  church  would  be  considered  as 
means  and  not  as  ends.  The  design  of 
order  and  discipline  in  an  army  is  to  en- 
able it  to  encounter  the  enemy  to  advan- 
tage ;  and  such  was  the  order  and  disci- 
pline of  the  primitive  churches.  It  was 
still,  peaceable  and  affectionate,  without 
parade  and  v\ithout  disputes.  It  consist- 
ed in  all  things  being  done  to  edifying,  and 
in  such  an  arrangement  of  energies  as  that 
every  gift  should  be  employed  to  the  best 
advantage  in  building  up  the  church  and 
attacking  the  kingdom  of  Satan.  But  is 
this  the  order  and  discipline  of  which  so 
much  has  of  late  been  written  1  Surely 
not !  From  the  days  of  Glass  and  Sande- 
man  until  now,  it  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  their  object  to  convert  men  to  Christ 
from  among  the  ungodly,  but  to  make  pro- 
selytes of  other  Christians.  And  is  this 
to  understand  the  true  nature  of  Christ's 
kingdom  !  If  there  were  not  another  fact, 
this  alone  is  sufiicient  to  prove  that  their 
religion,  though  it  may  contain  a  portion 
of  truth,  and  though  godly  men  may  have 
been  misled  l)y  it,  yet,  taken  as  a  whole, 
is  not  of  God.  There  is  not  a  surer  mark 
of  false  religion  than  its  tendency  and  aim 
being  to  make  proselytes  to  ourselves 
rather  than  converts  to  Christ. — Acts  xx. 
30, 


614 


STRICTURF.S    ON    8ANDEM/VNIANISM. 


That  there  is  neither  tendency  in  the 
system  nor  aim  in  those  who  enter  fully 
into  it  to  promote  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
is  manifest,  and  easily  accounted  for. 
They  neither  expect,  nor,  as  it  would 
seem,  desire  its  progress,  but  even  look 
with  a  jealous  eye  on  all  opinions  and 
efforts  in  favor  of  its  enlargement ;  as 
though,  should  it  be  greatly  extended,  it 
raust^needs  be  a  kingdom  of  this  world  ! 
This,  I  am  aware,  is  a  serious  charge,  but 
it  does  not  originate  with  me.  Mr. 
Braidwood,  of  Edinburgh,  who  must  be 
allowed  to  have  the  best  opportunities  of 
knowing  the  system  and  its  adherents,  and 
who  cannot  be  supposed  to  write  under 
the  influence  of  prejudice,  seeing  he  ac- 
knowledges he  has  "  learned  many  things 
from  the  ancient  writings  of  this  class  of 
professing  Christians  in  relation  to  the  sim- 
ple doctrine  of  the  gospel  and  the  nature  of 
Christ's  kingdom,"— Mr.  Braidwood,  I 
say,  writes  as  follows  :— "  I  feel  it  incum- 
bent on  me  to  warn  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
against  that  state  of  mind  which  makes 
them  slow  to  believe  the  prophecies  relat- 
ing to  the  extent  of  the  Redeemer's  king- 
do'rn." — "  It  is  remarkable  that  some 
Gentile  Christians  now  show  a  disposition 
toward  the  Jews,  similar  to  that  which,  in 
the  apostolic  age,  the  Jews  manifested  to- 
ward the  Gentiles,  namely,  a  dislike  to 
their  salvation  !  It  is  truly  mortifying  to 
reflect  that  the  greater  number  of  those 
who  indulge  this  state  of  mind  are  persons 
much  instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
gospel  and  of  the  things  concerning  the 
kingdom  of  God.  They  call  it  a  Jewish^ 
notion  to  expect  an  extensive  influence  of 
the  word  of  God  among  all  nations.  The 
very  opposite  is  the  fact ;  for  the  apostle 
Paul,  describing  his  countrymen,  says, 
«  They  please  not  God,  and  are  contrary 
to  all  men,  forbidding  us  to  speak  unto 
the  Gentiles  that  they  might  be  saved.' 
And  even  believing  Jews  were  not  very 
willing  to  acknowledge  the  first  Gentile 
converts,  and  were  surprised  when  they 
heard  that  God  had  also  granted  to  the 
Gentiles  repentance  unto  life.  But  the 
apostle  thus  describes  the  spirit  by  which 
he  regulated  his  own  conduct  :— '  1  please 
all  men  in  all  things,  not  seeking  mine 
own  profit,  but  the  profit  of  many,  that 
they  may  be  saved  !  ' 

"  The  freeness  of  divine  grace,  its  sove- 
reignty, its  opposition  to  the  most  darling 
inclinations  of  the  human  heart,  the  spirit- 
ual and  heavenly  nature  of  Christ's  king- 
joni— all  these  have  been  used  as  argu- 
ments against  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
or  any  signal  prosperity  of  the  gospel 
among  the  Gentiles  !  And  they  whose 
hearts'  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel, 


and  for  the  nations,  is  that  they  raay  be 
saved,  are  accused  of  ignorance  of  the 
gospel,  and  of  wishing  to  see  a  corrupt 
faith  prevail,  especially  if  they  dare  to  ex- 
press a  hope  that  their  prayers  will  be  an- 
swered !  " 

It  would  seem,  hence,  to  be  theintei-est 
of  this  class  of  professing  Christians  that 
the  world  and  the  church  should  continue 
what  they  are.  They  glory  in  the  latter 
being  few  in  number  :  if,  therefore,  any 
coniderable  part  of  mankind  were  to  em- 
brace even  what  they  account  the  truth, 
they  would  have  nothing  left  in  comparison 
whereof  to  gloiy  ! 

Mr.  Braidwood  addresses  the  party  on 
whom  he  animadverts  as  follows  : — "  Will 
the  purest  and  simplest  views  that  can  be 
entertained  of  the  truth  concerning  Jesus 
have  any  tendency  to  make  us  less  con- 
cerned about  the  salvation  of  men,  and 
more  anxious  to  darken  the  things  reveal- 
ed in  the  Scriptures  concerning  the  success 
of  the  gospel  among  all  nations  1  No,  my 
friend,  let  us  beware  of  imputing  to  the 
gospel  a  state  of  mind  which  so  ill  accords 
with  its  genuine  influence,  and  which  can 
arise  only  from  prejudice  and  from  mistak- 
en views  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  That 
glorious  kingdom,  instead  of  dying  away, 
as  some  have  supposed,  like  an  expiring 
lamp,  before  the  advent  of  its  eternal  king, 
shall  l)reak  in  pieces  and  consume  all  op- 
posing kingdoms,  and  shall  stand  forever, 
although  its  own  subjects,  acting  consist- 
ently, use  no  carnal  weapons." — Letters, 
S)-c.  pp.  23,  30. 

The  writer  to  whom  these  excellent  re- 
marks arc  addressed  signs  himself  PalcB- 
mon.  I  know  not  who  he  is  ;  but,  as  the 
signature  is  the  same  as  that  affixed  to 
Mr.  Sandeman's  Letters  on  Theron  and 
Aspasio,  I  conclude  he  is  and  wishes  to  be 
thought  a  Sandemanian.  Mr.  Braidwood 
calls  him  his  "  friend,"  and  speaks  of  his 
being  "moi'tified  "  by  these  his  erroneous 
sentiments,  as  though  he  had  a  feeling  for 
Palcemon's  general  creed,  or  that  "in- 
struction in  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel 
and  of  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom 
of  God  "  which  he  and  others  had  receiv- 
ed. For  my  part,  without  deciding  upon 
the  state  of  individuals,  I  am  persuaded 
that  these  people,  with  all  their  profes- 
sions of  "clear  views,"  "simple  truths," 
and  "simple  belief,"  have  imbibed  a  cor- 
rupt and  dangerous  system  of  doctrine. 

Palfemon,  whoever  he  is,  would  do  well 
to  examine  hhnsclf  inhether  he  be  in  the 
faith  :  and,  were  I  in  Mr.  Braidwood's 
place,  I  should  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  re- 
examine what  I  had  "  learned  from  the 
ancient  writings  of  this  class  of  professing 
Christians  relative  to  the  simple  doctrine 


SI'IKIT    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


C15 


of  the  gospel  and  the  nature  ol"  Christ's 
kingdom  ;"  and  to  ask  niyselt"  what  1  had 
asked  my  friend,  Whether  thai  can  be 
pure  and  simple  truth  which  is  productive 
of  such  effects  ? 


LETTER    XII. 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  SYSTEM  COMPAUED 
WITH  THAT  OF  PRIMITIVE  CHRISTI- 
ANITY. 

You  are  aware  that  doctrines,  whetlier 
true  or  false,  if  really  believed,  become 
principles  of  action.  They  are  a  mould 
into  which  the  mind  is  cast,  and  from 
which  it  receives  its  impression.  An  ob- 
servant eye  will  easily  j)erceive  a  spirit 
wiiich  attends  dilTerent  religions,  and  dif- 
ferent systems  of  the  same  reli,i;ion  ; — 
which,  over  and  above  the  diversities 
arising  from  natural  temper,  will  mani- 
fest itself  in  their  respective  adherents. 
Paganism,  Mahomedism,  Ueism,  apostate 
Judaism,  and  various  systems  which 
have  appeared  under  the  name  of  Christi- 
anity, have  each  discovered  a  sjjirit  of  its 
own;  and  so  has  Christianity  itself.  Thus 
it  was  from  the  beginning  :  those  who  re- 
ceived "  another  doctrine  "  received  with 
it  "another  spirit;"  and  hence  we  are 
told  of  "  the  spirit  of  truth,  and  the  spirit 
of  error:"  he  that  had  the  one  was  said 
to  be  "  of  God,"  and  he  that  had  the  oth- 
er "  not  of  God." 

I  hope  it  will  lie  understood  that  in  what 
I  write  on  this  subject  there  is  no  reference 
to  individuals,  nor  any  wish  to  judge  men 
indiscriminately  by  the  names  under  which 
they  pass,  nor  any  desire  to  charge  the 
evils  which  may  iielong  to  the  system  on 
all  who  have  discovered  a  partiality  in  its 
favor,  or  who  have  defended  i)articular 
parts  of  it.  I  shall  only  take  a  brief  re- 
view of  the  spirit  which  is  of  God,  and 
compare  that  of  Mr.  Sandeman  and  the 
generality  of  his  admirers  with  it. 

First  ;  The  spirit  of  primitive  Christianity 
was  full  of  the  devout  and  the  affectionate. 
Of  this  there  needs  little  to  be  said  in  a 
way  of  proof,  as  the  thing  is  evident  to  any 
one  wiio  is  acquainted  with  the  Bible.  The 
Psalms  of  David  are  full  of  it ;  and  so  is 
the  New  Testament.  Primitive  Cliristi- 
anity  was  the  religion  of  love.  It  breathed 
grace,  mercy,  and  peace,  on  all  that  loved 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity .  Among 
such  it  would  not  break  al)ruised  reed,  nor 
quench  the  smoking  flax.  Its  faithfulness 
was  tempered  with  brotherly  kindness.    It 


had  compassion  for  the  ignorant,  and  them 
that  were  out  of  the  way  ;  and,  while 
siding  with  God  against  tlie  wicked,  it 
wept  over  them,  and  was  willing  1o  do  or 
sutler  any  thing,  if  by  any  means  it  might 
save  some  ol  them.  But  is  this  Sande- 
manianism  ?  You  will  scarcely  meet  with 
tenns  expressive  of  devotion  or  affection 
in  any  of  its  productions,  unless  it  be  to 
hold  them  up  to  ridicule.  It  a|)pears  to 
be  at  war  with  all  devotion  and  devout 
men.  Its  most  indignant  opposition  and 
bitterest  invectives  are  reserved  for  them. 
Its  advocates  would  have  you  think,  in- 
deed, that  it  is  blind  devotion,  like  that  of 
the  Pharisees,  at  which  they  sneer  :  but 
where  are  we  to  look  for  that  which  is  not 
so,  and  with  which  they  are  not  at  war  1 
Is  it  to  be  found  out  of  their  own  connec- 
tions 1  Every  thing  there  which  has  the 
appearance  of  religion  is  pharisaism.  It 
must  therefore  lie  among  themselves  if 
any  where.  But  if  the  spirit  of  "love, 
peace,  long-suffering,  gentlenes.s,  good- 
ness, meekness,"  &c.  jirevail  in  their  as- 
semblies, it  is  singular  that  the  same  spirit 
should  not  apjiear  in  their  writings.  Who 
that  has  read  them  will  say  that  their 
general  tendency  is  to  promote  the  love  of 
either  God  or  man  1  Toward  worldly 
men,  indeed,  who  make  no  pretence  to  re- 
ligion, the  system  seems  to  bear  a  friendly 
aspect :  but  it  discovers  no  concern  for 
their  salvation.  It  would  seem  to  have  no 
tears  to  shed  over  a  perishing  world;  and 
even  looks  with  a  jealous  eye  on  those 
that  have,  glorying  in  the  paucity  of  its 
numbers  ! 

Whether  the  advocates  of  this  system 
perceive  the  discordance  between  their 
own  spirit  and  that  of  David,  or  whatever 
is  the  reason,  it  is  common  for  them  to 
apply  to  Chriiit  a  great  deal  of  what  he 
manifestly  wrote  of  his  own  devout  feel- 
ing. Christ,  it  seems,  might  be  the  sub- 
ject of  devotion  without  any  danger  of 
self-righteous  pride  ;  but  we  cannot,  and 
therefore  must  have  little  or  nothing  to  do 
with  it. 

It  is  among  people  of  this  description 
that  religious  feelings  and  affections  are 
ordinarily  traduced.  There  are  no  doubt 
many  enthusiastic  feelings,  which  have  no 
true  religion  in  them.  There  is  such  a 
thing  too  as  to  make  a  Saviour  of  them  as 
well  as  of  our  duties.  But  we  must  not 
on  this  account  exclude  the  one  any  more 
than  the  other.  President  Edwards,  in 
his  Treatise  on  Religious  Affections,  has 
proved  beyond  all  reasonable  contradiction 
tlial  the  essence  of  true  religion  lies  in 
them.  In  reading  that  work,  and  Mr. 
Sandeman's  Letters,  we  may  see  many  of 
the  same  things  exposed  as  enthusiastic  ; 


616 


STRICTUKES     OS    S  AiXDEMANIAMS.^J. 


but  the  one  is  an  oil  tiiat  breaketli  not  the 
head,  the  other  an  effusion  of  pride  and 
bitterness.  The  former  while  rejecting 
what  is  naught,  retains  the  savor  of  pure, 
humble,  and  holy  religion  :  but  the  latter 
is  as  one  who  should  propose  to  remove 
the  disorders  of  the  head  by  means  of  a 
guillotine. 

It  has  been  observed  that  every  religion 
which,  instead  of  arising  from  love  to  the 
truth,  has  its  origin  in  dislike  or  opposition, 
even  though  it  be  to  error,  will  come  to 
nothing.  You  may  sometimes  see  the 
principal  inhabitants  of  a  village  fall  out 
with  the  clergyman,  perhaps  on  account 
of  some  difference  on  the  subject  of  tithes, 
and  proceed  to  build  a  place  for  dissenting 
worship :  also  dissenting  congregations 
themselves  will  sometimes  divide  from 
mere  antipathy  to  the  preacher,  or  from 
offence  taken  at  some  of  the  people  :  but 
did  you  ever  know  sucli  undertakings 
productive  of  much  good  1  When  we 
adhere  to  a  system  of  religion  from  oppo- 
sition to  something  else,  we  do  not  so 
much  regard  it  for  what  it  is  as  for  what 
it  is  not.  Whatever  good,  therefore, 
there  may  be  in  it,  it  will  do  us  no  good, 
and  we  shall  go  on  waxing  worse  and 
worse.  It  is  remarkable  tliat  the  Sad- 
ducees,  according  to  Prideaux,  professed, 
at  their  outset,  the  strictest  adherence  to 
the  written  loord,  utterly  renouncing  the 
traditions  of  the  elders,  which  the  Phari- 
sees had  agreed  to  hold.  In  a  little  lime, 
however,  they  rejected  a  great  part  of  the 
word  itself,  and  its  most  important  doc- 
trines, such  as  the  resurrection  and  a 
future  life.  This  was  no  more  than  might 
have  been  expected  ;  for  the  origin  of  the 
system  was  not  attachment  to  the  word, 
but  dislike  to  the  Pharisees. 

How  far  these  remarks  apply  to  the  re- 
ligion in  question,  let  those  who  are  best 
acquainted  with  it  judge.  It  doubtless 
contains  some  important  truth,  as  did 
Sadduceeism  at  its  outset ;  but  the  spirit 
which  pervades  it  must  render  it  doubtful 
whether  this  be  held  for  its  own  sake  so 
much  as  from  opposition  to  other  princi- 
ples. If  truth  be  loved  for  its  own  sake, 
it  will  occupy  our  minds  irrespective  of 
the  errors  which  are  opposed  to  it,  and 
whether  they  exist  or  not.  But,  by  the 
strain  of  writing  and  conversation  Avhich 
prevails  in  this  connection,  it  would  seem 
that  the  supposed  absurdities  of  others 
are  the  life  of  their  religion,  and  that  if 
these  were  once  to  cease  their  zeal  would 
expire  with  them.  It  is  the  vulture,  and 
not  the  dove,  that  is  apparent  in  all  their 
writings.  Who  will  say  that  Mr.  Sande- 
man  sought  the  good  of  his  opponents, 
when  all  through  his  publications  he  took 


every  opportunity  to  hold  them  up  to  con- 
tempt ;  and  with  evident  marks  of  pleas- 
ure to  describe  them  and  their  friends  as 
walking  in  a  devout  path  to  hell?  The 
same  is  manifestly  tlie  spirit  of  his  follow- 
ers, though  they  may  not  possess  his  sar- 
castic talents.  But  are  these  the  wea- 
pons of  the  Christian  v/arfarel  Suppos- 
ing Flavel,  Boston,  the  Erskines,  &;c., 
to  have  been  bad  men,  was  this  the  way 
to  deal  with  them  1  Is  there  no  medium 
between  flattery  and  malignity'? 

Mr.  Sandeman  would  persuade  us  that 
Paul  was  of  his  "temper."*  Paul  was 
certainly  in  earnest,  and  resisted  error 
wherever  he  found  it.  He  does  not,  how- 
ever, treat  those  who  build  on  a  right 
foundation,  though  they  raise  a  portion  of 
what  will  be  ultimately  consumed,  as  ene- 
mies to  the  truth. f  And  in  his  conduct, 
even  to  the  enemies  of  Christ,  I  recollect 
no  sarcastic  sneers,  tending  to  draw  upon 
them  the  contempt  of  mankind,  but  every 
thing  calculated  to  do  them  good.  If, 
however,  it  were  not  so,  he  must  have 
practised  differently  from  what  he  wrote. 
"The  servant  of  the  Lord,"  he  says  in 
his  Epistle  to  Timothy,  "  must  not  strive 
(as  for  mastery  ;)  but  be  gentle  unto  all 
men;  in  meekness  instructing-  those  that 
oppose  themselves  :  if  God  peradventure 
will  give  them  repentance  to  the  acknowl- 
edging of  the  truth."  Paul  would  have 
instructed  and  intreated  those  whom  Mr. 
Sandeman  scorned. 

There  is  a  calmness,  I  acknowledge,  in 
the  advocates  of  this  doctrine,  which  dis- 
tinguishes their  writings  from  the  low 
and  fulsome  productions  of  the  English 
Antinomians.  But  calmness  is  not  always 
opposed  to  bitterness  :  on  the  contrary, 
it  may  be  studied  for  the  very  purpose  of 
concealing  it.  "  The  words  of  his  mouth 
were  smoother  than  butter,  but  war  was 
in  his  heart  :  his  sayings  were  softer  than 
oil,  yet  were  they  drawn  swords." 

The  only  thing  that  I  know  of  which 
has  the  appearance  of  love  is  that  attach- 
ment which  they  have  to  one  another,  and 
which  they  consider  as  love  for  the  iruth^s 
sake.  But  even  here  there  arc  things 
which  I  am  not  able  to  reconcile.  Love 
for  the  truth's  sake  unites  the  heart  to 
every  one  in  proportion  as  he  appears  to 
embrace  it :  but  the  nearer  you  approach 
to  these  people,  provided  you  follow  not 
with  them,  so  much  the  more  bitter  are 
their  invectives.  Again  :  Love  for  the 
truth's  sake  takes  into  consideration  its 
practical  effects.  It  was  truth  embodied  in 
the  spirit  and  life  that  excited  the  attach- 

*  Epistolary  Correspondence,  p.  9. 
+  1  Cor.  iii.  11—15 


SPIRIT    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


G17 


\iiont  of  the  apostle  John:  ''I  rejoiced  great- 
ly that  I  found  of  tliy  cliildren  walking  in 
truth."  But  tliat  which  excites  their  love 
seems  to  V>c  the  "clear  views"  which 
they  conceive  thoir  friends  to  entertain 
above  otlier  professinjj:  Christians.  Once 
more  :  Love,  lie  it  for  tiie  sake  of  what  it 
may,  will  so  unite  us  to  one  another  as 
to  render  so|)aralion  painful,  and  lead  to 
the  use  olall  possil>le  moans  of  i)rcvcnt- 
ing  it.  But  such  is  the  discipline  of  those 
who  drink  into  these  principles,  that,  for 
differences  which  others  would  consider 
as  objects  of  forbearance,  tiiey  can  sepa- 
rate men  from  their  communion  in  con- 
siderable numbers,  with  little  or  no  ap- 
parent concern.  I  can  reconcile  such 
things  witii  self-love;  but  not  with  love 
for  the  truth's  sake. 

Secondly  :  The  spirit  of  priniitivc  Chris- 
tianity was  a  spirit  of  meekness  and  hu- 
mility. Of  this  Ciirist  himself  was  the 
great  pattern;  and  they  that  would  be 
his  disciples  must  "  learn  of  him  who 
was  meek  and  lowly  of  heart."  Tiicy 
were  unl)elievcrs,  and  not  Christians,  who 
"  trusted  in  themselves  tliat  tliey  were 
righteous,  and  despised  others."  He  that 
would  be  wise  was  required  to  become  a 
fool  that  he  might  be  wise.  The  apostle 
Paul,  notwithstanding  his  high  attainments 
in  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  reckoned  him- 
self as  knowing  nothing  comparatively, 
desiring  above  all  things  "  that  he  might 
know  him,  and  tiie  power  of  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  the  fellowship  of  his  suffer- 
ings, and  be  made  conformable  imto  his 
death."  If  any  man  "  thought  tliat  he 
knew  any  thing,"  he  declared  that  he 
knew  "  nothing  yet  as  he  ought  to  know." 
But  is  this  the  spirit  of  the  system  in 
question  1  One  of  the  first  things  that 
presents  itself  is  a  pretence  to  something 
very  nearly  akin  to  infalliliilily ;  an  im- 
posing air  in  all  its  decisions,  tending  to 
bear  down  timid  spirits,  especially  as  the 
sincerity  and  consequently  the  Christian- 
ity of  the  party  is  suspended  upon  his  en- 
tirely yielding  himself  up  to  it. 

If  it  be  necessary  to  become  fools  that 
we  may  be  wise,  how  are  we  to  account 
for  those  "  clear  views  of  the  gospel  "  of 
which  tiiese  people  boast!  They  have 
given  abundant  proof  that  they  account 
others  fools  who  do  not  .see  with  them ; 
and  they  may  account  themselves  to  have 
been  such  till  they  imbibed  tlicir  present 
principles  ;  but,  if  any  symptoms  have 
appeared  of  their  being  fools  in  their  own 
eyes  from  that  time  forward,  they  have  es- 
caped my  observation.  Instead  of  a  self- 
diffident  spirit,  which  treats  with  respect 
the  understanding  of  others,  and  implores 
divine  direction,  no  sooner  have  these 
principles  taken  possession  of  a  man  than 

VOL.  I.  78 


they  not  oidy  render  him  certain  that  he 
is  in  the  right,  but  instantly  <pialify  him  to 
pronounce  on  those  who  tbllow  not  with 
him  as  destitute  of  the  truth. 

We  may  lie  told,  however,  that  there  is 
one  species  of  pride,  at  least,  of  which 
the  system  caimot  be  suspected,  namely, 
that  of  self-righteousness,  seeing  it  is  that 
against  which  its  abettors  are  constantly 
declaiming.  But  he  that  would  know  the 
truth  must  not  take  up  with  mere  j)rofes- 
sions.  If  a  self-righteous  spirit  consist 
in  "  trusting  in  themselves  that  tliey  are 
righteous,  and  despising  others,"  I  see  not 
how  they  are  to  be  acquitted  of  it.  A 
self-righteous  sj)irit  and  its  opposite  will 
be  allowed  to  Ite  drawn  with  sufTuicnt 
prominency  in  (he  parable  of  the  Pharisee 
and  the  publican.  The  (juestion  is,  which 
of  these  cliaracters  is  exemplified  by  those 
who  enter  fully  into  the  Sandemanian  sys- 
tem 1  Is  it  the  publican  1  Look  at  it.  I 
am  aware  that  he  is  the  favorite  of  the 
party,  and  so  he  is  of  other  parties  ;  for 
you  never  heard  of  any  who  were  the  pro- 
fessed advocates  of  the  Pharisee  ;  but  are 
they  of  the  .spirit  of  the  publican  1  Ratiier, 
are  they  not  manifestly  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Pharisee,  who  looked  down  with  scorn 
upon  his  fellow-worshiper  1 

Mr.  Braidwood,  referring  to  a  late  pub- 
lication by  one  of  this  class  of  profess- 
ing Christians,  who  calls  himself  Simplex, 
writes  as  follows  : — "  The  work  referred 
to  seems  intended  chiefly  to  show  how 
much  Si7nplcx,  and  they  who  agree  with 
him,  despise  others,  and  how  far  they  alone 
are  from  trusting  to  themselves  that  they 
are  righteous.  This  their  apjiarent  incon- 
sistency, their  confident  assertions  wiien 
no  proof  is  given,  their  unfeeling  and  in- 
discriminate censures  {which  therefore 
cannot  be  always  just,)  and  their  fearless 
anathemas  against  all  who  follow  not  with 
tlicm,  prevent  them  from  obtaining  a 
hearing,  not  only  from  tliose  whom  they 
might  be  w  arranted  to  consider'  as  false 
professors,  but  from  disciples  of  Christ, 
who  need  to  he  taught  the  way  of  God  more 
perfectly.     And  in  this  also  they  glory. 

"  If  they  would  suffer  an  exhortation 
from  a  fellow-sinner,  I  would  entreat  them 
to  recollect  that  the  Pharisee,  praying  in 
the  temple,  disdained  the  publican,  while 
the  publican  disdained  no  man,  and  had 
nothing  to  say  except  what  regarded  him- 
self and  THE  Most  High. — '  God  be  mer- 
ciful to  me  a  sinner.'  They  will  never 
successfully  combat  self-righteousness  till 
they  themselves  become  poor  and  of  a 
contrite  spirit.  The  most  effectual  way 
to  condemn  pride  is  to  give  an  example  of 
humility. 

"Self-abasement  corresponds  with  tiie 
humbling   doctrine    of    Christ    crucified  ; 


G18 


STRICTURES    ON    SANDEMANIANISM. 


while  the  indulgence  of  an  opposite  spirit, 
in  connection  Avith  clear  views  of  the  free- 
dom and  sovereignty  of  divine  grace,  pre- 
sents a  most  unnatural  and  unedifying  ob- 
ject— the  publican  turning  the  chase  upon 
the  Pharisee,  and  combating  him  with  his 
own  weapons  !  Nay,  he  who  professes  to 
account  himself  the  chief  of  sinners,  hav- 
ing once  begun  to  imitate  an  example  so 
repugnant  to  the  genuine  influence  of  the 
doctrine  for  which  he  contends,  now  pro- 
ceeds to  attack  all  who  come  in  his  way — 
self-condemned  publicans,  not  entirely  of 
his  own  mind,  as  well  as  proud  Phari- 
sees, avowing  their  impious  claims  upon 
the  Divine  Being.  May  we  not  ask.  Who 
art  thou  that  judgest?" — Letters,  &c.  Intr. 

As  to  Mr.  Braidwood's  allowing  them 
to  possess  "clear  views  of  the  freedom 
and  sovereignty  of  divine  grace,"  I  do  not 
understand  how  such  views  can  accompa- 
ny, and  still  less  produce,  such  a  spirit  as 
he  has  described  ;  but,  with  regard  to  the 
spirit  itself,  it  is  manifestly  drawn  from 
life,  and  is  of  greater  effect  than  if  he  had 
written  a  volume  on  the  subject.  Wheth- 
er his  observations  do  not  equally  apply 
to  that  marked  separation  of  church-mem- 
bers from  others  in  public  worship,  said 
to  be  practised  of  late  in  Ireland,  and  to 
which  he  refers  in  page  32,  let  those  who 
have  their  senses  exercised  to  discern  both 
good  and  evil  judge. 

Lastly:  The  spirit  of  primitive  Christi- 
anity was  catholic  and  pacific.  Its  lan- 
guage is,  "  Grace  be  with  all  them  that  love 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity." — 
"  As  many  as  walk  by  this  rule  (that  is, 
the  cross  of  Christ,)  peace  be  on  them,  and 
mercy,  and  upon  the  Israel  of  God." — 
"  All  that  in  every  place  call  upon  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  both 
theirs  and  ours,  grace  be  unto  them,  and 
peace,  from  God  our  Father,  and  from 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

There  were  cases  in  which  the  apostles 
and  first  Christians  were  obliged  to  with- 
draw even  from  brethren  who  walked  dis- 
orderly ;  but  this  would  give  them  pain. 
And,  if  the  disordered  state  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  at  present  render  it  necessary 
for  some  of  the  friends  of  Christ  to  with- 
draw from  others,  it  must  needs,  to  a  tru- 
ly good  man,  be  a  matter  of  deep  regret. 
It  will  be  his  concern,  too,  to  diminish  the 
breach  rather  than  to  widen  it :  to  consider 
the  things  wherein  he  agrees  with  others, 
and,  as  far  as  he  conscientiously  can,  to 
act  with  them.  If  we  see  individuals,  or 
a  community,  who,  instead  of  such  regret, 
are  generally  employed  in  censuring  all 
who  follow  not  with  them,  as  enemies  to 
the  truth  ;  and,  instead  of  acting  with 
them  in  things  wherein  they  are  agreed, 
are  studious  to  I'cnder  the  separation  as 


wide  as  possible,  and  glory  in  it — can  we 
hesitate  to  say  this  is  not  Christianity  1 

There  is  a  zeal  which  may  properly  be 
denominated  catholic,  and  one  which  may 
as  properly  be  denominated  sectarian.  It 
is'not  supposed  that  any  man,  or  body  of 
men,  can  be  equally  concerned  in  promot- 
ing Christ's  interest  in  all  places.  As  our 
powers  are  limited,  we  must  each  build 
the  wall,  as  it  were,  over  against  our  own 
houses.  Nor  are  we  obliged  to  be  equally 
concerned  for  the  prosperity  of  all  religi- 
ous undertakings  in  whicli  the  parties  may 
be  in  the  main  on  the  side  of  Christ.  It 
is  right  that  we  should  be  most  interested 
in  that  which  approaches  the  nearest  to 
truth  and  true  religion.  But  true  catho- 
lic zeal  will  nevertheless  have  the  good 
of  the  universal  church  of  Christ  for  its 
grand  object,  and  will  rejoice  in  the  pros- 
perity of  every  denomination  of  Christians, 
in  so  far  as  they  appear  to  have  the  mind 
of  Christ.  Those  who  builded  the  wall 
against  tiieir  own  houses  would  not  con- 
sider themselves  as  the  only  builders,  but 
would  bear  good  will  to  their  brethren, 
and  keep  in  view  the  rearing  of  the  whole 
wall,  which  should  encompass  the  city. 
As  it  is  not  our  being  of  the  religion  of 
Rome,  nor  of  any  other  which  happens  to 
be  favored  by  the  state,  that  determines 
our  zeal  to  be  catholic,  so  it  is  not  our 
being  of  a  sect  or  party  of  Christians,  or 
endeavoring  with  Christian  meekness 
and  frankness  to  convince  others  of  what 
we  account  the  mind  of  Christ,  that  gives 
it  the  character  of  sectarian.  It  is  a  being 
more  concerned  to  propagate  those  things 
ivherein  we  differ  from  other  Christians 
than  to  impart  the  common  salvation. 
Where  this  is  the  case  we  shall  so  limit 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  ourselves  as 
nearly  to  confine  our  good  wishes,  pray- 
ers, and  elTorts  to  our  own  tlenomination, 
and  treat  all  others  as  if  we  had  nothing 
to  do  with  them  in  religious  matters  but 
in  a  way  of  censure  and  dispute.  Where- 
in this  kind  of  zeal  differs  from  that  of  the 
Pharisees  that  compassed  sea  and  land  to 
make  proselytes,  but  who,  when  made, 
w  ere  turned  to  them  rather  than  to  God,  I 
cannot  understand. 

It  is  remarkable  that,  notwithstanding 
all  that  has  been  written  by  the  advocates 
of  this  system  about  a  free  gospel  to  the 
ungodly,  they  do  not  seem  to  have  much 
to  do  in  laboring  for  the  conversion  of 
men  of  this  description.  Their  principal 
attention,  like  that  of  the  Socinians, 
seems  directed  toward  religious  people  of 
other  denominations,  and  from  them  their 
forces  have  been  mostly  recruited.  This 
may  not  have  been  universally  the  case, 
but  from  every  thing  that  I  have  seen  and 
heard  it  is  very  generally  so  :  and,  if  this 


SPIRIT    OF    THE    SYSTEM. 


619 


do  not  betray  a  zeal  more  directed  to  the 
making  ot  proselytes  (o  themselves  tlian 
orconverts  to  Clirist,  it  will  be  diflicult 
to  determine  wliat  does. 

The  zeal  of  the  apostles  was  directed 
tc  the  correction  of  evils,  the  healing  of 
ditTcrences,  and  tlie  uniting  of  the  friends 
of  Jesus  Christ  ;  l»ut  tlie  zeal  produced  by 
this  system  appears  to  be  of  a  contrary 
tendency.  Wherever  it  most  i>rovails, 
we  hear  most  of  bitterness,  contention, 
and  division. 

It  may  be  said,  this  is  no  more  than  was 
true  of  tiie  gospel  itself,  wliich  set  a  man 
at  variance  with  his  father,  his  mother, 
and  his  nearest  friends  ;  and  relates  not 
to  what  it  causes,  but  to  what,  through  the 
corruptions  of  men,  it  occasions.  The 
words  of  our  Lord,  however,  do  not  de- 
scril)e  the  bitterness  of  believers  against 
unbelievers,  but  of  unbelievers  against 
believers,  who,  as  Cain  hated  his  brother, 
hate  them  for  the  gospel's  sake. 

It  has  been  said  that  "  the  poignancy  of 
Mr.  Sandeman's  words  arises  from  tlieir 
being  true."  The  same  might  be  said, 
and  witli  equal  justice,  of  any  other  "  bit- 
ter words,"  for  which  men  of  contempt- 
uous spirits  know  how  to  "  whet  their 
tongues."  If  the  doctrine  which  Mr. 
Sandeman  taught  were  true,  it  would  do 
good  to  them  that  believed  it.  It  certain- 
ly produces  its  own  likeness  in  them  ;  but 
what  is  it "?  Is  it  not  "  trusting  in  them- 
selves that  they  are  righteous,  and  despis- 
ing others  1  "  Is  it  not  descrying  the 
mote  in  a  brother's  eye,  while  blinded  to 
the  beam  in  their  own  1 

There  is  a  very  interesting  description 
given  in  the  Epistle  of  James  of  two  op- 


posite kinds  of  imsdom.  The  former  is 
represented  as  coming  "from  above;" 
the  latter  as  "coming  not  from  above," 
but  as  being  "earthly,  sensual,  devilish." 
Tiiat  is  "  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle, 
easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good 
fruits,  without  partiality,  and  without  hy- 
pocrisy :  "  this  works  "bitter  zeal  and 
strife  in  the  heart."  "  The  fruit  of  right- 
eousness is  sown  in  peace,"  and  in  mak- 
ing peace,  by  the  one  :  but  by  the  other 
is  produced  "confusion,  and  every  evil 
work."  Yet  these  latter  are  supposed  to 
"glory;"  but  in  glorying  they  "lie 
against  the  truth."  Witliout  wishing  to 
ascribe  either  to  bodies  of  peojde  indis- 
criminately, there  is  enough  said  to  ena- 
ble us  to  form  a  judgment  oi  things  by  the 
effects  whicii  they  produce. 

To  conclude. — It  is  no  part  of  my  de- 
sign to  vindicate  or  apologize  for  the  er- 
rors of  other  denominations.  The  Chris- 
tian church  is  not  what  it  was  at  the  be- 
ginning ;  and  though  every  body  of  Chris- 
tians is  not  equally  corrupt,  yet  none  is 
so  pure  but  that,  if  its  character  were  re- 
ported by  the  great  Head  of  tlie  church, 
he  would  have  "  somewhat  against  "  it. 
But,  whatever  errors  or  evils  may  be  found 
in  any  of  us,  it  is  not  this  species  of  re- 
form, even  if  it  were  universally  to  pre- 
vail, tliat  would  correct  them.  On  the 
contrary,  if  we  may  judge  from  its  eflfects 
during  the  last  fifty  years,  it  would  lead 
the  Christian  world,  if  not  to  downright 
infidelity,  yet  to  something  that  comes 
but  very  little  short  of  it. 

I    am   your    affectionate    Friend    and 
Brotlier,  ANDREW    FULLER. 


DIALOGUES      AND      LETTERS 


BETWEEN 


CRISPUS     AND     GAIUS. 


VOL.    I 


78 


DIALOGUES     AND     LETTERS. 


DIALOGUE  I. 

ON  THE  PECULIAR  TURN  OF  THE  PRES- 
ENT AGE. 

Crispus.  Good  morning,  my  dear 
Gaius  ;  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  The  world 
is  busy  in  grasping  wealth,  in  discussing 
politics,  and  in  struggling  for  dominion; 
all  trifles  of  a  moment :  let  us  retire  from 
the  tumultuous  scene,  and  discourse  on 
subjects  of  greater  importance. 

Gaius.  I  am  glad,  my  dear  Crispus,  to 
find  your  mind  exercised  on  such  subjects. 
The  present  agitated  state  of  the  world  is 
doubtless  a  great  temptation  to  many  to 
let  go  their  hold  of  heavenly  things,  and 
to  bend  their  chief  attention  to  subjects 
which  originate  and  terminate  in  the  pres- 
ent life. 

C.  My  mind  has  of  late  been  much  en- 
gaged on  divine  subjects.  I  find  in  them 
a  source  of  solid  satisfaction.  Yet  I 
must  confess  I  feel  as  well  a  variety  of 
difficulties  which  I  should  be  happy  to 
have  removed.  I  have  often  found  your 
conversation  profitable,  and  should  wish 
to  avail  myself  of  this  and  every  otlier  op- 
portunity for  improving  by  it. 

G.  Suitable  conversation  on  divine 
subjects  is  commonly  of  mutual  advan- 
tage,'; and  I  must  say  there  is  something, 
I  know  not  what,  in  the  countenance  of 
an  inquisitive,  serious  friend,  which,  as 
iron  sharpeneth  iron,  whets  our  powers, 
and  draws  forth  observations  where  other- 
wise they  never  existed.  I  think  I  have 
been  as  much  indebted  to  you  for  asking 
pertinent  questions  as  you  have  been  to 
me  for  answering  them. 

C.  I  have  been  lately  employed  in 
reading  the  works  of  some  of  our  first 
Reformers  ;  and,  on  comparing  their  times 
with  the  present,  I  have  ol)scrved  that  a 
considerable  difference  has  taken  place  in 
the  state  of  the  pu])lic  mind.  At  the 
dawn  of  the  Reformation  the  bulk  of  man- 
kind were  the  devotees  of  superstition, 
and  stood  ready  to  extirpate  all  those 
who  dared  to  avow  any  religious  princi- 
ples different  from  theirs.  Even  the  Re- 
lormers  themselves,  though  they  inveigh- 


ed against  the  persecuting  spirit  of  the 
Papists,  yet  seem  to  have  been  very  se- 
vere upon  one  another,  and  to  have  exer- 
cised too  little  Christian  forbearance,  and 
too  much  of  a  spirit  that  savored  of  un- 
christian bitterness,  toward  those  whose 
ideas  of  reformation  did  not  exactly  coin- 
cide with  their  own.  A  great  deal  of 
their  language,  and  some  parts  of  their 
conduct,  would,  in  the  present  day,  be 
thought  very  censurable.  How  do  you 
account  for  this  change  1 

G.  Were  I  to  answer  that  the  rights 
of  conscience  have  of  late  years  been 
more  clearly  understood,  and  that  the  sa- 
cred duty  of  benevolence,  irrespective  of 
the  principles  which  men  imbibe,  has  been 
more  frequently  enforced,  I  should  so  far 
speak  the  truth  ;  and  so  far  we  have  rea- 
son to  congratulate  the  present  age  upon 
its  improvement. 

C.  Do  you  suppose  there  are  other 
causes  to  which  such  a  change  may  be  at- 
tributed] 

G.  I  do.  Scepticism,  and  a  general  in- 
difference to  religion,  appear  to  me  to  have 
succeeded  the  blind  zeal  and  superstition 
of  former  ages.  It  has  been  observed,  I 
think  by  Dr.  Goodwin,  on  that  remarkable 
phrase  of  the  apostle  Paul,  "Ye  walked 
according  to  the  course  of  this  world," 
First :  That  there  is  a  course  which  is  gen- 
eral and  common  to  all  ages  and  places, 
and  which  includes  the  gratifying  of  the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the 
pride  of  life  the  laying  up  treasures  on  earth 
instead  of  heaven,  &c.  Secondly  :  That 
there  is  a  course  which  is  more  particular, 
and  which  is  incessantly  varying  accord- 
ing to  times,  places,  and  circumstances.. 
Like  the  tide  that  is  ever  rolling,  but  in 
different  directions.  In  one  age  or  coun- 
try it  is  this,  in  another  that,  and  in  a  third 
different  from  them  both.  The  course  of 
this  world  in  the  early  ages  was  a  course 
of  idolatry.  In  tliis  direction  it  ran  until 
the  days  of  Constantine,  at  which  period 
the  prince  of  darkness  found  it  impracti- 
cable, in  the  civilized  parts  of  the  earth, 
any  longer  to  support  the  Pagan  throne. 
The  leaders  in  the  Roman  empire  resolv- 
ed to  become  Christians  ;  and  great  num- 


G24 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


bers  from  various  motives  followed  their 
example.  The  tide  had  then  changed  its 
direction  :  the  profession  of  Christianity 
was  fashionable,  was  honorable,  was  the 
high  road  to  preferment.  Satan  himself, 
if  I  may  so  speak,  could  now  have  no  ob- 
jection to  turn  Christian.  The  external 
profession  of  religion  became  splendid 
and  pompous ;  but  religion  itself  was 
gradually  lost,  and  a  system  of  ignorance, 
superstition,  and  persecution,  was  intro- 
duced in  its  place.  For  many  centuries 
the  course  of  tiiis  world  (I  speak  of  the 
European  part  of  it)  was  a  course  of  Po- 
pery ;  and  so  powerful  was  it  that  those 
who  ventured  to  resist  it  did  so  at  the  ex- 
pense of  every  thing  that  was  dear  to 
them  on  earth.  In  this  direction  it  ran 
till  the  Reformation.  Since  that  })eriod 
there  has  been  another  turning  of  the 
tide.  Several  nations  have  become  Prot- 
estant ;  and  yet  the  course  of  this  world 
goes  on,  and  Satan  has  great  influence 
among  us.  He  has  no  objection  to  our 
laughing  at  superstition,  provided  that  in 
any  form  we  remain  tlie  slaves  of  sin. 
The  world  of  late  years  has  not  directed 
its  course  so  immediately  towards  super- 
stition as  towards  a  criminal  carelessness 
and  infidelity.  Formerly  the  minds  of 
men  were  so  bent  on  uniformity  in  reli- 
gion as  to  require  it  in  civil  society.  Now 
they  tend  to  the  other  extreme,  and  are 
for  admitting  any  kind  of  sentiments  even 
into  reZigious'society.  In  short,  the  pro- 
pensity of  the  world  in  this  day  is  to  con- 
sider all  religious  principles  whatever, 
and  all  forms  of  worship,  even  those 
which  are  of  divine  institution,  as  of  lit- 
tle or  no  importance.  It  is  from  this  cause 
I  am  afraid,  Crispus,  and  not  merely  from 
a  better  understanding  of  the  rights  of 
conscience,  that  a  great  part  of  the  lenity 
of  the  present  age  arises. 

C.  Be  it  so  :  yet  the  effect  is  friendly 
to  mankind.  If  mutual  forbearance 
among  men  arose  from  a  good  motive,  it 
would  indeed  be  better  for  those  who  ex- 
ercise it ;  but,  let  it  arise  from  what  mo- 
tive it  may,  it  is  certainly  advantageous 
to  society. 

G.  Very  true  :  but  we  should  endeav- 
or to  have  laudable  conduct,  if  possible, 
arise  from  the  purest  motives,  that  it  may 
be  approved  of  God,  as  well  as  advantage- 
ous to  men. 

C.  But  do  you  think  we  are  to  expect 
as  much  as  this  from  the  apostate  race  of 
Adaml  In  the  apostle  John's  time  the 
whole  world  was  represented  as  lying  in 
wickedness ;  and,  in  fact,  it  has  been  so 
ever  since.  Formerly  its  wickedness  op- 
erated in  a  way  of  intemperance  :  now  it 
works  in  a  way  of  indifference.     Of  the 


two,  does  not  the  latter  seem  to  be  the 
less  injurious  1 

G.  It  is  indeed  the  less  injurious  to 
our  property,  our  liberty,  and  our  lives; 
but  with  regard  to  our  spiritual  interests 
it  may  be  the  reverse.  Fashion,  be  it 
what  it  may,  will  always,  in  some  degree 
at  least,  diffuse  its  influence  through  the 
minds  of  men,  even  of  those  who  are  truly 
religious.  The  intemperance  of  past  ages 
gave  to  the  temper  of  pious  people  as  well 
as  others  a  tinge  of  unchristian  severity ; 
and  the  indifference  of  the  present  time 
has,  I  fear,  operated  with  equal  power, 
though  in  a  different  manner.  We  ought 
to  be  thankful  for  our  mercies,  but  at  the 
same  time  we  should  take  heed  lest  we  be 
carried  away  by  the  course  of  this  world. 

C.  What  evidence  have  we  that  reli- 
gious people  are  influenced  Viy  a  spirit  of 
indifference  1 

G.  The  crying  up  one  part  of  religion 
at  the  expense  of  another.  You  may 
often  hear  of  practical  religion  as  being 
every  thing,  and  of  speculative  opinions 
(which  is  the  fashionable  name  for  doc- 
trinal sentiments)  as  matters  of  very  little 
consequence.  Because  they  are  not  cog- 
nizable by  the  civil  magistrate,  they  treat 
them  as  if  they  were  of  no  account ;  and, 
by  opposing  them  to  practical  religion,  the 
luiwary  are  led  to  conclude  that  the  one 
lias  no  dependence  on  the  other.  The  ef- 
fect of  this  has  been  that  others,  from  an 
attachment  to  doctrinal  principles,  have 
run  to  a  contrary  extreme.  They  write 
and  preach  in  favor  of  doctrines,  and  Avhat 
are  called  the  privileges  of  the  gospel, 
to  the  neglect  of  sid^jects  which  immedi- 
ately relate  to  practice.  In  other  circles 
you  may  hear  experience  or  experimental 
religion  extolled  above  all  things,  even  at 
the  expense  of  Christian  practice  and  of 
sound  doctrine.  But  really  the  religion 
of  Jesus  ought  not  thus  to  be  mangled  and 
torn  to  pieces.  Take  away  the  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  and  you  take  away  the  food 
of  Christians.  Insist  on  them  alone,  and 
you  transform  us  into  religious  epicures. 
And  you  may  as  well  talk  of  the  pleasure 
you  experience  in  eating  when  you  are  ac- 
tually deprived  of  sustenance,  or  of  the 
exquisite  enjoyment  of  a  state  of  total  in- 
activity, as  boast  of  experimental  religion 
unconnected  with  doctrinal  and  practical 
godliness.  The  conduct  of  a  man  who 
walks  with  God  appears  to  me  to  resem- 
ble that  of  the  industrious  husbandman, 
who  eats  that  he  may  be  strengthened  to 
labor ;  and  who  by  labor  is  prepared  to 
enjoy  his  food. 

C.  Well,  you  have  opened  a  field  for 
discussion.  The  next  time  we  meet  we 
may  inquire  fiirther  into  these  subjects. 

Farewell. 


Tilt:    IMfORTANCK    OK    TRUTH. 


Gi5 


DIALOGUE    II. 

ON    THE    I.MPORT.\NCE    OF    TRUTH. 

C.  In  our  last  conversation,  Gains, 
you  made  some  remarks  on  the  indiffer- 
ence of  the  present  age,  with  regard  to  re- 
ligious principles,  wliich  struck  me  forci- 
bly ;  I  should  be  glad  to  know  what  de- 
gree of  importance  you  ascril)e  to  the 
leading  doctrines  or  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

G.  If  you  mean  to  ask  whether  I  con- 
sider the  licliel  of  them  as  essentially 
necessary  to  the  enjoyment  of  good  neigh- 
borhood, or  any  of  the  just  or  kind  offices 
of  civil  society,  I  should  certainly  answer 
in  the  negative.  Benevolence  is  good  will 
to  men  ;  and,  as  far  as  good  will  to  them 
can  consist  with  the  general  good,  we 
ouglit  to  exercise  it  towards  them  as  men, 
whatever  be  their  principles,  or  even  Iheir 
practices.  But,  if  your  question  relate 
purely  to  religion,  I  acknowledge  tiiat  I 
consider  a  reception  of  the  great  doctrines 
of  Christianity  (in  those  who  have  op- 
portunity of  knowing  them)  as  necessary 
to  holiness,  to  happiness,  and  to  eternal 
life. 

C.  If  your  Ideas  be  just,  they  afford 
room  for  very  serious  reflection.  But  will 
you  not  be  subject  to  great  difficulties  in 
deciding  wjiat  those  truths  are,  and  to 
what  degree  they  must  be  believed  \  You 
cannot  deny  that  even  good  men  entertain 
ditTerenl  opinions  of  what  truth  is,  nor 
that  those  wlio  receive  the  truth  receive  it 
in  very  different  degrees. 

6r.  The  same  objection  might  be  made 
to  the  express  decision  of  Scripture,  that 
"  without  holiness  no  man  sliall  see  the 
Lord."  It  might  be  said,  You  will  find 
great  difficulties  in  deciding  what  true  ho- 
liness is,  and  what  degree  of  it  is  neces- 
sary to  eternal  life  ;  for  you  cannot  deny 
that  even  good  men  entertain  different 
opinions  of  what  true  holiness  is,  nor  that 
those  who  are  subjects  of  it  possess  it  in 
very  different  degrees. 

C.  And  what  would  you  answer  to  tiiis 
objection  ] 

G.  I  should  say  that  no  upright  heart 
can  be  so  in  the  dark  respecting  the  nature 
of  true  holiness  as  to  make  any  essential 
mistake  about  it.  Whether  I  can  deter- 
mine with  metaphysical  accuracy  the  dif- 
ferent component  parts  of  it  or  not,  yet, 
if  I  be  a  true  Christian,  I  shall  feel  it,  I 
shall  possess  it,  I  shall  practise  it.  As  to 
determining  what  degree  of  it  will  carry  a 
man  to  heaven,  that  is  not  our  business. 
We  do  not  know  to  what  extent  divine 
mercy  will  reach  in  the  forgiveness  of 
sin;  but  this  may  be  said,  that  a  person 

VOL.  I.  79 


may  be  assured  lie  has  no  true  holiness 
in  him  at  all  who  rests  contented  with  any 
degree  of  it  short  of  perfection 

C.  Will  this  answer  apply  to  truth  as 
well  as  to  holiness? 

G.  Why  not  1  If  Uie  way  of  salvation 
be  so  plain  that  "  a  wayfaring  man,  though 
a  fool,  shall  not  err  therein,"  what  can  it 
be  but  prejudice  that  renders  the  truth  dif- 
ficult to  be  understood!  "He  who  does 
the  will  of  God  shall  know  of  his  doctrine." 
Surely  then  I  may  say  that  no  one  who 
is  in  a  right  temper  of  mind  can  be  so  in 
the  dark,  respecting  what  truth  is,  as  to 
make  any  essential  mistake  about  it. 
VVhcthcr  I  can  determine  the  question 
with  accuracy  or  not,  yet,  if  I  be  a  Chris- 
tian, the  truth  dioelletk  in  me.  As  to  the 
precise  degree  in  which  we  must  receive 
the  truth,  in  order  to  be  saved,  it  is  not 
our  business  to  decide.  But  this  is  incon- 
testible,  that  he  who  does  not  seek  after 
the  whole  of  revealed  truth,  and  sit  as  a 
little  child  at  the  feet  of  his  divine  In- 
structer,  gives  evidence  that  the  truth  is 
not  in  him. 

C.  But  is  it  not  easier  to  discover 
what  holiness  is  than  what  truth  is  1 

G.  I  grant  that  conscience  assists  in 
determining  between  right  and  wrong, 
which  it  does  not  in  many  things  respect- 
ing truth  and  error.  But,  if  we  were  en- 
tirely on  God's  side,  we  should  find  the 
revealed  dictates  of  truth  as  congenial  to 
our  hearts  as  those  of  righteousness  are 
to  our  consciences  ;  and  in  that  case  the 
one  would  be  as  easily  determined  as  the 
other. 

C.  But  is  there  not  a  difference  be- 
tween the  importance  of  believing  the 
truth  of  God,  and  that  of  complying  with 
his  commands'! 

G.  You  would  not  think  more  favora- 
bly of  a  child  who  should  discredit  your 
testimony  than  of  one  who  sliould  disobey 
your  authority  ;  and  the  same  Being  who 
declares  that  "without  holiness  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord,"  has  declared  that 
"he  whobelicveth  not  the  record  that  God 
hath  given  of  iiis  Son  hath  made  him  a 
liar" — that  "lie  wiio  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned  !  " 

C.  But  should  every  error  or  mistake 
to  whicli  fallii)lc  mortals  are  liable  be  con- 
sidered as  unbelief,  and  as  subjecting  us 
to  damnation  1 

G.  By  no  means.  There  is  a  specific 
difference  between  error  and  unbelief.  The 
one  is  a  misapprehension  of  what  the  di- 
vine testimony  contains  :  the  other  sup- 
poses that  we  understand  it,  but  yet  dis- 
credit it.  It  is  the  latter,  and  not  the  for- 
mer, that  is  threatened  with  damnation 

C.  Do  you  then  suppose  error  to  be 
innocent  1 


626 


DIALOGUES    AND     LETTERS. 


G.  The  answer  to  this  question  must 
depend  upon  tlie  cause  from  wliicli  it 
springs.  If  it  arise  from  the  want  of  nat- 
ural power,  or  opportunity  of  obtaining 
evidence,  it  is  mere  mistake,  and  contains 
in  it  nothing  of  moral  evil.  But  if  it  arise 
from  prejudice,  neglect,  or  an  evil  bias  of 
heart,  it  is  other\yise,  and  may  endanger 
our  eternal  salvation. 

C.  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  illustrate 
this  distinction  1 

G.  Had  David  been  engaged  in  the 
most  wicked  conspiracy  when  he  fled  to 
Ahimelech,  and  had  Ahimelech  in  this 
circumstance  given  him  bread  and  a 
sword;  yet  if  he  knew  nothing  oj  the 
conspiracy,  less  or  more,  nor  possessed 
any  means  of  knowing  it,  his  error  would 
have  been  innocent,  and  he  ought  to  have 
been  acquitted.  But  had  he  possessed 
the  means  of  knowledge,  and  from  a  se- 
cret disloyal  bias  neglected  to  use  them, 
giving  easy  credit  to  those  things  which 
his  heart  approved,  he  would  have  deserv- 
ed to  die. 

C.  Among  human  errors,  can  we  dis- 
tinguish between  those  which  arise  from 
the  want  of  powers  or  opj)ortunities  and 
such  as  spring  from  the  evil  bias  of  the 
heart  1 

G.  In  many  cases  we  certainly  can- 
not, any  more  than  we  can  fix  the  boun- 
daries between  light  and  shade  ;  yet  there 
are  some  things,  and  things  of  the  great- 
est importance,  that  are  so  plainly  reveal- 
ed, and  of  so  holy  a  tendency,  that  we 
are  taught  l)y  the  Scriptures  themselves 
to  impute  an  error  concerning  them  not  to 
the  understanding  only,  but  to  the  heart. 
"  The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart  there  is 
no  God." — "Why  do  ye  not  understand 
my  speech  1  Because  ye  carinot  hear  my 
ivords." — "They  stumbled  at  the  stumb- 
ling-stone, being  disobedient." 

C.  Have  not  all  men  their  prejudices, 
the  good  as  well  as  the  wicked  1 

G.  As  all  men  are  the  subjects  of  sin, 
undoubtedly  they  have.  But,  as  it  does 
not  follow  that  because  a  good  man  is  the 
subject  of  sin  he  may  live  in  the  practice 
of  all  manner  of  abominations,  neither 
does  it  follow  that  because  he  is  the  sub- 
ject of  criminal  error  he  may  err  in  the 
great  concerns  of  etei-nal  salvation.  Good 
men  have  not  only  their  gold,  silver,  and 
precious  stones  ;  but  also  their  ivood,  hay, 
and  stubble,  which  will  be  consumed, 
while  they  themselves  are  saved  :  never- 
theless they  are  all  represented  as  build- 
ing upon  a  right  foundation.  He  that 
errs  with  respect  to  the  foundation  laid  in 
Zion  will,  if  God  give  him  not  repentance 
to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth,  err  to 
his  eternal  overtlirow. 


C.  Does  not  this  last  species  of  error 
seem  nearly   related  to  unbelief? 

G.  1  conceive  it  to  be  so  nearly  related 
as  to  be  its  immediate  effect.  The  heart 
leans  to  a  system  of  falsehood,  wishing  it 
be  to  true  ;  and  what  it  wishes  to  be  true  it 
is  easily  persuaded  to  think  so.  The  first 
step  in  this  progress  describes  the  spirit 
of  unbelief;  the  last  that  of  error:  the 
one  grows  out  of  the  other.  Such  a  pro- 
gress was  exemplified  in  those  persons 
described  in  the  Epistle  of  Paul  to  the 
Thessalonians  :  "  They  received  not  the 
love  of  the  truth" — "believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
ness"— "  therefore  God  gave  them  up  to  a 
reprobate  mind,  that  they  might  believe  a 
lie,  and  be  damned  !" 

C.  Surely  it  is  a  serious  thing  in  what 
manner  we  hear  and  receive  the  word 
of  God ! 

6r.  True ;  and  I  may  add,  in  what 
manner  we  preach  it  too.  Wo  unto  us  if 
we  teach  mankind  any  other  way  of 
escape  than  that  which  the  gospel  re- 
veals !  Wo  unto  us  if  we  preach  not  the 
gospel  !  If  an  angel  from  heaven  preach 
any  other  gospel,  let  him  be  accursed  ! 


DIALOGUE  III. 

ON  THE  CONNECTION  BETWEEN  DOCTRI- 
NAL, EXPERIMENTAL,  AND  PRACTI- 
CAL   RELIGION. 

C.  In  our  last  interview,  Gains,  we 
discoursed  on  the  influence  of  truth  as  it 
respected  our  eternal  salvation  :  we  will 
now  inquire,  if  you  please,  into  its  influ- 
ence on  the  holiness  and  happiness  of 
Christians  in  the  present  state ;  or,  in 
other  words,  into  the  connection  between 
doctrinal,  experimental,  and  practical  re- 
ligion. 

G.  Such  an  inquiry  may  convince  us 
of  the  importance  of  each,  and  prevent 
our  extolling  one  branch  of  religion  at  the 
expense  of  another. 

C.  What  do  you  mean  by  experimen- 
tal religion  1 

G.  Experimental  religion  may  be  con- 
siilered  generally  and  particularly :  in 
general  we  mean  by  it  the  exercise  of 
sj)iritual  or  holy  aflTections,  such  as  hope, 
fear,  joy,  sorrow,  and  the  like. 

C.  And  what  relation  do  these  things 
bear  to  divine  truth  1 

G.  Under  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  they  are  its  immediate  effect.  To 
render  this  matter  evident,  we  need  only 


DOCTRINE,    EXPERIENCE,    AND    PRACTICE. 


G27 


inquire  wliat  have  liccii  Ihc  liest  seasons  those  circumstances  in  wliicli  we  have  oc- 
of  our  life,  and  our  own  rcmeinhrance  will  casion  lor  them,  tliey  liecome  imjjrinted 
convince  us  that  divine  truth  lias  been  at   upon  our  hearts.     It  is   then  that   we  feel 


the  bottom  of  all  those  enjoyments  which 
were  truly  solid  and  valuable. 

C.  Some  of  the  best  times  in  my  life 
have  been  those  in  which  I  have  mourned 
over  my  sin  with  godly  sorrow. 

G.  Very  well  ;  this  holy  mourning 
arose  from  a  sense  of  your  own  depravity, 
a  truth  plentifully  taught  in  the  Bible. 


their  force  and  taste  their  sweetness  : 
hence  it  is  that  "  tribulation  worketh  pa- 
tience, and  patience  experience."  It  was, 
no  doubt,  a  cheering  truth  at  all  times  that 
God  w  as  the  portion  of  his  people  ;  but 
never  did  they  realize  that  truth  so  fully 
as  when  they  were  stripped  of  their  earthly 
all    and   carried    into    captivity.      It   was 


C.  I  can  remember,  also,  many  joyful  then  that  they  sang,  as  taught  by  the 
seasons  when  I  have  been  in  the  lively  prophet,  "  The  Lord  is  my  portion,  saith 
exercise  of  laith  ami  ho])e.  my  soul,  therefore  will  I  hope  in  him." 

G.  Very  good  ;  i)ut  faith  has  truth  for  C.  All  experimental  religion  seems 
its  olijcct,  and  hope  lays  hold  of  a  blessed  then  to  bear  some  relation  to  truth.  If 
immortality.  Take  away  the  doctrine  of  taken  generally,  for  the  exercise  of  spirit- 
the  cross  and  the  promise  of  eternal  life,  ual  affection,  truth  is  here  the  cause,  and 
and  your  taith  and  hope  and  joy  would  be  these  exercises  arc  its  immediate  effects. 
annihilated.  If  taken  more  particularly,  for  that  proof 

C.  I  have  heard  some  persons  exclaim  or  trial  which  we  have  of  divine  things  as 
against  doctrinal  preaching,  as  being  dry  we  pass  through  the  vicissitudes  of  life, 
and  uninteresting  :  "  Give  me,"  say  they,  truth  seems  here  to  be  the  object  of  which 
"  something  spiritual  and  experimental."      we  have  experience. 

G.  Doctrines,  it  is  allowed,  may  be  so  G.  True ;  and  the  more  we  have  of 
represented  as  to  become  dry  and  unin-  experimental  religion,  the  more  we  shall 
teresting ;  but  scripture  truth  is  not  so  in  feel  ourselves  attached  to  the  great  doc- 
its  own  nature.  The  doctrines  of  the  trines  of  the  gospel,  as  the  l)rcad  and  wa- 
gospel  are  expressly  called  "spiritual  ter  of  life,  wlience  arises  all  our  salvation, 
things,"  which  are  spiritually  discerned,      and  all  our  desire. 

C.  Does  not  the  term  experience  con-  C.  Will  not  the  connection  between 
vey  the  idea  of /jroq/ or  trial?  doctrinal   and   experimental   religion   ac- 

G.  It  does  ;  and  this  is  what  I  had  in  count  for  the  ignorance  which  is  attribu- 
mind  when  I  said  the  subject  might  be  ted  to  carnal  men  with  respect  to  divine 
considered  particularly .  Though  we  use  things,  as  that  they  do  not  receive  them, 
the  term  to  express  the  exercise  of  spirit-  and  cannot  know  them? 
ual  affection  in  general,  yet  it  is  more  G.  It  will;  nor  is  there  any  thing  more 
accurate  to  apply  it  to  that  proof  or  trial  surprising  in  it  than  that  a  mercenary 
which  we  make  of  divine  things,  while  character  should  be  a  stranger  to  the  joys 
passing  through  the  vicissitudes  of  life.         of  benevolence,  or  a  dishonest  man  to  the 

C.  Experimental  knowledge,  we  com-  pleasures  of  a  good  conscience  :  they  nev- 
monly  say  in  other  things,  is  knowledge  er  experienced  them,  and  therefore  are 
obtained  by  trial,  utterly  in  the  dark  concerning  them. 

G.  Very  well  :  it  is  the  same  in  reli-  C.  Will  you  give  me  your  thoughts  on 
gion.  There  are  many  truths  taught  us  the  influence  of  truth  on  holy  practice  1 
in  the  divine  word,  and  w  hich  we  may  be  G.  Perhaps  there  is  no  proposition  but 
said  to  know  by  reading;  but  we  do  not  what  has  some  consequence  hanging  upon 
know  them  experimentally  till  we  have  it,  and  such  consequence  must  be  expect- 
proved  them  true  by  having  made  the  trial,    ed  to  correspond  with    the  nature  of  the 


C.     Mention  a  few  examj)lcs. 

G.  We  read  in  the  Scriptures  of  the 
doctrine  of  human  impotency,  and  we  think 
we  understand  it ;  but  we  never  know 
this  truth  properly  till  we  have  had 
proof  of  it  in  our  own  experience.     Far- 


proposition.  A  truth  in  natural  philoso- 
phy will  be  productive  of  a  natural  effect. 
Divine  truth,  when  cordially  imbibed, 
proves  the  seed  of  a  godly  life.  For  ex- 
ample :  If  there  he  a  God  that  judgeth  in 
the  earth,  he  is  to  be   loved,  feared,  and 


ther :  We  read  of  the  corruption  of  the  adored.  If  man  be  a  sinner  before  God, 
human  heart,  and  think  in  our  early  years  it  becomes  him  to  lie  low  in  self-abase- 
that  we  believe  it ;  but  it  is  not  till  we  raent.  If  salvation  be  of  grace,  boasting 
have  passed  through  a  variety  of  changes,  is  excluded.  If  we  be  bought  with  a 
and  had  experience  of  its  deceitful  opera-  price,  we  are  not  our  own,  and  must  not 
tions,  that  we  perceive  this  truth  as  we  live  unto  ourselves,  but  to  him  who  died 
ought.  Again :  We  read  much  of  the  for  us,  and  rose  again.  Religious  senti- 
goodness  and  faithfulness  of  God,  and  we  mcnts  are  called  principles,  because,  when 
subscribe  to  each  ;  but  we  never  realize  received  in  the  love  of  them,  they  become 
these   truths  till,   having  passed  through  the  springs  of  holy  action. 


628 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


C.  Do  the  Scriptures  confirm  this  view 
of  things  1 

G.  You  must  have  read  such  passages 
as  the  following  :  "  Sanctify  them  through 
thy  truth:  thy  word  is  truth."— "  Ye 
shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall 
make  you  free."—"  Grace  and  peace  be 
multiplied  unto  you,  through  the  knowl- 
edge of  God,  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord." — 
"  Speak  thou  the  things  which  become 
sound  doctrine."  I  suppose  our  Lord 
meant  something  like  this  when  he  told 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  "  The  water  that 
I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life  :" 
that  is,  the  gospel  or  doctrine  that  I  preach, 
when  cordially  imbibed,  shall  become  a 
well-spring  of  heavenly  joy  and  holy  ac- 
tivity, rising  higher  and  higher  till  it  ter- 
minate in  everlasting  blessedness. 

C.     What    inference    may   be   drawn 
from  all  this  1 

G.  If  God  has  joined  these  things  to- 
gether, let  no  man,  whether  preacher  or 
hearer,  attempt  to  put  them  asunder. 

C  Is  it  proper  to  distinguish  between 
doctrinal  and  experimental  religion  1 

G.  If  by  those  terras  it  were  only 
meant  to  distinguish  between  the  truth  to 
be  known  and  a  spiritual  knowledge  of  it, 
they  are  very  proper;  but,  if  the  latter  be 
considered  as  existing  without  the  former, 
it  is  a  great  mistake. 


DIALOGUE  IV. 

ON  THE  MORAL  CHARACTER  OF   GOD. 

C  Your  late  observations  on  the  im- 
portance of  truth,  and  the  connection  be- 
tween doctrinal,  experimental,  and  practi- 
cal religion,  have  excited  in  my  mind  an 
increasing  desire  after  a  more  particular 
knowledge  of  the  great  doctrines  of  Chi'is- 
tianity. 

G.  I  am  glad  to  hear  it;  and,  if  it  be 
in  my  power  to  afford  you  any  additional 
light  on  those  interesting  subjects,  it  will 
give  me  great  pleasure. 

C.  What  do  you  consider  as  the  first 
and  most  fundamental  principle  of  true 
religion  1 

G.  Unless  I  except  the  existence  of 
God,  perhaps  none  is  more  deserving  of 
those  epithets  than  his  moral  character. 

C.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  moral 
character  of  God  1 

G.  The  divine  perfections  have  been 
distinguished  into  natural  and  moral.  By 
the  former  we  understand  those  perfections 
which  express  his  greatness  :  such  are  his 


wisdom,  power,  majesty,  omniscience,om- 
nipotence,  immutability,  eternity,  immen- 
sity, &c.  By  the  latter,  those  which  ex- 
press his  essential  goodness  :  such  are  his 
justice,  his  mercy,  his  veracity,  or,  in  one 
word,  his  holiness.  These  last  are  the 
peculiar  glory  of  the  divine  nature,  and 
constitute  what  is  meant  by  his  moral 
character. 

C.  Are  not  all  the  attributes  of  Deity 
essential  to  the  character  of  an  all-perfect 
Being] 

G.  They  ai-e  ;  but  yet  the  glory  of  his 
natural  perfections  depends  upon  their 
being  united  with  those  which  are  moral. 
The  ideas  of  wisdom,  power,  or  immuta- 
bility, convey  nothing  lovely  to  the  mind, 
but  the  reverse,  unless  they  be  connected 
with  righteousness,  goodness,  and  vera- 
city. Wisdom  without  holiness  would  be 
serpentine  subtilty  ;  power  would  be  ty- 
ranny ;  and  immutability  annexed  to  a 
character  of  such  qualities  would  be  the 
curse  and  terror  of  the  universe. 

C.  But,  as  God  is  possessed  of  the  one 
as  well  as  the  other,  they  all  contribute  to 
his  glory. 

G.  True  ;  and  it  affords  matter  of  in- 
expressible joy  to  all  holy  intelligences 
that  a  being  of  such  rectitude  and  good- 
ness is  possessed  of  power  equal  to  the 
desire  of  his  heart,  of  wisdom  equal  to  his 
power,  and  that  he  remains  through  eter- 
nal ages  immutably  the  same.  Power 
and  wisdom  in  such  hands  are  the  blessing 
of  the  universe. 

C  Is  the  above  distinction  of  the 
divine  perfections,  into  natural  and  moral, 
applicable  to  any  useful  purpose  1 

G.  It  will  assist  us  in  determining  the 
nature  of  that  most  fundamental  of  all 
moral  principles — the  love  of  God.  If  ho- 
liness constitute  the  loveliness  of  the  di- 
vine nature,  this  must  be  the  most  direct 
and  immediate  object  of  holy  affection. 
True  love  to  God  will  always  bear  a  pri- 
mary regard  to  that  which  above  all  other 
things  renders  him  a  lovely  Being. 

C.  I  knew  a  lecturer  on  philosophy, 
who,  by  discoursing  on  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  God  as  displayed  in  the  immen- 
sity of  creation,  was  wrought  up  into  a 
rapture  of  apparent  devotion,  and  his 
audience  with  him  ;  and  yet,  in  less  than 
an  hour's  time  alter  leaving-  the  room,  he 
was  heard  to  curse  and  swear,  as  was  his 
usual  manner  of  conversation. 

G.  You  might  find  great  numbers  of 
this  description.  They  consider  the  Di- 
vine Being  as  a  great  genius,  as  a  fine 
architect,  and  survey  his  works  with  admi- 
ration ;  but  his  moral  excellence,  which 
constitutes  the  chief  glory  of  his  nature, 
has  no  charms  in  their  eyes.  But,  if  that 
which  constitutes    the  chief  glory  of  his 


FREK-AGENCY. 


G29 


nature  have  no  charms  in  their  eyes,  all  the 
admiration  which  they  may  bestow  upon 
the  productions  of  his  wisdom  and  power 
will  amount  to  nothing  :  the  love  oj  God 
is  not  in  them. 

C.  You  consider  the  moral  character 
of  God  as  a  fundamental  principle  in  reli- 
gion ;  what  then  are  those  principles 
which  are  lounded  upon  it? 

Cr.  The  equity  ol  the  divine  law,  the 
exceeding  sinluiness  of  sin,  the  ruined 
state  of  man  as  a  sinner,  with  the  neces- 
sity of  an  Almighty  Saviour  and  a  free 
salvation. 

C.  Will  you  oblige  me  by  pointing  out 
the  connection  of  these  princijjles  ] 

G.  If  there  he  intinite  loveliness  in  the 
moral  character  of  God,  then  it  is  right 
and  equital)le  tiiat  we  should  love  him 
with  all  our  hearts  ;  which,  with  a  subor- 
dinate love  to  our  neighl)or  as  ourselves, 
is  the  sum  of  what  tlie  divine  law  requires. 
And  in  proportion  to  the  loveliness  of  the 
divine  character  must  be  the  hatefulness 
of  aversion  to  him  and  rebellion  against 
him;  hence  follows  the  exceeding  sinful- 
ness of  sin.  And  if  sin  be  odious  in  its 
nature  it  must  be  dangerous  in  its  conse- 
quences, exposing  us  to  the  curse  of  the 
divine  law,  the  just  and  everlasting  dis- 
pleasure of  a  holy  God.  Finally  :  If,  as 
rebels  against  the  moral  government  of 
God,  we  be  all  in  a  ruined  and  perisliing 
condition,  we  need  a  Deliverer  who  shall 
be  able  to  save  to  the  utmost,  whose 
name  shall  be  called  the  Mighty  God ; 
and  a  salvation  without  money  and  with- 
out price  that  shall  be  suited  to  our  indi- 
gent condition. 

C.  Is  not  the  moral  excellence  of  the 
divine  character  admitted  by  great  num- 
bers who  reject  these  principles,  which 
you  say  arise  from  iti 

G.  I  suppose  no  person  wlio  admits 
the  being  of  a  God  would  expressly  deny 
the  excellence  of  his  moral  character  ;  but 
it  is  easy  to  observe  that  those  who  deny 
the  foregoing  principles  either  discover  no 
manner  of  delight  in  it,  but  are  taken  up 
like  your  philosophical  lecturer  in  athnir- 
ing  the  productions  of  God's  natural  j)er- 
fections,  or  else  are  employed  in  model- 
ling his  character  according  to  their  own 
depraved  ideas  of  excellence.  Being  un- 
der the  influence  of  self-love,  they  see  no 
loveliness  but  in  proportion  as  he  may 
subserve  their  happiness  ;  hence  the  jus- 
tice of  God  in  the  punishment  of  sin  is 
kept  out  of  view,  and  what  they  call  his 
goodness  and  mercy  (but  which,  in  fact, 
are  no  other  than  connivance  at  sin  and 
indifference  to  the  glory  of  his  govern- 
ment) are  exalted  in  its  place.  A  being 
thus  qualified  may  be  easily  adored  :  it  is 
not   God,    however,   that   is  worshipped, 


but  an  imaginary  being,  created  after  the 
image  of  depraved  men. 

C.  "  To  know  tjje  only  true  God  and 
Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent " — in 
other  words,  to  know  the  true  glory  of  the 
Lawgiver  and  the  Saviour,  seems  to  be  of 
the  highest  importance. 

G.  True;  the  former  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  latter,  and  both  to  grace 
and  peace  being  multiplied  here,  and  to  our 
enjoyment  of  eternal  life  hereafter. 


DIALOGUE  V. 

ON  THE   FREE-AGENCY  OF    MAN. 

C.  Our  last  conversation  on  the  moral 
character  of  God  has  led  me,  Gaius,  to 
desire  your  thoughts  on  the  nature  of  man 
as  a  subject  of  moral  government. 

G.  This  is,  no  doubt,  a  very  interest- 
ing subject.  As  we  all  feel  ourselves 
accountable  beings,  and  must  all  give 
account  of  ourselves  another  day,  it  be- 
comes us  to  know  ourselves  and  the 
nature  of  those  powers  with  which  the 
great  Creator  has  invested  us. 

C.  Do  you  consider  man  as  a  free- 
agent  1 

G.  Certainly ;  to  deny  this  would  be 
to  deny  that  we  are  accountable  to  the 
God  that  made  us.  Necessarians  and 
anti-necessarians  have  disputed  wherein 
free-agency  consists  ;  but  the  thing  itself 
is  allowed  on  both  sides. 

C.  Suppose  then  I  were  to  change  the 
question,  and  ask  wherein  does  free-agen- 
cy consist? 

G.  I  should  answer.  In  the  power  of 
folloioing  the  inclination. 

C.  And  is  it  in  our  power  in  all  cases 
to  follow  our  inclinations  1 

G.  No  :  there  is  such  a  thing  as  invol- 
untary motion.  By  the  exercise  of  an 
absolute  force  upon  our  bodies  we  may  be 
compelled  to  move  against  our  inclination, 
and  to  forbear  to  move  according  to  our 
desire ;  but  in  these  cases  we  are  not  ac- 
countable beings. 

C.  Some  have  thought  man  to  be  a 
free-agent  in  natural  things,  but  not  as  to 
things  moral  and  spiritual. 

G.  This  is  the  same  as  supposing  him 
accountable  only  for  those  things  in  which 
there  is  neither  good  nor  evil;  and  this,  if 
true,  would  prove  rtiat  we  are  not  sul)jects 
of  moral  government,  and  shall  never  be 
called  to  give  account  of  either  good  or 
evil.  Besides,  it  is  a  fact  that  we  as 
freely  pursue  our  inclination  in  spiritual 
as  in  natural   things;    we  as  freely  yield 


G30 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


ourselves  to  the  servants  of  sin,  or  of  God, 
as  ever  we  choose  to  eat,  drink,  or  walk. 

C.  Then  you  think  we  are  free-agents 
in  all  those  matters  which  are  inseparably 
connected  witii  eternal  salvation  1 

G.  Certainly;  if  otherwise,  we  should 
be  equally  incapable  of  rejecting,  as  of 
accepting,  the  gospel  way  of  salvation. 

C.  And  do  you  suppose  we  are  free- 
agents  with  respect  to  keeping  or  breaking 
the  divine  law  1 

G.  I  do  :  we  are  only  required  to  love 
God  with  all  our  strength ;  or  to  conse- 
crate all  our  powers  to  his  service,  be  they 
great  or  small. 

C.  Why  then  do  we  not  keep  the  law 
perfectly  1 

G.  Because  of  the  depravity  of  our 
hearts.  If  our  hearts  or  inclinations  were 
wholly  on  the  side  of  God,  we  should  feel 
no  difficulty  in  keeping  it ;  on  the  contrary, 
it  would  be  our  meat  and  drink. 

C.  But  if  our  hearts  be  depraved,  and 
we  be  enslaved  to  sin,  how  can  we  be  said 
to  be  free  1 

G.  We  cannot  be  morally  free ;  but 
moral  slavery,  any  more  than  moral  lib- 
erty, has  nothing  to  do  with  free-agency. 
The  reason  is  that,  in  this  case,  there  is  no 
force  opposed  to  the  agent's  own  will. 

C.  I  have  often  heard  it  asserted  that 
it  does  not  signify  whether  the  incapacity 
lies  in  the  will  or  in  something  distinct 
from  the  will.  "If  we  cannot  do  good," 
say  they,  "  we  cannot,  and  in  that  case 
we  are  not  free-agents." 

G.  Those  who  speak  thus  of  free- 
agency  must  mean  to  include  in  it  a  free- 
dom from  the  influence  of  motives ;  a 
power  of  acting  with  or  contrary  to  the 
prevailing  inclination ;  or,  at  least,  a  pow- 
er to  change  the  inclination. 

C.  Yes  ;  I  have  heard  it  observed  that 
it  amounts  to  nothing  to  say  Vv^e  have  the 
power  of  following  the  prevailing  inclina- 
tion unless  we  have  also  the  power  of 
counteracting  or   changing  it. 

G.  If,  by  amounting  to  nothing,  they 
mean  that  we  are  not  hereby  any  more 
qualified  to  be  our  own  deliverers  from  the 
thraldom  of  sin  than  if  we  had  no  free- 
agency,  but  must  be  indebted  wholly  to 
sovereign  and  efficacious  grace  for  it,  I  ad- 
mit the  consequences.  Little,  however, 
as  they  make  of  this  idea  of  free-agency, 
I  might  reply,  it  is  all  that  they  them- 
selves can  conceive  of,  and  all  that  can 
be  ascribed  to  any  being  in  heaven,  earth, 
or  hell. 

C.  How  does  this  appear  1 
G.  No  one  can  conceive  of  a  power  of 
voluntarily  acting  against  the  prevailing 
inclination,  for  the  thing  itself  is  a  contra- 
diction ;  and  a  power  of  changing  it  is  no 
less   absurd.     If  a    person   go    about    to 


change  his  prevailing  inclination,  he  must, 
in  so  doing,  be  either  involuntary  or  vol- 
untary. If  the  former,  this  can  be  no 
exercise  of  free-agency ;  if  the  latter,  he 
must  have  two  opposite  prevailing  inclina- 
tions at  the  same  time,  which  is  a  contra- 
diction. And,  if  it  were  not  a  contradic- 
tion, he  still  does  no  more  than  follow 
his  inclination  ;  namely,  his  virtuous  incli- 
nation, which  he  is  supposed  to  possess,  to 
have  his  vicious  inclination  changed.  If 
freedom  from  the  influence  of  motives,  or 
power  to  change  one's  inclination,  be 
essential  to  free-agency,  the  Divine  Being 
himself  is  not  free.  God,  as  all  must 
allow,  possesses  an  immutable  determina- 
tion to  do  what  is  right,  and  cannot  in  the 
least  degree,  or  for  a  single  moment,  in- 
cline to  the  contrary.  His  conduct  is 
necessarily  aud  invariably  expressive  of 
the  infinite  rectitude  of  his  will.  The 
same,  in  a  degi-ee,  might  be  said  of  holy 
angels  and  tlie  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect.  So  far  irom  being  free  from  the 
influence  of  motives,  or  having  a  power  to 
change  the  prevailing  inclination  of  their 
hearts,  those  motives  which,  by  reason 
of  the  depravity  of  our  natures,  have  but 
little  effect  upon  us,  have  full  influence 
upon  them,  and  constantly  determine 
them  to  the  most  ardent  pursuit  of  righ- 
teousness. 

C.  And  yet  you  say  they  are  free- 
agents  1 

G.  If  God,  angels,  and  saints  in  heav- 
en, be  not  free-agents,  who  arel 

C.     But  this  is  moral  liberty. 

G.  True  ;  but  the  same  reasoning  will 
apply  to  moral  slavery.  If  an  unaltei-able 
bias  of  mind  to  do  good  does  not  destroy 
free-agency,  neither  does  an  unalterable 
bias  of  mind  to  evil.  Satan  is  as  much  a 
free-agent  as  Ga])riel,  and  as  much  ac- 
countable to  God  for  all  he  does. 

C.  Some  suppose  man  to  have  lost  his 
free-agency  by  the  fall. 

6r.  Say,  rather,  man  has  lost  his  mor- 
al rectitude  by  the  fall.  All  that  was 
entrusted  in  his  hand  was  lost.  But  we 
might  as  well  say  he  had  lost  his  rea- 
s.on,  his  conscience,  or  his  memory,  as  to 
say  he  had  lost  his  free-agency ;  and  this 
would  be  supposing  him  to  have  lost  his 
intellectual  nature,  and  to  have  become 
literally  a  brute. 

C.  Wherein  does  your  notion  of  free- 
agency  differ  from  the  Arminian  notion  of 
free-v/ill '? 

G.  The  Arminian  notion  of  free- 
will is  what  I  have  all  along  been  op- 
posing :  the  one  consists  merely  in  the 
power  of  following  our  prevailing  inclina- 
tion ;  the  other  in  a  supposed  power  of 
acting  contrary  to  it,  or  at  least  of  chang- 
ing it.     The  one  predicates  freedom  of  the 


GOODNESS    OF    Till:     MOUAL    LA  V\ 


G3] 


mail,  the  other  of  a  laculty  in  iium  ;  which, 
Mr.  Locke,  though  an  atiti-necessarian, 
explodes  as  an  absurdity.  The  one  jioes 
merely  to  render  us  accountable  beings  ; 
the  otiier  arrogantly  claims  a  pari,  yea, 
the  very  turning  point,  ol  salvation.  Ac- 
cording to  tlie  latter,  \\c  need  oidy  cer- 
tain helps  or  assistances,  granted  to  men 
in  common,  to  enable  us  to  choose  the  path 
of  life;  init,  according  to  tiie  lormcr,  our 
hearts  being  l>y  nature  wholly  dei)raved, 
we  need  an  almighty  and  invincible  power 
to  renew  them,  otherwise  our  free-agency 
would  only  accelerate  our  everlasting  ruin. 

C.  You  suppose,  I  imagine,  that  the 
invincible  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
do  not  interfere  with  our  free-agency  1 

G.  Certainly :  if  the  temper  of  the 
heart  does  not  affect  it,  neither  can  any 
change  upon  that  temper.  It  affects  free- 
agency  no  more  than  it  affects  reason, 
conscience,  or  memory :  man  all  along 
feels  himself  at  liberty  to  follow  what  in- 
clination dictates;  and,  therefore,  is  a 
free-agent. 

C.  Does  your  notion  of  free-agency 
agree  with  the  language  of  the  apostle 
Paul  :  "  The  good  that  I  would,  I  do  not; 
and  the  evil  that  I  would  not,  that  I  do." 
— "To  will  is  present;  but  how  to  per- 
form that  which  is  good  I  find  not  1" 

G.  I  think  we  ought  to  distinguish  be- 
tween a  willingness  that  is  habitual  and 
general,  and  one  that  is  universal  and  en- 
tire. Paul,  and  every  real  Christian, 
generally  and  habitually  wills  to  be  holy, 
as  God  is  holy  ;  but  this  volition  is  not 
universal  and  entire.  It  is  not  so  perfect 
nor  intense  as  that  there  is  no  remainder 
of  indolence,  obstinacy,  or  carnality. 
Perfection  is  the  object  approved,  or 
rather  desired ;  but  that  approbation  or 
desire  is  not  perfect  in  degree  :  a  perfect 
degree  of  willingness  would  be  perfect 
holiness. 

C.  Then  you  do  not  suppose  the 
apostle  to  mean  that  sin  operated  abso- 
lutely, and  in  every^sense,  against  his  will  1 

G.  I  do  not :  it  was  certainly  against 
the  ruling  principle  of  his  soul  ;  but  to 
suppose  that  any  sin  can  be  strictly  and 
absolutely  involuntary  in  its  operations 
is  contrary  to  every  dictate  of  common 
sense. 


DIALOGUE    VI. 

ON  THE  GOODNESS  OF  THE  MORAL  LAW. 

C.     Our  last  two  conversations,  on  the 
moral  character  of  God  and  the  frcc-agen- 


cy  of  man,  have,  I  hope,  iieen  of  use  to 
me.  I  have  been  thinking  since  of  the 
great  rule  of  God's  government — the  moral 
law,  as  being  the  image  of  his  moral  char- 
acter. 

G.  Your  idea  is  just  :  God  is  love. 
All  his  moral  attributes  are  but  the  differ- 
ent modifications  of  love,  or  love  operating 
in  dillorent  ways.  Vindictive  justice  it- 
self is  the  love  of  order,  and  is  exercised 
for  the  welfare  of  beings  in  general  ;  and 
the  moral  law,  the  sum  of  which  is  love, 
expresses  the  very  heart  of  him  that  fra- 
med it. 

C.  I  have  been  thinking  of  love  as 
the  band  which  unites  all  holy  intelli- 
gences to  God  and  to  one  another ;  as 
that  in  the  moral  system  which  the  law  of 
attraction  is  in  the  system  of  nature. 

G.  Very  good  :  while  the  planets  re- 
volve round  the  sun  as  their  central  point, 
and  are  supremely  attracted  by  it,  they 
each  have  a  subordinate  influence  upon 
the  other  :  all  attract  and  are  attracted  by 
others  in  their  respective  orbits ;  yet  no 
one  of  these  subordinate  attractions  in- 
terferes with  the  grand  attractive  influ- 
ence of  the  sun,  but  acts  rather  in  perfect 
concurrence  with  it.  Under  some  such 
idea  wc  may  conceive  of  supreme  love  to 
God  and  subordinate  love  to  creatures. 

C.  Among  tiic  planets,  if  I  mistake 
not,  the  attractive  power  of  each  body 
corresponds  with  the  quantity  of  matter 
it  possesses,  and  its  proximity  to  the  oth- 
ers. 

G.  True  :  and  though  in  general  we 
arc  required  to  love  our  neighbor  as  our- 
selves, yet  there  are  some  persons,  on 
account  of  their  suj)crior  value  in  the 
scale  of  being,  and  others  on  account  of 
their  more  immediate  connection  with  us, 
whom  we  arc  allowed  and  even  obliged  to 
love  more  than  the  rest. 

C.  If  we  could  suppose  the  planets 
endued  with  intelligence,  and  any  one  of 
them,  weary  of  revolving  round  the  sun, 
should  desert  its  orbit,  assume  a  distinct 
ccntroship  of  its  own,  and  draw  others  off 
with  it,  what  would  be  the  consequence  1 

G.  Anarchy  and  confusion,  no  doubt, 
with  regard  to  the  system  ;  and  cold  and 
darkness  and  misery,  with  regard  to  those 
which  had  deserted  it. 

C.  And  is  not  this  a  near  resemblance 
to  the  condition  of  apostate  angels  and 
meni 

G.  Doubtless  it  is  ;  and  your  simili- 
tude serves  to  illustrate  the  evil  of  sin,  as 
it  affects  the  harmony  of  the  divine  gov- 
ernment in  general,  and  the  happiness  of 
each  individual  in  particular. 

C.  Is  there  not  a  general  notion  in  the 
minds  of  men  that  the  moral  law  is  too 
strict  and  rigid  for  man  in  his  fallen  state  "? 


632 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


G.  There  is  ;  and  some  who  ought  to 
know  better,  have  compared  its  require- 
ments to  those  of  an  Egyptian  task-mas- 
ter, Avho  demanded  bricks  without  straw  ; 
and  have  recommended  the  gospel  as  being 
at  variance  with  it.  Many,  who  would 
be  thought  the  greatest  it  not  the  only 
friends  of  Christ,  have  made  no  scruple  of 
professing  their  hatred  to  Moses,  as  they 
term  the  moral  law. 

C.  But  does  not  the  precept  of  the 
moral  law  require  what  is  beyond  our 
strength  1 

G.  If,  by  strength,  you  mean  to  include 
inclination,  I  grant  it  does ;  but  if,  by 
strength,  you  mean  what  is  literally  and 
properly  so  called,  it  requires  us  even  now 
but  to  love  God  ivith  all  our  strength.  It 
is  not  in  the  want  of  strength,  literally  and 
strictly  speaking,  that  our  insufficiency  to 
keep  the  divine  law  consists,  but  in  the 
want  of  a  holy  temper  of  mind  ;  and  this, 
instead  of  being  any  excuse,  or  requiring 
an  abatement  of  the  law,  is  the  very  es- 
sence of  that  wherein  blame  consists. 

C.  I  have  thought  it  might  serve  to 
show  the  goodness  of  the  divine  law  if  we 
were  to  suppose  it  reversed.  Suppose, 
instead  of  loving,  God  should  require  us 
to  hate  him  with  all  our  heart,  soul, 
mind,  and  strength,  and  our  neighbor 
likewise  1 

G.  This  would  require  us  to  be  both 
wicked  and  miserable  ;  and  the  idea  is 
sufficient  to  shock  any  person  of  common 
sense. 

C.  But  suppose  God  were  to  require 
us  to  love  him  and  one  another,  only  in  a 
less  degree  ? 

G.  That  would  be  the  same  as  requir- 
ing a  part  of  our  aifection,  and  allowing 
us  to  be  of  a  divided  heart.  Our  powers 
cannot  be  indifferent :  If  they  are  not  ap- 
plied to  the  love  of  God  and  man,  they 
will  be  applied  to  something  opposite, 
even  the  love  of  the  world.  But,  as  the 
love  of  the  world  is  enmity  to  God,  if  this 
were  allowed  it  were  the  same  as  allowing 
men,  in  a  degree,  to  be  at  enmity  with 
him  and  each  other ;  that  is,  to  be  wicked 
and  miserable. 

C.  I  have  several  more  questions  to 
ask  you  on  this  important  subject,  but 
shall  defer  them  to  another  opportunity. 

G.  Farewell  then,  Crispus  :  God  grant 
that  this  divine  law  may  be  found  written 
upon  each  of  our  hearts  ! 

C.     Amen ! 


DIALOGUE  VII. 


ON    ANTINOMIANISM. 


C.  Our  conversation  on  the  moral 
law  has  led  me  to  think  of  some  other  sub- 
jects nearly  related  to  it.  I  have  observed 
that  many  people  have  been  called  Anti- 
nomians  ;  yet  very  few  call  themselves  so. 
What  is  Antinomianism  1 

G.  Enmity  or  opposition  to  the  law  of 
God. 

C.  Are  not  all  men  then  by  nature 
Antinomians  1 

G.  1  believe  they  are  ;  for  the  "  carnal 
mind  is  enmity  against  God  :  it  is  not  sub- 
ject to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  be." 

C.  By  this  passage  it  should  seem  that 
God  and  his  laws  are  so  united  that  a  non- 
subjection  to  the  one  is  enmity  to  the 
other  1 

G.  How  should  it  be  otherwise  1  The 
sum  of  the  law  is  love ;  and,  in  this  case, 
not  to  love  is  to  be  at  enmity. 

C.  All  men,  however,  do  not  profess 
to  be  at  enmity  either  with  God  or  his  law. 

G.  True :  but  many  men  are  very 
different,  you  know,  from  what  they  pro- 
fess to  be,  and  even  from  what  they  con- 
ceive of  themselves. 

C.  1  can  easily  conceive  of  various 
wicked  characters  being  enemies  to  the 
divine  law,  whatever  they  may  say  in  its 
favor. 

G.  And  have  you  not  observed  that 
all  the  different  species  of  false  religion 
agree  in  this  particular! 

C.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  have  suf- 
ficiently.— To  what  do  you  refer  1 

G.  1  refer  to  the  different  forms  in 
which  mankind  quiet  their  consciences  and 
cherish  their  hopes,  while  the  leve  of  God 
and  man  are  neglected.  What  is  super- 
stition but  the  substitution  of  something- 
ceremonial — something  that  may  be  done 
consistently  with  a  heart  at  enmity  with 
God — in  the  place  of  that  which  is  moral  1 
The  tithing  of  mint  and  cummin,  and  vari- 
ous things  of  the  kind,  were  much  more 
agreeable,  to  the  ancient  Pharisees,  than 
judgment,  mercy  and  the  love  oj  God.  The 
modern  Jews  are  greatly  attached  to  cere- 
mony ;  but  the  shocking  indevotion  which 
distinguishes  their  worship,  and  the  mer- 
cenary spirit  which  too  generally  pervades 
their  dealings,  sufficiently  discover  their 
aversion   from   that  law   of    which    they 


ANTINOMIANISM. 


633 


make  their  boast.  Impiety  and  cruelty 
arc  proiiiinent  features  in  the  faces  ot  our 
modern  heathens,  with  all  their  relineincnt ; 
and  the  same  is  oliserval)le  in  others  who 
are  less  relined  :  gods  and  weapons  oi  war 
are  to  he  found  in  the  most  barbarous 
heathen  nations.  Ignorant  as  they  are. 
they  have  all  learned  to  violate  tlie  two 
great  brandies  of  the  moral  law.'  Beads, 
and  pilgrimages,  and  relics,  and  all  the 
retinue  of  Popish  ceremonies,  arc  hut 
substitutes  for  the  love  of  God  and  our 
neighbor.  The  formal  round  of  ceremo- 
nies attended  to  l»y  pharisaieal  professors 
of  all  communities  is  the  same.  Let  an 
attentive  reader  examine  tiic  system  of 
Socinus,  and  even  of  Arminius,  and  he 
will  find  them  agreed  in  opposing  the  na- 
tive e(piity  and  goodness  of  the  moral  law. 
The  former  claims  it  as  a  matter  of  jus- 
tice that  allowances  be  made  for  human 
error  and  imperfection ;  and  the  latter, 
though  it  speaks  of  grace,  and  the  medi- 
ation of  Christ,  and  considers  the  gospel 
as  a  new,  mild,  and  remedial  law,  yet 
would  accuse  you  of  making  the  Almigli- 
ty  a  tyrant,  if  this  grace  were  withheld 
and  the  terms  of  the  moral  law  strictly 
adhered  to.  All  these,  as  well  as  that 
species  of  false  religion  which  has  more 
generally  gone  by  the  name  of  Antinomi- 
anism,  you  see,  are  agreed  in  this  partic- 
ular. This  last,  which  expressly  disowns 
the  moral  law  as  a  rule  of  life,  sets  up  the 
gospel  in  opposition  to  it,  and  substitutes 
visionary  enjoyments  as  the  evidence  of 
an  interest  in  gospel  blessings,  in  place  of 
a  conformity  to  its  precepts. — This  last,  I 
say,  though  it  professes  to  be  greatly  at 
variance  with  several  of  the  foregoing 
schemes,  is  nearer  akin  to  them  than  its 
advocates  are  willing  to  admit.  If  the 
love  of  God  and  man  be  left  out  of  our  re- 
ligion, it  matters  but  little  what  we  substi- 
tute in  its  place.  Whether  it  go  by  the 
name  of  reason  or  superstition,  religious 
ceremony  or  evangelical  lilierty,  all  is  delu- 
sion ;  all  arises  from  the  same  source, 
and  tends  to  the  same  issue.  Good  men 
may  in  a  degree  have  been  beguiled,  and 
for  a  time  carried  away,  with  these  winds 
of  false  doctrine  ;  but  I  speak  of  things  and 
their  natural  tendencies,  not  of  persons. 
In  short,  we  may  safely  consider  it  as  a 
criterion  by  which  any  doctrine  may  be 
tried  :  if  it  be  unfriendly  to  the  moral  /air, 
it  is  not  of  God,  but  proceedeth  from  the 
father  of  lies. 

C.     What  you   have    obsei'ved   seems 

*  This  reflection  was  made  by  a  friend  of  mine, 
on  visitin!!  IVie  British  ^luseuin  and  seeing  vari- 
ous curiosities  from  heathen  countries;  among  which 
were  a  number  of  idols  and  instniments  of  war. 


very  clear  and  very  affecting :  but  I  have 
heard  it  remarked  that  some  of  these  sys- 
tems naturally  attach  their  adiierents  to 
the  works  of  the  law. 

(t.  Tiiis  is  very  true  ;  Imt  there  is  a 
wide  difl'erence  between  an  attachment  to 
the  law,  and  an  attachment  to  the  xrorks  oj 
the  law  as  the  ground  of  eternal  life  ;  as 
much  as  between  the  spirit  of  a  faithful 
servant  who  loves  his  master,  loves  his 
family,  loves  his  service,  and  never  wishes 
to  go  out  free,  and  that  of  a  slothful  ser- 
vant, wlio,  tiiough  he  hates  his  master, 
hates  his  family,  hates  his  employment  and 
never  did  any  real  service,  yet  has  the 
presumption  to  expect  his  reward. 

C.  This  distinction  seems  of  great  im- 
portance, as  it  serves  to  reconcile  those 
Scriptures  wliich  speak  in  favor  of  the 
law  and  those  which  speak  against  an  at- 
tachment to  the  works  of  it. 

G.  It  is  the  same  distinction,  only  in 
other  words,  which  has  commonly  been 
made  respecting  the  law  as  a  rule  of  life 
and  as  a  covenant. 

C.  Will  you  be  so  obliging  as  to  point 
out  a  few  of  the  consequences  of  denying 
the  law  to  be  the  rule  of  life,  and  re- 
presenting it  as  at  variance  with  the  gos- 
pell 

G.  First:  This  doctrine  directly  mil- 
itates against  all  those  scriptures  which 
speak  in  favor  of  the  moral  law,  and  af- 
ford us  an  honorable  idea  of  it ;  sucii  as 
the  following: — "  O  how  I  love  thy  law  !" 
— "  The  law  is  holy,  and  the  command- 
ment is  holy,  just,  and  good." — "  I  come 
not  to  destroy  the  law,  but  to  fulfil  it." — 
"  Do  we  make  void  the  law  through 
faith  1  God  forbid;  Yea,  we  establish 
the  law." — "  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God 
after  the  inner  man." — "I  with  my  mind 
serve  the  law  of  God."  Secondly  :  This 
doctrine  reflects  upon  God  himself  for 
having  given  a  law  under  one  dispensa- 
tion which  is  at  variance  with  a  gospel 
given  under  another.  Thirdly  :  It  justi- 
fies the  sinner  in  the  breach  of  the  law. 
There  can  be  no  evil  in  sin,  but  in  propor- 
•tion  to  the  goodness  of  that  law  of  which 
it  is  a  transgression.  Fourthly:  It  is  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  life  and  death  of 
the  Saviour.  By  the  former  he  obeyed  its 
precepts,  by  the  latter  endured  its  penalty, 
and  by  both  declared  it  to  be  holy,  just, 
and  good.  Every  reflection,  therefore, 
upon  the  moral  law  is  a  reflection  upon 
Christ.  Fifthly  :  It  strikes  at  the  root  of 
all  personal  religion,  and  opens  the  flood- 
gates to  iniquity.  Those  who  imbibe  this 
doctrine  talk  of  being  sanctijied  in  Christ, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  supersede  all  per- 
sonal and  progi-essive  sanctification  in  the 
believer. 


VOL.   I. 


80 


634 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


DIALOGUE  VIII. 

ON  HUMAN  DJEPRAVITY. 

C  I  thank  you,  Gaius,  for  your  ob- 
servations on  various  important  subjects  ; 
and  now,  if  agreeable,  I  should  be  glad 
of  your  thoughts  on  the  painful  but  in- 
teresting subject  of  human  depravity. 

O.  An  interesting  subject  indeed ! 
Perhaps  there  is  no  one  truth  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  a  more  fundamental  nature  with 
respect  to  the  gospel-way  of  salvation. 
I  never  knew  a  person  verge  toward  the 
Arminian,  the  Arian,  the  Socinian,  or  the 
Antinomian  schemes,  without  first  enter- 
taining diminutive  notions  of  human  de- 
pravity, or  blameworthiness. 

C.  Wherein  do  you  conceive  deprav- 
ity to  consist  1 

G.  In  the  opposite  to  what  is  required 
by  the  divine  law. 

C.  The  sum  of  the  divine  law  is  love  ; 
the  essence  of  depravity  then  must  consist 
in  the  want  of  love  to  God  and  our  neigh- 
bor ;  or  in  setting  up  some  other  object, 
or  objects,  to  the  exclusion  of  them. 

G.  True  ;  and  perhaps  it  will  be  found 
that  all  the  olijects  set  up  in  competition 
with  God  and  our  neighbor  may  be  re- 
duced to  one,  and  that  is  self.  Private  self- 
love  seems  to  be  the  root  of  depravity ; 
the  grand  succedaneum  in  human  affec- 
tions to  the  love  of  God  and  man.  Self- 
admiration,  self-will,  and  self-righteous- 
ness, are  but  different  modifications  of  it. 
Where  this  prevails,  the  creature  assumes 
the  place  of  the  Creator,  and  seeks  his 
own  gratification,  honor,  and  interest,  as 
the  ultimate  end  of  all  his  actions.  Hence, 
Avhen  the  apostle  describes  men  under  a 
variety  of  wicked  characters,  the  first  link 
in  the  chain  is — lovers  of  their  own  selves. 
Hence  also  the  first  and  grand  lesson  in 
the  Christian  school  is — to  deny  ourselves. 

C.  Almost  all  evangelical  writers,  I 
believe,  have  considered  men  as  utterly 
depraved;  and  that  not  by  education,  or 
any  accidental  cause  or  causes,  but  by 
nature,  as  they  are  born  into  the  world. 

G.  They  have.  This  was  manifestly 
the  doctrine  generally  embraced  at  the 
Reformation,  and  which  has  been  main- 
tained by  the  advocates  for  salvation  by 
sovereign  grace  in  every  age. 

C.  Yet,  one  should  think,  if  men  were 
totally  depraved,  they  would  be  all  and 
always  alike  wicked. 

G.  If  by  total  depravity  you  mean 
that  men  are  so  corrupt  as  to  be'  incapable 
of  adding  sin  to  sin,  I  know  of  no  person 
who  maintains  any  such  sentiment.  All  I 
mean  by  the  term  is  this  .—That  the  hu- 


man heart  is  by  nature  totally  destitute  of 
love  to  God,  or  love  to  man  as  the  crea- 
ture of  God,  and  consequently  is  destitute 
of  all  true  virtue,  A  being  may  be  utterly 
destitute  of  good,  and  therefore  totally  de- 
praved (such,  it  will  be  allowed,  is  Satan,) 
and  yet  be  capable  of  adding  iniquity  to 
iniquity  without  end. 

C.  I  should  be  glad  if  you  would 
point  out  a  few  of  the  principal  evidences 
on  which  the  doctrine  of  human  depravity 
is  founded. 

G.  The  principal  evidences  that  strike 
me  at  this  time  may  be  drawn  from  the 
four  following  sources ;  Scripture  testi- 
mony, history,  observation,  and  experi- 
ence. 

C.  What  do  you  reckon  the  principal 
Scripture  testimonies  on  this  subject  1 

G.  Those  passages  which  expressly 
teach  it;  such  as  the  following: — "And 
God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man  Avas 
great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagina- 
tion of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only 
evil  continually." — "  God  looked  down 
from  heaven  upon  the  children  of  men,  to 
see  if  there  were  any  that  did  understand, 
that  did  seek  God.  Every  one  of  them  is 
gone  back,  they  are  altogether  become 
filthy  :  there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no 
not  one." — "  Both  Jews  and  Gentiles  are 
all  under  sin ;  as  it  is  written.  There  is 
none  righteous,  no  not  one.  Destruction 
and  misery  are  in  their  ways,  and  the  way 
of  peace  have  they  not  known.  There  is 
no  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes." — "  The 
carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  ;  for  it 
is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither 
indeed  can  be." — "  The  whole  world  lieth 
in  wickedness." — "  Among  whom  also  we 
all  had  our  conversation  in  times  past,  in 
the  lusts  of  our  flesh,  fulfilling  the  desires 
of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind  ;  and  Avere  by 
nature  the  children  of  wrath,  even  as  oth- 
ers."— Those  passages  also  Avhich  teach 
the  necessity  of  regeneration.  If  men 
were  not  essentially  depraved,  a  reforma- 
tion might  suffice  ;  but,  if  all  be  corrupt, 
the  whole  fabric  must  be  taken  down : 
"  Old  things  must  pass  away,  and  all  things 
must  become  new." 

C.  What  evidence  do  you  derive  from 
history  in  favor  of  this  doctrine  1 

G.  If  our  limits  would  allow  us  to  sur- 
vey the  histoiy  of  mankind  from  their 
first  apostasy  to  this  day,  the  amount 
would  go  to  prove  what  the  Scriptures 
affirm — that "  the  whole  earth  lieth  in 
wickedness."  The  circumstances  and 
changes  among  mankind  have  been  vari- 
ous. They  have  greatly  differed  in  their 
manners,  customs  and  religions  :  one  age 
has  established  what  another  has  demol- 
ished ;  in  some  ages  they  have  been  en- 
veloped  in  ignorance,  in  others  irradiated. 


HUMAN     DEIKAMIV 


635 


by  science;  but  in  all  ages  and  in  all  cir- 
cumstances they  have  been  alicnaled 
from  tlic  love  of  God. 

C.  The  history  of  the  world,  though  it 
appear  to  favor  the  doctrine  in  question, 
yet  seems  to  be  too  larirc  and  complicate 
an  ol)ject  to  be  viewed  distinctly.  Sup- 
pose you  were  to  sinjrle  out  one  nation  as 
a  specimen   of  the  whole. 

G.  Very  well ;  and  suppose  this  one 
nation  to  have  been  attentled  above  all 
others  with  mercies  and  judgments,  divine 
laws,  special  interpositions,  and  every 
thing  that  could  have  any  tendency  to 
meliorate  the  hearts  of  men. 

C.  You  seem  to  have  in  view  the  na- 
tion  of  Israel. 

G.  I  have  ;  and  the  rather  because  I 
consider  this  nation  as  designed  of  God 
to  alford  a  specimen  of  human  nature. 
The  Divine  Being  singled  tliem  out, 
crowned  them  with  goodness,  strengthen- 
ed them  with  the  teiulcrest  encourage- 
ments, awed  them  witii  the  most  tremen- 
dous threatenings,  wrought  his  wonderful 
works  before  their  eyes,  and  insjiired  his 
servants  to  give  us  a  faithful  history  of 
their  character.  I  need  not  repeat  what 
this  character  is.  Excepting  the  conduct 
of  a  few  godly  people  among  them,  which, 
being  the  eliect  of  divine  grace,  arg-ues 
nothing  against  the  doctrine  in  question, 
it  is  a  series  of  rebellion  and  continued 
departures  from  the  living  God. 

C.  What  additional  evidence  in  favor 
of  this  doctrine  do  you  derive  from  ob- 
servation ! 

G.  In  looking  into  tlie  composition  of 
the  human  mind,  we  observe  various  pas- 
sions and  propensities  ;  and  if  we  inspect 
their  operations,  we  shall  sec  in  each  a 
marked  aversion  from  the  true  God,  and 
iVom  all  true  religion.  For  example  : 
Man  loves  to  think,  and  cannot  live  with- 
out thinking ;  but  he  does  not  love  to 
think  of  God ;  "  God  is  not  in  all  his 
thoughts."  Man  delights  in  activity,  is 
perpetually  in  motion,  but  has  no  heart  to 
act  for  God.  Men  take  jileasure  in  con- 
versation, and  are  never  more  cheerful 
than  when  engaged  in  it  ;  but  if  God  and 
religion  l>e  introduced  they  are  usually 
struck  dumb,  and  discover  an  inclination 
to  drop  the  subject.  Men  greatly  delight 
in  hearing  and  telling  neivs  ;  but,  if  the 
glorious  news  of  the  gospel  be  sounded  in 
their  ears,  it  frequently  proves  as  unwel- 
come as  Paul's  preaching  at  Athens.  In 
fine,  man  feels  the  necessity  of  a  God, 
but  has  no  relish  for  the  true  God.  There 
is  a  remarkable  instance  of  this  in  the 
conduct  of  those  nations  planted  by  the 
king  of  Assyria  in  the  cities  of  Samaria. 
They  were  consumed  liy  wild  beasts,  and 
considered  it  as  an  expression  of  displea- 


sure from  the  god  of  the  land.  Tiiey 
wished  to  become  acquainted  with  him, 
that  they  might  please  him.  An  Israelitish 
priest  is  sent  to  leach  them  the  manner  of 
the  god  of  the  land.  But,  when  he  taught 
them  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  his  character 
and  worship  do  not  seem  to  have  suited 
their  taste  ;  tor  each  nation  preferred  the 
worshij)  of  its  own  gods. — 2  Kings  xvii. 

C.  What  evidence  do  you  draw  in  fa- 
vor of  this  doctrine  from  experience? 

G.  The  best  of  men,  whose  lives  are 
recorded  in  holy  Scripture,  have  al- 
ways confessed  and  lamented  the  depravi- 
ty of  their  nature  ;  and  I  never  knew  a 
character  truly  penitent,  iiut  he  was  con- 
vinced of  it.  It  is  a  strong  presumjition 
against  the  contrary  doctrine  that  the 
light-minded  and  dissipated  part  of  man- 
kind are  generally  its  advocates ;  w  hile 
the  humble,  the  serious,  and  the  godly, 
as  generally  acknowledge,  with  the  apos- 
tle, that,  "  fulfilling  the  desires  of  the 
flesh  and  of  the  nund,  they  were  by  na- 
ture children  of  wrath,  even  as  others." 

C.  I  have  several  more  inquiries  to 
make  on  this  interesting  subject,  which  I 
must  defer  till  another  opportunity. 


DIALOGUE    IX. 

ON  THE  TOTAL,  DEPRAVITY  OF  HUMAN 
NATURE. 

G.  1  think  you  said,  Crispus,  at  the 
close  of  our  last  conversation,  on  the  de- 
pravity of  human  nature,  that  you  had 
several  questions  to  ask  upon  the  suliject. 

C.  I  did  so.  No  subject  has  appear- 
ed to  me  more  interesting  or  more  preg- 
nant with  important  consequences.  The 
doctrine  of  total  depravity,  according  to 
your  own  explication  of  it,  seems  to  im- 
ply that  all  that  which  is  called  virtue  in 
unregenerate  men  in  not  virtue  in  reality, 
and  contains  nothing  in  it  pleasing  to  God, 
is  no  part  of  tlieir  duty  tow  ards  him  ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  is  of  the  very  nature 
of  sin. 

G.  And  what  if  these  consequences 
were  admitted  1 

C.  I  have  not  been  used  to  consider 
things  in  so  strong  a  light.  I  have  gener- 
ally thought  that  men  are  universally  de- 
praved ;  that  is,  that  all  their  powers, 
thoughts,  volitions,  and  actions,  are  taint- 
ed with  sin  ;  but  it  never  struck  me  be- 
fore that  this  depravity  was  total,  so  total 
as  that  all  their  actions  are  of  the  very 
natui'e  of  sin. 

G.     You  must  admit  that  this  was  the 


636 


DIALOGUES     AND    LETTERS. 


doctrine  embraced  by  the  English  Re- 
formers. They  tell  us  that  "works  done 
before  the  grace  of  Christ  and  the  inspira- 
tion of  his  Spirit  are  not  pleasing  to  God, 
forasmuch  as  they  spring  not  of  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  neither  do  they  make  men 
meet  to  receive  grace,  or  (as  the  school 
authors  say)  deserve  grace  of  congruity  : 
yea,  rather,  for  that  they  are  not  done  as 
God  hath  willed  and  commanded  them  to 
be  done,  we  doubt  not  but  they  have  the 
nature   of  sin."* 

C.  True  ;  but  I  should  have  suspected 
that  they  had  carried  things  rather  to  an 
extreme.  There  is  something  so  awful  in 
the  thought  of  a  human  life  being  one  un- 
mixed course  of  evil ;  so  contrary  to  what 
appears  in  numberless  characters,  whom 
we  cannot  but  respect  for  many  amiable 
qualities,  though  they  do  not  appear  to 
be  the  subjects  of  true  religion;  in  a 
word,  so  discouraging  to  every  effort  for 
the  attainment  of  any  virtue  short  of  real 
godliness,  that  my  heart  revolts  at  the 
idea. 

G.  I  am  willing  to  examine  every 
difficulty  you  can  advance.  Before  you 
raise  your  objections,  however,  your  first 
inquiry,  I  think,  ought   to  be,  Is  it  true? 

C.  Very  well ;  proceed  then  to  state 
your  evidences. 

G.  The  following  are  the  principal  ev- 
idences which  occur  to  me  at  present :  1. 
All  those  passages  of  Scripture  cited  in 
the  last  Dialogue  which  expressly  teach 
it,  declaring  that  "  every  imagination," 
purpose,  or  desire,  "  of  man's  heart  is 
only  evil  continually" — that  "there  is 
none  that  seeketh  after  God" — "every 
one  of  them  is  gone  back" — "  they  are 
altogether  become  filthy" — "there  is 
none  that  doeth  good,  no  not  one."  2. 
Those  Scriptures  which  declare  the  utter 
impossibility  of  carnal  men  doing  any 
thing  to  please  God;  such  as,  "Without 
faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God." — 
*'Tobe  carnal  minded  is  death." — "Be- 
cause the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against 
God;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of 
God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  So,  then, 
they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please 
God."t  If  they  that  are  in  the  flesh  did 
any  part  of  their  duty  towards  God,  or  if 
what  they  did  were  good  and  virtuous  in 
his  sight,  so  far  as  it  goes,  their  minds 
would  so  far  be  subject  to  the  law  of 
God,  and,  being  such,  they  might  and 
would  please  him ;  for  God  is  not  a  ca- 
pricious  or  hard   master,   but  is  pleased 

*  Article  XIII.  of  the  Church  of  England, 
t  See   this    passage   clearly   illuslraled,   and  the 
truth   contained  in  it  fully  enforced,  in    two   pieces 
in  the  Evangelical  Magazine  for  August  and  De- 
cember, 1703,  pp.  72.  239. 


with  righteousness  wherever  he  sees  it. 
3.  Those  Scriptures  which  speak  of  the 
whole  of  goodness  or  virtue  as  compre- 
hended in  love  ;  namely,  the  love  of  God 
and  our  neighbor: — "Love  is  the  fulfil- 
ling of  the  law." — "Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind, 
and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself."  If  the  love  of  God  su- 
premely, and  the  love  of  creatures  subor- 
dinately,  comprise  the  whole  of  virtue, 
where  these  are  wanting,  virtue  can  have 
no  existence.  And  that  these  are  want- 
ing in  all  ungodly  men  is  evident,  for 
"  they  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  them  ;" 
and,  where  God  is  not  loved  supremely, 
creatures  cannot  be  loved  in  subordina- 
tion to  him;  but  are  either  disregariled, 
or  regarded  on  some  other  account  :  such 
love,  therefore,  has  no  virtue  in  it,  but  is 
of  the  nature  of  sin.  4.  Those  Scrip- 
tures which  teach  the  necessity  of  re- 
generation to  eternal  life  : — "  Ye  must  be 
born  again." — "Except  a  man  be  born 
of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  ol  God." — "  If 
any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  crea- 
ture ;  old  things  are  passed  away,  and  all 
things  are  become  new."  If  there  were 
any  degree  of  virtue  in  the  carnal  heart, 
or  any  thing  that  was  pleasing  to  God,  it 
might  be  cultivated  and  increased  ;  and  in 
this  case  old  things  need  not  pass  away, 
and  all  things  become  new.  Regenera- 
tion would  be  unnecessary  ;  a  mere  refor- 
mation, or  an  improvement  of  principles 
already  inherent  in  man,  would  suffice. 
5.  Those  Scriptures  which  promise  the 
blessings  of  salvation  and  eternal  life  to 
every  degree  of  righteousness  or  true 
virtue: — "All  things  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  God." — "Christ 
is  the  author  of  eternal  salvation  to  all 
them  that  obey  him." — "He  that  doth 
righteousness  is  righteous." — "They  that 
have  done  good  shall  rise  to  the  resurrec- 
tion of  life." — "He  that  giveth  a  cup  of 
cold  water  to  a  disciple,  in  the  name  of  a 
disciple,"  or  because  he  belongs  to  Christ, 
"shall  have  a  disciple's  reward."  In 
these  passages  we  must  observe  that 
God's  gracious  declarations  and  promises 
are  not  made  to  this  or  that  degree  of 
goodness,  but  to  eveiy  or  any  degree  of 
it :  or,  rather,  it  is  not  the  degree,  but 
the  nature  of  it,  that  is  considered  in  the 
divine  promise.  Hence  we  may  certain- 
ly conclude  thptt  unregenerate  men  have 
not  the  least  degree  of  real  goodness  in 
them,  or  of  any  thing  that  is  pleasing 
to  God. 

C.  I  must  acknowledge  there  is  much 
apparent  force  in  these  arguments,  and  I 
am  not  at  present  sufficiently  prepared  to 


HUMAN    DF.PRAVITV. 


637 


encounter  them  ;  but  I  have  some  strong 
objections  in  my  mind,  which  I  wish  to 
have    thoroughly  discussed. 

G.  With  ail  my  heart.  Consider, 
Crispus,  the  tbrco  of  what  has  been  al- 
ready alleged,  and  let  me  have  your  ob- 
jections in  the  strongest  light  in  which 
you  are  capable  of  arranging  them. 

C.  I  will  endeavor  to  comply  with 
vour  advice,  and  the  result  of  it  shall  be 
the  subject  of  a  future  discussion. 


LETTER  I. 

ON  THE  TOTAL  DEPRAVITY  OF  HUMAN 
NATURE. 

[Oispusto  Gaius.] 


C n,  July  3,  1794. 

My  DEAR  Friend, 

As  Providence  has  lately,  by  removing 
my  situation,  deprived  me  of  the  pleasure 
of  your  company,  I  hope  that  defect  may 
be  in  some  measure  supplied  by  writing. 
The  subject  of  our  last  two  interviews,  on 
the  total  depravity  of  human  nature,  has 
much  occupied  my  attention.  I  feel  it  to 
he  a. fundamental  principle  in  religion;  it 
is  that,  take  it  how  we  will,  on  which  al- 
most all  other  principles  are  founded.  I 
have  objections  to  your  ideas  of  this  doc- 
trine, 1  confess ;  and  you  desired  me 
when  we  were  last  together,  to  place 
them  in  the  strongest  light  I  was  able. 
The  principal  things  which  have  hitherto 
occurred  to  me  may  be  reduced  to  the  fol- 
lowing heads : — 

First :  The  Scriptures  appear  to  speak 
with  approbation  of  some  actions  perform- 
ed by  unregenerate  men,  and  even  God 
himself  is  represented  as  rewarding  them. 
It  appears  to  have  been  thus  in  the  case 
of  Ahab,  when  he  humbled  himself;  and 
the  Ninevites,  when  they  repented  at  the 
preaching  of  Jonah;  as  also  in  the  case 
of  the  young  ruler  in  the  gospel,  whom 
our  Lord  is  represented  to  have  loved; 
and  the  discreet  scribe,  whom  he  assured 
that  he  was  "  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  Now,  if  all  the  actions  of  un- 
regenerate men  are  of  the  nature  of  sin, 
these  must  have  been  so;  but,  if  these 
were  so,  how  are  we  to  account  for  the 
favorable  manner  in  which  they  were 
treated  1 

Secondly:  The  common  sense  of  man- 
kind unites  to  attribute  many  excellences 
and  amiable  qualities  to  persons  whom, 
nevertheless,  we  are  obliged,  from  other 
parts  of  their  conduct,  to  consider  as  des- 


titute of  true  religion.  Is  it  not  right  and 
amiable,  even  in  the  sight  of  God,  so  far 
as  it  goes,  that  children  are  dutiful  tot  heir 
parents,  and  parents  aiVectionatc  to  their 
children  ;  that  men  are  oiiediont  to  the 
laws,  benevolent  to  the  |)oor,  faithlul  in 
their  connexions,  and  just  in  their  deal- 
ings !  And  is  it  not  evident  to  universal 
observation  that  these  arc  things  which 
may  Vie  found  in  characters  who,  never- 
theless, by  other  parts  of  their  conduct, 
evince  themselves  to  be  strangers  to  true 
religion  1 

Thirdly  :  Every  man  is  possessed  of 
conscience,  which  bears  witness  to  him,  in 
unnumbered  instances,  of  what  is  right 
and  wrong;  and  this  witness  is  known  to 
have  considcral)le  influence  even  on  wick- 
ed men,  so  as  to  impel  them  to  the  per- 
formances of  many  good  actions,  and  to 
deter  them  from  others  which  are  evil. 

Fourthly  :  If  all  the  actions  of  unregen- 
erate men  be  not  only  mixed  with  sin, 
but  are  in  their  own  nature  sinful,  then, 
whether  they  eat  or  drink,  or  whatever 
they  do,  they  sin  against  God  :  but  eating 
and  drinking,  in  moderation,  appear  to  be 
mere  natural  actions,  and  to  have  in  them 
neither  moral  good  nor  moral  evil. 

Lastly  :  If  all  the  actions  of  unregener- 
ate men  be  in  their  own  nature  sinful, 
surely  there  can  be  no  ground  for  a  minis- 
terial address,  no  motive  by  which  to  ex- 
hort them  to  cease  from  evil  and  do  good ; 
nor  any  encouragement  afforded  them  to 
comply  with  any  thing  short  of  what  is 
spiritually  good.  It  has  been  very  com- 
mon for  even  the  advocates  of  salvation 
by  free  grace  to  distinguish  between  mor- 
al virtue  and  true  religion ;  the  former 
they  have  allowed  to  exist  in  a  degree  in 
unregenerate  men,  and  have  thought  it 
their  duty  to  encourage  it,  though  at  the 
same  time  they  have  insisted  on  the  ne- 
cessity of  what  is  superior  to  it.  But 
your  ideas  of  total  depravity  would  go  to 
destroy  this  distinction,  and  render  what 
has  been  usually  called  moral  virtue  no 
virtue.  "  This,"  I  remember  an  inge- 
nious writer  once  observed,  "is  not  ortho- 
doxy, but  extravagance."  For  my  part, 
I  would  not  speak  so  strongly  ;  yet  I  can- 
not but  say,  you  seem  to  carry  things  to 
an  extreme.  I  am  free  to  own,  however, 
that  I  feel  the  difTiculty  of  answering  what 
you  advanced  in  ihe  last  dialogue.  Every 
truth  is  doubtless  consistent  with  other 
truths.  Happy  should  I  be  to  obtain  sat- 
isfactory and  consistent  views  on  this  im- 
portant  subject. 

Some  religious  people,  to  whom  I  have 
repeated  the  suV)stances  of  our  conversa- 
tions do  not  at  all  appear  to  be  interested 
by  them.  They  seem  to  me  to  be  con- 
tented  with   a   confused    and    superficial 


638 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


view  of  things.  I  wish  I  could  transfer 
my  feelings  to  them.  Did  they  but  know 
the  worth  of  just  sentiments  in  religion, 
they  would  think  no  labor  too  great  to 
obtain  them.  They  seem  to  be  averse 
from  the  pain  which  accompanies  a  state 
of  hesitation  and  suspense,  and  therefore 
decline  to  examine  all  those  difficult  sub- 
jects which  Avould  produce  it.  But  then 
they  are  of  course  equally  unacquainted 
with  the  pleasure  which  arises  from  the 
solution  of  these  difficulties,  and  from  ob- 
taining clear  and  satisfactory  views  of 
divine  subjects.  Surely  it  were  criminal 
indolence  in  us,  as  well  as  meanness,  if, 
rather  than  be  at  the  trouble  of  drawing 
from  a  deep  well,  we  ai"e  contented  to  sip 
muddy  waters  from  any  puddle  that  pre- 
sents itself. 

Your   answer   to   the   above   will  much 
oblige 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

CRISPUS. 


LETTER  II. 

ON    THE     TOTAL     DEPRAVITY     OP    HUMAN 
NATURE. 

[In  reply  to  the  objections  of  Crispus.] 

K ,  Dec.   5,  1794. 

My  dear  Friend, 

I  received  yours  with  pleasure.  It  is 
quite  agreeable  to  me  to  supply,  as  well 
as  may  be,  the  defect  of  personal  inter- 
course by  a  free  and  friendly  correspon- 
dence. Your  thirst  after  truth  is  pleas- 
ing. Would  to  God  we  were  all  more  of 
that  temper  which  seeks  for  wisdom  with 
the  ardor  of  those  who  dig  for  hidden 
treasures  !  I  intend  it  not  as  a  mere  com- 
pliment, when  I  say  that  you  have  stated 
your  objections  to  the  doctrine  of  total 
depravity  in  as  plausible  a  manner  as  I 
ever  recollect  to  have  seen  them.  I  will 
endeavor  to  give  them  all  the  weight  they 
possess. 

The  point  in  dispute  between  us,  you 
will  observe,  is,  Whether  an  unregenerate 
sinner  can  be  said  to  perform  any  part  of 
his  duty,  or  to  obtain  in  any  measure  the 
approbation  of  his  Maker.  And  I  hope 
you  will  consider  that  this  is,  for  sub- 
stance, the  same  thing  as  whether  the 
carnal  mind  be  wholly  enmity  against 
God,  or  whether  it  he  in  any  measure  sub- 
ject to  the  law  of  God,  or  indeed  can  be. 
You  allow,  I  think,  that,  whatever  excel- 
lences such  characters  possess,  "  the  love 
of  God  is  not  in  them,"  no,  not  in  any  de- 


gree. Their  amiable  qualities  therefore, 
be  they  what  they  may,  must  be  some- 
thing quite  distinct  from  love,  or  any  of 
its  operations.  But,  as  "love  is  the  ful- 
filling of  the  law,"  it  must  comprehend 
the  whole  of  moral  excellence ;  and  con- 
sequently there  can  be  no  moral  excel- 
lence in  the  sight  of  God  without  it. 

You  first  reason  from  the  cases  of 
Ahab,  the  Ninevites,  the  young  man 
whom  our  Lord  is  said  to  have  loved,  and 
the  scribe  who  was  declared  to  be  "not 
far  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  In  an- 
swer to  which  I  would  observe,  Though 
the  great  God  knoweth  the  secrets  of  all 
hearts,  yet  in  the  government  of  the 
world  he  does  not  always  proceed  upon 
this  principle.  He  has  sometimes  thought 
fit  to  reward  men  for  their  actions,  not 
because  he  approved  of  them  as  actions  of 
theirs,  but  merely  because  they  tended  to 
subserve  his  own  great  and  wise  designs. 
God  rewarded  Nebuchadnezzar  for  his 
long  siege  against  Tyre,  by  giving  him 
the  land  of  Egypt ;  yet  Nebuchadnezzar 
did  nothing  iu  this  undertaking  which  in 
its  own  nature  could  approve  itself  to 
God.  The  only  reason  why  he  was  thus 
rewarded  was  that  what  he  had  done  sub- 
served the  divine  purposes  in  punishing 
Tyre  for  her  insulting  treatment  towards 
the  people  of  God.*  God  also  rewarded 
Cyrus  with  treasures  of  Babylon,  "the 
hidden  riches  of  secret  places."  as  they 
are  called ;  not  because  Cyrus  did  any 
thing  that  was  pleasing  in  his  sight ;  his 
motive  was  the  lust  of  dominion  :  but 
because  what  he  did  effected  the  deliver- 
ance of  Judah,  and  fulfilled  the  divine 
predictions  upon  Babylon. 

And  as,  in  the  great  system  of  the  di- 
vine government,  actions  may  be  reward- 
ed which  have  no  appearance  of  innate 
goodness,  so  others  may  be  rewarded 
which  have  such  an  appearance,  even 
though  it  be  nothing  but  appearance. 
God  does  not  always  avail  himself  of  his 
omniscience,  if  I  may  so  speak  ;  but  pro- 
ceeds upon  the  supposition  that  men  are 
what  they  profess  and  appear  to  be.  The 
end  of  Jehovah  in  punishing  the  person 
and  the  house  of  Ahab  was  to  make  man- 
ifest his  displeasure  against  their  idola- 
tries. But  if,  when  Ahab  humbled  him- 
self and  rent  his  garments,  God  had  pro- 
ceeded towards  him  on  the  ground  of  his 
omniscience,  and,  knowing  him  to  be  des- 
titute of  sincerity,  had  made  no  difference 
in  his  treatment  of  him,  that  end  would 
not  have  been  answered.  For,  whatever 
might  be  Ahab's  motives,  they  were  un- 
known to  men  :  and,  if  no  difference  had 


Ezek. 


XXV  i.    1 — 7  ;    xxix.  17 — 2. 

■j-  Isaiah  xlv.  3. 


HUMAN    DEI'KAVITV. 


639 


appeared  in  llic  divine  treatment,  tlicy 
would  have  concluded  that  it  was  vain  to 
serve  God.  It  see?ued  <:ood  tliereCore  to 
him,  in  the  present  life,  to  treat  Aiial) 
u|)on  the  sujiposition  of  his  heinu'  sincere  : 
and,  as  to  his  insincerity,  he  will  call  him 
to  account  tor  that   anotiier  day. 

Tiiere  is  a  case,  much  resemlilinii  this 
oiAiiai),  in  the  liistory  of  Al'ijah,  the  son 
ol  Ucholioam.  In  2  Cliron.  xiii.  we  read  ol' 
his  wars  with  Jeroltoam  the  sonofNclat, 
king;  of  Israel,  and  how  he  addressed  the 
ajiostate  Israelites  previously  to  the  liattle. 
Ilavine  reproached  them  witii  IbrsaUing 
the  God  of  their  fathers,  and  turnin<r  to 
idolatry,  he  adds,  "But,  as  for  us,  Jeho- 
vah is  our  God,  and  we  have  not  forsak- 
en him  :  and  the  priests  which  minister 
unto  Jehovah  are  tlic  sons  of  Aaron,  and 
the  Levitcs  wait  upon  their  business : 
and  they  bring;  unto  Jehovah,  every  morn- 
inii  and  every  evening^,  burnt  sacrifices 
and  sweet  incense  :  the  show-brea"d  also 
sot  they  in  order  upon  the  |)urc  table,  and 
the  candlestick  of  gold,  witii  the  lamps 
thereof,  to  burn  every  evening;  :  for  we 
keep  the  charge  of  Jehovah  our  God;  but 
ye  have  forsaken  him.  And,  iiehold,  God 
himself  is  with  iis  for  our  captain,  and  his 
priests  with  sounding  trumpets  to  cry 
alarm  against  you.  O  ye  children  of  Is- 
rael, fight  ye  not  against  Jehovaii,  God  of 
your  fathers;  for  ye  shall  not  prosper!" 
To  all  appearance  this  prince  was  zealous 
.'"or  Jehovah,  God  of  Israel  ;  and  one  might 
suppose  that  the  signal  victory  given  him 
over  Jerolioam  was  an  expression  of  divine 
approbation:  but,  if  we  turn  to  the  ac- 
count given  of  the  same  reign  in  1  Kings 
XV.,  we  shall  find  thai  this  Abijali  (or 
Aliijam,  as  he  is  there  called)  was  a  wick- 
ed prince;  that,  notwithstanding  his 
boasted  language  when  addressing  Israel, 
he  walked  in  all  ihe  sins  of  his  father; 
and  that,  although  God  gave  him  a  signal 
victory  over  the  idolatrous  Israelites,  yet 
it  was  not  for  his  sake,  or  out  of  regard  to 
any  thing  he  did,  l)ut  for  David's  sake, 
and  for  the  eslablishment  of  Jerusalem. 
His  attachment  to  Jehovah  was  nothing 
better  than  pharisaical  formality  ;  and  his 
boastings  of  the  state  of  thint^s  in  Judah 
were  no  l)ettcr  than  the  swellings  of  spir- 
itual pride  :  but  God  proceeded  with  him, 
not  according  to  his  principles,  but  accord- 
ing to  his  professions.  His  hypocrisy 
was  known  to  God  ;  and  he  will  ai)j)ear  to 
take  cognizance  of  it  in  the  day  when  he 
shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men  by  Jesus 
Christ. 

Much  the  same  things  miglit  be  observ- 
ed concerning  the  Ninevites.  There 
might  be  many  true  penitents  among  them, 
for  aught  we  know  ;  but,  whether  holy  love 
or  slavish  fear  was  their  motive,  they  pro- 


fessed and  ajiiM^ared  to  lic  humbled,  and 
discovered  all  the  apparent  fruits  of  re- 
|)entance  ;  and  as  such  it  was  manifestly 
an  instance  of  divine  wisdom,  as  tending 
to  do  honor  to  his  own  government  in  the 
eyes  of  surrounding  nations,  to  proceed 
with  them  u|)on  the  supposition  of  their 
repentance  iteing  sincere.  The  confes- 
sions and  humiliations  of  Pharaoh  like- 
wise were  repeatedly  followed  by  the  re- 
moval of  those  judgments  which  appalled 
his  proud  spirit,  and  so  occasioned  them; 
yet  few  will  attribute  goodness  to  Plia- 
raoh.  Not  only  the  Divine  Being,  but 
Moses  himself,  saw  liis  insincerity,  and 
bid  him  glory  over  him.  God  however 
would  remove  the  judgment  when  he 
made  confession,  let  his  motives  be  what 
they  might,  and  even  though  he  might 
laugh  to  himself  for  having  imposed  upon 
Moses  so  far  as  to  gain  his  i)oint. 

The  young  man  who  came  to  Christ 
appears  to  have  been  a  conceited  pharisee, 
who  loved  the  present  world,  and  not 
God;  and  is  represented  by  our  Lord  as 
being  as  far  from  entering  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  as  a  camelwas  from  pass- 
ing through  the  eye  of  a  needle.  The 
only  difliculty  arises  from  its  being  said 
that  the  Lord  beheld  him,  and  loved  him; 
which  may  seem  to  imply  at  least  a  par- 
tial approbation  of  his  character.  But  to 
this  it  may  be  answered  :  Our  Lord  was 
at  this  time  acting  in  the  character  of  a 
preacher  or  instructer  of  men.  His  feel- 
ings towards  the  young  man  in  question 
were  mueh  the  same  as  ours  would  have 
been,  had  we  been  possessed  of  true  be- 
nevolcnce,  and  in  the  same  circumstances. 
Let  the  l)est  man  tiiat  ever  existed  be  ad- 
dressed in  this  manner;  let  him  behold  a 
poor  self-deceived  youth,  flattered  by  all 
around  him  for  his  seeming  virtue,  and 
flattering  himself  with  the  hopes  of  heaven, 
while  in  reality  he  is  a  slave  to  the  pres- 
ent world;  and  let  him,  if  he  can,  forbear 
to  feel  towards  him  like  our  Lord.  He 
would  tell  liim  the  truth,  though  it  should 
send  him  away  sad  and  grieved;  but  his 
heart  ivould  at  the  same  time  melt  in 
compassion  to  his  poor  deluded  soul. 
But  this  would  imply  no  more  of  an  ap- 
probation of  his  spirit  or  conduct  than 
was  included  in  our  Lord's  looking  upon 
Jerusalem  and  weeping  over  it. 

As  to  the  scribe  who  answered  our 
Lord  discreetly,  and  was  assured  that  he 
was  "not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God," 
read  Ihe  passage  (Mark  xii.  28 — 34),  and 
you  will  perceive  that  it  was  not  in  rela- 
tion to  his  spirit  or  conduct  that  our  Lord 
spake,  for  not  a  word  is  recorded  of  ei- 
ther ;  but  merely  of  his  confession  of  faith  : 
that  the  love  of  God  and  man  was  of  more 
account  than  whole  burnt-offerings  or  sac- 


640 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


rifices.  This  doctrine  was  so  true,  and 
contained  so  much  of  the  spirit  of  the  gos- 
pel dispensation,  that  our  Lord  very 
properly  assured  this  discreet  inquirer 
that  he  was  "  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of 
God;"  that  is,  tliat  the  principles  wliich 
he  had  avowed,  if  truly  imbibed  and 
properly  pursued,  would  lead  him  into 
the  very  heart  of  Christianity. 

The  remainder  of  your  objections  I 
must  take  another  opportunity  to  answer  ; 
and  at  present  subscribe  myself 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

GAIUS. 


LETTER   in. 

ON    THE  TOTAL  DEPRAVITY  OF  HUMAN 
NATtJRE. 

[A  fiirtlier  reply  to  the  objections  of  Crispus.] 


K ,  Feh.  9,  1795. 

My  DEAR  Friend, 

I  TAKE  up  my  pen  to  answer  some  oth- 
er of  your  objections,  as  stated  in  yours 
of  July  3,  1794.  You  not  only  reason 
from  the  cases  of  Ahab,  the  Ninevites, 
&c.  ;  but,  secondly,  from  the  common 
sense  of  7nankind,  which  attributes  amia- 
ble qualities  to  persons  whom  nevertheless, 
on  other  accounts,  we  are  obliged  to  con- 
sider as  destitute  of  true  religion.  But  let 
me  intreat  you  to  consider  whether  the 
common  sense  of  one  man  can  take  cog- 
nizance of  the  motives  which  govern  the 
actions  of  another  ;  and  whether,  there- 
fore, it  can  be  any  competent  judge  of  the 
acceptableness  of  his  actions  in  the  sight 
of  God,  who  sees  things  as  they  are.  All 
the  morality  in  the  world  consists  in  the 
love  of  God  and  our  nuighbor.  There  is 
not  a  virtue,  nor  a  virtuous  action,  in  be- 
ing, but  what  is  an  expression  of  love  ; 
yet,  as  there  are  numberless  actions  which 
bear  a  likeness  to  those  which  arise  from 
love,  and  as  it  is  beyond  the  province  of 
man  to  take  cognizance  of  the  heart,  it  is 
common  for  us  to  call  those  actions  amia- 
ble which  appear  to  be  so,  and  which  are 
beneficial  to  human  society.  It  is  fit  we 
should  do  so  ;  otherwise  we  invade  the 
province  of  the  Supreme  Being,  who  alone 
is  able  so  to  judge  of  actions  as  perfectly 
to  ascertain  their  motives.  "  He  is  the 
God  of  knowledge,  by  whom  actions  are 
weighed." 

It  is  right,  no  doubt,  that  children  should 
be  dutiful  to  their  parents,  parents  affec- 
tionate to  their  children,  and  that  every 
relation  of  life  should  be   filled   up   with 


fidelity  and  honor.  But  these  duties  re- 
quire to  be  discharged  in  the  love  of  God, 
not  without  it  :  nor  is  there  any  duty  per- 
formed, strictly  speaking,  where  the  love 
of  God  is  wanting.  Read  those  parts  of 
Paul's  epistles  where  he  exhorts  to  rela- 
tive duties,  and  you  will  find  that  he  ad- 
monishes children  to  obey  their  parents 
in  the  Lord  ;  parents  to  bring  up  their 
children  "in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of 
the  Lord  ;"  servants  to  obey  their  masters 
•'in  singleness  of  heart,  as  unto  Christ;" 
and  masters  to  be  just  and  kind  unto  their 
servants,  as  having  an  eye  to  "  their  Mas- 
ter in  heaven" adding,  "And  whatso- 
ever ye  do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord, 
and  not  unto  men."  Now  all  those  per- 
sons whose  behavior  may  appear  to  be 
amiable  in  such  relations,  but  who  have 
not  the  love  of  God  in  them,  do  what  they 
do  merely  as  unto  men  ;  and,  consequently, 
fly  in  the  face  of  apostolic  exhortation,  in- 
stead of  complying  with  it,  even  in  the 
least  degree. 

It  may  be  asked,  If  a  merely  external 
compliance  with  relative  duties  be  a  sin, 
would  the  omission  of  them  be  any  better  1 
I  answer,  No  ;  but  worse.  There  are,  as 
has  been  allowed  before,  different  degrees 
of  sin.  To  perform  an  action  which  tends 
to  the  good  of  society  from  a  wrong  mo- 
tive is  sin  ;  but  to  neglect  to  perform  it, 
or  to  perform  one  of  an  opposite  tendency, 
is  a  greater  sin.  In  the  one  case  we  sin  a- 
gainst  God  ;  in  the  other  against  both  God 
and  our  neighbor. 

Thirdly  :  You  allege  that  "every  man 
is  possessed  of  con.scien,ce, which  bears  wit- 
ness to  him  in  numberless  instances  of 
what  is  right  and  wrong  ;  and  this  witness 
is  known  to  have  considerable  influence 
even  on  wicked  men,  so  as  to  impel  them 
to  the  performance  of  many  good  actions, 
and  to  deter  them  from  others  which  are 
evil."  To  this  I  answer,  1. — Conscience, 
though  necessary  to  the  performance  of 
both  good  and  evil,  does  not  partake  of 
either  the  one  or  the  other.  Conscience 
is  that  branch  of  the  intellectual  faculty 
which  takes  cognizance  of  the  good  and 
evil  of  our  own  actions  ;  but  is  itself  dis- 
tinct from  both.  It  is  simple  knowledge, 
essential  indeed  to  moral  agency,  being 
one  of  the  principal  things  by  which  we 
are  distinguished  from  the  brute  creation; 
but,  as  all  duty  is  contained  in  love,  good 
and  evil  must  consist  entirely  in  the  tem- 
per and  disposition  of  the  heart ;  and,  the 
mere  dictates  of  conscience  including  no 
such  dispositions,  neither  good  nor  evil, 
can,  strictly  speaking,  be  predicated  of 
them.  Neither  men  nor  devils  will  ever 
cease  to  possess  consciences,  witnessing 
to  them  what  is  good  and  evil,  even  in  a 
world  of  misery,  when,  as  all  must  allow. 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITY.  04 1 

they  will  he  utterly  destitute  of  virtue  or  plou<rh  the  soil  is  as  much  a  natural  action 
gooilncss.  We  read,  it  is  true,  of  a  good  as  eatint^  <ind  driiikin:;  ;  yet,  as  all  such 
conscience,  and  an  evil  conscience,  of  a  actions  are  performed  by  wicked  men  for 
conscience  "  scared  as  with  a  hot  iron,"  merely  selfish  purposes,  without  any  re- 
&c.  ;  and  so  wo  read  of  an  evil  eye,  of  jrard  to  God  and  the  general  good,  they 
"  eyes  full  of  adultery  that  cannot  cease  l)ecome  sinful  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  and 
from  sin  :"  but  as  there  is  neither  good  nor  hence  we  read  tiiat  "  the  ploughing  of  the 
evil    in  the  sight  of  the   eye,  only  as  it    is    wicked  is  sin." 

luider  the  induence  of  the  temper  or  dis-        Lastly:   You  allege  that,  "  if  tlicse  prin- 
position  of  the  soul,  so  neither  is  there    in    ciples  be  true,  there  can  be  no  ground  for 
the  dictates    of  conscience.     If  tliore  be    a  ministerial  address  ;  no  motive  by  which 
any  virtue   or  gf)odness  in  wicked   men,  it    to  exliort  uiiregeneratc  men  to  cease  from 
consists  not  in  (heir  knowledge  of  the  dif-    evil,  and  do  good  ;  nor  any  encouragement 
ferencc  between  good  and  evil,  bul  in  com-    for  tliem  to  comply  with  any  thing  short  of 
plyinsi  with  the  one  and   avoiding  the  oth-    what  is  spiritually  good."     If  you  mean  to 
er.       "2. — That  compliance  with  the  die-    say  tliat  ministers,  on  this  account,  can  en- 
tates  of  conscience  of  which   wicked  men    tertain  no  well-founded    hope    of  success 
are  tiic  subjects,  has  nothing  of  the  love  of  from  the  jilialiility  of  men's  hearts,  I  fully 
God  in  it ;  and  consequently  no  real  vir-    grant  it.    Our  expectations  must  rest  upon 
luc.       While  conscience  suggests  what  is    the  power  and  promise  of  God,  and  these 
duty,    a    variety   of  motives    may  induce    alone,  or  we  shall  be  disappointed.  But  if 
men  to  comply  with  it,  or  rather  w  ith  those    you  mean  to  suggest  that  therefore  all  ad- 
actions  which  are  usually  the   expressions   dresses  to  unregenerate  sinners,  exhorting 
of  it  ;    sucii    as  self-interest,   a   sense  of   tliem  to  do  good,  arc  uiireasonalde,  (his  is 
honor,  (lie  fear  of  reproach  in  this  world,    more  than  can  be  admitted.     If  a  toUtlde- 
and  of  divine  wrath  in  another  :  and,  while    pravity  would  take  away   all  ground  for  a 
they  act  in  this  manner,  they  are  consider-    rational  address,  a  partial  one  would  take 
ed  as  acting  conscientiously  ;    but,  if /ore    it  away  in  part;  and  then,    in   proportion 
be  the  fulfilling  of  the  lair,  where  love  is    as  we  see  men  disinclined  to  goodness,  we 
Avanting  the  law  is  not  fulfdled  ;  no,  not  in    are   to  cease    warning  and   expostulating 
the   least   degree.                                                with  them  !     But  this   is    self-evident  ab- 
Fourthly  :   You   allege  that  "if  all  the    surdity.     The  truth  is,  while  men  are  ra- 
actions  of  unregenerate  men  be  not  only   tional  beings  they  are    accountaiile  for  all 
mixed  with  sin,  but  in  their   own   nature    they  do,   whatever    be    the    inclination    of 
sinful,  then,  whether  they  eat  or  drink,  or    their   hearts  ;  and,  so  long  as  they  are  not 
whatever  they  do,  they  sin  against   God  :    consigned   to    hopeless  perdition,  they  are 
but  that  eating  and  drinking  in  moderation    tlie  subjects  of  a  gospel  address.     Nor  can 
appear  (o  be  natural  actions,  and  contain    it  be  affirmed  with  truth   that  there  are  no 
neither  moral  good  nor  moral  evil."  When   motives  for  them  on  wiiich  they  can  be  ex- 
I  affirm  that  ail  the  actions  of  unregoner-    horted  to  cease  to   do  evil,  or" learn  to   do 
ate  men  are  sinful,   I  would  be  understood    well  ;   the  motives  to  these  tilings  exist  in 
by  actions  to  mean  all  voluntary  exercises,    all  their  native  force,  independently  of  the 
and  wiiich  are  capai)le  of  lieing  performed    inclination  or  disinclination  of  their  hearts 
to  a  good  end.       Whatever   is  capable   of  to  comply  with  them.      Nor  is  the  use  of 
being  so  performed  is  not  merely  a  natural,    them  in    the   Christian    ministry   thereby 
but    a   moral    action.       That    eating   and    rendered  improper  :  on  the  contrary,  it  is 
drinking,  and  every  other  voluntary  exer-    iiighly  necessary;  as  much  so  as  it  is'for  the 
cise,  are  moral  actions,  is  evident  ;  for  we    sun  to  kceji  his  course  and  go  on  to  siiine, 
are  exhorted  "  whether  we  eat  or  drink,  or   notwithstanding  it  may  prove  the  occasion 
whatsoever   we  do,    to  do  all  to   the  glory    of  a    filthy  dunghill    emitting    a    greater 
of  God."    In  an  irrational  being,  it  is  true,    stench.     liany  means    be   adapted  to    do 
these    would    be    merely  natural   actions  ;    good  to  wicked  men,  they  are  such  as  tend 
but  in  a  moral  agent  they  are  not  so ;  and    to  fasten  conviction  upon  them  ;  but  there 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  attended  to    is  no  means  more  adapted  to  this  end  than 
renders  them  either   good  or  evil.     Every    putting  them  upon />-i«/.     A  sinner  is  ex- 
rational   creature   performs  these   actions    horted  to  repent  and  believe  in  Christ he 

either  to  the  glorj'  of  God  (that  is,  that  he  feels  hardened  in  insensibility — he  cannot 
may  be  strengthened  to  serve  the  Lord,  repent — he  has  no  desire  after  Christ.  A 
and  do  good  in  his  generation),  or  he  does  consciousness  of  this  kind,  if  it  operate 
not.  If  he  do,  they  are  virtuous  :  if  not,  according  to  its  native  tendency,  will  lead 
there  is  a  criminal  defect  in  the  end  of  him  to  reflect,  What  a  state  mus!  I  be  in  ! 
them  ;  and,  as  the  end  or  intent  of  an  ac-  Invited  to  repent  and  believe  in  Christ  for 
tion  is  that  which  determines  its  nature,  the  salvation  of  my  soul,  and  cannot  com- 
that  which  otherwise  would  have  been  ply  !  Mine,  surely,  is  the  very  heart  of 
lawful  and  laudable  becomes  sinful.  To 
VOL.    I.  81 


642 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


an  infernal ! — Let  a  sinner  be  brought  to 
such  a  state  of  mind,  and  there  is  some 
hope  concerning  liim. 

You  seem  to  feel  sorry  that  there  should 
be  no  encouragement  held  out  to  sinners 
to  comply  with  any  thing  but  what  is  spir- 
itually good ;  and  many  who  have  sus- 
tained the  character  of  Christian  ministers 
have  felt  the  same  ;  and,  considering  that 
poor  sinners  cannot  comply  with  duties 
of  this  kind,  have  contented  themselves 
with  exhorting  them  to  things  with  which 
they  ca7i  comply  and  still  retain  their  en- 
mity against  God.  But  what  authority 
have  they  for  such  a  conduct  1  When  did 
Christ  or  his  apostles  deal  in  such  com- 
promising doctrine  1  Repentance  toward 
God  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  were  the  grand  articles  on  which 
they  insisted.  So  far  from  hesitating  to 
exhort  their  carnal  auditors  to  what  was 
spiritually  good,  it  may  be  safely  affirmed 

that  THEY  NEVER     EXHORTED     THEM     TO 

ANY  THING  ELSE.  It  would  liavc  bccn 
unworthy  of  God,  and  of  his  servants,  to 
require  any  thing  short  of  the  heart,  or  its 
genuine  expressions. 

To  conclude  :  The  following  supposi- 
tion may  serve  to  illustrate  the  foregoing 
subject.  A  ship's  company  rise  against 
their  officers,  put  them  in  chains,  and  take 
the  command  of  the  ship  upon  themselves. 
They  agree  to  set  the  officers  ashore  on 
some  uninhabited  island,  to  sail  to  some 
distant  port,  dispose  of  the  cargo,  and  di- 
vide the  amount.  After  parting  with  their 
officers,  they  find  it  necessary,  for  the  sake 
of  self-preservation,  to  establish  some  kind 
of  laws  and  order. 

To  these  they  adhere  with  punctuality, 
act  upon  honor  with  respect  to  each  oth- 
er, and  propose  to  be  very  impartial  in  the 
distribution  of  their  plunder.  But,  while 
they  are  on  their  voyage,  one  of  the  com- 
pany relents  and  becomes  very  unhappy. 
They  inquire  the  reason.  He  answers, 
"We  are  engaged  in  a  wicked  cause!  " 
They  plead  their  justice,  honor,  and  gen- 
erosity to  each  other.  He  denies  that 
there  is  any  virtue  in  it:  "Nay,  all  our 
equity,  while  it  is  exercised  in  pursuit  of 
a  scheme  which  violates  the  great  law  of 
justice,  is  itself  a  species  of  iniquity!" — 
"  You  talk  extravagantly  ;  surely  we  might 
be  worse  than  we  are  if  we  were  to  destroy 
each  other  as  well  as  our  officers." — 
"  Yes,  wickedness  admits  of  degrees  ;  but 
there  is  no  virtue  or  goodness  in  all  our 
doings  ;  all  has  arisen  from  selfish  mo- 
tives. The  same  principles  which  led  us 
to  discard  our  officers  would  lead  us,  if  it 
were  not  for  our  own  sake,  to  destroy  each 
other." — "  But  you  speak  so  very  discour- 
agingly  ;  you  destroy  all  motives  to  good 
order  in  the  ship  :  what  would  you  have 


usdol" — "  Repent,   return   to    our 

INJURED  OFFICERS  AND  OWNERS,  AND 
SUBMIT    TO    MERCY  !  " "  O,    but  this    WC 

cannot  do  :  advise  us  to  any  thing  which 
concerns  the  good  order  of  the  ship,  and 
we  will  hearken  to  you!" — "I  cannot 
bear  to  advise  in  these  matters !  Re- 
turn, RETURN,  AND  SUBMIT  TO  MER- 
CY I  "  Such  would  be  the  language  of  a 
true  penitent  in  this  case ;  and  such 
should  be  the  language  of  a  christian  min- 
ister to  sinners  who  have  cast  off  the  gov- 
ernment of  God. 

I  am  affectionately  yours, 

GAIUS. 


LETTER  IV. 

CONSEQUENCES      RESULTING     FROM     THE 
DOCTRINE    OF    HUMAN    DEPRAVITY. 

[From  Ciispus  to  Gaius.] 

C n,  March  9,  1795. 

My  dear  friend. 

Your  last  two  letters  have  occupied 
much  of  my  attention.  I  confess  I  feel 
the  force  of  the  argument ;  and,  though 
there  are  difficulties  in  my  mind  which  I 
scarcely  know  how  to  state  in  form,  yet  I 
must  ingenuously  confess  that  the  grand 
objections  which  I  advanced  are  answered. 
The  subject  is  more  interesting  to  me 
than  ever  :  it  affects  all  the  great  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel.  My  thoughts  have 
already  been  at  work  upon  its  conse- 
quences. I  could  wish,  after  having  dis- 
cussed the  subject,  we  could  examine  its 
hearings  on  the  different  systems  which 
are  embraced  in  the  religious  world. 
With  your  leave,  I  will  mention  a  few  of 
those  consequences  which  have  struck  my 
mind  as  resulting  from  it ;  and  shall  be 
obliged  to  you  for  your  opinion  of  their 
propriety,  and  the  addition  of  any  thing 
wherein  you  may  perceive  me  defective. 

First :  If  your  views  be  just,  I  perceive 
that  all  mankind,  without  any  distinction 
of  sober   and    profligate,    are    utterly 

LOST,  AND    ABSOLUTELY  IN  A  PERISHING 

CONDITION.  All  men  will  acknowledge 
that  they  are  sinners  ;  that  they  have 
broken  God's  commandments,  most  or  all 
of  them,  in  thought  or  in  deed,  at  one  time 
or  other  ;  and  that  the  best  of  their  works 
have  their  imperfections.  But  such  ac- 
knowledgments are  seldom  expressive  of 
any  deep  concern.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
common  for  men,  while  they  speak  thus, 
to  discover  a  spirit  of  indifference,  sup- 
ported by  a  kind  of  hope  that  God  will 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITT. 


64S 


pardon  a  few  sins,  and  make  up  for  a  few 
iiiipcrroctioiis ;  otliorwise,  Ihcy  say,  he 
must  keep  licavcn  to  liiinsclf.  But,  if  your 
views  be  just,  their  whole  life  has  l)ceu 
one  uninterrupted  course  of  foul  revolt 
anc'  alioniinable  apostasy;  and  the  irreg- 
ularities of  their  lives  hear  no  more  pro- 
portion to  tiie  whole  of  their  depravity 
than  the  particles  of  water  which  are  oc- 
casionally emitted  from  the  surface  of  the 
ocean  to  the  tide  that  rolls  beneath.  Nor 
is  there  any  propriety  in  men  of  this  de- 
scription acknowledging  their  imperfec- 
tions :  imi)erfe(tions  relate  to  a  standard, 
and  imply  an  hal)itual  aim  to  conform  to 
it.  Such  language  is  properly  applied  to 
the  rig-hteous,  the  best  of  whom  fall  short 
of  the  mark ;  but  the  life  of  wicked  men 
is  in  one  shape  or  other  an  uninterrupted 
course  of  evil. 

Secondly  :  If  your  views  be  just,  they 
seem  to  aftbrd  a  presumptive  if  not  more 
than  presumptive  proof  of  oru  need  of 
A  Saviour;  and  not  of  a  Saviour  only, 
but  of  A  GREAT  ONE  !  I  do  not  know 
whether  I  can  exactly  trace  the  operation 
of  these  principles,  or  their  opposites,  in 
the  human  mind ;  but  this  I  know,  it  is  a 
fact  sufficiently  notorious  that  those  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity  who  reject  the 
proper  deity  and  atonement  of  Christ,  at 
the  same  time  entertain  very  diminutive 
notions  of  their  own  depravity.  I  have 
known  many  persons  who  as  soon  as  they 
have  begun  to  lean  towards  the  Socinian, 
Arian,  or  Arminian  systems,  have  discov- 
ered an  inclination  to  treat  this  doctrine 
with  contempt.  Those  people,  on  the 
other  hand,  who  have  sat  under  such 
preaching  as  has  led  them  to  entertain  low 
thoughts  of  Christ  and  the  grace  of  the 
gospel,  if  at  some  period  of  their  life  they 
have  been  convinced  of  their  guilty  and 
perishing  state  as  sinners  against  God, 
they  have  soon  given  up  llieir  other  no- 
tions, and  embraced  the  deity  and  atone- 
ment of  Ciirist  with  all  their  hearts,  and 
that  with  but  little  if  any  persuasion  on 
the  part  of  their  friends.  Nor  does  this 
appear  very  difficult  to  be  accounted  ibr  : 
as  the  ichole  need  no  physician,  but  those 
that  are  sick,  so  it  is  natural  to  suppose 
that,  in  proportion  as  a  person  feels  the 
depth  and  danger  of  his  malady,  he  will 
estimate  the  necessity,  the  value,  and  the 
efficacy  of  the  remedy. 

Thirdly  :  If  your  views  be  just,  I  per- 
ceive that  the  work  of  turning  a  sinner's 
heart  must  be  altogether  oj  God  and  of  free 
grace.  If  a  sinner  could  return  to  God  of 
his  own  accord,  or  even  hy  divine  influence 
helping  or  a,ssisting  him,  it  must  l>e  upon 
the  supposition  of  his  having  some  will, 
wish,  or  desire  to  set  about  it.  But,  if 
men  are  totally  alienated  from  God,  all  de- 


sire after  him  must  he  extinct;  nnd  all  the 
warnings,  invitations,  or  expostulations  of 
the  word  will  he  inefl'ectual  :  yea,  divine 
influence  itself  will  be  insufficient,  if  it 
falls  short  of  renewing  the  heart.  We 
have  heard  much  of  late  concerning  polit- 
ical regeneration.  It  has  been  warmly 
contended  by  many,  in  behalf  of  the  change 
which  has  taken  place  in  a  neighboring 
nation,  that  tilings  were  too  bad  for  a 
mere  reformation ;  and  that  therefore  re- 
generation was  necessary.  However  that 
he,  is  it  not  on  these  principles  that  we 
are  told,  "  Ye  must  he  l)orn  again."  Old 
things  must  pass  away,  and  all  things  must 
become  new  ]  If  men  lie  so  dejiraved  as 
you  suppose,  the  necessity  of  a  divine  and 
entire  change  must  be  indubitably  evident. 

Fourthly  :  If  your  views  be  just,  the 
doctrine  of /ree  or  itncondilional  election 
may  be  clearly  demonstrated  and  proved 
to  be  a  dictate  of  right  reason.  If  men  be 
utterly  depraved,  they  lie  entirely  at  the 
discretion  of  God  either  to  save  or  not  to 
save  them.  If  any  are  saved,  it  must  be 
by  an  act  of  free  grace.  If  some  are 
brought  to  believe  in  Christ,  while  others 
continue  in  unbelief,  (which  accords  with 
continued  fact),  the  difference  between 
them  must  be  altogether  of  grace.  But 
if  God  make  a  difference  in  time  he  must 
have  determined  to  do  so  for  eternity  :  for 
to  suppose  God  to  act  without  a  purpose 
is  depriving  him  of  wisdom;  and  to  sup- 
pose any  new  purpose  to  arise  in  his  mind 
would  be  to  accuse  him  of  mutability. 
Here,  therefore,  we  are  landed  upon  elec- 
tion— sovereign  unconditional  election. 
And  does  not  this  accord  with  the  Holy 
Scriptures  1 — "  You  hath  he  quickened 
who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  : 
wherein,  in  time  past,  ye  walked  accord- 
ing to  the  course  of  this  world,  accord- 
ing to  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the 
children  of  disobedience.  Among  whom, 
also,  we  all  had  our  conversation  in  times 
past,  fulfilling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and 
of  the  mind  ;  and  were  by  nature  the  chil- 
dren of  wrath,  evon  as  others.  But  God, 
who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  gi'eat  love 
wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we 
were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  to- 
gether with  Christ.  By  grace  are  ye  sav- 
ed !" — "  I  will  have  mercy  on  whom  I 
will  have  mercy ;  and  will  have  compas- 
sion on  whom  I  will  have  compassion!" — 
"He  hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  a 
holy  calling;  not  according  to  our  works, 
but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and 
grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Ciirist  Jesus 
before  the  world  began." 

Fifthly  :  If  your  views  lie  just,  the  jus- 
tification of  sinners  by  the  tcork  of  their 
hands  uttcrJy  falls  to  the  ground.  The 
foundation  on   which  sinners   in  general 


644 


DIALOGUES    AND    LETTERS. 


build  their  hopes  is  something  like  this  : 
They  have  more  virtue  than  vice,  more 
good  works  than  evil  ones  :  that  as  none 
are  without  fault  (and  wiiich  they  conceive 
affords  a  good  excuse  for  them),  God  will 
not  be  strict  to  mark  iniquity  ;  but  will 
weigh  the  good  against  the  evil,  and  so 
balance  the  account !  But,  if  all  the  works 
of  unregenerate  sinners  be  of  the  nature  of 
sin,  there  is  an  end  to  all  hope  of  being 
accepted  of  God  on  their  own  account. 
When  ministers  have  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade sinners  from  a  reliance  on  their  own 
righteousness,  I  have  heard  them  reason 
to  this  effect  :  "  Your  good  deeds  are  all 
mixed  with  evil,  and  therefore  cannot  be 
acceptable  to  God."  I  acknowledge  that 
this  is  just,  and  that  the  least  mixture  of 
sin  is  an  eternal  bar  to  our  being  justified 
by  our  own  righteousness;  but,  methinks, 
if  they  could  have  alleged  that  all  their 
works  were  essentially  and  entirely  evil, 
their  arguments  must  have  been  more 
effectual,  as  to  the  cutting  up  of  self-right- 
eous hopes.  And  such  a  doctrine  would 
leave  no  room  for  the  supposition  of  Christ 
dying  to  render  our  imperfect  but  sin- 
cere obedience  acceptable  to  God,  instead 
of  that  which  is  perfect ;  for,  in  this  case, 
the  idea  of  imperfect  sincere  endeavors 
in  unregenerate  men  is  inadmissible — 
there  are  no  such  endeavors  in  existence. 
These  things  I  have  been  used  to  believe 
in  time  past ;  but,  if  the  principle  in  ques- 
tion be  admitted,  I  find  such  solid  grounds 
on  which  to  rest  them  as  I  never  felt  be- 
fore. I  shall  leave  you  to  conclude  the 
subject,  and  remain 

Affectionately  yours, 

CRISPUS. 


LETTER  V. 

CONSEQUENCES     RESULTING     FROM     THE 
DOCTRINE   OP  HUMAN    DEPRAVITY. 

[From  Gaius  to  Crispus.] 

K ,  April  9,  1795. 

My  dear  friend. 

If  any  thing  I  have  advanced  in  the 
course  of  our  correspondence  has  been  of 
use  to  you,  1  am  satisfied.  The  infer- 
ences which  you  have  drawn  from  the  doc- 
trine of  total  depravity,  as  far  as  they  go, 
appear  to  me  to  be  just.  I  shall  suggest 
a  few  others  in  addition  to  them  :  and  as 
I  have  some  other  necessary  employments, 
which  require  my  attentiou^  you  will  ex- 
cuse me  if  I  propose,  with  these,  for  the 
present,  to  close  our  correspondence. 


Your  inferences  relate  to  the  bearings 
of  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity  on  the 
Socinian  and  Arminian  schemes  ;  mine 
shall  concern  what  I  should  call  the  Pseu- 
do-Caivinistic  scheme,  or  that  view  of  the 
doctrines  commonly  called  Calvinislical, 
which  induces  many  in  the  present  day  to 
disapprove  of  all  exhortations  to  sinners, 
except  to  merely  external  obedience,  or 
things  which  contain  in  them  nothing  truly 
or  spiritually  good.  If  the  foregoing  prin- 
ciples be  just,  three  things  at  least  will 
follow ;  namely — that  the  distinction  be- 
tween moral  virtue  and  true  religion  has 
less  foundation  in  truth  than  is  commonly 
supposed — tliat  men  in  general  are  either 
obliged  to  perform  spiritual  actions,  or  al- 
lowed to  live  in  sin  and  perform  sinful  ac- 
tions— and  that  we  ought  not,  as  minis- 
ters, so  to  compi"omise  matters  with  God's 
enemies  as  to  exhort  them  to  merely  ex- 
tei'nal  services.  Let  us  particularly  ex- 
amine these  consequences.  They  will  be 
found  to  be  more  than  a  little  interesting. 

First :  Let  us  inquire  whetlicr  the  dis- 
tinction between  moral  virtue  and  true 
religion  be  founded  in  truth.  It  is  true 
the  term  religion  includes  more  than  that 
of  morality,  as  it  is  applied  to  doctrine  as 
well  as  practice,  and  to  the  performance 
of  things  positive  as  well  as  moral;  but, 
if  genuine  morality  be  supposed  to  exist 
without  true  religion,  such  a  supposition  I 
conceive  to  be  unfounded.  It  is  allowed 
that  what  is  commonly  called  morality  is 
very  different  from  true  religion ;  because 
much  that  goes  by  this  name  is  not  moral- 
ity, nor  any  thing  truly  virtuous.  Noth- 
ing is  morality,  strictly  speaking,  but  that 
which  is  in  some  degree  a  conformity  to 
the  moral  laAV  ;  and  nothing  contains  tlie 
least  degree  of  conformity  to  the  moral 
law,  unless  it  include  the  love  of  God  and 
our  neighbor.  There  is,  therefore,  no 
such  tiling  as  morality  in  wicked  men. 
On  the  contrary,  "  the  carnal  mind  is  en- 
mity against  God,  and  is  not  subject  to 
the  law  of  God,  neillier  indeed  can  be." 
That  which  constitutes  the  essence  of 
genuine  morality,  namely,  the  love  of 
God  and  man,  contains  the  sum  of  prac- 
tical religion.  Repentance,  faith,  and  ev- 
ery species  of  obedience,  are  but  differ- 
ent modifications  of  love.  If  we  love 
God,  we  cannot  but  repent  of  having  of- 
fended and  dishonored  him.  If  we  love 
God  in  his  true  cliaracter,  and  bear  gen- 
uine benevolence  to  man,  we  cannot  but 
love  tlie  Saviour,  and  embrace  his  salvation, 
which  proclaims  "  glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good  will  to 
men."  The  rejection  of  Christ  by  the 
Jews  afforded  a  proof  that  they  "had  not 
the  love  of  God  in  them."  If  Ave  love 
God,  we  shall  love  his  image  in  those  that 


HUMAN    DEPRAVITV. 


645 


are  born  of  him.  In  fine,  if  we  love  God, 
we  simll  keep  liis  coniniaiuliiionts,  iiml  liis 
coniniamlinenls  will  not  i>e  jiricvous. 

It  is  common  lor  professed  Infidels,  and 
otlier  enemies  to  true  relijrion,  to  cry  up 
morality  as  somethiiiic  opposed  to  it  ;  and 
hence,  it  may  be,  -some  have  thought 
pro|)er  to  cry  it  tlown  :  yea,  inaiiy,  who 
by  their  |)raclice  iiave  proved  themselves 
friendly  to  a  holy  life,  have  yet,  on  this 
account,  it  should  seem,  found  it  necessa- 
ry so  to  distinguish  between  morality  and 
religion  as  to  represent  the  former  as 
sometiiino:  very  inferior  in  its  nature  to 
the  latter.  But  it  ought  to  be  consid- 
ered that  the  morality  on  which  the  en- 
emies of  true  religion  love  to  dwell  is 
of  a  spurious  kind;  it  does  not  consist 
in  the  love  of  God  in  his  true  character, 
or  of  men  in  such  a  way  as  to  rejoice  in 
what  contributes  to  their  greatest  good. 
It  is  a  morality  essentially  defective  ;  it 
leaves  God  and  religion  out  o(  the  ques- 
tion, and  is  confined  to  what  are  called 
the  social  virtues,  or  things  whicii  every 
man  in  his  dealings  with  men  finds  it  his 
interest  to  promote.  When  we  hear  such 
characters  cry  up  morality,  instead  of 
coldly  admitting  it  to  be  a  very  good  thing 
in  its  place,  and  insisting  that  religion  is 
something  of  an  entirely  diflerent  nature, 
we  ought  cordially  to  allow  the  impor- 
tance of  genuine  morality,  and  insist  upon 
it  tliat,  if  this  were  attended  to,  true  re- 
ligion could  not  be  neglected.  Such  char- 
acters would  then  discover  their  dislike  to 
our  morality,  as  much  as  they  now  do  to 
what  is  called  religion.  Such  a  statement 
of  matters,  though  it  might  grate  on  their 
inclinations,  must,  at  least,  approve  itself 
to  their  consciences.  Every  man  feels 
himself  obliged  to  act  upon  the  principles 
of  morality.  Let  us  then  drive  home  that 
point  in  which  we  have  their  consciences 
on  our  side  :  let  us  say  with  the  poet, 

"  Talk  ihey  of  morals,  O  tliou  bleeding  love  ! 
The  gland  morality  is  love  of  Thee  !" 

AVhile  you  speak  of  religion  as  something 
entirely  distinct  from  morality,  such  a 
character  will  rest  contented  in  the  neg- 
lect of  the  one,  and  think  himself  happy, 
inasmuch  as  you  allow  him  to  be  possess- 
ed of  the  other.  But  could  you  prove  to 
him  that  morality,  if  genuine,  would  com- 
prise the  love  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the 
gospel,  and  of  the  whole  of  true  religion, 
it  would  plant  a  thorn  in  his  bosom,  which 
he  would  find  it  difficult  to  extract. 

Secondly  :  If  the  foregoing  jjrinciples  be 
true,  it  will  follow  that  rnen  in  general 
are  either  obliged  to  perform  spiritual  ac- 
tions, or  allowed  to  live  in  sin  and  to  per- 
form sinful  actions.     In  the  voluntary  ac- 


tions of  a  rational  creature,  there  is  no  me- 
dium lictween  what  is  good  and  well  pleas- 
ing, and  what  is  evil  and  olVensive  in  the 
sight  of  God.  All  our  actions  are,  in  some 
mode  or  other,  the  expressions  of  love,  or 
lltey  are  not.  If  they  arc,  they  are  spirit- 
ually good  ;  they  are  acceptable  to  God 
through  Jesus  Christ.  Wiioliier  we  cat  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  we  do,  if  it  be  done  to 
the  glory  of  God,  this  is  godliness.  The  ac- 
tions perlbrmed  may  be  simply  natural,  but 
tiie  end  to  which  liiey  are  directed,  and 
which  determines  their  quality,  denomi- 
nates them  sj)irilual.  On  the  other  hand:  If 
they  are  710/,  there  is  no  possibility  of  their 
being  any  other  than  sinful.  The  want  of 
love  is  itself  a  sin  :  it  is  a  sinful  defect  re- 
lating to  principle  ;  and  whatever  is  done 
otherw  ise  than  as  an  expression  of  love,  let 
it  wear  what  face  it  may,  is  a  sinful  action. 
We  ourselves  esteem  nothing  in  a  lellow- 
creature  which  is  not  in  some  mode  or 
other  the  expression  of  love.  If  a  wife 
were  ever  so  assiduous  in  attending  to  her 
husband,  yet,  if  he  were  certain  that  her 
heart  was  not  with  him,  he  would  al>lior 
her  endeavors  to  please  him,  and  nothing 
that  she  did  would  bo,  acceptable  in  his 
sight. 

Instead  of  its  being  a  question  whether 
God  requires  any  thing  of  carnal  men 
which  is  spiritually  good,  it  is  evident, 
botii    from    Scripture   and   the    nature   of 

things,  THAT  HE  REQUIRES  IS'OTHING   BUT 

WHAT  IS  SO.  It  has  l)een  alleged  that  the 
obedience  which  God  required  of  Israel 
by  the  Sinai  covenant  was  merely  external, 
and  did  not  extend  to  the  heart.  Their 
government,  it  is  said,  was  a  theocracy ; 
God  acted  towards  them  under  the  char- 
acter of  a  civil  governor;  and  if  so,  it  is 
supposed,  he  must  Ibrbear  to  take  cog- 
nizance of  the  heart,  which  it  is  beyond 
the  province  of  creatures  to  inspect.  That 
God  acted  towards  Israel  as  a  civil  gov- 
ernor is  admitted  ;  and  that  it  belongs  not 
to  a  civil  governor,  in  his  executive  ca- 
pacity, to  take  cognizance  of  the  heart, 
is  also  admitted.  In  the  bestowinent  of 
rewards  and  punishments  he  must  act  from 
what  is  apparent  in  the  lives  of  men,  hav- 
ing no  other  medium  by  which  to  judge 
of  the  temper  of  their  hearts  :  but  it  is 
not  so  with  respect  to  legislation,  or  the 
formation  of  the  laws.  No  civil  gov- 
ernment upon  earth  will  allow  its  subjects 
to  hate  it  in  their  hearts,  provided  they  do 
but  carry  it  fair  in  tiieir  conduct.  The 
spirit  of  an  laws,  in  all  nations,  requires 
men  to  be  sincere  friends  to  their  coun- 
try;  but,  as  there  is  no  medium  for  mor- 
tals to  judge  of  the  heart  l)ut  that  of  an 
overt  act,  it  is  fit  that  this  siiould  be  the 
established  rule  for  the  dispensation  of 
rewards  and  punishments.     It  was  thus,  I 


646 


DIALOGUES    AND     LETTERS. 


conceive,  in  the  government  of  God  over 
Israel.  Every  precept  contained  in  the 
Sinai  covenant  required  the  heart,  or, 
which  is  the  same  thing,  some  genuine 
expression  of  it ;  but,  under  its  adminis- 
tration, punishments  were  not  always  in- 
flicted, nor  rewards  conferred,  according 
to  what  men  really  were,  but  what  they 
appeared  to  be,  or  according  to  the  judg- 
ment which  would  have  been  pronounced 
had  a  fellow -creature  sat  in  judgment 
upon  them.  It  was  on  this  principle 
that  Ahab's  punishment  was  averted  on 
his  humbling  himself  before  God.  So 
far  was  the  divine  Legislator  from  requir- 
ing merely  external  odedience,  by  the 
Sinai  covenant,  that  the  grand  prelimi- 
nary to  that  covenant  was  this  :  "  If  ye 
will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my 
covenant,  then  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar 
treasure  unto  me  above  all  people."  And 
what  is  meant  by  obeying  his  voice  in- 
deed is  sufficiently  evident,  by  the  sub- 
sequent addresses  of  Moses,  Joshua,  Sa- 
muel, and  others  ;  in  many  of  which 
it  is  observable  that,  though  the  blessings 
promised  were  external,  yet  the  proviso  on 
which  the  promises  were  made  was  noili- 
ing  less  than  a  heart  sincerely  devoted 
to  God: — "  If  ye  will  hearken  diligent- 
ly unto  my  commandments,  to  love  the 
Lord  your  God,  and  to  serve  him  with  all 
your  heart,  and  with  all  your  soul,  1  will 
give  you  the  rain  of  your  land  in  his  sea- 
son :  the  first  rain,  and  the  latter  rain, 
that  thou  mayest  gather  in  thy  corn  and  thy 
wine,  and  thine  oil." — "Take  heed  to 
yourselves,  that  your  heart  be  not  deceived, 
and  ye  turn  aside,  and  serve  other  gods  ; 
and  then  the  Lord's  wrath  be  kindled 
against  you,  and  he  shut  up  the  heaven  that 
there  be  no  rain,  and  that  the  land  yield 
not  lier  IVuit,  and  lest  ye  perish  quickly 
from  off  the  good  land  which  the  Lord 
giveth  you." — "  Take  diligent  heed  to  do 
the  commandments  which  Moses  the  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord  charged  you,  to  love  tlie 
Lord  your  God,  and  to  walk  in  all  his 
loays,  and  to  cleave  unto  him,  and  to  serve 
him  with  all  your  heart  and  with  all  your 
soul, —  Only  fear  the  Lord,  and  serve  him  in 
truth,  ivitli' all  your  heart:  for  consider 
what  great  things  he  hath  done  for  you." 
\i  external  obedience  were  all  that  God  re- 
quired by  the  Sinai  covenant,  why  was  he 
not  satisfied  with  the  goodly  professions 
which  they  made  during  that  solemn  trans- 
action, saying,  "  All  these  things  will  we 
do  ]"  and  wherefore  did  he  utter  that  cut- 
ting exclamation,  "  O  that  there  were  such 
a  heart  in  them,  that  they  would  fear  me, 
and  keep  all  my  commandments  always, 
that  it  might  be  well  with  them  and  their 
children  forever  ?" 

Lastly  :    If  the  foregoing  principles  be 


just,  instead  of  being  a  question  whether 
ministers  should  exhort  their  carnal  audi- 
tors to  any  thing  spiritually  good,  it  de- 
serves to  be  seriously  considered  wheth- 
er IT  BE  NOT  AT  THEIR  PERIL  TO  EX- 
HORT   THEM    TO    ANY     THING     SHORT      OP 

IT. — If  all  duty  consists  in  the  genuine  op- 
erations and  expressions  of  the  heart,  it 
must  be  utterly  wrong  for  ministers  to 
compromise  matters  with  the  enemies  of 
God,  by  exhorting  them  to  merely  exter- 
nal actions,  or  to  such  a  kind  of  exercise 
as  may  be  performed  without  the  love  of 
God.  It  is  disloyalty  to  God,  betraying 
his  just  authority  over  the  heart,  and  ad- 
mitting that  in  behalf  of  him  which  we 
should  despise  if  offered  to  ourselves  from 
a  fellow-creature.  Nor  is  it  less  injuri- 
ous to  the  souls  of  men ;  as  it  tends  to 
quiet  their  consciences,  and  to  cherish  an 
opinion  that,  having  complied  with  many 
of  the  exhortations  of  their  minister,  they 
have  done  many  things  pleasing  and  ac- 
ceptable to  God;  while,  in  fact,  "every 
thought  and  imagination  of  their  heart  has 
been  only  evil  continually." 

It  may  be  thought  that  these  things  bear 
hard  upon  the  unconverted  sinner,  and  re- 
duce him  to  a  terrible  situation.  But,  if 
such  in  fact  be  his  situation,  it  will  not 
mend  the  matter  to  daub  it  with  the  un- 
tempered  mortar  of  palliation  :  on  the  con- 
trary, it  will  render  it  still  more  terrible. 
The  truth  is,  there  is  no  way  for  a  sinner 
to  take  in  which  he  can  find  solid  rest,  but 
that  of  returning  home  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ.  And,  instead  of  trying  to  render 
his  situation  easy,  it  ought  to  be  our  busi- 
ness as  ministers  to  drive  him  from  every 
other  resting-place,  not  for  the  sake  of 
plunging  him  into  despair,  but,  if  it  please 
God  to  bless  our  labors,  that  he  may  be  ne- 
cessitated to  betake  himself  to  the  "  good 
old  way,  and  find  rest  unto  his  soul  I  "  We 
ought  solemnly  to  assure  him  that,  do  what 
else  he  will,  he  sins,  and  is  heaping  upon 
his  head  a  load  of  guilt  that  will  sink  him 
into  endless  perdition.  If  he  pray,  or  fre- 
quent the  means  of  grace,  his  -prayer  "is 
an  abomination  to  the  Lord:"  if  he  live 
in  the  omission  of  these  things  it  is  worse. 
Whether  he  eat  or  drink,  plough  the  soil, 
or  gather  in  the  harvest  (like  the  supposed 
ship's  company,  mentioned  before,  who 
with  all  their  regularity  continued  in  their 
rebellious  course),  all  is  iniquity.  "  In- 
cense is  an  abomination :  it  is  iniquity, 
even  the  solemn  meeting."  To  die  is  to 
lie  j)lunged  into  the  gulph  of  destruction ; 
and  to  live,  if  he  continue  in  enmity  to 
God,  is  worse ;  as  it  is  heaping  up  wrath 
in  an  enlarged  degree  against  the  day  of 
wrath. 

What  then,  it  will  be  asked,  can  sinners 
dol     If  they   go  forward,  destruction  is 


HUMAN  DEPRAVITY. 


C47 


before  them  ;  if  on  this  hand,  or  on  that, 
it  is  the  same.  Whitlior  can  they  go"?  and 
what  must  they  do  1  All  the  answer  which 
the  Scriptures  warrant  us  to  make  is  in- 
cluded in   the   warniniis  and  invitations  of 

the  gospel  : "  Repent,  and   helievc  the 

gospel." — "  Repent  and  be  converted, 
that  your  sins  may  he  blotted  out." — "  Be- 
lieve in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou 
shall  be  saved." — "  Deny  thyself,  take  up 
thy  cross,  and  follow  me,  and  thou  shalt 
have  treasure  in  heaven!  "  If  the  answer 
be.  We  cannot  comply  with  tiiese  tilings  ; 
our  hearts  are  too  hard  ;  advise  us  to  any 
thing  else,  and  we  will  hearken; — if  this, 
or  sometliing  like  it,  I  say,  should  be  the 
answer,  the  servant  of  God  having  w  arned 
them  that  what  they  call  their  incapacity 
is  no  other  than  a  wicked  aversion  to  God 
and  goodness,  that  they  judge  themselves 
unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  and  that 
their  blood  will  be  upon  their  own  heads, 
— must  there  leave  them.      His  soul  may 


weep  in  secret  places  for  them  ;  but  it  is 
at  his  peril  to  compromise  the  matter.  If, 
seeing  they  cannot  find  in  their  hearts  to 
comply  witli  the  invitations  of  the  gospel, 
he  siiould  ort'er  any  directions  which  imply 
that  tlu'ir  inal>ility  is  of  such  a  kind  as  to 
atVord  tliom  any  excuse — any  directions 
wiiich  imply  that  it  is  not  their  immediate 
duty  to  repent  and  return  to  God  by  Jesus 
Ciirist — any  directions  which  may  de- 
scend witiiin  the  compass  of  tiieir  inclina- 
tions— let  him  look  to  it !  They  may  be 
pleased  with  his  advice,  and  comply  with 
it ;  and,  considering  it  as  aiiout  the  whole 
of  what  can  reasonably  be  expected  of 
them  in  their  present  circumstances,  they 
may  be  very  easy  ;  and,  persisting  in  such 
a  spirit,  they  may  die  in  it,  and  perish  for- 
ever ;  BUT  THEIR  BLOOD  WILL  SURELY 
BE    REQUIRED    AT    HIS    HAND  ! 

I  am,  my  dear  friend. 

Yours  very  affectionately, 
GAIUS. 


THREE     CONVERSATIONS 


ON 


IMPUTATION,    SUBSTITUTION,    AND    PARTICULAR 
REDEMPTION. 


VOL.   I.  82 


THREE     COiWERSATIOJNS. 


CONVERSATION  I. 

ON    IMPUTATION. 

Peter  and  James  considered  each 
other  as  good  men,  and  had  for  several 
years  been  in  tlie  habit  of  corresponding 
on  divine  subjects.  Tlieir  respect  was  mu- 
tual. Their  sentiments,  however,  though 
alike  in  the  main,  were  not  exactly  the 
same  ;  and  some  circumstances  had  lately 
occurred  which  tended  rather  to  magnify 
the  ditTerencc  than  to  lessen  it.  Being 
both  at  the  house  of"  John,  their  common 
friend,  in  his  company  they  fell  into  the 
following  conversation. 

I  am  not  without  painful  apprehension, 
said  Peter  to  John,  that  the  views  of  our 
friend  James  on  some  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  gospel  are  unhappily  diverted  from 
the  truth.  I  suspect  he  does  not  believe 
in  the  proper  hnjmtation  of  sin  to  Ciirist, 
or  of  Christ's  rigliteousncss  to  us  ;  nor  in 
his  being  our  substitute  or  representative. 
John.  Those  are  serious  things  ;  but 
what  arc  the  grounds,  brother  Peter,  on 
which  your  sus])icions  rest  ] 

Peter.  Partly  what  he  has  published, 
which  I  cannot  reconcile  with  those  doc- 
trines, and  partly  wliat  he  has  said  in  my 
hearing,  which  I  consider  as  an  avowal  of 
what  I  have  stated. 

John.  What  say  you  to  tiiis,  brother 
James  ? 

James.  I  cannot  tell  whether  what  I 
have  written  or  spoken  accords  with  broth- 
er Peter's  ideas  on  these  subjects  ;  indeed 
I  suspect  it  does  not :  but  I  never  thought 
of  calling  either  of  the  doctrines  in  ques- 
tion. Were  I  to  relincpiish  the  one  or  the 
other,  I  should  be  at  a  loss  tor  ground  on 
which  to  rest  my  salvation.  What  he 
says  of  my  avowing  my  disbelief  of  tliem 
in  his  hearing  must  be  a  misunderstanding. 
I  did  say,  I  suspected  that  his  views  of 
imputation  and  subslituiion  were  unscrip- 
tural,  but  had  no  intention  of  disowning 
the  doctrines  themselves. 

Peter.  Brother  James,  I  have  no  de- 
sire to  assume  any  dominion  over  your 
faith,  but  should  be  glad  to  know  what  are 
your  ideas  on  these  important  subjects. 
Do  you  hold  that  sin  was  properly  impu- 
ted to  Christ,  and  that  Christ's  righteous- 
ness is  properly  imputed  to  us,  or  notl 


James.  You  are  quite  at  liberty,  broth- 
er Peter,  to  ask  me  any  (piestions  on  these 
subjects;  and  if  you  will  hear  me  patient- 
ly I  will  answer  you  as  explicitly  as  I  am 
able. 

John.  Do  so,  brother  James ;  and  we 
shall  hear  you,  not  only  patiently,  but,  I 
trust,  with  jjleasure. 

James.  To  impute  (am  ^■oyi':oiiui)  sig- 
nifies, in  general  to  charge,  reckon,  or 
place  to  account,  according  to  the  different 
objects  to  wiiich  it  is  applied.  This  word, 
like  many  others,  has  a  proper  and  an 
improper  or  figurative  meaning. 

First  :  It  is  applied  to  the  charging, 
reckoning,  or  placing  to  the  account  of 
persons  and  tilings,  that   which   prop- 

KRLY     BELONGS   TO     THE.M.        This     I    COU- 

sider  as  its  proper  meaning.  In  this  sense 
the  word  is  used  in  the  following  pas- 
sages :—"  Eli  thought  she  (Hannah)  had 
been  drunken." — "  Hanan  and  Mattaniah, 
the  treasurers,  were  counted  faithful." — 
"Let  a  man  so  account  of  us  as  the  minis- 
ters of  Christ  and  stewards  of  tiie  mys- 
teries of  God." — "Let  such  a  one  think 
this,  that  such  as  we  are  in  word  by  letters 
when  we  are  absent,  such  will  we  be  also 
indeed  when  we  are  present." — "  I  reckon 
that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are 
not  worthy  to  be  comj)ared  with  the  glory 
that  shall  i>c  revealed  in  us."  Reckon- 
ing, or  accounting,  in  the  above  instances, 
is  no  other  tlian  judging  of  persons  and 
things  according  to  xchat  they  are,  or  ap- 
pear to  be.  To  impute  sin  in  this  sense  is 
to  charge  guilt  upon  the  guilty  in  a  judi- 
cial way,  or  with  a  view  to  punishment. 
Thus  Shimei  besought  David  that  his  in- 
iquity might  710/ 6e  imputed  to  him:  thus 
the  man  is  pronounced  blessed  "  to  whom 
tl)e  Lord  imputelh  not  iniquity  ;"  and  thus 
Paul  prayed  that  the  i.in  of  those  who 
deserted  him  might  not  be  laid  to  their 
charr^e. 

In  this  sense  the  term  is  ordinarily  used 
in  common  life.  To  impute  treason  or 
any  other  crime  to  a  man  is  the  same 
thing  as  charging  him  with  having  com- 
mitted it,  and  this  with  a  view  to  his  be- 
ing punished. 

Secondly  :  It  is  applied  to  the  charging, 
reckoning,  or  placing  to  the  account  of 
persons    and    things,  that  which  does 

NOT    belong    to    them,    AS    THOUGH    IT 


652 


CONVERSATIONS,    &C. 


DID.  This  I  consider  as  its  improper  or 
figunitive  meaning.  In  this  sense  the 
word  is  used  in  tlie  following  passages  : — 
"And  this  your  heave-offering  shall  be 
reckoned  unto  you  as  though  it  ivere  the 
corn  of  the  thrashing-floor,  and  as  the 
fulness  of  the  wine-press." — "  Where- 
fore hidest  thou  thy  face  and  holdcst  me 
for  thine  enemy." — "  If  the  uncircumcis- 
ion  keep  the  righteousness  of  the  law, 
shall  not  his  uncircumcision  be  counted 
for  circumcision." — "  If  he  hath  wronged 
thee,  or  oweth  thee  aught,  put  that  on 
mine  account." 

It  is  in  this  latter  sense  that  I  under- 
stand the  term  when  applied  to  justifica- 
tion. "Abraham  believed  God,  and  it 
was  counted  unto  him  ibr  righteousness." 
— "  To  him  that  worketh  not,  but  be- 
lieveth  on  him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly, 
his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness." 
The  counting,  or  reckoning,  in  these  in- 
stances, is  not  a  judging  of  tilings  as  they 
are;  but  as  they  are  not,  as  though  they 
tvcre.  I  do  not  think  that  faith  here  means 
the  righteousness  of  the  Messiah  ;  for  it 
is  expressly  called  believing.  It  means 
believing,  however,  not  as  a  virtuous  ex- 
ercise of  the  mind  which  God  consented 
to  accept  instead  of  perfect  obedience, 
but  as  having  respect  to  the  promised  Mes- 
siah, and  so  to  his  righteousness  as  the 
ground  of  acceptance.*  Justification  is 
ascribed  to  faith,  as  healing  frequently  is 
in  the  New  Testament;  not  as  that  from 
which  the  virtue  proceeds,  but  as  that 
which  receives  from  the  Saviour's  fulness. 

But,  if  it  were  allowed  that  faith  in 
these  passages  really  means  the  object 
laelieved  in,  still  this  was  not  Abraham's 
vtvn  righteousness,  and  could  not  be  i)ro- 
perly  counted  by  him  who  judges  of  things 
as  they  are  as  being  so.  It  was  reckoned 
omto  him  as  if  it  were  his  :  and  the  effects, 
(or  benefits,  of  it  were  actually  imparted 
to  him  :  but  this  was  all.  Abraham  did 
not  become  meritorious,  or  cease  to  be 
unworthy. 

"  What  is  it  to  place  our  righteousness 
an  the  obedience  of  Christ,"  says  Calvin, 
"  but  to  affirm  that  hereby  only  we  are 
laccounted  righteous  ;  because  the  obedi- 
ence of  Christ  is  imputed  to  us  as    if  it 

WERE    OUR   OWN."f 

It  is  thus  also  that  I  understand  the  im- 
putation of  sin  to  Christ.  He  was  ac- 
counted, in  (he  divine  administration,  as 
if  he  were  or  had  been  the  sinner,  that 
those  who  believe  in  him  might  be  ac- 
counted as  if  they  were  or  had  been  right- 
eous. 

*  See  Calvin's  Institutes,  Book  III.  Chap.  XI. 
§  7.  Also  my  Expository  Discourses  on  Genesis, 
Chap.  XV.  1 — 6. 

t  Institutes,  Book  III.   Chap.  XI.  §  23. 


brethren,  I  have  done.  Whether  my 
statement  be  just  or  not,  I  hope  it  Avill  be 
allowed  to  be  explicit. 

John.  That  it  certainly  is  ;  and  we 
thank  you.  Have  you  any  other  ques- 
tions, brother  Peter,  to  ask  upon  the  sub- 
ject! 

Peter.  How  do  you  understand  the 
apostle  in  2  Cor.  v.  21,  "  He  hath  made 
him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew  no  sin, 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  him  1" 

James.  Till  lately  I  cannot  say  that  I 
have  thought  closely  upon  it.  I  have  un- 
derstood that  several  of  our  best  writers 
consider  the  word  aiianTia  (sin)  as  frequent- 
ly meaning  a  sin-offering.  Dr.  Owen  so 
interprets  it  in  his  answer  to  Biddle  (p. 
510),  though  it  seems  he  afterwards 
clianged  his  mind.  Considering  the  op- 
position between  the  sin  which  Christ  was 
made  and  the  righteousness  which  we  are 
made,  together  with  the  same  word  being 
used  for  that  which  he  was  made  and  that 
which  he  kneiv  not,  I  am  inclined  to  be  of 
the  Doctor's  last  opinion ;  namely,  that 
the  sin  which  Christ  was  made  means  sin 
itself,  and  the  righteousness  which  we  are 
made  means  righteousnctL  itself.  I  doubt 
not  but  that  the  allusion  is  to  the  sin-of- 
fering under  the  law,  but  not  to  its  being 
made  a  sacrifice.  Let  me  be  a  little  more 
particular.  There  were  two  things  he- 
longing  to  the  sin-offering.  First :  The 
imputation  of  the  sins  of  the  people,  sig- 
nified by  the  priest's  laying  his  hands  up- 
on the  head  of  the  animal,  and  confessing 
over  it  their  transgressions,  and  which  is 
called  "  putting  them  upon  it  :"  that  is,  it 
was  counted,  in  the  divine  administration, 
as  if  the  animal  had  been  the  sinner,  and 
the  only  sinner  of  the  nation.  Secondly  : 
Offering  it  in  sacrifice,  or  "  killing  it  be- 
fore the  Lord  for  an  atonement."  Now 
the  phrase  made  sin,  in  2  Cor.  v.  21,  ap- 
pears to  refer  to  the  first  step  in  this  pro- 
cess in  order  to  the  last.  It  is  expressive 
of  what  was  preparatory  to  Christ's  suf- 
fering death,  rather  than  of  the  thing  it- 
self, just  as  our  being  made  righteousness 
expresses  what  was  preparatory  to  God's 
bestowing  upon  us  eternal  life.  But  the 
term  tnade  is  not  to  be  taken  literally  ;  for 
that  would  convey  the  idea  of  Christ's 
being  really  the  subject  of  moral  evil.  It 
is  expressive  of  a  divine  constitution  by 
which  our  Redeemer,  with  his  own  con- 
sent, stood  in  the  sinner's  place,  as  though 
he  had  been  himself  the  transgressor  ;  just 
as  the  sin-offering  under  the  law  was,  in 
mercy  to  Israel,  reckoned  or  accounted  to 
have  the  sins  of  the  people  "  put  ujion  its 
head  ;"  with  this  difference,  that  was  only 
a  shadow,  but  this  went  really  to  take 
away  sin. 


IMPUTATION. 


653 


Peter.  Do  you  consider  Christ  as  hav- 
ing  been   punished,     really    and   properly 

PTNISHEl)   ] 

Jaines.  I  sliould  think  I  do  not.  But 
what  do  you  mean  hy  punishment  1 

Peter.  An  innocent  person  may  suffer, 
but,  properly  speakinjr,  he  cannot  he  pun- 
ished. Punishment  necessarily  supposes 
criminality. 

James.  Just  so  ;  and  tiierefore,  as  I  do 
not  believe  that  Jesus  was  in  any  sense 
criminal,  I  cannot  say  he  was  really  and 
properly  punished. 

Peter.  Punishment  is  the  infliction  of 
natural  evil  for  the  commission  of  n)oral 
evil.  It  is  not  necessary,  however,  that 
the  latter  should  have  been  committed  by 
the  party.  Criminality  is  supposed;  but 
it  may  be  either  personal  or  imputed. 

James.  This  I  cannot  admit.  Real 
and  proper  punishment,  if  I  understand 
the  terms,  is  not  only  the  infliction  of 
natural  evil  for  the  commission  of  moral 
evil,  but  the  infliction  of  the  one  xipon  the 
person  icho  committed  the  other,  and  in 
displeasure  against  him.  It  not  only  sup- 
poses criminality,  but  that  the  party  pun- 
ished was  literally  the  criminal.  Crimi- 
nality committed  by  one  party  and  im- 
puted to  another  is  not  a  ground  for 
real  and  proper  punishment.  If  Paul 
had  sustained  the  punishment  due  to 
Onesimus  for  having  wronged  his  master, 
yet  it  would  not  have  been  real  and 
proper  punishment  to  him,  but  suffering 
only,  as  not  being  inflicted  in  disj)leasure 
against  him.  I  am  aware  of  what  has 
been  said  on  this  subject,  that  there  was 
a  more  intimate  union  between  Christ 
and  those  for  whom  he  died  than  could 
ever  exist  between  creatures.  But  be 
it  so ;  it  is  enough  for  me  that  the  union 
was  not  such  as  that  the  actions  of 

THE  OXE  BECAME  THOSE  OF  THE  OTH- 
ER. Christ,  even  in  the  act  of  offering 
himself  a  sacrifice,  when,  to  speak  in  the 
language  of  the  Jewish  law,  the  sins  of 
the  people  were  put  or  laid  upon  him, 
gave    himself,    nevertheless,     the    just 

FOR    THE     UNJUST. 

Peter.  And  thus  it  is  that  you  under- 
stand the  words  of  Isaiah,  "  The  Lord 
hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us 
alll" 

James.  Yes  ;  he  bore  the  punishment 
due  to  our  sins,  or  tliat  which,  considering 
the  dignity  of  his  person,  was  equivalent 
to  it.  The  phrase  "  He  shall  bear  his 
iniquity,"  which  so  frequently  occurs  in 
the  Old  Testament,  means,  he  shall  bear 
the  punishment  due  to  his  iniquity. 

Peter.'  And  yet  you  deny  that  Christ's 
sufferings  were    properly  penal? 

James.  You  would  not  deny  eternal 
life  which  is  promised  to  believers  to  be 


properly  a  reward ;  but  you  would  deny 
its    being   a   real    and  proper  reward  to 

THEM. 

Peter.     And  what  then  1 

James.  If  eternal  life,  tiiough  it  be  a 
reward,  and  we  partake  of  it,  yet  is  really 
and  properly  the  reward  of  Christ's  obe- 
dience, and  not  ours;  then  the  sufferings 
of  Christ,  though  they  were  a  punishment, 
and  he  sustained  if,  yet  were  really  and 
properly  the  punishment  of  our  sins, 
and  not  his.  What  he  bore  was  punish- 
ment :  (hat  is,  it  was  the  expression  of 
divine  displeasure  against  transgressors. 
So  what  we  enjoy  is  reward  :  that  is,  it 
is  the  expression  of  God's  well-pleased- 
ncss  in  the  obedience  and  death  of  his 
Son.  But  neither  is  the  one  a  punish- 
ment to  him,  nor  the  other,  properly 
speaking,  a  reward  to  us. 

There  appears  to  me  great  accuracy 
in  the  scripture  language  on  tliis  subject. 
What  our  Saviour  underwent  is  almost 
always  expressed  by  the  term  suffering. 
Once  it  is  called  a  chastisement:  yet 
there  he  is  not  said  to  have  been  chas- 
tised ;  but  "  the  chastisement  of  our 
peace  was  upon  him."  This  is  the  same 
as  saying  he  bore  our  punishment.  He 
was  made  a  curse  for  us :  that  is,  hav- 
ing been  reckoned  or  accounted  the  sin- 
ner as  though  he  had  actually  been  so, 
he  was  treated  accordingly,  as  one  that 
had  deserved  to  be  an  outcast  from  heav- 
en and  earth.  I  believe  that  the  wrath 
of  God  w hich  was  due  to  us  was  poured 
upon  him:  but  I  do  not  believe  that 
God  for  one  moment  was  angry  or  dis- 
pleased with  him,  or  that  he  smote  him 
from  any   such   displeasure. 

There  is  a  passage  in  Calvin's  Insti- 
tutes which  so  fully  expresses  my  mind 
that  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  if  1  read 
it.  You  will  find  it  in  Book  II.  Chap. 
XVI,  §  10,  11.  "It  behoved  him  that 
he  should,  as  it  were,  hand  to  hand, 
wrestle  with  the  armies  of  hell,  and  the 
horror  of  eternal  death.  Tlie  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  was  laid  upon  him. 
He  was  smitten  of  his  Father  for  our 
crimes,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities  : 
whereby  is  meant  that  he  was  put  in  the 
stead  of  the  wicked,  as  surety  and  |)ledge, 
yea,  and  as  the  verv'  guilty  person  him- 
self, to  sustain  and  bear  away  all  the 
punishments  that  should  have  been  laid 
upon  them,  save  only  that  he  could  not 
})e  holden  of  death. — Yet  do  we  not 
mean  that  God  was  at  any  time  either  his 
enemy  or  angry  with  him.  For  how 
could  he  be  angry  with  his  beloved  Son, 
upon  whom  his  mind  rested  ]  Or  how 
could  Christ  by  his  intercession  appease 
his  Father's  wrath  towards  others,  if, 
full   of   hatred,    he    had    been    incensed 


654 


CONVERSATIONS,    &.C. 


against  himself?  But  this  is  our  mean- 
ing— that  he  sustained  the  weight  of  the 
divine  displeasure;  inasmuch  as  lie,  be- 
ing stricken  and  tormented   by  the  hand 

of  God,  DID  FEEL  ALL  THE  TOKENS  OF 

God  when   he    is    angry   and    pun- 

ISHETH." 

Peter.  The  words  of  Scripture  are 
very  express  :  "  He  hath  made  him  to  be 
sin  for  ms." — "He  was  made  a  curse  for 
us.''  You  may,  by  diluting  and  qualify- 
ing interpretations,  soften  what  you  con- 
sider as  intolerable  harshness.  In  other 
words,  you  may  choose  to  correct  the  lan- 
guage and  sentiments  of  inspiration,  and 
teach  the  apostle  to  speak  of  his  Lord 
with  more  decorum,  lest  his  personal  pu- 
rity should  be  impeached,  and  lest  the 
odium  of  the  curse,  annexed  by  divine 
law,  should  remain  attached  to  his  death  : 
but,  if  you  abide  by  the  obvious  meaning 
of  the  passages,  you  must  hold  with  a 
commutation  of  persons,  the  imputation  of 
sin  and  of  righteousness,  and  a  vicarious 
punishment  equally  pregnant  with  execra- 
tion as  with  death. 

John.  I  wish  brother  Peter  would  for- 
bear the  use  of  language  which  tends  not 
to  convince,  but  to  irritate. 

James.  If  there  be  any  thing  convinc- 
ing in  it,  I  confess  I  do  not  pei'ceive  it. 
I  admit,  with  Mr.  Charnock,  "that 
Christ  was  '  made  sin'  as  if  he  had  sinned 
all  the  sins  of  men;  and  we  are  'made 
righteousness'  as  if  we  had  not  sinned  at 
all."  What  more  is  necessary  to  abide 
by  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  words  \ 
To  go  farther  must  be  to  maintain  that 
Christ's  licing  made  sin  means  that  he 
was  literally  rendered  wicked,  and  that 
his  being  made  a  curse  is  the  same  thing 
as  his  being  punished  for  it  according  to 
his  deserts.  Brother  Peter,  I  am  sure, 
does  not  believe  this  shocking  position  ; 
but  he  seems  to  think  there  is  a  medium 
between  his  being  treated  as  if  he  were -d 
sinner  and  his  being  one.  If  such  a  me- 
dium there  be,  I  should  be  glad  to  dis- 
cover it :  at  present  it  appears  to  me  to 
have  no   existence. 

Brother  Peter  will  not  suspect  me,  I 
hope,  of  wishing  to  depreciate  his  judg- 
ment, when  I  say  that  he  appears  to  me 
to  be  attached  to  certain  terms  without 
having  sufficiently  weighed  their  import. 
In  most  cases  I  should  think  it  a  privilege 
to  learn  of  him  ;  but  in  some  things  I  can- 
not agree  with  him.  In  order  to  maintain 
the  real  and  proper  punishment  of  Christ, 
lie  talks  of  his  being  "  guilty  by  imputa- 
tion." The  term  guilty,  I  am  aware,  is 
often  used  by  theological  writers  for  an 
obligation  to  punishment,  and  so  applies 
to  that  voluntary  obligation  which  Christ 
came  under  to  sustain  the  punishment  of 


our  sins  :  but,  strictly  speaking,  guilt  is 
the  desert  of  punishment ;  and  this  can 
never  apply  but  to  the  offender.  It  is  the 
opposite  of  innocence.  A  voluntary  obli- 
gation to  endure  the  punishment  of  anoth- 
er is  not  guilt,  any  more  than  a  conse- 
quent exem{)tion  from  obligation  in  the 
offender  is  innocence.  Both  guilt  and  in- 
nocence are  transferable  in  their  effects, 
but  in  themselves  they  are  untransferable. 
To  say  that  Christ  was  reckoned  or  count- 
ed in  the  divine  administration  as  if  he 
iveie  the  sinner,  and  came  under  an  obli- 
gation to  endure  the  curse  or  punishment 
due  to  our  sins,  is  one  thing:  but  to  say 
he  deserved  that  curse  is  another.  Guilt, 
strictly  speaking,  is  the  inseparable  at- 
tendant of  transgression,  and  could  never, 
therefore,  for  one  moment  occupy  the 
conscience  of  Christ.  If  Christ  by  impu- 
tation became  deserving  of  punishment, 
we  by  non-imputation  cease  to  deserve  it ; 
and,  if  our  demerits  be  literally  transfer- 
red to  him,  his  merits  must  of  course  be 
the  same  to  us  :  and  then,  instead  of  ap- 
proaching God  as  guilty  and  unworthy,  we 
might  talie  consequence  to  ourselves  be- 
fore him,  as  not  ^only  guiltless  but  merito- 
rious beings. 

Peter.  Some  who  profess  to  hold  that 
believers  are  justified  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  deny  nevertheless  that  his 
obedience  itself  is  imputed  to  them  ;  for 
they  maintain  that  the  Scripture  repre- 
sents believers  as  receiving  only  the  bene- 
fits, or  effects,  of  Christ's  righteousness 
in  justification,  or  their  being  pardoned 
and  accepted  for  Christ's  righteousness' 
sake.  But  it  is  not  merely  for  the  sake 
of  Christ,  or  of  what  he  has  done,  that 
believers  are  accepted  of  God,  and  treated 
as  completely  righteous  ;  but  it  is  in  him 
as  their  Head,  Representative,  and  Sub- 
stitute, and  by  the  imputation  of  that  very 
obedience  which,  as  such,  he  performed  to 
the  divine  law,  that  they  are  justified. 

James.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  the 
imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness  pre- 
supposes a  union  with  him  ;  since  there 
is  no  perceivable  fitness  in  bestowing  ben- 
efits on  one  for  another's  sake  where 
there  is  no  union  or  relation  subsisting 
between  them.  It  is  not  such  an  union 
however  as  that  the  actions  of  ei- 
ther   KECOME    THOSE     OF     THE      OTHER. 

That  "  the  Scriptures  represent  believers 
as  receiving  only  the  benefits  or  the  ef- 
fects of  Christ's  righteousness  in  justifi- 
cation "  is  a  remark  of  which  I  am  not 
able  to  perceive  the  fallacy  :  nor  does  it 
follow  that  his  obedience  itself  is  not  im- 
puted to  them.  Obedience  itself  may  be 
and  is  imputed,  while  its  effects  only  are 
imparted,  and  consequently  received.  I 
never    met    with  a  person    who  held  the 


IMPUTATION. 


565 


absurd  notion  of  imputed  benefits,  or  im- 
puted punishments  ;  and  am  inclincil  to 
think  ihere  never  was  sucii  a  person.  Be 
that  liowevcr  as  it  may,  sin  on  the  one 
hand,  and  rii:l)teousness  on  the  otiier,  are 
the  proper  ol)jeets  of  imputation  ;  hut  tiiat 
imputation  consists  in  cliarginj;  or  reok- 
oninjj^  them  to  the  account  ot  the  party  in 
such  a  way  as  to  impart  to  him  their  evil 
or  benelicial  etVects. 

Peter.  The  doctrine  for  which  I  con- 
tend, as  taught  l)y  the  apostle  Paul,  is 
neither  novel  nor  more  stroni^ly  expressed 
than  it  has  formerly  been  by  authors  of 
eminence. 

JuDics.  It  may  be  so.  We  have  been 
told  ot  an  old  protestant  writer  who  says, 
that  "In  Christ,  and  by  him,  every  true 
Christian  may  be  called  a  fuljiller  of  the 
/aic;"  but  I  see  not  why  he  might  not 
as  well  have  added.  Every  true  Christian 
may  be  said  to  have  been  slain,  and,  if 
not  to  have  redeemed  iiimself  by  his  own 
blood,  yet  to  be  worthy  of  all  that  bless- 
ing and  honor. and  glory  that  sliall  be 
conferred  upon  him  in  the  world  to  come. 
— What  do  you  think  o  f  Dr.  Crisp's  Ser- 
mons 1  Has  he  not  carried  your  principles 
to  an  extreme  1 

Peter.  I  cordially  agree  with  Wit- 
sius  as  to  the  impropriety  of  calling 
Christ  a  sinner,  truly  a  sinner,  the  great- 
est of  sinners,  &c.,  yet  I  am  far  from  dis- 
approving of  what  Dr.  Criip,  and  some 
others,  meant  by  those  exceptionable  ex- 
pressions. 

James.  If  a  Christian  may  be  called 
afulfller  of  the  law,  on  account  of  Christ's 
obedience  being  imputed  to  him,  I  see 
not  why  Christ  may  not  be  called  a  trans- 
gressor of  the  laiv,  on  account  of  our  dis- 
obedience being  imputed  to  him.  Persons 
and  things  should  be  called  what  they  are. 
As  to  the  meaning  of  Dr.  Crisp,  I  am 
very  willing  to  think  he  had  no  ill  design  : 
but  my  concern  is  with  the  meaning  which 
his  words  convey  to  his  readers.  He  con- 
siders God,  in  charging  our  sins  on 
Christ,  and  accounting  his  righteousness 
to  us,  as  reckoning  of  things  as  they  are. 
— p.  280.  He  contends  that  Christ  was 
really  the  sinner,  or  guilt  could  not  have 
been  laid  upon  him. — p.  272.  Imputation 
of  sin  and  righteousness,  with  him,  is  liter- 
ally and  actually  a  transfer  of  ch.\r- 
acter;  and  it  is  the  object  of  his  rea- 
soning to  persuade  his  believing  hearers 
that  from  henceforward  Christ  is  the  sin- 
ner, and  not  they.  "  Hast  thou  been  an 
idolater,"  says  he,  "  a  blasphemer,  a 
despiser  of  God's  word,  a  profaner  of  his 
name  and  ordinances,  a  thief,  a  liar,  a 
drunkard  1 — If  thou  hast  part  in  Christ, 
all  these  transgressions  of  thine  become 
actually  the  transgressions  of  Christ,   and 


so  cease  to  be  thine  ;  and  thou  ceasest  to  be 
a  transgressor  from  the  titnc  they  were  laid 
upon  Christ  to  the  last  hour  of  thy  life  :  so 
that  now  thou  art  not  an  idolater,  a  perse- 
cutor, a  thici,  a  liar,  &c. — thou  art  not  a 
sinlul  person.  Reckon  whatever  sin  you 
commit,  when  as  you  have  i)art  in  Christ, 
you  are  all  that  Christ  was,  and  Christ  is 
all  that  you  were." — p.  270. 

If  the  meaning  of  this  passage  be  true 
and  good,  I  see  nothing  exceptional)le  in 
the  expressions.  All  that  can  be  said  is 
that  tlie  writer  explicitly  states  his  prin- 
ciple, and  avows  its  legitimate  consequen- 
ces. I  lielicve  the  princij)le  to  be  false. 
1.  Because  neither  sin  nor  righteousness 
is  in  itself  transieral)le.  The  act  and 
deed  of  one  person  may  affect  another  in 
many  ways,  hut  cannot  possii)Iy  become 
his  act  and  deed.  2.  Because  the  Scrip- 
tures uniforndy  declare  Christ  to  be  sin- 
less, and  believers  to  be  sinful  creatures. 
3.  Because  believers  themselves  have  in 
all  ages  confessed  their  sins,  and  applied 
to  the  mercy-seat  for  forgiveness.  They 
never  plead  such  a  union  as  sliall  render 
their  sins  not  theirs,  but  Christ's  ;  but 
merely  such  a  one  as  affords  ground  to 
apply  for  pardon  in  his  name,  or  for  his 
sake :  not  as  worthy  claimants,  but  as 
unworthy  supplicants. 

Whatever  reasonings  we  may  adopt, 
there  are  certain  times  in  which  conscience 
will  bear  witness  that,  notwithstanding 
the  imputation  of  our  sins  to  Christ,  ive 
are  actually  the  sinners ;  and  I  should 
have  thought  tliat  no  good  man  could  have 
gravely  gone  about  to  overturn  its  testi- 
mony. Yet  this  is  what  Dr.  Crisp  has 
done.  "Believers  think,"  says  he,  "that 
they  find  their  transgressions  in  their  own 
consciences,  and  they  imagine  that  there 
is  a  sting  of  this  poison  still  behind,  wound- 
ing them  :  but,  beloved,  if  this  principle 
be  received  for  a  truth,  that  God  hath  laid 
thine  iniquities  on  Christ,  how  can  thy 
transgressions,  belonging  to  Christ,  be 
found  in  thy  heart  and  conscience  \ — Is 
thy  conscience  Christ  1" — p.  269. 

Perhaps  no  man  has  gone  farther  than 
Dr.  Crisp  in  his  attempts  at  consistency  ; 
and  admitting  his  principle,  that  imputa- 
tion consists  in  a  transfer  of  character,  I 
do  not  see  who  can  dispute  his  conclusions. 
To  have  been  perfectly  consistent,  how- 
ever, he  should  have  proved  that  all  the 
confessions  and  lamentations  of  believers, 
recorded  in  Scripture,  arose  from  their 
being  under  the  mistake  which  he  labors 
to  rectify  ;  that  is,  thinking  sin  did  not 
cease  to  be  theirs,  even  when  under  the 
fullest  persuasion  that  the  Lord  would 
not  impute  it  to  them,  but  would  gracious- 
ly cover  it  by  the  righteousness  of  hi* 
Son. 


656 


CONVERSATIONS,    &C. 


John.  I  hope,  my  brethren,  that  what 
has  been  said  in  this  free  conversation  will 
be  reconsidered  with  candor ;  and  that 
you  will  neither  of  you  impute  designs 
or  consequences  to  the  other  which  are 
not  avowed. 


CONVERSATION  II. 

ON  SUBSTITUTION. 

John.  I  THINK,  brother  Peter,  you  ex- 
pressed, at  the  beginning  of  our  last  con- 
versation, a  strong  suspicion  that  brother 
James  denied  the  substitution  of  Christ, 
as  well  as  the  proper  imputation  of  sin 
and  rig-hteousness.  What  has  passed  on 
the  latter  subject  would  probably  tend 
either  to  confirm  or  remove  your  suspi- 
cions respecting  the  former. 

Peter.  I  confess  I  was  mistaken  in 
some  of  my  suspicions.  I  consider  our 
friend  as  a  good  man,  but  am  far  from  be- 
ing satisfied  with  what  I  still  understand 
to  be  his  views  on  this  important  subject. 

John.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to 
hear  the  honest  concessions  of  brethren 
when  they  feel  themselves  in  any  meas- 
ure to  have  gone  too  far. 

Peter.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  brother 
James's  statement  on  substitution,  and  to 
know  whether  he  considers  our  Lord  in 
his  undertaking  as  having  sustained  the 
character  of  a  Head,  or  Representative  ; 
and,  if  so,  whether  the  persons  for  whom 
he  was  a  substitute  were  the  elect  only, 
or  mankind  in  general. 

James.  I  must  acknowledge  that  on 
this  subject  I  feel  considerably  at  a  loss. 
I  have  no  consciousness  of  having  ever 
called  the  doctrine  of  substitution  in  ques- 
tion. On  the  contrary,  my  hope  of  sal- 
vation rests  upon  it ;  and  the  sum  of  my 
delight,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  con- 
sists in  it.  If  I  know  any  thing  of  my 
own  heart,  I  can  say  of  my  Saviour  as 
laying  down  his  life  for,  or  instead  of, 
sinners,  as  was  said  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
captives  :  "  If  I  forget  thee,  let  my  right 
hand  forget :  if  I  do  not  remember  thee, 
let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my 
mouth  !" 

[James  here  paused,  and  wept ;  and 
both  John  and  Peter  wept  with  him.  Af- 
ter recovering  himself  a  little,  he  proceed- 
ed as  follows  :] 

I  have  always  considered  the  denial  of 
this  doctrine  as  being  of  the  essence  of 
Socinianism.  I  could  not  have  imagined 
that  any   person  whose  hope   of  accept- 

ice  with  God  rests  not  on  any  goodness 


in  himself,  but  entirely  on  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  imputed  to  him  as  if  it  were 
his  oivn,  would  have  been  accounted  to 
disown  his  substitution.  But  perhaps  my 
dear  brother  (for  such  I  feel  him  to  be, 
notwithstanding  our  differences )  may  in- 
clude, in  his  ideas  on  this  subject,  that 
Christ  was  so  our  head  and  representa- 
tive as  that  what  he  did  and  suflered  we 
did  and  suffered  in  him.  [To  this  Peter 
assented.]  If  no  more  were  meant  by  this, 
resumed  James,  than  that  what  he  did 
and  suffered  is  graciously  accepted  on  our 
behalf  as  if  it  were  ours,  I  freely,  as  I 
have  said  before,  acquiesce  in  it.  But  I 
do  not  believe,  and  can  hardly  persuade 
himself  that  brother  Peter  believes,  the 
obedience  and  sufferings  of  Christ  to  be  so 
ours  as  that  we  can  properly  be  said  to  have 
obeyed  and  suffered. 

Christ  was  and  is  our  head,  and  we  are 
his  members  :  the  union  between  him  and 
us,  however,  is  not  in  all  respects  the 
same  as  that  which  is  between  the  head 
and  the  members  of  the  natural  body ; 
for  that  would  go  to  explain  away  all  dis- 
tinct consciousness  and  accountableness 
on  our  part. 

As  to  the  term  representative,  if  no 
more  be  meant  by  it  than  that  Christ  so 
personated  us  as  to  die  in  our  stead,  that 
we,  believing  in  him,  should  not  die,  I 
have  nothing  to  object  to  it.  But  I  do  not 
believe  that  Christ  was  so  our  representa- 
tive as  that  what  he  did  and  suffered  we 
did  and  suffered ;  and  so  became  merito- 
rious, or  deserving  of  the  divine  favor. 
But  I  feel  myself  in  a  wide  field,  and 
must  intreat  your  indulgence  while  I  take 
up  so  much  of  the  conversation. 

Peter  and  John.  Go  on,  and  state 
your  sentiments  without  apology. 

James.  I  apprehend,  then,  that  many 
important  mistakes  have  arisen  from  con- 
sidering the  interposition  of  Christ  under 
the  notion  of  paying  a  debt.  The  blood 
of  Christ  is  indeed  the  price  of  our  re- 
demption, or  that  for  the  sake  of  which 
we  are  delivered  from  the  curse  of  the 
law  :  but  this  metaphorical  language,  as 
well  as  that  of  head  and  members,  may  be 
carried  too  far,  and  may  lead  us  into 
many  errors.  In  cases  of  debt  and  credit 
among  men,  where  a  surety  undertakes  to 
represent  the  debtor,  from  the  moment  his 
undertaking  is  accepted  the  debtor  is  free, 
and  may  claim  his  liberty,  not  as  a  mat- 
ter of  favor,  at  least  on  the  part  of  the 
creditor,  but  of  strict  justice.  Or,  should 
the  undertaking  be  unknown  to  him  for  a 
time,  yet  as  soon  as  he  knows  it  he  may 
demand  his  discharge,  and,  it  may  be, 
think  himself  hardly  treated  by  being  kept 
in  bondage  so  long  after  his  debt  had  been 
actually  paid.      But   who  in  their  sober 


SUBSTITUTION. 


G57 


senses  will  imagine  this  to  be  analogous  to 
(lie  redemplion  of  sinners  l>y  Jesus  Christ ! 
Sin  is  a(iei)t  only  in  a  nietapiiorical  sense; 
properly  speaking,  it  is  a  crime,  and  sat- 
islaetion  lor  it  recpiircs  to  he  made,  not 
on  pecuniary  l>ut  on  moral  principles.  If 
Pliilemon  had  accepted  ol  that  part  of 
Paul's  oiler  which  respected  property,  and 
had  |>laced  so  much  to  his  account  as  he 
considered  Onesimus  to  have  "  owed  " 
him,  tie  could  not  iiave  been  said  to  have 
remitted  his  debt;  nor  would  Onesimus 
have  had  to  thank  him  for  remitting  it. 
But  it  is  supposed  of  Onesimus  that  he 
might  not  only  be  in  debt  to  his  master, 
but  have  "  wronged  "  him.  Perhaps  he 
had  embezzled  his  goods,  corrupted  his 
children,  or  injured  his  character.  Now 
i'or  Philemon  to  accept  of  that  part  of  the 
olTer  were  very  dill'erent  from  the  other. 
In  the  one  case  he  would  have  accejttcd  of 
a  pecuniary  representative,  in  the  other  ol 
a  moral  one,  that  is,  of  a  mediator.  The 
satisfaction  in  the  one  case  would  annihi- 
late the  idea  of  remission  ;  but  not  in  the 
other.  Whatever  satisfaction  Paul  might 
give  to  Philemon  respecting  the  wound 
intlicted  upon  his  character  and  honor  as 
the  head  of  a  family,  it  would  not  super- 
sede the  necessity  of  pardon  being  sought 
by  the  otVender  and  freely  bestowed  by  the 
ofTended. 

The  reason  for  this  difference  is  easily 
perceived.  Debts  are  transferable ;  but 
crimes  are  not.  A  third  person  may  can- 
cel the  one,  but  he  can  only  obliterate  the 
effects  of  the  other ;  the  desert  of  the 
criminal  remains.  The  debtor  is  account- 
able to  his  creditor  as  a  private  individ- 
ual, who  has  power  to  accept  of  a  surety, 
or,  if  he  please,  to  remit  the  whole  with- 
out any  satisfaction.  In  the  one  case  he 
he  would  be  just;  in  the  other  merciful  : 
but  no  place  is  afforded  by  either  of  them 
for  the  combination  of  justice  and  mercy 
in  the  same  proceeding.  The  criviinal, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  amenable  to  the 
magistrate,  or  to  the  head  of  a  family,  as 
a  public  person,  and  who,  especially  if  the 
offence  be  capital,  cannot  remit  the  i)un- 
ishment  without  invading  law  and  justice, 
nor,  in  the  ordinary  discharge  ot  his  office, 
admit  of  a  third  person  to  stand  in  his 
jdace.  In  extraordinary  cases,  however, 
extraordinary  expedients  are  resort- 
ed to.  A  satisfaction  may  be  made  to 
law  and  justice,  as  to  the  .s;)ir(7  of  them, 
while  the  letter  is  dispensed  with.  The 
well-known  story  of  Zaleucus,  the  Gre- 
cian lawgiver,  who  consented  to  lose  one 
of  his  eyes  to  spare  one  of  his  son's  eyes, 
who,  by  transgressing  the  law  had  sub- 
jected himself  to  the  loss  of  both,  is  an 
example.  Here,  as  far  as  it  went,  justice 
and  mercy  were  combined  in  the  same  act ; 
VOL.     I.  So 


and  had  the  satisfaction  been  much  fuller 
than  it  was,  so  full  that  the  authority  of 
the  law  instead  of  lieing  weakened  should 
have  i)een  al)undantly  magnified  anil  hon- 
ored, still  it  had  been  perfectly  consistent 
tcith  free  furi^iveness. 

Finally  :  In  the  case  of  the  debtor,  sat- 
isfaction being  once  accepted,  justice  re- 
quires his  complete  discharge  :  but  in  that 
of  the  criminal,  where  satisfaction  is 
made  to  the  wounded  honor  of  the  law 
and  the  authority  of  the  lawgiver,  justice, 
though  it  admits  of  his  discharge,  yet  no 
otherwise  requires  it  than  as  it  may  have 
been  matter  of  promise  to    the  substitute. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  cases  of  this 
sort  afford  a  competent  representation  of 
redemption  by  Christ.  That  is  a  work 
which  not  only  ranks  with  extraordinary 
interpositions,  but  which  has  no  parallel  : 
it  is  a  work  of  God,  which  leaves  all  the 
petty  concerns  of  mortals  inlinitely  be- 
hind it.  All  that  comparisons  can  do  is  to 
give  us  some  idea  of  the  principle  on 
which  it   proceeds. 

If  the  following-  passage  in  our  admired 
Milton  were  considered  as  the  language 
of  the  law  of  innocence,  it  would  be  inac- 
curate— 


-Man   disobeying. 


He  witli  his  whole  posterity  must  die  ; 
Die  lie,  or  justice  must;  unless  for  him 
Some  other  able,  and  as  willing,  pay 
The  rigid  satisfaction,  death  for  death." 

Abstractedly  considered,  this  is  true ; 
but  it  is  not  expressive  of  what  was  the 
revealed  law  of  innocence.  The  law 
made  no  such  condition  or  provision  ;  nor 
was  it  inditferent  to  the  lawgiver  who 
should  suffer,  the  sinner  or  another  on 
his  behalf.  The  language  of  the  law  to 
the  transgressor  was  not  thou  shall  die, 
or  some  one  on  thy  behalf,  but  simply  thou 
shall  die  :  and,  had  it  literally  taken  its 
course,  every  child  of  man  must  have 
perished.  The  sufferings  of  Christ  in 
our  stead,  therefore,  are  not  a  punish- 
ment inilicted  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
distril)utive  justice,  but  an  extraordinary 
interposition  of  infinite  wisdom  and  love  ; 
not  contrary  to,  but  rather  above  the 
law,  deviating  from  the  letter,  but  more 
than  preserving  the  spirit  of  it.  Such, 
brethren,  as  well  as  I  am  able  to  ex- 
plain them,  are  my  views  of  the  substi- 
tution of  Christ. 

Peter.  The  objection  of  our  so  stating 
the  substitution  of  Christ  as  to  leave  no 
room  for  the  free  pardon  of  sin  has  been 
often  made  by  those  who  avowedly  reject 
his  satisfaction  ;  but  for  any  who  really 
consider  his  death  as  an  atonement  for 
sin,   and  as    essential    to    the  ground  of  a 


658 


CONVERSATIONS,    &C. 


sinner's  hope,  to  employ  the  objection 
against  us  is  very  extraordinary,  and 
must,  I  presume,  proceed  from  inadver- 
tency. 

James.  If  it  be  so  I  do  not  perceive  it. 
The  grounds  of  the  objection  have  been 
stated  as  clearly  and  as  fully  as  I  am  able 
to  state  them. 

John.  What  are  your  ideas,  brother 
James,  with  respect  to  the  persons  for 
whom  Christ  died  as  a  substitute] 
Do  you  consider  them  as  the  elect  only, 
or  mankind  in  general  ^ 

James.  Were  I  asked  concerning  the 
gospel,  when  it  is  introduced  into  a 
country,  For  tvhom  loas  it  sent?  if  I  had 
respect  only  to  the  revealed  will  of  God, 
I  should  answer.  It  is  sent  for  men,  not 
as  elect  or  non-elect,  but  as  sinners.  It 
is  written  and  preached  "that  they 
might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  they 
might  have  life  through  his  name." 
But  if  I  had  respect  to  the  appointment 
of  God,  with  regard  to  its  application,  I 
should  say.  If  the  divine  conduct  in  this 
instance  accord  with  what  it  has  been  in 
other  instances,  he  hath  visited  that 
country,  to  ''take  out  of  it  a  people  for 
his  name." 

In  like  manner,  concerning  the  death 
of  Christ,  if  I  speak  of  it  irrespective 
of  the  purpose  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son  as  to  the  objects  who  should  be 
saved  by  it,  referring  merely  to  what  it 
is  in  itself  sufficient  for,  and  declared  in 
the  gospel  to  be  adapted  to,  I  should 
think  I  answered  the  question  in  a  scrip- 
tural way  in  saying.  It  was  for  sinners 
as  sinners.  But  if  I  have  respect  to  the 
purpose  of  the  Father  in  giving  his  Son 
to  die,  and  to  the  design  of  Christ  in 
laying  down  his  life,  I  should  answer. 
It  was  for  his  elect   only. 

Ill  the  former  of  these  views  I  find  the 
apostles  and  primitive  ministers  (leav- 
ing the  consideration  of  God's  secret 
purposes  as  a  matter  belonging  to  him- 
self, not  to  them)  addressing  themselves 
to  sinners  without  distinction,  and  hold- 
ing forth  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  as  a 
ground  of  faith  to  all  men.  On  this  prin- 
ciple the  servants  sent  forth  to  bid  guests 
to  the  marriage-supper  were  directed  to 
invite  them,  saying,  "  Come, /or  all  things 
are  ready."  On  this  principle  the  am- 
bassadors of  Christ  besought  sinners  to  be 
reconciled  to  God;  ''for,"  said  they, 
"  he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us  who 
knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  him." 

In  the  latter  view  I  find  the  apostles 
asci'ibing  to  the  purpose  and  discrimina- 
ting grace  of  God  all  their  success  :  "As 
many  as    were  ordained    to   eternal    life 


believed  ;"  teaching  believers  also  to  as- 
cribe every  thing  that  they  were,  or  hop- 
ed to  be,  to  the  same  cause ;  addressing 
them  as  having  been  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  "  beloved  "  and  "  cho- 
sen "  of  God  ;  the  "  children  "  or  "  sons  " 
whom  it  was  the  design  of  Christ,  in 
becoming  incarnate,  to  bring  to  glory ; 
the  "church  "  of  God,  which  he  pur- 
chased with  his  own  blood,  and  for 
wliich  "he  gave  himself,  that  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing 
of  water  by  the  word,  that  he  might 
present  it  to  himself  a  glorious  church, 
not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
thing." 

If  the  substitution  of  Christ  consist  in 
his  dying  for  or  instead  of  others,  that 
they  should  not  die,  this,  as  comprehending 
the  designed  end  to  be  answered  l)y  his 
death,  is  strictly  applicable  to  none  but 
the  elect ;  for,  whatever  ground  there  is 
for  sinners  as  sinners  to  believe  and  be 
saved,  it  never  was  the  purpose  or  design 
of  Christ  to  impart  faith  to  any  other  than 
those  who  were  given  him  of  the  Father. 
He  therefore  did  not  die  with  the  intent 
that  any  others  should  not  die. 

Whether  I  c?ai  perfectly  reconcile  these 
statements  with  each  other  or  not,  I  em- 
brace them  as  being  both  plainly  taught 
in  the  Scriptures.  I  confess,  however,  I 
do  not  at  present  perceive  their  inconsis- 
tency. If  I  he  not  greatly  mistaken,  what 
apparent  contradiction  may  attend  them 
arises  chiefly  from  that  which  has  been  al- 
ready mentioned  ;  namely,  the  considering 
of  Christ's  substitution  as  an  affair  between 
a  creditor  and  debtor,  or  carrying  the  met- 
aphor to  an  extreme.  In  that  view  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  would  require  to  be 
exactly  proportioned  to  the  nature  and 
number  of  the  sins  which  were  laid  upon 
him;  and  if  more  sinners  had  been  saved, 
or  those  who  are  saved  had  been  greater 
sinners  than  they  are,  he  must  have  borne 
a  proportionable  increase  of  suffering. 
To  correspond  with  pecuniary  satisfac- 
tions, this  must  undoubtedly  be  the  case. 
I  do  not  know  that  any  writer  has  so 
stated  things  ;  but  am  persuaded  that  such 
ideas  are  at  the  foundation  of  a  large  part 
of  the  reasonings  on  that  side  of  the  sub- 
ject. 

In  atonement,  or  satisfaction  for  crime, 
things  do  not  proceed  on  this  calculating 
principle.  It  is  true  there  was  a  designa- 
tion of  the  sacrifices  offered  up  by  Hez- 
ekiah  :  they  were  offered  not  only  for 
Judah,  but  for  those  that  remained  of  the 
ten  tribes  :  "  for  so  the  king  commanded, 
that  the  burnt-offering  and  the  sin-offering 
should  be  made  for  all  Israel."  But  the 
sacrifices  themselves  were  the  same  for 
both  as  they  would  have  been  for  one,  and 


SUBSTITUTION. 


659 


required  to  be  the  same  for  one  as  they 
were  lor  liotli.  It  was  their  designation 
only  that  made  tlic  dilVoreuce. 

Tims  I  coiK'oivc  it  is  in  respect  of  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ.  If  fewer  had  i)een 
saved  tlian  are  saved,  to  l)c  consistent 
with  justice  it  required  to  l)e  hy  tiic  same 
l)crfect  atonement  ;  and  if  more  Iiad  l)ecn 
sa\ed  than  arc,  even  the  whole  iiuman 
race,  tiicre  needed  no  other.  But,  if  the 
satislaction  ot  Christ  was  in  itself  sufli- 
cient  (or  the  whole  world,  there  is  no  far- 
ther ]tropriety  in  asking,  "  Whose  sins 
were  imputed  to  Christ  T  or,  For  whom 
did  he  die  as  a  substitute!  "  than  as  it  is 
thereby  inquired.  Who  were  the  persons 
whom  he  intended  finally  to  savel 

That  which  is  equally  necessary  for  few 
as  for  many  must,  in  its  own  nature,  be 
equally  suflicient  for  many  as  for  few ; 
and  could  not  proceed  upon  the  principle 
of  the  sins  of  some  bcin;;-  laid  on  Christ 
rather  ihan  others,  any  otherwise  than  as 
it  was  the  design  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  through  one  all-sufficient  medium,  to 
pardon  the  elect,  while  the  rest  are,  not- 
withstanding, left  to  perish  in  their  sins. 

It  seems  to  me  as  consonant  with  truth 
to  say  that  a  certain  numl)er  of  Christ's 
acts  of  obedience  become  ours  as  that  a 
certain  number  of  our  sins  become  his. 
In  the  former  case  his  one  undivided  obe- 
dience, stamped  as  it  is  with  divinity, 
aflords  a  ground  of  justification  to  any 
number  of  believers :  in  the  latter,  his 
one  atonement,  stamped  also  as  it  is  with 
divinity,  is  sufficient  for  the  pardon  of 
any  numlicr  of  sins  or  sinners.  Yet  as 
Christ  laid  not  his  life  down  but  by  cove- 
nant, as  the  elect  were  given  him  to  be 
the  piirchase  of  his  blood,  or  the  Iruit  of 
the  travail  of  his  soul,  he  had  respect,  in 
all  he  ilid  and  suffered,  to  this  recompense 
of  reward.  Their  salvation  was  the  joy 
that  was  set  before  him.  It  was  for  the 
covering  of  their  transgressions  that  he 
became  obedient  r.nto  death.  To  them 
his  sul)stitution  was  the  same  in  effect  as 
if  their  sins  had  liy  number  and  measure 
been  literally  imparted  to  him. 

I  am  not  aware  that  any  principle  which 
I  imbibe  is  inconsistent  with  Christ's  lay- 
ing down  his  life  hij  covenant,  or  with  his 
l)eing  the  Sitreli/  of  that  covenant,  pledg- 
ing himself  for  the  certain  accomplishment 
of  w  hatever  he  undertook ;  as,  that  all 
that  were  given  him  should  come  to  him, 
should  not  be  lost,  but  raised  up  at  the 
last  day,  and  be  presented  without  spot 
and  l>lameless.  All  this  I  consider  as  in- 
cluded in  the  design  of  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  with  respect  to  the  application 
of  the  atonement. 

John.  I  have  heard  it  objected  to  your 
views  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  atonement 


to  this  effect — "  How  docs  this  principle 
afford  a  ground  for  general  invitations,  if 
the  design  was  confined  to  his  elect  peo 
pie]  If  the  benefits  of  his  death  were 
never  intended  for  the  non-elect,  is  it  not 
just  as  inconsistent  to  invite  them  to  jiar- 
take  of  them  as  if  there  were  a  want  of 
sufficiency  !  This  explanation  therefore 
seems  only  to  be  shifting  the  difficulty." 

James.  Pharaoh  was  exhorted  to  let 
Israel  go;  and,  had  he  complied,  he  had 
saved  his  own  lite  and  that  of  a  great 
number  of  his  people;  yet,  all  things  con- 
sidered, it  was  not  God's  intention  to 
save  Pharaoh's  life,  nor  that  of  the  Egyp- 
tians. And  is  there  no  difference  be- 
tween this  and  his  being  exhorted  under  a 
promise  in  which  the  object  promised  had 
no  existence  1 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  Scriptures  rest  the 
general  invitations  of  the  gospel  upon  the 
atonement  of  Christ.*  But,  if  there  were 
not  a  sufficiency  in  the  atonement  for  the 
salvation  of  sinners  without  distinction, 
how  could  the  ambassadors  of  Christ  be- 
seech them  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and 
that  from  the  consideration  of  his  having 
been  made  sin  for  us  who  knew  no  sin, 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  iiiml  What  would  you  think 
of  the  fallen  angels  being  invited  to  be 
reconciled  to  God,  from  the  consideration 
of  an  atonement  having  been  made  for 
Allien  men?  You  would  say.  It  is  inviting 
them  to  partake  of  a  benefit  which  has  no 
existence,  the  obtaining  of  which,  there- 
fore, is  naturally  impossible.  Upon  the 
supposition  of  the  atonement  lieing  in- 
sufficient for  the  salvation  of  any  more 
than  are  actually  saved  by  it,  the  non- 
elect,  however,  with  respect  to  a  being 
reconciled  to  God  through  it,  are  in  the 
same  state  as  the  fallen  angels ;  that  is, 
the  thing  is  not  only  morally,  but  natu- 
rally impossible.  But  if  there  be  an  ob- 
jective fulness  in  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
sufficient  for  any  number  of  sinners,  were 
they  to  believe  in  him  ;  there  is  no  other 
impossibility  in  the  way  of  any  man's 
salvation,  to  whom  the  gospel  comes  at 
least,  than  what  arises  from  the  state  of 
his  own  mind.  The  intention  of  God  not 
to  remove  this  impossibility,  and  so  not 
to  save  him,  is  a  purpose  to  withhold  not 
only  that  which  he  was  not  obliged  to 
bestow,  but  that  which  is  never  represent- 
ed in  the  Scriptures  as  necessary  to  the 
consistency  of  exhortations  or  invitations. 

I  do  not  deny  that  there  is  difficulty  in 
these  statements  ;  but  it  belongs  to  the 
general  subject  of  reconciling  the  pur- 
poses of  God  with  the  agency  of  man  : 
whereas,  in  the  other  case,  God  is  repre- 

*  2  Cor.  V.  19—21;  Matt.  xxii.  4;  Jolin  iii.  16. 


660 


CONVERSATIONS,  &C. 


sented  as  inviting  sinners  to  partake  of 
what  has  no  existence,  and  which  there- 
fore is  physically  impossible.  The  one, 
while  it  ascribes  the  salvation  of  the  be- 
liever in  every  stage  of  it  to  Mere  grace, 
renders  the  unbeliever  inexcusable;  which 
the  other,  I  conceive,  does  not.  In  short, 
we  must  either  acknowledge  an  objective 
fulness  in  Christ's  atonement,  sufficient 
for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world,  were 
the  whole  world  to  believe  in  him ;  or,  in 
opposition  to  Scripture  and  common  sense, 
confine  our  invitations  to  believe  to  sucli 
persons  as  have  believed  already. 

John.  May  I  ask  you,  brother  Peter, 
whether,  on  a  review  of  what  has  passed, 
you  consider  brother  James  as  denying 
the  doctrines  of  imputation  and  substitu- 
tion, or  either  of  theml 

Peter.  Though  I  consider  brother 
James's  statements  as  containing  various 
mistakes,  and  though  I  am  exceedingly 
averse  from  the  necessary  consequences 
of  certain  tenets,  which,  if  I  rightly  un- 
derstand him,  are  avowed  in  them  ;  yet 
I  am  now  convinced  that  respecting  those 
doctrines  he  did  not  intend  what  I  sup- 
posed he  did.  It  behoves  me,  therefore, 
frankly  to  acknowledge  that  I  have  unin- 
tentionally misrepresented  his  sentiments 
respecting  Ihem,  for  which  I  am  truly 
son-y. 

John.  I  hope,  brother  James,  you  are 
satisfied  witii  this  acknowledgment. 

James.  Perfectly  so  ;  and  shall  be  hap- 
py to  hear  lirother  Peter's  remarks  on 
those  particulars  in  which  he  may  still 
consider  me  as  in  the  wrong. 


CONVERSATION    III. 

ON    PARTICULAR    REDEMPTION. 

Peter.  Notwithstanding  what  our 
brother  James  has  stated,  I  am  far  from 
being  satisfied  with  his  views  as  they  af- 
fect the  doctrine  o{  Particular  Redemption. 
If  I  understand  him,  his  sentiment  may 
be  expressed  in  this  position  :  the  par- 
ticularity OP  THE  ATONEMENT  CON- 
sists in  the  sovereign  pleasure  of 
God  with  regard  to  its  applica- 
tion. 

James.  I  should  rather  say,  the  par- 
ticularity OF  REDEMPTION  CONSISTS 
IN  THE  SOVEREIGN  PLEASURE  OF  GOD 
WITH    REGARD    TO    THE   APPLICATION   OF 

THE  atonement;  that  is,  ivith  regard  to 

the    PERSONS      TO    WHOM    IT     SHALL     BE 
APPLIED. 

John.     It   is  to   be  understood  then,  I 


presume,  that  you  both  believe  the  doc- 
trine of  particular  redemption,  and  that 
the  only  question  between  you  is,  Wherein 
does  it  consist  1 

Jaines.     So  I  understand  it. 

Peter.  I  consider  the  afore-mentioned 
position  as  merely  a  reconciling  expedient, 
or  compromise  between  principles  which 
can  never  be  reconciled. 

James.  I  am  not  conscious  of  embracing 
it  for  any  such  purpose — but  let  me  hear 
your  objections  against  it. 

Peter.  It  places  the  particulai"ity  of 
red(;mplion  in  application.  I  understand, 
indeed,  that  by  application  you  include, 
not  only  what  the  New  Testament  de- 
nominates "receiving  the  atonement" — 
"  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ" — and  "faith  in  his  blood;"  but 
also  the  absolute  intention  of  Christ  in  his 
death  to  save  all  those  who  shall  be  finally 
happy.  But,  notwithstanding  the  unau- 
thorized latitude  of  meaning  which,  to 
render  the  position  more  plausible,  is  here 
claimed  for  a  particular  term,  various  and 
cogent  reasons  may  be  urged  against  it. 
Among  others,  it  confounds  the  atonement 
itself  with  its  application  to  the  sinner ; 
whereas,  though  the  former  completely 
ascertains  the  latter,  yet,  not  being  the 
same  fruit  of  divine  favor,  they  must  not 
be  identified.  The  term  application  always 
supposes  the  existence  of  whatever  is  ap- 
plied. The  atonement,  therefore,  must 
be  conrsidered  as  existing,  either  actually 
or  in  the  divine  decree,  before  it  can  be 
applied  to  the  sinner.  The  application 
of  a  thing  to  any  person,  or  for  any  pur- 
pose, ought  not  to  be  confounded  with  the 
thing  itself.  Hence,  in  former  times, 
hardly  any  distinction  was  more  common, 
among  theological  writers,  than  that  be- 
tween wliat  they  denominated  the  impctra- 
tion  and  (he  application  of  redemption. 
To  represent  the  intention  of  Christ  in 
his  death  to  save  Paul,  for  instance,  and 
not  Judas,  under  the  notion  of  applying 
the  atonement  to  the  one  and  not  to  tlie 
other,  is  to  me  at  least  a  perfectly  novel 
sense  of  the  word  application,  and  was,  I 
presume,  adopted  to  meet  the  necessities 
of  this  hypothesis. 

James.  The  whole  of  what  you  iiave 
said  rests  upon  a  mistake  at  the  outset. 
You  say  the  position  in  question  "places 
the  particularity  of  redemption  in  appli- 
cation." Whereas,  if  you  recollect 
yourself,    you  will  find  that  it  places  it  in 

THE  SOVEREIGN  PLEASURE  OF   GOD  WITH 

REGARD  TO  APPLICATION.  The  differ- 
ence between  this  and  the  other  is  as  great 
as  that  between  election  and  vocation.  In- 
stead of  my  confounding  redemption  or 
atonement,  therefore,  with  application,  I 
have  just   cause    to   complain  of  you    for 


PARTItlLAR     REDEMPTION. 


661 


havinpr  confounded  application  with  the 
sovereiirn  pleasure  ot  God  respcctin;^  it, 
and  for  liaving  loaded  nic  with  the  conse- 
quences. 

Peter.  But  have  you  never  made  use 
of  ^hc  term  application  so  as  to  include  the 
divine  intciilioti ! 

James:.  I  am  not  aware  of  having  done 
so;  but,  whotiier  I  have  or  not,  you  were 
not  animadverting  on  what  I  may  have  said 
at  otiicr  times,  but  on  the  position  which 
you  yourself  had  stated,  which  position 
artirms  the  very  opposite  of  what  you  al- 
lege. Allowing  you  to  animadvert,  how- 
ever, on  other  words  than  tiiose  contained 
in  the  position,  and  admitting  tiiat  I  may 
have  spoken  or  written  in  the  manner  you 
allege,  still  it  has  iieen  merely  to  distinguish 
the  death  of  what  Christ  is  i7i  itself  sujjicient 
for  from  what  it  was  the  design  of  the  Fa- 
ther atid  the  Son  actually  to  accomplish  by  it. 
This  distinction  is  neither  novel  nor  liable 
to  the  objection  of  confounding  the  impc- 
tration  of  redemption  with  its  application. 
I  have  no  other  meaning,  that  I  am  aware 
of,  than  that  of  Dr.  Owen  in  the  following 
passage  :  "  Sufficient,  we  say,  was  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ  for  the  redemption  of 
the  whole  world,  and  for  the  expiation  of 
all  the  sins  of  all  and  every  man  in  the 
world.  This  sufficiency  of  his  sacrifice 
hath  a  two-fold  rise.  First :  The  dignity  of 
the  person  that  did  offer,  and  was  offered. 
Secondly  :  The  greatness  of  the  pain  he  en- 
dured,by  which  he  was  able  to  bear,  and  did 
undergo,  the  whole  curse  of  the  law,  and 
wrathof  God  due  to  sin.  And  this  sets  forth 
the  innate,  real,  true  icorth  and  value  of 
the  blood-shedding  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  its  own  true  internal  perfection  and  suf- 
ficiency. That  it  should  be  applied  un- 
to any,  made  a  price  for  them,  and  become 
beneficial  to  them,  according  to  the  worth 
that  is  in  it,  is  external  to  it,  doth  not  arise 
from  it,  but  merely  depends  upon  the  in- 
tention and  will  of  God." 

Peter.  Intention  enters  into  the  nature 
of  atonement.  Christ  was  voluntary  in 
his  sufferings,  and  his  being  so  was  essen- 
tial to  liis  death  as  a  sacrifice  and  an  atone- 
ment. His  death,  detached  from  these 
considerations,  would  be  merely  that  of  a 
martyr.  It  was  the  efTect  of  the  highest 
degree  of  love,  and  of  the  kindest  possible 
intention  respecting  the  objects  beloved; 
for  otherwise  it  might  well  be  demanded, 
To  what  purpose  this  vaste  of  love  T 

James.  Intention  of  some  kind  doubt- 
less does  enter  into  the  essence  of  Christ's 
laying  down  his  life  a  sacrifice  :  but  that 
it  should  be  beneficial  to  this  person  rather 
than  to  that  appears  to  me,  as  Dr.  Owen 
expresses  it,  "  external  to  it,  and  to  de- 
pend entirely  on  the  will  of  God."  And, 
as  to  a   waste   of  love,  we  might  as  well 


attribute  a  waste  of  goodness  to  the  divine 
providence  in  its  watering  rocks  and  seas, 
as  well  as  fruitful  valleys,  with  the  showers 
of  heaven  ;  or  to  our  Lord  for  his  com- 
missioning his  apostles  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature,  while  he  never  ex- 
pected any  others  to  believe  and  be  saved 
by  it  tiian  those  who  were  ordained  to 
eternal  life.  It  accords  with  the  general 
conduct  of  God  to  impart  liis  favors  with 
a  kind  of  profusion  which  to  the  mind 
of  man,  that  sees  onlj'  one  or  two  ends 
to  be  answered  by  them,  may  have  the 
appearance  of  waste  :  but,  when  all  things 
are  brought  to  their  intended  issue,  it 
will  be  found  that  God  has  done  nothing 
in  vain. 

John.  Placing  the  particularity  of  re- 
demption, as  you  do,  in  the  sovereign 
pleasure  of  God  with  regard  to  the  appli- 
cation of  the  atonement,  or  the  j)ersonsto 
whom  it  shall  be  ai)plied.  wherein  is  the 
difference  between  that  doctrine  and  the 
doctrine  of  election  ] 

James.  I  do  not  consider  particular  re- 
demption as  being  so  much  a  doctrine  of 
itself  as  a  branch  of  the  great  doctrine  of 
election,  whicii  runs  through  all  God's 
works  of  grace.  If  this  branch  of  election 
had  not  been  more  opposed  than  others,  I 
reckon  we  should  no  more  haAe  thought  of 
applying  the  term  particular  to  it  than  to 
vocation,  justification,  or  glorification. 
The  idea  applies  to  these  as  well  as  to  the 
other.  Whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  did 
predestinate  ;  ichom  he  did  predestinate, 
he  called;  whom  he  called,  he  justified; 
and  ivhom  he  justified,  he  glorified. 

John.  This  w  ould  seem  to  agree  with 
the  a{)ostle's  account  of  spiritual  i)lessings 
in  his  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  :  "  He  hath 
blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in 
Christ,  according  as  he  hath  choseii  us  in 
hi7ti  before  the  foundation  of  the  tvorld." 

Peter.  I  have  some  questions  which  I 
wish  to  put  to  brother  James  on  the  dif- 
ference which  he  appears  to  make  between 
atonement  and  redemption.  If  I  under- 
stand him,  he  considers  the  latter  as  the 
effect  of  the  former. 

James.  There  are  few  terms,  whether 
in  the  Scriptures  or  elsewhere,  that  are 
always  used  in  the  same  sense.  Recon- 
ciliation sometimes  means  a  he\n^  actually 
in  friendship  with  God,  through  faith  in 
the  blood  of  Christ  :  but  when  used  synon- 
ymously with  atonement  it  denotes  the 
satisfaction  of  justice  only,  or  the  opening 
of  a  way  by  which  mercy  may  be  exercised 
consistently  with  righteousness.  In  both 
these  senses  the  word  occurs  in  Rom.  v. 
10,  "  For,  if  when  we  were  enemies  we 
were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his 
Son,  much  more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall 
be  saved  by   his    life."     On    this  passage 


662 


CONVERSATIONS,    &C. 


Dr.  Giiyse  very  properly  remarks,  "  '  Rec- 
onciled to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,' 
in  the  first  clause,  seems  to  relate  to 
Christ's  having  worked  out  our  reconcilia- 
tion, or  completed  all  in  a  way  of  merit 
by  his  death  that  was  necessary  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  God,  and  make  way  for  the 
riches  of  his  grace  to  be  communicated  to 
us  in  full  consistency  with  the  honor  of 
all  his  perfections,  and  of  his  law  and  gov- 
ernment, which  the  apostle  had  called 
(verses  6  and  8)  'dying  for  the  ungodly,' 
and  '  dying  for  us  :'  but  '  being  reconciled,' 
in  the  last  clause,  seems  to  relate  to  the 
reconciliation's  taking  effect  upon  us,  or 
to  our  being  brought  into  a  state  of  actual 
reconciliation  and  peace  with  God,  through 
faith  in  Christ's  blood,  which  the  apostle 
had  spoken  of  in  verses  1  and  9,  and  which, 
in  the  verse  after  this,  is  called  'receiving 
the  atonement.'  " — Thus  also  the  term 
redemption  is  sometimes  put  for  the  price 
by  which  we  are  redeemed ;  namely,  the 
blood-shedding  of  Christ.  In  this  sense  it 
appears  to  be  used  by  the  apostle  in  Rom. 
iii.  24,  "Being  justified  freely  by  his 
grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Jesus  Christ."  To  be  justified  "  through 
his  redemnlion"  is  the  same  thing,  I  should 
think,  as  being  "justified  by  his  blood." 
But  the  term  properly  and  ordinarily  signi- 
fies, not  that  for  the  sake  of  which  we  are 
delivered  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  but 
the  deliverance  itself.  Viewing  i-econcili- 
ation  or  atonement,  as  a  satisfaction  to 
divine  justice,  and  redemption  as  the  de- 
liverance of  the  sinner,  the  latter  appears 
to  me  to  be  an  effect  of  the  former. 

Peter.  I  am  far  from  being  convinced 
that  redemption  is  an  effect  of  atonement 
any  more  than  that  atonement  is  an  ef- 
fect of  redemption  :  both  are  the  im- 
mediate effects  of  Christ's  death,  viewed  in 
different  points  of  light. 

James.  I  freely  admit  that  both  are  ef- 
fects of  Christ's  death  ;  but  in  such  order 
as  that  one  is  the  consequence  of  the 
other.  I  can  conceive  of  the  deliverance 
of  the  criminal  arising  from  the  satisfac- 
tion made  to  the  judge  ;  but  not  of  satis- 
faction to  the  judge  arising  from  the  deliv- 
erance of  the  criminal. 

Peter.  To  view  the  atonement  as  mere- 
ly a  satisfaction  to  divine  justice,  or  as  a 
medium  Viy  which  mercy  may  be  exercised 
consistently  with  the  divine  perfections, 
without  considering  sinners  as  actually 
reconciled  to  God  by  it,  is  to  retain  little 
if  any  thing  more  than  the  name  of  atone- 
ment. 

James.  I  see  no  grounds  for  calling 
that  which  was  wrought  for  us  while  we 
were  yet  enemies  actual  reconciliation. 
Actual  reconciliation  appears  to  me,  as  it 
did  to  Dr.  Guyse,  to  consist  in  that  which 


is  accomplished  through  faith,  or  as  receiv- 
ing the  atonement.  The  reconciliation 
which  is  synonymous  with  atonement  is 
expressed  in  2  Cor.  v.  18,  "  All  things  are 
of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself 
by  Jesus  Christ."  But  this  is  not  sup- 
posed by  the  apostles,  important  as  it  was, 
to  have  brought  sinners  into  a  state  of 
actual  friendship  with  God  :  for,  if  so, 
there  had  been  no  occasion  for  "the 
ministry  of  reconciliation,"  and  for  "be- 
seeching sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  him." 
Nor  do  I  see  how  a  state  of  actual  recon- 
ciliation could  consist  Avith  the  uniform 
language  of  the  New  Testament  concern- 
ing unbelievers,  whether  elect  or  non-elect, 
that  tiiey  arc  under  condemnation.  I  never 
understood  that  you  held  with  justification 
before  believing  :  but  actual  reconciliation 
seems  to  amount  to  this.  Neither  have 
I  understood  that  you  have  ever  attempted 
to  explain  away  the  duty  of  ministers  to 
beseech  sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
On  the  contrary,  if  I  mistake  not,  you 
have  pleaded  for  it.  I  am  surprised,  there- 
fore, at  your  speaking  of  them  as  being 
actually  reconciled  to  God  while  they  are 
yet  enemies. 

John.  What  are  your  ideas,  brother 
James,  of  that  reconciliation  which  was 
effected  while  we  were  yet  enemies  1 

James.  I  conceive  it  to  be  that  satisfac- 
tion to  the  divine  justice  by  virtue  of  which 
nothing  pertaining  to  the  moral  government 
of  God  hinders  any  sinner  from  returning 
to  him  ;  and  that  it  is  upon  this  ground 
that  sinners  are  indefinitely  invited  so  to 
do.  Herein  I  conceive  is  the  great  dif- 
ference at  pi-esent  between  their  state  and 
that  of  the  fallen  angels.  To  them  God 
is  absolutely  inaccessible ;  no  invitations 
whatever  being  addressed  to  them,  nor 
the  gospel  preached  to  them  :  but  it  is  not 
so  with  fallen  men.  Besides  this,  as 
Christ  gave  himself  for  us  "that  he  might 
redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify 
unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,"  I  consider 
the  actual  reconciliation  of  the  elect  in 
the  fulness  of  time  as  hereby  ascertained. 
It  was  promised  him,  as  the  reward  of  his 
sufferings,  that  he  should  "see  of  the 
travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied." 

Peter.  Is  there  any  thing  in  the  atone- 
ment, or  promised  to  it,  which  infallibly 
ascertains  its  application  to  all  those  for 
whom  it  was  made  1 

James.  If  by  this  you  mean  all  for 
whose  salvation  it  was  sufficient,  I  an- 
sv/er,  There  is  not.  But,  if  you  mean  all 
for  whose  salvation  it  was  intended,  I  an- 
swer, There  is. 

Peter.  You  consider  the  principal 
DESIGN  of  our  Lord's  atonement  to  be 
the  manifestation  of  God's  hatred  to  sin, 
in  order  to  render  the  exercise  of  mercy 


PARTICULAR    REDEMPTION. 


G63 


consistent  with  justice  ;  but,  thougli  this 
iii(M  is  supposed,  yet  it  is  far  Iroiu  being 
the  Inst,  the  most  prominent,  the  clianic- 
tcrislic  idea  of  our  Lord's  deatii  :  the 
grand  idea  suirgcsted  to  an  cnliu,litened 
mind  liy  the  atonement  of  Clirist  is  not 
God's  liatrcd  to  sin,  l)ut  his  lo\e  to  sin- 
ners. 

James.  I  liope  we  shall  none  of  us 
pretend  to  he  more  enlightened  than  the 
a|)ostle  Paul,  and  I  am  mistaken  if  he 
does  not  suggest  the  idea  against  which 
you  militate.  He  rej)resents  God  as  "  set- 
ting Ibrth"  ills  Son  as  a  "  propitiation,  to 
declare  (or  demonstrate)  his  righteousness 
in  the  rejiiission  of  bins.  It  is  marvel- 
lous to  me  that  I  should  l>e  suspected  of 
linlding  up  God's  hatred  of  sin  to  the 
disparagement  of  his  lo\e  to  sinners,  when 
tiie  lormer  is  supposed  to  iiave  been  man- 
ifested to  prepare  the  way  for  the  latter. 
Were  I  to  say,  The  principal  dksign 
of  David  in  restoring  Absalom  at  the  in- 
stance of  Joab,  rather  than  by  sending  lor 
him  himsell,  was  that  even  in  pardoning 
the  young  man  lie  might  show  some  dis- 
j)leasure  against  sin,  and  save  his  own 
lionor  as  the  head  of  a  family  and  of  a 
nation,  I  should  not  be  far  from  the  truth. 
Yet  I  might  be  told,  The  grand,  the  prom- 
inent, the  characteristic  idea  suggested  by 
the  king's  consent  was  love;  for  "  his 
soul  longed  to  go  forth  to  Absalom."  Love 
to  Absalom  doubtless  accounts  for  Da- 
vid's desiring  his  return;  but  love  to 
righteousness  accounts  for  his  desir- 
ing it  in  that  particular  manner.  So  if 
the  question  were.  Why  did  God  give 
his  Son  to  die  for  sinners,  rather  than 
leave  them  to  perish  in  their  sins?  the  an- 
swer would  be.  Because  he  loved  them. 
But  if  the  question  be.  Why  did  he  give 
his  Son  to  be  an  atonement  for  sinners, 
rather  than  save  them  ivithout  one  ?  the 
answer  would  be.  Because  he  loved  riglit- 
eousness,  and  hated  iniquity. 

Peter.  On  the  principle  I  oppose,  the 
love  of  God  in  applying  the  atonement  is 
much  greater  than  in  giving  his  Son  to  be 
an  atonement,  since  the  latter  is  mere 
general  benevolence,  but  the  former  is 
particular  and  effectual. 

James.  You  should  rather  have  said, 
The  love  of  God  is  greater  in  giving  his 
Son  to  be  a  sacrifice  in  respect  of  those 
for  whose  salvation  it  was  his  pleasure  to 
make  it  effectual,  than  in  merely  giving 
him,  as  he  is  said  to  have  done,  to  some 
who  never  received  him. — John  vi.  32; 
i.  IL  If  there  was  a  particularity  of  de- 
sign in  the  gift  of  Christ,  it  cannot  be 
ascribed  merely  to  general  benevolence. 
And,  so  far  as  it  is  so,  we  have  no  right 
to  depreciate  it  on  account  of  its  not  issu- 
ing in  the  salvation  of  sinners  in  general. 


It  was  no  diminution  to  the  love  of  God 
towards  Israel,  in  bringing  them  out  of 
Egypt,  that  the  great  body  of  them  trans- 
gressed and  |)erished  in  the  wilderness  : 
nor  could  it  be  truly  said  that  the  bring- 
ing of  Caleb  and  Joshua  into  the  land  of 
promise  was  a  greater  expression  of  love 
than  that  which  had  been  bestowed  upon 
them,  and  the  whole  body  of  their  con- 
temporaries, in  liberating  them  from  the 
Egyptian  yoke.  And  let  me  intreat  you 
to  consider  whether  your  princi])les  would 
not  furnish  an  apology  (or  the  unbeliev- 
ing Israelites. — "  There  was  little  or  no 
love  in  God's  delivering  us,  unless  he  in- 
tended withal  to  prevent  our  sinning 
against  him,  and  actually  to  bring  us  to 
the  good  land  :  but  there  was  no  good 
land  tor  us — Would  to  God  we  had  died 
in  Egypt  I"  To  this,  however,  an  apos- 
tle would  answer,  "  They  could  not  enter 
in  because  ol  unbelief."  And  as  this 
language  was  written  for  the  warning  of 
professing  Christians,  whose  inclination  to 
relinquish  the  gospel  resembled  that  of 
their  fathers  to  return  into  Egypt,  we  are 
warranted  to  conclude  from  it  that,  though 
the  salvation  of  the  saved  be  entirely  of 
grace,  yet  the  failure  of  others  will  be 
ascribed  to  themselves.  They  shall  not 
have  the  consolation  to  say.  Our  salvation 
was  a  natural  impossibility  :  or,  if  they 
were  to  utter  such  language,  they  would 
be  repelled  by  Scripture  and  conscience, 
which  unite  in  declaring,  "  They  could 
not  enter  in  because  of  unbelief." 

Peter.  I  remember  an  old  nonconfor- 
mist minister  says,  "  If  any  man  be  bound 
to  believe  Christ's  satisfaction  sufficient 
to  justify  him  for  whom  it  was  never  paid, 
he  is  bound  to  believe  an  untruth.  God 
will  never  make  it  any  man's  duty  to  rest 
for  salvation  on  that  blood  that  was  never 
shed  for  him,  or  that  satisfaction  that  was 
never  made  for  him." 

James.  This  reasoning  of  the  old  non- 
conformist may  for  aught  I  know  be  just 
on  his  principles,  but  it  is  not  so  on  mine. 
If  satisfaction  was  made  on  the  principle 
of  debtor  and  creditor,  and  that  which  was 
paid  was  just  of  sufhcient  value  to  cancel  a 
given  number  of  sins,  and  to  redeem  a  given 
number  of  sinners,  and  no  more  ;  it  should 
seem  that  it  could  not  be  the  duty  of  any 
but  the  elect,  nor  theirs  till  it  was  reveal- 
ed to  them  that  they  were  of  the  elect,  to 
rely  upon  it;  for  "  wherefore  should  we 
set  our  eyes  on  that  which  is  not  1"  But 
if  there  be  such  a  fulness  in  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Christ  as  is  sufficient  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  whole  world,  were  the  whole 
world  to  believe  in  him,  and  if  the  par- 
ticularity of  redemption  lie  only  in  the 
purpose  or  sovereign  pleasure  of  God  to 
render  it  effectual  to  some  rather  than  to 


664 


CONVERSATIONS,    &C. 


others,  no  such  consequence  will  follow  : 
or,  if  it  do,  it  will  also  follow  that  divine 
predestination  and  human  accountable- 
ness  are  utterly  inconsistent,  and,  there- 
fore, that  we  must  either  relinquish  the 
former  in  favor  of  Arminianism,  or  give 
up  the  latter  to  the  Antinomians.  But 
though  the  ideas  of  my  much-respected 
brother,  on  the  subject  of  redemption, 
cannot  be  very  ditferent  from  those  of  his 
old  nonconformist,  yet  I  should  not  have 
supposed  he  would  have  adopted  his  rea- 
soning as  his  own. 

Peter.     Why   not  1 

James.  Because  it  is  your  avowed 
persuasion  that  sinners  as  sinners  are 
invited  to  believe  in  Christ  for  salvation. 
Thus  you  have  interpreted  the  invitations 
in  Isa.  Iv.  1 — 7,  and  various  others;  care- 
fully and  justly  guarding  against  the  no- 
tion of  their  being  addressed  to  renetved, 
or,  as  some  call  them,  sensible  sinners. 
Thus  also  you  interpret  2  Cor.  v.  20,  of 
God's  beseeching  sinners  l)y  the  ministry 
of  the  word  to  be  reconciled  to  him.  But 
your  old  friend  would  tell  you  that  God 
will  never  invite  a  sinner  to  rest  for  salva- 
tion on  that  blood  that  was  never  shed 
for  him,  or  on  that  satisfaction  that  was 
never  made  for  him.  I  should  have 
thought,  too,  after  all  that  you  have  said 
of  the  warrant  which  sinners  as  sinners 
have  to  believe  in  Christ,  you  would  not 
have  denied  it  to  be  their  duty,  nor  have 
adopted  a  mode  of  reasoning  which,  if 
followed  up  to  its  legitimate  consequen- 
ces, will  compel  you  to  maintain  either 
that  it  is  possible  to  know  our  election  be- 
fore we  believe  in  Christ,  or  that  in  our  first 
reliance  on  his  righteousness  for  accept- 
ance with  God  Ave  are  guilty  of  presump- 
tion. 

John.  I  conceive,  my  dear  brethren, 
that  you  have  each  said  as  much  on  these 
subjects  as  is  likely  to  be  for  edification. 
Permit  me,  after  having  heard  and  can- 


didly attended  to  all  that  has  passed  be- 
tween you,  to  assure  you  both  of  my  es- 
teem, and  to  declare  that  in  my  opinion 
the  difference  between  you  ought  not  to 
prevent  your  feeling  towards  and  treating 
each  other  as  brethren.  You  are  agreed 
in  all  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel ;  as 
the  necessity  of  an  atonement,  the  ground 
of  acceptance  with  God,  salvation  by  grace 
only,  &c.  &c.;  and,  with  respect  to  par- 
ticular redemption,  you  lioth  admit  the 
thing,  and  I  would  hope  both  hold  it  in  a 
way  consistent  with  the  practice  of  the 
primitive  ministers  ;  or,  if  it  be  not  alto- 
gether so,  that  you  will  reconsider  the 
subject  when  you  are  by  yourselves.  The 
gi'eater  part  of  those  things  wherein  you 
seem  to  dilfer  may  be  owing  either  to  a 
difference  in  the  manner  of  expressing 
yourselves,  or  to  the  affixing  of  conse- 
quences to  a  principle  which  yet  are  un- 
perceived  by  him  that  holds  it.  I  do  not 
accuse  either  of  you  with  doing  so  inten- 
tionally :  but  principles  and  their  conse- 
quences are  so  suddenly  associated  in  the 
mind,  that,  when  we  hear  a  person  avow 
the  former,  we  can  scarcely  forbear  im- 
mediately attributing  to  him  the  latter.  If 
a  principle  be  proposed  to  us  for  accept- 
ance, it  is  right  to  weigh  the  consequen- 
ces :  but  when  forming  our  judgment  of 
the  person  who  holds  it,  we  should  attach 
nothing  to  him  but  what  he  perceives  and 
avows.  If  by  an  exchange  of  ideas  you 
can  come  to  a  better  understanding,  it 
will  afford  me  pleasure  :  meanwhile  it  is 
some  satisfaction  that  your  visit  to  me  has 
not  tended  to  widen  but  considerably  to 
diminish  your  differences. 

Brethren,  there  are  many  adversaries  of 
the  gospel  around  you  who  would  rejoice 
to  see  you  at  variance :  let  there  be  no 
strife  between  you.  You  are  both  erring 
mortals ;  but  both,  I  trust,  the  sincere 
friends  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Love  one  an- 
other. 


SIX     LETTERS     TO     DR.    RYLAND, 


RESPECTING 


THE     CONTROVERSY     WITH     THE     REV.    A.    BOOTH. 


VOL.  I.  ^       84 


I 


LETTERS   TO   DR.  RYLAND. 


LETTER   I. 


NARRATIVE. 


January  4,   1803. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Though  you  are  not  wholly  unacquaint- 
ed uitii  what  has  lately  passed  between 
Mr.  Booth  and  myself,  relative  to  certain 
points  of  doctrine,  yet  I  shall  luiefly  state 
tlie  leading  particulars,  together  with  my 
sentiments  on  the  subjects  concerning 
which  I  am  charged  with  error. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1S02,  when  I  was 
in  London,  wishing  lor  a  belter  under- 
standing with  Mr.  B.,  I  requested  an  in- 
terview. With  his  consent  I  went  two  or 
three  times  to  see  him.  We  had  much 
conversation.  I  cannot  pretend  to  recol- 
lect all  that  passed;  but  some  things  I 
well  remember.  After  talking  over  cer- 
tain particulars  of  a  personal  nature,  on 
which  he  appeared  to  be  satisfied,  he,  in  a 
very  serious  tone,  suggested  that  I  had 
changed  my  sentiments  on  some  impor- 
tant doctrines  of  the  gospel ;  "  and  here," 
said  he,  "I  have  little  or  no  hope."  To 
these  serious  and  heavy  charges,  from  an 
aged  and  respected  minister,  I  at  first 
made  but  little  answer,  being  all  atten- 
tion to  what  he  had  to  of?'er  in  support 
of  them.  I  assured  him  that  I  was  willing 
to  reconsider  any  thing  I  had  advanced, 
and  desired  to  know  wherein  he  thought 
me  in  the  wrong.  Mr.  B.  answered,  "  It 
is  on  the  doctrines  of  imputation  and  sub- 
stitution that  I  conceive  you  to  err."  I 
asked  whether  his  ideas  on  these  doctrines 
did  not  proceed  upon  the  principle  of  detit- 
or  and  creditor;  and  that,  as  was  the 
number  of  sinners  to  Ik-  saved,  and  the 
quantity  of  sin  to  be  atoned  for,  such  re- 
quired to  be  the  degree  of  Christ's  suffer- 
ings. This  he  disowned,  saying,  he  nev- 
er had  such  an  idea,  nor  did  he  ever  meet 
with  it   in  any  writer;*  adding  to  this  ef- 

*  Yet,  if  nine  out  often  of  the  Iligli  Calvinisld 
were  asked  their  view.s  on  the  subject,  I  am  per- 
suaded it  would  appear  they  l>ad  no  other  notion  of 
it.  IVo  other  notion,  I  think,  could  be  collected 
from  Dr.  Gill's  exposition  of  Isaiah  liii.  6;  and  all 
he  writes  upon  the  subject  seevas'  to  go  upon  that 
principle. 


feet,  /  am  persuaded  that  if  one  sinner  only 
were  saved  consistently  with  justice,  it  re- 
quired to  be  by  the  same  alt-perfect  sacri- 
fice. I  felt  persuaded  that,  if  Mr.  B.  ad- 
mitted this  principle  in  al!  its  bearings, 
there  could  be  no  material  difference  be- 
twixt us. 

In  his  letter  to  me,  of  September  3d, 
he  says,  "I  deliberately  aver,  that  in  our 
second  and  last  conversation  I  understood 
you  to  deny  that  Christ  obeyed  and  died 
as  a  substitute,  and  that  you  did  not  ad- 
mit a  real  and  proper  imputation  either  of 
sin  to  Christ  or  of  his  righteousness  to 
those  who  believe."  I  give  him  credit  for 
this;  but  insist  upon  it  that  (excepting 
what  relates  to  the  terms  "  real  and  prop- 
er"—terms  not  used  in  the^V.sniote)  he 
has  no  grounds  for  so  understanding  me, 
and  that  there  were  grounds,  whether  he 
attended  to  them  or  not,  for  a  contra- 
ry conclusion.  I  declare  that  I  never 
suspected,  while  in  his  company,  that 
I  was  charged  with  any  such  thing's ;  but 
merely  that  my  views  concerning  those 
doctrines  were  not  just.  Under  this  im- 
pression, I  said  to  Mr.  B.  to  this  effect,— 
"I  do  suspect,  sir,  that  your  views  'on 
imputation  and  substitution  are  not  scrip- 
tural." I  did  not  mean  by  this  to  char"-e 
him  with  denying  either 'of  those  doc- 
trines; and  I  had  no  apprehension  of  his 
having  any  such  charge  to  prefer  against 
me.  The  whole  difference  l)etween  us  ap- 
peared to  me  lo  consist  in  the  manner  of 
explaining  doctrines  which  we  both  ac- 
knowledged and  held  fast. 

Mr.  B.  alleges,  as  a  reason  for  his  under- 
standing me  to  deny  the  doctrines  in  ques- 
tion, that  in  direct"  opposition  to  this  he 
pleaded  2  Cor.  v.  21  :  to  which,  he  says,  I 
replied,'^  made  sin  means  became  a  sacri- 
fice for  .sin;  to  which  he  could  not  accede. 
Granting  this  to  be  a  fair  statement,  surely 
it  does  not  follow  that  understanding  the 
phrase  "made  sin"  of  Christ's  bein? 
"made  a  sin-offering"  amounts  to  a  de- 
nial o(  the  imputation  of  sin  to  him.  If  it 
does,  however,  many  of  our  best  writers, 
among  whom  is  Dr.  Owen,t  are  subject 
to  the  same  charge.     But  Mr.  B.  is  mis- 

t  Answer  to  Biddle,  pp.  509,  510.  Vide  Dr. 
Owen  on  Justification,  ch.  xviii.  pp.  504,  505,  4to. 


668 


LETTERS    TO    DR.    RYLAND. 


taken  in  saying  that  I  affirmed  "  made 
sin"  to  mean  "made  a  sacrifice  for  sin." 
I  merely  asked  him  whether  it  did  not, 
whether  some  expositors  did  not  so  inter- 
pret it,  and  whether  there  was  not  some- 
thing in  the  original  word  which  led  to 
such  an  interpretation.  This,  I  am  cer- 
tain, was  the  whole ;  for  I  had  not  at  that 
time  any  decided  opinion  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  passage,  and  therefore  asked 
him  merely  for  information.  I  well  recol- 
lect the  substance  of  his  answer,  namely, 
that  the  word  uuaQTia,  it  was  true,  was 
sometimes  rendered  "sin"  and  sometimes 
a  "sin-offering;  "  but  the  sin  which  Christ 
was  made  was  that  which  he  knew  not,  and 
which  stood  opposed  to  "the  righteous- 
ness of  God,"  which  we  are  made  in 
Him :  to  this  I  made  no  reply,  as  think- 
ing there  appeared  to  be  furce  in  what  he 
said. 

I  also  very  well  remember  his  arguing 
from  Gal.  iii.  13,  and  contending  that 
Christ  must  in  some  sense  be  guilty,  else 
God  could  not  have  been  just  in  punishing 
him  :  this  argument  did  not  approve  itself 
to  ray  judgment  like  the  former.  I  admit- 
ted guilt  to  be  necessary  to  punishment, 
and  had  no  doubt  but  that  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  were  penai;  but  I  had  my  doubts 
whether  it  were  so  proper  to  say  Christ 
was  punished,  as  that  he  bore  our  punish- 
ment :  but,  as  I  shall  give  my  thoughts 
more  particularly  on  this  hereafter,  I  only 
say  in  this  place  that   this    conversation 

TOOK  PLACE  BEFORE  I  PREACHED  FOR 
HIM,  AND   BEFOFvE  HE  ASKED  ME  TO 

PREACH  FOR  HIM.*  It  is  somcwhat  sur- 
prising to  me,  therefore,  if  I  was  consid- 
ered as  denying  the  doctrines  of  imputa- 
tion and  substitution,  that  I  should  re- 
ceive such  an  invitation.  Whatever  he 
may  think  of  me,  I  would  never  consent 
to  a  man's  going  into  my  pulpit  whom  I 
considered  as  denying  either  the  one  or 
the  other. 

I  have  said  Mr.  B.  had  grounds  for  a 
contrary  conclusion,  whether  he  attended 
to  them  or  not.  He  cannot  but  remem- 
ber his  putting  the  Liverpool  Magazine 
into  my  hands,  where  he  conceived  it  was 
proved  that  I  had  changed  my  sentiments. 
On  this,  I  said  that  1  was  not  aivare  of 
any  such  change  as  he  ascribed  to  me. 
Mr.  B.,  I  well  remember,  answered,  in  a 
tone  of  surprise,  "  No  1  Then  you  are 
lost  !"  that  is,  as  I  understood  him,  "  You 
are  bewildered  in  inconsistency,  not  know  - 

*  Mr.  B.  speaks  in  liis  letter  of  September  SJ 
of  these  things  oceurring  in  our  second  ;iiid  last  con- 
versation ;  but  I  am  certain  tliat  all  those  things  on 
which  he  grounds  his  charge,  and  his  alleging  2  Cor. 
V.  21  and  Gal.  iii.  13,  occurred  in  the  first,  and 
before  he  asked  me  to  preach  for  him. 


ing  what  you  believe."  Now,  be  it  so, 
that  I  am  lost  in  inconsistency,  this  is  a 
very  different  thing  from  a  denial  of  what 
I  had  before  advanced.  If  I  was  not  aware 
of  having  relinquished  the  leading  princi- 
ples of  my  answer  to  Philanthropes,  I 
could  not  be  aware  of  having  given  up  the 
doctrines  of  Imputation  and  Substitution. 

It  might  also  have  been  supposed  that 
my  pleading  for  Christ's  being  made  a  sin- 
offering,  as  I  was  accounted  to  do,  was 
not  the  language  of  one  who  "  denied  that 
Christ  obeyed  and  died  as  a  substitute  :" 
for  what  else  was  the  sin-offering  but  a 
substitute  for  the  people  1 

Before  I  left  town,  I  gave  Mr.  B.  the 
manuscript  of  our  last  year's  Circular 
Letter,  on  the  Practical  uses  of  Believers' 
Baptism,  requesting  his  corrections.  In 
this  was  the  following  sentence,  with  sev- 
eral others  of  like  import — "  Christ  sus- 
tained the  deluge  of  wrath  due  to  our 
sins  :"  nor  did  this  passage  escape  him  ; 
his  first  note  holds  this  sentence  up  as  an 
example  of  my  inconsistency.  Some  men 
would  have  drawn  a  different  conclusion. 
They  would  have  said.  Surely  I  must 
have  mistaken  the  writer  when  in  con- 
versation :  he  cannot  mean  to  discard 
these  doctrines.  If  he  did,  why  does  he 
thus  fully  avow  them  1  Instead  of  this, 
Mr.  B.,  in  the  note  accompanying  the 
MS.,  flatly  charges  me  with  the  denial  of 
Substitution  and  of  Imputation  ;  not  mere- 
ly in  his  sense  of  them,  nor  with  the  epi- 
thets "proper  and  real  "  (since  added  as 
saving  terras) ;  but  so  as  to  disown  the  vica- 
riousness  of  what  our  Saviour  did  and  suf- 
fered, which  he  never  did,  even  "  in  his 
juvenile"  years,  when  I  suppose  he  was 
a  professed  Arininian. 

As  this  note  did  not  reach  me  till  I  was 
just  setting  off  for  home,  about  the  2d  or 
3d  of  June,  I  could  not  see  Mr.  B.  any 
more  :  and,  being  conscious  that  I  never 
thought  of  denying  either  of  the  doctrines 
in  question,  I  supposed  Mr.  B.  could  only 
mean  to  charge  such  denial  as  the  conse- 
quence of  what  I  avowed.  I  therefore 
took  three  or  four  weeks  to  consider  and 
re-examine  my  sentiments,  that  if  any 
such  consequences  did  attach  to  them  I 
might  discover  them. 

Early  in  July  I  answered  the  note,  de- 
clared my  lielief  of  both  the  above  doc- 
trines, and  complained  of  things  being 
imputed  to  me  as  my  principles  which  I 
did  not  avow,  and  which,  if  they  had  any 
connection  with  my  principles,  were  mere- 
ly consequences,  which  consequences  I  did 
not  perceive. 

AliOut  the  middle  of  July  reports  were 
circulated,  both  in  town  and  country,  that 
I  had  acknowledged  myself  to  Mr.  Booth 
to  be  an  Arminian,  &c.  &c.     One  of  my 


1 


NAHUATlVE. 


GG9 


Tricnds  was  in  London,  and  lieard  it  in  a 
great  numher  of  places;  "  froni  Oxibrd- 
strect,"  as  he  said,  "  to  Ratclifl'  High- 
way;" and  in  every  instance  it  was 
said  to  be  authorised  by  Mr.  B.  I  was  in- 
i'ormed  also  that  it  was  common  talk 
among  those  congregations  in  Northamp- 
tonshire whicii  rejected  all  invitations  to 
the  vniconverled,  and  nearly  ail  obliga- 
tions to  spiritual  religion.  A  person  re- 
siding amongst  them,  who  bore  good  will 
to  me,  came  to  my  iiouse  to  know  wheth- 
er the  rcj)ort  were  (rue  ;  and  he  assured 
me  that  the  whole  rested  on  the  testimony 
of  Mr.  B. 

Knowing  that  I  had  written  to  Mr.  B., 
avowing  my  belief  both  in  Imputation  and 
Substitution,  I  knew  not  what  to  make  of 
tilings. 

Pearly  in  September,  while  I  was  at 
Ediiil)urgh,  I  received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
B.,  partly  averring  that  lie  understood  me, 
in  conversation,  to  deny  tiiat  Christ  obey- 
ed and  died  as  a  substitute,  and  to  disown 
a  real  and  proper  imputation;  and  partly 
inquiring  whether  I  did  believe  these 
doctrines,  and  in  lohat  sense  it  was  that  I 
held  them. 

On  receiving  this  letter,  it  appeared  to 
me  to  contain  a  request,  whch,  had  it 
been  made  previously  to  the  sending  abroad 
of  a  report  to  my  disadvantage,  had  been 
fair,  and  I  should  freely  have  complied 
with  it.  But,  as  things  were,  I  did  not 
feel  free  to  write  any  explanation  to  Mr. 
B.,till  he  should  have  given  some  explan- 
ation of  his  conduct  towards  me.  I  wish- 
ed for  no  humiliating  concessions  from  a 
man  so  aged  and  so  respectable  as  Mr. 
B.  ;  but  I  did  think  myself  entitled  to 
some  explanation  ;  and  that  to  have  com- 
plied with  his  request  without  it  had  been 
a  tame  acknowledgment  of  guilt  and  fear, 
of  neither  of  which  I  was  conscious. 

To  tins  purpose  I  wrote  (on  October 
7th),  in  answer  to  his  of  September  3d, 
wishing  for  nothing  but  a  icw  lines,  ac- 
knowledging that  if  he  had  mistaken  my 
meaning,  and  thereby  injured  mc,  he  was 
sorry;  or  any  thing,  however  expressed, 
that  should  have  discovered  his  regret  for 
having  been  the  occasion  of  misreprenta- 
tion. 

But  to  this  letter  Mr.  B.  has  written  no 
ansv.cr.  I  have  to  thank  you,  however, 
for  the  copy  of  a  letter  which  he  address- 
ed to  yuu,  dated  December  Gth.  Here  I 
find  myself  charged  with  having  changed 
my  sentiments ;  ivith  agreeing  ivith  Mr. 
Baxter  in  several  of  his  leading  peculiari- 
ties ;  and  with  denying  the  doctrines  of 
Imputation    and     Substitution,     in     the 

SENSE  IN  WHICH  CaLVINISTS  COMMON- 
LY HOLD  AND   HAVE     HELD  THEM. 

1  own  I  feel  dissatisfied  with  this  sec- 
ond-hand method  of  attack,  ia  which  the 


oracles  of  God  are  nearly  kept  out  of  sight, 
and  other  standards  of  ortiiodoxy  set  up 
in  their  place.  Each  of  these  charges 
may  be  true,  and  yet  I  may  be  in  the 
right  and  Mr.  B.  in  the  wrong.  It  is  no 
crime  to  change  our  views,  unless  in  so  do- 
ing we  deviate  from  the  Scriptures  :  noi  is 
it  an  article  of  revelation  thatjMr.  Baxter's 
views  are  erroneous,  or  that  the  notions  of 
Calvinists  in  general  concerning  Imputa- 
tion and  Substitution  are  true.  I  write 
not  thus  because  I  feel  the  justice  of  ei- 
ther of  these  charges,  but  because  I  dislike 
such  circuitous  methods  of  judging  con- 
cerning^ truth  and  error.  They  are  un- 
worthy of  a  candid  inquirer  after  truth, 
and  chiefly  calculated  to  inllame  the  pre- 
judices of  the  ignorant.  If  I  have  used 
the  term  Culvinistic  in  controversy,  it  has 
been  merely  to  avoid  circumlocution,  and 
not  as  criminating  my  opponents  on  ac- 
count of  their  differing  from  Calvin. 

Mr.  B.  supposes  that  I  suspect  him  of 
"  insidious  designs."  No;  I  do  not,  nor 
ever  did.  I  never  thought  him  capable  of 
this  ;  but  I  do  think  him  capalile  of  being  so 
far  prejudiced  against  another  as  to  think 
that  to  be  right  towards  him  which  he 
would  think  very  wrong  if  done  to  himself. 


LETTER  IL 


ON    IMPUTATION. 


Jan.  8,  1803. 
My  DEAR  Brother, 

While  Mr.  B.  refuses  to  give  any  ex- 
planation of  his  conduct,  there  can  be  no 
intercourse  between  me  and  him.  I  have 
no  objection  to  give  the  most  explicit  an- 
swers in  my  power  to  the  questions  on 
Imputation  and  Substitution.  I  shall 
tlierefore  address  them  to  you ;  and  you 
are  at  liberty  to  show  them  to  whom  you 
please. 

To  impute*  signifies,  in  general,  to 
charge,  reckon,  or  place  to  account,  accord- 
ing lo  the  different  objects  to  which  it  is 
applied. 

This  word,  like  many  others,  has  a  prop- 
er and  a.  figurative  meaning. 

First  :  It  is  applied  to  the  charging, 
reckoning,  or  placing  to  the  account  of 
persons  and  things  that  which  proper- 
ly belongs  TO  THEM.  This,  of  coursc, 
is  its  proper  meaning.  In  this  sense  the 
word  is  used  in  the  following  passages  : — 
"  Eli  thought  that  she  (Hannah)  had  been 
drunken."— '' Hanan  and  Mattaniah,  the 
treasurers,  were  counted  faithful."- — "  Let 
a  man  so  account  of  us  as  the  ministers  of 

*  From  ^^'n  ''^"'^  /.oyt';ouai. 


670 


LETTERS     TO    UR.     RYLAND. 


I 


Christ  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of 
God." — "  Let  such  a  one  think  this,  that 
such  as  we  are  in  word  by  letters,  when 
we  are  absent,  such  will  we  be  also  in 
deed,  when  we  are  present." — "I  reckon 
that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
that  shall  be  revealed  in  us."* 

Reckoning  or  accounting,  here,  is  no 
other  than  forming  an  estimate  of  persons 
and  things,  according  to  lohat  theij  are,  or 
appear  to  be.  To  impute  sin,  in  this  sense, 
is  to  charge  guilt  upon  the  guilty  in  a  judi- 
cial tvay,  ivith  a  view  to  his  being  punished 
for  it.  Thus  Shimei  besought  David  that 
his  iniquity  might  not  be  imputed  to  him. 
Thus  the  man  is  pronounced  blessed  to 
whom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  iniquity  :  and 
thus  Paul  prayed  that  the  sin  of  those  who 
deserted  him  might  not  be  laid  to  their 
charge.^ 

In  this  sense,  the  term  is  ordinarily  used 
in  common  life.  To  impute  treason  or  any 
other  crime  to  a  man  is  the  same  thing  as 
charging  him  with  having  committed  it, 
and  with  a  view  to  his  being  punished. 

Secondly  :  It  is  applied  to  the  charging, 
reckoning,  or  placing  to  the  account  of 
persons    and  things,  that   which    does 

NOT  PROPERLY  BELONG  TO  THEM,  AS 

THOUGH  IT  DID.  This,  of  course,  is  its 
figurative  meaning.  In  this  sense  the 
word  is  used  in  the  following  passages  : — 
"  And  this  your  heave-offering  shall  be 
reckoned  unto  you  as  though  it  loere  the 
corn  of  the  threshing-floor,  and  as  the 
fulness  of  the  wine-press." — "  Wherefore 
hidest  thou  thy  face,  and  holdest  me  for 
thine  enemy  V — "  If  the  uncircumcision 
keep  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  shall  not 
his  uncircumcision  be  counted  (ov  circum- 
cision 1" — "If he  hath  wronged  thee,  or 
oweth  thee  aught,  put  that  on  my  ac- 
count."\ 

It  is  thus  I  understand  the  term,  when 
applied  to  justification.  "Abraham  be- 
lieved God,  and  it  was  counted  unto  him 
for  righteousness. — To  him  that  worketh 
not,  but  believeth  on  Him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  unto  him 
for  righteousness." — Rom.  iv.  3,  5.  I  do 
not  suppose  that  "  faith  "  in  these  pas- 
sages means  the  righteousness  of  the  Mes- 
siah ;  for  it  is  expressly  called  "believ- 
ing." It  means  believing,  however,  not 
as  a  virtuous  exercise  of  the  mind,  which 
God  consented  to  accept  by  a  composi- 
tion, taking  a  part  for  the  whole ;  but  as 
having  respect  to  the  promised  Messiah, 
and  so  to  his  righteousness,  as  the  ground 

*  1  Sam.  i.  13.  Neli.  xiii.  13.  1  Cor.  iv.  1 
2  Cor.  X.  11.     Rom.  viii.  18. 

t  2  Sam.  xix.  19.  Psalm  xxxii.  2.  2  Tim.  iv.  16. 

t  Num.  xviii.  27—30.  Job  xiii.  24.  Roin  ii.  26. 
Philemon  18. 


of  acceptance.  Justification  is  ascribed 
to  faith  as  healing  frequently  is  in  the 
New  Testament ;  not  as  that  which  im- 
parted the  benefit,  but  that  which  afforded 
occasion  to  the  great  physician  to  exercise 
his  power  and  mercy. 

But,  if  it  were  allowed  that  faith,  in 
these  passages,  means  the  object  believed 
in,  still  this  was  not  Abraham's  oivn  right- 
eousness ;  and  could  not  be  properly  im- 
puted, or  counted,  by  Him  who  judges  of 
things  as  they  are,  as  being  so.  It  was 
reckoned  to  him  as  if  it  ivere  his,  and  the 
effects  or  benefits  were  actually  trans- 
ferred to  him  ;  but  this  was  all.  Abra- 
ham did  not  become  meritorious,  or  cease 
to  be  unworthy.  "  What  is  it  else  to  set 
our  righteousness  in  the  obedience  of 
Christ,"  says  Calvin,  "but  to  affirm  that 
hereby  only  we  are  accounted  righteous, 
because  the  obedience  of  Christ  is  imputed 
to  us,  as  if  it  were  our  own  1  " — Inst. 
B.  iii.  ch.  xi.  §  23. 

It  is  thus  also  that  I  understand  the 
imputation  of  sin  to  Christ.  He  was  viade 
sin  for  us,  in  the  same  sense  as  we  are 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him. 
He  was  accounted  in  the  divine  adminis- 
tration   A"^    IF    HE    W^ERE,  OR    HAD    BEEN, 

the  sinner ;  that  those  who  believe  on  him 
might  be  accounted  as  if  they  were, 
OR  had  been,  righteous. 

Mr.  B.  charges  me  with  having  ex- 
plained the  phrase  "made  sin"  made  a 
sacrifice.  I  have  already  said  that  what 
I  asked  him  was  purely  for  information. 
Considering  his  answer  as  worthy  of  at- 
tention, I  have  since  endeavored  to  form 
a  decided  opinion  on  the  passage,  and  to 
give  what  he  advanced  its  due  weight.  I 
perceive  that  many  able  writers,  and  a- 
mong  them  Dr.  Owen,  understand  the 
term  uuuQTiu,  in  this  §  as  in  many  other 
places,  of  a  "  sin-offering,"  and  I  must 
say  I  see  no  force  in  the  objection  that  it 
sounds  incongruous  to  say  Christ  was 
"  made  punishment,"  or  "  made  suffer- 
ing;" for  the  same  objection  might  be 
brought  against  the  express  words  of  the 
prophet — "  W^hen  thou  shalt  make  his  soul 
an  offering  for  sin."  The  genius  of  our 
language  does  not  allow  us  to  say  of  any 
one,  "he  was  made  suffering;"  but  it  al- 
lows us  to  say,  "  he  was  made  an  offering 
for  sin,"  which  was  suffering. || 

The  other  reasons,  however,  which  Mr. 

§  III  the  MS-  from  wliich  tliis  vvns  printed  (ami 
which  was  corrected  by  Mr.  F.)  the  following  sen- 
tence, in  reference  t o  the  above  remartc,  appears  in 
the  hand-writing  of  Mi-.  Booth:  — 

"  In  his  book  against  Biddle  lie  does;  but  the  re- 
verse in  a  book  published  some  years  after  on  Justi- 
fication, Ch.  XVllI."— Ed. 

II  IIt(iL  uiiuorlug  in  Rom.  viii.  3,  seems  to  mean 
an  offering  for  sin;  as  it  certainly  does,  Ileb.  x.S. 


IMI'UTATION. 


671 


B.  suggested,  determine  my  mind  to  con- 
sider uKitijiiit,  in  this  place,  as  meaning  sin 
itself,  and  not  the  penal  ctlects  of  it.  I 
doul>t  not  hut  tliat  the  allusion  is  to  the 
sin-ollering  under  the  law,  but  not  to  its 
hcing  made  a  sacrifice.  Let  me  explain 
myself. — There  were  two  things  belong- 
ing to  the  sin-offering:  1.  The  imputation 
of  the  sins  of  the  people,  signified  by  the 
priest's  laying  his  hands  on  tiie  head  of 
the  animal,  anil  confessing  over  it  their 
transgressions,  and  whicii  is  called  "  put- 
ting them  upon  it"  (Lev.  xvi.21)-,  that 
is,  it  was  counted  in  the  divine  adminis- 
tration as  if  it  had  been  the  sinner,  and 
the  only  sinner  of  the  nation.  2.  Making 
it  a  sacritice,  or  "  killing  it  before  the 
Lord  for  an  atonement." — Lev.  i.  4,  5. 
Now  the  phrase  made  sin,  in  2  Cor.  v.  21, 
appears  to  refer  to  the  Jirst  step  in  this 
process,  in  order  to  the  last.  It  is  ex- 
pressive of  Avhat  was  preparatory  to 
Christ's  suffering  of  death,  rather  than  of 
the  thing  itself;  jusl  as  our  being  made 
righteousness  expresses  what  was  prepar- 
atory to  God's  bestowing  upon  us  eternal 
life. 

But  the  verb  i.roii^aiy,  made,  is  not  to 
be  taken  literally  ;  for  that  would  convey 
the  idea  of  Christ  being  really  the  sub- 
ject of  moral  evil,  which  none  contend 
for.  It  is  expressive  of  a  divine  consti- 
tution, by  which  our  Redeemer  with  his 
own  consent  stood  in  the  sinner's  place, 
as  though  he  had  been  himself  the  trans- 
gressor; just  as  the  sin-offering  under  the 
law  was,  in  mercy  to  Israel,  reckoned,  or 
accounted,  to  have  the  sins  of  the  people 
"  put  upon  its  head."  Thus  he  was  made 
that  sin  ivhich  he  knew  not,  and  which  is 
properly  opposed  to  the  righteousness  of 
God,  which  we  are  inade  in  him.  But 
this,  it  will  be  said,  is  not  a  "  real  and 
proper'^  imputation.  True:  nor  is  such 
an  imputation  maintained,  I  should  think, 
by  INIr.  B.  any  more  than  by  me.  A  real 
and  proper  imputation,  unless  I  have  mis- 
taken the  meaning  of  the  term,  is  that  in 
which  there  is  no  transfer  of  any  kind  ; 
and,  if  applied  to  Christ,  would  amount 
to  a  charge  of  his  having  actually  com- 
mitted sin. 

Mr.  B.  further  argued  thus  : — "If  Christ 
had  not  died  as  a  substitute — if  sin,  sin  it- 
self, had  not  really  been  imputed  to  him, 
he  could  not  have  been  made  a  curse  for 
us."  All  this  is  freely  admitted,  save 
what  respects  the  term  "really,"  against 
which  my  objection  is  already  stated. — 
"  Nor  could  he  have  been  punished,"  he 
adds,  "  in  our  stead  by  eternal  justice  ; 
for  though  an  innocent  person  may  suffer, 
yet,  properly  speaking,  there  cannot  be 
punishment  where  there  is  no  guilt,  either 
personally   contracted    or   imputed."      If 


this  sentence  had  ended  with  the  word 
"guilt,"  I  should  have  fully  admitted  it. 
Guilt  imputed  is  not  jjropcrly  opposed  to 
guilt  contracted.  Tiie  term  "  imputed  " 
is  here  used  for  "transferred,"  to  which 
it  is  not  synonymous.  Hut  we  are  per- 
l)lexed  here  by  affixing  different  ideas  to 
the  same  term.  I  will  endeavor  to  define 
my  own,  and  tlien  attend  to  the  thing  sig- 
nified. By  si)i  I  mean  transgression  ;  by 
guilt,  desert  of  punishment  for  having 
transgressed  :  *  and  by  punishment  the  in- 
fliction of  evil  upon  the  guilty,  in  dis- 
pleasure against  him.  It  is  the  opposite 
of  reward,  which  is  the  bcstowment  of  fa- 
vor upon  the  obedient,  in  token  of  appro- 
bation of  his  conduct.  Finally  :  Imputa- 
tion ought  not  to  be  confounded  with 
transfer.  In  its  proper  sense,  wc  have 
seen  there  is  no  transfer  pertaining  to  it. 
In  its  figurative  sense,  as  applied  to  justi- 
fication, it  is  righteousness  itself  that  is 
imputed  ;  but  its  effects  only  are  transfer- 
red. So  also  in  respect  of  sin  :  sin  itself 
is  the  object  of  imputation  ;  but  neither 
this  nor  guilt  is  strictly  speaking  transfer- 
red, for  neither  of  thein  is  a  transferable 
object.  As  all  that  is  transferred  in  the 
imputation  of  righteousness  is  its  benefi- 
cial effects,  so  all  that  is  transferred  in 
the  imputation  of  sin  is  its  penal  effects. 
To  say  that  Christ  was  reckoned  or  count- 
ed in  the  divine  administration  as  if  he 
tcerc  the  sinner,  and  came  under  an  obli- 
gation to  endure  the  curse  for  us,  is  one 
thing;  but  to  say  that  he  deserved  the 
curse  is  another.  To  sj)eak  of  his  being 
guilty  by  imputation  is  the  same  thing,  in 
my  ear,  as  to  say  he  was  criminal  or  w  ick- 
ed  by  imputation;  which,  if  taken  im- 
properly, for  his  being  reckoned  as  if  he 
tcere  so,  is  just ;  but  if  properly,  for  his 
being  so,  is  inadmissible.  Guilt  is  the  in- 
separable attendant  of  transgression. f  If 
Christ  by  imjjutation  became  deserving  of 
punishment,  we  by  non-imputation  cease 
to  deserve  it ;  and,  if  our  demerits  be  lit- 
erally transferred  to  him,  his  merits  must 
of  course  be  the  same  to  us  :  and  then, 
instead  of  aj)proaching  God  as  guilty  and 
unworthy,  we  might  take  consequence  to 
ourselves  before  liim,  as  not  only  guiltless, 
but  meritorious  beings. 

As  to  Christ's  being  punished,  I  have 

*  Some  liave  defined  giiill  an  obligation  to  pun- 
ishment; but  a  voliinUiry  ()l)ligiilioii  to  endiiie  the 
piinislimeiit  of  another  is  not  guilt,  any  more  llian  a 
ron.se<|«f;nt  exempt i,')n  from  obligation  in  the  oflender 
is  innocence.  Both  guilt  and  innocence,  thougli 
transferable  in  tiieir  effects,  are  tliemselves  un- 
tran.sferable. 

t  This  is  admitted  by  Dr.  Cri.~p,  who  on  this 
ground  argues  hi.s  point,  that  Christ  was  really  the 
ninner,  or  guilt  could  not  have  been  charged  upon 
him. — Sermons,  p.  272. 


6VZ 


LETTERS    TO    DR.   RYLAND. 


no  doubl,  and  never  had,  of  Iiis  sufferings 
being  penal,  any  more  than  I  have  of  our 
salvation  being  a  reward :  but,  as  the  lat- 
ter is  not  a  reward  to  us,  so  I  question 
whether  the  former  can  properly  be  said 
to  be  a  punishment  to  Him.  What  he 
bore  ivas  punishment,  that  is,  the  expres- 
sion of  divine  displeasure  against  trans- 
gressors, in  whose  place  he  stood :  so 
what  we  enjoy  is  reward,  that  is,  the  ex- 
pression of  God's  well-pleasedness  in  the 
obedience  and  death  of  his  Son  :  but 
neither  is  the  one  a  punishment  to  Him, 
nor  the  other  a  reward  to  us. 

There  appears  to  me  great  accuracy  in 
the  Scripture  phraseology  on  this  subject. 
What  our  Saviour  underwent  is  common- 
ly expressed  by  the  termsw^erings.  Once 
it  is  called  a  chastisement :  yet  there  he  is 
not  said  to  have  been  chastised,  but  "the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him.'" 
This  is  the  same  as  saying.  He  bore 
our  punishment,  He  was  made  a  curse  for 
us  :  that  is,  liaving  been  reckoned  or  ac- 
counted the  sinner,  as  though  he  had  ac- 
tually been  so,  he  was  treated  according- 
ly, as  one  that  had  deserved  to  be  an  out- 
cast from  heaven  and  earth.  I  believe 
the  wrath  of  God  that  was  due  to  us  was 
poured  upon  him ;  but  I  do  not  believe 
that  God  for  one  moment  was  angry  or 
displeased  with  him,  or  that  he  smote  him 
from  any  such  displeasure.  "  It  behoved 
him,"  says  Calvin,  "  that  he  should  as  it 
were  hand  to  hand  wrestle  with  the  armies 
of  hell  and  the  horrors  of  eternal  death. 
'  The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  laid 
upon  him.''  He  was  stricken  of  his  Father 
for  our  sins,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities  : 
whereby  is  meant  that  he  was  put  in  the 
stead  of  wicked  doers,  as  a  surety  and 
pledge  ;  yea,  and  as  the  very  guilty  per- 
son himself,  to  abide  and  suffer  all  the 
punishment  that  should  have  been  laid  up- 
on them.  Yet  do  we  not  mean  that  God 
was  at  any  time  his  enemy,  or  angry  with 
him.  For  how  could  he  be  angry  with 
his  beloved  Son,  upon  whom  his  mind 
rested  1  or  how  could  Christ  by  his  inter- 
cession appease  his  Father's  wrath  to- 
wards others,  if,  full  of  hatred,  he  had 
been  bent  against  himself?  But  this  is 
our  meaning  :  That  he  suffered  the  griev- 
ousness  of  God's  rigor ;  for  that  he,  being 
stricken  and    tormented   by   the   hand   of 

God,  DID  FEEL  ALL  THE  TOKENS  OF  GOD 

WHEN  HE   IS  ANGRY  AND  PUNISHETH." 

Inst.  B.  II.  Ch.  xvi.  §  10,  11. 

I  remember  Mr.  B.  once  said  to  me, 
"  Christ  was  not  made  sin  by  participa- 
tion ;  but  he  was  every  thing  excepting 
this."  Herein  I  perfectly  agree.  When 
it  is  allowed  that  he  was  accounted  as  the 
sinner,  yea,  as  the  greatest  of  all  sinners, 
as  though  he  had  been  made  up  of  sin  it- 


self, every  thing  is  allowed  short  of  a  par- 
ticipation in  sin.  If  it  be  not,  however, 
it  lies  upon  him  to  point  out  a  possible 
medium  between  his  being  treated  as 
though  he  were  a  transgressor  and  his  ac- 
tually being  one. 


LETTER  III. 


ON    SUBSTITUTION. 


Jan.  12,  1803. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Whether  Christ  laid  down  his  life  as 
a  substitute  for  sinners,  was  never  a  ques- 
tion with  me.  All  my  hope  rests  upon  it; 
and  the  sum  of  my  delight  in  preaching  the 
gospel  consists  in  it.  If  I  know  any  thing 
of  myself,  I  can  say  of  Christ  crucified 
for  us,  as  was  said  of  Jerusalem  :  "  If  I 
forget  thee,  let  my  right  hand  forget  :  if  I 
do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue 
cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth !  " 

I  have  always  considered  the  denial  of 
this  truth  as  being  of  the  essence  of  Socini- 
anism.  Mr.  B.  professes,  "in  his  juve- 
nile years,  never  to  have  hoped  for  salva- 
tion but  through  a  vicarious  sacrifice." 
But,  if  he  allow  himself  to  have  believed 
this  doctrine  when  he  was  an  Arminian,  it  is 
rather  singular  that  I,  who  am  not  an  Ar- 
minian, as  he  himself  acknowledges,  should 
be  charged  with  denying  it.  I  could  not 
have  imagined  that  any  person  whose  hope 
of  acceptance  with  God  rests  not  on  any 
goodness  in  himself,  but  entirely  on  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  would  have  been 
accounted  to  disown  his  substitution.  But, 
perhaps,  Mr.  B.  considers  "  a  real  and 
proper  imputation  of  our  sins  to  Christ," 
by  which  he  seems  to  mean  their  being 
literally  transferred  to  him,  as  essential  to 
this  doctrine  ;  and,  if  so,  I  acknowledge 
I  do  not  at  present  believe  it. 

For  Christ  to  die  as  a  substitute,  if  I 
understand  the  term,  is  the  same  thing  as 
his  dying /or  us,  or  in  our  stead,  or  that 
we  should  not  die. 

The  only  subject  on  which  I  ought  to 
have  been  here  interrogated  is,  "  The  per- 
sons for  whom  Christ  was  a  substitute  ; 
whether  the  elect  only,  or  mankind  in  gen- 
eral." On  this  question  I  will  be  as  ex- 
plicit as  I  am  able. 

Were  I  asked  concerning  the  gospel, 
when  it  is  introduced  into  a  country.  For 
whom  ivas  it  sent  ?  I  should  answer,  if  I 
had  respect  only  to  the  revealed  will  of 
God,  and  so  perhaps  would  Mr.  B.,  It  is 
sent  for  men,  not  as  elect,  or  as  non-elect, 
but  as  sinners.     It  is  written  and  preach- 


I 


SUBS,  i*  L'TIO!^. 


619 


ed,  "  that  they  might  believe  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  Goil  ;  and  tlip.t  lie- 
lieving  tliey  might  have  life  through  his 
name."  But,  if  I  had  respect  to  the  secret 
will  or  appointment  of  God  as  to  its  api)li- 
cation,  I  should  say.  If  the  divine  conduct 
in  this  instance  accord  with  what  it  has  l>cen 
in  other  instances,  lie  hatii  visited  that  coun- 
try "  to  take  out  of  it  a  peoi)le  for  his 
name." 

In  like  manner  concerning  tlie  death  of 
Christ.  If  I  speak  of  it  irrespective  of 
the  purpose  of  the  father  and  the  Son,  as 
to  the  objects  icho  should  be  saved  by  it, 
merely  referring  to  what  it  is  in  itself  suf- 
ficient for,  and  declared  in  the  gospel  to 
be  adapted  to,  I  should  think  that  I  an- 
swered the  question  in  a  scriptural  way  by 
saying,  It  was  for  sinners  as  sinners  :  but 
if  I  have  respect  to  the  purpose  of  the  Fa- 
ther in  giving  his  Son  to  die,  and  to  the 
desis:n  of  Christ  in  laying  down  his  life,  I 
should  answer,  //  ivasfor  the  elect  only.* 

In  the  former  of  these  views,  I  find  the 
apostles  and  primitive  ministers  (leaving 
the  consideration  of  God's  secret  purpose 
as  a  matter  belonging  to  himself,  not 
to  them)  addressing  themselves  to  sinners 
without  distinction,  and  holding  forth  the 
d«ath  of  Christ  as  a  ground  of  faith  to  all 
men.  On  this  principle  the  servants  sent 
forth  to  bid  guests  to  the  marriage- 
supper  were  directed  to  invite  them,  say- 
ing, "  Come,  FOR  all  things  are  ready." 
On  this  principle  the  ambassadors  of 
Christ  besought  sinners  to  be  reconciled 
to  God,  "for,"  said  they,  "  he  hath  made 
Him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew  no  sin, 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  Him." 

In  the  latter  view,  I  find  the  apostles 
ascribing  to  the  purpose  and  discriminat- 
ing grace  of  God  all  their  success  ;  and 
teaching  believers  to  ascribe  every  thing 
that  they  were,  or  hoped  to  be,  to  the 
same  cause;    addressing  them  as  having 

*  Ttie  distinction  between  what  the  atonement  of 
Clirist  is  in  \tse\(  tufficient  for  and  what  it  isasap- 
plied,  under  the  sovereign  will  of  God,  is  made  l)y 
Dr.  Owen,  as  well  as  many  others.  Speaking  of 
"  the  dignity,  worth,  or  infinite  vahie  of  the  death  of 
Christ,"  he  ascrilxjs  it  |)artly  to  "  the  dignity  of  his 
person,  and  partly  to  the  greatness  of  iiis  sufferings. 
And  tiiis,"  he  adds,  "  sets  out  the  innate,  real, 
true  xcorth  and  value  of  the  blood-shedding  of 
Jesus  Christ;  this  is  its  own  true  internal  perfec- 
tion and  sufficiency.  That  it  should  be  applied  un- 
to any,  made  a  price  for  them,  and  become  beneficial 
to  them,  according  to  the  worth  that  is  in  it,  is  ex- 
ternal to  it,  doth  not  arise  from  it,  but  merely  de- 
|jends  upon  the  intention  and  will  of  God."  And  it 
is  on  this  ground  that  Dr.  Owen  accounts  for  the 
propitiation  of  Christ  being  set  forth  in  general  and 
indefinite  expressions — and  for  "  the  general  prof- 
fers, promises,  and  exhortations  made  for  the  em- 
bracing of  the  fruits  of  the  death  of  Christ,  even  to 
them  v^ho  do  never  actually  perform  it." — Death  ot 
Death,  &c..  Book  iv.  Ch.'l. 

VOL.  I.  85 


been  before  the  foundation  of  the  world 
the  objects  of  his  love  and  choice;  the 
children  or  sons  whom  it  was  tlie  design 
of  Christ  in  becoming  incarnate  to  bring 
to  glory  ;  tlie  church  of  God,  wliich  he 
purchased  with  his  own  blood,  and  for 
whicii  he  gave  himself,  that  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it,  and  present  it  to 
himself. 

If  it  be  a  proper  definition  of  the  sub- 
stitution of  Christ,  that  he  died  fur  or  in 
the  place  of  others,  that  they  should  not  die, 
this,  as  comprehending  the  designed  end 
to  be  answered  by  his  death,  is  strictly 
applicable  to  none  but  the  elect :  for 
whatever  ground  there  is  for  sinners,  as 
sinners,  to  iielieve  and  be  saved,  it  never 
was  the  design  of  Christ  to  impart  faith 
to  any  others  than  those  who  were  given 
him  of  the  Father.  He  therefore  did  not 
die  with  the  intent  that  any  others  should 
not  die. 

Whether  I  can  perfectly  reconcile  these 
statements  with  each  other,  or  not,  I  be- 
lieve they  are  both  taught  in  the  Scrip- 
tures; but  I  acknowledge  that  I  do  not  at 
present  perceive  their  inconsistency.  The 
latter  Mr.  B.  will  admit;  and,  as  to  the 
former,  I  am  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  make 
of  his  concessions,  if  they  do  not  include 
it.  According  to  the  best  of  my  recol- 
lection, he  acknowledged  to  me  that  he 
believed  the  atonement  of  Christ  to  he  suf- 
ficient for  the  whole  ivorld,  as  ivell  as  I; 
and  that,  if  one  sinner  only  were  saved 
consistently  ivith  justice,  it  required  to  be 
by  the  same  all-perfect  sacrifice.  So,  I 
am  certain,  I  understood  him.  Now,  if 
it  be  acknowledged  that  the  obedience  and 
death  of  Christ  was  a  substitution  of  such 
a  kind  as  to  be  equally  required  for  the 
salvation  of  one  sinner,  as  for  many — is 
not  tliis  the  same  thing  as  acknowledging 
that  atonement  required  to  be  made  for 
si7i  as  sin;  and,  being  made,  was  appli- 
cable to  sinners  as  sinners  ?  In  other 
words,  is  it  not  acknowledging  that  God 
redeemed  his  elect  by  an  atonement  in  its 
own  nature  adapted  to  all,  just  as  he  calls 
his  elect  by  a  gospel  addressed  to  alH 

If  the  speciality  of  redemption  be  pla^ 
ced  in  the  atonement  itself,  and  not  in  the 
sovereign  icill  of  God,  or  in  the  design  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son,  with  respect  to 
the  persons  to  whom  it  shall  be  applied, 
it  must,  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  perceive, 
have  proceeded  on  the  principle  of  pecu- 
niary satisfactions.  In  them  the  payment 
is  proportioned  to  the  amount  of  the  debt; 
and,  being  so,  it  is  not  of  suflicicnt  value 
for  more  than  those  who  are  actually  lib- 
erated by  it ;  nor  is  it  true,  in  these  cases, 
that  the  same  satisfaction  is  required  for 
one  as  for  many.  But,  if  such  was  the 
satisfaction  of  Christ  that  nothing  less  was 
necessary  for  the  salvation  of  one,  nothing 


074 


LETTERS    TO    DR.   RYLAND. 


more  could  be  necessary  for  the  salvation 
of  the  whole  world,  and  the  whole  world 
might  have  been  saved  by  it  ?/  it  had  ac- 
corded with  sovereign  wisdom  so  to  apply 
it.  It  will  also  follow  that,  if  the  satis- 
faction of  Christ  was  in  itself  sufficient 
for  the  whole  world,  there  is  no  further 
propriety  in  such  questions  as  these — 
"Whose  sins  were  imputed  to  Christ  1 
for  whom  did  he  die  as  a  substitute!" — 
than  as  they  go  to  inquire  who  were  the 
persons  designed  to  be  saved  by  him  1  that 
which  is  equally  necessary  for  one  as  for 
many  must,  in  its  own  nature,  be  equally 
sufficient  for  many  as  for  one  ;  and  could 
not  proceed  upon  the  principle  of  the  sins 
of  some  being  laid  upon  Christ,  rather 
than  others,  any  otherwise  than  as  it  was 
the  design  of  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
through  one  all-sufficient  medium,  ulti- 
mately to  pardon  the  sins  of  the  elect  ra- 
ther than  those  of  the  non-elect.  It  seems 
to  me  as  consonant  Avith  truth  to  say  a 
certain  number  of  Christ's  acts  of  obedi- 
ence are  literally  transferred  to  us  as  that 
a  certain  number  of  our  sins  are  literally 
transferred  to  him.  In  the  former  case, 
his  own  undivided  obedience,  stamped  as 
it  is  with  divinity,  affords  a  ground  of  jus- 
tification to  any  number  of  believers  :  in 
the  latter,  his  own  atonement,  stamped 
also  as  it  is  with  divinity,  is  sufficient  to 
pardon  any  number  of  sins  or  sinners. 
Yet  as  Christ  did  not  lay  down  his  life  but 
by  covenant — as  the  elect  were  given  to 
him,  to  be  as  the  travail  of  his  soul,  the 
purchase  of  his  blood — he  had  respect  in 
all  that  he  did  and  suffered  to  this  recom- 
pense of  reward.  It  was  for  the  covering 
of  their  transgressions  that  he  became  obe- 
dient unto  death.  To  them  his  substitu- 
tion was  the  same,  in  effect,  as  if  their 
sins  had  by  number  been  literally  trans- 
ferred to  him.  I  am  not  aware  that  any 
principle  that  I  hold  is  inconsistent  with 
Christ's  laying  down  his  life  by  covenant, 
or  with  his  being  the  surety  of  that  cove- 
nant, pledging  himself  for  the  certain  ac- 
complishment of  whatever  he  undertook  ; 
as,  that  all  that  were  given  him  should 
come  to  him;  should  not  be  lost,  but  rai- 
sed up  at  the  last  day,  and  be  presented 
without  spot  and  blameless.  All  this  I 
suppose  to  be  included  in  the  design  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son;  or  in  the  "  sove- 
reign application"  of  the  atonement. 

It  has  been  objected,  though  not  by  Mr. 
B.,  "how  does  the  sufficiency  of  Christ's 
death  afford  ample  ground  for  general  in- 
vitations, if  the  design  was  confined  to  the 
elect  people  1  If  the  benefits  of  his  death 
were  never  intended  for  the  non-elect,  is  it 
not  just  as  inconsistent  to  invite  them  to 
partake  of  them  as  if  there  were  a  want  of 


sufficiency!     This  explanation   seems  to 
be  no  other  than  shifting  the  difficulty.'' 
To  this  I  answer  : — 

1.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  Scriptures  rest 
the  general  invitation  of  the  gospel  upon 
the  atonement  of  Christ. — 2  Cor.  v.  19 — 
21  ;  Matt.  xxii.  4;    John  iii.  16. 

2.  If  there  were  not  a  sufficiency  in  the 
atonement  for  the  salvation  of  sinners, 
and  yet  they  were  invited  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  God,  they  must  be  invited  to  what 
is  naturally  impossible.  The  message 
of  the  gospel  would  in  this  case  be  as  if  the 
servants  who  went  forth  to  bid  the  guests 
had  said,  "Come,"  though,  in  fact,  noth- 
ing was  ready,  if  many  of  them  had  come. 

3.  If  there  be  an  objective  fulness  in 
the  atonement  of  Christ  sufficient  for  any 
number  of  sinners,  were  they  to  believe  in 
Him,  there  is  no  other  impossibility  in  the 
way  of  any  man's  salvation  to  whom  the 
gospel  comes  than  what  arises  from  the 
state  of  his  own  mind.  The  intention  of 
God  not  to  remove  the  impossibility,  and 
so  not  to  save  him,  is  only  a  resolution  to 
withhold,  not  only  that  which  he  was 
not  obliged  to  give,  but  that  which  is  never 
represented  as  necessary  to  the  consistency 
of  exhortations  and  invitations  to  a  com- 
pliance. I  do  not  deny  that  there  is  a 
difficulty ;  but  it  belongs  to  the  general 
subject  of  reconciling  the  purposes  of  God 
and  the  agency  of  man;  whereas,  in  the 
other  case,  God  is  represented  as  inviting 
sinners  to  partake  of  that  which  does  not 
exist,  and  which  therefore  is  naturally 
impossible.  The  one,  while  it  ascribes 
the  salvation  of  the  believer,  in  every 
stage  of  it,  to  mere  grace,  renders  the  un- 
believer inexcusable,  which  the  other,  I 
conceive,  does  not. 

Such,  as  well  as  I  am  able  to  explain 
them,  are  my  views  of  these  important 
subjects.  I  may  be  mistaken  in  some 
particulars  ;  and,  if  so,  I  should  be  happy 
to  receive  further  light  from  any  one. — 
But,  till  I  do,  I  shall  not  think  the  worse 
of  what  I  have  written  for  the  names  by 
which  it  may  be  stigmatized. 


LETTER   IV. 

ON    CHANGE    OF    SENTIMENTS. 

Jan.  17,  1803. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Mr.  B.,  in  his  letter  to  you  of  Dec.  6, 
expresses  his  persuasion  that  "  I  could  not 
now  oppose  Philanthrofos  as  I  for- 
merly did ;  we  being  more  nearly  agreed 
than  we  were  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago." 


CHANGE    07    SENTIMF.NTS. 


675 


When  1  wrote  my  reply  to  Pliilanthro- 
pos,  I  acknowlcdiied  tliat  1  had  read  and 
ihoiiirht  l)Ut  litlle  on  tlie  sulijcct,  and 
tlierctore  cng;ai:eil  in  that  controversy  with 
considerable  reluctance.  Were  I  to  write 
it  over  airain,  there  would,  doul>tless,  he 
several  alterations.  I  niii^iit  understand 
some  ])assa<res  ol"  Scripture  dillerently, 
inisrht  (lenuir  upon  a  lew  of  tiie  arsxuinents 
used  to  estal)lisi»  my  leading  principles,  and 
upon  some  few  of  the  answers  to  those  of 
Philantliroi)OS  ;  luit  the  leading  principles 
//iPHist'/res  I  do  still  approve.  li  a  new  edi- 
tion were  wanted,  I  should  have  no  other 
ohjectii>n  than  what  arises  from  the  above 
particulars  to  reprint  it  as  it  is.  I  Ireely  own 
that  my  views  of  particular  redemption 
were  altered  by  my  engaging  in  that  con- 
troversy ;  but  what  alteration  there  was, 
was  before  I  published  my  reply.  The  truth 
is,  I  tried  to  answer  my  opj)onent  with- 
out considering  the  sufficiency  of  the  atone- 
ment in  itself  considered,  and  of  its  being 
the  ground  of  gospel  invitations ;  but  I 
could  not. 

I  found  not  merely  his  reasonings, but  the 
Scriptures  themselves,  standing  in  my 
way.  After  some  serious  thought  upon  the 
subject,  therefore,  I  formed  my  judg- 
ment :  and  it  was  some  relief  to  find  all 
the  old  Calvinists  defending  the  doctrine 
upon  the  same  ground. 

I  conceded  to  my  opponent  that  the 
death  of  Christ  in  itself  considered,  i.  e. 
irrespective  of  the  design  of  the  Father 
and  Son  as  to  its  application,  was  suffi- 
cient for  all  mankind ;  that  a  way  was 
opened  by  which  God  consistently  with 
his  justice  could  forgive  any  sinner  what- 
ever that  returns  to  him  by  Jesus  Christ; 
that,  if  the  whole  world  were  to  believe 
in  Him,  none  need  be  sent  away  for  want 
of  a  sufficiency  in  his  death  to  render  his 
pardon  and  acceptance  consistent  with 
the  rights  of  justice  (p.  23;)  and  this  is 
all  that  I  should  concede  now.  This  is  the 
whole  of  what  I  meant  in  the  second 
edition  of  The  Gospel  Worthy  of  all  Ac- 
ceptation, by  "the  peculiarity  of  redemp- 
tion consisting  not  in  its  insufficiency  to 
save  more  than  are  .saved,  but  in  the  sove- 
reignty of  its  application."  If  more  be 
conveyed  by  this  sentence  than  the  above, 
it  conveys  what  I  never  intended ;  but  I 
am  not  able  to  perceive  that  this  is  the 
case. 

That  for  which  I  then  contended  was, 
that  Christ  had  an  absolute  and  determi- 
nate design  in  his  death  to  save  some  of 
the  human  race,  and  not  others ;  and, 
were  I  engaged  in  a  controversy  with 
Philanthropos  now,  I  should  contend  for 
the  same  thing.  I  then  placed  the  pecu- 
liarity of  redemption  wholly  in  the  ap- 
pointment or  design  of  the  Father   and  the 


Son,  which,  if  I  understand  my  own 
words,  is  the  same  thing  as  placing  it  in 
"  the  sovereignty  of  its  a|>|)licati<(M."  As 
my  views  of  particular  redemption  were 
somewhat  changed  i)etwcon  my  writing 
the  first  edition  of  The  Gospel  IFortliy  of 
all  Acceptation  and  my  Rtply  to  Philan- 
thropos,  it  was  right  when  publishing  a 
second  edition  of  the  former  work  to  ren- 
der it  consistent  with  the  latter,  as  well 
as  with  my  then  present  sentiments. 

In  the  course  of  twelve  or  fifteen  years 
there  are  few,  if  any,  thinking  men,  but 
what  see  reason  to  change  their  senti- 
ments in  some  particulars.  What  I  have 
here  stated  on  Imputation  may  not  be  the 
ideas  which  I  entertained  at  tiiat  distance 
of  time,  though  I  do  not  recollect  to  have 
written  any  thing  upon  it ;  yet,  to  the 
l)est  of  my  remembrance,  I  thought  that 
in  God's  charging  our  sin  on  Christ,  and 
placing  His  righteousness  to  our  account, 
he  reckoned  of  things  as  they  icere  ;  as 
Dr.  Crisp  pleads  (Sermons,  p.  280), though 
how  it  was  I  could  form  no  idea.  I  did 
not  perceive  at  that  time  that  imputation 
and  transfer  were  not  the  same  thing.  In 
short,  I  had  never  closely  considered  the 
subject.  The  same  might  be  said  of  some 
things  which  I  have  written  in  The  Gospel 
its  own  Witness,  P.  ii.  ch.  iv.,  as  whether 
the  satisfaction  of  Christ  proceeded  on  the 
principle  of  commercial  or  of  moral  jus- 
tice, and  whether  it  was  an  event  admissi- 
ble in  the  ordinary  course  of  distributive 
justice,  or  an  extraordinary  expedient  de- 
vised by  infinite  wisdom,  answering  all 
the  ends  of  moral  government,  and  so 
comporting  with  the  spirit  of  the  law, 
though  not  required  or  admitted  by  the 
letter  of  it. 

In  answering  the  objection  of  the  infi- 
del against  the  atonement,  that  it  repre- 
sented divine  justice  as  proceeding  on  the 
same  principle  in  criminal  cases  as  in  cases 
of  debt  and  credit,  indifTerent  to  the  object, 
so  that  the  punishment  was  but  inflicted, 
I  must  either  acquiesce,  or  endeavor  to 
repel  it.  Had  I  acquiesced,  and  maintain- 
ed with  Dr.  Crisp  "  that  justice,  as  a 
blood-hound,  follows  the  scent  of  blood, 
and  seizes  wherever  it  finds  blood  ;"*  in 
other  words,  that  it  is  indifferent  to  jus- 
tice who  it  punishes,  provided  it  does  but 
punish,  whether  it  be  the  transgressor  or 
one  who  condescends  to  have  his  trans- 
gressions imputed  to  him;  had  I  acquiesced, 
I  say,  in  this,  how  could  I  have  disj)roved 
his  calumny,  that  "  what  is  called  justice 
is  not  justice,  but  indiscriminate  revenge  1" 
These  sulijects  were  seriously  examined, 
with  no  other  design  than  to  obtain  just 
views  of  evangelical  truth,  and  to  vindicate 

*  Sermon,  p-  274. 


676 


LETTERS    TO    DU.    RYLAND 


it  against  its  adversaries.  If  in  any 
instance  I  have  betrayed  it,  I  hope  I 
should,  on  discovering  it,  be  very  sorry. 
The  grounds  on  which  I  have  attempted 
to  vindicate  the  atonement  do  not  appear  to 
me  to  hear  injuriously  upon  any  other  doc- 
trine of  the  gospel,  nor  upon  the  lead- 
ing principles  in  my  former  publications. 
So  far  from  considering  what  I  wrote  of 
late  as  subversive  of  them,  I  always  sup- 
posed it  went  to  confirm  them.  They  op- 
erate, I  admit,  against  that  notion  of  par- 
ticular redemption  which  places  it  not  in 
the  design  of  the  Father  in  giving  his  Son, 
nor  of  the  Son  in  laying  dow  n  his  life,  but 
in  the  number  of  sins  and  sinners  for 
which  his  sutferings  sufficed  as  an  atone- 
ment ;  but  tills  in  ray  account  is  no  part 
of  evangelical  truth  ;  and  by  the  acknowl- 
edgment of  Mr.  B.,  that  the  same  sacri- 
fice is  necessary  for  the  salvation  of  one 
sinner  as  of  many,  it  would  seem  to  be  none 
in  his. 


LETTER  V. 


ON    CALVINISM. 


Jan.  18,  1803. 
My  bear  Brother, 

When  I  had  assured  Mr.  B.,  in  my 
letter  of  July  7,  1802,  that  I  did  not  de- 
ny either  Imputation  or  Substitution,  but 
merely  the  sense  in  which  he  held  them, 
he  writes  in  answer,  "  That  he  is  not  a- 
ware  of  his  either  understanding  or  using 
those  terms  in  a  sense  which  is  not  com- 
mon among  Calvinists."  And  in  his 
letter  to  you,  of  Dec.  6,  Avhile  he  acquits 
me  of  being  an  Arminian,  he  says,  "  It  is 
to  me  beyond  a  doubt  that  he  (Mr.  F.) 
does  not  hold  the  doctrine  of  Substitution, 
and  of  Imputation,  as  Calvinists  have 
commonly  done,  and  still  continue  to  do." 
The  amount  is  that,  at  least  in  these  par- 
ticulars, Mr.  B.  is  a  Calvinist,  and  I  am 
not.  If  this  be  true,  it  does  not  follow 
that  I  deny  substitution  or  imputation. 
Mr.  B.  says  "  that  in  his  juvenile  years  he 
never  hoped  for  salvation  but  through  a 
vicarious  sacrifice."  If  then  he  could  be- 
lieve this  doctrine  while  an  Arminian, 
surely  I  might  be  allowed  to  believe  it, 
who,  as  he  acknowledges,  am  not  an 
Arminian.  But,  passing  this,  Mr.  B.'s 
views  on  these  subjects  may,  for  aught  I 
know,  be  more  consonant  with  those  of 
the  general  body  of  persons  called  Cal- 
vinists than  mine.  All  the  high  Calvinists 
■will  doubtless  agi-ee  with  him,  and  disagree 
with  me,  so  far  as   they  know   our  senti- 


ments ;  but  it  does  not  appear  to  me  that 
his  opinions  on  either  of  the  subjects  in 
question  are  those  of  Calvin  or  of  Calvin- 
ists during  the  sixteenth  century.  I  do 
not  pretend  to  have  read  so  much  of 
either  as  he  has  :  but,  from  what  I  have 
seen,  so  it  appears  to  me.  The  quotations 
that  have  already  been  made  from  Calvin, 
pp.  24,  33,  34,  prove  that  he  had  no  other 
notion  of  imputation  than  that  of  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ  being  reckoned  to  us 
"  as  if  it  tvere  our  own,"  and  of  our  sins 
being  so  reckoned  to  Christ,  that,  "  os 
the  very  guilty  person  himself,  he  suffer- 
ed all  the  punishment  that  should  have 
been  laid  upon  us."  I  should  think  it 
were  manifest,  from  this,  that  he  did  not 
believe  in  a  "  real  or  proper  "  imputation 
in  either  case,  nor  in  Christ's  being  really 
guilty,  and  as  such  punished.  All  he 
pleads  for  is,  that  "  he  felt  all  the  tokens 
of  God  lohen  he  is  angry,  and  punishcih  ;" 
and  this  is  precisely  what  I  believe. 

With  respect  to  substitution,  from  what 
I  have  read  of  Calvin,  he  appears  to  have 
considered  the  death  of  Christ  as  affording 
an  offer  of  salvation  to  sinners  without 
distinction ;  and  the  peculiar  respect 
which  it  bore  to  the  elect  as  consisting  in 
the  sovereignty  of  its  application,  or  in 
God's  imparting  faith  and  salvation 
through  it,  to  them,  rather  than  to  others, 
as  it  was  his  design  to  do.  To  this  effect 
is  his  comment  on  John  iii.  16,  "  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only -be- 
gotten Son,  that  whosoever  believeth,"  &c. 
"  This,"  says  he,  ''  is  a  singular  com- 
mendation of  faith,  that  it  delivereth 
us  from  eternal  destruction.  For  his 
meaning  was  plainly  to  express  that, 
though  we  seem  to  be  born  to  death,  yet 
there  is  certain  deliverance  offered  in  the 
faith  of  Christ  :  so  that  death,  which  oth- 
erwise hangeth  over  our  heads,  is  nothing 
to  be  feared.  He  added  also  the  univer- 
sal note  "  whosoever,"  both  that  he  may 
invite  all  men  in  general  to  the  participa- 
tion of  life,  and  cut  off  all  excuse  from 
unbelievers.  To  the  same  end  tendeth 
the  term  'world;'  for  thougli  there  be 
nothing  found  in  the  world  that  is  worthy 
of  God's  favor,  yet  he  showeth  that  he  is 
favorable  to  the  whole  world,  when  he  call- 
eth  all  men  witiiout  exception  to  the  faith 
of  Christ.  Let  us  remember,  however, 
that  though  life  is  promised  to  all  who  shall 
believe  in  Christ,  so  commonly  that  yet 
faith  is  not  common  to  all  men  ;  for  though 
Christ  lieth  open  to  all  men,  yet  God  doth 
only  open  the  eyes  of  the  elect,  that  they 
may  seek  him  by  faith." 

The  Calvinists  who  met  at  the  Synod 
OF  DoRT  have  expressed  their  judgment 
on  redemption  in  nine  propositions.  Were 
they  not  too  long  for  transcription  I  would 


CALVINISM. 


677 


insert  the  whole.  The  following  extracts, 
however,  will  sullicionlly  express  their 
sentitnents'onthe  points  in  question.  "The 
death  of"  the  Son  of  God  is  tlic  only  and 
most  complete  sacrifice  and  satisl'action 
for  sins,  of  infinite  vahie,  ainindantly  suf- 
ficient to  expiate  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world.*  The  promise  of  the  gospel  is 
that  whosoever  helieveth  in  Christ  cruci- 
fied shall  not  perish,  hut  have  eternal  life: 
which  promise,  logetlier  with  the  command 
to  repent  and  l>elieve,  ought  promiscuous- 
ly and  indiscriminately  to  lit;  ])ul)lished 
and  proposed  to  all  nations  and  individ- 
uals, to  whom  God  in  his  good  pleasure 
sends  the  gospel.  The  reason  why  many 
who  are  called  hy  the  gospel  do  not  re- 
pent and  believe  in  Clirist,  but  perish  in 
unbelief,  is  not  through  any  defect  or  in- 
sufficiency in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  offer- 
ed upon  the  cross,  but  through  their  own 
fault." — "  All  those  who  truly  believe,  and 
by  the  death  of  Christ  are  delivered  and 
saved,  have  to  ascrii)e  it  to  the  grace  of 
God  alone,  wiiich  he  owes  to  no  one,  and 
which  was  given  them  in  Christ  from  eter- 
nity."— "  The  gracious  will  and  intention 
of  God  the  Father  was,  tiiat  the  life-eriving 
and  saving  efficacy  of  the  precious  deatii 
of  his  Son  should  exert  itself  in  all  the  elect, 
to  endue  them  alone  irith  justifying  faith, 
and  thereby  infallibly  bring  them  to  sal- 
vation."\ 

1  would  not  wish  for  words  more  appro- 
priate than  the  above  to  express  my  sen- 
timents. If  Mr.  B.'s  views  accord  with 
them,  there  can  be  no  material  difference 
between  us.  But,  if  I  be  not  mistaken, 
Mr.  B.  holds  the  sulistitution  of  Christ  in 
a  way  that  does  not  admit  of  "  the  covi- 
mnnd  to  repent  and  believe  being  promis- 
cuously addressed  to  all."  I  have  never 
been  al)le  to  learn,  however,  from  his  wri- 
tings, preaching,  or  conversation,  after  all 
that  has  been  said  about  sinners  as  sinners 
being  warranted  to  believe,  that  he  even 
exhorts  them  to  it;  or  avows  it  to  be  tiie 
command  of  God  that  they  should  repent 
and  believe,  in  such  a  manner  as  is  con- 
nected with  salvation.  Now  what  is  it, 
but  his  ideas  of  imputation  and  substitu- 
tion, that  can  be  the  cause  of  this  hesita- 
tion 1  I  call  it  hesitation,  because  I  never 
heard  or  saw  any  thing  in  him  that  amount- 
ed to  a  denial  of  it.  Yet  he  does  not  avow 
it,  though  he  well  knows  it  was  avowed 
by  Calvin,  and  all  Calvinists  for  more  than 

*  I  question  if  any  surli  oonres.<ion  as  tiiis  can  Ije 
found  in  the  writings  of  Dr.  Gill,  or  IMr.  Brine,  from 
whom  the  Hi^li-Calvinisls  seem  to  lirivc;  taken  tlieir 
views.  IVeiilier  of  tlieso  writers  coii.^idered  tlie  gos- 
pel as  addressed  to  .«innors  as  xinnerf,  but  a»  sen- 
sible sinners;  and  their  ideas  of  the  atonement 
were  calculated  to  .=uch  preacliing. 

t  Acta  Synod.  Dordrecbt.  Sess.  136,  p.  250. 


a  century  after  the  Reformation.  They 
held  the  doctrines  of  imputation  and  sub- 
stitution so  as  to  feel  at  liberty  to  exhort 
sinners,  without  distinction,  to  repent  and 
believe  in  Christ :  Mr.  B.  does  not.  Have 
I  not  a  right,  then,  to  infer  that  his  ideas 
of  these  doctrines  are  different  iVom  theirs, 
and  that  what  is  now  called  Calvinism  is 
not  Calvinism  1 

I  could  extract  similar  sentiments  with 
the  above  from  many  able  Calvinistic  wri- 
ters in  the  seventeenth  century ;  but  I 
think  these  are  sufficient. 

The  sentiment  which  I  oppose  does  not 
appear  to  me  to  be  Calvinis.m,  but  Cuisp- 
isM.  I  never  met  with  a  single  passage  in 
the  writings  of  Calvin  on  this  subject  that 
clashed  with  my  own  views;  but  in  Dr. 
Crisp  I  have.  He  considers  God,  in  his 
charging  our  sins  on  Christ,  and  account- 
ing his  righteousness  to  us,  as  reckoning 
of  things  as  they  are. — Sermons,  p.  280. 
"  Hast  thou  been  an  idolater,"  says  he, 
"  a  blasphemer,  a  despiser  of  God's  word, 
a  profaner  of  his  name  and  ordinances,  a 
thief,  a  liar,  a  drunkard  ]  If  thou  hast 
part  in  Christ,  all  these  transgressions  of 
thine  become  actually  the  transgressions  of 
Christ,  and  so  cease  to  be  thine  ;  and  thou 
ceasest  to  be  a  transgressor  from  that  time 
they  were  laid  upon  Christ  to  the  last  hour 
of  thy  life  :  so  that  now  thou  art  not  an 
idolater,  a  persecutor,  a  thief,  a  liar,  &c. 
— thou  art  not  a  sinful  person.  Reckon 
whatever  sin  you  commit,  whereas  you 
have  part  in  Christ,  you  are  all  that  Christ 
was,  and  Christ  is  ail  that  you  were." — 
p.  270.  If  this  be  true,  all  the  confessions 
of  good  men,  recorded  in  the  Scriptures, 
that  they  icere  sinners,  and  deserving-  of 
death,  were  not  only  unnecessary,  but 
owning  what  was  not  true.  Dr.  Crisp  does 
not  pretend  that  Christ  actually  committed 
sin,  nor  deny  that  believers  committed  it : 
but  while  he  makes  our  sins  to  become 
"  actually  the  transgressions  of  Christ," 
and  teaches  that  they  "  cease  to  be  ours," 
he  undermines  all  ground  for  confession 
or  repentance. 

Whatever  reasonings  we  may  adopt, 
there  are  certain  times  in  which  conscience 
will  bear  witness  that,  notw  ithstanding  the 
imputation  of  our  sins  to  Ciirist,  tve  are 
actually  the  s/ranrrs,  and  not  He;  and  I 
should  have  thought  that  no  good  man 
could  have  gone  about  gravely  to  overturn 
its  testimony.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  wrest 
the  words  of  any  writer,  however  ill  chosen, 
to  a  meaning  which  he  does  not  hold:  but, 
when  I  read  as  follows,  what  otiier  con- 
clusion can  I  draw  1  "  Believers  think 
that  they  find  their  transgressions  in  their 
own  consciences,  and  they  imagine  that 
there  is  a  sting  of  this  poison  still  behind, 
wounding  of   them;   but,  beloved,   if  this 


678 


LETTERS     TO     DR.    RyLAND. 


principle  be  received  for  a  truth — that  God 
hath  laid  thine  iniquities  on  Christ — how 
can  thy  transgressions,  belonging  to  Christ, 
be  found  in  thy  heart  and  conscience  1  Is 
thy  conscience  Christ  1" — p.  269. 

Perhaps  no  man  ever  went  further  than 
Dr.  Crisp  in  his  attempts  at  consistency  : 
and,  admitting  his  principle,  I  am  not  able 
to  deny  his  conclusions.  To  have  been 
perfectly  consistent,  however,  he  should 
have  proved  that  all  the  confessions  and 
lamentations  of  believers,  recorded  in 
Scripture,  arose  from  their  being  under 
the  mistitke  which  he  labors  to  rectify; 
viz.  thinking  that  sin  did  not  cease  to  be 
theirs,  even  when  under  the  fullest  per- 
suasion that  the  Lord  would  not  impute 
it  to  them,  but  would  cover  it  by  the 
righteousness  of  his  Son. 

If  Christ  be  "  actually  "  the  transgress- 
or, and  our  transgressions,  being  laid  up- 
on him,  "  cease  to  be  ours,"  God  cannot 
be  offended  with  us  for  any  thing  we  do  ; 
nor  ought  we  to  be  offended,  one  should 
think,  with  one  another.  Our  displeasure 
ought  to  terminate  on  the  person  to  whom 
the  offence  actually  belongs,  be  it  whom 
it  may. 

What  Mr.  B.  may  think  of  these  senti- 
ments, I  know  not.  For  my  part,  with- 
out approving  of  the  Neonomianisra  which 
was  afterwards  opposed  to  them,  I  ac- 
count them,  to  use  the  softest  terra,  gross 
exti'avagance. 

Yet,  if  this  be  not  what  he  means  by  a 
real  and  proper  imputation  (I  mean  when 
pursued  to  its  just  consequences),  I  have 
yet  to  learn  what  that  doctrine  is. 


LETTER   VI. 


BAXTERIANISM. 


Jan.  22,  1803. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Mr.  B.,  in  his  letter  to  you  of  Dec.  6, 
1802,  though  he  acquits  me  of  Arminian- 
ism,  yet  "ventures  to  say  that  I  appear 
to  him  to  have  adopted  some  of  the  lead- 
ing peculiarities  of  Mr.  Richard  Baxter.  ^^ 
I  wish  he  had  named  them  :  I  would  in 
that  case  have  frankly  owned  whether  I 
approved  or  disapproved.  As  it  is,  I  have 
been  constrained  to  do  what  I  never  did 
before,  look  over  such  polemical  pieces  of 
that  Avriter  as  I  could  procure.  I  have 
found  this,  I  confess,  an  irksome  task.  I 
endeavored  to  procure  his  Aphorisms  on 
Justification,  but  could  not.  All  I  could 
get  of  a  polemical  kind  were  his  treatise 
on  Universal  Redemption,  and  Four  Dis- 


putations  on  Justification.  I  have  bestow- 
ed two  days  upon  them,  but  cannot  say 
that  I  have  read  them  through.  They  are 
so  circuitous,  and  full  of  artificial  distinc- 
tions, and  obscure  terms,  that  I  could  not 
in  many  cases  come  at  his  meaning,  nor 
could  I  have  read  them  through  without 
making  myself  ill. 

It  is  true,  I  have  found  several  of  my 
own  sentiments  maintained  by  Mr.  Bax- 
ter. He  speaks  of  salvation  by  a  substi- 
tute as  being  a  measure  rather  "  above 
law"  than  according  to  it,  and  of  satisfac- 
tion being  made  to  the  lawgiver,  rather 
than  to  the  law."  If  he  means  any  thing 
more  by  this  than  what  I  have  said  in 
Lett,  iv.,  I  have  no  concern  in  it:  and 
this,  for  substance,  is  allowed  by  Dr. 
Owen,  in  his  answer  to  Biddle. — p.  512. 
He  pleads,  also,  that  the  faith  by  which 
we  are  justified  includes  a  submission  of 
heart  to  Christ,  in  all  his  offices,  or  a  re- 
conciliation to  God ;  and,  consequently, 
that  a  sinner  when  justified,  though  un- 
godly in  the  eye  of  the  law,  yet  is  not  so 
in  the  eye  of  the  Gospel,  or  in  our  com- 
mon acceptation  of  the  term.  In  this  I 
agree  with  him.  It  appears  to  me,  how- 
ever, that  though  it  be  essential  to  the 
genuineness  of  faith  to  receive  Christ  in 
every  character  he  sustains,  so  far  as  it  is 
understood,  yet  believing  for  Justification 
has  a  special  respect  to  Christ's  obedi- 
ence unto  death,  with  which  God  is  well 
pleased,  and  of  which  our  justification  is 
the  reward. 

Mr.  Baxter  pleads  for  "Universal  Re- 
demption :  "  I  only  contend  for  the  suffi- 
ciency of  the  atonement,  in  itself  consid- 
ered, for  the  redemption  and  salvation  of 
the  whole  world  ;  and  this  affords  a  ground 
for  a  universal  invitation  to  sinners  to  be- 
lieve ;  which  was  maintained  by  Calvin 
and  all  the  old  Calvinists.  I  consider  re- 
demption as  inseparably  connected  with 
eternal  life,  and  therefore  as  applicable  to 
none  but  the  elect,  who  are  redeemed 
from   among  men. 

Mr.  Baxter  considered  the  gospel  as  a 
neio  law,  taking  place  of  the  original  law 
under  which  man  was  created ;  of  which 
faith,  repentance,  and  sincere  obedience, 
were  the  requirements  :  so,  at  least,  I  un- 
derstand him.  But  these  are  not  my  sen- 
timents :  I  believe,  indeed,  that  the  old 
law,  as  a  covenant,  is  not  so  in  force  as 
that  men  are  now  required  to  obey  it  in 
order  to  life  ;  on  the  contrary,  all  such  at- 
tempts are  sinful,  and  would  have  been 
so,  though  no  salvation  had  been  provided. 
Yet  the  precept  of  it  is  immutably  bind- 
ing, and  the  curse  for  transgressing  it  re- 
mains on  every  unbeliever  I  find  but 
little  satisfaction  in  Mr.  Baxter's  disputa- 
tions on  justification.     He  says  a  great 


BAXTERIAMSM. 


670 


deal  about  it,  distinguisliing  it  into  difTcr- 
ent  stages,  pleading  for  evangelical  works 
as  necessary  to  it,  &c.  &c.  Sonirtimes 
he  seems  to  confine  the  icurks  which  Paul 
excluded  from  justification  to  those  of  the 
common  law  ("  the  iiurthensome  works  of 
the  JVIosaical  law," — these  arc  his  words), 
and  to  plead  for  what  is  moral,  or,  as  he 
would  call  it,  "  evangelical."  Yet  he  dis- 
avows all  works  as  l>cing  tlie  causes,  or 
grounds,  on  account  of  tvhich  we  are  jus- 
tified ;  and  professes  to  plead  for  them 
only  as  "  concomitants  ;  "  just  as  we  say 
repentance  is  necessary  to  forgiveness, 
and  faith  to  justification,  though  these  are 
not  cotisiderations  moving  God  to  bestow 
those  blessings.  In  short,  I  find  it  much 
easier  to  express  my  own  judgment  on 
justification,  than  to  say  wherein  I  agree 
or  difl'er  with  Mr.  Baxter.  I  consider 
justification  to  be  God's  graciously  par- 
doning our  sins,  and  accepting  us  to  fa- 
vor, exempting  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  and  entitling  us  to  the  promises  of 
the  gospel ;  not  on  account  or  in  consid- 
eration of  any  holiness  in  us,  ceremonial 
or  moral,  before,  in,  or  after  believing, 
but  purely  in  reward  of  the  vicarious  obe- 
dience and  death  of  Christ,  which,  on  our 
believing  in  him,  is  imputed  to  us,  or 
reckoned  as  if  it  were  ours.  Nor  do  I 
consider  any  holiness  in  us  to  be  necessa- 
ry as  a  concomitant  to  justification,  ex- 
cept what  is  necessarily  included  in  be- 
lieving. 

Mr.  Baxter  writes  as  if  the  unconverted 
could  do  something  towards  their  conver- 
sion, and  as  if  grace  were  given  to  all, 
except  those  who  forfeit  it  by  wilful  sin. 
But  no  such  sentiment  ever  occupied  my 
mind,  or  proceeded  from  my  pen.  Final- 
ly :  Mr.  Baxter  considers  Calvinists  and 
Arminians  as  reconcilable,  making  the  dif- 
ference between  them  of  but  small  amount. 


I  have  no  such  idea:  and  if,  on  account 
of  what  I  have  here  and  elsewhere  avowed, 
I  were  disowned  by  my  present  connections, 
I  should  rather  choose  to  go  through  the 
world  alone  than  be  connected  with  tiiem. 
Their  scheme  appears  to  me  to  undermine 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  only, 
and  to  resolve  the  diflerence  between  one 
sinner  and  another  into  the  will  of  man, 
which  is  directly  opposite  to  all  my  views 
and  experience.  Xor  could  I  feel  a  union 
of  heart  with  those  who  are  commonly 
considered  in  the  present  day  as  Baxteri- 
ans,  who  iiold  with  the  gospel  being  a  new 
remedial  law,  and  represent  sinners  as  con- 
tributing to  their  own  conversion. 

The  greatest,  though  not  the  only,  in- 
struction that  I  have  received  from  human 
writings,  on  these  subjects,  has  been  from 
President  Edwards's  Discourse  on  Justifi- 
cation. That  which  in  me  has  been  call- 
ed "  a  strange  or  singular  notion  "  of  this 
doctrine  is  stated  at  large,  and  I  think 
clearly  proved,  by  him  under  the  third 
head  of  that  discourse. — pp.  86 — 95. 

Here,  my  dear  brother,  I  lay  down  my 
pen.  Reduced  as  I  am  to  the  awkward 
necessity  (unless  I  wish  to  hold  a  contro- 
versy with  a  man  deservedly  respected, 
and  who  is  just  going  into  his  grave)  of 
making  a  private  defence  against  what  is 
become  a  public  accusation,  I  can  only 
leave  it  to  Him  who  judgeth  righteously 
to  decide  whether  I  have  been  treated 
fairly,  openly,  or  in  a  manner  becoming 
the  regard  which  one  Christian  minister 
owes  to  another.  If  what  I  have  written 
contain  any  thing  injurious  to  the  truth, 
may  the  Lord  convince  me  of  it !  And,  if 
not,  may  he  preserve  me  from  being  im- 
properly moved  by  the  frowns  of  men  !  I 
am,  as  vou  know,  your  affectionate  brother, 
A.  FULLER. 


REMARKS 


MR.  MARTIN'S  PUBLICATION, 

EKTITLED 

THOUGHTS  ON  THE    DUTY  OF  MAN 


RELATIVE      TO 


FAITH    IN   JESUS    CHRIST," 


FIVE    LETTERS    TO    A    FRIEND 


Our  want  of  power  (to  trust  in  Christ)  is,  generally  speaking,  want  of  will,  and 
want  of  love." 

Mr.  Martin. — Ser.  on  Rom.  x.  3.  p.  31. 


VOL.    1.  86 


REMARKS 


ON 


MR.     MARTIN'S     PUBLICATION 


LETTER  L 

ON    MR.    martin's    accusations. 

My  dear  Frie.vd, 

You  have  requested  my  thoughts  on 
Mr.  Martin's  recent  pultlication.  I  now 
take  up  my  pen  to  comply  with  your  re- 
quest. I  cannot  hel[)  observing  that  the 
spirit  in  which  Mr.  M.  has  conducted  his 
performance  renders  a  sol.er  and  serious  re- 
ply to  it  very  dillicult.  His  abounding  like 
wise  so  much  with  what  respects  my  per- 
sonal qualities  as  a  writer  and  as  a  Chris- 
tian,must  render  a  minute  attention  to  what 
he  has  written,  equally  difficult.  There 
is  this  comfort,  however,  that  such  things 
do  not  require  an  answer.  Nobody  ex- 
pects that  I  should  go  about  to  defend  my 
own  abilities  for  writing,  or  the  spirit  in 
which  I  have  written;  the  impartial  read- 
er, perhaps,  may  l>e  a  better  judge  of  both 
than  either  Mr.  M.  or  myself. 

All  I  shall  attempt  will  be  to  notice  a 
few  of  Mr.  M.'s  accusations,  make  some 
general  observations  on  his  peribrmance, 
and  discuss  two  or  three  of  the  leading 
subjects  in  debate. 

Most  writers  propose  to  establish  some 
system,  or   hypothesis,   in    the    place    of 
that   which   ihey  go   about    to    demolish  ; 
but,  whatever  iSlv.  M.  may  do  in  future, 
I  think  it  must  be  obvious  to  every  reader 
that  he  has  done  but  little  in  this  way  at 
present.     The  main  points  that  he  seems 
to   have   kept  in  view   arc  to   inform  the 
world  that   there   is   such   a   person   as   a 
"  Mr.   Andrew    Fuller,   of   Kettering,   in 
Northamptonshire — that  he  is  a  very  ob- 
scure, inconsistent,    erroneous,   ignorant, 
artful,  vain,  hypocritical,  kind  of  a  writer 
— that  he  has  written  upon  humility,  but 
is  far  from   being   humble — that  he    was 
under  the  influence  of  a  lust  of  being  con- 
sequential " — that   when    he    professes    a 
respejt  for  many  of  those  who  differ  from 


him,  and  a  grief  of  mind  for  the  shyness 
which,  he  apprehended,  his  publication 
might  occasion,  he  is  not  to  be  believed  ; 
for  the  whole  was  only  his  vanity,  or  cov- 
ctuusness,  whicii  produced  an  anxious  fear 
common  to  "poor  authors,  lesi  iheir  works 
should  not  be  read,  should  not  sell, or  should 
not  be  applauded'' — that  he  is  wanting 
in  method — (hat  his  style  is  embarrassed, 
coarse,  comical,  and  uncouth — that  he  is 
unqualified  to  instruct — and  that  those  who 
cannot  discern  these  defects  and  blemish- 
es in  his  writings  are  ignorant  and  incom- 
petent to  discover  even  the  mistakes  which 

his  Errata  were  given  to  correct. That 

Mr.  M.,  on  the  contrary,  "has  had  the 
advantage  of  trials  and  observations,  more 
in  number  and  variety  than  some  people 
have  had  opportunities  to  experience  and 
consider  " — that  "  he  fancied  himself  qual- 
ified to  say  something  in  answer  to  Mr. 
Fuller  that  should  be  above  contempt — 
that  he  hoped  lo  gain  some  repute  by  it — 
but  that,  supposing  he  should  not,  yet  it 
must  be  acknowledged,  he  thinks,  even  by 
his  opponent,  that  lie  is  above  contempt.'' 
— Now  sujjpose  all  this  were  true,  what 
do  nine  parts  out  of  ten  of  it  concern  the 
reader  1  The  question  with  which  he  is 
supposed  to  take  a  book  in  hand  is,  What 
is  truth  ?  But,  should  this  be  the  case 
with  Mr.  M.'s  reader,  must  he  not  at  least 
wait  the  publication  of  a  second  part  for 
an  answer  1 

Mr.  M.,  as  if  lie  thought  scorn  to  lay 
hands  on  a  single  obscure  individual,  ven- 
tures to  extend  his  attack  far  and  wide. 
Messieurs  Evans  of  Bristol,  Hall  of 
Arnsby,  Spencer  of  Alccstcr,  and  Thom- 
as of  Z/eo7nins«er,*  and  indeed  the  whole 
Midland  ^ssoctn/ioM  are  attacked  amongst 
the    living;    and,  amongst  the  dead,  not 

*Tlie  one  you  know  wrote  tlie  ciiciilar  letlor 
whicli  IMr.  M.  iia.s  censured,  p.  72,  and  llie  other 
si"ned  it  as  a  inodeiatur,  and  lias  since  defended  it. 


684 


ON    MR.     MARTIX   S     PUBLICATION. 


only  President  Edwards,  but  all  those 
Cdvinists  who  have  pleads;!  for  a  love  to 
Gad  and  divine  things  for  their  own  ex- 
cellency, fall  under  his  severe  rebuke. — 
160.  Well,  I  am  hvippy  in  my  company.— 
There  is  no  need  in  this  case  that  I  should 
become  the  advocate  of  either  the  dead 
or  the  living;  the  writings  of  neither,  I 
should  hope,  will  be  much  endangered  by 
Mr.  M.'s  attack. 

I  need  not  say  that  Mr.  M.  deals  plen- 
tifully in  accusations.  Besides  those  al- 
ready mentioned,  I  am  accused  oi  speak- 
ing loosely  of  the  Scriptures — and  dimina- 
tively  of  the  obligations  of  men — of  aim- 
ing to  be  xoise  above  lohat  is  loritten — of 
attempting  to  equalize  the  obligations  of 
all  mankind,  whose  capacities  and  oppor- 
tunities God  hath  so  variously  distributed 
— of  undervaluing  an  assurance  of  inter- 
est in  Christ — and  of  importing  my  senti- 
ments from  America. — These,  with  many 
other  minor  charges,  Mr.  M.  has  exhibit- 
ed, repeating  on  almost  every  occasion,  as 
a  kind  of  chorus  to  the  song,  those  of  ob- 
scurity, INCONSISTENCY,  and  'er:-or. 
A  long  train  of  accusations  indeed  !  Are 
they  founded  in  justice  1  Let  us  exam- 
ine— 

Because  I  suppose  there  are  some  truths 
which  would  be  evident  even  to  the  mind 
of  a  heathen,  were  he  but  the  subject  of  a 
right  S|)irit,  I  am  accused  of  speaking  loose- 
ly of  the  Scriptures. — 42.  This  censure, 
however,  tails  equally  upon  the  apostle 
Paul  as  upon  me. — Rom.  i.  19,  20. 

Farther,  because  I  speak  of  God's  re- 
quirements as  being  in  themselves  easy  to 
be  complied  with,  as  having  nothing  hard 
or  difficult  in  them  but  what  arises  from 
the  depravity  of  our  hearts,  I  am  accused 
of  diminishing  the  obligations  of  men,  by 
representing  it  "  as  not  being  any  great 
difficulty  to  perform  the  full  extent  of  du- 
ty."— .52,  53.  This  censure  likewise  falls 
upon  Moses,  Samuel,  and  Jeremiah,  as  well 
as  upon  me.  These  each  spoke  of  God's 
service  in  exactly  the  same  kind  of  lan- 
guage as  I  have  done,  and  with  which  Mr. 
M.  is  so  much  offended. — Deut.  x.  12. 
1  Sam.  xii.  24.     Jer.  iii.  13. 

I  am  accused  likewise  of  aiming  to  be 
xvise  above  ivhat  is  imparted. — 132.  To 
imagine  that  we  ought  to  be  wise  above 
what  is  imparted  in  the  Scripture  is  the 
height  of  folly  and  presumption  :  attempts 
of  this  kind  were  severely  censured  by 
Agur,  Mose-i,  and  John,  in  the  passages 
quoted  by  Mr.  M.  But,  if  it  is  no  man's 
duty  to  be  wise  but  in  proportion  as  wis- 
dom is  actually  and  effectually  imparted 
to  him  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  then  it  is  no 
man's  duty  to  be  wiser  than  he  is.  And, 
if  so,  there  could  be  no  reason  in  ihat  com- 
plaint, "  O  that  they  loere  wise  !  "    Indeed, 


this  is  the  main  tendency  of  a  great  part 
of  Mr.  M.'s  reasonings  :  if  they  prove  any 
thing,  they  prove  that  no  man  is  obliged 
to  BE  more  wise,  more  holy,  or  more  spir- 
itual than  he  actually  is  ;  and  that  is  the 
same  thing  as  proving  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  sin  in  the  world. 

Much  is  said  concerning  equal  obliga- 
tion, as  covering  what  I  have  written  with 
obscurity  ;  even  the  word  man,  in  the  con- 
nection in  which  I  have  used  it,  is  said  to 
be  obscure. — 13.  All  obligation  which 
creatures  can  be  under,  I  have  all  along 
supposed  to  be  in  proportion  to  their  nat- 
ural abilities  and  opportunities.  A  child 
of  ten  years  old  is  not  supposed  to  be  ca- 
pable of  understanding  so  much  as  when 
he  becomes  a  man  of  thirty  ;  nor  is  a  man 
obliged  to  believe  faster  or  sooner  than  he 
has  the  means  of  obtaining  evidence  :  but 
both  the  child  and  the  man  are  obliged  to 
be  of  such  a  disposition  as  shall  cordially 
embrace  the  gospel  when  it  is  revealed, 
and  its  meaning  comes  within  the  reach  of 
their  understandings.  All  this  was  de-. 
clared  in  my  reply  to  Mr.  Taylor,  p.  5, 
which  had  Mr.  M.  considered,  it  might 
have  spared  him  the  troulile  (or  should  I 
have  said,  deprived  him  of  the  happiness? 
for  so  he  accounts  it,  p.  190),  of  writing 
at  least  about  twenty  pages  of  his  work.* 

But,  if  I  talk  of  understanding  what  we 
believe,  I  shall  be  charged  with  adopting 
Mr.  Foster's  maxim,  "  Where  mystery 
begins,  religion  ends."  If  by  understand- 
ing were  meant  a  perfect  comprehension 
of  all  that  pertains  to  a  doctrine,  the  charge 
were  just;  but  surely  I  must  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  testifier  before  I  can 
either  believe  or  disbelieve  his  testimony  ; 
except  it  be  in  a  general  way,  taking  it  for 
granted,  from  the  opinion  I  have  of  his 
veracity,  that  whatever  he  says  is  true.  I 
can  believe  no  particular  scripture-doc- 
trine without  perceiving  that  that  doctrine 
is  contained  in  Scripture;  and  such  per- 
ception is  the  same  thing  ss  understanding 
tlie  meaning  of  the  testifier.  This  is  no 
more  than  Mr.  M.  himself  elsewhere 
pleads  for  (143,  182);  so  that  his  opposi- 
tion to  it  here  looks  like  contention  for 
contention's  sake. 

Again,  I  am  accused  of  imdervaluing  an 
assurance  of  a  personal  interest  in  Christ; 
because  I  suppose,  that  when  compared 
with  the  heart's  falling  in  with  God's 
way  of  salvation,  and  when  that  is  so  at- 
tended to  as  that  this  is  overlooked,  it  is  a 
mean  and  loro  idea  of  faith. — 134.  That 
may  be  good  and  desirable  in  its  place, 
which  yet,  if  put  in  the  place  of  some 
other  thing  of  greater  excellence,  becomes 
mean  and  low.     There  is  nothing  mean  or 

*  Especially  pages  13-15,  20,  21,  30—38,  44—46 . 


ACCUSATIONS 


635 


low  In  a  man's  pursuing  his  own  interest 
in  suhordination  to  the  pulilic  irood,  or  his 
own  reputalion  in  sul'servieiu-y  t'l  Goil's 
glory  ;  l)ul,  to  ni.ikc  eilhor  ihc  direct  and 
ultimate  end  ol  his  pursuits,  is  mean  and 
low,  and  unworthy  ol   a  rational  being. 

Much  is  said  of  my  havinj^  read  Ed- 
wards, Bellamy,  and  other  American 
writers.  Mr.  M.  seems  as  if  he  would 
have  his  readers  think  he  has  made  a  great 
discovery  here  ;  tijough  it  is  no  more  than 
I  had  freely  acknowledged.  It  is  true  I 
have  received  instruction  in  reading  the 
autliors  above  mentioned  ;  nor  do  I  know  of 
any  sin  or  siiame  cither  in  the  thing  itself  or 
in  openly  acknowledging  it.  Mr.  M.  may 
wish  to  insinuate  that  I  have  taken  mat- 
ters upon  trust  from  these  writers  without 
examining  them  ;  but  in  answer  to  such 
insinuations  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  is 
more  tiian  he  can  prove.  All  he  knows 
or  can  know  of  the  matter  is  that  I  have 
read  them,  and  approve  of  some  of  their 
sentiments  ;  and  is  there  any  crime  in 
this  ]  I  remember  about  fourteen  years 
og)  to  have  received  some  advantage  on 
the  subject  now  in  debate  by  hearing  Mr. 
Martin  preach  upon  it.  It  is  true  we  were 
80  unhappy  thtn,ns  well  as  now,  as  to  diflfer 
in  our  sentiments.  I,  at  that  time,  did  not 
think  as  I  now  do,  but  INIr.  Martini  did.  I 
own  I  disliked  the  violence  with  which  he 
then  maintained  my  present  sentiments  ; 
and  the  supercilious  language  which  he 
used  of  those  who  differed  from  him, 
whom  I  then  understood  to  be  Gill  and 
Br^ine,  or  writers  of  their  stamp.  Upon 
the  whole,  however,  what  he  said  set  me 
a  thinking,  and  I  believe  was  of  use  to 
me.  I  remember  also  soon  after  this  time 
to  have  read  Mr.  M.'s  sermon  on  Rora.  x. 
3,  entitled  The  Rork  of  Offence  the  Sin- 
ner's last  and  only  Rifuge.  This  sermon, 
whicli  ascrii)es  men's  non-submission  to 
the  righteousness  of  God  to  voluntary  ig- 
norance, prejudice,  pride,  and  self-righte- 
ousness, appeared  tome  to  carry  in  it  con- 
siderable evidence  in  favor  of  those  prin- 
ciples concerning  the  truth  of  which  I 
then  hesitated.  And  has  not  jMr.  INI.  de- 
rived instruction  from  the  works  of  men 
as  well  as  his  neighbors  \  If  he  has  not, 
it  is  not  much  to  his  honor.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  he  cannot  mean  to  censure  the  read- 
ing of  o/^  human  productions,  for,  if  so, 
why  does  he  offer  his  own  to  tha  public  1 
If  somebody  were  not  to  go  to  market,  Mr. 
M.  might  be  in  a  similar  predicament  with 
other  "poor  authors — agitated  lest  his 
performance  should  not  sell." — After 
all,  perhaps,  it  is  not  going  to  market  that 
Mr.  M.  objects  to,  either  in  himself  or 
others,  but  going  to  an  American  market; 
for  there  are  several  authors  whom  he  still 
recommends.      Mr.   M.,  whatever  is  the 


reason,  seems  to  have  an  antipathy  against 
America,  in  religion  as  well  as  in  politics. 
Tiiare  was  a  U\m,  however,  when  the 
writings  of  Edwards  had  the  honor  of 
his  warmest  recommendation,  when  ho 
accounted  his  treatise  on  "  Religious  Af- 
lions"  "a  much  wanted,  and  for  that 
reason,  perhaps,  a  much  neglected 
book."  End  and  Evid.  of  Adoption, 
p.  19.  But  "  time  and  chancy  happen 
to  all  things."—"  There  is  a  time  ,to 
plant,  and  a  time  to  pluck  up  that  which 
is  planted." 

Finally,  I  am  accused  of  obscurity,  in- 
consistency, and  error.  As  to  obscurity,  I 
shall  say  nothing,  except  it  be  that  every 
one  does  not  think  so,  nor  every  one  of  my 
opponents;  Mr.  Taylor  allows  me  to 
have  written  with  "  pers])icuity."  As  to 
inco7isistency.  If  what  Mr.  M.  says  is 
true,  which  doubtless  it  is,  that  "  the 
most  consistent  character  is  only  a  little 
less  inconsistent  than  his  neighliors,"  it 
must  be  in  vain  for  me  wholly  to  deny 
the  charge.  Thus  much,  however,  I  may 
say,  that  the  far  greater  part  of  what  Mr. 
M.  charges  with  inconsistency  is  such  in 
sound  onlv,  and  not  in  sense  ;  and  that,  if 
h^  had  not  almost  perpetually  confounded 
things  that  differ,  he  could  not  have  lound 
so  many  apparent  inconsistences  as  he 
has.  No  doubt  you  have  observed  how 
he  confounds  divine  efficiency  with  human 
obligation  (15);  what  is  with  what  ought 
to  be  (44);  men's  obligation  perfectly  to 
conform  to  God's  law  with  an  obligation 
to  make  reconciliation  for  sin  (62)  ; 
their  natural  capacity  to  keep  the  law 
perfectly  in  fu'.nre  (that  is,  to  love  God 
with  all  iheir'heart)  with  their  capacity  to 
produce  suc'i  a  righteousness  as  the  law 
requires,  which  must  imply  a  making 
atonement  for  past  sins  (104,  144);  rea- 
siin  for  keeping  the  law  with  encourage- 
ment  to  comply  with  the  gospel  (lOS,  110) ; 
the  formal  requirement  of  obedience  with 
thai  in  the  divine  character  and  conduct 
which  affords  a  reason  for  such  require- 
ment being  made  (40);  and  that  which 
warrants  our  coming  to  Christ  with  that 
which  warrants  us  to  conclude^  ourselves 
interested  in  eternal  life  (72 — 76)  : — it  is 
on  these  subjects  principally  that  I  am 
charged  with  inconsistency.  It  is  allowed 
there  are  many  opposite  things  asserted, 
but  opposites'may  be  asserted  surely  of 
things  that  differ, 'wxlhont  affording  ground 
for  a  charge  of  inconsistency.*     As  to  the 

♦  After  all  that  Mr.  Martin  has  written  upon  my 
inconsistency,  i.-?  it  not  raiher  .surprisiiig  he  should 
miintain  that  "nur  want  of  poller  (tn  trust  in  Chi  1st) 
is,generalKs[eakirg,wanl  oflctV/and  wnMot  love; 
—that  the"  reasons  or  caasw  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  lieing  rejected  are  voluntary  ignorance, 
prejudice,  pride,  &c. ;    and,  when  he  lias  doue,  find 


6S6 


ON     MR.    MAHTIN  S     PUBLICATION. 


charge  of  error,  that  will  come  under  con- 
sideration when  I  atttenipt  a  discussion  of 
the  leading  subjects  in  debate. 


LETTER  II. 

GENERAL    OBSERVATIONS. 

Having  replied  to  Mr.  M.'s  principal 
accusations,  I  shall  now  make  a  i'ew  gen- 
eral (ibservations  on  his  performance.  I 
know  n')t  how  it  is,  but  it  is  a  fact  I  have 
sometiniL's  observed,  that,  Vt'here  a  person 
is  more  than  ordinarily  addicted  to  certain 
vices,  it  is  common  for  him  to  be  the  first 
that  shall  discover  those  vices  in  his  neigh- 
bors. I  knew  a  man  that  every  body 
around  him  reckoned  to  he  very  proud, 
and  yet  he  was  always  exclaiming  against 
pride  in  others.  There  is  some  resem- 
blance between  this  temper  of  m.ind  and-a 
certain  distemper  of  the  body  which 
makes  every  object  around  us  appear  of 
the  same  color  as  thai  with  which  the  eye 
is  infected.  Whether  this  will  not  ac- 
count for  some  of  Mr.  M.'s  charges,  par- 
ticularly for  those  of  obscurity,  inconsist- 
ency, and  error,  I  leave  you  to  judge 
from  the  whole  of  his  performance, 
especially  from  what  v/iil  be  noticed  in  the 
folio v.'jiig  observations. 

I  think  it  must  appear  to  every  attentive 
reader  that  Mv.  M.'has  hitherto  O.Qivi  but 
little  towards  overturning  my  leading 
propositions,  even  though  these  were  what 
in  his  title-page  he  proposed  to  consider. 
As  to  the  iirst,  he  neither  denies  that 
whatever  God  commands  is  the  dwiy 
of  those  to  wliora  it  is  commanded,  nor 
attempts  to  invalidate  the  evidence  in  fa- 
vor of  faith  being  commanded  of  God  to 
unregenerate  sinners.  As  to  ll^e  second, 
he  has  said  something  about  it  (32) ;  he 
has  tried  his  utmost  to  make  it  an  identical 
proposition,  but    cannot    gain    his  point  : 

fiult  with  ine  for  ir.r.irilainiug  ihe  .seli-s."<me  ihinss  1 
Du  coiiipaie  lii.s  '<  R!j(  k  of  Ofii'encp,"  Sec,  fip.  31,86 
—48,  will)  lii.s  "  'J'liuiinlits  on  IhUy,  ||j.  103,  104, 
l'i2. — Should  it  be  said,  it  is  sevenieen  or  cigh.teeii 
} ears  since  that  sen.aon  was  printed,  and  Mr.  M. 
may  have  .ihered  his  sentiments  ill  that  time;  1  an- 
swer, true;  l)t:t  if  this  .<liouid  acquit  him  of  pn-sent  in- 
cumistcncy,  it  must  he  at  liie  expense  tAh\s  integ- 
rity. I  This  sentiments  are  altered,  why  did  he  nut 
honestly  aoknowle.ige  it,  and  answer  his  ovsn  argu- 
ments, in.stead  of  falling  foul  upon  those  of  annth- 
er,  which  were  expressed  in  nearly  the  self-same 
words  1  It  looks  as  if  Mr.  M.  strove  to  conceal 
his  own  change  of  sentiments,  that  he  might  enjoy 
tl|e  happiness  of  a  few  strokes  at  his  aut.^or  lor 
ills    fickleness   in   changing  his. 


conscious,  it  seems,  that  it  would  not  bear 
such  a  construction,  he  allows  in  tlie  next 
page  (33)  that!  ''must  be  understood  oth- 
wise."* — All  that  he  has  said  in  answer 
to  it  in  its  triic  meaning  is  that  it  enjoins 
equal  obligation  u[M}n  nil  ;  but  this  charge 
has  been  already  answered  in  the  fore- 
going letter.  The  third  proposition  he 
has  likewise  glanced  at,  and  says  I  make 
the  gospel,  though  not  inform,  yet  \nfact, 
a  law. — 40.  If  you  look  at  my  treatise,  p. 
85,  you  will  see  the  injustice  of  this  I'e- 
mark.  T\\e  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  prop- 
ositions he  has  scarcely  touched  ;  and  the 
Scriptures  under  each  are  never  looked  in 
the  face. 

It  is  rather  extraordinary,  that,  of  so 
many  publications  against  an  cighteen-pen- 
nij  pamphlet,  they  should  all  steer  so  wide 
of  the  body  of  Scripture  evidence  con- 
tained in  the  second  part.  Mr.  Buxi  on, 
to  do  him  justice,  has  said  more  in  a  way 
of  reply  to  this  part  than  any  of  his  coad- 
jutors. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Mr.  M.  will 
not  publish  two  more  two-shilling  books, 
and  at  last  omit  executing  what  in  his  title- 
page  he  has  given  us  to  expect. 

'Ihere  was  an  argument  which  I  had 
urged  pretty  much  in  my  treatise,  46,  and 
reply  to  Mr.  Button,  152.  It  was  this. 
Every  man  ought  to  be  Christ's /riencJ,  or 
his  enemy,  or  to  stand  neuter  and  be 
neither.  To  suppose  \\\e  first  is  to  grant 
all  that  is  pleaded  for;  to  suppose  the 
second  is  too  gross  to  need  a  refuta- 
tion :  if  then  neither  of  these  w  ill  satisfy, 
it  must  fall  upon  the  third,  but  this  our 
Lord  declares  (obe  an  impossibility,  "  He 
that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me."  It 
might  have  tended  to  bring  the  matter  to 
some  issue,  if  Mr.  M.  would  but  have 
given  this  argument  a  fair  discussion.  He 
seems  to  have  glanced  at  it,  however,  in 
one  place.  "  Perhaps,"  he  says,  "  Mr. 
Fuller  does  not  sufhciently  recollect  that 
in  human  actions  what  seems  ike  reverse 
of  doing  icrong  is  not  always  doing  what 
is  right."  There  are  cases,  he  supposes, 
wherein  the  reverse  of  doing  wrong  may  be 
as  much  of  an  extreme  as  the  doing  wrong 
itself;  and  instances  in  cases  of  "  avarice 
and  prodigality,"  &c.  &:c. — 144.  True, 
there  arc    cases  in  which  both  extremes 

*  Suppose  it  had  been  nn  identical  proposition, 
what  then  1  Vi'hy  then  I  mu.st  have  sufieied  shame 
fi>r  my  ignoraiicc. — True,  but  my  siifierings  might 
have  been  a  little  alleviated  by  Mr  31.'s  condescend- 
ing to  bec(;me  my  ciiiii|, anion  and  lelluw-.-utieicr. 
'•  Are  not  all  men  anxicus  to  pcssiss,"  he  ask.«, 
"  what  they  covet  fo  cvjoy  1  " — 28.  Undoubtedly  ! 
and,  when  l-.e  shall  have  miormed  us  of  the  'lifference 
between  a  being  anxious  to  possess  and  covcVmg 
to  enjoy,  we  may  perceive  the  tendency  of  this 
"■fact,"  if  it  has  such  a  tendency,  "  to  refute  my  in- 
fereuces." 


GENEKAI.      OBSERVATIONS. 


687 


may  be  equally  wron?;  but  the  question 
is,  Is  it  so  in  respect  of  bein^  Christ's 
friend  or  his  enemij  ;  of  a  perfect  /"w/urc 
conformity  to  God's  law,  or  a  livinir  in  the 
breach  of  it  1  JVIr.  M.,  to  make  this  ob- 
servation of  any  force,  must  admit  that  it 
would  be  equally  an  extreme  for  a  sinner 
to  be  decidedly  for  Christ  as  it  is  to  be 
decidedly  against  him  ;  that  it  were  equal- 
ly wrong  to  love  God  with  nil  the  heart  as 
not  to  love  him  at  all ;  that  his  duty  is  to 
be  of  a  divided  heart,  to  be  neither  Jor 
Christ  nor  against  him,  but  in  a  medium 
way,  just  as  it  is  a  man's  duty  to  be  neither 
covetous  nor  prodiiral,  but  something  be- 
tween then). "  Perhaps  Mr.  Fuller  has 

considered"*  that  though  there  are  cases 
in  which  both  extremes  are  wrong,  yet  it 
is  not  so  in  this  case;  in  this  case  our 
Lord  declares  a  medium  to  be  impossil  Ic. 

I  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  so  Jar  as 
any  thing  is  charged  upon  men  as  their  sin, 
so  far  the  contrary  must  be  their  duty  ;  be- 
cause, where  there  is  no  obligation,  there 
can  he  no  transgression.! — I  should  not 
have  imagined  tiiat  any  man  in  his  senses 
could  have  called  this  in  question,  and  yet 
this  is  what  Mr.  M.  has  done.  He  calls 
it  a  mere  inference,  and  talks  of  proving  it 
a  false  consequence  ! — S9.  In  page  146, 
he  speaks  of  men  being  given  up  to  vile. 
affections — allows  such  affections  to  be 
sinful,  and  yet  w  ill  not  allow  it  to  be  their 
duly  to  possess  the  contrary  !  What  he 
has  advanced  (89,  90),  to  prove  this  "a 
false  consequence,"  amounts  to  this,  that 
sinners  cannot  serve  tlie  Lord  acceptably 
— and  that,  whatever  good  takes  place,  His 
ike  effect  of  divine  influence.  This  is  the 
reasoning  that  is  to  prove  that  though  men 
are  criminal  for  breaking  the  law,  yet  they 
are  not  obliged  perfectly  to  keep  it — that 
though  unbelief  is  a  sin ,  yet  faith  is  not  a  du- 
ty !  On  what  principles,  and  in  what  man- 
ner, is  such  a  writer  to  be  reasoned  with  1 

"Figurative  expressions,"  Mr.  M.  con- 
tends, "  are  intended  to  convey  ameaning." 
— 126.  Undoubtedly;  and  sometimes  as 
strong  and  stronger  a  meaning  than  terms 
used  literally.  Mr.  M.  had  no  right  to 
represent  as  if  by  pleading  for  a  figur- 
ative sense  of  the  terms  blind,  deaf,  and 
dead,  I  meant  to  lessen  their/orce.  The 
term  nuick^ned  has  doubtless  a  meaning, 
and  a  very  strong  one  ;  and  if  Mr.  M. 
had  not  thought  himself  warranted,  while 
he  censures  his  author  as  he  calls  him 
for  coarseness  and  uncouthnass  of  style,  to 
be  £is  coarse,  as  uncouth,  as  comical,  and 

*  See  my  rfply,  p.  130,  note, 
f  The  contrary  mu^t  be  their  duty  ? — Wliat 
then,  .Mr.  M  .  will  ask,  is  pi'odigiiliiy  iIip  Hiity  of  lie 
covetous  ^  I  answer,  no  ;  iieiilier  is  prodigality,  but 
conlenlment  and  generosity,  the  contrary  of  covet- 
oiisnese. — Heb.  xiii.  5. 


as  irreverent  as  he  pleaded  himself,  ho 
could  never  have  talked  of  I  ting  rubbed 
UP  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Mr.  M.  frequently  writes  as  if  his  only 
end  was  to  oppose.  Sometimes  I  am  ac- 
cused of  equalizing  the  oliligalions  of  men 
whose  capacities  are  various  (13);  at  other 
times  for  varying  their  obligations  accord- 
ing to  their  natural  capacity  or  incapacity. 
—  iO-4-  When  I  make  it  men's  duty  to 
possess  that,  in  respect  ol"  holy  disposi- 
tions, of  which  they  are  destitute,  then  he 
will  have  it  that  their  duty  is  only  to 
occupy  what  they  have. — 18.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  I  admit,  in  respect  of  natural 
capacities  and  opportunities,  that  men  are 
obliged  only  to  occupy  ivhat  they  have,  then 
he  complains  that  this  is  pitting  the  Al- 
mighty off  with  only  a  right  use  of  what 
is  left'— 98,  104.  thus  he  falls  out  with 
Mr.  Kall,  o\'  Amsby,  for  asserting  that 
"  God  doth  not  require  more  of  any  man 
than  a  right  use  of  wiiat  he  hath  " — 
alleging  that,  "if  so,  it  must  inevitably 
follow  that  no  man  need  seek  for  what 
he  has  not." — 76.  Some  people  would 
have  thought  thai  rightly  to  tise  or  occupy 
what  wc  have  would  be  to  seek  that 
which  we  have  not.  If  the  slothful  ser- 
vant had  rightly  used  his  talent,  he  would 
have  increased  it,  by  seeking  that  which 
he  had  not.  If  Mr.  M.'s  "  modes  of  op- 
position are  not  more  formidable  than  this 
conclusion   is    inevitable  "   we   have     not 

much  to  fear. After  all,  what  does   he 

mean'?  what  is  he  about!  Has  he  any 
sentiment  upon  the  subject  1  Or  does  he 
mean  barelv  to  oppose  ?  If  he  has,  it  must 
be  this,  that  natural  impossibilities  are 
binding  upon  mankind,  but  that  moral  im- 
possibilities  AB.E  NOT   SO  I 

Whether  Mr.  M.  has  not  intermeddled  in 
a  controversy  which,  with  all  his  "  oppor- 
tunities "  for  obtaining  knowledge,  he  does 
not  understand,  some  have  doubted.  What 
his    abilities  are  for  writing,    perhaps  it 
does  not  become  me    to  say,  nor  is  it  of 
any  great  consequence  to  determin?;    but 
I  should  think  it  is  no  great  recommenda- 
tion of  his  judgment  in  language  to   call 
that  dictatorial  which  any  reader  may  per- 
ceive to  be  written  merely  in  the  declara- 
tory style  (66);  such  as  every  writer  must 
use,  unless  he  will  be  always  repeating 
the  words,  I  conceive,  I  apprehend,    Stc. — 
It  is  not  language,  however,  that  I  chiefly 
refer  to,  huCsentiment.     Nothing  is  more 
common  than  for  Mr.  M.  to  be  employed 
in    zealously   estaiilishing    what   I    never 
denied,  and    refuting   what  I  never,    af- 
firmed.     This    is  the    case    almost    ajl 
through  his  piece   when  he  treats  on  di- 
vine efficiency,    and  the  duty  of    men,  as 
he  expresses  it,  to  "  possess  the  power  of 
God,"  and  perform-  ads  peculiar  fo  him. 


688 


ON    MR.   MARTIN  S    PUBLICATION. 


There  are  not  wanting  places  wherein  I 
am  expressly  acquitted,  on  the  above 
suliject,  of  that  ot  which  in  other  places 
I  am  accused.  Compare  p.  96  with  p. 
125.  In  the  one,  it  is  supposed  that  I  ex- 
tend duty  to  "those  actions  which  are  not 
our  own  ;  or  to  the  possession  oi"  the  pow- 
er of  God  ;  in  the  other,  it  is  acknowl- 
edged that  I  am  "  of  opinion  that  spiritual 
blesf-ings,  and  the  divine  energy  that  gives 
us  the  enjoyment  of  them,  cannot  come 
under  Ihe  notion  of  duties."  Is  it  uncan- 
did  to  impute  the  above  to  his  not  un- 
derstanding the  subject  on  which  he 
writes  1 On  natural  and  moral  abil- 
ity and  inabilty,  Mr.  M.  writes  in  a  man- 
ner that  is  very  extraordinary. 

He  lallcs  of  men  being  enaliled  to  make 
a  right  use  of  moral  ability  (US) ;  as  if  I 
supposed  it  to  be  a  kind  of  talent,  Avhith 
may  be  used  or  abused.  Of  natural  abil- 
ity he  asks,  "  Does  it  require  ability  to 
reject  Christ  1  let  this  be  proved." — 59. 
As  if  it  required  proof  that  a  man  must 
possess  the  powers  of  intelligence  and 
choice  in  order  to  reject  Christ !  If  not, 
a  stock  or  a  stone  might  reject  him  as  well 
as  a  man. — On  all  occasions  he  denies 
natural  inability  to  be  any  excuse  for  the 
non- performance  of  that  which  would  oth- 
erwise be  duty. — 101,  122.  He  seems 
astonished  at  my  supposing  the  contrary 
in  cases  where  the  parties  have  brought 
that  inability  upon  themselves  by  their 
own  sin. — 104.  It  seems  by  this  as  if  Mr. 
M.  would  criminate  the  errors  of  a  luna- 
tic, provided  he  has  lost  his  reason  by  his 
own  personal  fault :  yea,  suppose  he  has 
not,  his  "  natural  defects  and  disorders 
are  the  continued  consequences  of  our  first 
revolt  from  God,"  and  therefore  it  seems 
are  inexcusable  ! — 98.  Some  people,  how- 
ever, will  be  ready  to  think  a  man  cannot 
be  faroffsucha  state  of  mind  himself  when 
hecanadmitofsuchan  idea.  After  all.  Does 
not  Mr.  M.'s  own  description  of  the  case 
of  Sampson{2^),  who  lost  his  strength  by 
his  own  sin,  sufficiently  refute  what  he 
would  here  establish  1 

Mr.  M.  has  greatly  abounded  in  mis- 
representation. To  enumerate  every  in- 
stance of  it  were  as  tedious  as  it  is  un- 
necessary. There  are  but  few  pages 
which  are  wholly  exempt.  If,  as  "he 
assures  us,  it  is  none  of  it  to  be  imputed 
to  unfair  intention,  but  to  a  bad  judgment 
(152),  his  judgment  must  be  bad  indeed  !* 

*  Query — Doe."!  not  Mr.  M.,  by  liis  Iiere  distin- 
guishing heXween  judgment  and  intention,  mean  to 
exru.=e  himself  from  Idame,  at  lea.st  in  some  det^'ee, 
in  case  of  any  supposed  misrepre.sentation  ?  Bui,  if 
natural  inaliility  has  no  tendency  to  excuse  (101), 
he  might  :is  well  have  been  willing  to  have  it  impu- 
ted to  unfair  iyitention  as  to  a  bad  iuiJsment. 
The  truth  is,  thouj;!)  Mr.  M.  may  treat  tins  sub- 
ject with  sccrn,  may  call  it  a  litt/c  distinction,  may 
assume  an  air  of  importanre,  and  aftirt  great     sup«- 


Much  is  made  of  what  I  said  in  my  Trea- 
tise of"  no  sort  of  hope  being  held  out  to 
sinners  as  such." — 72,  73.  I  have  long 
since  as  good  as  acknowledged  that  sen- 
tence to  be  obscure ;  and  have  declared 
my  meaning  to  be,  "  merely  to  disown  that 
any  sinner  was  encouraged  by  the  gospel 
to  hope  for  eternal  life  without  returning 
home  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ." — Reply  to 
Pliilanthropos,  p.  190. — But  of  (his  Mr, 
M.  has  taken  no  notice.  This  might  be 
an  oversight.  But  to  what  can  you  im- 
pute his  applying  what  was  written  upon 
humility  in  the  abstract,  to  my  oun  humil- 
ity 1  Farlher,  what  can  you  make  of  his 
representing  me  as  imputing  it  to  ignor- 
ance, pride,  dishonesty  of  heart,  and  aver- 
sion to  God,  that  people  do  not  believe  as 
I  believe — that  is,  that  they  do  not  embrace 
my  views  of  the  sentiment  here  in  dis- 
pute!—133.  Is  this  "  the  result  of  fair 
intention  ?"  It  may  be  said  Mr.  M. 
meant  to  urge  the  above  only  as  an  infer- 
ence, and  that  he  has  so  represented  it  in 
another  place  (142) :  be  it  so,  he  had  no 
warrant  to  represent  that  inference  as  my 
apprehension,  which  he  does. — p.  113. 
But,  suppose  it  were  considered  as  an  in- 
ference, what  then  1  If  mental  errors  are 
not  excusable,  as  Mr.  M.  says  they  are 
not  (101),  then  to  what  purpose  are  all  his 
attempts  to  excuse  them  ? — 132,  143,  182. 
If  mental  errors  are  criminal  in  others, 
why  should  they  be  thought  innocent  in 
Mr.  M.  or  me  1  I  never  professed  to  be 
free  from  prejudice,  though  I  am  persuaded 
it  is  no  more  than  I  ouglit  to  be ;  and  in 
proportion  as  this  occupies  the  mind  we 
shall  linger  and  halt  in  embracing  truth. 
Our  Lord,  who  was  never  wanting  in 
compassion  \o  his  disciples,  yet  said,  "  O 
fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all 
that  the  prophets  have  spoken." 

I  will  mention  but  one  instance  more  of 
Mr.  M.'s  misrepresentations.  I  had  said, 
"  Some  have  treated  the  distinction  of  in- 
ability into  natural  and  moral  as  a  new  in- 
vention;  but  that  only  proves  their  own 
want  of  reading."  Also  that,  "  for  want  of 
knowing  better,  some  people  had  suspected 
this  distinction  to  be  friendly  to  Arminian- 
ism1"      Mr.   M.,  after   observing   that  I 


riority  in  knowledge  (69),  yet  it  is  a  distinction 
founded  in  the  nature  of  things  ;  and  Mr.  M.,  and 
every  other  man,  whether  he  will  or  no,  must  feel 
its  propriety,  and,  by  whatever  language  he  may 
choose  lo  express  it,  must  use  it  in  ten  thousand  in- 
stances in  life. 

As  to  the  swelling  language  of  page  69,  and  in- 
deed almost  all  through  liis  piece,  few  people 
except  himself  will  ihink  that  of  advant;ige  to  his 
lause. — "  The  ignorant  and  the  insolent,"  as  Mr. 
M.  elsewhere  observes, "  in  matters  of  religious 
nature,  as  well  as  in  what  relates  to  the  circle  of 
science,  always  make  a  more  pompous  profession  of 
ttieir  knowledge  and  zeal  than  those  who  aie  wise 
and  humble  " — End  and  Evid.  of  Adoption,  p.  5. 


CENLRAL    CBStRVATIONS. 


689 


charge  my  Calvinistic  opponents  with 
tcant  of  retiiting,  with  want  of  knoicing 
belter,  &.V.,  adds,  "  When  the  chiiractcis 
who  are  censured,  on  the  one  side,  and 
the  reading,  knowledge,  and  years  ot  their 
formidable  Censor,  on  the  other,  are  du- 
ly considered,  will  such  a  contrast  give 
the  intelligent  reader  a  high  idea  of  our 
author's  modesty  !" — 91.  But  does  Mr. 
IM.  know  what  chauactkrs  these  arc  ! 
It  not,  how  can  either  he  or  his  reader 
"consider  "  any  thing  aiiout  thenil  Will 
Mr.  M.  assert  there  can  he  no  persons 
found  on  his  side  of  tlie  (jueytion  in  de- 
hate,  of  whom  he  himself  would  he  asham- 
ed to  say  that  they  are  persons  of  ex- 
tensive reading]  VVIhIc  yet  there  are 
others,  who  disagree  with  nie  in  this  point, 
who  would  l)e  ashamed  to  defend  their 
cause  i)v  tlic  rash  assertions  and  misrepre- 
sentations wiiich  some  have  advanced.  Is 
it  any  compliment  to  Calvinish,  and  Cal- 
vinisls  of  character  too,  to  sujipose  them 
so  ignorant  as  to  treat  the  above  distinc- 
tion as  a  new  invention?  Is  Mr.  M.  one 
of  these  Calvinists?  If  he  is,  it  would 
be  no  want  of  modesty  to  tell  him  tliat  his 
reading  must  either  iiave  i)een  very  small 
or  to  very  little  purpose.  One  should 
think  it  must  imply  a  greater  want  of 
modesty  to  deny  than  to  affirm  that,  if  the 
above  distinction  is  supposed  to  be  friendly 
to  Arminianism,  it  must  be  for  icant  of 
knowing  better,  seeing  three  of  the  great- 
est champions  that  ever  engaged  in  the 
Arminian  controversy  have  either  used  it, 
or  declared  in  its  lavor.  Edw^ards  is 
well  known  to  have  used  it,  and  that  to 
purpose,  in  his  Enquiry  into  the  Freedom 
of  the  IVill :  Topi.ady  applauded  Ed- 
wards's work,  as  adapted  "  totally  to  un- 
ravel and  defeat  the  Arminian  sophistry  ;" 
and  Gill,  though  he  made  but  little  use 
of  it,  yet  declared  that"  th*^  distinction  of 
the  natural  and  moral  liberty  of  the  will 
was  of  great  serrirc  in  the  Arminian  con- 
troversy."  Query,    Did  not  Mr.  M. 

in  the  above  remark  icish  to  have  his  reader 
think  that  I  referred  to  such  characters 
as  Gill  and  Brine  (whose  names  he 
mentions  within  a  page  or  two  of  the 
place);  and  spoke  of  them  as  men  of  lit- 
tle reading,  and  little  knowledge  ?  Why 
else  di<l  he  ])rint  the  word  characters 
in  capitals  ]  and  why  omit  referring,  as 
usual,  to  the  page  wherein  my  words  are 
to  be  found  1  If  this  was  the  case,  and 
this,  after  all,  was  the  result  of  fair  inten- 
tion, I  say  asain  it  must  indicate  a  judg- 
ment bad  indeed  .' 

Mr.  M.  takes  one  method  to  work  upon 

his  readers,   not  much    to   his  own  honor, 

or  to  the   credit  of  the  opinion  he   has   of 

their  judgment;  that  is,  of  calling  himself 

VOL.  I.  87 


and  those  of  his  opinion  "  Calvinists,  intelli- 
gent Calvinists  "  (S8),  and  insinuating  that 
his  opponent  is  at  least  approaching  to- 
wdiTils  "  Baxterianism  "  (191).  it  were 
puerile  to  have  any  dispute  with  him  upon 
such  a  subject.  "  Competent  judges  "  will 
|)erceivc  that  I  am  as  far  ofi"  from  liax- 
/crinnis/n  as  he  is  from  Calvinism ;  and  I 
need  not  be  farther. 

Mr.  M.  asks,  "Does  Mr.  Fuller  know 
an  intelligent  Calvinist  that  is  offended 
with  the  cliaractcr  of  God — that  i)elieves 
that  God  is  not  worthy  of  being  loved 
with  all  the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and  strength 
— liiat  is  so  ignorant  as  not  to  perceive 
that  want  of  love  to  God  is  so  vile  a  dis- 
position as  admits  of  no  excuse  1" — (88.) 
Perhaps  not  ;  but  he  knows  of  one  who 
calls  himself  a  Calviiii.st,  and  in  point  of 
intelligence  thinks  himself  ))retty  much 
above  contempt,  who  has  written  above  two 
hundred  pages  to  prove  (if  they  are  intend- 
ed to  prove  any  thing)  that  the  possession 
of  love  to  God"  is  not  incumbent  on  men 
in  general,  but  barely  an  endeavor  to  pos- 
sess it  ;  and,  if  so,  how  is  it  that  the  want 
of  it  should  admit  of  no  excuse  1  Is  it  so 
inexcusable  a  fault  to  be  wanting  in  what 
we  are  not  oliliged  to  have  ? 

Of  the  anger  or  resentment  of  others, 
Mr.  M.  seems  to  have  no  dread  (71). 
Heroic  man  !  He  seems,  however,  to 
consider  his  own  anger  as  very  dreadful, 
and,  when  roused,  very  unruleable  (93); 
he  did  wisely,  and  generously,  no  doubt, 
in  avoiding  a  topic  by  which  he  might  have 
set  himself  on  fire. 

There  are  many  extraordinary  features 
discernible  in  the  face  of  Mr.  M.'s  per- 
formance, but  none  more  prominent  than 
his  desire  of  applause.  It  is  amusing,  as 
well  as  astonishing,  to  see  the  frankness 
with  which  this  is  proclaimed,  and  even 
defended.  Self-applause  is  his  declared 
motive  for  loving  and  praising  virtuous  ac- 
tions.— 169.  Reputation  is  an  end  for 
which  he  writes. — 190.  The  ''applause 
of  competent  judges  "  seems  to  be  the 
summit  of  his  wishes.— 207.  Hume,  Reid, 
and  Topladv  wrote  for  fame,  and  so  does 
Mr.  Martin,  and,  if  he  may  be  believed, 
every  other  writer. — 170.  All  this  is  amu- 
sing'; tint,  when  the  authority  of  Paul  is 
introduced  to  justify  his  folly,  this  is  pro- 
fane. Paul  exhorted  us  to  pursue  things 
ichirh  arc  of  good  report;  but  not  for  the 
sake  of  gaining  api)lausc  hy  it.  The  de- 
sire of  applause  is  so  mean  a  vice,  that 
most  other  authors,  if  they  have  felt  it, 
have  chosen  to  conceal  it;  but  Mr.  M.  is 
superior  to  concealment.  Conscious,  it 
seems,  that  he  is  under  its  governing  in- 
fluence in  all  he  writes,  he  scorns  either  to 
hide  it  or  apologize  for  it ;  he  dates  to  avow 


690 


ON    MR.   martin's    publication. 


it,  and  defend  it,  as  not  only  lawful  but 
laudable,  and  according  with  apostolic  in- 
junction! 

And  yet,  is  it  not  rather  extraordinary 
that  Mr.  M,  should  defend  this  motive  in 
himself,  and  at  the  same  time  censure  it 
so  severely  in  others,  calling  it,  by  way  of 
disdain,  "  the  lust  of  being  consequential?'^ 
— ISO.  It  may  be  alleged,  perhaps,  that 
the  word  hist  signifies  an  inordinate  desire ; 
and  Mr.  M.  may  think  his  desire  of  fame 
to  be  more  moderate  than  that  of  some 
people.  But  of  this,  it  may  be  replied, 
Mr.  M.  may  hardly  be  a  competent  judge. 
It  is  not  impossible  that  he  may  view  both 
his  own  desires,  and  those  of  his  neighbors, 
through  a  deceitful  medium,  by  which  the 
latter  may  be  magnified  and  the  former 
diminished.  Some  have  thought  it  was  not 
very  prudent  in  him  to  hazard  the  follow- 
ing questions  : — "Who  are  the  most  anx- 
ious to  secure  (and  sometimes  by  methods 
deservedly  censured)  the  shadow  of  popu- 
larity 1  Who  are  most  desirous  of  being 
thought  very  useful,  and  fond  of  being  con- 
sequentialV — 58.  They  will  be  ready  to 
answer,  TVho  indeed  1  Who  is  it  that 
pleads  (ojffame  as  the  oV)ject  of  every  un- 
dertaking'? Avho  that  labors  to  obtain  rep- 
utation by  degrading  others  1  who  that 
swells  with  such  an  idea  of  himself  as  to 
pronounce  his  qualifications  to  be  above 
contempt,  his  arguments  formidable,  his 
conclusions  inevitable,  and  those  that  op- 
pose him  to  be  guilty  of  such  folly  as, 

*  There  was  a  time  uhen  Mr.  M.  spiritualized 
a  watch;  a  lime  also,  when  ilie  ministers  with  wliom 
he  was  then  connected,  employed  him  to  write  a  Cir- 
cular Letter  to  the  churches;  and  a  time  when  he 
used  occasionally  to  print  sermons.  There  was  a 
tini"  also  when,  in  advertising  a  new  performance, 
he  thought  proper  to  cry  down  these  old  ones,  calling 
them  "  fugitive  pieces,  written  "  as  he  in  his  great 
humility  informs  the  world,  '<  at  a  time  when  it  was 
his  duty  to  have  learned,  and  his  vanity  to  publish." 
Sec  the  advertisement  at  the  end  of  Mr.  W.'s  Chris- 
tian''s  Peculiar  Conflict. 

Whatever  right  Mr.  I\I.  might  liave  to  cry  down 
his  other  productions,  one  should  have  thought  he 
might  have  let  the  Circular  Letter  alone.  As  it  is 
always  customary  for  the  associated  ministers  and 
messengers  to  revise,  alter,  and  correct  it,  and  the 
moderator  to  sign  it,  the  writer  can  have  at  most 
but  a  part  of  the  honor  or  dishonor  attending  it; 
and  most  writers  would,  in  such  an  instance,  have 
forborne  their  claim.  If,  however,  they  had  put  it 
down  amongst  their  works,  they  would  never  have 
thought  themselves  at  liberty  to  traduce  it;  knowing 
this  could  not  \ie  done  without  insulting  the  whole 
association.  But  it  seems  Mr.  M.  had  much  rather 
insult  his  former  connections  than  lose  an  opportunity 
of  praising  his  last  performances,  and  giving  the 
world  to  understand  that  he  was  now  become  the  ac- 
complished author.  What  a  method  was  this  to  re- 
commend his  book  !  "  Poor  authors,"  as  Mr.  M. 
{feelingly*  no  doubt)  expresses  it  (189),  "often  as 

•  "  None  but  an  author  knows  an  author's  cares." 

Cowper. 


if  it  were  possible,    would   make   angels 
blush  1* 

The  pursuit  oi  fame  is  Mr.  M.'s  avow- 
ed object ;  he  would  be  thought,  however, 
to  have  steered  clear  of  envy. — 71.  And 
yet  he  speaks  as  if  he  was  not  a  little  un- 
happy at  hearing  "  last  January  of  the 
prevalence  of  Mr.  Fuller's  sentiments." 
— 190.  But  might  not  this  arise  from  his 
regard  to  what  he  accounted  truth'?  It 
might ;  and,  if  such  a  regard  had  not  been 
too  disinterested  for  his  theological  creed, 
we  might  suppose  that  to  be  his  meaning. 
Allow  this,  however,  to  be  his  meaning; 
allow  his  heart  in  one  instance  to  be  bet- 
ter than  his  system ;  this  is  not  all, — He 
talks  of  being  my  competitor. — 208.  Com- 
petitor— for  what '?  for  fame,  no  doubt. 
Happy  man,  if  he  can  steer  his  course 
clear  of  Envy  !  But  with  his  motives,  ex- 
cepting so  far  as  he  has  openly  discovered 
them,  I  have  no  concern.  To  his  own 
master  he  standeth  or  fallelh. 


LETTER  III. 

ON    LOVE    TO    GOD     AND     DIVINE     THINGS 
FOR    THEIR    OWN    EXCELLENCY. 

Having  replied  to  Mr.  M.'s  accusa- 
tions, and  made  some  general  observations 
on  his  work,  I  shall  now  drop  some  few 
remarks  on  three  of  the  principal  subjects 
in  debate;  namely,  ioi^e  to  God;  divine 
efficiency  ;  and  human  endeavor. — Love  to 
God  and  divine  things,  for  their  own 
EXCELLENCY,  AviU  be  the  subject  of  the 
present  letter.  On  this  subject  Mr.  M. 
has  dealt  largely  in  misrepresentation. 

First :  He  all  along  supposes  that,  by 
loving  God  for  what  he  is  in  himself,  I 
mean  a  loving  him  for  some  abstract  prop- 
erties of  his  nature,  no  way  related  to  his 
creatures,  and  in  which  they  have  no  in- 
terest (158,  160, 163);  whereas  I  have  said 
that  "I  know  of  no  such  properties  in  the 
Deity  ;  but  that  whatever  excellence  ex- 
ists in  the  nature  of  God,  that  excellence 
is  engaged  in  favor  of  his  people." — Trea- 
tise, pp.  98,  102.  But  does  it  follow  that 
because,  if  I  am  a  Christian,  there  is  no 
excellence  in  God  but  what  I  have  an  in- 
terest in,  therefore  such  interest  is  the 
only  possible  consideration  for  which  I  can 
or  ought  to  love  him  1 — It  is  true,  in  one 
sense,  that  I  know  not  what  God  is  in  him- 
self;  nor  even  what  "  a  blade  of  grass 
is  ;"  neither  do  I  know  what  a  man  is  in 

/jrowd,  orratn  at  least,  as  they  are  poor;  to  what 
measures  are  they  frequently  reduced  !  The  book 
will  not  bercad,  will  not  sell." Ah, Mr.  Mar- 
tin !  Is  this  your  kindness  to  your  old  friends'?  Ver- 
ily ministers  had  need  beware  of  giving  their  eaoe- 
tion  to  your  performances  I 


LOVE    TO    GOD. 


691 


himself; — hut  yet  I  can  distinguish  be- 
tween tiie  allection  I  bear  to  a  man  on  ac- 
count of  his  i<iiulncss  to  nie,  and  that 
which  I  feel  towards  him  on  account  of 
his  general  character.  A  man  of  infa- 
mous character  may  in  some  instance  do 
me  a  kindness  :  if  1  am  the  subject  of  a 
right  temper,  I  siiall  al  once  feel  gratitude 
^nd  good  will  towards  him,  while  yet  I  am 
constrained  to  detest  his  general  disposi- 
tion and  conduct.  A  man  of  good  char- 
acter may  do  me  a  kindness  :  if  I  feel 
towards  him  as  I  ought,  I  shall  love  him 
both  for  his  kindness  to  me,  and  as  well 
for  the  excellence  of  his  character  in  gen- 
eral, which  might  have  been  what  it  is,  if 
I  had  never  existed. 

Secondly :  What  Mr.  M.  lias  written 
supposes  that  I  am  against  people's  loving 
thernsclvcs — that  I  want  to  separate  the 
glory  of  God  and  our  best  interests,  and  to 
make  it  incumbent  on  men  to  pursue  the 
one  so  as  to  neglect  the  other. — pp.  IGO, 
172,  17.3.  But  all  this  is  unjust,  and  what 
he  coilld  never  infer  from  any  thing  I  have 
written.  I  never  imagined  that  every  kind 
of  self-love  was  selfish,  in  the  bad  sense 
of  the  word.  On  the  contrary,  I  suppose 
that  the  law  which  requires  us  to  love  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves  implies  that  we  ought 
to  love  ourselves  as  our  neighbor;  we  ought 
to  love  both,  in  subserviency  to  his  glory 
who  requires  the  supreme  place  in  our 
affections.  But  does  it  follow,  because  it  is 
right  to  make  our  own  interest  a  secondary 
object  of  our  pursuit,  or  to  seek  it  in  sub- 
serviency to  God's  glory,  that  therefore  it 
must  be  the  direct  object  of  all  our  affec- 
tions 1 — 160.  Does  it  follow  that,  because 
a  pursuit  of  God's  glory  cannot  be  sepa- 
rated from  our  best  interest,  therefore  it 
cannot  be  distinguished  from  itl  Is  noth- 
ing to  i)c  distinguished  that  cannot  be  sep- 
arated 1  If  I  pursue  a  line  of  conduct 
tending  to  promote  the  public  good,  and  if 
it  appear  to  others  that  the  public  good  is 
the  grand  end  I  have  in  view,  I  shall  have 
reputation;  but  if  it  be  alleged  that,  be- 
cause a  pursuit  of  the  public  good  is  at- 
tended with  reputation,  therefore  I  must 
needs  have  such  reputation  in  view  as  the 
direct  object  of  my  pursuit,  in  all  my  ac- 
tions :  would  this  be  just  reasoning  1 
Would  it  be  just  to  say  that,  on  account 
of  such  reputation  atteiiding  my  conduct, 
it  is  impossible  I  should  feel  any  disinter- 
ested regard  to  the  public  good — that  is, 
any  regard  but  that  which  I  feel  towards 
it  on  account  either  of  the  share  I  as  an 
individual  have  in  it,  or  the  honor  or  ad- 
vantage that  will  accrue  to  me  from  my 
conduct  1 

When  I  speak  of  loving  God /or  himself, 
I  neither  suppose  it  is  on  account  of  some 
excellences  in  his  nature  which  have  no 
f-elation  to  our  welfai'e,  nor  that  we  feel,  or 


ought  to  feel,  regardless  of  our  best  inter- 
ests, true  honor,  or  sul)stantial  happiness. 
These  may,  and  ought,  no  doubt,  to  be  pur- 
sued in  suliordination  to  God's  glory  ;  and 
a  i)roper  pursuit  of  them,  instead  ol  setting 
aside  the  idea  of  love  to  God  ibr  his  own 
excellence,  necessarily  implies  it.  Am  I, 
for  instance,  in  search  of  true  honor  1  If  I 
am,  it  is  of  that  honor  that  ariseth  from 
hcwj:,  approved  of  God  ;  but,  in  order  to 
God's  approbation  being  the  summit  of 
my  soul's  aml)ition,  I  must  necessarily 
love  him  Ibr  what  he  is  in  himself.  What 
gratification  would  the  applause  ol"  a  per- 
son afford  me  of  whom  I  had  but  a  mean 
ojiinion,  and  towards  whom  I  had  no  pre- 
vious regard  f  Again,  Am  I  in  pursuit  of 
substantial  happiness  ?  If  I  am,  I  am  in 
search  of  the  enjoyment  of  Gou,  as  my 
everlasting  portion;  but  how  could  I  con- 
ceive of  God  as  a  portion  worthy  to  be 
sought,  or  at  all  adapted  to  make  me  hap- 
py, unless  I  loved  him  for  what  he  is  in 
himself  antecedently  to  my  enjoyment  of 
him  1  Do  men  ever  seek  a  portion  in 
earthly  things  without  viewing  that  portion 
as  good  and  desirable  in  itself,  whether 
they  have  it  or  not  1 

Mr.  M.  considers  a  love  to  God  and  di- 
vine things  for  their  own  excellence,  as  a 
chimera  ;  and  the  ground  on  which  he  pro- 
ceeds seems  to  be  this.  Whatever  objec 
we  love,  the  enjoyment  of  that  object  al 
fords  us  pleasure  or  happiness  ;  and  so  oui 
love  is  in  no  respect  disinterested,  does 
not  terminate  on  what  God  is  in  himself, 
but  aims  directly  at  our  own  advan- 
tage."— 171,  160.  This  is  the  argument 
that  is  to  silence  Deists. — 171.  This,  I 
suppose,  is  the  sum  of  what  Mr.  M.  would 
wish  to  have  considered  as  the  result  of 
"  trials  and  observations,  more  in  number 
and  variety  than  some  people  have  yet  had 
opportunities  to  experience  and  consider." 
—80.  And  what  is  it  after  all  ^  The 
question  is,  7s  it  possible  for  ns  to  take 
pleasure  in  an  object  for  its  own  sake  ? 
Mr.  M.  answers,  No. — Wherefore  1  Be- 
cause that  object  affords  ws  pleasure. — 
That  is,  we  cannot  take  pleasure  in  an 
object,  because  we  can  and  do  fnd  pleas- 
ure ni  it  ! 

What  can  be  thought  of  Mr.  M.'s  in- 
genuousness in  quoting  Mr.  Boyle  (167) 
against  the  doctrine  of  disinterested  love, 
when  every  one  who  reads  his  work  must 
see  that  that  doctrine  is  there  expressly 
and  largely  defended  1  It  is  true  Mr. 
Boyle  pleads  for  God's  blessings  l)eing 
"  taken  in  among  the  motives  of  loving 
him;"  and  who  objects  to  this  1  Mr.  M. 
knows  his  opponent  does  not.  Mr. 
Boyle  pleads  that  God  is  to  be  lov- 
ed partly "  for  wh.\t  he  is  in  him- 
self," and  partly  "  for  what  he  is  to 
us."     (These  are  his  own  words).      And 


6&2 


ON    MR.    MARTIN  S    PUBLICATION. 


have  done  the  same.  But  Mr.  M.  seems 
to  wish  to  insinuafe  to  the  reader  that  I 
embrace  the  same  principles  with  those 
preachers  in  the  time  of  Mr.  Boyle  who 
"  taught  the  people  that  to  hope  for  hea- 
ven is  a  mercenary,  legal,  and,  therefore, 
unfilial  affection."  Is  this  "  the  result  of 
fair  intention  !" — See  Mr.  Boyle's  Mo- 
tives and  Incentives  to  the  Love  of  God, 
sect.  13. 

The  gospel  undoubtedly  holds  up  re- 
wards to  stimulate  us  to  duty,  rewards 
addressed  to  our  emulation  and  thirst  of 
happiness  (173);  and,  if  the  Deists  on  this 
account  reproach  it  as  a  selfish  theory,  I 
have  no  doubt  but  their  reproach  is  ground- 
less. The  gospel  ought  not  to  be  denom- 
inated a  selhsli  theory  because  it  incul- 
cates a  regard  to  ourselves.  If,  however, 
it  could  be  proved  that  we  are  there  taught 
so  to  pursue  our  own  interest  as  that  the 
glory  of  God  shall  not  be  regarded  as  a  su- 
preme, but  as  a  subordinate  end,  the 
charge  were  jusl.  But  the  rewards  con- 
tained in  the  gospel  convey  no  such  idea 
as  this,  for  the  following  plain  reason  : — 
The  sum  of  all  these  rewards  is  God 
HIMSELF.  Grace  and  glory  are  only 
God's  communications  of  himself.  Hence 
it  follows  that  such  rewards,  properly 
pursued,  instead  of  excluding  supreme 
love  to  God  for  what  he  is  in  himself,  ne- 
cessarily imply  it.  Without  such  a  love, 
as  haih  been  already  observed,  it  is  impos- 
sible in  any  right  manner  to  seek  either  his 
approbation  or  blessing. 

Mr.  M.  himself,  it  seems,  once  thought 
on  this  subject  as  his  opponent  now 
thinks. — SO.*  I  wonder  whether  he  then 
held  all  the  extravagances  which  he  now 
imputes  to  me,  and  whether  we  are  to 
consider  him  as  exemplifying  t!ie  charac- 
ter which  he  has  drawn  from  Mr.  Bax- 
ter, "  censuring  others  by  the  measure  of 
his  own  mistakes." — 192.  Did  he  then 
"  suppose  it  possible  for  any  man  to  per- 
ceive the  highest  excellence,  so  as  to  pre- 
fer it  and  enjoy  it,  and  yet  fancy  that  such 
affection  might  be  separated  from  his  best 
interest  and  highest  pleasure  1" — 160.  Did 
he  then  think  he  had  found  out  God,  and 
knew  the  Almighty  to  perfection  ?  or  that 
he  had  any  other  ideas  of  God  than  by 
analogy  or  similitude  1  Did  he  then 
"swell  with  a  vain  imagination,"  and  aspire 
tit  independency  of  Godi   In  a  word.  Did 

HE  THEN  THINK  HIMSELF  A  WISER  MAN 
THAN   HE   DOES   NOW  1 

Mr.  M.  not  only  denies  the  possibility 
of  a  love  to  God  for  what  he  is  in  himself, 
but  likewise  a  love  to  virtue  and  virtuous 
actions  for  their  own  sake.  He  contends  it 

*  Seo  also  his  End  and  Evidences  of  Adoption  n 
18—23,  and  39.  '         •  I 


is  with  a  view  to  the  interest  that  we  have  ifi 
loving  and  applauding  such  actions  that  we 
love  and  applaud  them.  To  the  objection, 
howwe  come  to  "  praise  virtuous  actions 
performed  in  distant  ages  and  remote  coun- 
tries, which  have  no  connection  with  our 
present  happiness  or  security,"  Mr.  M, 
answers,  "  We  never  cordially  bestow 
praise  without  being  pleased.  Nor  are  we 
pleased  with  the  report  of  virtuous  actions 
unless  we  judge  them  to  be  such.  Nor  do 
we  so  judge  without  applauding  ourselves 
for  our  decision.  For  we  really  think  it 
contributes  to  advance  our  '  present  hap- 
piness and  security,'  by  increasing  our 
reputation." — 196.  Much  to  the  same 
purpose  is  what  is  advanced  in  p.  138,  in 
a  supposed  address  to  me.  This  account 
of  the  matter,  it  must  be  allowed,  is  very 
curious.  We  praise  virtuous  actions — 
wherefore  1  because  those  actions  please 
us.  But  wherefore  do  they  please  us  1 
because  they  correspond  with  what  we 
judge  to  be  truly  virtuous.  But  where- 
fore do  we  judge  in  favor  of  true  virtue  1 
because  when  the  decision  is  past  it  affords, 
upon  reflection,  a  ground  of  self-applause. 
Self-applause  therefore  is  the  original  mo- 
tive or  reason  why  we   love   and   applaud 

virtuous  actions  ! Mr.  M.,  by    making 

self-applause  his  motive,  must  mean  either 
the  thing  itself,  or  the  desire  of  it.  If  he 
mean  the ybrmer,  he  must  maintain  that 
self-applause,  which  arises  from  a  favora- 
ble judgment  of  virtuous  actions,  never- 
theless existed  before  such  judgment  was 
made,  so  as  to  be  the  ground  and  reason 
of  it.  It  is  something  of  so  peculiar  a 
quality  as  to  exist  prior  to  its  cause, 
and  give  being  to  that  of  which  it- 
self is  the  effect !  If  he  mean  the  lat- 
ter, that  is,  the  desire  of  self-applause,  and 
not  the  thing  itself,  this,  it  is  possible, 
may  be  found  to  be  as  far  off  from  the 
truth  as  the  other.  A  Christian  takes  up 
his  bible — reads  the  interesting  history  of 
Joseph — reads  of  his  patience  under  suf- 
ferings, his  chastity  in  temptations,  his 
firmness,  his  meekness,  his  wisdom,  his 
fidelity,  his  filial  duty,  but  above  all  his 
amiable  forgiving  spirit  towards  his  cruel 
brethren — His  heart  begins  to  burn — with 
what "?  love  1  No,  stay — first  with  the 
desire  of  self-applause  ;  and  knowing  that 
if  he  judge  in  favor  of  Joseph's  virtue,  is 
pleased  with  it,  and  speaks  praise  of  it,  his 
desire  will  be  accomplished,  he  conse- 
quently forms  the  decision,  feels  pleased, 
proclaims  that  pleasure  to  others,  and  so 
accomplishes  his  end — enjoys  the  satis- 
faction of  self-applause,  increases  his  im- 
putation, and  thus  promotes  his  present 
happiness  and  security. 

I  will  not  deny  but  that  in  some  cases, 
and  in  some   degree,   Mr.   M.'s   doctrine 


DIVINE    KKPlCIENCV 


fi03 


may  V»e  true.  Hypocrites  will  often  praise 
wliat  tiicy  never  practise  ;  and  consecpient- 
ly  what  they  never  cordially  love.  Thus 
the  Plrarisees  built  the  tombs  of  tfie  proph- 
ets and  s;(irnished  the  sepulchres  of  the  right- 
eous. In  these  cases  self-love  may  lie  the 
origin,  and  reputation  the  end  ;  and  in  this 
sort  it  is  granted  men  may  applaud  really 
virtuous  actions  without  possessing"  reli- 
gious dispositions." — 168.  But  perhaps 
Mr.  M.  would  not  thank  me  for  this  con- 
cession. 

But  Air.  Martin  seems  to  think  he 
has  loaded  the  doctrine  of  disinterested 
love  with  sufficient  reproach  by  represent- 
ing "  ^rnu'n/rtn.s,  Mystics,  and  Deists,  as 
its  chief  detailcrs  and  defenders." — SO. 
But  suppose  it  were  so,  that  would  not 
prove  it  to  be  erroneous.  Mr.  M.,  how- 
ever, will  not  say  of  Goodwin,  Owe.v, 
Charxock,  Edw.a.rds,  Gill,  or  Brine, 
that  either  of  them  was  an  "  Arminian,  a 
Mystic,  or  a  Deist ;"  and  yet  each  of  them 
has  defended  a  love  to  God  and  divine 
things  for  their  own  excellency,  in  distinc- 
tion from  a  love  to  them  barely  on  account 
of  their  being  advantageous  to  us.*  They 
admitted  that  we  should  love  ourselves, 
and  pursue  our  own  interest  in  subser- 
viency to  God's  glory  ;  but  to  make  our 
own  interest  ihc  first  motive  or  the  last  end 
was  what  in  their  opinion  characterized  a 
hypocrite,  or  an  apostate  tvorld.  Mr. 
Ch.\rnock  calls  the  one  a  "  loving  of  God 
^rs/,  and  ourselves  in  order  to  God;  the 
other,  a  loving  of  ourselves  first,  and  God 
in  order  to  ourselves  ;"  and  thus,  says 
he,  "  LOVE  TO  Gon  is  lost,    and    love 

TO     SELF     H.\TH   USURPED  THE   THROyE." 

It  may  be  presumed,  too,  that  none  of 
these  writers  had  less  opportunity  for  ob- 
taining knowledge,  or  was  possessed  of 
less  humility,  than  Mr.  M.  ;  though  he 
ascribes  his  ideas  on  this  subject  to  his 
superior  "  opportunities  to  some  people," 
and  the  ideas  of  those  who  ditfer  from  him 
to  a  spirit  or  pride ;  the  pride  of  aspiring 
at  independency  of  God  I  Nor  were  they 
perhaps  inferior  to  him  in  ivisdom  and  sol- 
id judgment ;  though  he  is  pleased  to  rep- 
resent those  who  hold  this  sentiment  as 
"  swelling  with  a  vain  imagination,"  and 
their  opinion  as  folly  and  madness,  yea, 
such  folly  as  is  "  sufficient,  if  it  were  pos- 
sible, to  make  angels  blush!  " — 158,  160. 
This  is  the  writer  that  censures  his  oppo- 
nent, and  talks  of  his  anger  being  roused 
for  his  want  of  respect  for  those  who  dif- 
fer from  him! — 93.      Whether  angels  can 

*  Goodwin  on  Eplies.  vol.  I.  p.  152 — 161.  Owen 
on  the  Spiiit,  p.  99.  Charnoc/c'a  Works,  vol.  I. 
p.  90—93.  Edwards  on  Afl"ection.=,  p.  139—152. 
Giirn  Bod.  Div.  vol.  III.  ch.  9.  Brine's  Dialogue, 
313—315. 


blush  may  he  doubted;  perhaps,  as  Mr. 
IVI.  seems  to  think,  they  are  incapable  of 
it;  and  does  it  not  seem  as  if  some  men 
were  equally  incapable  1 


LETTER  IV. 

DIVI.NE     EFFICIENCY. 

Having  considered  what  Mr.  M.  hns 
advanced  on  love  to  God,  the  next  suVyect 
that  requires  discussion  is  divine  ef- 
ficiency. I  am  sorry  I  should  have 
again  to  complain  of  misrepresentation. 
Though  Mr.  M.  acquits  me  in  one  place 
(12-}), "as  indeed  he  ought,  of  making  any 
thing  the  duty  of  men  but  that  where- 
in they  are  voluntary,!  yet  in  many  other 
places  he  represents  me  as  maintaining 
that  it  is  men's  duty  to  produce  spiritual 
dis])ositions  (147),  to  be  born  again  (150), 
to  vivify  themselves,  to  make  the  word 
effectual  to  salvation  ("202),  to  convince 
theinselves  of  sin  (120)  to  be  the  sons  o 
God  (125),  &c.  &c.  I  suppose,  however? 
that  all  he  would  abide  by  is,  that  these  are 
the  just  consequences  of  my  principles  ;  but, 
suppose  they  were,  Mr.  M.  had  no  right  to 
represent  ine  as  holding  those  conse- 
quences, especially  whan  he  knows,  and 
in  some  places  acknowledges,  that  I  dis- 
avow them. 

It  was  before  asked  Do  we  need  the 
Spirit  of  God  to  enable  us  to  do 
OUR  duty  1  Mr.  M.  answers,  "  We  do  " 
(116),  butdenies  the  in/erc?if es  that  I  have 
drawn  from  it.  The  grand  inference  that  I 
drew  from  it  was  tliis.  If  we  need  the  Spirit 
of  God  to  enable  us  to  do  our  duty,  then 
our  needing  the  Spirit  of  God  to  enable  us 
to  believe  xcill  not  prove  but  that  be- 
lieving MAY  EE  A  DUTY. —  Now,  ad- 
mitting the  prcnu'ses,  what  has  Mr.  M.  said 
to  overthrow  this  conclusion?  He  says, 
"  Let  also  this  question  be  well  weighed, 
Do  we  need  the  Spirit  o/ Got/ only  to  en- 
able us  to  do  our  duty  ?  Are  there  not  6;ess- 
ings  to  be  enjoyed  as  well  as  duties  to  be 
discharged!  Blessings  which  he  who  came 
to  bless  us  designed  to  be  our  strength! 
Blessings  by  which  he  turns  us  from  our 
iniquities  and  prepares  us  for  the  present 
and  future  enjoyment  of  himself!  Bless- 
ings which,  though  they  are  the  source 
and  spring  of  new  obedience,  must  not  be 
degraded  "by  the  name  of  duty.  For, 
though  the  proper  discharge  of  duty  is 
our  excellence,  is   it  not  confined  to  our 

t  See  my  Treatise,  Appendix,  p.  94. 


G94 


ON    MR.  MARTIN  S    PUBLICATION. 


acts  ?  Blessing,  however,  is  not  our  ex- 
cellence; but,  as  it  is  imparted  and  en- 
joyed, it  is  THAT  which  makes  us  to  ex- 
cel. Why  are  things  so  difierent  and  so 
distinct  to  be  coaroundedl" — 117. 

Mr.  M.,  I  observe,  umidst  all  his  excla- 
mations against  obscurity,  chooses  to  deal 
in  very  vague  language.  He  talks  of 
"  blessings  bestowed  by  the  Holy  Spirit — 
blessings  which  are  the  spring  of  new  obe- 
dience, but  whicii  must  not  be  degraded 
by  the  name  of  duty — blessing  which  is 
not  our  excellence,  but  that  which  makes 
us  to  excel  " — and  yet,  after  all,  he  has 
not  told  us  lohat  this  blessing  is  ;  whether 
it  is  the  regenerating  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  is  divine  influence  itself ;  or 
whether  it  is  a  new  heart,  or  new  spirit, 
Avrought  by  (hat  influence.  One  should 
think  he  cannot  mean  the  former,  for  tliat 
he  knows  and  acknowledges  I  never  imag- 
ined to  be  any  other  than  a  blessing  (125). 
And  yet  it  is  evident  in  some  places  that 
this  is  his  meaning ;  particularly  in  p.  96, 
where  he  makes  that  which  I  suppose  is 
required  of  men  to  be  a  '^possessing  of  the 
power  of  God!''  By  blessing  he  must 
mean,  if  he  mean  any  thing  different  from 
his  opponent,  a  ne^o  heart,  spirit,  or  dispo- 
sition; and  since  he  sometimes  distin- 
guishes "spiritual  blessings,  from  the  en- 
ergy that  gives  us  the  enjoyment  of  ihem 
(125),"  and  in  the  above  j)assages  confines 
all  duty  to  our  acts,  thereby  denying  it  to 
extend  to  dispositions,  or.e  should  ihinkhe 
means  to  affirm  that  though  mental  acts 
may  be  duties,  yet  dispositions  are  not, 
but  are  mere  blessings  ;  and  that  these  are 
not  our  excellence,  but  what  cause  us  to 
excel.     To  all  which  it  is  replied, 

I.  Suppose  all  duty  icerc  confined  to 
our  acts,  Mr.  M.,  I  presume,  wilt  not  de- 
ny that  believing  in  Christ  is  an  act  of  the 
mind;  and  therefore,  according  to  his  own 
reasoning,  it  may  be  the  duty  of  men  in 
general,  though  like  other  duty  it  cannot  be 
done  without  the  Spirit  of  God.  How 
then  does  he  overthrow  my  inference  ? 
Has  he  not  inadvertently  confirmed  it  1 
Admitting  that  we  need  the  Holy  Spirit 
for  other  purposes  as  well  as  to  enable  us 
to  do  our  duty — (indeed  this  is  what  I 
should  never  deny) — yea,  admitting,  for 
argument's  sake,  the  ivhole  of  what  he  has 
here  alleged  to  be  just,  believing  in  Christ 
may  notwithstanding  be  a  duty — a  duty 
■which  we  need  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable 
us  to  comply  with,  and  which,  therefore, 
in  being  a  duty,  is  no  way  inconsistent 
•with  the  doctrine  of  divine  efficiency.  If 
Mr.  M.'s  reasonings  affect  any  thing,  it  is 
not  the  duty  of  believing  in  Christ,  but 
that  of  being  the  subjects  of  spiritual  dis- 
positions ;  and  so  of  the  same  thing,  in 
different  respects,  being  both  a  duty  and  a 


hlessing.    How  far  this  is   affected  remains 
to  be  examined. 

II.  Duty  is  not  to  be  confined  to  our  acts  ; 
it  extends  to  our  dlspositions--God  requires 
that  we  "  BE  HOLY, /or  that  he  is  holy  " — 
that  "  the  same  mind  be  in  us  lohich 
was  in  Christ  Jesus  " — that  we  be  "  per- 
fect, as  our  Fatiier  who  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect." — If  holy  dispositions  do  not  come 
under  the  denomination  of  duties,  neither 
do  unholy  dispositions  come  under  the  de- 
nomination of  sins  ;  for  where  there  is  no 
obligation  there  can  be  no  transgression — 
and  so  it  will  follow  that  a  proud,  covet- 
ous, or  malignant  temper  of  mind,  has 
nothing  in  it  offensive  to  God,  or  worthy 
of  his  displeasure.  Mr.  M.  would  not  be 
thought  "  so  ignorant  as  not  to  perceive 
that  the  v/ant  of  love  to  God  is  a  disposi- 
tion so  vile  as  to  admit  of  no  excuse." 
— 88.  But,  if  duty  be  confined  to  our  acts, 
how  can  vileness  be  attributed  to  any  dis- 
position. In  that  case  it  can  be  neither 
virtuous  nor  vicious. 

III.  If  duty  extend  to  the  temper,  spirit, 
or  disposition  of  the  mind,  then  it  must 
follow  that  the  something  may,  in  different 
respects  be  both  a  duty  and  a  blessing. — It 
is  admitted  on  all  hands  that  holy  dispo- 
sitions, wherever  they  exist,  are  blessings; 
and,  if  they  come  within  the  compass  of 
duty,  then  they  must  be  both  duties  and 
blessings.  Every  sinner  is  required  "  to 
love  God  with  all  his  heart."  This  implies 
a  right  spirit.  A  right  spirit  in  this  view 
is  duty.  But,  if  any  sinner  now  possesses 
such  a  spirit,  it  is  in  consequence  of  that 
promise,  "  A  new  heart  will  I  give  them, 
and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  them." 
A  right  spirit,  in  this  view,  is  a  blessing. 

Nobody  imagines  that  blessing,  consid- 
ered as  such,  is  our  excellence;  doubtless 
it  is  that,  as  Mr.  M.  says,  "  which  makes 
us  to  excel."  But,  if  the  same  thing  in 
one  respect  may  be  a  duty  as  well  as  in 
another  respect  a  blessing,  then  it  may  in 
one  respect  be  our  excellence,  after  all. 
And  is  not  this  the  very  truth  1  Is  not  the 
temper,  spirit,  or  disposition  of  the  mind, 
either  its  excellence  or  its  disgrace  1  Is 
not  that  new  heart,  and  new  spirit,  which  is 
on  all  hands  allov/ed  to  be  a  blessing  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  our  excellence  as  well  as 
our  happiness  1  Instead  of  making  no 
part  of  our  excellence,  it  makes  the  sum 
of  it ;  for  no  acts  are  any  further  excel- 
lent, or  virtuous,  than  as  they  are  the  ex- 
pressions of  such  a  disposition. 

When  I  speak  of  the  same  thing,  in  dif- 
ferent respects,  being  both  a  duty  and  a 
blessing,  Mr.  M.  calls  it  halving  the  mat- 
ter.—131.  But  this,  I  should  think,  will 
contribute  but  little  to  his  "reputation 
amongst  competent  judges."  Is  it  halving 
of  any  thing  to  consider  it  differently  in 


HUMAN    ENDEAVOR. 


695 


different  respects  1  For  example,  is  it 
halviitg  or  dicidins:  tlie  Deity,  to  say  tliat 
in  tiilTcrcnt  respects  he  is  I'otii  three  and 
one  ? 

What  Mr.  IVI.  has  said  against  its  being 
the  duty  of  a  bad  man  to  lie  a  good  man, 
and  against  its  being  tiie  duty  ol  every 
good  man  to  lie  as  holy  as  St.  Paul,  he 
may  well  think  will  be  "considered  by 
some  as  erroneous  and  dangerous." — 90. 
I  should  not  exceed  truth  were  I  to  say, 
those  who  have  hitherto  been  ?.Ir.  M.'s 
best  (Viends  detesit  these  jirinciplcs  ;  and  in 
proportion  as  our  Lord's  doctrine,  which 
requires  us  to  be  perfect,  even  as  our  Fa- 
ther in  heaven  is  perfect,  is  regarded, 
they  must  always  be  detested.  If  this  is 
not  Aniinomianism,  nothing  ever  deserved 
that  name.  There  was  a  time  when  Mr. 
M.  himself  considered  such  notions  as  not 
only  "  dan9;croxis,  but  despicable."  End 
and  Evid.  of  Adop.  p.  46,  47. 

It  is  a  poor  apology  that  he  makes  for 
himself,  that  he  "  only  means  to  show 
that  saying  it  is  tlie  duly  of  a  bad  man  to 
MAKE  HIMSELF  a  good  man,  and  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  a  good  man  to  make  him- 
self the  best  man,  is  language  of  a  dan- 
gerous tendency." — 96.  Whether  it  is 
the  duly  of  men  to  make  thcinselves  good 
men,  or  not,  is  not  the  question;  such 
language,  or  such  ideas,  never  proceeded 
from  my  pen;  therefore  Mr.  M.  cannot, 
with  any  just  pretence,  maintain  tliat  this 
is  all  he  means  to  oppose.  The  thing 
which  I  aCTirm,  and  which  he  denies,  is 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  a  bad  man  to  be  a 
good  man.  The  ground  on  wiiich  this  af- 
firmation rests  is  this,  that  the  thing  which 
God  directly  requires  is  the  heart,  and 
not  barely  a  going  about  to  use  certain 
77ieans  and  endeavors  in  order  to  make  the 
heart  better.  If  a  righteous  king  confer 
with  a  number  of  his  rebellious  subjects, 
tiie  ihing  that  he  requires  is  that  they  be 
WILLING  to  come  under  his  government. 
If  they  allege  that  their  hearts  are  averse, 
and  they  cannot  obey  him,  he  is  never 
known  to  direct  them  to  means  and  en- 
deavors for  changing  their  hearts.  Such 
a  direction  would  be  beneath  him  ;  and 
such  an  allegation  on  their  part  would  be 
looked  upon  as  an  open  avowal  of  their 
rebellious  intention,  and  the  conference 
must  immediately  break  up. 

And  thus  it  is  in  the  Scriptures.  The 
language  of  the  Bible  is  not,  "  use  such 
and  such  means  to  get  those  dispositions 
of  which  you  are  at  present  destitute;" 
but  "be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy" — 
"  Be  not  tcisc  in  your  ow7i  conceits  " — 
"  Let  that  mind  be  in  you  that  was  in 
Christ  Jesus,"  &c.  &c.  That  which  God 
requires  of  men  is  not  barely  that  they 
use  certain  means  in  order  to  bring  their 


hearts  to  love,  repent,  and  believe ;  he  re- 
quires the  things  themselves.  His  lan- 
icuage  is,  "  77iou  shall  love  Ihe  Lord  thy 
God  "--"  Repent,  for  the  kingdom  ol  heav- 
en is  at  hand" — "While  ye  have  light, 
believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the 
children  of  light." 

The  grounds  on  which  Mr.  M.  supports 
his  denial  of  its  being  the  duty  of  a  bad 
man  to  be  a  good  man  arc  such  as,  if  they 
prove  any  tiling,  will  prove  ihat  it  is  not 
tlio  (hity  ot  a  villain  to  be  an  honest  man; 
but  barely  to  make  certain  endeavors  to- 
wards it,  which  may  or  may  not  be  efFect- 
ual,  as  God  shall  jilcase  to  i)lcss  them. 
But  if  such  a  character  were  a  debtor  to 
Mr.  M.,  and  were  to  urge  that  though  he 
had  endeavored  to  his  utmost  to  become 
of  an  honest  mind,  yet  it  had  not  j)leased 
God,  at  present,  to  crown  his  endeavors 
with  success  ;  it  is  well  if  he  was  not 
treated  as  uncivilly  as  a  supposed  charac- 
ter of  such  a  kind  is  said  to  have  beea 
treated  by  me. — 117,  188. 

If  it  is  alleged  that  telling  sinners  it  is 
their  duty  to  be  of  such  a  temper  of  mind 
as  they  must  know  they  are  not,  and  fell- 
ing them  of  no  menns  by  which  they, 
without  possessing  any  true  desire  after  it, 
may  become  of  such  a  temper,  must  nreds 

drive  them  to  despair. 1  answer.  First, 

It  is  im])0ssible,  in  the  nature  of  things, 
for  any  means  or  directions  to  be  given 
which  thosj  who  iiave  no  direct  desire  af- 
ter a  right  temper  of  mind  may  use  in  or- 
der to  obtain  such  a  temper.  The  use  of 
a  means  always  implies  the  existence  of 
(fesirc  after  the  end  ;  and  the  constitution 
of  our  souls  must  be  altered  before  it  can 
lie  otherwise.  Secondly,  It  is  true  that 
such  doctrine  as  this  must  drive  sinners  to 
despair;  but  it  is  such  despair  as  must  lie 
at  the  foundation  of  all  well-grounded 
hope.  It  was  in  this  way  that  .S(/i  revived, 
and  the  apostle  died.  And  after  all  that 
Mr.  M.  has  said  about  grace  and  divine 
efficiency,  it  is  in  this  way,  and  not  by  his 
compromising  notion  of  endeavor,  that  the 
sinner  must  he  brought  to  feel  himself  ut- 
terly lost,  absolutely  at  God's  discretion, 
and  in  want  of  a  saviour  that  shall  save 
him,  as  one  may  say,  in  spite  of  himself. 


LETTER  V. 

HUMAN    ENDEAVOR. 

Having  in  my  last  considered  tbe  sub- 
ject of  divine  efficiency,  I  shall  now  draw 
to  a  close  with  a  few  thoughts  on  Mr. 
M.'s  notion  of  endeavor.     If  there  is 


696 


ON    MR.    MARTIN  S    PUBLICATION. 


any  thing  in  Mr.  M.'s  performance  from 
which  his  real  sentiments  can  be  gathered, 
it  is  this.  All  the  rest  is  little  more  than 
an  attempt  to  demolish.  This  is  the 
ground  on  which  he  has  taken  his  stand. 
It  is  not  men's  duty  to  love  God,  to  re- 
pent of  sin,  to  believe  in  Christ,  to  be  per- 
fectly holy  ;  but  to  EKDEAVOR  a  Compli- 
ance with  these  things.  It  is  their  duty, 
it  seems,  not  to  return  to  tiie  Lord,  but 
barely  to  pray  that  they  may  be  able  to 
return — and  so  on  of  every  internal  exer- 
cise of  religion. — 75,  96.  I  have  already 
dropped  a  lew  occasional  hints  on  this  no- 
tion ;  and  shall  now  consider  it  more  par- 
ticularly. The  following  observations  are 
offered  to  consideration 

I.  This  endeavor  is  supposed  to  have 
no  certain  connection  with  the  thing  en- 
deavored after. — Mr.  M.  does  not  mean  to 
say  that  that  endeavor  to  love  God,  repent 
of  sin  and  believe  in  Christ,  which  he  grants 
to  be  the  duty  of  men,  is  such  as,  if  ex- 
ercised, would  certainly  issue  in  any  of 
those  things.  If  he  did,  the  difference  be- 
tween us  would  not  be  very  material.  But 
this  would  be  contrary  to  the  tenor  of 
what  he  has  written,  especially  to  pages 
25,  27.  According  to  Mr.  M.'s  notion,  if 
I  understand  it,  men  may  endeavor  to  love 
God,  repent  of  sin,  and  believe  in  Christ, 
and  so  perform  their  whole  duty,  in  that 
matter,  and  yet  never  be  able  to  love  him, 
believe  in  him,  &c.,  no  not  in  the  least  de- 
gree ;  and  so  may  die  unconverted  not- 
withstanding, and  finally  perish! 

II.  Endeavor  is  used  by  Mr.  M.  in  op- 
position to  possession.  The  thing  that  he 
all  along  opposes  is  that  men  are  obliged 
to  possess  spiritual  dispositions  ;  and  this 
is  what  he  substitutes  in  the  place  of  such 
possession. — 93.  The  endeavor,  therefore, 
that  he  inculcates,  must  not  imply  the 
possession  of  any  spiritual  disposition 
whatever  ;  no  nor  of  any  direct  inclina- 
tion or  desire  after  the  things  sought.  If 
it  did,  endeavor  would  not  be  properly  op- 
posed to  possession  ;  for  it  is  absurd  to 
say  that  any  thing  is  opposed  to  that 
which  is  necessarily  included  in  it.  And 
this  seems  to  be  the  kind  of  endeavor 
that  Mr.  M.  pleads  for  in  page  26,  where 
he  says,  "we  must  pray,  as  in  truth  we 
can,  let  our  frame  or  state  be  what  it  may  " 
— that  is,  if  we  have  no  desire  after  God 
in  our  hearts,  we  are  only  to  take  care 
that  we  pretend  to  none,  and  in  this 
way  we  may  pray  with  integrity  and  up- 
rightness !     But 

III.  Seeking  and  endeavoring  without 
the  possession  of  any  true  desire  after  the 
things  sought  can  be  only  indirect ;  and 
therefore  can  have  no  true  virtue  in  it, 
but  on  the  contrary  is  the  essence  of 
hypocrisy. — A  disobedient  son  may  know 


himself  in  danger  of  being  disinherited 
by  his  father.  He  may,  to  avoid  this, 
reform  his  conduct,  conform  in  appear- 
ance to  his  father's  will,  and  endeavor  to 
reconcile  his  mind  to  many  things  which 
in  themselves  he  cordially  hates.  But 
such  endeavor  as  this  few  will  pretend  has 
any  virtue  in  it ;  and  yet  this  is  as  much 
as  Mr.  M.'s  notion  of  e?icfcaror  makes  to 
be  incumbent  on  men  in  general.  If 
they  are  obliged  to  seek  after  God,  to  pray 
to  him,  to  strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate ;  yet  they  are  not  in  all  or  any  of 
these  exercises  obliged  to  possess  any 
true  desire  after  God,  or  the  things  for 
which  they  seek,  for  that  would  le  the 
same  as  being  obliged  to  possess  spiritual 
dispositions.  Mr.  M.'s  endeavors,  there- 
fore, are  destitute  of  all  true  virtue  ; 
have  nothing  in  ihem  truly  good,  or 
acceptable  to  God  ;  on  the  contrary,  they 
are  abominable  in  his  sight,  as  containing 
the  very  essence  of  hypocrisy. 

I  can  hardly  persuade  myself  that  Mr. 
M.  really  means  to  plead  for  such  en- 
deavors as  these,  though  his  account  of 
the  matter,  taken  altogether,  can  agree  to 
no  other.  He  would  not  wish,  however, 
I  dare  say,  to  be  an  advocate  for  any 
other  than  sincere  endeavors,  that  is,  such 
a  seeking  and  endeavoring  as  imply  a 
sincere  desire  after  the  things  sought  for. 
Such  desire  he  represents  the  supposed 
son  of  a  deist,  in  his  endeavors  to  pos- 
sess.— 26.  But,  il  this  is  what  he  pleads 
for,  then  all  the  ends  to  be  answered  by  it 
are  lost ;  for  he  is  then  but  just  upon  the 
same  ground  as  his  neighbors.  If  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  man  sincerely  to  en- 
deavor to  repent  of  sin,  and  believe  in 
Christ,  then  it  is  his  duty  to  possess  a  sin- 
cere desire  to  repent  and  believe  ;  but 
that  amounts  to  the  same  thing  as  its  be- 
ing his  duty  to  possess  spiritual  disposi- 
tions.. Mr.  M.  also,  in  pleading  for  this 
as  the  duty  of  men,  pleads,  just  as  his  op- 
ponent does,  for  that  which  "never  existed, 
nor  ever  will." — 120.*  Neither  can  he  tell 
us  of  any  means  which  those  who  have  no 
desire  to  repent  and  believe  may  use  in  order 
to  get  such  a  desire  ;  so  that  his  reader  is 
just  as  much  perplexed  as  he  supposes  mine 
to  be. — 17.  Such  ?l  desire  also  is  a  bless- 
ing as  well  as  a  duty.  By  the  supposi- 
tion it  is  the  latter,  and  yet  wherever  it 
exists  it  is  the  former.  It  is  wrought  by 
divine  efficiency  ;  it  is  the  effect  of  being 
created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  stands 
connected   with    eternal   life.     And  here 

*  "A  freedom  from  condemnation  sinners  want 
to  obtain  ;  but  a  life  of  faitli  in  Clirist,  and  iioliness 
/roOT  Christ,  they  do  not  so  much  as  desire  to  enjoy; 
nov  ever  wtVZ  until  the  Lord  tal<es  away  the  liearl 
of  stone,  and  graciously  bestows  a  heart  of  flesh." — 
Mr.  Martin's  Sermon  on  Rom.  x.  3,  p.  32. 


ox    MR.    martin's    publications. 


697 


Mr.  M.'s  unmeaninp;  questions  (passes  24, 
2.5)  might  be  retorted  upon  him — "  Wliich 
must     take  the  lead,   tiie   blessing  or    the 

duty?" Wiiat  lie  says,  likewise,  of 

my  making  it  men's  duty  to  be  the 
ALTHOus  of  spiritual  dispositions  (QOi) 
falls  equally  upon  himself.  If  it  is  men's 
duty  sincerely  to  endeavor,  then  it  is  their 
duty  to  have  sincere  desire  ;  but  this 
amounts  to  as  much  as  I  have  asserted, 
and  may  as  well  be  called  a  making  it 
the  duty  of  men  to  be  the  authors  of 
such  desire,  as  any  thing  I  have  written 
can  be  called  a  making  it  their  duly  to 
be    AUTHORS    of     spiritual    dispositions. 

Thus  Mr.  M.'s  notion  of  endeavor 

either  obliges  men  to  lie  hypocrites  or 
places  him  in  the  same  situation  as  those 
he  censures  and  answers  the  substance  of 
his  own  olijections. 

I\Ir.  M.'s  own  ideas  of  the  matter, 
however,  arc  widely  ditTerent.  He  seems 
to  have  such  an  opinion  of  this  no- 
tion as  to  reckon  it  almost  a  suflicient 
ground  for  anticipating  the  issue  of  the 
contest,  and  enjoying  beforehand  the 
pleasure  of  a  mental  triumph.  He  re- 
quires "  Mr.  Fuller  to  show  what  it  is 
that  men  are  obliged  to  that  is  absolutely 
different  from  endeavor,  and  yet  short  of 
acting  efficiently.  Till  this  be  done,"  he 
adds,  in  a  style  peculiar  to  himself,  "he 
may  write,  but  it  is  supposed  he  can 
never  write  an  answer  to  the  governing 
propositions  of  this  performance!" — 154. 
Truly  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  any 
material  objection  to  comprehending  the 
whole  of  human  duty  in  endeavor,  though 
not  as  explained  by  Mr.  Martin.  There 
is  as  much  included  in  the  word  as  I 
have  ever  pleaded  for.  P^'irst,  Endeavor 
includes  the  utmost  exertion  of  all  our 
natural  powers  ;  but  the  utmost  exertion 
of  all  our  powers  towards  spiritual  objects 
is  spiritual  exercise.  Such  endeavor  as 
this,  to  love,  repent,  and  believe  (if  it  is 
proper  to  speak  of  such  exercises  as 
the  objects  of  endeavor),  can  never 
be  in  vain,  because  therein  it  is  that 
the  thirigs  themselves  consist.  The 
exertion  or  outgoing  of  the  will  and  af- 
fections is  the  same  thing  as  choosing 
and  loving.  Seeking  after  God,  and  such 
like  expressions,  are  always  descriptive 
of  spiritual  exercise,  of  such  exercise  as 
is  connected  with  eternal  life.'  Second- 
ly, Endeavor  to  perform  spiritual  actions, 
and  to  obtain  spiritual  blessings,  instead  of 
being  opposed  to  the  possession  of  spirit- 
ual disposition,  necessarily  implies  it.  It 
is  impossible,  in  the  nature  of  things,  that 
we  should    directly   and    truly    endeavor 

*  See  my  Replv  to  Mr.    Buuon,  p.  72 — 74.    (1st 
€dit.) 

VOL.    I.  88 


after  that  towards  which  we  possess  no 
real  desire.  No  man  ever  yet  sought  af- 
ter God,  or  endeavored  to  please  him, 
without  possessing  a  love  to  him,  and 
desire  after  him.  Thus  th-  whole  of 
what  I  plead  for  is  included  in  Mr.  M.'s 
favorite  word   endeavor. 

Mr.  M.,  before  he  has  done,  gives  us 
to  understand  that,  let  the  worst  come 
to  the  worst,  he  is  not  without  his  re- 
sources of  comfort.  Su|)pose,  lor  instance, 
it  siiould  prove  that  he  is  as  inconsistent 
as  he  has  attempted  to  |>rove  his  author, 
even  that,  he  thinks,  will  prove  one  point 
which  lie  has  long  lai)ored  to  establish, 
namely,  "  the  weakness  '^f  the  human  under- 
standing."—  9.5.  That  is,  it  will  prove  the 
weakness  of  Mr.  Martin's  understanding. 
But  possibly  that  may  never  have  yet  been 
called  in  question;  or  if  it  have,  and  if 
after  "  long  labor  "  he  may  be  supposed 
by  this  time  to  have  put  the  matter  out 
of  all  doubt,  still  it  nu\y  not  follow  that, 
because  his  understanding  is  weak,  there- 
fore every  one's  else  must  needs  be  the 
same. 

Seriously,  was  ever  any  question  made 
of  the  w  eakness  of  the  human  understand- 
ing! Was  it  ever  denied  that  our  natu- 
ral faculties  are  impaired,  as  well  as  our 
bodies  subjected  to  disease,  by  the  fall  1 
True,  it  has  been,  and  is  supposed,  that, 
let  our  natural  faculties  be  impaired  as 
they  may,  it  is  not  our  fault  that  we  do 
not  understand  beyond  their  present  ex- 
tent, any  more  than  it  is  the  fault  of  a 
man  liorn  blind  not  to  read  his  Bible. 
But  tlie  chief  of  what  I  have  written  up- 
on the  human  understanding  respects  not 
its  natural  but  moral  weakness  ;  and  has 
this  ever  been  denied !  Has  it  not  all 
along  been  maintained  that  men  are  blinded 
by  prejudice  ;  and  that  even  good  men  are 
infected  with  a  sad  degree  of  tlie  same  dis- 
ease! And  how  if  it  should  prove  that 
Mr.  M.'s  mind  is  tinctured  with  such  a 
degree  of  prejudice,  in  favor  of  his  own 
ways  of  thinking,  as  that  he  has  involv- 
ed himself  in  far  greater  inconsistences 
than  those  which  he  thinks  he  has 
discovered  in  the  autiior  whom  he  has 
censured!  Will  this  affect  any  argu- 
ment in  debate  between  us  1  I  appeal 
to  you,  sir,  and  to  all  "  competent  judg- 
es," whether  Mr.  M.'s  understanding 
must  not  be  weak  indeed  if  he  think  it 
will. 

But  suppose  Mr.  M.,  instead  of  gaining 
should  lose  ihc  prize  for  whicli  he  is  be- 
come competitor;  still  he  comforts 
himself  that  his  all  will  not  be  lost. 
He  has  a  stock  of  respectability  that  will 
yet  be  unexhausted.  He  does  not  mean 
therefore,  at  any  rate,  to  indulge  despair. 
So  well   established   is  his    respectability 


698 


TREATMENT    OF    MR.    EVANS. 


that  even  "  Mr.  Fuller,"  he  thinks,  "can- 
not hesitate  to  say  that  he  is  above  con- 
tempt."—208.  Mr.  M.,  I  observe,  though 
in  general  fond  of  sc(/'-applause,  yet  here 
appears  hardly  contented  with  it  :  he 
wishes,  it  seems,  to  know  his  author's 
opinion  concerning  him ;  but,  not  having 
patience  to  wait  for  it,  he  ventures  to  an- 
ticipate the  matter,  and  decide  it  himself. 
— Had  Mr.  M.  but  given  me  leave  to 
speak  for  myself,  I  cannot  tell  how  much 
I  might  have  said  in  his  praise  ;  as  it  is,  I 
can  only  say  that,  if  I  could  have  access 
to  him,  I  would  whisper  in  his  ear  these 
lines  of  Dr.  Young  : — 

"  Fame  is  a  bubble  tlie  reserved  enjny  ; 
Who  strive  to  grasp  it,  as  they  touch,  destroy: 
'Tis  the  world's  debt,  to  deeds  of  high  degree  ; 
But,  if  you  pay  yourself,  the  world  is  free." 

Seriously,  Is  not  Mr.  M.  ashamed  1 
If  he  is  not,  must  not  his  best  friends  be 
ashamed  for  him  "?  and  not  only  ashamed, 
but  grieved,  for  the  idea  he  gives  the 
world  of  the  motives  of  those  who  are 
engaged  in  what  he  calls  a  "  serious 
altercation  1" 

I  remain  affectionately  yours, 

A.  Fuller. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

You  ask  what  I  think  of  Mr.  Martin's 
treatment  of  Mr.  Evans,  and  particularly 
"  whether  his  gross  misrepresentation  of 
his  meaning,  page  70,  is  to  be  attributed 
to  ignorance  or  malevolence"?  " 

I  think  his  treatment  of  Mr.  Evans  is 
of  a  piece  with  his  treatment  of  others. 


Mr.  M.  seems  to  be  so  intoxicated  with 
ideas  of  his  own  "  reputation  "  as  to  be 
incapable  of  respecting  the  character  of 
other  men.  Few  people  who  may  read 
the  69th,  70th,  and  71st  pages  of  his  book, 
will  think  he  discovers  much  of  the  Chris- 
tian or  the  gentleman :  some  may  sup- 
pose, however,  that  he  has  shown  himself 
the  man,  particularly  by  his  daring  man- 
ner of  speaking  concerning  Mr.  Evans's 
resentment.  If  manliness  consisted  in  the 
swell  of  self-importance,  or  the  bold  dash- 
es of  insolence,  Mr.  Martin  might  well  be 
entitled  to  that  quality  ;  but  the  boldest 
attempts  to  provoke  another's  resentment 
are  not  always  the  strongest  indications  of 
manly  courage.  There  are  cases  which 
are  beneath  resentment — cases  in  which 
the  assailant  himself  cannot  have  the  van- 
ity to  expect  it.  I  do  suppose  Mr.  Mar- 
tin never  expected  that  Mr.  Evans  would 
take  any  notice  of  what  he  has  written  ; 
and  this  might  probably  inspire  him  with 
courage  to  write  as  he  did. 

As  to  the  passage  in  page  70,  I  think  a 
very  small  share  of  candor  and  common 
sense  would  have  construed  Mr.  Evans's 
words  as  meaning  no  more  than  that  men 
in  general  have  the  command  of  all  the 
members  of  the  body,  and  the  use  of  all 
the  faculties  of  the  soul.  Ignorance  and 
malevolence,  however,  are  hard  words,  es- 
pecially the  latter;  your  "knowledge  of 
Mr.  M.'s  character,"  you  say,  "makes 
you  hope  it  was  the  former."  For  my 
part,  I  think  it  is  very  well  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tin has  informed  us  (p.  70)  that  he  is  not 
under  the  influence  of  envy  ;  for  I  con- 
fess I  should  otherwise  have  imputed  his 
treatment  of  Mr.  Evans  to  that  cause ; 
and,  even  as  it  is,  I  know  not  upon  what 
other  principle  to  account  for  his  harping 
upon  the  subject  of  "  emolument." 


ANTlNOMIANISiVI 


CONTRASTED 


WITH  THE  RELIGION  TAUGHT  AND  EXEMPLIFIED 


THE     HOLY     SCRIPTURES 


A  IN  T  1  N  O  31 1  A  N  I  S  ]>! 


INTRODUCTION. 

When  we  consider  the  awful  strides 
which  irreligion  has  lately  made  in  the 
Christian  world,  it  is  almost  enough  to 
induce  us  to  think  favorably  of  any  thin^j; 
that  hoars  the  name  of  Christ — at  least  of" 
any  thinir,  which  professes  to  embrace  the 
leadin'j;  principles  of  the  gospel  :  but  thus 
it  must  not  be.  Irreligion  is  not  so  dan- 
gerous as  false  religion  :  the  one  is  an  en- 
emy at  a  distance,  the  other  at  home. 
The  more  we  are  threatened  by  the  for- 
mer, therefore,  the  more  necessary  it  is 
that  we  detect  the  latter.  The  friends  of 
Christ,  though  they  be  but  few,  had  better 
be  by  themselves.  A  little  band  girt  with 
truth,  and  strengthened  by  the  Lord  of 
Hosts,  will  do  more  execution  than  a  het- 
erogeneous mixture  of  friends  and  ene- 
mies. 

It  is  one  of  the  arts  of  the  wily  serpent, 
when  he  cannot  prevent  the  introduction 
of  the  gospel  into  a  place,  to  get  it  cor- 
rupted ;  by  which  means  it  is  not  only  de- 
prived of  its  wonted  efficacy,  but  convert- 
ed into  an  engine  of  destruction.  In  the 
early  ages  of  the  church,  men  rose  up 
who  advanced  depreciating  notions  of  the 
person,  work,  and  grace  of  the  Redeemer. 
These,  however,  Avere  repelled,  and  a  stig- 
ma fixed  upon  them,  by  the  labors  of  the 
faithful :  and,  though  they  have  had  their 
advocates  in  all  succeeding  ages,  yet  men 
have  not  been  wanting  who  have  exposed 
their  fallacy  ;  so  much  so,  that  the  serious 
part  of  professing  Christians  have  in  a 
good  measure  united  against  them.  But 
of  late  we  have  been  taken  as  it  were 
by  surprise  :  while  our  best  writers  and 
preachers  have  been  directing  their  whole 
force  against  Socinian,  Arian,  or  Armini- 
an  heterodoxy,  we  are  insensibly  overrun 
by  a  system  of  false  religion  which  has 
arisen  and  grown  up  among  us  under  the 
names  and  forms  of  orthodoxy. 

Several  circumstances  have  concurred  to 
render  this  system  but  little  noticed.  One 
is,  its  having  been  embraced  not  so  much 
by  the  learned  as  by  the  illiterate  part  of 
professing  Christians.  Some  of  its  prin- 
ciples, it  is  true,  are  common  to  every  un- 
renewed mind  ;  but,  considered  as  a  sys- 


tem, it  is  especially  calculated  for  the  vul- 
gar meridian.  On  this  account  it  has  been 
treated  as  beneath  the  notice  of  the  ablest 
writers.  There  is  also  something  so  low, 
foul,  and  scurrilous  in  the  generality  of 
the  advocates  of  this  system,  that  few 
have  cared  to  encounter  them,  lest  they 
^lould  brin^:  upon  themselves  a  torrent  of 
abuse.  But,  though  it  is  far  from  agree- 
able to  have  to  do  with  such  adversaries, 
yet  it  may  be  dangerous  to  treat  their 
opinions  with  contempt.  The  Roman  em- 
pire was  overturned  by  a  horde  of  barba- 
rians. An  apostle  did  not  think  it  beneath 
him  to  expose  the  principles  of  men  who 
"  crept  in  unawares  and  turned  the  grace 
of  God  into  lasciviousness." 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  this  spe- 
cies of  religion  is  SELFISHNESS.  Such  is 
the  doctrine  and  such  the  spirit  which  it 
inspires.  The  love  of  God  as  God,  or  an 
affection  to  the  divine  character  as  holy, 
is  not  in  it.  Love,  as  exemplified  in  the 
Scriptures,  though  it  can  never  be  willing 
to  be  lost  (for  that  were  contrary  to  its 
nature,  which  ever  tends  to  a  union  with 
its  oi)ject,)  yet  bears  an  invariable  regard 
to  the  holy  name  or  character  of  God. 
"  How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the 
earth  !  " — "  O  magnify  the  Lord  with  me, 
and  let  us  exalt  his  name  together." — 
"  Let  them  that  love  thy  name  say  con- 
tinually.   The    Lord    be    magnified." 

"Blessed  be  his  glorious  name  forever 
and  ever;  and  let  the  whole  earth  be  fill- 
ed with  his  glory.  Amen  and  amen." 
But  love,  as  exemplified  in  the  patrons  ot 
this  system,  is  mere  favoritism.  God 
having,  as  they  conceive,  made  them  his 
favorites,  he  becomes  on  that  account, 
and  that  only,  a  favorite  with  them.  Nor 
does  it  appear  to  have  any  thing  to  do 
with  good  will  to  men  as  men.  The  re- 
ligion of  the  apostles  was  full  of  benevo- 
lence. Knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord, 
they  persuaded  men,  and  even  besought 
them  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  They  had 
no  hope  of  sinners  complying  with  these 
persuasions  of  their  own  accord,  any  more 
than  the  prophet  had  in  his  address  to  the 
diy  bones  of  the  house  of  Israel ;  nor  of 
one  more  being  saved  than  they  who  were 
called  according  to  the  divine  purpose ; 


702 


ON    ANTINOMIANISjM. 


but  they  considered  election  as  the  rule 
of  God's  conduct — not  theirs.  They  wrote 
and  preached  Christ  to  sinners  as  freely 
as  if  no  such  doctrine  existed.  "These 
things  are  written,"  said  they,  "  that  ye 
might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and 
that  believing  ye  might  have  life  through 
his  name."  Jesus  wept  over  the  most  wick- 
ed city  in  the  world;  and  Paul,  after  all 
that  he  had  said  of  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion in  the  ninth  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to 
the  Romans,  protested  that  "  his  heart's 
desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  was, 
that  they  might  be  saved."  He  did  not 
pray  for  them  asreprubales,  but  as  fellow- 
sinners,  and  whose  salvation  while  they 
were  in  the  land  of  the  living  was  to  him 
an  object  of  hope. — Though,  in  his  treat- 
ment of  the  most  decided  enemies  of  the 
truth,  he  sometimes  rebuked  them  sharp- 
ly, and  used  an  authority  which  was  com- 
mitted to  him  as  an  extraordinary  charac- 
ter;  yet  there  is  no  malignant  bitterness 
or  low  abuse  in  his  language.  But  the 
religion  of  which  I  speak  is  in  all  these 
respects  the  very  opposite.  It  beseeches 
not  the  unconverted  to  be  reconciled  to 
God,  because  it  is  God  only  who  can 
turn  their  hearts.  It  refuses  to  pray  for 
their  salvation,  as  not  knowing  whether  it 
would  not  be  praying  for  the  salvation  of 
the  non-elect.  It  has  no  tears  to  shed 
over  a  perishing  world,  but  consigns  men 
to  perdition  with  unfeeling  calmness,  and 
often  with  glee.  And,  as  to  its  adversa- 
ries, it  preserves  no  measures  of  decency 
with  them  :  personal  invective,  low  scur- 
rility, and  foul  abuse  are  the  weapons  of 
its  warfare.  Tell  any  of  its  advocates  of 
their  unchristian  spirit  towards  all  who 
are  not  of  themselves,  and  you  may  ex- 
pect to  be  answered  in  some  such  terms 
as  these — I  wish  they  were  in  hell  :  every 
one  should  be  in  his  own  place,  and  the 
sooner  the  better ! 

Nor  is  it  less  a  stranger  to  the  love  of 
Christians  as  Christians.  The  religion  of 
the  New  Testament  makes  much  of  this. 
It  is  that  by  which  men  were  known  to 
have  passed  from  death  to  life  ;  for  the 
love  of  him  that  begat  and  of  those  who 
were  begotten  of  him  were  inseparable. 
But  the  love  which  this  species  of  religion 
inspires  is  mere  party-attachm^ent,  the  re- 
gard of  pulilicans  and  heathens,  any  of 
whom  could  love  those  that  loved  them.  If 
any  man  oppose  their  opinions,  whatever 
be  his  character  for  sobriety,  righteous- 
ness, and  godliness,  he  is  without  hesita- 
tion pronounced  graceless,  a  stranger  to 
the  new  birth,  and  an  enemy  of  Christ. 
Even  an  agreement  in  principles  among 
the  patrons  of  this  religion,  provided  there 
be  any  competition  in  their  worldly  inter- 
ests, produces  not   union,  but   rivalship  : 


and  every  low  method  is  practised  to  sup- 
plant each  other  in  the  esteem  of  the  peo- 
ple. In  various  other  systems,  though 
you  have  to  dig  through  whole  strata  of 
error  and  superstition,  yet  you  will  occa- 
sionally discover  a  vein  of  serious  and 
humble  piety  :  but  here  all  is  naught.  (I 
speak  of  the  system  as  carried  to  perfec- 
tion, and  which  in  the  present  day  it  is  to 
be  hoped  it  is.)  Here  nothing  is  to  be  met 
with  that  resembles  love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  meekness, 
or  temperance  ;  on  the  contrary,  the  fruits 
of  this  spirit  are  selfishness,  pride,  spleen, 
and  bitterness,  which,  like  the  bowels  of 
Vesuvius,  are  ever  collecting  or  issiiing  in 
streams  of  death. 

The  origin  of  this  species  of  religion 
in  individuals  will  commonly,  I  fear,  be 
found  in  a  radical  defect  in  their  supposed 
conversion.  True  scriptural  conversion 
consists  in  "repentance  toward  God,  and 
faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
But  in  many  of  these  conversions  there 
is  no  appearance  of  one  or  the  other. 
With  regard  to  repentance,  the  system 
goes  in  a  great  measure  to  preclude  it. 
The  manner  in  which  it  represents  and 
dwells  upon  the  fall  of  Adam,  so  as  near- 
ly to  remove  all  accountableness  from  his 
posterity,  together  with  its  denial  in  effect 
of  the  divine  authority  over  the  heart, 
leaves  no  room  for  repentance,  unless  it 
be  for  a  few  gross  immoralities.  The  sins 
of  not  loving  God,  and  neglecting  his  great 
salvation,  are  entirely  kept  out  of  sight. 
Hence,  though  you  may  sometimes  see  in 
such  conversions  great  terror  of  mind,  and 
great  joy  succeeding  to  it;  yet  you  will 
rarely  perceive  in  the  party,  from  first  to 
last,  any  thing  like  ingenuous  grief  for 
having  dishonored  God. 

As  repentance  toward  God  has  little  if 
any  place  in  such  conversions,  the  same 
may  be  said  of  faith  toward  our  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ.  The  true  believer,  in  his  first 
looking  to  the  Saviour  for  life,  stands  upon 
no  higher  ground  than  that  of  a  sinner 
ready  to  perish.  Whatever  evidence  he 
may  have  afterwards  of  his  being  one  of 
God's  chosen  people,  he  can  have  none  at 
that  time  ;  nor  is  it  in  this  character  that 
he  applies  for  mercy.  The  gospel  is  that 
which  first  comforts  him,  or  Christ's  hav- 
ing come  into  the  world  to  save  the  chief 
of  sinners.  But  the  conversions  in  ques- 
tion commonly  originate  in  some  supposed 
revelation  to  the  party  that  he  is  of  the 
number  of  God's  elect,  that  Christ  had 
died  for  him,  and  that  of  course  he  shall 
be  forever  happy.  Considering  this  as 
coming  from  God,  he  believes  it,  and 
thenceforth  reckons  himself  possessed  of 
the  faith  of  God's  elect.  If,  afterwards, 
he   be    troubled   by  the   dictates    of  con- 


INTRODUCTION. 


703 


science  with  suspicions  of  self-deception, 
he  calls  these  temptiitions,ov  the  woikiiiixs 
of  unbelief,  and  supposes  that  the  enemy 
of  souls  wants  to  ro!)  him  of  his  enjoy- 
ments. Neither  his  faith  nor  his  unlielief 
has  any  respect  to  revealed  truth  :  his 
whole  concern  is  alioul  his  own  salety. 

It  is  of  infinite  im[)ortancc  tiiat  we  be 
right  in  our  first  outset,  and  that  we  take 
up  our  rest  in  nothing  short  of  Christ. 
When  a  sinner  is  convinced  ol  his  danger- 
ous condition,  fears  and  terrors  will  com- 
monly possess  him.  If,  under  tiicse  im- 
pressions, he  he  led  to  relintjuish  all  other 
confidences,  and  to  fly  for  refuge  to  the 
hope  set  before  him,  all  is  well.  But  if, 
having  left  offa  few  of  his  immoralities,  and 
conformed  to  the  outward  exercises  of  re- 
ligion, witiiout  lietaking  himself  wholly  to 
Christ,  he  comforts  himself  that  now  he 
is,  at  least,  in  a  fair  way  to  eternal  life, 
he  is  building  on  the  sand,  and  may  live 
and  die  a  mere  self-righteous  jiharisee. 

Or  should  he  be  deprived  of  his  rest — 
should  his  fabric  be  demolished  by  the 
blasts  of  new  temptations,  and  his  mind 
become  rather  aj^palled  with  fear  than 
elated  with  self-confidence — if  by  this  he 
be  brought  to  give  up  his  sclf-rigliteous 
hope,  and  come  to  Jesus  as  a  sinner  ready 
to  perish,  still  it  is  well.  "  Such  things 
workcth  God  oftentimes  with  man,  to 
bring  back  his  soul  from  the  pit."  But 
this  is  not  always  the  issue.  Longing  for 
ease  to  his  troubled  spirit,  he  is  in  the 
most  imminent  danger  of  taking  up  his 
rest  in  any  thing  that  will  afford  him  a 
present  relief;  and  if  in  such  a  state  of 
mind  he  receive  an  impression  that  God 
has  forgiven  and  accepted  him,  or  read  a 
book  or  heard  a  sermon  favorable  to  such 
a  mode  of  obtaining  comfort,  he  will  very 
probably  imbibe  it,  and  become  inebriated 
with  the  delicious  draught.  And  now,  he 
thinks  he  has  discovered  the  light  of  life, 
and  feels  to  have  lost  his  l)urden.  Being 
treated  also  as  one  of  the  dear  children  of 
God  by  others  of  the  same  mind,  he  is 
attached  to  his  flatterers,  and  despises 
those  as  graceless  who  would  Avish  to  un- 
deceive him  ! 

Let  us  pause  a  minute,  and  reflect  upon 
this  deplorable  case.  There  is  no  situa- 
tion, perhaps,  more  perilous  than  that  of 
an  awakened  sinner  prior  to  his  having 
closed  with  Christ.  He  is  walking  as  up- 
on enchanted  ground,  and  is  in  the  utmost 
danger  of  falling  asleep  in  one  or  other  of 
its  arbors.  Nor  is  there  any  case  in  which 
it  is  of  greater  importance  to  administer 
right  counsel.  To  go  about  to  comfort 
such  persons  on  the  ground  of  their  i)res- 
ent  distress,  telling  them,  as  some  do,  that 
the  Lord  first  wounds  and  then  heals,  and 
that  their  feeling  the  former  is  a  sign  that 


in  due  time  they  will  experience  the  lat- 
ter, is  to  be  aiding  and  alietling  them  in 
what  may  pro\c  their  eternal  ruin.  The 
mischief  in  these  instances  arises  from  a 
false  notion  of  the  case  of  the  awakened 
sinner,  as  though  he  were  really  willing  and 
even  an.xiously  desirous  of  being  saved  in 
God's  way,  if  it  would  but  please  God  to 
consent  that  he  might,  and  to  signify  that 
consent  by  revealing  it  to  him.  So  he 
thinks  of  himself,  and  so  his  advisers  think 
of  him.  But  the  truth  is,  he  is  not  strait- 
ened in  God,  i)ut  in  his  own  bowels.  The 
fountain  is  open;  the  Spirit  saith  Come, 
and  the  bride  saith  Come,  and  whosoever 
will,  may  come,  and  partake  of  the  water 
of  life  freely.  God's  word  directs  him  to 
the  good  way  and  counsels  him  to  walk  in 
it,  promising  that  in  so  doing  he  shall  find 
rest  to  his  soul.  Nothing  hinders  his 
coming  but  a  secret  attachment  to  his  idols, 
which  on  coming  he  is  aware  must  be  re- 
linquished. The  only  comfort  that  we 
are  warranted  to  hold  up  to  one  in  such 
circumstances  is  that  of  Jesus  Christ  hav- 
ing come  into  the  world  to  save  sinners, 
and  of  his  being  able  and  willing  to  save 
all  them  that  come  unto  God  by  him.  If 
this  afford  no  consolation,  it  is  at  our  peril 
to  console  him  from  what  he  feels  in  him- 
self, which,  till  he  f\\lls  as  a  sinner  ready 
to  perish  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  is  nothing 
better  than  the  impenitent  distress  of  a 
Cain,  a  Saul,  or  a  Judas.  It  may  termi- 
nate in  a  better  issue,  and  it  may  not. 
Our  business  is  to  point  to  the  gospel  ref- 
uge ;  teaching,  intreating,  and  warning 
him  to  flee  thither  from  the  wrath  to  come. 

If  once  a  sinner  derives  comfort  from 
any  thing  short  of  Christ,  he  from  thence 
falls  asleep  in  security  ;  and  it  is  well  if  he 
awakes  in  this  world.  He  has  obtained  a 
kind  of  "  rest  for  his  soul  "  without  "  com- 
ing to  him  for  it,"  which  must  needs  there- 
fore be  delusive.  Stupified  by  the  intox- 
icating potion,  he  dreams  of  being  a  favor- 
ite of  Heaven,  and,  if  any  attempt  to  dis- 
turb his  repose,  it  is  commonly  without 
efTect.  "  They  have  smitten  me  (saith  he), 
and  I  was  not  sick  ;  they  have  beaten  me, 
and  I  felt  it  not  :  when  shall  I  awake  1  I 
will  seek  it  yet  again."  Such,  or  nearly 
such,  is  very  frequently  the  beginning  of 
Antinomian  religion. 

I  call  those  convictions,  terrors,  and 
joys,  selfish,  which  have  no  regard  to  the 
glory  of  God,  but  merely  to  one's  own 
safety.  Every  one  that  knows  anything 
of  true  religion  will  allow  an  essential  dif- 
ference between  terror  on  account  of  the 
consequences  of  sin,  and  an  ingenuous 
grief  for  having  sinned  ;  and  the  difTcrence 
is  not  less  between  the  joy  of  an  imagined 
safety  (no  matter  how)  and  that  which  ari- 
ses from  a  believing  view  of  the  doctrine 


704 


ON  ANTINOMIANISM. 


of  the  cross.  Moreover,  I  call  those  im- 
pressions delusive  in  which  it  is  not  any 
part  of  revealed  truth  which  is  impressed 
upon  llie  mind,  but  a  persuasion  of  our 
being  the  favorites  of  Heaven,  loved  with 
an  everlasting  love,  and  interested  in  the 
blessings  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  Nor 
is  it  of  any  account  that  the  impression 
may  have  been  made  by  means  of  some 
passage  of  God's  word  occurring  to  the 
mind  :  the  question  is,  whether  the  idea 
impressed  be  revealed  truth.  Satan,  we 
know,  has  made  use  of  scripture  passages 
for  the  purpose  of  impressing  falsehood 
(Matt,  iv.);  and  where  the  true  meaning 
of  God's  word  is  perverted,  and  something 
inferred  from  it  which  never  was  in  it, 
there  is  reason  to  think  he  does  the  same 
still.  That  God's  love  is  everlasting,  and 
that  the  covenant  of  grace  abounds  with 
blessings,  is  true ;  but  it  is  no  where  re- 
vealed of  any  person  in  particular  that  he 
is  interested  in  them.  The  promises  of 
God  are  addressed  to  men  under  certain 
descriptive  characters,  in  the  manner  of 
the  beatitudes  in  our  Lord's  sermon  on 
the  mount;  nor  can  we  know  our  interest 
in  them  otherwise  than  by  a  coiisciousness 
of  these  characters  belonging  to  us.  To 
imagine  that  it  is  immediately  revealed  to 
us  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  is  to  suppose  that 
the  Spirit's  work  is  not  "  to  take  of  the 
things  of  Christ,  and  show  them  unto  us," 
but  to  disclose  other  things  Avhich  were 
never  before  revealed. 

If"  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  "  be  im- 
pressed upon  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spir- 
it, whether  it  be  by  reading,  or  hearing,  or 
thinkin.r — whether  by  any  particular  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  or  by  some  leading  truth 
contained  in  it  occurring  to  the  mind — it 
Vi'ill  operate  to  produce  humility.  To  be 
impressed,  for  instance,  with  a  sense  of 
the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  with  the 
love  of  God  in  the  gift  of  his  Son,  with 
the  love  of  Christ  in  dying  for  the  ungod- 
ly, with  his  all-sufficiency  and  readiness  to 
save  to  the  uttermost  all  them  that  come 
unto  God  by  him,  or  v;ith  the  freeness  of 
Lis  grace  to  the  most  guilty  and  unworthy, 
is  the  same  thing  as  to  be  made  to  feel  the 
influence  of  that  gospel  which  lays 
low  the  pride  of  man.  The  manner  in 
which  these  things  are  impressed  upon  the 
mind  may  be  various.  I  have  no  doubt 
but  that  some  conversions  which  have 
been  very  extraordinary  have  been  never- 
theless genuine  ;  for  the  things  impressed 
are  true,  and  might  be  proved  true  from 
the  Scriptures ;  the  effects  produced  also 
are  such  as  bespeak  them  to  be  wrought 
by  the  finger  of  God.  But  impressions  of 
that  which  is  not  truth,  or  at  least  not  any 
part  of  revealed  truth,  and  the  tendency 
lOi  which   is     to  inspire    vain-confidence, 


self-admiration,  and  a  bitter  contempt  of 
others,  cannot  proceed  from  that  Spirit 
whose  oifice  is  to  lead  us  into  the  truth, 
and  whose  influence,  no  less  than  his  na- 
ture, is  holy.  No  sooner  is  tliis  marvel- 
lous light  discovered  than  the  discoverer, 
encouraged  by  the  example  of  others,  is 
qualified  to  decide  upon  characters  ;  as 
who  are  gracious,  and  who  are  graceless  ; 
and  this  not  by  the  rule  laid  down  in  the 
Scriptures,  but  by  his  own  experience, 
which  he  sets  up  as  a  standard  by  which 
others  are  to  lie  tried.  He  is  also  qualified 
to  distinguish  between  true  and  false  min- 
isters :  this  is  legal,  that  is  dead,  and  the 
other  knows  little  or  nothing  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  not  because  their  preaching  is  un- 
scriptural,  or  unaccompanied  with  a  holy 
life,  but  because  it  does  not  yield  him 
comfort  nor  accord  with  his  experience. 
It  is  also  remarkable  that,  in  such  conver- 
sions, rcfen'ance  for  past  sins  has  no  place. 
The  party,  it  is  true,  will  talk  of  his  past 
sins,  even  such  as  decency  would  forbear 
to  mention ;  but  w  ithout  any  signs  of 
shame,  or  godly  sorrow,  on  account  of 
them.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  hear  them  narrated  and  dwelt  upon 
with  apparent  glee,  accompanied  with 
occasional  turns  of  wit  and  humor,  suf- 
ficently  evincing  that  they  are  far  from 
being  remembered  with  bitterness  of  soul. 
Genuine  conversion  includes  genuine  re- 
pentance, and  genuine  repentance  looks 
back  upon  past  sins  with  silent  shame  and 
confusion  of  face.  "That  thou  mayest 
remember  and  be  confounded,  and  never 
open  thy  mouth  any  more,  because  of  thy 
shame,  when  I  am  pacified  towards  thee 
for  all  that  thou  hast  done,  saith  the  Lord 
God."  But  conversions  like  the  above 
are  noisy  and  ostentatious.  The  party, 
having  forsaken  a  few  gross  immoralities, 
imagines  himself  a  prodigy  of  grace,  lioast- 
ing- ofthe  wonderful  change,  and  challeng- 
ing his  adversaries  to  accuse  him  of  evil 
from  the  time  of  his  supposed  conversion. 
But  he  that  lacketh  that  faith  which  is  fol- 
lowed by  "  virtue,  knowledge,  temper- 
ance, patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kind- 
ness, and  charity,  is  blind,  and  cannot  see 
afar  off,  and  hath  forgotten  that  he  was 
purged  from  his  old  sins."  When  old  sins 
are  ^-elated  with  new  gust  they  are  react- 
ed, and,  lightly  as  it  may  be  thought  of, 
recommitted.  I  know  of  nothing  that 
bears  so  striking  a  resemblance  to  such 
conversions  as  the  case  of  the  demoniac 
described  by  Matthew.  Under  first  con- 
victions and  terrors  of  conscience,  "  the 
unclean  spirit,"  by  which  the  sinner  has 
hitherto  been  governed,  "  goeth  out  of 
him  :"  and,  while  "  seeking  rest  "  in  some 
other  habitation,  the  house  is  "  swept  "  of 
its  former  filth,  and  "garnished  "  with  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


706 


appearance  of  religion  :  still,  iiowever,  it 
reiuaiiis  "  empty,"  or  unoccupied  l>y  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Encouriiged  liy  soddtter- 
ing  a  prosj)cct,  tiie  demon  "  goclli,  and 
taketli  with  iiim  seven  other  sj)irits,  more 
^vicked  than  liiniself,  and  tiiey  enter  in, 
and  dwell  tiiere  :  and  the  last  slate  of  that 
man  is  worse  than  the  first."  IMie  former 
was  a  state  of  irreligion,  tiie  latter  of  false 
religion  :  in  the  one  case  he  was  void  of 
light,  in  the  other,  the  light  which  is  in 
him  is  darkness. 

Neither  are  these  delusive  impidscs  con- 
fined to  the  beginning  of  a  religious  |)ro- 
fession,  l)ut  generally  atcomjjany  it  in  all  its 
stages  ;  and  in  every  stage  produce  a  most 
intolerable  degree  of  spiritual  j)ride.  Such 
persons  value  themselves  as  the  special 
favorites  of  the  Almighty,  with  whom  he 
is  on  terms  of  the  greatest  intimacy,  mak- 
ing them,  as  it  were,  his  confidants,  reveal- 
ing to  them  the  secrets  of  his  heart.  Al- 
most all  the  future  events  in  their  own 
lives,  whether  prosperous  or  adverse,  with 
many  things  in  the  lives  of  others,  are  re- 
vealed to  them,  and  not  unfrequently  their 
eternal  destinies.  And  these  are  suppos- 
ed to  be  "  the  secrets  of  the  Lord  which  are 
with  them  that  fear  him  !" 

Another  mark  of  this  species  of  reli- 
gion, nearly  akin  to  the  former,  and  com- 
monly seen  in  persons  of  that  description, 
is  a  dispositimi  to  interpret  all  favorable 
events  in  providence  as  proofs  of  their  be- 
ing the  favorites  of  Heaven  ;  and  all  unfa- 
vorable events  tou:ards  their  adversaries  as 
judgments  for  their  conduct  loicards  them, 
and,  as  it  were,  an  avenging  of  their  quar- 
rels. This  is  a  natural  and  necessary 
effect  of  a  selfish  religion.  Supreme 
self-love,  like  every  thing  else  which  is 
supreme,  subordinates  every  thing  else 
to  it.  If  men  be  governed  by  this  prin- 
ciple, there  is  nothing  in  the  word  or 
providence  of  God,  in  the  law,  in  the 
gospel,  nor  even  God  himself,  which  at- 
tracts esteem,  but  as  it  is  subservient  to 
the  gratification  of  their  desires.  I  knt;w 
a  person  of  this  description  who  came  to 
the  possession  of  a  large  estate.  He  was 
much  elated  by  it,  often  talking  of  provi- 
dence, and  exulting  in  his  success,  as  an 
instance  of  eternal  predestination.  In  a 
lift  e  time,  however,  there  arose  another 
claimant,  who,  by  legal  process,  wrested 
it  out  of  his  hands.  After  this,  no  more 
was  heard  of  providence,  or  predestination. 
From  wishing  every  thing  to  be  subser- 
vient to  the  gratification  of  self,  it  is  an 
easy  transition  to  think  it  is  so  ;  for  opin- 
ions are  greatly  governed  by  desires. 
Hence,  if  an  adversary  be  unsuccessful  in 
business,  it  is  the  blast  of  God  upon  him  ; 
if  afflictions  befalhim,  they  are  the  arrows 
of  the  Almighty  discharged  at  him  ;  or,  if 

VOL.  I.  89 


he  die,  he  is  cut  off  as  a  monument  of  Di- 
vine displeasure  ;  and  all  because  he  has 
offended  God,  by  offending  this  his  peculiar 
favorite  ! 

A  truly  humble  Christian  will  regard 
the  proviilencc  of  God  in  all  things  ;  yet, 
knowing  that  "one  event  happencth  to 
all,"  he  is  far  from  considering  its  boun- 
ties as  any  proof  of  an  interest  in  special 
grace.  Neither  will  he  set  up  his  jjrescnt 
accommodation  as  a  matter  of  so  much 
consequence  that  heaven,  and  earth,  and 
all  which  in  them  is,  should  be  rendered 
subservient  to  it.  Nor  is  he  dis|)oscd  to 
triumph  over  an  adversary  when  evil 
befals  him;  nor  to  imagine  that  it  is  in 
just  judgment  for  the  oflenccs  commit- 
ted against  him.  It  is  said  of  lady  Ra- 
chel Russel,  whose  lord  was  beheaded  in 
the  latter  end  of  the  reign  of  Charles  II., 
that,  "  In  the  free  effusions  of  her  heart 
to  her  most  intimate  friends,  with  the  con- 
stant moans  of  grief  for  the  loss  of  her 
dear  husband,  there  did  not  appear,  in  all 
her  letters,  so  much  as  one  trace  of  keen 
resentment,  or  reflection  upon  any  person 
whatever  that  had  any  concern  in  his 
death,  if  ratlier  it  may  not  be  called  his 
murder.  If  the  duke  of  York  was  so 
malignant  as  to  instigate  his  brother,  king 
Charles,  to  be  inexorable  to  the  applica- 
tions that  were  made  for  lord  Russel's  life, 
and  even  to  propose  that  he  should  be  ex- 
ecuted at  his  own  door,  the  good  lady  drops 
no  censures  upon  him  ;  and  even  after 
James  II.  was  no  more  king,  but  a  wan- 
derer in  a  foreign  land,  there  is  nothing 
like  a  triumph  over  him,  or  an  intimation 
from  her  ladyship  that  she,  thought  he  was 
justly  i)unished  for  his  bloody  crimes. — 
Even  the  inhuman  Jefferies  himself,  who 
distinguished  himself  by  a  flaming  speech 
against  lord  Kussel,  at  his  trial,  is  passed 
over  in  silence  by  her.  She  takes  not  the 
least  notice  of  his  disgrace,  imprisonment, 
and  death  in  the  tower,  owing,  as  it  has 
been  thought,  to  the  blows  he  received 
while  in  the  hands  of  an  enraged  popu- 
lace."* 

This  is  the  spirit  possessed  by  the  first 
cliaracter  of  his  age,  holy  Job,  who  stood 
accused,  notwithstanding,  by  those  who 
judged  of  characters  by  the  events  which 
befel  them,  of  being  a  wicked  man  and  a 
hypocrite.  "  He  rejoiced  not  at  the  de- 
struction of  him  that  hated  him — neither 
did  he  suffer  his  mouth  to  sin  by  wishing 
a  curse  for  his  soul." 

One  would  think  it  did  not  require  any 
extraordinary  discernment  to  discover  that 
this  is  true  religion,  and  that  it  will  be  ap- 
proved at  that  tribunal  where  a   spirit  of 

*  Dr.  Gibbon's  Memoirs  of  Eminently  Pious  Wo- 
men, Vol.  I.  pp.  313 — 315. 


70S 


ON    ANTINOMIANISM, 


pride  and  malignity  will  be  ashamed  to 
show  its  face. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  suggest  that  all 
who  have  cherished  notions  which  belong 
to  this  system  are  destitute  of  true  reli- 
gion. It  is  not  for  us  to  pronounce  upon 
the  degree  of  error  which  may  be  permit- 
ted to  accompany  the  truth.  I  have  no 
doubt  but  thai  many  good  men  have  been 
deeply  tinctured  with  these  principles, 
though  it  is  not  from  them  that  their  good- 
ness has  proceeded.  I  believe,  however, 
that  this  was  more  the  case  formerly  than 
at  present.  Of  late  years  the  true  char- 
acter of  the  system  has  been  more  mani- 
fest. Tis  adherents  having  proceeded  to 
greater  lengths  than  their  predecessors, 
both  in  theory  and  practice,  upright  char- 
acters, who  for  a  time  were  beguiled  by 
its  specious  pretences  of  magnifying  grace 
and  abasing  human  pride,  have  perceived 
its  real  tendency,  and  receded. 

What  I  have  to  offer  will  be  compre- 
hended in  three  parts  :  the  first  containing 
a  brief  view  of  the  system — the  second 
its  influence  on  some  of  the  principal  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel — and  the  tiiird  its  prac- 
tical efficacy  on  the  spirit  and  conduct  of 
its  professors.* 


PART   I. 

CONTAINING  A  BRIEF  VIEW  OF  ANTI- 
NOMIANISM,  WITH  ARGUMENTS  A- 
GAINST  THE  LEADING  PRINCIPLE 
FROM    WHICH    IT    IS    DENOMINATED. 

The  names  given  to  the  different  sys- 
tems or  doctrines  of  religion  are  seldom  so 
accurate  as  to  render  it  safe  to  rest  our 
opinions  upon  them.  They  may  be  sup- 
posed to  have  been  first  conferred  either 
by  friends  or  enemies  :  if  by  the  former, 
they  commonly  assume  the  question  at  is- 
sue ;  and,  if  by  the  latter,  they  are  as 
commonly  mere  terms  of  reproach.  But 
allowing  them  to  have  been  conferred  im- 
partially, yet  it  is  next  to  impossible  for 
a  name  to  express  more  than  some  one  or 
two  leading  doctrines  pertaining  to  a  sys- 
tem. Unitarianism,  for  instance,  not  only 
assumes  more  than  its  opponents  can  grant, 
but,  admitting  its  fairness,  it  expresses 
scarcely  a  tenth  part  of  the  principles  of 
the  people  who  wish  to  be  denominated  by 
it.  It  is  thus  in  part  with  respect  to  Anti- 
nomianism.  The  name  signifies  that  tohich 
is  contrary  to  the  law  ;  because  those  who 
are   denominated  Antinomians  profess  to 

*  The  author  left  the  MS.  in  an  unfinislied  state, 
not  having  entered  on  the  third  part.  Ed. 


renounce  the  moral  law  as  a  rule  of  con- 
duct, and  maintain  that  as  believers  in 
Christ  they  are  delivered  from  it;  This 
appellation,  so  far  as  it  goes,  seems  to  be 
appropriate  ;  but  it  is  far  from  expressing 
all  the  distinguishing  opinions  of  which 
the  system  is  composed.  It  may  be  found, 
however,  to  be  that  which  the  corner-stone 
is  to  the  building.  The  moral  government 
of  God  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  true 
religion,  and  an  opposition  to  it  must  needs 
be  followed  by  the  most  serious  conse- 
quences. If  there  be  no  law,  there  is  no 
transgression ;  and,  if  no  transgression, 
no  need  of  forgiveness.  Or  if  there  be  a 
law,  yet  if  it  be  unjust  or  cruel,  either 
with  respect  to  its  precepts  or  penalties, 
it  is  so  far  no  sin  to  transgress  it,  and  so 
far  we  stand  in  no  need  of  mercy.  Or  if 
there  be  a  just  law,  yet,  if  on  any  consid- 
eration its  authority  over  us  be  set  aside, 
we  are  from  that  time  incapable  of  sinning, 
and  stand  in  no  need  of  mercy.  The  sum 
is  that,  whatever  goes  to  disown  or  weaken 
the  authority  of  the  law,  goes  to  overtura 
the  gospel  and  all  true  religion. 

It  has  been  said  that  every  unregenerate 
sinner  has  the  heart  of  a  pharisee.  This 
is  true  ;  and  it  is  equally  true  .that  every 
unregenerate  sinner  has  the  heart  of  an 
Anlinomian.  It  is  the  character  expressly 
given  to  the  carnal  mind,  that  it  is  "en- 
mity against  God;"  and  the  proof  of  this 
is  that  it  "is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God^ 
neither  indeed  can  be."  Nor  is  it  surpris- 
ing that  these  two  apparently  opposite 
principles  should  meet  in  the  same  mind. 
There  is  no  more  real  opposition  between 
them  than  there  is  between  enmity  and 
pride.  Many  a  slothful  servant  hates  his 
master  and  his  service,  and  yet  has  pride 
and  presumption  enough  to  claim  the  re- 
ward. It  is  one  thing  to  be  attached  to 
the  law,  and  another  to  be  of  the  works  of 
the  law.  The  former  is  what  David  and 
Paul,  and  all  the  true  servants  of  God, 
have  ever  been,  loving  and  delighting  in  it 
after  the  inner  man  :  the  latter  is  what  the 
unbelieving  Jews  were  ;  who,  though  they 
none  of  them  kept  the  law,  yet  presump- 
tuously expected  eternal  life  for  their  sup- 
posed conformity  to  it.  The  quarrels  be- 
tween Antinomianism  and  i»harisaism arise, 
I  think,  more  from  misunderstanding  than 
from  any  real  antipathy  between  them. 
They  will  often  unite,  like  Herod  and 
Pontius  Pilate,  against  the  truth  and  true 
religion. 

The  spirit  of  Antinomianism  is  to  fall 
out  with  the  government  of  God,  to  raise 
objections  against  it  as  rigorous  and  cruel, 
to  find  excuses  for  sin  committed  against 
it,  and  to  seize  on  every  thing  that' affords 
the  shadow  of  an  argument  for  casting  it 
off:  but  all  this  is  common  to  every  carnal 


AtlGU.MENTS    AGAINST    ITS     LEAUINO;    PHlNt  H'LK. 


707 


Iftihd.  If  Our  Antinoinians  could  pay  a  vi- 
sit to  the  heathens  of  Hindoostan  (and  pro- 
bably the  same  might  be  said  ol  lieathens 
in  general),  they  would  find  millions  on  mil- 
lions of  their  own  way  ot  thinking.*  TSor 
need  they  go  so  far  from  home  :  among 
tJie  apostles  oi  modern  inlidelity  the  same 
thing  may  be  found  in  substance.  The 
doctrine  of  Necessity,  as  embraced  by 
them,]  reduces  man  to  a  machine,  destroys 
his  accountablcncss,  and  casts  the  blame 
of  sin  upon  his  Creator.  The  body  of 
tJicse  systems  may  be  diverse,  but  the 
spirit  that  animates  them  is  tiie  same. 

Antinomianism,  having;  annihilated  mo- 
ral obligation,  might  be  expected  to  lead 
its  votaries  to  the  denial  of  sin  :  yet, 
strange  as  it  may  appear,  there  is  scarcely 
any  people  who  speak  of  their  sins  in  such 
exaggerating  language,  or  who  make  use 
of  such  degrading  epithets  concerning 
their  character  as  they.  But  the  truth  is, 
they  liave  affixed  such  ideas  to  sin  as 
divest  it  of  every  thing  criminal,  blame- 
worthy, or  humiliating  to  themselves.  By 
sin  they  do  not  appear  to  mean  their  being 
or  doing  what  they  ought  not  to  be  or  do, 
but  something  which  operates  in  them 
without  their  concurrence.  In  all  the 
conversations  that  I  have  had  with  persons 
who  delight  in  thus  magnifying  their  sins, 
I  cannot  recollect  an  instance  in  which 
they  appeared  to  consider  themselves  as  in- 
excusable, or  indeed  ever  the  worse  on 
account  of  them.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
common  to  hear  them  speak  of  their  sin- 
ful nature  with  the  greatest  levity,  and, 
with  a  sort  of  cunning  smile  in  their  coun- 
tenances, profess  to  be  as  bad  as  Satan 
himself;  manifestly  with  the  design  of  be- 
ing thought  deep  Christians,  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  plague  of  their  own 
heart. 

There  are  two  principal  grounds  on 
which  moral  government  and  accountable- 
n<;ss  are  by  this  system  explained  away ; 
namely,  the  inability  of  man,  and  the  lib- 
erty and  privileges  of  the  gospel.  The 
forniei  applies  to  the  unregenerate  who 
pretend  to  no  religion,  and  serves  to  keep 
them  easy  in  their  .sins  ;  the  latter  to  those 
who  consider  themselves  as  regenerate, 
and  serves  to  cherish  in  them  spiritual 
pride,  slothfulness,  and  presumption. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Scrip- 
tures represent  man  by  nature  as  unable 
to  do  any  good  thing  ;  that  is,  they  declare 
that  an  evil  tree  cannot  bring  forth  good 
fruit  ;  tiiat  they  who  are  evil  cannot  speak 
good  things  ;  that  they  whose  eyes  are  full 
of  adultery  cannot  cease   from  sin  ;    that 

♦  See  Periodical  Accounts,  Vol.  I.  pp.  227, 
228. 

t  See  A  View  of  Religions  by  Hannali  AdaniF, 
Article  Necessarians,  pp.  233 — 23S. 


they  who  are  in  the  llesh  cannot  jdease 
God  ;  finally,  that  they  whose  hearts  are 
attached  to  their  idols,  or  to  the  mammon 
of  this  world,  cannot  serve  the  Lord.]: 
This  doctrine,  if  properly  understood,  is 
of  great  account  in  true  religion.  Hence 
arises  the  necessity  of  our  being  created 
anew  in  Christ  Jesus  ere  we  can  perform 
good  works  ;  and  of  our  being  continually 
kept  from  falling  liy  the  power  of  God. 
He  that  has  the  greatest  sense  of  his  own 
weakness  and  insufficiency  to  do  any  thing 
as  he  ought,  will  be  most  earnest  in  crying 
to  the  strong  for  strength,  and  most  watch- 
ful against  tiie  temptations  of  the  world. 
It  is  thus  that  "  when  wc  are  weak,  then 
are  we  strong."  But  if  this  doctrine  be 
confounded  with  physical  inability,  and 
understood  to  excuse  the  sinner  in  his 
sins,  it  is  utterly  perverted.  If  the  con- 
nection of  the  above  passages  were  con- 
sulted, they  would  be  found  to  be  the  lan- 
guage of  the  most  cutting  reproach  ;  man- 
ifestly proving  that  the  inability  of  the 
parties  arose  from  the  evil  dispositions  of 
their  own  minds,  and  therefore  had  not  the 
least  tendency  to  render  them  less  account- 
able to  God,  or  more  excusable  in  their 
sins  :  yet  such,  in  spite  of  Scripture,  con- 
science, and  common  sense,  is  the  con- 
struction put  upon  it  by  Antinomianism. 

Let  a  minister  of  Christ  warn  the  un- 
godly part  of  his  audience  of  their  dan- 
ger, and  exhort  them  to  flee  for  refuge  to 
the  hope  set  before  them  ;  and,  if  they 
have  learned  this  creed,  they  will  reply. 
We  can  do  nothing.  We  desire  to  repent 
and  be  converted  ;  liut  it  is  God  only,  you 
know,  that  can  convert  us.  All  that  we 
can  do  is  to  lie  in  the  way,  and  wait  at  the 
pool  for  the  moving  of  the  waters. — Let 
him  visit  his  hearers  upon  a  bed  of  afflic- 
tion, and  endeavor  to  impress  them  with  a 
sense  of  their  sin,  in  having  lived  all  their 
days  in  a  neglect  of  the  great  salvation,  and 
of  their  danger  while  they  continue  the 
enemies  of  Jesus  Christ — if  they  have 
learned  this  system,  he  will  be  told  that 
they  have  done  all  that  they  could,  or 
nearly  so ;  that  they  ivish  for  nothing 
more  than  to  repent  and  believe  in  Christ, 
but  that  they  can  as  easily  take  wings  and 
fly  to  heaven  as  do  cither.  Thus  they 
flatter  themselves  that  they  are  loilling, 
only  that  God  is  not  willing  to  concur  with 
their  sincere  desires  :  whereas  the  truth  is 
no  such  desires  exist  in  their  minds,  but 
merely  a  wish  to  escape  eternal  misery; 
and  the  want  of  them,  together  with  a 
strong  attachment  to  their  present  course, 
constitutes  the  very  inability  of  which  they 
are  the  subjects.  Here,  too,  we  see  how 
the  Antinomian  can  occasionally  unite  with 

i  Matt.   vii.    18,   12,  24.     2  Pet.  ii.    14.     Rom. 
viii  8.     Josh.  x.\iv.  19-23.     3Iatt.  vi.  24. 


708 


ON    ANTINOMIANISM. 


the  self-righteous  pharisee.  The  latter  faith  in  Christ  that  believers  live.  All 
will  insist  upon  the  goodness  of  his /teaj-f;  their  hope  is  derived  from  his  righteous- 
and  the  former  tells  you  he  wishes,  he  ness,  which  being  imputed  to  them,  they 
desires,  he  means  well  ;  but  he  cannot  do  are  accepted  of  God  on  account  of  it. 
it  of  himself,  and  God  it  seems  will  not  Being  "  not  under  the  law  "  as  a  covenant 
help  him  :  but  what  do  all  these  pretended    "  but  under  grace,"  sin  hath   no  more  do- 


minion over  them. — But  surely  it  does  not 
follow  that  they  are  no  longer  under  obli- 
gation to  love  God  wilh  all  their  heart, 
soul,  mind,  and  strength,  or  their  neigh- 


good  wishes  and  desires  amount  to  short 
of  a  good  heart  1  The  thing  is  the  same, 
only  expressed  in  somewhat  ditferent  lan- 
guage. 

It  is  remarkable  that  we  never  read  of  bor  as  themselves.*  The  prodigal  son, 
this  kind  of  answers  being  given  to  the  when  forgiven  and  accepted,  was  not  less 
exhortations  in  holy  Avrit.  Wicked  men  obliged  to  conform  to  the  orders  of  his 
of  old  were,  in  times  of  trouble,  exhorted  father's  house  than  before  he  left  it,  but 
to  "  stand  in  the  ways,  and  see,  to  ask   for    rather  the  more  so. 

the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and  I  shall  conclude  this  part  by  ofifering 
to  walk  therein,"  and  were  told  that  in  proof  that  though  the  law  is  dead  to  a 
so  doing  they  should  "  find  rest  unto  their  believer,  and  a  believer  to  it,  as  a  term 
souls."  To  this  they  roundly  answered,  of  life,  yet  he  is  under  perpetual  and  in- 
"  We  will  not  walk  therein."  Had  these  dissoluble  obligation  to  conform  to  it  as  «• 
people  understood  the  modern  Antinomian    rule  of  conduct. 

refinements,  they  might,  I  think,  have  To  satisfy  a  serious  and  sincere  mind 
come  oifwith  somewhat  a  better  grace,  by  on  this  subject,  one  would  think  it  were 
alleging  their  inability  ;  but  it  does  not  sufficient  to  read  the  ten  commandments 
appear  that  they  were  acquainted  Avith  in  the  twentieth  chapter  of  Exodus.  Is  a 
them,  and  therefore  the  true  cause  was  believer,  any  more  than  an  unbeliever,  al- 
assigned  without  ceremony  or  disguise. —  lowed  to  have  more  gods  than  one  1  May 
When  John  the  Baptist,  Christ,  and  his  he  make  to  himself  a  graven  image  and  fall 
apostles,  exhorted  their  hearers  to  "re-  down  and  worship  if?  Will  the  Lord 
pent  and  believe  the  gospel,"  if  they  had  hold  him  guiltless  if  he  take  his  name  in 
been  acquainted  with  these  notions  they  vaini  Is  he  not  obliged  to  keep  holy  the 
might  have  answered.  We  ivish  to  do  so  ;  sabbath  day  1  Is  he  at  liberty  to  dishonor 
but  Jesus  himself  acknowledges  that  no  his  parents,  or  kill  his  neighbors,  or  corn- 
one  can  come  to  him  "  except  the  Father  mit  adultery,  or  steal,  or  bear  false  wit- 
draw  him:"  the  fault,  therefore,  is  not  in  ness,  or  covet  any  thing  belonging  to  an- 
us. But  this  method  of  repelling  the  truth  other  1  Surely  the  things  which  are  re- 
seems  to  have  been  reserved  for  later  quired  by  all  these  precepts  must  approve 
ages.  I  recollect  nothing  that  bears  any  themselves  to  every  man's  conscience, 
resemblance  to  it  in  the  Scriptures,  unless  unless  it  be  perverted  and  seared  as  Avith 
it  be  the  words  of  certain  ungodly  men  in    a  hot  iron. 

the  times  of  Jeremiah,  who  said,  "We  But,  in  order  to  set  aside  the  authority 
aredelivered  to  do  all  these  abominations;"  of  the  ten  commandments  as  a  rule  of  du- 
and  the  objection  introduced  by  Paul,  ty  to  the  believer,  it  has  been  objected 
"Why  doth  he  yet  find  fault,  for  who  that  they  do  not  contain  the  ivholeufit. 
hath  resisted  his  willl"  These  men  If  this  were  granted,  yet  it  would  not  fol- 
seem  to  have  been  acquainted  with  that  low  but  that  they  are  binding  as  far  as  they 
part  of  the  system  which  finds  an  excuse  go;  but,  if  so,  why  pretend  to  be  delivered 
in  the  doctrine  of  divine  decrees;  but  from  the  law  1  The  new  commandment 
even  they  do  not  appear  to  have  learned  of  Christ,  tolove  another,  does  not  include 
to  plead  innocent  on  the  score  of  inability,  the  whole  of  duty,  and  yet  we  are  not 
And  wherefore  1  Because  they  were  con-  free  from  obligation  to  comply  with  it.  If 
scious  that  It  lay  in  the  state  of  their  own  the  ten  commandments  were  admitted  to 
minds.  When  asked,  therefore,  by  our  he  binding  as  far  as  they  go,  their  compre- 
feaviour  How  can  ye  being  evil  speak  hending  the  whole  of  duty  would  be  a 
good  things!  so  far  were  they  from  question  of  comparatively  small  impor^ 
imagining  that  he  meant  to  excuse  them,  tance  ;  but  the  manifest  design  of  the  ob- 
that  they  considered  his  words  as  the  most  jector  is,  by  undermining  their  perfection, 
pointed  reproach  to  overturn  their  authority,   that,   having 

\ynii  respect  to  ifie  liberty   and   privi-    freed  himself  from  this  disagreeable  yoke, 
leges  of  the  gospel,  it  is   a   truth   full    of  &  j        ' 

the  richest  consolation  that  those  who  be-  *  See  Dr.  Rylaml's  Sermon  before  the  Associa- 
lieve  in  Jesus  are  freed,  not  only  from  the  tiou  at  Salisbury,  entitlerl.  The  Dependence  of  the 
ceremonial  yoke  of  the  Mosaic  dispensa-  ^^^hole  Lmo  and  tlie  Prophets  on  the  Two  Pri- 
tion,  but  from  the  condemning  power  of  '"'""^  Commandments,  1798.  Al.^^o  his  Sermon 
the    law  considered     as   moraf      It    is   bv     ''*^'°'"^  ^''"^  Association  at  Lyme,  on  The  Necessity 

J     of  the  TrumpeVs  giving  a  Certain  Sound,  \Q\^, 


ARGVMENTS    AGAINST    ITS    LEADING    I'RINCirLE. 


709 


he  may  establish  what  he  calls  Christian 
liberty. 

To  show  the  perfection,  then,  as  well  as 
the  authority  ol  the  tea  coinniandtiients, 
let  it  sullice  to  have  recourse  to  our  Sa- 
viour's exposition  of  them.  If  that  expo- 
sition be  laithful,  they  are  reducible  to 
two,  answeriiij;;  to  the  tables  of  stone  on 
which  they  were  written,  and  consisting 
in  "  love  to  Ciud  with  all  the  heart,  soul, 
mind,  and  strcnirlh,  and  to  our  neighbor 
as  ourselves."  But  love  to  God  and  our 
neitjhbor  comprehends  every  act  of  duty 
that  (an  possibly  be  performed.  Love  is 
the  fultiliinir  of  the  law,  and  of  all  that 
Crod  requires  of  man.  It  is  the  principle 
of  all  positive  obedience  :  for  he  that 
loveth  God  supremely  willingly  obeys  him 
in  whatever  forms  he  shall  prescribe.  The 
new  commandment,  of  love  to  the  breth- 
ren, is  com])rehended  in  the  old  command- 
ment :  tor  he  that  loveth  God  cannot  but 
love  his  image  wherever  it  is  seen.  Hence 
the  former  is  enforced  by  the  latter. — Gal. 
V.  13— 1.5;  Rom.  xiii.  "8— 12.  All  the 
graces  of  the  Spirit,  as  repentance,  iaith, 
hope,  charity,  patience,  temperance,  good- 
ness, &c.,  are  but  so  many  modifications 
of  love.  He  that  loveth  God  cannot  but 
be  grieved  for  having  dishonored  him ; 
cannot  but  believe  his  word,  and  embrace 
his  way  of  saving  sinners  through  the 
death  of  his  Son;  cannot  but  build  his 
expectations  upon  his  promises  ;  cannot 
but  love  those  that  love  him  ;  cannot  but 
take  every  thing  well  at  his  hand;  in 
sliort,  cannot  but  deny  liimself  for  his 
sake,  and  aspire  to  be  of  his  mind  who 
causeth  his  sun  to  shine  upon  the  evil  and 
the  good,  and  sendeth  his  rain  upon  the  just 
and  upon  the  unjust.  Upon  this  great  prin- 
ciple, therefore,  as  our  Lord  observed, 
*'  hangs  all  the  law  and  the  prophets," 
and  indeed  the  whole  of  true  religion. 

Yes,  say  some,  we  must  be  ruled  by  a 
principle  of  love  ;  but  not  by  the  law  as 
requiring  it  :  the  love  of  Christ  constrains 
the  believer  to  be  zealous  in  the  perform- 
ance of  good  works. — It  is  true,  we  shall 
never  love  without  a  principle,  nor  run  in 
the  wavs  of  God's  commanii:;^''nts,  unless 
constrained  to  do  so  ^.y  »  gracious  en- 
largement of  heart.  Nor  does  an}'  thing 
afford  so  powerful  a  motive  fo  it  as  the 
Jying  love  of  Christ.  But  to  make  that 
the  ri'.'.e  which  is  the  moving  spring  ofobe- 
d'lence  is  to  confound  things  essentially 
dilTerent.  "  The  way  of  God's  command- 
ments" is  the  same,  whether  our  hearts 
bo  ''enlarged  to  run  therein  "  or  not.  To 
confound  the  rule  with  the  moving  cause, 
or  to  make  a  rule  of  the  latter  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  thai  which  is  afforded  by  the 
commi  mdment,  is  to  reduce  our  obliga- 
tion ic  .  the   standard  of  our  inclinations, 


or  to  consider  ourselves  as  boimd  to  yield 
just  so  much  obedience  lo  God  as  we  do 
yield,  and  no  more;  and  this  is  ihe  same 
thing  as  professing  to  live  free  from  sin. 
Moreover,  to  make  that  the  rule  of  obe- 
dience which  is  the  moving  cause  of  it, 
is  the  same  thing  as  tor  a  son  to  say  to 
liis  father,  Sir,  I  will  do  what  you  desire 
me  when  I  feel  inclined  to  do  so,  but  I 
will  not  be  coinmundcd. — Whatever  may 
l)e  argued  against  the  authority  of  God,  I 
iielicve  there  are  few  if  any  parents  who 
could  |>ut  u|)  with  such  language  with  re- 
spect to  their  own. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  let  the  follow- 
ing particulars  be  duly  considered  : — 

I.  If  we  be  not  under  the  moral  law  as  a 
rule  of  life,  we  are  not  obliged  to  love 
either  God  or  man,  and  it  is  no  sin  to  be 
destitute  of  love  to  both.  But  such  a 
state  of  things  can  never  exist.  The  ob- 
ligation to  love  God  supremely,  and  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves,  is  founded  in  our 
relation  to  him  and  one  another,  and  can- 
not i)ossibly  be  dissolved  while  God  is  God 
and  man  is  man.  To  suppose  the  contrary 
is  to  suppo.^ie  that  the  King  of  the  uni- 
verse can  abdicate  his  throne,  and  leave 
his  subjects  at  liberty  to  hate  and  reliel 
against  him  with  impunity.  If  all  the 
fathers  of  families  in  the  world  could  dis- 
pense with  fdial  affeclionin  their  children,, 
and  all  the  princes  in  the  world  with  loyal 
attachment  in  their  subjects,  it  were  less 
unnatural,  and  infinitely  less  mischievous, 
than  for  God  to  dispense  with  the  require- 
ment of  our  loving  him  supremely,  and. 
each  other   as  ourselves. 

II.  Believers  are  represented  as  sub- 
ject to  commit  sin,  and  as  actually  com- 
mitting it  every  day  of  their  lives.  The 
petition  for  daily  forgiveness,  in  the  Lord's 
prayer,  supposes  this  ;  and  John  teaches; 
that  "  if  we  say  we  have  no  sin,  we  de- 
ceive ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in 
us."  But  all  sin  implies  a  law  of  which 
it  is  the  breach  :  "  Where  no  law  is,  there 
is  no  transgression."  Believers,  there- 
fore, must  lie  under  some  law.  And  that 
this  is  no  other  than  the  moral  law  is  ev- 
ident from  the  definition  which  is  given  of 
sin  by  the  apostle  John,  that  it  is  "  the 
transgre5sion  of  the  law.''  This  is  the 
same  as  saying;  that  every  sin  which  is 
committed,  whether  by  believers  or  un- 
believers, is  a  deviation  from  that  divine 
rule.  The  sum  is,  if  believers  daily  break 
the  law,  they  must  of  necessity  be  under 
it  as  a  rule  of  duty. 

If  the  law  were  abrogated,  or  its  au- 
thority superseded,  so  as  to  be  no  longer 
a  rule' of  duty  to  believers,  it  could  be  no 
medium  to  them  by  which  to  come  at  the 
knowledge  of  sin.  That  by  which  sin  is 
know  n  niust  be  a  living  rule.     To  say  oth- 


710 


on    ANTlNOMlAiVIsM. 


erwise  is  as  absurd  as  to  judge  of  the 
criminality  of  a  prisoner  by  a  statute 
which  liad  been  long  since  repealed. 

III.  One  great  and  leading  design  of 
our  Lord,  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount, 
was  to  vindicate  the  precepts  of  the  moral 
law  from  the  false  glosses  of  Jewish  rab- 
bles, and  to  show  that  in  their  most  spir- 
itual meaning  they  were  binding  upon  his 
followers.  Coming  into  the  world,  as  he 
did,  to  introduce  a  new  dispensation,  he 
was  aware  that  men  might  suppose  his 
mission  was  at  variance  with  Moses  and 
the  prophets.  To  prevent  such  conceits, 
he  speaks  in  the  most  decided  language 
— "  Think  not  that  I   am  come  to  destroy 

the  law  or  the  prophets  :  I  am  not  come  to 
destroy,  but  to  fulfil.  For  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot 
or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law,  till  all  be  fulfilled."  He  also  goes 
on  to  warn  his  followers  against  those  who 
should  "  break  the  least  of  the  command- 
ments, and  teach  men  so  ;"  and  to  declare 
that  "  except  their  righteousness  exceeded 
that  of  the  scribes  and  pharisees,  they 
should  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven."  To  say  that  we  need  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  to  be  imputed  to 
us  is  to  speak  truth,  but  not  the  truth  of 
this  saying,  the  manifest  design  of  which 
is  to  inclucate  a  purer  morality  than  that 
which  was  taught  and  practised  by  the 
Jewish  leaders. 

The  advocates  of  the  system  I  oppose 
are  olFended  at  the  very  terms  practical 
preaching  and  practical  religion ;  yet  the 
sermon  on  the  mount  was  full  of  it.  The 
solemn  and  impressive  similitude  with 
which  it  closes  is  in  the  same  practical 
strain.  He  that  heareth  his  sayings  and 
doeth  them,  he  buildeth  his  house  upon  a 
rock  ;  and  he  that  heareth,  but  doeth  them 
not,  buildeth  his  house  upon  the  sand.  It 
was  not  our  Lord's  design,  indeed,  to  hold 
up  any  of  our  doings  as  the  rock,  but  as 
building  our  house  upon  a  rock ;  and 
which  none  do  but  those  whose  faith  is  op- 
erative and  practical.  Had  this  sermon 
been  heard  by  many  a  modern  audience,  it 
would  have  been  condemned  as  legal,  and 
the  preacher  ponounced  a  poor  graceless 
wretch,  who  knew  nothing  of  the  gospel. 

IV.  Believers  are  exhorted,  in  the  New 
Testament,  to  love  one  another,  on  the 
express  ground  of  its  being  a  requirement 
of  the  moral  law.  "  Brethren,  ye  have 
been  called  unto  liberty  ;  only  use  not 
liberty  for  an  occasion  to  the  flesh,  but  by 
love  serve  one  another.  For  all  the  law 
is  fulfilled  in  one  word,  even  in  this,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  But, 
if  ye  bite  and  devour  one  another,  take 
heed  that  ye  be  not  consumed  one  of  an- 
other." If  the  "liberty  "  possessed  by 
the  Galatians  consisted  in  a  freedom  from 


obligation  to  obey  the  precepts  of  the 
moral  law,  it  is  passing  strange  that  these 
very  precepts  should  be  urged  as  an  au- 
thority against  their  using  liberty  as  an 
occasion  to  the  flesh.  Paul,  whatever 
some  of  his  professed  admirers  have  been, 
was  assuredly  abetter  reasoner  than  this 
would  make  him.  The  liberty  of  the  gos- 
pel includes  an  exemption  from  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  from  the 
curse  or  condemning  power  of  the  moral 
law ;  and  these  were  privileges  of  inesti- 
mable value.  They  were,  however,  capa- 
ble of  abuse ;  and,  to  guard  against  this, 
the  holy  precept  of  the  law,  notwithstand- 
ing the  removal  of  its  penalty,  is  held  up 
by  the  apostle  in  all  its  native  and  inalien- 
able authority.  To  the  same  purpose  the 
apostle,  writing  to  the  believing  Romans, 
inculcates  brotherly  love  and  purity  from 
the  authority  of  the  moral  law.  "Owe 
no  man  any  thing,  but  to  love  one  another  ; 
for  he  that  loveth  another  hath  fulfilled  the 
law.  For  this.  Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery.  Thou  shalt  not  kill.  Thou  shalt 
not  steal.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  wit- 
ness. Thou  shalt  not  covet;  and  if  there 
be  any  other  commandment,  it  is  briefly 
comprehended  in  this  saying,  namely, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 
Love  workcth  no  ill  to  his  neighbor,  there- 
fore love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  And  that 
knowing  the  time,  that  now  it  is  high  time 
to  awake  out  of  sleep;  for  now  is  our  sal- 
vation nearer  tlian  when  we  believed.  The 
night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand ;  let 
us  therefore  cast  off  the  works  of  dark- 
ness, and  let  us  put  on  the  armor  of  light. 
Let  us  walk  honestly,  as  in  the  day  ;  not 
in  rioting  and  drunkenness,  not  in  cham- 
bering and  wantonness,  not  in  strife 
and  envying.*  But  put  ye  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  make  no  provision  for 
the  flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof."  If 
any  man  can  read  this  passage  without 
perceiving  that  the  precepts  of  the  moral 
law  are  still  binding  on  believers,  he  must 
be  proof  against  evidence  ;  and  with  such 
a  person  it  is  in  vain  to  reason.  If  God 
give  him  not  repentance  to  the  acknowl- 
edging of  the  truth,  he  must  e'en  go  on, 
and  abide  the  consequences. 

V.  Believers  are  either  under  the  law 
(in  the  sense  in  which  we  plead  for  it)  or 
"  without  law."  By  the  language  of  the 
apostle  there  can  be  no  medium.  There 
is  no  other  way  of  exonerating  ourselves 
from  the  charge  of  being  "  w'ithout  law  to 
God,"  but  by  acknowledging  that  we 
are  "  under  the  law  to  Christ."  Such 
was  the  acknowledgment  of  Paul  in  be- 
half of  the  primitive  Christians  :  "  To 
them  that  are  without  law,  as  without  law 

*  Even  die  terms,  "  Let  us,"  &c.,  fiave  of  late 
given  oflTence  to  sonwi  hearers,  as  savoring  of  legali- 
ty;  yet  Paul's  writings  abound  with  such  language. 


PERVERSION    OP    THE    PRINCIi'AI,    DOCTRINES    OP    TIIF.    GOSfKL 


711 


(being  not  without  law  (o  God,  but  under 
the  law  to  Christ),  tliat  I  might  pain  thciu 
that  are  without  law."  His  worils  plainly 
intimate  a  change,  indeed,  in  its  adminis- 
tration ;  hut  not  ot  the  thing  itself.  For- 
merly it  was  adminisiered  by  Moses,  and 
attended  witii  that  terrilic  aspect  which 
properly  pertains  to  it  wlien  addressed  to 
transgressors  :  now  it  is  adniinisteretl  l>y 
Christ,  who  has  placed  it  at  tiie  foundation 
of  his  legislative  code,  and,  liy  divesting  it 
of  its  curse,  has  rendered  it  to  llie  believ- 
er a  friendly  guide.  But  the  thing  itself 
is  the  same,  and  will  remain  so  when 
heaven  and  eartii  shall  have  passed  away. 

VI.  Those  who  have  the  greatest  aver- 
sion to  the  law  lieing  a  rule  of  life,  yet  are 
very  willing  that  others  should  make  it  the 
rule  of  their  conduct  towards  them.  Wheth- 
er they  are  bound  to  love  their  neigh- 
bors as  themselves,  or  not,  if  they  are 
treated  unkindly  or  unjustly,  even  by  their 
brethren,  they  are  as  much  alive  to  re- 
sentment as  any  other  people.  But,  if 
they  be  not  obliged  to  love  others,  why 
should  others  be  obliged  to  love  them  ; 
and  why  sliould  they  be  offended  with 
them  for  the  contrary  ]  And,  if  the  sec- 
ond table  of  the  law  be  mutually  liinding, 
on  what  ground  can  wc  plead  exemption 
from  the  first  I 

We  have  often  heard  it  intimated  that 
the  obligation  of  sinful  creatures  to  love 
God  with  all  their  hearts  is  very  difficult 
to  be  understood  :  yet  we  can  any  of  us 
understand,  with  the  greatest  ease,  the 
obligations  which  others  arc  under  to  us. 
If  a  man  be  a  kind  and  good  father,  he 
feels  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the 
fitness  and  reasonaVileness  of  his  children 
loving  him,  and  that  with  the  most  un- 
feigned affection  ;  receiving  his  instruc- 
tions, following  his  example,  and  taking 
pleasure  in  obeying  his  will.  Should  any 
one  of  them  be  ungrateful  or  disobedient, 
and  plead  that  he  could  not  love  his  fa- 
ther, nor  take  pleasure  in  obeying  him,  he 
would  instantly  perceive  that  what  was 
alleged  as  his  excuse  was  the  very  height 
of  his  disobedience,  of  which  he  ought  to 
be  ashamed.  Yet,  when  God  is  concern- 
ed, the  same  man  will  tell  you,  We  are 
poor  sinners,  and  cannot  love  him  ;  and, 
as  to  your  nice  distinctions  lietween  nat- 
ural and  moral  inability,  we  cannot  un-- 
derstand  them  :  if  we  are  unable,  we  are 
unable  ;  and  it  does  not  signify  of  what 
kind  the  inability  is. 

So  also  when  we  insist  on  every  person 
or  thing  being  loved  in  subordination  to 
the  blessed  God,  and  every  action  done 
with  a  view  to  his  glory,  it  is  objected  that 
the  subject  is  too  abstruse  and  metaphy- 
sical for  common  Christians  to  under- 
stand it.     Yet  I  never  knew  a   Christian, 


or  any  man,  but  who  coidd  pretty  wcU 
take  in  the  doctrine  of  stihscrvlcncy  as  it 
related  to  himself.  He  can  easily  under- 
stand that  a  servant  whom  he  pavs  for  his 
time  and  labor  ought  to  lay  them  out  in 
promoting  his  interest,  and  not  merely  his 
own  ;  and  if  such-servant,  when  pursuing 
his  own  private  interest,  should  accidental- 
ly, or  without  design,  promote  that  of  his 
master,  would  his  master  thank  him  for 
it,  or  think  a  whit  better  of  him  on  account 
of  it  1  No,  in  all  these  things  man  is 
wise  in  his  generation  :  it  is  (inly  where 
God  and  religion  are  concerned  that  he 
finds  such  insuperable  difficulties.  Every 
nation,  community,  or  individual,  knows 
how  to  set  itself  up  as  supreme,  and  to 
wish  for  all  others  to  be  rendered  subser- 
vient to  its  interests.  Man,  by  his  inge- 
nuity, can  draw  into  subordination  to  him- 
self the  light,  the  darkness,  the  fire,  the 
water,  the  air,  the  earth,  the  animals,  and 
almost  every  thing  else  that  comes  within 
his  reach  :  but  man  cannot  understand  the 
abstruse  doctrine  of  loving  every  thing  in 
subordination  to  his  Creator,  and  doing 
every  thing  in  subserviency  lo  his  glory  ! 


PART  II. 

THE  INFLUENCE  Of  ANTINOMIANISM  11/ 
PERVERTING  SOME  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL 
DOCTRINES   OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

If  the  law  and  the  gospel  be  in  harmo- 
ny— (which  if  the  author  of  both  be  im- 
mutable they  are) — it  may  be  expected 
that  the  same  great  design  pervades  them 
both.  Such  is  the  fact.  The  law  requires 
us  to  love  God  supremely,  and  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves.  Had  this  require- 
ment been  obeyed,  the  honor  of  God  and 
the  happiness  of  creatures  had  been  for- 
ever united.  But  men  by  sin  have  fallen 
into  a  gulf  of  selfishness.  They  neither 
love  God,  nor  their  neighbors  for  his  sake. 
They  are  "  lovers  of  their  own  selves  ;" 
and  care  for  neither  God  nor  man  any 
farther  than  as  they  conceive  tiiem  to  be 
necessary  for  their  own  happiness.  But 
what  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak  through  the  corruption  of  human 
nature,  God  sent  his  Son  to  accomplish. 
God  would  be  glorified  in  Christ,  though 
men  had  dishonored  him  ;  and  though  they 
had  incurred  his  wrath,  and  become  hate- 
ful and  hating  oive  another,  yet  peace  and 
reconciliation  should  be  restored  to  him. 
Hence,  on  his  first  appearance  on  earth, 
the  angels,  entering  into  the  grand  design 


"tl^ 


ON    ANITNOMIANISM- 


of  his  coming,  sang,  ''  Glory  to  God  in 
the  liighest  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 
towards  men  !" 

But,  if  the  law  and  the  gospel  be  in 
harmony,  they  that  fall  out  with  the  one 
must  lall  out  with  the  other.  A  scheme 
that  sets  out  with  rejecting  all  obligation 
to  the  love  of  God  and  man  cannot  be 
friendly  to  either,  nor  to  that  gospel 
whose  tendency  is  to  promote  them.  It 
must  be  a  mere  system  of  selfishness ; 
suited  not  to  the  condition  but  to  the  pro- 
pensities of  fallen  creatures. 

It  might  be  expected  that  a  system 
founded  on  such  a  principle  would  go  on 
to  a  flat  denial  of  most  of  the  doctrines  of 
divine  revelation.  It  is  not  so,  however; 
the  forms  of  orthodoxy  are  in  general  re- 
tained :  it  is  the  ideas  chiefly  that  are  giv- 
en up.  The  same  terms  may  be  used  by 
different  persons  to  express  very  different 
ideas.  The  Jews,  in  our  Saviour's  time, 
professed  the  same  creed,  perhaps,  in  the 
main,  as  their  forefathers.  They  reckon- 
ed themselves,  at  least,  to  believe  in  Mo- 
ses :  but,  holding  with  Moses  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  Christ,  their  faith  was  so  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  their  forefathers  as  to 
become  void.  "  If  ye  believed  Moses," 
said  our  Lord,  "ye  would  have  believed 
me,  for  he  wrote  of  me."  From  the  same 
principle  it  follows  that  the  faith  of  those 
who  hold  with  Christ  to  the  exclusion  of 
Moses  is  void;  for  if  they  believed  one 
they  would  believe  the  other,  seeing  both 
are  in  perfect  harmony. 

The  doctrine  of  election,  as  it  is  taught 
in  the  Scriptures,  is  of  a  humbling  and 
holy  tendency.  The  whole  difference  be- 
tween the  saved  and  the  lost  being  ascri- 
bed to  sovereign  grace,  the  pride  of  man 
is  abased.  Upon  every  other  principle, 
it  is  the  sinner  that  makes  himself  to  dif- 
fer;  and  who  must,  therefore,  find  where- 
of to  g^lory.  We  may  allow  ourselves  to 
be  unable  to  repent  and  believe  without 
the  aids  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  but  while  we 
maintain  that  these  aids  are  afforded  to 
sinners  in  common,  and  that  faith,  instead 
of  being  "  the  gift  of  God,"  is  the  effect 
of  our  having  improved  the  help  afforded, 
while  others  neglected  it,  if  we  think  we 
do  not  ascribe  the  very  turning  point  of 
salvation  to  our  own  virtue,  we  greatly 
deceive  ourselves.  But  election,  while  it 
places  no  bar  in  the  way  of  any  man  which 
would  not  have  been  there  without  it,  re- 
solves the  salvation  of  the  saved  into  mere 
grace  :  "  and,  if  of  grace,  then  it  is  no 
more  of  works ;  otherwise  grace  is  no 
more  grace."  Such  a  view  of  things  tends 
to  humble  us  in  the  dust.  It  is  frequently 
the  last  point  which  a  sinner  yields  to 
God  :  it  is  the  giving  up  of  every  other 
claim  and  ground  of  hope  from  his  own 
good  endeavors,  and  falling  into  the  arms 


of  sovereign  mercy.  And,  having  here 
found  rest  to  his  soul,  he  will  not  be  less 
but  more  attentive  to  the  means  of  salva- 
tion than  he  was  before.  His  endeavors 
will  be  more  ardent,  and  directed  to  a 
better  end.  Then  he  was  trying  to  serve 
himself;  now  he  will  serve  the  Lord.  But, 
if  election  be  viewed  in  certain  connec- 
tions, it  will  cease  to  be  a  doctrine  ac- 
cording to  godliness.  If  faith  and  works 
foreseen  be  connected  with  it  as  the  pro- 
curing cause,  grace  is  excluded,  and  self- 
righteous  boasting  admitted.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  they  be  not  connected  with  it 
as  effects,  the  interests  of  sobriety,  right- 
eousness, and  godliness,  are  relinquished. 

If  we  take  our  views  of  this  great  sub- 
ject with  simplicity  from  the  word  of  God, 
we  shall  consider  it,  like  other  divine  pur- 
poses, not  as  a  rule  of  conduct  to  us,  but 
to  himself.  We  shall  agonize  through 
life,  that  we  may  at  last  enter  in  at  the 
strait  gate,  no  less  than  if  all  was  in  itself 
uncertain.  Nay,  more  so  :  "for  as  Paul's 
assuring  the  mariners  that  there  "should 
be  no  loss  of  any  man's  life  "  would,  if 
believed,  inspire  them  with  hope;  so  our 
being  predestinated  to  be  conformed  to  the 
image  of  Christ,  furnishes  encouragement 
to  be  pressing  on  towards  the  mark.  And 
as  they  were  told,  nevertheless,  that  ex- 
cept certain  means  were  used  they  "  could 
not  be  saved,"  so  we  can  have  no  evidence 
of  our  "  election  to  salvation,"  but  as  be- 
ing the  subjects  of  "  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth."  Thus, 
while  the  blessing  itself  is  an  antidote  to 
despair,  the  means  connected  with  it  are 
a  preservative  from  presumption.  In  short, 
we  shall  view  the  doctrine  of  election  in 
much  the  same  light  as  we  do  other  di- 
vine appointments  concerning  our  lot  in 
the  present  life.  We  are  given  to  believe 
that  what  we  enjoy  in  this  life  is  so  or- 
dered by  the  will  of  God,  and  so  much 
the  effect  of  providence,  that  there  is  no 
ground  whatever  of  boasting  in  any  crea- 
ture :  yet  we  do  not  on  this  account  neg- 
lect to  plough  or  sow,  or  pursue  the  good 
and  avoid  the  evil. 

A  "  fleshly  mind  "  may  ask,  How  can 
these  things  be  1  How  can  divine  predesti- 
nation be  made  to  comport  with  human 
agency  and  accountableness  1  But  a  truly 
humble  Christian,  finding  both  in  the  Bi- 
ble, will  believe  both,  though  he  may  be 
unable  fully  to  conceive  of  their  consist- 
ency ;  and  will  find  in  the  one  a  motive  to 
depend  upon  God,  and  in  the  other  a  cau- 
tion against  slothfulness  and  a  presump- 
tuous neglect  of  duty. 

A  Christian  minister  also,  if  he  take  his 
views  simply  from  the  Scriptures,  will  find 
nothing  in  this  doctrine  to  hinder  the  free 
use  of  warnings,  invitations,  and  persua- 
sions, either  to  the  converted  or  to  the  un- 


I'ERVERSION     OK    Till:     I'lU.NCIPAL    DOCTRIMIS     OF    TIJL   GOSPEL. 


713 


converted.  Not  that  lie  will  louiul  liis 
hopes  ol  success  on  the  pliability  ol  the 
human  mind  ;  but  on  the  power  and  giace 
of"  God,  who,  while  he  prophesieth  to  the 
dry  bones  as  he  is  cornniaiulod,  is  known 
to  inspire  many  with  the  breath  of  lil'o  — 
Thus, while  the  apostle,  in  the  9th, 10th, and 
11th  chapters  ol  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans, 
traces  the  divine  sovereignty  in  his  callinu; 
some  from  amonir  the  Jews,  and  leaving 
the  greater  part  of  them  to  perish  in  un- 
belief; he  nevertheless,  so  long  as  they 
were  in  this  world,  was  deeply  concerned 
for  them.  Even  in  his  preaching  to  the 
Gentiles  he  had  an  eye  to  them,  "if  by 
any  means  he  might  provoke  to  emulation 
Ihem  that  were  his  flesh,  and  might  save 
some  of"  them."  And  though  he  taught 
believers  from  among  them  to  ascribe  their 
salvation  entirely  to  electing  grace,  and 
spoke  of  the  rest  as  being  blinded,  yet  he 
represents  that  blindness  as  being  their 
own  fault,  to  which  they  were  judicially 
given  up  of  God. — Rom.  xi.  7 — 10. 

But,  whatever  this  doctrine  is  in  itself, 
it  may  be  held  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be- 
come a  source  of  pride,  bitterness,  sloth- 
fulness,  and  presumption.  Conceive  of 
the  love  of  God  as  a  capricious  fondness — 
suppose  that,  because  it  had  not  motive 
in  the  goodness  of  the  creature,  therefore 
it  was  without  reason,  only  so  it  was,  and 
so  it  must  be — consider  it  not  so  mucli  a 
means  of  glorifying  his  character  as  an  end 
to  which  every  thing  must  become  subser- 
vient— imagine  yourself  to  be  an  object  of 
this  love,  a  darling  of  heaven,  a  favorite 
of  providence,  for  whom  numerous  inter- 
positions, next  to  miracles,  are  continual- 
ly occurring — and,  instead  of  being  hum- 
ble before  God  as  a  poor  sinner,  your  feel- 
ings may  resemble  those  of  a  flattered  fe- 
male, who,  while  she  affects  to  decline 
the  compliments  paid  her,  is  in  reality  so 
intoxicated  with  the  idea  of  her  own  im- 
portance as  to  look  down  with  contempt 
on  all  her  former  companions. 

Such  views  of  the  doctrine  will  ordi- 
narily excite  contemptuous  feelings  to- 
wards all  who  are  not  its  adherents,  con- 
sidering them  as  graceless  sinners,  stran- 
gers to  the  liberty  of  the  gospel,  pharisees, 
Hagarenes,  children  of  the  bond-woman, 
and  the  like  ;  towards  whom  the  most  ma- 
lignant bitterness  is  Christian  faithfulness. 

God's  election  of  the  posterity  of  Abra- 
ham was  of  sovereign  favor,  and  not  on 
account  of  any  excellence  in  them,  natu- 
ral or  moral. — Deut.  vii.  7;  ix.  1 — 6.  In 
this  view  it  was  humbling,  and  had,  no 
doubt,  a  good  effect  on  the  godly  Israel- 
ites. But  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time 
turned  this  their  national  election  into  an- 
other kind  of  doctrine,  full  of  flattery  to- 
wards themselves  and  of  the  most  intol- 

voL.  I.  90 


erablc    contempt   and    malignity    towards 
others. 

The  doctrine  of  the  atonement  is,  in  it- 
self, the  life  of  the  gospel  system.  "View 
it  as  a  glorious  expedient  devised  by  Infi- 
nite VV'iwdoiii  for  tiie  rejiaration  of  the  in- 
jury done  by  sin  to  the  divine  government, 
and  for  the  consistent  exercise  of  free 
jnercy  to  the  unworthy,  and  you  are  fur* 
nished  with  considerations  the  most  hu- 
miliating, and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
transporting,  that  were  ever  presented  to 
a  creature's  mind. 

The  principles  of  this  divine  interposi- 
tion are  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  in  di- 
vers forms  ;  l)ut  probably  in  none  so  fully 
as  in  the  sitbstitulional  sacrijiccs,  which, 
from  the  fall  to  the  coming  of  Christ, 
formed  a  conspicuous  part  of  instituted 
worship.  The  great  truth  inculcated  by 
these  sacrifices,  from  age  to  age,  would 
be,  "  Without  shedding  of  blood  there  is 
no  remission."  Some  of  the  leading  sen- 
timents which  they  were  calculated  to  in- 
spire mav  be  seen  in  the  sacrifice  of  Job, 
on  behalf  of  his  three  friends.  "The 
Lord  said  to  Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  My 
wrath  is  kindled  against  thee,  and  against 
thy  two  friends  ;  for  ye  have  not  spoken  of 
me  the  thing  that  is  right,  as  my  servant  Job 
hath.  Therefore  take  unto  you  now  sev- 
en bullocks  and  seven  rams,  and  go  to  my 
servant  Job,  and  offer  up  for  yourselves  a 
burnt-offering;  and  my  servant  Job  shall 
pray  for  you,  for  him  will  I  accept ;  lest 
I  deal  with  you  after  your  folly,  in  that  ye 
have  not  spoken  of  me  the  thing  that  is 
right,  like  my  servant  Job."  This  reproof 
and  direction  would,  if  rightly  taken,  ex- 
cite the  deepest  rei)entance  and  self-abase- 
ment. To  be  told  that  they  had  sinned, 
that  the  wrath  of  Heaven  was  kindled 
against  them,  that  an  offering,  and  even  a 
petition  for  mercy,  would  not  be  accepted 
at  their  hands,  that  it  must  be  presented 
by  a  mediator,  and  that  this  mediator 
should  be  the  very  person  whom  they  had 
despised  and  condemned  as  smitten  of  God 
and  afflicted,  was  altogether  so  humiliating 
that  had  they  been  unbelievers,  and  left  to 
their  own  spirit,  they  would  have  rejected 
it  with  a  sullen  scorn,  equal  to  that  with 
which  many  in  our  day  reject  the  media- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ.  But  they  were  good 
men,  and  followed  the  divine  direction, 
humiliating  as  it  was,  with  implicit  obedi- 
ence. "  They  did  as  the  Lord  command- 
ed them  :  the  Lord  also  accepted  Job." 
To  them,  therefore,  this  direction  must 
have  imparted  a  new  set  of  views  and 
feelings:  as  full  of  humility,  thankful- 
ness, conciliation,  and  brotherly  love,  as 
their  speeches  had  been  of  pride,  folly,  and 
brtterness. 

Such  is  the  nature  and  tendency  of  the 


714 


ON    ANTlfJOMlANlSM. 


Christian  doctrine  of  atonement.  But, 
huinblini!;  as  this  doctrine  is  in  itselt,  k 
may  be  so  perverted  as  to  become  quite 
another  thing,  and  productive  of  an  oppo- 
site eflfect.  If  God,  as  a  lawgiver,  be  held 
up  as  an  Egyptian  lask-mastcr,  nntl  the 
mercy  of  the"  Saviour  be  raagnitied  at  his 

expense if  his  atonement  be  considered 

rather  as  a  victory  over  the  law  than  as  an 
honor  done  to  it— if  his  enduring  the  curse 
be  supposed  to  exonerate  us  irom  obeying 
the  precepts— if,  in  consequence  of  his 
having  laid  down  his  life,  we  think  more 
lightly  of  sin,  and  imagine  it  to  be  a  loss 
dangerous  evil— finally,  if,  from  the  full 
satisfaction  which  he  has  made  to  divine 
justice,  we  reckon  ourselves  to  be  freed 
not  only  from  punishment,  but  from  the 
desert  of  it,  and  warranted  not  merely  to 
implore  mercy  in  his  name,  but  to  claim  it 
as  a  right, — we  are  in  possession  of  a 
scheme  abhorrent  to  the  gospel,  and  not 
a  little  productive  of  spiritual  pride.  Such 
views  of  the  atonement  excite  an  irrever- 
ent familiarity  with  God,  and,  in  some 
cases,  a  daring  boldness  in  approaching 
him  ;  yet  such  is  the  strength  of  the  de- 
lusion, it  passes  for  intimate  communion 
with  him  ! 

An  atonement  has  respect  to  justice,  and 
justice  to  the  law  or  rule  which  men  have 
violated.  If  this  be  worthy  of  being  tra- 
duced by  a  servant  of  Christ,  it  was  wor- 
thy of  the  same  treatment  from  his  Lord 
and  Master;  and  then,  instead  of  being 
honored  by  his  life  and  death,  it  ought  to 
have  been  annulled,  both  in  respect  of 
him  and  of  us.  The  doctrine  of  the  cross, 
according  to  this  view  of  things,  was  so 
far  from  being  a  display  of  the  divine  glo- 
ry that  it  must  have  been  a  most  shocking 
exhibition  of  injustice. 

Every  instance  of  punishment  among 
men  is  a  sort  of  atonement  to  the  justice 
of  the  country,  the  design  of  which  is  to 
restore  the  authority  of  government,  which 
transgression  has  impaired.  But  if  the 
law  itself  be  bad,  or  the  penalty  too  severe, 
every  sacrifice  that  is  made  to  it  must  be 
an  instance  of  cruelty  ;  and  should  the 
king's  own  son  interpose,  as  a  substitute, 
to  save  the  lives  of  a  number  of  offenders, 
whatever  might  be  the  love  expressed  on 
his  part,  it  would  be  shocking  in  the  gov- 
ernment to  permit  it,  even  though  he  might 
survive  his  sufferings.  Could  the  public 
opinion  be  expressed  on  such  an  occa- 
sion, it  would  be  to  this  effect: — There 
was  no  necessity  for  any  atonement  :  it 
does  no  honor,  but  dishonor  to  the  king ; 
and,  though  he  has  liberated  the  unhappy 
men,  there  was  no  grace  in  the  act,  but 
mere  justice  :  the  law,  instead  of  being 
maintained  by  a  suffering  substitute,  ought 


to  have  been  repealed.  It  is  easy  to  ses^ 
from  hence,  that  in  proportion  as  the  law 
is  depreciated  the  gospel  is  undermined, 
and  the  necessity,  glory,  and  grace  of  the 
atonement  rendered  void. 

It  is  probable  there  are  not  many  who 
would  in  so  many  words  deny  the  law  to 
be  holy,  just,  and  good:  on  the  contrary, 
there  is  little  doubt  but  most  would  in  ar- 
gument acknowledge  as  much  as  this;  but 
if  on  all  other  occasions  they  speak  of  it 
with  disrespect,  comparing  it  to  the  task- 
masters of  Pharaoh,  and  disown  the  au- 
thority of  its  precepts  to  be  binding  on 
them,  such  acknowledgments  can  be  con- 
sidered as  nothing  more  than  compliments 
to  the  express  words  of  Scripture.  If 
they  really  believed  the  law  to  be  holy, 
just,  and  good,  and  holiness,  justice,  and 
goodness  were  their  delight,  however  they 
might  renounce  all  dependence  upon  "the 
works  of  it"  for  acceptance  with  God,  they 
could  not  object  to  being  under  it  as  a  rule 
of  duty.  It  is  the  law  as  abused,  or  as  turn- 
ed into  a  way  of  life  in  opposition  to  the 
gospel  (for  which  it  was  never  given  to  a  fal- 
len creature),  that  the  apostle  depreciates; 
and  not  as  the  revealed  will  of  God,  or  as 
the  immutable  standard  of  right  and  wrong. 
In  this  view  he  delighted  in  it.  and  if  we 
be  Christians  we  also  shall  delight  in  it, 
and  if  so,  we  shall  not  object  to  being  un- 
der it  as  a  rule  of  duty ;  for  no  man  objects 
to  be  ruled  by  the  precejjts  which  he  loves. 
Still  less  shall  we  allow  ourselves  to  dis- 
parage it,  and  to  represent  the  redemptior* 
of  Christ  as  delivering  us  from  its  tyran- 
nical yoke.  So  far  as  any  man  is  a  Chris- 
tian, he  is  of  Christ's  mind,  and  that  was 
to  account  it  his  meat  and  drink  to  do  the 
will  of  his  Father. 

If  the  law  be  really  an  oppressive  and 
tyrannical  yoke,  it  was  requisite  that  our 
deliverance  from  it  should  have  been  by 
power,  and  not  by  price.  This  is  the  way 
in  which  we  are  delivered  from  the  power 
of  darkness.  No  satisfaction  was  made 
to  Satan,  inasmuch  as  his  dominion  was 
usurped.  Captivity  was  led  captive,  and 
the  prey  taken  from  the  mighty.  If  such 
had  been  the  power  which  the  law  had 
over  us,  such  would  have  been  the  nature 
of  our  redemption  from  the  curse  of  it. 
But  here  the  case  is  different.  Christ, 
however  strong  his  love  was  to  us,  did 
not  ask  our  salvation  at  the  expense  of 
law  or  justice.  He  would  rather  die  than 
admit  of  such  a  thought.  He  was  actually 
set  forth  to  he  a  propitiatory  sacrifice, 
that  he  might  "  declare  his  righteousness 
in  the  remission  of  sins,  and  be  just  in 
justifying  them  that  believe  in  him."  Af- 
ter all  this,  is  it  credible  that  he  should 
teach  a  doctrine,  and  approve  of  preaching. 


PERVERSION    OF    THE    PKINCII'AL    DOCTRI.IF.S    OF    THE    GOSPEL.       715 


the  object  of  which  is  to  traduce  that 
which  111  life  and  deatl»  it  was  his  dclij^ht 
to  iionor  I 

The  mediation  and  inlercps.tiun  of  Christ 
are  lo  luicd  on  iiis  propitiatory  saciilice, 
and  carry  on  tiie  great  design  of  saving 
sinners  in  a  way  iionorai)le  to  the  law. 
Mediations  require  to  he  conducted  ac- 
cording to  the  nature  of  the  case.  If  a 
father  and  a  son  he  at  variance,  and  a 
common  (riend  interpose  to  ert'ect  a  re- 
conciliation, his  first  inquiry  is.  Is  there 
any  fault  in  the  case  1  If  it  be  a  mere 
misunderstanding,  an  explanation  is  suf- 
ficient. If  lault  exists,  and  it  l)e  on  both 
sides,  there  will  be  ground  for  mutual  con- 
cession. But  il  the  lather  hv.  wholly  in 
the  right,  and  the  son  have  olTended  him 
without  cause,  he  must  do  every  ihing  to 
honor  the  one  and  humble  the  other.  To 
propose  that,  after  the  reconciliation,  the 
former  system  of  family-government 
should  be  superseded,  and  that  the  son  in 
future  should  be  under  a  different  rule,  or 
any  thing  implying  a  reflection  on  the  fa- 
ther's former  conduct,  would  render  the 
breiich  wider  instead  of  healing  it.  S  ich 
is  the  nature  of  the  case  between  God 
and  man.  If  our  Advocate  with  the  Fa- 
ther had  pleaded  for  the  superseding  of 
God's  authority  as  Lawgiver,  he  had 
proved  himself  utterly  unqualified  for  his 
undertaking.  But  he  "loved  righteous- 
ness and  hated  iniquity  ;  and  therefore 
God,  his  God,  anointed  him  with  the  oil 
of  gladness  above  his  fellows,"  and  grant- 
ed him  the  desire  of  his  heart.  Though 
he  undertook  the  cause  of  sinners,  tet  he 
never  pleaded  in  extenuation  of  their  sins  ; 
but  presented  his  own  blood  as  a  consid- 
eration that  they  might  be  forgiven.  The 
advocate  for  sinners  is,  as  it  was  requisite 
he  should  be — "Jesus  Christ  the  right- 
eous." 

In  receiving  the  doctrine  of  the  media- 
tion and  intercession  of  Christ,  it  is  of 
great  importance  that  we  consider  it  in 
harmony  with  the  grace  of  God.  Socin- 
ians,  who  reject  the  atonement,  are  con- 
tinually alleging  its  inconsistency  with  the 
idea  of  grace.  If  forgiveness,  say  they, 
requires  a  satisfaction,  how  can  it  be  free  ! 
And  the  way  in  which  satisfaction  has 
been  sometimes  held  up  by  good  men  has 
furnished  hut  too  much  of  a  handle  for 
their  objections.  If  the  atonement  be 
considered  as  that  throuirh  which  mercy  is 
exercised  consistently  uiith  justice,  there 
will  be  nothing  found  in  it  inconsistent 
with  grace  ;  l)u(  if  the  benefits  resulting 
from  it  be  considered  as  objects  of  claim, 
or  the  bestowment  of  them  as  required  by 
justice,  it  will  be  otherwise.  It  is  doubt- 
less becoming  the  character  of  God  to  ful- 
fil his  own  gracious  engagements.     Thus 


"  God  is  not  H7iri!;htcnus  to  forget  our 
works  of  faith  and  labors  of  love;"  and 
thus  "  he  IS  faithful  and  jwit  lo  forgive  us 
our  sins."  But,  if  salvation  were  so  ob- 
tained by  the  i)ropiliation  of  Christ  as 
that  the  bestowment  of  it  should  be  re- 
quired bv  essential  justice,  it  had  not  been 
an  object  of  intercession  on  his  part,  nor 
of  prayer  on  ours.  That  which  essential 
justice  requires  is  not  of  grace,  but  of 
debt,  and  admits  of  the  language  of  appeal 
rather  than  of  prayer.  These  conse- 
quences have  been  actually  drawn  :  the 
interce-jsion  of  Christ  in  heaven  has  been 
considered  as  possessing  the  nature  of  a 
demand.  But  whatever  merit  there  was 
in  his  obedience  unto  death,  or  to  what- 
ever reward  he  was  entitle  I  from  the  re- 
munerative justice  of  God,  yet,  in  asking 
th".  life  of  another,  and  that  other  a  rebel, 
it  must  not  be  in  the  language  of  demand. 
I  recollect  nothino:  in  the  Scriptures  favor- 
able to  such  an  idea.  The  words  of  our 
Lord,  in  John  xvii.  24,  "  Father,  I  will 
lliat  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me 
be  with  me,"  &c.,  express  (says  Camp- 
bell) no  more  than  a  petition.*  And  as  to 
our  omitting  to  pray  for  the  forgiveness  of 
sin,  or  asking  for  it  in  the  language  of  de- 
mand, I  should  hope  no  serious  Christians 
can  acton  such  principles,  though  some 
Antinomians  have  appeared  to  do  so. 

I  am  far  from  thinking  that  every  one 
who  has  pleaded  for  salvation  as  a  matter 
required  by  essential  justice  is  an  Antino- 
mian  ;  but  such  may  be  the  tendency  of 
the  principle  notwithstanding.  Every 
one  that  knows  any  thing  of  the  gospel, 
knows  that  one  of  its  grand  peculiarities  is, 
that  it  harmonizes  the  justice  and  mercy 
of  God  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  In  it 
"  mercy  and  truth  meet  together,  righte- 
ousness and  peace  kiss  each  other."  In 
it  God  is  "just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
that  believeth  in  Jesus."  But  the  princi- 
ple in  question  pleads  for  justice  in  such 
a  way  as  to  exclude  mercy.  To  say 
mercy  is  exercised  consistently  with  jus- 
tice is  to  represent  them  as  harmonizing 
in  the  sinner's  salvation  :  but  say  to  it  is 
required  by  justice  is  to  say  what  is  self- 
contradictory.  If  it  be  required  by  jui- 
tice  it  is  not  mercy,  or  at  least  not  un] 
deserveil  favor.  If  justice,  for  instance, 
require  that  the  believer  in  Jesus  be  justi- 
fied, this  is  more  than  the  covenant  engage- 
ments of  the  Father  to  the  Son  requiring 
it  :  it  amounts  to  this,  that  it  would  be  an 
act  of  essential  injustice  in  God  to  con- 
demn him.     But,  if  so,  we  are  not  justified 

*  Hence  he  renders  it,  "  Father,  I  would,"  &c., 
and  quotes  Malt.  xii.  38,  xxvi  39,  Mark  vi.  25,  35, 
where  the  same  word  is  used  for  request,  not  de- 
mand.    Sec  his  note. 


716 


ON    ANTINOMIANlbM. 


"  freely  by  grace,  through  the  redemption 
of  Christ,"  but  as  a  matter  of  right,  in 
which  grace  has  nothing  to  do  beyond  the 
gift  of  Christ. 

It  has  been  thought  that  the  idea  of  sal- 
vation being  only  consistent  with  justice, 
and  not  required  by  it,  tends  to  diminish 
the  efficacy  and  value  of  Christ's  mer- 
its. But,  as  has  been  hinted  already,  the 
efficacy  and  value  of  these  are  in  no\vise 
affected  by  this  principle  :  for,  whatever 
be  their  value,  they  cannot  render  our 
alvation  a  matter  due  to  us  on  the  footing 
afjustice,  unless  they  render  us  merito- 
rious. If  atonement  had  been  made  by 
us,  and  not  by  another  for  us — that  is,  if 
we  ourselves  had  sustained  the  full  penal- 
ty of  the  law — we  mighi  have  claimed  an 
exemption  from  further  punishment  as  a 
matter  of  right ;  and  if,  in  addition  to 
this,  we  had  yielded  perfect  obedience  to 
its  precepts,  we  might  claim  justification 
as  a  matter  of  right  :  but  if  all  this  be  ac- 
complished for  us  by  another  as  our  sub- 
stitute, though  the  benefit  may  be  ours, 
yet  it  will  be  altogether  of  grace,  and  not 
by  the  requirement  of  justice.  It  is  no 
less  of  grace  than  if  we  had  been  forgiven 
without  an  atonement.  This  will  appear 
from  the  atonements  under  the  Mosaic 
law.  In  cases  wherein  the  sinner  was 
himself  made  a  sacrifice,  justice  took  place, 
and  grace  and  forgiveness  were  excluded. 
"  He  shall  surely  be  put  to  death,  his 
blood  shall  be  upon  him."  But  in  cases 
wherein  a  substitutional  sacrifice  was  ad- 
mitted, and  the  sinner  escaped,  it  was  of 
forgiving  grace,  the  same  as  if  there  had 
been  no  sacrifice  offered.  "The  priest 
shall  make  an  atonement  for  him,  and  his 
sin  shall  be  forgiven  him."  A  substitu- 
tional sacrifice  was  an  expedient  devised 
by  the  Lawgiver  that  the  exercise  of  mercy 
might  be  consistent  with  justice,  or  that 
God  might  forgive  sin  without  seeming  to 
connive  at  it:  but  it  was  no  partof  its  de- 
sign to  destroy  or  diminish  the  grace  of 
forgiveness,  or  to  render  the  deliverance 
of  a  sinner  a  matter  of  claim. 

To  establish  the  principle  of  claim,  it  is 
necessary  to  prove  that  there  was  such  a 
union  between  Christ  and  his  people  as 
not  merely  to  furnish  a  ground  for  their 
sins  being  reckoned  as  his,  but  for  their 
really  and  properly  being  his  :  not  merely 
that  he  might  bear  the  curse  due  to  ihem  ; 
but  that,  in  sustaining  it,  he  should  suffer 
according  to  his  desert  :  not  merely  that 
his  righteousness  should  be  reckoned  or 
imputed  to  them  by  the  gracious  act  of  the 
Lawgiver;  but  that  reckoning  things  as 
they  are,  and  adjudging  to  every  one  what 
is  his  own,  it  should  be  really  and  prop- 
erly theirs  :  not  merely  that  they  should 
receive  the  benefit  of  his  merits,  but  that 


they  themselves  should  become  meritori- 
ous, or  deserving  of  all  that  they  receive. 
But  this  amounts  to  Christ  and  his  peo- 
ple being  one  and  the  same  conscious  being  ; 
and,  if  so,  there  is  no  propriety  in  say- 
ing he  died  for  them,  seeing  they  themselves 
died  in  his  death,  and  redeemed  themselves 
by  their  own  blood. 

It  is  this  notion  of  the  atonement,  or 
what  leads  to  this,  that  is  continually 
held  up  by  the  Socinians,  and  which  lays 
the  foundation  for  all  that  they  have  ad- 
vanced, with  any  degree  of  plausibility, 
on  its  inconsistency  with  grace.  Sub- 
stitutionary atonement,  or  atonement  made 
for  the  sin  of  another,  whether  it  be  by 
slain  beasts,  or  by  any  other  means,  in 
nowise  interferes  with  grace.  In  pecu- 
niary satisfactions,  if  the  creditor  be  but 
paid,  whether  it  be  by  the  debtor  or  by  a 
surety  on  his  behalf,  he  has  received  his 
due,  and  no  room  is  left  for  remission  or 
for  grace  ;  but  it  is  not  so  here.  In  cases 
of  crime,  nothing  can  render  deliverance 
a  matter  of  claim,  but  the  criminal  him- 
self having  suffered  the  full  penalty  of 
the  law.  Deliverance  by  the  interposition 
of  a  mediator,  though  it  may  answer  the 
great  ends  of  justice,  and  so  be  consistent 
xoith  it,  yet  can  never  be  required  by  it, 
nor  be  any  other  than  an  act  of  grace. 
This  truth,  while  it  repels  the  objections 
of  Socinianism,  corrects  the  abuses  of 
Antinomianism. 

The  doctrine  o(  justification  by  Jaith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  without  the  ivorks  of  the 
lato,  is  in  itself  exceedingly  humbling; 
for  it  is  no  otiicr  than  God's  justifying 
the  ungodly,  or  accepting  to  favor  a  be- 
lieving sinner,  not  for  any  worthiness  in 
him,  but  for  the  sake  of  his  righteous- 
ness in  whom  he  believeth.  It  relates  to 
the  way  in  which  we  who  are  unright- 
eous are  accepted  of  God  as  the  lawgiver 
of  the  world,  and  treated  as  righteous. 
If  we  had  retained  our  original  righteous- 
ness, justice  itself  would  have  justified 
us  ;  but,  having  sinned,  the  question.  How 
shall  man  be  justified  Avith  God  1  is  too 
difficult  for  created  wisdom  to  solve. 
Whatever  delight  the  Creator  takes  in 
honoring  and  rewarding  righteousness, 
there  is  none  left  in  this  apostate  world 
for  him  to  honor  or  reward.  "  All  have 
sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of 
God."  If  any  child  of  Adam,  therefore, 
be  now  accepted  and  rewarded  as  right- 
eous, it  must  be  entirely  on  different 
ground  from  that  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness. What  ground  this  could  he,  God 
only  knew. 

This  great  difficulty,  however,  is  solv- 
ed by  the  gospel.  We  are  "justified 
freely  by  grace,  through  the  redemption 
that   is  in  Christ  Jesus,  whom  God  hath 


PERVERSION    OF    THE    PRlNtlFAL    DOCTRINES    OF    THE    GOSPEL. 


717 


8et  forth  to  be  a  propilialion  tliroii^h 
faith  in  his  blood,  lo  ileclare  his  ri<;ht- 
eousness  in  tlie  remission  of  sins  Uiat  are 
past,  throiiijh  the  lorboaranro  ot  (Jod;  to 
declare,  I  say,  at  tliis  time  his  rijihteous- 
ness  ;  that  lie  miirlit  lie  Just,  and  thejiis- 
tifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus." 
Hence  it  is  tliat  justification  is  ascribed 
to  faith,  not  as  a  virtue  which  (iod  con- 
sented to  accept  for  rifrhteouness  instead 
of  perfect  obedience,  but  as  receivintj  the 
righteousness  of  his  Son  of  whicii  our  justi- 
fication is  the  reward.  Justification  by 
faith,  and  beiiifj  "  made  ri;ihteous  by  the 
obedience  of  Christ,"  arc  the  same  thing. 
Believing  him,  we  are  united  to  liim,  and 
so  possess  a  revealed  interest  in  him,  and  in 
all  the  benefits  and  blessings  arising  from 
his  obedience  unto  death.*  This  right- 
eousness is  imputed  to  us,  or  coutitedhy  the 
Lawgiver  of  the  world,  in  his  treatment 
of  us,  as  if  it  were  our  oivn.  Not  that 
it  really  1.9  our  own,  for  tiien  should  we 
cease  to  be  guilty  and  unworthy,  and 
might  draw  nigh  to  God  as  meritorious 
beings  ;  but  as  Christ  was  "  made  sin  for 
us,"  though  in  respect  to  his  real  charac- 
terhe  "  knew  no  sin  ;"  so  we  are  "  made 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  him,"  though 
in  respect  to  our  real  character  we  are 
worthy  of  death. 

To  believe  for  righteousness  is  to  receive 
it  as  a  free  gift,  and  so  stands  opposed  to 
justification  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
which  is  to  receive  it  as  the  reward  of  our 
own  doings.  Hence  it  is  said  to  be  "of 
faith,"  that  it  may  be  of  grace.  Faith  is 
necessary  to  justification,  and  so  is  repent- 
ance to  forgiveness  ;  Imt  neither  the  one 
nor  the  other  is  necessary  as  a  cause,  or  as 
being  that  for  the  sake  of  which  we  are 
justified  or  pardoned.  With  respect  to  the 
meritorious  or  procuring  cause,  nothing  is 
necessary  but  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 
The  sinner  in  his  justification  is  considered 
as  altogether  unworthy,  and  even  ungodly. 
As  such  our  Redeemer  died  for  us,  and  as 
such  he  justifies  us. 

Being  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  our  ser- 
vices also  are  accepted  through  him.  The 
Lord  had  respect  not  only  to  Altel  but  to 
his  offering.  Thus  it  is  that  our  duties  be- 
come rewardable,  and  that  the  promises  of 
God  are  made  to  them.  There  are  no 
promises  made  to  the  doings  of  unlieliev- 
ers,  however  fair  they  may  appear  in  the 
eyes  of  men. 

In  fine,  being  thus  justified  by  faith,  we 
have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ,  and  draw  near  to  a  throne  of 
grace  with  humble  boldness,  as  to  a  father. 
But  the  subject  may  be  viewed  in  such  a 
light  as  to  become  another  doctrine,  and 

*  Rom.  \iii.  1;    Phil.  iii.  9;   10 


to  be  productive  of  another  spirit.  Con- 
ceive of  the  imputation  of  Christ's  right- 
eousness as  that  by  whicii  wo  are  not  only 
treated  as  righteous,  l)ut  are  artually  with- 
out spot  in  tlie  sight  of  God — imagine  that 
he  can  think  a  character  to  be  ilin'erent 
from  wiiat  it  really  is,  and  suppose  justifi- 
cation to  include  such  a  remission  of  our 
sins,  past,  jjrescnt,  and  to  come,  as  ren- 
ders daily  prayer  lor  forgiveness  unneces- 
sary and  even  improper — and  our  souls 
will  be  so  lilted  up  as  not  to  be  upright  in 
us.  It  is  true  that  God  graciously  deals 
with  his  people,  not  according  to  their  sins, 
but  according  to  the  righteousness  of  his 
Son  ;  but  this  is  without  being  blinded  to 
their  faults,  or  the  less  offended  with  them 
for  their  sins.  It  is  also  true  that  they  are 
delivered  from  a  state  of  exposediiess  to 
condemnation  on  their  first  believing,  and 
that  provision  is  made  for  the  remission  of 
all  their  future  transgressions  ;  but,  as  the 
Scriptures  pronounce  no  sinnerjustified  till 
he  believes,  so  they  declare  no  sin  to  be 
forgiven  till  it  is  confessed  and  forsaken. — 
Prov.  xxviii.  13.     1  John  i.  9. 

To  obviate  the  plain  testimony  of  Scrip- 
ture, which  declares  repentance  to  be  ne- 
cessary to  forgiveness,  it  is  commonly  al- 
leged that  this  does  not  mean  forgiveness 
itself,  but  a  sense  of  it  in  the  mind  :  the 
thing  itself  is  supposed  to  e.xist  in  the  se- 
cret purpose  of  God.  But  forgiveness  it- 
self is  no  more  a  secret  purpose  in  the 
mind  of  God  tlian  it  is  a  sensation  or  per- 
suasion in  the  mind  of  man  ;  rather,  it  is 
the  gracious  purpose  of  God  as  revealed  in 
the  Scriptures.  Those  sins  which  the 
Scriptures  forgive  are  forgiven  ;  and  those 
which  they  retain  are  retained ;  l)ut  the 
Scriptures  declare  no  sin  to  be  forgiven 
which  is  unlamented. 

I  do  not  accuse  all  who  have  gone  into 
the  unscriptural  notions  to  which  I  refer  of 
being  Antinomians.  Many  godly  people 
have  had  their  minds  greatly  perplexed  on 
this  subject,  who  yet  have  retained  and 
felt  so  much  of  the  truth  as  to  "count  all 
things  but  loss  that  they  might  win  Christ, 
and  be  found  in  him,  not  having  their  own 
righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but 
that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ, 
the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  bv 
faith." 

Justification  has  by  many  been  consid- 
ered as  a  gracious  purpose  in  the  mind  of 
God  not  to  impute  sin,  but  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  to  an  elect  sinner.  Hence, 
as  no  new  purpose  can  arise  in  the  all-com- 
prehending mind,  it  has  been  considered 
as  eternal;  and  what  is  denominated  in 
the  Scriptures  justification  hy  faith  as  the 
revelation  or  discovery  of  it  to  the  soul. 
But  faith  has  to  do  with  only  revealed 
truth  :  supposing,  therefore,  that  it  were 


71S 


ON    ANTINOMIANISM. 


true  of  a  sinner  that  he  was  justified  in  the 
divine  purpose  I'roni  eternity,  yet,  this  be- 
ing nowliere  revealed  of  liini  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, it  cannot  be  \  y  failh  that  he  discov- 
ers it.  It  must  either  be  l)y  a  new  revela- 
tion I'lom  heaven,  or  iy  an  impulse  on  bis 
imagination  which  he  unhappily  mistakes 
for  one. 

But  neither  is  it  true  that  justification 
consists  in  the  purpose  of  God  not  to  im- 
pute sin,  but  the  righteousness  of  Christ, 
to  an  elect  sinner.  It  does  not  belong  to 
the  secret,  but  to  the  revealed  will  of  God. 
It  is  ibr  a  believing  sinner  to  be  exempted 
from  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  entitled  to 
the  blessings  of  the  gospel,  not  in  the  di- 
vine purpose,  but  according  to  the  will  of 
God  as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures. 

If  justification  be  a  law  term,  and  op- 
posed to  condemnation,  as  I  believe  it  is 
generally  allowed  to  be,  it  cannot  be  any 
thing  existing  merely  in  the  divine  mind. 
Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  is  a  purpose 
in  the  mind  of  the  judge,  but  a  sentence 
passed  in  open  court.  Condemnation  as 
opposed  to  justification  in  the  Scriptures 
is  not  an  ap})ointment  of  sinners  to  future 
punishment,  but  a  state  of  exposedness  to 
the  curse  of  the  law.  The  former  is  not 
true  of  elect  sinners,  even  while  unlieliev- 
ers,  but  the  latter  is.*  Whatever  be  the 
secret  purpose  of  God  in  their  favor,  so 
long  as  they  reject  the  Saviour,  "  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth"  upon  them,  or, 
which  is  the  same  thing,  all  the  threaten- 
iniis  and  curses  of  the  divine  law  stand  in 
full  force  against  them.  But,  if  condem- 
nation consist  not  in  God's  purpose  finally 
to  punish,  justification  consists  not  in  his 
purpose  finally  to  acquit ;  and  if  the  former 
be  that  exposedness  to  the  curse  of  the  law 
which,  according  to  the  sentence  pronoiinc- 
edin  the  Scriptures,  belongs  to  every  trans- 
gressor, the  latter  must  l)e  that  change  of 
slate,  condition,  or  standing,  with  respect 
to  the  Lawgiver  of  the  world,  which  takes 
place  on  our  believing  in  Christ,  and  in 
which  the  sentence  is  revoked  in  respect  of 
us,  and  we  henceforth  possess  a  revealed 
interest  in  all  the  blessings  and  promises 
of  the  gospel.  I  say,  a  revealed  interest ; 
for,  as  the  sentence  of  condemnation  stood 
against  us  in  the  Scriptures,  so  that  of 
justification  must  there  stand  for  us.  It 
is  not  the  purpose  which  may  exist  in  the 
divine  mind,  nor  the  injpulse,  impression, 
or  persuasion  which  may  have  place  in  our 
minds,  but  the  voice  of  God  in  his  word  can- 
cel nins;  Its,  that  determines  our  state,  or 
denominates  us  justified  or  condemned. 

When  the  revealed  will  of  God  is  dis- 

*  "  We  were  by  nature  childien  of  wratli,  even 
as  others,"  said  Paul,  of  iiiniself  and  the  believing 
Ephesians. — Chap.  ii.  3. 


regarded  as  a  rule  of  life,  it  is  common 
for  the  mind  to  be  much  occupied  about 
his  secret  will,  or  his  decrees,  as  a  sulisli- 
tuteforit.  It  is  thus  that  men  stumble 
upon  the  dark  mountains,  and  fall  into 
many  dangerous  errors,  besides  those  on 
justification.  To  what  other  cause  can  it 
be  attributed  that  the  invitalions  of  the 
gospel,  instead  of  being  addressed  to  sin- 
ners considered  merely  as  guilty  and  mis- 
erable, should  be  confined  to  sensible  sin- 
ners, or  to  persons  who,  though  they  have 
never  yet  come  to  Christ,  taken  his  yoke, 
or  learned  his  spirit,  are  nevertheless  sup- 
posed to  be  in  possession  of  something 
that  proves  them  to  be  of  the  elect,  and 
therefore  entitled  to  have  the  invitations 
addressed  to  them1  Who  can  trace  the 
delusion  which  must  arise  from  such  a 
doctrine  1  If  a  sinner  is  ever  invited  to 
come  to  Ciirist,  it  is  when  he  is  consider- 
ed as  sufficiently  sensible  of  his  lost  con- 
dition ;  and  this  is  held  up,  not  merely  as 
that  which  is  necessary  in  the  nature  of 
things  to  his  coming,  l>ut  as  giving  hitn  a 
warrant  to  come.  Thus  the  sinner  is 
taught  to  think  himself  one  of  God's  elect, 
while  as  yet  he  has  neither  repentance  to- 
ward God  nor  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

To  what  is  it  owing  but  to  the  substi- 
tuting of  the  secret  for  the  revealed  will  of 
God,  that  Christians  should  be  afraid  to 
pray  for  the  salvation  of  their  neighbors, 
ministers  for  that  of  their  hearers,  and 
parents  for  that  of  their  children,  lest  they 
should  not  prove  to  be  of  the  elect  1  If 
nothing  more  were  meant  than  that  in  all 
our  prayers  there  should  be  a  condition 
implied,  namely,  that  what  we  ask  is  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God,  there  could  be 
no  just  objection  to  it.  But  if,  lest  what 
we  ask  should  not  accord  with  the  divine 
purpose,  we  refrain  from  asking  any  thing, 
our  conduct  will  resemble  that  of  the 
slothful  servant,  who,  from  certain  no- 
tions which  he  entertained  of  his  Lord's 
character,  concluded  that  there  was  no 
encouragement  for  him  to  do  any  thing, 
and  therefore  went  and  buried  his  Lord's 
talent  in  the  earth.  And  why  should  we 
neglect  to  pray  for  our  neighbors,  our 
hearers,  or  our  children  only,  lest  they 
should  not  have  been  elected  1  Why  not 
also  on  the  same  ground  neglect  to  pray 
for  ourselves  ?  There  must  have  been  a 
time  when  we  had  no  ground  to  conclude 
ourselves  elected  ;  and  did  we  wait  till 
we  had  obtained  evidence  of  this  before 
we  began  to  pray  for  the  salvation  of  our 
own  souls  1  If  we  did  not,  and  yet  object 
on  this  account  to  pray  for  others,  surely 
self-love  must  be  the  alpha  and  omega  of 
our  religion. 

Paul,  as  has  been  already  observed,  be- 


I'EHVERSION   OF  THE   PRINCIPAL  DOCTRINES   OF   THE   GOSPEL. 


719 


lieved  nnd  laiieht  Uie  liortiino  of  election  ; 
yet  in  the  siitne  epistle,  nay,  in  tiie  same 
rhapter,  lie  lieclareil  his  most  anxious  so- 
licitude for  tlie  sahation  of  his  unbeliev- 
ingr  "  lirethien  and  kinsmen  aceordiuir  to 
the  rtesli."  And  wheretore  !  Because  he 
desired  any  thing  contrary  to  the  will  of 
God  !  No  ;  luit,  not  kno\vin<ji  what  was 
the  secret  will  of  God  respecting  individ- 
uals, lie  was  satisfied  with  obeying  hi^ 
conimandtnents.  God,  he  well  knew, 
would  regi  late  his  own  conduit  by  his 
wise  and  righteous  decrees,  hut  they  could 
he  no  rule  to  liirn,  inasmuch  as  they  were 
utterly  beyond  his  knowledge.*  It  was 
tor  him  to  oliey  the  precejit,  and  to  leave 
the  issue  to  his  disposal  who  "  worketh 
all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own 
will." 

The  doctrines  of  efficacious  grace,  and 
the  final  perseverance  of  believers,  are  in 
themselves  of  a  humbling  nature.  They 
imply  the  utter  depravity  of  the  human 
heart,  as  being  proof  against  every  thing 
but  omni|)otent  love;  and  the  proneness 
of  the  best  of  men  to  draw  back  even  to 
perdition,  were  it  not  that  they  arc  pre- 
served by  grace.  When  a  serious  Chris- 
tian remembers  the  hateful  enmity  with 
which  he  formerly  opposed  the  divine  au- 
tliority,  and  resisted  to  the  utmost  the 
very  calls  of  mercy,  his  soul  is  humbled 
within  him.  It  was  God,  says  he,  who  is 
rich  in  mercy,  lor  his  great  love  where- 
with lie  loved  me,  even  when  I  was  dead 
in  sins,  that  quickened  me  together  with 
Christ.  By  grace  I  am  saved! — Or,  if  he 
survey  his  life  from  the  beginning  of  his 
Christian  course,  and  the  iimumerable  de- 
fects and  miscarriages  of  it  are  brought 
to  his  recollection,  shame  and  confusion 
overwhelm  him.  He  is  God,  saith  he, 
and  changeth  not  :  therefore  it  is  that  I 
am  not  consumed  ! — But  these  important 
doctrines  may  be  perverted;  and,  being 
so,  that  wliich  is  retained  may  be  as  false 
as  they  are  true,  and  as  productive  of  spir- 
itual pride  as  they  are  of  humility.  If  the 
influence  of  either  sin  or  grace  be  supposed 
to  destroy  our  accountaldeness  to  God — 
if  the  necessity  of  regeneration  be  con- 
tended for  on  some  other  ground  than  our 
having  been  degenerate — if  it  consist  not 
in  the  renewal  of  the  mind  to  a  right  spir- 
it, but  in  the  communicating  of  a  princi- 
ple essentially  different  from  any  thing  to 
which  we  were  obliged  in  our  unregener- 
acy,  or  from  that  which  we  possessed  in  a 
slate  of  original  purity — if  this  principle 

*  See  Dr.  Ryland's  Sermon  t)efore  the  Ptil)scribcrs 
to  ihe  Stepnrv  bisti.-^tiition,  preached  at  Devonshire 
Square,  1812,'  pp.  31—34. 


and  its  opposite,  the  neu^  and  the  old  vum, 
be  considered  as  agents,  and  the  man  him- 
.self  n')l  an  agent,  but  a  passive  spectator 
of  their  conflicts — if  a  confident  persuasion 
of  our  being  the  children  of  God  be  taken 
for  Christian  faith,  and  the  apfirehcnsions 
excited  bv  a  guilty  conscience  be  treated  as 
unbelief — finally,  if  perseverance  be  con- 
sidered as  a  certain  connection  between  a 
beginning  and  an  end,  while  an  actual 
progress  in  grace  and  holiness  is  either 
denied  or  overlooked — it  is  easy  to  per- 
ceive what  kind  of  effects  will  follow. 

It  is  from  these  fond  notions  that  men 
imagine  themselves  possessed  ot  such  ex- 
traordinary knoivledge  as  to  be  entitled  to 
look  down  upon  all  around  them,  as  the 
Jews  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour  looked  down 
u[ion  the  Gentiles,  treating  them  as  dogs. 
— Not  only  are  natural  men  des|>ised,  as 
though  destitute  of  common  understanding; 
but  the  first  parent  of  our  race,  created  in 
the  image  of  God,  is  accounted  a  natural 
man, and  as  such  utterly  incapable  of  know- 
ing what  they  know.  Even  the  angels  in 
heaven  are,  in  this  respect,  considered 
as  greatly  their  inferiors. 

Much  is  said  in  tlie  Scriptures  of  "  liv- 
ing by  faith  ;  "  and,  truly  understood,  it 
is  of  the  greatest  importance.  Without  it 
there  is  neither  the  progress  nor  existence 
of  true  religion.  To  live  by  faith  on  the 
Son  of  God  is  not  only  to  be  crucified  to 
the  objects  of  sense  which  surround  us, 
and  alive  to  unseen  realities,  but  to  feel 
habitually  divested  of  self-sufficiency,  and 
to  |)lace  our  whole  confidence  in  the  prom- 
ised grace  of  Christ.  Such  a  confidence 
has  revealed  truth  for  its  foundation,  and 
operates  in  a  way  of  unfeigned  humility. 
Hence  the  language  of  the  prophet  :  "  Be- 
hold his  soul  which  is  lifted  up  is  not  up- 
right in  him  :  but  the  just  shall  live  by 
faith.''  But,  if  a  life  of  faith  be  under- 
stood to  mean  a  continued  unshaken  con- 
fidence that  we  arc  converted  and  sliall  be 
saved,  this  is  entirely  another  thing.  That 
true  Christians  may  know  that  they  have 
passed  from  death  to  life  is  readily  grant- 
ed :  this,  however,  is  not  an  ol)ject  of 
faith,  but  of  consciousness.  It  is  no  where 
revealed  in  the  Scriptures  concerning  us 
that  we  are  true  Christians  ;  therefore  it 
can  be  no  exercise  of  faith  to  be  persuad- 
ed of  it.  A  lieliever  may  be  conscious 
that  he  is  such,  and  that  he  loves  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity;  and,  this  faith 
and  love  having  the  promise  of  salvation, 
he  may  probably  be  also  certain  that  he 
shall  be  saved.  "If  our  hearts  condemn 
us  not,  then  have  we  confidence  toward 
God."  The  apostles  and  primitive  Chris- 
tians appear  to  have  entertained  little  or 


'20 


ON    ANTINOMIANISM. 


no  doubt  of  their  personal  Christianity, 
Why  1  Because  ^' great  grace  tvas  upon 
them  all."  This  afforded  a  living  and 
constant  evidence  of  their  being  born  of 
God.  But,  when  they  speak  of  "  holding 
fast  the  beginning  of  their  confidence  to 
the  end,"  their  meaning  is  not  that  they 
are  to  maintain  a  good  opinion  of  their 
own  state,  but  an  unshaken  attachment 
to  the  gospel,  in  the  declarations  and 
promises  of  which  they  had  from  the  be- 
ginning confided.  The  most  unshaken 
persuasion  of  the  goodness  of  our  own 
state  may  be  mere  seZf-confidence  ;  and, 
if  it  operate  in  a  way  of  religious  vaunt- 
ing, there  is  every  reason  for  concluding 
it  will  be  found  nothing  better.     Such  was 


that  of  the  pharisees,  who  boasted  that 
God  was  their  Father,  and  so  trusted  that 
they  were  righteous  and  despised  others. 
The  soul  of  such  a  man  is  "lifted  up," 
and  therefore  "is  not  upright  in  him." 
Instead  of  living  by  faith,  his  life  is  that 
to  which  a  life  of  faith  is  directly  opposed. 
Such  doctrine  has  a  bewitching  influ- 
ence upon  minds  of  a  certain  cast.  It  is 
a  species  of  religious  flattery,  which  feeds 
their  vanity,  and  soothes  their  selfishness; 
yet  they  call  it  the  food  of  their  souls. 
Like  intoxicating  liquors  to  a  drunkard, 
its  tendency  is  to  destroy;  but  yet  it 
seems  necessary  to  their  existence  ;  so 
much  so,  that  for  the  sake  of  it  they  de- 
spise the  bread  of  life. 


EXPOSITORY    DISCOURSES 


THE     BOOK     OF     GENESIS, 


INTERSPERSED    WITH 


PRACTICAL    REFLECTIONS. 


VOL.    I.  91 


BAPTIST     CHURCH     OF     CHRIST 

AT     KETTERING. 


My  dear  Brethren, 

It  is  now  upwards  of  t\«enty-two  years  since  I  first  took  the  oversight  of  you  in 
the  Lord.  During  the  last  fifteen  years  it  has,  as  you  know,  been  my  practice  to  ex- 
pound among  you,  on  a  Lord's-day  morning,  some  part  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  com- 
monly a  chapter.  From  all  that  I  have  felt  in  my  own  mind,  and  heard  from  you  I 
have  reason  to  hope  these  exercises  have  not  been  in  vain.  They  have  enabled  us  to 
take  a  more  connected  view  of  the  Scriptures  than  could  be  obtained  merely  by  ser- 
mons on  particular  passages  ;  and  I  acknowledge  that,  as  I  have  proceeded,  the  work 
of  exposition  has  become  more  and  more  interesting  to  my  heart. 

I  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  writing  dedications  to  what  I  have  published  but  in 
this  instance  I  feel  inclined  to  deviate  from  my  usual  practice.  Considering  my  time 
of  life,  and  the  numerous  avocations  on  my  hands,  I  may  not  be  able  to  publish  any 
thing  more  of  the  kind  ;  and,  if  not,  permit  me  to  request  that  this  family  book  may 
be  preserved  as  a  memorial  of  our  mutual  affection,  and  of  the  pleasures  we  have 
enjoyed  together  in  exploring  the  treasures  of  the  lively  oracles. 

You  will  consider  these  Discourses  as  the  resutof  having  oncejgone  over  that  part  of 
the  Scriptures  to  which  they  relate.  Were  we  to  go  over  it  again  and  again  such  is  the 
fulness  of  God's  word,  that  we  should  still  find  interesting  and  important  matter  which 
had  never  occurred  in  reading  it  before;  and  this  should  encourage  us  not  to  rest  in 
any  exposition,  but  to  be  constantly  perusing  the  Scriptures  themselves,  and  digging 
at  the  precious  ore. 

As  the  Exposition  was  delivered  in  public  worship,   it  was  not  my    wish    to  dwell 
upon  particular  words,  so  much   as  to   convey  the   general  scope   and  design  of  the 


724 


DEDICATION. 


Scriptures.  Whether  I  have  in  any  considerable  degree  caught  the  spirit  which  runs 
through  them  is  too  much  for  me  to  decide :  but  this  I  can  say,  that  such  has  been 
my  aim.  I  know  by  experience  that,  with  respect  to  this,  when  I  have  been  the  most 
spiritually-minded,  I  have  succeeded  the  best ;  and  therefore  conclude  that,  if  I  had 
lived  nearer  to  God,  the  work  had  been  better  executed.  But,  such  as  it  is,  I  com- 
mend it  to  the  blessing  of  God  and  your  candid  acceptance  ;  and  remain 

Your  affectionate  Pastor, 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Kettering, 

October  29,  1805. 


EXPOSITORY     DISCOURSES. 


DISCOURSE  I. 

ON    THE     BOOK     IN     GENERAL,     AND    THE 
FIRST  day's   creation. 

Genesis  i.  1 — 4. 

It  is  common  for  the  writers  of  other 
histories  to  go  back  in  their  researches  as 
far  as  possible ;  but  Moses  traces  his 
from  the  beginning.  The  whole  book  is 
upon  the  origin  of ,  things  even  of  all  things 
that  had  a  beginning.  The  visible  crea- 
tion, the  generations  of  man,  moral  evil 
among  men,  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  the 
Messiah,  the  new  world,  the  church  in  the 
family  of  Abraham,  the  various  nations 
and  tribes  of  man  ;  every  thing,  in  short, 
now  going  on  in  the  world,  may  be  traced 
hither  as  to  its  spring-head.  Without 
this  history  the  world  would  be  in  total 
darkness,  not  knowing  whence  it  came, 
nor  whither  it  goeth.  In  the  first  page  of 
this  sacred  book  a  child  may  learn  more 
in  an  hour  than  all  the  philosophers  in 
the  world  learned  without  it  in  thousands 
of  vears. 

There  is  a  majestic  sublimity  in  the 
introduction.  No  apology,  preamble,  or 
account  of  the  writer  :  you  are  introdu- 
ced at  once  into  the  very  heart  of  things. 
No  vain  conjectures  about  what  was  be- 
fore time,  nor  why  things  were  done  thus 
and  thus  ;  but  simply  so  it  was. 

In  this  accouni  of  the  creation  nothing 
is  said  on  the  being  of  God ;  this  great 
truth  is  taken  for  granted.  May  not  this 
apparent  omission  be  designed  to  teach  us 
that  those  who  deny  the  existence  of  a 
Deity  are  rather  to  be  rebuked  than  rea- 
soned with  1  All  reasoning  and  instruc- 
tion must  proceed  \ipon  some  principle  or 
principles,  and  what  can  be  more  proper 
than  this  1  Those  writers  who  have  gone 
about  to  prove  it  have,  in  my  opinion, 
done  but  little,  if  any  good  ;  and  in  many 
instances  have  only  set  men  a  doubting 
upon  a  subject  which  is   so  manifest  from 


every  thing  around  them  as  to  render  the 
very  heathens  xoithout  excuse. — Rom.  i. 
20. 

The  foundation  of   this    vast  fabric  is 

laid  in  an  adequate  cause Elohim,  The 

Almighty.  Nothing  else  would  bear  it 
Man,  if  he  attempt  to  find  an  adequate 
cause  for  what  is,  to  the  overlooking  of  God, 
shall   but  weary  himself  with  very  vanity. 

The  writer  makes  use  of  the  plural 
term  Elohim,  which  yet  is  joined  to  sin- 
gular verbs.  This  has  been  generally 
thought  to  intimate  the  doctrine  of  a  plu- 
rality in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead.  It  is 
certain  the  Scriptures  speak  of  the  Son 
and  Holy  Spirit  as  concerned  in  creation,  as 
well  as  the  Father.— John  i.  1  ;  Gen.  i.  2. 
Nor  can  I,  on  any  other  supposition,  affix 
a  consistent  meaning  to  such  language  as 
that  which  afterwards  occurs  :  "Let  us 
make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  like- 
ness."— "  Behold,  the  man  is  become  like 
one  of  us." 

The  account  given  by  Moses  relates 
not  to  the  ivhole  creation,  but  merely  to 
what  it  immediately  concerns  us  to  know. 
God  made  angels  ;  but  nothing  is  said  of 
them.  The  moon  is  called.one  ofihe  great- 
er lights,  not  as  to  what  it  is  in  itself,  but 
what  it  is  to  us.  The  Scriptures  are  writ- 
ten, not  to  gratify  curiosity,  but  to  nour- 
ish faith.  'They  do  not  stop  to  tell  you 
how,  nor  to  answer  a  number  of  questions 
which  might  be  asked;  but  tell  you  so 
much  as  is  necessary,  and  no  more. 

Ver.  1,  2.  The  first  act  of  creation 
seems  to  have  been  general,  and  the 
foundation  of  all  that  followed.  What 
the  heavens  were  when  first  produced, 
previously  to  the  creation  of  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  it  did  not  greatly  con- 
cern us  to  know,  and  therefore  we  are 
not  told.  What  the  earth  was  we  are  in- 
formed in  verse  2.  It  was  a  chaos,  icith- 
outform,  and  void;  a  confused  mass  oi 
earth  and  water,  covered  with  darkness, 
and  void  of  all  those  fruits  which  after- 


726 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


wards  covered  the  face  of  it.  As  regen- 
eration is  called  a  creation,  this  may  fitly 
represent  the  state  of  the  soul  while  un- 
der the  dominion  of  sin. — "The  Spirit  of 
God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters." 
The  word  signifies  as  much  as  brooded  ; 
and  so  is  expressive  of  "  an  active,  effect- 
ual energy,  agitating  the  vast  abyss,  and 
infusing  into  it  a  powerful  vital  princi- 
ple."     Hence   those  lines   of   Milton: — 

"  And  chiefly  tliou,  O  Spirit- 


-That  with  mighty  wings  outspread. 
Dove  like,  sati'st  brooding  on  the  vast  abyss, 
And  mad'st  it  pregnant." 

Thus  also  God  hath  wrought  upon  the 
moral  world,  which,  under  sin,  was  with- 
out form,  and  void ;  and  thus  he  operates 
upon  every  individual  mind,  causing  it  to 
bring  forth  fruit  unto  himself. 

Ver.  3.  From  a  general  account  of  the 
creation,  the  sacred  writer  proceeds  to 
particulars  ;  and  the  first  thing  mentioned 
is  the  production  of  light.  The  manner 
in  which  this  is  related  has  been  consider- 
ed as  an  example  of  the  sublime.  It  ex- 
presses a  great  event  in  a  few  simple 
words,  and  exhibits  the  almighty  God 
perfectly  in  character  :  "  He  speaks,  and 
it  is  done  ;  he  commands,  and  it  stands 
fast."  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
the  dark  soul  of  man  is  fitly  set  forth  in 
allusion  to  this  great  act  of  creation  : 
*'  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine 
out  of  dai'kness,  hath  shined  into  our 
hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ."  As  soon  might  chaos 
have  emerged  from  its  native  darkness  as 
our  benighted  world,  or  benighted  souls, 
have  found  the  light  of  life  of  their  own 
accord.  Nor  was  it  sufficient  to  have 
furnished  us  with  a  revelation  from  hea- 
ven :  the  same  almighty  power  that  was 
necessary  to  give  material  light  a  being  in 
the  world  was  necessary  to  give  spiritual 
light  a  being  in  the  heart. 

The  light  here  mentioned  was  not  that 
of  the  sun,  which  was  created  afterwards. 
Hence  a  late  infidel  writer  has  raised  an 
objection  against  the  Scriptures,  that  they 
speak  of  light,  and  even  of  night  and  day, 
which  are  well  known  to  arise  from  the 
situation  of  the  earth  towards  the  sun,  be- 
fore the  sun  was  made.  But  he  might  as 
well  have  objected  that  they  speak  of  the 
earth  in  ver.  1,  2,  and  yet  afterwards  tell 
us  of  the  dry  land,  as  separated  from  the 
waters,  constituting  the  earth,  ver.  9,  10. 
The  truth  seems  to  be  that  what  chaos 
was  to  the  earth  that  the  light  was  to  the 
sun  :  the  former  denotes  the  general  prin- 
ciples of  which  the  latter  was  afterwards 
composed.  A  flood  of  light  was  produced 
on  the  first  day  of  creation  ;  and  on  the 


fourth  it  was  collected  and  formed  into 
distinct  bodies.  And  though  these  bodies, 
when  made,  were  to  rule  day  and  night, 
yet,  prior  to  this,  day  and  night  were  ruled 
by  the  Creator's  so  disposing  of  the  light 
and  darkness  as  to  divide  them,  ver.  4. 
That  which  was  afterwards  done  ordina- 
rily by  the  sun,  was  now  done  extraordi- 
narily by  the  division  of  darkness  and 
light. 

Ver.  4.  "  God  saw  the  light  that  it  was 
good."  Light  is  a  wonderful  creature, 
full  of  goodness  to  us.  This  is  sensibly 
felt  by  those  who  have  been  deprived  of 
it,  either  by  the  loss  of  sight,  or  by  con- 
finement in  dungeons  or  mines.  How 
pathetically  does  our  blind  poet  lament 
the  loss  of  it : — 

"  Seasons  return ;  but  not  to  me  returns 
Day,  or  the  sweet  approach  of  ev'n  or  morn. 
Or  sigiit  of  vernal  bloom,  or  summer's  rose. 
Or  flocks,  or  herds,  or  human  face  divine  : 
But  cloud  instead,  and  ever-during  dark 
Surrounds  me  !     From  the  cheerful  \\ays  of  men 
Cut  oflf;   and,  for  the  book  of  knowledge  fair. 
Presented  with  a  universal  blank 
Of  nature's  works,  to  me  expunged  and  rased. 
And  wisdom  at  one  entrance  quite  shut  out!" 

If  such  be  the  value  of  material  light, 
how  much  more  of  that  which  is  mental 
and  spiritual ;  and  how  much  are  we  in- 
debted to  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  for  in- 
diting the  Scriptures,  and  opening  our  be- 
nighted minds  to  understand  them  ! 


DISCOURSE    II. 

ON    THE    LAST    FIVE    DAYs'    CREATION. 
Gen.  i.  6—31. 

Ver.  6 — 8.  We  here  enter  upon  the 
second  day,  which  was  employed  in  mak- 
ing a  firmament,  or  expanse.  It  includes 
the  atmosphere,  and  all  that  is  visible, 
from  the  position  of  the  sun,  moon,  and 
stars,  down  to  the  surface  of  the  globe, 
ver.  14,  15,  20. 

The  use  of  it  was  to  "divide  the  waters 
from  the  waters  :"  that  is,  the  waters  on 
the  earth  from  the  waters  in  the  clouds, 
'vhich  are  well  known  to  be  supported  by 
the  buoyant  atmosphere.  The  division 
here  spoken  of  is  that  of  distribution. 
God,  having  made  the  substance  of  all 
things,  goes  on  to  distribute  them.  By 
means  of  this,  the  earth  is  watered  by  the 
rain  of  heaven,  without  which  it  would  be 
unfruitful,  and  all  its  inhabitants  perish. 
God  makes  nothing  in  vain.  There  is  a 
grandeur  in  the  firmament  to  the  eye  ;  but 


LAST    FIVE    DAYS      CREATION. 


727 


this  is  not  all  :  usefulness  is  combined 
with  beauty.  Nor  is  it  useful  only  with 
respect  to  animal  sulisistence  :  it  is  a  mir- 
ror, cons|ii(uous  to  all,  displaying  the  glo- 
ry of  its  Creator,  ami  sliowing  his  liandy 
works.  Tlie  clouds  also,  by  emptying 
themselves  upon  tlie  earth,  set  us  an  ex- 
ample ot  generosity,  and  reprove  those 
who,/H/^  of  this  world's  good,  yet  keep 
it  principally  to  themselves. — Eccles.  xi. 
1—3. 

Ver.  9 — 13.  God  having  divided  the 
heavens  and  the  earth,  he  now,  on  tiie 
third  day,  proceeds  to  subdivide  tiie  earth, 
or  chaos,  into  land  and  water.  The  globe 
became  terraqueous;  partly  eartli,  and 
partly  sea. 

It  is  easy  to  perceive  tlie  goodness  of  God 
in  this  distribution.  Important  as  earth  and 
water  both  are,  yet,  while  mixed  together, 
they  afford  no  abode  for  creatures  ;  but, 
separated,  each  is  a  beautiful  habitation, 
and  eacii  subserves  the  other.  By  means 
of  this  distribution  tiie  waters  are  ever  in 
motion,  which  preserves  them,  and  almost 
every  thing  else,  from  stagnancy  and  pu- 
trefaction. That  v.hich  the  circulation  of 
the  blood  is  to  the  animal  frame,  the  wa- 
ters are  to  the  world  :  were  they  to  stop, 
all  would  stagnate  and  die. — Eccles.  i.  7. 
See  how  careful  our  heavenly  Father  was 
to  build  us  a  habitation  before  he  gave  us 
a  being.  Nor  is  this  the  only  instance  of 
the  kind  :  our  Redeemer  has  acted  on  the 
same  principle,  in  going  before  to  prepare 
a  place  for  us. 

Having  fitted  the  earth  for  fruitfulness, 
God  proceeds  to  clothe  it  with  grass,  and 
herlis,  and  trees  of  every  kind.  There 
seems  to  be  an  emphasis  laid  on  every 
herb  and  tree  having  its  seed  in  itself.  We 
here  see  the  prudent  foresight,  if  I  may  so 
speak,  of  the  great  Creator  in  providing 
for  futurity.  It  is  a  character  that  runs 
through  all  his  works,  that,  having  com- 
municated the  first  principles  of  things, 
they  should  go  on  to  multiply  and  increase, 
not  independently  of  him,  but  as  blessed 
by  his  conservative  goodness.  It  is  thus 
that  true  religion  is  begun  and  carried  on 
in  the  mind,  and  in  care  and  the  world. 

Ver.  14 — 19.  After  dividing  this  lower 
world,  and  furnishing  it  with  the  principles 
of  vegetation,  tiie  Creator  proceeded,  on 
the  fourth  day,  to  the  producing  of  the 
heavenly  bodies.  First,  they  arc  descril)ed 
in  general  as  the  lights  of  heaven  (ver.  14, 
15);  and  then  more  particularly,  as  the 
sun,  moon,  and  stars,  ver.  16 — 19. 

The  use  of  these  bodies  is  said  to  be 
not  only  for  dividing  the  day  from  the 
night,  but  "for  signs  and  seasons,  and 
days  and  years."  They  ordinarily  afford 
signs  of  weather  to  the  husViandman  (Matt. 
xvi.  3);  and,  prior  to  the  discovery  of  the 


use  of  the  loadstone,  were  of  great  impor- 
tance totlic  mariner.--Actsxxvii.20.  They 
appear  also,  on  some  extraordinary  occa-  i 
sions,  to  liave  been  premonitory  to  the  ' 
world.  Previously  to  tiic  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  our  Lord  foretold  that  there 
siiould  be  great  earthquakes  in  divers 
places,  and  iamines,  and  pestilences,  and 
fearful  sigiits,  and  great  signs  from  heaven. 
— Luke  xxi.  11.  And  it  is  said  by  Jose- 
phus  that  a  comet,  like  a  flaming  sword, 
was  seen  for  a  long  time  over  that  devoted 
city,  a  little  before  its  destruction  by  the 
Romans.  Heathen  astrologers  made  gods 
of  these  creatures,  and  filled  the  minds  ol" 
men  with  ciiimerical  fears  concerning 
them.  Against  these  God  warns  his  peo- 
ple, saying,  "  Be  ye  not  dismayed  at  the 
signs  of  heaven."  This,  however,  does 
not  prove  but  that  he  may  sometimes 
make  use  of  them.  Modern  astronomers, 
by  accounting  for  various  phenomena, 
would  deny  their  being  signs  of  any  tiling  : 
but,  to  avoid  the  superstitions  of  iicathen- 
ism,  there  is  no  necessity  for  our  running 
into  atheism. 

The  heavenly  bodies  are  also  said  to  be 
for  seasons,  as  winter  and  summer,  day 
and  night.  We  have  no  otiier  standard 
for  the  measuring  of  time.  The  grateful 
vicissitudes  also  which  attend  them  are 
expressive  of  the  goodness  of  God.  If  it 
were  always  day  or  nigiit,  summer  or  win- 
ter, our  enjoyments  would  be  unspeakably 
diminished.  Well  is  it  said  at  every  pause, 
And  God  saw  that  it  ivas  good  ! 

David  improved  tins  suiiject  to  a  reli- 
gious purpose  :  "  Day  unto  day  uttereth 
speech,  and  nigiit  unto  night  showeth 
knowledge."  Every  nigiit  we  retire  we 
are  reminded  of  deatii ;  and  every  morning 
we  arise,  of  the  resurrection.  In  behold- 
ing the  sun  also,  "  which  is  as  a  bride- 
groom coming  out  of  his  chamber,  and  re- 
joiceth  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  race," 
we  see  every  day  a  glorious  example  of  the 
steady  and  progressive  "  path  of  the  just, 
which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  per- 
fect day." 

Ver.  20 — '2.5.  We  are  next  led  to  review 
the  animal  creation  ;  a  species  of  being 
less  resplendent,  but  not  less  useful,  than 
some  of  greater  note.  In  one  view,  the 
smallest  animal  has  a  property  belonging 
to  it  which  renders  it  superior  to  the  sun. 
It  has  life,  and  some  degree  of  knowledge. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice,  too,  that  the  crea- 
tion begins  with  things  without  life,  and 
proceeds  to  things  possessing  vegetative 
life,  then  to  those  wiiich  have  animal  life, 
and  after  that  to  man,  who  is  the  subject 
of  rational  life.  This  shows  that  life  is 
of  great  account  in  the  Creator's  estima- 
tion, who  thus  causes  the  subject  to  rise 
upon  us  as  we  proceed. 


723 


EXI'OSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


Ver.  26—31.  We  are  now  come  to  the 
sixth  and  last  day's  work  of  creation, 
which  is  of  greater  account  to  us  than  any 
which  have  gone  before,  as  the  subject  of 
it  is  man. — We  may  observe, 

1.  That  the  creation  of  man  is  intro- 
duced differently  from  that  of  all  other  be- 
ings. It  is  described  as  though  it  were  the 
result  of  a  special  council,  and  as  though 
there  were  a  peculiar  importance  attached 
to  it :  "  God  said.  Let  us  make  man." 
Under  the  Great  Supreme,  man  was  to  be 
the  lord  of  the  lower  world.  On  him 
would  depend  its  future  well-being.  Man 
was  to  be  a  distinguished  link  in  the  chain 
of  being;  uniting  the  animal  with  the 
spiritual  world,  the  frailty  of  the  dust  of 
the  ground  with  the  breath  of  the  Almigh- 
ty ;  and  possessing  that  consciousness  of 
right  and  wrong  which  should  render  him 
a  proper  subject  of  moral  government. 

2.  Man  was  honored  in  being  made 
after  his  Creator's  image.  This  is  repeat- 
ed with  emphasis  :  "  God  created  man  in 
his  own  image  ;  in  the  image  of  God  cre- 
ated he  him."  The  image  of  God  is  part- 
ly natural  and  partly  moral ;  and  man  was 
made  after  both.  The  former  consisted 
in  reason,  by  which  he  was  fitted  for  do- 
minion over  the  creatures,  James  iii.  7 :  the 
latter,  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness, 
by  which  he  was  fitted  for  communion 
■with  his  Creator.  The  figure  of  his  body, 
by  which  he  was  distinguished  from  all 
other  creatures,  was  an  emblem  of  his 
mind  :  God  made  man  upright.  I  remem- 
ber once,  on  seeing  certain  animals  which 
approached  near  to  the  human  form,  feel- 
ing a  kind  of  jealousy  (shall  I  call  if?)  for 
the  honor  of  my  species.  What  a  conde- 
scension then,  thought  I,  must  it  be  for 
the  eternal  God  to  stamp  his  image  upon 
man  I 

"  God  made  man  upright."  He  knew 
and  loved  his  Creator,  living  in  fellowship 
with  him  and  the  holy  angels.  Oh,  how 
fallen  !  "  How  is  the  gold  become  dim, 
and  the  most  fine  gold  changed  !  " 


DISCOURSE  HL 

CREATION      REVIEWED. 

Gen.  ii. 

This  chapter  contains  a  review  of  the 
creation,  with  the  addition  of  some  par- 
ticulars, such  as  the  institution  of  the 
sabbath,  the  place  provided  for  man,  the 
law  given  him,  and  the  manner  of  the 
creation  of  woman. 

Ver.  1.  There  is  something  impressive 
in  this  review  .    "  Thus   the  heavens    and 


the  earth  Avere  finished,  and  all  the  host 
of  them" — wisely,  mightily,  kindly,  grad- 
ually, but  perfectly.  Man's  work,  espe- 
cially when  great,  is  commonly  a  work  of 
ages.  One  lays  the  foundation,  and 
another  the  top-stone ;  or,  what  is  worse, 
one  pulls  down  what  another  had  reared  : 
but  God  finishes  bis  work.  "  He  is  a  rock, 
and  his  work  is  perfect." 

Ver.  2,  3.  The  conclusion  of  so  divine 
a  work  required  to  be  celebrated,  as  well 
as  the  Creator  adored,  in  all  future  ages  : 
hence  arose  the  institution  of  the  sabbath. 
We  are  not  to  imagine  that  God  was  wea- 
ry, or  that  he  was  unable  to  have  made  the 
whole  in  one  day  ;  but  this  was  done  for 
an  example  to  us. 

The  keeping  of  the  sabbath  sacred  for 
divine  worship  has  been  a  topic  of  mucb 
dispute.  Some  have  questioned  whether 
it  was  kept  by  the  patriarchs,  or  before 
the  departure  of  Israel  from  Egypt;  sup'- 
posing  that  Moses,  who  wrote  the  book  of 
Genesis  about  that  time,  might  be  led  to 
introduce  God's  resting  from  his  works 
on  the  seventh  day  as  a  motive  to  enforce 
what  was  then  enjoined  upon  them.  But 
if  there  was  social  worship  before  the 
flood,  and  during  the  patriarchal  ages,  one 
should  think  there  must  have  been  a  time 
for  it.  We  expressly  read  of  time  being 
divided  into  weeks  during  these  ages,  chap, 
xxix.  27,  28  :  and  as  early  as  the  flood, 
when  Noah  sent  out  the  dove  once  and 
again  from  the  ark,  the  term  of  "  seven 
days  "  is  noticed  as  the  space  between  the 
times  of  sending  her.  Add  to  this,  the 
division  of  time  into  weeks  is  said  to 
have  been  very  common  in  heathen  na- 
tions in  all  ages  ;  so  that,  though  they 
ceased  to  observe  the  sabbath,  yet  they 
retained  what  was  a  witness  against  them 
— the  time  of  its  celebration. 

The  sabbath  was  not  only  appointed  for 
God,  but  to  be  a  day  of  rest  for  man,  })ar- 
ticularly  for  the  poor.  It  was  enjoined 
on  Israel  for  this  reason,  "  That  thy  man- 
servant and  thy  maid-servant  may  rest  as 
well  as  thou  :  and  remember  that  thou  wast 
a  servant  in  the  land  of  Egypt."  Those  who 
would  set  it  aside  are  no  less  the  enemies  of 
the  poor  than  of  God  and  religion  :  they 
consult  only  their  worldly  interest.  If  such 
sordid  characters  could  so  order  it,  their 
servants  would  be'always  in  the  yoke.  Nor 
would  their  being  so  in  the  least  tend  to  in- 
crease their  wages:  every  day's  work  would 
be  worth  a  little  less  than  it  is  now,  and  the 
week's  work  would  amount  to  much  the 
same.  To  those  who  fear  God  it  is  also 
a  rest  to  the  mind ;  a  time  of  refreshing 
after  the  toils  of  worldly  labor. 

The  reason  for  keeping  the  sabbath  was 
drawn  not  only  from  God's  having  rested, 
but  from  the  rest  which  Israel  felt  from  the 


CRLATION     UtlVILWKD. 


729 


yoke  of  Eevpt. — Deut.  v.  14,  15.  Ami 
we  have  since  lliat  time  anollier  reason, 
namely,  Cl)iist  liaving  rested  from  his 
works,  as  God  did  Irom  his. — Heb.  iv.  4 
— 10.  Hence,  accordiaj;;  to  the  practice 
of  the  primitive  Christians,  the  day  was 
altered.  Acts  xx.  7  :  and  by  how  much 
more  interesting;  tlje  work  of  redemption 
is  than  that  of  creation,  by  so  much  is 
this  reason  greater  tiian  the  other. 

Finally  :  It  is  a  Jewish  tradition,  and 
seems  to  have  generally  prevailed,  that,  as 
there  is  a  harmony  of  times  in  the  works 
of  God,  this  seventh  day  of  rest  is  pre- 
figurativc  of  the  seven  thousandth  year 
of  the  world  being  a  rest  to  the  church. 
We  know  tiiat  years  were  divided  into 
sevens,  and  seven  time  sevens.  Every 
seventh  year  the  land  was  to  have  its  sab- 
bath, and  every  fiftieth  year  its  jubilee: 
and  thus  it  may  be  with  the  world.  If  so, 
we  arc  not  at  a  great  distance  from  it ;  and 
this  will  i>e  the  period  when  a  great  num- 
ber of  prophecies  of  the  universal  spread 
of  the  gospel  shall  be  fultiUed. 

Ver.  4 — 7.  Alter  reviewing  the  whole 
in  general,  and  noticing  the  day  of  rest, 
the  sacred  writer  takes  a  special  review  of 
the  vegetable  creation,  with  an  intent  to 
mark  the  difference  of  its  first  production 
and  ordinary  j)ropagation.  Plants  are 
now  ordinarily  produced  by  rain  upon  the 
earth  and  human  tillage  :  but  the  first 
plants  were  made  before  there  was  any 
rain,  or  any  liuman  hand  to  till  the  ground. 
After  this,  a  mist  or  vapor  arose  which  en- 
gendered rain  and  watered  the  earth  — ver. 
6.  So  also  after  this  God  formed  man  to 
till  the  ground. — ver.  7.  It  is  God's  im- 
mediate work  to  communicate  the  first 
principles  of  things  ;  but  their  growth  is 
promoted  by  the  instrumentality  of  man. 
And  now,  liaving  made  mention  of  man, 
he  tells  us  of  what  he  was  made.  His 
body  was  formed  "  of  the  dust  of  the 
ground."  His  soul  proceeded  from  the 
inspiration  of  the  Almighty.  What  a 
wonderful  compound  is  man  !  There 
seems  to  be  .something  in  the  additional 
phrase  :  "And  manliecame  a  living  soul." 
God  i'!  said  to  breathe  the  breath  of  life 
into  all  animals  ;  and  we  sometimes  read 
of  tlie  soul  of  every  living  thing  :  lait  they 
are  never  said  to  be  living  souls,  as  men 
are.  God  hath  stamped  rationality  and 
immortality  upon  men's  souls,  so  as  to 
render  them  ca|)able  of  a  separate  state  of 
being,  even  when  their  bodies  are  dead. 
Hence  the  soul  of  a  beast,  when  it  dies, 
is  said  to  go  downwards  ;  but  the  soul 
of  man   upwards. —  Eccles.  xii.7. 

Ver.  8.     Next  we  have  an  account  of 

the  place  provided  for  man  :    not  only   the 

world  at  large,  but   a  pleasant  part  of  it. 

It  was  situated  in  the  country  of  Eden,  in 

VOL.    I.  02 


Asia;  probably  among  the  mountains  of 
the  East.  It  was  near  the  origin  of  sev- 
eral rivers,  which  always  proceed  from 
mountainous  parts  of  the  country.  It  is 
spoken  of  as  rich  and  fruitful  in  a  high 
degree,  so  as  even  to  become  proverbial. 
— Gen.xiii.  10;   Isa.li.   3. 

Ver.  9.  Things  were  also  adapted  to 
accommodate  man  :  trees  and  fruits,  for 
pleasure  and  use,  were  ready  to  his  hand. 
Among  the  trees  of  Eden  there  were  two 
in  particular  which  appear  to  have  been 
symbolical,  or  designed  by  the  Creator  to 
give  instruction,  in  the  manner  which  is 
done  l)y  our  positive  institutions.  One 
was  "  the  tree  of  life,"  to  which  he  had 
free  access.  This  was  designed  as  a  sym- 
bol to  him  of  that  life  which  stood  con- 
nected with  his  obedience  ;  and,  therefore, 
when  he  sinned  he  was  debarred  from  eat- 
ing it,  by  the  flaming  sword  and  cherubim, 
which  turned  every  way  to  guard  it.  The 
other  was  "the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,"  wliich  was  the  only  tree  of  the 
fruit  of  w  hich  he  was  forbidden  to  eat.  As 
the  name  of  the  former  of  these  trees  is 
given  it  from  the  effect  which  should  follow 
obedience,  so  that  of  the  latter  seems  to 
have  been  from  the  eflect  which  should  fol- 
low on  disobedience.  Man,  on  the  day  he 
should  eat  thereof,  should  know  good  in  a 
way  of  loss,  and  evil  in  a  way  of  suffer- 
ance. 

Ver.  10 — 14.  Besides  this,  it  was  a 
well-watered  garden.  A  river  rose  among 
the  mountains  of  the  country  of  Eden, 
which  directed  its  course  through  it;  and 
afterwards  divided  into  four  heads,  or 
branches.  Two  of  them  are  elsewhere 
mentioned  in  Scripture  ;  viz-jthe  Hiddekel, 
or  Tigris,  and  the  Euphrates,  both  rivers 
of  Asia.  With  the  others  we  are  less  ac- 
quainted. 

Ver.  1.5.  Among  the  provisions  for 
man's  happiness  was  employment.  Even 
in  innocence  he  was  to  ilress  the  garden 
and  keep  it.  Man  was  not  made  to  be  idle. 
All  things  are  full  of  labor  :  it  is  a  stupid 
notion  that  happiness  consists  in  slothful 
ease,  or  in  having  nothing  to  do.  Those 
who  are  so  now,  whether  the  very  rich  or 
the  very  poor,  are  commonly  among  the 
most  worthless  and  miserable  of  man- 
kind. 

Ver.  16,  17.  The  trial  of  man,  by  a 
special  prohibition,  was  singularly  adapted 
to  the  end.  To  have  conformed  to  his 
Creator's  will,  he  must  always  have  been 
contented  w  ilh  implicit  obedience,  or  satis- 
fied in  abstaining  from  a  thing  on  the  mere 
eround  of  its  being  forbidden  of  God,  with- 
out perceiving  the  reason  of  his  being  re- 
quired to  do  so.  In  truth,  it  was  a  test 
of  his  continuing  in  the  spirit  of  a  little 
child,  that  should  have  no  will  of  its  own  ; 


730 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS, 


and  this  is  still  the  spirit  of  true  religion. 
The  consequences  attached  to  a  breach  of 
this  positive  law  teach  us  also  not  to  trifle 
with  the  will  of  God  in  his  ordinances,  but 
implicitly  to  obey  it. 

More  particularly:  Observe,  1.  The 
fulness  of  the  grant.  Here  was  enough 
i'or  man's  happiness  without  the  forhidden 
fruit ;  and  so  there  is  now  in  the  world, 
without  transgressing  the  boundaries  of 
heaven.  2.  The  positiveness  of  the  pro- 
hibition— "Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it."  So 
long  as  this  was  kept  in  mind  it  was  well ; 
and  it  appears  to  have  been  deeply  im- 
pressed, from  the  first  answer  ol  the  wo- 
man to  the  serpent,  chap.  iii.  3.  It  was 
this  impression  which  lie  aimed  to  efface 
by  his  devilish  question,  "  Yea,  hath  God 
saiditl"  And,  when  once  she  began  to 
doubt  of  this,  all  was  over.  Let  us  learn 
to  keep  God's  words  in  our  minds  and 
hide  them  in  our  hearts,  that  we  may  not 
sin  against  him.  It  was  with — Thus  and 
thus  it  is  written,  that  our  Lord  repelled 
all  his  temptations.  3.  The  penalty  an- 
nexed :  "Thou  shalt  die,"  or  "Dying 
thou  shalt  die."  Some  think  this  means 
corporeal  death,  and  that  only;  and  that 
if  the  threatening  had  been  executed  man 
must  have  been  immediately  struck  out  of 
existence.  But  the  death  here  threatened, 
whatever  it  was,  is  said  to  have  passed 
upon  all  men,  which  implies  the  existence 
of  all  men,  and  which  would  have  been 
prevented  if  Adam  had  at  that  time  been 
reduced  to  a  state  of  non-existence.  The 
original  constitution  of  things  provided 
for  the  existence  of  every  individual  that 
has  since  been  born  into  the  world,  and 
that  whether  man  should  stand  or  fall. 
The  death  here  threatened  doubtless  in- 
cluded that  of  the  body,  which  God  might 
execute  at  pleasure  :  the  day  he  should 
eat  he  would  be  dead  in  law.  But  it  also 
included  the  loss  of  the  divine  favor  and 
an  exposedness  to  his  wrath.  If  it  were 
not  so,  the  redemption  of  Christ  would 
not  be  properly  opposed  to  it,  which  it 
frequently  is. — Rom.  v.  12 — 21  ;  Heb.ix. 
27,  28.  Nor  is  Adam  to  be  considered 
as  merely  a  private  individual  :  he  was 
the  public  head  of  all  his  posterity,  so 
that  his  transgression  involved  their  be- 
ing transgressors  from  the  womb,  and 
alike  exposed  lo  death  with  himself. 
Such  has  been  the  character  of  all  man- 
kind ;  and  such  is  the  account  of  things 
given  in  the  Scriptures.  If  men  now  find 
fault  with  this  part  of  the  divine  govern- 
ment, it  is  what  they  will  not  be'able  to 
stand  to  at  the  last  day.  The  judge  of  all 
the  earth  will,  in  that  day,  appear  to  have 
done  right,  whatever  may  be  Ihouirht  of 
him  at  present.  4.  The  promise  of  life 
implied  by  it.     There  is  every  reason  to 


believe  that  if  man  had  obeyed  his  Cre- 
ator's will  he  would  of  his  own  bound- 
less goodness,  have  crowned  him  with 
everlasting  bliss.  It  is  his  delight  to  im 
part  his  own  infinite  blessedness  as  the 
reward  of  righteousness  :  if  Adam,  there- 
fore, had  continued  in  the  truth,  he  and 
all  his  posterity  would»have  enjoyed  what 
was  symbolically  promised  him  by  the 
tree  of  life.  Nor  is  there  any  reason  to 
suppose  but  that  it  would  have  been  the 
same  for  substance  as  that  which  believers 
now  enjoy  through  a  Mediator:  for  the 
Scriptures  speak  of  that  which  the  law 
could  not  do  (in  that  it  was  weak  throvgh 
thcftesh,  that  is,  through  the  corruption 
of  human  nature),  as  being  accomplished 
by  Christ. — Rom.  viii.  3,  4. 

Ver.  IS — 25.  The  subject  closes  with 
a  more  particular  account  of  the  creation 
of  woman.  We  had  a  general  one  be- 
fore (chap.  i.  27) ;  but  now  we  are  led 
to  see  the  reasons  of  it.  Observe,  1.  It 
was  not  only  for  the  propagation  of  the 
human  race,  but  a  most  distinguished  pro- 
vision for  human  ha[)pines3.  The  woman 
was  made  for  the  vian ;  not  njerely  for 
the  gratification  of  his  appetites,  but  of 
his  rational  and  social  nature.  It  was  not 
good  that  man  should  be  alone  ;  and  there- 
fore a  helper  that  should  be  meet,  or  suit- 
able, was  given  him.  The  place  assign- 
ed to  the  woman  in  Heathen  and  Ma- 
homedan  countries  has  been  highly  de- 
grading; and  the  place  assigned  her  by 
modern  infidels  is  not  njuch  better. 
Christianity  is  the  only  religion  that  con- 
forms to  the  original  design,  that  confines 
a  man  to  one  wife,  and  that  teaches  him 
to  treat  her  with  propriety.  Go  among 
the  enemies  of  the  gospel,  and  you  shall 
see  the  woman  either  reduced  to  abject 
slavery,  or  basely  flattered  for  the  vilest 
of  purposes  ;  but  in  Christian  families  you 
may  see  her  treated  with  honor  and  re- 
spect; treated  as  a  friend,  as  naturally  an 
equal,  a  soother  of  man's  cares,  a  soft- 
ener of  his  griefs,  and  a  partner  of  his 
joys.  2.  She  was  made  after  the  other 
creatures  were  named;  and,  consequent- 
ly, after  Adam,  having  seen  and  observ- 
ed all  the  animals,  had  found  none  of 
them  a  fit  companion  for  himself,  and  thus 
felt  the  want  of  one.  The  blessings  both 
of  nature  and  of  grace  are  greatly  endear- 
ed to  us  by  our  being  suffered  to  feel  the 
want  of  them  before  we  have  them.  3. 
She  was  made  out  of  man,  which  should 
lead  men  to  consider  their  wives  as  a 
part  of  themselves,  and  to  I  ve  them  as 
their  own  flesh.  The  woman  was  not 
taken,  it  is  true,  from  the  head,  neither 
was  she  taken  from  the  feet;  bu:  from 
somewhere  near  the  heart  !  4.  That 
which  was  now  done  would  be  a  standing: 


VAl.L    or    MAN. 


731 


law  of  nature.  Man  would  "  leave  fatlier 
and  mother,  and  cleave  to  liis  wile,  and 
lUm  twain  should  le  one  ilesh."  Finally  : 
ll  i«!  adiled,  "They  were  loth  naked,  and 
were  not  ashamed."  There  was  no  fiuiit, 
and  therefore  no  shame  :  shame  is  one  of 
the  Iruits  oi  sin. 


DISCOURSE  IV. 


THE    FALL    OF    M.\N. 


Gen.  iii.  1 — 7. 


We  have  hitherto  seen  man  as  God 
created  him,  upritrht  and  happy.  But 
here  we  lieliold  a  sad  reverse  :  the  intro- 
duction of  moral  evil  into  our  world,  the 
source  ol   all  our  misery. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  .ser- 
pent was  used  as  an  instrument  of  Satan, 
who  hence  is  called  "  that  old  serpent,  the 
devil."  The  subtilty  of  this  creature 
might  answer  his  purposes.  The  account 
of  the  serpent  speaking  to  the  woman 
might  lead  us  to  a  number  of  curious 
questions,  on  which,  after  all,  we  might 
be  unable  to  ol)tain  satisfaction.  Wheth- 
er we  are  to  understand  this,  or  the  temp- 
tations of  our  Lord  in  the  wilderness,  as 
spoken  in  an  audil)le  voice,  or  not,  I  shall 
not  take  upon  me  to  decide.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  either  case,  it  is  certain, 
from  the  wlicle  tenor  of  Scri|)ture,  tliat 
evil  s{)irils  have,  by  the  divine  jicrmission, 
access  to  human  minds  :  not  indeed  so  as  to 
be  able  to  impel  us  to  sin  without  ourcon 
sent ;  but  it  may  be  in  some  such  manner  as 
men  influence  each  other's  minds  to  evil. 
Such  seems  to  be  the  proper  id<a  of  a 
tempter.  We  are  conscious  of  what  we 
choose;  but  are  scarcely  at  all  acquaint- 
ed with  the  things  that  induce  choice.  We 
are  exposed  to  innumerable  influences  ; 
and  have  therefore  reason  to  pray,  "  Lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  delixer  us 
from  evil  I" 

With  respect  to  the  temptation  itself, 
it  begins  by  calling  in  question  the  Irvth 
of  God. — is  it  true  that  God  has  proliil)- 
ited  any  tree  1  Can  it  be  T  For  w  hat 
was  it  created  1 — Such  are  the  inquiries 
of  wicked  men  to  this  day.  "For  what 
are  the  objects  of  jileasure  made,"  say 
they,  "  but  to  be  enjoyed  1  Why  did  God 
create  meats  and  drinks,  and  dogs  and 
horses  1  What  are  appetites  for,  but  to 
le  indulged  ]"  We  might  answer,  among 
other  things,  to  try  them  who  dwell  on  the 
earth. 

It  seems  also  to  contain 'an  insinuation 
that  if  man  must  not  eat  of  every  tree,  he 
might  as  well  eat   of    noue.      And    thus 


discontent  continues  to  overlook  the  pood, 
and  pores  upon  the  one  thing  wauling. 
''  All  this  availelh  me  nothing,  so  long  as 
Mordecai  is  at  the  gate." 

Ver.  '2,  3.  The  answer  of  Eve  seems 
to  lie  very  good  at  llie  outset.  She  very 
proi)erly  repels  (he  insinualion  against  the 
giodnessof  God,  as  though,  because  he 
had  withheld  one  tree,  he  liad  withheld, 
or  might  as  well  have  wilidield,ali.  "  No," 
says  she,  "we  nuiy  eat  of  the  fruit  of 
the  trees  of  the  garden  ;  there  is  only  one 
withheld."  She  also,  with  equal  proprie- 
ty and  decision,  repelled  the  doui't  which 
the  tempter  liad  raised  respecting  the  pro- 
hibition of  that  one.  Tiie  terms  ly  wiiich 
she  expresses  it  show  how  clearly  she 
understood  the  mind  of  God,  and  what  an 
impression  iiis  command  had  made  upon 
her  mind  :  "  Of  the  fruit  of  this  tree, 
God  hath  said.  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  i;  ; 
neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die  !"  We 
do  not  read  that  they  were  forbidden  to 
touch  it:  but  she  understood  a  prohil  i- 
tion  of  eating  to  contain  a  jirohibition 
of  touching.  And  this  exposition  of  the 
woman,  while  upright,  afi'ords  a  good  rule 
to  us.  If  we  would  shun  e\il,  we  must 
shun  the  appearance  of  it,  and  all  the 
avenues  which  lead  to  it.  To  parley  with 
temptation  is  to  play  with  fire.  In  all  this 
Eve  sinned  not,  nor  charged  God  fool- 
ishly. 

Ver.  4,  5.  The  wily  serpent  now  pro- 
ceeds to  a  second  attack.  Mark  the  pro- 
gress of  the  temptation.  At  the  outset 
he  only  suggested  his  doubts  ;  but  now  he 
deals  in  j)Ositive  assertion.  In  this  man- 
ner the  most  important  errors  creep  into 
the  mind.  He  who  sets  off" with  apparent- 
ly modest  doubts  will  often  be  seen  to 
end  in  downright  infidelity. 

The  positivity  of  the  tempter  might  be 
designed  to  oppose  that  of  the  woman. 
She  is  peremptory  ;  he  also  is  perem|)to- 
ry  ;  opposing  assertion  to  assertion.  This 
artifice  of  Satan  is  often  seen  in  his  min- 
isters. Nothing  is  more  common  than 
for  the  most  false  and  pernicious  doc- 
trines to  be  advanced  witli  a  iioidness  that 
stuns  the  minds  of  the  simple,  and  in- 
duces a  doubt  :  "  Surely  I  must  be  in 
the  wrong,  and  they  in  the  right,  or  they 
could  not  be  so  confident." 
Yet  the  tempter,  it  is  observable,  does  not 
positively  deny  that  God  might  have  said 
so  and  so  :  for  this  would  have  been  call- 
ing in  question  the  veracity  of  Eve,  or 
denying  what  she  knew  to  be  true  ;  wliich 
must  have  defeated  his  end.  But  he  in- 
sinuates that,  whatever  God  might  have 
said,  which  he  would  not  now  disjjute, 
it  would  not  in  the  end  prove  so.  Sa- 
tan will  no  be  so  unpoiite  as  to  call  in 
question  either  the  honor  or  the  under- 
standing of  Eve,  but  scruples  not  to  make 


732 


EXPOSXTIO.N     OF    GENESIS. 


God  a  liar :  yea,  and  has  the  impu- 
dence to  say  that  God  knew  that,  instead 
of  proving  an  evil,  it  would  be  a  benefit. 
Alas,  how  often  has  man  been  flattered 
by  the  ministers  of  Satan  at  God's  ex- 
pense !  Surely  we  need  not  be  at  a  loss 
in  judging  whence  those  doctrines  pro- 
ceed which  invalidate  the  divine  threat- 
enings,  and  teach  siimers  going  on  still  in 
their  trespass,  "  Ye  shall  not  surely  die.'" 
Nor  those  which  lead  men  to  consider  the 
divine  prohibitions  as  aimed  to  diminish 
their  happiness;  or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  to  think  it  rigid  or  hard  that  we 
should  be  obliged  to  comply  with  them. 
And  those  doctrines  which  flatter  our 
pride,  or  provoke  a  vain  curiosity  to  pry 
into  things  unseen,  proceed  from  the 
same  quarter.  By  aspiring  to  be  a  god, 
man  became  too  much  like  a  devil;  and, 
where  human  reason  takes  upon  itself  to 
set  aside  revelation,  the  effects  will  con- 
tinue to  be  much  the  same. 

Ver.  6.  This  poison  had  effect  ....  the 
woman  paused  ....  looked  at  the  fruit 
....  it  began  to  appear  desirable  .... 
she  felt  a  wish  to  be  wise  ....  in  short, 
she  took  of  the  fruit  ....  and  did  eat ! 
But  was  she  not  alarmed  when  she  had 
eaten  ^  It  seems  not ;  and,  feeling  no 
such  consequences  follow  as  she  perhaps 
expected,  ventured  even  to  persuade  her 
husband  to  do  as  she  had  done  ;  and  with 
her  persuasion  he  complied.  The  con- 
nection between  sin  and  misery  is  certain, 
but  not  always  immediate  :  its  immediate 
effects  are  deception  and  stupefaction, 
which  commonly  induce  the  party  to  draw 
others  into  the  same  condition. 

It  does  not  appear  that  Adam  was  de- 
ceived ;  but  the  woman  only. — 1  Tim.  ii. 
14.  He  seems  to  have  sinned  with  his 
eyes  open  ;  and  perhaps  from  love  to  his 
wife.  It  was  the  first  time,  but  not  the 
last,  in  which  Satan  has  made  use  of  the 
nearest  and  tenderest  parts  of  ourselves, 
to  draw  our  hearts  from  God.  Lawful 
affection  may  become  a  snare.  If  the 
nearest  relation  or  friend  tempt  us  to  de- 
part from  God,  we  must  not  hearken. 
When  the  woman  had  sinned  against  God, 
it  was  the  duty  of  her  husband  to  have 
disowned  her  forever,  and  to  have  lei't  it 
to  his  Creator  to  provide  for  his  social 
comfort  :  but  a  fond  attachment  to  the 
creature  overcame  him.  He  hearkened 
to  her  voice,  and  plunged  headlong  into 
her  sin. 

Ver.  7.  And  now,  having  both  sinned, 
they  begin  to  be  sensible  of  its  effects. 
Conscious  innocence  has  forsaken  them. 
Consious  guilt,  remorse,  and  shame,  pos- 
sess them.  Their  eyes  are  now  opened 
indeed,  as  the  tempter  had  said  they 
would  be  ;  Jbut  it    is    to    sights  of  wo. 


Their  naked  bodies,  for  the  first  time,  ex- 
cite shame ;  and  are  emblems  of  their 
souls  ;  which,  stripped  of  their  original 
righteousness,  are  also  stripped  of  their 
honor,  security,  and  happiness. 

To  hide  their  outward  nakedness,  they 
betake  tliemselves  to  the  leaves  of  the 
garden.  This,  as  a  great  writer  observes, 
was  "to  cover,  not  to  cure."  And  to 
what  else  is  all  the  labor  of  sinners  di- 
rected 1  Is  it  not  to  conceal  the  bad,  and  to 
appear  what  they  are  not,  that  they  are 
continually  studying  and  contriving  1  And, 
being  enabled  to  impose  upon  one  anoth- 
er, they  with  little  difficulty  impose  upon 
themselves,  "  trusting  in  themselves  that 
they  are  righteous,  and  despising  others." 
But  all  is  mere  show,  and  when  God 
comes  to  summon  them  to  his  bar  will 
prove  of  no  account. 


DISCOURSE    V. 

THE    TRIAL    OF    THE    TRANSGRESSORS. 
Gen.  iii.  8 — 14. 

Ver.  8.  We  have  seen  the  original 
transgression  of  our  first  parents ;  and 
now  we  see  them  called  to  account  and 
judged.  The  Lord  God  is  represented  as 
"  walking  in  the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the 
day;"  that  is,  in  the  evening.  This 
seems  to  denote  the  ordinary  and  intimate 
communion  which  man  enjoyed  with  his 
Maker,  while  he  kept  his  first  estate.  We 
may  be  at  a  loss  in  forming  an  idea  how 
God  could  iculk  in  the  garden,  and  how  he 
spoke;  but  he  was  not  at  a  loss  how  to  hold 
communion  with  them  that  loved  him.  To 
accommodate  it  to  our  weak  capacities,  it 
is  represented  under  the  form  of  the  own- 
er ot  a  garden  taking  his  evening  walk  in 
it,  to  see,  as  we  should  say,  "  whether  the 
vine  flourished,  and  the  pomegranates 
budded  ;"  to  see  and  converse  with  those 
whom  he  had  placed  over  it. 

The  cool  of  the  day,  which  to  God  was 
the  season  for  visiting  his  creatures,  may, 
as  it  respects  man,  denote  a  season  of  re- 
jiection.  We  may  sin  in  the  day  time  ; 
but  God  will  call  us  to  account  at  night. 
Many  a  one  has  done  that  in  the  Jieat  and 
bustle  of  the  day  which  has  afforded  bit- 
ter reflection  in  the  cooZ  of  the  evening; 
and  such,  in  many  instances,  has  proved 
the  evening  of  life. 

Tiie  voice  of  God  was  heard,  it  seems, 
before  any  thing  was  seen  :  and  as  heap- 
pears  to  have  acted  towards  man  in  his 
usual  way,  and  as  though  he  knew  of 
nothing  that  had  taken  place  till  he  had  it 
from  his  own  mouth,  we  may  consider  this 


TIIF.    7n\NS{;RK.';SORs      TfUAI. 


733 


as  the  voice  of  kliulnoss  ;  such,  whatever 
it  was,  as  Aihiin  had  used  to  hoar  IttMore- 
time,  and  on  tlie  lirsl  sound  of  which  he 
and  his  companion  liad  licen  used  to  draw 
near,  as  siiecpat  tlie  voice  of  llic  siieplicrd, 
or  as  children  to  the  voice  ol  a  father.  Tlie 
voice  of  one  whom  we  love  conveys  life 
to  our  hearts  :  hut  alas,  it  is  not  so  now  ! 
Not  only  does  conscious  ijuilt  make  them 
afraid,  hut  contrariety  ol  heart  to  a  holy 
God  rentiers  them  unwillii:;:  to  draw  near 
to  him.  The  kindest  lantcua<re,  to  one 
who  is  hecome  an  enemy,  will  work  in  a 
wronj;  way.  "  Let  lavor  he  showed  to 
the  wicked,  yet  will  he  not  learn  right- 
eousness :  in  the  land  of  uprightness 
will  he  deal  unjustly,  and  will  not  hehold 
the  majesty  of  the  Lord."  Instead  of 
coming  at  his  call,  as  usual,  they  "  hide 
themselves  from  his  presence  among  the 
trees  of  the  garden."  Great  is  the  cow- 
ardice which  attaches  to  guilt.  It  flies 
from  God,  and  from  all  approaches  to  him 
in  prayer  'or  praise  ;  yea,  Ironi  the  very 
thoughts  of  him,  and  of  death  and  judg- 
ment, when  they  must  appear  before  him. 
But  wherefore  flee  to  the  trees  of  the  gar- 
den 1  Can  they  screen  them  from  the 
eyes  of  Him  with  whom  they  have  to  do  1 
Alas,  they  could  not  hide  themselves  and 
their  nakedness  from  their  own  eyes  ;  how 
then  should  they  elude  discovery  before 
an  omniscient  God  ?  But  we  see  here  to 
what  a  stupid  and  besotted  state  of  mind 
sin  had  already  reduced  them. 

Ver.  9.  God's  general  voice  of  kind- 
ness receiving  no  answer,  he  is  more  par- 
ticular ;  calling  Adam  by  name,  and  in- 
quiring, "  Where  art  thou  1"  In  vain 
does  the  sinner  hide  himself:  the  Almigh- 
ty will  find  him  out  !  If  he  answers  not 
to  the  voice  of  God  in  his  word,  he  shall 
have  a  special  summons  served  upon  him 
before  lonsi  Observe  what  the  summons 
was  :  "  Where  art  thou  ]  It  seems  to  be 
the  language  of  injured  friendship.  As  if 
he  should  say.  How  is  it  that  I  do  not 
meet  thee  as  heretofore  ]  What  have  I 
done  unto  thee,  and  wherein  have  I  weari- 
ed thee  1  Havel  been  a  barren  wilder- 
ness, or  a  land  of  drought  1  How  is  it 
that  thou  hailest  not  my  approach  as  on 
former  occasions  1 — It  was  also  language 
adapted  to  lead  him  to  reflection  :  "  Where 
art  thou  V  Ah,  where  indeed!  God  is 
thus  interrogating  sinful  men.  Sinner, 
where  art  thou  1  What  is  thy  condition? 
In  what  way  art  thou  walking,  and  whither 
will  it  lead  thee  1 

Ver.  10.  To  this  trying  question  man 
is  compelled  to  answer.  See  with  what 
ease  God  can  bring  the  offender  to  his 
bar.  He  has  oidy  to  speak,  and  it  is  done. 
"  He  shall  call  to  "the  heavens    and    the 


earth,  that  he  may  judge  his  people."  But 
what  answers  can  be  made  to  him'?  "I 
heard  thy  voice  in  the  garden." — Did 
you?     Then  you  cannot  plead  ignorance. 

— No,    but    something    worse  : "  I   was 

afraid,  because  I  was  naked, and  I  hid  my- 
self." Take  notice,  he  says  nothing 
about  his  sin,  but  merely  speaks  of  its 
ejf'ecls:  such  as  fear,  and  conscious  naked- 
ness or  guilt.  The  language  of  a  con- 
trite spirit  would  have  been,  "  I  have  sin- 
ned !"  But  this  is  the  language  of  im- 
penitent misenj.  It  is  of  the  same  nature 
as  that  of  Cain  :  "  My  punishment  is 
heavier  than  I  can  bear  !  "  This  spirit  is 
often  api)arent  in  persons  imder  first  con- 
victions, or  when  brought  low  by  adversi- 
ty or  drawing  near  to  death  ;  all  intent  on 
bewailing  their  misery,  but  insensil)le  to 
the  evil  of  their  sin.  To  what  a  condi- 
tion has  sin  reduced  us  !  Stripped  naked 
to  our  shame,  we  are  afraid  to  meet  the 
kindest  and  best  of  Beings!  Oh  reader! 
we  must  now  be  clothed  with  a  better 
righteousness  than  our  own,  or  how  shall 
we  stand  before  him  ! 

Ver.  11.  Adam  began,  as  I  have  said, 
with  the  effects  of  his  sin  ;  but  God  di- 
rected him  to  the  cause  of  those  efTects. — 
Naked  !  How  came  such  a  thought  into 
thy  mind  %  The  nakedness  of  thy  bodv, 
with  which  I  created  thee,  was  no  naked- 
ness :  neither  fear  nor  shame  attached  to 
that.  What  meanest  thou  by  being  naked  T 
Still  there  is  no  confession.  The  truth 
will  not  come  out  without  a  direct  inquiry 
on  the  subject.  Here  then  it  follows  : 
"  Hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I 
commanded  thee  that  thou  shouldst  not 
eat  1  "  Thus  the  sinner  stands  convicted. 
Now  we  might  suppose  he  would  ha  ve 
fallen  at  the  feet  of  his  Maker,  and  have 
pleaded  guilty.  But  oh  the  hardening  na- 
ture of  sin  ! 

Ver.  12.  Here  is,  it  is  true,  a  confes- 
sion of  his  sin.  It  comes  out  at  last :  "  I 
did  eat  ;"  but  with  what  a  circuitous,  ex- 
tenuating preamble,  a  preamble  which 
makes  bad  worse.  The  first  word  is, 
The  woman  ;  ay,  the  woman  ;  it  was  not 
my  fault,  but  hers.  "  The  woman  whom 
thou  gavest  to  be  with  me  " — It  was  not 
I,  it  was  thou  thyself!  If  thou  hadst  not 
given  this  woman  to  be  with  me,  I  should 
have  continued  obedient. — Nay,  and  as  if 
he  suspected  that  the  Almightydid  not  no- 
tice his  plea  sufficiently,  he  repeats  it  em- 
phatically :  ",S7ie  gave  me,  and  I  did  eat !" 
Such  a  confession  was  infinitely  worse 
than  none.  Yet  such  is  the  spirit  of  fall- 
en man  to  this  day  :  It  was  not  I  ....  it 
was  my  wife,  or  my  husband,  or  my  ac- 
quaintance, that  persuaded  me  ;  or  it  was 
my  situation  in  life,  in   vviiich  thou  didst 


734 


EXPOSITION     OV    GENESIS. 


place  me  ! — Thus  "  the  foolishness  of  man 
perverlelli  his  way,  and  his  heart  freltclh 
against  the  Lord." 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  God  makes 
nn  answer  to  these  perverse  excuses. — 
They  were  unworthy  an  answer.  The 
Lord  proceeds,  like  an  aggrieved  friend 
who  would  not  multiply  words  :  I  see  how 
it  is  :   stand  aside  ! 

Ver.  13.  Next  the  woman  is  called, 
and  examined  :  "  What  is  this  thou  hast 
donel  "  The  question  implies  that  it  was 
no  trifling  thing;  and  the  effects  which 
have  followed,  and  will  follow,  confirm  it. 
But  let  us  hear  the  woman's  answer.  Did 
she  plead  guilty  1  The  circumstance  of 
her  being  first  in  the  transgression,  and 
the  tempter  of  her  husband,  one  should 
have  thought,  would  have  shut  her  mouth 
at  least  ;  a;id,  being  also  of  the  weaker 
sex,  it  might  have  been  expected  that  she 
would  not  have  gone  on  to  provoke  the 
vengeance  of  her  Creator.  But  lo  !  she 
also  shifts  the  blame  :  "  The  serpent  be- 
guiled me,  and  I  did  eat." — I  was  deceiv- 
ed. I  did  not  mean  evil;  but  was  drawn 
into  it  ihrough  the  wiles  of  an  evil  being. 
— Such  is  the  excuse  which  multitudes 
make  to  this  day,  when  they  can  find  no 
belter  : — The  devil  tempted  me  to  it  ! — 
Still  God  continues  his  forbearance ; — 
makes  no  answer;  but  orders  her  as  it 
were,  to  stand  aside. 

Ver.  14.  And  now  the  serpent  is  ad- 
dressed :  but  mark  the  difference.  Here 
is  no  question  put  to  him,  but  merely  a 
doom  pronounced.  Wherefore  1  Because 
no  mercy  was  designed  to  be  shown  him. 
He  is  treated  as  an  avowed  and  sworn  en- 
emy. There  was  no  doubt  wherefore  he 
had  done  it,  and  therefore  no  reason  is 
asked  of  his  conduct. 

The  workings  of  conviction  in  the  minds 
of  men  are  called  the  strivings  of  the  Spir- 
it, and  afford  a  hope  of  mercy.  Though 
they  are  no  certain  sign  of  grace  received 
(as  there  was  nothing  good  at  jiresent  in 
our  first  i)arents),  yet  they  are  the  work- 
ings of  a  merciful  God,  and  prove  that  he 
has  not  given  over  the  sinner  to  hopeless 
ruin.  But  the  serpent  has  nothing  to  ex- 
pect but  a  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment. 
The  form  under  which  Satan  is  cursed 
is  that  of  the  serpent.  To  a  superficial 
reader  it  might  appear  that  the  vengeance 
of  Heaven  was  directed  against  the  ani- 
mal, distinguishing  him  from  all  cattle, 
subjecting  him  to  a  most  abject  life,  con- 
demning him  to  creep  upon  his  belly,  and 
of  course  to  have  his  food  besmeared  with 
dust.  But  was  God  angry  with  the  ser- 
pent 1  No  :  but  as  under  that  form  Satan 
had  tempted  the  woman,  so  that  shall  be 
the  form  under  which  he  shall  receive  his 
doom.     The  spirit  of  the  sentence  appears 


to  be  tMs — Cursed  art  thou  ;  bove  all  crea- 
tures, .n.l  above  every  thin;,  that  God  hath 
made.  Aliseral  le  shall  Iho'.  be  to  an  end- 
less durati m  !  —  Sonic  h,.ve  thought,  and 
the  passage  gives  some  countenance  to  the 
idea,  that  the  state  of  fallen  angels  was 
not  hopeless  till  now.  If  it  had,  the  curse 
could  only  have  added  a  i^reater  degree  of 
misery. 


DISCOURSE  VI. 

THE     CUnSE      OF    ''sATAN,      INCLUDING    A 

BLESSING  TO     MAN EFFECTS    OF    THE 

FALL. 

Gen.  ill.  15 — 24. 

Ver.  15.  By  all  that  had  hitherto  been 
said  and  done,  God  appears  to  have  con- 
cealed from  man  who  was  his  tempter; 
and  for  this  reason,  among  others,  to  have 
pronounced  the  doom  on  Satan  under  the 
form  of  a  curse  upon  the  serpent.  By 
this  we  may  learn  that  it  is  of  no  account, 
as  to  the  criminality  of  sin,  whence  it 
comes,  or  by  whom  or  what  we  are  tempt- 
ed to  it.  If  we  choose  it,  it  is  ours,  and 
we  must  be  accountable  for  it. 

But  mark  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God:  as  under  the  form  of  cursing  the 
serpent  he  had  pronounced  a  most  tremen- 
dous doom  on  the  tempter,  so  under  the 
form  of  this  doom  is  covertly  intimated  a 
design  of  mercy  the  most  transcendent  to 
the  tempted  !  If  man  had  been  in  a  suit- 
able state  of  mind,  the  promise  might  have 
been  direct,  and  addressed  to  him  :  but  he 
was  not;  for  his  heart,  whatever  it  might 
be  afterwards,  was  as  yet  hardened  against 
God.  It  was  fit,  therefore,  that  whatever 
designs  of  mercy  were  entertained  con- 
cerning him,  or  his  posterity,  they  should 
not  be  given  in  the  form  of  a  promise  to 
him,  hut  of  threatening  to  Satan.  The 
situation  of  Adam  and  Eve  at  this  time 
was  like  that  of  sinners  under  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel.  The  intimation  con- 
cerning the  W^oman's  Seed  would  indeed 
imply  that  she  and  her  husband  should  live 
in  the  world,  that  she  should  bring  forth 
children,  and  that  God  would  carry  on  an 
opposition  to  the  cause  of  evil  :  but  it  does 
not  ascertain  their  salvation  ;  and,  if  there 
appear  nothing  more  in  their  favor  in  the 
following  part  of  the  history  than  what  has 
hitherto  appeared,  we  shall  have  no  go  d 
ground  to  conclude  that  either  of  them  is 
gone  to  heaven.  The  Messiah  might  come 
as  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  and  might  de- 
scend from  them  after  the  flesh,  and  yet 
they  might  h  ve  no  portion  in  him. 

But  let  us   view    this   famous   passage 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    FALL. 


735 


more  particularly,  and  that  in  tlic  light  in 
which  it  is  iierc  represented,  as  a  threaten- 
ing to  the  serpent.  This  threatenin;j:  does 
not  so  much  respect  tiic  person  of  the 
grand  adversary  ol  God  and  man  as  his 
cause  and  kingdom  in  the  world.  He  will 
be  puiiisiied  in  his  person  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed ;  hut  this  respects  the  manil'est- 
ation  of  tiie  Son  of  God  to  destroy  his 
works.  There  are  four  things  iierc  in- 
timated, each  of  whici:  i^  worlliy  of  no- 
tice. 1.  The  ruin  of  Satan's  cause  \\as 
to  be  accomplished  by  one  in  hu)nun  na- 
ture. This  must  liave  been  not  a  little 
mortifying  to  liis  pride.  If  he  must  fall, 
and  could  have  had  his  choice  as  to  the 
mode,  he  might  rather  liave  wished  to  have 
been  crushed  V)y  the  immediate  hand  of 
God;  for,  however  lerrihle  that  hand 
might  b.e,  it  >>ould  be  less  humiliating  tlian 
to  he  subdued  by  one  of  a  nature  inferior 
to  his  own.  Tiie  human  nature  especially 
appears  to  have  become  odious  in  his  eyes. 
It  is  possible  that  the  rejoicings  of  eternal 
wisdom  over  man  wer;'  known  in  heaven, 
and  first  excited  his  envy;  and  that  his 
attempt  to  ruin  tlie  human  race  was  an  act 
of  revenge.  If  so,  there  was  a  peculiar 
fitness  that  from  7?i«)i  should  proce.  d  his 
overthrow.  2.  It  was  to  be  accomplished 
by  the  seed  of  the  icoinan.  This  would 
be  more  humiliating  still.  Satan  had 
made  use  of  her  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
poses, and  God  would  defeat  his  schemes 
through  the  same  medium  ;  and  by  iiow 
much  he  had  despised  and  abused  her,  in 
making  her  the  instrument  of  drawing  her 
husband  aside,  by  so  much  would  he  le 
mortified  in  being  overcome  by  one  of  her 
descendants.  3.  The  victory  sl.ould  l.e 
obtained,  not  only  by  the  Messiah  him- 
self, but  by  all  iiis  adherents.  Tlie  seed 
of  the  woman,  though  it  primarily  refer- 
red to  him,  yet,  hoing  opposed  to  "  the  seed 
of  the  serpent,"  includes  all  that  believe 
in  him.  And  lliere  is  little  or  no  doubt 
that  the  account  in  Rev.  xii.  17,  has  allu- 
sion to  this  passage:  "And  the  dragon 
was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to 
make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed, 
who  keep  the  commancUnonts  of  God,  and 
the  faith  of  Jesus."  Now,  if  it  were 
mortifying  for  Satan  to  be  overcome  by 
the  Messiah  himself,  considered  as  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  how  much  more  when, 
in  addition  to  this,  every  individual  be- 
liever shall  be  made  to  come  near,  and  as 
it  were  set  his  feet  upon  ihc  neck  of  his 
enemy'?  Finally:  Though  it  should  be  a 
long  war,  and  the  cause  of  the  serpent 
would  often  be  successful,  yet  in  the  end 
it  should  he  utterly  ruined.  The  head  is 
the  seat  of  life,  which  the  heel  is  not :  by 
this  language,  therefore,  it  is  intimated 
that  the  life  of  Christ's  cause  should  not 


be  afl'ected  by  nnv  p'H  of  Sntnn's  opposi- 
tion ;  but  that  the  life  of  Satan's  cause 
should  l)y  that  of  Christ.  For  this  pur- 
pose is  he  manifested  in  human  nature, 
that  he  may  destroy  the  works  of  tlie  devil  ; 
and  he  will  never  desist  till  he  ha\e  utter- 
ly crusiied  his   power. 

Now,  as  the  threatcnings  against  Baby- 
lon conveved  good  news  lo  the  church,  so 
this  thr»'atoning  against  tiie  old  serpent  is 
lull  of  mercy  to  men.  But  for  this  enmity 
which  God  would  put  into  the  woman's 
seed  against  iiim,  he  would  iiave  had  eve- 
ry thing  his  own  way,  and  every  child  of 
man  would  have  had  his  portion  with  him 
and  his  angels. 

From  the  wiiole,  we  see  that  Christ  is 
I'l  foundation  and  suiistance  of  all  true 
religion  since  the  fall  of  man,  and,  therc- 
ibre,  that  the  only  way  of  salvation  is  by 
fait!)  in  him.  We  see  also  the  importance 
of  a  decided  attachment  to  him  and  his 
interest.  There  are  two  great  armies  in 
the  world,  Michael  and  his  angels  warring 
against  the  dragon  and  his  angels  ;  and, 
according  lo  the  side  we  take,  such  will 
be  our  end. 

Ver.  16 — 19.  The  sentence  of  the  wo- 
man, and  of  the  man,  whicjj  follows,  like 
the  rest,  is  under  a  veil.  Nothing  but 
temporal  evils  are  mentioned  ;  but  these 
are  not  the  whole.  Paul  teaches  us  that, 
by  the  ofTense  of  one,  judgment  came  up- 
on all  men  to  condemnalion ;  and  such  a 
condcnmalion  as  stands  opposed  lo  justifi- 
cation of  life. — Rom.  v.  18.  See  on  chap, 
iv.  11,  12,  p.  49.  The  woman's  load  in 
this  life  was  sorrow  in  bearing  children, 
and  subjection  to  her  husband.  The  com- 
mand to  be  fruitful  and  multiply  might 
originally,  for  aught  I  Unow,  include  some 
degree  of  jiain  ;  lut  now  it  should  be 
"greatly  multiplied  :"  and  ihere  was  doubt- 
less a  natur<vl  subordination  in  innocency  ; 
but  through  sin  woman  becomes  compar- 
atively a  slave.  This  is  especially  the 
case  where  sin  reigns  uncontrolled,  as  in 
heathen  and  Mahomedan  countries.  Chris- 
tianilv,  h')wever,  so  far  a^  it  operates, 
counteracts  it  ;  restoring  woman  to  her 
original  state,  that  of  a  friend  and  com- 
panion. See  on  chap.  ii.  IS — 25.  The 
sentence  on  man  points  cut  to  him  where- 
in consisted  his  sin  ;  namely,  in  hearken- 
ing to  the  voice  of  his  wife,  rather  than  to 
God.  What  a  solenm  lesson  does  this 
teach  us  against  loving  the  creature  more 
than  the  Creator,  and  hearkening  to  any 
counsel  to  the  rejection  of  his  !  And,  with 
respect  to  his  punisliment,  il  is  worthy  of 
notice  that  as  that  of  Eve  was  common  to 
her  daughters,  so  that  of  Adatn  extends 
to  the  whole  human  race.  The  ground  is 
cursed  for  his  sake — cursed  with  barren- 
ness.    God  would,  as  it  were,  take  no  de- 


736 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


light  in  blessing  it ;  as  well  he  might  not,  to  have  been  known  only  by  the  name  of 
for  all  would  be  perverted  to  and  become  woman  ;  but  now  he  calls  her^i-c,  that  is, 
the  food  of  rebellion.  The  more  he  should  life,  living,  or  the  mother  of  all  living. 
bless  the  earth,  the  more  wicked  would  He  might  possibly  have  understood  from 
be  its  inhabitants.  Man  also  himself  is  the  beginning,  that  the  sentence  of  death 
doomed  to  wretchedness  upon  it :  he  would  not  prevent  the  existence  of  the 
should  drag  on  the  few  years  that  he  human  race,  or,  if  not,  what  had  Vjeen 
might  live  in  sorrow  and  misery,  of  which  said  of  the  woman's  seed  would  at  least 
Ihe  thorns  and  thistles  which  it  should  satisfy  him  on  the  subject, 
spontaneously  produce,  were  but  em-  But  it  is  generally  supposed,  and  there 
blems.  God  had  given  him  before  to  seems  to  be  ground  for  the  supposition, 
eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  trees  of  the  garden;  that  in  calling  his  wife  Ife,  or  living,  he 
but  now  he  must  be  expelled  thence,  intended  more  than  that  she  would  be  the 
and  take  his  portion  with  the  brutes,  motiier  of  all  mankind;  that  it  is  expres- 
and  live  upon  the  herb  of  the  field.  He  sive  of  his  I'aith  in  tiie  promise  of  her  vic- 
was  allowed  bread,  but  it  should  be  by  torious  Seed  destroying,  what  Satan  had 
the  sweat  of  his  face  ;  and  this  is  the  lot  succeeded  in  introducing — death,  and  that 
of  the  great  body  of  mankind.  The  end  thus  she  should  be  the  means  of  immortal 
of  this  miserable  state  of  existence  was  life  to  all  who  should  live  in  him.  If  such 
that  he  should  return  to  his  native  dust,  was  his  meaning,  we  may  consider  this  as 
Here  the  sentence  leaves  him.  A  veil  is,  the  first  evidence  in  favor  of  his  being  re- 
at  present,  drawn  over  a  future  world  :  but  newed  in  the  spirit  of  his  njind. 
we  elsewhere  learn  that  at  what  time  "t[ie  Vcr.  21.  By  the  coats  of  skins  where- 
flesh  returns  to  dust,  the  spirit  returns  to  with  the  Lord  God  clothed  them,  it  seems 
God  who  gave  it;"  and  that  the  same  to  be  implied  that  animals  were  slain,  and, 
sentence  which  appointed  man  "once  to  as  they  were  not  at  that  time  slain  lor  food, 
die  "  added,  "  but  after  this  the  judg-  it  is  highly  probable  they  were  slain  for 
nient."  sacrifice,    especially    as    this     practice    is 

It  is  painful  to  trace  the  different  parts  mentioned  in  the  life  of  Abel.  Sacrifices 
of  this  melancholy  sentence,  and  their  ful-  therefor^  appear  to  have  been  ordained  of 
filment  in  the  world  to  this  day  :  yet  there  God,  to  teach  man  his  desert,  and  the  way 
is  a  bright  side  even  to  this  dark  cloud,  in  which  he  must  be  saved.  It  is  remark- 
Through  the  promised  Messiah  a  great  able  that  the  clothing  of  Adam  and  Eve 
many  things  pertaining  to  the  curse  are  is  ascribed  to  the  Lord  God,  and  that  it 
not  only  counteracted,  but  become  bless-  appears  to  have  succeeded  the  slender 
ings.  Uniier  his  glorious  reign  "  the  earth  covering  wherewith  they  had  attempted  to 
shall  yield  its  increase,  and  God,  our  own  cover  themselves.  Is  it  not  natural  to 
God,  delight  in  blessing  us."  And,  while  conclude  that  God  only  can  hide  our  mor- 
its  fruilfulness  is  withheld,  this  has  a  mer-  al  nakedness,  and  that  the  way  in  which 
ciful  tendency  to  stop  the  progress  of  sin;  he  does  it  is  hy  covering  us  with  the  right- 
for  if  the  whole  earth  were  like  the  plains  eousness  of  our  atoning  sacrifice] 
of  Sodom  in  fruitfulness,  which  are  com-  Ver.  2"2.  This  ironical  reflection  is  ex- 
pared  to  the  garden  of  God,  its  inhabit-  pressive  of  both  indignation  and  pity. — 
ants  would  be  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  in  Man  is  become  wonderfully  wise  !  Un- 
wickedness.  The  necessity  of  hard  la-  happy  creature  !  He  has  forever  forfeited 
bor,  coo,  in  obtaining  a  subsistence,  which  my  favor,  which  is  life,  and,  having  lost 
is  the  I't  of  the  far  greater  part  of  the  thing  signified,  let  him  have  no  access 
mankind,  tends  more  than  a  little,  by  sep-  to  the  sign.  He  has  broken  my  covenant: 
arating  men  from  each  other,  and  depress-  let  neither  him  nor  his  posterity  hencefor- 
ing  their  spirits,  to  restrain  them  from  the  ward  expect  to  regain  it  by  any  obedience 
excesses   of  evil.      All   the   afflictions   of    of  theirs.* 

the  present  life  contain  in  them  a  motive  Ver.  23,  24.  God  is  determined  that 
to  look  upward  for  a  better  portion  :  and  man  shall  not  so  much  as  dwell  in  the  gar- 
death  itself  is  a  monitor  to  warn  them  to  den  where  the  tree  of  life  grows,  but  be 
prepare  to  meet  their  God.  These  are  turned  out  as  into  the  wide  world.  He 
things  suited  to  a  sinful  world  :  and  where  shall  no  longer  live  upon  the  delicious 
they  are  sanctified,  as  they  are  to  believ-  fruits  of  Eden,  but  be  driven  to  seek  his 
ers  in  Christ,  they  become  real  blessings,  food  among  the  beasts  of  the  field  ;  and. 
To  them  they  are  "  light  afflictions,"  and  to  show  the  impossibility  of  his  ever  re- 
last  "  but  for  a  moment;"  and,  while  they  gaining  that  life  which  he  had  lost,  "cher- 
do  last,  "work  for  them  a  far  more  ex-  ubim  and  a  flamina;  sword  "  arc  placed  to 
ceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  To  guard  it.  Let  this  suffice  to  impress  us 
them,  in  short,  death  itself  is  introductory  with  that  important  truth,  "By  the  deeds 
to  everlasting  life. 

Ver.  20.     Adam's   wife  seems  hitherto  *  See  on  Chap.  ii.  9,  p.  10. 


tAl.N     A.NU    AliKL. 


of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  living  he  justi- 
fied;"  and  to  direct  us  to  a  tree  of  lil'c 
which  has  no  flaniintr  sword  to  prevent  our 
access  !  Y«!t  even  in  this,  as  in  the  other 
thrcatcnings,  we  may  perceive  a  niixtuic 
ol  mercy.  Man  had  rendered  his  days 
evil,  and  God  determines  tliey  shall  he  hut 
few.  It  is  well  lor  us  that  a  life  ol  sin  and 
sorrow  is  not  immortal. 


DISCOURSE     VII. 

THE    OFFERINGS    OF    CAIX    ANU    ABEL. 
Cen.  iv.  1—8. 

H.A.VING  seen  the  origin  of  sin  in  our 
world,  we  have  now  the  origin  and  prog- 
ress of  things  as  they  at  present  are  among 
mankind,  or  of  the  world  as  it  now  is. 

Ver.  1.  Adam  has  hy  his  wife  a  son, 
who  is  called  Cain  ;  viz.  a  possession  or 
ncqitisition  ;' for,  Sixid  Eve,  "I  have  gotten 
a  man  from  the  Lord  !  "  Many  learned 
men  have  rendered  it  a  man,  the  Lord; 
and  it  is  not  very  improbable  that  she 
should  understand  -'tiie  seed  of  the  wo- 
man "  of  her  immediate  ofi'spring;  but,  if 
so,  she  was  sadly  mistaken  I  However, 
it  expresses  what  we  have  not  seen  before, 
i.  e.  Eve's  failh  in  the  promise.  Even 
though  she  should  have  had  no  reference 
to  the  Messiah,  yet  it  shows  that  she  eyed 
God's  hand  in  what  was  given  her,  and 
viewed  it  as  a  great  blessing,  especially 
considering  what  a  part  she  had  acted.  In 
this  she  sets  an  example  to  parents  to 
reckon  their  children  "  a  heritage  from 
the  Lord."  Bui  she  also  affords  an  ex- 
ample of  the  uncertainty  of  human  hopes. 
Cain,  so  far  from  being  a  comfort  to  his 
parents,  proved  a  wicked  man;  yea,  a 
pattern  of  wickedness  ;  held  up  like  Jer- 
oboam, the  son  of  Nel»at,  as  a  warning  to 
others  :  "Not  as  Cain,  who  was  of  that 
wicked  one,  and  slew  his  brother  !"  The 
joys  attending  the  birth  of  a  child  require 
to  be  mixed  with  trembling;  "for  who 
knoweth  whether  he  shall  be  a  wise  man 
or  a  fool  1  " 

Ver.  2.  Eve  bears  Adam  another  son, 
who  was  called  Abel,  or  Hebel.  In  these 
names  we  probably  see  the  partiality  of 
parents  for  their  first-lioni  children.  Abel 
signifies  vanity,  or  a  vanishing  vapor. 
Prol)ably  he  was  not  so  goodly  a  child  in 
appearance  as  Cain,  and  did  not  seem 
likely  to  live  long.  The  hearts  and  hopes 
of  the  parents  did  not  seem  to  centre  in 
him,  but  in  his  brother.  But  God  seeth 
not  as  man  seeth.  In  bestowing  his  bless- 
ing, he  has  often  crossed  hands,  as  Jacob 
did  in  blessing  Ephraim   and  Manasseh. 

VOL.   I.  93 


"  He  chooseth  the  base  Ihintis  of  the 
world,  that  no  tlesh  should  glory  in  his 
j)rcscnce."  These  two  brotiiers  were  of 
ditVerenl  occupations;  one  a  husbandman, 
and  the  other  a  shepherd  ;  both  primitive 
employments,  and  both  very  proper. 

Ver.  3 — 5.  In  process  of  time  the  two 
brotiiers  both  present  their  ofleringfs  to 
God  :  this  speaks  something  in  favor  of 
their  parents,  who  had  brought  them  up 
"in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord."  Ainsworth  renders  it,  "At  the 
end  of  the  days,"  and  imderstands  it  of 
the  end  of  tlie  year,  which  was  then  in  au- 
tumn, the  time  of  the  gathering-in  of  the 
harvest  and  the  vintage.  The  institution 
of  a  solemn  i'ea.st  among  tlic  Israelites  on 
this  occasion  (Exod.  xxiii.  IG)  seems  there- 
fore to  have  borne  a  near  reseml)lance  to 
tiiat  which  was  practised  from  the  begin- 
ning. 

In  the  offerings  of  these  two  first-born 
sons  of  man,  we  see  the  essential  differ- 
ence between  spiritual  worship  and  that 
which  is  merely  formal.  As  to  ihe  jnatler 
of  which  their  offerings  were  composed, 
it  may  be  thought  there  was  nothing  par- 
ticularly defective  :  each  brought  what  he 
had.  There  is  indeed  no  mention  made 
of  Cain's  being  of  the  best  of  the  kind, 
which  is  noticed  of  Abel's.  And,  if  he 
neglected  this,  it  was  a  sign  that  his  heart 
was  not  much  in  it.  He  might  also,  no 
doubt,  have  obtained  a  lamb  out  of  his 
brother's  "flock  for  an  expiatory  sacrifice. 
But  the  chief  difference  is  that  which  is 
noticed  by  the  apostle:  "  By  faith  Abel 
offered  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than 
Cain."  Cain's  offering  was  just  what  a 
self-righteous  heart  would  offer  :  it  pro- 
ceeded on  the  i)rinciple  that  there  was  no 
breach  between  him  and  his  Creator,  so  as 
to  require  any  confession  of  sin,  or  res- 
pect to  an  atonement.  Such  offerings 
aliound  among  us  ;  but  they  are  "  without 
faith,"  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  they 
should  please  God.  The  offering  of  Abel 
I  need  not  describe  :  suffice  it  to  say,  it 
was  the  reverse  of  that  presented  by  Cain. 
It  was  the  best  of  the  kind,  and  included 
an  expiatory  sacrifice. 

The  result  was,  "  the  Lord  had  respect 
to  Abel  and  to  his  offering  :  but  unto  Cain 
and  his  offering  he  had  not  respect."  Thp 
one  was  probably  consumed  by  fire  from 
heaven  :  the  other  not  so.  This  we  know 
was  afterwards  a  common  token  oi'  the 
divine  acce}>tance. — Lev.  ix.  24.  Psa.  xx. 
3,  margin.  The  order  of  things  is  worthy 
of  notice.  God  first  accepted  Abel,  and 
then  his  offering.  If  he  had  been  justified 
on  the  ground  of  his  good  deeds,  the  order 
should  have  been  reversed  :  but,  believing 
in  the  Messiah,  he  was  accepted  for  his 
sake  ;  and,  being  so,  his  works  were  well- 


738 


EXPOSITION     Ot'    GtrSESIS. 


pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  And,  as 
Abel  Avas  accepted  as  a  believer,  so  Cain 
was  rejected  as  an  unbeliever.  Being  such, 
the  Lord  had  no  respect  to  him  :  he  was 
under  the  curse,  and  all  he  did  was  abhor- 
red in  his  eyes. 

The  rejection  of  Cain  and  his  offering 
operated  upon  him  very  powerfully.  If 
the  love  of  God  had  been  in  him,  he  would 
have  fallen  before  him,  as  Joshua  and  his 
brethren  did  when  Israel  was  driven  back  ; 
and  have  pleaded,  "  Show  me  wherefore 
tliou  contendest  with  me."  But  "  he  was 
ivroth,  and  his  countenance  fell."  Tliis  is 
just  what  might  be  expected  from  a  self- 
righteous,  proud  spirit,  who  thought  so 
highly  of  his  offering  as  to  imagine  that 
God  must  needs  be  pleased  with  it,  and 
with  him  on  account  of  it.  He  was  very 
wroth  ;  and  that  no  doubt  against  God 
himself,  as  well  as  against  his  brother.  He 
went  in  high  spirits,  like  the  Pharisee  to 
the  temple,  but  came  away  dejected  and 
full  of  foul  passions,  of  which  his  fallen 
countenance  was  but  the  index. 

Ver.  6,  7.  Cain  having  returned  home, 
the  Lord,  perhaps  in  a  dream  or  vision  of 
the  night,  expostulated  with  him.  "  Why 
art  thou  wroth!" — What  cause  is  there 
for  this  enmity  against  thy  Maker,  and 
envy  against  thy  brother  1 — Doubtless,  he 
thought  that  he  had  a  cause  ;  but  when  in- 
terrogated of  God  he  found  none.  "If 
thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accept- 
ed ]  And  unto  thee  shall  be  his  desire, 
and  thou  shalt  rule  over  him."  By  doing 
well  he  means  doing  as  Abel  did,  offering 
in  faith, which  is  the  only  well-doing  among 
sinful  creatures.  If  Cain  had  believed  in 
the  Messiah,  there  was  forgiveness  for  him, 
no  less  than  for  his  brother  ;  and  he  should 
also  have  had  the  excellence  attached  to 
the  first-born,  which  he  reckoned  he  had  a 
right  to,  and  the  loss  of  which  galled  him. 
"  If  thou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the 
door  ;*"  unforgiven,  to  go  down  with  thee 
to  the  grave,  and  to  rise  with  thee,  and 
appear  against  thee  in  judgment. 

Observe  how  things  are  ordered  in  the 
dealings  of  God  with  men.  Abel  was  not 
accepted  of  God /or  his  well-doing  ;  neith- 
er faith  nor  obedience  was  that  on  account 
of  which  he  was  justified,  but  the  right- 
eousness of  him  in  whom  he  believed.  Yet 
it  was  in  well-doing  that  he  obtained  eter- 
nal life. — Rom.  ii.  7.  Though  faith  was 
not  the  cause  of  the  Lord's  having  respect 
to  him,  nor  his  having  offered  in  faith  the 

*  This  clause,  which  is  in  the  middle  of  verse  7, 
I  suppose  should  he  in  a  parenthesis.  I  have  tiiere- 
fore  placed  the  first  and  l.isl  in  connection,  and  intro- 
duced this  after  them,  hy  whicli  the  sense  is  clear. 


cause  of  his  having  respect  to  his  works; 
yet  each  was  a  necessary  concomitant.  And 
this,  while  it  secures  the  interests  of  right- 
eousness in  the  righteous,  serves  to  silence 
the  wicked,  and  make  them  feel  the  jus- 
tice of  their  condemnation.  Thus,  at  the 
last  judgment,  though  every  one  who  is 
saved  will  be  saved  by  grace  only,  yet  all 
will  be  judged  according  to  their  works. 
Things  will  be  so  ordered  that  the  right- 
eous will  have  nothing  to  boast  of,  and  the 
wicked  nothing  to  complain  of,  inasmuch 
as  the  decision  in  both  cases  will  proceed 
according  to  character. 

But  though  Cain  was  silenced  by  the 
Almighty,  yet  his  malice  was  not  subdued 
but  rather  inflamed.  If  the  life  of  God 
had  been  within  his  reach  he  would  have 
killed  him  :  but  this  he  could  not  do. 
From  that  time,  therefore,  his  dark  soul 
meditated  revenge  upon  Abel,  as  being- 
God's  favorite,  his  OAvn  rival,  and  the  only 
object  within  his  power.  This  is  the  first 
instance  of  the  enmity  of  the  seed  of  the 
serpent  breaking  out  against  the  seed  of  the 
woman  ;  but  not  the  last !  Observe  the 
subtilty  and  treachery  with  which  it  was 
accomplished  :  "  Cain  talked  with  Abel 
his  brother."  He  talked  with  him,  prob-  , 
ably,  in  a  very  familiar  manner,  as  though 
he  had  quite  forgotten  the  affair  which  had 
lately  hurt  his  mind  ;  and,  when  they  were 
engaged  in  conversation,  persuaded  him  to 
take  a  walk  with  him  into  his  field ;  and, 
having  got  him  away  from  the  family,  he 
murdered  him  !  Oh  Adam  !  Thou  didst 
murder  an  unborn  world,  and  now  thou 
shalt  see  some  of  the  fruits  of  it  in  thine 
own  family  !  Thou  hast  never  before  wit- 
nessed a  human  death  :  go,  see  the  first 
victim  of  the  king  of  terrors  in  the  mangled 
corpse  of  Abel  thy  son  ! — Poor  Abel  ! — 
Shall  we  pity  him  1  In  one  view  we  must, 
but  in  others  he  is  an  object  of  envy.  He 
was  the  first  of  the  noble  army  of  martyrs, 
the  first  of  human  kind  who  entered  the 
abodes  of  the  blessed,  and  the  first  instance 
of  deatli  being  subservient  to  Christ.  When 
the  serpent  had  drawn  man  into  sin,  and 
exposed  him  to  its  threatened  penalty,  he 
seemed  to  have  obtained  the  power  nf  death; 
and,  had  man  been  left  under  the  ruins  of 
the  fall,  he  would  have  been  continually 
walking  through  the  earth,  arm  in  arm,  as 
it  were,  with  the  monster,  the  one  taking 
the  bodies  and  the  other  the  souls  of  men. 
But  the  woman's  seed  is  destined  to  over- 
come him.  By  death  he  destroyed  "  him 
who  had  the  power  of  death,  and  delivered 
them  who"  must  otherwise,  "  through  fear 
of  death,"  have  been  "all  their  life-time 
subject  to  bondage." — Heb.  ii.  14,  15, 


r\lN"s    I'LNISllMICNT. 


739 


DISCOURSE  VIII. 

Cain's  punishment  and  posteuity. 

«cn.   iv.  9—24. 

Veu.  0.  We  have  seen  the  tragical  end 
of  righteous  Aliel  ;  but  what  becomes  of 
the  murderer  ?  Probal>ly  he  liad  liid  the 
dead  body  of  his  brother,to  elude  detection: 
but  God  will  find  him  out.  Jehovah  said 
to  Cain,  "  Wiiere  is  Aliel,  thy  l)rother]" 
What  a  cutting  question  !  Tiie  words  thy 
brother  would  remind  him  of  the  tender 
ties  of  tlesh  and  blood  w  iiich  he  had  bro- 
ken ;  and,  if  he  had  any  feeling  of  con- 
science left  in  him,  must  [>ierce  him  to  the 
quick.  But  oh,  how  black,  how  hardened 
is  the  state  of  his  mind  !  IVIark  his  answer. 
First,  The  falseliood  of  it — "  I  know  not." 
We  feel  astonished  that  a  man  can  dare  to 
lie  in  the  presence  of  his  Maker  :  yet  how 
many  lies  are  uttered  before  him  by  form- 
alists and  hypocrites  !  Secondly,  The  in- 
solence of  it — "Am  I  my  brother's  keep- 
er !"  This  man  had  no  fear  of  God  before 
his  eyes  ;  and,  where  this  is  wanting,  re- 
gard to  man  will  be  wanting  also.  Even 
natural  affection  will  be  swallowed  up  in 
selfishness.  Supposing  he  had  not  known 
where  his  brother  was,  it  did  not  follow 
that  he  had  no  interest  in  his  preservation  : 
but  he  did  know,  and,  instead  of  being  his 
keeper,  had  been  his  murderer! 

Ver.  10.  "  And  he  said,  What  hast  thou 
done  V  Ah,  what  indeed  !  This  was  the 
question  put  to  Eve  ;  and  sooner  or  later 
it  will  be  put  to  every  sinner,  and  con- 
science must  answer  to  it  too  !  But  Cain 
refuses  to  speak  :  be  it  so  ;  there  needs  no 
confession  to  substantiate  his  guilt.  His 
brother's  blood  had  already  done  this  ! 
Blood  has  a  voice  that  will  speak;  yea, 
that  will  "  cry  to  heaven  from  the  ground" 
for  vengeance  on  him  who  sheds  it ;  and  a 
brother's  blood  especially.  What  a  scene 
■will  open  to  view  at  the  last  judgment, 
when  the  earth  shall  disclose  her  blood, 
and  shall  no  more  cover  her  slain  !  And, 
if  such  was  the  cry  of  Abel's  blood,  what 
must  have  been  that  of  the  blood  which 
was  shed  on  Calvary  !  We  should  have 
thought  that  blood  must  have  called  for 
vengeance  seven-fold  ;  and  in  one  view  it 
did  so,  but  in  another  it  speaks  "  better 
things  than  that  of  Abel." 

Ver.  11,12.  But  let  us  notice  the  doom 
of  Cain.  He  was  cursed  from  the  earth  ; 
it  should  in  future  refuse  to  yield  him  its 
wonted  fruits,  and  he  should  be  a  fugitive 
and  a  vagabond  in  it.  Three  things  are 
here  observable  :  1.  By  the  sovereign  will 
of  the  Lord  of  All,  his  life  was  spared. 
Afterwards  a  positive  law  was  made  by  the 
same  authority,  that  "whosoever  should 


shed  man's  blood,  by  man  should  his  blood 
be  shed."  But  at  present,  for  reasons  of 
slate  in  the  breast  of  the  King  of  kings, 
the  murderer  shall  be  reprieved.  If  he 
had  died  by  the  hand  of  man,  it  must  have 
lieen  either  by  an  act  of  private  revenge, 
which  would  have  increased  bloodshed  ; 
or  Adam  himself  must  have  been  the  exe- 
cutioner of  his  son,  from  which  trial  of 
"  quenching  the  coal  that  was  left  "  God 
might  graciously  exempt  him.  "2.  The 
curse  which  attached  to  his  life,  like  that 
of  our  first  parents,  is  confined  to  the  pre- 
sent state.  There  is  no  reason  in  the 
world  to  suppose  that  the  punishment  of 
such  a  crime  would  actually  be  so,  any 
more  than  others,  nor  others  any  more 
than  this  ;  but  a  future  life  was  at  that 
time  sparinsly  revealed,  and  almost  every 
thing  concealed  under  the  veil  of  temporal 
good  and  evil.  3.  It  contains  a  special 
addition  to  that  which  was  denounced  on 
Adam.  The  earth  was  cursed  to  him  ;  but 
Cain  was  "cursed  from  the  cartii."  It 
had  been  his  brother's  friend,  by  affording 
a  kind  of  sanctuary  for  his  blood,  Avhich 
he  had  pursued  ;  but  to  him  it  should  be 
an  enemy,  not  only  refusing  its  wonted 
fruits,  but  even  a  place  whereon  to  rest  his 
foot,  or  in  which  to  hide  his  guilty  head  ! 

Ver.  13,  14.  This  tremendous  sentence 
draws  forth  an  answer  from  the  murderer. 
There  is  a  great  change  since  he  spoke  last, 
but  not  for  the  better.  All  the  difference 
is,  instead  of  his  high  tone  of  insolence,  we 
perceive  him  sinking  into  the  last  stage  of 
depravity,  sullen  desperation.  Behold 
here  a  finished  picture  of  im|)enitent  mis- 
ery !  What  a  contrast  to  the  fifty-first 
Psalm  !  There  the  evil  dwelt  upon  and 
jtathetically  lamented  is  sin  ;  but  here  it  is 
only  punishment.  See  how  he  expatiates 
upon  it  ...  .  Driven  from  the  face  of  the 
earth  ....  deprived  of  God's  favor  and 
blessing,  and,  in  a  sort,  of  the  means  of 
hope  (ver.  16)  ...  .  a  wanderer  and  an  out- 
cast from  men  ....  to  all  which  his  fears 
add, — Wherever  I  am,  by  night  or  by  day, 
my  life  will  be  in  perpetual  danger  !  Tru- 
ly it  was  a  terrible  doom,  a  kind  of  hell 
upon  earth.  "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  living  God  !" 

Ver.  15.  From  the  last  part  of  what 
his  fears  foreboded,  however,  God  was 
pleased  to  exempt  him  ;  yet  not  in  mercy, 
but  in  judgment.  He  shall  not  die,  but 
live,  a  monument  of  divine  justice.  If  he 
had  died,  his  example  might  soon  have 
been  forgotten  ;  but  mankind  shall  see  and 
fear.  "Slav  them  not,  lest  my  people 
forget  :  scatter  them  by  thy  power  and 
bring  them  down,  O  Lord!  "  God  is  not 
obliged  to  send  a  sinner  to  the  place  of  the 
damned,  in  order  to  punish  him:  he  can 
call  his  name  Magor-missabib,  and  render 


710 


EXrOjITION    OF    C.ENKSIS. 


him  a  terror  to  himself  and  all  about  him. 
— Jer.  XX.  3,  4.  What  the  mark  was 
which  was  set  upon  Caiu  we  know  not, 
nor  does  it  behove  us  to  inquire  :  what- 
ever it  was,  it  amounted  to  a  safe  passage 
through  the  world,  so  far  as  respected  a 
punisiiment  from  man  for  his  present 
crime. 

Ver.  16.  And  now,  having  obtained  a 
reprieve,  he  retires  in  the  true  spirit  of  a 
reprobate,  and  tries  to  forget  his  misery. 
It  shocked  him  at  first  to  be  driven 
out  from  God's  face,  by  which  perhaps 
he  meant  from  all  connection  with  the 
people  and  worship  of  God,  from  the 
means  of  grp^ce,  and  so  from  the  hope  of 
mercy  ;  but  in  a  little  time  the  sensation 
subsideg,  and  he  resolves  to  enjoy  the  pre- 
sent world  as  well  as  he  can.  He  goes 
out  "from  the  presence  of  the  Lord," 
takes  a  final  leave  of  God  and  his  wor- 
ship and  liis  people,  and  cares  no  more 
about  them.  If  this  be  the  meaning  of 
the  words  (and  I  know  of  no  other  so 
probable),  it  wears  a  very  favorable  ap- 
pearance with  respect  to  the  state  of  things 
in  Adam's  family.  It  shows  that  the  v.or- 
ship  of  God  was  there  carried  on,  and  that 
God  was  with  them.  Indeed,  if  it  were 
not  cai'ried  on  there,  it  appears  to  iiave 
had  no  existence  in  the  world,  which  there 
is  no  reason  to  believe  was  ever  the  case 
when  once  it  had  begun.  Witii  respect  to 
Cain,  the  country  whither  he  went  is  call- 
ed Nod,  or  Naid,  which  signifies  a  vaga- 
bond. It  was  not  so  called  before,  but 
on  his  account ;  as  who  should  say.  The 
land  of  the  vagabond. 

Ver.  17.  He  was  married  before  this, 
though  we  are  not  told  to  whom.  Doubt- 
less it  was  to  one  of  Adam's  daughters, 
mentioned  in  chap.  v.  4,  which  near  alTniity, 
though  since  forbidden,  was  then  absolute- 
ly necessar)^  Of  her,  in  the  land  of  the 
vagabond,  he  had  a  son,  Avhora  he  called 
Enoch;  not  him  who  walked  xoith  God, 
but  one  of  the  same  name.  It  signifies 
taught  or  dedicated  :  it  is  rather  diHicult 
to  account  for  his  calling  the  child  l\v  this 
name  after  what  had  taken  place.  Possi- 
bly it  might  be  one  of  those  etTects  of  ed- 
ucation which  are  often  seen  in  the  ungod- 
ly children  of  religious  parents.  When  he 
himself  was  born,  he  was,  as  we  have  scesij 
accounted  an  acquisition,  and  was  doubt- 
less dedicated,  and  as  he  grev/  up  taught 
by  his  parents.  Of  this  it  is  likely  he  had 
made  great  account,  priding  himself  in  it, 
as  many  graceless  characters  do  in  be- 
ing the  children  of  the  righteous  :  and 
now,  having  a  child  of  his  own,  he  might 
wish  to  stan)p  upon  him  this  mark  of  hon- 
or, though  it  was  merely  nominal.  After 
this,  Cain  built,  or  was  building,  a  city: 
a  very   small  one  no  doubt,  as  need    re- 


quired. He  began  what  his  family,  as 
they  increased,  perfected  ;  and  called  it 
after  the  name  of  his  son.  Thus  he  a- 
mused  himself  as  well  as  he  could.  The 
divine  forbearance  probably  hardened  him 
in  his  security,  as  it  commonly  does  the 
ungodly.  "  Because  sentence  against  an 
evil  work  is  not  executed  speedily,  there- 
fore the  hearts  of  the  sons  of  men  are  fully 
set  in  them  to  do  evil." 

Ver.  IS — 24.  Next  follow  the  genera- 
tions of  Cain,  \yhich  present  a  few  general 
observations.—-!.  Nothing  good  is  said  of 
any  one  of  them  ;  but,  heathen  like,  they 
appear  to  have  lost  all  fear  of  God  and 
regard  to  man.  "2.  Two  or  three  of 
them  become  famous  for  arts  ;  one  was  a 
shepherd,  another  a  musician,  and  another 
a  smith;  all  very  well  in  themselves,  but 
things  in  which  the  worst  of  men  may 
excel.  Some  have  supposed  that  we  are 
indebted  to  revelation  for  all  this  kind  of 
knowledge.  Had  it  been  said  we  are  in- 
debted to  our  Creator  for  it,  it  had  been 
true  ;  for  to  his  instruction  the  discretion 
of  the  husbandman  is  ascribed. — Isa.xxviii. 
24 — 29.  But  revelation  was  given  for 
greater  and  better  objects  ;  namely,  to  fur- 
nish not  the  man,  but  "  the  man  of  God." 
3.  One  of  them  was  infamous  for  his  wick- 
edness ;  namely,  Lamech.  He  was  the 
first  who  violated  the  law  of  marriage  :  a 
man  who  gave  loose  to  his  appetites,  and 
lived  a  kind  of  lawless  life.  Among  other 
evils,  he  follov,ed  the  example  of  his 
ancestor  Cain.  It  is  not  said  whom  he 
slcv/  ;  but  he  himself  says  it  was  a  young 
man.  This  is  the  first  instance,  but  not 
the  last,  in  which  sensuality  and  murder 
arc  connected.  Nor  did  he  barely  fol- 
lov/  Cain's  example  :  but  seems  to  have 
taken  encouragement  from  the  divine  for- 
bearance towards  him,  and  to  have  pre- 
sumed that  God  would  be  still  more  for- 
bearing towards  him.  Thus  one  sinner 
takes  liberty  to  sin  from  the  suspension 
of  judgment  tow-ards  another. 

Here  ends  the  account  of  cursed  Cain. 
We  hear  no  more  of  his  posterity,  unless 
it  be  as  tempters  to  "the  sons  of  God," 
till  they  were  all  swept  away  by  the 
delu'iC  ! 


DISCOURSE  IX. 

THK    GEXERATIONS    OF    ADAM. 

Gen.  iv.  25,  26;   v. 

We  have  of  late  met  with  little  else 
than  the  operations  of  sin  and  misery  : 
here  I  hope  we  shall  find  something  that 
will  afford  us  pleasure.     Adam  had  lived 


GRNKUATIONS    OF    ADA.M. 


?n 


h)  sec  giievous  lhin;^s  in  his  family.  At 
length,  aliout  a  hundred  anil  thirl}'  years 
after  the  creation,  Eve  hare  him  another 
son.  Him  iiis  mother  called  Scth  ;  that 
.s,  set,  or  appointed  ;  "  for  God,"  said  she, 
"  hath  appoinl'jil  mc  another  seed  instead 
of  A!)el,  whom  Cain  slew."  Tiic  man- 
ner in  whith  llic  niollier  of  mankind  Sjtenks 
on  tliis  occasion  is  much  in  favor  of  her 
personal  religion.  The  language  irnpHes 
that  though  at  first  she  liad  doled  upon 
Cain,  yet  as  tliey  grew  up,  and  disco\cr- 
cd  their  dispositions,  Ahcl  was  jreferred. 
He  was  the  child  in  whom  all  the  hojjcs 
of  the  family  seem  to  have  concentrated  ; 
and,  therefore,  when  he  fell  a  sacrifice  to 
his  iirotltcr's  cruelly,  it  was  considered  as 
a  very  heavy  loss.  She  was  not  without 
a  son  before  Seth  was  born,  for  Cain  was 
yet  alive  :  but  he  was  considered  as  none, 
or  as  worse  than  none ;  and  therefore, 
when  Seth  was  born,  she  hoped  to  find  in 
him  a  successor  to  Abel:  and  so  it  prov- 
ed ;  for  this  appears  to  have  been  the  fam- 
ily in  wiHchti)e  true  religion  was  preserv- 
ed in  those  limes.  At  the  birlh  of  Enos, 
which  was  a  hundred  and  five  years  after 
that  of  his  father  Selh,  it  is  remarked  with 
emphasis  by  the  sacred  historian — "  Then 
began  vien  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  This  cheering  information  doubt- 
less refers  to  t!ie  families  in  connection 
with  which  it  is  spoken,  and  denotes,  not 
that  there  had  been  no  calling  upon  the 
Lord  till  that  time,  but  that  tlience  true 
religion  assumed  a  more  visible  form  ;  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  afterwards  called  "the 
sons  of  God,"  assembling  together  to 
worship  him,  while  the  seed  of  the  ser- 
pent might  very  probably  be  employed  in 
deriding  them. 

From  the  genealogy  in  chap.  v.  I  shall 
barely  oflfer  the  following  remarks  : 

1.  It  is  a  very  honorable  one.  Not  only 
did  patriarchs  and  prophets,  and  tl>e 
church  of  God  for  many  ages,  descend 
from  it,  but  the  Son  of  God  himself  ac- 
cording to  the  ilesh  ;  and,  to  show  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promises  and  prophecies 
concerning  him,  is  tlie  principal  reason 
of  the  genealogy  having  been  recorded. 

2.  Neither  Cain  nor  Abe!  has  any  place 
in  it.  Abel  was  slain  before  he  had  any 
children,  and  therefore  could  riot ;  and 
Cain  by  his  sin  had  covered  his  name  with 
infamy,  and  therefore  should  not.  Adam's 
posterity  therefore,  after  a  lapse  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years,  must  begin 
anew. 

3.  The  honor  done  to  Setli  and  his  pos- 
terity was  of  grace  ;  for  he  is  said  to  have 
been  born  in  Adam's  likeness  and  after 
his  iviage  ;  a  phrase  which,  I  believe,  is 
always  used  to  express  the  qualities  of  the 
niind,  rather  than  the   shajJC   of  the  body. 


Man  was  made  "after  the  image  of  God  ;" 
but,  this  being  lost,  tliey  are  born  corrupt, 
the  children  of  a  corrupt  lather.  What  i» 
true  of  all  mankind  is  here  noted  of  Seth, 
because  ho  was  reckoned  as  Adam's  first- 
born. He  therefore,  like  all  others,  was 
l>y  nature  a  child  of  wiath  ;  and  w'.at  he 
or  any  of  his  posterity  were  different  from 
this,  ihey  were  by  grace. 

4.  The  extraordinary  length  of  human 
life  at  that  period  was  wisely  ordered  ;  not 
only  for  the  peopling  of  the  world,  but  for 
the  supplying  of  the  defect  of  a  written 
revelation.  From  the  death  of  Adam  to 
the  call  of  Abram,  a  period  of  about 
eleven  hundred  years,  there  were  living 
either  Enoch,  Lamech,  Noah,  or  Shem  : 
besides  other  godly  persons,  who  were 
their  contemporaries,  and  wiio  would  feel- 
ingly relate  to  those  about  them  the  great 
events  of  the  creation,  the  fall  and  recovery 
of  man. 

5.  Notwithstanding  the  longevity  of  tiie 
antediluvians,  it  is  recorded  of  them  all, 
in  tlieir  turn,  that  they  died.  Though  the 
stroke  of  dcall)  was  slow  in  its  approach, 
yet  it  was  sure.  If  man  could  live  to  a 
thousand  years,  yet  he  must  die  ;  and,  if 
he  die   in    sin,  he  will  be  accursed. 

6.  Tho'.gli  many  of  the  names  in  this 
genealogy  are  passed  over  without  any" 
thing  being  said  of  their  piety,  yet  we 
are  not  hence  to  infer  that  they  were  im- 
pious. Many  might  be  included  among 
them  who  "  called  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord,"  and  who  are  denominated  "the 
sons  of  God,"  though  nothing  is  personally 
related  of  them. 

7.  Two  of  Ihem  arc  distinguished  for 
eminent  godliness  ;  or,  as  it  is  here  called, 
ivalking  rvHh  God;  'namely,  Enoch  and 
Noah.  Both  these  holy  men  are  enrolled 
in  the  list  of  worthies  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

Let  us  look  a  little  intensely  at  the  life 
of  the  former  of  these  worthies,  the  short- 
est of  all  the  lives,  but  surely  the  sweet- 
est :  "  Enoch  walked  with  God  after  he 
begat  Methuselah,  three  hundred  years." 
— "  He  walked  with  God,  and  was 
not  ;  for  God  look  him."  This  is  one  of 
those  brief,  impressive,  descriptions  of 
true  religion  with  which  the  Scriptures 
abound.  Its  holy  and  progressive  nature 
is  here  rjiost  admirably  marked.  "  Enoch 
walked  witli  God."  He  must  then  have 
been  in  a  stale  of  reconciliation  with  God; 
for  tv,o  cannot  walk  together  except  they 
be  agreed.  He  was  what  Paul  infers 
from  another  consideration,  a  believer. 
Where  this  is  not  the  case,  v  hatcver  may 
be  his  outward  conduct,  the  sinner  walks 
contrary  to  God,  and  God  to  him.  What 
an  idea  does  it  conve}  also,  of  his  setting 
God  always  before  him,  seeking  to  glorify 


74i 


F.XI'OSITION    OF    CENESIS. 


him  in  every  duty,  and  studying  to  show 
himself  approved  of  him,  whatever  might 
be  thought  of  his  conduct  by  sinful  men! 
Finally  :  What  an  idea  does  it  convey  of 
the  communion  which  he  habitually  enjoy- 
ed with  God  !  His  conversation  was  in 
heaven  while  dwelling  on  the  earth.  God 
dwelt  in  him,  and  he   in  God  ! 

"Enoch  walked  with  God,  after  he  be- 
gat Methuselah,  three  hundred  years," 
and  perhaps  some  time  before  that  event. 
Religion  with  him,  then,  was  not  a  tran- 
sient feeling,  but  an  habitual  and  aliiding 
principle.  In  reviewing  such  a  character, 
what  Christian  can  forbear  exclaiming,  in 
the.  words  of  our  Christian  poet, 

"  O  for  a  closer  walk  witli  God, 

A  calm  and  heaveii'.y  frame ; 
A  liglu,  to  shine  upon  the  road 

That  leads  me  to  the  Lambl  "     Cowper. 

Just  so  much  as  we  have  of  this,  so  much 
we  possess  of  true  religion,  and  no   more. 

"  Enoch  walked  with  God,  and  he  was 
not,  for  God  took  him  ;  "  that  is,  as  Paul 
explains  it,  "  he  was  translated,  that  he 
should  not  see  death."  This  singular  fa- 
vor conferred  on  Enoch,  like  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ,  might  be  designed  to  afford 
a  sensible  proof  of  a  blessed  immortality, 
which,  for  the  want  of  a  written  revela- 
tion, might  then  be  peculiarly  necessary. 
He  had  warned  the  wicked  of  his  day  that 
"  the  Lord  would  come,  with  ten  thousand 
of  his  holy  ones,  to  execute  judgment:  " 
and  now,  however  offensive  his  doctrine 
might  have  been  to  them,  God,  by  exempt- 
ing him  from  the  common  lot  of  men,  will 
bear  testimony  that  he  hath  pleased  him, 
not  only  to  the  mind  of  Enoch,  but  to  the 
world.  It  is  possible,  also,  that  the  trans- 
lation of  this  holy  man  might  be  confer- 
red in  order  to  show  what  would  have 
been  common  to  all  had  man  persisted  in 
his  obedience — a  translation  from  the 
earthly  to  the  heavenly  paradise. 

With  respect  to  Noah,  we  shall  have  an 
account  of  his  righteous  life  in  the  follow- 
ing chapters  :  at  present  we  are  only  told 
of  the  circumstances  of  his  birth,  ver. 
28 — 32.  His  father  Lamech  speaks,  on 
this  occasion,  like  a  good  man  and  a 
prophet.  He  called  his  son  Noah,  which 
signifies  rest;  "for  this  same,"  saith  he, 
"shall  comfort  us  concerning  our  work, 
and  the  toil  of  ovir  hands,  because  of  the 
ground  which  the  Lord  hath  cursed." 
Noah,  by  building  the  ark,  saved  a  rem- 
nant from  the  flood  ;  and,  by  offering  an 
acceptable  sacrifice,  obtained  the  promise 
that  the  ground  should  no  more  be  cursed 
for  man's  sake,  chap.  viii.  21.  As  La- 
mech could  have  known  this  only  by  rev- 
elation, we  may  infer  thence  the  sweet 
rest  which  divine  truth  aifords  to  the  be- 


lieving mind  from  the  toils  and  troubles  of 
the  present  life;  and  if  the  birth  of  this 
child  afforded  comfort,  in  that  he  would 
save  the  world  and  remove  the  curse,  how 
much  more  His  wlio  would  be  a  greater 
Saviour,  and  remove  a  greater  curse,  by 
being  himself  an  ark  of  salvation,  and 
by  offering  "  himself  a  sacrifice  to  God 
for  a  sweet  smelling  savor !  " 


DISCOURSE    X. 

THE    CAUSE    OF    THE    DELUGE. 
Gen.  vi.  1—7. 

Ver.  1 — 3.  When  we  read  of  men  be- 
ginning to  "call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord,"  we  entertained  a  hope  of  good 
times,  and  of  comfort,  as  Lamech  said, 
after  toil  and  sorrow  :  but,  alas,  what  a 
sad  reverse  !  A  general  corruption  over- 
spreads the  earth,  and  brings  on  a  tre- 
mendous deluge,  that  sweeps  them  all,  one 
family  excepted,  into  oblivion. 

First  :  We  may  remark  the  occasion  of 
this  general  corruption,  which  was  the 
increase  of  population.  "  When  men  be- 
gan to  multiply  "  they  became  more  and 
more  depraved  :  yet  an  increase  of  popu- 
lation is  considered  as  a  blessing  to  a 
country,  and  such  it  is  in  itself;  but  through 
man's  depravity  it  often  proves  a  curse. 
When  men  are  collected  in  great  numbers 
they  whet  one  another  to  evil,  which  is 
the  reason  why  sin  commonly  grows  rank- 
est in  populous  places.  We  were  made 
to  be  helpers  ;  but  by  sin  we  are  become 
tempters  of  one  another,  drawing  and  be- 
ing drawn  into  innumerable  evils. 

Secondly  :  observe  the  first  step  toicards 
degeneracy,  which  was  the  uniting  of  the 
world  and  the  church  by  mixed  marriages  : 
— The  sons  of  God  and  the  daughters  of 
men — the  descendants  of  Seth  and  those 
of  Cain — the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the 
seed  of  the  serpent.  The  great  end  of 
marriage,  in  a  good  man,  should  not  be  to 
gratify  his  fancy,  nor  to  indulge  his  natu- 
ral inclinations,  but  to  obtain  a  helper; 
and  the  same  in  a  woman.  We  need  to 
be  helped  on  in  our  way  to  heaven,  instead 
of  being  hindered  and  corrupted.  Hence 
it  was  that,  in  the  law^  marriages  with 
idolaters  were  forbidden  (Deut.  vii.  3,  4); 
and  hence  Christian  marriages  were  lir.'Jt- 
ed  to  those  "  in  the  Lord,"  1  Cor.  vii.  39. 
The  examples  which  we  have  seen  of  the 
contrary  have,  by  their  effects,  justified 
these  injunctions.  I  would  earnestly  en- 
treat serious  young  people,  of  both  sexes- 


t  AL  IF.    OF  TIIK    bl  LL  (iL. 


743 


as  they  regard  God's  honor,  their  own 
spiritual  welfare,  and  tlic  welfare  of  the 
chiireh  of  God,  to  avoid  lieing  unequally 
yoked  together  willi  iiidiclievers. 

Thirdly  :  Oliserve  the  great  offence  that 
God  tot  k  at  ihis  conduct,  and  the  conse- 
quences w  liich  grew  out  ol  i-t  :  "  The  Lord 
said,  iMy  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive 
with  man,"  &.c.  Had  the  sons  of  God 
kept  themselves  to  themselves,  and  pre- 
served their  purity,  God  would  have 
spared  the  world  (or  their  sakes  ;  but  they 
mingled  together,  and  hecame  in  ellcct 
one  people.  The  old  ("oiks  were  in  tlieir 
account  too  iiigoted,  and  it  seemed  much 
better  for  tiicm  to  indulge  a  more  lilieral 
way  of  thinking  and  acting.  But  this,  in 
tlie  sight  of  God,  was  worse  than  almost 
any  thing  that  had  gone  before  it.  He 
was  more  offended  with  the  religious  than 
with  the  irreligious  part  of  liicm.  Seeing 
tliey  had  become  one  people,  he  calls 
them  all  by  one  name,  and  that  is  7nan, 
w  ithout  any  distinction  ;  and,  in  giving 
the  reason  why  his  Spirit  should  not 
always  strive  with  man,  special  reler- 
ence  is  had  to  their  having  becon)e  de- 
generate— It  was  for  that  he  also,  or 
these  also,  icere  Jlesh;  that  is,  those  who 
had  been  considered  as  the  sons  of  God 
were  become  corrupt.  God's  Holy  Spirit 
in  his  prophets  had  long  strove  or  con- 
tended with  the  world  (See  Xeh.  ix.  30; 
1  Pet.  iii.  19,  20):  and,  while  the  sons  of 
God  made  a  stand  against  their  wicked- 
ness, God  was  with  tliem,  and  the  contest 
was  kept  up  :  but  they  having,  like  false 
allies,  made  a  kind  of  separate  peace,  or 
rather  gone  over  to  the  enemy,  God  will 
give  up  the  war,  let  sin  have  a  free  course, 
and  let  them  take  the  consequences  ! 
"Bread-corn  is  bruised,  because  he  icill 
not  ever  be  threshing  it.'' 

Fourthly  :  Observe  the  long-suffering 
of  God  amidst  his  displeasure:  "His 
days  shall  he  a  hundred  and  twenty  years." 
This  refers  to  the  period  of  time  which 
should  elapse  before  the  drowning  of  the 
world,  "  when,"  as  an  apostle  expresses 
it,  "the  long-suffering  of  God  waited  in 
the  days  of  Noah,  while  the  ark  was  pre- 
paring." All  this  time  God  did  strive,  or 
contend  with  them;  but  it  seems  without 
effect. 

Ver.  4.  An)ong  various  other  evils  which 
at  that  time  prevailed,  a  spirit  of  ambition 
was  predominant  ;  a  thirst  of  conquest 
and  dominion;  and  of  course  a  flood  of 
injuries,  outrages,  and  oppressions.  The 
case  seems  to  have  been  this  :  Previously 
to  the  unha[)py  junction  between  the  fam- 
ilies of  Cain  and  Seth,  there  were,  among 
the  former,  gf'an/s,  or  men  of  great  stature, 
who,  tempted  by  their  superior  strength, 
set  up  for  champions  and  heroes,  and  bore 


down  all  before  them.*  Nor  was  the 
mischief  confined  to  them  :  for  also  ajter 
that,  when  the  two  families  had  become 
one,  as  the  children  that  were  born  unto 
them  grew  up,  they  emulated,  as  might  be 
c\p<Hted,  not  the  virtues  of  their  lathers, 
but  the  vices  of  their  mothers,  and  par- 
ticularly those  of  the  gigantic  and  fierce 
heroes  among  their  relations.  Hence 
there  sprang  u|)  a  number  of  characters 
famous,  or  rather  infamous,  for  their 
plunders  and  depredations.  Such,  in  al- 
ter times,  was  Nimrod,  that  "mighty 
hunter  before  the  Lord." 

Ver.  5.  The  church  being  thus  cor- 
rupted, and  in  a  manner  lost  in  the  world, 
there  is  nothing  Icit  to  resist  the  torrent 
of  depravity.  Man  appears  now  in  his 
true  character.  The  picture  which  is 
here  drawn  of  him,  though  very  afl'ecting, 
is  no  more  tlianjust.  If  it  had  Ijeen  drawn 
by  the  j)en  of  a  |)rejudiced,  erring  mortal, 
it  might  be  supposed  to  exceed  the  truth  ; 
but  that  which  was  written  was  taken  from 
the  perfect  and  impartial  survey  of  God. 
Hear,  ye  who  pretend  that  man  is  natur- 
ally virtuous !  That  the  wickedness  of 
man  has  in  all  ages,  though  at  some  pe- 
riods more  than  others,  been  great  upon  the 
earth,  can  scarcely  be  called  in  question  ; 
but  that  "  every  imagination  of  the 
thoughts  of  his  heart  should  be  only 
evil,  and  that  continually,"  is  more  than 
men  in  general  will  allow.  Yet  such  is 
the  account  here  given.  Mark  the  affect- 
ing gradation.  Evil :  evil  without  mix- 
ture ;  "only  evil."  Evil  icithout  cessa- 
tion; "continually."  Evil  from  the  very 
fountain  head  of  action  ;  "  the  imagination 
of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart."  Nor  is  it 
a  description  of  certain  vicious  characters 
only,  but  of  "man,"  as  left  to  himself. 
And  all  this  "  God  saw,"  who  sees  things 
as  they  are.  This  doctrine  is  fundamen- 
tal to  the  gospel  :  the  whole  system  of 
redemption  rests  upon  it;  and  I  suspect 
that  every  false  scheme  of  religion  which 
has  been  at  any  finie  advanced  in  the 
world,  might  be  proved  to  have  originated 
in  the  denial  of  it. 

Ver.  6.  The  effect  of  this  divine  sur- 
vey is  described  in  language,  taken  it  is 
true  from  the  feelings  of  men,  but  unusu- 
ally impressive.  "It  repented  the  Lord 
that  he  had  made  man  on  the  earth,  and  it 
grieved  him  at  his  heart  !  "  We  are  not 
to  attribute  to  an  immutable  mind  the  fick- 
leness of  man,  nor  to  suppose  that  the 
omniscient  Jehovah  was  really  disappoint- 
ed ;  but   thus    much   we   learn,    that    the 

*  They  are  denominated  0^73^,  from  ^2^,  to 
fall,  which  in  this  connection  has  l)cen  thought  to 
mean  that  they  were  a  kind  of  fellers,  causing  men 
to  fall  before  them  like  trees  by  the  axe- 


744 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS 


wickedness  of  man  is  such  as  to  mar  all 
the  works  of  God  over  which  he  is  placed, 
and  to  render  them  worse  than  if  there 
were  none  ;  so  tliat,  if  he  had  not  counter- 
acted it  by  the  death  of  Christ,  there  had 
better  have  been  no  world.  In  short,  that 
any  one  but  hirnseif,  on  seeing  his  work 
thus  marred  and  perverted,  would  have 
really  repented,  and  wished  irom  his  heart 
that  he  had  never  made  them  !  The  words 
express,  with  an  energy  and  impressive- 
ness  which  it  is  probable  nothing  j)urely 
literal  could  have  conveyed,  the  exceeding 
sinfulness  and  provoking  nature  of  sin. 

Ver.  7.  From  this  cause  proceeded  the 
divine  resolution  to  "  destroy  man  from 
the  face  of  the  earth  ■,"  and,  to  show  the 
greatness  of  his  sin,  it  is  represented  as 
extinguishing  the  paternal  kindness  of  God 
as  his  Creator  :  "The  Lord  said,  I  will 
destroy  man,  lo^iom  I  have  created,  frora 
the  face  of  the  earth." — "  He  that  made 
them  would  not  have  mercy  on  them,  and 
he  ihat  formed  them  would  show  them  no 
favor  !  "  And  further,  to  show  his  dis- 
pleasure against  man,  the  creatures  which 
were  subject  to  him  should  be  destroyed 
with  him.  Thus,  when  Achan  had  trans- 
gressed, to  render  his  punishment  more 
impressive  upon  Israel,  "  his  sons  and 
daughters,  and  oxen,  and  asses,  and  sheep, 
and  tent,  and  all  that  he  had,  were  brought 
forth,  and  with  himself  stoned  with  stones, 
and  burnt  with  fire."  However  light  man 
may  make  of  sin  during  the  time  of  God's 
forbearance,  it  will  jjrove  in  the  end  to  be 
an  evil  and  bitter  thinsr. 


DISCOURSE  XT. 

NOAH    FINDS    FAVOR    WITH    GOD,    AND    IS 
DIRECTED    TO     BUILD    THE    ARK. 

Gen.  vi.  8—22. 

By  the  foregoing  account,  it  would  seem 
as  if  the  whole  earth  had  become  corrupt. 
In  the  worst  of  times,  however,  God  has 
had  a  remnant  that  has  walked  with  him  ; 
and  over  them  he  has  in  the  most  sore  ca- 
lamities directed  a  watchful  eye.  When 
God  said,  "  I  will  destroy  man,  whom  I 
have  created,  from  the  face  of  the  earth," 
it  seemed  as  if  he  would  make  an  end  of 
the  human  race.  "  But  Noah  found  grace 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord."  Observe,  1. 
It  is  painful  to  find  but  one  family,  nay,  it 
Avould  seem  but  one  person,  out  of  all  the 
professed  sons  of  God,  who  stood  firmly 
in  this  evil  day.  Some  were  dead,  and 
others  by  mingling  with  the  wicked  had 
apostatised.  2.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  one 
ypright  man  in  a  generation  of  the  ungod- 


ly ;  a  lily  among  thorns,  whose  lovely  COtt  • 
duct  Would  shine  the  brighter  when  con- 
trasted with  tliat  of  the  world  about  him. 
It  is  a  great  matter  to  be  faithful  among 
the  faithless.  With  all  our  helps  from  the 
society  of  good  men,  we  find  it  difficidt 
enough  to  keep  on  our  way  ;  but  for  an 
individual  to  set  his  face  against  the  whole 
current  of  public  opinion  and  custom  re- 
quires and  implies  great  grace.  Yet  that 
is  the  only  true  religion  which  walks  as  in 
the  sight  of  God,  irrespective  Of  what  is 
thought  or  done  by  others.  Such  was  the 
resolution  of  Joshua,  when  the  whole  na- 
tion seemed  to  be  turning  aside  from  God  : 
"As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve 
the  Lord."  3.  It  is  encouraging  to  find 
that  one  upright  man  was  singled  out  irom 
the  rest  when  the  world  was  to  be  destroy- 
ed. If  he  had  been  destroyed  with  the 
world,  God  could  have  taken  him  to  him- 
self, and  all  would  have  been  well  with 
him  ;  but  then  there  had  been  no  public 
expression  of  what  he  loved,  as  well  as  of 
Vv'hat  he  hated. 

Ver.  9.  As  Noah  was  to  be  the  father 
of  the  new  world,  v/e  have  here  a  particu- 
lar account  of  him.  His  "  generations  " 
mean  an  account  of  him  and  his  family  ; 
of  what  he  was,  and  of  the  things  which 
befel  him. — See  chap,  xxxvii.  2.  The  first 
thing  said  of  him,  as  being  the  greatest,  is, 
"  He  was  a  just,  or  righteous,  man,  and 
perfect  in  his  generations,  walking  with 
God."  Character  is  of  greater  impor- 
tance than  pedigree.  But  notice  particu- 
larly : 

1.  He  was  jnsL  He  Avas  the  first  man 
who  was  so  called,  though  not  the  first  who 
was  so.  In  a  legal  sense,  a  just  man  is 
one  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not ;  but, 
since  the  fall,  no  such  man  has  existed 
upon  earth,  save  the  man  Christ  Jesus.  If 
any  of  us  be  denominated  just,  it  must  be 
in  some  other  sense ;  and  what  this  is  the 
Scriptures  inform  us  when  they  represent 
the  just  as  living  by  faith.  Such  v/as  the 
life  of  Noah,  and  therefore  he  is  reckoned 
among  the  believing  worthies. — Heb.  xi. 
7.  And  the  faith  by  which  he  is  justified 
before  God  operated  in  a  way  of  righteous- 
ness, which  rendered  him  just  before  men. 
He  is  called  "  a  preacher  of  righteous- 
ness," and  he  lived  according  to  his  doc- 
trine.— 2  Pet.  ii.  5. 

2.  He  was  perfect  in  his  generations. 
The  term  in  this  connection  is  not  to  be 
taken  absolutely,  but  as  expressive,  not 
only  of  sincerity  of  heart,  but  of  a  decided- 
ness  for  God,  like  that  of  Caleb,  who  fol- 
lowed the  luord  fully.  It  does  not  merely 
distinguish  good  men  from  bad  men,  but 
good  men  from  one  another.  It  is  said  of 
Solomon,  that  his  "  heart  was  not  perfect 
with  the  Lord  his  God,  as  was  the  heari 


COVENANT    AVITIF    NOAII. 


745 


of  David  liis  father."  Alas,  how  much  of 
this  half-hearted  relisrion  there  is  among 
us  !  Instead  of  servinic  the  Lord  with  a 
perfect  heart  and  a  willing  mind,  we  halt 
as  it  were  between  two,  the  love  of  (iod 
and  the  love  of  the  world. 

3.  He  icalkcd  with  God.  This  is  the 
same  as  was  said  ol  P^noch.  It  not  only 
implies  his  liein*;:  reconciled  to  God,  and 
denotes  his  acknowledging  him  in  all  his 
ways,  and  enjoying  communion  with  him 
in  the  discharge  of  duties,  l>ut  is  al.so  ex- 
pressive of  the  continuity  an<l  progressive 
tendenry  of  true  religion.  Whatever  he 
did,  or  wherever  he  went,  God  was  before 
his  eyes  ;  nor  did  he  ever  think  of  leaving 
off  till  he  should  have  linished  his  course. 

Ver.  10.  From  Noah's  character  the 
sacred  writer  proceeds  to  his  descenilants. 
He  had  three  sons — Shem,  Ham,  and  Ja- 
pheth.  These  afterwards  became  the  pa- 
triarchs of  the  world,  between  wiiose  pos- 
terity the  three  great  divisions  of  Asia, 
Africa,  and  Europe  have  been  principally 
divided.  Thus  much  at  present  for  the 
favored  family. 

Ver.  11.  Here  we  have  the  cliarge 
against  the  old  world  repeated  as  the 
ground  of  what  should  follow.  If  suc- 
ceeding generations  inquire,  Wherefore 
hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  the  work  of 
his  hands  1  What  meaneth  the  heat  of 
this  great  anger  1  be  it  known  that  it  was 
not  for  a  small  matter  :  "  Tiie  earth  was 
corrupt  before  God,  and  the  earth  was  fill- 
ed with  violence."  Here  are  two  words 
used  to  express  the  wickedness  of  the 
world,  corruption  and  violence,  both  of 
which  are  repeated  and  dwelt  upon  in 
verses  12,  13.  The  former  refers,  I  con- 
ceive, to  tiieir  having  debased  and  deprav- 
ed the  true  religion.  This  was  the  natural 
consequence  of  the  junction  lietween  the 
sons  of  God  and  the  daughters  of  men. 
Whenever  the  cliurch  is  become  one  with 
the  world,  the  corru])tion  of  true  religion 
has  invariably  followed  :  for,  if  wicked 
men  have  a  religion,  it  must  needs  be 
such  as  to  accord  with  their  inclinations. 
Hence  arose  all  the  heresies  of  the  early 
ages  of  Christianity  ;  lience  the  grand  Ro- 
mish apostacy;  and  in  short  every  cor- 
ruption of  the  true  religion,  in  past  or 
present  times.  The  latter  of  these  terms 
is  expressive  of  their  conduct  towards  one 
another.  Tlie  fear  of  God  and  the  regard 
of  man  are  closely  connected  ;  and  where 
the  one  is  given  up  the  other  will  soon  fol- 
low. Indeed,  it  appears  to  be  the  decree 
of  the  eternal  God,  that,  when  men  have 
cast  otT  his  fear,  they  shall  not  continue 
long  in  amity  with  one  anotlier.  And  he 
has  only  to  let  the  laws  of  nature  take 
tlieir  course  in  order  to  effect  it  ;  for, 
when  men  depart  from  God,  the  principle 

VOL.  I.  94 


of  union  is  lost,  and  self-love  governs  ev- 
ery thing  .•  and,  being  "  lovers  uf  their  own 
selves,"  they  will  be  "  covetous,  boasters, 
proud,  blas|)hemers,  disobedient  to  pa- 
rents, unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural 
artcclion,  truce-breakers,  false  accusers, 
incontinent,  fierce,  despisers  of  those  that 
are  good,  traitors,  heady,  high-minded, 
lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of 
God."  Such  a  Hood  of  wickedness  is  at 
any  time  sufficient  to  deluge  a  world  with 
misery.  If  these  things  did  not  then  break 
forth  in  national  wars  as  thoy  do  with  us, 
it  was  merely  l)ccause  the  world  was  not 
as  yet  dividcil  into  nations  :  the  springs  of 
domestic  and  social  life  were  poisoned  ; 
the  tender  ties  of  blood  and  affinity  vio- 
lated ;  and  quarrels,  intrigues,  oppres- 
sion, robberies,  and  murders  pervaded  the 
abodes  of  man. 

From  the  influence  of  corruption  in 
producing  violence,  and  bringing  on  the 
deluge,  we  may  see  the  importance  of 
pure  religion,  and  those  who  adhere  to  it, 
to  the  well-being  of  society.  They  are 
the  preserving  principle,  the  salt  of  the 
earth  ;  and  when  they  are  banished,  or  in 
any  way  become  extinct,  the  consequences 
will  be  soon  felt.  While  the  sons  of  God 
were  kept  together  and  continued  faithful, 
for  their  sakes  God  would  not  destroy  the 
world  ;  l)ut,  when  reduced  to  a  single  fam- 
ily, he  would,  as  in  the  case  of  Lot,  take 
that  away  and  destroy  the  rest.  The  late 
convulsions  in  a  neighboring  nation  may,  I 
apprehend,  be  easily  traced  to  this  cause  : 
all  their  violence  originated  in  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  true  religion.  About  a  hundred 
and  tliirty  years  ago,  the  law  which  pro- 
tected the  reformation  in  that  country  was 
repealed,  and  almost  all  the  religious  peo- 
ple were  eitiier  murdered  or  banished. — 
The  consequence  was,  as  might  have  been 
expec  ted,  the  great  body  of  the  nation, 
princes,  priests,  and  people,  sunk  into  in- 
fidelity. The  protestant  religion,  while  it 
continued,  was  the  salt  of  the  state  ;  but 
when  banished,  and  superstition  had  no- 
thing left  to  counteract  it,  things  soon 
hastened  to  their  crisis.  Popery,  aided 
by  a  despotic  civil  government,  brought 
forth  infidelity  ;  and  the  child  as  soon  as 
it  grew  up  to  maturity  murdered  its  pa- 
rents. If  tlic  principal  part  of  the  reli- 
gious people  in  this  or  any  other  country, 
were  driven  away,  the  rest  would  soon  be- 
come infidels  and  practical  atheists  ;  and, 
what  every  order  and  degree  of  men  would 
have  to  expect  from  the  prevalence  of 
these  principles,  there  is  no  want  of  ex- 
amples to  inform  them. 

Ver.  12,  13.  The  corruption  and  vio- 
lence which  overspread  the  earth  attract- 
ed the  notice  of  heaven.  God  knows  at 
all  times  what  is  doing  in  our  world  ;  but 


746 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


his  looking  upon  the  earth  denotes  a  spe- 
cial observance  of  it,  as  though  he  had  in- 
stituted an  inquiry  into  its  affairs.  Thus 
he  is  represented  as  "  going  down  to  Sod- 
om, to  see  whether  they  had  done  alto- 
gether according  to  the  cry  of  it,  which 
was  come  up  unto  him."  Such  seasons  of 
inquiry  are  the  days  of  "  inquisition  for 
blood,"  and  are  so  many  days  of  judg- 
ment in  miniature. 

The  inquiry  being  instituted,  sentence 
is  passed,  and  Noah  is  informed  of  it. — 
"  God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  all 
flesh  is  come  before  me  .  .  .  beholil  I  will 
destroy  them  with  the  earth."  In  cases 
where  individuals  only,  or  even  a  majori- 
ty, are  wicked,  and  there  is  yet  a  great 
number  of  righteous  characters,  God  often 
inflicts  only  a  partial  punishment:  but, 
■where  a  whole  people  are  become  corrupt, 
he  has  more  than  once  made  a  full  end  of 
them.  Witness  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  and  the  seven  nations  of  Ca- 
naan; and  thus  it  will  be  with  the  world 
when  the  righteous  shall  be  gathered  out 
of  it. 

Ver.  14. — 16.  As  it  was  the  design  of 
God  to  make  an  exception  in  favor  of  his 
faithful  servant  Noah,  he  is  directed  to 
the  use  of  an  extraordinary  means,  name- 
ly, the  Imilding  of  the  ark  :  a  kind  of  ship, 
which,  though  not  in  the  shape  of  ours,  as 
not  being  intended  for  a  voyage,  should 
float  on  the  surface  of  the  waters  and  pre- 
serve him  and  his  family  alive  in  the  midst 
of  death.  It  is  possible  that  this  was  the 
first  floating  fabric  that  was  ever  built. 
Its  dimensions  were  amazing.  Reckon- 
ing the  cubit  at  only  a  foot  and  a  half, 
which  is  supposed  to  be  somewhat  less 
than  the  truth,  it  was  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  long,  twenty-five  yards  wide,  and 
fifteen  yards  deep  ;  containing  three  sto- 
ries, or,  as  we  should  call  them,  decks, 
each  five  yards  in  depth.  It  had  a  window 
also,  it  should  seem,  from  end  to  end,  a 
foot  and  a  half  deep,  for  light,  and  per- 
haps for  air.* 

Ver.  17.  When  Joseph  was  called  to 
interpret  the  dream  of  Pharaoh,  he  observ- 
ed concerning  its  being  doubled  that  it  was 
"  because  the  thing  was  established  by 
God,  and  God  would  shortly  bring  it  to 
pass  ;"  and  thus  we  may  consider  the 
repetition  which  is  here  given  of  the  sen- 
tence :  "  Behold  I,  even  I,  do  bring  a  flood 
of  waters  upon  the  earth,  to  destroy  all 
flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life  from 
under  heaven." 

Ver.  18—22.  But  though  it  was  the 
purpose  of  God  to   make   an   end  of  the 


of 


*   Noah's  ark  is  said  to  have  been  equal  to  foity 
our  larsest  men  of  war. 


world  that  then  was,  yet  he  did  not  taeau 
that  the  generations  of  men  should  here 
be  terminated.  A  new  world  shall  suc- 
ceed, of  which  his  servant  Noah  should 
be  the  Father.  Thus  when  Israel  had 
offended  at  Horeb  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  "  Let  me  alone,  that  I  may  de- 
stroy them,  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a 
great  nation."  Hence  pairs  of  every  liv- 
ing creature  were  to  go  with  Noah  into 
the  ark,  to  provide  for  futurity. 

The  terms  in  which  this  gracious  de- 
sign is  intimated  are  worthy  of  special 
notice  :  "  With  thee  will  I  establish  my 
covenant."  Observe  three  things  in  par- 
ticular. 1.  The  leading  ideas  suggested 
by  a  covenant  are  those  of  peace  and  good- 
will between  the  parties,  and,  if  differ- 
ences have  subsisted,  forgiveness  of  the 
past  and  security  for  the  future.  Such 
were  the  friendly  alliances  between  Abra- 
ham and  Abimelech,  Isaac  and  another 
Abimelech,  and  between  Jacob  and  Laban. 
God  was  highly  displeased  with  the  world, 
and  would  therefore  destroy  that  generation 
by  a  flood  :  but,  when  he  should  have 
done  this,  he  would  return  in  loving-kind- 
ness and  tender  mercies,  and  would  look 
upon  the  earth  with  a  propitious  eye. 
Nor  should  they  be  kept  in  fearful  expec- 
tation of  being  so  destroyed  again  :  for  he 
would  pledge  his  word  no  more  to  be 
wroth  with  them  in  such  a  way,  nor  to 
rebuke  them  forever.  2.  In  covenants 
wherein  one  or  both  of  the  parties  had 
been  offended  it  was  usual  to  offer  sacri- 
fices, in  which  a  kind  of  atonement  was 
made  for  past  offences,  and  a  perfect  re- 
conciliation followed.  Such  were  the  cov- 
enants liefore  referred  to ;  and  such,  as 
we  sliall  see  at  the  close  of  the  eighth 
chapter,  was  the  covenant  in  question. 
"Noah  offered  sacrifices,  and  the  Lord 
smelled  a  sweet  savor,  and  promised  ta 
curse  the  ground  no  more  for  man's  sake." 
3.  In  covenants  which  include  a  blessing 
on  MANY,  and  them  unworthy,  it  is  Gods's 
ordinary  method  to  bestow  it  in  retoard 
or  for  the  sake,  of  one  who  was  dear  to 
him.  God  loves  men,  but  he  also  loves 
righteousness  :  hence  he  delights  to  be- 
stow his  blessings  in  such  a  way  as  mani- 
fests his  true  character.  If  there  had 
been  any  dependence  on  Noah's  poster- 
ity, that  they  would  all  have  walked  in  his 
steps,  the  covenant  might  have  been  es- 
tablished ivifh  them,  as  well  as  with  him  ; 
but  they  would  soon  degenerate  into  idol- 
atry and  all  manner  of  wickedness.  If 
therefore  he  will  bestow  favor  on  them  in 
such  a  way  as  to  express  his  love  of  right- 
eousness, it  must  be  for  their  father  Noah's 
sake,  and  in  reward  of  his  righteousness. 
To  say,  "  With  thee  will  I  establish  my 


THE    FLOOD. 


747 


covenant,*'  was  saying,  in  effect,  I  will 
hot  treat  with  tliine  ungodly  posterity  : 
whatever  favor  I  sliow  them,  it  shall  be 
for   thy  sake. 

It  was  on  tliis  principle  that  God  made 
a  covenant  witli  Al>ram,  in  w  hieii  lie  prom- 
ised great  blessings  to  his  posterity.  "  As 
forme,"  saith  he,  "  behold  my  covenant 
is  with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  father  of 
many  nations."  Hence,  in  a  great  num- 
ber of  instances  wherein  mercy  was  shown 
to  the  rcliellious  Israelites,  tiicy  were  re- 
minded that  it  was  not  for  llteir  sttkes,  but 
on  account  of  the  covenant  made  with  their 
father  Abraham,  and  reiiewed  icith  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  It  was  upon  this  principle  also 
tiiat  God  made  a  covenant  with  David, 
promising  that  his  seed  should  sit  upon 
his  throne  forever.  And  this  is  express- 
ed in  much  the  same  language  as  that  of 
Noah  and  Abraham  :  "  My  covenant  shall 
stand  fast  with  him." — "Once  have  I 
sworn  by  my  holiness  that  I  will  not  lie 
unto  David.  His  seed  shall  endure  for- 
ever, and  his  throne  as  the  sun  before 
him."  Solomon  pleaded  this  at  the  ded- 
ication of  tlie  temple.  Hezekiah  also  de- 
rived advantage  from  it  ;  and,  when  the 
seed  of  David  corrupted  their  way,  the 
Lord  reminded  them  that  the  favors  which 
they  enjoyed  were  not  for  their  own  sakes, 
but  for  his  Name's  sake,  and  for  the  cov- 
enant which  he  had  made  with  David  his 
servant. 

After  these  remarks,  I  scarcely  need 
say  that,  by  these  proceedings,  God,  even 
at  this  early  period,  was  preparing  the  way 
for  the  redemption  of  his  Son,  by  render- 
ing the  great  principle  on  which  it  should 
proceed  familiar  to  mankind.  A  very 
small  ac(juaintance  with  the  Scriptures 
will  enable  us  to  perceive  the  charming 
analog}-  between  the  language  used  in  the 
covensnat  with  Noah,  Abram,  David,  &c., 
and  that  wliich  respects  the  Messiah,  "  I 
■will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  peo- 
ple, to  establish  the  earth,  to  cause  to  in- 
herit the  desolate  heritages." — "It  is  a 
light  thing  that  thou  shouldest  be  my  ser- 
vant, to  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacol)  and  to 
restore  the  preserved  of  Israel  :  I  will 
also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles, 
that  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth." — "  Ask  of  me,  and  I 
will  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inher- 
itance, and  the  uttermost  jtarts  of  the 
earth  for  tliy  possession." — "  Jle  shall  see 
of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  shall  be  sat- 
isfied." In  these,  as  in  the  former  in- 
stances, God's  covenant  stands  fast  with 
one,  and  many  are  blessed  for  his  sake  : 
their  salvation  is  his  reward. 


DISCOURSE    XII. 


THE    FLOOD. 


Gen.  vii. 

We  have  seen  the  preparation  of  the 
ark,  the  warnings  of  God  by  it,  and  his 
long  suffering  for  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years.  Now  we  see  it  finished  :  now  the 
end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before  him. 

Ver.  1.     Observe,  1.   God  gave  special 
notice  to  Noah,  saying,  "Come  thou  and 
all  thy  house  into  the  ark ;  for  thee   have 
I  seen  rijihteous."     He  who  in  well-doing 
commits  himself  into  the  hands  of  a  faith- 
ful Creator,  needs  not  fear  lieing  overtaken 
l»y  surprise.     Wiiat  have  we  to  fear  when 
he  whom  we  serve  hath   the   keys   of  hell 
and  of  death  ]     This   is  not   the   only  in- 
stance in  which,  when  impending  ills  have 
been  ready  to  burst  upon  the  world,  God 
has,  in  effect,  said  to  his  servants,  "Come, 
my  people,  enter  thou  into  thy  chambers 
and  shut  thy  doors  about   thee  :  hide  thy- 
self, as  it  were  for  a  little   moment,  until 
the    indignation    be    overpast."       2.    God 
gave  him  all  his  household  with  him.     We 
are   not   informed  whether  any  of  Noah's 
family  at  present  followed  his  example  : 
it  is  certain  that  all  did  not :  yet  all  enter- 
ed   with    him    into    the   ark   for  his  sake. 
This   indeed  was  but  a  specimen  of  the 
mercy  which  was  to  be  exercised  towards 
his  distant  posterity  on  behalf  of  him,  as 
we  have  seen  in  the  former  chapter.     But 
it  is  of  importance  to  observe  that,  though 
temporal    blessings   may  be  given   to  the 
ungodly   children  of  a  godly   parent,   yet 
without  walking  in  his  steps   they  will  not 
be  partakers  with  him  in  those   which  are 
spiritual  and  eternal.     3.  It   is   an   affect- 
ing thought  that  there  should  be  no  more 
than  Noah  and  his  family  to  enter  into  the 
ark.     Peter  speaks  of  them   as  few ;  and 
few  they  were,  considering  the   vast  num- 
bers that  were  left  behind.   Noah  had  long 
been   a   preacher   of   righteousness  ;    and 
what !  is  there  not  one   sinner  brought   to 
repentance   by  his  preaching.?     It  should 
seem  not  one  ;  or,  if  there  were  any,  they 
were  taken  away  from   the  evil  to  come. 
Not  one  that  we  know  of  was  found  at 
the  time  who  had  received  his   warnings, 
and  was  desirous  of  casting  in  his  lot  with 
him.     We  are  ready  to  think  our  ministry 
has   but  little   success  ;  but  his,  so  far  as 
appears,    was     without    any  ;     yet,    like 
Enoch,  he  pleased  God.    4.  The  righteous- 
ness of  Noah  is  repeated  as  the  reason   of 
the  difference   put  between  him   and  the 
world.     This  does  not  imply  that   the  fa- 
vor shown  to  him  is  to  be  ascribed  to  his 


748 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


own  merit ;  for,  whatever  he  was,  he  was 
by  grace  ;  and  all  his  righteousness  was 
rewardahle  only  out  of  respect  to  Him 
in  whom  he  believed  :  but,  being  accepted 
for  his  sake,  his  works  also  were  accepted 
and  honored.  And,  while  the  mercy  of 
God  was  manifested  towards  him,  the  dis- 
tinction between  him  and  the  world  being 
made  according  to  character  would  render 
his  justice  apparent.  Thus  at  the  iast 
day,  though  the  righteous  will  have  noth- 
ing to  boast  of,  yet,  every  man  being  judjj;- 
ed  according  to  his  works,  the  world  will 
be  constrained  to  acknowledge  the  equity 
of  the  divine  proceedings. 

Ver.  2,  3.  Of  the  animals  which  were 
to  enter  into  the  ark  with  Noah,  those 
that  were  clean,  that  is,  those  which  were 
fit  for  human  food  and  for  sacrifice  to  God, 
were  to  go  in  by  sevens,  and  those  which 
were  unclean,  only  by  two  of  a  kind.  It 
would  seem  as  if  this  direction  differed 
from  that  in  chap.  vi.  19,  20,  which  men- 
tions only  two  of  every  sort :  but  the 
meaning  there  may  be  that  whatever  num- 
ber entered  in  they  should  be  in  pairs,  that 
is,  male  and  female,  to  preserve  them  a- 
live  ;  whereas  here  the  direction  is  more 
particular,  appointing  the  number  of  pairs 
that  should  be  admitted,  according  as  they 
were  clean  or  unclean.  This  order  is  ex- 
pressive of  the  goodness  of  God  in  pro- 
viding food  for  man,  and  of  his  regard  for 
his  own  worship. 

Ver.  4 — 9.  Just  one  week  was  allowed 
for  Noah  to  embark.  What  a  week  was 
this  !  What  feelings  must  it  excite  I  His 
neighbors  had  seen  him  busily  employed 
for  the  last  hundred  aud  twenty  years  in 
rearing  the  massy  fabric  ;  and  doubtless 
had  had  many  a  laugh  at  the  old  man's 
folly  and  credulity ;  and  now,  behold,  he 
is  going  to  remove  all  his  family  into  it, 
with  birds,  and  beasts,  and  creeping 
things,  and  provisions  for  their  accom- 
modation !  "Well,  let  him  go:  a  week 
longer,  and  we  shall  see  what  will  become 
of  his  dreams  !  "  Meanwhile  they  eat 
and  drink,  and  buy  and  sell,  and  marry 
and  are  given  in  marriage.  As  for  Noah, 
he  must  have  felt  much  in  contemplating 
the  destruction  of  the  whole  of  his  spe- 
cies, to  whom  he  had  preached  righteous- 
ness iti  vain.  But  it  is  not  for  him  to  lin- 
ger;  buto  t  "do  according  to  all  that  the 
Lord  commanded  him."  He  had  borne 
his  testimony  :  he  could  do  no  more.  He, 
his  sons,  his  wife,  and  his  sons'  wives, 
therefore,  with  all  the  inferior  creatures, 
which  probably  wei-e  caused  to  assemble 
before  him  by  the  same  power  which 
brought  them  to  Adam  to  be  named,  enter 
into  the  ark.  The  same  thing  which  is  said 
of  him  in  ver.  7,  is  repeated  in  ver.  13.  He 
doubtless  would  have  to  enter  and  re-en- 


ter many  times  in  the  course  of  the  week 
but  the   last  describes  his  final  entrance, 
when  he  siiould  return  no  more. 

Ver.  10 — 16.  From  tlie  account,  taken 
together,  it  appears  that,  though  God  suf- 
fered long  with  the  world  during  the  min- 
istry of  Noah,  yet  the  flood  came  upon 
them  at  last  very  suddenly.  The  words, 
after  seven  days,  in  ver.  10,  seem  to  mean 
on  the  sevenlli  day  ;*  for  that  was  the  day 
when  Noah  made  his  final  entrance  into 
the  aik ;  namely,  the  seventeenth  day  of 
the  second  month,  answering  to  our  Octo- 
ber or  November,  in  the  six  hundredth 
year  of  his  life  ;  and  "on  that  same  day 
were  all  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep 
broken  up,  and  the  windows  of  heaven 
opened."  What  a  scene  of  consternation 
and  dismay  must  that  day  have  exhibited, 
on  the  part  of  those  who  were  left  behind! 
The  manner  in  which  the  rains  set  in, 
would  leave  little  or  no  hope  of  their  be- 
ing soon  over.  It  was  not  a  common  rain  : 
it  came  in  torrents,  or,  as  we  should  say, 
in  a  manner  as  though  heaven  and  earth 
were  come  together.  The  waters  of  the 
subterraneous  cavities  from  beneath,  and 
of  the  clouds  from  above,  all  met  together 
at  God's  command,  to  execute  his  wrath 
on  guilty  men.f  There  is  one  sentence 
concerning  Noah  which  is  worthy  of  special 
notice  :  when  he  and  all  pertaining  to  him 
had  entered  into  the  ark,  it  is  said,  "And 
the  Lord  shut  him  in."  The  door  of  such 
a  stupendous  building  may  be  supposed  to 
have  been  too  large  for  human  hands  to 
fasten,  especially  so  few  as  they  were,  and 
all  withinside  it.  It  is  possible,  too,  there 
might  be,  by  this  time,  numbers  crowding 
round  it  for  admittance ;  for  those  who 
trifle  with  death  at  a  distance  are  often 
the  most  terrified  when  it  approaches. 
But  lo,  all  is  over !  That  act  which  shut 
Noah  and  his  family  in,  shut  them  forever 
out !  And  let  it  be  considered  that  some- 
thing very  nearly  resembling  this  will  ere 
long  be  acted  over  again.  "  As  it  was  in 
the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  it  be  at  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Man."      Not  only 


I     mode    of  speaking   is  usual   in    the 
Compare  ver.  6  with  ver.  11, and  chap. 


*  Such 
Scriptures, 
xl.  18,20. 

t  The  great  deep  seems  to  mean  that  vast  conflu- 
ence of  waters  said  to  have  been  gathered  togetlier 
on  the  third  day  of  the  creation  into  one  place,  and 
called  seas. — chap.  i.  9,  10.  These  waters  not  only 
extend  over  a  great  part  of  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
but  probably  tiow,  as  through  a  number  of  arteries 
and  veins,  to  its  most  interior  recesses,  and  occupy 
its  centre.  This  body  of  waters,  which  was  ordain- 
ed, as  I  may  say,  unto  life,  was  turned,  in  just  dis- 
pleasure against  man's  sin,  into  an  engine  of  destruc- 
tion. Bursting  forth  in  tremendous  floods,  multitudes 
were  hereby  swept  away;  while,  from  above,  the 
clouds  poured  forth  their  torrents,  as  though  heaven 
itself  were  a  reservoir  of  waters,  and  God  had  open- 
ed its  windows. 


THE    FLOOD. 


749 


shall  the  world,  as  tlion,  he  full  of  dissi- 
pation, l)iil  tlie  coiiciiidiiis;  scotic  is  dc- 
scril)cd  in  nearly  tlie  same  woriis — "  And 
they  tliat  were  ready  went  in,  and  the  door 
was  shut !  " 

Ver.  17 — 2}.  We  hear  no  more  of  the 
inhal)itants  ol  the  world,  except  that  "all 
llesh  died  that  moved  upon  the  oartli,  both 
of  fowl  and  of  cattle,  and  of  licast,  and 
of  every  creepini;;  thini;  that  creepeth 
upon  the  earth,  and  t'vcnj  man  :  all  in 
whose  nostrils  was  the  l»rcath  of  lite,  of 
all  that  was  in  the  dry  land,  died." 
We  are  informed,  however,  of  the  pro- 
gress of  the  flood.  For  six  weeks,  with- 
in two  days,  it  continued  to  rain  incessant- 
ly ;  during  whicii  period  it  was  of  sufficient 
depth  to  liear  up  the  ark  from  the  earth, 
which  alter  this  floated  upon  the  surface 
of  the  waters,  like  a  ship  on  the  sea.  For 
some  time,  however,  there  were  mountains 
and  high  liills  wliicii  were  out  of  water. 
Hither,  therefore,  we  may  naturally  sup- 
pose, tlie  inhahitants  of  the  earth  would 
repair,  as  to  their  last  refuge  :  hut,  by  the 
end  of  the  forty  days,  these  also  were  cov- 
ered ;  the  waters  rising  above  seven 
yards  higher  than  the  highest  of  them. 
Thus  every  creature  was  swept  away  and 
buried  in  one  watery  grave,  Noah  and  his 
family  only  excepted. 

The  waters  prevailed  upon  the  earth  a 
hundred  and  fifty  days  (that  is,  about  five 
months)  before  they  began  to  aliate.  This 
might  seem  to  us  unnecessary,  seeing  eve- 
ry living  creature  would  be  drowned  with- 
in the  first  six  weeks  ;  but  it  would  serve 
to  exercise  the  faith  and  patience  of  Noah, 
and  to  impress  his  posterity  with  the  great- 
ness of  the  divine  displeasure  against 
man's  sin.  As  the  land  of  Israel  should 
have  its  sabbaths  during  the  captivity,  so 
the  whole  earth,  for  a  time,  shall  be  re- 
lieved from  its  load,  and  fully  purified,  as 
it  were,  from  its  unclcanness. 


DISCOURSE  XIII. 

THE    FLOOD    (continued). 
Gen.  viii. 

The  close  of  the  last  chapter  brought 
us  to  the  crisis  of  the  flood,  or  to  the  pe- 
riod in  which  it  had  arrived  at  its  greatest 
height :  hence  it  began  to  abate.  Observe 
the  form  in  which  it  is  expressed  :  "  God 
rememl>ered  Noah,  and  those  that  were 
with  him  in  the  ark."  A  common  histo- 
rian would  only  have  narrated  the  event  : 
but  the  sacred  writers  ascribe  every  thing 
to  God,  sometimes  to  the  omission  of  sec- 
ond causes.     The  term  is  figurative  ;  for, 


strictly  speaking,  God  never  forgot  them  : 
but  it  is  one  of  those  modes  of  sjjcaking 
which  convey  a  great  fulness  of  meaning. 
It  is  ex|)rcssivc  offender  mercy,  of  cove- 
nant mercy,  and  of  mercy  alter  a  strong 
expression  of  displeasure.  These  are 
things  which  frecpiently  occur  in  the  di- 
vine j)roceedings.  Hence,  a  wind  ])asses 
over  the  earth,  and  the  waters  begin  to 
assuage. 

Ver.  "2 — 4.  The  causes  of  the  deluge 
being  removed,  the  effects  gradually  sub- 
side ;  and  the  waters,  having  performed 
their  work,  return  into  their  wonted  chan- 
nels. The  ark,  which  had  hitherto  floated 
on  the  waters,  now  finds  land,  and  rests 
upon  the  top  of  one  of  the  Armenian  moun- 
tains ;  and  this  just  five  months  after  the 
entrance  into  it.  For  a  ship  in  the  sea  to 
have  struck  upon  a  rock  or  land  would 
have  been  extremely  dangerous  ;  but  at 
this  stage  of  the  flood  we  may  suppose  the 
heavens  were  clear  and  calm,  and  the  wa- 
ters still.  Noah  did  not  steer  the  ark;  it 
was  therefore  God's  doing,  and  was  in 
mercy  to  him  and  his  companions.  Their 
voyage  was  now  at  an  end.  They  put  in 
as  at  the  first  possible  port.  The  rest 
which  they  enjoy  is  a  prelude  to  a  more 
perfect  one  approaching.  Thus  God  pla- 
ces believers  upon  high  ground,  on  which 
they  are  already  safe,  and  may  anticipate 
a  better  country,  even  a  heavenly  one. 

Ver.  5 — 1.3.  The  first  objects  that  greet 
them,  after  having  been  nearly  eight 
months  aboard,  are  the  tops  of  the  moun- 
tains. They  had  felt  one  of  them  before  ; 
but  now  the  waters  are  sufliciently  abated 
to  see  several  of  them.  If  we  had  l)een  on 
a  long  and  dangerous  voyage  at  sea,  we 
should  be  better  aide  to  conceive  of  the 
joy  which  this  sight  must  have  occasioned 
than  we  possibly  can  be  without  it.  Often 
has  a  ship's  company  been  called  on  deck 
to  see  a  distant  object,  which  promised  to 
be  land.  Often  too  have  Christians  in 
their  voyage  been  cheered  by  the  signs  of 
approaching  blessedness,  and  the  happy 
foretastes  bestowed  upon  them.  After  the 
lapse  of  forty  days  more,  the  window  of 
the  ark  was  opened,  and  a  raven  sent  forth 
for  the  purpose  of  experiment,  that  they 
might  see  whether  it  could  subsist  of 
itself  or  not ;  and  the  event  proved  that 
it  could  subsist,  for  it  returned  no  more. 
This  was  encouraging.  Seven  days  after 
this,  Noaii  tries  a  more  delicate  bird,  the 
dove,  which  could  not  live  unless  the 
ground  was  at  least  in  some  places  dry  : 
but  she  from  necessity  returned.  A  |)roof 
this  that  the  waters  as  yet  were  on  the  face 
of  the  whole  earth.  Tarrying  yet  other 
seven  days,  Noah  sends  out  a  second  time 
his  faithful  messenger,  the  dove,  which 
again  returned  to  him  in  the  evening ;  but 


750 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


lo,  a  sign  is  in  her  mouth  which  gladdens 
all  their  hearts !  It  is  "  an  olive-leaf 
plucked  off!"  An  olive-leaf  might  have 
floated  upon  the  surface  of  the  waters  ; 
but  it  was  observable  of  this  that  the  dove 
had  plucked  it  off  the  tree  :  a  proof  that 
the  tops  of  the  trees,  in  some  places,  were 
out  of  water.  Perhaps  it  is  from  this  event 
that  the  olive-branch  has  ever  since  been 
considered  as  the  emblem  of  peace.  After 
seven  days  more,  Noah  sends  forth  the 
dove  again;  which  returning  no  more,  he 
knew  the  earth  must  in  some  places  be  dry. 
The  repeated  mention  of  seven  days  seems 
to  imply  that  from  the  beginning  time  had 
been  divided  into  weeks  ;  which  can  no 
otherwise  be  accounted  for,  that  I  know  of, 
than  by  admitting  that,  from  the  begin- 
ning, those  who  feared  God  remembered 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  About  a 
month  after  this  the  waters  are  dried  up 
from  off  the  earth,  and  the  covering  of  the 
ark  is  removed.  Now  they  have  the  pleas- 
ure to  look  around  them,  and  to  see  the 
dry  land  in  every  direction  ;  but  still  it  is 
not  habitable.  And,  as  Noah  came  into 
the  ark  by  God's  command,  so  he  must 
wait  his  time  ere  he  attempts  to  go  out, 
which  will  be  nearly  two  months  longer. 

Ver.  14 — 19.  At  length  the  set" time 
to  favor  this  little  company  is  come.  On 
the  27th  day  of  the  second  month,  that  is, 
just  a  year  and  ten  days  after  their  en- 
trance into  the  ark,  they  are  commanded 
to  go  forth  of  it,  with  all  that  pertained  to 
them,  and  to  begin,  not  the  world,  as  we 
should  say,  again,  but  a  new  world.  Obe- 
dient to  the  heavenly  vision,  they  take 
leave  of  the  friendly  vessel  which  through 
many  a  storm  had  preserved  them,  and 
landed  them  in  safety. 

Ver.  20—22.  The  first  object  of  atten- 
tion with  a  worldly  man  might  have  been 
a  day  of  rejoicing,  or  the  beginning  to 
build  a  house  :  but  Noah  begins  by  build- 
ing an  altar  to  Jehovah,  on  which  he  of- 
fered "  burnt-offerings  of  every  clean  beast, 
and  of  every  clean  fowl."  I  think  this  is 
the  first  time  we  read  of  a  burnt-offering. 
It  was  so  called,  as  Moses  says,  "  because 
of  the  burning  upon  the  altar  all  night  unto 
the  morning."  It  was  a  substitutional  sac- 
rifice, for  the  purpose  of  atonement.  The 
process  is  descrilied  in  Lev.  i.  2 — 9.  The 
sinner  confessed  his  sin  upon  its  head  ;  the 
animal  was  killed,  or  treated  as  if  it -were 
the  transgressor,  and  as  if  the  sin  had  been 
actually  transferred  to  it :  the  blood  of  the 
creature  being  shed  was  sprinkled  round 
about  upon  the  altar  ;  and  to  show  the  di- 
vine acceptance  of  it  onbehalf  of  the  offer- 
er, to  make  atonement  for  him,  it  was  con- 
sumed by  fire,  either  descending  immedi- 
ately from  heaven,  as  was  the  case  on 
some  occasions,  or  kindled  by  the  priest 


from  the  sacred  fire  kept  for  the  purpose 
(Lev.  ix.  24;  Ps.  xx.  3.  mar.)  ;  finally  : 
The  sacrifice  being  sprinkled  with  salt, 
and  perhai)s  with  odors,  ascended  up  in  a 
sweet  savor,  and  God  Avas  propitious  to 
the  offerer. 

The  burnt-offerings  of  Noah,  according 
to  this,  must  have  been  designed  for  an 
atonement  in  behalf  of  the  remnant  that 
was  left;  and,  as  Hezekiah  said  after  the 
carrying  away  of  the  ten  tribes,  "  for  the 
making  of  a  covenant  with  the  Lord." 
This  his  offering  was  graciously  accepted  : 
"  The  Lord  smelled  a  sweet  savor,"  and 
bestowed  upon  him,  and  those  who  were 
with  him,  a  covenant  promise,  not  to  curse 
the  ground  any  more  for  man's  sake.  The 
reason  given  for  this  is  singular  :  "  for  the 
imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil  from  his 
youth."  If  God  had  dealt  with  man  ac- 
cording to  law  and  justice,  this  ghould 
have  been  a  reason  for  destroying,  rather 
than  sparing  him  ;  and  was  the  reason  why 
the  flood  was  brought  upon  the  earth.  But 
here  he  is  represented  as  dealing  with  him 
through  a  substitute  (for  the  promise  fol- 
lows the  acceptance  of  the  burnt-offering) ; 
and  in  this  view  the  wickedness  of  man, 
however  offensive,  should  not  determine 
his  conduct.  He  would,  as  it  were,  look 
off  from  him,  and  rest  his  future  conduct 
towards  him  on  another  ground.  He 
would,  in  short,  knowing  Avhat  he  was, 
deal  with  him  on  a  footing  of  mercy  and 
forbearance. 

Surely  I  need  not  say  that  this  sacrifice 
of  Noah  was  one  of  those  which  bore  a  pe- 
culiar aspect  to  the  offering  of  the  body  of 
Jesus  once  for  all.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  the  apostle  has  a  direct  allusion  to  it 
when  he  says,  "  Christ  hath  loved  us,  and 
given  himself  for  us,  an  offering  and  a  sac- 
rifice to  God,  for  a  sweet-smelling  savor." 
In  reviewing  the  destruction  of  the  world 
by  a  flood,  and  the  preservation  of  Noah 
and  his  family,  we  are  furnished  with  three 
important  reflections  : — 

1.  It  is  a  solid  proof  of  the  truth  of  di- 
vine revelation.  "  We  are  acquainted," 
says  a  late  perspicuous  and  forcible  wri- 
ter, "  with  no  ancient  people  who  were 
without  traditions  of  this  great  event. 
From  Josephus  we  learn  that  Berosus,  a 
Chaldean  historian  whose  works  are  now 
lost,  related  the  same  tilings  as  Moses  of 
the  deluge,  and  the  preservation  of  Noah 
in  an  ark.  Eusebius  informs  us  that  the 
history  of  the  flood  was  contained  in  the 
works  of  Abydenus,  an  Assyrian  writer. 
Lucian,  the  Greek  writer,  says  that  the 
present  is  not  the  original  race  of  men  ; 
but  is  descended  from  Deucaliom,  who  was 
preserved  in  an  ark  from  the  universal 
deluge  which  destroyed  men  for  their  wick- 
edness.    Varro,  the  Roman  writer,  divid- 


COVENANT    WITH    NOAH. 


751 


ed  time  into  three  periods,  the  first  from 
the  origin  ol  men  to  tlie  delii;:;e.  The 
Hindoo  puninas  contain  tlie  history  ol  tiie 
deluge,  and  ol  Noaii  under  the  name  of 
Satyavrata.  They  relate  tliat  Satyavrata 
was  miraeiiloiisly  preserved  in  an  ark  from 
a  deluge  wliicii  destroyed  all  mankind."'* 
The  same  writer  adds,  "  That  tiie  whole 
ofourglol)e  has  lieen  suiMiiergeil  by  the 
ocean  is  proved,  not  i)y  tradition  only,  hut 
by  its  mineralogieal  and  fossil  iiistory.  On 
the  summits  of  high  mountains,  and  in  the 
centres  of  continents,  vast  beds  of  shells 
and  other  marine  productions  are  to  be 
tbund.  Petrified  tislies  and  sea  weed  exist 
in  tlie  heart  of  quarries.  The  \egeiable 
and  animal  productions  of  the  torritl  zone 
have  been  dug  up  in  the  coldest  regions,  as 
Siberia  ;  and,  vice  versa,  tlie  productions 
of  the  polar  regions  have  been  found  in 
warm  climates.  These  facts  are  unan- 
swerable proofs  of  a  deluge." 

2.  It  is  intimated  by  the  apostle  Peter 
that  the  salvation  of  Noah  and  his  family 
in  the  ark  was  a  figure  of  our  salvation  by 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  was 
for  a  time  buried,  as  it  were,  in  the  floods 
of  divine  wrath  from  above  and  from  be- 
neath. It  rose,  however,  and  weathered 
the  storm,  safely  landing  those  on  dry 
ground  who  had  been  committed  to  its 
care.  I  need  not  make  the  apjilication. 
A  "like  figure"  of  the  same  thing  is 
Christian  baptism,  in  which  believers  are 
said  to  be  baptized  into  the  death  of  Christ : 
"Buried  with  him  into  death,  that  like  as 
he  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  (he 
glory  of  the  Father,  so  they  also  should 
walk  in  newness  of  life." 

3.  We  are  directed  to  consider  the  de- 
struction of  the  world  liy  water  as  a  pre- 
sage and  premonition  of  its  being  destroy- 
ed in  the  end  by  fire.  "  The  heavens  and 
the  earth,  which  now  are,  are  kept  in  store, 
reserved  unto  lire  against  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  perdition  of  ungodly  men." 


DISCOURSE  XIV. 

god's    covenant    with     NOAH. 

Gen.  ix. 

Ver.  1,  2.  We  have  now  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  world,  and  various  direc- 
tions given  to  those  who  are  to  people  it. 
In  several  respects   it  resembles   its  first 

*  Letiers  on  the  Evidences  of  the  Cliristian  Re- 
ligion :  by  an  Enquirer.  First  printeil  in  tiie  Ori- 
ental Star,  at  Calrutta ;  reprintfd  at  Serampore  in 
1802;  and  since  reprinted  in  England,  with  addi- 
tions and  corrections  by  the  Author. 


beginning ;  particularly  in  the  command 
to  be  fruitful  and  nmitiply,  and  in  the 
subjection  of  the  creatures  to  man.  But 
there  is  one  great  difVerence :  all  must 
now  rest  ujion  a  gracious  covenant.  Man 
by  sin  had  forfeited,  not  his  existence  in- 
deed (tor  that  was  given  him  to  hold  on 
no  conditional  tenure),  but  the  blessing  of 
God,  ami  his  ilomiiiion  over  his  creatures. 
Nevertheless,  he  shall  be  reinstated  in  it. 
God  will,  as  it  were,  make  a  covenant  for 
him  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  they 
shall  be  at  peace  with  him,  or  at  least  shall 
be  awed  by  his  authority.  All  this  is  out 
of  respect  to  the  mediation  of  Christ,  and 
for  the  accomplishing  of  the  designs  of 
mercy  through  him. 

Ver.  3,  4.  Here  is  also  a  special  grant, 
which  does  not  appear  to  have  been  given 
before  :  not  only  the  herbs  of  the  field, 
but  the  animals  are  given  to  man  for  food. 
It  is  howeviTr  accompanied  with  a  special 
exception  with  regard  to  hlood,  which  is 
the  life.  This,  lieing  forlfidden  to  Noah, 
appears  also  to  have  iiecn  forliidden  to  all 
mankind  :  nor  ought  this  prohibition  to  be 
treated  as  belonging  to  the  ceremonies  of 
the  Jewish  dispensation.  It  was  not  only 
enjoined  before  that  dispensation  existed, 
but  was  enforced  upon  the  Gentile  Chris- 
tians by  the  decrees  of  the  apostles.  Acts 
XV.  20.  To  allege,  as  some  do,  our  Lord's 
words,  "not  that  which  goeth  into  the 
mouth  that  deiileth  a  man,"  would  equal- 
ly justify  the  [jractice  of  cannibals  in  eat- 
ing human  flesh.  The  reason  of  this  pro- 
hibition might  be  in  part  the  prevention  of 
cruelty  ;  for  the  eating  of  blood  implies  and 
cherisiies  a  ferocious  disposition.  None 
but  the  most  ferocious  of  animals  will 
eat  it  in  one  anotiier  ;  and  one  would  think 
none  but  the  most  ferocious  of  mankind 
could  endure  it.  But  there  may  be  a 
higher  reason.  Blood  is  the  life,  and  God 
seems  to  claim  it  as  sacred  to  himself. 
Hence,  in  all  the  sacrifices,  the  l)Iood  was 
poured  out  before  the  Lord  :  and,  in  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ,  he  shed  his  blood,  or 
poured  out  his  soul  unto  death. 

Ver.  .5,  G.  As  God  was  tender  of  an- 
imal blood,  in  not  suffering  man  to  eat  it, 
so,  on  the  other  hand,  he  would  be  espe- 
cially tender  of  human  blood.  If  any 
animal  slew  a  man,  let  him  be  slain  on 
that  account  :  or,  if  any  man  slew  him- 
self, God  would  require  it :  or,  if  any  man 
slew  another  man,  he  should  be  jiut  to 
death  by  man.  This  also  appears  to  be  a 
new  law,  as  we  read  of  no  executions  for 
murder  among  the  antediluvians.  The 
reason  for  this  law  is  not  taken  from  the 
well-being  of  man,  but  man's  being  made 
in  the  image  of  .God.  The  image  of  God 
is  of  two  kinds,  natural  and  moral.  The 
latter  was  lost  by  sin  ;  but  the  former  con- 


752 


EXPOSITION    OP    GENESIS. 


tinues  with  man  in  every  state,  and  ren- 
ders it  peculiarly  criminal  to  abuse  him. 
To  deface  the  king's  image  is  a  sort  of 
treason  among  men,  implying  a  hatred 
against  him,  and  that,  if  he  himself  were 
within  reach,  he  would  be  served  in  the 
same  manner  :  how  much  more  treasona- 
ble must  it  l)e  to  destroy,  curse,  oppress, 
or  in  any  way  abuse  the  image  of  the  King 
of  kings  ! — James  iii.  9.* 

Ver.  7.  The  command  to  multiply  is 
repeated,  and  contains  permission,  not  of 
promiscuous  intercourse,  like  the  brutes, 
but  of  honorable  marriage.  The  same 
law  which  forbad  the  eating  of  blood,  un- 
der the  gospel,  forbad  fornication,  which 
was  common  among  the  heathen ;  and, 
alas,  too  common  among  those  who  call 
themselves  Christians  ! 

Ver.  8 — 17.  Having  given  the  lorego- 
ing  precepts,  God  graciously  proceeds  to 
enter  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  Noah 
and  his  posterity,  and  every  living  crea- 
ture that  was  with  them,  no  more  to  de- 
stroy them  by  water,  of  which  "the  bow 
in  the  cloud  "  was  to  lie  the  token.  This 
covenant  is  an  amplification  of  what  was 
said  at  the  altar,  where  the  Lord  smelled 
a  sweet  savor;  and  indeed  the  first  seven- 
teen verses  of  this  chapter  are  a  continu- 
ation of  that  subject. 

We  see  here,  1.  The  mercy  and  good- 
ness of  God  in  proceeding  with  us  in  a 
way  of  covenant.  He  might  have  exempt- 
ed the  world  from  this  calamity,  and  yet 
not  have  told  them  he  would  do  so.  The 
remembrance  of  the  flood  might  have 
been  a  sword  hanging  over  their  heads  in 
terrorem.  But  he  will  set  their  minds  at 
rest  on  this  score,  and  therefore  promises, 
and  that  with  an  oath,  that  the  waters  of 
Noah  should  no  more  go  over  the  earth. — 


*  In  (lefeiuling  the  principles  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  against  |)ersenulion  for  conscience'  sake,  it 
has  often  been  alleged  that  civil  government  has  no 
riglit  to  restrain  or  punish  men,  but  on  account  of 
their  injuriug  their  fellow-men.  That  whatever  is 
punishable  by  man  is  injurious  to  man  is  true;  be- 
cause all  sin  in  some  way  or  other  is  so:  but  to  make 
this  the  sole  ground,  or  reason,  of  punishment,  is 
selfish  and  atheistical.  It  i.s  making  ourselves  the 
chief  end;  wliereas  this  is  what  God  claims  to  him- 
self at  the  hand  of  every  man  and  body  of  men.  The 
cognizance  of  the  civil  magistrate  ought  indeed  to  be 
confined  to  what  is  civil  and  moral;  but,  in  punishing 
men  for  immorality,  he  ought  not  merely  to  regard 
his  own  safety,  nor  even  that  of  the  community,  but 
the  honor  of  God:  and  if  he  be  a  good  man  he  will 
do  so.  If  he  regard  merely  his  own  safety,  punish- 
ing crimes  only  in  so  far  as  they  endanger  it,  the 
people  will  soon  perceive  that  he  is  a  selfish  tyrant, 
and  cares  not  for  the  general  good  :  and  if  he  regard 
only  the  public  safety,  punishing  crimes  merely  on 
account  of  their  being  injurious  to  men,  it  is  still  a 
spirit  of  selfishness,  only  a  little  more  extended;  and 
<io(l  will  disapprove  of  this,  as  the  people  do  of  the 
other. 


Isa.  liv.  9.  Thus  also  he  deals  with  us  ill 
his  Son.  Being  willing  that  the  heirs  of 
promise  should  have  strong  consolation, 
he  confirms  his  word  by  an  oath. — Heb. 
vi.  17,  IS.  2.  The  importance  of  living 
under  the  light  of  revelation.  Noah's 
posterity  by  degrees  sunk  into  idolatry, 
and  became  "  strangers  to  the  covenants  of 
promise."  Such  were  our  fathers  for 
many  ages,  and  such  are  great  numbers  to 
this  day.  So  far  as  respects  them,  God 
might  as  well  have  made  no  promise  :  to 
them  all  is  lost.  3.  The  importance  of 
being  believers.  Without  this  it  will  be 
worse  for  us  than  if  we  had  never  been 
favored  with  a  revelation.  Finally  :  We 
see  here  the  kind  of  life  which  it  was 
God's  design  to  encourage — a  life  of  faith. 
"  The  just  shall  live  by  faith."  If' he  had 
made  no  revelation  of  himself,  no  cove- 
nants, and  no  promises,  there  would  be 
no  ground  for  faith  ;  and  we  must  have 
gone  through  life  feeling  after  hiin,  with- 
out being  able  to  find  him  :  but,  having 
made  known  his  mind,  there  is  light  in  all 
our  dwellings,  and  a  sure  ground  for  be- 
lieving, not  only  in  our  exemption  from 
another  flood,  but  in  things  of  far  greater 
importance. 

With  respect  to  the  sign,  or  token,  of 
this  covenant,  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  as  it 
seems  to  be  the  effect  of  causes  which  ex- 
isted from  the  beginning,  it  is  probable  that 
that  also  existed  ;  but  it  was  not  till  now 
a  token  of  God's  covenant  with  the  world. 
Such  a  token  was  extremely  suitable,'' on 
account  of  its  conspicuousness,  and  its 
appearance  in  the  cloud,  or  at  a  time  when 
the  fears  of  man  Avould  be  apt  to  rise,  lest 
they  should  be  overwhelmed  with  another 
flood.  This  being  a  sign  of  peace,  the 
King  of  Zion  is  described  as  having  "  a 
rainbow  about  his  throne." 

Ver.  18,  19.  God  having  thus  saved, 
counselled,  and  covenanted  with  this  little 
company,  Moses  proceeds  to  narrate  their 
history.  In  general,  we  are  informed  that 
the  fathers  of  the  new  world  were  Noah's 
three  sons,  Shem,  and  Ham,  and  Japheth  ; 
from  whom  the  earth  was  peopled.  And, 
having  mentioned  Ham,  he  says,  "  He  was 
the  father  of  Canaan."  This  remark  of 
Moses  was  doubtless  made  with  a  special 
design  ;  for  living,  as  he  did,  when  the  Is- 
raelites, who  descended  from  Shem,  were 
about  to  take  possession  of  the  land  of 
Canaan,  it  was  of  peculiar  importance 
that  they  should  be  informed  that  the  peo- 
ple whose  country  the  Lord  their  God  had 
given  them  to  possess  were  under  a  curse 
from  the  days  of  their  first  father.  The 
particulars  of  this  afifair  will  appear  in  the 
sequel. 

Ver.  20 — 23.  Noah,  as  soon  as  he  could 
get  settled,  betook  himself  to  the  employ- 


NOAU's    PROPHECY. 


753 


hientof  husbandry  ;  and  the  first  thing  he 
did  in  this  way  was  to  phmt  a  vineyard. 
So  far  all  was  ri^ht :  n)an,  as  we  iiave 
seen,  was  formed  originally  for  an  active 
and  not  an  idle  life.  Adam  was  ordered  to 
keep  the  garden,  and  to  dress  it ;  and,  when 
fallen,  to  till  the  ground  whence  he  was 
taken,  which  now  required  much  labor. 
Perhaj)s  there  is  no  employment  more  free 
from  snares.  But  in  the  most  lawful  occu- 
pations and  enjoyments  we  must  not  reck- 
on ourselves  out  of  danger.  It  was  very 
lawful  for  Noah  to  partake  of  the  fruits  of 
his  labor ;  but  Noah  sinned  in  drinking  to 
excess.  He  might  not  be  aware  of  the 
strength  of  the  wine,  or  his  age  might  ren- 
der him  sooner  influenced  by  it  :  at  any 
rate,  we  have  reason  to  conclude,  from  his 
general  character,  that  it  was  a  fault  in 
which  he  was  "  overtaken."  But  let  us 
not  think  lightly  of  the  sin  of  drunkenness. 
"  Who  hath  woe  ?  who  hath  redness  of 
eyes  1  Tiiey  that  tarry  long  at  the  wine." 
Times  of  festivity  require  a  doul)le  guard. 
Neither  age  nor  character  is  any  security  in 
the  hour  of  temptation.  Who  would  have 
thought  that  a  man  who  had  walked  with 
God  perhaps  more  than  five  hundred  years, 
and  who  had  withstood  the  temptations  of 
a  world,  should  fall  alone  1  This  was  like 
a  ship  which  had  gone  round  the  world 
being  overset  in  sailing  into  port.  What 
need  for  watchfulness  and  prayer!  One 
heedless  hour  may  stain  the  fairest  life, 
and  undo  much  of  the  good  which  we 
have  been  doing  for  a  course  of  years  ! 
Drunkenness  is  a  sin  which  involves  in 
it  the  breach  of  the  whole  law,  which  re- 
quires love  to  God,  our  neighbor,  and  our- 
selves. The  first  as  abusing  his  mercies; 
the  second  as  depriving  those  who  are 
in  want  of  them  of  necessary  support,  as 
well  as  setting  an  ill  example;  and  the 
last  as  depriving  ourselves  of  reason,  self- 
government,  and  common  decency.  It  also 
commonly  leads  on  toother  evils.  It  has 
been  said,  and  justly,  that  the  name 
of  this  sin  is   "  Gad — a  troop  cometh  .' " 

But,  sinful  as  it  was  for  Noah  thus  to 
expose  himself,  it  was  still  more  so  for 
Ham,  on  perceiving  his  situation,  to  go 
out  and  report  it  with  malignant  pleasure  to 
his  brethren.  None  but  a  fool  will  make 
a  mock  at  sin  in  any  one  :  but  for  children 
to  expose  and  sneer  at  the  sin  of  their  pa- 
rents is  wickedness  of  the  most  aggrava- 
ted kind.  It  indicates  a  heart  thoroughly 
depraved.  The  conduct  of  Shem  and  Ja- 
pheth  on  this  unhappy  occasion  was  as 
commendable  as  the  other  was  censurable, 
and  as  worthy  of  our  imitation  as  that  is  of 
our  abhorrence. 

Ver.  24.   When  Noah  came  to  himself, 
he    knew    what    had    been    done    by  his 
younger  son.        Nothing    is    said    of    his 
VOL.    I.  95 


grief  for  his  own  sin.  I  hope  his  anger 
did  not  turn  merely  against  that  of  his 
son.  Nor  are  wc  to  consider  what  follov 
as  an  ebullition  of  personal  resentme&t, 
but  as  a  prophecy,  which  was  meant  to 
apply  and  has  been  ever  since  applying 
to  his  posterity,  and  that  which  it  was 
not  possible  for  human  resentment  to  dic- 
tate. But  as  this  prophecy  is  very  com- 
prehensive, and  will  lead  us  to  take  notice 
of  some  of  the  great  principles  of  reve- 
lation, I  shall  reserve  it  for  a  future  dis- 


DISCOURSE  XV. 


NOAH   S     PROPHECY. 


Gen.  ix.  25—27. 


It  was  common  among  the  patriarchs, 
when  about  to  die,  to  pronounce  a  pro- 
phetic sentence  on  their  children,  which 
Irequently  bore  a  relation  to  what  had 
been  their  conduct,  and  extended  to  their 
remote  posterity.  This  prophecy,  how- 
ever, though  not  immediately  after  the 
flood,  was  probably  many  years  before  the 
death  of  Noah.  I  shall  first  attempt  to 
ascertain  its  meaning,  and  its  agreement 
with  the  great  outlines  of  historic  fact; 
and  then  endeavor  to  justify  the  ways  of 
providence  in  such  dispensations. 

The  prophecy  is  introduced  with  a 
curse  upon  the  posterity  of  one  of  Noah's 
sons,  and  concludes  with  a  blessing  upon 
the  other  two  ;  each  corresponding  with 
his  conduct  on  the  late  unhappy  occasion. 

"Cursed  be  Canaan  :  a  servant  of  ser- 
vants "  (that  is,  the  meanest  of  servants) 
"  shall  he  be  unto  his  brethren."  But  why 
is  the  name  of  Ham  omitted,  and  the  curse 
confined  to  his  son  Canaan"!  Some  sup- 
pose that  Canaan  must  have  been  in  some 
way  partaker  in  the  crime  ;  but  this  is  un- 
certain. It  is  thought  by  several  able  crit- 
ics that  instead  of  Canaan  we  should 
read,  as  it  is  in  ver.  22,  "  Ham  the  fa- 
ther of  Canaan  ;"  *  and  this  seems  very 
plausible,  as  otherwise  there  is  nothing 
said  of  Ham,  except  in  the  person  of  his 
son  ;  and,  what  is  still  more,  the  curse  of 
servitude  actually  came,  though  at  a  re- 
mote period,  upon  other  branches  of  the 
posterity  of  Harn  as  well  as  Canaan.  It 
is  manifest,  however,  that  it  was  directed 
against    him    principally    in    the    line    of 

*  Ainswordi  says,  "  By  Cannan  m:iy  be  under- 
stood or  implied  Canaan's  failier,  as  liie  Greek  trans- 
ialJDn  iiatli  Ham,  and  as  elseweie  in  Sciiptiire  Goli- 
aih  is  named  fur  Goliath's  father.  2  Sam.  xxi.  19, 
compared  with  1  Cliron.  .\x.  5."  See  also  Bishop 
.\e\vton  on  the  Prophecies.  Dissert.  I, 


754 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


Canaan  ;  and  that  it  was  related  by  Moses 
for  the  encouragement  of  Israel  in  going 
up  against  his  descendants,  the  Canaanites. 
Canaan  is  under  a  curse  of  servitude  to 
both  Shem  and  Japheth  :  the  former  was 
fulfilled  in  the  conquest  of  the  seven  na- 
tions by  Israel,  and  the  latter  in  the  sub- 
jugation of  the  Tyrians  and  Carthaginians 
(who  were  the  remainder  of  the  old 
Canaanites),  by  the  Greeks   and  Romans. 

So  far  as  the  curse  had  reference  to  the 
other  descendants  of  Ham,  it  was  a  long 
time,  as  I  have  said,  ere  it  came  upon 
them.  In  the  early  ages  of  the  world  they 
flourished.  They  were  the  first  who  set 
up  for  empire  ;  and,  so  far  from  being  sub- 
ject to  the  descendants  of  Shem  or  Ja- 
pheth, the  latter  were  often  invaded  and 
driven  into  corners  by  them.  It  was  Nim- 
rod,  a  descendant  of  Ham,  who  founded 
the  imperial  city  of  Babylon  ;  and  Mizraim, 
another  of  his  descendants,  who  first  estab- 
lished the  kingdom  of  Egypt.  These,  it  is 
well  known,  were  for  many  ages  two  of  the 
greatest  einpires  in  the  world.  About  the 
time  of  the  captivity,  however,  God  be- 
gan to  cut  short  their  power.  Both  Egypt 
and  Babylon  within  a  century  sunk  into  a 
state  of  subjection,  first  to  the  Persians, 
who  descended  from  Shem,  and  afterwards 
to  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  were 
the  children  of  Japheth.  Nor  have  they 
ever  been  able  to  recover  themselves  ;  for 
to  the  dominion  of  the  Romans  succeeded 
that  of  the  Saracens,  and  to  theirs  that  of 
the  Turks,  under  which  they  with  a  great 
part  of  Africa,  which  is  peopled  by  the 
children  of  Ham,  have  lived,  and  still 
live,  in  the  most  degraded  state  of  sub- 
jection. To  al!  this  may  be  added  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Africa  seem  to  be  mark- 
ed out  as  objects  of  slavery  by  the  Euro- 
pean nations.  Though  these  things  are 
far  from  excusing  the  conduct  of  their  op- 
pressors, yet  they  establish  the  fact,  and 
prove  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 

"  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  God  of  Shem  ! ," 
The  form  of  this  blessing  is  worthy  of 
notice.  It  may  not  seem  to  be  pronounced 
on  him,  but  on  his  God.  But  such  a  mode 
of  speaking  implies  his  blessedness  no 
less  than  if  it  had  been  expressly  spoken 
of  him  ;  for  it  is  a  principle  well  known  in 
religion  that  "  blessed  is  that  people  whose 
God  is  Jehovah."  They  are  blessed  in 
his  blessedness.  It  is  in  this  form  that 
Moses  describes  the  blessedness  of  Israel : 
"  There  is  none  like  unto  the  God  of  Jesh- 
urun,  who  rideth  upon  the  heaven  in  thy 
help,  and  in  his  excellency  on  the  sky." 
Shem  was  the  ancestor  of  Abram,  and  so 
of  Israel,  who,  while  the  descendants  both 
of  Ham  and  Japheth  were  lost  in  idolatry, 
knew  and  worshipped  Jehovah  the  only  true 


God  ;  and  "  of  whom,  as  concerning  the 
flesh,  Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God, 
blessed  forever."  It  has  been  remarked, 
too,  that  Shem  is  the  first  person  who 
had  the  honor  of  having  the  Lord  styled 
his  God;  and  that  this  expression  denotes 
his  being  in  covenant  with  him,  as  when 
he  is  called  the  God  of  Abram,  of  Isaac, 
and  of  Jacob.  Noah,  foreseeing,  by  a  spirit 
of  prophecy,  that  God  would  enter  into  a 
special  covenant  with  the  posterity  of  Shem, 
taking  them  to  be  his  peculiar  people, 
and  binding  himself  to  be  their  God,  was 
atfected  at  the  consideration  of  so  great 
a  privilege,  and  breaks  out  into  an  ascrip- 
tion of  praise  to  God  on  this  account. 

"  God  shall  enlarge  Japheth,  and  he 
shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem."  If  this 
part  of  the  prophecy  have  respect  to  tem- 
poral dominion,  it  seems  to  refer  to  the 
posterity  of  Japheth  being  formerly  strait- 
ened, but  in  the  later  ages  of  the  world 
enabled  to  extend  their  conquests;  and 
this  exactly  corresponds  with  history. 
For  more  than  two  thousand  years  the 
empire  of  the  civilized  world  has  in  a 
manner  been  in  the  hands  of  the  posterity 
of  Japheth.  First  the  Greeks,  after  them 
the  Romans,  and,  since  the  declension  of 
their  empire,  the  ditferent  powers  of  Eu- 
rope have  entered  into  the  richest  posses- 
sions of  Asia,  inhabited  by  the  children  of 
Shem.  Add  to  this,  their  borders  have 
lately  been  enlarged  beyond  the  Atlantic, 
and  bid  fair  to  extend  over  the  continent 
of  America. 

But,  as  Japheth  united  with  Shem  in 
the  act  of  filial  respect  to  his  father,  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  dwelling  of  the  one  in 
the  tents  of  the  other  must  be  friendly,  and 
not  hostile;  but, as  the  blessing  of  Shem 
had  peculiar  reference  to  the  church  of  God 
among  his  descendants,  it  may  be  consid- 
ered as  prophetic  of  the  accession  of  the 
Gentiles  to  it  under  the  gospel.  It  is  a 
fact  that  Christianity  has  principally  pre- 
vailed among  the  posterity  of  Japheth. 
The  Lord  God  of  Shem  is  there  known 
and  honored.  The  lively  oracles  given  to 
the  fathers  of  the  one  are  possessed  and 
prized  by  the  other :  they  labored,  and 
we  have  entered  into  their  labors.  This 
interpretation  is  favored  by  the  marginal 
reading,  which  the  very  learned  Ains- 
worth  says  the  original  word  properly 
signifies  :  "  God  shall  persuade  Japheth, 
and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem." 

Let  us  proceed  in  the  next  place  to 
otfer  a  remark  or  two  on  the  jws//ce  of  the 
divine  proceeding  in  denouncing  a  curse 
upon  chiklren,  even  to  remote  periods,  for 
the  iniquity  of  their  parents.  It  is  wor- 
thy of  notice  that  the  God  of  Israel  thought 
it  no  dishonor  to  his  character  to  declare 


GENERATIONS   OP    NOAH. 


755 


that  he  would  "  visit  the  iniquity  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  chilih-en  iu  those  that  lia- 
ted  him,"  any  more  than  that  he  would 
"show  mercy  to  those  that  loved  him," 
•which  he  did  in  an  eminent  degree  to  the 
posterity  of  Ai)ram.  And  should  any  ob- 
ject to  this,  antl  to  tlic  Bil)le  on  tliis  ac- 
count, we  migiit  aj)poal  to  universal  fact. 
None  can  deny  that  children  are  the  bet- 
ter or  the  worse  for  tlie  conduct  of  their 
parents.  If  any  man  insist  that  neither 
good  nor  evil  shall  befal  him,  but  what  is 
the  immediate  consequence  of  his  own 
conduct,  he  must  go  out  of  the  world  ;  for 
no  such  state  of  existence  is  known 
in  it. 

There  is,  however,  an  important  differ- 
ence between  the  sin  of  a  parent  bein^  the 
occAsio.v  of  the  prediction  of  a  curse 
upon  his  posterity  (who  were  considered 
by  Him  who  knew  the  end  from  the  begin- 
ning as  tcdlking  in  his  steps),  and  its  be- 
ing the  formal  cause  of  their  punishment. 
The  sin  of  Ham  was  the  occasion  of  the 
prediction  against  the  Canaanites,  and 
the  antecedent  to  the  evil  predicted  ;  but 
it  was  not  the  cause  of  it.  Its  formal 
procuring  cause  may  be  seen  in  the  eigh- 
teenth chapter  of  Leviticus.  To  Ham, 
and  perhaps  to  Canaan,  the  prediction  of 
the  servitude  of  their  descendants  was  a 
punishment:  but  the  fulfilment  of  that 
prediction  on  the  parties  themselves  was 
no  farther  such  than  as  it  was  connected 
with  their  own  sin. 

There  is  also  an  important  difference 
between  the  providential  dispensations  of 
God  toioards  families  and  nations  in  the 
present  icorld  and  the  administration  of 
distributive  justice  towards  individuals 
with  respect  to  the  world  to  come.  In  the 
last  judgment  "  every  one  shall  give  ac- 
count of  himself  to  God,  and  be  judged 
according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body  :" 
but  while  we  are  in  this  world  we  stand 
in  various  relations,  in  which  it  is  impos- 
sible that  we  should  be  dealt  with  merely 
as  individuals.  God  deals  with  families 
and  nations  as  such  ;  and  in  the  course  of 
his  providence  visits  them  with  good  and 
evil,  not  according  to  the  conduct  of  in- 
dividuals, but,  as  far  as  conduct  is 
concerned,  that  of  the  general  body. 
To  insist  that  we  should  in  all  cases  be 
treated  as  individuals,  is  to  renounce  the 
.  social  character. 

We  are  informed,  at  the  close  of  the 
chapter,  that  Noah  lived  after  the  flood 
three  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  nine  hundred  and  fifty.  How 
long  this  was  after  the  foregoing  prophe- 
cy we  are  not  informed  ;  but  he  lived  to 
see,  in  the  descendants  of  Shcm,  Eber 
and  Nahor  and  Terah  the  father  of  Abram. 


DISCOURSE  XVI. 

THE   GENEUATIONS    OF    NOAH. 

Gen.  X. 

Without  this  genealogy  we  should  not 
have  been  able  to  ascertain  the  fulfilment 
of  Noah's  prophecy  :  but,  after  what  has 
been  said  on  that  subject,  I  need  not  be 
particular  liere.  The  chapter  contains 
the  origin  ol'  tlie  various  nations  of  an- 
tiquity ;  and,  the  more  it  is  examined  and 
compared  with  universal  history,  the  more 
credible  it  will  appear.  All  the  research- 
es of  the  Asiatic  Society  into  the  ancient 
Hindoo  records  go  to  confirm  it.  Bui  it 
does  not  comport  with  the  ol)ject  of  these 
discourses  to  enter  minutely  into  such 
subjects  ;  I  shall  therefore  pass  over  it 
with  only  a  few  remarks. 

1.  Concerning  the  posterity  oi  Japheth, 
ver.  2 — 5.  His  family  was  the  largest, 
and  almost  every  one  of  his  sons  became 
the  father  of  a  nation.  In  them  we  trace, 
among  others,  the  names  of  Madia,  the 
father  of  the  Medes — of  Javan,  and  his 
two  sons,  Kitlim  and  Dodanim,  the  fa- 
thers of  the  lonians,  or  Greeks,  and  of  the 
Romans.  It  was  from  Japheth  that  all 
the  nations  of  Europe  appear  to  have  been 
peopled  ;  who  seem,  at  this  early  period, 
to  have  obtained  the  name  of  Gentiles  ; 
namely,  peoples,  or  nations,  ver.  5.  This 
name  was  given  in  apostolic  times  to  all 
who  were  not  Jews  ;  but  in  earlier  ages 
it  seems  to  have  been  chiefly,  if  not  en- 
tirely, applied  to  the  Europeans.  Such 
at  least  is  the  meaning  of  "  the  isles  of  the 
Gentiles,"  jn  which,  by  a  synecdoche, 
those  places  which  were  the  nearest  to  the 
situation  of  the  sacred  writer  are  put  for 
all  the  countries  beyond  them.  And  the 
Scriptures  foreseeing  that  Europe  would, 
from  the  first,  embrace  the  gospel,  and  for 
many  ages  be  the  principal  seat  of  its  op- 
eration, the  Messiah  himself  is  introduced 
by  Isaiah  as  addressing  himself  to  its  in- 
habitants : — "  Listen,  oh  isles,  unto  me  ; 
and  hearken  ye  people  from  afar  !  Jeho- 
vah hath  called  me  from  the  womb,  and 
hath  said  unto  me.  It  is  a  light  thing  that 
thou  shouldst  be  my  servant  to  raise  up 
the  triiies  of  Jacob — I  will  also  give  thee 
for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that  thou 
shouldst  be  my  salvation  to  the  end  of  the 
earth."  Here  we  see  not  only  the  first 
peopling  of  our  native  country,  but  the 
kind  remembrance  of  us  in  a  way  of  mer- 
cy, and  this  though  far  removed  from  the 
means  of  salvation.  What  a  call  is  this 
to  us  who    occupy    what  is  denominated 


756 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


"  the  end  of  the  earth"  to  be  thankful  for  From  Mizraim,  the  father  of  the  Egyp- 

the  gospel,  and  to  listen  to   the  sweet  ac-  tians,     descended      also    the     Philistines. 

cents  of  the  Saviour's  voice  !  Their  situation   was    near  to  that  of  the 

2.    Concerning   the    posterity   of  Ham,  Canaanites  ;   but,  not  being  of  them,  their 

ver.  6 — 20.   In  them  we  trace,  among  olh-  country  was    not  given   to    Israel.    '  This 

ers,  the  names  of  Cush,  the  father  of  the  accounts  for  their  not  attempting   to  take 

Ethiopians — of  MxiTfrtTW,  the  father  of  the  it,  though   in   after  times  there  were   fre- 

Egyptians— and  of  Canaan,  the  father  of  quent  wars  between  them. 

the  Canaanites.  Finally  :     Moses    was    very    particular 

Particular   notice   is   taken  of  Nimrod,  with  regard  to  the  Canaanites,   describing 

the  son  of  Cush,  as    the  first  who  set  up  not  only  what  nations  they  were,  but  what 

for   empire.       He   might,  for  any  thing  I  were    their  boundaries,   that   Israel  might 

know,  be  fond  of  hunting  beasts  ;  but   the  know  and  be  content  with  what    the    Lord 

connection  of  his  character  with  a  Icing-  their  God  had  given   them.       Under    this 

dom  induces   me  to    think   that  men   were  head,  we   see    much  of  what  pertains    to 

the  principal   objects   of  his    pursuit,  and  this  world,   but  that  is  not   all.     We  may 

that  it  is  in  reference   to   this   that   he    is  learn  from  it  that  men  may  be  under  the 

called  "  a  mighty   hunter,"  a  very  proper  divine  curse,    and  yet  be  very   successful 

name    for   -what   modern  historians    would  for  a  time  in  schemes   of  aggrandizement. 

have  called  aliero.       Thus   we   see,  from  But,  if  this  be  their  all,   woe  unto  them  !. 

the  beginning,  that  things  which  are  high-  There  are  instances,  however,   of  individ- 

ly  esteemed  among  men  are  held  in  abom-  uals,    even  from  among  Ham's  posterity, 

ination  with  God.     This  perfectly  accords  who  obtained  mercy.      Of  them  were  Ra- 

with    the    language    of   the    prophets,    in  hab  the  harlot,  Uriah  the    Hittite,   Obed- 

which  the   great  conquerors  of  the   earth  edom,  and  Ittai,  and  his  brethren  the  Git- 


are  described  as  so  many  wild  beasts  push 
ing  at  one  another,  whose  object  is  to 
seize  and  tear  the  prey. — Nimrod  was  a 
mighty  hunter  "  before   the  Lord."  This 


tites,  and  the  Syrophenician  woman  who 
applied  to  Christ.  The  door  of  mercy  is 
open  to  faith,  without  distinction  of  na- 
tions ;  nor  was  there  ever  a  time  in  which 


may  denote  his  daring  spirit,  doing  what  he  the  God  of  Israel  refused  even  a  Ca- 
did  in  the  face  of  heaven,  or  in  defiance  naanite  who  repented  and  embraced  his 
of  the  divine  authority.     Thus  the  inhab-     word. 

itants  of  Sodom   are  said  to  be    wicked,        3.  Concerning  the  posterity  of    Shem, 
and  sinners  "  before  the  Lord."  Nimrod's    ver.  21 — 32.     The  account  of  this  patri- 
fame  was  so  great  that  his  name    became     arch    is   introduced    in   rather   a   singular 
proverbial.     In  after  times,  anyone   who     manner:  it  is  mentioned  as  an  appendage 
was  a  daring  plunderer  in  defiance  of  hea-     to  his  name,  a  kind  of  title  of  honor  that 
ven  was  likened  to  him,  just  as  the  wicked     was  to  go  along  with  it.  that  he  was   "  fa- 
kings  of  Israel  were  likened  to  "  Jerobo-    ther  of  all  the  children  of  Eber,  and  broth- 
am,  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to     er   of   Japheth    the   elder."       Shem    had 
sin."     In  short,  he  became  the  type,  pat-    other  sons  as  well  as  these,  and  another 
tern,   or   father   of   usurpers   and   martial     brother  as  well  as  Japheth ;  but  no  such 
plunderers.     Till  his  time  government  had    special  mention  is  made  of  Ihem.     When 
been  patriarchal  :  but  his  ambition  led  him    Moses  would  describe  the  line  of  the  curse, 
to  found  a  royal  city,  even  that  which  was    he  calls   Ham   "the  father  of  Canaan;  " 
afterwards  called  Babel,  or  Babylon  ;  and     and,  when    the    line  of  promise,  he    calls 
to  add  to  it  (for  the  ambition  of  conquer-     Shem   "  the  father  of  ail  the  children  of 
ors  has  no   bounds)  "  Erech,   and  Accad,     Eber."      And,   as  Japheth  had  been   the 
and  Calneh,  in  the  land  of  Shinar."     Nor    brother  of  Shem  in  an  act  of  filial   duty, 
was  this  all.     Either  he  drove  Ashur,  the    his    posterity  shall  be    grafted   in   among 
son  Shem,  f^rom  the  land   of  Shinar  (who,     them  and  become  fellow-heirs  of  the  same 
taking  up  his  residence  in   Assyria,    built    promise  ;  yet,  as  in  divers  other  instances, 
Nineveh,    and  other   places),   or  else,    as     the  younger  goes  before  the  elder. 
Ainsworth    and    the    margin    of   our  own        Among'  Shem's    other   descendants  we 
bibles  render  it,  "  He  (Nimrod)  went  forth     find  the  names  of  £:/«mand  Ashur,  fathers 
out  of  that  land  to  Ashur,  or  Assyria,  and    of  the  Persians  and  Assyrians,  two  great 
builded   Nineveh."      The    latter   is   very    Asiatic  nations.     But  these,  not   being  of 
probably  the  true  meaning,  as   the  sacred    the  church  of  God,  are  but  little  noticed 
writer  is    not  here    describing  what   was    in  the  sacred  historv,  except  as  they  come 
done  by  the  posterity  of  Shem,    which  he    in  contact  with  it. 

introduces  afterwards,  but  by  that  of  Ham  ;  Eber  is  said  to  have  had  two  sons,  one 
and  it  perfectly  accords  with  Nimrod's  of  whom  is  called  Peleg,  dmsto?i;  because 
character,  to  go  hunting  from  land  to  land,  in  his  days  the  earth  was  divided.  This 
for  the  purpose  of  increasing  his  domin-  event  took  place  subsequently  to  the  con- 
'*'"■  fusion  of  tongues,  which  is  yet  to  be  re- 


CbNFUSION    OF    TONGUE*. 


lated.  It  seems  to  refer  to  an  allotment 
of  different  countries  to  difFerrnt  families, 
as  Canaan  was  divided  amonp;  the  Israel- 
ites l)y  Joshua.  This  division  of  the  earth 
is  elsewhere  ascribed  lo  the  Most  Hiijli. — 
Dent,  xxxii.  S.  Prohaltly  it  was  by  lot, 
which  was  of  his  disposing  ;  or,  if  by  tlic 
falliers  ot  the  flifferent  families,  all  was 
suliject  to  the  direction  of  His  providence 
who  fixes  and  bounds  our  habitation.  It 
is  intimated  in  the  same  passa>!;e  that,  at 
the  time  of  this  division,  God  marked  out 
tiie  holy  land  as  Israel's  lot,  so  that  the 
Canaanites  were  to  possess  it  only  during 
his  minority,  and  that  by  sufferance.  It 
was  rather  lent  than  given  to  them  from 
the  first. 


DISCOURSE    XVII. 

THE  CONFUSIOX  OF  TONGUES. 
Gen.  xi.  1—9. 

It  has  been  before  noticed  that  this  sto- 
ry is  thrown  farther  on,  on  account  of 
finishing  the  former.  The  event  took 
place  before  the  division  of  the  earth  in 
the  time  of  Peleg ;  for  every  family  is 
there  repeatedly  said  to  be  divided  after 
their  tongues ;  which  implies  that  at  that 
time  they  spake  various  languages,  and 
that  this  was  one  of  the  rules  by  which 
they  were  distinguished  as  nations. 

Prior  to  the  flood,  and  down  to  this  pe- 
riod, "the  whole  earth  was  of  one  lan- 
guage." We  are  not  told  what  this  was. 
Whether  it  was  the  same  which  continued 
in  the  family  of  Eher,  or  whether  from 
this  time  it  was  lost,  is  a  matter  of  small 
account  to  us.  But  it  seemed  good  in  the 
sight  of  God  hence  to  divide  mankind 
into  different  nations,  and  to  this  end  to 
give  them  each  a  different  tongue.  The 
occasion  of  this  great  event  will  appear 
from  the  following  story. 

The  posterity  of  Noah,  beginning  to 
increase,  found  it  necessary  to  extend  their 
habitations.  A  company  of  them,  jour- 
neying from  the  east,  pitched  upon  a  cer- 
tain plain  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  by  the 
river  Euphrates.  Judging  it  to  be  an  eli- 
gible spot,  they  consulted,  and  determined 
here  to  build  a  city.  There  was  no  stone, 
it  seems,  near  at  hand  ;  but  there  was  a 
kind  of  earth  very  suitable  for  bricks,  and 
a  bituminous  substance  which  is  said  to 
ooze  from  certain  springs  in  that  plain, 
like  tar  or  pitch,  and  this  they  used  for 
cement.  Of  these  materials  were  after- 
wards built  the  famous  walls  of  Babylon. 

Having  found  a  good  material,  they  pro- 
posed to  build   "  a  city  and  a  tower  "  of 


great  eminence,  by  which  they  shoul  ob- 
tain a  name,  and  avoid  tlie  evil  of  whicli 
they  thought  themschcs  in  danger,  of  be- 
ing scattered  upon  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth.  But  here  they  were  interrupted  by 
a  divine  interposition:  the  Lord  came 
down  and  confounded  their  language,  so 
that  they  could  not  understand  one  anoth- 
er's speech. 

To  perceive  tlie  reason  of  this  extraor- 
dinary proceeding,  it  is  necessary  to  in- 
quire into  the  object,  or  design,  of  the 
builders.  If  this  can  be  ascertained,  the 
whole  passage  may  be  easily  understood. 
It  could  not  be,  as  some  have  su|)posed, 
to  provide  against  a  future  flood  ;  for  this 
would  have  needed  no  divine  interposition 
to  |)revent  its  having  effect.  God  knew 
his  own  intention  never  to  drown  the  world 
any  more  :  and  if  it  had  been  otherwise, 
or  it  they,  from  a  disbelief  of  his  prom- 
ise, had  been  disposed  to  provide  against 
it,  they  would  not  have  been  so  foolish  as 
to  build  for  this  purpose  a  tower  upon  a 
plain,  which,  when  raised  to  the  greatest 
possiiile  height,  would  be  far  below  the 
tops  of  the  mountains.  It  could  not  have 
been  said  of  such  a  scheme,  "  This  they 
have  begun  to  do;  and  now  nothing  will 
he  restrained  from  them  which  they  have 
imagined  to  do  :"  for  it  would  have  defeat- 
ed itself. 

Neither  does  it  appear  to  have  been  de- 
signed, as  others  have  supposed,  for  an 
idol's  temple.  At  least,  there  is  nothing  in 
the  story  which  leads  to  such  a  conclusion. 
It  was  not  for  the  name  of  a  god,  but  for 
their  own  name,  that  they  proposed  to 
build  ;  and  that  not  the  tower  only,  but  a 
city  atid  a  tower.  Nor  was  the  confound- 
ing of  their  language  any  way  adapted, 
that  I  can  perceive,  to  defeat  such  a  de- 
sign as  this.  Idolatry  prevailed  in  the 
world,  for  aught  that  appears,  as  much 
under  a  variety  of  languages  as  it  would 
under  one. 

Some  have  imagined  that  it  was  intend- 
ed merely  as  a  monument  of  architectural 
ambition,  like  the  pyramids  of  Egypt. 
This  supposition  might  in  a  measure  agree 
with  the  idea  of  doing  it  for  a  name  j  but 
it  is  far  from  harmonizing  with  other  parts 
of  the  history.  It  contains  no  such  deep- 
laid  scheme  as  is  intimated  in  the  6th 
verse,  and  given  as  the  reason  of  the  di- 
vine interference  :  nor  is  it  supposable  that 
God  should  interpose  in  so  extraordinary 
a  manner,  by  working  a  miracle  which 
should  remain  throughout  every  age  of  the 
world,  or  which  at  least  has  remained  to 
this  day,  merely  for  the  purpose  of  coun- 
teracting a  momentary  freak  of  human  van- 
ity. 

There  are  four  characters  by  which 
this  design,  whatever  it  was,  is  described. 


'W\ 


758 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


• — 1.  It  was  founded  in  ambition;  for  they 
said,  "  Let  us  make  us  a  name.''' — 2.  It 
required  union;  for  wliicli  purpose  they 
proposed  to  build  "a  cily,''  that  they  might 
live  together,  and  concentrate  their  strength 
and  counsels.  This  is  noticed  by  the  Lord 
himself:  "  Behold,  the  peopk,"  saith  he, 
"  are  one,  and  have  all  one  language  :" 
and  his  confounding  their  language  was 
for  the  express  purpose  of  destroying  this 
oneness,  by  "  scattering  them  abroad  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth." — 3.  It  required 
that  they  should  be  furnished  with  the 
means  of  defence;  for  which  they  pro- 
posed to  add  a  "tower"  to  the  city,  to 
which  the  citizens  might  repair  in  times  of 
danger  J  and  of  such  a  height  as  to  bid  de- 
fiance to  any  who  should  attempt  to  annoy 
them  with  arrows,  or  other  missive  wea- 
pons.— 4.  The  scheme  was  ivisely  laid; 
so  much  so,  that,  if  God  had  not  inter- 
posed to  frustrate  it,  it  would  have  suc- 
ceeded :  "And  this  they  have  begun  to 
do  ;  and  now  nothing  will  be  restrained 
from  them,  which  they  have  imagined  to 
do." 

The  only  object  which  appears  to  ac- 
cord with  all  these  general  characters,  and 
with  the  whole  account  taken  together,  is 

that     of      A      UNIVERSAL      MONARCHY,      liy 

which  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  in  all 
^future  ages,  might  be  held  in  subjection. 
A  very  little  reflection  will  convince  us 
that  such  a  scheme  must  of  necessity  be 
founded  in  ambition;  that  it  required  wni- 
on,  and  of  course  a  city,  to  carry  it  into 
execution  ;  that  a  tower,  or  citadel,  was 
also  necessary  to  repel  those  who  might 
be  disposed  to  dispute  their  claims  ;  and 
that,  if  these  measures  were  once  carried 
into  effect,  there  was  nothing  in  the  nature 
of  things  to  prevent  the  accomplishment 
of  their  design. 

If  there  were  no  other  reasons  in  favor 
of  the  supposition  in  question,  its  agree- 
ment with  all  these  circumstances  of  the 
history  might  be  sufficient  to  establish  it  : 
but  to  this  other  things  may  be  added,  by 
way  of  corroltoration. 

The  time  when  the  confusion  of  tongues 
took  place  renders  it  highly  probable  that 
the  scheme  which  it  was  intended  to'  sub- 
vert was  of  Nimrod's  forming,  or  that  he 
had  a  principal  concern  in  it.  It  must 
have  been  a  little  betore  the  division  of 
the  earth  among  the  sons  of  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth,  "after  their  tongues, in  their 
countries,  and  in  their  nations;"  being 
that  which  rendered  such  division  neces- 
sary. Now  this  was  about  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  Peleg,  who  was  named  from  that 
event;  and  this,  by  reckoning  the  geneal- 
ogies mentioned  in  chap.  xi.  10 — 16,  will 
appear  to  have  been  about  a  hundred  years 
after  the  flood.  At  this  time,  Nimrod,  who 


was  the  grandson  of  Ham,  must  have  been 
alive  and  in  his  prime.  And  as  he  was 
the  first  person  who  aspired  to  dominion 
over  his  brethren,  and  as  it  is  expressly 
said  of  him  that  "  the  beginning  of  his 
kingdom  was  Babel,"  nothing  is  more  nat- 
ural than  to  suppose  that  he  was  the  lead- 
er in  this  famous  enterprise,  and  that  the 
whole  was  a  scheme  of  his,  by  which  to 
make  himself  master  of  the  world. 

It  was  also  natural  for  an  ambitious  peo- 
ple, headed  by  an  ambitious  leader,  to  set 
up  for  universal  monarchy.  Such  has  been 
the  object  of  almost  all  the  great  nations 
and  conquerors  of  the  earth  in  later  peri- 
ods. Babylon,  though  checked  for  the 
present  by  this  divine  interference,  yet 
afterwards  resumed  the  pursuit  other  fa- 
vorite object;  and,  in  the  time  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, seemed  almost  to  have  gained 
it.  The  style  used  by  that  monarch  in  his 
proclamations  comported  with  the  spirit 
of  this  idea  :  "  To  you  it  is  commanded, 
O  people,  nations,  and  tongues  !"  Now 
if  such  has  been  the  ambition  of  all  Nim- 
rod's successors,  in  every  age,  it  is  nothing 
surprising  that  it  should  have  struck  the 
mind  of  Nimrod  himself,  and  his  adhe- 
rents. They  would  also  have  a  sort  of 
claim  to  which  their  successors  could  not 
pretend  ;  namely,  that  of  being  the  first  or 
parent  kingdom  ;  and  the  weight  which 
men  are  apt  to  attach  to  this  claim  may  be 
seen  by  the  later  pretensions  of  Papal 
Rome  (another  Babylon),  which,  under  the 
character  of  a  mother  church,  headed  by  a 
pope,  or  pretended  hoIy/oiAer,  has  subject- 
ed all  Christendom  to  her  dominion. 

To  this  may  be  added,  that  the  means 
used  to  countei'act  these  builders  were  ex- 
actly suited  to  defeat  the  above  design ; 
namely,  that  of  dividing  and  scattering 
them,  by  confounding  their  language.  And 
it  is  worthy  of  notice  that,  though  several 
empires  have  extended  their  territories 
over  people  of  different  languages,  yet  lan- 
guage has  been  a  very  common  boundary 
of  nations  ever  since.  There  is  scarcely  a 
great  nation  in  the  v/orld  but  what  has  its 
own  language.  The  dividing  of  languages 
was  therefore,  in  effect,  the  dividing  of  na- 
tions ;  and  so  a  bar  to  the  whole  world 
being  ruled  by  one  government.  Thus  a 
perpetual  miracle  was  wrought,  to  be  an 
antidote  to  a  perpetual  disease. 

But  why,  it  may  be  asked,  should  it  be 
the  will  of  God  to  prevent  a  universal 
monarchy  ;  and  to  divide  the  inhabitanfs 
of  the  world  into  a  number  of  independent 
nations  1  This  question  opens  a  wide  field 
for  investigation.  Suffice  it  to  say,  at  pre- 
sent, such  a  state  of  things  contains  much 
mercy,  both  to  the  world  and  to  the  church. 

With  respect  to  the  ivorld,  if  the  whole 
earth  had  continued  under  one  government. 


CONFTSION    OF    TONGUES, 


759 


that  government  would  of  course,  consid- 
ering what  liuniiin  nature  is,  have  heen 
excecdiuiily  despotic  and  oppressive.  We 
know  that  in  every  state  of  society  whore 
power,  or  wealtli,  or  coinincrcc,  is  monop- 
olized by  an  individual,  or  confined  to  a 
few  whose  interests  may  unite  them  to  one 
another,  there  is  the  trreatest  possible  scope 
for  injustice  and  oppression  ;  and  where 
tiiere  is  the  greatest  scope  for  these  evils, 
human  nature  being  what  it  is,  tlierc  they 
will  most  abound.  DitVerent  nations  and 
interests  in  the  world  serve  as  a  balance 
one  to  the  other.  They  are  that  to  the 
world  which  a  number  of  rival  merchants, 
or  smaller  tradesmen,  arc  to  society  ;  serv- 
ing as  a  check  upon  each  otiier's  rapacity. 
Union,  when  cemented  by  good  irill  to 
men,  is  exceedingly  desiralile  ;  but,  when 
self-interest  and  amiiition  are  at  the  bot- 
tom, it  is  exceedingly  dangerous.  Union, 
in  such  cases,  is  nothing  better  than  a  com- 
bination against  the  general  good. 

It  might  be  thought  that,  if  the  whole 
world  were  under  one  government,  a  great 
number  oi  tears  might  be  prevented,  which, 
as  things  now  are,  would  be  certain  to 
take  place.  And  it  is  true  that  one  stable 
government,  to  a  certain  extent,  is  on  this 
account  j)referable  to  a  great  number  of 
smaller  ones,  which  are  always  at  variance. 
But  this  princi|ile,  if  carried  l)eyond  cer- 
tain limits,  becomes  inimical  to  human 
hap|)iness.  So  far  as  ditTcrent  nations  can 
really  become  one,  and  drop  all  local  dis- 
tinctions and  interests,  it  is  well  :  but  if 
the  good  of  the  country  governed  be  lost 
sight  of,  and  every  thing  be  done  to  ag- 
grandize the  city  or  country  governing,  it 
is  otherwise.  And  where  power  is  thus 
exercised,  which  it  certainly  would  be  in 
case  of  universal  monarchy,  it  would  pro- 
duce as  many  wars  as  now  exist,  with  only 
this  difference,  that,  instead  of  their  be- 
ing carried  on  between  independent  na- 
tions, they  would  consist  of  the  risings  of 
dilTerent  parts  of  the  empire  against  the 
government,  in  a  way  of  rebellion  :  and  by 
how  much  wars  of  this  kind  are  accom- 
panied with  less  mutual  respect,  less  quar- 
ter given  and  taken,  and  consequently 
more  cruelty  than  tiie  other,  by  so  much 
would  the  state  of  the  world  have  been 
more  miserable  than  it  is  at  present. 

The  division  of  the  world  into  indepen- 
dent nations  has  also  been  a  great  check 
on  ptrsecution,  am]  so  has  operated  in  a 
way  of  mercy  towards  the  church.  If  the 
whole  world  had  been  one  dcsjiotic  gov- 
ernment, Israel,  the  people  of  God,  must 
in  all  ages  have  been  in  the  condition  to 
which  they  were  reduced  from  the  times 
of  the  captivity  as  a  punishment  for  their 
sins,  a  mere  province  of  another  power, 
which  might  have  crushed  them  and  hin- 


dered them,  as  was  tlic  rase  from  the 
times  of  Cyrus  to  those  oi  Darius.  And, 
since  the  coming  oi  Chri-^l,  the  only  way 
in  which  he  permits  his  tollowers  to  avoid 
the  malice  of  the  world,  which  rages 
against  tliem  for  his  sake,  is  this  :  "  If 
they  persecute  you  in  one  city,  (lee  to  an- 
other." Of  this  liberty  millions  have 
availed  themselves,  from  the  earliest  to 
the  latest  periods  of  the  Christian  church  : 
but  if  the  whole  world  had  been  under  one 
government,  and  that  government  inimical 
to  the  gospel,  there  had  been  no  place  of 
refuge  left  upon  earth  lor  the  faithful. 

The  necessary  watch  also  that  govern- 
ments which  have  been  the  most  disposed 
to  |>ersocute  have  lieen  obliged  to  keep  on 
each  other  has  filled  their  hands,  so  as  to 
leave  them  but  little  time  to  think  of  re- 
ligious people.  Saul,  when  pursuing  Da- 
vid, was  withdrawn  Irom  his  purpose  by 
intelligence  being  brought  him  that  the 
Philistines  had  invaded  the  land  ;  and  thus, 
in  innumerable  instances,  the  quarrels  of 
bad  men  have  been  advantageous  to  the 
righteous. 

The  division  of  povver  serves  likewise 
to  check  the  spirit  of  persecution,  not  only 
as  finding  employment  for  j)ersecutors  to 
watch  their  rivals,  but  as  causing  them  to 
l)e  watched  and  their  conduct  exposed. 
While  the  power  of  papal  Rome  extended 
over  Christendom,  persecution  raged  abun- 
dantly more  than  it  has  done  since  the 
Reformation,  even  in  popish  countries. 
Since  that  period,  the  poj)ish  powers,  both 
ecclesiastical  and  civil,  have  fell  them- 
selves narrowly  watched  by  protestants, 
and  have  been  almost  shamed  out  of  their 
former  cruelties.  What  has  lieen  done  of 
late  years  has  been  principally  confined  to 
the  secret  recesses  of  the  Inquisition.  It 
is  by  communities  as  it  is  by  individuals  : 
they  are  restrained  from  innumerable  ex- 
cesses by  the  consideration  of  being  under 
the  eye  of  each  other.  Thus  it  is  that  lib- 
erty of  conscience,  being  granted  in  one  or 
two  nations  and  becoming  honorable,  has 
insensibly  made  its  way  into  the  councils 
of  many  others. 

From  the  whole  we  may  infer  two 
things  : — 1.  The  harmony  of  divine  reve- 
lation with  all  that  we  know  of  fact.  If 
any  object  to  the  probability  of  the  fore- 
going account,  and  imagine  that  the  vari- 
ous languages  spoken  in  the  world  must 
have  been  of  human  contrivance,  let  them 
point  us  to  a  page  in  any  history,  ancient 
or  modern,  which  gives  an  account  of  the 
first  making  of  a  language,  dead  or  living. 
If  all  that  man  can  be  proved  to  have  done 
towards  the  formation  of  any  language  be 
confined  to  changing,  combining,  improv- 
ing, and  reducing  it  to  grammatical  form, 
there  is  the  greatest  probability,  indepen- 


760 


EXPOSITION    OP    GENEStS. 


dently  of  the  authority  of  revelation,  that 
languages  themselves  were  originally  the 
work  of  God,  as  was  that  of  the  first  man 
and  woman. — 2,  The  desirableness  of  the 
universal  spread  of  Christ's  kingdom.  We 
may  see,  in  the  reasons  which  render  a 
universal  government  among  men  incom- 
patible with  th€  liberty  and  safety  of  the 
world,  abundant  cause  to  pray  for  this,  and 
for  the  union  of  all  hissubjects  under  him. 
Here  there  is  no  danger  of  tyranny  or  op- 
jiression,  nor  any  need  of  those  low  mo- 
tives of  rivalship  to  induce  him  to  seek  the 
■well-being  of  his  subjects.  A  union  with 
Christ  and  one  another  embraces  the  best 
interests  of  mankind. 


DISCOURSE   XVIII. 

THE  GENERATIONS  OF  SHEM,  AND  THE 
CALL  OF  ABRAM. 

Gen.  xi.  10— 32;  xii.  1— 4. 

The  sacred  historian,  having  given  an 
account  of  the  re-peopling  of  the  earth, 
here  takes  leave  of  the  "children  of  men," 
and  confines  himself  to  the  history  of  the 
"sons  of  God."  We  shall  find  him  all 
along  adhering  to  this  principle.  When 
any  of  the  posterity  of  the  righteous  turn 
their  backs  on  God,  he  presently  takes 
leave  of  them,  and  follows  the  true  church 
and  true  religion  wherever  they  go. 

Ver.  10 — 26.  The  principal  use  of  the 
genealogy  of  Shem  to  Terah,  the  tatiier 
of  Abram,  may  be  to  prove  the  fulfilment 
of  all  the  promises  in  the  Messiah.  To 
this  purpose  it  is  applied  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

Ver.  27 — 29.  Terah,  after  he  v/as  sev- 
enty years  of  age,  had  three  sons,  Abram, 
Nahor,  and  Haran.  But  the  order  in 
which  they  here  stand  does  not  appear  to 
be  that  of  seniority,  any  more  than  that 
of  Shem,  and  Ham,  and  Japheth  ;  for,  if 
Abram  had  been  born  when  Terah  was 
seventy  years  old,  he  must  have  been  a 
hundred  and  thirty-five  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death  ;  whereas  he  is  said  to  have 
been  but  seventy-five  when,  alter  that 
event,  he  set  out  for  Canaan.  Haran, 
theref^ore,  appears  to  have  been  the  eldest 
of  the  three  sons.  He  died  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  ;  but  left  behind  him  a  son  and 
two  daughters.  Lot,  and  Milcah,  and  Is- 
cah.  The  two  surviving  sons,  Abram  and 
Nahor,  took  them  wives  :  the  name  of 
Abram's  wife  was  Sarai,  of  whose  descent 
we  are  not  here  told  :  but,  by  what  he 
said  other  in  chap.  xx.  12,  it  would  seem 
that  she  was  his  half-sister,  or  his  father's 
daughter  by  another  wife.     In  those  early 


ages  nearer  degrees  of  consanguinity  were 
admitted  than  were  afterwards  allowed  by 
the  divine  law.  Nahor  married  his  broth^ 
er  Haran's  eldest  daughter,  Milcah. 

Ver.  31.  It  is  said  of  Terah  that  he 
took  Abram  his  son,  and  Lot  the  son  of 
Haran,  his  grandson,  and  Sarai  his  daugh- 
ter-in-law, his  son  Abram's  wife ;  and 
that  they  went  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees, 
to  go  into  the  land  of  Canaan.  But  here 
is  something  supposed  which  the  historian 
reserves  till  he  comes  to  the  story  of 
Abram,  who,  next  to  God,  was  the  first 
mover  in  the  undertaking,  and  the  princi- 
pal character  in  the  story.  In  chap.  xii. 
1,  we  are  told  that  "the  Lord  had  said 
unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country, 
and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  fa- 
ther's house,  unto  a  land  that  I  will  show 
thee."  Taking  the  whole  together,  it  ap- 
pears that  God  revealed  himself  to  Abram, 
and  called  him  to  depart  from  that  idola- 
trous and  wicked  country,  whether  any  of 
his  relations  would  go  with  him  or  not ; 
that  Abram  told  it  to  his  father  Terah, 
and  to  all  the  family,  and  invited  them  to 
accompany  him  ;  that  Terah  consented, 
as  did  also  his  grandson  Lot ;  that  Nahor 
and  his  wife  Milcah  were  unwilling  to  go, 
and  did  not  go  at  present;  that,  seeing 
they  refused,  the  venerable  Terah  left 
them  ;  and  though  not  the  first  mover  in 
the  affair,  yet,  being  the  head  of  the  fam- 
ily, he  is  said  to  have  taken  Abram,  and 
Sarai,  and  Lot,  and  journeyed  towards 
Canaan  ;  that,  stopping  within  the  coun-. 
try  of  Mesopotamia,  he  called  the  place 
where  he  pitched  his  tent  Haran,  in  mem- 
ory of  his  son  who  died  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees ;  finally,  that  during  his  resi- 
dence in  this  place  he  died,  being  two 
hundred  and  five  years  old. 

But  though  Nahor  and  Milcah,  as  it 
should  seem,  refused  to  accompany  the 
family  at  the  time,  yet  as  we  find  them  in 
the  course  of  the  history  settled  at  Haran, 
and  Abraham  and  Isaac  sending  to  them 
for  wives,  to  the  rejection  of  the  idolaters 
among  whom  they  lived,  we  may  conclude 
that  they  afterwards  repented.  And  thus 
the  whole  of  Terah's  family,  though  they 
do  not  go  to  Canaan,  yet  are  rescued  from 
Chaldean  idolatry  ;  and,  settling  in  Haran, 
maintain  for  a  considerable  time  the  wor- 
ship of  the  true  God. 

Chap.  xii.  1 — 3.  But  Abram  must  not 
stop  at  Haran.  Jehovah,  by  whom  he  was 
called  to  depart  from  Ur,  has  another 
country  in  reserve  for  him  ;  and  he  being 
the  great  patriarch  of  Israel,  and  of  the 
church  of  God,  we  have  here  a  more  par- 
ticular account  of  his  call.  It  was  fit 
that  this  should  be  clearly  and  fully  stated, 
as  it  went  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  new 
order  of  things   in  the  world.      It  was 


GALL    OF    AJjRAM. 


761 


therefore  like  the  sprine:  of  a  great  river  ; 
or  rather  like  the  hole  of  a  quarry  uliente 
the  tirst  stone  was  taken  of  which  a  city 
was  built.  It  is  this  which  is  referred  to 
for  the  encouragement  of  the  church  wiien 
in  a  low  condition,  and  likely  to  become 
extinct.  God  called  Abram  alone,  and 
blessed  him,  and  increased  him.  Hence 
the  faithful  are  directed  to  "look  to  the 
rock  whence  they  were  hewn,  and  to  the 
hole  of  the  pit  whence  they  were  digired  ;" 
and  to  depend  upon  liis  ))roniise  wlio  as- 
sured them  he  would  comfort  the  waste 
places  of  Zion. 

How  long  Aliram  continued  at  Haran 
we  are  not  told  ;  Init,  aliout  nine  years 
after  his  departure  from  it,  we  read  of  his 
having  three  hundred  and  eighteen  trained 
servants,  who  were  "born  in  his  house  :  " 
he  must  therefore  have  kept  house  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  years  al  least  be- 
fore that  time,  either  in  Haran,  or  in  botli 
Ur  and  Haran. 

In  the  call  of  Abram  we  may  observe, 
1.  The  grace  of  it.  Tiieie  appears  no 
reason  to  conclude  that  he  was  belter  than 
his  neighbors.  He  did  not  choose  the 
Lord,  but  the  Loid  him,  and  brought  him 
out  from  amongst  the  idolaters. — Neii.  ix. 
7.  2.  Its  peremptory  tune:  "Gel  tlice 
out."  The  language  very  much  resem- 
bles that  of  Lot  to  his  sons-in-law,  and 
indicates  the  great  danger  of  his  present 
situation,  and  the  immediate  necessity  of 
escaping  as  it  were  for  his  life.  Such  is 
the  condition  of  every  unconverted  sin- 
ner, and  such  the  necessity  of  fleeing 
from  the  wrath  to  come  to  the  hope  set 
before  us  in  the  gospel.  3.  The  self-denial 
required  by  it.  He  was  called  to  leave 
his  country,  his  kindred,  and  even  his  fa- 
ther's house,  if  they  refused  to  go  with 
hira  :  and  no  doubt  his  mind  was  made  up 
to  do  so.  Such  tiiinirs  are  easier  to  read 
concerning  others  than  to  practise  our- 
selves; yet  he  that  hafelh  not  father  and 
mother,  and  wife,  and  children,  and  l)reth- 
ren,  and  sisters,  yea,  and  his  own  life  also, 
in  comparison  of  Christ,  cannot  i'c  his  dis- 
ciple. We  may  not  be  called  upon  to  part 
with  them  ;  but  our  minds  must  be  made 
up  to  do  so,  if  they  stand  between  us  and 
Christ.  4.  The  implicit  faith  which  a  com- 
pliance witii  it  would  call  for.  Abram 
was  to  leave  all  and  to  go  ...  .  he  knew 
not  whither  ....  unto  a  land  that  God 
would  show  him.  If  he  had  been  fold  that 
it  was  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey, 
and  that  he  should  be  put  in  possession 
of  it,  there  had  been  some  food  for  sense 
to  feed  upon  :  but  to  go  out,  "  not  know- 
ing whither  he  went,"  must  have  been  not 
a  little  trying  to  flesh  and  blood.  Nor  was 
this  all  :  that  which  was  promised  was  not 
only  in  general  terras,  but  very  distartt. 

VOL.  I.  96 


God  did  not  tell  him  he  would  give  him 
tlie  land,  but  merely  show  him  it.  Nor 
did  he  in  his  lifetime  obtain  the  possession 
of  it  :  he  was  only  a  sojourner  in  it,  with- 
out so  much  as  a  place  to  set  his  foot  up- 
on. He  obtained  a  spot,  it  is  true,  to  lay 
his  bones  in,  but  that  was  all.  In  this 
manner  were  tilings  ordered  on  purpose  to 
try  his  faith  ;  and  iiis  obedience  to  God 
under  such  circumstances  was  among  the 
things  which  rendered  him  an  example  to 
future  generations,  even  "  the  father  of  all 
them  that  believe." 

Ver.  2.  The  promise  had  reference  to 
things  which  could  be  but  of  small  ac- 
count to  an  eye  of  sense  ;  liut  faith  would 
find  enough  in  it  to  satisfy  the  most  en- 
larged desires.  The  objects,  though  dis- 
tant, were  worth  waiting  for.  He  should 
be  the  father  of  "a  great  nation;"  and 
what  was  of  greater  account,  and  which 
was  doubtless  understood,  that  nation 
should  be  the  Lord's.  God  himself  would 
bless  him;  and  this  would  be  more  than 
the  whole  wo; Id  without  it.  God  would 
also  make  his  name  great ;  not  in  the  rec- 
ords of  worldly  fame,  but  in  the  history 
of  the  church  :  and,  being  himself  full  of 
the  l)lessing  of  the  Lord,  it  should  be  his 
to  impart  blessedness  to  the  world:  "I 
will  bless  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  bless- 
ing." The  great  natnes  among  the  hea- 
then would  very  cotiimonly  arise  from  their 
being  |)lagues  and  curses  to  mankind  ;  but 
he  should  have  the  honor  and  happiness 
of  being  great  in  goodness,  great  in  com- 
municating light  and  life  to  his  species. 

This  promise  has  been  fulfdling  ever 
since.  All  the  true  blessedness  which  the 
world  is  now,  or  shall  hereafter  be  pos- 
sessed of,  is  owing  to  Abram  and  his 
posterity.  Through  them  we  have  a  Bi- 
ble, a  Saviour,  arid  a  gospel.  They  are 
the  stock  on  which  the  Christian  church  is 
grafted.  Their  very  dispersions  and  pun- 
ishments have  proved  the  riches  of  the 
world.  What  then  shall  be  their  recove- 
ry, but  life  from  the  dead?  It  would 
seem  as  if  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
whenever  it  shall  take  place,  will  be  a  kind 
of  resurrection  to  mankind.  Such  was 
the  ho|)e  of  this  calling.  And  what  could 
the  friends  of  God  and  man  desire  morel 
Yet,  as  if  all  this  were  not  enough,  it  is 
added — 

Ver.  3.  "I  will  bless  them  that  bless 
thee,  and  curse  him  that  curseth  thee." 
This  is  language  never  used  but  of  an  ob- 
ject of  special  favor.  It  is  declaring  that 
he  should  not  only  be  blessed  himself, 
but  that  all  others  should  be  blessed  or 
curse;!  as  they  respected  or  injured  him. 
Of  this  the  histories  of  Abimelech,  La- 
ban,  Potiphar,  both  the  Pharaohs,  Balak, 
and  Balaam,  furnish  examples. 


762 


EXI'OSITION    CF    GENESIS. 


Finally  :    Lest  what  had   been  said  of 
his  being  made  a  blessing  should  not  be 
sufficiently  explicit,  it  is  added,  "And  in 
thee  shall"  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."    This  was  saying  that  a  blessing 
was  in  reserve  for  all  nations,  and  that  it 
should  be  bestowed  through  him  and  his 
posterity,  as   the   medium.     Paul   applies 
this  to  Christ,  and  the  believing  gentiles 
being  blessed  in  him:   he  calls   it,   "The 
gospel  which  was  preached   before    unto 
Abraham."     Peter   also  makes  use   of  it 
in  his  address  to  those  who  had  killed  the 
Prince  of  life,  to  induce  them  to  repent 
and  believe  in  him.    "  Ye  are  the  children 
of  the  prophets,"   says   he,    "and  of  the 
covenant   which   God  made   with  our  fa- 
thers, saying  unto  Abraham,  And  in  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be 
blessed.       Unto   you  first,    God,    having 
raised  up  his  Son  Jesus,  sent  him  to  bless 
you,  in   turning  away  every   one   of  you 
from  his  iniquities."     As  if  he  had  said. 
You  are  descended  from  one  whose  pos- 
terity were  to  be  blessed  above  all  nations, 
and  made  a  blessing.     And,  the  time  to 
favor  the  nations  being  now   at  hand,  God 
sent  his  Son  first  to  you,  to  bless  you,  and 
to   prepare    you   for    blessing   them ;    as 
though   it   were  yours  to  be  a   nation  of 
ministers,  or  missionaries   to   the   world. 
But  how,  if  instead  of  blessing  others  you 
should     continue    accursed    yourselves  1 
You   must   first  be   blessed,  ere  you  can, 
as   the  true  seed   of  Abraham,  bless  the 
kindreds  of  the  earth,  and   that  by   every 
one  of  you  being  turned  from  his  iniquities. 
Ver.  4.     The  faith  of  Abram    operated 
in  a  way  of  prompt  and  implicit  obedience. 
First  it  induced   him    to  leave   Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  and  now  he    must  leaveHaran. 
Haran  was    become   the   place    of  his   fa- 
ther's sepulchre,  yet  he  must  not  stop  there, 
but  press  forwards  to  the  land  which   the 
Lord  would  show  him.     On  this  occasion, 
young  Lot,   his    nephew,   seems   to    have 
felt  a  cleaving  to   him,   like  that  of  Ruth 
to  Naomi,  and   must   needs  go  with  him  ; 
encouraged  no  doubt   by  his  uncle  in  some 
such  manner  as  Moses  afterwards  encour- 
aged   Hobab  :   "  Go  with   me,   and  I    will 
do  thee  good  ;  for  the    Lord   hath  spoken 
good  concerning  "  Abram. 

Ver.  5.  We  now  see  Abram,  being 
seventy-five  years  old,  and  Sarai,  and 
Lot,  with  all  they  are  and  have,  taking  a 
long  farewell  of  Haran,  as  they  had  done 
before  of  Ur.  "  The  souls  that  they  had 
gotten  in  Haran,"  could  not  refer  to  chil- 
dren, but  perhaps  to  some  godly  servants 
who  cast  in  their  lot  with  them.  Abram 
had  a  religious  household,  who  were  under 
his  government,  as  we  afterwards  read, 
one  of  whom  went  to  seek  a  wife  for  Isaac. 
We  also  read  of  one  "Eliezerof  Damas- 


cus," who  seems  to  have  been  not  only 
his  household  steward,  but  the  only  man 
he  could  think  of,  if  he  died  childless,  to 
be  his  heir.  With  these  he  set  oft'  for  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  by  this  time  he 
knew  to  be  the  country  that  the  Lord 
would  show  him  ;  and  to  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan he  came. 


DISCOURSE  XIX. 

ABRAM  DWELLING  IN  CANAAN,  AND  RE- 
MOVING TO  EGYPT  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 
FAMINE. 

Gen,  xii.  6—20. 

Ver.  G.  Abram  and  his  company,  hav- 
ing entered  the  country  at  its  north-eastern 
quarter,  penetrate  as  far  southward  as  Si- 
chem  ;  where  meeting  with  a  spacious  plain, 
the  plain  of  Moreh,  they  pitched  their  tents. 
This  place  was  afterwards  much  account- 
ed of.  Jacob  came  thither  on  his  return 
from  Haran,  and  bought  of  the  Shechem- 
ites  a  parcel  of  a  field.  It  might  be  the 
same  spot  where  Abram  dwelt,  and  was 
perhaps  selected  by  Jacob  on  that  account. 
After  this  it  seems  to  have  been  taken 
from  him  by  the  Amorites,  the  descend- 
ants of  Hamor,  of  whom  he  had  bought 
it ;  and  he  was  obliged  to  recover  il  by 
the  sword  and  by  the  bow.  This  was  the 
portion  which  he  gave  to  his  son  Joseph. 
There  seems  to  be  something  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  place  very  much  resembling 
that  of  the  country  in  general.  In  the 
grand  division  of  the  earth,  this  whole 
land  was  assigned  to  the  posterity  of 
Shem  :  but  the  Canaanites  had  seized  on 
it,  and,  as  is  here  noticed,  "  dwelt  in  the 
land."  As  soon  therefore  as  the  rightful 
owners  are  in  a  capacity  to  make  use  of 
the  sword  and  the  bow,  they  must  be  dis- 
possessed of  it. — See  on  ch.  x.  25. 

Ver.  7.  Abram  having  pitched  his  tent 
at  Sichem,  the  Lord  renews  to  him  the 
promise  of  the  whole  land,  or  rather  to 
his  seed  after  Jiim ;  for,  with  respect  to 
himself,  he  was  never  given  to  expect  any 
higher  character  than  that  of  a  sojourner. 
But,  considering  the  great  ends  to  be  an- 
swered by  his  seed  possessing  it,  he  is 
well  satisfied,  and  rears  an  altar  to  Jeho- 
vah. One  sees  here  the  difference  be- 
tween the  conduct  of  the  men  of  this 
world  and  that  of  the  Lord's  servants. 
The  former  no  sooner  find  a  fruitful  plain 
than  they  fall  to  building  a  city  and  a  tow- 
er, to  perpetuate  their  fame.  The  first 
concern  of  the  latter  is  to  raise  an  altar  to 
God.  It  v/as  thus  that  the  new  world  was 
consecrated  by  Noah,  and  now  the  land 
of  promise  by  Abram.     The  rearing  of  an 


ABRAM    AND  LOT. 


7GS 


altar  In  the  land  was  like  taking  possession  inspired  them  with  fear,  and  induced  them 
ol"  it,  in  rigiit,  lor  Joiiovali.  to  send  liim  and  his  wile  away  in  safety. 

Ver.  !S,  9.  Tiie  patriarchs  seldom  con-  It  was  thus  that  lie  rcl)uked  kinjis  for  theif 
tinued  long  at  a  place,  for  they  were  so-  sakes,  and  sufl'ered  no  man  to  hurt  them, 
journers.  Abram  removes  from  the  plain  In  how  many  instances  has  God,  by  his 
of  Moreh,  to  a  mountain  on  the  east  of  kind  providence,  extricated  us  from  situa- 
what  was  afterwards  called  Betiiel  ;  and  tions  into  whicli  our  own  sin  and  folly  had 
here  he  l)uilt  an  altar,  and  called  ujion  the  plunged  us! 
name  of  the  Lord.     This   place   was  also 

luuch  accounted  of,  in  after  times.   It  was  

not  tar  hence  that  Jacob  9<e|)t  and  dreamed, 
and  anointed  the  pillar.  We  may  on  vari- 
ous occasions  change  jdaces,  provided  we 
carry  the  true  religion  with  us ;  in  this  we 
must  never  change. 

Ver.  10 — 20.  Abram  was  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  removing  again,  and  tiiat  on  ac- 
count of  a  grievous  famine  in  the  land. 
He  must  now'  leave  Canaan  for  a  wiiile. 


DISCOURSE    XX. 


THE    SEPARATION     OF     ABRAM    AND    LOT. 


Gen.  xiii. 

Ver.  1 — 4.     Till  now  we  have  heard 
nothing  of  Lot,  since  he  left  Haran  ;  but 


and  journey  into  Egypt,  where  corn,  it  lie  a[)pears  to  have  been  one  of  Abram's 
seems,  was  generally  plentiful,  even  when  lamily,  and  to  have  gone  with  him  w  hither- 
it  was  scarce  in  other  countries,  because  soever  he  went.  Here  we  find  him  return- 
that  country  was  watered  not  so  much  by  ing  with  him  from  Egypt,  first  to_the  south 
rain  as  by  the  waters  of  the  Nile.  Hith-  of  Canaan,  and  ai'lerwards  to  Betliel,  the 
€r  therelbre  the  patriarch  repaired  with  place  of  his  second  residence,  where  he 
his  little  company.  And  here  we  see  new  had  before  built  an  altar.  The  manner  in 
trials  for  his  faith.     Observe,  which    "the  place  of  the  altar"    is  men- 

1.  Tiie  famine  itself  being  in /^e /and  tioned  seems  to  intimate  that  he  chose  to 
of  promise  must  be  a  trial  to  him.  Had  go  thither,  in  preference  to  any  other 
he  been  of  the  spirit  of  the  unbelieving  place,  on  this  account.  It  is  very  natural 
spies,  in  the  times  of  Moses,  he  would  that  he  should  do  so ;  for  the  places  where 
have  said,  Would  God  we  had  stayed  at  we  have  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
Haran,  if  not  at  Ur !  Surely  this  is  a  and  enjoyed  communion  with  him,  are,  by 
land  that  eateth  up  the  inhabitants. — But  association,  endeared  to  us  above  all  oth- 
thus  far  Abram  sinned  not.  ers.      There    Abram   again   called  on  the 

2.  The  beauty  of  Sarai  was  another  name  of  the  Lord,  and  the  present  exer- 
trial  to  hitn  ;  and  here  he  fell  into  the  sin  cises  of  grace,  we  may  suppose,  were  aid- 
of  dissimulation,  or  at  least  of  e(|uivoca-  ed  by  the  remembrance  of  the  past.  It  is 
tion.  She  was  half-sister  to  him,  it  seems  an  important  rule,  in  choosing  ourhabita- 
(see  on  ch.  xi.  27 — 29):  but  not  in  such  a  tions,  to  have  an  eye  to  the  place  of  the 
sense   as  he  meant  to  convey.     This  was  altar.     If  Lot  had  acted  upon  this  princi- 


one  of  the  first  faults  we  read  of  in  Abram's 
life ;  and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  it  was  re- 
peated, as  we  shall  see  hereafter.  It  is 
remarkable  that  there  is  only  one  faultless 
character  on   record;    and   more  so  that, 


pie,  he  would  not  have  done  as  is  here  re- 
lated of  him. 

Ver.  5,  6.  We  find  by  the  second  verse 
that  Abram  w  as  very  rich ;  and  here  we 
see  that  Lot  also  had  "  flocks,  and  herds, 


in  several  instances  of  persons  who  have  and  tents;"  so  that  "the  land  was  not 
been  distinguished  for  some  one  excellence,  able  to  bear  them,  that  they  should  dwell 
their  principal  failure  has  been  in  that  par-  together."  It  is  pleasing  to  see  how  the 
ticular.  Thus  Peter,  the  bold,  sins  through  blessing  of  the  Lord  attends  these  two 
fear;  Solomon,  the  wise,  by  folly  ;  Moses,  sojourners:  but  it  is  painful  to  find  that 
the  meek,  by  speaking  unadvisedly  with  jirosperity  should  become  the  occasion  of 
his  lips;  and  Abram,  the  faithful,  by  a  their  separation.  It  is  pity  that  those 
kind  of  dissimulation  arising  from  timid  whom  grace  unites,  and  who  are  fellow- 
distrust.  Such  things  would  almost  seem  heirs  of  eternal  life,  should  be  parted  by 
designed  of  God  to  stain  the  pride  of  all  the  lumber  of  this  world.  Yet  so  it  is. 
flesh,  and  to  check  all  dependence  upon  A  clash  of  worldly  interests  has  often  sep- 
the  most  eminent  or  confirmed  habits  of  arated  chief  friends,  and  been  the  occa- 
godliness.  sion  of  a  much  greater  loss  than  the  great- 
3.  Yet  from  these  trials,  and  from  the  est  earthly  fulness  has  been  able  to  corn- 
difficulties  into  which  he  had  luought  him-  pensate.  It  is  not  thus  with  the  riches  of 
self  by  his  own  misconduct,  the  Lord  mer-  grace,  or  of  glory  :  the  more  we  have  of 
cifully  delivered  him.  He  feared  they  them,  the  closer  we  are  united, 
would  kill  him  for  his  wife's  sake;  but  Ver.  7.  The  first  inconvenience  which 
God,  by  introducing  plagues  among  them,  arose  from  the  wealth  of  these  two  good 


764 


KXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


men  appeared  in  strifes  between  their 
herdinen.  It  was  belter  to  be  so,  than  if 
the  masters  had  fallen  out ;  but  even  this 
is  far  from  pleasant.  Those  of  each  would 
tell  their  tale  to  their  masters,  and  try  to 
persuade  ihem  that  the  others  had  used 
them  ill;  and  the  best  of  men,  hearing 
such  tales  frequently  repeated,  would  be- 
gin to  suspect  that  all  was  not  fair.  What 
can  be  done  1  "  The  Canaanito  and  the 
Perizzite  also  dwelt  in  the  Ir.nd."  Now 
Abram  and  Lot,  having  never  joined  in 
the  idolatries  and  wickednesses  of  the 
country,  must  needs  have  been  marked  as 
a  singular  kind  of  men,  and  passed  ,as 
worshippers  of  the  invisilile  God.  If 
therefore  they  fall  out  about  worldly  mat- 
ters, what  will  be  thought  and  said  of  their 
religion  1  See  how  these  religious  people 
love  one  another  !  " 

Ver.  8,  9.  Abram's  conduct  in  this  un- 
pleasant business  was  greatly  to  his  honor. 
To  form  a  just  judgment  of  any  charac- 
ter, we  must  follow  him  through  a  number 
of  different  situations  and  circumstances, 
and  observe  how  he  acts  in  times  of  trial. 
We  have  seen  Abram  in  his  first  conver- 
sion from  idolatry  ;  we  have  noticed  the 
strength  of  his  faith,  and  the  promptness 
of  his  obedience  to  the  heavenly  call ;  we 
have  admired  his  godly  and  consistent  con- 
duct in  every  place  where  he  has  sojourn- 
ed, one  instance  only  excepted ;  but  we 
have  not  yet  seen  how  he  would  act  in  a 
case  of  approaching  difference  with  a 
friend,  a  brother.  Here  then  we  have  it. 
Obseme, 

1.  He  foresees  (he  danger  there  is  of  a 
falling  out  between  himself  and  Lot.  It 
is  likel}' he  perceived  that  his  countenance 
was  not  towards  him  as  heretofore,  and 
that  he  discovered  an  uneasiness  of  mind. 
This  would  excite  a  becoming  apprehen- 
sion lest  that  which  begun  with  the  ser- 
vants should  end  with  the  masters,  and 
be   productive  of  great  evil  to  them    both. 

2.  He  deprecates  it  in  the  frankest, 
most  pacific,  and  most  afTectionate  manner. 
"  Let  there  be  no  strife  between  me  and 
thee,  and  between  my  herdmen  and  thy 
herdmen,  for  we  are  brethren."  Yes, 
brethren,  not  only  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the 
Lord. 

3.  He  makes  a  most  wise  and  generous 
proposal.  "  The  whole  land  is  before  us  : 
separate  thyself,  I  pray  thee,  from  me. 
If  thou  will  go  to  the  left  hand;  I  will  go 
to  the  right ;  or,  if  thou  will  go  to  the  right 
hand  then  I  will  go  to  the  left."  As  the 
elder  man,  Abram  might  have  insisted  up- 
on the  right  of  choosing  his  part  of  the 
country  first ;  and  especially  as  he  was 
the  principal,  and  Lot  only  accompanied 
him  ;  he  might  have  told  him  that  if  he  was 
not  contented  to  live  with  him  he  might 


go  whither  he  would  ;  but  thus  did  not  A- 
bram.  No,  he  would  rather  forego  his  civil 
rights  than  invade  religious  peace.  What 
a  number  of  bitter  animosities  in  fam- 
ilies, in  churches,  and  I  may  say  in  nations, 
might  be  prevented,  if  the  parties  could  be 
brought  to  act  towards  one  another  in  this 
open,  pacific,  disinterested,  and  generous 
manner.  There  are  cases  in  which  it  be- 
comes necessary  for  very  worthy  and  dear 
friends  to  separate:  it  were  better  to  part 
than  live  together  at  variance.  Many  may 
be  good  neighbors  who  could  not  live  hap- 
pily in  the  same  family.  Abram  and  Lot 
could  love  and  })ray  for  one  another  when 
there  was  nothing  to  ruffle  their  feelings: 
and  Saul  and  Barnabas  could  both  serve 
the  cause  of  Christ,  though  unhappily, 
through  a  third  person,  they  cannot  act  in 
close  concert.  In  all  such  cases,  if  there 
be  only  an  unright,  pacific,  and  disin- 
terested disposition,  things  will  be  so  ad- 
justed as  to  do  no  material  injury  to  the 
cause  of  Christ.  In  many  instances  it 
may  serve  to  promote  it.  In  a  world 
where  there  is  plenty  of  room  to  serve  the 
Lord,  and  plenty  of  work  to  be  done,  if 
those  who  cannot  continue  together  be  dis- 
posed to  improve  their  advantages,  the 
issue  may  be  such  as  shall  cause  the  par- 
ties to  unite  in  a  song   of  praise. 

Ver.  10,  11.  But  how  does  young  Lot 
conduct  himself  on  this  occasion!  He 
did  not,  nor  could  he,  object  to  the  pacific 
and  generous  proposal  that  was  made  to 
him  ;  nor  did  he  choose  Abram's  situation, 
which,  tliough  lovely  in  the  one  to  offer,  it 
would  have  been  very  unlovely  in  the  other 
to  have  accepted ;  and  I  hope,  though 
nothing  is  said  of  his  making  any  reply,  it 
was  not  from  a  spirit  of  sullen  reserve. 
But,  in  the  choice  he  made,  he  appears  to 
have  regarded  temporal  advantages  only, 
and  entirely  to  have  overlooked  the  danger 
of  his  situation  with  regard  to  religion. 
"  He  lilted  up  his  eyes  and  beheld  a  well- 
watered  plain;"  and  on  this  he  fixed  his 
choice,  though  it  led  him  to  take  up  his 
abode  in  Sodom.  He  viewed  it,  as  we 
should  say,  merely  with  a  grazier's  eye. 
He  had  better  have  been  in  a  wilderness 
than  there.  Yet  many  professors  of  re- 
ligion, in  choosing  situations  for  themselves 
and  for  their  children,  continue  to  follow 
his  example.  We  shall  perceive,  in  the 
sequel  of  the  story,  what  kind  of  a  har- 
vest his  well- watered  plain  produced  him  ! 
Ver.  12,  13.  It  is  possible,  after  all, 
that  his  principal  fault  lay  in  pitching  his 
tent  in  the  place  he  did.  If  he  could  have 
lived  on  the  plain,  and  preserved  a  suffi- 
cient distance  from  that  infamous  place, 
there  might  have  been  nothing  the  matter  : 
but  perhaps  he  did  not  like  to  live  alone,  and 
therefore  dwelt  m  the   cities   of  the  plain. 


I 


SLAUGHTER    Ot"    THE    KINGS. 


765 


rvnil  pitched  his  tent  towards  Sodom.  The 
love  of  society,  like  all  other  natural  prin- 
ciples, may  prove  a  hlessing  or  a  curse  ; 
and  we  may  sec,  l>y  this  example,  the 
danjrer  o(  leaving  religious  connections  ; 
for,  as  man  leels  it  not  good  to  l>e  alone, 
if  he  forego  these  he  will  he  in  a  manner 
im|)elled  hy  his  inclinations  to  take  up 
with  others  of  a  contrary  description.  It 
isanas\ful  character  which  is  here  given 
o(  Lot's  new  neighhors.  All  men  are 
sinners  ;  hut  they  were  "  wicked  and  sin- 
ners before  the  Lord  exceedingly." 
When  Ahram  went  to  a  new  place,  it 
was  usual  for  him  to  rear  an  altar  to  the 
Lord;  hut  there  is  no  mention  of  any 
thing  like  this  when  Lot  settled  in  or  near 
to  Sodom.     But  to  return  to   Ahram — 

Ver.  14 — 17.  From  the  call  of  this  great 
man  to  the  command  to  ofTer  up  his  son, 
a  period  of  about  fifty  years,  he  was 
often  tried  and  the  promise  was  often  re- 
newed. It  was  the  will  of  God  that  he 
should  live  by  faith.  Its  being  renewed 
at  this  time  seems  to  have  been  on  occa- 
sion of  Lot's  departure  from  him,  an  1  the 
disinterested  s|)irit  whidi  he  had  manifest- 
ed on  that  occasion.  Lot  had  lifted  up 
his  eyes  and  beheld  the  plain  of  Jordan  ; 
and,  being  gone  to  take  possession  of  it, 
God  sailli  utit'i  A.bram,  Lift  up  now  tliine 
eyes,  and  look  nortliward,  and  southward, 
and  eastward,  and  westward;  for  all  the 
land  which  thou  seest,  to  Ihee  will  I  give 
it,  and  to  thy  seed  forever.  Thus  he  who 
sought  this  world  lost  it  ;  and  he  who 
was  willing  to  give  up  any  thing  for  the 
honor  of   God  and  religion  found  it. 

Ver.  IS.  After  this,  AViram  removed  to 
"  the  plain  of  Mamre,  which  is  Hebron," 
where  he  continued  many  years.  It  was 
here,  a  long  time  after,  that  Sarah  died. 
It  lay  about  two  and  twenty  miles  south 
of  Jerusalem.  This  removal  might  pos- 
sibly arise  from  re^anl  to  Lot,  that  he 
mi<iht  be  nearer  to  him  than  he  would 
have  been  at  Bethel,  though  not  so  near 
as  to  interfere  witii  his  tem|)oral  con- 
cerns. Of  this  we  are  certain,  he  was 
able,  from  a  place  near  where  he  lived,  to 
descry  the  plains  of  Sodom  ;  and,  when 
the  city  was  destroyed,  saw  the  smoke 
ascend  like  that  of  a  furnace.  Here, 
as  usual,  Abrara  built  an  altar  unto  Je- 
hovah- 


DISCOURSE  XXI. 

abram's  slaughter  of    the  kings. 

Gen.  xiv. 

It  has  been  already  observed  that,  to 
form  a  just  judgment  of  character,  we 
must  view  men  in  divers  situations  :    we 


should  not  have  expected,  however,  to 
find  Ahram  in  the  character  of  a  warrior. 
Yet  so  it  is  :  for  once  in  his  lile,  though  a 
man  of  peace,  he  is  constrained  to  take 
the  sword.  We  have  seen  in  him  the  friend 
of  God,  and  the  friend  of  a  good  man; 
now  we  shall  see  in  him  ihe  friend  of  his 
counlry,  though  at  present  only  a  sojourner 
in  it.  The  case  apjiears  to  have  been  as 
follows  : — 

Ver.  1 — 7.  Elam  and  Shinar,  or  Per- 
sia and  Babylon  and  the  counlry  aliout 
them,  being  that  part  of  the  world  where 
the  sons  of  Noah  began  to  settle  alter 
they  went  out  of  the  ark,  it  was  there  that 
po|)  .lalion  and  the  art  of  war  would  first 
arrive  at  sullicient  maturity  to  induce 
them  to  attempt  the  subjugation  of  their 
neighbors.  Nimrod  began  this  business 
in  about  a  century  after  the  flood,  and 
his  successors  were  no  less  ambitious  to 
continue  it.  The  rest  of  the  worh',  emi- 
grating from  those  countries,  would  be 
considered  as  colonies  which  ought  to 
be  subject  to  the  parent  stales.  Such  it 
seems,  were  Ihe  ideas  of  Chednrlaomer, 
who  was  at  this  time  king  of  Elam,  or 
Persia.  About  three  or  our  years  I  elbre 
Al  ram  left  Chaldea  he  h;id  invaded  Pal- 
estine ;  which  being  divided  into  little 
kingdoms,  almost  every  city  having  its 
king,  and  having  made  but  liltle  progress 
in  the  art  of  war  in  comparison  of  the 
parent  nations,  fell  an  easy  prey  to  his 
rapacity.  In  this  humiliating  condition 
they  continued  twelve  years  ;  I  ut  being 
by  tiiat  time  weary  of  Ihe  yoke,  five  of 
these  petty  kings,  understanding  one 
another,  thought  they  inighl  venture  to 
throw  it  ofT.  Accordingly,  Ihe  next  year 
they  refused  to  pay  him  tribute,  or  to  be 
subject  to  Ihe  authority  under  which  he 
h^d  i)laced  them. 

Chedorlaomer  hearing  of  this,  calls  to- 
gether his  friends  and  allies  among  the 
first  and  greatest  nations;  who  consent  to 
join  their  forces,  and  go  wilh  him  to  re- 
duce these  petty  states  to  obedience. 
Four  kings  and  their  armies  engage  in  this 
expedition.  If  each  one  only  br<)Ui:ht  five 
hundred  men  wilh  him,  they  would  form  a 
great  host  for  that  early  aj>e  of  the  world, 
and  capable  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  mis- 
chief". This  they  did  :  for,  not  content 
wilh  marching  peaceab.ly  through  the 
country  till  they  arrived  at  the  cities 
which  had  rebelled,  they  laid  all  })laces 
waste  which  they  came  at ;  smiting  in 
their  way,  first  the  Rephaims,  the  Zurims, 
and  the  E minis ;  then  the  Heroites  of 
Mount  Scir,  and  after  them  the -^niaZe/ciies 
and  the  Amoritcs. 

Ver.  8 — 10.  By  this  time  Abram's  neigh- 
bors, the  kings  of  Sodom,  Admah,  Zeboim, 
and  Bela,  must  have  been  not  a  little 
alarmed.    They  and  their  people,  however 


766 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


determine  to  fight — and  fight  they  did. 
The  fiekl  of  action  was  "the  vale  of  Sid- 
dira."  Unhappily,  the  ground  was  full  of 
slime  pits,  or  pits  of  bitumen,  much  like 
those  on  the  plains  of  Shinar  ;  and  their 
soldiers  being  but  little  skilled  in  the  art 
of  war  could  not  keep  their  ranks,  and  so 
were  foiled,  routed,  and  beaten,  by  the 
superior  discipline  of  the  invaders.  Many 
were  slain  in  the  pits,  and  those  that 
escaped  fied  to  a  neighboring  mountain, 
which,  beino-  priibably  covered  with  wood, 
afforded  them  a  shelter  in  which  to  hide 
themselves. 

Ver.  11,  12.  The  conquerors,  without 
delay,  betake  themselves  to  the  spoil. 
They  take  all  tiie  goods  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  and  all  the  victuals  ;  and  what 
few  people  are  left  they  take  for  slaves. 
Among  these  was  Lot,  Abram's  brother's 
son,  his  friend,  and  the  companion  of  his 
travels,  with  all  his  family  and  all  his 
goods  ;  and  this  notwithstanding  he  was 
only  a  sojourner,  but  lately  come  among 
them,  and  seems  to  have  taken  no  part  in 
the  war.  Oh  Lot,  these  are  the  fruits  of 
taking  up  thy  residence  in  Sodom;  or 
rather  the  first-fruits  of  it  :  the  harvest 
is  yet  to  come  ! 

Ver.  13.  Among  those  who  fled  from 
the  drawn  sword,  and  the  fearfulness  of 
war,  there  was  one  who  reached  the  plain 
of  Mamre,  and  told  the  sad  tale  to  Abram. 
Abram  feels  much  :  but  what  can  he  do! 
Can  he  raise  an  army  wherewith  to  spoil 
the  spoilers  and  deliver  the  captives  1  He 
will  try.  Yes,  from  his  regard  to  Lot, 
whose  late  faults  would  be  now  forgotten 
and  his  former  love  recur  to  mind  :  and,  if 
he  succeed,  he  will  not  only  deliver  him 
but  many  others.  The  cause  is  a  just  one  ; 
and  God  has  promised  to  6Zess  Abram  and 
viake  him  a  blessing.  Who  can  tell  but  he 
may  prove  in  this  instance  a  blessing  to 
the  whole  country,  by  delivering  it  from 
the  power  of  a  cruel  foreign  oppressor  1 

Now  we  shall  see  how  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  Abram.  Who  would  have  thought 
it  1  He  is  able  to  raise  three  hundred  and 
eighteen  men  in  his  own  family  ;  men  well 
instructed  too,  possessing  skill,  principle, 
and  courage.  Moreover,  Abram  was  so 
well  respected  by  his  neighbors,  Mamre, 
Eschol,  and  Aner,  that  they  had  already 
formed  a  league  of  confederacy  with  him 
to  defend  themselves,  perhaps,  against 
this  blustering  invader,  whose  coming  had 
been  talked  of  more  than  a  year  ago ;  and 
they,  with  all  the  forces  they  can  muster, 
consent  to  join  with  Abram  in  the  pursuit. 

Ver.  15,  16.  By  prompt  movements, 
Abram  and  his  troop  soon  come  up  with 
the  enemy.  It  was  in  the  dead  of  night. 
The  conquerors,  it  is  likely,  were  off  their 
guard,  thinking,  no  doubt,  that  the  coun- 


try was  subdued,  and  that  scarcely  a  dog 
was  left  in  it  that  dare  move  his  tongue 
against  them.  But  when  haughty  men 
say  Peace,  peace, — lo,  sudden  destruction 
Cometh  !  Attacked  after  so  many  victo- 
ries, they  are  surprised  and  confounded  : 
and,  it  being  in  the  night,  they  could  not 
tell  but  their  assailants  might  be  ten  times 
more  numerous  than  they  were.  So  they 
flee  in  confusion,  and  are  pursued  from 
Dan  even  to  Hobah  in  Syria,  a  distance, 
it  is  said,  of  fourscore  miles.  In  this  bat- 
tle, Chedorlaomer,  and  the  kings  who  were 
with  him,  were  all  slain.  Abram's  object, 
however,  was  the  recovery  of  Lot  and  his 
family  ;  and,  having  accomplished  this,  he 
is  satisfied.  It  is  surprising  that  amidst 
all  this  confusion  and  slaughter  their  lives 
should  be  preserved  ;  yet  so  it  was  :  and 
he  with  his  property,  and  family,  and  all 
the  other  captives  taken  with  him,  are 
brought  safe  back  again.  It  was  ill  for 
Lot  to  be  found  among  the  men  of  Sodom  ; 
but  it  was  well  for  them  that  he  was  so, 
else  they  had  been  ruined  before  they 
were. 

Ver.  17 — 24.  This  expedition  of  Abram 
and  his  friends  excited  great  attention 
among  the  Canaanites.  At  the  very  time 
when  all  must  have  been  given  up  for  lost, 
lo,  they  are,  without  any  effort  of  their 
own,  recovered,  and  the  spoilers  spoiled  ! 
The  little  victorious  band,  now  returning 
in  peace,  are  hailed  by  every  one  that 
meets  them  :  nay,  the  kings  of  the  differ- 
ent cities  go  forth  to  congratulate  them, 
and  to  thank  them  as  Ihe  deliverers  of  the 
country.  If  Abram  had  been  of  the  dis- 
position of  those  marauders  whom  he  had 
defeated,  he  would  have  followed  up  his 
victory  and  made  himself  master  of  the 
whole  country  ;  which  he  might  probably 
have  done  with  ease  in  their  present  en- 
feebled and  scattered  condition.  But  thus 
did  not  Abram,  because  of  the  fear  of  God. 

In  the  valley  of  Shavch,  not  far  from  Je- 
rusalem, he  was  met  and  congratulated  by 
the  king  of  Sodom,  who  by  some  means 
had  escaped  in  the  day  of  battle,  when  so 
many  of  his  people  were  slain.  He  was 
also  met  in  the  same  place,  and  at  the  same 
time,  by  another  king,  of  high  character 
in  the  Scriptures,  though  but  rarely  men- 
tioned, namely,  "  Melchisedek,  king  of 
Salem."  He  came,  not  only  to  congratu- 
late the  conquerors,  but  brought  forth 
"  bread  and  wine  "  to  refresh  them  after 
their  long  fatigues. 

The  sacred  historian,  having  here  met 
with  what  I  may  call  a  lily  among  thorns, 
stops,  as  it  were,  to  describe  it.  Let  us 
stop  with  him  and  observe  the  description. 
Mention  is  made  of  this  singular  man  only 
in  three  places  ;  viz.  here,  in  the  110th 
Psalm,  and  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  the 


SLAUGHTER    OF    TIIF.    KINGS. 


767 


Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  He  is  lield  up 
in  tiie  two  latter  places  as  a  type  of  tlie 
Messiah.  Three  things  may  he  renmrked 
conceriiinu;  him  : — 1.  He  was  (hnilitlcss  a 
very  holy  man  ;  anil,  il'aCanaanitc  hy  de- 
scent, it  furnishes  a  proof,  amonjr  many 
others,  thai  the  curse  on  Canaan  did  not 
shut  the  door  of  lailh  upon  his  individual 
descendants.  There  never  was  an  aL^e  or 
country  in  which  he  tiiat  feared  God  and 
worked  riLditeousncss  was  not  accepted. 
2.  He  was  a  pcrsonajz:e  in  whom  were 
united  the  kingly  and  priestly  ofllices  ;  and, 
as  such,  he  was  a  type  of  tiie  Messiah,  and 
greater  than  Ahram  himself.  Under  the 
former  of  these  characters,  he  was  by  in- 
terpretation "  king  of  righteousness,  and 
king  of  peace  ;"  and,  under  the  latter,  was 
distinguished  as  the  "priest  of  the  most 
iugii  God."  This  singulardignity  confer- 
red upon  a  descendant  of  Canaan  shows 
that  God  delights,  on  various  occasions,  to 
])ut  more  abundant  honor  upon  the  part 
that  lacketh.  3.  He  was  what  he  was, 
considered  as  a  priest,  not  by  inheritance, 
l)ut  by  an  immediate  diiine  conf<titution. 
Though  as  a  man  lie  was  born  like  other 
men,  yet  as  a  priest  he  was  "  witliout  fa- 
ther, without  mother,  without  descent, 
having  neither  beginning  of  days  nor  end 
ol  lile  ;  but  made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God, 
abiding  a  priest  continually."  That  is, 
neither  his  father  nor  his  mother  was  of  a 
sacerdotal  family  :  he  derived  his  office 
from  no  predecessor,  and  delivered  it  up 
to  no  successor,  but  was  himself  an  order 
of  priesthood.  It  is  in  this  respect  that  he 
was  "  made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God  ;" 
who  also  was  a  priest,  not  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  by  descent  from 
their  predecessors  (for  he  descended  from 
Judah,  of  which  tril^e  Moses  said  nothing 
concerning  priesthood) ;  luit  alter  the  sim- 
ilitude of  Melchisedek,  that  is,  by  an  im- 
mediate divine  constitution  ;  or,  as  the 
New  Testament  writer  expresses  it,  "by 
the  word  of  the  oath  ;"  and,  "  continuing 
ever,  hath  an  unchangealde  priesthood." 

Ver.  19,  20.  Melchisedek  being  "  priest 
of  the  most  high  God,"  lie  in  that  charac- 
ter blessed  Abram.  It  belonged  to  the 
priests,  by  divine  appointment,  to  bless  the 
people.  In  this  \iew  the  blessing  of  Mel- 
chisedek would  contain  more  than  a  per- 
sonal well-wishing  :  it  would  lie  prophetic. 
In  pronouncing  it,  he  would  set  his  official 
seal  to  what  God  had  done  before  him.  It 
is  not  unlikely  that  he  might  know  Abram 
previously  to  this,  and  be  well  acquainted 
with  his  being  a  favorite  of  heaven,  in 
whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to 
])e  lilessed,  and  to  whose  posterity  God 
had  promised  the  land  of  the  Canaanites  ; 
and,  if  so,  his  blessing  him  in  so  solemn  a 
manner  implies  his  acquiescence  in  the  di- 


vine will,  even  though  it  would  be  at  the 
exjiense  of  his  ungodly  countrymen.  His 
speaking  of  the  most  high  God  as  "  pos- 
sessor of  heaven  and  earth  "  would  seem 
to  intimate  as  much  as  this  ;  as  it  recog- 
nizes the  principle  on  which  the  right  of 
Abram's  posterity  to  possess  themselves 
of  Canaan  de|)ended.  There  is  much 
heart  in  the  blessing.  We  see  the  good 
man,  as  well  as  the  priest  of  the  most  high 
God,  in  it  :  from  blessing  Abram  it  rises 
to  the  blessing  ol  Abram's  God,  for  all  the 
goodness  conferred  upon  him. 

In  return  for  this  solemn  blessing,  Abram 
"  gave  him  tithes  of  all."  This  was  treat- 
ing him  in  character,  and,  in  fact,  jiresent- 
ini:  the  tenth  of  his  spoils  as  an  offering  to 
God. 

Ver.  21.  All  this  time  the  king  of  Sod- 
om stood  by,  and  heard  what  passed  :  but 
it  seems  without  feeling  any  interest  in  it. 
What  passed  between  these  tw  o  great  char- 
acters appears  to  have  made  no  impression 
upon  him.  He  thought  of  nothing,  and 
cared  for  nothing,  but  what  respected  him- 
self. He  could  not  possibly  claim  any 
right  to  \\  hat  was  recovered,  either  of  per- 
sons or  things  ;  yet  he  asks  for  the  former, 
and  speaks  in  a  manner  as  if  he  would  be 
thought  not  a  little  generous  in  relinquish- 
ing the  latter. 

Ver.  22,  23.  Abram  knew  the  man  and 
his  communications;  and,  perceiving  his 
affected  generosity,  gave  him  to  under- 
stand that  he  had  already  decided,  and 
even  sworn,  in  the  presence  of  the  most 
high  God,  what  he  would  do  in  respect  of 
that  jiart  of  the  spoils  which  had  previous- 
ly belonged  to  him.  Aiiram  knew  full  well 
that  the  man  who  affected  gcnerosit)  in 
relinquishing  what  was  not  his  own  would 
go  on  to  boast  of  oi  it,  and  to  reflect  on 
him  as  though  he  shone  in  borrowed 
})lumes.  No,  says  the  patriarch,  "  I  will 
not  take  from  a  thread  even  to  a  shoe- 
lalchet  that  which  was  thine,  save  that 
which  the  young  men  have  eaten,  and  the 
portion  of  the  men  that  went  with  me, 
Aner,  Eschol,  and  Mamre." 

In  this  answer  of  Aliram  we  may  ob- 
serve, besides  the  above,  several  particu- 
lars : — 

1.  The  character  under  which  he  had 
sworn  to  God:  "Jehovah,  the  most  high 
God,  the  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth." 
The  former  of  these  names  was  that  by 
which  God  was  made  known  to  Abram, 
and  still  more  to  his  posterity.*     The  lat- 

*  WIr.it  .Moses  says,  in  Exotl.  vi.  3,  that  God  ap- 
pp;irpcl  to  "  Ahram,  Isaac,  ami  Jacol),  l>y  tlie  name 
of  God  Almighty,"  lurt  lli.it  \<\  liis  n:iine  "  JEHO- 
V.AH  "  lie  was  not  known  to  tliem,  cannot  be  nnder- 
.stood  aljsolntelv.  It  does  not  appear,  liowever,  to 
iiave  been  used  among  tlie  |)atriarclis  in  so  pecidiar 
a  sense  as  it  was  after  the  times  of  Moses  among  the 


768 


EXPOSlTIOiN    OF    GENESIS* 


f 


ter  was  that  which  had  been  just  given  to 
him  by  Melchisedek,  and  which  appears  to 
have  inade  a  strong  impression  on  Abram's 
mind.  By  uniting  them  together,  he,  in  a 
manner,  acknowieilged  Meicliisedeii's  God 
to  be  his  God  ;  and,  wiiile  reproving  the 
king  of  Sodom,  expressed  his  love  to  him 
as  to  a  brother. 

•2.  His  iiaving  decided  the  matter  before 
the  king  of  Sodom  met  him,  as  it  seems  he 
had,  implies  something  higldy  dislionora- 
ble  in  the  character  of  that  prince.  He 
must  have  been  well  known  to  Abram,  as 
a  vain,  boasting,  unprincipled  man,  or  he 
would  not  have  resolved  in  so  solemn  a 
manner  to  preserve  himself  clear  from  the 
very  shadow  of  an  obligation  to  him.  And 
considering  the  polite  and  respectful  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  common  for  this  patri- 
arch to  conduct  himself  towards  his  neigh- 
bors, there  must  have  been  something 
highly  offensi\e  in  this  case  to  draw  from 
him  so  cutting  and  dismaying  an  intima- 
tion. It  is  not  unlikely  that  he  had  thrown 
out  some  malignant  insinuations  against 
Lot  and  his  old  wealthy  uncle,  on  the  score 
of  their  religion.  If  so,  Al:ram  would  feel 
happy  in  an  o|)portunity  of  doing  good 
against  evil,  ami  thus  of  heaping  coals  of 
fire  upon  his  head. 

The  reason  why  he  would  not  be  under 
the  siiadow  of  an  obligation,  or  any  thing 
w  hich  might  be  construed  an  obligation,  to 
him,  was  not  so  much  a  regard  to  his  own 
honor  as  (he  honor  of  him  in  whose  name 
he  had  suiorn.  Abram's  God  had  blessed 
him,  and  promised  to  Mess  him  more,  and 
make  him  a  l;lessing.  Let  it  not  lie  said 
by  his  enemies  that,  with  all  his  blessed- 
ness, it  is  of  our  substance  that  he  is  what 
he  is.  No,  Al>ram  can  trust  in  "  the  pos- 
sessor of  heaven  and  eartii  "  to  provide  for 
him,  without  being  beholden  to  the  king 
of  Sodom. 

3.  His  excepting  the  portion  of  the 
young  men  who  were  in  league  with  him 
shows  a  just  sense  of  propriety.  In  giving 
up  our  own  right,  we  are  not  at  liberty  to 
give  away  that  which  pertains  to  others 
connected  with  us. 

Upon  the  whole,  this  singular  undertak- 
ing would  raise  Abram  much  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  Canaanites,  and  luight  pos- 
siMy  [irocure  a  little  more  respect  to  Lot. 
It  had  been  better  in  the  latter,  however, 
if  he  had  taken  this  opportunity  to  have 
changed  his  dwelling  place. 


I.sraelites.  Theiioe  it  soems  very  srenerally  to  denote 
tlie  specific  name  of  tlie  Goil  anrl  King  of  Israel.  \n 
tliis  view  we  perceive  tiie  force  and  pi-upricty  of  s-ucli 
l.ingiiagp  as  the  foll<iwin!» : — "  Jehovah  is  oin-  jiirlge, 
Jehoviih  is  our  lawgiver,  Jehovah  is  our  king." — 
"  Oil  Jehovuh,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name 
in  all  the  earth  !" 


DISCOURSE     XXII. 

ABRAM    JUSTIFIED    BY    FAITH. 

Gen.  XV.  1 — 6. 

Abram  was  the  father  of  the  faithful, 
the  example  or  pattern  of  all  future  be- 
lievers ;  and  perhaps  no  man,  upon  the 
whole,  had  greater  faith.  It  seeins  to 
have  been  the  design  of  God,  in  almost 
all  his  dealings  with  him,  to  put  his  faith 
to  the  trial.  In  most  instances  it  ajipeared 
unto  praise,  though  in  some  it  appeared 
to  fail  him. 

Ver.  1.  Several  years  had  elapsed,  per- 
haps eight  or  nine,  since  God  had  tirst 
made  promise  to  him  concerning  his  seed; 
and  now  he  is  about  eighty  years  old,  and 
Sarai  is  seventy,  and  he  has  no  child.  He 
m  ist  yet  live  upon  assurances  and  prom- 
ises, without  any  earthly  prospects.  He 
is  indulged  with  a  vision,  in  which  God 
appears  to  him,  saying,  '  Fear  not, 
Abram  ;  1  am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceed- 
ing great  reward."  This  is  certainly  very 
full  and  very  encouraging.  It,  alter  hav- 
ing engaged  the  kings,  he  had  any /cars  of 
tiie  war  being  renewed,  this  would  allay 
them.  Who  shall  harm  those  to  v,  hom 
Jehovah  is  a  shield?  Or,  if,  on  having  no 
child,  he  bad  fears  at  times  lest  all  should 
prove  a  blank,  this  would  meet  them. 
What  can  be  wanting  to  those  who  have 
God  for  their  "exceeding  great  reward  1" 
Abram  had  not  availed  himself  of  his  late 
victory  to  procure  in  Canaan  so  much  as 
a  place  to  set  his  foot  on  :  but  he  shall 
lose  nothing  by  it.  God  has  something 
greater  in  reserve  for  him  :  God  himself 
will  be  his  reward  ;  not  only  as  he  is  of 
all  believers,  but  in  a  sense  peculiar  to 
himself:  he  shall  be  the  father  of  the 
church,  and  the  heir  of  the  world. 

Ver.  2,  3.  Who  would  have  thought, 
amidst  these  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,  that  Abram's  faith  should  seem 
to  fail  himi  Yet  so  it  is.  The  promise, 
to  be  sure,  is  great  and  full  ;  but  he  has 
heard  much  the  same  things  before,  and 
there  are  no  signs  of  its  accomplishment. 
This  works  within  him  in  a  way  of  secret 
anguish,  which  he  presumes  to  express 
before  the  Lord,  almost  in  the  language 
of  objection  ;  "  Lord  God,  what  wilt  thou 
give    me  1  "     "Thou    speakest   oi  givins; 

thy  servant  this  and  that but  I  shall 

soon  be  past  receiving  it I  go  child- 
less. This  Eliezer  of  Damascus  is  a  good 
and  faithful  servant  ;  but  that  is  all  .  .  . 
Must  I  make  him  my  heir;  and  are  the 
promises  to  be  fulfilled  at  last  in  an  adopt- 
ed son  1  " 


JUSTIFICATION      BV    FAITH.  769 

Ver.  4—6.  God,  in  mercy  to  tlie  patri-  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  selected  as  the 
arch,  condescends  lo  leiiiove  his  doiil>ls  on  model  for  believing  lor  jiisliiicaiion  was 
this  sul)je(t,  assuring  him  that  his  heir  not  this,  nor  any  oilier  o(  the  kind  :  but 
should  descend  (iom  his  own  body  ;  yet  those  oidy  in  which  there  was  an  immedi- 
he  must  continue  to  live  upon  promises,  ate  respect  had  to  the  person  of  the  Alessi- 
These  promises,  however,  are  conlirnjcd  ah.  The  examjiles  of  faith  referred  to  in 
by  a  sign.  He  is  led  abroad  from  his  tent  both  these  epistles  are  taken  from  his  be- 
in  the  night-lime,  and  shown  the  stars  of  lieving  ihe  promises  relative  to  his  seed ; 
heaven;  which  when  he  had  scon,  the  in  which  seed,  as  the  a|)oslle  observes, 
Lord  assured  him,  "  So  shall  thy  seed  lie."  Christ  was  included. — Rom.  iv.  11  ;  Gal. 
And  now  his  doubts  are  removed.  He  is  iii.  Il3.  Though  Christians  may  believe  in 
no  longer  weak,  but  strong  in  faith:  he  God  with  res[)ect  to  the  common  concerns 
staggers  not  through  unl)elief,  but  is  fully  of  this  life,  and  such  faith  may  ascertain 
persuaded  that  what  God  has  }>romised  he  their  being  in  a  justified  stale;  yet  this 
is  aiile  to  perform.  And  therefore  "  it  was  is  not,  strictly  speakinjr,  the  faith  by  which 
imputed  to  him  lor  righteousness."  they    are  justified,   which   invariably    has 

Mucli  is  made  of  this  passage  by  the  respect  lo  the  person  and  work  of  Christ. 
apostle  Paul,  in  establishing  the  doctrine  Abram  believed  in  God  as /5r(*nusing- Christ; 
of  justification  by  (aitii  ;  and  much  has  they  believe  in  him  as  having  "  raised  him 
been  said  by  others,  as  to  the  meaning  of  from  the  dead."  "  By  him,  all  that  V)e- 
both  him  and  Moses.  One  set  of  expos-  lieve  (that  is,  in  him)  are  justified  from  all 
itors,  considering  it  as  extremely  evident  things,  from  which  they  could  not  bejus- 
that  by  faith  is  here  meant  the  act  of  believ-  tilled  by  tlie  law  of  Moses."  It  is  through 
i'n^,  contend  for  this  as  ourjuslifying  right-  faith  in  his  blood  that  they  olHain  remis- 
eousness.  Faith,  in  llieir  account,  seems  sion  of  sin.  He  "is  just,  and  the  justifier 
to  be  imputed  to  us  for  righteousness  by  a  of  him  that  helieveJh  in  Jesus." 
kind  of  gracious  compromise,  in  which  2.  This  distinction,  so  clearly  perceiv- 
God  accepts  of  an  imperfect  instead  of  a  able  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament, 
perfect  obedience.  Another  set  of  expos-  sufficiently  decides  in  what  sense  faith  is 
itors,  jealous  ibr  the  honor  of  free  grace,  considered  as  justifying.  Whatever  other 
and  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  con-  properties  the  magnet  may  possess,  it  is 
tend  that  the  faiih  of  Abram  is  here  to  be  as  pointing  invariably  to  the  north  that  it 
taken  f)6;<?c/ife/(/,  for  the  righteousness  of  guides  the  mariner:  so,  whatever  oth- 
Christ  believed  in.  To  me  it  appears  that  er  properties  faith  may  possess,  it  is 
both  these  expositions  are  forced.  To  as  pointing  to  Christ,  and  bringing  us  into 
establish  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  union  with  him,  that  it  justifies. — Rom. 
the  righteousness  of  Christ,  it  is  not  ne-  viii.  1;  1  Cor.  i.  30;  Phil.  iii.  9.  It  is 
cessary  to  maintain  that  the  faith  of  i^^bram  not  that/or  the  sake  of  which  we  are  ac- 
means  Christ  in  whom  he  lielieved.  Nor  cepted  of  God;  for,  if  it  were,  justifica- 
can  this  be  maintained  :  for  it  is  manifest-  tion  by  faith  could  not  be  opposed  to 
ly  the  same  thing,  in  ihe  account  of  the  justification  by  works  ;  nor  would  boast- 
apostle  Paul,  as  believing  (Rom.  iv.  .5),  ing  be  excluded  ;  neither  would  there  be 
which  is  very  distinct  from  the  object  he-  any  meaning  in  its  being  said  to  be  by 
lieved  in.  The  truth  appears  to  be  this  :  faitn,  that  it  might  be  of  grace  :  but,  be- 
lt is  faith,  or  believing,  that  is  counted  for  lieving  in  Christ,  we  are  considered  by  the 
righteousness  ;  not  however  as  a  righteous  Lawgiver  of  the  world  as  one  with  him, 
act,  or  on  account  of  any  inherent  virtue  and  so  are  forgiven  and  accepted/or  his 
contained  in  it,  but  in  respect  of  Christ,  sake.  Hence  it  is  that  to  be  justified  by 
on  tvhose  righteousness  it  terminates.*  faith  is  the  same  thing  as  to    be  justified 

That  we  may  form  a  clear  idea,  lioth  of  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  or  made  righteous 

the  text  and  the  doctrine,  let  the  following  by  his  obedience. — Rom.  v.  9.  19.       Faith 

particulars  be  considered.  is   not   the    grace  wherein  we   stand,  but 

1.  Though  Abram   believed   God  when  that  by  which  we /iat-e  access  to  it. — Rom. 

he  left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  yet  his  faith  in  v.  2.     Thus  it  is  Ihat  the  healing  of  vari- 

that  instance  is  not   mentioned  in  conncc-  ous  maladies  is   ascribed  in  the  New  Tes- 

tion  icith  his  justification;    nor  does   the  tament  to  faith  :   not  that  the  virtue  which 

apostle,  either  in  his   Epistle   to   the   Ro-  caused  the  cures  proceeded  from   this   as 

mans  or   in  that   to  the   G.datians,    argue  its  proper  cause  ;  but  this   was  a  necessa- 

that  doctrine  from   it,  or  hold  it  up    as  an  ry  concomitant  to   give   the  parties  access 

example    of  justifying    faith.      I    do    not  to  the  power  and  grace  of  the  Saviour,  by 

mean  to  suggest  that  Abram  was  then  in  which  only  they  were  healed, 
an  unjustified  state  ;  but  that  the  instance        3.  The    phrase  "  Counted  it   for  right- 

of  his    faith    which    was    thought   proper  eous.iess"  dcss  not  mean  that  God  thought 

it  to  be  what  it  was,  which    would    have 

•  Calvin's  Institutes,  Book  III.  Chap.  XI.  §  7.  been    merely  an  act  of  justice;   but  his 
VOL.  I.                          97 


770 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


graciously  reckoning  it  what  in  itself  it 
was  not,  viz.  a  ground  for  the  bestowment 
of  covenant  blessings.  Even  in  the  case 
ofPhinehas,  of  whom  the  same  phrase 
is  used  in  reference  to  his  zeal  for  God,  it 
has  this  meaning ;  for  one  single  act  of 
zeal,  whatever  may  be  said  of  it,  could 
not  entitle  him  and  his  posterity  after  him 
to  the  honor  conferred  upon  them.  Ps. 
cvi.  30,31,  comp.Num.  XXV.  11 — 13.  And, 
with  respect  to  the  present  case,  "  The 
phrase,  as  the  apostle  uses  it,"  says  a 
great  writer,  "  manifestly  imports  that 
God,  of  his  sovereign  grace,  is  pleased, 
in  his  dealings  with  the  sinner,  to  take  and 
regard  that  which  indeed  is  not  righteous- 
ness, and  in  one  who  has  no  righteousness, 
so  that  the  consequence  shall  be  the  same 
as  if  he  had  righteousness,  and  which  may 
be  from  the  respect  ivhich  it  bears  to 
something  which  is  indeed  righteousness."* 
The  faith  of  Abram,  though  of  a  holy  na- 
ture, yet  contained  nothing  in  itself  tit  for 
a  justifying  righteousness  :  all  the  adapt- 
edness  which  it  possessed  to  that  end  was 
the  respect  which  it  had  to  the  Messiah, 
on  whom  it  terminated. f 

4.  Though  faith  is  not  our  justifying 
righteousness,  yet  it  is  a  necessary  con- 
comitant and  means  of  justification;  and, 
being  the  grace  which  above  all  others 
honors  Christ,  it  is  that  which  above  all  oth- 
ers God  delights  to  honor.  Hence  it  is  that 
justification  is  ascribed  to  it,  rather  than 
to  the  righteousness  of  Christ  without  it. 
Our  Saviour  might  have  said  to  Bartimeus, 
Go  thy  way,  /  have  made  thee  whole. 
This  would  have  been  truth,  but  not  the 
whole  of  the  truth  which  it  was  his  de- 
sign to  convey.  The  necessity  of  faith  in 
order  to  healing  would  not  have  appeared 
from  this  mode  of  speaking,  nor  had  any 
honor  been  done  or  encouragement  given 
to  it ;  but  by  his  saying,  "  Go  thy  way, 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole,"  each  of 
these  ideas  is   conveyed.      Christ   would 

*  President  Edwards's  Sermons  on  Justification. 
Disc.  I.  p.  9. 

I  From  the  above  remarks,  we  in:iy  be  able  to 
solve  an  apparent  difficulty  in  the  case  of  Cornelius. 
He"  feared  God,"  and  "  his  alms  and  prayers  came 
up  for  a  memorial  before  God."  He  must  therefore 
have  been  at  that  time  in  a  state  of  salcation.  Yet 
after  this  he  was  directed  to  send  for  Peter,  who 
should  tell  him  words  by  whicti  he  and  all  his 
house  SHOULD  BE  SAVED. —  Acls  X.  2.  4  ;  xi.  14. 
What  Abram  was  in  respect  of  justification,  before 
he  lieard  and  believed  wliat  was  promised  him  corv- 
cerning  the  Messiah,  Cornelius  was  in  respect  of  sal- 
vation before  he  heard  and  believed  the  words  by 
by  which  he  was  to  be  saved.  Both  weie  ihe  subjects 
of  faith  according  to  their  light.  Abram  believed 
from  the  time  that  he  left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  ;  and 
Cornelius  could  not  have /eared  God  without  be- 
lieving in  him  •  but  the  object  by  which  they  were 
justified  and  saved  was  not  from  the  first  so  clearly 
Revealed  to  them  as  it  was  afterwards. 


omit  mentioning  his  own  honor,  as  know- 
ing that  faith,  having  an  immediate  re- 
pect  to  him,  amply  provided  for  it. 


DISCOURSE    XXIII. 

RENEWAL    OF    PROMISES    TO    ABRAM. 

Gen.  XV.   7—21. 

Ver.  7.  The  Lord,  having  promised 
Abram  a  numerous  offspring,  goes  on  to 
renew  the  promise  of  the  land  of  Canaan 
for  an  inheritance;  and  this  by  a  reference 
to  what  had  been  said  to  him  when  he  first 
left  the  land  of  the  Chaldees.  It  is  God's 
usual  way,  in  giving  a  promise,  to  refer  to 
former  promises  of  the  same  thing,  which 
would  show  him  to  be  of  one  mind,  and 
intimate  that  he  had  not  forgotten  him, 
but  was  carrying  on  his  designs  of  mercy 
towards  him. 

Ver.  8.  Abram,  however,  ventures  to 
ask  for  a  sign  by  which  he  may  know  .that 
by  iiis  posterity  he  shall  inherit  the  land. 
This  request  does  not  appear  to  have  aris- 
en from  unbelief;  but,  having  lately  expe- 
rienced the  happy  effects  of  a  sign,  he 
hopes  thereby  to  be  better  armed  against  it. 
Ver.  9.  The  purport  of  the  answer 
seems  to  be.  Bring  me  an  offering,  which 
I  will  accept  at  thy  hand,  and  this  shall  be 
the  sign.  It  is  in  condescension  to  our 
weakness  that,  in  addition  to  his  promises, 
the  Lord  has  given  us  sensible  signs,  as  in 
the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  supper. 
If  it  were  desirable  to  Abram  to  know 
that  he  should  inherit  the  earthly  Canaan, 
it  must  be  much  more  so  to  us  to  know 
that  we  shall  inherit  the  heavenly  Canaan; 
and  God  is  willing  that  the  heirs  of  prom- 
ise should  on  this  subject  have  strong 
consolation,  and  therefore  has  confirmed 
his  word  with  an  oath. 

Ver.  10.  Abram,  obedient  to  the  di- 
vine command,  takes  of  the  first  and  best 
of  his  animals  for  a  sacrifice.  Their  being 
divided  in  the  midst  was  the  usual  form  of 
sacrificing  when  a  covenant  was  to  be 
made.  Each  of  the  parties  passed  be- 
tween the  parts  of  the  animals ;  q.  d. 
Thus  may  I  be  cut  asunder  if  I  break  this 
covenant  I  This  was  called  making  a  cov- 
enant by  sacrifice. — Jer.  xxxiv.  18,  19. 
Psa.  1.  5.  This  process  therefore,  it  ap- 
pears, was  accompanied  with  a  solemn 
covenant  between  the  Lord  and  his  ser- 
vant Abratn. 

Ver.  11.  Having  made  ready  the  sacri- 
fices, he  waited  perhaps  for  the  fire  of  God 
to  consume  them,  which  was  the  usual 
token  of  acceptance  ;  but  meanwhile  the 
birds  of  prey  came  down  upon  them,  which 
he  was  obliged  to  drive  away.     Interrup- 


SARAl's    CROOKED    POLICY. 


771 


tlons,  we  see,  attend  the  father  of  the 
faithful  in  his  most  solemn  approaches  to 
God  ;  and  interruptions  of  a  difVerent  kind 
attend  helievers  in  tiieirs.  How  otlen  do 
intruding  cares,  like  unclean  birds,  seize 
upon  that  time,  and  those  affections,  which 
are  devoted  to  God!  Happy  is  it  for  us, 
if  by  prayer  and  watchfulness  we  can 
drive  them  away,  so  as  to  worship  him 
witliout  distraction. 

Ver.  12 — IG.  By  the  account  taken  to- 
gether, it  appears  as  if  this  was  a  day 
which  Ahram  dedicated  wliolly  to  God. 
His  first  vision  was  before  daylight,  while 
the  stars  were  yet  to  be  seen  :  in  the 
morning  he  prepares  the  sacrifices,  and 
while  he  is  waiting  the  sun  goes  down, 
and  no  immediate  answer  is  given  him. 
At  this  time  he  falls  into  a  deep  sleep, 
and  now  we  may  expect  that  God  will  an- 
swer him  as  he  liad  done  before,  by  vision. 
But  what  kind  of  vision  is  it!  Not  like 
that  which  he  had  before  ;  but  "  lo,  a  hor- 
ror of  great  darkness  falls  upon  him." 
This  might  be  designed  in  part  to  impress 
his  mind  with  an  awful  reverence  of  God  ; 
for  those  who  rejoice  in  liim  must  rejoice 
with  trembling :  and  partly  to  give  him 
what  he  asked  for,  a.  sign  ;  not  merely  that 
he  should  inherit  the  land,  but  of  the  way 
in  which  this  promise  should  be  accom- 
plished, namely,  by  their  first  going  down 
and  enduring  great  affliction  in  Egypt. 
The  light  must  be  preceded  by  darkness. 
Such  appears  to  be  the  interpretation  giv- 
en of  it  in  the  words  which  follow  :  "Know 
of  a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall  be  stran- 
gers in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and  shall 
serve  them,  and  they  shall  afflict  them  four 
hundred  years."*  Egypt  is  not  named; 
for  prophecy  requires  to  be  delivered  with 
some  degree  of  obscurity,  or  it  might  tend 
to  defeat  its  own  design  :  but  the  thing  is 
certain,  and  God  will  in  the  end  avenge 
their  cause.  It  is  remarkable  how  the 
prophecies  gradually  open  and  expand, 
beginning  with  what  is  general,  and  pro- 
ceeding to  particulars.  Al)ram  had  never 
had  so  inucii  revealed  to  him  before,  as  to 
times  and  circumstances.  He  is  given  to 
understand  that  these  things  shall  not  take 
place  in  his  day ;  but  that  he  should  first 
*'  go  to  his  fathers,"  and  that  "  in  peace, 
and  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age  ;"  but 
that  "  in  the  fourth  generation  "  after 
their  going  down  they  should  return.  It 
is  enough  to  die  such  a  death  as  this, 
though  we  see  not  all  the  promises  fulfil- 
led.    The  reason  given  for  their  being  so 

*  These  four  hundred  years  are  reckoned  hy  Ains- 
worth  to  have  commenced  from  the  time  of  Isanc's 
l^ing  weaned,  when  the  Son  of  Hagar  the  Egyptian 
mocked  So  that  as  soon  as  Aliram's  seed,  accord- 
ing to  the  promise,  was  born,  he  began  to  be  afflict- 
ed, and  that  by  one  of  Egyptian  extraction. 


long  ere  they  were  aecomplished  is,  tliat 
"  tho  iniquity  of  the  Amorites  was  not  yet 
full."  There  is  a  fitness  in  all  God's  pro- 
ceedings, and  a  wonderful  fulness  of  de- 
sign, answering  many  ends  by  one  and  the 
same  event.'  The  possession  of  Canaan 
was  to  Israel  a  promised  good,  but  to  the 
Canaanites  a  threatened  evil.  It  is  defer- 
red towards  both  till  each  lie  prepared  for 
it.  As  there  is  a  time  when  God's  prom- 
ises to  his  people  are  ripe  for  accomplish- 
ment, so  tliere  is  a  time  when  his  forbear- 
ance towards  the  wicked  shall  cease  ;  and 
they  often  prove  to  be  the  same.  The  fall 
of  Babylon  was  the  deliverance  of  Judah; 
and  the  fall  of  another  Babylon  will  be 
the  signal  for  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
becoming  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and 
of  his  Christ. 

Ver.  17.  After  this,  when  the  sun  was 
set,  and  it  was  dark,  Ai)ram,  perhaps  still 
in  vision,  has  the  sign  repeated  in  another 
form.  He  sees  "  a  smoking  furnace,"  and 
"a  burning  lamp."  The  design  of  these, 
as  well  as  the  other,  seems  to  be  to  show 
him  what  should  lake  ])lace  hereafter. 
The  former  was  an  emblem  of  the  afflic- 
tion which  his  posterity  should  endure  in 
Egypt,  that  "  iron  furnace  "  (Deut.  iv.  20); 
and  the  latter  might  denote  the  light  that 
should  arise  lo  them  in  their  darkness. 
If,  like  the  pillar  of  fire  in  the  wilderness, 
it  was  an  emblem  of  the  divine  Majesty, 
its  passing  through  the  parts  of  the  divine 
sacrifices  would  denote  God's  entering 
into  covenant  with  his  servant  Abram,  and 
that  all  the  mercy  which  should  come 
upon  his  posterity  would  be  in  virtue  of  it. 

Ver.  18.  That  which  had  been  hinted 
under  a  figure  is  now  declared  in  express 
language.  "  The  same  day  Jehovah  made 
a  covenant  with  Abram  ;  "  making  over  to 
his  posterity,  as  by  a  solemn  deed  of  gift, 
the  whole  land  in  which  he  then  was,  de- 
fining with  great  accuracy  its  exact  boun- 
daries ;  and  this  notwithstanding  the  af- 
flictions which  they  should  undergo  in 
Egypt.  Thus  the  burning  lamp  would 
succeed  and  dispel  the  darkness  of  thQ 
smoking  furnace, 


DISCOURSE   XXIV, 

S.VRAl's  CROOKED  POLICY  FOR  THE  AC- 
COMPLISHMENT OF  THE  PROMISE. 

Gen,  xvi. 

Ver.  1 — 3.  We  have  had  several  renew- 
als of  promises  to  Abram  ;  but  as  yet  no 
performance  of  them.  Ten  years  had 
elapsed  in  Canaan,  and  things  remained  as 
they  were.  Now,  though  Abram's  faith 
had  been  strengthened,  yet  that  of  Sarai 


772 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


fails.  At  her  time  of  life,  she  thinks, 
there  is  no  hope  of  seed  in  the  ordinary 
way  :  if  therefore  the  promise  be  i'liltilled, 
it  must  he  in  the  person  of  another.  And, 
having  a  handmaid  whose  name  was  Ha- 
gar,  she  thinks  of  giving  her  to  Abram  to 
wife.  Unbelief  is  very  prolific  of  schemes  ; 
and  surely  this  of  Sarai  is  as  carnal,  as 
foolisli,  and  as  fruitful  of  domestic  misery 
as  almost  any  that  could  have  been  de- 
vised. Yet  such  was  the  influence  of  evil 
counsel,  especially  from  such  a  quarter, 
that  "Abram  hearkened  to  her  voice." 
The  father  of  mankind  sinned  by  heark- 
ening to  his  wife,  and  now  the  father  of 
the  faithful  follows  his  example.  How 
necessary  for  those  who  stand  in  the  near- 
est relations  to  take  heed  of  being  snares, 
instead  of  helps,  one  to  another  !  It  was 
a  double  sin  :  first,  of  distrust ;  and,  sec- 
ondly, of  deviation  from  the  original  law 
of  marriage  ;  and  seems  to  have  opened  a 
door  to  polygamy.  We  never  read  of  two 
wives  before,  except  those  of  Lamech, 
who  was  of  the  descendants  of  Cain  ;  but 
here  the  practice  is  coming  into  the 
church  of  God.  Two  out  of  three  of 
the  patriarchs  go  into  it ;  yet  neither  of 
them  of  his  own  accord.  There  is  no 
calculating  in  how  many  instances  this  ill 
example  has  been  followed,  or  how  great 
a  matter  this  little  fire  kindled.  The  plea 
used  by  Sarai  in  this  affair  shows  how 
easy  it  is  to  err  by  a  misconstruction  of 
providence,  and  following  that  as  a  rule 
of  conduct,  instead  of  God's  revealed  will. 
"  The  Lord,"  says  she,  "hath  restrained 
me  from  bearing;"  and  therefore  I  must 
contrive  other  means  for  the  fulfilment  of 
the  promise  !  But  why  not  inquire  of  the 
Lord'?  As  in  the  crowning  of  Adonijah, 
the  proper  authority  was  not  consulted. 

Ver.  4,  5.  The  consequence  was  what 
might  have  been  expected :  the  young 
woman  is  elated  with  the  honor  done  her, 
and  her  mistress  is  despised  in  her  eyes. 
And  now,  when  it  is  too  late,  Sarai  re- 
pents, and  complains  to  her  husband; 
breaking  out  into  intemperate  language, 
accusing  him  as  the  cause,  as  though  he 
must  needs  have  secretly  encouraged  her: 
"  My  wrong  be  upon  thee  !  "  Nor  did  she 
stop  here;  but,  taking  it  for  granted  that 
her  husband  would  not  hear  her,  goes  on 
to  appeal  to  God  himself:  "The  Lord 
judge  between  me  and  thee !  "  Those  who 
are  first  in  doing  wrong  are  often  first  in 
complaining  of  the  effects,  and  in  throwing 
the  blame  upon  others.  Loud  and  pas- 
sionate appeals  to  God,  instead  of  indi- 
cating a  good  cause,  are  commonly  the 
marks  of  a  bad  one. 

Ver.  6.  Abram  on  this  vexing  occasion 
is  meek  and  gentle.  He  had  learned  that 
a  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath  ;    and 


therefore  he  refrained  from  upbraiding  his 
wife,  as  he  might  easily  have  done  ;  pre- 
ferring domestic  peace  to  the  vindication 
of  himself,  and  the  placing  of  the  blame 
where  it  ought  to  have  lain.  It  is  doubt- 
ful, however,  whether  he  did  not  yield  too 
much  in  this  case;  for  though,  according 
to  the  custom  of  those  times,  Hagar  was 
his  wife  only  with  respect  to  cohabitation, 
and  without  dividing  the  power  with  Sa- 
rai, yet  she  was  entitled  to  protection,  and 
should  not  have  been  given  up  to  the  will 
of  one  who  on  this  occasion  manifested 
nothing  but  jealousy,  passion,  and  caprice. 
But  he  seems  to  have  been  brought  into  a 
situation  wherein  he  was  at  a  loss  what  to 
do;  and  thus,  as  Sarai  is  punished  for 
tempting  him,  he  also  is  punished  with  a 
disordered  house  for  having  yielded  to  the 
temptation.  And  now  Sarai,  incited  by 
revenge,  deals  hardly  with  Hagar;  much 
more  so,  it  is  likely,  than  she  ought  :  for, 
though  the  young  woman  might  have  acted 
vainly  and  sinfully,  yet  her  mistress  is  far 
from  being  a  proper  judge  of  the  punish- 
ment which  she  deserved.  The  conse- 
quence is,  as  might  be  expected,  she  leaves 
the  family,  and  goes  into  a  wilderness. 
Indeed  it  were  "  better  to  dwell  in  a  wil- 
derness than  with  a  contentious  and  angry 
woman."  But,  as  Sarai  and  Abram  had 
each  reaped  the  fruits  of  their  sin,  Hagar, 
in  her  turn,  reaps  the  fruit  of  hers.  If 
creatures  act  disorderly,  God  will  act 
orderly  and  justly  in  dealing  with  them. 

Ver.  7,  8.  Hagar,  however,  though  an 
Egyptian,  shall  reap  advantage  from  her 
connection  with  Abram's  family.  Other 
heathens  might  have  brought  themselves 
into  trouble,  and  been  left  to  grapple  with 
it  alone  ;  but  to  her  an  angel  from  heaven 
is  sent  to  afford  direction  and  relief. 
Bending  her  course  towards  Egypt,  her 
native  country,  and  finding  a  spring  of 
water  in  the  wilderness,  she  sat  down  by 
it  to  refresh  herself.  While  in  this  situa- 
tion, she  hears  a  voice,  saying,  "  Hagar, 
Sarai's  maid,  whence  comest  thou  ;  and 
whither  wilt  thou  gol  "  She  would  per- 
ceive, by  this  language,  that  she  was 
known,  and  conclude  that  it  was  no  com- 
mon voice  that  spoke  to  her.  He  that 
spoke  to  her  is  called  "  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  ;  "  yet  he  afterwards  says,  /  will 
multiply  thy  seed  exceedingly.  It  seems 
therefore  not  to  have  been  a  created  an- 
gel, but  the  same  divine  personage  who 
frequently  appeared  to  the  fathers.  In 
calling  Hagar  Sarai's  maid,  he  seems 
tacitly  to  disallow  of  the  marriage,  and  to 
lead  her  mind  back  to  that  humble  char- 
acter which  she  had  formerly  sustained. 
The  questions  put  to  her  were  close,  but 
tender,  and  such  as  were  fitly  addressed 
to   a  person  fleeing   from  trouble,     The 


COVENANT    WITH    ABRAM. 


773 


former  might  he  answered,  and  was  an- 
swered :  "  I  llee  tVoni  llic  lace  of  my  mis- 
tress Sarai."  But  uith  respect  to  tiie 
latter  siie  is  silent.  We  know  our  present 
grievanees,  and  so  can  tell  wfietirc  we 
came,  much  iietter  than  our  future  lot,  or 
ivhidicr  ice  are  s;oing.  In  many  cases,  il  tlie 
truth  were  spoken,  the  answer  would  lie 
from  iiad  to  worse.  At  present,  lliis  |)oor 
young  woman  seems  to  iia\e  hern  actuated 
l)y  merely  natural  principles.  In  all  her 
troulile  lliere  appears  nothing  like  true 
religion,  or  committing  her  way  to  the 
Lord;  yet  she  is  sought  out  ol  iiim  wliom 
she  sought  not. 

Ver.  9,  10.  The  counsel  of  God  here 
was  to  return  and  sulimit.  Wherefore  1 
She  had  done  wrong  in  despising  her  mis- 
tress, and  must  now  he  humhled  for  it. 
Hard  as  this  might  a[)pear,  it  was  the 
counsel  of  wisdom  and  mercy  :  a  con- 
nection with  the  people  of  God,  with  all 
their  faults,  is  far  prelerahle  to  the  best 
of  this  world,  where  God  is  unknown.  If 
we  have  done  wrong,  whatever  tempta- 
tions or  jiroNocations  we  may  have  met 
with,  the  only  way  to  peace  and  happiness 
is  to  retrace  our  footsteps  in  repentance 
and  sulitnission.  For  her  encouragement, 
she  is  given  to  expect  a  portion  of  Ahram's 
blessing,  of  which  she  must  have  often 
heard;  namely,  a  numerous  offspring. 
And  hy  the  manner  in  which  this  was 
promised, — "/will  multiply  thy  seed," — 
she  would  perceive  that  the  voice  which 
spake  to  her  was  no  other  than  that  of 
Abram's  God. 

Ver.  11.  W^ith  respect  to  the  child  of 
which  she  was  then  pregnant,  it  is  fore- 
told that  it  should  be  a  son,  and  that  his 
name  should  l>e  called  hhmael,  or,  God 
shall  hear,  from  the  circumstance  of  God 
having  "  heard  her  affliction. "  God  is  not 
said  to  have  heard  her  |)rayer ;  for  it  does 
not  appear  that  she  had  as  yet  ever  called 
upon  his  name  :  she  merely  sat  bewailing 
herself,  as  not  knowing  what  would  be- 
come of  her.  Yet,  lo,  the  ear  of  mercy 
is  open  to  affliction  itself!  The  groans 
of  the  prisoner  are  heard  of  God  :  not 
only  theirs  who  cry  unto  him,  but,  in 
many  cases,  theirs  who  do  not. 

Ver.  12.  The  child  is  also  characterized 
as  a  wild  man,  a  bold  and  daring  character, 
living  by  his  bow  in  the  wilderness,  and 
much  engaged  in  war;  his  hand  lieing,  a.« 
it  were,  "against  every  man,  and  every 
man's  hand  against  him  :  "  yet  that  he 
should  maintain  his  ground  notwithstand- 
ing, "dwelling  in  the  ^)resence  of  all  his 
brethren,"  and  dying  at  last  in  peace. — 
See  chap.  xxv.  17,  IS.  Nor  was  this 
prophecy  merely  intended  to  describe  Ish- 
mael,  but  his  posterity.  Bishop  Newton, 
in  his  dissertations  on  the  prophecies,  has 


shown  that  such  has  been  the  character  of 
the  Aral)ians,  who  descended  from  him,  in 
all  ages  ;  a  wild  and  warlike  people,  who 
under  all  the  conquests  of  other  nations 
by  the  great  i)ow'ers  of  the  earth,  remained 
unsubdued. 

Ver.  13,  14.  The  effect  of  this  divine 
appearance  on  Hagar  was  lo  bring  her  to 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  God  ;  at  least 
the  account  wears  such  an  aspect.  She 
who,  lor  any  thing  that  ap|)cars,  had  never 
})rayed  bclore,  now  addresses  herself  to 
the  angel  who  spoke  to  her,  and  w  hom  she 
considers  as  Jehovah,  calling  him  by  an 
enilearing  name,  the  meaning  of  which  is, 
Tliou  God  seest  me.  She  did  not  mean  by 
Ihis  to  acknowledge  his  omniscience,  so 
much  as  his  mercy,  in  having  beheld  and 
pitied  her  affliction.  On  ids  withdrawing, 
she  seems  to  have  looked  after  him,  with 
faith,  and  hope,  and  affectionate  desire  ; 
and,  reflecting  upon  what  had  passed,  is 
overcome  with  the  goodness  of  God  to- 
wards her,  exclaiming,  "  Have  I  also  here 
looked  after  him  that  seclii  nie  !  "  It  was 
great  mercy  lor  God  to  have  looked  on  her, 
and  iieard  her  afflictive  moans  ;  but  it  was 
greater  to  draw  her  heart  to  look  after  him  ; 
and  greater  still  that  he  siiould  do  it  here, 
in  the  wilderness,  when  she  had  lived 
so  many  years  where  prayer  was  wont  to 
be  made,  in  vain.  Under  the  influence  of 
these  impressions,  she  calls  the  well  by 
which  she  sat  down  Beer-lahai-roi,  a  name 
which  would  serve  as  a  memorial  of  the 
mercy.  Let  this  well,  as  if  she  had  said, 
be  called  Jehovah's  well,  the  icell  of  him 
that  liveth  and  seelh  me  !  Thus  God,  in 
mercy,  sets  tliat  right  which,  through  hu- 
man folly,  had  been  thrown  into  disorder. 
Hagar  returns  and  sui)mits;  bears  Abram 
a  son  when  he  is  fburscove  and  six  years 
old  ;  and  Abram,  on  being  informed  of  the 
prophecy  which  went  before,  called  his 
name  Ishmael. 


DISCOURSE  XXV. 

god's  covenant  with  abram  and  his 

SEED. 

Gen.  xvii. 

Thirteen  years  elapse,  of  which  nothing 
is  recorded.  Hagar  is  submissive  to 
Sarai,  and  Ishmael  is  growing  up;  but,  as 
to  Al)ram,  things  after  all  wear  a  doulitful 
aspect.  It  is  true,  God  hath  given  him  a 
son  ;  but  no  intimations  of  his  lieing  the 
son  of  |)romise.  No  divine  congratulations 
attend  his  birth;  but,  on  flie  contrary,  Je- 
hovaii,  who  had  been  used  lo  manifest 
himself  with  frequency  and  freedom,  now 
geems  to  carry  it  reservedly  to  his  servant. 


774 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


It  is  somethins  like  the  thing  which  he  had 
believed  in;  but  not  the  thing  itself.  He 
has  seen,  as  it  were,  a  wind,  a  fire,  and  an 
earthquake;  but  the    Lord  is  not  in  them. 

Ver.  1.  After  this,  when  he  was  ninety- 
nine  years  old,  the  Lord  again  appeared 
to  him,  and  reminded  him  of  a  truth  which 
he  needed  to  have  re-impressed  ;  namely, 
his  almighty  power.  It  was  for  want  of 
considering  this  that  he  had  had  recourse 
to  crooked  devices  in  order  to  accomplish 
the  promise.  This  truth  is  followed  by 
an  admonition — "  Walk  before  me,  and 
be  thou  perfect;"  which  admonition  im- 
plies a  serious  reproof.  It  was  like  say- 
ing, "Have  recourse  no  more  to  unbe- 
lieving expedients;  keep  thou  the  path  of 
uprightness,  and  leave  me  to  fulfil  my 
promise  in  the  time  and  manner  that 
seem  good  to  me  !  "  What  a  lesson  is  here 
afforded  us,  never  to  use  unlawful  means 
undoi-  the  pretence  of  being  more  useful, 
or  promoting  the  cause  of  God !  Our 
concern  is  to  walk  before  him,  and  be  up- 
right, leaving  him  to  bring  to  pass  his  own 
designs  in  his  own  way. 

Ver.  2,  3.  Abram  having  been  admon- 
ished, the  promise  is  renewed  to  him; 
and,  the  time  drawing  near  in  which  the 
seed  should  be  born,  the  Lord  declares  his 
mind  to  make  a  solemn  covenant  with  him, 
and  to  multiply  him  exceedingly.  Such 
language  denotes  great  kindness  and  con- 
descension, with  large  designs  of  mercy. 
Abram  was  so  much  affected  with  it  as 
to  fall  on  his  face,  and  in  that  posture  "the 
Lord  talked  with  him." 

Ver.  4 — 6.  It  is  observable  that  the 
last  time  in  which  mention  is  made  of  a 
covenant  with  Abram  (chap.  xv.  18)  God 
made  over  to  his  posterity  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan for  a  possession  :  but  the  design  of 
this  is  more  extensive,  dwelling  more 
particularly  on  their  being  multiplied  and 
blessed.  The  very  idea  of  a  covenant  is 
expressive  of  peace  and  good-will;  and, 
in  this  and  some  other  instances,  it  is  not 
confined  to  the  party,  but  extends  to 
others  for  his  sake.  Thus,  as  we  have 
seen,  God  made  a  covenant  of  peace, 
which  included  the  preservation  of  the 
world;  but  it  was  with  one  man,  even 
Noah,  and  the  world  was  preserved  for 
his  sake.  And  the  covenant  in  question 
is  one  that  shall  involve  great  blessings  to 
the  world  in  all  future  ages  :  yet  it  is  not 
made  with  the  world,  but  with  Abram. 
God  will  give  them  blessings  ;  but  it 
shall  be  through  him.  Surely  these  things 
were  designed  to  familiarize  the  great 
principle  on  which  our  salvation  should 
rest.  It  was  the  purpose  of  God  to  save 
perishing  sinners  ;  yet  his  covenant  is  not 
originally  with  them,  but  with  Christ. 
With  him  it  stands  fast  j  and  for  his  sake 


they  are  accepted  and  blessed.  Even  tht? 
blessedness  of  Abram  himself,  and  alJ 
the  rewards  conferred  on  him,  were  for 
his  sake.  He  was  justified,  as  we  have 
seen,  not  by  his  own  righteousness,  but 
by  faith  in  the  promised  Messiah. 

Moreover  :  A  covenant  being  a  solemn 
agreement,  and  indicating  a  design  to 
walk  together  in  amity,  it  wag  proper 
there  should  be  an  understanding,  as  we 
should  say,  between  the  parties.  When 
Israel  came  to  have  a  king,  "  Samuel 
told  them  the  maimer  of  the  kingdom, 
and  wrote  it  in  a  book,  and  laid  it  up 
before  the  Lord."  Thus,  as  Abram  is- 
about  to  commence  the  father  of  a  family, 
who  were  to  be  God's  chosen  people,  it 
was  fit  at  the  outset  that  he  should  not 
only  be  encouraged  by  promises,  but  di- 
rected how  he  and  his  descendants  should 
conduct   themselves. 

The  first  promise  in  this  covenant  is,- 
that  he  shall  be  "  the  father  of  many 
nations  ;"  and,  as  a  token  of  it,  his  name 
in  future  is  to  he  called  Abraham.  He 
had  (he  name  of  a  high,  or  eminent,  father, 
from  the  beginning;  but  now  it  shall  be 
more  comprehensive,  indicating  a  very 
large  progeny.  By  the  exposition  given 
of  this  promise  in  the  New  Testament 
(Rom.  iv.  16,  17.),  we  are  directed 'to  un- 
derstand it,  not  only  of  those  who  sprang 
from  Abram's  body,  though  these  were 
many  nations  ;  but  also  of  all  that  should 
be  of  the  faith  of  Abraham.  It  went  to 
make  him  the  father  of  the  church  of  God 
in  all  future  ages  ;  or  as  the  apostle  calls 
him,  "the  heir  of  the  world."  In  this  view 
he  is  the  father  of  many,  even  of  a  mul- 
titude of  nations.  For  all  that  the  Chris- 
tian world  enjoys,  or  ever  will  enjoy,  it 
is  indebted  to  Abraham  and  his  seed.  A 
high  honor  this,  to  be  the  father  of  the 
faithful,  the  stock  from  which  the  Messiah 
should  spring,  and  on  which  the  church  of 
God  should  grow.  It  was  this  honor  that 
Esau  despised,  when  he  sold  his  birth- 
right ;  and  here  lay  the  profaneness  of  that 
act,  which  involved  a  contempt  of  the 
most  sacred  of  all  objects — the  Messiah, 
and  his  everlasting  kingdom  ! 

Ver.  7 — 14.  The  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, as  has  been  observed  already,  was 
not  confined  to  his  own  person,  but  extend- 
ed to  his  posterity  after  him  in  their 
generations.  To  ascertain  the  meaning  of 
this  promise,  we  can  proceed  on  no  ground 
more  certain  than  fact.  It  is  fact  that 
God  in  succeeding  ages  took  the  seed  of 
Abraham  to  be  a  peculiar  people  unto  him- 
self, above  all  other  nations  ;  not  only 
giving  them  "  the  land  of  Canaan  for  a 
possession,"  but  himself  to  be  their  God, 
king,  or  temporal  governor.  Nor  was 
this  all :  it  was  among  them   that  he    set 


COVENANT  WITH  ABRAHAM. 


775 


up  his  spiritual  kinscdom  ;  civina;  tliem  lii? 
lively  oiiu  les,  sciulinji;  to  them  his  propluMs, 
and  cstablishiiijr  among  them  his  holy 
worship;  whicii  great  advantages  were, 
for  many  a^es,  in  a  manner  confined  to 
them  :  and,  what  was  still  more,  the  great 
body  of  those  who  were  eternally  saved, 
previously  to  the  coining  of  Christ,  were 
saved  from  among  them.  These  things, 
taken  together,  were  an  immensely  greater 
favor  tiian  if  they  had  all  been  literally 
made  kings  and  priests.  Such  then  lieing 
the /«r/s,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  such 
was  the  meaning  of  the  promise.* 

*  As  nn  Anti|)iP(iol)aptist,  I  see  no  necessity  for 
■denying  lluit  spiritual  blessings  weie  pronii..^e(l,m  this 
general  teai/ ,  to  the  natural  .^eed  of  Abraham  ;  nor 
can  it  I  lliink  lie  fairly  drnicd.  The  Lord  engaged 
to  do  that  which  he  arlnallvdid;  namely,  to  take 
ont  of  them,  ralher  than  other  nations,  a  people  for 
himself  This,  I  suppose,  is  the  seed  promised  to 
Abraham,  to  uliich  the  apostle  refers  Nvhen  he  says, 
"  They  which  are  the  children  of  the  Hesh,  these  are 
not  the  children  of  God  ;  but  ihecliildren  of  the  prom- 
ise are  counted  for  tlie  sf.F.d." — Rom.  ix.  8.  By 
"the  chililren  of  promise"  he  did  not  mean  iheelect 
in  general,  composed  of  Jews  and  (Jentiles,  luit  the 
elect  from  among  the  J(?\vs.  Hence  he  reckons  him- 
self "  an  Israelite,  of  the  seed  of  Al)raham,  and  the 
tribeOf  Benjamin,"  as  a  living  proof  that  "  God  had 
not  cast  away  liis  people  \viiom  he  foreknew." — Kom. 
xi.  1,2. 

B\it  I  perceive  not  how  it  follows  hence  that  God 
has  promised  to  take  a  people  fiom  among  the  natural 
descendants  of  believers,  in  distinction  from  otiiers. 
What  was  promised  to  Abraham  was  neither  prom- 
ised nor  fulfilled  to  every  good  man.  Of  ihe  pos- 
terity of  Irs  kinsman,  Lot,  nothing  good  is  recorded. 
It  is  true  the  labors  of  those  parents  who  bring  up 
their  children  "  in  the  nurture  and  admonilion  of  the 
Lord  "  are  ordinarily  blessed  to  the  conversion  of 
some  of  them  :  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  la- 
bors of  faithful  ministers,  wherever  providence  sta- 
tions them.  But,  as  it  does  not  follow  in  the  one 
case  tliat  the  graceless  inhabitants  are  more  in  cov- 
enant w  ith  God  than  those  of  other  places,  neither 
does  it  follow  in  the  other  that  the  graceless  offspring 
of  believers  are  more  in  covenant  with  God  than  those 
of  unljelievers.  "  New-Testament  saints  have  no- 
thing more  to  do  with  the  Abrahainic  covenant 
than  the  Old-Testament  believers  who  lived  jirior  to 
Abraham. " 

I  am  aware  that  the  words  of  the  apostle,  in  Gal. 
iii.  14,  "  The  Idessing  of  Abraham  is  come  on  the 
Gentiles,  through  Jesus  Christ,"  are  alleged  in  proof 
of  the  contrary.  But  the  meaning  of  that  passage,  I 
conceive,  is  not  that  through  Jesus  Christ  every  l)e- 
liever  becomes  an  .Abraham,  a  father  of  the  faithful; 
but  that  he  is  reckoned  among  his  children:  not  h 
slock,  on  which  the  future  church  should  grow;  but 
a  branch  partaking  of  the  root  and  fatness  of  tlie 
olive-tree.  Sio,  at  least,  the  context  appears  to  ex- 
plain it  :  "  'I  hey  which  are  of  faith  are  the  chil- 
dren of  faithful  .Abraham." — \er.  7. 

But  if  it  were  granted  that  the  ble.=:-ing  of  Abra- 
ham is  so  come  on  the  Ijelieving  Gentiles  as  not  only 
to  render  them  blessed  as  his  spiritual  children,  but 
to  insure  a  people.for  God  from  among  iheir  natural 
posterityratherthanfronitlio.se  of  others,  yit  it  is 
not  as  their  natural  posterity  that  they  are  individual- 
ly entitled  to  any  one  spiritual  blessing;  for  this  is 
more  than  was  true  of  liie  natural  seed  of  Abraham. 
Nor  do  I  see  iiow  it  follows  heace  tliat  we   are   war- 


As  a  sign  or  token  of  this  solemn  cov- 
enant with  Aliraham  and  his  posterity, 
"every  man-child  among  them"  was  re- 
tpiired  to  be  "circumcised  in  the  flesh  of 
his  foreskin  ;"  and  not  only  tiieir  own  chil- 
dren, but  those  of  their  "servants  born  '\n 
their  house,  or  bought  with  Iheir  money." 
This  ordinance  was  tlie  mark  by  which 
they  were  distinguished  as  a  people  in 
covenant  with  Jehosah,  and  which  liotind 
thent  by  a  special  oliligalion  to  obey  hint. 
Like  almost  all  other  positive  institutions, 
it  was  also  prefiguralive  of  mental  purity, 
or  "  putting  off  Ihe  body  of  tlie  sins  of  the 
flesh."  A  neglect  of  it  subjected  the  party 
to  a  being  cut  off  from  his  people,  as 
having  broken  God's  covenant. 

Vcr.  1.5,  16.  As  Abram's  name  had 
been  changed  to  Abraham,  a  similar  honor 
is  conferred  on  Sarai,  who  in  future  is  to 
be  called  Sarah.  The  difference  of  these 
names  is  much  the  same  as  those  of  her 
husband,  and  corresponds  with  what  had 
been  prortiised  them  both  on  this  occasion. 
The  former  meant.  My  princess,  and  was 
expressive  of  high  honor  in  her  own  fam- 
ily ;  but  the  latter,  A  princess,  and  denoted 
more  extensive  honor,  as  it  is  liere  ex- 
pressed, "A  mother  of  nations."  This 
honor  conferred  on  Sarai  would  correct  an 
important  error  into  which  lioth  she  and 
her  husband  had  fallen  ;  imagining  that  all 
hope  was  at  an  end  of  a  child  being  born 
of  her,  and  therefore  that,  if  the  promise 
were  fulfilled,  it  must  be  in  Ishmael.  But 
not  only  must  Aliram  become  Abraham, 
"  the  father  of  many  nations  ;"  but  Sarai, 
Sarah,  "  the  mother  of  nations  ;"  and  this 
not  I'y  her  handmaid,  as  she  had  vainly 
imagined;  but  God  would  give  him  a  son 
also  "  of  her,"  and  kings  of  people  should 
be  "of  her." 

Ver.  17,  IS.  The  effect  of  this  unex- 
pected promise  on  Abraham  was,  that  he 
"  fell  on  his  face  and  laughed."  The  terra 
does  not  here  indicate  lightness,  as  we 
commonly  tise   it;  but  joy,  mingled  with 

ranted  to  baptize  them  in  their  infancy.  Abratiam,  it 
is  true,  was  commanded  to  circumcise  his  male  chil- 
dren; and  if  we  had  been  commanded  to  baptize  our 
males,  or  females,  or  both,  or  any  example  of  the 
kind  had  been  left  in  llie  New  Testament,  we  should 
be  as  much  obliged  to  comply  in  the  one  case  as  ho 
was  in  the  other.  But  we  do  not  think  ourselves 
w.Trranted  to  rea.eon  from  circumcision  to  ijaptisni  ; 
from  tlie  circumcision  of  males  lo  tie  baptism  of 
males  and  females;  and  from  the  circumcision  of  die 
cliildren  of  a  nation  (llie  grealer  part  ol  whom  weie 
unbelievers),  and  of  "  senanis  born  in  llie  house,  or 
bought  wiih  money,"  to  the  baptism  of  ihe  ciiildren 
of  believers.  In  short,  we  do  not  think  ourseUes 
warranted,  in  mailers  of  positive  institution,  lo  found 
our  piaclire  on  anahigies,  whether  real  or  su[ipo.<ed  ; 
and  still  less  on  one  so  circuitous,  dissonant,  and  un- 
certain as  that  in  queslion.  Our  duly,  we  conceive, 
is,  in  such  cases  to  follow  Uie  precepts  and  examples 
of  tlie  dispensation  under  whicli  we  live. 


776 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


^1 


wonder  and  astonishment.  "  Shall  a  child 
be  born,"  saith  he,  "  unto  hira  that  is  a 
hundred  years  old]  And  Sarah,  that  is 
ninety  years  old,  bearl  "  In  another  case 
(chap,  xviii.  12,  13),  laughter  implied  a 
mixture  of  doubting;  but  not  in  this. — 
Abraham  believed  God,  and  was  over- 
come with  joyful  surprise.  But  a  doubt 
immediately  occurs,  which  strikes  a  damp 
upon  his  pleasure  :  The  promise  of  anoth- 
er son  destroys  all  my  expectations  with 
respect  to  him  who  is  already  given  !  Per- 
haps he  must  die  to  make  room  for  the 
other  ;  or,  if  not,  he  may  be  another  Cain, 
who  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.  To  what  drawbacks  are  our  best 
enjoyments  subject  in  this  world;  and,  in 
many  cases,  owing  to  our  going  before  the 
Lord  in  our  hopes  and  schemes  of  happi- 
ness! When  his  plan  comes  to  be  put  in  ex- 
ecution, it  interleres  with  ours,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  in  such  a  case,  which 
must  give  place.  If  Abraham  had  wait- 
ed God's  time  for  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promise,  it  would  not  have  been  accom- 
panied with  such  an  alloy  :  but  having 
failed  in  this,  after  all  his  longing  desires 
after  it,  it  becomes  in  a  manner  unwel- 
come to  him  !  What  can  he  do  or  say  in 
so  delicate  a  situation  1  Grace  would  say, 
Accept  the  divine  promise  with  thankful- 
ness. But  nature  struggles  :  the  bowels 
of  the  father  are  troubled  for  Ishmael. 
In  this  state  of  mind  he  presumes  to  offer 
up  a  petition  to  heaven  :  "  Oh  that  Ish- 
mael might  live  before  thee  !  "  Judging 
of  the  import  of  this  petition  by  the  an- 
swer, it  would  seem  to  mean,  either  that 
God  would  condescend  to  withdraw  his 
promise  of  another  son,  and  let  Ishmael 
be  the  person;  or,  if  that  could  not  be, 
that  his  life  might  be  spared,  and  himself 
and  his  posterity  be  among  the  people  of 
God,  sharing  the  blessing,  or  being  heir 
with  him  who  should  be  born  of  Sarah. 
To  live,  and  to  live  before  God,  according 
to  the  usual  acceptation  of  the  phrase, 
could  not,  I  think,  mean  less  than  one  or 
the  other  of  these  things.  It  was  very 
lawful  for  him  to  desire  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  welfare  of  his  son,  and  of  his 
posterity  after  him,  in  submission  to  the 
Avill  of  God  :  hut,  in  a  case  wherein  natu- 
ral affection  appeared  to  clash  with  God's 
revealed  designs,  he  must  have  felt  him- 
self in  a  painful  situation  :  and  the  recol- 
lection that  the  whole  was  owing  to  his 
own  and  Sarah's  unbelief,  would  add  to 
his  regret. 

Ver.  19 — 27.  As  Abraham's  petition 
seemed  to  contain  an  implied  wish  that  it 
would  please  God  to  withdraw  his  })romise 
of  another  son,  the  answer  to  it  contains 
an  implied  but  peremptory  denial,  with  a 
tacit  reflection  on  him  for  having  taken 


Hagar  to  be  his  wife  :  "  And  God 
said,  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  bear  thee  a  son 
indeed.''^  As  if  he  should  say,  She  is  thy 
wife,  and  ought  to  have  been  thy  only  wife, 
and  verily  it  shall  be  in  a  son  born  of  her 
that  the  promise  shall  be  fulfilled. — It  is 
also  intimated  to  him  that  this  shoulc^  be 
no  grief  to  him  ;  but  that  he  should  call  his 
name  Isaac,  that  is,  laughter  or  gladness, 
on  account  of  the  joy  his  birth  should  oc- 
casion. And  as  Abraham's  petition  seem- 
ed to  plead  that  Ishmael  and  his  posterity 
might  at  least  be  heir  with  Isaac,  so  as  to  be 
ranked  among  God's  covenant  people,  this 
also  by  implication  is  denied  him.  "  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  ivith  Jum  for  an  ev- 
erlasting covenant,  and  with  his  seed  after 
him."  Ishmael,  while  he  is  in  Abraham's 
family,  shall  be  considered  as  a  branch  of 
it,  and  as  such  be  circumcised  ;  but  the 
covenant  of  peculiarity  should  not  be  es- 
tablished with  him  and  his  descendants, 
but  with  Isaac  exclusively.  As  many, 
howe\er,  who  were  included  in  this  cove- 
nant had  no  share  in  eternal  life,  so  many 
who  were  excluded  from  it  might,  not- 
witlistanding,  escape  eternal  death.  The 
door  of  mercy  was  always  open  to  every 
one  that  believed.  In  every  nation,  and 
in  every  age,  he  that  feared  God  and 
wrought  righteousness,  was  accepted  of 
him. 

But  shall  no  part  of  this  petition  be 
granted  ]  Yes.  "As  for  Ishmael,  I  have 
heard  thee  :  Behold,  I  have  blessed  him, 
and  will  make  him  fruitful,  and  will  mul- 
tiply him  exceedingly  :  twelve  princes 
shall  he  beget,  and  I  will  make  him  a  great 
nation  ....  but  my  covenant  will  I  estab- 
lish with  Isaac,  whom  Sarah  shall  l)ear 
unto  thee."  And,  having  said  thus  much, 
the  very  time  of  his  birth  is  now  particu- 
larly named  :  it  shall  be  "  at  this  set  time 
in  the  next  year."  Here  ended  the  com- 
munications of  this  kind  between  the  Lord 
and  his  servant  Abraham ;  and  it  appears 
that  from  this  time  he  was  satisfied.  We 
hear  nothing  more  like  an  objection  to  the 
divine  will,  nor  any  wish  to  have  things 
otherwise  than  they  were.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  find  him  immediately  engaged 
in  an  implicit  obedience  to  the  command 
of  circumcision.  His  conduct  on  this  oc- 
casion furnishes  a  bright  example  to  all 
succeeding  ages  of  the  manner  in  which 
divine  ordinances  should  be  complied  with. 
There  are  three  things  in  particular,  in 
the  obedience  of  Abraham,  worthy  of  no- 
tice. 1.  It  was  prompt.  "In  the  self- 
same day  that  God  had  spoken  unto  him  " 
the  command  was  put  in  execution.  This 
was  "making  haste,  and  delaying  not  to 
keep  his  commandments."  To  treat  the 
divine  precepts  as  matters  of  small  im- 
portance, or  to  put  oflf  what  is  manifestly 


ABRAHAM  ENTERTAINS  ANGELS. 


777 


our  duty  to  another  time,  is  to  trillo  with 
supreme  aullurity.  So  did  not  Al>raliarn. 
2.  It  was  punclilious.  The  corrospon- 
dence  between  the  command  of  Go(i  and 
the  ol)e(lience  of  his  servant  is  minutely 
exact.  'IMie  words  ot  the  former  are, — 
"Thou  shait  keep  my  covenant,  and  thy 
seed  after  liiee  ....  and  he  that  is  born  in 
thy  house,  or  bought  with  money  of  any 
>tran<:er,  which  is  not  ol  thy  seed."  With 
this  agrees  the  account  of  the  latter  :  "  In 
the  self-same  day  was  Abraham  circum- 
cised, and  IshmacI  his  son  ;  and  all  tiie 
men  of  his  house,  horn  in  the  house  and 
bouiihl  with  money  of  the  stranijer,  were 
circumcised  with  him."  A  riijid  reirard 
to  the  revealed  will  of  God  enters  deeply 
into  true  reli^;ion  :  that  s[>irit  which  dis- 
penses with  it,  tho  i<:h  it  may  pass  under 
the  specious  name  of  liberality,  is  anti- 
chrisfian.  3.  It  was  yielded  in  old  age, 
when  Mjany  would  have  pleaded  otf  frotn 
ensiagin^;  in  any  thing  new,  or  ditferent 
from  nhal  they  had  before  received;  and 
when,  as  some  think,  it  would  be  a  fur- 
ther trial  to  his  faith  as  to  the  fulfilment 
of  the  promise.  "  Ninety  and  nine  years 
old  was  Abraham  when  he  was  circumcis- 
ed." It  is  one  of  the  temptations  of  old 
age  to  be  tenacious  of  what  we  have  be- 
lieved and  practised  from  our  youth  ;  to 
shut  our  eyes  and  ears  against  every  thing 
that  may  prove  it  to  have  been  erroneous 
or  defective,  and  to  fiml  excuses  for  being 
exempted  from  hard  and  dangerous  duties. 
But  Abraham  to  the  last  was  ready  to  re- 
ceive farther  instruction,  and  to  do  as  he 
was  commanded,  leaving  consequences 
wilh  God.  This  shows  that  the  admoni- 
tion to  "walk  before  him  and  be  perfect," 
had  not  been  given  him  in  vain. 


DISCOURSE   XXVI. 

ABRAHAM    ENTERTAIXING    ANGELS,    AND 
INTERCEDING    FOR    SODOM. 

Gen.  xviii. 

Ver.  1 — 3.  The  time  drawing  nigh  that 
the  promise  should  be  fulfdled,  God's  ap- 
pearances to  Abraham  are  frequently 
repealed.  That  which  is  here  recorded 
seems  to  have  followed  the  last  at  a  very 
little  distance.  Sitting  one  day  in  a  kind 
of  porch,  at  his  tent  door,  which  screened 
him  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  "he  lift  up 
his  eyes,  and  lo,  three  men  "  stood  at  a 
little  distance  from  him.  To  him  they 
appeared  to  be  three  strangers  on  a  jour- 
ney, and  as  such  he  treated  them.  His 
conduct  on  this  occasion  is  held  up  in  the 
epistle  to  the  Helirews  as  an  example  of 
hospitality ;  and  an  admirable  example  it 

VOL.  I.  93 


affords.  His  generosity  on  this  occasion 
is  not  more  conspicuous  than  the  amiable 
manner  in  which  il  was  expressed.  The 
instant  he  saw  them,  he  rises  up,  as  by  a 
kind  of  instinctive  courtesy,  to  bid  them 
welcome  to  his  tent,  and  that  in  the  most 
respectful  manner.  Though  an  old  man, 
and  they  perfect  strangers  to  him,  he  no 
sooner  saw  them  than  he  "  ran  to  meet 
them  from  the  tent  door,  and  bowed  him- 
self toward  the  ground  ;"  and  observing 
one  of  them,  as  it  should  seem,  presenting 
himself  to  him  before  the  other,  he  said  lo 
him,  "My  lord,  if  now  I  have  found  favor 
in  thy  sight,  pass  not  away,  I  pray  thee, 
from  thy  servant." 

Ver.  4,  5.  And  whereas  they  were  sup- 
posed to  be  weary,  and  overcome  with  the 
heat,  he  persuades  ihem  to  wash  their  feet, 
and  sit  down  under  the  shade  of  the  spread- 
ing oak  near  his  tent,  and  take  a  little  re- 
freshment, though  it  were  but  a  morsel  of 
bread,  lo  comfort  their  hearts  ;  after  which 
they  might  go  forward  on  their  journey. 
Something  may  be  said  of  the  customs  of 
those  times  and  countries,  and  of  there 
being  then  but  few,  if  any,  inns  for  the 
accommodation  of  strangers  ;  but  il  cer- 
tainly aftbrds  a  charming  specimen  of  pa- 
triarchal urbanity,  and  an  example  of  the 
manner  in  which  kindness  and  hospitality 
should  be  shown.  To  impart  reliet  in  an 
ungracious  and  churlish  manner  destroys 
the  value  of  it.  We  see  also  in  this  con- 
duct the  genuine  fruits  of  true  religion. 
That  which  in  worldly  men  is  mere  com- 
plaisance, dictated  often  by  amlsition,  in 
Abraham  was  kindness,  goodness,  sym- 
pathy, and  humbleness  of  mind.  It  is  to 
the  honor  of  religion  that  it  produces  those 
amiable  dispositions  which  the  worst  of 
men  are  constrained,  for  their  own  repu- 
tation, to  imitate.  If  such  dispositions 
and  such  behavior  were  universal,  the 
world  would  be  a  paradise. 

Ver.  6 — S.  The  supposed  strangers 
having  con'^ented  to  accept  the  invitation, 
the  good  old  man,  as  full  of  pleasure  as  if 
he  had  found  a  prize,  resolves  to  entertain 
them  with  something  better  than  "  a  mor- 
sel of  bread,"  though  he  had  modestly 
used  that  language.  Hastening  to  Sarah, 
he  desires  her  to  get  three  measures  of 
fine  meal,  and  bake  cakes  upon  the  hearth ; 
while  he,  old  as  he  was,  runs  to  the  herd, 
and  fetches  a  calf,  tender  and  good,  and 
gives  it  to  one  of  his  young  men,  with  or- 
ders to  kill  and  dress  it  immediately. 
And  now,  the  table  being  spread  beneath 
the  cooling  shade  of  the  oak,  the  veal, 
with  butler  and  milk  to  rend.-r  il  more 
palatable,  is  placed  upon  it,  and  Abra- 
ham himself  waits  on  his  guests.  Such 
was  the  style  of  patriarchal  simplicity  and 
hospitality.     As   yet   Abraham   does   not 


778 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


appear  to  have  suspected  what  kind  of 
guests  he  was  entertaining.  He  might 
probably  be  struck  from  the  first  with  their 
mien  and  appearance,  which  seem  to  have 
excited  his  highest  respect ;  yet  he  con- 
sidered them  merely  as  strangers,  and  as 
such  entertained  them.  It  was  thus  that 
he  "  entertained  angels  unawares." 

Ver.  9,  10.  But,  while  they  sat  at  din- 
ner under  the  tree,  inquiry  was  made  after 
Sarah,  his  wife.  Abraham  answered, 
"Behold,  she  is  in  the  tent."  This  in- 
quiry must  excite  some  surprise  ;  for  how 
should  these  strangers  know  the  name  of 
Abraham's  wife,  and  her  new  name  too ; 
and  why  should  they  inquire  after  her  1 
But,  if  the  inquiry  must  strike  Abraham 
with  surprise,  what  followed  must  have  a 
still  greater  effect.  He  who  was  the  first 
in  the  train  on  their  arrival,  and  whom  he 
had  addressed  in  terms  of  the  highest  re- 
spect, now  adds,  "I  will  certainly  return 
unto  thee,  according  to  the  time  of  life, 
and  lo,  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  have  a  son." 
This  language  must  remind  him  of  the 
promise  which  he  had  so  lately  received, 
and  convince  him  that  the  speaker  was  no 
other  than  Jehovah,  under  the  appearance 
of  a  man.  In  the  progress  of  the  Old- 
testament  history,  we  often  read  of  simi- 
lar appearances;  particularly  to  Jacob  at 
Peniel,  to  Moses  at  the  bush,  and  to  Josh- 
ua by  Jericho.  The  divine  personage  who 
in  this  manner  appeared  to  men  must 
surely  have  been  no  other  than  the  Son  of 
God,  who  thus  occasionally  assumed  the 
form  of  that  nature  which  it  was  his  inten- 
tion, in  the  fulness  of  time,  actually  to 
take  upon  him.  It  was  thus  that,  "being 
in  the  form  of , God,  he  thought  it  not  rob- 
bery to  be  equal  with  God  ;"  that  is,  he 
spake  and  acted  all  along  as  God,  and  did 
not  consider  himself  in  so  doing  as  arro- 
gating any  thing  which  did  not  properly 
belong  to  him. 

Ver.  11 — 15.  Sarah  having  overheard 
what  was  said  concerning  her,  and  know- 
ing that  according  to  the  ordinary  course 
of  things  she  was  too  old  to  have  a  son, 
laughed  within  herself  at  the  saying.  She 
supposed,  however,  that  as  it  was  to  her- 
self the  whole  was  unknown  :  but  it  was 
not.  The  same  word  is  used  as  was  be- 
fore used  of  Abraham,  but  it  was  not  the 
same  thing.  His  laughter  was  that  of  joy 
and  surprise  :  hers  had  in  it  a  mixture  of 
unbelief,  which  called  forth  the  reproof  of 
Jehovah.  "Jehovah,"  the  same  person- 
age who  is  elsewhere  called  an  angel  and 
a  man,  "  said  unto  Abraham,"  in  the  hear- 
ing of  his  wife,  "  Wherefore  did  Sarah 
laugh  1  "  And  to  detect  the  sinfulness  of 
this  laughter,  he  points  out  the  principle 
of  it — it  was  saying,  "  Shall  I  of  a  surety 
bear  a  ehjldj  who  am  old  1  "  which  prin- 


ciple he  silences  by  asking,  "  Is  any  thng 
too  hard  for  Jehovah  1  "  And  then  he 
solemnly  repeats  the  promise,  as  that 
which  ought  to  suffice  :  "  At  tlie  time  ap- 
pointed I  will  return  unto  thee,  according 
to  the  time  of  life,  and  Sarah  shall  have  a 
son."  This  language,  while  it  proved  that 
he  who  uttered  it  was  a  discerner  of  the 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart,  covered 
Sarah's  face  with  confusion.  In  her  fright, 
she  denies  having  laughed  ;  but  the  denial 
was  in  vain.  He  who  knew  all  things 
replied,  "  Nay,  but  thou  didst  laugh." 
We  may  imagine  that  what  merely  passes 
in  our  own  minds  has  in  a  manner  no  ex- 
istence, and  may  almost  persuade  our- 
selves to  think  we  are  innocent :  but  in 
the  presence  of  God  all  such  subterfuges 
are  no  better  than  the  fig-leaves  of  our 
first  parents.  When  he  judgeth,  he  will 
overcome. 

Ver.  16 — 19.  The  men,  as  they  are 
called,  according  to  their  appearance,  now 
take  leave  of  the  tent,  and  go  on  tiieir 
way  towards  Sodom.  Abraham,  loth  to 
part  with  them,  went  in  company,  as 
if  to  bring  them  on  their  way.  While 
they  were  walking  together,  Jehovah,  in 
the  form  of  a  man,  said  unto  the  other 
two  (who  appear  to  have  been  created  an- 
gels), "Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  the 
thing  which  I  dol"  Two  reasons  are  as- 
signed for  the  contrary.  First  :  the  im- 
portance of  his  character.  He  was  not 
only  the  friend  of  God,  but  the  father  of 
"  a  great  nation,"  in  which  God  would 
have  a  special  interest,  and  through  which 
all  other  nations  should  be  blessed.  Let 
him  be  in  the  secret.  Secondly  :  The 
good  use  he  would  make  of  it.  Being 
previously  disclosed  to  him,  he  would  be 
the  more  deeply  impressed  by  it :  and,  ac- 
cording to  his  tried  and  approved  conduct 
as  the  head  of  a  family,  would  be  concern- 
ed to  impart  it  as  a  warning  to  his  poster- 
ity in  all  future  ages.  As  the  wicked  ex- 
tract ill  from  good,  so  the  righteous  will 
extract  good  from  ill.  Sodom's  destruc- 
tion shall  turn  to  Abraham's  salvation: 
the  monument  of  just  vengeance  against 
their  crimes  shall  be  of  perpetual  use  to 
him  and  his  posterity,  and  contribute  even 
to  the  bringing  of  that  good  upon  them 
which  the  Lord  had  spoken  concerning 
them.  The  special  approbation  with  which 
God  here  speaks  of  family-religion  stamps 
a  divine  authority  upon  it,  and  an  infamy 
upon  that  religion,  or  rather  irreligion, 
which  dispenses  with  it. 

Ver.  20,  21.  Jehovah,  having  resolv- 
ed to  communicate  his  design  to  Abra- 
ham, proceeds  to  inform  him  as  follows  : 
"  Because  the  cry  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah is  great,  and  because  their  sin  is  very 
grievous,  I   will   go  down  now,  and   see 


DKSTRUCTION    OF    SCDOM. 


779 


wlicthcr  tlicy  have  done  altoircther  accord- 
ing to  the  cry  of  it  wliich  is  come  unto 
nie  ;  anil,  if  not,  I  will  know."  This  lan- 
guaire,  thoujrh  spoken  alter  the  manner  of 
men,  contains  much  serious  and  important 
instruction.  It  teaches  us  that  the  most 
abandoned  people  arc  still  the  sul)jccts  of 
divine  government,  and  must,  sooner  or 
later,  give  an  account;  that  in)piety,  sen- 
suality, and  injustice,  arc  followed  with 
a  cry  for  retril>ution  ;  that  tiiis  cry  is  oft- 
en disregarded  liy  earthly  triliunals  ; 
that,  where  it  is  so,  the  prayers  of  the 
faithful,  the  groans  of  the  oppressed,  and 
the  blood  of  the  slain,  constitute  a  cry 
which  asccndelh  to  heaven,  and  entereth 
into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaotli  ; 
and,  finally,  that  in  executing  judgment, 
though  God  will  regard  these  cries,  espe- 
cially where  they  wax  greater  and  greater, 
as  this  is  afterwards  said  to  have  done  ; 
yet,  as  tliey  may  be  partial  and  erroneous, 
he  will  not  proceed  by  them  as  a  rule,  but 
will  avail  himself  of  his  own  omniscience, 
that  tiie  worst  of  characters  may  have  no 
cause  to  complain  of  injustice. 

Vcr.  22 — 33.  It  is  natural  to  suppose 
that  the  mind  of  Abraham  must  be  forci- 
bly impressed  with  this  intimation.  He 
would  feel  for  his  poor  ungodly  neighl'ors  ; 
but  especially  for  Lot,  and  other  righteous 
men  whom  he  might  hope  would  be  found 
among  them.  At  this  juncture  the  men, 
that  is,  two  out  of  the  three  (chap.  xix. 
1),  went  towards  Sodom  :  but  the  third, 
who  is  called  Jehovah,  continued  to  con- 
verse with  Aliraham.  The  patriarch  stand- 
ing before  him,  and  being  now  aware  that 
lie  was  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  High, 
addressed  him  in  the  language  of  prayer, 
or  intercession.  A  remarkal'le  interces- 
sion it  is.  We  remark,  I.  Abraham  makes 
a  good  use  of  his  previous  knowledge. 
I^eing  made  acquainted  with  the  evil  com- 
ing upon  them,  he  stands  in  the  gap,  and 
labors  all  he  can  to  avert  it.  They  knew 
nothing;  and,  if  they  had,  no  cries,  ex- 
cept the  shrieks  of  desperation,  would 
have  been  heard  from  them.  It  is  good 
to  have  such  a  neighbor  as  Abraham  ;  and 
still  better  to  have  an  Intercessor  before 
the  throne  who  is  always  heard.  The  con- 
duct of  the  patriarch  furnishes  an  exam- 
ple to  all  who  have  an  interest  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  to  make  use  of  it  on  be- 
half of  their  poor  ungodly  countrymen 
and  neighbors.  2.  He  does  not  plead  that 
the  wicked  may  be  spared  for  their  own 
sake,  or  because  it  would  be  too  severe  a 
jiroceeding  to  destroy  them  ;  but  for  the 
sake  of  the  righteous  who  mi^ht  be  jound 
among  them.  Had  either  of  the  other 
pleas  been  advanced,  it  had  been  siding 
with  sinners  against  God,  which  Abraham 
would  never  do.      Wickedness  shuts  the 


mouth  of  intercession  ;  or,  if  any  should 
j)resume  to  speak,  it  would  be  of  no  ac- 
count. Though  Noah,  Daniel,  and  Job, 
shoidd  plead  for  the  ungodly,  they  would 
not  be  heard.  Kighieousncss  only  will 
bear  to  i-e  made  a  plea  before  God.  But 
iiow  then,  it  may  be  asked,  did  Christ 
make  intercession  for  transgressors?  Xot 
by  arraigning  the  divine  law,  nor  by  alle- 
ging aught  ill  extenuation  of  human  guilt ; 
l>ul  i'V  pleading  his  own  oi)edience  unto 
death.  3.  He  charitai'ly  hopes  the  best 
with  res[)ect  to  the  number  of  righteous 
characters  even  in  Sodom.  At  the  outset 
of  his  intercession,  he  certainly  consider- 
ed it  as  a  possible  case,  at  least,  that  there 
might  be  found  in  that  wicked  place  fifty 
righteous  :  and  thougii  in  this  instance  he 
was  sadly  mistaken,  yet  we  may  hope 
hence  that  in  those  times  there  were 
many  more  righteous  people  in  the  world 
than  those  which  are  recorded  in  Scrip- 
lure.  The  Scriptures  do  not  profess 
to  be  a  book  of  life,  containing  the  names 
of  all  the  faithful  ;  but  intimate,  on  the 
contrary,  that  God  reserves  to  himself  a 
people,  who  are  but  little  known  even  by 
his  own  servants.  4.  God  was  willing  to 
spare  the  worst  of  cities  for  the  sake  of  a 
few  righteous  characters.  This  truth  is 
as  humiliating  to  the  haughty  enemies  of 
religion  as  it  is  encouraging  to  its  friends  ; 
and  furnishes  an  important  lesson  to  civil 
governments,  to  beware  of  undervaluing, 
and  still  more  of  persecuting  and  banish- 
ing, men  whose  concern  it  is  to  live  sober- 
ly, righteousl}',  and  godly  in  the  world.* 
Excei)t  the  Lord  of  hosts  had  left  us  a 
remnant  of  such  characters,  we  might  ere 
now  have  been  as  Sodom,  and  made  like 
unto  Gomorrah!  If  ten  righteous  men 
had  been  found  in  Sodom,  it  had  been 
spared  for  their  sakes  :  but,  alas,  there  is 
no  such  number  !  God  called  Abraham  to 
Haran,  and,  when  he  left  that  place,  men- 
tion is  made,  not  only  of"  the  substance 
which  he  had  gathered,"  but  of"  the  souls 
which  he  had  gotten."  But  Lot,  who 
went  to  Sodom  of  his  own  accord,  though 
he  also  gathered  substance,  yet  seems  not, 
by  his  residence  in  the  place,  to  have  won 
a  single  soul  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God, 


DISCOURSE  xxvn. 

THE     DESTRUCTION    OF    SODOM    AND    GO- 
MORRAH. 

Gen.  xix. 

Ver.   1,  2.    The   two  angels    who   left 
Abraham  communing  with  Jehovah   went 
on  their  way   till   ihey   came  to   Sodom. 
*   Chap.  vi.  11. 


780 


ABRAHAM  ENTERTAIMNG  ANGELS. 


Arriving  at  the  city  in  the  evening,  tlie  first 
person  whom  they  saw  appears  to  have 
been  Lot,  who  was  sitting  alone,  it  should 
seem,  at  the  gate  of  tlie  city.  They  had 
found  Abraham  also  sitting  alone,  but  it 
was  at  his  own  tent  door.  Lot,  wliose 
house  was  in  the  city,  had  probably  no 
place  where  he  could  be  out  of  the  hear- 
ing of  those  whose  conversation  vexed  his 
righteous  soul  :  he  therefore  took  a  walk 
in  the  evening,  and  sat  down  without  the 
city  gate,  where  he  might  spend  an  hour 
in  retirement.  Seeing  two  strangers  com- 
ing up  to  him,  he  beiiaved  in  much  tlie 
same  courteous  and  hospitable  n^anner  as 
Abraham  had  done.  Bowing  himself  with 
his  face  toward  the  ground,  he  said,  "Be- 
liold  now,  my  lords  ;  turn  in,  I  pray  you, 
into  your  servant's  house,  and  tarry  all 
night,  and  wash  your  feet,  and  ye  shall 
rise  up  early,  and  goon  your  ways."  This 
was  lovely;  and  the  contrast  between  this 
and  the  conduct  of  his  neighbors  shows, 
what  was  suggested  in  the  ibrmer  chapter, 
the  genuine  fruits  of  true  religion.  What 
is  said  to  be  the  customary  hos})itality  of 
the  age  and  country  was  far  from  being 
practised  by  the  other  inhabitants  of  Sod- 
om. But,  though  Lot  had  given  them  so  kind 
an  invitation,  they  seem  determined  not  to 
accept  of  il — "Nay,"  said  they,  "but 
we  will  abide  in  tiie  street  all  night."  This 
might  be  either  for  the  purpose  of  being 
eye-witnesses  of  the  conduct  of  the  citi- 
zens, or  to  express  their  abhorrence  of  the 
general  character  of  the  city  ;  as  when 
the  prophet  of  Judah  was  sent  to  Bethel 
he  was  forbidden  either  "  to  eat  bread  or 
drink  water  in  that  place." — 1  Kings  xiii. 
8—17. 

Ver.  3.  After  being  greatly  pressed, 
however,  by  Lot,  they  yielded  to  his  im- 
portunity, and  entered  into  his  house  ; 
Avhere  he  made  them  a  feast,  as  Abraham 
had  done,  and  they  did  eat. 

Ver.  4,  5.  But,  while  things  were  going 
on  well  with  respect  to  Lot,  the  baseness 
of  his  neighbors  soon  betrayed  itself.  A 
little  before  bed-time  they  beset  the  liouse  ; 
not  for  the  purpose  of  robbing,  or  insult- 
ing them  in  any  of  the  ordinary  ways  of 
brutal  outrage — this  had  been  bad  enough, 
especially  to  strangers — but  to  pcr|)etrate 
a  species  of  crime  too  shocking  and  detes- 
table to  be  named;  a  species  of  crime 
which  indeed  has  no  name  given  it  in  the 
Scri[>tures  but  what  is  borrowed  from  this 
infamous  place. 

Ver.  6—9.  The  conduct  of  Lot,  in  go- 
ing out  and  expostulating  witli  them,  was 
in  several  respects  praiseworthy.  '  His 
shutting  the  door  after  him  expressed  how 
delicately  he  felt  for  his  guests,  though  at 
present  he  does  not  appear  to  have  "con- 
sidered them  in  any  other  light  than  that 


of  strangers.  It  was  saying,  in  effeci^ 
Let  not  their  ears  be  oflended  with  what 
passes  abroad;  whate\er  is  scurrilous, 
obscene,  or  abusive,  let  me  iiear  it,  but 
not  them. — His  gentle  and  respecllul  man- 
ner of  treating  tliis  worst  of  mobs  is  also 
worthy  of  notice.  He  could  not  respect 
them  <>n  the  score  of  character;  but  he 
would  try  and  do  so,  as  being  still  his  fel- 
low creatures  and  near  neighbors.  As 
such  he  calls  them  brethren,  no  doubt 
hoping,  by  such  conciliating  language,  to 
dissuade  them  from  their  wicked  purpose. 
But  when,  to  turn  oil  their  attention  from 
his  guests,  he  j)roposes  the  l)ringing  out  of 
his  daughters  to  them,  he  appears  to  have 
gone  too  far.  It  is  not  for  us  to  go  into  a 
less  evil,  in  the  hope  of  [)reventing  a  great- 
er ;  but  rather  to  consent  to  no  evil.  It 
might  l)e  owing  to  the  perturbation  (.f  his 
mind  ;  but  pnjbably,  it  he  had  not  lived 
in  Sodom  till  his  mind  was  almost  famil- 
iarized to  obscenity,  he  would  not  have 
made  such  a  proposal.  Nor  had  it  any 
good  effect.  He  only  got  himself  more 
abused  for  it;  and  even  his  gentle  remon- 
strance was  perversely  construed  into  ob- 
trusive forwardness,  and  setting  himself 
up  for  a  judge,  who  was  merely  a  sojour- 
ner among  them.  Persuasion  has  no  force 
with  men  who  are  under  the  dominion  of 
their  lusts.  So  now  their  resentment 
burns  against  him,  and  they  will  be  re- 
venged on  him.  They  will  not  be  content- 
ed now  with  having  the  men  brought  out,, 
but  will  go  unto  them,  and  break  the  door 
open,  to  effect  their  purpose. 

Ver.  10.  11.  Such  an  attempt,  and  such 
a  perseverance  in  it,  must  have  been  proof 
sullicient  to  the  heavenly  messengers  that 
the  cry  of  Sodom  had  not  exceeded  the 
truth.  Putting  forth  their  hands,  therefore, 
the}  pulled  Lot  into  the  house  to  them, 
shut  to  the  door,  and  smote  the  people 
without  with  blindness.  The  power  and 
indignation  displayed  in  these  acts  would 
convince  him  that  they  were  no  common, 
strangers  ;  and,  one  would  have  thought, 
might  have  struck  them  with  awe,  and 
caused  them  to  desist  from  their  horrid 
purpose  :  but  they  are  infatuated.  Though 
supernaturally  smitten  with  blindness,  they 
must  still  "  weary  themselves  to  find  the 
door."  Such  daring  presumption,  in  the 
face  of  heaven,  must  have  filled  up  the 
measure  of  their  crimes,  and  rendered 
them  ripe  for  destruction. 

Ver.  12,  13.  Things  are  now  hastening 
to  their  awful  crisis  :  but  mark  the  mercy 
of  divine  proceedings.  Ten  righteous 
men  would  have  saved  the  city  ;  but  there 
seems  to  have  been  only  one.  Well,  not 
only  shall  that  one  escajie,  but  all  that 
belong  to  him  shall  be  delivered  for  his 
sake  ;  or,  if  otherwise,    it  shall  be  their 


EXPOSITIO.t    OF    GENESIS.  781 

own  fault.     S  )ns-in-ia\v,  sons,  (UuiirlUors,  wrath    to  come  ;  and   such    the   mercy   of 

or   whatever   he  .had,   are   tiirected    to   he  God  towards  tliciii. 

liroughl  out  of  lliis  [dace;  for,  said  they,  Ver.  17.  Havini^  hecri  so  far  saved, 
as  it  were  o|iet)iu;i  tiieir  comiuission  and  almost  in  spile  of  liiiinelf,  he  is  now  sol- 
reading  it  to  Lot,  "  \Vc  will  destroy  this  emnly  charged  to  "  escape  for  Ids  lile," 
place,  because  the  cry  of  them  is  waxen  not  so  mich  as  to  look  behind  him,  nor 
ureal  before  the  tace  of  Jehovah,  and  Je-  stay  in  all  the  plain;  but  to  "  escape  to 
hovah  hath  sent  us  to  destroy  it."  the    mountain,"   lest   he  should    be  "  con- 

V^er.   14.    Giving  lull  credit  to  the   di-  sumed."     This  was  continuing  to  be  mer- 

vine    thrcateninir,    and    being   deeply   im-  cifully  severe  ;  and  such  are    our  Lord's 

pressed  with    it.  Lot   went  forth   to  warn  commands  which  require  us  to  deny  self, 

his     sons-in  law,    who    had     married    his  take  up  tlie  cross,    and    follow    him.       It 

daughters.      We  do  udI  read   till    now  that  was  better  for  Lot  to   be  thus    warned  off 

Lot  had  a   family.       It  looks   as  il   he  had  the  ground,  than  to  be  consumed   upon  it : 

taken  ids  wife  from  Sodom,  »oon  after  he  and  we  had    l)etter  cut  off  a    right    hand, 

had    parted    from    Aliraliam  ;  and,    as    he  or  pluck  out  a  right  eye,  than  be  cast  into 

must  have  lieen  there  alout  twenty  years,  hell. 

he  had  daughters,  some  of  wiiom  were  mar-  Ver.  18 — "22.   Lot  was  certainly  a  right- 

ried,  and  two   remained    with  iiim    single,  eous  man;  but  in  times  of  trial  his  graces 

No  mention  is  made  of  his  married  daugh-  do  not  appear  to  the  best  advantage.      He 

ters  being  alive  at  this    time  ;  but  by   the  is  directed  to  flee  to  the  mountain,  and  he 

manner  in  which  the  others  are  spoken  of,  had   belter  have  lieen  there   all   his  days 

in    verse  15,    "  Thy  two  daugters    which  than  where  he  was;   but  he  pleads  hard  to 

are  here,"  it  is  probable  they  were  else-  live  in  a  city,  and  hopes  he  may   be   ex- 

ichcre ;    viz.    along    with    their  husl>ands,  cused    in    this    desire,   seeing   it   was   "a 

and  perished  with  them  in  the   overthrow,  little  one."     Had  he   pro[)erly  confided  in 

The  warning  given  to  his  sons-in-law  was  God,  he  would  have  gone  to  the  mountain 

abru|)t  and  |)oinled  ;   "  L^p.  get   ye  out  of  without  hesitation  :   l-ut  his  faith  is  weak, 

this  place;   for  Jehovah   will    destroy   this  and  his  fears  prevail,  that  if   he  go  thither 

city!     But  he  seemed   to  tliem  as  one  that  "some  evil   will   take   him,  and   lie   shall 

mocked,"  or  who   was  in   jest.       He  be-  die."      This,  his    imbecility,  however,  is 

lieved,  and  therefore  s])ake  :  but  they  dis-  graciously    passed    over;    his    request    is 

believed,  and  therefore  made  light  of   it.  A  granted,  and  the  city  spared  for  his  sake, 

striking  exam|)le  this    of   the   ordinary  ef-  Nor  was  this  all.     The  angel  kindly  hast- 

fcct  of  truth  upon  the  minds  of  unbeliev-  ens  his  escape  to  this  city,  formerly  called 

ers.  Bela,  but  henceforward   Zoar,  that  is,  lit- 

Ver.  15,  16.  All  this  had  taken  place  tic  ;  for  that  he  could  do  nothing  till  he 
in  one  night.  Early  in  the  morning,  Lot  should  have  come  thither.  All  this  was 
is  hastened  away  from  the  devoted  spot,  merciful,  very  merciful  ;  and  proves  not 
And  as  his  sons-in-law,  and  it  seems  their  only  that  the  Lord  knowelh  hoiv  to  de- 
wives  with  them,  would  not  hear,  he  is  liver  the  godly  out  of  temj)lation,  but  also- 
commanded  to  leave  them  ;  and,  without  that  their  blood  is  precious  in  his  sight, 
farther  delay,  to  take  his  w  ife,  and  his  two  Ver.  2.3 — 25.  By  the  time  that  Lot  en- 
daughters  who  were  with  him,  lest  he  tered  into  Zoar,  ihe  sun  had  risen  upon 
should  be  consumed  in  the  overthrow  of  the  earth.  It  promised  perhaps  to  be  a 
the  city.  The  threatening  part  of  this  fine  day  ;  and  the  inhabitan's  of  Sodom, 
language  would  proliably  not  have  been  after  tin  ir  niglit's  revel,  would  1  e  going 
addressed  to  him,  had  he  not  discovered  a  forth  to  do  as  at  other  limes.  But  lo,  on 
reluctance  lo  depart.  I  hoye.  it  was  not  a  sudden,  floods  of  fire  and  brimstone 
his  worldly  substance  that  clave  to  him,  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven  descend  upon 
much  less  any  attachment  to  that  wjcked  this  and  the  neighboring  city  of  Gomorrah, 
city;  hut  rather  that  it  was  his  daughters  utterly  consuming  them,  and  all  their  in- 
and  their  husitands,  who  could  not  be  per-  haiiitants  !  Some  have  supposed  this  tre- 
suaded  lo  accompany  him,  that  occasioned  mendous  judgtnent  to  have  been  effected 
this  strong  conflict.  It  was  on  this  ac-  by  a  volcani- eruption  in  the  neighborhood, 
count,  I  suppose,  that  !,e  is  said  to  have  the  lava  of  which,  first  ascending  high 
lins;ered ;  and  his  deliverers  were  at  last  into  the  atmosphere,  and  then  descending 
obliged  lo  lay  hold  upon  his  hand,  and  upon  the  devoted  cities,  destroyed  them, 
upon  the  hand  of  his  wife,  and  upon  the  If  so  it  were,  God's  hand  was  in  it,  di- 
hand  of  iiis  two  daughters,  and  (Jehovah  rectinsr  and  timing  its  operations,  no  less 
being  merciiul  unto  him)  liy  force,  in  a  than  if  it  were  accomplished  without  the 
manner,  to  set  tiiem  w  iliiout  the  city,  interference  o<  anv  second  cause. 
Such  has  been  the  strug'_de  in  many  minds,  Ver.  26.  The  Lord  delivered  just  Lot, 
when  called  to   leave  all  and  flee  from  the  and  his  whole  family,  as  we  have  seen; 


782 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


had  much  mercy  shown  them  for  his  sake. 
But  favor  may  be  shown  to  the  wicked, 
yet  will  they  not  learn  righteousness. — 
Some  refused  to  go  with  him,  and  those 
that  did  go  proved  to  him  a  grief  and  a 
snare.  His  wife  is  said  to  have  "  looked 
back  from  behind  him  "  during  their  jour- 
ney, and  was  instantly  struck  dead,  and 
remaiued  upon  the  spot  a  petrified  monu- 
ment of  divine  vengeance.  It  may  be 
thought  a  hard  fate  lor  a  mere  glance  of 
the  eye ;  but  that  glance,  no  doubt,  was 
expressive  of  unbelief,  a  nd  a  lingering 
desire  to  return.  Probably  she  was  of 
much  the  same  mind  as  her  sons-in-law, 
and  attributed  the  whole  to  the  resent- 
ment of  the  strangers,  whom  her  husband 
was  weak  enough  to  believe  It  is  certain 
that  her  example  is  held  up  by  our  Lord 
as  a  warning  against  "  turning  back," 
which  intimates  that  such  was  the  mean- 
ing of  her  look. 

Ver.  27 — 29.  Abraham  having  made 
intercession,  though  the  issue  of  it  gave 
him  but  little  hope  of  success,  yet  is  anx- 
ious to  see  what  will  be  the  end  of  these 
things.  Unable,  it  seems,  to  I'est  in  his 
bed,  he  arose  early  the  next  morning,  and 
went  to  the  place  where  he  had  stood  be- 
fore the  Lord.  From  having  a  view  of 
the  plain,  he  beheld,  and  lo  the  smoke  of 
the  country  went  up  as  the  smoke  of  a 
furnace.  He  had  not  mentioned  Lot  by 
name,  in  his  intercession,  though  doubt- 
less it  had  respect  to  liim  ;  and  the  Lord 
so  far  hearkened  to  his  prayer  as  to  deliv- 
er that  good  man  in  answer  to  it.  Lot 
could  not  pray  for  himself,  for  he  was  not 
aware  of  his  danger  till  it  in  a  manner 
came  upon  him.  What  a  mercy  it  is  to 
have  an  Intercessor  who  knows  all  the 
evils  which  are  coming  upon  us,  and  prays 
for  us  that  our  strength  fail  not !  But  to 
return  to  Lot — 

Ver.  30.  On  leaving  Sodom  he  was 
very  earnest  to  have  Zoar  granted  him  for 
a  refuge,  and  to  be  excused  from  going  to 
dwell  in  the  mountain  :  yet  now,  all  on  a 
sudden,  he  went  up  out  of  Zoar,  and  dwelt 
in  the  mountain  ;  and  that  for  the  very 
reason  which  he  had  given  for  a  contrary 
choice.  Then  he  feared  some  evil  would 
take  him  if  he  went  to  the  mountain ; — 
now  he  "  fears  to  dwell  in  Zoar."  It  is 
well  to  know  that  the  way  of  man  is  not 
in  himself,  and  that  it  is  not  in  man  to  di- 
rect his  steps.  Our  wisdom  is  to  refer  all 
to  God,  and  to  follow  wherever  his  word 
and  providence  lead  the  way.  But  why 
did  not  Lot  return  to  Abraham  1  There 
was  no  occasion  now  for  strife  about  their 
herds  ;  for  he  had  lost  all  and  but  just  es- 
caped with  his  life.  Whatever  was  the 
reason,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  made 
a  good  choice.     Had  he  gone  to  the  moun- 


tain when  directed,  he  might  have  hoped 
for  preserving  mercy  :  but  going  of  his 
own  accord,  and  from  a  motive  of  sinful 
distrust,  evil  in  reality  overtakes  him. 
His  daughters,  who  seem  to  have  con- 
tracted such  habits  in  Sodom  as  would 
prepare  them  for  any  thing,  however  un- 
natural, draw  him  into  intemperance  and 
incest,  and  thus  cover  his  old  age  with  in- 
famy. The  offspring  of  this  illicit  inter- 
course were  the  fathers  of  two  great  but 
heathen  nations;  viz.  the  Moabites  and 
the  children  of  Ammon. 

The  dishonorable  end  of  this  good  man 
shows  that  we  are  never  out  of  danger 
while  we  are  upon  earth.  He  whose 
righteous  soul  was  grieved  with  the  filthy 
conversation  of  the  wicked  while  in  a  city 
is  drawn  into  the  same  kind  of  evils  him- 
self when  dwelling  in  a  cave  !  His  whole 
Iiistory  also,  from  the  time  of  his  leaving 
Abraham,  furnishes  an  affecting  lesson  to 
the  heads  of  families  in  the  choice  of 
habitations  for  tliemselves  or  their  chil- 
dren. If  worldly  accommodations  be  pre- 
ferred to  religious  advantages,  we  have 
nothing  good  to  expect,  but  every  thing 
evil.  We  may,  or  we  may  not,  lose  our 
substance  as  he  did  ;  but,  what  is  of  far 
greater  consequence,  our  families  may  be 
expected  to  become  mere  heathens,  and 
our  own  minds  be  contaminated  with  the 
examples  which  are  continually  before  our 
eyes.  Such  was  the  harvest  which  Lot 
reaped  from  his  well-watered  i)lain  ;  and 
such  are  the  fruits  very  commonly  seen 
in  the  experience  of  those  that  follow  his 
example ! 


DISCOURSE   XXVIII. 

ABRAHAM    AND    ABIMELECH. 

Gen.  XX. 

Ver.  1.  After  the  affecting  story  of 
Lot  we  return  to  Abraham.  When  he 
and  his  kinsman  parted  he  pitched  his  tent 
in  the  plains  of  Mamre,  and  appears  to 
have  continued  there  nearly  twenty  years. 
At  length  he  removes  again,  journeying 
southward,  and  taking  up  his  residence  for 
a  time  at  Gerar,  which  was  then  a  royal 
city  of  the  Philistines. 

Ver.  2.  And  here  we  find  him  a  second 
time  saying  of  Sarah  his  wife,  "  She  is  my 
sister."  His  sin  in  so  speaking  seems  to 
be  much  greater  than  it  was  before.  For, 
1.  He  had  narrowly  escaped  the  first  time. 
If  God  had  not  remarkably  interposed  in 
his  favor,  there  is  no  saying  what  would 
have  been  the  consequence.  The  repeti- 
tion of  the  same  fault  looked  like  presum- 


ABRAHAM  AND  ABIMELECH.  783 

injr  upon  providence.  2.  Sarali  was  now  he  not  unto  me,  She  is  my  sister  1  And 
pregnant,  anil  that  ol  a  son  o(  promise  :  she,  even  she  hersoll",  said,  He  is  my 
he  mig;ht  ihcrelore  surely  have  trusted  hrotlier.  In  the  integrity  of  my  heart  and 
God  to  preserve  tlicir  lives  in  the  straight-  innocency  of  n)y  hands  have  I  done  this." 
ibrward  path  of  duty,  instead  of  having  The  first  sentence  in  this  answer  ajjpears 
recourse  to  hi.s  own  crooked  policy.  But  to  contain  a  reference  to  the  recent  and 
he  did  not.  There  are  exceptions  in  eve-  awful  event  of  Sodom's  overthrow,  which 
ry  human  character,  and  olton  in  the  ver}-  must  have  greatly  impressed  ti)e  surround- 
thing  wherein  they  in  general  excel.  The  ing  country.  It  is  as  if  he  had  said,  I  am 
consequence  was,  Aliimclech,  king  of  Ge-  aware  that  thou  hast  slain  a  nation  noto- 
rar,  sent  and  took  her,  prol>aI>!y  hy  torce,  rious  for  its  (iUIiy  and  unnatural  crimes  ; 
to  he  one  of  his  wives.  We  siiould  have  hut  we  are  not  such  a  nation;  and  in  the 
thought  that  the  age  of  Sarah  might  iiavc  present  case  all  tliat  has  been  done  was 
exempted  l)oth  iier  and  her  husl)and  from  in  perfect  ignorance.  Surely  thou  wilt 
this  temptation  :  hut  luinian  lite  was  then  not  slay  tlie  innocent. — The  answer  of  God 
much  longer  than  it  is  now  ;  and  she  was  admits  his  plea  of  ignorance,  and  suggests 
a  heautitul  woman,  and  we  may  suppose  that  he  was  not  charged  with  havingyet  sin- 
carried  iier  years  l)etter  than  many.  Be  ned,  l)ut  threatened  with  death  in  case  he 
that  as  it  may,  she  is  involved  in  a  dilh-  persisted,  now  that  he  was  informed  of  the 
culty  from  which  she  cannot  get  clear,  nor  truth.  It  is  intimated,  however,  that  if  he 
can  Ahraham  tell  how  to  deliver  her.  It  had  come  near  her,  he  would,  in  so  doing, 
has  been  oi)served  that,  wiicn  wicked  men  have  sinned  against  God,  whether  he  had 
deviate  from  truth,  thoy  will  very  com-  sinned  against  Abraham  or  not ;  and  this, 
monly  get  tiirough  with  it  :  but,  if  a  good  perliaps,  owing  to  her  being  in  a  state  of 
man  think  to  do  so,  lie  will  as  commoidy  ])regnancy,  of  which,  in  tiiat  case,  he 
find  himself  mistaken.  If  once  he  leave  could  not  have  been  ignorant.  But  God 
the  path  of  rectitude  he  is  entangled,  and  had  mercifully  withheld  him  from  thus 
presently  betrays  himself.  The  crooked  sinning  against  him,  for  whicii  it  l)ecame 
devices  of  the  tlesh  are  things  in  which  he  him  to  be  thankful,  and  without  delay  to 
is  not  sufTiciently  an  adept,  and  conscience  "restore  the  man  his  wife."  It  was  also 
will  often  prevent  his  going  through  with  added  that  the  man  was  "a  prophet,"  or 
them.  God  also  will  generally  so  order  one  who  had  special  intercourse  with 
things  that  he  shall  be  detected,  and  put  heaven;  and  who,  if  he  restored  his  wife, 
to  shame  at  an  early  stage,  and  that  in  would  pray  to  God  for  him,  and  he  should 
mercy  to  his  soul  ;  while  sinners  are  left  live  ;  but,  if  he  withheld  her,  he  should 
to  go  on  in  their  evil  courses  with  sue-  surely  die,  and  all  that  belonged  to  him. 
cess.  We  see  in  this  account,  1.  That  abso- 
Ver.  3 — 7.  Man's  wisdom  leads  him  lute  ignorance  excuses  from  guilt;  but 
into  a  pit,  and  God's  wisdom  nuisl  draw  this  does  not  prove  that  all  ignorance  does 
him  out.  God  has  access  to  all  men's  so,  or  that  il  is  in  itself  excusal)Ie.  Where 
minds,  and  can  impress  them  by  a  dream,  the  powers  and  means  of  knowledge  are 
an  affliction,  or  in  any  way  he  thinks  prop-  possessed,  and  ignorance  arises  from  neg- 
er.  He  did  thus  by  Aliimelcch.  Dreams,  lecting  to  make  use  of  them,  or  from  aver- 
in  general,  are  mere  vanity,  the  excursions  sion  to  the  truth,  it  is  so  far  from  excusing 
of  imagination,  unaccompanied  with  rea-  that  it  is  in  itself  sinful.  2.  That,  great 
son  ;  yet  these  are  under  the  control  of  as  the  wickedness  of  men  is  upon  the  face 
God,  and  have,  in  many  instances,  been  of  the  earth,  it  would  be  much  greater, 
the  medium  of  impressing  things  of  great  were  it  not  that  God  by  his  providence, 
importance  on  the  mind.  Abimelech  in  innumeral)le  instances,  tcitltholds  them 
dreamed  that  he  heard  the  voice  of  the  from  it.  The  conduct  of  intelligent  be- 
Almighty,  saying  unto  him,  "  Behold,  thou  ings  is  influenced  by  motives  ;  and  all  mo- 
art  a  dead  man,  tor  the  woman  which  thou  fives  which  are  presented  to  the  mind  are 
hast  taken,  for  she  is  a  man's  wife."  subject  to  his  disposal.  Hence  we  may 
Whether  Abimelech  was  an  idolater  I  feel  the  propriety  of  that  petition,  "Lead 
know  not:  but  this  I  know,  that  if,  in  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
countries  called  Christian,  every  adulterer  evil." 

were  "  a  dead  man,"  many  would  be  num-       Ver.  8.     Abimelech,  awaking,  is  deeply 

bered   with   the   dead  who    now   glory   in  impressed  with  his  dream.     He  rises  early, 

their  shame.     And,   though   human   laws  calls  together  the   princi|)al   people  about 

may   wink   at   this    crime,    it    is    no   less  him,  and  imparts  particulars  to  them,  at 

heinous  in  the  sight  of  God  than  when  it  the  rehearsal  of  which  they  are  sore  afraid. 

is  punished  with  death.     Abimelech,  con-  Some  afflictions  had  already  l)een  laid  up- 

scious  that  he  had  not  come  near  the  wo-  on  them,  of  which  they  seem  to  have  been 

man,  answered  in  his  dream,  "  Lord,  wilt  aware  (ver.  IS);  and  considering  the  late 

thou  slay  also  a  righteous  nation]     Said  tremendous  judgments  of  God  upon  Sod- 


784 


EXPOSITIOrf    OF    GENESIS. 


om,  with  the  terrific  dream  of  the  l<ing;, 
just  rehearsed,  it  is  no  woaderthey  should 
be  seized  with  lear. 

Ver.  9,  10.  Al'ler  speakinj^  to  his  ser- 
vants, he  next  sent  for  Al)raluiin  to  con- 
verse the  matter  over.  His  address  to 
the  patriarch  is  pointed,  l)ut  temperate  : 
"  What  hast  thou  done  unto  us  1  And  (in) 
what  have  I  otfended  thee,  that  thou  hast 
brought  on  me  and  on  my  liingdom  a  great 
sin  1  Thou  hasl  done  deeds  unto  me  that 
ought  not  to  be  done. — What  sawest  tliou, 
that  thou  hast  done  this  thing"?  "  We  aie 
grieved  to  lind  Al)rahan)  in  such  a  situa- 
tion. How  honorable  did  he  appear  be- 
fore the  king  of  Sodom,  and  tJie  king  of 
Salem  ;  but  how  dishonorable  before  the 
king  of  Gerar !  Sin  is  the  reproach  of 
any  people,  and  the  greater  and  better  the 
man,  the  greater  is  the  reproach. 

Ver.  11 — 13.  But  let  us  hear  his  apol- 
ogy. "  And  Abraham  said.  Because  I 
thought.  Surely  the  fear  of  God  is  not  in 
this  place,  and  they  will  slay  me  for  my 
wife's  sake.  And  yet,  indeed,  she  is  my 
sister  :  she  is  the  daughter  of  my  father, 
but  not  the  daughter  of  my  mother;  and 
she  became  my  wife.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  God  caused  me  to  wander  from  my 
father's  house,  that  I  said  unto  her,  This 
is  thy  kindness  wh.ich  thou  shall  show  unto 
me  :  at  every  place  whither  we  shall  come, 
say  of  me,  He  is  my  brother."  Accord- 
ing to  his  account,  to  be  sure,  there  was 
nothing  against  Abimelech  in  particular; 
and  this  might  serve  to  appease  him  :  luit 
with  respect  to  God,  or  his  "doing  deeds 
that  ought  not  to  be  done,"  what  he  had 
said,  if  not  a  lie.  was  yet  an  equivocation.. 
Many  things  of  this  sort  pass  among  men; 
but  they  will  not  bear  a  strict  scrutiny.  If 
our  words,  though  in  some  sense  true,  yet 
are  designed  to  convey  v.hat  is  not  true,  as 
was  the  case  in  tliis  instance,  we  aie  guilty 
of  doing  what  ought  not  to  be  done. 

Ver.  14,  15.  Abimelech,  satisfied  with 
this  answer,  so  far  as  respected  Iiimself, 
restored  Sarah  to  her  husband,  ard  that 
with  a  trespass-offering,  like  tliat  which 
was  afterwards  presented  by  his  country- 
men with  the  ark  (1  Sam.  vi.  3);  adding, 
with  great  courteousness,  "  Behold,  my 
land  is  before  thee  :  dwell  where  it  pleas - 
eth  Ihee."  For  he  saw  that  the  Lord  was 
with  him. 

Ver.  16—18.  He  did  not  part  with  Sa- 
rah, however,  without  giving  her  a  word 
of  reproof.  In  calling  Abraham  her  broth- 
er, he  niade  use  of  her  own  lanuuasje  in  a 
sarcastic  way  ;  and  tells  her  that  her  hus- 
band should  be  to  her  as  a  veil,  (hat  she 
should  look  on  none  else,  and  none  else 
should  look  on  her.  Some  have  rendered 
the  words  "It,"  that  is,  the  silver,  "shall 
be  to  thee  a  covering  for  the  eyes,  unto  all 


that  are  with  thee,  and  to  all  other."  As 
if  he  had  given  it  to  buy  her  a  veil,  which 
might  prevent  all  such  mistakes  in  future. 
Take  this  (q.  d.),  and  never  go  without  a 
veil  again,  nor  any  of  your  married  ser- 
vants.    "  So  she  was  reproved." 

The  issue  was,  Abraham  prayed,  and 
the  Lord  answered  him,  and  healed  the 
family  of  Abimelech.  He  would  feel  a 
motive  for  prayer,  in  this  case,  which  he 
did  not  when  interceding  lor  Soilom  :  for 
of  this  evil  he  himself  had  been  the  cause. 


DISCOURSE   XXIX. 

THE     BIRTH    OF    ISAAC,   &C. 

Gen.  xxi. 

Ver.  1.  Abraham,  still  sojourning  in 
the  land'of  the  Philistines,  at  length  sees 
the  promise  fuKilled.  It  is  noted  with 
some  degree  of  emphasis,  as  forming  a 
special  epoch  in  his  life,  that  "the  Lord 
visited  Sarah  as  he  had  said,  and  the  Lord 
did  unto  Sarah  as  he  had  spoken."  Such 
a  kind  of  language  is  used  of  his  posterity 
being  put  in  possession  of  the  promised 
land:  "  The  Lord  gave  them  rest  round 
about,  according  to  all  that  he  sware  unto 
their  fathers — there  failed  not  aught  of  any 
good  thing  which  the  Lord  had  spoken 
nnto  the  house  of  Israel:  all  came  to  pass." 
And  such  w  ill  bo  our  language  sooner  or 
later  concerning  all  the  good  things  promis- 
ed lo  the  church,  or  to  us  as  individuals. 

Ver.  2.  Two  things  are  particularly 
noticed  in  the  birth  of  this  child  :  it  was 
in  Abraham's  "  old  age,"  and  "  at  the  set 
time  of  which  God  had  spoken  to  him." 
Both  these  circumstances  showed  the 
whole  to  be  of  God.  That  which  comes 
to  us  in  the  ordinary  course  of  things  may 
be  of  God,  but  that  which  comes  other- 
wise manifestly  appears  to  be  so.  One 
great  difference  between  this  child  and  the 
son  of  Hagar  consisted  in  this  :  the  one 
was  born  "  after  the  flesh  ;"  that  is,  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  treneration  :  but  the 
other  "  after  the  Spirit;"  that  is,  by  ex- 
traordinary divine  interposition,  and  in 
virtue  of  a  special  |)ro(nise. — Gal.  iv.  23, 
29.  Analogous  to  these  were  those  Jews 
on  the  one  hand  who  were  tnerely  de- 
scended from  Ab.raham  "according  to  the 
flesh  ;"  and  those  on  the  other  who  were 
"  not  of  the  circumcision  onlv,  but  also 
walked  in  the  steps  of  the  faith  of  their 
father  Abraham." — Rom.  iv.  12.  The 
former  were  the  children  of  the  bond-wo- 
man, will  were  cast  out  :  the  latter  of  the 
free-woman,  who,  being  "his  people  whom 
he  foreknew,"  were  not  "cast  away,"  but 


r.lRTH     OF    ISAAC. 


7S5 


were  counted^for  liis  seed. — Gal.  iv.  28 — 
31.     Rom.  ix.  7,  9;  xi.  1,  2. 

Ver.  3,  4.  The  narii*  by  wiucli  tliis  ex- 
traonliiiaiy  cliild  should  be  called  was 
Isaac,  accordinii  to  tlie  previous  direction 
ot  God.  It  siirnities  laughter,  or  joy,  and 
corresponds  with  tlic  gladness  which  ac- 
conipanicd  his  birth.  Children  are  ordi- 
narily "  a  heritage  of  tiie  Lord."  On  ac- 
count of  the  uncertainty  of  their  future 
character,  however,  we  have  reason  to  re- 
joice with  treiuliiing :  but  in  this  case  it 
was  joy  in  a  manner  unmixed  ;  lor  he  was 
born  under  the  promise  of  being  "  blessed, 
and  made  a  blessing."  But  what  a  difl'er- 
ence  between  the  joy  of  Abraham  at  the 
birth  of  a  child  and  that  which  is  common- 
ly seen  among  us  !  His  was  not  that  vain 
mirth,  or  noisy  laughter,  which  unlits  for 
obedience  to  God  :  on  the  contrary,  he 
circumcised  his  son  when  he  was  eight 
days  old,  not  in  conformity  to  custom,  but 
"  as  God  iiad  commanded  him." 

Ver.  5 — 7.  The  sacred  writers  seldom 
deal  in  reflections  themselves;  but  will 
often  mention  those  of  others.  Moses, 
having  recorded  tlie  fact  that  "  Abraham 
was  a  hundred  years  old  when  his  son  Isaac 
was  born  unto  him,"  tells  us  of  the  joy- 
ful sayings  of  Sarah  : — "  God,"  saith  she, 
"hath  made  me  to  laugh,  so  that  all  who 
hear  will  laugh  with  me." — "  Who  would 
have  said  unto  Abraham  that  Saraii  should 
have  given  children  suck  1  For  I  have 
l^orne  him  a  son  in  his  old  age  !  "  Yes, 
God  had  made  iier  to  laugh,  and  that  with- 
out any  of  her  crooked  measures  :  and  not 
merely  with  a  private,  but  a  public  joy  ; 
for  "  all  that  hear  shall  laugh  with  her." 

Ver.  8.  For  a  time  notliing  remarkable 
occurred  :  the  child  grew,  and  all  went  on 
pleasantly.  When  the  time  came  for  his 
being  weaned,  a  great  feast  was  made,  in 
token  of  joy  that  he  had  passed  the  most 
delicate  and  dangerous  stage  of  life. 

Ver.  9.  But  the  joy  of  that  day  was 
eml)ittered.  The  son  of  Hagar,  i)eing 
stung  with  envy,  cannot  bear  such  an  ado 
about  this  child  of  promi.^e.  So  he  turns 
it  into  ridicule,  probal)ly  deriding  the  pa- 
rents and  the  promise  together;  and  all 
this  in  the  sight  of  Sarah  I  Thus  he  that 
was  born  after  the  flesh  began  at  an  early 
stage  to  persecute  him  that  was  born  after 
the  spirit;  and  thus  Sarah's  crooked  poli- 
cy, in  giving  Hagar  to  Abraham,  goes  on 
to  furnish  them  with  new  sources  of  sor- 
row. From  what  was  said  of  Hagar  in 
chap.  xvi.  we  conceived  hopes  of  her; 
V)ut,  whatever  she  was,  her  son  appears  at 
present  to  be  a  bitter  enemy  to  God  and 
his  people. 

Ver.  10 — 13.       The    consequence    was, 
Sarah  was  set  on  both  the  mother  and  the 
son  being  banished  from  the  family.  Abra- 
VOL.    I.  99 


ham  had  earnestly  desired  that  Ishmael 
might  live  before  God;  but  Sarah  says, 
He  shall  not  be  heir  with  her  son,  with 
Isaac.  This  resolution  on  the  part  of  Sa- 
rah might  be  the  mere  eflect  of  temper ; 
but,  whatever  were  lier  motives,  the  tiling 
itself  accorded  with  the  design  of  God  : 
though  tiierefore  it  was  grievous  to  Abra- 
ham, he  is  directed  to  comply  with  it. 
The  Lord  would  indeed  make  a  nation  of 
Ishmael.  because  he  was  his  seed;  but  in 
Isaac  should  his  seed  be  called.  We  must 
not  refuse  to  join  in  doing  what  God  com- 
mands, however  contrary  it  may  be  to  our 
natural  feelings,  nor  on  account  of  the 
suspicious  motives  of  some  with  whom  we 
are  called  to  act. 

Ver.  14.  Impressed  with  these  princi- 
ples, the  father  of  the  faithful  without 
lurther  delay  rose  early  the  next  morning, 
probably  before  Sarah  was  stirring,  and 
sent  away  both  the  mother  and  the  son. 
His  manner  of  doing  it,  however,  was  ten- 
der and  kind.  Giving  Hagar  a  portion  of 
bread,  and  a  bottle  of  water,  he  committed 
tliem  to  Him  who  had  in  effect  promised 
to  watcii  over  them.  And  now  for  a  little 
while  we  take  leave  of  Abraham's  family, 
and  observe  the  unhappy  Hagar  and  her 
son  wandering  in  the  wilderness  of  Beer- 
sheba. 

Ver.  15,  16.  It  was  doubtless  the  de- 
sign of  Hagar,  when  she  set  otF,  to  go  to 
Egypt  her  native  country  ;  but  having  to 
travel  through  a  desert  land,  where  there 
was  ordinarily  no  water,  it  was  necessary 
she  should  l)e  furnished  with  that  article. 
Whether  "the  wilderness  of  Beersheba," 
as  it  was  called  at  the  time  Moses  wrote 
the  narrative,  was  directly  in  her  way,  or 
whether  she  went  thither  in  consequence 
of  having  "wandered,"  or  lost  her  way, 
so  it  was,  that  she  was  reduced  to  the 
greatest  distress.  The  bread  might  not 
be  exhausted,  but  the  water  was  ;  and,  no 
spring  being  to  be  found  in  this  inhospita- 
ble place,  she  and  Ishmael  appear  to  have 
walked  about,  till  he,  overcome  of  thirst, 
could  walk  no  lonser.  She  had  supported 
him,  il  seems,  as  long  as  she  could;  but, 
fearing  he  should  die  in  her  arms,  she  cast 
him  under  a  shrub,  just  to  screen  him 
from  the  scorching  sun,  and  "  went  and 
sat  herself  down  over  against  him,  a  good 
wav  off,  as  it  were  a  bow-shot  :  for  she 
said.  Let  me  not  see  the  death  of  the 
child  !  And  she  sat  over  against  him,  and 
lifted  up  her  voice  and  wept." 

Ver.  17,  18.  A  more  finished  picture 
of  distress  we  shall  seldom  see.  The  bit- 
ter cries  and  flowing  tears  of  the  afflicted 
mother,  with  the  groans  of  her  dying  son, 
are  heard,  and  seen,  and  felt,  in  a  manner 
as  though  we  were  present.  And  where- 
fore do  they  cry  1     Had  there  been  any 


786 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


ear  to  hear  them,  any  eye  to  pity  them,  or 
hand  to  help  them,  these  cries  and  tears 
might  have  been  mingled  with  hope  :  but, 
as  far  as  human  aid  was  concerned,  there 
was  no  place  ior  this.  Whether  any  of 
them  were  directed  to  heaven  we  know 
not.  We  could  have  wished,  and  should 
almost  have  expected,  that  those  of  the 
mother  at  least  would  have  been  so ;  for 
surely  she  could  not  have  forgotten  Him 
who  had  seen  and  delivered  her  from  a 
similar  condition  about  sixteen  years  be- 
fore, and  who  had  then  promised  to  "mul- 
tiply her  seed,"  and  to  cause  this  very 
child  to  "dwell  in  the  presence  of  all  his 
brethren."  But,  whether  any  of  these 
expressions  of  distress  were  directed  to 
God  or  not,  the  groans  of  the  distressed 
reached  his  ear.  "  God  heard  the  voice 
of  the  lad  :  and  the  angel  of  God  called 
to  Hagar  out  of  heaven,  and  said  unto  her. 
What  aileth  thee,  Hagar  1  Fear  not  ;  for 
God  hath  heard  the  voice  of  the  lad,  where 
he  is.  Arise,  lift  up  the  lad,  and  hold  him 
in  thine  hand ;  for  I  will  make  him  a  great 
nation." 

Ver.  19.  At  this  instant,  lifting  up  her 
eyes,  she  saw  a  spring  of  water,  which 
before  she  had  overlooked;  and,  filling 
her  bottle  from  it,  returned  to  the  lad  and 
gave  him  drink.  "  To  God  the  Lord  be- 
long the  issues  from  death."  He  maketh 
strong  the  bands  of  the  mocker;  and  again 
he  looseth  his  prisoners,  and  delivereth 
those  that  were  appointed  to  die.  If  Ish- 
mael  were  at  any  future  time  possessed  of 
true  religion,  he  must  look  back  upon 
these  humbling  but  gracious  dispensations 
of  the  God  of  his  father  Abraham  with 
very  tender  emotions. 

Ver.  20,  21.  Whether  Hagar  and  her 
son  continued  any  longer  in  the  wilderness 
of  Beersheba  we  are  not  informed  :  it 
would  rather  seem  that  they  left  it  and 
prosecuted  their  journey.  They  did  not, 
however,  settle  in  Egypt,  though  in  pro- 
cess of  time  she  took  a  wife  for  him  from 
that  country;  but  in  "  the  wilderness  of  Pa- 
ran,"  where  the  providence  of  God  watcli- 
ed  over  him,  and  where  he  lived  and  per- 
hai)s  maintained  his  mother  by  the  use  cf 
the  bow.     But  to  return — 

Ver.  22 — 24.  Abraham  still  continued 
to  sojourn  in  the  land  of  the  Philistines, 
not  indeed  at  Gerar,  but  within  a  few 
miles  of  it.  Here  he  was  visited  by  king 
Abimelech,  who,  attended  by  the  captain 
of  his  host,  in  the  most  friendly  manner, 
in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  posterity,  re- 
quested to  live  in  perpetual  amity  with 
him.  "God  is  with  thee,"  saith  he,  "in 
all  that  thou  doest.  Now  therefore  swear 
unto  me  here,  liy  God,  that  thou  wilt  not 
deal  falsely  with  me,  nor  with  my  son, 
nor  with  my  son's  son ;  but,  according  to 


the  kindness  that  I  have  done  unto  thee, 
thou  shalt  do  unto  me,  and  to  the  land 
wherein  thou  hast  sojourned.  And  Abra- 
ham said,  I  will  swear."  Observe,  1.  The 
motive  that  induces  this  friendly  request : 
he  saw  thai  God  ivas  loith  him.  Probably 
the  news  of  the  extraordinary  birth  of  Isaac 
had  reached  the  court  of  Abimelech,  and  be- 
come a  topic  of  conversation.  This,  said 
he,  is  a  great  man,  and  a  great  family,  and 
will  become  a  great  na^tion  :  the  blessing  of 
Heaven  attends  him.  It  is  our  wisdom, 
thereibre,  to  take  the  earliest  opportunity 
to  lie  on  good  terms  with  him  !  Had  Abim- 
elcch's  successors  always  acted  on  this 
principle  towards  Israel,  it  had  been  bet- 
ter tor  them  :  for,  whether  they  knew  it 
or  not,  God  in  blessing  Abraham  had 
promised  to  "  bless  them  that  blessed 
him,  and  to  curse  them  that  cursed  him." 
2.  The  solemnity  with  which  he  wished 
the  friendship  to  be  confirmed  :  "  Swear 
unto  me  by  God.  "  It  is  a  dictate  of  pru- 
dence, very  common  among  magistrates, 
to  require  men  to  swear  by  a  name  which 
the  party  holds  sacred.  In  this  view,  Abim- 
elech certainly  acted  a  wise  part ;  tor, 
whoever  made  light  of  God's  name,  the 
party  here  would  not.  3.  Abraham's 
cheerful  and  ready  compliance.  I  hope  he 
did  not  need  to  be  sworn  not  to  deal  false- 
ly ;  but,  as  posterity  was  concerned,  the 
more  solemn  the  engagement  the  better. 
The  friend  of  God  has  no  desire  but  to  be 
the  friend  of  man. 

Ver.  25,  26.  Now  that  they  are  enter- 
ing into  closer  terms  of  amity,  however, 
it  is  proper  that  if  there  be  any  cause  of 
complaint  on  either  side  it  should  be  men- 
tioned and  adjusted,  that  nothing  which  is 
past,  at  least,  may  interrupt  their  future 
harmony.  Abraham  accordingly  makes 
mention  of  "a  well  of  water"  which 
Abimelech's  servants  had  violently  taken 
away.  In  this  country,  and  to  a  man 
whose  substance  consisted  much  in  cattle, 
a  spring  of  water  was  of  consequence  ; 
and  to  have  it  taken  away  by  mere  vio- 
lence, though  it  might  be  borne  with  from 
an  enemy,  yet  it  is  not  to  be  overlooked 
where  there  is  professed  friendship.  In 
this  matter  Abimelech  fairly  and  fully  ex- 
onerates himself:  "  I  wot  not,"  saith  he, 
"  who  hath  done  this  thing;  neither  didst 
thou  tell  me,  neither  yet  heard  I  of  it  but 
to-day."  Public  characters  cannot  al- 
ways be  accountable  for  the  misdeeds  of 
those  who  act  under  them  :  they  had  need 
take  care,  however,  what  sort  of  servants 
they  employ,  as,  while  matters  are  unex- 
plained, that  which  is  wrong  is  commonly 
placed  to  their  account. 

Ver.  27—32.  Abraham,  satisfied  with 
the  answer,  proceeds  to  enter  into  a  sol- 
emn covenant  with  Abimelech,  and,  as  it 


AERAHAM   COMMANDED    TO    OFFER    UP    ISAAC. 


787 


should  seem,  a  covenant  I'y  saciiricc.* — 
'i'lie  "  sheep  and  oxen  "  appear  (o  liave 
heen  presented  lor  this  purpose  ;  and  tlie 
"seven  ewe  lanil)s  "  were  probably  a  con- 
sideration to  liini,  as  lord  of  the  soil,  lor  a 
riahtluland  acknowledged  propriety  in  the 
well.  Ilavinu:  nuitually  sworn  to  this  cov- 
enant ot  [)eace,  the  place  whore  it  was 
transacted  was  hence  called  Beersheha, 
the  icell  of  the  oath,  or  the  well  ol  seven, 
alludinsr  to  tiie  seven  laml)s  which  were 
iriven  as  the  price  of  it.  Matters  being 
thus  adjusted,  Al)inielech  and  Phicol,  the 
chief  captain  of  his  host,  took  leave  and 
departed. 

Ver.  33,  34.  Al)rahain,  beinjrnnw  quiet- 
ly settled  at  Beershelia,  "  planted  a  grove, 
and  called  there  on  the  name  of  Jeiiovah, 
tiie  everlasting  God."  The  grove  might  be 
tor  the  shadowing  of  his  tent,  and  perhaps 
lor  a  place  of  worship.  Such  places  were 
afterwards  abused  to  idolatry  ;  oi ,  if  oth- 
erwise, they  became  unlawful  when  the 
temple  was  erected.  The  use  which 
Abraham  made  of  it  was  worthy  of  him. 
Such  was  his  common  practice  :  wherev- 
er he  pitched  his  tent,  there  he  reared  an 
altar  to  the  Lord.  A  lovely  example  this 
to  all  those  who  would  tread  in  the  steps 
of  the  faith  of  Aluaham.  It  docs  not  ap- 
pear, however,  that  this  was  a  common, 
but  rather  a  special  act  of  worship  ;  some- 
what like  that  of  Samuel,  when  he  set  up 
a  stone  between  Mizpch  and  Shen,  and 
called  it  Ebenezer,  saying,  "Hitherto  the 
Lord  hath  helj>ed  us."  There  are  periods 
in  life  in  which  we  are  led  to  review  the 
dispensations  of  God  towards  us,  w  ith  spe- 
cial gratitude  and  renewed  devotion.  In 
this  situation  Abraham  continued  "  many 
days;"  but  still  he  is  "a  sojourner,"  and 
such  he  must  continue  in  the  present  world. 


DISCOURSE  XXX. 

ABRAHAM  COMMANDED  TO  OFFER  UP  HIS 
SON     ISAAC. 

Gen.  xxii. 

When  Isaac  was  born,  Abraham  might 
be  apt  to  hope  that  his  trials  were  nearly 
at  an  end  :  but,  if  so,  he  was  greatly  mis- 
taken. It  is  not  enough  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  this  event,  he  is  called  to  give 
up  Ishmael  :  a  greater  trial  than  this  is  yet 
behind. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  these 
things,  that  God  did  tempt  Abraham." 
Many  temptations  had  assailed  him  from 
other  quarters,  out  of  which  God  had  de- 


*  See  on  chap:  xv.  10. 


livered  him  :  and  does  he  after  this  become 
his  tcmi)terl  As  "God  cannot  be  tempt- 
ed with  evil,  so  neither  (in  one  sense) 
tcmpteth  he  any  man."  But  he  sees  fit  to 
try  the  righteous  ;  and  very  frequently 
those  most  who  are  most  distinguished  by 
their  faith  and  spirituality.  So  great  a 
value  doth  the  Lord  set  upon  the  genuine 
exercises  of  grace  that  all  the  grandeur  of 
heaven  aiul  earth  is  overlooked,  in  com- 
parison of  "  a  poor  and  contrite  spirit, 
which  trembleth  at  his  word."  It  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  that  he  should  bring  his 
servants  into  situations  which,  though  try- 
ing to  them,  are  calculated  to  draw  forth 
these  pleasant  Iruits. 

In  discoursing  upon  this  temptation  of 
Abraham,  I  shall  deviate  from  my  usual 
practice  of  expounding  verse  by  verse  ; 
and  shall  notice  the  trial  itself — the  con- 
duct of  the  patriarch  nnder  it — the  reward 
conferred  upon  him — and  the  general  de- 
sign of  the  whole. 

First,  with  respect  to  the  trial  itself 
The  <me  of  it  is  worthy  of  notice.  The 
same  things  may  be  more  or  less  trying  as 
they  are  connected  with  other  things.  If 
the  treatment  of  Job's  friends  had  not  been 
preceded  by  the  loss  of  his  substance,  the 
untimely  death  of  his  children,  the  cruel 
counsel  of  his  wife,  and  the  heavy  hand  of 
God,  it  had  been  much  more  tolerable  : 
and,  if  Abraham's  faith  and  patience  had 
not  been  exercised  in  the  manner  they 
were  anterior  to  this  temptation,  it  might 
have  been  somewhat  different  from  what  it 
was.  It  is  also  a  much  greater  trial  to  be 
deprived  of  an  object  when  our  hopes 
have  been  raised,  and  in  a  manner  accom- 
plished, respecting  it,  than  to  have  it  alto- 
gether withheld  from  us.  The  spirits  of 
a  man  may  be  dejuessed  by  a  heavy  afflic- 
tion;  but  if  he  be  nearly  recovered,  and 
experiences  a  relapse,  if  again  he  recov- 
ers, and  again  relapses,  this  is  much  more 
depressing  than  if  no  such  hopes  had  been 
afforded  him.  "  Thou  hast  lilted  me  up," 
said  the  Psalmist,  "  and  cast  me  down  !  " 
Now  such  was  the  temptation  of  Abraham. 
It  was  "  after  these  things  "  that  God  did 
tempt  Abraham;  that  is,  after  five-and- 
twenty  years'  waiting;  after  the  promise 
liad  been  frequently  repeated  ;  after  hope 
had  been  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  :  yea, 
after  it  had  been  actually  turned  into  en- 
joyment; and  when  the  child  had  lived 
long  enough  to  discover  an  amiable  and 
godly  disposition. — Ver.  7. 

The  shock  ivhich  it  teas  adapted  to  pro- 
duce upon  his  natural  affections  is  also 
worthy  of  notice.  The  command  is  word- 
ed in  a  manner  as  if  it  were  designed  to 
harrow  up  all  his  feelings  as  a  father  : 
"Take  now  thy  sox,  thine  only  son 
(of  promise)— Isaac,  whom     thou  lov- 


788 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


EST  " — Or,  as  some  read  it,  "  Take  now 
that  son  ....  that  only  one  of  thine  .... 
whom  thou  lovest  ....  that  Isaac  " — and 
whaf!  Deliver  him  to  some  other  hand 
to  sacrifice  him  1  No  :  be  thou  thyself 
the  priest :  go,  "  offer  him  up  for  a  burnt- 
offering !  "  When  Ishmael  was  thirteen 
years  old,  Abraham  could  have  been  well 
contented  to  have  gone  without  another 
son  :  but  when  Isaac  was  born,  and  had 
for  a  number  of  years  been  entwining 
round  his  heart,  to  part  with  him  in  this 
manner  must,  we  should  think,  be  a  rend- 
ing stroke.  Add  to  this,  Isaac's  hav- 
ing to  carry  the  wood,  and  himself  the  fire 
and  the  knife  ;  but,  above  all,  the  cutting 
question  of  the  lad,  asked  in  the  simplicity 
of  his  heart,  without  knowing  that  he  him- 
self was  to  be  the  victim.  "  Behold  the 
fire  and  the  wood  ;  but  where  is  the  lamb 
for  a  burnt-offering" — This  would  seem  to 
be  more  than  human  nature  could  bear. 

But  the  shock  which  it  would  be  to  nat- 
ural affection  is  not  represented  as  the 
principal  part  of  the  trial ;  but  rather  what 
it  must  have  been  to  his  faith.  It  was  not 
so  much  his  being  his  soji,  as  his  only  son 
of  promise ;  his  Isaac,  in  whom  all  the 
great  things  spoken  of  his  seed  were  to  be 
fulfilled.  When  called  to  give  up  his  oth- 
er son,  God  condescended  to  give  him  a 
reason  for  it ;  but  here  no  reason  is  given. 
In  that  case,  though  Ishmael  must  go,  it  is 
because  he  is  not  the  child  of  promise  ; 
"for  in  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  cslled." 
But,  if  Isaac  go,  who  shall  be  a  substitute 
for  him  1 

Let  us  next  observe  the  conduct  of 
Abraham  under  this  sharp  trial.  In  gen- 
eral, we  see  no  opposition,  either  from  the 
struggles  of  natural  affection  or  those  of 
unbelief:  all  how  in  absolute  submission 
to  the  will  of  God.  We  may  depict  to 
ourselves  how  the  former  would  revolt, 
and  how  the  latter  would  rise  up  in  rebel- 
lion, and  what  a  number  of  plausible  ob- 
jections might  have  been  urged  ;  but  there 
is  not  a  single  appearance  of  either  in 
Abraham.  We  have  here,  then,  a  surpri- 
sing instance  of  the  efficacy  of  divine 
grace,  in  rendering  every  power,  passion, 
and  thought  of  the  mind  subordinate  to  the 
will  of  God.  There  is  a  wide  difference 
between  this  and  the  extinction  of  the  pas- 
sions. That  were  to  be  deprived  of  feel- 
ing ;  but  this  is  to  have  the  mind  assim- 
ilated to  the  mind  of  Christ,  who,  though 
he  felt  most  sensibly,  yet  said,  "  If  this 
cup  may  not  pass  from  me,  except  I  drink 
it,  thy  will  be  done  !  " 

No  sooner  had  the  father  of  the  faithful 
received  the  heavenly  mandate  than,  with- 
out further  delay,  he  prepares  for  the  jour- 
ney. Lot  lingered,  even  when  his  own 
deliverance  was  at  stake:  b,ut  Abraham 


"  rose  early  in  the  morning,''  in  prompt 
obedience  to  God.  He  had  to  go  three 
days'  journey  ere  he  reached  the  appoint- 
ed ^pot;  a  distance  perhaps  of  about  six- 
ty miles.  Sarah  seems  to  have  known 
nothing  of  it.  He  takes  only  two  young 
men  with  him  to  carry  what  was  necessa- 
ry ;  and,  on  his  arrival  within  sight  of  the 
place,  they  were  left  behind.  "Abide 
you  here,"  said  he,  "  with  the  ass,  and  I 
and  the  lad  will  go  yonder  and  worship, 
and  come  again  to  you."  This  would  in- 
timate that  he  wished  not  to  be  interrupted. 
In  hard  duties  and  severe  trials,  we  should 
consider  that  we  have  enough  to  struggle 
with  in  our  minds,  without  having  any  in- 
terruptions from  other  quarters.  Great 
trials  are  best  entered  upon  with  but  little 
company.  Such  was  the  precaution  taken 
by  our  Lord  himself.  It  is  admirable  to 
see  how,  in  this  trying  hour,  Abraham  pos- 
sessed his  soul.  He  lays  the  wood  upon 
his  son — takes  the  fire  and  the  knile — 
they  go  both  of  them  together — he  evades 
the  cutting  question  of  Isaac  so  as  to  pre- 
vent disclosure,  and  yet  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  excite  resignation  to  God — built  the 
altar — stretched  forth  his'hand — and  look 
the  knife  with  an  intention  to  slay  his  son  ! 

But  what  did  he  mean  by  telling  his  two 
servants  that  he  and  the  lad  would  come 
ag-fli?!  to  them  1  These  words,  compared 
with  those  of  the  apostles,  in  Hebrews  xi. 
17,  explain  the  whole  story.  They  show 
that  Abraham  from  the  first  believed  that 
the  lad  would  in  some  way  be  restored  to 
him,  because  God  had  said,  "In  Isaac 
shall  thy  seed  be  called."  He  expected 
no  other  than  that  he  should  have  to  slay 
him,  and  that  he  would  be  burnt  to  ashes  ; 
but,  if  so  it  were,  he  was  persuaded  that 
he  should  receive  him  again, — "Account- 
ing that  God  was  able  to  raise  him  up 
even  from  the  dead."  Such  was  the  victory 
of  faith. 

Take  notice,  in  the  next  place,  oi  the  re- 
icard  conferred  upon  him.  At  the  very 
moment  when  he  was  about  to  give  the 
fatal  stroke,  and  to  which  Isaac  seems  to 
have  made  no  resistance,  the  angel  of  the 
Lord,  who  visited  him  at  Mamre,  and  with 
whom  he  had  interceded  in  behalf  of  Sod- 
om, called  unto  him  to  forbear :  "  for 
now  I  know,"  saith  he,  "  that  thou  fearest 
God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son,  thine  only  son,  from  me."  The  Lord 
knew  the  heart  of  Abraham  before  he  had 
tried  him  ;  but  he  speaks  after  the  manner 
of  men.  It  is  by  a  holy  and  obedient  rev- 
erence of  the  divine  authority  that  faith  is 
made  manifest.  As  a  sinner,  Abraham 
was  justified  by  faith  only  :  but,  as  a  pro- 
fessing believer,  he  was  justified  by  the 
works  which  his  faith  produced.  This 
accounts^  I  apprehend,  for  what  is  said  by 


ABRAHAM    COMMANDED    TO    OFFER     UP     ISAAC. 


789 


Paul  on  the  former  of  these  subjects,  and 
by  James  on  the  latter.  They  both  allege 
the  exatnplc  of  Abraham  ;  l)ul  tlie  one 
respects  him  as  ungodly,  the  other  as  god- 
ly. In  the  former  instance  he  is  justified 
by  faith,  exclusive  of  works,  or  as  having 
reference  merely  to  the  promised  seed  ;  in 
the  latter  by  faitli  as  producing  works,  and 
thereby  proving  him  to  be  tlie  friend  of 
God. — Romans  iv.  3 — 5;  James  ii.  21 
—2-1. 

Abraham,  being  thus  agreeably  arrested 
in  his  design,  makes  a  pause,  and,  lifting 
up  his  eyes,  sees  "  a  ram  caught  in  a 
thicket  by  his  horns."  Him  he  takes,  as 
provided  of  God,  and  "offers  him  up  for 
a  burnt-offering  instead  of  his  son."  This 
extraordinary  deliverance  so  impressed  his 
mind  that  lie  called  the  name  of  the  place 
"  Jehovah-Jireh  ;  the  Lord  will  see,  or 
provide."  And  this  name  seems  to  have 
become  a  kind  of  proverb  in  Israel,  fur- 
nishing not  only  a  memorial  of  God's 
goodness  to  Abraham,  but  a  promise  that 
he  would  interpose  for  them  that  trust  in 
him  in  times  of  extremity.  To  all  tiiis, 
the  Lord  adds  a  repetition  of  the  promis- 
ed blessing.  The  angel  of  tiie  Lord,  who 
called  unto  him  before,  "  called  upon  him 
a  second  time,  saying,  By  myself  have  I 
sworn,  saith  (he  Lord  ;  for  because^thou 
has  done  this  thing,  and  has  not  withheld 
thy  son,  thine  only  son,  that  in  blessing  I 
will  bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will 
multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  the  hea- 
ven, and  as  tlie  sand  upon  the  sea  shore; 
and  ihy  seed  shall  possess  the  gate  of  his 
enemies  ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  nations 
of  the  earth  be  blessed,  because  thou  hast 
obeyed  my  voice."  Though  the  things 
here  promised  are  much  the  same  as  had 
been  promised  before  ;  yet  they  are  more 
than  a  mere  repetition.  The  terms  are 
stronger  than  had  ever  been  used  on  any 
former  occasion,  and,  as  such,  more  ex- 
pressive of  divine  complacency.  "  Bless- 
ing, I  will  bless  thee,"  &c.,  is  a  mode  of 
speaking  which  denotes,  I  will  greatly 
bless  thee. — ch.  iii.  16.  It  is  also  deliver- 
ed in  the  form  of  an  oath,  that  it  may  be 
a  ground  of  strong  consolation:  and  the 
same  things  which  were  promised  before 
are  now  promised  as  the  reward  of  this 
singular  instance  of  obedience,  to  express 
how  greatly  God  approved  of  it. 

A  few  remarks  on  the  general  design  of 
the  ichole  will  conclude  this  subject. 
Though  it  was  not  the  intention  of  God 
to  permit  Abraham  actually  to  offer  a  hu- 
man sacrifice,  yet  he  might  mean  to  assert 
his  own  right,  as  Lord  of  all,  to  require 
it,  as  well  as  to  manifest  the  implicit 
obedience  of  faith  in  the  conduct  of  his 
servant.     Such  an  assertion   of  his   right 


would  manifest  his  goodness  in  refusing  to 
exercise  it.  Hence,  when  children  were 
sacrificed  to  Moloch,  who  had  no  such 
right,  Jehovah  could  say  in  regard  of  him- 
self, "  It  is  what  /  commanded  not,  nor 
s[)ake  it,  neither  came  it  into  my  mind." 
God  never  accepted  but  one  human  sacri- 
fice ;  and  blood  in  lliat  case  was  not  shed 
at  his  command,  but  by  the  wicked  hands 
of  men.  It  is  necessary,  however,  that 
we  should  resign  our  lives,  and  every  thing 
we  have,  to  his  disposal.  We  cannot  be 
said  to  love  him  supremely  if  father,  or 
mother,  or  wile,  or  children,  or  our  own 
lives  be  preferred  before  him.  The  way 
to  enjoy  our  temi)oral  comforts  is  to  resign 
them  to  God.  When  we  have  in  this  man- 
ner given  them  up,  and  receive  them 
again  at  his  hand,  they  become  much 
sweeter,  and  are  accompanied  with  bles- 
sings of  greater  value. 

But  in  this  transaction  there  seems  to 
be  a  still  higher  design  ;  namely,  to  predict 
in  a  figure  the  great  substitute  which  God 
in  due  time  should  "see  and  provide." 
The  very  place  of  it,  called  "the  mount 
of  the  Lord,"  seems  to  have  been  marked 
out  as  the  scene  of  great  events  ;  and  of 
that  kind  too  in  which  a  substitutional 
sacrifice  was  offered  and  accepted.  Here 
it  was  that  David  offered  burnt-offerino-s, 
and  peace-offerings,  and  called  upon  the 
Lord  ;  and  he  answered  him  from  heaven 
by  fire  upon  the  altar  of  burnt-offerin"-, 
and  commanded  the  angel  of  death  to  put 
up  his  sword. — 1  Chron.  xxi.  26,  27.  It 
was  upon  the  same  mountain  that  Solomon 
was  afterwards  directed  to  build  the  tem- 
ple.— 2  Chron.  iii.  L  And,  if  it  were  not 
at  the  very  spot,  it  could  not  be  far  distant 
that  the  Saviour  of  the  world  was  cruci- 
fied.    Mount  Moriah  was  large  enough  to 

give  name  to  a  tract  of  land  about   it. 

ver.  2.  Mount  Calvary  therefore  was 
probably  a  smaller  mountain,  which  as- 
cended from  a  certain  part  of  it.  Hither 
then  was  led  God's  own  Son,  his  only  Son 
whom  he  loved,  and  in  whom  all  nations 
of  the  earth  were  to  be  blessed  ;  nor  was 
he  spared  at  the  awful  crisis  by  means  of 
a  substitute,  but  was  himself  freely  deliv- 
ered up  as  the  substitute  of  others.  One 
reason  of  the  high  approbation  which  God 
expressed  of  Abraham's  conduct  might  be 
its  affording  some  faint  likeness  of  what 
would  shortly  be  his  own. 

The  chapter  concludes  with  an  account 
of  Nahor's  family,  who  settled  at  Haran. 
Probably  this  had  not  been  given,  but  for 
the  connexion  which  it  had  with  the  church 
of  God.  From  them,  Isaac  and  Jacob 
took  them  wives  ;  and  it  is  as  preparatory 
to  those  events  that  the  genealogy  is  re- 
corded, 


790 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


DISCOURSE  XXXI. 

THE    DEATH    AND    BURIAL    OF      SARAH. 
Gen.  xxiii. 

We  have  no  such  account  of  the  death 
of  any  woman  before,  or  of  the  respect 
paid  to  her  memory,  as  is  here  given 
of  Sarah.  She  was  not  without  her  faults, 
and  who  is  1  But  she  was  upon  the  whole 
a  great  female  character.  As  such  her 
name  stands  recorded  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment among  the  worthies,  and  the  mem- 
ory of  her  was  more  than  usually  blessed. 

Ver.  1,  2.  Observe,  1.  The  ti7ne  other 
death.  She  was  younger  by  ten  years 
than  Abraham,  and  yet  died  thirty-eight 
years  before  him.  Human  life  is  a  sub- 
ject of  very  uncertain  calculation:  God 
often  takes  the  youngest  before  the  eldest. 
She  lived,  however,  thirty-seven  years 
after  the  birth  of  Isaac,  to  a  good  old  age, 
and  went  home  as  a  shock  of  corn  ripe  in 
its  season.  2.  The  place.  It  was  an- 
ciently called  Kirjath-Arba,  afterwards 
Hebron,  situated  in  the  plain  of  Mamre, 
where  Abraham  had  lived  more  than  twen- 
ty years  before  he  went  into  the  land  of 
the  Philistines,  and  whither  he  had  since 
returned. — See  p.  765.  Here  Sarah  died, 
and  here  Abraham  mourned  for  her.  We 
may  take  notice  of  the  forms  of  it.  He 
came  to  mourn  ;  that  is,  he  came  into  her 
tent  where  she  died,  and  looked  at  her 
dead  body ;  his  eye  aifected  his  heart. 
There  was  none  of  that  false  delicacy  of 
modern  times  which  shuns  to  see  or  attend 
the  burial  of  near  relations.  Let  him 
see  her,  and  let  him  weep  :  it  is  the  last 
tribute  of  affection  which  he  will  be  able 
in  that  manner  to  pay  her.  We  should  al- 
so notice  the  sincerity  of  it  :  he  wept. 
Many  affect  to  mourn  who  do  not  weep  ; 
but  Abraham  both  mourned  and  icept. 
Relio-ion  does  not  stop  the  course  of  na- 
ture,°though  it  moderates  it;  and,  by  in- 
spiri'na:  the  hope  of  a  blessed  resurrection, 
prevents  our  being  swallowed  up  of  over- 
much sorrow. 

Ver.  3,  4.  From  raaurnmg,  which  was 
commonly  accompanied  with  sitting  on  the 
o-round  fJob  i.  20,  ii.  13;  Lam.  i.  1),  Abra- 
ham at  length  "  stood  up  from  before  his 
dead,"  ancf  took  measures  to  bury  her.  It 
is  proper  to  indulge  in  weeping  for  a  time, 
but  there  is  a  time  for  it  to  abate  ;  and  it 
is  well  there  is.  The  necessary  cares  at- 
tendinff  life  are  often  a  merciful  means  of 
rousino-  the  mind  from  the  torpor  of  mel- 
ancholy. But  see  what  a  change  death 
makes.  Those  faces  which  once  excited 
strong  sensations  of  pleasure  require  now 
to  be  buried  "  out  of  our  sight."  In 
those  times,   and  long    afterwards,   they 


appear  to  have  had  no  public  burying- 
places ;  and  Abraham,  often  removing 
from  place  to  place,  and  not  knowing 
where  his  lot  might  be  cast  at  the  time, 
had  not  provided  one.  He  liad  therefore 
at  this  time  a  burying-place  to  seek.  As 
yet  he  had  none  inheritance  in  the  land, 
though  the  whole  was  given  him  in  prom- 
ise. We  see  him  here  pleading  for  a  grave 
as  "  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner."  This 
language  is  commented  upon  by  the  apos- 
tle to  the  Hebrews  :  "  They  confessed," 
says  he,  "  that  they  were  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  the  earth  ;  and  they  that  say 
such  things  declare  plainly  that  they  seek 
a  country."  Abraham  did  not  sustain 
this  character  alone,  nor  merely  on  ac- 
count of  his  having  no  inheritance  in  Ca- 
naan ;  for  Israel,  when  put  in  possession 
of  the  land,  were  taught  to  consider  it  as 
properly  the  Lord's,  and  themselves  as 
strangers  and  sojourners  ivith  him  in  it. — 
Lev.  XXV.  23.  Even  David,  who  was 
king  of  Israel,  made  the  same  confession. 
— Ps.  xxxix.  12. 

Ver.  5 — 16.  One  admires  to  observe 
the  courteous  behaviour  between  Abraham 
and  the  Canaanites  :  for  Heth  was  a  son 
of  Canaan.  On  his  part,  having  signified 
his  desire,  and  receiving  a  respectful  an- 
swer, he  "  bowed  himself  to  them;  "  and, 
when  he  had  fixed  upon  a  spot  in  his  mind, 
he  does  not  ask  it  of  tiie  owner,  but  re- 
quests them  to  entreat  him  on  his  behalf: 
expressing  also  his  desire  to  give  him  the 
full  value  of  it,  and  refusing  to  accept  it 
otherwise.  Nor  is  there  any  thing  want- 
ing on  their  part;  but  every  thing  appears 
generous  and  lovely.  Abraham  calls  him- 
self a  stranger  and  a  sojourner  ;  but  they 
call  him  "  a  mighty  prince  among  them  ;  " 
give  him  the  choice  of  their  sepulchres  ; 
offer  any  one  of  them  gratis  ;  and,  when 
he  insisted  on  ])aying  for  it,  mention  its 
value  in  the  most  delicate  manner,  inti- 
mating that  such  a  sum  was  as  nothing 
between  them.  Were  commerce  conduct- 
ed on  such  principles,  how  pleasant  would 
it  be !  How  dififerent  from  that  selfish 
spirit  described  by  Solomon,  and  still 
prevalent  among  men  :  "Naught,  naught, 
saith  the  buyer  :  but,  when  he  is  gone  his 
way,  then  he  boasteth  !  "  Civility,  cour- 
tesy, and  generosity,  adorn  religion.  The 
plainness  of  Christianity  is  not  a  rude  and 
insolent  one  :  it  stands  aloof  from  flattery, 
but  not  from  obliging  behavior.  Some 
who  are  very  courteous  to  strangers  are 
very  much  the  reverse  to  those  about  them ; 
but  Abraham's  behavior  to  his  neighbors 
is  no  less  respectful  tlian  it  was  to  the 
three  strangers  who  called  at  his  tent.  It 
is  painful  to  add,  however,  that  civility 
and  courtesy  may  be  where  there  is  no 
religion.       However    it     may    tend     to 


DEATH    OF    SARAH. 


791 


smooth  tlic  rugged  paths  of  life,  and  how- 
ever nuich  we  are  iiulel)tc(l  to  tlie  jnoxi- 
dence  of  God  for  it,  yet  this  alone  will 
not  avail  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Ver.  17 — "20.  Respecting  the  purchase 
of  this  sepulchre,  I  observe  it  was  an 
exercise  of  faith.  Jacob  and  Joseph  had 
certainly  an  eye  to  the  promise,  in  request- 
ing their  bones  to  be  carried  up  Irom 
Kgypt.  A  sepulchre  was  lilce  an  earnest, 
and  indicated  a  persuasion  of  future  pos- 
session.— Isa.  x\ii.  16.  It  would  tend 
also  to  endear  the  land  to  his  posterity. 
This  was  so  much  a  dictate  of  nature  that 
Nehemiah  could  urije  it  to  a  heathen  king, 
wliom  no  religious  considerations  would 
probably  have  influenced  (Neh.  ii.  3);  and, 
when  to  this  was  added  the  character  of 
those  who  shoidd  be  there  deposited,  it 
would  render  the  country  still  more  en- 
deared. Heatiicns  venerate  the  dust  of 
their  forefathers,  but  contemplate  it  with- 
out hope.  It  is  not  so  with  lielievers  : 
those  who  should  lie  in  this  sepulchre 
walked  w  ith  God  in  their  generations ; 
and,  liiough  dead,  yet  lii^cd  under  tiie 
promise  of  a  glorious  resurrection. 

Upon  the  whole,  it  is  natural  to  wish  to 
minirle  dust  v.itii  those  whom  we  love  : 
"  Where  thou  diest  there  will  I  l)e  buried." 
And  sometimes  with  those  whom  we  only 
respect :  "  When  I  am  dead,"  said  the  old 
prophet  of  Bethel  to  his  sons,  "  bury  me 
in  the  sepulchre  wherein  the  man  of  God 
is  buried,  and  lay  my  bones  beside  his 
bones."  But,  after  all,  the  chief  concern 
is  with  whom  we  shall  rise. 


DISCOURSE    XXXII. 

ABKAHAM      SENDING      HIS      SERVANT     TO 
OBTAIN    A    WIFE    FOR    ISAAC. 

Gen.  x.\iv. 

The  last  chapter  contained  a  funeral  ; 
this  gives  an  account  of  a  marriage.  Such 
are  the  changes  of  human  life  !  Let  not 
this  minute  narrative  seem  little  in  our 
eyes.  It  was  thought  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
to  be  of  more  importance  than  all  that  w  as 
at  that  time  going  on  among  the  great  na- 
tions of  antiquity.  It  is  highly  interesting 
to  trace  great  things  to  their  small  begin- 
nings ;  and  to  tliem  that  love  Zion  it  must 
be  pleasant  to  observe  the  minute  turns 
of  providence  in  respect  of  its  first  fa- 
thers. 

Ver.  1 — 9.  Abraham  being  now  an  old 
man,  and  having  lost  the  partner  of  his 
life,  feels  anxious  to  adjust  his  affairs, 
that  he  may  be  ready  ♦o  follow  her.  "  The 
Lord  had  blessed  him  in  all  things,"  and 


lie  had  doubtless  much  to  dispose  of:  but 
the  greatest  blessing  of  all  related  to  his 
seed,  and  this  occupies  his  chief  attention. 
Aware  that  character,  as  well  as  happi- 
ness, greatly  depended  on  a  suitable  con- 
nection, he  was  desirous  that  before  he 
died  he  might  discharge  this  part  of  the 
duty  of  a  father.  Calling  to  him  there- 
fore his  eldest  servant,  who  was  already 
steward  of  his  aflairs,  and  in  case  of  death 
must  have  been  his  trustee  in  behalf  of 
Isaac,  he  bound  him  in  a  solemn  oath  re- 
specting the  wile  that  he  should  take  to  him. 
We  are  not  here  told  the  servant's  name; 
but  by  the  account  which  is  given  of  him, 
compared  with  chap.  xv.  2,  it  is  not  un- 
likely ihat  it  was  Elie/or  of  Damascus. 

The  characters  of  men  are  not  so  easily 
ascertained  from  a  few  splendid  actions  as 
from  the  ordinary  course  of  life,  in  which 
their  real  dispositions  are  manifested.  In 
this  domestic  concern  of  Abraham  we  see 
several  of  the  most  prominent  features  of 
his  character.  L  His  decided  aversion  to 
idolatry.  "  I  will  make  thee  swear  by  Je- 
hovah, the  God  of  heaven,  and  the  God 
of  the  earth,  that  thou  wilt  not  take  a 
wife  unto  my  son  of  the  daughters  of  the 
Canaanites,  among  whom  I  clwell."  Had 
Abraham  then  contracted  a  prejudice 
against  his  neighbors  !  This  does  not 
appear  by  what  occurred  lietween  them  in 
the  last  chapter.  He  does  not  complain 
of  their  treatment  of  him,  but  of  their 
alienation  from  his  God.  He  lias  no  ob- 
jection to  an  exchange  of  civilities  with 
them ;  but  to  take  their  daughters  in 
marriage  was  the  sure  way  to  corrupt  his 
own  family.  The  great  design  of  God, 
in  giving  the  land  to  Abraham's  posterity, 
was  the  eventual  overthrow  of  idolatry, 
and  the  establishment  of  his  true  worship 
on  earth.  To  what  purpose  then  was  he 
called  from  among  Chaldean  idolaters,  if 
his  son  join  afTinity  w  ith  those  of  Canaan  1 
Such,  or  nearly  such,  were  the  sentiments 
which  dictated  the  address  to  his  servant. 
"  The  Lord  God  of  heaven,  tvho  took  me 
from  my  father's  house,  and  sware  unto 
me,  saying.  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this 
land,  he  shall  send  his  angel  before  thee." 
2.  His  godliness.  There  does  not  appear 
in  all  this  concern  the  least  taint  of  worldly 
policy,  or  any  of  those  motives  which 
usually  govern  men  in  the  settlement  of 
their  children.  No  mention  is  made  of 
riches,  or  honors,  or  natural  accomplish- 
ments ;  but  merely  of  what  related  to 
God.  Let  not  the  woman  be  a  daughter 
of  Canaan,  but  of  the  family  of  iS'ahor, 
who  had  forsaken  Chaldean  idolatry,  and 
with  Milcah  his  wife  settled  at  Haran, 
and  who  was  a  worshipper  of  the  true 
God.— Ch.  xxxi.  53.  3.  His  faith,  and 
obedience.     The  servant,  being  about  to 


792 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


bind  himself  by  oath,  is  tenderly  con- 
cerned lest  he  should  engage  in  more  than 
he  should  be  able  to  accomplish.  "  Per- 
adventure,"  saith  he,  "the  woman  will 
not  follow  me  into  this  land  ;  must  I  needs 
bring  thy  son  again  to  the  land  whence 
thou  camestV  No:  as  Isaac  must  not 
marry  a  daughter  of  Canaan,  neither  must 
he  leave  Canaan  to  humor  a  daughter  of 
Haran:  for,  though  Canaan's  daughters 
are  to  be  shunned,  yet  Canaan  itself  is  to 
be  chosen  as  tlie  Lord's  inheritance,  be- 
stowed on  the  promised  seed.  Nor  do 
these  supposed  difficulties  at  all  deter 
Abraham:  "  The  Lcn-d  God  of  heaven," 
saith  he,  "who  took  me  from  my  father's 
house,  and  from  the  land  of  my  kindred, 
and  who  spake  unto  me,  and  sware  unto 
me,  saying.  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this 
land,  HE  shall  send  his  angel  before  thee, 
and  thou  shait  take  a  wife  unto  my  son 
from  thence."  On  the  ground  of  this 
promise,  he  would  send  him  av/ay,  fully 
acquitting  him  of  his  oath,  if  the  party 
should  prove  unwilling;  only  charging 
him  not  to  bring  Isaac  to  Haran,  as  he 
had  before  charged  him  not  to  marry  him 
to  a  daughter  of  Canaan. 

Ver.  10 — 14.  Abraham's  servant  hav- 
ing, on  the  above  terms,  consented  to  take 
the  oath,  now  betakes  himself  to  his  jour- 
ney. No  time  seems  to  have  been  lost; 
for  his  heart  was  in  the  business.  He  did  not 
trouble  his  aged  master  in  things  of  infe- 
rior moment ;  but,  having  all  his  affairs 
entrusted  to  him,  adjusts  those  matters 
himself.  Taking  with  him  ten  camels, 
and  of  course  a  number  of  attendants, 
partly  for  accommodation,  and  partly,  we 
may  suppose,  to  give  a  just  idea  of  his 
master's  substance,  he  set  off  for  Mesopo- 
tamia, to  the  city  of  Nahor.  Nothing  re- 
markable occurs  by  the  way  :  but  arriving, 
on  a  summer's  evening,  at  the  outside  of 
the  city,  he  espies  a  well.  Here  he  causes 
his  camels  to  kneel  down  for  rest,  and 
with  a  design,  as  soon  as  opportunity  of- 
fered, to  furnish  them  with  drink.  Now 
it  was  customary  in  those  countries  for  the 
women,  at  the  time  of  the  evening,  to  go 
out  to  draw  water.  Of  this  Abraham's 
servant  is  aware.  And^having  placed  him- 
self and  his  camels  by  the  well,  in  a  wait- 
ing posture,  he  betakes  himself  to  prayer 
for  divine  direction.  Light  as  men  make 
of  such  concerns  in  common,  there  are 
few  things  of  greater  importance,  and  in 
which  there  is  greater  need  for  imploring 
the  guidance  and  blessing  of  Heaven.  Up- 
ot\  a  few  minute  turns  at  this  period  of 
life  inore  depends  than  can  possibly  be 
conceived  at  the  time.  Young  people  ! 
pause  a  moment,  and  consider  ....  Think 
of  the  counsel  of  God  ....  "In  all  thy 
ways   acknowledge    him,  and   he  shall  di- 


rect thy  paths."  That  which  is  done  for 
life,  and  which  may  involve  things  of  an- 
other life,  requires  to  be  done  well  ;  and 
nothing  can  be  done  well  in  which  the  will 
of  God  is  not  consulted,  and  his  bles- 
sing implored.  Let  us  each  pause  a  few 
minutes,  too,  and  notice  the  admirable 
prayer  of  Abraham's  servant.  Truly  he 
had  not  lived  with  Abraham  in  vain  !  Ob- 
serve, 1.  The  character  under  which  he 
addresses  the  Great  Supreme  :  "  Oh  Jeho- 
vah, God  of  my  master  Abraham."  He 
well  knew  that  Jehovah  had  entered  into 
covenant  with  Abraham,  and  had  given 
him  exceedingly  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises. By  approaching  him  as  a  God  in  cov- 
enant, he  would  find  matter  for  faith  to 
lay  hold  upon  ;  every  promise  to  Abraham 
would  thus  furnish  a  plea,  and  turn  to  a 
good  account.  Surely  this  may  direct  us, 
in  our  approaches  to  a  ihrone  of  grace,  to 
make  mention  of  a  greater  than  Abraham, 
with  whom  also  God  is  in  covenant,  and 
for  whose  sake  the  greatest  of  all  bles- 
sings may  be  expected.  The  God  and  Fa- 
ther of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  to  us  what 
the  God  of  Abraham  was  to  Eliezer,  and 
in  the  name  of  our  Redeemer  we  may 
pray  and  hope  for  every  thing  that  is  great 
and  good.  2.  The  limitation  of  the  pray- 
er to  the  pi'esent  time :  Send  me  good 
speed  this  day.  We  may  in  a  general 
way  ask  for  grace  for  our  whole  lives  ; 
but  our  duty  is  more  especially  to  seek 
direction  at  the  time  we  want  it.  Our 
Lord  teaches  us  to  pray  for  daily  bread  as 
the  day  occurs.  3.  The  sign  which  he 
presumed  to  ask  for;  that  the  damsel  to 
who-m  he  should  say  so  and  so,  and  who 
should  make  such  and  such  answers,  should 
be  the  person  whom  the  Lord  had  appointed 
for  his  servant  Isaac.  In  this  he  might  be 
under  extraordinary  influence,  and  his 
conduct  therefore  affords  no  example  to 
us.  The  sign  he  asked,  however,  was 
such  as  would  manifest  the  qualifications 
which  he  desired  and  expected  to  find  in 
a  companion  who  should  be  worthy  of  his 
master's  son  ;  namely,  industry,  courtesy, 
and  kindness  to  strangers.  4.  The  faith  in 
which  the  prayer  was  offered.  He  speaks 
all  along  under  a  full  persuasion  that  the 
providence  of  God  extended  to  the  mi- 
nutest events,  to  the  free  actions  of  crea 
tures,  and  even  to  their  behavior,  of 
which  at  the  time  they  are  scarcely  con- 
scious. His  words  are  also  full  of  hum- 
ble confidence  that  God  would  direct  him 
in  a  matter  of  so  much  consequence  to  his 
church  in  all  future  ages.  I  believe,  if  we 
were  to  search  the  Scriptures  through, 
and  select  all  the  prayers  that  God  has 
answered,  we  should  find  them  to  have 
been  the  prayers  of  faith. 
Ver.    15—28.     While  he  was  speaking 


ABRAHAMS    iEHVA.NT     SttKS    A     WIFK    KUK    IsAAC. 


793 


a  darasel,  with  a  pitcher  ujion  her  shoul- 
tler,  came  tovMirds  the  well.  By  her  a|)- 
pearance  he  is  possessed  of  the  iiiea  that 
she  is  the  person,  and  that  the  Lord  liath 
heard  liis  prayer.  He  said  nolhinir  to  lier 
till  she  had  gone  down  to  the  well,  and 
was  conic  up  again.  Then  he  ran  towards 
her,  and  addressed  her  in  the  words  which 
he  had  resolved  to  do,  entreating  permis- 
sion to  drink  a  little  water  of  her  pitcher. 
To  this  she  cheerfully  consented,  and  of- 
fered her  assistance  to  give  drink  also  to 
his  camels ;  all  exactly  in  the  manner 
which  he  had  prayed  for.  The  gentle- 
ness, cheerfulness,  assiduity,  and  courtesy 
manifested  towards  a  stranger,  of  whom 
she  at  present  could  have  no  knowledge,  is 
truly  admirable.  The  words  in  which  it 
is  described  are  picturesque  and  lively  to 
the  highest  degree.  We  need  only  read 
them  in  order  to  feel  ourselves  in  the  midst 
of  the  pleasing  scene.  "And  she  said, 
Drink,  my  lord  :  and  she  hasted,  and  let 
down  her  pitcher  upon  her  hand,  and  gave 
him  drink.  And,  w  hen  she  had  given  him 
drink,  she  said,  I  will  draw  for  thy  cam- 
els also,  until  they  have  done  drinking. 
And  she  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher 
into  the  trough,  and  ran  again  unto  the 
well  to  draw,  and  drew  i'or  all  his  camels." 
This  conduct,  in  itself  so  amiable,  and  so 
exactly  in  unison  with  the  previous  wish- 
es of  the  man,  struck  him  with  a  kind  of 
amazement,  accompanied  with  a  momen- 
tary hesitation  whether  all  could  be  true. 
"  Wondering  at  her,  he  held  his  peace,  to 
wit,  whether  the  Lord  had  made  his  jour- 
ney prosperous  or  not."  We  pray  for 
blessings,  and,  when  our  prayers  are  an- 
swered, we  can  scarcely  believe  them  to 
be  so.  There  are  cases  in  which  the  mind, 
like  the  eye  by  a  great  and  sudden  influx 
of  light,  is  overpowered.  Thus  Zion, 
thought  importunate  in  prayer  for  great 
conversions,  yet,  when  they  come,  is 
described  as  being  in  a  manner  confound- 
ed with  them  :  "  Thine  heart  shall  fear, 
and  be  enlarged — thou  shalt  say  in  thine 
heart.  Who  hath  begotten  me  these  1" 
Recovering  from  his  astonishment,  and 
being  satisfied  that  the  Lord  had  indeed 
heard  his  prayer,  he  opens  his  treasures, 
and  presents  the  damsel  with  certain  east- 
ern ornaments,  which  he  had  provided  for 
the  purpose;  inquiring  at  the  same  time 
after  her  kindred,  and  whether  they  had 
room  to  lodge  him.  Being  told,  in  answer, 
that  she  was  "the  daughter  of  Belhncl, 
the  son  of  Nahor  and  Milcah,"  and  that 
they  had  plenty  of  accommodation  for  him 
and  his  company,  his  heart  is  so  full  that 
he  cannot  contain  himselt,  but  even  in  the 
presence  of  Reliecca,  and  perhaps  of  tlie 
men  who  were  with  him,  "bowed  down 
his  head  and  worshipped,  saying.  Blessed 
VOL.    I.  100 


be  Jehovah,  God  of  my  master  Abra- 
ham, who  hath  not  It-It  destitute  my 
master  ot  his  mercy  and  his  truth:  I  be- 
ing in  the  way,  Jehovah  led  me  to  the 
house  ol  my  master's  Irotherl  "  We  see 
here  not  only  a  grateful  mind,  equally  dis- 
posed to  give  thanks  for  mercy  as  to  pray 
for  it,  but  a  delicate  and  impressive  man- 
ner of  communicating  to  Rebecca  a  few 
particulars  which  he  wished  her  to  know. 
His  words  were  addressed  to  the  Lord ; 
but,  being  spoken  in  her  hearing,  she  would 
perceive  by  them  who  he  was,  whence  he 
came,  and' that  the  hand  of  the  God  of 
Abraham  was  in  the  visit,  whatever  was 
the  object  of  it.  Full  of  joyful  surprise, 
she  runs  home,  with  the  bracelets  upon 
her  hands,  and  tells  the  family  of  what 
had  passed.  But  here  I  must  break  off 
for  the  present,  and  leave  the  conclusion 
of  this  interesting  story  to  another  dis- 
course. 


DISCOURSE  XXXIIL 

ABRAHAM  SENDING  HIS  SERVANT  TO 
OBTAIN  A  WIFE  FOR  ISAAC. — (CONTIN- 
UED). 

Gen.  xxiv.  29—67. 

Ver.  29 — 3L  As  yet,  no  one  suspects 
the  object  of  the  visit;  but  all  hearts 
are  full,  and  there  is  much  running  hither 
and  thither.  No  mention  is  made  at  pres- 
ent of  Bethuel,  or  of  Milcah  ;  they  were 
aged  people,  and  the  affairs  of  the  family 
seem  priinipally  to  have  devolved  on  its 
younger  branches.  Laban  appears  to  have 
taken  a  very  active  part  in  this  business. 
Hearing  his  sister's  talc,  and  seeing  the 
ornaments  upon  her  hands,  he  is  all  alive, 
and  runs  towards  the  well,  to  welcome 
the  man  into  his  house.  By  the  account 
w  hich  is  afterwards  given  of  Laban,  it  is 
perhaps  more  than  probable  that  these 
golden  ornaments  had  great  influence  on 
what  would  otherwise  appear  a  very  gen- 
erous behavior.  His  whole  history  shows 
him  to  have  been  a  mercenary  man  ;  and 
we  frequently  see  in  such  characters  the 
truth  of  Solomon's  remarks:  "A  man's 
gift  maketh  room  for  him.— It  is  as  a 
precious  stone  in  the  eyes  of  him  that 
hath  it:  whithersoever  it  turneth,  it  pros- 
pereth."  If  a  man  be  in  straits,  he  is 
coldly  treated  ;  but,  if  once  he  begin  to 
rise  in  the  world,  he  becomes  another 
man,  and  his  company  and  acquaintance 
are  courted.  Such  is  the  spirit  of  this 
world.  But,  whatever  were  Laban's  mo- 
tives, he  carried  it  very  kindly  to  Abra- 
ham's servant.     Finding  him  at  the  well, 


794 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESi; 


modestly  waiting  for  a  farther  invitation 
from  some  of  the  heads  of  the  family,  he 
accosted  him  in  language  that  would  have 
befitted  the  lips  of  a  much  better  man  : 
"  Come  in,  thou  blessed  of  the  Lord  : 
wherefore  standest  thou  without  1  For  I 
have  prepared  the  house,  and  room  for  the 
camels."  It  becomes  us  to  bless  and  wel- 
come those  whom  the  Lord  hath  blessed  ; 
nor  must  we  confine  it  to  those  whom  he 
hath  blessed  with  outward  prosperity  :  a 
Christian  spirit  is  in  the  sight  of  God  of 
great  price,  and  ought  to  be  so  in  ours. 

Ver.  32,  33.  On  this  becoming  invita- 
tion, the  man  goes  into  the  house ;  and 
we  see  Laban  very  attentive.  First,  he 
ungirds  the  poor  beasts  which  had  borne 
the  burdens,  and  furnishes  them  with 
provender ;  then  he  provides  water  for  the 
man,  and  those  who  were  with  him,  to 
wash  their  feet;  and,  after  this,  sets  meat 
before  him.  All  this  is  proper.  But  the 
good  man's  heart  is  full,  and  he  cannot 
eat  till  he  has  told  his  errand.  Such  are 
the  feelings  of  a  servant  of  God  whose 
heart  is  in  his  work.  Where  this  is  the 
case,  personal  indulgence  will  give  place 
to  things  of  greater  importance.  "1  will 
not  give  sleep  to  mine  eyes,"  said  David, 
"nor  slumber  to  mine  eye-lids,  till  I  find 
out  a  place  for  Jehovah,  a  habitation  for 
the  mighty  God  of  Jacob."  While  the 
woman  of  Samaria  was  gone  to  tell  her 
neighbors  of  the  man  who  had  told  her  all 
things  that  ever  she  did,  his  disciples, 
knowing  how  weary  and  faint  he  must 
have  been,  "prayed  him  to  eat."  But, 
seeing  the  Samaritans  flocking  down  the 
hill  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  he  answered, 
"  I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of. 
— My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that 
sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work.  Say  ye 
not,  There  are  yet  four  months,  and  then 
Cometh  harvest"?  Behold — lift  up  your 
eyes,  and  look  on  (yonder  companies) — 
the  fields  are  white  already  to  harvest !  " 
Ver.  34,  35.  Being  requested  to  tell 
his  tale,  the  servant  begins  by  informing 
them  who  he  is.  His  prayer  to  "  the  God 
of  his  master  Abraham,"  in  the  hearing 
of  Rebecca,  might  possibly  have  super- 
seded the  necessity  of  this  part  of  his 
statement,  but,  lest  it  should  not,  he  tells 
them  expressly,  "  I  am  Abraham's  ser- 
vant." He  was  an  upright  man,  and 
upright  men  do  not  conceal  "who  they  are. 
He  was  also  an  humble  man,  and  humble 
men  are  not  ashamed  to  own  their  situa- 
tion in  life,  though  it  he  that  of  a  servant. 
A  vain  man  might  have  talked  about  him- 
self, and  that  he  was  the  first  servant  of 
the  house,  the  steward  that  ruled  over  all 
that  Abraham  had,  and  that  all  his  mas- 
ter's goods  were  in  his  hand. — Esther  v. 
11,  12.     But  not  a  word  of  this  is  heard  ; 


for  his  heart  was  set  on  his  errand.  Me 
has  no  objection,  however,  to  tell  of  the 
glory  of  his  master;  for  this  would  tend 
to  promote  the  object.  Nor  does  he  fail 
to  acknowledge  the  hand  of  God  in  it  : 
"The  Lord  hath  blessed  my  master  great- 
ly." And,  if  they  were  worthy  to  be 
connected  with  Abraham,  this  would  tend 
farther  to  promote  the  object  ;  yea,  more 
than  all  the  riches  and  glory  of  Abraham 
without  it. 

Ver.  36.  And  now  for  the  first  time 
he  makes  mention  of  Isaac.  A  messen- 
ger less  ingenuous  might  have  given  a  hint 
of  this  kind  to  the  damsel,  when  he  pre- 
sented her  with  the  "ear-ring  and  brace- 
lets :  "  but  so  did  not  Abraham's  servant. 
Not  an  intimation  of  the  kind  is  given  till 
he  is  before  her  parents.  In  their  pres- 
ence, and  that  of  the  whole  family,  he 
frankly  makes  mention  of  his  master's 
son  ;  and  as  his  object  was  to  recommend 
him  to  their  esteem,  and  to  prepossess 
Rebecca  in  his  favor,  it  is  admirable  to 
see  how  he  accomplishes  his  end.  All  is 
in  the  form  of  a  simple  narrative;  yet 
every  moving  consideration  is  worked  into 
it  tiiat  the  subject  will  admit.  In  only 
this  single  verse  we  observe  four  circum- 
stances touched  upon,  each  of  which  would 
have  a  powerful  effect — He  was  the  son 
of  the  highly  honored  Abraham — by  the 
much-loved  Sarah — in  their  old  age — (of 
course  he  himself  must  be  young) — and 
was  made  heir  of  all  his  father's  sub- 
stance. 

Ver.  37,  3S.  Hence  he  proceeds  to  a 
still  more  explicit  mention  of  the  object 
of  his  journey,  mixing  with  it  such  grounds 
or  reasons  as  must  ingratiate  both  his 
master  and  his  master's  son  in  their  es- 
teem, and  so  tend  to  accomplish  his  de- 
sign. He  informs  them  that  Abraham 
was  utterly  averse  from  his  son's  being 
united  with  a  daughter  of  Canaan;  so 
much  so  that  he  even  made  him  solemnly 
swear  upon  the  subject.  The  family  at 
Haran  might  possibly  have  thought  that 
ere  now  Abraham  had  forgotten  his  old 
friends,  and  formed  new  connections  :  but 
they  would  perceive  by  this  that  he  had 
not.  There  is  a  charming  delicacy  in  his 
introducing  the  subject  of  marriage.  He 
speaks  of  "  a  wife  being  taken  "  for  his 
master's  son;  but  first  mentions  it  in  ref- 
erence to  the  daughters  of  Canaan,  whom 
he  must  not  take,  before  he  suggests  any 
thing  of  the  person  he  wished  to  take; 
thus  giving  them  to  infer  what  was  coming 
ere  he  expressed  it.  And  now,  having 
intimated  the  family  whom  his  master 
preferred,  he  represents  him  as  speaking 
of  them  in  the  most  affectionate  language  : 
"My  father's  house,  my  kindred." 

Ver.    39—41.    Next    he    repeats  what 


Abraham's  servant  seeks  a  wife   for  isaac. 


795 


passed  between  his  master  and  himself,  as  their  words,  he  bowed  himself  to  the 
to  the  supposed  willingness  or  unwilling-  earth,  and  worshipped  God!  How  sweet 
ness  of  the  party;  and  here  also  we  see  would  all  our  temporal  concerns  be  ren- 
much  that  will  turn  to  account.  In  express-  dered,  if  they  were  thus  intermingled  with 
ing  Abraham's  persuasion  intheatVair,  he    godliness! 

appeals  to  their  piety.  It  was  saying,  inef-  Ver.  53.  The  main  things  being  settled, 
feet.  The  hand  of  God  was  in  it  ;  and  this  he,  according  to  the  customs  uf  those 
with  goilly  minds  would  be  sure  to  weigh,  times,  presents  the  bride  elect  with  "jew- 
Indeed  it  did  weigh  ;  for,  when  required  to  els  of  silver,  jewels  of  gold,  and  rai- 
give  an  answer,  it  was  this  :  "  The  thing  ment"  suited  to  the  occasion  ;  and,  farther 
proceedeth  from  the  Lord."  Religion,  thus  to  conciliate  the  esteem  of  the  family, 
mingled  with  natural  affection,  sanctifies  it,  "he  gave  also  to  her  brother,  and  to  her 
and  renders  sweetness  itself  more  sweet  mother,  j)recious  things."  Presents, 
In  repeating  also  the  words  of  Abraham,  when  given  from  sincere  affection,  are 
Thou  shall  take  a  wife  for  my  son  very  jiroper,  and  productive  of  good  ef- 
"of  my  kindred,  and  of  my  father's  fects.  It  is  by  a  mutual  interchange  of 
house,"  he  touches  and  retouches  the  kind  offices  that  love  is  often  kindled,  and 
strings  of  fraternal  love.  And  in  that  always  kept  alive.  Our  Saviour  accepted 
he  intimates  that  his  master  had  laid  the  presents  which  were  offered  him,  not 
nothing  more  upon  him  than  to  tell  his  only  of  food,  but  raiment,  and  even  the 
tale,  and  leave  the  issue  to  the  Lord,  he  anointing  of  his  feet.  Where  love  exists, 
gives  them  to  understand  that  whether  it  is  natural  and  grateful  to  express  it  in 
they  were  willing  or  unwilling  he    should    acts  of  kindness. 

be  clear  of  his  oath.     In  this,  and  several        Ver.  54 — 58.     The  good  man  would  not 
other   parts    of  this  pleasant    story,   our    eat  till  he   had  old  his  errand  :   but,   now 
thoughts  must  needs  run  to   the    work   of  that    his   work  is  done,  he  and  the  men 
Christ's   servants,    in  espousing   souls    to    who  were  with  him  both  eat  and    drink: 
him.   They  may  be  clear  of  the  blood  of  all    and  doubtless  it  would  add  to  the  enjoy- 
men,  though  sinners    may  be    unwilling  :    ment  of  their  meal  to  know  that  the  Lord 
and  it  is  their  duty  to  tell  them   so;    that    had    made   their    way  prosperous.      The 
while,  on  the  one  hand,  they  allure    them    next    morning,  having   accomplished    his 
by  exhibiting  the   glory    of  their    Master,    object,  the    diligent    and  faithful   servant 
they  may,  on  the  other,  convince  tliem  that    wants  to  be    yoing.       To    this    proposal 
their  message  is  not    to    be    trifled  with,    however,   though   honorable   to  him  as    a 
Both  are  means  appointed  of  God  to  bring   servant,  the   mother  and  the  brother   ob- 
them  to  Christ ;  and,  if  the  Lord  be  with  ject ;  pleading  for  a  few  days,  ten  at  least, 
them  in  their  work,  such  will  be  the  effect,   ere  they  parted  ;  nor  does  their  objection 
Ver.   42 — 49.   The  repeating  of  the   in-    seem  to  be  unreasonable.    Though  willing 
terview  with  Rebecca  at  the  well  was    all    upon  the  whole  that   she  should  go,  yet 
admirably  in  point,  and  of  a  tendency    to    parting  is  trying    work,  especially   when 
bring  the  tnatler  to  a  crisis. — I    came   to    they    considered   that    they   might  never 
the  well — I  called  on  the  God  of  my  mas-   see  her  more  in   this  world,    as  in   truth 
ter  Abraham — I  asked  for  a  sign — a  sign    they    never    did.        The    man,  however, 
was  given    me — every   thing  answered   to    knows  not   how  to  consent  to  it;   but  en- 
my  prayer — judge  ye — let  Rebecca  judge    treats  that  he  might  not  be  hindered,  see- 
— whether  the  hand  of  the  Lord  be  not  in   ing    the    Lord    had  prospered    his  way. 
hi — "And  now,   if  ye    will  deal   kindly    Whether    we  consider  him  as  too  pressing 
and  truly  with  my  master,  tell  me,  and  if  in  this  case,  or  not,  we  may  lay  it  down 
not,  tell  me  ;  that  I  may  turn  to  the  right    as  a  general  rule  never  to  hinder    those 
hand,  or  to  the  left."  who  are   engaged  in  a  right  way,  and  who 

Ver.   50 — 52.   With  this  sim])le  but  in-    have   received  manifest    tokens  that  God 
teresting  account,    the    whole    family    is    hath  blessed  them  in  it.     The  case  being 
overcome:      one     sentiment  bows    every   somev.  hat  difficult,  and  neither  of  the  par- 
mind.     Rebecca    says    nothing  ;    but  her   ties  disposed  to  disoblige  the  other,  they 
heart  is  full.     It  is  an  affair  in  which  little   consent  to  leave  it  to  the  damsel  herself, 
or  nothing  seems  left  for  creatures  to  de-   A  few  days  to  take  leave  of  her  friends 
cide.       "The    thing,"    say  they,    "pro-   could   not,  we    may  suppose,    have  been 
ceedeth  from  the  Lord  :  we  cannot  speak   disagreeable   to   her;  but   seeing,    as  she 
unto  thee  good  or  bad.     Bdiold,  Rebecca   did,   so  much  of   God    in  the  affair,  and 
is  before  thee;  take  her,  and  go,  and  let    the    man's  heart  so  deeply   set  upon  it; 
her  be  thy  master's  son's  wife,  as  the  Lord   feeling  also  her  own  heart  entirely  in  it, 
hath  spoken  !  "     Such  was  the  happy  re-   she  would  not  so  much    as  seem  to  make 
suit  of  this  truly  religious  courtship;  and  light  of  it,  oi   hinder  it  even  for  an  hour; 
the  good  man,  who  saw  God  in  all  things,   but,  far  from  all  affectation  answered,    "I 
still  keeps    up    his    character.     Hearing  will  go." 


796 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


Ver.  59,  60.  And  now  preparation  is 
made  for  her  departure.  Before  site  goes 
she  must  be  provided  with  "a  nurse." 
Rebecca's  having  been  employed  in  draw- 
ing water,  we  see,  was  no  proof  of  the 
poverty  of  her  parents,  but  rather  of  the 
simplicity  of  the  times.  Daughters  were 
not  yet  taught  to  be  so  delicate  as  scarcely 
to  "adventure  to  set  the  sole  of  their 
foot  upon  the  ground."  But,  now  that 
she  is  going  to  leave  her  family,  it  is  de- 
sirable that  she  should  have  one  of  its  do- 
mestics, who  had  probably  been  brought 
up  with  her  from  her  childhood,  v,ho  in 
times  of  affliction  would  kindly  wait  on 
her,  and  at  all  times  be  a  friend  and  com- 
panion. The  name  of  this  nurse  was 
Deborah.  We  hear  no  more  of  her  till 
we  are  told  of  her  death.  She  appears 
to  have  survived  her  mistress,  and  to  have 
died  in  the  family  of  Jacob,  much  lament- 
ed.— ch.  XXXV.  8.  •  To  an  affectionate 
nurse,  they  added  a  parting  iilessing. 
The  language  used  in  it  shows  that  Abra- 
ham's servant  had  told  them  of  the  prom- 
ises which  God  had  made  to  his  master, 
and  which  v.'ere  to  be  fulfilled  in  Isaac 
and  his  posterity.  They  speak  as  believing 
the  truth  of  them,  and  as  having  their 
hearts  full  of  hope  and  joy,  amidst  the 
natural  sorrow  which  must  have  attended 
the  parting  scene.  "  They  blessed  Re- 
becca, and  said  unto  her.  Thou  art  our 
sister ;  be  thou  the  mother  of  thousands 
of  millions,  and  let  thy  seed  possess  the 
gate  of  those  that  hate  them!" 

Ver.  61 — 63.  Taking  leave  of  Haran, 
they  go  on  their  way  towards  Canaan. 
A  little  before  their  arrival  at  Hebron, 
they  are  unexpectedly  met  by  a  person 
who  was  taking  an  evening  walk.  This 
was  no  other  than  Isaac.  It  may  be 
thought  that  he  was  looking  out  in  hope 
of  meeting  them  ;  but  we  are  expressly 
told  that  his  walk  was  for  another  pur- 
purpose,  namely,  to  "  meditate."  It  is  a 
Avord  which  is  sometimes  used  iov  prayer, 
and  hence  it  is  so  rendered  in  the  margin 
of  our  bibles.  He  was  a  man  of  reflec- 
tion and  prayer;  and,  in  the  cool  of  the 
evening,  it  might  be  common  for  him 
to  retire  an  hour  to  converse,  as  we  should 
say,  with  himself  and  with  his  God. 
Admitting  that  the  thought  might  occur, 
— I  may  possibly  see  my  father's  servant 
on  his  return — still  his  object  would  be, 
on  such  an  important  turn  in  his  life,  to 
commit  the  matter  to  God.  Those  bless- 
ings are  likely  to  prove  substantial  and 
durable  which  are  given  us  in  answer  to 
prayer. 

Ver.  64,  65.  R'^becca,  bavins;  espied  a 
stranger  approaching  towards  them,  in- 
quires of  her  guide  whether  he  knew 
him;  and,  being  told  that  it  was  no  other 


than  his  young  "  master,"  she  modestly 
alighted  from  the  camel,  and  took  a  veil 
and  covered  herself.  This  eastern  head- 
dress might  in  the  present  instance  answer 
a  doulle  purpose  :  First,  it  would  ex- 
press her  subjection  to  her  husband,  as 
being  already  his  espoused  wife.  Second- 
ly, it  would  prevent  that  confusion  which 
the  exposure  of  her  person,  especially  in 
so  sudden  and  unexpected  a  manner,  must 
have  occasioned. 

Ver.  66,  67.  Isaac,  observing  her  to 
have  put  on  her  veil,  very  properly  avoids 
addressing  himself  to  her;  but,  walking 
awhile  with  the  servant  by  himself,  heard 
the  whole  narrative  of  his  journey,  which 
appears  to  have  wrought  on  his  mind  as 
the  former  had  wrought  on  that  of  Re- 
becca. And  now  the  marriage  is  consum- 
mated. "  Isaac  brought  her  into  his 
mfcther  Sarah's  tent,  and  took  Rebecca, 
and  she  became  his  wife,  and  he  loved 
her:  and  Isaac  was  comforted  alter  his 
mother's  death."  In  this  tender  manner 
is  the  admirable  story  closed.  Who  can 
forbear  wishing  them  all  happiness  1  The 
union  of  filial  and  conjugal  affection  is 
not  the  least  honorable  trait  in  llie  char- 
acter of  this  amiable  man.  "  He  brought 
her  into  his  mother  Sarah's  tent ;"  and 
was  then,  and  not  till  then,  comforted  lor 
the  loss  of  her.  Dutiful  sons  promise  fair 
to  be  affectionate  husbands  :  he  that  fills 
up  the  first  station  in  life  with  honor  is 
thereby  prepared  for  those  that  follow. 
God,  in  mercy,  sets  a  day  of  prosperity 
over  against  a  day  of  adversity.  Now  he 
woundelh  our  spirits  liy  dissolving  one 
tender  union,  and  now  bindeth  up  our 
wounds  by  cementing  another. 


DISCOURSE    XXXIV. 

Abraham's  marriage  with  keturah, 

AND      death. ISHMAEL's      POSTERITY 

AND    death. THE    BIRTH    AND  CHAR- 
ACTER'S   OF    ESAU    AND    JACOB. 

Gen.  XXV. 

This  chapter  gives  an  account  of  sev- 
eral changes  in  the  families  of  Abraham, 
Ishmael,  and  Isaac.  In  each  the  sacred 
writer  keeps  his  eye  on  the  fulfilment  of 
the  great  promise  to  the  father  of  the 
faithful. 

Ver.  1 — 6.  The  marriage  of  Abraham 
to  Keturah  is  an  event  which  we  should 
not  have  expected.  From  the  last  ac- 
count we  had  of  him,  charging  his  servant 
respecting  the  marriage  of  his  son  Isaac, 
we  were  prepared  to  look  for  his  being 
buried    rather   than    married.      I   do   not 


ABRAHAM  S  DEATH  AND  BURIAL. 


797 


know  that  it  was  a  sin  ;  hut  it  is  easy  to 
sec  ill  it  more  of  man  than  ol  God.  No 
reason  is  trivon  lbi-  it  ;  no  marks  oi  divine 
approiiation  iittciul  it  ;  tivc-and-thirty  years 
pass  over  willi  little  more  tlian  recordiiiif 
the  names  of  his  children,  and  that  not 
from  any  respect  to  the  connection,  hut 
to  show  the  iiillilment  of  the  divine  i)rom- 
ise  of  mi:lti|)Iyinjr  his  seed.  Durinjj  this 
last  jicriod  of  his  lite  we  see  nothinir  of 
that  extraordinnry  strength  of  taith  hy 
which  he  was  formerly  distinguished  ;  hut, 
like  Sampson  when  lie  had  lost  his  hair, 
he  is  liecome  weak  like  another  man. 
While  the  promise  oi  Isaac  was  pending, 
and  while  Ai)raham  was  employed  in 
promoting  that  great  object ,  the  cloud  of 
glory  accompanies  all  his  movements  :  hut 
this  being  accomplished,  and  his  miiul  di- 
verted to  something  else,  the  cloud  now 
rests  upon  Isaac  ;  and  he  must  walk  the 
remainder  of  his  way  in  a  manner  with- 
out it. 

Who  Keturah  was  wc  are  not  told  : 
prol  a!  ly  she  was  one  of  his  family.  She 
and  Hairar  are  called  concubines.  This 
does  not  mean,  however,  that  they  were 
not  his  lawful  wives,  hut  that  they  occu- 
pied a  less  honoral  le  station  than  Sarah, 
who  was  a  fellow  heir  with  him  in  prom- 
ise. Keturah  hare  Abraham  six  sons, 
ajiiong  whose  descendants  were  preserved, 
in  some  measMre,  the  knowledge  and  (ear 
of  the  true  God.  From  one  of  them, 
namely  Midian,  descended  Jelhro,  the 
father-in-law  of  Moses  ;  and  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  Job  and  his  (riends  had  the 
same  general  origin. 

We  have  seen  how  the  last  thirty-five 
years  of  Abraham's  life  fall  short  ol  what 
it  was  in  Ibrnier  periods  :  it  is  pleasant, 
however,  to  observe  that  his  sun  does  not 
set  in  a  cloud.  There  are  several  circum- 
stances which  shed  a  lustre  upon  his  end. 
Among  others,  his  regard  for  Isaac,  con- 
stituting him  his  heir,  and  settling  his  oth- 
er sons  at  a  sufficient  distance  from  him, 
shows  that  his  heart  was  still  with  God's 
heart,  or  that  he  whom  the  Lord  had  cho- 
sen was  the  object  to  whom  his  thoughts 
were  chiefly  directed.  He  was  not  want- 
ing in  paternal  goodness  to  any  of  his 
children.  Though  Ishmael  was /;ent  away, 
and  as  it  should  seem  by  th€  other  parts 
of  the  history  with  nothing,  yet  it  is  here 
plainly  intimated  that  his  iMher  gavp  gifts 
to  him,  as  well  as  to  the  sons  of  Keturah. 
Probably  he  visited  and  provided  for  him 
in  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  and  gave  him 
a  portion  when  he  married.  But,  God's 
covenant  being  established  with  Isaac,  his 
settlement  in  Canaan  is  that  to  which  all 
the  others  are  rendered  sul»servient.  AH 
this  shows  that  his  faith  did  not  fail  ;  that 
he  never  lost  sight  of  the  promise  in  which 


he  had  believed  for  justification  ;  hut  that 
as  he  had  lived  so  he  died. 

Ver.  7 — 10.  Let  us  notice  the  death 
and  burial  of  this  great  and  good  man. 
His  death  is  expressed  by  a  common  but 
impressive  scriptural  phrase — "  he  gave 
u|t  the  ghost  :"  and  his  i)urial  by  another 
— "  he  was  gathered  to  his  people."  The 
one  is  the  parting  of  body  and  soul:  the 
other  the  mingling  of  our  dust  with  that 
of  our  kindred  who  have  gone  before  us. 
Even  in  the  grave,  it  is  natural  to  wish  to 
associate  with  those  whom  we  have  known 
and  loved  on  earth  ;  and  still  more  in  the 
world  to  come.  When  all  the  sons  of 
Adam  shall  be  assigned  their  portion,  each 
in  a  sense  will  be  gathered  to  his  people  ! 
The  inscription  on  his  tomb,  i(  1  may  so 
call  it,  was,  "  He  died  in  a  good  old  age." 
On  this  I  have  two  remarks  to  ofler.  1. 
It  was  according  to  promise.  Upwards  of 
fourscore  years  before  this,  the  Lord  told 
Abraham  in  vision,  saying,  "  Thou  shalt 
go  to  th)  lathers  in  peace  :  thou  shalt  le 
buried  in  a  good  old  age."  In  every  thing, 
even  in  death,  the  promises  are  luKilled 
to  Abraham. — 2  It  is  language  that  is 
never  used  of  wicked  men,  and  not  very 
commonly  of  good  men.  It  is  used  of 
Gideon  and  David  (Judges  viii.  32;  1 
Chron.  xxix.  28);  and  I  know  not  wheth- 
er of  any  other.  The  idea  answers  to 
what  is  spoken  by  the  Psalmist,  "They 
shall  V)ring  forth  fruit  in  old  age  :"  or  that 
in  Job,  "  Thou  shalt  come  to  thy  grave  in 
a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  coineth 
in  in  his  season."  Isaac  and  Ishmael  are 
both  present  at  his  funeral.  We  have  no 
account  of  their  having  ever  seen  each 
other  before,  from  the  day  that  Ishmael 
was  cast  out  as  a  mocker;  but,  whether 
they  had  or  not,  they  met  at  their  father's 
interment.  Death  brings  those  together 
who  know  not  how  to  associate  on  any 
other  occasion,  and  will  bring  us  all  to- 
gether, sooner  or  later.  Finally,  the  place 
where  they  buried  him  was  the  same  as 
that  in  which  he  had  buried  his  beloved 
Sarali. 

Ver.  11.  The  death  and  burial  of  so 
great  and  good  a  man  as  Abraham  must 
have  made  an  impression  upon  survivors  : 
howbeit,  the  cause  of  God  died  not.  "  It 
came  to  pass  after  the  death  of  Abraham 
that  God  blessed  his  son  Isaac."  Isaac 
was  heir  to  the  promise;  and  though  all 
flesh  withereth  and  fadeth  like  the  grass, 
yet  the  word  of  the  Lord  shall  stand  for- 
ever. We  shall  hear  more  of  Isaac  soon  : 
at  present  we  are  only  told,  in  general, 
that  he  "dwelt  by  the  well  Lahai-roi." 
It  was  necessary  in  those  countries  to  fi.x 
their  residence  by  a  well ;  and  it  is  no  less 
necessary,  it  we  wish  to  live,  that  we  fix 
ours  near  to  the  ordinances  of  God.     The 


798 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


well  where  Isaac  pitched  his  tent  was  dis- 
tinguished by  two  interesting  events:  1. 
The  mercifui  appearance  of  God  to  Hagar 
whence  it  received  its  name — "  The  loell 
of  him  that  live fh  and  seeth  me."  Hagar 
or  Ishinael,  methinks,  sliouid  have  pitched 
a  tent  there,  that  it  might  have  been  to 
them  a  memorial  of  past  mercies  ;  but,  if 
they  neglect  it,  Isaac  will  occupy  it.  The 
gracious  apjiearance  of  God  in  a  place  en- 
dears it  to  him,  let  it  have  been  to  whom 
it  may.  2.  It  was  the  place  from  the  way 
of  which  he  first  met  his  beloved  Rebec- 
ca;  there  therefore  they  continue  to  dwell 
together. 

Ver.  12 — IS.  A  short  account  is  here 
given  of  Ishmael's  posterity,  and  of  his 
death.  His  sons  were  numerous  and 
great ;  they  had  their  towns  and  their  cas- 
tles ;  nay,  more,  they  are  denominated 
"twelve  princes,  according  to  their  na- 
tions." Thus  amply  was  fulfilled  the 
promise  of  God  concerning  him  :  "  Be- 
hold I  have  blessed  him,  and  will  make 
him  fruitful,  and  will  multiply  him  ex- 
ceedingly :  twelve  princes  sliall  he  beget, 
and  I  will  make  him  a  great  nation."  But 
this  is  all.  When  a  man  leaves  God  and 
his  people,  the  sacred  historian  leaves 
him.  After  living  in  prosperity  a  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  years,  "  he  gave  up  the 
ghost,  and  died  ;"  and  was  "gathered  un- 
to his  people."  As  this  language  is  ap- 
plicable to  men,  whether  good  or  bad,  no 
conclusion  can  be  drawn  from  it  in  favor 
of  his  having  feared  God.  It  is  added 
that  "  he  died  in  the  presence  of  all  his 
brethren;"  that  is,  in  peace,  or  with  his 
friends  about  him ;  which,  considering 
how  his  hand  had  been  against  every  man, 
and  of  course  every  man's  hand  against 
him,  was  rather  surprising;  but  so  it  had 
been  promised  of  the  Lord  to  his  mother, 
at  the  well  Lahai-roi:  "He  siiail  dwell 
in  the  presence  of  all  his  brethren."  So 
he  lived,  and  so  he  died,  an  object  of  prov- 
idential care  for  his  father's  sake  ;  but,  as 
to  any  thing  more,  the  oracles  of  God  are 
silent. 

Ver.  19 — 23.  The  history  now  returns 
to  the  son  of  premise.  Forty  years  old 
was  he  when  he  took  Rebecca  to  wife  ; 
and  for  twenty  years  afterwards  he  had 
no  issue.  We  should  have  supposed  that, 
as  the  promise  partly  consisted  in  a  mul- 
tiplication of  his  seed,  the  great  number 
of  his  children  would  have  made  a  promi- 
nent part  of  his  history.  When  Bethuel, 
and  Milcah,  and  Laban,  took  leave  of  Re- 
becca, saying,  "  Be  thou  the  mother  of 
thousands  of  millions,"  ihey  doubtless 
expected  to  hear  of  a  very  numerous  fam- 
ily. And  she  herself,  and  her  husband, 
would,  as  believing  the  divine  promise, 
expect  the  same.      But    God's    thoughts 


are  not  as  our  thoughts,  nor  his  ways  as 
our  ways.  Abraham's  other  sons  abound 
in  children,  while  he  in  whom  his  seed  is 
to  be  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  inultitude 
lives  childless.  In  this  manner  God  had 
tried  his  father  Abraham  ;  and,  if  he  be 
heir  to  his  blessings,  he  must  expect  to 
inherit  a  portion  of  his  trials.  God  be- 
stows his  mercies  upon  wicked  men  with- 
out waiting  for  their  prayers  ;  but  his  con- 
duct is  somewhat  different  wilh  them  that 
fear  him.  Isaac  had  received  Rebecca  in 
answer  to  prayer  ;  and  let  him  not  expect 
to  receive  seed  by  her  in  any  other  way. 
Well,  the  good  man  is  led  to  pray  :  "Isaac 
intreated  the  Lord  for  his  wife,  because 
she  was  barren  ;  and  the  Lord  was  in- 
treated  of  him,  and  Rebecca  conceived." 
During  the  time  of  her  pregnancy,  she 
was  the  subject  of  some  extraordinary 
sensations,  which  filling  her  mind  with 
perplexity,  she  "  inquired  of  the  Lord." 
Both  the  entreaty  of  Isaac,  and  the  inquiry 
of  Rebecca,  might  be  improper  in  ordinary 
cases  ;  but,  as  it  was  not  the  natural  de- 
sire of  children  that  promjited  him,  so 
neither  was  it  an  idle  curiosity  that  excit- 
ed her  :  they  each  kept  in  view  the  prom- 
ise of  all  nations  being  blessed  in  their 
posterity,  and  therefore  were  not  only  so- 
licitous for  children,  but  anxious  concern- 
ing every  thing  which  seemed  indicative 
of  their  future  character.  And  as  Isaac 
had  received  an  answer  to  prayer,  so  it  is 
revealed  to  Rebecca  that  the  sensations 
which  she  felt  were  signs  of  other  things 
— that  she  was  pregnant  of  twins — that 
they  should  become  two  nations — and  not 
only  so,  but  two  manner  of  nations — last- 
ly, that  the  elder  should  serve  the  younger. 
The  struggle  between  these  children, 
which  was  expressive  of  the  struggles 
that  should  in  alter  ages  fake  place  be- 
tween their  posterity,  furnished  another 
instance  of  the  opposition  between  the 
seed  of"  the  woman  and  the  seed  of  the 
serpent,  both  which  are  commonly  found 
in  most  religious  families.  Paul  introdu- 
ces this  case  as  an  instance  of  the  sove- 
reignty of  God  in  the  dispensation  of  his 
grace.  The  rejection  of  a  great  part  of 
the  Jewish  nation  was  to  some  a  stumbling 
block.  It  seemed  to  them  as  if  the  word 
of  promise  to  the  fathers  had  taken  none 
efTect.  The  Apostle,  in  answer,  maintains 
that  it  was  not  the  original  design  of  God 
in  the  promise  to  save  all  Abraham's  pos- 
terity ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  from 
the  beginning  he  drew  a  line  of  distinction 
between  Isaac  and  Ishmael,  Jacob  and 
Esau,  though  all  were  alike  descended 
from  him  according  to  the  flesh.  To  a 
further  supposed  objection,  that  such  a 
distinction  between  children,  while  they 
were  yet  unborn,  reflected  on    the  right- 


REBECCA   S    PREGNANCT. 


799 


eousness  of  God,  he  contents  himself  wiili 
denying  the  consequence,  and  asseilint^ 
the  absolute  ritiht  of  God  to  have  mercy 
on  whom  he  will  have  mercy. 

Ver.  24 — 28.  As  there  were  extraor- 
dinary sensations  diirinj;  the  pregnancy 
of  the  mother,  so  in  the  hirth  of  the  chil- 
dren there  was  a  certain  circumstance 
which  betokened  that  the  one  should  pre- 
vail over  the  other;  and  that  not  only  in 
his  person,  but  in  his  posterity.  Hence 
the  prophet  Hosea,  reproaching  the  de- 
generate sons  of  Jacob,  says  ot  him,  "He 
took  his  brother  by  the  heel  in  the  womb 

and   by   his    strength   had   po«er  with 

God."  But  as  if  he  shnuld  say,  Are  you 
worthy  of  being  called  his  children! — 
Hos.  xii.  3. 

From  the  circumstances  attending  the 
birth  of  a  child,  it  was  common  in  those 
ages  to  derive  their  names  j  and  thus  it 
was  in  the  present  instance.  The  tirst- 
born,  from  his  color,  was  called  Esau,  i. 
e.  red:  the  younger,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  his  taking  hold  of  his  brother's 
l)eel,  was  called  Jacob,  a  supplanter. — 
Both  these  names  were  pro|)hetic.  Esau 
was  of  a  sanguinary  disi>osition,  and  his 
posterity,  the  Edomites,  always  cherished 
a  most  cruel  and  bloody  anti[)alhy  against 
Israel.  In  allusion  to  this,  when  the  ene- 
mies of  the  church  are  punished,  they  are 
not  only  represented  as  Edomites,  but 
God  is  described  as  giving  them  as  it  were 
blood  for  blood.  "  Who  is  this  that  com- 
eth  from  Edom,  with  dyed  garments  from 
Bozrah  1 — Wherefore  art  thou  red  in  thine 
apparel,  and  thy  garments  like  him  that 
treadeth  in  the  wine-fat?  I  have  trodden 
the  wine-press  alone;  and  of  the  people 
there  was  none  with  me  :  for  I  will  tread 
them  in  mine  anger,  and  trample  them  in 
my  fury,  and  their  blood  shall  be  sprink- 
led upon  my  garments,  and  I  will  stain  all 
my  raiment."  Jacob,  on  the  other  hand, 
supplanted  his  brother  in  the  aflair  of  the 
birth-right,  as  we  shall  see  presently.  As 
his  having  hold  of  his  brother's  heel  seem- 
ed as  if  he  would  have  drawn  him  back 
from  the  liirth,  and  have  been  before  him, 
so  his  mind  in  after  life  apjicared  to  aspire 
after  the  blessing  of  the  first-born,  and 
never  to  have  rested  till  he  had  obtain- 
ed it. 

As  they  grew  up  they  discovered  a  dif- 
ferent turn  of  mind.  Esau  was  the  expert 
huntsman,  quite  a  man  of  the  field  j  but 
Jacob  was  simple-hearted,  preferring  the 
more  gentle  employment  of  rearing  and 
tending  cattle.  The  partiality  of  Isaac 
towards  Esau,  on  account  of  his  venison, 
seems  to  have  been  a  weakness  rather  un- 
worthy of  him  :  that  of  Rebecca  towards 
Jacob  appears  to  have  been  better  founded; 
her  preference  was  more  directed  by  the 


prophecies  which  had  gone  before  of  him, 
choosing  him  whom  the  Lord  had  chosen. 
Ver.  29 — 34.  In  process  of  liuie,  a  cir- 
cumstance arose  in  the  family  which  in  its 
consequences  was  very  serious.  Jacob 
was  one  day  boiling  some  pottage,  per- 
haps for  his  dinner  ;  for  he  lived  mostly 
upon  herbs.  Just  then  came  in  Esau  from 
hunting,  very  fainl  and  hungry,  and  had  a 
great  mind  to  Jacob's  pottage.  Its  very 
color,  corresponding  with  his  sanguinary 
disposition,  seemed  to  take  his  fancy  ;  on 
which  account  he  was  called  Edom,  a 
name  commonly  api)lie(i  to  his  posterity, 
and  of  similar  import  with  that  which  was 
at  first  given  to  him.  There  seems,  at  first 
sight,  to  be  something  ungenerous  in  Ja- 
cob's availing  himself  of  his  brother's  hun- 
ger in  the  manner  he  did  ;  but,  if  there 
were,  however  it  (nay  reflect  dishonor  upon 
him,  it  reflects  none  upon  the  event.  God 
often  brings  his  purposes  to  pass  l)y  means 
which  on  man's  part  are  far  from  justifia- 
ble. The  reformation  was  a  great  and 
good  work,  and  we  may  wish  to  vindicate 
every  measure  which  contributed  to  it, 
but  that  is  more  than  we  can  do.  God's 
thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts,  nor  his 
ways  as  our  ways.  It  will  be  found  that 
"  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and  holy 
in  all  his  works  ;"  but  this  is  more  than 
can  be  said  of  his  best  servants,  in  any 
age  of  the  world.  A  close  inspection  of 
this  affair,  however,  will  convince  us  that, 
whether  Jacob  was  right  as  to  the  means 
he  used  or  not,  his  motives  were  good,  and 
those  of  Esau  were  evil.  Observe,  par- 
ticularly. 1.  The  birthright  attached  to 
seniority.  2.  It  ordinarily  consisted  in 
the  excellence  of  dignity,  the  excellence 
of  power,  and  a  double  portion. — Genesis 
xiix.  3  ;  Deut.  xxi.  17.  3.  These  privi- 
leges of  the  first-born  were  in  several  in- 
stances forfeited  by  the  misconduct  of 
the  parties  ;  as  in  the  case  of  Cain,  Reu- 
ben, &c.  4.  There  was  in  the  family  of 
Abraham  a  peculiar  blessing,  which  was 
su|)posed  to  be  attached  to  the  birthright, 
though  God  in  several  instances  put  it  in- 
to another  direction.  This  blessing  was 
princij  ally  spiritual  and  distant,  having 
respect  to  the  setting  up  of  God's  king- 
dom, to  the  birth  of  the  Messiah,  or,  in 
other  words,  to  all  those  great  things  in- 
cluded in  the  covenant  with  Abraham. 
This  was  well  understood  l>y  the  family  : 
both  Esau  and  Jacob  must  have  often  heard 
their  parents  converse  about  it.  II  the 
birthright  that  was  bought  at  this  time  had 
consisted  in  any  temporal  advantages  of 
dignity,  authority,  or  property  to  be  en- 
joyed in  the  life-time  of  the  parties,  Esau 
would  not  have  made  so  light  of  it  as  he 
did,  calling  it  this  birthright,  and  intima- 
ting that  he  should  soon  die,  and  then  it 


800 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


would  be  of  no  use  to  him.*  It  is  a  fact, 
too,  that  Jacob  had  none  of  the  ordinary 
advantages  of  the  birthright  during  his 
life-time.  Instead  of  a  double  portion, 
he  was  sent  out  of  the  family  with  only  a 
staff  in  his  hand,  leaving  Esau  to  possess 
the  whole  of  his  father's  substance.  And 
when,  more  than  twenty  years  afterwards, 
he  returned  to  Canaan,  he  made  no  scru- 
ple to  ascribe  to  his  brother  the  excel- 
lence of  dignity,  and  the  excellence  of 
power,  calling  him  My  Lord  Esuu,  and 
acknowledging  himself  as  his  servant. — 
The  truth  is,lhe  question  between  them 
was,  which  should  be  heir  to  the  blessings 
promised  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham. 
This  Jacob  desired,  and  Esau  despised  ; 
and  in  despising  blessings  of  so  sacred  a 
nature,  and  that  for  a  morsel  of  meat,  he 
was  guilty  of  profaneness.  The  spirit  of 
his  language  was,  "I  cannot  live  upon 
promises  :  give  me  something  to  eat  and 
drink,  for  to-morrow  I  die.  Such  is  the 
spirit  of  unbelief  in  every  age  ;  and  thus 
it  is  that  poor  deluded  souls  continue  to 
despise  things  distant  and  heavenly,  and 
prefer  to  them  the  momentary  gratifica- 
tions of  flesli  and  sense. 

From  the  v/hole,  we  may  j)erceive  in 
this  case  a  doctrine  which  runs  through 
the  Scriptures;  namely,  that,  while  the 
salvation  of  those  that  are  saved  is  alto- 
gether of  grace,  the  destruction  of  those 
that  are  lost  will  be  found  to  be  of  them- 
selves. From  what  is  recorded  of  Jacob, 
he  certainly  had  nothing  to  boast  of;  nei- 
ther had  Esau  any  thing  to  complain  of. 
He  lost  the  blessing,  but  not  without  hav- 
ing first  despised  it.  Tiius  when  the 
apostle  had  asserted  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion, and  grounded  it  upon  God's  absolute 
right  to  have  mercy  on  whom  he  would 
have  mercy,  he  nevertheless  proceeds 
to  ascribe  the  cause  of  the  overthrow  of 
them  that  perish  merely  to  themselves. 
"  But  Israel,  which  Ibllowed  after  the  law 
of  righteousness,  hath  not  attained  to  the 
law  of  righteousness.  Wherefore  1  Be- 
cause they  sought  it  not  by  faith  ;  but  as 
it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law  :  for  they 
stumbled  at  the  slumliling-slone."  I  am 
aware  that  when  we  preach  in  this  man- 
ner many  are  ready  to  accuse  us  of  incon- 
sistency. "  You  preach  the  doctrine  of 
election,"  say  they;  "but  before  you 
hive  done  you  destroy  your  own  work, 
by  telling  the  unconverted  that  if  they 
perish,  the  fault  will  lie  at  their  own  door." 

*  He  could  not  menu  surely  that  lie  should  then 
die  of  hunger,  unles.s  he  iile  of  llie  poitai^e;  for  that 
is  sraicely  eonceivalile,  while  he  had  full  access  to 
all  the  provision  in  Isaac's  house;  bat  that  in  a  lit- 
tle time  he  shonlil  he  dead  ;  and  theji  of  whut  account 
would  these  fine  promises  be  to  him  1 


We  answer  it  is  enough  for  us  to  teach, 
what  the  Scriptures  teach.  If  we  cannot 
conceive  how  the  purposes  of  God  are  to 
be  reconciled  with  the  agency  and  accoun- 
tableness  of  man,  let  us  be  content  to  be 
ignorant  of  it.  The  Scriptures  teach 
both  ;  and  true  wisdom  will  not  aspire  to 
be  wise  obove  what  is  written. 


DISCOURSE  XXXV. 

ISAAC   AND  ABIMELECH. 

Gen.  xxvi. 

We  saw  Abraham  in  a  great  variety  of 
situations,  l)y  means  of  which  sometimes 
his  excellences  and  sometimes  his  failings 
became  the  more  consjiicuoiis.  Isaac  has 
hitherto  been  but  little  tried,  and  there- 
fore his  character  is  but  little  known.  In 
this  chapter,  however,  we  shall  see  him 
roused  from  his  retirement,  and  brought 
into  situations  in  which,  if  there  be  some 
things  to  lament,  there  will  be  many  to 
admire. 

Ver.  1 — 6.  We  now  see  him  in  afflic- 
tion, by  reason  of  "a  famine  in  the  land, 
besides  the  first  famine  that  was  in  the 
days  of  Abraham."  There  seem  to  have 
been  more  famines  in  the  times  of  the  pa- 
triarchs tiian  usual  ;  which  must  not  only 
be  afflictive  to  them  in  common  with  their 
neighlxirs,  l)ut  tend  more  than  a  little  to 
try  their  faith.  Every  such  season  must 
|irove  a  temjitation  to  think  lightly  of  the 
land  of  promise.  Unbelief  would  say, 
"  It  is  a  land  that  eateth  up  the  inhabit- 
ants :"  it  is  not  worthy  waiting  for.  But 
faith  will  conclude  that  he  who  hath  prom- 
ised to  give  it  is  able  to  bless  it.  Thus 
Abraham  believed,  and  therefore  took 
every  thing  jjatiently  ;  and  thus  if  is  with 
Isaac.  He  first  went  to  Abimelech,  king 
of  the  Philistines,  at  Gerar.  His  father 
Abraham  had  found  kind  treatment  there 
about  a  hundred  years  before,  and  there 
was  a  covenant  of  peace  between  them. 
It  seems,  however,  as  if  he  had  thought 
of  going  as  far  as  Egypt;  but  the  Lord 
appeared  to  him  at  Gerar,  and  admonish- 
ed him  to  put  himself  under  his  direction, 
and  go  no  where  without  it.  "  Dwell," 
saith  he,  "  in  the  land  that  I  shall  tell  thee 
of:  sojourn  in  this  land,  and  1  will  be 
with  thee,  and  I  will  bless  thee."  In  times 
of  trouble  we  are  apt  to  cast,  and  fore- 
cast, what  we  shall  do  :  but  God  merci- 
fully checks  our  anxiety,  and  teaches  us, 
by  such  dispensations,  in  all  our  ways  to 
ackno wedge  him.  To  satisfy  Isaac  that 
he  should  never  want  a  guide,  or  a  provi- 
der; the  Lord  renews  to  him  the  promises 


ISAAC    ANU    AltlMI-LKCH. 


SOI 


Vv>iich  had  been  to  his  father  Ahraliarn. 
Hud  he  met  with  nothing  to  drive  him 
from  his  retreat  by  the  well  of"  Laliai-roi, 
he  fnight  have  enjoyed  more  quiet  ;  hut  he 
might  not  have  heen  indulged  with  such 
great  and  precious  promises.  Times  of 
affliction,  thougli  disagreealde  to  the  flesh, 
have  often  proved  our  hcst  limes. 

Two  things  are  observable  in  this  sol- 
emn renewal  of  the  covenant  witli  Isaac. 
1.  The  good  things  promised.  The  sum 
of  these  blessings  is,  the  land  of  Canaan, 
-a  numerous  jirogeny,  and,  what  is  the 
greatest  of  all,  the  Messiah,  in  whom  the 
nations  should  be  blessed.  On  these  pre- 
cious promises  Isaac  is  to  live.  God  pro- 
vided him  with  bread  in  the  day  of  fam- 
ine ;  but  he  lived  not  on  bread  only,  but 
on  the  words  which  j>roceeded  from  tlie 
mouth  of  God.  It  was  in  reference  to 
such  words  as  these  that  Moses  said  imto 
Hobab,  "  We  are  journeyin<;  to  the  place 
of  which  the  Lord  said,  I  will  give  it  you  : 
come  thou  wiih  us,  and  we  will  do  thee 
good  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  con- 
cerning Israel."  2.  Their  being  given  for 
Abraham's  sake  :  "  Because  that  Abra- 
ham obeyed  my  voice,  and  kept  my  charge, 
my  commandments,  my  statutes,  and  my 
laws."  We  are  expressly  informed  in 
■vvhat  manner  this  patriarch  was  accepted 
of  God,  namely,  as  "  believing  on  him 
who  justifieth  the  ungodly'  ;"  and  this  ac- 
counts for  the  acceptance  of  his  works. 
The  most  spiritual  sacrifices,  being  offer- 
ed bj-  a  sinful  creature,  can  no  otherwise 
be  acceptable  to  God  than  by  Jesus  Christ  ; 
for,  as  President  Edwards  justly  remarks, 
*'  It  does  not  consist  with  the  honor  ol  the 
majesty  of  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth 
to  accejit  of  any  thing  from  a  condemn- 
ed malefactor,  condemned  by  the  justice 
of  his  own  holy  law,  till  that  condemnation 
be  removed."  But,  a  sinner  being  ac- 
cepted as  believing  in  Jesus,  his  works 
also  are  accepted  for  his  sake,  and  become 
rewardable.  It  was  in  this  way,  and  not 
of  works,  that  Aliraham's  obedience  was 
honored  with  so  great  a  reward.  The 
blessings  here  promised  are  called  the  mer- 
cy to  Abraham. — Mic.  vii.  20.  Hence 
we  perceive  the  fallacy  of  an  objection  to 
the  New-testament  doctrine  of  our  being 
forgiven  and  blessed  in  Christ's  natne,  and 
for  his  sake  ;  that  this  is  no  more  than 
was  true  of  Lrael,  who  were  blessed  and 
often  forgiven  for  the  sake  of  Abraham. 
"Instead  of  this  fact  making  against  the 
doctrine  in  question,"  says  a  late  judicious 
writer,"  it  makes  for  it ;  for  it  is  clear  from 
hence  that  it  is  not  accounted  an  improper 
or  unsuitable  thing,  in  the  divine  adminis- 
tration, to  confer  favors  on  individuals,  and 
even  nations,  out  of  respect  tn  the  pieiij  of 
another  to  whom  they  stood  related.     But, 

VOL.     I.  101 


if  this  principle  be  admitted,  the  salvation 
of  sinners  out  of  respect  to  llie  obedience 
and  suffering-s  of  Christ,  cannot  be  ol)ject- 
ed  to  as  unr -asonable.  To  this  may  be 
added  that  every  degree  of  divine  respect 
to  tiic  obedience  of  the  ))atriarchs  was  in 
fact  no  other  than  respect  to  the  oliedi- 
ence  of  Christ,  in  whom  they  believed, 
and  through  whom  their  obedience,  like 
ours,  became  accej)table.  The  light  of 
the  moon,  which  is  derived  from  its  look- 
ing as  it  were  on  the  lace  of  the  sun,  is 
no  other  than  the  light  of  the  sun  itself 
redected.  But  il  it  be  becoming  the  wis- 
dom of  God  to  reward  the  righteousness 
of  his  servants,  and  that  many  ages  after 
their  decease,  so  highly  (which  was  only 
borrowed  lustre),  much  more  may  he  re- 
ward tiic  righteousness  of  his  Son,  from 
which  it  originated,  in  the  salvation  of 
those  that  l)elieve  in  him."* 

Tiie  renewal  of  these  great  and  pre- 
cious promises  to  Isaac  in  a  time  of  famine 
would  preserve  him  from  the  fear  of  per- 
ishing, and  be  more  than  a  balance  to  pres- 
ent inconveniences.  It  is  not  unusual  for 
our  heavenly  Father  to  make  up  the  loss 
of  sensible  enjoy'ments  by  increasing  those 
of  faith.  We  need  not  mind  where  Ave 
sojourn,  nor  what  we  endure,  if  the  Lord 
be  with  us  and  help  vs.  When  Joseph 
was  sold  into  a  strange  land,  and  unjustly 
cast  into  prison,  it  was  reckoned  a  suffi- 
cient antidote  to  add,  "  But  the  Lord  was 
with  Joseph." 

Ver.  6 — n.  After  so  extraordinary  a 
manifestation  of  the  Lord's  goodness  to 
Isaac,  we  might  have  supposed  he  would 
have  dwelt  securely  and  happily  in  Gcrar : 
but  great  mercies  arc  often  tbllowed  with 
great  temptations.  The  abundance  of  rev- 
elations given  to  Paul  were  succeeded  by 
a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  a  messenger  of  Satan 
sent  to  buffet  hitn.  It  is  said  of  our  Lord 
himself,  after  the  heavens  were  opened, 
and  the  most  singular  testimony  had  been 
borne  to  him  at  Jordan,  "  Then  was  Jesus 
led  up  of  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness  to 
be  templed  of  the  devil."  Heavenly  en- 
joyments are  given  to  us  in  this  world, 
not  merely  to  comfort  us  under  present 
troubles,  but  to  arm  us  against  future  dan- 
gers ;  and  happy  is  il  for  us  if  they  be  so 
ijnprovcd. 

Isaac  had  generally  lived  in  solitude; 
but  now  he  is  called  into  company,  and 
company  becomes  a  snare.  "  The  men 
of  the  place  asked  him  of  his  wife." 
These  questions  excited  his  apprehen- 
sions, and  put  him  upon  measures  of  self- 
preservation  that  involved  him  in  sin.  Ob- 
serve, 1.  He  did  not  sin  by  thrusting  him- 
self into  the  way  of  le.mplation  ;    for  be 

*  Williaras's  Letters  to  Bel^hiim,  pp.    156 — 158, 


802 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


was  necessitated  and  directed  of  God  to 
go  to  Gerar.  Even  tiie  calls  of  necessity 
and  duty  may,  if  we  be  not  on  our  \vatch, 
prove  ensnaring;  and,  if  so,  what  must 
those  situations  be  in  which  we  have  no 
call  to  be  found  1  2.  The  temptation  of 
Isaac  is  the  same  as  that  which  had  over- 
come his  father,  and  that  in  two  instances. 
This  rendered  his  conduct  the  greater  sin. 
The  falls  of  them  that  have  gone  before 
us  are  so  many  rocks  on  which  others  have 
split;  and  the  recording  of  them  is  like 
placing  buoys  over  them,  for  the  security 
of  future  mariners.  3.  It  was  a  tempta- 
tion that  arose  from  the  benuly  of  Rebec- 
ca. There  is  a  vanity  which  attaches  to 
all  earthly  good.  Beauty  has  often  been 
a  snare,  both  to  those  who  possess  it  and 
to  others.  In  this  case,  as  in  that  of  Abra- 
ham, it  put  Isaac  upon  unjustifittble  meas- 
ures for  the  preservation  of  his  own  liie  ; 
measures  that  might  have  exposed  his 
companion  to  that  which  would  have  been 
worse  than  death.  Man  soon  falls  into  mis- 
chief when  he  sets  up  to  be  his  own  guide. 

And  now  we  see,  what  we  are  grieved 
to  see,  a  great  and  good  man  let  down  be- 
fore heathens,  and  reproved  by  them  for 
his  dissimulation.  He  had  continued  at 
Gerar  a  long  time  uninterrupted,  which 
sufficiently  showed  that  his  fears  were 
groundless  ;  yet  he  continued  to  keep  up 
the  deception,  till  the  king  observed  from 
his  window  some  freedoms  he  took  with 
Rebecca,  from  which  he  inferred  that  she 
was  his  wife.  The  conduct  of  Abiraelech 
on  this  occasion  was  as  worthy  of  a  king 
as  that  of  Isaac  had  been  unworthy  of  a 
servant  of  God. 

Ver.  12 — 17.  Things  being  thus  far 
rectified,  we  see  Isaac  engaged  in  the 
primitive  employment  of  husbandry  ;  and 
the  Lord  blessed  him  and  increased  him, 
so  that  he  became  the  envy  of  the  Philis- 
tines. Here  again  we  see  how  vanity  at- 
taches to  every  earthly  good  :  prosperity 
begets  envy,  and  from  envy  proceeds  in- 
jury. The  wells,  which  Abraham's  ser- 
vants had  digged,  Isaac  considered  as  his 
own,  and  made  use  of  them  for  his  flocks; 
but  the  Philistines,  out  of  envy  to  him, 
"stopped  them  up  and  filled  them  with 
earth."  Had  they  drank  of  them  it  might 
have  been  excused  ;  but  to  stop  them  up 
was  downright  wickedness,  and  a  gross 
violation  of  the  treaty  of  peace  which  had 
been  made  between  a  former  Abimelech 
and  Abraham.  The  issue  was,  the  king, 
perceiving  the  temper  of  his  people,  en- 
treated Isaac  quietly  to  depart.  The  rea- 
son he  gave  for  it,  that  he  luas  much  mighl- 
ier  than  they,  might  be  partly  to  apologize 
for  his  people's  jealousy,  and  partly  to 
soften  his  spirit  by  a  compliment.  If 
Isaac  was  so  great  as  was  suggested,  he 


might,  instead  of  removing  at  their  re^ 
quest,  have  disputed  it  with  them ;  he 
might  have  alleged  the  covenant  made 
with  his  father,  the  improvement  of  his 
lands,  &c.  But  he  was  a  peaceable  man; 
and  therefore,  without  making  words,  re- 
moved to  the  valley  of  Gerar,  either  be- 
yond the  borders  of  Abimelech's  territory, 
or  at  least  farther  off  from  the  metropo- 
lis. A  little  with  peace  and  quietness,  is 
better  than  much  with  envy  and  contention. 

Ver.  18 — 22.  Isaac,  though  removed 
to  another  part  of  the  country,  yet  finds 
"  wells  of  water  which  had  been  digged 
in  the  days  of  Abraham  his  father,"  and 
which  the  Philistines  had  stopped  up  after 
his  death.  It  seems,  wherever  Abrahara 
went,  he  improved  the  country  ;  and, 
wherever  the  Philistines  followed  him, 
their  study  was  to  mar  his  improvements, 
and  that  for  no  other  end  than  the  pleas- 
ure of  doing  mischief.  Isaac,  however, 
is  resolved  to  open  these  wells  again. 
Their  waters  would  be  doubly  sweet  to 
him  for  their  having  been  first  tasted  by 
his  beloved  father;  and,  *i  show  his  filial 
affection  still  more,  he  called  their  names 
after  the  names  by  which  his  father  had 
called  them.  Many  of  our  enjoyments, 
both  civil  and  religious,  are  the  sweeter 
for  being  the  fruits  of  the  labor  of  our  fa- 
thers ;  and,  if  they  have  been  corrupted 
by  adversaries  since  their  days,  we  inus-t 
restore  them  to  their  former  purity.  Isaac's 
servants  also  digged  "  new  wells,"  which 
occasioned  new  strife.  While  we  avail 
ourselves  of  the  labors  of  our  forefathers, 
we  ought  not  to  rest  in  them  w  ithout  mak- 
ing farther  progress,  even  though  it  ex- 
pose us  to  many  unpleasant  disputes.  En- 
vy and  strife  may  be  expected  to  follow 
those  whose  researches  are  really  bene- 
ficial, provided  they  go  a  step  beyond  their 
forefathers.  But  let  them  not  be  discour- 
aged :  the  wells  of  salvation  are  worth 
sitriving  for  ;  and,  after  a  few  conflicts, 
they  may  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  labors 
in  peace.  Isaac's  servants  dug  two  wells, 
which,  from  the  bitter  strife  they  occasion- 
ed, were  called  Esek  and  Sitnah,  conten- 
tion and  hatred;  but,  peaceably  removing 
from  these  scenes  of  wrangle,  he  at  length 
digged  a  well  for  which  "  they  strove  not." 
This  he  called  Rehobolh,  saying,  "Now 
the  Lord  hath  made  room  for  us,  and  we 
shall  be  fruitful  in  the  land." 

Ver.  23—25.  The  famine  being  now 
over,  Isaac  returned  to  Beersheba,  the 
place  where  he  and  his  father  had  lived 
many  years  before.  It  may  seem  strange, 
after  God  had  made  room  for  him  at  Re- 
hobolh, that  the  next  news  we  hear  is  that 
he  takes  leave  of  it.  This  however  might 
be  at  some  distance  of  time,  and  Bcershe- 
ba  was  lo  him  a  kind   of  home.     Here, 


iSAAC     AND    AUIMF.LV.CII. 


80.'i 


Ihc  very  first  nisrlit  lie  ariivecl,  the  Lord 
appearoil  to  liiiii,  jnol^alily  in  vision,  5ay- 
ing,  '•  I  am  tiie  Goil  ol"  Abraham  tliy  la- 
tiicr  ;  Tear  not,  lor  I  am  witii  tliee,  and  will 
bless  thee,  ami  miilti|»iy  thy  seed,  for  my 
servant  Alnaliam's  sake."  Isaac  was  at- 
tached to  the  wells  which  his  father  had 
diiiged,  and  to  tiie  place  where  he  had  so- 
journed ;  and  doubtless  it  would  add  en- 
dearment to  the  very  name  of  Jehovah 
hipnelf,  that  he  was  the  God  of  Abraham, 
especially  as  it  would  remind  him  of  the 
covenant  which  he  had  made  with  him. 
A  self-righteous  spirit  would  have  been 
offended  at  the  idea  of  being  blessed  for 
another's  sake  ;  but  he  who  walked  in  the 
steps  of  his  father's  faith  would  enjoy  it  ; 
and,  by  how  much  he  loved  him  for  whose 
sake  the  blessing  was  bestowed,  by  so 
much  would  this  enjoyment  be  the  greater. 
The  promises  are  the  same  for  substance 
as  were  made  to  him  on  his  going  to  Ge- 
rar.  The  same  trutlis  are  new  to  us  un- 
der new  circumstances,  and  in  new  situa- 
tions. To  express  the  grateful  sense  he 
had  of  the  divine  goodness,  he  arose  and 
"  built  an  altar,  and  called  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord  :  ''  and  now ,  the  very  place 
being  rendered  doubly  dear  to  him,  "there 
he  pitched  his  tent,  and  there  his  servants 
digged  a  well."  Temporal  mercies  are 
sweetened  by  their  contiguity  to  God's 
altars,  and  by  their  being  given  us  after 
we  have  first  sought  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  his  righteousness. 

Ver.  26 — 31.  One  would  not  have  ex- 
pected after  driving  him,  in  a  manner, 
out  of  their  country,  that  ihe  Philislines 
would  have  had  any  thing  more  to  say  to 
him.  Abimelech,  however,  and  some  of 
his  courtiers  pay  him  a  visit.  They  were 
not  easy  when  he  was  with  them,  and  now 
they  seem  hardly  satisfied  when  he  has 
left  them.  I  believe  they  were  afraid  of 
his  growing  power,  and,  conscious  that 
they  had  treated  him  unkindly,  wished  for 
their  own  sakes  to  adjust  these  differences 
before  they  proceeded  any  farther.  Isaac, 
while  they  acted  as  enemies,  bore  it  pa- 
tiently, as  a  part  of  his  lot  in  an  evil 
world  ;  but  now  they  want  to  be  thought 
friends,  and  to  renew  covenant  with  him, 
he  feels  keenly  and  speaks  his  mind. 
"  Wherefore  come  ye  to  me,  seeing  ye 
hate  me,  and  have  sent  me  away  from 
you  1"  We  can  bear  that  from  an  avowed 
adversary  which  we  cannot  bear  from  one 
in  habits  of  friendship.  "  It  was  not  an 
enemy  that  reproached  me  ;  then  I  could 
have  borne  it."  To  this  they  answer, 
"  We  saw  certainly  that  the  Lord  was 
with  thee."  Had  they  any  regard,  then, 
for  Isaac's  God,  or  for  him  on  that  ac- 
count ?  I  fear  they  had  not  :  they  feel 
however  a  regard    to  themselves,  and   a 


kind  of  respect  for  Isaac,  which  is  very 
commonly  seen  in  men  of  no  religion  to- 
wards them  that  fear  the  Lord.  We  do 
not  blame  them  for  wishing  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  such  a  man  as  Isaac  ;  but  they 
should  not  have  pretended  to  have  "done 
unto  him  nothing  but  good,"  when  they 
must  know  ,  and  he  must  have  felt,  the  con- 
trary. But  this  is  the  very  character  of  a 
self-righteous  heart,  when  seeking  recon- 
ciliation with  God  as  well  as  with  man. 
It  palliates  its  sin,  and  desires  peace  in  re- 
turn for  its  good  deeds,  when  in  fact  its 
deeds  are  evil.  Isaac,  being  of  a  peacea- 
l)le  spirit,  admitted  their  plea,  though  a 
poor  one,  and  treated  them  generously. 
Next  morning  they  arose;  and,  having 
solemnly  renewed  covenant  with  each  oth- 
er, parted  in  peace. 

Ver.  32,  33.  The  same  day  in  which 
Abimelech  and  his  courtiers  took  leave, 
the  news  came  out  of  the  field  that  Isaac's 
servants  had  discovered  a  well.  It  is  the 
same  well  as  they  are  said  in  tiie  25th 
verse  to  have  digged;  only  there  the  thing 
is  mentioned  without  respect  to  the  time. 
Here  we  are  told  that  the  news  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  well  arrived  immediately 
after  the  mutual  oath  which  had  been  ta- 
ken between  Isaac  and  Abimelech,  and  he 
for  a  memorial  of  the  event  called  it  Shc- 
ba,  an  oath  ;  and  a  city  being  afterwards 
built  on  the  spot,  was  hence,  it  seems,  call- 
ed Beersheba,  the  well  of  the  oath.  In- 
deed this  name  had  been  given  it  by  Abra- 
ham above  a  hundred  years  before,  and 
that  on  a  similar  occasion;  but  what  was 
now  done  would  serve  to  confirm  it. 

Ver.  34,  35.  The  Lord  had  promised 
io  multiply  Isaac's  seed  ;  and  they  are  mul- 
tiplied in  the  person  of  Esau  ;  howbeit  not 
to  the  increase  of  comfort  either  in  him 
or  in  Rebecca.  Esau  went  into  the  prac- 
tice of  polygamy,  and  took  both  his  wives 
from  among  the  Canaanites.  Whether  he 
went  into  their  idolatrous  customs  we  are 
not  told,  nor  whether  they  lived  in  the 
father's  family.  However  this  might  be, 
their  ungodly,  and  some  think  undutiful 
behavior,  was  a  grief  of  mind  to  their 
aged  parents.  Isaac  entreated  the  Lord 
for  his  wife  when  she  bare  no  children  ; 
and,  now  that  they  have  children  grown 
up,  one  of  them  occasions  much  bitterness 
of  spirit ;  this  indeed  is  not  uncommon. 
Such  an  issue  of  things  in  this  instance 
would  tend  to  turn  away  the  hopes  of 
Isaac  from  seeing  the  accomplishment  of 
Abraham's  covenant  in  the  person  of  his 
first-born  son,  to  whom  he  appears  to  have 
been  inordinately  attached.  By  other  in- 
stances of  tiie  kind,  God  teaches  us  to  he- 
ware  of  excessive  anxiety  after  earthly 
comforts,  and  in  receiving  them  to  re^ 
joice  with    trembling. 


804 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


DISCOURSE    XXXVI. 

Jacob's  ortaining  the  blessing. 
Gen.  xxvii. 

Before  we  entered  on  the  history  of 
Isaac,  we  met  with  some  painful  events  re- 
specting the  departure  of  Ishmael ;  but, 
in  the  introduction  to  the  history  of  Jacob, 
we  find  things  much  more  painful.  In  the 
former  instance,  we  found  him  that  was 
rejected  a  mocker;  but  in  this  we  see  in 
the  heir  of  promise  a  supplanter.  This 
deviation  from  rectitude,  though  it  changes 
not  the  divine  purpose,  but,  on  tiie  contra- 
ry, is  overruled  for  its  accomplishment, 
yet  sows  the  seed  of  much  evil  in  the  life 
of  the  offender.  Isaac  retained  his  place 
in  the  family  ;  but  Jacob  was  obliged  to 
depart  from  it.  When  the  former  was  of 
age  to  be  married,  an  honorable  embassy 
was  sent  to  bring  it  about :  but  the  latter 
is  necessitated  to  go  by  himself,  as  one 
that  had  just  escaped  with  his  life.  There 
is  a  deep  mystery  in  the  system  of  provi- 
dence, and  much  eventual  good  brought 
out  of  great  evils. 

Ver.  1 — 4.  Isaac  was  now  about  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  and 
"  his  eyes  were  dim,  so  that  he  could  not 
see."  He  therefore  called  Esau  his  eld- 
est son,  and  said,  "  Behold  now,  I  am  old, 
I  know  not  the  day  of  my  death — take  I 
pray  thee  thy  weapons — and  go  out  to  the 
field,  and  take  me  some  venison  ;  and  make 
me  savory  meat,  such  as  I  love,  and  bring 
it  to  me  that  I  may  eat,  that  my  soul  may 
bless  thee  before  I  die."  Isaac  lived  forty- 
three  years  after  this  ;  but,  as  it  was  un- 
known to  him,  he  did  very  properly  in  set- 
tling his  affairs.  The  day  of  our  death  is 
concealed  from  us  for  the  very  purpose 
that  we  may  be  always  ready;  and  when 
life  is  upon  the  wane,  especially,  it  becomes 
us  to  do  what  we  do  quickly.  The  above 
account,  however,  does  not  appear  greatly 
to  his  honor.  His  partiality  towards  Esau 
would  seem  to  imply  a  disregard  to  what 
had  been  revealed  to  Rebecca ;  and  his 
fondness  for  the  venison  has  the  appear- 
ance of  weakness. 

But,  passing  this,  there  are  two  questions 
which  require  an  answer — Wherein  con- 
sisted the  blessing  which  was  now  about 
to  be  bestowed]  and  why  was  savory  meat 
required,  in  order  to  the  bestowment  of  it  1 
Respecting  the  first,  I  might  refer  to  what 
has  been  said  on  the  birthright. — Ch.  xxv. 
29 — 34.  There  was,  no  doubt,  a  common 
blessing  to  be  expected  from  such  a  father 
as  Isaac  on  all  his  children,  and  a  special 
one  on  his   first-born  ;  but  in  this  family 


there  was  a  blessing  superior  to  both.  It 
included  all  those  great  things  contained 
in  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  by  which 
his  })osterity  were  to  be  distinguished  as 
God's  peculiar  people.  Hence  that  which 
Isaac  did  is  said  to  have  been  done  in  faith, 
and  was  prophetic  of  "things  to  come." — 
Heb.  xi.  20.  The  faith  of  \his  good  man 
was  however,  at  first,  much  interrupted 
by  natural  attachment.  Desirous  of  con- 
ferring the  blessing  on  Esau,  he  gives  him 
directions  as  to  the  manner  of  receivingit. 
And  here  occurs  the  second  question,  Why 
was  savory  meat  required  in  order  to  the 
bestowment  of  the  blessing  1  The  design 
of  it  seems  to  have  been,  not  merely  to 
strengthen  animal  nature,  but  to  enkindle 
affection.  Isaac  is  said  to  have  loved  Esau 
on  account  of  his  venison  (ch.  xxv.  23); 
this  therefore  would  tend,  as  he  supposed, 
to  revive  tliat  affection,  and  so  enable  him 
to  bless  him  with  all  his  heart.  It  seems, 
however,  to  have  been  but  a  carnal  kind  of 
introduction  to  so  divine  an  act;  partaking 
more  of  the  flesh  than  of  the  Spirit,  and 
savoring  rather  of  that  natural  affection, 
under  the  influence  of  which  he  at  present 
acted,  than  of  the  faith  of  a  son  of  Abra- 
ham. 

Ver.  5 — 10.  Rebecca,  overhearing  this 
charge  of  Isaac  to  his  son  Esau,  takes 
measures  to  direct  the  blessing  into  anoth- 
er channel.  This  is  a  mysterious  affair. 
It  was  just  that  Esau  should  lose  the  bless- 
ing, for  liy  selling  his  birthright  he  had 
despised  it.  It  was  God's  design  too 
that  Jacob  should  have  it.  Rebecca  also 
knowing  of  this  design,  from  its  having 
been  revealed  to  her  that  the  elder  should 
serve  the  younger,  appears  to  have  acted 
from  a  good  motive.  But  the  scheme 
which  she  formed  to  correct  the  error  of 
her  husband  was  far  from  being  justifiable. 
It  was  one  of  those  crooked  measures 
which  have  too  often  been  adopted  to  ac- 
complish the  divine  promises  ;  as  if  the 
end  would  justify,  or  at  least  excuse,  the 
means.  Tlius  Sarah  acted  in  giving  Ha- 
gar  to  Abraham  ;  and  thus  many  others 
have  acted,  under  the  idea  of  being  useful 
in  promoting  the  cause  of  Christ.  The 
answer  to  all  such  things  is  that  which 
God  addressed  to  Abraham  :  "I  am  Go0 
Almighty;  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou 
perfect."  The  deception  practised  on 
Isaac  was  cruel.  If  he  be  in  the  wrong, 
endeavor  to  convince  him  ;  or  commit  the 
affair  to  God,  who  could  turn  his  mind,  as 
he  afterwards  did  that  of  Jacob,  when 
blessing  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  :  but  do 
not  avail  yourself  of  his  loss  of  sight  to 
deceive  him.  Such  would  have  been  the 
counsel  of  wisdom  and  rectitude  :  but  Re- 
becca follows  her  own. 

Ver.  11—13.    We  ought  not  to  load  Ja- 


JACOB  S    OBTAlNIi^G    THE    HLESSi:^G. 


805 


cob  with  more  of  the  euill  of  lliis  trans- 
action tluin  belongs  to  him.  He  was  not 
first  in  the  transirression.  His  leoiini^s  re- 
volted at  it  when  it  was  proposed  to  him. 
He  remonstrated  ajrainst  it.  Consideiinfi 
tot)  that  it  was  against  the  advice,  or  rath- 
er the  command,  of  a  parent,  sucii  remon- 
strance would  seem  to  l-^o  far  towards  ex- 
cusini^  him.  But  no  earthly  authority  can 
justify  us  in  disregardin;.;  the  authority  of 
God.  Moreover,  the  remonstrance  itself 
is  founded  merely  on  the  co7ise(juenres  of 
the  evil,  and  not  on  the  evil  itself.  What 
a  difference  between  this  reasoning  and 
that  of  his  son  Joseph  I  "  I  shall  bring, 
a  curse  upon  me,"  said  he,  "and  not  a 
blessing."  '•  How  can  I  do  this  great 
wickedness,"  said  the  other,  "and  sin 
against  God  ]"  The  resoluteness  of  Re- 
becca is  affecting.  "  Upon  me  be  thy 
curse,  my  son  :  only  oliey  my  voice." 
Surely  she  must  have  presumed  upon  the 
divine  promi.se,  w  hich  is  a  dangerous  thing: 
our  Lord  considered  it  as  templing  God. 
— Matt.  iv.  7.  Those  who  do  evil  under 
an  idea  of  serving  God,  commonly  go  to 
the  greatest  lengths.  It  was  in  this  track 
that  the  Lord  met  Saul  in  his  way  to  Da- 
mascus. 

Ver.  14 — 17.  If  Jacob's  remonstrance 
had  arisen  from  an  aversion  to  the  evil,  he 
would  not  so  readily  have  yielded  to  his 
mother  as  he  did  :  but,  to  resist  tempta- 
tion with  merely  the  calculation  of  conse- 
quences, is  doing  nothing.  Rebecca  takes 
the  consequence  upon  herself,  and  then  he 
has  no  more  to  ol)ject,  but  does  as  she  in- 
structs him.  She  also  perlorms  her  part; 
and  thus  between  them  the  scheme  is  ex- 
ecuted. What  labor  and  contrivance  are 
required  to  dissemble  the  truth  and  carry 
on  a  bad  cause  !  Uprightness  needs  no 
such  circuitous  measures. 

Ver.  18 — 24.  Jacob  now  enters  upon 
the  business.  And  first,  with  all  the  arti- 
fice of  his  mother,  she  cannot  guard  him 
at  all  points.  He  is  obliged  to  speak,  and 
he  could  not  counterfeit  his  brother's 
voice.  "  My  father,"  said  he:  the  pa- 
triarch starts "Who  art  thou,  my 

son  1  "  It  was  the  voice  of  one  of  his 
sons,  but  not  of  him  whom  he  expected. 
And  now  what  can  Jacob  answer]  He 
must  either  confess  the  deception,  or  per- 
sist in  it  at  all  events.  He  chooses  the 
latter.  One  sin  makes  way  for  another, 
and  in  a  manner  impels  us  to  commit  it  : 
"Jacob  said,  I  am  Esau  thy  first-born — I 
have  done  according  as  thou  badest  me — 
Arise,  I  pray  thee,  sit,  and  eat  of  my  ven- 
ison, that  thy  soul  may  V)less  me."  Isaac, 
still  suspicious,  inquires  how  he  came  so 
soon.  The  answer  intimates  that  by  a 
special  interposition  of  his  father's  God 
he  had  met  with  early  success  !     It  is  not 


easy  to  conceive  of  any  thing  more  wicked 
than  this.  It  was  bad  enough  to  deal  in 
so  many  known  falsehoods  :  but  to  bring 
in  the  Lord  God  of  his  father,  in  order  to 
give  them  ti>e  appearance  of  truth,  was 
much  worse,  and  what  we  should  not  have 
ex|)ected  but  from  one  of  the  worst  of 
men.  Tiicre  is  somethin-j: about  falsehood 
which  though  it  may  silence,  yet  will  not 
ordinarily  satisfy.  Isaac  is  yet  suspicious, 
and  tiicrcfore  desires  to  feel  his  hands ; 
and  here  the  deception  answered.  The 
hands,  he  thinks,  are  Esau's  ;  but  still  it 
is  mysterious,  for  the  voice  is  Jacob's. 
Were  it  not  for  some  such  things  as  these 
we  might  o  erlook  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  God  in  affording  us  so  many  marks 
by  which  to  detect  imposture,  and  distin- 
guish man  from  man..  Of  all  the  multitudes 
of  faces,  voices,  and  figures  in  the  world, 
no  two  are  perfectly  alike  :  and,  if  one 
sense  fail  us,  the  others  are  frequently 
improved.  Such  was  the  strength  of 
Isaac's  doubts,  that  he  would  not  be  sat- 
isfied without  directly  asking  him  again, 
"Art  thou  my  very  son  Esau  T'  and  re- 
ceiving for  answer  "  I  am."  After  this 
he  seems  to  have  thought  that  it  must  be 
Esau,  and  therefore  proceeded  to  bless 
him. 

The  adversaries  of  revelation  may  make 
the  most  they  can  of  these  narraiions  : 
evil  as  was  tlie  conduct  of  Jacoi)  and  of 
Rebecca,  the  history  of  it  contains  the 
strongest  internal  evidence  that  it  is 
written  by  inspiration  of  God.  Had  it 
been  a  cunningly  devised  fable,  it  would 
have  been  the  business  of  the  writer  to 
have  thrown  the  faults  of  this  his  great 
ancestor  into  the  shade  :  but  the  Scrip- 
tures do  not  profess  to  describe  perfect 
characters  :  they  represent  men  and  things 
as  they  were.  We  feel  for  the  imposition 
practised  on  Isaac;  and  yet  it  was  no 
doubt  a  chastisement  to  him  for  his  ill- 
placed  partiality  for  Esau,  on  grounds  so 
unworthy  of  him,  and  to  the  disregarding 
of  what  God  had  revealed  concerning 
them. 

Ver.  •25— -29.  It  was  of  the  Lord  that 
Jacob  should  have  the  blessing,  notwith- 
standing the  unwarrantable  means  he  had 
used  to  obtain  it.  In  pronouncing  it, 
Isaac  was  supernaturally  directed  ;  other- 
wise it  would  not  liave  corresponded  with 
what  afterwards  actually  befel  his  poster- 
ity, which  it  manifestly  does;  nor  would 
he  have  felt  himself  unable  to  revoke  it. 
It  is  observalile,  however,  that  tiie  bless- 
ing is  expressed  in  very  general  terms. 
No  mention  is  made  of  those  distinguish- 
ing mercies  included  in  the  covenant  with 
Abraham;  and  this  might  be  owing  to 
his  having  Esau  in  his  mind,  though  it 
was  Jacob  who  was  before  hira.    He  could 


806 


EXP0SIT10?f    OF    GENESII. 


not  be  ignorant  how  that  young  man  had 
despised  these  things,  and  this  iniglit  be  a 
check  to  his  mind  wliiie  he  thought  he  was 
blessing  him.  Moreover,  his  attachment  to 
Esau,  to  the  disregard  of  the  mind  of  God, 
must  have  greatly  weakened  and  injured 
his  own  faith  in  these  things  :  it  might 
therefore  lie  expected  that  the  Lord  would 
cause  a  comparative  leanness  to  attend  his 
blessing,  corresponding  with  the  slate  of 
his  mind. 

Ver.  30—33.  Jacob  had  scarcely  left 
the  room  when  Esau,  returning  front  the 
chase,  enters  it,  and  presents  his  father 
■with  his.  venison.  This  at  once  discovers 
the  imposition.  Isaac  is  greatly  affected 
by  it.  At  first,  when  he  heard  his  voice, 
he  was  confounded:  "Who  art  thoul" 
And  when  he  perceived  that  it  was  in- 
deed his  first-born  son,  Esau,  he  "  trem- 
bled very  exceedingly,"  and  said,  "  Who, 
where  is  he  that  hath  taken  venison,  and 
brought  it  to  me,  and  I  have  eaten  of  all 
before  thou  earnest,  and  have  blessed 
him "?  "  Such  a  shock  must  have  been 
more  than  he  knew  how  to  sustain.  To 
ascertain  the  sensations  of  which  it  was 
composed,  we  must  place  ourselves  in  his 
situation.  As  an  aged  and  afflicted  man, 
the  imposition  which  had  been  practised 
on  him  would  excite  his  indignation.  Yet 
a  moment's  reflection  would  convince  him 
that  the  transfer  of  the  blessing  must  have 
been  of  the  Lord;  and,  consequently,  that 
he  had  all  along  been  acting  against  his 
will  in  seeking  to  have  it  otherwise.  Two 
such  considerations  rushing  upon  his  mind 
in  the  same  instant  sufficiently  account  for 
all  his  feelings  :  it  was  to  him  like  a  place 
where  two  seas  met,  or  as  the  union  of 
subterraneous  fires  and  waters,  the  com- 
motion of  which  causeth  the  earth  to 
tremble.  It  must  have  appeared  to  him 
as  a  strong  measure,  permitted  of  God 
for  his  correction  ;  and  that  he  had  thus 
caused  him  to  do  that  against  his  choice 
which  should  have  been  done  with  it. 
Viewing  it  in  this  light,  and  knowing  the 
blessing  to  be  irrevocable,  he,  like  a  good 
man,  acquiesced  in  the  will  of  God,  say- 
ing, "Yea,  and  he  shall  be  blessed." 

Ver.  34 — 40.  The  very  exceeding  trem- 
bling of  Isaac  is  now  followed  by  "a 
great  and  exceeding  bitter  cry  "  on  the 
part  of  Esau.  Nothing  he  had  ever  met 
with  seems  to  have  affected  hitn  like  it. 
Bat  how  is  it  that  he  who  made  so  light 
of  the  birthright,  as  to  part  with  it  for  a 
morsel  of  meat,  should  now  make  so  much 
of  the  blessing  connected  with  it  1  It  was 
not  that  he  desired  to  be  a  servant  of  the 
Lord,  or  that  his  posterity  should  be  his 
people,  according  to  the  tenor  of  Abra- 
ham's covenant ;  but,  as  he  that  should 
be  possessed  of  these  distinctions  would 


in  other  respects  be  superior  to  his  broth- 
er, it  became  an  object  of  emulation. 
Thus  we  have  often  seen  religion  set  at 
nought,  while  yet  the  advantages  which 
accompany  it  have  been  earnestly  de- 
sired ;  and  where  grace  has  in  a  manner 
crossed  hands,  by  favoring  a  younger  or 
inferior  branch  of  a  family,  envy,  and  its 
train  of  malignant  passions,  have  frequent- 
ly blazed  on  the  other  side.  It  was  not 
as  the  father  of  the  holy  nation,  but  as 
being  "lord  over  his  brethren,"  that  Ja- 
cob was  the  object  of  Esau's  envy.  And 
this  may  farther  account  for  the  blessing 
of  Isaac  on  the  former  dwelling  princi- 
pally upon  temporal  adoantages,  as  design- 
ed of  God  to  cut  off  the  vain  hopes  of  the 
latter  of  enjoying  the  power  attached  to 
the  blessing,  while  he  despised  the  bless- 
ing itself. 

When  Esau  perceived  that  Jacob  must 
be  lilessed,  he  entreated  to  be  blessed  also: 
"  Bless  me,  even  me  also,  O  my  iather  !  " 
One  sees  in  this  language  just  that  partial 
conviction  of  there  being  something  in 
religion,  mixed  with  a  large  portion  of 
ignorance,  which  it  is  common  to  see  in 
persons  who  have  been  brought  up  in  a 
religious  family,  and  yet  are  strangers  to 
the  God  of  their  fathers.  If  this  earnest 
I'equest  had  extended  only  to  what  was 
consistent  with  Jacob's  having  the  pre- 
eminence, there  loas  another  blessing  for 
him,  and  he  had  it  :  but  though  he  had  no 
desire  after  the  best  part  of  Jacob's  por- 
tion, yet  he  was  very  earnest  to  have  had 
that  clause  of  it  reversed,  "Be  lord  over 
thy  brethren,  and  let  thy  mother's  sons 
bow  down  to  thee."  If  this  could  have 
been  granted  him,  he  had  been  satisfied  ; 
for  "  the  fatness  of  the  earth  "  was  all  he 
cared  for.  But  this  was  an  object  con- 
cerning which,  as  the  apostle  observes, 
"  he  found  no  place  of  repentance  "  (that 
is,  in  the  mind  of  his  father),  "  though  he 
sought  it  carefully  with  tears."  Such 
will  be  the  case  with  fornicators,  and  all 
profane  persons,  who,  like  Esau,  for  a  few 
momentary  gratifications  in  the  present 
life,  make  light  of  Christ,  and  the  bless- 
ings of  the  gospel.  They  will  cry  with  a 
great  and  exceedingly  bitter  cry,  saying, 
"  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us !  "  But  they 
will  find  no  place  of  repentance  in  the 
mind  of  the  Judge,  who  will  answer  them, 
"  I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are  :  depart 
from  me,  ye  workers  of  iniquity." 

Esau's  reflections  on  his  brother  for 
having  twice  sup})lanted  him  were  not 
altogether  without  ground  :  yet  his  state- 
ment is  exaggerated.  It  was  not  accurate 
to  say,  "  He  took  away  my  birthright," 
as  though  he  had  robbed  him  of  it,  seeing 
he  himself  had  so  despised  it  as  to  part 
with  it  for  a  morsel  of  meat :  and,  having 


JACOB   5    DEPARTURE     FUOM     IJ  E  E  It  S  11  F.r  A. 


S07 


tlone  so,  whatever  miglil  be  said  ol'  Jacoli's 
coiuiuft  in  the  sight  of"  God,  lie  had  no 
reason  to  coniphiin. 

Ver.  41.  Esau  obtained,  as  \vn  have 
seen,  a  blessing,  and  sonic  relief  on  the 
score  of  sul  jcction  ;  yet,  l.ccause  he  could 
not  gain  his  point,  but  the  posterity  of  Ja- 
cob must  needs  ha\e  the  ascendancy, 
there  is  nothing  left  lor  him  1  ut  to  "  hale 
him  (or  the  blessing  whereuilh  his  lather 
blessed  him."  He  was  not  ijinorant  of 
Isaac's  partiality  :  he  must  iherelore  have 
known  that  ii  was  not  o\\ing  to  him,  nor 
even  to  Jacob's  suiitilty,  that  the  first  do- 
minion was  given  him.  He  must  have 
perceived,  from  what  his  father  had  said, 
that  the  thing  was  of  the  Lord,  and  there- 
fore could  not  be  reversed.  Hence  it 
appears  that  the  hatred  of  Esau  was  of 
the  same  nature  w  ilii  that  of  Cain  to  Abel, 
and  ot  Saul  to  David  ;  and  operated  in 
the  same  way  :  it  was  directed  against  him 
principally  on  account  of  his  having  been 
an  object  whom  the  Lord  had  favored, 
isuch  also  was  tlie  motive  of  hatred  w  hich, 
in  after  ages,  subsisted  in  the  Edomites 
against  Israel.  As  nothing  could  comibrt 
Esau  but  the  hope  ol  murder,  so  nothing 
could  satisfy  his  posterity  I'ut  to  see  Je- 
rusalem razed  to  its  foundations.  Isaac 
had  talked  of  dying,  and  Esau  thought  to 
be  sure  the  lime  was  not  far  distant;  and 
then,  during  the  days  of  mourning  for  his 
father,  he  hoped  for  an  opportunity  of 
murdering  his  brother.  He  might  think 
also  that  it  was  best  to  suppress  his  re- 
sentment till  the  poor  old  man  was  dead, 
and  then  it  would  not  be  a  grief  to  him. 
The  most  cruel  designs  of  wicked  men 
may  be  mixed  with  a  partiality  lor  those 
who  have  been  partial  to  them. 

Ver.  42 — 45.  Esau,  it  seems,  liad  not 
only  said  in  his  heart  I  will  slay  my 
brother,  but  had  put  his  thought  into 
words,  probably  before  some  of  the  ser- 
vants. The  hint,  however,  was  carried 
to  Rebecca,  and  she  clearly  foresaw  what 
was  to  be  expected.  She  therefore  sent 
for  Jacob,  and  told  him  of  his  brother's 
design,  counselling  him  at  the  same  time 
to  go  to  her  relations  at  Haran,  and  tarry 
there  awhile,  till  Esau's  anger  should  have 
subsided.  The  reason  which  she  urges  to 
enforce  her  counsel  is  very  strong :  "  Why 
should  I  be  deprived  of  you  both  in  one 
day  1  "  Had  Esau's  purpose  succeeded, 
the  murderer,  as  well  as  the  murdered, 
had  been  lost  to  her.  We  see  here  the 
liilter  fruits  which  Rebecca  begins  to  reap 
from  her  crooked  polit  y  :  she  must  part 
with  her  favorite  son  to  preserve  his  life, 
and  will  never  see  him  again  in  this  world, 
though  slie  thinks  of  sending  in  a  little  time 
to  fetch  him  luiiie. 

Ver.  46.    By  the  manner  in  which  things 


are  here  related,  it  apjtears  that  Isaac  was 
so  infirm  as  to  lia\e  lost  all  the  power  of 
management,  and  that  the  whole  in  a  man- 
ner devolved  on  Rebecca.  She  advises 
Jacob  what  to  do:  it  is  expedient,  if  not 
necessary,  however,  before  he  takes  his 
departure,  to  obtain  his  father's  concur- 
rence. She  does  not  choose  to  tell  her 
husband  the  true  reason  of  her  wishes, 
as  that  was  a  tender  point,  and  might  lead 
to  a  sul>ject  which  she  might  think  it  bet- 
ter to  pass  over  in  silence;  but,  knowing 
that  he  as  well  as  herself  had  been  grieved 
wilh  Esau's  wives  (chap.  \xv.  '.in),  she 
judges  that  the  most  likely  means  of  suc- 
cess would  be  a  jtroposal  lor  Jacob  to  go 
to  Haran  (or  the  purpose  of  taking  a  wife 
from  among  their  relations  in  that  coun- 
try. She  does  not  i)r()pose  it,  however, 
directly,  but  merely  exjiresses  her  strong 
disapprobation  of  his  following  the  exam- 
|)le  o(  his  brother,  leaving  it  to  Isaac  to  men- 
tion positively  wiiat  should  be  done.  And 
this,  her  a[)parent  modesty,  answered  the 
end,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  tbllowingcliapter.. 


DISCOURSE    XXXVII. 

Jacob's  departure  from  beersheba. 

Gen.  xxviii. 

Ver.  1 — 4.  The  hint  which  Rebecca 
had  dro|i|)ed  against  Jacob's  taking  a  wife 
from  among  the  daughters  of  Helh  quite 
fell  in  with  Isaac's  mind  ;  and,  knowing 
that  there  was  but  one  place  for  him  to  go 
to  on  such  an  errand,  he  determines  with- 
out delay  to  send  him  thither.  The  ac- 
count here  given  of  his  calling,  blessing, 
and  charging  him,  is  very  much  to  his 
honor.  The  first  of  these  terms  implies 
his  reconciliation  to  him;  the  second,  his 
satisfaction  in  what  had  been  done  liefore 
without  design  ;  and  the  last,  his  concern 
that  he  siioiild  act  in  a  manner  worthy  of 
the  blessing  which  he  had  received.  How 
differently  do  things  issue  in  different 
minds  !  Esau,  as  well  as  Isaac,  was  ex- 
ceedingly affected  by  what  had  lately  oc- 
curred :  but  the  bitter  cry  of  the  one  is- 
sued in  a  settled  hatred,  while  the  trem- 
bling of  the  other  brought  him  to  a  right 
mind.  He  had  been  thinkin'jr  matters  over 
ever  since,  and  the  more  he  thouL'-ht  of 
them  the  more  satisfied  he  was  that  it  was 
the  will  of  God,  and  that  all  his  private 
parlialilies  should  give  jdace  to  if. 

One  sees  in  what  he  now  does  that  his 
heart  is  in  it.  He  not  only  ilesses  him,  but 
invokes  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God  to 
alleiul  him  :  "  God  Almighty  bless  thee, 
and  make  thee  fruitful,  and  multiply  thee. 


808 


EXPOSITION    OF   GENESIS. 


that  thou  inayest  be  a  multitude  of  people  ; 
and  give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abraham,  to 
tliee,  and  to  thy  seed  with  thee,  that  thou 
mayest  inherit  the  land  wherein  thou  art 
a  stranger,  which  God  gave  unto  Abra- 
ham." Who  does  not  perceive  the  dif- 
ference between  this  blessing  and  the  for- 
mer 1  In  that  he  was  thinking  of  one  per- 
son and  blessing  another  :  in  this  he  un- 
derstands what  he  is  about.  Then  his 
mind  was  straitened  by  carnal  attach- 
ment: now  it  is  enlarged  by  faith.  The 
rich  promises  of  Abraham's  covenant 
seem  there  to  have  been  almost  forgot- 
ten ;  but  here  they  are  expressly  named, 
and  dwelt  upon  with  delight.  Of  what 
importance  is  it  for  our  minds  to  keep  one 
with  God's  mind  ;  and  what  a  difference 
it  makes  in  the  discharge  of  duty  !  We 
may  pray,  or  preach,  after  a  manner, 
while  it  is  otherwise;  and  God  may  pre- 
serve us  from  uttering  gross  error:  but 
what  we  deliver  will  be  miserably  flat  and 
defective  in  comparison  of  what  it  is  when 
a  right  spirit  is  renewed  within  us. 

Ver.  5 — 9.  The  departure  of  Jacob  was 
attended  by  many  painful  and  humiliating 
circumstances,  as  well  it  might ;  for  these 
are  the  necessary  consequences  of  sin. 
The  parting  scene  to  Isaac  was  tender  ; 
but  Jacob  and  his  mother  must  have  felt 
something  more  than  tenderness.  As  to 
Esau,  it  is  not  likely  that  he  was  present. 
He  was  near  enough,  however,  to  eye  his 
motions,  and  by  some  means  to  make  him- 
self acquainted  with  every  thing  that  pass- 
ed. Probably  he  expected  more  supplant- 
ing schemes  were  (brming,  and  longed  for 
the  time  when  a  lair  opportunity  should 
offer  for  his  being  revenged  on  the  sup- 
planter.  But  when  he  found  that  his  fa- 
ther had  iilessed  him,  and  charged  him 
not  to  take  a  wife  of  the  daughters  ol  Ca- 
naan, and  that  he  had  olieyed  his  voice, 
and  was  gone  to  Padan-aram,  it  seems  to 
have  wrought  in  a  way  that  we  should 
scarcely  have  expected.  Finding  himself 
left  in  the  possession  of  all  the  substance 
of  the  family,  and  Jacob  out  of  his  way, 
he  thinks  he  has  now  only  to  please  his 
father,  and,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of 
his  birthright  and  blessing,  all  will  be  his. 
And  now,  to  accomplish  his  end,  he  care- 
fully notices  the  means  by  which  Jacob 
succeeded  in  pleasing  his  parents.  One 
great  advantage  which  he  had  gained  over 
him,  as  he  perceived  by  his  father's 
charge,  was  in  reference  to  marriage.  He 
had  obeyed  the  voice  of  his  father  and  his 
mother,  and  was  gone  to  take  a  wife  from 
the  family  of  Bethuel.  I  will  take  anoth- 
er wife  then,  said  Esau  to  himself,  if  that 
will  please  them  ;  and,  as  they  seem  at- 
tached to  their  relations,  it  shall  be  from 
among  them.     Moreover,  as  Jacob,  who 


is  his  mother's  favorite,  intends  t<y 
marry  into  her  family,  I,  who  am  my 
father's,  will  marry  into  his.  See  what 
awkward  work  is  made  when  men  go 
about  to  please  others  and  promote  their 
Avorldly  interest,  by  imitating  that  in 
which  they  have  no  delight.  Ignorance 
and  error  mark  every  step  they  take. 
Esau  was  in  no  need  of  a  wife,  for  he  had 
two  already  ;  nor  did  his  parents  desire 
him  to  add  to  the  number  ;  nor  would  they 
be  gratilied  by  his  connection  with  the 
apostate  family  of  Ishniael  ;  nor  was  it 
principally  on  account  of  Bethuel's  being 
a  relation  that  Abraham's  fainil}'^  took 
wives  from  his.  In  short,  he  is  out  in  all 
his  calculations  ;  nor  can  he  discover  the 
principles  which  influence  those  who  fear 
the  Lord.  Thus  have  we  often  seen  men 
try  to  imitate  religious  people,  for  the 
sake  of  gaining  esteem,  or  in  some  way 
promoting  their  selfish  ends  :  but,  instead 
of  succeeding,  they  have  commonly  made 
bad  worse.  That  which  to  a  right  mind  is 
as  plain  as  the  most  public  highway,  to  a 
mind  perverted  shall  appear  full  of  diffi- 
culties. "  The  labor  of  the  foolish  wea- 
rieth  every  one  of  them,  because  he  know- 
eth  not  how  to  go  to  the  city."  But  to  re- 
turn : — 

Ver.  10,  11.  The  line  of  promise  be- 
ing now  fully  ascertained,  Jacob  becomes 
the  hero  of  the  tale.  He  was  now  about 
seventy-seven  years  old  ;  and  though  his 
brother  Esau  had  two  wives,  yet  he  was 
single.  The  posterity  of  Ishmael  and 
Esau  increased  much  faster  than  those  of 
Isaac  and  Jacob.  It  seemed  to  he  the 
design  of  God  that  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promise  should  be  protracted  in  order  to 
try  the  faith  of  his  servants.  Setting  out 
from  his  father's  house  at  Beersheba,  we 
find  Jacob  journeying  towards  Haran,  a 
distance  of  about  five  hinidred  miles. 
Without  a  servant  to  attend  him,  or  a 
beast  to  carry  him,  or  any  other  accom- 
modation, except,  as  he  afterwards  informs 
us,  a  staff  to  walk  with,  he  pursues  his 
solitary  way.  Having  travelled  one  whole 
day,  the  sun  being  set,  he  alighted  on  a 
certain  place,  where  he  took  up  his  abode 
for  the  night.  The  place  was  called  Luz, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  a  city. — Ver.  19. 
Jacob,  however,  does  not  seem  to  have  , 
entered  it :  but,  for  some  reason,  chose 
to  sleep  in  the  open  air  in  its  suburbs. 
Sleeping  abroad  is  a  custom  very  common 
in  the  East,  and  less  dangerous  than  in 
colder  climates.  The  stones  which  he 
used  for  a  pillow  might  preserve  him  from- 
the  damp  of  the  ground  ;  but,  we  should 
think,  must  have  contributed  but  little  to 
rest  his  weary  body. 

Ver.  12—15.     During  the  night  he  had 
a  very  extraordinary  dream,  almost  every 


JACOB   S      DEPAUTLRE    FROM    BEERSUEBA. 


809 


pv\rtirular  of  whicli   is   introduced   by  the    liiin.       Diirin}^    his    solitary    walk    froru 
sacred      wri  cr     with      the      iiUerjection    Beersheiia  he  had  doulitlcss  Ix'oii  lliinking 


"  Behold 

We  rni;^lit  have  been  at  a  loss  in  ascer- 
tainins^  the  moaning  of  the  ladder,  if  the 
great  modiuin  of  conitniiiiion  between 
heaven  aiul  eartii  liad  not  almost  express- 
ly applied    it  to  himself.       "  Hereafter," 


of  his  lonely  condition,  and  ol  the  difii- 
cullies  and  dangers  which  he  had  to  en- 
counter. How  seasonable  then  was  the 
promise,  "Behold,  1  am  with  thee,  and 
will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither  thou 
Koest.  and  will  brinj;;  thee  again    into    this 


said    Jesus  to  Nathanael,    "  yc    shall    see  land!"     Finally,  the  present  was    a    new 

heaven  open,  and    tlie  angels  of  God    as-  epoch  in  his  life,  and,  as  an  heir  of  proni- 

cending  (that  is  to  heaven)  and  descending  ise,  a  kind  of  commencement   of  it.       In 

(that  is  to    the    earth)    upon  the     Son    of  this  character  he  must,  like  his  i)redeces- 

Man."       Our  Lord's    desitrn    appears  to  sors,  live  by   faith.       Esau's  blessing  was 

iiave   been  to  forelell  the    glory  of  gospel  soon  fullilled  ;  iiut  Jacolt's  related  to  things 

times,  in  which,    through    liis    mc(liati.')n,  at  a  great  distance,   which  none  l)ut    God 

heaven  should  as    it    were  be  o[iencd,  and  ^/hi/^'-A/i/ could  bring  to  pass.      How    sea- 

a  free  intercourse  be  established    between  sonable  then  were  those  precious  promises 

God,  angels,  and  men.      But,    it    may    be  wliich    furnished    at  his    outset  a   ground 

asked.  What   analogy  could    there  be   be-  ibr  faith  to  rest  upon  I     "  1  will  not  leave 

tween  this  and  that  which  was  revealed  to  thee  till  I  have   done    that  which   1    have 

Jacob  !     I  answer.  We  have  seen  that  the  spoken  to  thee  of." 

Messiah   was    not    only    included    in    the  Ver.  IG— 22.   Awaking  from  sleep  in  the 

promises  to  Abraham,  but  that  he  made   a  night-time,  and   reflecting  on  his    dream, 

princi|)al     (lart    of   tliem;     and   as    these  he  was  greatly  aflfected,  as  well  he  might, 

promises    were    now    renewed    to  Jacob,  "Surely,"  exclaimed  he,   "Jehovah  is  in 

though  we  had  read   nothing  of  his  vision  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not  !"     And   he 

of  the  ladder,  yet  we  should  have    known  was  afraid,  and  said,   "How    dreadful    is 

that  thev  looked  as  far  forward  as  to  him,  this  place  !     This  is  none  other  than    the 

and  to    that    dispensation    in   which    "all  house    of  God,    and    this    is  th  •   gaie   of 

the  families  of  the  earth  should  be  bless-  heaven!"     As  if  he  had   said.  Surely  this 

ed  "  in  him.     As  it  is,    we    may  conclude  is  no  common  dream  !     God  is  in  it  !    God 

that  what  was  seen  in  vision  was  of  the  same  is  near  !     I  went  to  sleep  as  at  other  times. 


general  import  as  what  was /icard  in  the 
promises  which  followed.  It  was  giving 
the  patriarch  a  glimpse  of  that  glory 
which  sliould  be  accom|dished  in  his  seed, 


expecting  nothing;  and  lo,  ere  I  was 
aware,  God  hath  visited  me  I  Feeling 
himself  as  in  the  presence  of  the  Divine 
Majesty,  he  trembles;  the  place  seems  to 


There  was  something- very  se«so7ifl6/e  in  be  holy  ground,   the    temple   of  Jehovah, 

this  vision,  and  in  the  promises  which  ac-  the  suburbs  of  heaven  !    Whether  he  slept 

companied  it.     Jacob  had   lately  acted  an  after  this    we  are  not  told  :  be    that   as  it 

unworthy  part,  and,    if  properly    sensible  may,  he  "  rose  early  in  the  morning ;  and, 

of  it,  must  have  been  very  unhappy.     His  deeply   impressed  with  what   had    passed, 
father,  it  is  true,  had   blessed  him,  and   of   resolved  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of 

course  forgiven    him  ;     but,   till    God  has  it.     Taking  the  stone  upon  which  he   had 

done  so   too,  he  can  enjoy  no  solid   peace,  lain,  he  set  it  up  for  a  pillar,  nr  monument ; 

Now  such  was  the  present  vision  :    it  was  and,  that  he  might  consecrate  it  to  the  fu- 

thc  Lord    his    God    saying    Amen   to    his  ture  service  of  the  Lord,  "  poured  oil  up- 

father's  Itlessing. — Ver.   3,  4,  with  13,  14.  on  the  top  of  it."     This  done,  he  gave  the 

He  was  takimr  leave  of    Canaan,    and,    if  place  a  new  name.     Instead  of  Luz  (prob- 

he  had  calculated  on  human  probabilities,  ably  so  called    on   account    of  a    number 

he  was  never  likely    to    return    to   it,  at  of  almond  or  nut  trees  growing    near  it), 

least  during  the    lite-time  of  Esau:    but,  he  called  it  "  Bethel — the  house  of  God." 
by  the  gift  of  the  land  on  which  he  lay  to        Finally  :    he  closed  this  extraordinary 

him  and  to  his  seed,  he  was  taught  to  ex-  vision  by  a  solemn  vow,  or  dedication  of 

pect    it,  and   to  consider  himself  only  as  himself    to    God.       The     terms    of    this 

a  sojourner  at  Haran.       Considering   his  solemn  vow  were  not  of  Jacob's  dictating 

age,  too,  there    seemed   but  little    proba-  to  the  Almighty,  but  arose  out  of  his  own 

bility  of  his  having  a  numerous  otTspring.  gracious  promises;  and  so  furnish  a  lovely 

If  the  blessing  consisted  in  this,  it  seemed  example  of  the  prayer  of  faith.     God  had 

much  more    likely   to   be    fulfilled    in    his  promised  to  be  wjth  him,  to  keep  him,  to 

brother  than  in  him  :    but  he  was  hereby  bring  him  again  into  the   land,  and  not  to 

assured  that    his   seed    should  be  as  the  leave  him.     Jacob  takes  up  the  precious 

dust    of    the    earth,  spreading  abroad  in  words,  saying,   "  If  God  will  thus  be  with 

every  direction.       The    thought    also    of  me,  and  keep  me,  and    provide   for   rae, 

leaving  his    father's   house,    and  of  going  and  bring  me  home  in  peace,  then  in  re- 

among  strangers,  must  needs  have  affected  turn  I  will  be    his   forever."      We   may 

VOL.   I.  102 


810 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


pray  for  things  which  God  hath  not  prom- 
ised in  submission  to  his  ivill,  as  Abra- 
ham interceded  for  Sodom,  and  Moses  for 
the  idolaters  at  Horeb  ;  but,  when  we 
ask  for  that  which  he  hath  engaged  to  be- 
stow, we  approach  him  with  much  greater 
encouragement.  *  The  order  of  what  he 
desired  is  also  deserving  of  notice.  It 
corresponds  with  our  Saviour's  rule,  to 
seek  things  of  the  greatest  importance 
first.  By  how  much  God's  favor  is  better 
than  life,  by  so  much  his  being  loith  us, 
and  keeping  us,  is  better  than  food  and 
raiment.  A  sense  of  this  will  mod- 
erate our  desires  for  inferior  things, 
as  it  did  Jacob's.  A  little  with  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  is  belter  than  great 
treasures  with  trouble.  If  God  be  with 
us,  and  keep  us,  the  mere  necessaries  of 
life  will  make  us  happy.  The  vow  itself 
contains  an  entire  renunciation  of  idolatry, 
and  a  taking  Jehovah  to  be  his  God.  And, 
inasmuch  as  it  looks  forward  to  his  re- 
turn to  Canaan,  it  includes  a  solemn  prom- 
ise to  maintain  the  worship  of  God  in 
his  family.  Then  he  would  rear  an  altar 
to  him  in  Bethel,  and  consecrate  the  tenth 
of  all  his  substance  to  his  cause. 

In  the  course  of  the  history  we  shall 
perceive  the  use  that  Jacob  made  of  this 
vision,  and  that  which  the  Lord  made  of 
the  vow  which  here  he  vowed  to  him. 
But  I  conclude  with  only  remai'king  that 
in  the  former  chapter  we  saw  much  of 
man;  but  in  this  we  have  seen  much  of 
God.  In  the  works  of  the  one,  sin  a- 
bounded ;  in  those  of  the  other,  grace 
hath  much  more  abounded. 


DISCOURSE    XXXVIII. 

Jacob's  arrival  at  haran. 

Gen.  xxix. 

Ver.  1.  Jacob's  second  day's  journey 
was  very  different  from  the  first;  then  he 
had  a  heavy  burden,  but  now  he  has  lost 
it.  His  outset  from  Bethel  is  expressed 
by  a  phrase  which  signifies  he  lifted  up  his 
feet ;  that  is,  he  went  lightly  and  cheerful- 
ly on.  Nothing  more  is  recorded  of  his 
journey,  but  that  "  he  came  into  the  land 
of  the  people  of  the  east." 

Ver.  2—10.  The  first  object  that  struck 
him  was  a  well,  with  three  flocks  of  sheep 
lying  by  it,  ready  to  be  watered.  The 
shepherds  coming  up  rolled  away  the  stone 
from  the  well's  moutii,  watered  the  flocks, 
and  then  put  the  stone  again  in  its  place, 
Jacob, who  had  hitherto  looked  on,  now  be- 
gan the  following  conversation  with  them. 
—My  brethren,  whence  be  ye  1 — Of 
Haran. — Know  ye  Laban^  the  son  of  Na- 


horl — We  know  him. — Is  he  welll  He 
is  well  ;  and,  behold,  Rachel  his  daugh- 
ter cometh  with  the  sheep. — On  this  Jacob 
suggests  that  it  was  too  soon  to  gather  all 
the  flocks  together,  as  they  did  at  night ; 
and  that  there  was  much  time  for  their 
being  againjed  forth  to  pasture.  "  Water 
ye  the  sheep,"  said  he,  "  and  go  and  feed 
them."  It  might  appear  somewhat  out 
of  character  for  a  stranger  to  be  so  offi- 
cious as  to  direct  them  how  to  proceed 
with  their  flocks  :  but  the  design  was,  I 
apprehend,  to  induce  them  to  depart,  and 
to  leave  him  to  converse  with  Rachel  by 
herself.  They  tell  him,  however,  that 
they  must  stop  till  all  the  flocks  are  water- 
ed ;  Rachel's,  it  seems,  as  well  as  the  rest. 
Such  proViably  was  the  custom,  that  the 
well  might  be  left  secure.  While  they 
were  talking,  Rachel  came  up.  The  sight 
of  the  daughter  of  his  mother's  brother 
affected  Jacob.  He  could  have  wished 
that  so  tender  an  interview  had  been  by 
themselves  :  but,  as  this  could  not  be,  he, 
in  the  presence  of  the  shepherds,  went  and 
"  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  well's 
mouth  and  watered  her  flock  ;"  which  be- 
ing done,  he  "kissed  Rachel,  and  lifted 
up  his  voice  and  wept."  The  tears  shed 
on  this  occasion  must  have  arisen  from  a 
full  heart.  We  cannot  say  that  the  love 
which  he  afterwards  bore  to  Rachel  did 
not  commence  from  his  first  seeing  her. 
But,  however  that  might  be,  the  cause  of 
this  weeping  was  of  another  kind  :  it  was 
her  being  "  the  daughter  of  his  mother's 
brother  "  that  now  affected  him.  Every 
thing  that  revi\edfc,Aer  memory,  even  the 
very  flocks  of  sheep  that  belonged  to  her 
brother,  went  to  his  heart.  Nor  did  he 
wish  to  be  alone  with  Rachel,  but  that 
he  might  give  vent  without  reserve  to  these 
sensations. 

Ver.  12 — 14.  It  must  have  excited  sur- 
prise in  Rachel's  mind  to  see  a  stranger  sa 
attentive  in  watering  her  flock,  and  still 
more  so  to  receive  from  him  so  affection- 
ate a  salutation  :  but  now,  having  relieved 
his  heart  by  a  burst  of  weeping,  he  tells 
her  who  he  is  ; — he  is  her  father's  near 
kinsman,  Rebecca's  son !  And  now  we 
may  expect  another  very  tender  interview. 
Rachel  ran  and  told  her  father;  and  the 
father  "ran  to  meet  him,  and  em- 
braced him,  and  kissed  him,  and  brought 
him  to  his  house."  After  an  interchange 
of  salutations,  Jacob  tells  him  his  whole 
story;  and  Laban  seems  much  affected 
with  it,  and  speaks  to  him  in  affectionate 
language,  "  Surely,  thou  art  my  bone  and 
my  flesh." 

Ver.  15 — 20.  During  the  first  month 
of  his  stay,  Jacob  employed  himself  about 
his  uncle's  business  ;  but  nothing  was  said 
with  respect  to  terms.  On  such  a  subject 
it  was  not  for  Jacob  to  speak  :  so  Laban 


JACOB  8   ARRIVAL   AT   HARAN. 


811 


very  properly  intimated  that  he  did  not 
<lcsire  to  take  aiivantaee  of  his  noar  rela- 
tionship, that  he  slioiiUi  serve  him  any 
more  tlian  another  man  for  nothing.  Tell 
ine,  said  he,  wliat  shall  be  thy  wages. 
This  gives  Jacol)  an  opportunity  of  ex- 
}ircssin>j;  his  love  tx)  Raciiel.  Aware  that 
he  had  no  dowry,  like  his  father  Isaac,  he 
could  not  well  have  asked  her,  luit  for 
such  an  opportunity  as  this  being  all'orded 
him.  It  was  humiliating,  however,  to  be 
thus  in  a  manner  ot>liged  to  earn  his  wife 
before  he  could  have  her.  This  is  twice 
afterward  relerrcd  to  in  the  Scriptures,  as 
an  instance  of  his  low  condition.  It  was 
a  part  of  the  confession  required  to  be 
made  by  every  Israelite,  when  he  present- 
ed his  basket  of  first-lruits  before  the 
Lord.  "  A  Syrian,  rcaJi/  to  perish,  was 
tny  father  !  "  And  when,  in  the  days  of 
Hosea,  they  were  grown  haughty,  the 
prophet  reminds  them  that  "  Jacob  Jled 
into  the  country  of  Syria,  and  Israel  serv- 
ed for  a  wife,  and  for  a  wife  he  kept  sheep." 
Half  the  generosity  which  Lal>an's  words 
«eem  to  express  would  have  given  Jacob 
the  object  of  his  choice,  without  making 
him  wait  seven  years  for  her.  It  was 
very  proper  for  the  one  to  offer  it  ;  but  it 
was  mean  and  selfish  for  the  other  to  ac- 
cept it.  If  he  had  really  esteemed  his 
daughters,  and  on  this  account  set  a  high 
value  on  them,  he  would  not  afterwards 
have  imposed  two,  where  only  one  was 
desired.  But  his  own  private  interest  was 
all  he  studied.  In  his  sister  Rebecca's 
marriage  there  were  presents  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  costly  raiment,  besides  an  as- 
surance of  the  Lord  having  greatl}^  bless- 
ed the  family,  and  that  Isaac  was  to  be 
the  heir.  These  were  things  which 
wrought  much  on  Laban's  mind.  He 
could  then  say,  "  Behold,  Rebecca  is  be- 
fore thee,  take  her,  and  go,  and  let  her 
be  thy  master's  son's  wife."  But  here 
are  none  of  these  moving  inducements. 
Here  is  a  man,  it  is  true,  and  he  talks  of 
promised  blessings  :  but  he  is  poor,  and 
Laban  cannot  live  upon  promises.  He 
perceives  that  Abraham's  descendants  are 
partial  to  his  family,  and  he  is  resolved  to 
make  his  niarket  of  it.  The  sight  of  the 
very  flocks  of  Laban,  as  being  his  mother's 
brother,  interested  Jacob's  heart ;  but  he 
would  soon  find  that  Laban  will  make  him 
pay  for  his  attachments.  Such,  however, 
was  the  love  he  bore  to  Rachel  that  he 
took  all  in  good  part,  and  consented  to 
serve  seven  years  for  her.  Xay,  such  was 
the  strength  of  his  affection,  that  "  they 
seemed  unto  him  but  a  few  days."  Some 
would  suppose  that  love  must  operate  in 
a  contrary  way,  cavsing  the  time  to  ap- 
pear long  rather  than  short ;  and  there- 
fore conclude  that  what  is  here  spoken  is 


expressive  of  what  it  appeared  tchen  it 
was  past ;  but  the  phraseology  seems  rath- 
er to  denote  what  it  appeared  nt  ttie  time. 
The  truth  seems  to  be  this  :  when  there 
is  nothing  to  obstruct  a  unioti,  love  is 
impatient  of  delay  ;  but,  when  great  diffi- 
culties interpose,  it  stimulates  to  a  patient 
and  resolute  course  of  action,  in  order  to 
surmount  them.  Where  the  object  is 
highly  valued,  we  think  little  of  the  la- 
bor and  expense  of  obtaining  it.  "Love 
endureth  all  things." 

Ver.  21 — 24.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
time  Jacob  demanded  his  wife,  and  prep- 
aration is  jnade  accordingly  for  the  mar- 
riage. Laban,  like  some  in  their  gifts  to 
God,  is  not  wanting  in  ceremony.  He 
made  a  feast,  gave  his  daughter  a  handmaid, 
and  went  through  all  the  forms;  but  the 
gift  itself  was  a  deception  :  it  was  not 
Rachel,  but  Leah,  that  was  jirescnted.  It 
seems  somewhat  extraordinary  that  Jacob 
should  be  capable  of  being  tlius  imposed 
upon.  Perhaps  the  veil  which  was  then 
worn  by  a  woman  on  her  marriage  might 
contribute  to  his  not  perceiving  her.  It 
was  a  cruel  business  on  the  part  of  Laban  ; 
yet  Jacob  might  see  in  it  the  punishment 
of  his  having  imposed  upon  his  father.  In 
such  a  way  God  often  deals  with  men, 
causing  them  to  reap  the  bitter  fruits  of 
sin,  even  when  they  have  lamented  and 
forsaken  it.  "  When  thou  shalt  make  an 
end  to  deal  treacherously,  they  shall  deal 
treacherously  with  thee." 

Ver.  25 — 30.  Jacob,  perceiving  by  the 
light  of  the  morning,  how  he  had  been  de- 
ceived, remonstrated  ;  but  it  was  to  no 
purpose.  The  answer  of  Laban  was  friv- 
olous. If  the  custom  of  the  country  was 
as  he  alleged,  he  ought  to  have  said  so 
from  the  first  :  but  it  is  manifest  that 
he  wanted  to  dispose  of  both  his  daughters 
in  a  way  that  might  turn  to  his  own  advan- 
tage. Hence  he  adds,  "  Fulfil  her  week, 
and  I  will  give  thee  this  also."  These 
words  would  seem  to  intimate  that  he  had 
seven  years  longer  to  stay  for  Rachel ; 
but  this  does  not  agree  with  other  facts. 
Jacob  was  twenty  years  in  Haran — ch. 
xxxi.  41.  At  the  end  of  fourteen  years 
Joseph  was  born.  At  which  time  Rachel 
had  been  a  wife,  without  bearing  any  chil- 
dren, for  several  years — xxx.  22 — 2-5. 
The  two  marriages  therefore  must  have 
been  within  a  week  of  each  other;  and 
the  meaning  of  Laban's  words  must  be. 
Fulfil  the  seven  days'  feasting  for  Leah, 
and  then  thou  shalt  have  Rachel,  and  shalt 
serve  me  seven  years  after  the  marriage 
on  her  account. — With  this  perfectly  agrees 
what  is  said  in  ver.  30,  in  which  he  is  said 
to  have  gone  in  also  unto  Rachel,  denoting 
that  it  was  soon  after  his  having  gone  in 
unto  Leah  ;  and  in  which  the  seven  years' 


812 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


service  is  spoken  of  as  following  his  mar- 
riage to  her.  This  proposal  on  the  part 
of  Lahan  was  as  void  of  principle  as  any 
thing  could  well  be.  His  first  agreement 
was  ungenerous,  his  breach  of  it  unjust; 
and  now  to  extort  seven  years'  more  la- 
bor, or  withhold  the  object  agreed  for, 
was  sordid  in  the  extreme.  Jacob  had  no 
desire  for  more  wives  than  one  :  yet  as 
polygamy  was  at  that  time  tolerated,  and 
as  the  marriage  had  been  consummated, 
though  ignorantly,  with  Leah,  he  could 
not  well  put  her  away  :  yet  neither  could 
he  think  of  foregoing  Rachel.  So  he  ac- 
ceded to  the  terms,  notwithstanding  t  eir 
injustice,  and  was  married  also  to  Rachel  ; 
and  Bilhah  was  given  to  her  for  a  hand- 
maid. But  it  was  to  him  a  sore  trial,  and 
that  which  laid  the  foundation  of  innumer- 
able discords  in  his  family,  of  which  the 
succeeding  history  of  it  abounds.  The  fol- 
lowing prohibition  to  Israel  seems  to  have 
been  occasioned  by  this  unhappy  example 
in  their  great  ancestor  :  "Thou  shalt  not 
take  a  wife  to  her  sister,  to  vex  her,  to 
uncover  her  nakedness,  besides  the  other, 
in  her  life-time." 

Ver.  31—35.  That  Leah,  who  was 
never  the  object  of  Jacob's  choice,  and 
who  must  have  had  a  share  in  the  late 
imposition,  should  be  hated  in  compari- 
son of  Rachel,  is  no  more  than  might  be 
expected  :  yet  it  is  worthy  of  notice  how 
God  balances  the  good  and  ill  of  the  pres- 
ent life.  Leah  is  slighted  in  comjiarison 
of  Rachel  :  but  God  gives  childien  to 
her,  while  he  withholds  them  from  the 
other;  and  children,  in  a  family  whose 
chief  blessing  consisted  in  a  promised 
seed,  were  greatly  accounted  of.  The 
names  given  to  the  children  were  ex|)res- 
sive  of  their  mother's  state  of  mind  ;  part- 
ly as  to  her  affliction  for  want  of  an  in- 
terest in  her  husband's  heart,  and  partly, 
we  hope,  as  to  her  piety,  in  viewing  the 
hand  of  God  in  all  that  befel  iier.  Four 
children  were  born  other  successively; 
namely,  Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  and  Ju- 
dah  :  and  thus  God  was  pleased  to  put 
more  abundant  honor  upon  the  part  that 
lacked.  The  name  of  the  last  of  these 
children,  though  given  him  by  hi?  mother 
merely  under  an  emotion  of  thankfulness, 
yet  was  not  a  little  suited  to  the  royal 
tribe,  whence  also  the  Messiah  should 
descend.  Of  this  his  father  was  made  ac- 
quainted by  revelation  when  he  blessed 
his  sons.  "Judah,"  said  he,  "thou  art 
he  whom  thy  brethren  shall  praise — the 
sceptre  shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor 
a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until 
Shiloh  come  ;  and  unto  him  shall  the  gath- 
ering of  the  people  be  !  " 
One  sees,  in  the  conductof  both  Jacob  and 
Leah,  i;ndcr  their  afflictions,    a  portion  of 


that  patience  which  arose  from  a  con- 
sciousness of  their  having  brought  thera 
upon  themselves.  Tbey  were  each  buf- 
feted in  this  manner  for  their  faults  ;  and, 
being  so,  tliere  was  less  of  praiseworthi- 
ness  in  their  faking  it  patiently.  Yet, 
when  compared  with  some  others,  who,  in 
all  their  troubles,  are  as  bullocks  unaccus- 
tomed to  the  yoke,  we  see  what  is  worthy 
of  imitation. 


DISCOURSE    XXXIX. 

JACOB    IN    HAR.\N. 

Gen.  XXX.  ;   xxxi.  1 — 16. 

Though  every  part  of  Scripture  is 
given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profit- 
able for  various  purposes,  yet  I  conceive 
it  is  no  disparagement  from  its  real  value 
to  say  that  every  j)articular  passage  in  it 
is  not  suited  for  a  public  exposition.  On 
this  ground  I  shall  pass  over  the  thirtieth 
chapter,  with  only  two  or  three  general  re- 
marks. 

First :  The  domestic  discords,  envies,  and 
jealousies,  between  Jacob's  wives,  serve  to 
teach  us  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the 
Christian  law,  that  every  man  liave  his 
own  wife,  as  well  as  every  woman  her 
own  husband.  No  reflecting  person  can 
read  this  chapter  without  being  disgusted 
with  polygamy,  and  thankful  for  that  dis- 
pensation which  has  restored  the  original 
law  of  nature,  and,  v\'ith  it,  true  conjugal 
felicity. 

Secondly:  Though  the  strifes  and  jeal- 
ousies of  Jacob's  wives  were  digusting, 
yet  we  are  not  to  attribute  their  desire  of 
children,  or  the  measures  which  it  put 
them  upon  for  obtaining  tiiem,  to  mere 
carnal  motives.  Had  it  been  so,  there  is 
no  reason  to  believe  that  the  inspired  wri- 
ter would  have  condescended  to  narrate 
them.  "  It  would,"  as  an  able  writer  ob- 
serves, "  have  been  below  the  dignity  of 
such  a  sacred  history  as  this  is  to  relate 
such  things,  if  there  had  not  been  some- 
tiiing  of  great  consideration  in  them." 
The  truth  appears  to  be,  they  were  influ- 
enced by  the  promises  of  God  to  Aiira- 
ham ;  on  whose  posterity  were  entailed 
the  richest  blessings,  and  from  whom  the 
Messiah  was,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  to 
descend.  It  was  the  belief  of  these  prom- 
ises that  rendered  every  pious  female  in 
those  times  emulous  of  being  a  mother. 
Hence  also  both  Leah  and  Rachel  are  rep- 
resented as  praying  to  God  for  this  honor, 
and,  when  children  were  given  them,  as 
acknowledging  the  favor  to  have  proceed- 
edf-rom  him.— Ver.  17,  18,  22. 


JAtOC     IN     HARAX. 


815 


Thirdly  :  Tlie  measure  which  Jacob 
took  to  obtain  llie  best  of  the  cattle  would 
at  (irst  sight  a|i|iear  to  be  scllisli  and  disin- 
genuous ;  and  il  vieued  as  a  mere  liunian 
device,  o|>erating  accordinji  to  the  estab- 
lished laws  of  nature,  it  would  lie  so  :  but 
such  it  was  not.  As,  when  unbelievers 
object  to  the  curse  of  Noah  upon  his  son 
that  il  was  the  mere  ellect  of  revenge,  we 
answer,  Let  them  curse  those  who  dis- 
please them,  and  see  whether  any  such  ef- 
fects will  (bllow;  so,  if  they  object  to  the 
conduct  of  Jacob  as  a  crafty  device,  ive 
inigiit  answer.  Let  them  make  use  of  the 
same,  if  they  be  ai)Ic.  I  believe  it  will 
not  be  pretended  that  any  other  |)erson 
has  since  made  the  like  experiment  with 
success.  Il  must  therefore  have  1  een  by 
a  special  direction  of  God  thai  he  acted 
as  he  did. — xxxi.  10 — 12.  And  this  will 
acquit  him  of  seKishness,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  divine  command  to  the  Isra- 
elites to  borrow  of  the  Egyptians  acquits 
them  of  fraud.  Both  were  extraordinary 
interpositions  in  bclialf  of  the  injured;  a 
kind  of  divine  refirisal,  in  which  justice 
was  executed  on  a  broad  scale.  And  as 
the  Egyptians  could  not  complain  of  the 
Israelites,  for  that  they  had  freely  lent  or 
rather  given  them  their  jewels,  without 
any  expectation  of  receiving  them  again;* 
so  neitlier  could  Laltan  complain  of  Jacol), 
for  that  he  had  nothing  more  than  it  was 
freely  agreed  he  should  have  ;  nor  was  he 
on  the  whole  injured,  but  greatly  benefit- 
■ed  by  Jacob's  services. 

Chap.  xxxi.  1,  2.  It  is  time  for  Jacob 
to  depart ;  for  though  Laban  has  acknow  I- 
edged,  in  the  hope  of  detaining  him,  that 
the  Lord  had  blessed  him  for  his  sake,  yet 
there  is  at  this  time  much  envy  and  evil- 
mindedness  at  work  in  the  family  against 
him,  overlooking  all  their  gains,  and  dwell- 
ing only  upon  his.  Mercenary  characters 
are  not  contented  to  prosper  with  others, 
but  think  much  of  every  thing  that  goes 
teside  themselves.  If  a  poor  tenant  or  a 
servant  thrive  under  them,  they  will  soon 
be  heard  murmuring,  "  He  hath  taken 
away  all  that  was  ours,  and  of  that  which 
was  ours  hath  he  gotten  all  this  glory." 
If  Laban's  sons  only  had  murmured  thus, 
Jacob  might  have  borne  it;  but  their  fa- 
ther was  of  the  same  mind,  and  carried  it 
4hus  unkindly  towards  him.  He  had  been 
very  willing  to  part  with  his  daughters, 
more  so  indeed  than  he  ought  to  have 
been  ;  but  Jacob's  increase  of  cattle  under 
him  touches  him  in  a  lender  part. 

Ver.  3.  The  Lord  liad  promised  to  lie 
with  Jacob,  and  to  keep  him  in  all  places 
whither  he   went  ;     and    he    makes    good 

*  Tlie  Hebrew  woid  -)^^  often  signifies  merely  to 
ask. — Ps.  il.  8, 


his  promise.  Like  a  watchful  friend 
at  his  ri'^ht  hand,  he  observes  his  treat- 
ment, and  warns  him  to  depart.  If  Jacob 
had  renio\ed  Irom  mere  personal  resent- 
ment, or  as  stimulated  only  I  y  a  sense  of 
injury,  he  might  have  siimed  against  God, 
though  not  against  Laban.  But  when  il 
was  said  to  him,  "  Return  unto  the  land 
of  thy  fathers,  and  to  ihy  kindred,  and  I 
will  be  with  thee,"  his  way  was  plain  be- 
fore him.  In  all  our  removals,  it  becomes 
us  so  to  act  as  that  we  may  hope  for  the 
divine  |)rcsence  and  blessing  to  attend  us  ; 
else,  though  wc  may  (lee  Irom  one  trouble, 
we  shall  fall  into  many,  and  be  less  able 
to  endure  th^ni. 

Ver.  -1 — 13.  And  now,  being  warned 
of  God  to  de[)art,  he  sends  for  his  wives 
into  the  field,  where  he  might  converse 
with  them  freely  on  the  subject,  without 
danger  of  being  overheard.  Had  they 
been  servants,  it  had  been  sufiicienl  to 
have  imparled  to  them  his  will;  but,  be- 
ing wives,  they  require  a  different  treat- 
ment. There  is  an  authority  which  Scrip- 
lure  and  nature  give  to  the  man  over  the 
woman  ;  but  every  one  who  deserves  the 
name  of  a  man  will  exercise  it  with  a  gen- 
tleness and  kindnoss  that  sliall  render  it 
pleasant  rather  tlian  burdensome.  He 
w  ill  consult  with  her  as  a  iriend,  and  sat- 
isfy her  by  giving  the  reasons  ol  his  con- 
duct. Thus  did  Jacob  to  both  his  wives, 
who,  by  s  ch  kind  conduct,  forgot  the  dif- 
ferences between  thcmsehes,  and  cheer- 
fully cast  in  their  lot  with  him. 

The  reasons  assigned  for  leaving  were 
partly  the  treatment  of  Laban,  and  j)artly 
the  intimations  from  God.  "1  see  your 
father's  countenance,"  says  he,  "  that  it 
is  not  toward  me  as  before."  It  is  wisely 
ordered  thai  the  countenance  shall,  in  most 
cases,  be  an  index  to  the  heart;  else  there 
would  1)6  inucii  more  deception  in  the 
world  than  there  is.  VVe  gather  more  of 
men's  disposition  towards  us  from  looks 
than  from  words  ;  and  domestic  happiness 
is  more  influenced  by  the  one  than  liy  the 
other.  Sullen  silence  is  often  less  toler- 
able than  contention  itself,  because  the 
latter,  jiainful  as  it  is,  afl'ords  opportunity 
for  mutual  explanation.  But,  while  Ja- 
cob had  to  complain  of  Laban's  cloudy 
coiintenance,  he  could  add,  "The  God  of 
my  father  hath  been  with  me."  God's 
smiles  are  the  best  support  under  man's 
frowns:  if  we  walk  in  the  light  of  his 
countenance,  we  need  not  fear  what  man 
can  do  unto  us.  He  then  appeals  to  his 
wives,  as  to  the  faithfulness  and  diligence 
with  which  he  had  served  their  lather, 
and  the  deceitful  treatment  he  had  met 
with  in  return.  "  Ye  know  that  with  all 
my  power  I  have  served  your  father;  and 


814 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


your  father  hath  deceived  me,  and  changed 
my  wages  ten  times."  Next  lie  alleges 
the  good  hand  of  his  God  upon  hitn,  tliat 
he  had  not  suffered  him  to  hurt  him;  but, 
in  whatever  form  his  wages  were  to  be, 
had  caused  things  in  the  end  to  turn  to  his 
account;  and  that  the  purport  of  this  was 
revealed  to  him  by  a  dream  before  it  came 
to  pass,  in  which  he  saw  the  cattle  in  those 
colors  whicii  were  to  distinguish  them  as 
his  hire.  Moreover,  that  he  had  very  late- 
ly had  another  dream, '^  in  which  the  An- 
gel of  God  directed  him  to  observe  the 
lact  as  accomplished,  of  which  he  had  be- 
fore received  only  a  pre-intimation ;  and 
accounted  for  it,  saying,  "I  have  seen  all 
that  Lallan  doeth  unto  thee."  In  alleging 
these  things  in  his  defence,  Jacob  said,  in 
effect,  "  If  your  father's  cattle  have  of 
late  lieen  given  to  me,  it  is  not  my  doing, 
but  God's,  who  hath  seen  my  wrongs,  and 
redressed  them."  Finally:  he  alleges,  as 
the  grand  reason  of  his  departure,  the 
command  of  God.  The  same  Angel  who 
had  directed  him  fo  oi)serve  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  former  dream,  at  the 
same  time  added,  "I  am  the  God  of  Beth- 
el, where  thou  anointedst  the  pillar,  and 
vowedst  a  vow  unto  me  :  now  arise,  get 
thee  out  of  this  land,  and  return  unto  the 
land  of  thy  kindred." 

Let  us  pause,  and  observe  with  attention 
this  important  passage.  "  I  am  the  God 
of  Bethel  !"  Such  words  could  never 
have  been  uttered  by  a  created  angel ;  nor 
does  the  appearing  in  the  form  of  an  an- 
gel, or  messenger,  accord  with  the  Scrip- 
ture account  of  God  the  Father:  it  must 
therefore  have  been  the  Son  of  God,  whose 
frequent  appearances  to  tlie  patriarchs  af- 
forded a  prelude  to  his  incarnation.  Paul, 
speaking  of  Christ  in  his  incarnate  charac- 
ter, says,  that,  "being  in  the  form  of  God, 
he  thought  it  not  rol>bery  to  be  equal  with 
God."  But  fo  what  does  the  apostle  re- 
fer] When  or  where  had  he  appeared 
equal  with  God]  In  such  instances  as 
these,  no  doubt ;  wherein  he  constantly 
spoke  of  himself,  and  was  spoken  fo  by 
his  servants,  as  God;  and  in  a  manner 
which  evinces  that  he  accounted  it  no 
usurpation  of  that  which  did  not  belong 
to  him. 

"  I  am  the  God  of  Bethel !"  When  at 
Bethel,  the  Lord  said,  "I  am  Jehovah, 
God  of  Abraham  thy  father,  and  the  God 
of  Isaac."  He  might  have  said  the  same 
now ;  but  it  was  his  pleasute  to  direct  the 

*  I  am  aware  that  tlie  dreams  in  verses  10,  11,  are 
generally  con.-iiderecl  as  one  and  the  same.  IJut  those 
who  tlius  consider  them  are  not  only  obliged  to  inter- 
pret those  as  one  which  the  text  represents  as  two, 
bnt  wliat  is  said  by  the  angel  in  the  12th  and  13th 
verses  as  two  speeches,  which  manifestly  appears  to 
be  one. 


attention  of  his  servant  to  the  last  and  to 
him  the  most  interesting  of  his  manifest- 
ations. By  gi\ing  him  hold  of  the  last  link 
in  the  chain,  he  would  be  in  possession  of 
the  whole.  The  God  of  Bethel  was  the 
God  of  his  fathers,  Abraham  and  Isaac; 
the  God  who  had  entered  into  covenant 
with  the  former,  had  renewed  it  with  the 
latter,  and  again  renewed  if  with  him. 
What  satisfaction  must  it  afford  to  be  di- 
rected by  such  a  God  ! 

It  is  also  observalile  that,  in  directing 
Jacob's  thoughts  to  the  vision  at  Bethel, 
the  Lord  reminds  him  of  those  solemn  acts 
of  his  own  l)y  which  he  had  at  that  time 
devoted  himself  fo  him.  "  I  am  the  God  of 
Bethel,  where  thou  anointedst  the  pillar, 
and  vowedst  a  vow  unto  me."  It  is  not 
only  necessary  that  we  be  reminded  of 
God's  promises  for  our  support  in  troubles, 
but  of  our  own  soleinn  engagements,  that 
the  same  affections  which  distinguished 
the  best  seasons  of  our  life  may  be  re- 
newed, and  that  in  all  our  movements  we 
may  keep  in  view  the  end  for  which  we 
live.  The  object  of  the  vow  was  that 
Jefiovah  should  be  his  God;  and,  when- 
ever he  should  return,  that  that  stone 
shoxild  be  God's  house.  And,  now  that 
the  Lord  commands  him  to  return,  he 
reminds  him  of  his  vow.  He  must  not 
go  to  Canaan  with  a  view  to  promote  his 
own  temporal  interest,  but  to  introduce 
the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the  true 
God.  This  was  the  great  end  which  Je- 
hovah had  in  view  in  all  that  he  did  for 
Abraham's  posterity,  and  they  must  never 
lose  sight  of  it. 

Ver.  14 — 16.  Jacob,  having  given  the 
reasons  for  his  proposed  departure,  paus- 
ed. The  women,  without  any  hesitation, 
acquiesce,  intimating  that  there  was  noth- 
ing in  their  father's  house  that  should  in- 
duce them  to  wish  to  stay  in  if.  It  is 
grievous  to  see  the  ties  of  nature  dissolved 
in  a  manner  by  a  series  of  selfish  actions. 
I  am  not  sure  that  Rachel  and  Leah  were 
clear  of  this  spirit  towards  their  father : 
their  words  imply  that  they  were  suffi- 
ciently on  their  own  side.  Yet  the  com- 
plaints which  they  make  of  him  were  but 
too  well  founded.  The  sordid  bargain 
which  he  had  made  with  Jacob,  exacting 
fourteen  years'  labor  from  him  as  the  price 
of  his  daughters,  appears  to  have  stung 
them  at  the  time  ;  and,  now  that  an  oppor- 
tunity offers,  they  speak  their  minds  with- 
out reserve.  They  felt  that  they  had  been 
treated  more  like  slaves  than  daughters, 
and  that  he  had  not  consulted  their  happi- 
ness any  more  than  their  husband's,  but 
merely  his  own  interest.  Moreover,  they 
accuse  him  of  having  devoured  all  their 
money.  Instead  of  providing  for  them  as 
daughters,  which   the   law   of  nature  re- 


JACOB  S    DKPARTURK    FROM    IIAUAX. 


315 


quired  ("2  Cor.  xii.  14),  he  seems  to  liave 
contrived  to  get  all  tliul  private  money 
wliith  it  is  coimiiDii  to  allow  a  son  or  a 
daughter  wiiile  residing  with  their  parents 
into  his  haiuls,  and  had  ke|)t  thecn  in  a 
manniM'  pennyless.  Hence  they  allege  that 
all  the  riches  which  had  heen  taken  trom 
him  and  given  to  tlieir  hushand  were  theirs 
and  their  children's  in  right  ;  and  that 
God,  knowing  their  injuries,  h.ul  done  this 
to  redress  ihem.  Uj)on  the  whole,  their 
mind  is  that  Jacob  should  go,  and  they 
will  go  with  him. 

We  have  seen  some  tilings  in  the  history 
of  these  women  which  has  induced  us  to 
hope  well  of  them,  notwithstanding  their 
many  failings  :  hut  tliough  in  this  case  it 
was  their  duty  to  comply  with  the  desire 
of  their  hushand,  and  lo  own  the  hand  of 
God  in  what  had  taken  place  between  their 
father  and  him;  yet  there  is  something  in 
Iheir  manner  of  expressing  themselves 
that  looks  more  like  the  spirit  of  the 
world  than  the  spirit  which  is  of  God.  A 
right  spirit  would  have  taught  them  to  re- 
member thai  Laban,  whatever  was  his 
conduct,  was  still  their  lather.  They 
might  have  felt  it  impossible  to  vindicate 
him  ;  but  they  should  not  have  ex|)atiated 
on  his  faults  in  such  a  manner  as  to  take 
pleasure  in  exposing  them.  Such  conduct 
was  but  too  much  like  that  of  Ham  to- 
wards his  father.  And  as  to  their  acknow  I- 
edging,  the  hand  of  God  in  giving  their 
father's  riches  to  their  husband,  this  is  no 
more  than  is  often  seen  in  the  most  selfish 
characters,  who  can  easily  admire  the  di- 
vine providence  when  it  goes  in  their  fa- 
vor. The  ease,  however,  with  which  all 
men  can  discern  what  is  just  and  equitable 
towards  themselves  renders  the  love  of 
ourselves  a  proper  standard  for  the  love  of 
others,  and  will,  sooner  or  later,  stop  the 
mouth  of  every  sinner.  Even  those  who 
have  no  written  revelation  have  this  di- 
vine law  engraven  on  their  consciences  : 
they  can  judge  with  the  nicest  accuracy 
what  is  justice  to  them,  and  therefore 
cannot  plead  ignorance  of  what  is  justice 
from  them  to  others. 


DISCOURSE   XL. 

Jacob's  departure  from  haran. 

Gen.  x\xi.  17 — 55. 

Ver.  17 — 21.  Jaool)  having  consulted 
with  his  wives,  and  obtained  their  consent, 
the  next  step  was  to  prepare  for  their  de- 
parture. Had  Laban  known  it,  there  is 
reason  to  fear  he  would  either  have  detain- 


ed him  by  force,  or  at  least  have  deprived 
him  of  a  part  of  his  property.  He  must 
therefore,  if  possible,  depart  without  his 
knowl  dge.  At  that  time  Laban  was  three 
days'  journey  from  home,  at  a  sheep- 
shearing.  Jacob,  taking  advantage  of 
this,  ed'ected  his  escape.  The  women, 
returning  from  t!ie  field,  collected  tlieir 
matters  together  in  a  little  time;  and,  be- 
ing all  ready,  Jacob  rose  up,  set  his  fam- 
ily upon  the  camels,  and,  with  all  his  sub- 
stance, set  otr  for  his  father's  house  in 
the  land  of  Canaan.  Being  apjjrehensive 
that  Laban  would  |)ursue  him,  he  passed 
over  the  Eupiuates,  and  hastened  on  his 
way  towards  mount  Gilead. 

I  do  not  know  that  we  can  justly  blame 
Jacob  for  this  his  sudden  and  secret  de- 
parture :  but,  when  we  read  of  Rachel's 
availing  herself  of  her  father's  absence  to 
steal  his  images,  a  scene  of  iniquity  opens 
to  our  view  !  What,  then,  is  the  family 
of  Nahor,  who  left  the  idolatrous  Chal- 
dees — the  family  to  which  Abraham  and 
Isaac  repaired,  in  marrying  their  children, 
to  the  rejection  of  the  idolatrous  Canaan- 
ites — is  this  family  itself  become  idola- 
ters'? It  is  even  so.  But  is  Rachel,  the 
beloved  wife  of  Jacob,  not  only  capable 
of  stealing,  but  of  stealing  images  1  Some, 
reluctant  to  entertain  such  an  o[)inion  ol 
her,  have  sujiposed  she  might  take  them 
away  to  prevent  their  ill  elTects  on  her 
father's  familv  :  but  subsequent  events 
are  far  from  justifying  such  a  supposition. 
It  is  a  fact  that  these  teraphim  aiterwards 
proved  a  snare  to  Jacob's  family,  and 
that  he  could  not  go  up  to  Bethel  till  he 
had  cleansed  his  house  of  them. — Ch. 
XXXV.  1 — 3.  But  had  the  family  of  La- 
ban cast  otr  the  acknowledgment  of  Je- 
hovah, the  one  true  God  ]  This  does  not 
appear,  for  they  make  frecpicnt  mention 
of  him.  Both  Rachel  and  Leah,  on  the 
birth  of  their  children,  were  full  of  appar- 
ently devout  acknowledgments  of  him ; 
and  we  were  willing,  thence,  to  entertain 
a  hope  in  favor  of  their  piety.  Lal)an 
also,  notwithstanding  his  keeping  these 
images  in  his  house,  could  aiterwards  in- 
voke Jehovah  to  watch  between  him  and 
Jacob. — ver.  49.  The  truth  seems  to  be, 
they  were  like  some  in  after  times,  who 
swure  by  the  Lord  and  by  J^Ialcham  (Zeph. 
i.  .5);  and  others  in  our  times,  who  are 
neither  cold  nor  hot,  but  seem  to  wish  to 
serve  both  God  and  mammon.  The  tera- 
j)him  that  Rachel  stole  were  not  public 
idols,  set  up  in  tem|)les  for  worship;  but, 
as  some  think,  little  images  of  them,  a 
kind  of  household  gods  Laban's  family 
would  probably  have  been  ashamed  of 
publicly  accom|)anying  the  heathen  to  the 
w  orship   of    their   gods ;    but   they   could 


81G 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


keep  images  of  them  in  their  house,  which 
implies  a  superstitious  respect,  it'  not  a 
private  homage  paid  to  them. 

This  dividing  of  matters  between  the 
true  God  and  idols  has  in  all  ages  been  a 
great  source  of  corruption.  A  little  be- 
fore the  death  of  Joshua,  when  Israel  be- 
gan to  degenerate,  it  was  in  this  way. 
Thev  did  not  openly  renounce  the  ac- 
knowledgment of  Jehovah,  but  kept  im- 
ages of  the  idols  in  the  countries  round 
about  them  in  their  houses.  Of  this  the 
venerable  man  was  aware  ;  and  therefore, 
when  they  declared,  saying,  "We  will 
serve  Jehovah,  for  he  is  our  God,"  he  an- 
swered, "Ye  cannot  serve  Jehovah,  for 
he  is  a  holy  God,  he  is  a  jealous  God  :  he 
will  not  forgive  your  transgressions,  nor 
your  sins."  And  when  they  replied, 
"Nay,  but  we  will  serve  Jehovah,"  he  an- 
swered, "  Put  away  the  strange  gods  that 
are  among  you  :"  as  if  he  should  say, 
"You  cannot  serve  God  and  your  idols  : 
if  Jehovah  be  God,  follow  hin) ;  but  if 
Baal,  follow  him."  What  is  Popery  1  It 
does  n.'it  profess  to  renounce  the  true  God  ; 
but  aliounds  in  images  of  Ciirist  and  de- 
parted saints.  What  is  the  religion  of  great 
numbers  among  Protestants,  and  even 
Protestant  Dissenters  "?  They  will  ac- 
knowledge the  true  God  in  words  :  but 
their  hearts  and  houses  are  the  abodos  of 
spiritual  idolatry.  When  a  man,  like  La- 
l)an,  gives  himself  up  to  covetousness,  he 
has  no  room  for  God  or  true  religion.  The 
world  is  liis  god  ;  and  he  has  only  to  re- 
side among  gross  idolaters  in  order  to 
be  one,  or  at  least  a  favorer  of  their 
abominations. 

Ver.  22—30.  The  news  of  Jacob's  ab- 
rupt departure  was  soon  carried  to  Laban, 
who,  collecting  all  his  force,  immediately 
pursued  him.  It  was  seven  days,  howev- 
er, ere  he  came  up  with  him.  Without 
doubt,  he  meditated  mischief.  He  would 
talk  of  his  regard  to  his  children,  and 
grandchildren,  and  how  much  he  was  hurt 
in  being  prevented  from  taking  leave  of 
them  :  but  that  which  lay  nearest  his  heart 
was  the  substance  which  Jacob  had  taken 
with  him.  This,  I  conceive,  he  meant  !)}■ 
some  means  to  recover.  And,  if  he  had 
by  persuasion  or  force  induced  the  family 
to  return,  it.  had  been  only  for  the  sake  of 
this.  But,  the  night  liefbre  he  overtook 
Jacob,  God  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream, 
and  warned  him  not  only  against  doing 
him  harm,  but  even  against  "speaking  to 
him  (!hat  is,  on  the  subject  of  returning 
to  Haran)  either  good  or  bad."  From 
this  time  his  spirit  was  manifestly  over- 
awed, and  his  heart  was  smitten  as  with  a 
palsy.  Overtaking  Jacob  at  mount  Gil- 
ead,  he  begins  with  him  in  rather  a  lofty 
tone,  but  faulters  as  he  proceeds,  dwelling 


upon   the   same    charges    over    and    over 
again.      "  What  hast  thou  done,   said  he, 
"  that  thou  hast  stolen  away  unawares  to 
me,  and  carried  away   my  daughters,  as 
captives  taken  with  the  sword  1     Where- 
fore didst  thou    flee  away    secretly,    and 
steal  away  froiii  me  "?   and  didst  not  tell  me, 
that  I  might  have   sent  thee    away    with 
mirth,  and  with  songs,  with  tabret  and  with 
harp  ]   and  hast  not  suffered  me  to  kiss  my 
sons  and   my    daughters'!    thou    hast  now 
done  foolishly  in    so   doing."     In   all   this 
he   means  to  insinuate  that  Jacob  had  no 
cause  to  leave  him  on  account  of  any  thing 
he    had   done ;  that  where    there    was    so 
much   secrecy   there  must    be    something 
dishonorable  ;  and  that,  in  pursuing  him, 
he    was    only   moved  by  affection    to    his 
children.      He  adds,  "  It  is  in  the  power 
of  my  hand  to  do  you  hurt :  but  the   God 
of  your  father  spake  unto  me  yesternight, 
saying,  '  Take  thou  heed  that  thou  speak 
not  to  Jacob  either  good  or  had.'  "     With- 
out  doubt   Lallan's    company   was    much 
more  [)owerful  than  that  of  Jacob,  and  he 
meant  to  impress  this  idea  upon  him,  that 
his   forbearance   might   appear  to   be   the 
effect  of  generosity;  nay,  it  is  possible  he 
might  think   he  acted  very  religiously,  in 
paying  so  much   deference  to  the  warning^ 
voice  of  his  God.     He  concludes  by  ad- 
ding,   "  And   now,   though    thou    wouldst 
needs  be  gone,  because  thou  sore  longedst 
after   thy   father's   house ;    yet  wherefore 
hast  thou  stolen  my  gods  ?  "     The  man- 
ner in  which  he  accounts  for  his  desire  to 
lie  gone  has  an  appearance  of  candor  and 
sympathy  ;  but  the  design  was  to  insinuate 
that  it  was  not  on  account  of  any  ill  treat- 
ment he  had  received  from  him,  and  per- 
haps to  give  an  edge   to  the  heavy  charge 
with   which   his   speech  is  concluded.     It 
wa.>  cutting  to  be  accused   of  theft  ;  more 
so  of  having  slolen  what  he  abhorred  ;  and, 
for  the   charge   to  be   preferred  by  a  man 
who  wished  to  make  every  possible  allow- 
ance, would  render  it   more   cutting  still. 
Jacob  felt  it,  and  all  his  other  accusations, 
as  his  answers  sufficiently  indicate. 

Ver.  31,  32.  With  respect  to  the- 
reiterated  complaints  of  the  secrecy  of  his 
departure,  Jacob  answers  all  in  a  few 
words:  It  was  "  because  I  was  afraid: 
for  I  said,  peradventure  thou  wouldst  take 
by  force  thy  daughters  from  me."  This 
was  admitting  his  power,  but  impeaching 
his  justice  :  and,  as  he  had  dwelt  only 
upon  the  taking  away  of  his  daughters,  so 
Jacob  in  answer  confines  himself  to  them. 
Lahan  might  feel  for  the  loss  of  some- 
thing else  besides  his  daughters  ;  and  Ja- 
cob, when  he  left  Haran,  might  be  afraid 
for  something  else:  but,  as  the  charge 
respected  only  them,  it  was  sufficient  that 
the  answer    corresponded    to  it.      If  by 


Jacob's  depauturk  from   haran. 


817 


uilhholding  tho  women  lie  could  have  de- 
tained hitn  and  his  substance,  his  ibrnier 
conduct  proved  that  he  would  not  liave 
been  to  be  trusted.  With  respect  to  the 
gods,  Jacol)'s  answer  is  expressive  of  the 
strongest  indignation.  He  will  not  deign 
to  disown  the  charge  ;  but  desires  that  all 
his  company  might  be  searched,  saying, 
*'  With  whomsoever  Ihou  findcst  thy  gods 
let  him  not  live!"  It  was  worthy  of  an 
upright  man  to  feel  indignant  at  the  charge 
ol  stealing,  and  o(  a  servant  of  God  at  that 
of  stealing  idols.  But,  unless  he  had  been 
as  well  assured  of  the  innocence  of  all 
about  him  as  he  was  of  his  own,  he  ought 
not  to  have  spoken  as  he  did.  His  words 
might  have  proved  a  sorer  trial  to  him 
than  he  was  aware  of. 

Though  Lat)an  had  not  expressly  charg- 
ed him  wilii  fraud  in  any  thing  except  the 
gods  ;  yet,  having  dwelt  so  much  upon  the 
privacy  of  his  departure  as  to  intimate  a 
general  sus|iicion,  Jacob  answers  also  in  a 
general  way,  "Before  our  brethren,  dis- 
cern thou  what  is  thine  with  mc,  and  take 
it  to  thee."  It  was  unpleasant  to  be  thus 
pursued,  accused,  and  searched;  but  it 
was  all  well.  But  for  this,  his  upright- 
ness would  have  appeared  in  a  more  sus- 
picious light. 

Ver.  33 — 42.  Laban  accepts  the  offer, 
and  now  begins  to  search.  Going  from  tent 
to  tent,  he  hopes  to  find  at  least  his  gods. 
Rachel's  policy,  however,  eludes  his  vigi- 
lance :  "  He  searched,  but  found  not  the 
images."  No  mention  is  made  of  his  go- 
ing among  the  cattle,  which  proves  he  had 
no  suspicion  of  being  wronged  in  respect 
of  them.  During  the  search,  Jacob  look- 
ed on  and  said  nothing  ;  but,  when  noth- 
ing was  found  that  could  justify  the  hea- 
vy charges  which  had  been  preferred 
against  him,  his  spirit  was  provoked.  "He 
was  wroth,  and  chode  with  Laban."  Hard 
words  and  cutting  interrogations  follow. 
"  What  is  my  trespass  1  what  is  my  sin, 
that  thou  hast  so  hotly  pursued  after  me  1 
Whereas  thou  hast  searched  all  my  stuff, 
what  hast  thou  found  of  all  thy  house- 
hold stuff!  Set  it  here  before  my  breth- 
ren, and  thy  brethren,  that  they  may  judge 
betwixt  us  both."  He  goes  on,  and 
takes  a  review  of  his  whole  conduct  to- 
wards him  for  twenty  years  past,  and 
proves  that  he  had  been  very  hardly  dealt 
with,  summing  up  his  answer  in  these 
very  emphatic  terms  :  "  Except  the  God 
of  my  father,  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the 
fear  of  Isaac  had  been  with  me,"  notwith- 
standing all  thy  talk  of  sending  me  away 
with  mirth  and  with  songs,  with  tabret 
and  with  harp,  "  surely  thou  hadst  sent  me 
away  now  empty  :  God  hath  seen  mine 
affliction,  and  the  labor  of  mine  hands,  and 
rebuked  thee  yesternight."      Laban  made 

VOL.    I.  103 


a  merit  of  obeying  the  dream  ;  but  Jacob 
im|)roves  it  into  an  evidence  of  his  evil 
design,  for  which  God  had  rebuked  him, 
and  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  injured. 

Ver.  -13 — 53.  Laban,  whose  spirit  was 
checked  l>eforc  he  began,  was  now  con- 
founded. He  cpiite  gives  up  the  cause, 
and  wishes  to  make  up  matters  as  well  as 
he  can.  He  cannot  help  j)refacing  his 
wish,  however,  with  a  portion  of  vain 
boasting  and  atlccted  generosity.  "  These 
daughters  arc  my  daughters,  and  these  chil- 
dren are  niy  children,  and  these  cattle 
are  my  cattle,  and  all  that  thou  seest  is 
mine  :  and  what  can  I  do  tiiis  day  unto  these 
my  daughters  or  unto  their  children  which 
they  have  borne  1"  As  if  he  had  said,  Yes, 
yes,  God  hath  given  you  many  thing-;  ;  but 
remember  they  were  all  mine,  and  you  have 
obtained  them  under  me.  Let  us  have  no 
more  disputes,  however  ;  for  thougli  I  am 
come  so  far,  and  possess  so  great  a  force, 
yet  how  can  I  find  in  my  heart  to  hurt  my 
own  children!  Come,  therefore,  and  let 
us  make  a  covenant  and   be   good  friends. 

Jacob  makes  no  reply  to  Laban's  boast- 
ing, but  lets  it  pass  :  and  though  he  had 
felt  sokeenly,  and  spoken  so  warmly,  yet 
he  consents  to  a  covenant  of  peace.  An- 
ger may  rise  in  the  breast  of  a  wise  man  ; 
but  it  resteth  only  in  the  bosom  of  fools. 
He  said  nothing,  but  expressed  his  mind 
by  actions.  He  first  "  took  a  stone  and 
set  it  up  for  a  pillar ;"  then  said  to  his 
brethren,  "  Gather  stones  ;  and  they  took 
stones,  and  made  a  heap,  and  did  eat  to- 
gether," in  token  of  reconciliation,  upon 
it.  This  done,  Laban  called  it  Jegar- 
sahadutha,  and  Jacob  Galeed :  the  one 
was  the  Syriac  and  the  other  the  Hebrew 
word  for  the  same  thing;  that  is,  the 
heap  oj  witness.  It  was  also  called  Miz- 
pah,  a  beacon,  or  watch-tower.  The  mean- 
ing of  these  names,  in  reference  to  the 
present  case,  is  explained  by  Laban,  as 
being  the  elder  man,  and  the  leading  par- 
ty in  the  covenant.  "  This  heap,"  said 
he,  "  is  a  witness  between  me  and  thee 
this  day.  Jehovah  wakA  between  me  and 
thee,  when  we  are  absent  one  from  anoth- 
er. If  thou  shalt  afflict  my  daughters,  or 
if  thou  shalt  take  other  wives  besides  my 
daughters,  no  man  is  with  us  :  see,  God  is 
witness  betwixt  me  and  thee."  To  this 
he  added,  "  Behold  this  heap,  and  behold 
tills  pillar — this  heap  be  witness,  and  this 
jiillar  be  witness,  that  I  will  not  pass  over 
this  heap  to  thee,  and  that  thou  shalt  not 
pass  over  this  heap  and  this  pillar  unto  me, 
for  harm.  The  God  of  Abraham,  and  the 
God  of  Nahor,  the  God  of  their  father 
judge  betwixt  us."  To  this  covenant  Ja- 
cob fully  assented,  and  sware  by  the  fear 
of  his  father  Isaac  ;  that  is,  by  the  God 
whom  Isaac  feared. 


818 


EXPOSITION    OF     GEKESI5. 


We  are  surprised  to   hear    a  man  who        On  observing  the  place  from  which  Ha- 
had  been  seven  days  in  pursuit  ol'  certain   laam,  the  son  of  Beor,  is  said  to  have  been 
stolen  gods  speak  so  much,  and  in  so  sol-   sent  for,   to  curse  Israel,  namely,   Pethor, 
emn  a  manner,  about  Jehovah  :  but  wick-   of  Mesopotamia  (Deut.  xxiii.  4),  or  Aram 
ed  men  will,  on  some  occasions,  utter  ex-   (Num.    xxiii.    7),  or,   as  it   is    frequently 
cellent  words.       After  all,    he   could   not   called,    Padan-aram,    and  that    it  is    the 
help  manifesting  his   attachment  to   idola-   same  with  that  in   which   Laban  dwelt,  I 
try.     When  speaking  to  Jacob  of  Jehovah,   have  been  inclined   to   think  he   might  be 
he  calls  him  "  the  God  of  your  father,"  in    one  of  his  descendants.      He  is  supposed 
a  manner  as  if  he   was    not  not  his  God  ;    to  have  lived  about  two  hundred  and  eigh- 
and,  in  swearing  to  the   solemn  covenant   ty  years  after  Jacob's  departure  from  that 
which  had  been  made  between  them,  he   country,  which   in  those  ages   Would   not 
does  not  appear  to  have  invoked  Jehovah   include  above   two  or,  three   generations, 
as  the  only  true  God.     It  is  very  observa-    The    opinion  of  ancient    Jewish   writers, 
ble  that  though  he  makes  mention  of  "  the    though  often  fabulous,  yet,  when  agreeing 
God  of  Abraham,"  yet  it  is  in  connection   with     what   is    otherwise    probable,    may 
with  iVa/ior  and   their  father,   that  is,  Te-    serve  to  strengthen  it.     "The  Targum  of 
rah  :  but  when  Abraham  was  with   Nahor   Jonathan  on  Numb.  xxii.  5,  and  the  Tar- 
and  Terah   they   were  idolaters.     To  this    gum  on   1  Chron.  i.  44,   make  Balaam   to 
purpose  we  read  in  Joshua:   "  Thus  saith   be  Laban  himself:  and  others  say  he  was 
the    Lord   God   of   Israel,     Your   fathers    the  son  of  Beor,  the  son  of  Laban."*  The 
dwelt  on  the  other  side  of  tiie  flood  in  old   former  of  these  opinions,  though  in  itself 
time,  even  Terah  the  father  of  Abraham,    utterly  incredible,  yet  may  so  far  be  true 
and  the  father   of  Nahor;  and  they  serv-    as  to  hit   upon  the   family   from  which  he 
ed  other  gods."     The   God  of  Abraham,    descended;  and  the  latter,  allowing  per- 
and  Nahor,    and   Terah,   therefore,    were    haps  for  a  defect  of  one   generation,    ap- 
words  capable  of  a  very  ill  construction,    pears  to  me   to  be  highly  probable.     Add 
Nor  does  Jacob  appear  to  be  ignorant  of  to  this,  that  the  teraphim,  or  images,  which 
Laban's  design  in  thus   referring  to    their   Laban  kept  in  his   house,    and  which  he 
early   ancestors;    and   therefore,   that  he    would  doubtless  replace  on  his  return,  are 
might     bear    an     unequivocal     testimony    supposed  to  be  a  sort  of  "  talisman  ;"  they 
against  all  idolatry,  even  that  of  Abraham    "  were  consulted  as  oracles,   and  in   high 
in  his  younger  years,  he  would  swear  only    esteem  with  the  Chaldeans  and  Syrians,  a 
by  "  the  fear  of  his  father  Isaac,"  who  had    people  given  to   astrology,   and  by  which 
never  worshipped  any  other  than  the  true    they  made  their  divinations. — Hos.  iii.  4; 
God.     It  were  worth  while  for  those   who    Zech.  x.  2."t   According  to  this,  Balaam, 
plead  for  antiquity  as  a  mark  of  the   true    the   soothsayer,   would  only  tread  in  the 
church  to   consider  that   herein   they  fol-    steps  of  his  ancestor*  ;  not  utterly  disown- 
low  the  example  of  Laban  and  not  ofJa-    ing    Jehovah,   but   being  devoted  to   the 
cob.  abominations  of  the  heathen. 

Ver.  54,  55.      Laban  had  professed  his        If  the  above  remarks  be  just,  they  show, 
regret  that  [he  had  'not  an  opportunity  to    in  a  strong  point  of  light,  the  progress  of 
enjoy  a  day    of  feasting  and  of  mirth    at    apostasy  and  corruption.     Laban  imitated 
parting  with  his  children.     Such  a  parting    the  corruptions  of  his  ancestors,   some  of 
would  hardly  have  been  seemly,  even  in  a    whom  were  good  men;  and  his   descend- 
family  which  had   no  fear  of  God  before    ants   degenerated  still   more.      Thus   you 
their  eyes.      Jacob,  however,  makes  a  re-    will  often  see  a   man  who  has    descended 
ligious  feast,   previously  to  the  departure    fvom  religious  parents,  but  whose  heart  is 
of  his  father-in-law.     "  He  offered  sacri-    entirely  taken  up  with  the  world  :  he  keeps 
fices  upon  the  mount   Galeed,    and  called    up  the   forms   of  godliness  though  he  de- 
his  brethren,"  that  is  the  whole  company,    nies  the  power,  and  mixes   with   them  all 
*'  to  eat  bread  :  and  they   did  eat  bread,    the  evil  that  he  can  rake  up  from  the  ex- 
and  tarried  all  night  in  the  mount.     And    amples  of  his  forefathers,  and   considera- 
early  in  the  morning  Laban  rose   up,  and    ble  additions  of  his  own.     The   next  gen- 
kissed  his   sons    and   his    daughters,    and    eration  degenerates  still  more,  having  less 
blessed  them :  and  Laban   departed,  and    of  the  form  of  religion,  and  more  confor- 
returned  unto  his   place."      This  parting    mity  to  the  world.     The  third  throws  off 
proved  final.     We  hear  no  more  of  Laban,    both  the  form  and  the  power,  retaining  no 
nor  of  the  family  of  Nahor.     They  might    vestige  of  the  religion  of  their  ancestors, 
for  several  ages  retain  some  knowledge  of   excepting  a  few  speculative  notions,  learnt 
Jehovah';  but,  mixing  with  it  the  super-    from  a  few  old  books  and  sayings,  which 
stitions  of  the  country,  they  would   in  the 

end  sink  into  gross   idolatry,   and  be  lost  *  See  Gill  on  Num.  xxii.  5. 

fimong  the  heathens.  t  Gill  on  Gen.  xxxi.  19. 


JACOB   S    FEAR    OF    F.SAU. 


S19 


have  no  other  inrtiionce  upon  tlieni  tlian  to 
enable  them  to  l)e  more  wicked  than  their 
neighbors,  by  sinning  against  somewliat  of 
superior  liglit.  How  important  is  it  for 
good  men  to  act  in  cliaracter  in  their  fam- 
ilies, inasmuch  as  every  evil  which  they 
practise  will  he  re-acted  and  increased  by 
their  carnal  posterity  I 


DISCOURSE  XLI. 
Jacob's  fear  of  esau — his  wrestling 

WITH    THE    AKGEL. 

Gen.  xxxii. 

Ver.  1,  2.  The  sacred  writer,  pursu- 
ing the  history  of  Jacob,  informs  us  that 
he  went  on  his  way,  and  the  angels  of 
God  met  him.  And  wlien  he  saw  them, 
he  said,  "  This  is  God's  host  :  and  he 
called  the  name  of  that  place  Maliana- 
im."  That  the  angels  of  God  are  "  min- 
istering spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for 
them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,"  is 
a  truth  clearly  revealed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures :  hut  this  their  ministry  has  seldom 
been  rendered  visible  to  mortals.  "The 
angel  of  Jehovah,"  it  is  said,  "encamp- 
eth  round  al)out  them  that  fear  him,  and 
delivereth  them."  But  I  do  not  recollect 
that  any  of  tiiese  celestial  guardians  have 
appeared  in  this  character  to  tlic  servants 
of  God,  excei)t  in  times  of  imminent  dan- 
ger. When  a  host  of  Syrians  encompass- 
ed Dothan,  in  order  to  take  Elisha,  his 
servant  was  alarmed,  and  exclaimed, — 
"Alas!  master,  how  shall  we  do  V  The 
prophet  exclaimed,  "  Fear  not :  for  they 
that  be  with  us  are  more  than  they  that 
l)e  with  them."  Yet  there  was  no  earth- 
ly force  to  protect  them.  But  when,  in 
answer  to  the  prophet's  prayer,  "  the 
young  man's  eyes  were  opened,  he  saw 
the  mwuntain  full  of  horses,  and  chariots 
of  (ire  round  about  Elislia."  In  this  case, 
God's  host  became  visible,  to  allay  the  fear 
of  man's  hosts.  Thus  it  was  also  in  the 
present  instance.  Jacob  had  just  escaped 
one  host  of  enemies,  and  another  is  com- 
ing forth  to  meet  him.  At  this  juncture 
God's  host  makes  its  appearance,  teach- 
ing him  to  whom  he  owed  his  late  escape, 
and  that  he  who  had  delivered,  did  deliv- 
er, and  he  might  safely  trust  would  deliv- 
er him.  The  angels  which  appeared  on 
this  occasion  are  called  God's  host,  in 
the  singular  :  but,  by  the  name  which  Ja- 
cob gave  to  the  place,  it  appears  that  they 
were  divided  into  two,  encompassing  him 
as  it  were  before  and  behind  ;  and  this 
would  correspond  with  the  two  hosts  of 
adversaries  which  at  the  same  time,  and 


w  ith  almost  the  same  violent  designs,  were 
coming  against  him  ;  the  one  had  already 
been  sent  back  \vilhout  striking  a  l)low, 
and  the  other  should  be  the  same.  This, 
however,  was  not  expressly  revealed  to 
Jacob,  l>ut  merely  a  general  encourage- 
ment afforded  him  ;  for  it  was  not  the  de- 
sign of  God  to  supersede  other  means, 
but  to  save  him  in  the  use  of  them. 

Ver.  3 — 5.  Jacol)  has  as  yet  heard  no- 
thing of  his  brotiier  Esau,  except  that  he 
had  settled  "  in  the  land  of  Seir,  the  coun- 
try of  Edom  :  but  knowing  what  had  for- 
merly taken  place,  and  the  temper  of  the 
man,  he  is  apprehensive  of  consequences. 
He  therefore  resolves  on  sending  messen- 
gers before  him,  in  order  to  sound  Jiim, 
and,  if  possii)le,  to  ajjpeasc  his  anger. — 
These  messengers  are  instructed  what 
they  shall  say,  and  how  they  shall  con- 
duct themselves  on  their  arrival,  all  in  a 
way  to  conciliate.  "  Thus  shall  ye  speak 
unto  my  lord  Esau  ;  Tiiy  servant  Jacob 
saith  thus  :  I  have  sojourned  with  Laban, 
and  staid  there  until  now.  And  I  have 
oxen,  and  asses,  Hocks,  and  men-servants, 
and  women-servants  ;  and  I  have  sent  to 
tell  my  lord,  that  I  may  find  grace  in  thy 
sight."  Observe,!.  He  declines  the  hon- 
or of  precedency  given  him  in  the  bless- 
ing, calling  Esau  his  Lord.  Isaac  had 
said  to  him,  "  Be  lord  over  thy  brethren, 
and  let  thy  mother's  sons  bow  down  to 
thee  ;"  but  Jacob  either  understood  it  of 
spiritual  ascendency,  or,  if  of  temporal,  as 
referring  to  his  posterity  rather  than  to 
him.  He  therefore  declines  all  disputes 
on  that  head.  2.  He  would  have  him 
know  that  he  was  not  come  to  claim  the 
double  portion,  nor  even  to  divide  with 
him  his  father's  inheritance  ;  for  that  God 
had  given  him  plenty  of  this  world's  goods 
without  it.  Now,  as  these  were  the  things 
which  had  so  greatly  provoked  Esau,  a  re- 
linquishment of  ihem  would  tend  more 
than  any  thing  to  conciliate  him. 

Ver.  6 — 12.  Thc'messengers  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  ere  they  met  Esau  coming  forth 
to  meet  his  lirother  Jacol),  and  four  hundred 
men  with  him.  It  would  seem,  by  the  ac- 
count, that  tiiey  went  and  delivered  their 
message  to  him.  But,  however  that 
was,  they  appear  to  have  been  struck 
with  the  idea  that  he  was  coining  with  a 
hostile  design,  and  therefore  quickly  re- 
turned and  informed  their  master  of  par- 
ticulars. We  are  surprised  that  Jacob's 
journey,  which  had  taken  him  only  about 
a  fortnight,  and  had  been  conducted  with 
so  much  secrecy,  should  yet  have  been 
known  to  Esau.  His  thirst  for  revenge 
must  have  prompted  him  to  great  vigilance. 
One  would  think  ho  had  formed  connec- 
tions with  persons  who  lived  in  the  way, 
and  engaged  them  to  give  him  information 


820 


EXrOSlTION    OF     GENESIS. 


of  the  first  movements  of  his  brother. 
However  this  was,  Jacob  teas  greatly  a- 
fraid,  and  even  distressed.  This  term 
with  us  is  sometimes  ligiitly  applied  to  the 
state  of  mind  produced  by  ordinary  trou- 
bles; but  in  the  Scriptures  it  denotes  a 
sore  strait,  from  which  there  seems  to  be 
no  way  of  escape.  This  distress  would 
probably  be  heightened  by  the  recollection 
of  his  sin,  which  first  excited  the  resent- 
ment of  Esau.  There  is  no  time,  however, 
to  be  lost.  But  what  can  he  do  1  Well,  let 
us  take  notice  what  a  good  man  will  do  in 
a  time  of  distress,  that  we  may  as  occa- 
sion requires  follow  his  example.  First: 
He  uses  all  possible  precaution,  "divid- 
ing the  people  that  was  with  him,  and 
the  flocks,  and  herds,  and  the  camels,  into 
two  bands,"  saying,  "If  Esau  come  to 
the  one  company  and  smite  it,  then  the 
other  company  which  is  left  shall  escape." 
Secondly:  He  betakes  himself  to  prayer; 
and,  as  this  is  one  of  the  scripture  exam- 
ples of  successful  prayer,  we  shall  do  well 
to  take  particular  notice  of  it.  Observe, 
1.  He  approaches  God  as  the  God  of  his 
father  ;  and,  as  such,  a.  God  in  covenant. 
"  O  God  of  my  father  Abraham,  and  God 
of  my  father  Isaac!  "  This  was  laying 
hold  of  the  divine  faithfulness  :  it  was  the 
prayer  of  faith.  We  may  not  have  exact- 
ly the  same  plea  in  our  approaches  to  God  ; 
but  we  have  one  that  is  more  endearing, 
and  more  prevalent.  The  God  and  Father 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  a  character 
which  excites  more  hope,  and  in  which 
more  great  and  precious  promises  have 
been  made  than  in  the  other.  2.  As  his 
own  God,  pleading  what  he  had  promised 
to  him.  "Jehovah,  who  saidst  unto  me, 
Return  unto  thy  country,  and  to  thy 
kindred,  and  I  will  deal  well  with  thee." 
Jehovah  has  never  made  promises  to  us  in 
the  same  extraordinary  way  as  he  did  to 
Jacob  :  but  whatever  he  hath  promised  to 
believers  in  general,  may  be  pleaded  by 
every  one  of  them  in  particular,  especially 
when  encountering  opposition  in  the  way 
which  he  hath  directed  them  to  go.  3. 
While  he  celebrates  the  great  mercy  and 
truth  of  God  towards  him,  he  acknowl- 
edges himself  univorthy  of  the  least  in- 
stance of  either.  The  worthiness  of  merii 
is  what  every  good  man,  in  every  circum- 
stance, must  disclaim  :  but  that  which  he 
has  in  view  I  conceive  is  that  of  meetness. 
Looking  back  to  his  own  unworthy  con- 
duct, especially  that  which  preceded  and 
occasioned  his  passing  over  Jordan  with 
a  staff  only  in  his  hand,  he  is  affected 
with  the  returns  of  mercy  and  truth  which 
he  had  met  with  from  a  gracious  God. 
By  sin  he  had  reduced  himself  in  a  man- 
ner to  nothing  ;  but  God's  goodness  had 
made  him  great.     As  we  desire  to  succeed 


in  our  approaches  to  God,  we  must  be 
sure  to  take  low  ground  ;  humbling  our- 
selves in  the  dust  before  him,  and  suing 
for  relief  as  a  matter  of  mere  grace. 
Finally  :  having  thus  prefaced  his  peti- 
tion, he  now  presents  it  :  "  Deliver  me,  I 
pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my  brother, 
from  the  hand  of  Esau  ;  for  I  fear  him, 
lest  he  will  come  and  smite  me,  and  the 
mother  with  the  children."  This  was 
doubtless  the  petition  of  a  kind  husband 
and  a  tender  father  :  it  was  not  as  such 
only,  nor  principally,  however,  but  as  a 
believer  in  the  promises  that  he  presented 
it  :  the  great  stress  of  the  prayer  turns 
on  this  hinge.  It  was  as  though  he  had 
said.  If  my  life,  and  that  of  the  mother, 
with  the  children,  be  cut  off,  how  are  thy 
promises  to  be  fulfilled  1  Hence  he  adds, 
"And  thou  saidst,  I  will  surely  do  thee 
good,  and  make  thy  seed  as  the  sand  of  the 
sea,  which  cannot  be  numbered  for  mul- 
titude." It  is  natural  for  us  as  husbands 
and  as  parents  to  be  importunate  with 
God  for  the  well-being  of  those  who  a?« 
so  nearly  related  to  us  :  but  the  way  to 
obtain  mercy  for  them  is  to  seek  it  in  sub- 
ordination   to  the  divine  glory. 

Ver.  13 — 30.  Jacob  and  his  company 
seem  now  to  have  been  north  of  the  river 
Jabbok,  near  to  the  place  where  it  falls 
into  the  Jordan.  Here  he  is  said  to  have 
"  lodged  that  night."  Afterwards  we  read 
of  his  rising  up,  and  sending  his  company 
over  the  ford. — ver.  22.  Probably  it  was 
during  one  single  night  that  the  whole  of 
what  follows  in  this  chapter  occurred. 
The  messengers  having  returned  towards 
evening,  he  divided  his  company  into  two 
bands,  and  then  committed  his  cause  to 
God.  After  this  he  halted  for  the  night : 
but  whatever  sleep  might  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  children,  or  rest  to  the  beasts  of  bur- 
den, there  was  but  little  of  either  for  him. 
First,  he  resolves  neither  to  flee  nor  fight ; 
but  to  try  the  effect  of  a  present.  Upwards 
of  five  hundred  head  of  cattle  were  sent 
off  in  the  night,  under  the  care  of  his 
servants;  and,  to  produce  the  greater  ef- 
fect, they  were  divided  into  droves,  with 
a  space  between  drove  and  drove.  Hav- 
ing sent  off  the  present,  he  seems  to  have 
tried  to  get  a  little  rest ;  but,  not  being 
able  to  sleep,  he  rose  up,  and  took  his 
whole  family,  and  all  that  he  had,  and  sent 
them  over  the  ford  of  Jabbok.  Every 
servant  presenting  his  drove  in  the  same 
words,  would  strike  Esau  with'amazement. 
It  would  seem  as  if  all  the  riches  of  the 
east  were  coming  to  him  :  and  every  one 
concluding  by  announcing  his  master  as 
coming  behind  them  would  work  upon  his 
generosity.  He  expected,  it  is  likely,  a 
host  of  armed  men,  and  felt  resolved  to 
fight  it  out;  but,  instead  of  an  army,  here 


JACOB   S     INTERVIEW     UITIl     fclSAU. 


821 


is  a  present  worthy  of  a  prince,  and  the 
owner  coming  -.(rier  it  \viih  all  Ihe  confi- 
dence of  a  friend,  and  kindness  of  a 
brother. 

Whether  he  thoufrht  it  would  express 
more  Iriendship,  and  be  better  taken,  to 
be  at  tiie  trouliie  of  crossing  the  ford  in 
order  to  meet  Esau,  than  to  oblige  Esau  to 
cross  it  in  order  to  meet  him,  or  whatever 
was  his  reason,  so  he  acted  :  and,  the 
family  being  all  over  the  river,  he  himself 
staid  behind.  Here  it  was  that  he  met 
with  that  ext^raordinary  appearance  on 
which  he  wrestled  with  the  Angel  and 
prevailed.  Tiie  account  is  as  tbllows  : — 
"And  Jacob  was  left  alone;  and  there 
wrestled  a  man  with  him  until  the  break- 
ing of  the  day.  And,  when  he  saw  that 
he  prevailed  not  against  him,  he  touched 
the  hollow  of  his  thigh,  and  the  hollow 
of  Jacob's  thigh  was  out  of  joint,  as  he 
wrestled  with  him.  And  he  said.  Let 
me  go,  for  the  day  breaketh.  And  he 
said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  except  thou 
bless  me.  And  he  said  unto  him,  What  is 
thy  name  ^  And  he  said,  Jacob.  And 
he  said,  Thy  name  shall  be  called  no 
more  Jacob,  but  Israel  (that  is,  a  prince 
of  God)  ;  tor  as  a  prince  hast  thou  pow- 
er with  God  and  with  men,  and  hast  pre- 
vailed. And  Jacob  asked  him,  and  said, 
Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  name  :  and  he 
said.  Wherefore  is  it  that  thou  dost  ask 
after  my  name  1  And  he  blessed  him  there. 
And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place 
Peniel  :  for  I  have  seen  God  lace  to  face, 
and  my  life  is  preserved." 

On  this  singular  manifestation  of  God 
to  his  servant,  we  offer  the  following  re- 
marks : — 1.  It  does  not  appear  to  be  a  vis- 
ion, but  a  literal  transaction.  A  person- 
age, in  the  form  of  a  man,  really  wrestled 
with  him,  and  permitted  him  to  prevail  so 
farastogain  his  object.  2.  Tliough  the 
form  of  the  struggle  was  corporeal,  yet  the 
essence  and  object  of  it  was  spiritual. 
An  inspired  commentator  on  this  wrestling 
says,  "  He  wept  and  made  supplication  to 
the  Angel."  That  for  which  he  strove 
was  a  blessing,  and  he  obtained  it.  3.  The 
personage  with  whom  he  strove  is  here 
called  a  man,  and  yet,  in  seeing  him,  Jacob 
said,  "I  have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my 
life  is  preserved."  Hosea,  in  reference 
to  his  being  a  messenger  of  God  to  Jacob, 
calls  him  "  the  Angel  :  yet  he  also  de- 
scribes the  patriarch  as  having  "  power 
with  God."  Upon  the  whole,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  but  that  it  was  the  same  divine 
personage  who  appeared  to  him  at  Bethel, 
and  at  Padan-aram  ;  who,  being  ^in  the 
form  of  God,  again  thought  it  no  usurpa- 
tion to  appear  as  God.  4.  What  is  here 
recorded  had  relation  to  Jacob's  distress, 
and  may  be  considered  as  an  answer  to  his 


evening  supplications.  By  his  power  xcith 
God  he  had  power  w.th  men.  Esau  and 
his  hostile  company  were  conquered  at 
Peniel.  5.  The  change  of  his  name  from 
Jacob  to  Israel,  and  the  blessing  which  fol- 
lowed, signified  that  he  was  no  longer  to 
be  regarded  as  having  obtained  it  by  sup- 
planting his  brother,  but  as  a  prince  of 
God,  who  had  wrestled  with  him  lor  it  and 
prevailed.  It  was  thus  that  the  Lord  par- 
doned his  sin,  and  wiped  away  his  re- 
proach. It  is  oliser\able,  too,  that  this  is 
the  name  by  which  his  posterity  aie  after- 
wards called.  Finally  :  The  whole  trans- 
action furnishes  an  instance  of  believing, 
importunate,  and  successful  prayer.  As 
Jacob  would  not  let  the  Angel  go  except 
he  blessed  hiin  ;  and  as  the  latter  (though 
to  convince  him  of  his  power  he  touched 
the  hollow  of  his  thigh,  and  put  it  out  of 
joint),  suffered  himself  to  be  overcome  by 
him  ;  so  every  true  Israelite  jdeads  the 
promises  of  God  with  an  importunity  that 
will  take  no  denial,  and  God  is  [tleased  to 
sufier  himself  in  this  manner  to  be  as  it 
were  overcome. 

Ver.  30 — 32.  What  a  night  was  this 
to  Jacob!  What  a  difference  between 
what  he  felt  the  past  evening,  on  the  return 
of  the  messenger:},  and  what  he  now  ielt  ! 
Well  might  he  wonder  and  exclaim,  "I 
have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is 
preserved!"  Passing  over  Peniel,  how- 
ever, to  rejoin  his  family,  just  as  the  sun 
rose  upon  him,  Ae  halted  upon  his  thigh. 
This  would  be  a  memorial  to  him  of  his 
own  weakness,  as  well  as  of  the  power  and 
goodness  of  God,  who,  instead  of  touch- 
ing a  single  part,  might,  as  he  intimated, 
have  taken  away  his  life.  The  law  which 
afterwards  prevailed  in  Israel,  of  not  eat- 
ing of  the  sinew  wfiich  shrank,  might  be 
of  divine  origin,  as  it  corresponds  with  the 
genius  of  the  ceremonial  economy. 


DISCOURSE  XLII. 
Jacob's    interview   with    esau,   A^'I) 

ARRIVAL    IN    CANAAN. 

Gen.  xxxiii. 

Ver.  1 — 4.  No  sooner  had  Jacob  pass- 
ed over  the  ford  of  Jabbok,  and  rejoined 
his  family,  but,  lifting  up  his  eyes,  he  saw 
his  brother  a[)pr()aching  hini,  and  four 
hundred  men  with  him.  He  has  just  time 
before  he  comes  up,  to  arrange  his  family, 
placing  the  children  with  their  res|ective 
mothers,  and  those  last  for  whom  he  has 
the  tenderest  affection.  This  circumstance 
shows  that  though  he  treated  Esau  with 
the   fullest    confidence,  yet  he  was  still 


822 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


secretly  afraid  of  him.  He  must,  howev- 
er, put  the  best  face  he  can  upon  it,  and 
go  on  to  meet  him.  This  he  does  ;  and,  as 
he  had  by  his  messengers  acknowledged 
him  as  his  lord,  so  he  will  do  the  same  by 
bowing  down  to  him.  His  object  was  to 
satisfy  him  that  he  made  no  claim  of  that 
kind  of  pre-eminence  which  the  other's 
heart  was  set  upon,  but  freely  gave  it  up. 
And  this  seems  to  have  had  the  desired 
effect  on  Esau's  mind  ;  for  though  he  did 
not  bow  in  return  to  his  brother,  since  that 
had  been  relinquishing  his  superiority ; 
yet  "he  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced 
him,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him  : 
nor  could  such  an  unexpected  meeting  fail 
to  dissolve  both  of  them  in  tears  !  It  is 
pleasant  and  affecting  to  see  the  bitter 
heart  of  Esau  thus  melted  by  a  kind  and 
yielding  conduct.  We  must  not  forget 
that  God's  hand  was  in  it,  who  turneth  the 
hearts  of  men  as  rivers  of  water  :  but  nei- 
ther must  we  overlook  the  means  by  which 
it  was  effected.  "  A  soft  tongue,"  saith 
Solomon,  "  breaketh  the  bone."  On 
which  our  commentator  Henry  remarks, 
with  his  usual  pith,  "Hard  words,  we 
say,  break  no  bones,  and  therefore  we 
should  bear  them  patiently  ;  but  it  seems 
soft  words  do,  and  therefore  we  should, 
on  all  occasions,  give  them  prudently." 
Treat  men  as  friends,  and  make  them  so. 
Pray  but  as  Jacob  did,  and  be  as  obliging 
and  condescending  as  he  was,  and  you 
will  go  through  the  world  by  it. 

Ver.  5 — 7.  The  two  brothers  having 
wept  over  each  other,  Esau,  lifting  up  his 
eyes,  saw  the  women  and  children,  and 
inquired  who  they  were.  Jacob's  answer 
is  worthy  of  him.  It  savors  of  the  fear 
of  God  which  ruled  in  his  heart,  and 
taught  him  to  acknowledge  him  even  in 
the  ordinary  concerns  of  life.  "  They  are," 
saith  he,  "  the  children  which  God  hath 
graciously  given  thy  servant.  Then  the 
handmaidens  came  near,  they  and  their 
children,  and  they  bowed  themselves. 
And  Leah  also,  witli  her  children,  came 
near  and  bowed  themselves  :  and  after 
came  Joseph  near,  and  Rachel,  and  they 
bowed  themselves."  Had  this  been  done  to 
Jacob,  methinks  he  would  have  answered, 
"  God  be  gracious  unto  you,  my  children !" 
But  we  must  take  Esau  as  he  is,  and  re- 
joice that  things  are  as  they  are.  We  have 
often  occasion  to  be  thankful  for  civilities, 
where  we  can  find  nothing  like  religion. 
One  cannot  help  admiring  the  uniformly 
good  behavior  of  all  Jacob's  family.  If 
one  of  them  had  failed,  it  might  have  un- 
done all  the  good  which  his  ingratiating 
conduct  had  done  :  but,  to  their  honor  it 
is  recorded,  they  all  acted  in  unison  with 
bim.     When  the  head  of  a  family  does 


right,  and  the  rest  follow  his  example, 
every  thing  goes  on  well. 

Ver.  8.  But  Esau  desires  to  know  the 
meaning  of  these  droves  of  cattle  being 
sent  to  him.  The  answer  is,  "  These  are 
to  find  grace  in  the  sight  of  my  lord." 
This  would  express  how  high  a  value  he 
set  upon  his  favor,  and  liow  much  he  de- 
sired to  be  reconciled  to  him  ;  and  so 
tended  to  conciliate.  We  might,  in  most 
cases,  purchase  peace  and  good-will  from 
men  at  a  much  cheaper  rate  than  this  ;  a 
few  shillings,  nay,  often  only  a  few  kind 
words,  would  do  it ;  and  yet  we  see,  for 
the  want  of  these,  strifes,  contentions, 
law-suits,  and  I  know  not  what  evil  treat- 
ment, even  between  those  Mho  ought  to 
love  as  brethren.  But,  if  the  favor  of 
man  be  thus  estimable,  how  much  more 
that  of  God  !  Yet  no  worldly  substance, 
nor  good  deeds  of  ours,  are  required  as 
the  price  of  this  ;  but  merely  the  receiv- 
ing of  it  as  a  free  gift,  through  Him  who 
hath  given  himself  a  sacrifice  to  obtain 
the  consistent  exercise  of  it  towards  the 
unworthy. 

Ver.  9 — 11.  The  reply  of  Esau  to  this 
obliging  answer  was,  "  I  have  enough,  my 
brother;  keep  that  thou  hast  unto  thyself." 
There  might  be  in  this  language  pretty 
much  of  a  high  spirit  of  independence. 
Whatever  effect  Jacob's  ])resent  had  upon 
him,  he  would  not  be  thought  to  be  influ- 
enced by  any  thing  of  that  kind;  espe- 
cially as  he  had  great  plenty  of  his  own. 
Jacob,  however,  continued  to  urge  it  upon 
him,  not  as  if  he  thought  he  needed,  but 
as  a  token  of  good-will,  and  of  his  desire 
to  be  reconciled.  He  did  not  indeed 
make  use  of  this  term,  nor  of  any  other 
that  might  lead  to  the  recollection  of  their 
former  variance.  He  did  not  say  that  he 
should  consider  the  acceptance  of  his 
present  as  a  proof  that  he  was  cordially 
reconciled  to  him  :  but  what  he  did  say, 
though  more  delicately  expressed,  was  to 
the  same  effect.  Such  I  conceive  to  be 
the  import  of  the  terms,  "  If  now  I  have 
found  grace  in  thy  sight,  then  receive  my 
present  at  my  hand."  The  receiving  of  a 
present  at  another's  hand  is  perhaps  one 
of  the  greatest  proofs  of  reconciliation. 
Every  one  is  conscious  that  he  could  not 
receive  a  present  at  the  hand  of  an  ene- 
my. And  upon  this  principle  no  offerings 
of  sinful  creatures  can  be  accepted  of 
God,  till  they  are  reconciled  to  him  by 
faith  in  the  atonement  of  his  Son.  To 
find  grace  in  the  sight  of  Esau,  and  to 
have  his  present  accepted  as  a  token  of  it, 
was  the  desire  of  Jacob.  To  these  ends 
he  further  assures  him  how  highly  his  fa- 
vor was  accounted  of,  and  that  to  have 
seen  his  face  in  the  manner  he  had  was  to 


JACOB  S    INTERVIEW    WITH    ESAU. 


823 


him  next  to  seeing  the  face  of  God.  This 
was  strong  language,  and  doul)tless  it  was 
expressive  of  strong  feelings.  Reconcili- 
ation witii  those  with  whom  we  have  long 
been  at  variance,  especially  when  it  was 
through  our  own  misconduct,  is,  as  to  its 
effect  upon  tiic  iniiui,  next  to  reconcilia- 
tion with  God.  Finally  :  he  entreats  him 
to  accept  wliat  he  iiad  presented,  as  his 
blessing  (so  a  present  was  called  when 
accompanied  with  love,  or  good-will  :  see 
Josh.  XV.  19;  1  Sam.  xxv.  27;  2  Kings 
V.  15):  and  tho  rather  because  God  had 
graciously  blessed  him,  and  given  him 
enough;  nay,  more,  had  given  him  all 
things.*  Esau  on  this  accepted  it;  and, 
as  far  as  we  know,  the  reconciliation  was 
sincere  and  lasting. 

Ver.  1"2 — 15.  Esau  proposes  to  be  go- 
ing, and  to  guard  his  brother  and  his  fam- 
ily through  the  country.  The  proposal 
was  douiitless  very  friendly  and  very  hon- 
orable ;  and  appears  to  have  contained  an 
invitation  to  Jacob  and  his  family  to  his 
house  at  Seir  :  iiut  Jacob  respectfully  de- 
clines it,  on  account  of  the  feebleness  of 
the  cattle,  and  of  the  children.  There  is 
no  reason  that  I  know  of  for  supposing 
Jacob  had  any  other  motive  than  that 
which  he  alleged ;  and  this  is  expressive 
of  his  gentleness  as  a  shepherd,  and  his 
tenderness  as  a  father.  There  are  many 
persons  with  whom  we  may  wish  to  be  on 
good  terms,  who  nevertheless,  on  account 
of  a  difference  of  character,  taste,  or  man- 
ners, would  be  very  unsuitable  companions 
for  us.  Jacob  proposes  going  to  Seir  alter 
his  arrival ;  and  this  he  probably  did, 
though  we  read  not  of  it.  We  have  no 
account  of  his  visiting  his  father  Isaac  till 
he  had  been  several  years  in  Canaan;  yet, 
to  suppose  him  capable  of  such  a  neglect, 
were  not  only  injurious  to  his  character, 
but  contrary  to  what  is  implied  in  Debo- 
rah, one  of  Isaac's  family,  being  found  in 
his  house  at  the  time  of  her  death. — Ch. 
XXXV.  8.  Esau's  first  proposal  being  de- 
clined, he  next  offers  to  leave  a  part  of 
his  men  as  a  guard  to  Jacob's  company  ; 
but  this  also  he  respectfully  declines,  on 
the  ground  of  its  being  unnecessary  ;  ad- 
ding, "  Let  me  find  grace  in  the  sight  of 
my  lord  " — which  I  conceive  was  equal 
to  saying,  Let  me  have  thy  favor,  and  it 
is  all  I  desire. 

Ver.  16 — 20.  The  two  brothers  having 
parted  friendly,  Esau  returns  to  Seir,  and 
Jacob  journeyed  to  a  place  east  of  Jor- 
dan, where  he  stopped  a  while,  and  built 
a  house  for  his  family,  and  booths  for  his 
cattle.     Upon  this  spot  a  city  was   after- 

*  Though  Ixiih  expips.sions 'are  rendered  alike,/ 
have  enough,  yet  they  differ  in  the  original:  Esau 
said  2-\  -^  ;y  ^  '"'^'c  much;  but  Jacob  "73  -^  jy< 
/  have  all.  R. 


wards  built,  and  called  Succoth;  that  is, 
booths,  from  the  circumstance  above  relat- 
ed.— Josh.  xiii.  27;  Judges  viii.  5.  He 
did  not  stop  here,  however,  with  a  design 
to  abide  ;  tor  he  was  commanded  to  return 
to  the  land  of  his  kindred,  that  is, 
to  Canaan,  and  he  was  as  yet  not  in  Ca- 
naan :  but,  finding  it  a  country  abounding 
with  rich  pasture,  he  might  wish  to  refresh 
his  herds,  and  take  time  for  impiiry  into  a 
more  suitable  place  for  a  continued  resi- 
dence. Hence,  wlien  after  this  he  passed 
over  Jordan,  and  "  came  to  Shalem,  a  city 
of  Shechem,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,"  it  is 
said  to  be  "when  he  came  from  Padan- 
aram  ;"  intimating  that  till  then  he  had 
not  arrived  at  the  end  of  his  journey. 
Shalem  is  considered  by  Ainsworth ,  and 
some  others,  not  as  the  name  of  a  city, 
but  as  a  term  denoting  the  perarc  and  safety 
with  which  Jacob  arrived.  Hence  they 
render  it,  "  He  came  in  safety,  or  in  peace, 
to  the  city  of  Shechem."  It  is  an  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  this  translation  that  we 
have  no  account  of  a  city  called  Shalem, 
near  to  Shechem.  All  agree  that  it  could 
not  be  the  place  where  Melchizedek  reign- 
ed, as  it  was  forty  miles  distant  from  it; 
and  as  to  that  near  Enon,  where  John  was 
baptising  (John  iii.  23),  it  was  not  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Shechem,  but  of  Jordan. 
This  rendering  also  gives  additional  pro- 
priety and  force  to  the  phrase,  "  When  he 
came  from  Padan-aram."  It  is  a  decla- 
ration to' the  honor  of  him  who  had  said, 
"  Behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep 
thee  in  all  places  whither  thou  goest,  and 
will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land."  He 
arrived  in  peace  at  his  journey's  end,  not- 
withstanding the  dangers  and  difficulties 
he  met  with  by  the  way. 

Shechem,  before  which  Jacob  pitched 
his  tent,  was  a  city  called  after  the  name 
of  the  son  of  Hamor,  its  king,  of  whom 
we  shall  presently  hear  more.  It  is  the 
same  place  as  that^which  in  the  New-Tes- 
tament is  called  Sychar. — John  iv.  5. 
Here  he  bought  "  a  parcel  of  a  field,"  that 
neither  he  nor  his  cattle  might  trespass  on 
the  property  of  others.  This  field  was 
afterwards  taken  from  him,  it  should 
seem,  by  the  Amorites  ;  and  he  was  under 
the  necessity  of  recovering  it  "by  his 
sword  and  his  bow  ;"  which  having  ac- 
complished, he  bequeathed  it  to  his  son 
Joseph.  I  have  sometimes  thought  that 
this  parcel  of  ground  might  be  designed 
to  exhibit  a  specimen  of  the  whole  land 
of  Canaan.  When  the  Most  High  divi- 
ded to  the  nations  their  inheritance,  he 
marked  out  an  allotment  for  the  children 
of  Israel  (Deut.  xxxii.  8):  but  the  Ca- 
naanites,  taking  possession  of  it,  were 
obliged  to  be  dispossessed  by  the  rightful 
owners,  with  the  sword  and  with  the  bow. 


824 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


But  (hat  which  requires  the  most  par- 
ticular notice  is,  that  "  he  erected  there 
an  altar,  and  called  it  El-elohe-Israel ;  i. 
e.  Go.l  the  God  of  Israel."  It  was  worthy 
of  this  great  and  good  man  })ublicly  to  ac- 
knowledge God,  after  so  many  signal  de- 
liverances, and  soon  after  his  arrival. 
His  first  purchasing  a  |)iece  of  ground, 
and  there  erecting  his  altar,  was  like  say- 
ing. Whenever  this  whole  country  shall 
be  in  possession  of  my  posterity,  let  it  in 
this  manner  be  devoted  to  God.  Nay,  it 
was  as  if  he  had  then  taken  possession  of 
it  in  the  name  of  the  God  of  Israel,  by 
setting  up  his  standard  in  it.  It  is  the 
first  time  also  in  which  he  is  represented 
as  availing  himself  of  his  new  name,  and 
of  the  covenant  blessing  conferred  upon 
him  under  it.  The  name  given  to  the  al- 
tar was  designed,  nodoul)t,  to  be  a  memo- 
rial of  both ;  and,  whenever  he  should 
present  his  offerings  upon  it,  to  revive  all 
those  sentiments  which  he  had  felt  when 
wrestling  with  God  at  Peniel.  It  wei-e  no 
less  happy  for  us  than  consistent  with  our 
holy  profession,  if  every  distinguishing 
turn  of  our  lives  were  distinguished  by  re- 
newed resignations  of  ourselves  to  God. 
Such  times  and  places  would  serve  as  me- 
morials of  mercy,  and  enable  us  to  recov- 
er those  thoughts  and  feelings  which  we 
possessed  in  our  happiest  days. 


DISCOURSE  XLIII. 

DINAH  DEFILED,  AND  THE    SHECHEMITES 
MURDERED. 

Gen.  xxxiv. 

The  arrival  of  Jacob  in  Canaan  prom- 
ised fair  for  a  holy  and  happy  residence  in 
it.  Laban  no  more  oppresses  him,  and 
the  breach  between  him  and  his  brother 
Esau  is  healed.  But  alas  !  foreign  troub- 
les being  removed,  domestic  ones  take 
place  of  them.  He  had  but  one  daugh- 
ter, and  she  is  defiled.  He  had  many  sons, 
antl  the  greater  part  of  them  are  deceit- 
ful and  cruel.  What  with  the  conduct  of 
the  one  and  the  other,  his  heart  must  be 
sorely  grieved.  It  was  not  however  (ill 
he  had  lived  six  or  seven  years  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Shechem  that  these 
troubles  came  upon  him;  for  in  less  time 
than  this  (he  two  brethren  couid  not  have 
arrived  at  man's  estate  :  and  tliere  is  rea- 
son to  believe  that,  (rom  his  lirst  settle- 
ment at  (his  place,  his  mind  began  (o  sink 
in(o  a  state  of  spiritual  declension.  One 
would  think,  if  he  had  had  a  proper  sense 
of  things,  he  could  not  have  continued  so 
long  to  expose  a  family  of  young  people  to 


the  contagious  influence  of  a  heathen  city. 
It  was  next  to  (he  conduct  of  Lot  when 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Sodom. 

Ver.  1,  2.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that 
the  younger  branches  of  the  family,  hear- 
ing every  thing  that  was  going  on  among 
the  youth  of  the  place,  would  think  it  hard 
if  they  must  not  go  among  them.  Wheth- 
er the  sons  formed  acquaintances  among 
the  Shechemites,  we  know  not ;  but  Di- 
nah, on  a  certain  occasion,  "  must  needs 
go  out  to  see  the  daughters  of  the  land." 
She  wished  no  doubt  to  be  acquainted  with 
them,  to  see  and  be  seen  of  them,  and  to 
do  as  they  did.  It  might  not  be  to  a  ball, 
nor  a  card-party;  but  I  presume  it  was  to 
some  merry-making  of  this  kind  :  and 
though  the  daughters  of  the  land  were  her 
professed  companions,  yet  (he  sons  of  (he 
land  must  have  assembled  with  them,  else 
how  came  Shechem  there  1  Young  peo- 
ple, if  you  have  any  regard  for  your  pa- 
rents, or  for  yourselves,  beware  of  such 
parties  !  The  consequence  was  what 
might  have  been  expected.  Shechem  was 
the  son  of  the  "prince  of  the  country," 
and  men  of  rank  and  opulence  are  apt  to 
think  themselves  entitled  to  do  any  thing 
which  their  inclinations  prompt  them  to. 
The  young  woman  was  inexperienced, 
and  unused  to  company  of  this  kind  ;  she 
therefore  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  seducer. 
But  could  Dinah  have  gone  v/ithout  the 
consent  or  connivance  of  her  parents,  at 
least  of  one  of  them  1  We  should  think 
she  could  not.  I  fear  Leah  was  not  clear 
in  this  matter. 

Ver.  3,  4.  The  story  is  such  as  must 
needs  excite  indignation  :  some  circum- 
stances, however,  bad  as  it  is,  tend  in  a 
certain  degree  to  extenuate  it.  The  young- 
man  is  not  like  Amnon  by  Tamar  ;  he  is 
attached  to  her,  and  applies  to  his  father 
Hamor  to  obtain  her  for  him  to  wife. 
Had  this  been  done  at  (irst,  all  had  been 
honorable  ;  but  a  bad  beginning  seldom 
admits  of  a  good  ending.  And  though  a 
respectful  application  was  immediately 
made  to  the  parents  of  the  damsel,  yet  she 
herself  was  at  the  same  time  detained  in 
Shechem's  house.  But  let  us  observe  the 
effect  of  this  disgraceful  transaction. 

Ver.  5 — 24.  The  news  soon  reached 
Jacob's  ear  ;  his  sons  were  in  the  field  ;  he 
felt  much,  no  doubt,  but  said  nothing  till 
they  returned.  He  did  not,  however, 
foresee  what  would  tbllow,  or  he  would 
not  have  reserved  (he  u((erance  of  his  grief 
to  (hem.  But  probably  he  knew  not  what 
to  do.  If  Leah  had  connived  at  her  daugh- 
ter's visit,  he  would  not  know  how  to 
speak  to  her;  and,  as  to  Rachel,  the 
jealousies  between  the  sisters  might  pre- 
vent his  speaking  freely  to  the  one  on  the 
concerns   of  the   other.     So   he  held  his 


INDIGNATION    OF    JACOB  S     SONS. 


825 


peace  till  his  sons  should  lelurn.  Mean-  of  intermarriages  between  the  families  in 
while  Haiiior,  and  il  seems  his  son  with  ueneral,  and  hy  the  son  as  a  lover,  in  or- 
hini,  came  out  ot  the  cily  to  Jacob,  to  der  to  gain  the  damsel);  they  heard  it,  I 
commune  with  him  on  (he  snljecl,  and  to  say,  with  n)uch  apparent  coolness,  and 
ask  the  young  woman  in  marriage.  It"  stated  their  ol'jeclions  in  a  manner  as  if 
had  been  well  if  he  and  Jacol)  had  settled  there  was  nothing  between  them  but  the 
it,  and  this  to  all  a|i|iearance  they  might  compliance  with  a  certain  ceremony,  and 
have  done;  Imt  scandal,  with  its  swift  as  though  they  lelt  nothing  for  their  sister 
wintis,  reaching  the  young  men  in  the  that  should  hinder  their  entering  into  a 
field,  brought  them  home  before  the  usual  covenant  of  peace  with  him  who  had  se- 
time  ;  so  that  Hamor  and  his  son  had  duced  her.  But  all  was  deceit;  a  mere 
scarcely  entered  Jacoli's  door,  ere  they  cover  to  a  bloody  design,  which  they  ap- 
followed  them.  Had  Jacob  and  Hamor  pear  to  have  formed  for  the  purpose  of 
conversed  the  matter  over  by  themselves,  revenge;  because  he  had  defiled  Dinah 
or  Jacob  and  his  sons  by  themselves,  their    their  fii.ster. 

anger  might  have  been  somewhat  alated  ;  The  deceitful  proposal,  however,  sue- 
but,  all  meeting  together,  there  was  no  ceedcd  :  "Their  words  pleased  Hamor, 
vent  for  the  first  strong  feelings  of  the  and  Shechem,  Hamor's  son."  So  they 
mind  ;  and  such  feelings  when  suppressed,  go  al)out  forthwith  to  persuade  the  citizens 
1  ke  subterraneous  tires,  m  st  find  their  into  a  compliance  with  them  ;  not  as  a 
Avay,  and  very  commonly  issue  in  some  matter  of  principle,  but  of  policy,  as  a 
dreadful  explosion.  The  young  men  said  measure  which  would  contribute  to  the 
little,  but  thought  the  more.  The  real  country's  good.  They  also  succeed,  the 
state  of  their   minds    is    thus   described:    Shediemites  are  circumcised, andallseems 


"And  the  men  were  grieved,  and  they 
were  very  wroth,  because  he  had  wrought 
folly  in  Israel  in  lying  with  Jacob's  daugh- 
ter, which  ihing   outiht  not  to  be  done." 


to  bid  fair  for  an  amicable  issue. 

But  let  us  pause  and  reflect  on  the  right 
and  wrong  in  these  transactions.  What 
was  the  line  of  conduct  that   Hamor  and 


There  certainl/was  cause  for  great  dis-  Shechem  should  have  pursued  1  They 
pleasure;  and  provided  it  had  been  di-  ought  no  doubt,  in  the  first  place,  to  have 
rected  against  the  sin,  frankly  avowed,  restored  the  young  woman  to  her  parents; 
and  kept  wiihin  the  limits  of  ec)uity,  great  and  at  the  same  time  to  have  acknowl- 
dispieasure  ought  to  have  been  manifested,  edged  the  great  injury  done  to  her  and  to 
Light  as  heathens  and  other  wicked  men  the  family,  and  expressed  their  sorrow  on 
may  make  of  fornication,  it  is  an  evil  and  account  of  it.  Till  they  had  done  this, 
a  bitter  thing.  To  the  honor  of  Jacob  they  had  no  reason  to  expect  any  thing 
and  his  posterity,  he  that  was  guilty  of  it  like  a  reconciliation  on  the  part  of  Jacob, 
among  them  was  said  to  have  "  wrought  or  his  sons.  But  it  is  likely  the  young 
folly  in  Israel,"  and  to  have  done  that  man  being  of  so  honorable  a  family,  and 
which  "ought  not  to  be  done."  It  might  the  sin  of  fornication  being  so  common  in 
be  from  the  present  early  example  that  the  country,  made  them  think  these  punc- 
this  phraseology  became  proverbially  de-  tilios  might  be  dispensed  with  in  the 
scriptive  of  a  (oruicator  (2  Sam.  xiii.'  12);  present  instance.  And,  being  wholly  un- 
and  a  great  advantage  it  must  be  to  any  der  the  influence  of  sensual  and  worldly 
people  w  here  the  state  of  society  is  so  far  motives,  they  are  prepared  to  profess  any 
influenced  by  principles  of  honor  and  religion,  or  profane  any  institution,  how- 
chastity,  as  by  common  consent  to  brand  ever  sacred,  so  that  they  may  accomplish 
such  characters  with  infamy.  It  was  their  selfish  ends.— But  what  was  the  line 
proper  that  the  brothers  of  the  young  of  conduct  which  ou<:ht  to  l>ave  been  pur- 
woman  should  be  grieved:  it  was  not  un-  sued  by  Jacob  and  his  sons'?  If  the  one 
natural  that  thev  should  be  ivroih  :  but  had  taken  a  greater  share  in  the  conver- 
wherefore  did  they  feel  thus  strongly  1  sation,  and  the  othei;  a  less,  it  had  been 
Was  it  for  the  sin  committed  against  God,  more  to  the  honor  of  both  ;  and  might  not 
or  only  for  the  shame  of  it  in  respect  of  have  issued  in  the  manner  it  did.  It  is 
the  family  ?  Here,  alas  !  they  failed  ;  and  very  proper  for  brothers  to  consider  them- 
this  it  wa's  that  prompted  them  to  all  their  selves  as  guardians  of  a  sister's  honor; 
other  wickedness.  Jacob  was  grieved  and  but  not.in  such  a  way  as  to  supersede  the 
displeased  as  well  as  they:  but  his  grief  authority  or  silence  the  counsel  of  a  fa- 
and  displeasure  wrought  not  in  the  man-  ther.  The  answer  to  the  question,  Wheth- 
ner  theirs  did.  The'reserve  which  they  er  Dinah  should  be  given  in  marriage  to 
assumed,  while  Hamor  and  his  son  were  Shechem,  belonged  to  the  parents,  and  not 
speakin-r,  concealed  behind  it  the  most  to  the  brothers.  With  respect  to  the 
deadly  resentment.  Thev  heard  all  that  displeasure  which  required  to  be  express- 
was  said  (and  many  fine  things  were  said,  ed,  it  ought  to  have  been  confined  to 
both  by  the  father'as  a  politician,  in  favor  words ;  and,  if  the  proposed  marriage 
VOL.  I.  104 


826 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS- 


could  not  be  acceded  to,  they  should,  as 
they  said,  have  "  taken  their  sister  and 
been  gone."  As  to  their  objection  on 
the  score  of  circumcision,  there  appears 
to  have  been  no  such  law  established  as 
yet  in  Jacob's  family.  It  is  true  they 
were  discouraged  from  marrying  with  the 
devotees  of  idolatry;  but  the  circumcision 
of  the  Shechemites  was  merely  a  form  ; 
and,  had  they  been  suffered  to  live,  would 
have  produced  no  change  in  respect  of 
this.  Could  they  indeed  have  been  in- 
duced to  renounce  their  idolatrous  prac- 
tices, and  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  Israel, 
the  good  had  overbalanced  the  evil ;  but 
religion  was  no  part  of  the  young  men's 
concern  :  the  whole  was  a  mere  pretence, 
to  cover  their  malignant  designs. 

Ver.  25 — 29.  The  result  was  shocking. 
Simeon  and  Levi,  two  of  Dinah's  breth- 
ren by  the  same  mother,  as  well  as  father, 
availing  themselves  of  the  present  incapac- 
ity of  the  Shechen)ites  to  resist  them, 
took  each  man  his  sword,  and  slew  all  the 
males  of  the  city,  with  Hamor,  and  She- 
chem  his  son,  and  took  their  sister  out  of 
his  house,  and  went  their  way  !  Nor  was 
this  cruel  business  to  be  attributed  to  the 
two  brothers  on!}  ;  for  the  rest  were  so  far 
accessory  as  to  join  in  plundering  the 
city,  and  taking  captive  all  the  females. 

Alas,  how  one  sin  leads  on  to  another, 
and,  like  flames  of  fire,  spreads  desola- 
tion in  every  direction!  Dissipation  leads 
to  seduction  ;  seduction  produces  wrath  ; 
wrath  thirsts  for  revenge  ;  the  thirst  of  re- 
venge has  recourse  to  treachery ;  treach- 
ery issues  in  murder  ;  and  murder  is  fol- 
lowed by  lawless  depredation  !  Were  we 
to  trace  the  history  of  illicit  commerce 
between  the  sexes,  we  should  find  it, 
more  perhaps  than  any  other  sin,  termin- 
ating in  blood.  We  may  read  this  warn- 
ing truth,  not  only  in  the  history  of  Da- 
vid and  his  family,  but  in  what  is  constant- 
ly occurring  in  our  own  times.  The  mur- 
der of  the  innocent  offspring  by  the  hand 
of  the  mother,  or  of  the  mother  by  the 
hand  of  the  seducer,  or  of  the  seducer  by 
the  hand  of  a  brother  or  a  supplanted  ri- 
val— is  an  event  which  too  frequently  falls 
under  our  notice.  Nor  is  this  all,  even 
in  the  present  world.  Murder  seldom 
escapes  detection;  a  public  execution 
therefore  may  be  expected  to  close  the 
tragical  process  ! 

Ver.  30,  31.  It  is  some  relief  to  find  the 
good  old  man  expressing  his  disapproba- 
tion of  these  proceedings  :  "  Ye  have 
troubled  me,"  says  he  to  Simeon  and 
Levi,  "  to  make  me  stink  among  the  in- 
habitants of  the  land — and,  I  being  few 
in  number,  they  shall  gather  themselves 
together  against  me,  and  I  shall  be   de- 


stroyed, I  and  my  house."  Both  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac  had  carried  it  peaceably  in 
all  places  where  they  pitched  their  tents, 
and  by  their  good  conduct  had  recommend- 
ed true  religion,  and  gained  great  respect 
among  the  heathen.  It  was  Jacob's  de- 
sire to  have  tvod  in  their  steps ;  but  his 
sons  were  children  of  Belial,  who  knew 
not  the  Lord ;  yet,  being  so  nearly  akin 
to  him,  his  character  is  implicated  by  their 
conduct.  Their  answer  is  insolent  in  the 
extreme  :  "  Should  he  deal  with  our  sis- 
ter," say  the}',  "  as  with  a  harlot  1"  As 
if  their  father  had  no  proper  concern  for 
the  honor  of  his  children,  and  cared  not 
what  treatment  they  met  with,  so  that  he 
might  be  at  peace  and  maintain  his  credit. 

But  bow  is  it  that  Jacob  should  dwell 
only  upon  the  consequences  of  the  sin,  and 
say  nothing  about  the  sin  itself!  Prob- 
ably because  he  knew  his  sons  to  be  so 
hardened  in  wickedness  that  nothing  but 
consequences,  and  such  as  affected  their 
own  safety  too,  would  make  them  feel. 
It  is  certain  that  he  did  abhor  the  deed^ 
and  that  with  all  bis  soul.  Of  this  he 
gave  a  most  affecting  proof  upon  his  dying 
bed,  when,  instead  of  blessing  the  two 
brethren  with  the  rest  of  his  children,  he 
in  a  manner  cursed  them,  or  at  least 
branded  their  conduct  with  perpetual  in- 
famy. "  Simeon  and  Levi,"  said  he, 
"are  brethren;  instruments  of  cruelty 
are  in  their  habitations.  Oh  !  my  soul, 
come  not  thou  into  their  secret ;  unto  their 
assembly,  mine  honor,  be  not  thou  united  ; 
for  in  their  anger  they  slew  a  man,  and  in 
their  self-will  they  digged  down  a  wall. 
Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  fierce; 
and  their  wrath,  for  it  was  cruel  :  I  will 
divide  them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them  in 
Israel  !"* 

We  read  no  more  of  Dinah,  except  her 
bare  name:  probably  she  died  single.  Her 
example  affords  a  loud  warning  to  young 
people  to  beware  of  visiting  in  mixed 
companies,  or  indulging  in  amusements 
by  which  they  put  themselves  in  the  way 
of  temptation. 

*  Simeon  and  Levi  are  brethren, 

InstriimeiUs  of  violence  are  llieir  fraudulent   bar- 
gains : 

Into  tlieir  secret  come  not  thou,  O  my  soul  ; 

Unto  their  a.=senil)ly  be  not  united,  mine  honor  : 

For  in  tiieir  anger  they  slew  a  man, 

And  in  iheir  self-will  ihey  exterminated  a  prince. 

Cursefl  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  fierce  ; 

And  their  excess  ol"  passion,  for  it  was  cruel. 

I  will  divide  them  in  Jacob, 

And  scatter  tliem  in  Israel. 
But  Venenia  would  render  the  last  distich  in   a  good 
sense. 

[Yet]  I  will  grant  them  a  portion  in  Jacob, 

And  cause  them  to    be   di^u^'d   abroad    (Gen.  x. 
IS)  in  Israel. 

R. 


JACOB   S    REMOVAL    TO     BETHEL. 


827 


DISCOURSE    XLIV. 

Jacob's     removal   to    bethel — god's 

renewal  of  covenant  with   him 

the     death    of    deborah,    rachel, 

AND  ISAAC — ESAu's   GENERATIONS. 
Gen.  XXXV.  xxxvi. 

There  is  a  greater  diversity  in  the  life 
of  this  patriarch  tiian  in  that  of  Aluaham, 
-and  much  greater  than  in  that  of  Isaac.  If 
he  did  not  attain  to  "  the  days  of  the  years 
of  the  life  of  liis  fathers,"  the  records  o\' 
his  pilgrimage  are  not  less  useful  than 
those  of  either  of  them. 

Ver.  1.  It  might  have  been  expected 
that  Jacob  would  leave  Shechem,  on  ac- 
count of  what  had  taken  place  :  yet  he 
would  not  know  whitlier  to  flee  :  but  "  God 
said  unto  him,  Arise^  go  up  to  Bethel,  and 
dwell  there  :  and  make  there  an  altar  unto 
God  that  appeared  unto  thee  when  thou 
fleddest  from  the  face  of  Esau  thy  l)roth- 
er."  This  admonition  appears  to  resem- 
ble that  which  was  addressed  to  Abram, 
•"  Walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect ;  " 
that  is,  it  implies  a  reproof,  and  was  in- 
tended to  lead  Jacob  to  reflect  upon  his 
conduct.  There  were  two  things  in  par- 
ticular, which  required  his  serious  con- 
sideration. 1.  Whether  he  had  not  neg- 
lected to  perform  his  vow.  He  had  sol- 
emnly declared,  in  the  presence  of  God, 
that  if  he  would  be  with  him,  and  keep 
him  in  the  way  he  went,  and  give  him 
bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on,  then 
Jehovah  sliould  be  his  God  :  and  that  the 
stone  which  he  then  set  up  for  a  pillar 
should  be  God's  house. — Ch.  xxviii.  20 — 
22.  Now  God  had  performed  all  these 
things  on  his  part ;  but  Jacob  had  not  been 
at  Bethel,  even  though  he  had  now  resided 
in  Canaan  about  seven  years.  And,  what 
"was  worse,  though  Jehovah  had  been  his 
God,  so  far  as  respected  himself,  yet  his 
house  was  not  clear  of  idols  !  Rachel's 
stolen  teraphim  had  proved  a  snare  to  the 
family.  At  the  lime  Laban  overtook  him, 
Jacob  knew  nothing  of  them,  but  he  ap- 
pears to  have  discovered  them  afterwards  ; 
and  yet,  till  roused  by  this  divine  admoni- 
tion, he  never  interposed  his  authority  to 
have  them  put  away.  2.  Whether  the  late 
lamentable  evils  in  his  family  had  not 
arisen  from  this  cause.  Had  he  gone 
sooner  to  Bethel,  his  house  had  been 
sooner  purged  of  the  strange  gods  that 
were  in  it,  and  his  children  had  escaped 
the  taint  which  they  must  of  necessity 
impart.  At  lirst  the  gods  of  Laban  were 
hid  by  Rachel,  and  none  of  the  family 
except  herself  seemed  to  know  of  them  : 


but  now  Jacob  had  to  speak  to  his  "  house- 
hold, and  to  all  that  were  with  him,"  to 
cleanse  themselves.  Moreover,  had  he 
gone  sooner  to  Bethel,  his  children  might 
have  been  out  of  the  way  of  temptation, 
and  all  the  impure  and  bloody  conduct  in 
which  they  were  concerned  have  been 
prevented.  From  the  whole,  we  see  the 
effects  of  spiritual  negligence,  and  ot 
trifling  svith  temptation.  Do  not  neglect 
God's  house,  nor  delay  to  keep  his  com- 
mandments. He  that  puts  them  off  to  a 
more  convenient  season  has  commonly 
some  idols  about  him,  which  it  does  not 
suit  him  just  yet  to  put  away. 

Ver.  2,  3.  No  sooner  is  Jacob  admon- 
ished to  go  to  Bethel  than  he  feels  ihe  ne- 
cessity of  a  reformation,  and  gives  com- 
mand for  it.  This  proves  that  he  knew  of 
the  corrupt  practices  of  his  family,  and 
had  too  long  connived  at  them.  We  are 
glad,  however,  to  find  him  resolved  at  last 
to  put  them  away.  A  constant  attendance 
on  God's  ordinances  is  dwelling  as  it  were 
in  Bethel ;  and  it  is  by  this  that  we  detect 
evils  in  ourselves  which  we  should  other- 
wise retain  without  thought  or  concern. 
It  is  "  coming  to  the  light,"  which  will 
"manifest  our  deeds,  whether  they  be 
wrought  in  God  "  or  not.  Wicked  men 
may  reconcile  the  most  sacred  religious 
duties  with  the  indulgence  of  secret  sins  ; 
but  good  men  cannot  do  so.  They  must 
wash  their  hands  in  innocency,  and  so 
compass  God's  altar. — Psalm  xxvi.  6.  Ja- 
cob not  only  commands  his  household  to 
put  away  their  idols,  but  endeavors  to 
impress  upon  them  his  own  sentiments. 
"  Let  us  arise,"  saith  he,  "  and  go  up  to 
Bethel  ;  and  I  will  make  there  an  altar 
unto  God,  who  answered  me  in  the  day 
of  my  distress,  and  was  with  me  in  the 
way  which  I  went."  He  is  decided  for 
himself,  and  uses  all  means  to  persuade 
his  family  to  unite  with  him.  His  intima- 
ting that  God  had  heretofore  answered 
him  in  the  day  of  his  distress  might  be  de- 
signed not  only  to  show  them  the  propri- 
ety of  what  he  was  about  to  do,  but  to 
excite  a  hope  that  God  might  disperse  the 
cloud  which  noio  hung  over  them  on  ac- 
count of  the  late  impure  and  bloody  trans- 
action. 

Ver.  4.  Considering  the  evils  which  pre- 
vailed in  this  family,  and  the  bewitching 
nature  of  idolatry,  it  is  rather  surprising  to 
observe  the  readiness  with  w  hich  they  con- 
sent to  give  it  up.  But  no  doul)t  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  was  in  it.  When  Jacob  spoke 
as  he  ought  to  speak,  their  hearts  were 
bowed  before  him.  Difficulties  which,  in 
a  languid  state  of  mind,  seem  insurmount- 
able, are  easily  got  over  when  once  we 
come  to  act  decidedly  for  God  :  and  those 
whom  we    expected  to  oppose  the   good 


828 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


work  shall  frequently  be  found  willing  to 
engage  with  us  in  it.  They  not  onl}  gave 
their  gods,  hut  even  their  ear-rings,  wliich 
in  those  times  were  convertible,  and  often, 
if  not  always,  converted  to  purposes  of 
idolatry. — Exodus  xxxii.  2.  Hos.  ii.  13. 
But  why  dfd  Jacob  hury  them  1  We  may 
think  they  might  have  been  melted  down, 
and  converted  to  a  better  use  :  but  that 
was  expressly  torbidden  by  the  Mosaic 
law,  Deut.  vii.  25,  and  it  seems  the  patri- 
archs acted  on  the  same  princi[)le.  But 
why  did  he  not  utterly  destroy  them  1 
Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  if  he 
had.  I  hope,  however,  he  hid  them  where 
they  were  found  no  more.  Upon  the 
whole,  we  see  at  this  time  a  great  change 
for  the  better  in  Jacob's  family.  He 
should  not  have  been  reluctant,  or  indiffer- 
ent, to  going  up  to  Bethel ;  for  it  appears 
to  have  been  the  design  of  God  to  make 
it  one  of  his  best  removals.  It  was  a  sea- 
son of  grace,  in  which  God  not  only  bless- 
ed him,  but  caused  even  those  that  dwelt 
under  his  shadoio  to  return.  1  have  more 
hope  of  Rachel  and  Leah's  having  relin- 
quished all  for  the  God  of  Israel  from 
this  time  than  from  any  thing  in  the  ibr- 
mer  part  of  their  history. 

Ver.  5.  We  now  see  Jacob  and  his 
family  on  their  journey.  It  would  appear 
to  the  cities  round  about,  that  the  slaugh- 
ter of  the  Shechemites  was  the  cause  of 
this  removal.  Their  not  pursuing  them 
being  ascribed  to  the  terror  of  God  being 
upon  them  implies  that  the  pul'lic  indig- 
nation was  so  excited  against  tliem  that, 
if  they  had  dared,  they  would  have  cut 
them  off.  The  kind  care  which  God  ex- 
ercised on  this  occasion  was  no  less  con- 
trary to  the  parent's  fears  than  to  the  de- 
serts of  his  ungodly  children  ;  and  its  be- 
ing extended  to  them /or  his  sake  must, 
if  they  had  any  sense  of  things,  appal 
their  proud  spirits,  and  repress  the  inso- 
lence with  which  they  had  lately  treated 
him. 

Ver.  6,  7.  Arriving  at  Bethel  in  safe- 
ty, Jacob,  according  to  his  vow,  "  built 
there  an  altar"  unto  Jehovah,  and  gave  it 
a  name  which  God  had  graciously  given 
himself;  namely,  '■'■  El-bethel,  the  God  of 
Bethel.'''  This  altar,  and  this  name,  would 
serve  as  a  perpetual  memorial  of  God's 
having  "appeared  to  him  when  he  fled 
irom  the  face  of  his  brother."  And,  as 
at  that  time  many  great  and  precious 
promises  were  made  to  him,  it  would  be 
natural  for  him  to  associate  with  the  idea 
of  the  God  of  Bethel  that  of  a  God  in  cov- 
enant; the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of 
Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob. 

Ver.  8.  While  Jacol)  and  his  family 
were  at  Bethel,  their  enjoyments  seem  to 
have  been  interrupted   by  the    death   of 


"  Deborah,  Rebecca's  nurse.''    Some  par- 
ticulars are  here  implied  which  are  not  re- 
corded in   the  history.     Deborah   did  not 
belong  to  the  family  of  Jacob,  but  to  that 
of  Isaac.     Jacob  must  therefore  have  gone 
and    visited    his    lather;     and    finding   his 
mother  dead,  and  her  nurse  far  advanced 
in  years,  more  fit  to  be  nursed  herself  than 
to  be  ol  any  use  to  her  aged  master,  he 
took   her  home,  where   she    would   meet 
with   kind    attentions    fi-om   her    younger 
country-women,    and    probably   lurnished 
his  father  with  another  more  suitable   in 
her   place.     Nothing  is  said  of  her  from 
the   time  she   left   Padan-aram '  with   her 
young   mistress  :    but,    by   the   honorable 
mention   that   is    here    made   of  her,   she 
seems  to  have  been  a  worthy  character. 
The  death   of  an  aged  servant,  when  her 
work  was  done,  would  not  ordinarily  ex- 
cite much  regret.     To  have  afforded  her 
a  decent  burial  was  all  that  in  most  cases 
would  be  thought  of:   but  Jacob's  family 
were  so  much  affected  by  the  event  as  not 
only  to  weep  over  her  grave,  but  to   call 
the  very  tree  under  the   shadow  of  which 
she  was  interred  Allon-bachuth,  the    oak 
of  weeping.     It  is  the  more  singular,  too, 
tliat   the  larnily  who   wept  over  her  was 
not  that  in  which  she  had  lived  in  what 
we  should  call  her  liest  days  ;  but  one  that 
had  merely  taken  her  under  their  care  in 
her   old   age.      It   is    probable,   however, 
that  the   sorrow   expressed  at  her  inter- 
ment  was    on   account,    not   only  of   her 
character,  but   her   office,  or   her   having 
been     "  Rebecca's     nurse."       The    text 
seems    to    lay    an    emphasis    upon    these 
words.       The   sight    of   the    daughter   of 
Lal>an,  "  his  mother's  brother,"  and  even 
of  his  sheep,  had  interested  Jacob's  heart, 
ch.  xxix.  10;  much  more  would  the  bur- 
ial  of  her   nurse.     In    weeping  over   her 
grave,  he  would  seem  to  be  weeping  over 
that  of  his  beloved  parent,  and  paying  that 
tribute  of  affection  to   her  memory  which 
providence  had  denied  him  at  the  time  of 
her  decease. 

Ver.  9 — 15.  -  During  the  seven  years  in 
which  Jacob  resided  at  Shechem  we  do 
not  find  a  single  instance  of  God's  mani- 
festing himself  to  him,  except  that  of  ad- 
monishing him  to  depart.  But  now  that 
he  has  come  to  Bethel,  and  has  performed 
his  vow,  "  God  appeared  unto  him  again, 
and  blessed  him."  But  how  is  it  that  this 
is  said  to  be  "  when  he  came  out  of  Pa- 
dan-aram 1  "  The  design  of  the  phrase, 
I  apprehend,  is  not  to  convey  the  idea  of 
its  being  at  the  time  of  his  return  from 
that  country,  or  immediately  after  it ;  but 
to  distinguish  it  from  that  appearance  of 
God  to  him,  in  the  same  place  where  he 
now  was,  in  his  way  thither.  He  appear- 
ed to  him  at  Bethel  when  he  was   going  to 


DF.VTll    or    RACHEf, 


829 


Padan-aram  ;  and  now  he  "  api)oarcd  to 
him  again,"  at  the  same  phice,  "  wlien  lie 
was  come  out  of  it."*  The  whole  ac- 
count given  in  these  verses  of  the  ap|icar- 
ance  ol  God  to  Jat;ol),  and  of  his  coiulmt 
in  return,  descrilies  a  solemn  and  mutual 
renewal  of  covenant.  There  is  nothing 
material  in  wliat  is  here  said  to  him  Itut 
wiiat  JKul  liocn  said  hdore  ;  and  nothing 
material  which  he  did  luit  what  had  been 
done  hcfore  ;  hut  tiie  whole  was  now  as 
it  were  consolidated  and  confirmed,  i. 
God  had  before  told  him  that  Ids  name 
should  he  no  more  called  Jacob,  but  Is- 
rael, ch.  xxxii.  28  :  this  honor  is  here  re- 
newed, and  the  renewal  of  it  contained  an 
assurance  that  he  should  still  go  on  and 
prevail.  2.  God  had  before  declared  that 
the  promises  made  to  Aliraham  should  be 
fulfilled  in  him  and  his  posterity,  eh.  xxviii. 
13,  14  :  this  declaration  is  here  renewed 
and  prefaced  with  an  assertion  of  his  own 
all-sufTiciency  to  fulfd  them.  3.  When 
God  had  before  apjieared  to  him,  he  set 
up  a  pillar  of  stone,  and  poured  oil  upon 
it,  and  called  the  name  of  the  jjhue  Belii- 
el,  ch.  xxviii.  18,  19  :  this  process  he  now 
renewed,  with  the  addition  of  a  driiik-ot- 
fering,  tor  which  on  his  first  journey  he 
probably  had  not  the  materials.  These 
renewals  of  promises  and  acknowlrdg- 
nients  may  teach  us  not  to  be  so  anxious 
after  new  discoveries  as  to  overlook  those 
which  we  have  already  obtained.  God 
may  appear  to  us  by  the  revival  of  known 
truths,  as  well  as  by  the  discovery  of  what 
was  unknown  ;  and  we  may  glorify  him 
as  much  by  "doing  our  first  works"  as 
by  engaging  in  something  which  has  not 
been  done  before.  Old  truths,  ordinances, 
and  even  places,  become  new  to  us  w  hen 
■we  renew  communion  with  God  in  them. 

Ver.  16 — 20.  We  are  not  told  the  rea- 
son of  Jacob's  leaving  Bethel.  Probably 
he  was  directed  to  do  so.  However  this 
might  be,  his  removal  in  the  present  in- 
stance was  accompanied  with  a  very  pain- 
ful event;  namely,  the  loss  of  his  beloved 
Rachel,  and  that  in  the  jirime  of  life. 
Journeying  from  Bethel,  and  within  a  lit- 
tle of  Ephrath,  or  Bethlehem,  she  "  trav- 
ailed, and  had  hard  labor."  The  issue 
was,  the  infant  was  spared  but  the  mother 
removed.  Thus  she  that  had  said,  "  Give 
me  children,  or  I  die,"  died  in  childbirth  ! 

Several  circumstances  which  attended 
this  afflictive  event  are  deserving  o(  notice. 
1.  The  words  of  the  midwife  :  "  Fear  not  : 
thou  shalt  have  this  son  also."  When 
Rachel  bare  her  first  son  she  called  him 
Josepli,  that  is  Addins;  ;  "  for,"  said  she, 
by  A  pro|)hetic  impulse,  "  the  Lord  shall 
add  to  me  another  son."     It  is  probably 

*  So  the  passage  is  rendered  by  Ainf.vorth.. 


in  reference  to  this  that  the  midwife  spake 
as  she  did.  Her  words  if  reported  to  Ja- 
cob, with  the  recollection  of  the  abo\c 
prophetic  hiht,  would  raise  his  hopes  and 
render  his  loss  more  aflV-cting,  by  adding 
to  it  the  pain  of  disappointment.  They 
appear  to  ha\e  no  influence,  however,  on 
Rachel.  She  has  ihe  sentence  of  death 
in  herself,  and  makes  no  answer  :  but  lurn- 
ning  her  eyes  towards  tlie  child,  and  cal- 
ling him  Ben-oni,  the  son  of  my  sorrow, 
she  expires  !  2.  The  terms  by  w  hith  her 
death  is  described — "  It  came  to  pass,  as 
her  soul  was  in  departing."  An  ordinary 
historian  would  have  said,  as  she  was  dy- 
ing, or  as  she  was  ready  to  expire  :  but 
the  Scriptures  delight  in  an  impressive 
kind  of  phraseology,  which  at  the  same 
time  shall  both  instruct  the  mind  and  aflect 
the  heart.  It  was  by  means  of  such  lan- 
guage, on  various  occasions.,  that  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  state  was  known  and  felt 
from  generation  to  generation  among  the 
Israelites,  while  the  heathen  around  them, 
with  all  their  learning,  were  in  the  dark 
upon  the  subject.  3.  The  change  of  the 
child's  name  :  "  She  called  his  name  Ben- 
oni  ;  but  his  father  called  him  Benjamin." 
The  former,  though  very  approiuiate  at 
the  tinie,  yet,  if  continued,  must  tend  per- 
petually to  revive  the  recollection  of  the 
death  of  his  mother;  and  of  such  a  jnon- 
itor  Jacob  did  not  stand  in  need.  The 
name  given  him  signified,  the  son  of  my 
right  hand;  that  is,  a  son  of  the  most  ten- 
der affection  and  delight,  inheriting  the 
place  which  his  mother  had  formerly  pos- 
sessed in  his  father's  heart.  If  the  love  of 
God  be  wanting,  that  of  a  creature  will 
often  be  supreme  ;  and,  where  this  is  the 
case,  the  loss  of  the  object  is  frequently 
known  to  leave  the  party  utterly  inconso- 
lable :  but  though  the  a'fleclionof  a  good 
man  may  be  very  strong,  and  his  sorrow 
proportionably  deep,  yet  he  is  taught  to 
consider  that  every  created  good  is  oidy 
lent  him  :  and  that,  his  genfiation  work 
being  as  yet  unfidfilled,  it  is  not  for  him 
to  feed  melancholy,  nor  to  pore  o\er  his 
loss  with  a  sullenness  that  shall  unfit  him 
for  duty,  but  rather  to  di\ert  his  affections 
from  the  object  that  is  taken,  and  direct 
them  to  those  that  are  left.  4.  The  slone 
erected  to  her  memory,  which  appears  to 
have  continued  lor  many  generations. 
Burying  her  in  ihe  place  where  she  diedj 
"  Jacob  set  a  pillar  upon  her  !j:rave  ;"  and' 
that  was  the  pillar  of  Rachel'i  grave  when 
her  history  was  written.  It  Avas  near  this 
place,  if  not  upon  the  very  spot,  that  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin  afterwards  had  its  in- 
heritance ;  and  therefore  it  is  (hat  Ihe  peo- 
ple w  ho  lived  in  the  limes  of  Jeremiah  arc 
called  "Rachel's  children."— Jcr.  xxxi. 
15.     The   babes  which    Herod  murdered 


830 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


are  also  so  called  ;  and  she  herself,  though 
long  since  dead,  is  supposed  to  rise,  as  it 
were,  out  of  her  grave,  and  witness  the 
l)loody  deed  :  yea,  more,  to  stand  upon  it 
and  weep,  refusing  to  be  comforted,  be- 
cause tiiey  were  not  ! 

Ver.  21.  It  is  proper  that  Jacob,  or,  as 
he  is  now  called,  Israel,  after  having  inter- 
red his  beloved  Rachel,  should  remove  to 
some  little  distance,  at  least,  from  her 
grave.  The  tower  of  Edar,  near  to  which 
he  next  spread  his  tent,  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Bethlehem.  In  removing, 
however,  from  the  scene  of  one  sorrow  he 
is  soon  overtaken  by  another.  While 
dwelling  in  that  land,  a  criminal  inter- 
course look  place  between  Reuben  and 
Biihah,  his  father's  wife.  It  was  done  in 
secret;  hut  Israel  heard  of  it.  For  this, 
his  unnatural  wickedness,  Reuben  was  af- 
terwai-ds  cursed  as  a  tribe,  the  heavier  on 
account  of  his  being  the  first-born  of  the 
family. — Chap.  xlix.  4.  By  his  conduct, 
however,  in  reference  to  his  brother  Joseph 
(chap,  xxxvii.  20,  22),  he  seems  to  have 
obtained  at  least  a  mitigation  of  his  pun- 
ishment :  for  Moses,  in  blessing  the  tribes, 
said  of  him,  "  Let  Reuben  live,  and  not 
die,  and  let  not  his  men  be  few."  Yet 
even  here  he  does  but  live  :  no  idea  is  sug- 
gested that  he  should  ever  excel,  and  with 
this  the  history  of  his  tribe,  in  after  ages, 
perfectly  accoids. 

ye,._  22 — 28.  The  history  will  hence- 
forward principally  respect  "the  sons  of 
Jacob,"  as  being  the  fathers  of  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel.  We  have  here,  therefore, 
at  the  outset,  a  particular  account  of  them, 
as  descended  from  the  different  wives  of 
their  father  Jacob. 

Ver.  27 — 29.  Before  the  sacred  writer, 
however,  proceeds  to  narrate  their  history, 
he  furnishes  two  other  subjects,  that  the 
thread  of  the  story  may  not  be  broken. 
One  of  them  is  the  conclusion  of  the  life 
of  Isaac;  and  the  other,  which  is  contain- 
ed in  the  thirty-sixth  chapter,  a  brief  sketch 
of  the  family  and  temporal  prosperity  of 
Esau.  If  the  former  of  these  events  had 
been  introduced  in  the  order  of  time,  it 
would  have  fallen  in  the  midst  of  the  his- 
tory of  Joseph;  for  it  occurred  about 
twelve  or  thirteen  years  after  his  being  sold 
into  Egypt.  There  are  not  many  particu- 
lars concerning  it.  Jacob  seems  to  have 
been  sent  for  just  in  time  to  witness  his 
father's  decease.  By  the  years  of  his  life, 
namely,  a  hundred  and  fourscore,  it  appears 
that  he  must  have  lived  fifty-seven  years 
in  a  state  ofblindness  and  inactivity.    This 


is  one  of  the  mysteries  of  providence 
which  often  strikes  us  ;  an  aged  and  af- 
flicted person,  whose  usefulness  appears 
to  us  at  an  end,  shall  have  his  life  pro- 
longed, while  a  hundred  active  young  peo- 
ple around  him  shall  be  cut  otF.  We 
know  not  the  reason  of  these  things  in 
the  present  state ;  but  we  may  know  it 
hereafter. 

Chap,  xxxvi.  With  respect  to  Esau, 
he  and  his  brother  had  been  together  at 
their  father's  funeral,  and  for  aught  that 
appears  were  on  brotherly  terms.  In  the 
course  of  this  chapter  we  find  them  sepa- 
rated :  not  however  from  any  difference 
arising  between  them,  but  on  account  of 
their  great  prosperity.  Their  riches  are 
said  to  have  been  "  more  than  that  they 
might  dwell  together  ;  and  the  land  where- 
in they  were  strangers  could  not  bear  them, 
because  of  their  cattle." 

The  account  which  is  here  given  of  him 
and  his  posterity  is,  however,  a  kind  of 
leave  taken  of  them  :  Ave  shall  hear  no 
more  of  Esau,  nor  of  his  descendants, 
but  as  enemies  to  the  people  of  God. 
It  is  remarkable  that  three  times  in  this 
chapter  when  Esau  is  spoken  of  we  meet 
with  the  phrase  "  This  is  Edom  ;"  and 
twice,  "  He  is  Esau,  the  father  of  the 
Edomites."— Verses  1,  8,  9,  19,  43.  We 
have  seen  that  the  name  of  Edom  was 
given  him  on  account  of  his  sanguinary 
disposition  (chap.  xxv.*24 — 34);  and  as 
this  was  notoriously  the  character  of  the 
Edomites,  especially  towards  Israel,  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  Holy  Spirit  would 
have  it  well  remembered  that  the  bitterest 
enemies  of  the  church  of  God  descended 
from  this  man.  He  seems  to  be  marked 
as  the  father  of  persecutors,  in  some  such 
manner  as  Ahaz  is  marked  by  his  wicked- 
ness of  another  kind,  "  This  is  that  king 
Ahaz."— 2  Chron.  xxviii.  22. 

Finally  :  It  is  remarkable  that  Esau, 
though  he  had  despised  and  lost  his  birth- 
right, yet  was  prospered  in  his  life-time, 
and  for  several  generations,  more  than  his 
brother.  While  the  latter  was  a  servant 
at  Padan-aram,  he  established  his  domin- 
ion in  mount  Seir;  and,  while  the  de- 
scendants of  the  one  were  groaning  under 
Egyptian  bondage,  those  of  the  other  were 
formed  into  an  independent  kingdom,  and 
had  eight  kings  in  succession,  before  there 
reigned  any  king  over  the  children  of  Israel. 
In  this  manner  did  God  order  things,  to 
show,  it  may  be,  that  the  most  valuable 
blessings  require  the  greatest  exercise  of 
faith  and  patience. 


JOSKPH    SOLD    lOK    A     SL.VVL. 


S31 


DISCOURSE  XLV. 

JOSEPH    SOLD    FOR    A    SLAVK. 
Gen.  xxxvii- 

Wk  now  enter  on  the  very  interesting  his- 
tory ot  Joseph,  a  history  in  which  I  feel  not 
pleasure  only  but  a  portion  of  (iisn)ay  ;  and 
this  liecause  I  have  but  little  liopo  ol'doin^ 
justice  to  it.  It  is  a  history,  perhaps,  un- 
equalled for  displaying  the  various  work- 
ings of  the  human  tnind,  botii  good  and 
Viad,  and  the  singular  providence  of  God 
in  making  use  ol  them  i'or  the  accomplish- 
ment ot   his  purposes. 

Ver.  1.  Jacob  is  represented  as  "dwell- 
ing in  the  land  wherein  his  father  was 
a  stranger."  The  character  of  sojourn- 
ers was  common  to  the  patriarchs  :  it  is 
t'.iat  which  Jacob  afterwards  confessed  I;e- 
fore  Pharaoh  ;  on  which  the  ajjostlc  re- 
marks that  "they  who  say  such  things 
declare  plainly  that  they  seek  a  country." 

Ver.  2.  The  "generations  of  Jacob" 
seem  here  to  mean  his  family  history  :  so 
the  word  is  used  of  Adam,  chap.  v.  1. 
And  Joseph  being,  as  we  should  say,  the 
chief  hero  of  the  tale,  it  begins  with  him. 
It  was  the  design  of  the  sacred  writer,  in 
the  course  of  his  narration,  to  tell  of  all 
the  great  events  of  that  family  :  as  of 
their  going  down  into  Egypt,  remaining 
there  ibr  a  number  of  years,  and  at  last 
being  brought  out  by  the  mighty  hand  of 
God  ;  at  present  his  object  is  to  lead  us  to 
t!ie  origin  of  these  events,  as  to  the  spring- 
head of  a  great  river,  or  to  describe  the 
minute  circumstances  by  which  they  were 
brought  about. 

Joseph  was  distinguished  by  his  early 
piety.  His  brethren  were  most,  if  not  all 
of  them,  very  wicked;  and  he,  being  Ire 
quently  with  them  in  the  field,  saw  and 
heard  such  things  as  greatly  affected  him. 
We  are  not  told  what  they  were  :  the 
oracles  of  God  have  thrown  a  veil  over 
them  till  the  judgment  day.  Suffice  it  for 
us  to  know  that  the  mind  of  this  godly 
youth  was  hurt  by  their  conversation  and 
behavior,  and  that  he  could  not  be  easy 
■without  disclosing  particulars  to  his  father. 
In  this  he  was  to  be  commenfled ;  for 
though  a  child  should  not  indulge,  nor  be 
mduiged  by  his  parents,  in  reporting  every 
tri\ial  tale  to  the  disadvantage  of  his  broth- 
ers or  sisters  ;  yet,  where  wickedness  is 
acted,  it  ought  not  to  be  concealed.  The 
parents  should  know  it,  that  they  may 
correct  it ;  or,  if  that  cannot  be,  that  they 
may  be  enabled  to  counteract  its  efTects. 
But  that  which  was  commendable  in  him 
produced  hatred   in  them.      They   would 


perceive  that  he  did  not  join  them  when  in 
company,  and  perhaps  the  carriage  of  their 
father  would  lead  them  to  sus()ect  that 
this  his  favorite  son  had  been  their  accuser. 
In  this,  the  outset  of  Joseph's  story,  we 
perceive  a  striking  resemblance  between 
iiim  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
"  the  world  hated,  because  he  testified  of 
it  that  the  works  thereof  were  evil." 

Here,  therefore,  before  I  proceed  any 
further,  I  would  ofTer  a  few  words  on  the 
question  whether  Joseph  is  to  be  consider- 
ed as  a  type  of  Christ.  I  am  far  from 
thinking  that  every  point  of  analogy  which 
may  be  traced  by  a  lively  imagination  was 
designed  as  such  by  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  yet 
neither  do  I  t!iiid<  that  we  are  warranted  in 
rejecting  the  idea.  We  have  already  seen 
that  God  prepared  the  way  for  the  coining 
of  his  Son  iiy  a  variety  o\  things,  in  which 
the  great  principles  of  his  undertaking  were 
prefigured,  and  so  rendered  familiar  to  the 
minds  of  men  (see  on  ch.  vi.  18,  xvii.  4) ;  and 
he  [)ursued  the  same  oljectby  a  variety  of 
persons,  in  whom  the  life  and  character  of 
Christ  were  in  some  degree  previously 
manifest.  Thus  Melchizedek  prefigured 
him  as  a  priest,  Moses  as  a  prophet,  and 
David  as  a  king;  and  I  cannot  l)ut  tliink 
that  in  the  history  of  Joseph  there  is  a 
portion  of  designed  analogy  between  them. 
But  to  return — 

Ver.  3,  4.  The  hatred  of  Joseph's  breth- 
ren on  account  of  his  re|)orls  was  not  di- 
minished, but  heightened,  by  his  father's 
partiality  towards  him.  It  is  much  less 
difficult  to  account  for  this  partiality  than 
to  justify  it,  or  at  least  the  method  of  ex- 
pressing it.  He  was  the  son  of  the  belov- 
ed Rachel;  and,  though  Benjamin  was  in 
this  respect  equal  to  him,  yet  he  was  but 
a  ciiild,  and  had  as  yet  .developed  nothing 
as  to  character  :  he  therefore  would  be 
out  of  the  question.  Joseph  seems  to  have 
been  the  only  one  in  the  family  who  had 
hitherto  disco\erc(l  either  the  fear  of  God, 
or  the  duty  of  a  child.  From  these  con- 
siderations his  father  might  be  allowed  to 
love  him  with  a  peculiar  afTeclion  ;  but  his 
clothing  him  with  "  a  coat  of  many  col- 
ors "  was  a  weakness  calculated  only  to 
excite  envy  and  ill-will  in  his  Itrethren.  If 
he  had  studied  to  provoke  these  disposi- 
tions, he  could  scarcely  have  done  it  more 
effectually.  The  event  was,  that  the  ha- 
tred of  the  brothers  could  no  longer  be 
concealed,  nor  could  they  speak  in  the 
usual  strain  of  civility  to  Joseph. 

Ver.  5 — 11.  Another  circumstance  oc- 
curred which  tended  still  more  to  heigh- 
ten the  enmity,  namely,  certain  dreams 
which  Joseph  had  at  this  time,  and  which 
he  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart  related  to 
his  brethren.  These  were  divine  intima- 
tions of  his  future  advancement,  and  were 


S32 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


rciaarkably  fulfilled  in  Egypt  about  twen- 
ty-three years  allerwards.  But  at  present 
they  iiillaiued  a  reseiiliiient  already  too 
strong;  and  even  his  lather  thought  it 
necessary  to  chide  what  seemed  a  little 
presumptuous  in  his  son.  Yet  as  Jacob 
I'elt  a  check  on  this  occasion,  rnd  observed 
the  saying,  suspecting,  it  should  seem,  that 
there  might  be  more  in  it  ihan  he  was  at 
present  aware  of,  so  I  ap]ireliend  his  sons 
had  a  secret  persuasion  that  these  dreams 
were  prophetic  :  but  that  which  soitened 
the  father  only  hardened  and  int^amed  the 
sons.  Their  hatred  had  originated  in  re- 
ligion ;  and  the  thought  of  God  having  de- 
termined to  honor  him  jirovoked  them  tlie 
more.  Such  were  the  operations  of  mal 
ice  in  Cain  towards  A.bel,  in  Esau  towards 
Jacob,  in  Saul  towards  David,  and  in  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  towards  the  Lord 
of  Glory. 

Ver.  12 — 17.  Things  now  approach  fast 
to  a  ciisis.  It  seems  as  if  the  vale  of  He- 
bron, where  Jacob  now  was,  did  not  con- 
tain suffiicient  pasturage  for  his  flocks  : 
tlie  young  men  therefore  take  them  to 
Shechem,  a  distance  it  is  said  of  about 
sixty  miles,  and  the  place  where  they  liv- 
ed for  tlie  first  seven  years  after  their  re- 
turn from  Padan-avam.  Jacob,  feeling 
anxious  about  them  and  the  cattle  (as  well 
he  might,  considering  the  part  they  had 
acted  there),  proposes  to  Joseph  that  he 
should  go  and  inquire,  and  bring  him  word 
of  their  welfare  ;  to  which  the  latter  with 
cheerful  ol)edience  consents.  Arriving 
at  Shechem,  he  finds  they  had  left  it  with 
the  flocks  ;  and  being  informed  l)y  a  stran- 
ger that  they  were  gone  to  Dothan,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  eight  miles,  he  proceeds 
thither. 

Ver.  18—22.  The  sight  of  Joseph, 
while  he  was  yet  afar  off,  rekindles  all 
the  foul  passions  of  his  brethren,  and  ex- 
cites a  conspiracy  against  him.  "  Behold," 
say  they,  with  malignant  scorn,  "  this 
dreamer  cometh!  Come  now,  let  us  slay 
him  I  "  In  some  cases  sin  begins  upon  a 
small  scale,  and  increases  as  it  advances  ; 
but  the  very  first  proposal  in  this  case  is 
murder  !  This  shows  the  height  to  which 
their  hatred  had  been  previously  wrought 
u|),  and  which,  now  that  opportunity  offer- 
ed, raged  like  fire  with  unconiroUahle  fury. 
But  have  tliey  no  apj)rehensions  as  to  con- 
sequences 1  What  tale  are  they  to  carry 
home  to  their  father"?  O,  they  are  at  no 
loss  for  this.  Malice  has  two  intimate 
friends  always  at  hand  to  conceal  its  dark 
deeds  ;  namely,  artifice  and  falsehood. 
"  We  will  cast  him  into  some  pit,"  say 
they,  "  and  we  will  say.  Some  evil  beast 
hath  devoured  him  :  and  we  shall  see  what 
will  become  of  his  dreams  !"  Who  will 
say  that  the  workers  of  iniquity   have  no 


knowledge  1  They  have  all  the  running 
as  well  as  the  cruelly  of  the  old  serpent. 
See  how  they  wrap  it  up.  But  what  do 
they  mean  by  that  sarcastic  saying,  "  We 
shall  see  what  will  become  of  his  dreams'?" 
If  they  had  considered  them  as  feigned 
through  ambition,  they  would  not  have  felt 
iiall  the  resentment.  No,  they  would 
have  winked  at  it  as  a  clever  piece  of  de- 
ceit, and  have  had  a  fellow-feeling  for 
him.  I  doubt  not  but  they  considered 
these  dreams  as  the  intimations  of  heaven, 
and  their  language  included  nothing  less 
than  a  challenge  of  the  Almighty  !  But 
is  it  possible,  you  may  say,  that  they  could 
think  of  thwarting  the  divine  counsels'?  It 
is  possible,  and  certain,  that  men  have 
been  so  infatuated  by  sin  as  to  attempt  to 
do  so.  Witness  Pharaoh's  pursuit  of  Isra- 
el, after  all  that  he  had  seen  and  felt  of 
the  divine  judgment ;  Saul's  attempts  on 
David's  life;  Herod's  murder  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Bethlehem;  and  the  conspiracy 
of  the  Jews  against  Christ,  who,  as  many 
of  them  knew,  had  raised  Lazarus  from 
the  dead,  and  done  many  miracles.  Yes, 
we  will  kill  him,  say  they,  and  then  let  God 
advance  him  to  honor  if  he  can  !  But  they 
shall  see  what  will  become  of  his  dreams. 
Yes,  they  shall  see  them  accomplished, 
and  that  by  the  very  means  they  are  con- 
certing to  overthrow  them.  Thus,  though 
"  the  kings  of  the  earth  take  counsel  to- 
gether against  the  Lord,  and  against  his 
Anointed,  saying,  Let  us  break  tlieir  bands 
asunder,  and  cast  away  their  cords  from 
us  ;"  yet  "  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens 
shall  laugh  at  them,  the  Lord  shall  have 
them  in  derision."  Joseph's  brethren, 
like  the  sheaves  in  the  dream,  shall  make 
obeisance  to  him  ;  and  "  at  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every 
tongue  confess  that  he  is  Lord,  unto  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father." 

In  this  bloody  council  there  was  one  ^^H 
dissentient.  God  put  it  into  the  heart  of  '^^ 
Reuben,  though  in  other  respects  none  of 
the  best  of  characters,  to  oppose  their 
measures;  and,  being  the  elder  brother, 
his  opinion  must  have  somewhat  the  great- 
er weight.  He  appears  to  have  utterly 
disapproved  of  their  intention,  and  wished 
earnestly  to  get  the  lad  safe  out  of  their 
hands,  that  he  might  deliver  him  to  his 
father;  though  perhaps  through  fear  of 
his  own  life  he  made  only  a  partial  oppo- 
sition. His  counsel,  however,  saved  his 
life,  and  he  was  doubtless  raised  up  on 
this  occasion  for  the  very  purpose  ;  for 
Joseph's  time  was  not  yet  come. 

Ver.  22—24.  All  ihat  had  hitherto 
taken  place  was  during  the  time  that  Jo- 
seph was  absent.  Glad  to  have  caught  the 
sight  of  them,  he  was  walking  towards 
them  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  while 


reUben  successfully  opposes  the  mufdek  of  joskpu. 


833 


they  were  taking  counsel  to  destroy  him  ! 
He  arrives.  Like  leasts  of  })rey,  ihey 
immediately  seize  him,  and  tear  off  the 
envied  "  coat  of  many  colors."  It  was 
not  enough  to  injure  him  ;  they  must  also 
insult  him.  Thus  Jesus  was  stri|i{>ed  and 
dejiradcd  before  he  sufl'ered.  Now  it  was, 
as  they  alterwards  confessed  one  to  anoth- 
er in  the  Eiryptian  prison,  that  they  "saw 
the  anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought 
them,  and  (hey  would  not  hear  :"  now  it 
was  (hat  Reulien  interceded  on  his  behalf, 
saying,  "  Do  not  sin  against  the  child  ; 
but  they  would  not  hear." — Cliap.  xlii. 
21,  22.     No,  they  would  not  hear:  "  they 


greater  than  he  was  sold  by  Judas  Iscariot 
lor  but  a  little  more. 

Ver.  29,.30.  Dui  ing  this  iniquitous  trans- 
action Reul  en  was  absent.  I  sujijiose, 
while  they  were  eating  and  drinkiig,  he 
stole  away  from  their  company,  with  the 
intention  of  going  by  himself  to  the  pit 
and  delivering  Joseph  ;  and  to  the  pit 
he  went  :  I  ut  t;  king  a  ciicuilous  course 
it  may  be  to  prevent  suspicion,  he  was  too 
late  I  At  this  he  is  greatly  afl'octed,  rends 
his  garments,  returns  to  the  company  and 
exclaims,  "  The  child  is  not  :  and  I,  with- 
er shall  I  go  1"  But  though  he  s|)oke  like 
a  brother,  and  an  elder  brother,   who  was 


look  and  cast  him  into   a  pit  :"  probably  a  obliged  to  give  account  to   his  father,   yet 

hole  in  the  earth,  both  dark  and  deep  ;  for  it  appears  to  have  made  no  impression  on 

he  does  not  appear  to  have   been   able  to  them.     Like    the  scribes   and    Pharisees, 

get  out  again.      It  was   however   empty,  they  were  ready  to  answer,  "  See  thou   to 

or   without  water.      Whether  they   knew  that  !" 


of  this  circumstance  or  not,  God  knew  it; 
and  it  seems  to  have  been  known  to  Reu- 
ben wen  he  made  the  proposal  of  his  be- 
ing cast  into  it,  seeing  he  hoped  by  this 
means  to  save  his  life. 

Ver.  25 — 28.  Having  thus  far  gratified 
their  revenge,  they  retire,  and  with  hard- 
ened unconcern  "  sit  down  toeat  bread." 
It  is  probable  that  they  both  ate  and  drank, 


Ver.  31 — 36.  They  feel  not  for  Joseph, 
nor  for  Reuben  ;  l)ut  have  some  concern 
about  themselves,  and  immediately  fall 
upon  a  stratagem  wherewith  to  deceive 
their  father.  A  kid  is  slain,  and  the  coat 
of  Joseph  is  dipped  in  its  blood.  This  is 
to  be  carried  home,  and  shown  to  Jacob, 
with  the  addition  of  a  lie,  saying  they  had 
"  found  "  it  ;  and  thus   the   poor  old  man 


and  made  merry  ;  and  it   may  be  partly  in  was  to  be  persuaded  that  some  evil   beast 

allusion  to  this  that  certain  characters,  in  had  devoured  him.   Who  will  say  that  the 

the  times  of  the   prophet   Amos,   are   de-  workers  of  iniquity  have  no  knowledge  1 

scribed  as  drinking  wine  in  bowls,  and  an-  Yet  one  cannot  but  remark  the   difficulty 

oinling  themselves    with  the    chief   oint-  of  supporting  a  feigned  character.   To  have 

ments,  but  were"  not  grieved  for  the  af-  done  it  completely,  they  should  firsthave 

fliction  of  Joseph."  seen  their  father  without  the   coat,   broke 

At  this  juncture  appeared  a  company  of  it  to  him   by    degrees,    afTected  to    grieve 

merchants,  who  were  going  down  to  Egypt,  with  him  for  the  loss,   and   at  last   have 

They  are  called  Ishmaelites,  and  also  Mi-  presented  the  coat  with   apparent  reluct- 

dianites  :  they  were  it  seems  a  mixed  peo-  ance,    as  that   which  must  harrow   up  his 

pie,  composed  of  both.       On  the  sight  of  feelings.      Instead   of  this,    the    whole   is 

them  a  thought  occurs  to  the  mind  of  Ju-  done  in  the    most  unfeeling  and    undutiful 

dah,  that  they  had  better  sell  their   broth-  manner  that  it  could  be  :   "  This  have  we 


or  for  a  slave  than  murder  him,  which  he 
proposes  to  the  rest.  His  proposal  con- 
tains words  of  mercy,  but  it  was  mercy  mix- 
ed with  covetousness.  I  am  not  sure  that 
Judahfelt  any  tenderness  towards  Joseph, 
as  being  his  "brother,  and  of  his  flesh," 
any  more  than    his   namesake  did  in  sell- 


found,"  say  they,  "  know  now  whether  it 
be  (hy  son's  coat,  or  no  !  "  They  could 
not  deny  themselves  the  brutal  pleasure 
of  thus  insulting  their  father,  even  in  the 
hour  of  his  distress,  for  his  former  par- 
tiality. Wicked  dispositions  often  make 
men  act  like  fools  :  hence   it  is  that  mur- 


ing Christ  :  it  is  not  unusual  for  covetous  dercrs  commonly  betray  themselves.    The 

men  to  urge. their  objects  under  a  show  of  disguise    of   hypocrisy  is    generally   very 

generosity   and  kindness.     But,  if  he  did,  thin  :  truth  only  is  throughout  consistent, 

it  was  the  profit   that  wrought    upon  the  This  disguise,    however,   thin    as    it  was 

company.       The  love    of  money    induced  seemed  at  present  to  answer  the  end.    Ja- 

them  to  sell  their  brother  for  a  slave  ;  and  cob  knew  the   bloody  garment,  and  said, 


the  same  principle  carries  on  the  same 
cruel  traffic  to  this  day.  So  they  sold 
Joseph  for  "  twenty  pieces  of  silver,"  the 
value   of  which  was    about     twenty   shil- 


"  It  is  my  son's  coat;  an  evil  beast  hath 
devoured  him  :  Joseph  is  without  doubt 
rent  in  pieces."  No,  it  is  no  evil  beast, 
but  men  more  cruel  than  tigers   that  have 


lings  of  our  money,  ten  shillings  less  than  done  towards  him  what  is  done  :  but  thus 

the  price  of  a  slave. — Exod.  xxi.  32.     A  Jacob  thought,  and  thus  he  mourned.    We 

goodly  price  at  which  they  valued  him  !  are  ready  to  wonder  how  Reuben  could 

But  let  not  Joseph  complain,    seeing  a  keep  his  counsel  ;  yet  with  all  his  grief  he 


VOL.    I. 


105 


834 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


did  SO  :  perhaps  he  might  be  afraid  for  his 
own  life.  Whatever  was  the  cause,  how- 
ever, of  Jacob's  being  thus  imposed  up- 
on, it  Avas  wisely  ordered  that  he  should 
be  so.  The  present  concealment  of  many 
things  contributes  not  a  little  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  divine  counsels,  and 
to  the  augmenlationof  luture  joy. 

Jacob's  mourning  is  deep  and  durable  : 
when,  after  a  time,  his  sons  and  his  sons' 
wives  rose  up  to  comfort  him,  lie  refused 
to  be  comforted  ;  resolving  to  die  a  mourn- 
er, and  to  welcome  the  grave,  which, 
though  a  land  of  darkness,  should  be  dear 
to  him,  because  his  lieloved  Joseph  was 
there  !     "  Thus  his  father  wept   for  him." 

From  the  whole,  one  sees  already  with 
admiration  the  astonishing  machinery  of 
providence.  The  malignant  brothers  seem 
to  have  obtained  their  ends  ;  the  merce- 
nary merchants,  who  care  not  what  they 
deal  in,  so  that  they  get  gain,  have  also  ob- 
tained theirs  ;  and  Potiphar,  having  got 
a  fine  young  slave,  has  obtained  his.  But, 
what  is  of  greater  importance,  God's  de- 
signs are  by  these  means  all  in  train  for 
execution.  This  event  shall  issue  in  Is- 
rael's going  down  to  Egypt  ;  that  in  their 
deliverance  by  Moses  ;  that  in  the  setting 
up  of  the  true  religion  in  the  world  ;  and 
that  in  the  spread  of  it  among  all  nations 
by  the  gospel.  "  The  wrath  of  man  shall 
praise  the  Lord,  and  the  remainder  thereof 
will  he  restrain." 


DISCOURSE  XL VI. 

THE  CONDUCT  OF  JUDAH JOSEPh's   PRO- 
MOTION   AND    TEMPTATION. 

Gen.  xxxviji.  xxxix. 

If  we  turn  aside  with  the  sacred  writer 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  notice  the  conduct 
of  Judah  about  this  time,  we  shall  per- 
ceive new  sources  of  sorrow  for  the  poor 
old  patriarch.  This  young  man,  whatev- 
er was  the  cause,  must  needs  leave  his  fa- 
ther's family;  and,  wandering  towards  the 
south,  he  entered  into  the  house  of  one 
Hirah,  an  inhabitant  of  Adullam,  with 
whom  he  formed  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance. If  all  the  brethren  had  dispersed 
and  mingled  among  the  heathen,  if  we 
consider  only  their  state  of  mind,  there 
had  been  nothing  surprising  in  it.  While 
tarrying  here,  he  saw  a  young  female, 
whose  father's  name  was  Shuah  ;  and 
though  he  had  joined  in  objecting  to  his 
sister's  marriage  with  Shechem,  yet  he 
makes  no  scruple  of  taking  this  Canaan- 
itish  woman  to  be  his  wife;  and  that 
Tvjthout  at  all  consulting  his  father.      The 


children  which  he  had  by  this  marriage 
were  such  as  might  1  e  expected  ;  and  the 
loose  life  '*\hich  he  himself  led,  aided  in 
it  as  he  was  l-y  his  friend  the  Adullamite,; 
was  that  of  a  man  who,  weary  of  the  res- 
traints of  religion,  had  given  himself  up  ta 
his  evil  propensities. 

Yet  it  is  observable  how  he  keeps  up 
the  customs  of  his  father's  family,  by  di- 
recting his  yourger  son  to  take  the  widow 
of  the  eldest,  that  he  might  raise  up  seed 
unto  his  brother  ;  and,  though  he  himself 
indulged  in  licentiousness,  yel  he  can  feel 
indignation  and  even  talk  of  burning  his 
daughter-in-law  for  the  same  thing.  Thus 
we  have  often  seen  men  tenacious  of  cere- 
monies while  living  in  the  grossest  immo- 
rality, and  quick  to  censure  the  faults  of 
others  while  blinded  to  their  own. 

The  odious  wickedness  committed  irs 
this  family  might  not  have  been  recorded 
but  for  the  purpose  of  chronology,  and  to 
show  what  human  nature  is  till  it  is  re- 
newed by  the  grace  of  God.  How  this 
connection  between  Judah  and  his  friend 
the  Adullamile  came  to  be  broken  we 
know  not;  but,  finding  him  afterwards  in 
his  father's  house,  we  hope  it  was  so. — 
Even  while  he  continued  on  that  side  of 
the  country  he  had  some  remorse  of  con- 
science, particularly  when  he  discovered 
the  supposed  harlot  to  be  his  daughter 
Tamar.  "  She  hath  been,"  said  he, 
"  more  righteous  than  I." 

But  we  return  to  the  history  of  Joseph — 

Chap,  xxxix.  We  left  him  in  Egypt^ 
sold  to  Potiphar,  a  captain  of  the  guard  j 
and  here  we  find  him.  He  was  sent  be- 
forehand as  a  saviour;  and,  like  the  Sa- 
viour of  the  world,  was  not  sent  in  state, 
but  in  the  form  of  a  servant. 

Nothing  is  said  of  the  grief  of  mind 
which  he  felt  on  the  occasion,  but  this 
must  needs  have  been  great.  A  youth  of 
seventeen,  torn  from  his  father,  enslaved 
to  all  appearance  for  life,  and  that  among 
idolaters,  where  the  true  God  was  utterly- 
unknown  J  If  the  day  of  Jacob's  depar- 
ture from  his  father's  house  was  "  the  day 
of  his  distress,"  ch.  xxxv.  3,  what  must 
Joseph's  have  been  1  The  archers  may- 
well  be  said  to  have  "  sorely  grieved  him." 

Ver.  2,  3.  But  here  is  a  remedy  equal 
to  this  or  any  other  disease  :  "  The  Lord 
was  with  Joseph  ! "  God  can  make  up 
any  loss,  sustain  under  any  load,  and  ren- 
der us  blessed  in  any  place.  To  this  Mo- 
ses alludes  in  his  dying  blessing  upon  the 
tribe  of  Joseph  :  "  Blessed  of  the  Lord 
be  his  land,  for  the  precious  things  of 
heaven — for  the  precious  things  of  the 
earth" — and  for  the  "  good  will  of  him 
that  dwelt  in  the  bush  :  let  the  blessing 
come  upon  the  head  of  Joseph,  and  upon 
the  top  of  the  head  of  him  that  was  sep- 


COD     BLESSES    JOSEPH    I.N     HIS    CAPTIVITT. 


855 


Mated   from   his   brethren!"      If   we   be  not  only  blesses   them,  but  "  makes  them 

but  in  the   path  of  duty,  we  have  nolhiiiir  a  blessing."     Sucli  was  Jacob  lo    Laban  ; 

to    fear.      Whatever   wrongs   we   stitTor,  if  sucli  is  Joseph  to  Potiphar,  and  afterwards 

we   be   but    kept    from    doiiiij    wroiii;,    we  to  all  Eiiy  pt  ;  and  such  has  Israel  l>een  to 

shall  enjov  tiie  peace  of  God  in  our  hearts  the  worhl,  who   Irom   thetu   derive  a  Sav- 

and  all  will  conic  to  a  ji^ood  issue.     What  iour,  and  all  that  they  possess  of  true  re- 


a  dilTerence  is  there  between  the  cases  of 
Josefdi  and  Jonah!  They  were  both  in 
trouble,  both  absent  from  God's  people, 
both  amoui!;  the  heathen  :  but  the  sull'er- 
inj^s   of  the    one  were    for   righteousness' 


ligion.  Even  the  casting  away  of  them 
has  proved  the  reconciling  of  the  world, 
and  how  much  more  shall  the  receiving  ol 
them  at  a  future  day  be  as  life  from  the 
•  lead  !    It  might  also  be  the  design  of  God, 


sake,  while  those  of  the  other  were  of  his  by  tliis  as  well  as  other  of  his  proceedings, 
own  procuring.  to  set  forth  under  a  figure  the  method  in 
God  makes  Joseph  ;jrospcrous.  He  must  which  he  would  bless  the  world  ;  namely, 
then  have  submitted  with  cheerfulness  to  "  for  the  sake  of  another  that  was  dear 
his  lot,  studied  to  make  himsell  agreeable  unto  him."  Potiphar  was  not  blessed  for 
and  useful  to  his  master,  and  applied  at-  his  own  sake,  or  on  account  of  any  of  his 
tentively  to  business.  Herein  he  was  an  good  deeds  ;  but  tor  the  sake  of  Joseph, 
example  of  resignation  to  the  will  of  God  Even  his  receiving  Joseph  into  favor  was 
in  afHictive  circumstances.  Fretfulness  not  that  on  account  of  which  he  was  bless- 
greatly  aggravates  the  ills  of  life,  while  a  cd,  though  that  was  necessary  to  it :  it  was 
cheerful  submission  to  the  will  of  God  al-  Joseph  to  whom  the  eye  of  the  Lord  was 
leviates  them.  The  prosperity  attending  directed:  he  looked  on  him,  and  blessed 
Joseph  was  manifest  :  his  master  sees  it,  Potiphar.  So  that  for  the  sake  of  which 
and  sees  that  "Jehovah  is  with  him,"  and  we  are  accepted  and  saved  is  not  any  work 
that  it  is  his  hand  which  blesses  all  he  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done,  nor 
does.  This  is  a  circumstance  not  a  little  even  our  believing  in  Christ,  though  this 
to  Joseph's  honor  ;  for  it  implies  that  he  is  necessary  to  it  ;  but  the  name  and 
made  no  secret  of  his  religion.  Hfe  must  righteousness  of  Jesus.  Thus,  in  both 
have  refused  to  join  in  Eiryptian  idolatry,  cases,  grace  is  displayed,  and  boasting 
a  ul  avowed  himself  a  worshipper  of  Jeho-  excluded.  Finally:  It  was  a  proverb  in 
vah,  the  only  true  God.  In  many  cases,  Israel  that,  "when  it  goeth  well  with  the 
for  a  poor  unprotected  slave  to  have  done  righteous,  the  city  rejoicelh."  This  w'as 
this,  would  have  cost  him  his  life;  but  the  singularly  exemplified  in  the  prosperity  of 
Lord  was  with  Joseph,  and  had  all  hearts  Joseph,  and  still  more  in  the  exaltation  of 
in  his  hand.     Potipliar,  observing  that  the  Christ.     From  the  day  that  he  was  made 


religion  of  the  young  man  turned  to  his 
account,  like  many  irreligious  masters  in 
the  present  day,  makes  no  objection  to  it. 
This  holds  up  a  most  encouraging  exam- 


head  over  all  principalities  and  powers, 
from  that  time  forward  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  the  world /or  his  sake. 

Ver.  6.     So  great  was  the  confidence 


pie  to   religious  servants    to   recommend     which   Joseph's    fidelity    inspired    in    his 


the  gospel  by  their  fidelity  and  diligence; 
and  to  all  Christians  to  be  faithful  to  God, 
even  when  there  are  no  religious  friends 
about  them  to  watch  over  them.  This  is 
walking  with  God. 


master,  that  all  his  concerns  were  left  in 
his  hands  ;  and  for  his  own  part  he  did 
nothing  but  enjoy  the  prosperity  which 
was  thus  bestowed  upon  him.  This  cir- 
cumstance   might   be    wisely    ordered    to 


Ver.  4.     The  effect  of  this  is,  Joseph  prepare   this   lovely  youth   for  his   future 

comes  into  favor,  and  is  promoted  over  all  station.     He  was  now  brought  into  busi- 

the  other  servants.     From  a  slave   he  is  ness,  and  inured  to  management :  had  he 

made   a  steward;  a  steward  not  only  of  been  raised  to  his  last  post  first,  he  might 

the  household,  but  over  all  his  master's  have  been  less  qualified  to  fill  it.     Sudden 

affairs,  and  this  though  but  a  youth.  advancements  are  seldom  safe. 

Ver.  5.     And  now,  as  Potiphar  favors         Under  all  this  prosperity,  what  may  we 

the  Lord's  servant,  the  Lord   will   not  be  suppose  to  be  the  state  of  Joseph's  mind? 

behindhand  with  him,  but  will   favor  him.  No  doubt  his   thoughts  would   sometimes 

From    this    time    forward    every   thing  is  glance    to   the    vale   of    Hebron,   and    he 

blessed  and  prospered  "  for  Joseph's  sake."  Vvould  ask  himself,  "  How  does  my  father 

We  see  here  that  it  is  good  to  be  connected  bear  the  rending  stroke  ;  and  what  is  be- 

with  them  that  fear  God,  but  much  better  come  of  mv  poor  wicked  brethren!     But 

to  cast  in  our  lot  with  them.     In  that  case  as  to  himself,  so  far  as  it  was  possible  to 

we  shall   not  only  gain  by   them   for  this  be  happy  in  a  strange  land,  happy  he  must 

life,  but,  as  Moses  told   Hobab,  whatever  have    been.      God   was   with   him,   every 

good  thing  the  Lord  doth  to  them  shall  be  thing  he   did   prospered,  and  every  thing 

done  to  us.    Here  also  we  see  the  promise  he    met    with    was    extremely    flatterino-. 

to  Abraham  fulfilled  in  his  posterity  :  he  Indeed  there  are  few  characters  who,  at 


836 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


his  period  of  life  especially,  could  bear 
such  a  tide  of  success.  We  see  in  hitn 
nothing  assuming  or  overbearing  towards 
his  fellow-servants,  nor  forgetful  of  his 
God.  If,  however,  any  thing  of  this  kind 
should  have  been  at  work  in  his  heart,  he 
will  soon  meet  with  that  which  shall  recal 
him  to  a  right  mind.  A  sharp  temptation 
approaches,  in  which  his  virtue  and  pa- 
tience shall  be  put  to  the  proof  After  a 
day  of  prosperity,  let  us  expect  a  day  of 
adversity  ;  for  "  God  hath  set  the  one  over 
against  the  other,"  even  in  the  lot  of  his 
most  favored  servants. 

Ver.  7 — 9.  Joseph's  goodly  and  well- 
favored  countenance  excites  the  lawless 
desires  of  a  faithless  woman,  who,  in  vi- 
olation of  her  marriage  vows,  and  of  all 
the  modesty  and  decency  which  should 
distinguish  her  sex,  tries  to  seduce  him. 
In  such  a  situation,  how  many  young  men 
would  have  been  carried  away  !  Nay,  how 
many  are  so  where  the  temptation  is  far 
less  powerful  !  His  conduct  on  this  oc- 
casion is  a  proof  of  great  grace,  and  ex- 
hibits to  all  posterity  an  example  of  what 
may  be  done  by  closely  walking  with  God. 

The  first  attack  upon  him  is  repelled 
with  a  modest  but  severe  remonstrance, 
exactly  suited  to  his  situation.  Let  us 
examine  it  minutely.  There  are  four 
things  in  it  worthy  of  admiration.  1.  He 
is  silent  with  respect  to  the  wickedness  of 
the  tempter.  He  might  have  reproached 
her  for  the  indelicacy,  the  infidelity,  and 
the  baseness  of  her  proposal :  but  he  con- 
fines himself  to  what  respected  his  own 
obligation,  and  what  would  be  his  own  sin. 
In  the  hour  of  temptation  it  is  enough  for 
us  to  look  to  ourselves.  It  is  remarkable 
that  all  our  Lord's  answers  to  the  tempter, 
as  recorded  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  Mat- 
thew, are  in  this  way.  He  could  have 
accused  him  of  insolence  and  outrage ; 
but  he  barely  refuses  to  follow  his  coun- 
sels, because  thus  and  thus  it  teas  ivritten. 
2.  Joseph  considers  his  obligation  as 
rising  in  proportion  to  his  station :  "There 
is  none  greater  in  this  house  than  I." 
Some  young  men  would  have  drawn  a  con- 
trary conclusion  from  the  same  premises, 
and  on  this  ground  have  thought  them- 
selves entitled  to  take  the  greater  liber- 
ties ;  but  this  is  the  true  use  to  be  made 
of  power,  and  riches,  and  every  kind  of 
trust.  3.  He  considers  it  as  heightened 
by  the  generosity  and  kindness  of  his 
master,  who  withheld  nothing  else  from 
him.  Eve  reasoned  at  first  on  this  prin- 
ciple, ch.  iii.  2  ;  and,  had  she  kept  to  it, 
she  had  been  safe.  When  we  are  tempted 
to  covet  what  God  has  forbidden,  it  were 
well  to  think  of  the  many  things  which  he 
has  not  forbidden,  but  freely  given  us. 
4.    He  rises  from  created   to   uncreated 


authority  :  It  would  not  only  be  treachery 
to  my  master,  but  "  wickedness,"  "great 
wickedness,  and  sin  against  God."  In 
the  hour  of  temptation  it  is  of  infinite  im- 
portance what  view  we  take  of  the  evil  to 
which  we  are  tempted.  If  we  suiFer  our 
thoughts  to  dwell  on  its  agreeabieness,  as 
Eve  did  concerning  the  forbidden  fruit,  its 
sinfulness  will  insensibly  diminish  in  our 
sight,  a  number  of  excuses  will  present 
tliemselves,  and  we  shall  inevitably  be 
carried  away  by  it :  but  if  we  keep  our 
eye  steadfastly  on  the  holy  will  of  God, 
and  the  strong  obligations  we  are  under 
to  him,  that  which  would  otherwise  appear 
a  little  thing  will  be  accounted  what  it 
is,  a  great  wickedness,  and  we  shall  re- 
volt at  the  idea  of  sinning  against  him. 
This  is  the  armor  of  God,  wherewith  we 
shall  stand  in  the  evil  day. 

Ver.  10.  This  remonstrance,  however, 
strong  as  it  was,  has  no  lasting  effect  upon 
the  woman  :  for  sin,  and  this  sin  in  par- 
ticular, is  outrageous  in  its  operations. 
Joseph  therefore  finds  it  necessary  to  shun 
her  company,  carefully  avoiding,  as  much 
as  possible,  to  be  with  her  any  where 
alone.  This  showed.  First,  great  sincer- 
ity ;  for  if  we  throw  ourselves  in  the  way 
of  temptation,  or  be  not  careful  to  shun 
it  when  occasions  offer,  in  vain  do  we  talk 
against  sin.  Secondly,  grea/ wisdom;  for, 
though  he  had  been  kept  hitherto,  he  was 
not  sure  that  he  should  be  so  in  future. 
Thirdly,  great  resolution  and  persever- 
ance;  for  it  is  not  everyone  who  with- 
stands a  temptation  in  the  first  instance, 
that  holds  out  to  the  end.  Eve  repelled 
the  tempter  on  his  first  onset,  but  was 
carried  away  by  the  second.  Job  endured 
a  series  of  trials,  and  sinned  not;  yet  af- 
terwards spake  things  which  he  ought  not. 
Finally,  great  grace.  "  Can  a  man  go  on 
hot  coals,  and  his  feet  not  be  burned  1  " 
No  ;  if  we  voluntarily  g-o  into  temptation, 
we  shall  assuredly  be  hurt,  if  not  ruined 
by  it;  but  when  God  by  his  providence 
leads  us  into  it,  for  the  trial  of  our  graces, 
we  may  hope  to  be  kept  in  it,  and  brought 
victorious  out  of  it. 

Ver.  11 — 20.  If  we  were  told  of  a 
young  man  in  Joseph's  situation,  we 
should  probably  advise  his  leaving  the 
family  ;  but,  circumstanced  as  he  was, 
that  might  be  impossible.  He  was  a 
bought  servant,  however  exalted,  and 
therefore  was  not  at  liberty  to  leave. 
Nor  could  he  speak  on  the  subject  to  his 
master  without  ruining  his  peace  forever. 
He  therefore  kept  it  to  himself,  and  went 
on  as  well  as  he  could,  watching  and  pray- 
ing, no  doubt,  lest  he  should  enter  into 
temptation.  One  day,  being  under  the 
necessity  of  going  into  the  house  about 
business,  his  mistress  renewed  her  solici- 


JOSEPH    IN    PRISON. 


S3- 


tations ;  on  which  he  fled  from  her  pres- 
ence as  before  ;  hut,  as  he  was  escaping, 
she  caught  a  piece  of  his  earmenl,  and 
kept  it  liy  lior.  Wantonness  heing  disap- 
pointed, and  pride  wounded,  the  whole  is 
now  turned  into  haired  anil  levenjre.  She 
will  work  his  overthrow,  that  she  will  I 
Mark  how  the  cunning  ol  the  old  serpent 
operates.  The  servants  are  called  in  to 
witness  how  she  had  heen  mocked,  or,  as 
we  should  say,  insulted  l)y  this  Hei)rew. 
If  they  knew  nothing  Ironj  other  quarters, 
it  was  very  natural  they  should  think  it 
was  so;  and  thus  they  were  every  thing 
but  eye-witnesses  of  Josej)h's  guilt.  Pre- 
sumptive evidence  is  certainly  very  strong 
against  him.  Yet,  with  all  this  cunning, 
like  other  hypocrites,  she  does  not  (fo  it 
completely.  She  should  have  pretended 
how  much  she  (elt  for  the  insult  offered  to 
her  hushand,  as  well  as  to  herself:  hut 
the  truth  will  come  out,  after  ail  the  pains 
taken  to  conceal  it.  How  disrespectfully 
she  speaks  oi  him  to  the  servants,  half 
attributing  the  pretended  insult  to  him. 
"See,"  saith  she,  "  he  hath  brought  an  He- 
brew in  unto  us  to  mock  us  I"  Such  lan- 
guage not  only  betrayed  the  alienation  of 
her  heart  from  her  husband,  but  tended  to 
«et  the  servants  against  him.  Nothing  but 
truth  is  consistent  throughout.  If  these 
servants  possessed  only  a  moderate  share 
of  good  sense, they  must  have  seen  through 
this  thin  disguise,  whether  they  chose  to 
speak  their  minds  or  not. 

The  scheme  however  took.  Potiphar 
thought  the  story  so  plausible  that  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  its  being  true.  His 
wrath  therefore  was  kindled,  and  without 
further  ceremony  he  took  Joseph  and  com- 
mitted him  to  prison.  Being  fired  with 
anger,  he  had  no  ear  to  hear  what  could 
be  said  on  the  other  side;  and  perhaps  Jo- 
seph might  think  that  nothing  he  could  say 
would  be  regarded;  or,  if  it  were,  it  must 
ruin  his  master's  peace  of  mind  :  he  would 
therefore  go  in  silence  to  prison,  trusting 
in  God  to  vindicate  his  injured  charac- 
ter. 

But  what  an  affecting  reverse  of  con- 
clition  !  Poor  young  man  !  A  stranger  in 
a  strange  land,  without  a  friend  to  speak 
for  him  or  to  care  about  him.  Behold 
him  confined  in  the  dungeon,  and  think 
what  must  have  heen  his  reflections. — Oh, 
if  my  father  knew  of  this,  what  would  he 
feel  on  my  account  I  How  mysterious  are 
the  ways  of  providence,  that,  by  an  inflex- 
ible adherence  to  righteousness,  I  should 
be  brought  into  this  horrid  place  ! — He 
was  not  only  confined  in  a  dun:<;con,  but, 
as  we  are  told  in  the  105th  Psalm,  "his 
feet  were  hurl  with  fetters,  being  laid  in 
iron."  The  last  phrase  is  very  emphatic. 
Calvin  renders  it,  "  The  iron  entered  into 


his  soul."*  Not  only  were  his  feet  galled, 
but  his  heart  was  grieved  ;  and  probably 
he  expected  nothing  i)ut  doath. 

Vcr.  21 — 23.  But,  as  under  his  former 
affliction,  so  under  this,  "the  Lord  was 
with  Jose()h."  What  was  once  said  to 
Abraham  might  now  be  said  to  him  :  "  1 
am  God  all-surticient  :  walk  licfore  me, 
and  be  thou  perfect."  All  will  be  right 
at  last.  Where  providence  leads  us  into 
dilhculties  and  hardships,  grace  can  sus- 
tain us  under  them  ;  and  if  we  suffer  for 
righteousness'  sake,  as  Joseph  did,  we 
may  be  assured  it  will  be  so.  Nothing 
shall  eventually  harm  us,  if  we  be  follow- 
ers of  that  which  is  good.  In  a  little 
time,  Joseph  obtains  favor  in  the  eyes  of 
the  keeper  of  the  prison,  as  he  had  done 
before  in  those  of  Potiphar.  And  now 
he  has  an  opportunity  of  showing  the  pow- 
er of  true  religion  in  the  prison,  by  his  fi- 
delity, his  tenderness,  and  his  worship  of 
the  only  true  God.  It  might  l)e  wisely 
ordered,  too,  that  he  should  go  into  his 
high  station  by  way  of  a  prison  ;  he  might 
not  otherwise  have  been  so  well  qualified 
to  feel  for  his  brethren,  and  for  other  pris- 
oners. Nor  would  he  have  been  in  the 
way  of  his  future  advancement,  if  he  had 
not  been  there.  "Before  honor  is  humil- 
ity." The  Lord  of  glory  himself  obtain- 
ed not  the  crown,  but  by  first  enduring  the 
cross. 


DISCOURSE   XLVII. 

JOSEPH    IN    PRISON. 

Gen.  xl. 

We  left  Joseph  in  prison  ;  but,  by  the 
good  hand  of  God  upon  him,  its  hardships 
are  greatly  mitigated.  At  first  he  is 
thrown  into  a  dungeon,  and  laid  in  irons  ; 
but  now  he  is  made  a  kind  of  steward,  or 
overseer  of  the  other  prisoners.  Yet  it  is 
a  prison  still,  and  he  desires  to  be  free  ; 
but  he  must  wait  awhile.  God  will  deliver 
him  in  his  own  time  and  way.  This  chap- 
ter contains  the  story  of  the  means  by 
which  his  deliverance  was  effected. 

Ver.  1,  2.  Two  of  Pharaoh's  officers 
offend  their  lord,  for  which  they  are  com- 
mitfed  to  prison — the  chief  butler  and  the 
chief  baker.  Whether  they  suffered  just- 
ly for  having  attempted  to  poison  the 
king,  which  was  often  done  in  heathen 
countries,  or  merely  on  account  of  un- 
founded suspicion  ;  whether,  if  there  were 
any  thing  actually  attempted,  it  was    their 

y<i;2y  nN3  '7113  * 


838 


EXPOSITION    OF   GENESIS. 


doing,  or  that  of  some  of  the  under  butlers 
and  bakers,  for  whose  conduct  they  might 
be  responsible,  we  know  not ;  but  impris- 
oned they  were. 

Ver.  3,  4.  The  prison  into  which  they 
were  sent  is  called  the  house  of  "  the  cap- 
tain of  the  girard."  This  title  is  more 
than  once  liefore  given  to  Potiphar. — Ch. 
xxxvii.  36,  xxxix.  1.  It  is  probable  that 
he  had  the  chief  oversight  of  the  prison, 
and  that  the  keeper  was  a  person  employ- 
ed under  him.  If  so,  it  seems  likely  that 
Potiphar  was  reconciled  to  Joseph.  There 
is  little  reason  to  think  that  his  wife  would 
long  conceal  her  character  ;  and  that  be- 
ing known  would  operate  in  Joseph's  fa- 
vor :  and  though  he  might  not  wish  to  re- 
lease him  out  of  prison,  for  his  own  credit, 
yet  he  might  be  induced  to  connive  at  the 
keeper's  kindness  to  him.  It  is  remarka- 
ble that  the  prison  to  which  these  persons 
were  sent  should  be  the  same  as  that 
wherein  Joseph  was  confined.  In  this 
we  see  the  hand  of  God  ordering  all  events. 
They  might  have  been  sent  to  another 
place  of  confinement  ;  but  then  the  chain 
had  heen  broken.  On  how  many  little 
incidents,  of  which  the  parties  at  the 
time  think  nothing,  do  some  of  tlie  great- 
est events  depend  !  If  they  had  gone  to 
another  prison,  Joseph  might  have  died 
where  he  was,  and  no  provision  have 
been  made  for  the  seven  years  of  famine  ; 
and  Jacob  and  his  family,  with  millions  of 
others,  have  perished  (or  want;  and  so 
all  the  promises  of  their  becoming  a  great 
nation,  and  of  the  Messiah  springing  from 
among  them,  and  all  nations  being  blessed 
in  him,  would  have  been  frustrated.  But 
he  that  appoints  the  end  appoints  all  the 
means  that  shall  lead  to  it  ;  and  not  one 
of  them,  however  small  or  incidental,  shall 
be  dispensed  with  In  this  prison  Joseph 
is  said  to  have  served  the  chief  butler  and 
the  chief  baker;  that  is,  he  carried 
them  their  daily  provisions,  and  so  was  in 
the  habit  of  seeing  them  every  day,  and 
conversing  with  them. 

Ver.  5 — 8.  One  morning,  Avhen  he  went 
to  carry  them  their  usual  food,  he  finds 
them  more  than  ordinarily  dejected,  and 
kindly  inquires  into  the  reason  of  it.  It 
appears  hence  that  Joseph  was  not  a  hard- 
hearted overseer.  Unlike  many  petty 
officers,  whose  overbearing  conduct  to- 
wards their  inferiors  is  most  intolerable, 
he  sympathizes  with  the  sorrowful,  and 
makes  free  with  them.  The  fear  of  God 
produces  tenderness  of  heart,  and  com- 
passion towards  men,  especially  to  the 
poor  and  the  afflicted.  On  inquiry,  he 
found  that  they  had  each  had  a  dream, 
which,  by  the  circumstances  attending  it, 
they  considered  as  extraordinary.  Both 
of  them  dreamed,  and  both  in  one  night ; 


both  their  dreams  related  to  their  past  em- 
ployments, and  seemed  therefore  to  he 
ominous  of  their  future  destiny  :  yet  they 
knew  not  what  to  make  of  them,  and  had 
no  interpreter  at  hand  who  could  instruct 
them.  Such  was  the  cause  of  their  dejec- 
tion. Though  the  greater  part  of  dreams 
be  vanity,  yet  in  all  ages  and  places  God 
has  sometimes  impressed  the  mind  of  man 
by  these  means  ;  and  especially,  it  would 
seem,  in  countries  which  have  been  desti- 
tute of  divine  revelation.  We  have  many 
instances  of  this  in  the  book  of  Daniel, 
and  by  which,  as  in  this  case,  the  ser- 
vants of  God  came  into  request,  and 
the  glory  of  God  eclipsed  the  powers  of 
idolatry. 

But  what  kind  of  interpreters  did  these 
men  wish  for  1  Such,  no  doubt,  as  Pha- 
raoh, on  his  having  dreamed,  called  for; 
namely,  the  magicians  and  the  wise  men  of 
Egypt:  and,  because  they  had  no  hopes 
of  obtaining  them  in  their  present  situa- 
tion, therefore  were  they  sad.  Here  lies 
the  force  of  Joseph's  question:  "Do  not 
interpretations  belong  to  GodI"  which 
was  a  reproof  to  them  for  looking  to  their 
magicians  instead  of  to  him  :  hence  also 
he  offered  himself,  as  the  servant  of  God, 
to  be  their  interpreter. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that,  what  Joseph's 
interpretation  was  to  the  dreams  of  the 
butler  and  the  baker,  that  the  or.icles  of 
God  are  to  the  notices  and  impressions  on 
the  human  mind  by  the  light  of  nature  and 
conscience.  Man  in  every  age  and  coun- 
try has  felt  in  himself  a  consciousness  of 
his  being  what  he  ought  not  to  be,  a  fear- 
fulness  of  having  in  another  state  to  give 
an  account,  with  many  other  things  of  the 
kind  ;  but  all  is  uncertainty.  He  only 
knows  enough,  if  he  regard  it  not,  to 
render  him  inexcusable;  and,  if  he  re- 
gard it,  to  make  him  miserable.  It  is  only 
in  the  Scriptures  that  the  mind  of  God  is 
revealed. 

Ver.  9—15.  The  butler  first  tells  his 
dream,  which  Joseph  interprets  of  his  de- 
liverance and  restoration  to  office;  and, 
having  told  him  this  good  news,  he  very 
naturally  throws  in  a  request  on  behalf  of 
himself  There  is  no  proof  or  symptom 
of  impatience  in  this;  but  patience  itself 
may  consist  with  the  use  of  all  lawful 
means  to  obtain  deliverance.  The  terms 
in  which  this  request  is  made  are  modest, 
and  exceedingly  impressive:  "Think  on 
me  when  it  shall  be  well  with  thee,  and 
siiow  kindness,  I  pray  thee,  unto  me, 
and  make  mention  of  me  unto  Pharaoh, 
and  bring  me  out  of  this  house."  He 
miijht  have  asked  for  a  place  under  the 
chief  butler,  or  some  other  post  of  honor 
or  profit :  but  he  requests  only  to  be  de- 
livered from    "this   house."      He  "light 


Joseph's   advancemlnt.  839 

ht>\T  reminded    (he  I'utler  how   much  he  issue  of  the  above,  the  sacred  writer  informs 

owed  to  his  sytnpatlii'lic  and   kind    trnit-  us  ofthc  request  ol  tiie  I  akei.    Olscr\ing 

incnt  :   Imt  lie   lelt     lliese  tlunjis   to  speak  the  success  ol  his  com)  anion,  he  is  eniour- 

for  liienisclvcs,    using  no   otlicr  language  a<icd  to  tell   /us  dream  also  ;  luthcieisa 

than  that   of  luiniMe  entreaty:    "1    pray  sad   re\erse.     In  three  days    his  lite    will 

thee  show  kindness  unto  me  !"     In  [dead-  le   taken   Irom  him!      Whether  he  would 

ing    (he  exalted   situation    in  which     the  sutler  justly  or  unjustly  we  know  not ;  liut, 

chief  butler  was  about   to  be   reinstated,  as  his  death  was  so  near,  it  was  an  advan- 

iie  gently  intimates  the  obligations  which  tage  for  him  to  know  it:    and,  if  he  had 

people  in    prosperous    circumstances   are  been  properly  afi'ected,  he  had  now  an  op- 

undcr  to  think  of  the  poor  ami  the  afflicted;  portunity   oi   inquiring  at    the    hand    o(    a 

and  Christians  may  still  larlher  impro\e  the  servant  of    God    concerning   his    eternal 

principle,    not  to    le   unmindlnl   of    such  salvation. 

cases  in  their  approaches  to  the   King  of  Ver.  20 — 23.    The  third  day  after  these 

kings.     This  j)lea    may  also  direct  us   to  things,    being  Pharaoh's    birth-day,    both 

make  use  ol   His  natne  and  interest  who  these     prisoners     were     lirought      forth, 

is  exalted  at  the  rij;ht  hand  ol  the  Majesty  Whether    they    were  put  to  a  formal  trial, 

on  high.     It    was    on    this    principle    that  or  whether  their  fale  was  determined  by  the 

the    dying  thief   presented    his    petition:  mere  will  of  the  king,  we  are  not  inlorm- 

"  Lord,  remember  me,  when  thou  comest  ed  ;  but    the  chief  butler  was    reinstated 

into  thy  kingdom."     A  petition  which  the  in  his  office,  and  the  chief  baker  hanged, 

Lord  ol  glory  did  neither  refuse  nor  forget  :  according  to  the  word  of   the  Lord  by   his 

and    still  he  livelh  to    make  intercession  servant  Joseph. 

for  us.  W'e  should  now  have  expected  to  read  of 

Joseph,  in  order  trt  make  a  deeper  im-  the  chid  butler's  intercession  to  the  king  in 
pression  upon  the  butler's  mind,  tells  him  behalf  of  an  amial  le  and  injured  young 
a  few  of  the  outlines  o(  his  history  :  "  I  Hebrew,  whom  he  had  met  with  in  j)rison. 
was  stolen,"  says  he,  "  from  the  land  of  Bui  instead  of  (his  we  are  told,  "  Yet  did 
the  Hebrews."  Bu(  was  (his  a  ju.s<  ac-  not  the  cliiel  butler  remember  Joseph,  but 
count  1  Did  not  the  Ishmaelites  6ttv  him  1  forgat  him!"  Alas,  what  a  selfish  crea- 
They  did  ;  but  it  was  of  them  who  had  no  tureisman!  How  strangely  does  pros- 
right  to  sell  him,  and  therefore  it  was  in  perily  intoxicate  and  drown  the  mind, 
reality  stealing  him.  Such,  you  know,  How  common  is  it  for  people  in  high  life 
•would  be  the  purchase  of  a  child  by  a  kid-  to  forget  the  poor,  even  those  to  whom 
najiper  of  an  un[»rincipled  nurse  ;  and  such  they  have  been  under  the  greatest  ol  liga- 
is  the  purchase  of  slaves  to  this  day  on  tions  !  Well,  be  it  so;  Joseph's  God  did 
the  coast  of  Africa.  not  forget  him  :    and    we,   amidst    all    the 

The  account  was  not  only  just  but  gen-  neglects  of  creatures,   >nay   take   comfort 

emus.      In  making  use  of  the  term  s<o/en,  in  this,  Jesus  does  not  neglect  us.   Though 

without    any  mention   of   particulars,  he  exalted   far   above  all    principalities    and 

seems  to  have    intended   lo    throw   a   veil  powers,  he  is  not  elated  with  his  glory,  so 

over  the   cruelty  of    his   brethren,  whom  as  to  forget  his  poor  suffering  people  upon 

he  did  not  wish  to  reproach  to  a  stranger  ;  earth.     Only  let  us   be  concerned  not   to 

and  the  same  generous  spirit  is  discovered  forget  him.    He  who  needs  not  our  esteem, 

in  what  he  says  of  his  treatment  in  Egypt,  as  we  do  his,  hath  yet  in  love  condescend- 

We  have  seen  in  a  former  discourse   how  ed  lo  ask  us  to  do  thus  and  thus  inremem- 

this  great  and    good    man    refused   to   re-  brance  of  him .' 
proach  his   tempter,  confining    himself  to 

what  was  his  own  duty  ;  and  now,   when  

he  had  suffered  so  much  through  her  base 

and  false  treatment,    and    when  it    might  DISCOURSE  XLVIII. 

have   been    thought    necessary    to  expose 

her  in  order  to  justify  himself,  he  contents  Joseph's  advancement. 

himself  with  asserting  his  own  innocence  : 

"And  here  also  have  I  done  nothing  that  Gen.  xli. 

they  should  put    ine    into  the    dungeon." 

What  an  example  is  here  afforded    us   of  Ver.  1—14.     "  Hope  deferred  maketh 

temperateness  and  forbearance,  under  the  the  heart  sick."     It  is  not  the  intenseness 

foulest    and     most     injurious     treatment!  of  our    trials,  but   the  duration  ol   them. 

Such  was  Joseph's   request,  and  such    his  that  is  the  greatest  test  of  patience.    "Two 

pleas  to  enforce  it.     II  there  had  been  any  full  years  "  longer  must  Joseph  remain  in 

gratitude,  any  bowels  of  niercv,    or   any  prison.     How  long  he  was  at  the  house  of 

justice  in  the  butler's  heart,  surely  he  must  Potiphar,  before  he  was  sent  to  this  dis- 

have  thought  of  these  things.  mal  place,  I  do  not  recollect  that  we  are 

Ver.  16—19.     But,  before  telling  us  the  informed;  but  we  learn  that  it  was  thir- 


840 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS* 


teen  years  in  the  whole  :  for  when  he  came 
out  of  Canaan  he  was  but  seventeen,  and 
he  was  thirty  when  he  stood  before  Pha- 
raoh. God  seUlom  makes  haste  to  accom- 
plish his  designs.  His  movements,  like 
those  of  a  comet,  fetch  a  large  compass, 
but  all  comes  right  at  last.  The  time  is 
now  come  for  Joseph's  advancement,  and 
God  makes  way  for  it  by  causing  Pharaoh 
himself  to  dream.  Abraham  made  a  point 
of  not  laying  himself  under  obligation  to 
the  king  of  Sodom  ;  and,  (hough  Joseph 
in  the  grief  of  his  soul  would  gladly  have 
been  obliged  to  both  Pharaoh  and  the  but- 
ler for  his  deliverance,  yet  God  will  so  or- 
der it  that  he  shall  be  obliged  to  neither 
of  them.  Pharaoh  shall  send  for  him  : 
but  it  shall  be  (or  his  own  sake.  Though 
a  poor  friendless  young  man  himself,  yet 
he  is  a  servant  of  the  great  King,  and 
must  maintain  the  honor  of  his  Lord.  It 
might  be  for  this  (hat  God  sulTered  the 
butler  to  forget  him,  that  he  might  not 
take  from  a  thread  to  a  shoe-latchet  what 
was  theirs,  and  that  the  king  of  Egypt 
might  not  have  to  say,  I  have  made  Israel 
rich.  Abraham  and  his  posterity  were 
made  to  impart  blessedness  to  mankind 
rather  than  to  receive  it  from  (hem.  If  it 
be  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive, 
theirs  it  is  to  be  thus  blessed  and  thus 
honored.  Oh,  (he  depth  of  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  God  ;  not  only  in  giving, 
but  in  witiiholding  his  gifts  till  the  time 
when  they  shall  best  subserve  the  ends 
for  which  they  are  conferred  ! 

And  now,  that  the  set  time  to  Joseph  is 
come,  events  rise  in  quick  succession. 
Pharaoh's  mind  is  impressed  with  an  extra- 
ordinary dream — the  same  is  repeated  in  an- 
other form — each  appears  to  portend  some- 
thing of  importance — his  spirit  is  troub- 
led— he  sends  for  his  magicians  and  wise 
men,  but  their  wisdom  fails  them — all  are 
nonplused — what  is  to  be  done  1 — Just  now 
it  occurs  to  the  butler  that  this  had  once 
been  his  own  case. — Oh,  and  I  have  forgot- 
ten my  kind  and  Avorthy  friend  !  Stupid 
creature  !  That  is  the  man  for  the  king. — 
Obtaining  an  audience,  he  confesses  the 
whole  truth,  and  ingenuously  acknowledg- 
es his  faults. — Joseph  is  now  sent  for  in 
haste. — He  shaves  himself,  changes  his  rai- 
ment, and  obeys  the  summons.  Thus,  in 
a  few  hours,  he  is  delivered  from  the  dun- 
geon, and  introduced  to  the  court  of  what 
was  then  perhaps  the  first  nation  upon 
earth.  Were  we  unacquainted  with  the 
event,  with  what  anxious  solicitude  should 
we  follow  him  ;  and,  even  as  it  is,  we  can- 
not wholly  divest  ourselves  of  these  feel- 
ings. 

Ver.  15 — 24.  Being  introduced  to  the 
king,  he  is  told  for  what  cause  he  is  sent 
for.     "  I  have,"  said  Pharaoh,  "  dreamed 


a  dream,  and  (here  is  none  (hat  can  inlet^ 
pret  it  ;  and  I  have  heard  say  of  thee  that 
(hou  canst  understand  a  dream,  to  inter- 
pret it."  The  meaning  of  this  was,  that 
he  had  a  case  in  hand  which  baffled  all  the 
wise  men  of  Egypt,  but  that,  from  what  he 
had  heard  of  Josejih,he  supposed  he  might 
be  a  wiser  man,  or  more  deeply  skilled  in 
occult  science,  than  any  of  them.  Such  a 
compliment  from  a  king  would  have  been 
too  much  for  a  vain  mind:  if  he  had  af- 
fected (o  disclaim  superior  wisdom,  it 
would  have  been  done  in  a  manner  which 
betrayed  what  lurked  vvi(hin.  But  Joseph 
feared  God  ;  and  is  the  same  man  in  a  pal- 
ace as  in  a  prison.  "It  is  not  in  me,"  said 
he;  "  God  shall  give  Pharaoh  an  answer 
of  peace."  In  this  brief  answer  we  see  a 
spirit  of  genuine  humility,  disclaiming  all 
that  kind  of  wisdom  for  which  Pharaoh 
seemed  very  willing  (o  give  him  credit,  or 
indeed  any  other,  but  what  God  gave  him. 
We  see  also  a  disinterested  concern  to  glo- 
rify the  true  God,  in  the  face  of  the  migh- 
tiest votaries  of  idolatry,  who  had  power 
to  do  what  they  pleased  with  him.  It  is 
observable,  he  does  not  say  the  God  of 
Abraham,  Isaac,  or  Jacob,  or  (he  God  of 
(he  Hebrews.  Such  language  might  have 
been  understood  by  Pharaoh  and  his  cour- 
tiers as  setting  up  one  titular  deity  in  op- 
position (o  others,  the  God  of  his  country 
against  the  gods  of  Egypt:  but  he  simply 
says  God  ;  a  term  which  would  lead  their 
though(s  to  (he  One  great  Supreme,  before 
whom  all  idols  would  fall  to  (he  ground. 
Thus,  wi(h  great  wisdom,  modesty,  and 
firmness,  he  states  truth,  and  leaves  error 
to  fall  of  its  own  Jiccord.  In  assuring 
Pharaoh  that  God  would  give  him  an  an- 
swer of  -peace,  he  would  remove  all  fear 
from  his  mind  of  an  unlavorable  inter- 
pretation, which,  from  the  butler's  report, 
he  might  have  some  reason  to  apprehend  ; 
inasmuch  as  though  he  had  foretold  his 
restoration  to  office,  yet  he  had  prophet- 
ically hanged  the  chief  baker. 

Pharaoh's  mind  being  thus  relieved  and 
encouraged,  he  wi(hout  further  hesKation 
proceeds  to  tell  his  dreams  of  the  fat  and 
lean-fleshed  kine,  and  of  the  rank  and  with- 
ered ears  of  corn. 

Ver.  25 — 31.  The  answer  of  Joseph  is 
worthy  of  the  man  of  God.  You  perceive 
no  shuffling  to  gain  time,  no  juggling,  no 
peeping  and  muttering,  no  words  of  dark 
or  doubtful  meaning  :  all  is  clear  as  light, 
and  explicit  as  the  day. — The  dreams  are 
one  ;  and  they  were  sent  of  God  to  fore- 
warn the  king  of  what  he  would  shortly 
bring  to  pass.  The  seven  good  kine,  and 
the  seven  ears,  are  seven  years  of  plenty; 
and  the  seven  evil  kine,  and  thin  ears,  are 
seven  years  of  famine.  And  the  reason  of 
the  dream  being  doubled  is  to  express  its 


Joseph's;  advanceme.'^t. 


841 


•certainty,  and  the  near    approach    of  tlie 
events  sisiuificd  by  it. 

Ver.  32—36.  Having  made  tiie  mailer 
plain,  and  so  relieved  ihc  king's  mind,  lie 
does  not  conclude  wilhout  ollerini,'  a  word 
of  counsel ;  the  substance  of  wliicli  was 
to  provide,  from  ihe  surplus  o(  liie  seven 
good  years,  for  the  sufiply  of  the  seven 
succeeding  ones.  If  he  had  only  inler- 
prcled  Pharaoh's  dreams,  he  mighi  have 
gratified  his  curiosity,  but  that  had  been 
all.  Knowledge  is  of  but  little  use,  any 
farther  ihan  as  it  is  converted  into  prac- 
tice. 

With  respect  to  the  advice  itself,  it  car- 
vied  with  it  its  own  recommendation.  It 
was  no  more  than  what  common  prudence 
would  have  dictated  to  any  people.  If 
thev  had  doubled  Joseph's  interpretation 
of  the  dreams,  and  w  hether  any  sucli  years 
of  plenty  and  of  scarcity  would  follow, 
yet  they  could  not,  even  upon  this  suppo- 
sition, object  to  his  counsel  :  for  nothing 
was  to  be  expended,  nor  done,  but  upon 
the  actual  occurrence  of  the  plenteous 
jears  ;  which,  as  they  were  to  come  first, 
afforded  an  opportunity  of  which  wisdom 
would  have  availed  itself,  if  there  had 
been  no  dreams  in  the  case,  to  provide  for 
a  time  of  want.  Nor  is  there  any  reason, 
from  what  we  know  of  Joseph's  charac- 
ter, to  suspect  him  of  interested  designs, 
like  those  of  Haman,  who  wished  to  re- 
commend himself.  He  appears  to  have 
had  no  end  in  view  but  the  good  of  the 
country  where  God  had  caused  him  to  so- 
journ. 

Ver.  37,  38.  Happily  for  Egjpt,  Pha- 
raoh and  his  ministry  saw  the  propriety 
of  what  was  offered,  and  readily  came  in- 
to it.  It  is  a  sign  that  God  has  mercy  in 
store  for  that  people  w  hose  rulers  are  open 
to  receive  good  counsel,  and  know  how  to 
appreciate  the  worth  of  good  men.  As 
Joseph  had  recommended  a  wise  man  to 
be  employed  in  the  business,  Pharaoh 
without  farther  hesitation  appeals  to  his 
courtiers,  whether  any  man  in  Egypt  was 
so  fit  for  the  work  as  himself, — a  man  who 
had  not  only  proved  himself  wise  in  coun- 
sel, but  had  also  intercourse  with  God, 
and  was  inspired  of  him  to  reveal  the  se- 
crets of  futurity.  Such  language  proves 
that  Joseph's  mentioning  the  true  God  to 
Pharaoh  had  not  l>een  w  ithout  effect.  To 
this,  however,  the  courtiers  make  no  an- 
swer. If  they  felt  a  little  jealous  of  this 
young  foreigner,  it  were  not  to  be  won- 
dered at.  Such  were  the  feelings  of  the 
Babylonish  nobles  towards  Daniel.  It 
were  easier  to  see  the  goodness  of  the 
counsel  which  left  a  hope  to  each  man  of 
a  new  office,  than  to  see  that  Joseph  was 
the  only  man  in  the  land  that  could  exe- 
cute it.     They  knew  very  well  that  they 

VOL.  I,  106 


had  not,  like  him,  "  the  Spirit  of  God  ;" 
but  inight  think  themselves  capable,  never- 
theless, of  managing  this  business.  How- 
ever, they  silently  acquiesce;  and  Phara- 
oh proceeds  without  delay  to  carry  his 
purposes  into  effect. 

Ver.  39 — 45.  And  now  all  power,  ex- 
cept that  which  is  supreme,  is  put  into 
his  hands,  over  the  house  and  over  the 
nation  ;  and,  as  the  courtiers  had  prol)ably 
discovered  a  secret  reluctance,  Pharaoh 
repeats  his  determination  the  more  ear- 
nestly, that,  as  the  dream  had  been"  re- 
peated to  him,  the  thing  might  be  estab- 
lished, and  immediately  put  in  execution. 
To  words  were  added  signs,  which  tended 
to  fix  his  authority  in  the  minds  of  the 
people.  The  king  took  his  ring  from  his 
hand,  and  put  it  upon  the  hand  of  Joseph, 
clothed  him  in  fine  linen,  and  put  a  gold 
chain  about  his  neck.  Nor  was  this  all  : 
he  caused  him  to  ride  in  the  second  char- 
iot through  the  streets  of  the  city,  and 
that  it  should  be  proclaimed  before  him, 
"  Bow  the  knee,"  or  "  Tender  father." 
The  Chaldee  translates  it,  as  Ainsworth 
observes,  "  The  father  of  the  king,  mas- 
ter in  wisdom,  and  tender  in  years;" — as 
who  should  say,  Though  a  youth  in  age, 
yet  a  father  in  character.  In  addition  to 
this,  Pharaoh  uses  a  very  solemn  form  of 
speech,  such  as  that  which  is  prefixed  or 
affixed  to  many  of  the  divine  commands  : 
"I  am  Pharaoh  ;"  and  without  thee  shal{ 
no  man  lift  up  his  hand  or  loot  in  all  the 
land  of  Egypt ! — See  Lev.  xix.  Finally, 
to  crown  him  with  respect,  he  gave  him  a 
new  name,  the  meaning  of  which  was,  a 
revealer  of  secrets ;  and  the  daughter  of 
a  priest,  or  prince,  to  be  his  wife.  Pause 
a  moment,  my  brethren,  and  reflect  .... 
Who,  in  reading  the  preceding  sufferings 
and  present  advancement  of  Joseph,  can 
forbear  thinking  of  Him  who,  "  for  the 
suffering  of  death,  was  crowned  with  glo- 
ry and  honor — whom  God  hath  highly  ex- 
alted, giving  him  a  name  which  is  above 
every  name  ;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus 
every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  hea^ 
ven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under 
the  earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue  should 
confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father?"  Surely  it 
was  the  design  of  God,  by  these  sweet 
analogies,  to  lead  the  minds  of  believers 
imperceptibly  on,  that,  when  the  Messiah 
should  come,  they  might  see  him  in  per- 
fection, in  their  Josephs,  and  Joshuas, 
and  Davids,  as  well  as  in  their  sacrifices, 
their  cities  of  refuge,  and  their  juliilees. 

Ver.  46 — 49.  Joseph,  being  thirty  years 
old  when  he  stood  before  Pharaoh,  was 
just  suited  for  active  life.  At  such  a  pe- 
riod, however,  and  raised  from  such  a  sit- 
uation, many  would  have  been  lifted  up  Iq 


842 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


their  hurt :  but  He  who  enaV)led  him  to 
rejiel  temptation,  and  endure  affliction, 
enabled  him  also  to  hear  the  glory  thai 
was  conier.ed  upon  him  uilh  humility.  It  is 
observable  that,  on  iroing  out  from  the 
presence  of"  Pharaoli,  he  did  not  go  hither 
and  thither  to  show  his  greatness ;  iiul 
immediately  betook  himself  to  business. 
New  honors,  in  his  acount,  conferred  new 
obligations.  The  first  thing  necessary  for 
the  execution  of  his  trust  was  a  general 
survey  of  the  country  ;  which  having  tak- 
en, he  proceeded  to  execute  his  plan,  lay- 
ing u})  grain  during  the  seven  plentiful 
years  beyond  all  calculation. 

Ver.  50 — 52.  During  these  years  of 
plenty,  Joseph  had  two  sons  by  his  wife 
Aseiiath,  both  which  are  significantly 
named,  and  express  the  state  of  his  mind 
in  his  present  situation.  The  first  he 
called  Manosseh,  that  \s,  forgetting ;  "for 
God,"  said  he,  "  hath  made  me  to  forget 
all  my  toil,  and  all  my  father's  house." 
A  change  from  the  extremes  of  either  joy 
to  sorrow  or  sorrow  to  joy  is  expressed  hy 
the  term  fur  get  fulness  :  and  a  very  ex- 
pressive tern)  it  is.  "  Thou  hast  removed 
my  soul  far  off  from  peace  :  1  forgot  pros- 
perity.— A  woman  when  she  is  in  travail 
hath  sorrow,  because  her  h.Tiir  is  come  : 
but,  as  soon  as  she  is  delivered,  she  re- 
membereth  mi  more  the  anguish,  for  joy 
that  a  man  is  born  into  the  world."  But 
what,  had  Joseph  forgotten  his  father's 
house  1  Yes,  so  far  as  it  had  been  an 
affliction  to  him  ;  that  is,  he  had  forgotten 
the  cruel  treatment  of  his  brethren,  so  as 
no  longer  to  lay  it  to  heart.  His  second 
son  he  called  Ephraim,  that  is,  made 
fruitful;  "for  God,"  said  he,  "hath 
caused  me  to  be  fruitful  in  the  land  of  n)y 
affliction!"  In  both  he  eyes  the  hand  of 
God  in  doing  every  thing  for  him,  and 
gives  the  glory  to  him  only. 

Ver.  53 — 57.  But  now  the  day  of  pros- 
perity to  Egypt  is  at  an  end,  and  the  day 
of  adversity  cometh  :  "  God  hath  set  the 
one  over  against  the  other,"  to  sweep 
away  its  fulness,  that  man  should  find 
nothing  after  him.  And  now  the  people, 
being  famished  for  want  of  bread,  resort- 
ed to  Pharaoh.  Had  not  Pharaoh  been 
warned  of  this  evil  beforehand,  he  might 
have  replied  as  Jehoram  did  to  her  that 
cried,  "  Help,  my  lord,  O  king. — If  the 
Lord  do  not  help  thee,  whence  shall  I 
help  thee  !  Out  of  the  barn-floor,  or  out 
of  the  wine-press  1"  But  provision  was 
made  for  this  time  of  need  ;  and  the  peo- 
ple are  all  directed  to  "  go  to  Joseph." 
And  here,  I  may  say  again,  who  can  for- 
bear thinking  of  Him  in  whom  it  hath 
pleased  the  Father  that  all  fulness  should 
dwell,  and  to  whom  those  who  are  ready 
to  perish  are  directed  for  relief! 


This  sore  famine  was  not  confined  to 
Egypt,  but  extended  to  the  surrounding 
countries  :  and  it  was  wisely  ordered  that 
it  should  be  so;  since  the  great  end  for 
which  God  is  represented  as  calling  for  it 
(Ps.  cv.  16)  was  to  bring  Jacob's  sons, 
and  eventually  his  whole  family,  into 
Egypt;  which  end  would  not  otherwise 
have  been  answered. 

Joseph  is  now  filling  up  his  generation 
work  in  useful  and  important  labors  ;  and, 
like  a  true  son  of  Abraham,  he  is  blessed 
and  made  a  blessing.  Yet  it  was  in  the 
midst  of  this  career  of  activity  that  his 
father  Jacob  said,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "  Jo- 
seph is  not  !  "  What  a  large  portion  of 
our  troubles  woidd  subside^  if  we  knew 
but  the  whole  truth  ! 


DISCOURSE    XLIX. 

THE      FIRST      INTERVIEW     BETWEEN     JO- 
SEPH   AWD    HIS     BRETHREN. 

Gen.  xiii. 

Things  now  approach  fast  to  a  crisis. 
We  hear  but  little  more  of  the  famine, 
but  as  it  relates  to  Jacobs  family,  on 
whose  account  it  was  sent.  It  is  remark- 
able that  all  the  three  patriarchs,  Ai)ra- 
ham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  experienced  a 
famine  while  sojourning  in  the  land  of 
promise  ;  a  circumstance  sutTicient  to  try 
their  faith.  Had  Ihey  been  of  the  dispo- 
sition ol  the  spies  in  the  times  of  Moses, 
they  would  have  conclu  led  it  to  be  a  land 
which  ate  up  the  inhabitants,  and  there- 
fore not  worth  accepting;  but  they  be- 
lieved God,  and  thought  well  of  whatever 
he  did. 

Ver.  1,  "2.  Jacob  and  his  family  have 
well  nigh  exhausted  their  provision,  and 
have  no  |)rospect  of  recruiting  it.  They 
had  money,  but  corn  was  not  to  be  had 
for  mnney  in  their  own  country.  They 
could  di  notliinj;,  therefore,  but  look  one 
at  another  in  sad  despair.  But  Jacob, 
hearing  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt, 
rouses  them  from  their  torpor.  His  words 
resemble  t  lose  of  the  four  lepers  :  "  Why 
sit  we  here  until  we  die]  "  It  is  a  dictate 
of  nature  not  to  despair  while  there  is  a 
door  of  hope;  and  the  principle  will  hold 
good  in  things  of  everlasting  moment. 
Why  sit  we  here,  poring  over  our  guilt 
and  misery,  when  we  have  heard  that 
with  the  Lord  there  is  mercy,  and  with 
him  there  is  plenteous  redemption  1  How 
long  shall  we  take  counsel  in  our  soul, 
having  sorrow  in  our  hearts  daily"?  Let 
us  trust  in  his  mercy,  and  our  hearts  shall 
rejoice  in  his  salvation. 


Joseph's   first   interview  with   his   brethren.  843 

Ver.  3,  4.  Tlic  ten  brethren  iminerli-  quired  to  attend  his  movements,  a  niim- 
alely  betake  themselves  to  their  journey,  ber  of  the  Eizyplians  ifoinj^  with  him. 
Tliey  are  calieil  "Jo-seph's  lirethren,"  But  it  was  doubtless  ordered  of  God  that 
and  not  Jacob's  sons,  because  Joseph  is  he  should  not  eo,  but  that  his  brethren 
at  present  the  principal  character  in  the  should  come  to  him;  for  on  tiiis  depended 
story.  B.it,  when  Benjamin  is  called  "  his  the  whole  issue  of  the  affair.  And  now 
brother,"  there  is  more  meant  than  in  the  comes  on  the  delicate  part  of  the  story  : 
other  case.  It  would  seem  to  be  assi^rned  "Joseph  saw  his  brethren,  and  knew 
as  the  reason  why  Jacob  is  unwillin;;  to  them."  What  must  have  been  his  feel- 
part  with  him,  that  he  was  the  only  sur-  ings!  The  remembrance  of  tlie  manner 
vivin<^  child  of  Rachel,  ami  brother  ofhim  in  which  lie  ])arted  from  them  two-and- 
thal  was  not  !  As  mischief  had  befallen  twenty  years  atro,  the  events  which  had 
him,  he  was  afraid  the  same  should  befal  since  befallen  him,  their  prostration  he- 
his  brother,  and  therefore  wished  the  younsr  fore  him,  and  the  absence  of  Benjamin, 
men  to  jro  without  him.  Jacob  does  not  from  which  he  miirht  be  apprehensive  that 
say.  "  Lest  you  should  do  him  mischief,  they  had  also  made  away  with  him — alto- 
as  I  fear  you  did  his  brother  :  "  but  I  sus-  '^retiior,  must  have  been  a  treat  shock  to 
pect  there  was  somelhinii  of  this  at  the  his  sensibility.  Let  him  beware,  or  his 
bottom,  which,  when  afterwards  uri^ed  hy  countenance  will  betray  him.  He  feels 
a  kind  of  necessity  to  part  with  Benjamin,  the  Hansrer  of  this,  and  therefore  immedi- 

c-ame  out  :  "  Me  ye  have  bereaved atelv  puts  on  a  stern  look,  sjieaks  roughly 

Joseph  is  not  I" — "Ver.  33.  At  first  he  to  them,  and  affects  to  take  them  for  spies, 
appears  to  have  thoui^ht  that  some  evil  By  this  innocent  piece  of  artifice,  he  could 
beast  had  devoured  iiim  ;  but,  upon  mire  interrogate  them,  and  get  out  of  them  all 
mature  observation  and  reflection,  he  tlie  particulars  that  he  wished,  without 
might  see  reason  to  suspect,  at  least,  betraying  himself,  which  he  could  not 
whether  it  was  not  by  some  foul  dealing  have  done  by  any  other  means.  The  man- 
on  their  part  that  he  had  come  to  his  end.  ner  in  which  he  asked  them,  "  Whence 
As  nothinir,  however,  could  be  proved,  he  come  ye  1"  would  convey  to  them  an  idea 
at  present  kept  his  suspicions  to  himself;  of  suspicion  as  to  their  designs.  It  was 
and  the  matter  passed,  as  it  had  done  from  like  saying.  Who  and  what  are  you  1  I 
the  first,  that  mischief  in  son)e  unknown  do  not  like  your  looks.  Their  answer  is 
way  had  befallen  him.  humble   and   proper,    stating    the    simple 

Ver   5.     Nothing  is  said   of  their  jour-  truth  ....  they  came  from   Canaan,   and 

ney,  exce|)t  that  a   number  of  their  coun-  had  no  other  design  in   view   than   to   buy 

trymen  went  with  them   on  the  same  er-  food. 

rand  ;  for  the  famine   was  in   the   land  of  Ver.  8.     "  Joseph  knew  his  brethren," 

Canaan.     Such    a    number    of   applicants  and  lelt  for  them,   notwithstanding  his  ap- 

mii^ht  possibly  excite  fears  in  their  minds  parent    severity;   "but  they     knew     not 

lest  there  should  not  be  enough   for  them  liim  I  "      It    was    wisely   ordered    that    it 

all.     Such  fears,  however,  if  they  existed  should  be  so,  and  is  easily  accounted   for. 

in  this  case,  were  unnecessary  ;  and  must  When  they  last  saw  each  other,  they  were 

always    be    unnecessary,    where    there  is  grown  to  man's  estate,  but  he  was  a  lad  ; 

enough  and  to  spare.  they    were    probably    in    much    the    same 

Ver.  6.     Now,    Joseph  being  governor  dress,  but  he  was   clothed   in  vestures  of 

of  the  land,  they  find  him  on  their  arrival  fine    linen,  with  a  golden   chain  about   his 

fully  employed  in  ser\inirthe   Egy|itians.  neck;  and  they  had  only  one  face  tojudge 

He  had  assistants  ;  but  his  eye  pervaded  by,  whereas  he  had  ten,  the  knowledge  of 

everything.      As  soon   as   they  could  get  anv  one  of  which  would  lead  to  the  knowl- 

access  to  the  grivernor,  they,  according  to  edge  <  f  all.      Now  Joseph   sees,   without 

the  eastern  custom,  bow  themselves  before  being  seen  ;    and   now   he  remembeis   his 

him,  wiih  their  faces  to  the  earth.  dreams  of  the  sheaves,  and  of  the  stars. 

Ver.  7.     We  may   wonder  that  Joseph  Ver.   9 — 14.       Determined   to  continue 

rould  live  all  this  time  in  Egypt,  without  at  jtresent   unknown,   and  yet   wishing  to 

going  to  sec    his   father  or    his  brethren,  know   more    ot   them,    and  of  matters    in 

We    might  indeed   alle!:e   that   while  with  Canaan,  Joseph  slill  speaks   under  an   as- 

Potiphar  he  had  prohaiiiy   neither  oppor-  sumed  character,  and  affects  to  be  dissat- 

tunity  nor  inclination  ;  when   in  prison  he  isfied  with  their  answer.   "Ye  are  spies," 

was  not  allowed   to  go  beyond  its   walls;  sailh    he,  "to  see    the    nakedness   of  the 

and,   when  advanced   under  Pharaoli,  his  land  are  ye  come.     "  They  modestly  ;nd 

hands  were  so  fully  employed  that  he  could  respectfully  disown  ihs  charge,  and  repeat 

not  be  spared.     We    know  that   when   his  the  true  and  only  object  of  their  ccming; 

father  was  to  come  down  to  him  he  could  adding,     what    is     very     much  in    point, 

only  send  for  him  ;  and,  when  h&  went  to  "  We  are  all  one  man's  sons."      This  was 

bury  him,  there  was  great  formality  re-  saying.  Ours  is  not  a  political,  but  a  do- 


844 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


mestic  errand  :  we  are  not  sent  hither  by 
a  king,  but  by  a  father,  and  merely  to  sup- 
ply the  wants  of  the  fannly.  Still  he  af- 
fects to  disbelieve  them  ;  for  he  does  not 
know  enough  yet.  He  therefore  repeats 
his  suspicions,  in  order  to  provoke  them 
to  be  more  particular  :  as  if  he  should 
say,  I  will  know  all  about  you  before  I  sell 
you  corn,  or  send  you  away.  This  had 
the  desired  effect.  "  Thy  servants,"  say 
they,  "are  [or  were]  twelve  brethren,  the 
sons  of  one  man  in  the  land  of  Canaan  ; 
and,  behold,  the  youngest  is  this  day  with 
our  father,  and  one  is  not."  This  is  deep- 
ly interesting,  and  exquisitely  affecting  to 
Joseph.  By  this  he  learns  that  his  father 
was  yet  alive,  and  his  brother  too.  O 
these  are  joyful  tidings!  I'his  was  the 
drift  of  his  questions,  as  they  afterwards 
tell  their  father  Jacob  :  "  The  man  asked 
us  straitly  of  our  state,  and  of  our  kin- 
dred, saying.  Is  your  father  yet  alive! 
Have  ye  another  brother  1  And  we  told 
him  according  to  the  tenor  of  these  words." 
— Ch.  xliii.  7.  But  what  must  have  been 
his  sensations  at  the  mention  of  the  last 
words,  "  One  is  not  !"....  Well,  he 
conceals  his  feelings,  and  affects  to  turn 
their  account  of  matters  against  them. 
They  had  not  told  all  the  truth  at  first.  It 
seems  at  first  there  were  only  ten  of  them, 
and  now  there  were  eleven  :  "That  is  it 
that  I  spake  unto  you,  saying,  Ye  are 
spies." 

Ver.  15,  16.  He  now  proposes  to  prove 
them.  "  By  the  life  of  Pharaoh,"  saith 
he,  "you  shall  not  go  hence,  except  your 
youngest  brother  come  hither.  Send  one 
of  you  and  letch  him,  that  your  words 
may  be  proved,  whether  there  be  any 
truth  in  you;  or  else,  hy  the  life  of  Pha- 
raoh, surely  ye  are  spies."  Some  suppose 
that  Joseph  had  learned  the  manner  of 
the  Egyptians  by  living  among  ihem,  or 
that  he  would  not  thus  have  sworn  by  the 
life  of  Pharaoh  ;  but  I  see  no  ground  for 
any  such  thing.  We  might  as  well  say 
that  he  had  learned  to  speak  untruth,  be- 
cause he  really  had  no  such  suspicions  as 
he  feigned  ;  or,  that  he  had  learned  magic, 
seeing  he  afterwards  talked  of  "divining;" 
or,  that  our  Saviour  had  learned  the  proud 
and  haughty  spirit  of  the  Jews,  who  treat- 
ed the  Gentiles  as  dogs,  because,  for  the 
sake  of  trying  the  woman  of  Canaan,  he 
made  use  of  that  kind  of  language.  The 
truth  is,  Joseph  acted  under  an  assumed 
character.  He  wished  to  be  taken  for  an 
Egyptian  nobleman,  with  whom  it  was  as 
common  to  swear  by  the  life  of  Pharaoh 
as  it  was  afterwards  for  a  Roman  to  swear 
by  the  fortune  of  Caesar. 

But  wherefore  does  Joseph  thus  keep 
up  the  deception"!  and  why  propose  such 
jtuethods  of  proving  his  brethren!     I  sup- 


pose at  present  his  wish  is  to  detain  them. 
Yes,  they  must  not  leave  Egypt  thus  ■:■ 
had  they  done  this,  he  might  have  seen 
them  no  more  :  yet  he  had  no  other  cause 
to  assign  than  this,  without  betraying  the 
truth,  which  it  was  not  a  fit  time  to  do  at 
present. 

Ver.  17,  18.  Take  these  men  up,  said 
Joseph  to  his  officers,  and  put  them  into 
a  place  of  safe  custody  :  it  is  not  proper 
they  should  be  at  large.  Here  they  lie 
three  days  ;  a  period  which  afforded  him 
time  to  think  what  to  do,  and  them  to  re- 
flect on  what  they  had  done.  On  the  third 
day  he  paid  them  a  visit,  and  that  in  a 
temper  of  more  apparent  mildness.  He 
assures  them  that  he  has  no  designs  upon, 
their  life,  nor  any  wish  to  hurt  their  fam- 
ily ;  and  ventures  to  give  a  reason  for  it 
which  must  to  them  appear  no  less  sur- 
prising than  satisfying:  "I  fear  God." 
What,  an  Egyptian  nobleman  "know  and 
fear  the  true  God!  If  so,  they  have  no- 
injustice  to  fear  at  his  hands  ;  nor  can  he 
withhold  food  from  a  starving  family.  The 
fear  of  God  will  ever  be  connected  with 
justice  and  humanity  to  man.  But  how 
mysterious  an  affair  !  If  he  be  a  good 
man,  how  is  it  that  he  should  treat  us  so 
roughly  !  How  is  it  that  God  should  suf- 
fer him  so  to  mistake  our  designs  !  Se- 
verity from  the  hand  of  goodness  is  douWy 
severe.  Their  hearts  must  surely  by  this 
time  have  been  lull.  Such  were  the  meth- 
ods which  this  wise  man  made  use  of  to 
agitate  their  minds,  and  to  touch  every 
spring  of  sensibility  within  them  ;  and 
such  were  the  means  ivhich  God  by  him 
made  use  of  to  bring  them  to  repentance. 
This  indeed  is  his  ordinary  method  of  deal- 
ing with  sinners  :  now  their  fears  are 
awakened  by  threatenings,  or  adverse 
providences,  in  which  death  sometimes 
stares  them  in  the  face  :  and  now  a  little 
gleam  of  hope  arises,  just  sufficient  to 
keep  the  mind  from  sinking ;  yet  all  is 
covered  with  doubt  and  mystery.  It  is 
thus,  as  by  alternate  frost  and  rain  and 
sunshine  upon  the  earth,  that  he  humbleth 
the  mind,  and  maketh  soft  the  heart  of 
man. 

Ver.  19 — 24.  Joseph,  still  under  a  dis- 
guise, though  he  consents  that  nine  out  of 
the  ten  should  go  home  with  provision  for 
the  relief  of  the  family,  yet,  that  he  may 
have  some  pledge  for  iheir  return,  insists 
on  one  being  detained  as  a  hostage  till 
they  should  prove  themselves  true  men,  by 
bringing  their  younger  brother;  and  his 
will  at  present  must  be  their  law.  Having 
thus  determined  their  cause,  he  withdraws 
from  their  immediate  company  to  a  little 
distance,  where  perhaps  he  might  stand 
conversing  with  some  other  persons,  but 
still  within  hearing  of  what  passed  among 


JOSEPHS     FIRST    INTKKVIEW    WITH    HIS    BRETHREN.  845 

(hem.    As  he  hnd  nil  along  spoken  to  tlu'in  Joseph.     Perhaps   he   was   the   man    who 

by  on  interpreter,  lliey   had  no  suspicion  tore    ofl"    his    coat    ol     many    colors,    and 

that  he  lintlerstood  Hehrew,  and  therclore  threw   him   into  the  pit.     If  so,  it  would 

began  talking  to  one  another  in  that   Ian  lend  tohumlile  him,  and  hciuhien  all  their 

guage   will)    the  greatest  freedom,  and,  as  lears,  as  leholding  in  it  the  ri;:hteous  judg- 

they  thought,  without  danger  of  heing  un-  nient  of  God. 

derstood.  1  heir  lull  hearts  now  hegan  to  Ver.  25 — "28.  This  done,  their  sacks 
utter  themselves.  Perhaps  their  being  are  ordered  to  be  filled  and  their  money 
obliged  to  speak  of  Joseph  as  "not"  restored;  not  by  givingii  into  their  hands 
might  serve  to  I'ring  him  to  their  remem-  however,  but  by  puttimrit  into  the  mouths 
brance.  Whatever  it  was,  the  same  of  their  sacks.  But  w  liy  all  this  mysteri- 
ihoughts  had  heen  in  all  their  minds,  ous  contiuct  ]  was  it  love !  It  was  at  the 
which  probably  they  could  read  in  each  bottom;  but  love  operatimi  at  present  in 
other's  looks.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  one  a  way  tending  to  perplex,  confound  and 
of  them  broke  silence,  the  rest  immediate-  dismay  them.  It  could  not  ajjpear  to  them 
ly  joined  in  ascribing  all  this  evil  which  in  any  other  light  than  as  either  an  over- 
had  befallen  them  to  this  cause.  "  They  sight,  or  a  design  to  ensnare  and  find  occa- 
said  one  to  another.  We  are  verily  guilty  sion  against  them.  It  was  certain  to  fill 
concerning  our  brother,  in  that  we  saw  their  minds  with  consternation  and  fear  • 
the  anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  hesought  and  such  appears  to  have  been  the  inten- 
us,  and  we  would  not  hear;  therefore  is  tion  of  Joseph  from  the  first.  It  accords 
tbis  distress  come  upon  us!"  God,  in  with  the  wisdom  of  God,  m  hen  lie  means 
dealing  with  sinners,  usually  adapts  the  to  bring  a  sinner  to  aright  mind,  to  lead 
punishment  to  the  sin,  so  as  to  cause  him  into  dark  and  intricate  situations  of 
them  to  read  the  one  in  the  other.  Hence  which  he  shall  be  utterly  unable  to  per- 
adverse  providences  call  our  sin  to  re-  ceive  the  design;  to  awaken  ly  turns  his 
membrance  ;  our  own  wickedness  corrects  fears  and  his  hopes  ;  bring  his  sin  to  re- 
us, and  our  backslidings  reprove  us.  They  membrance;  and  cause  liim  to  (eel  his 
would  not  hear  Joseph  in  his  distress,  and  littleness,  his  danger,  and  his  utter  insuffi- 
now  they  could  not  be  heard  :  they  had  ciency  to  deliver  his  soul  :  and  such  in 
thrown  him  into  a  |)it,  and  are  themselves  measure,  appears  to  have  been  the  desisin 
now  thrown  into  prison!  These  convic-  of  Joseph,  according  to  the  wisdom  th^\t 
tions  are  heightened  by  the  reproaches  of  was  imparted  to  him  on  this  singular  oc- 
Reuben,  who  gives  them  to  expect  blood  casion.  If  his  brethren  had  known  all 
for  blood.  Reuben  was  that,  methinks,  to  they  would  not  have  felt  as  they  did  :  but 
his  brethren  which  conscience  is  to  a  sin-  neither  would  they  have  been  hrought  to 
ner  ;  remonstrating  at  the  outset,  and, when  so  right  a  state  of  mind,  nor  have  been 
judgment  overtakes  him,  reproaching  hitn,  prepared,  as  they  were,  for  that  which 
and  foreboding  the  worst  of  consequences,  followed.  And  if  we  knew  all,  with  re- 
His  words  are  sharp  as  a  two  edged  sped  to  the  mysterious  dispensations  of 
sword  "  Spake  I  not  unto  you,  saying,  Do  God,  we  should  have  less  pain  ;  hut  then 
not  sin  against  the  child  ;  and  ye  would  not  we  should  be  less  humbled,  and  less 
hear  ^  Therefore  behold,  also,  his  blood  fitted  to  receive  the  mercy  which  is  pre- 
is    required  !  "      But,  that   which   is   still  pared  for  us. 

more  affecting,  Joseph  hears  all,  and  un-  It  is  rcmarkalile  how  this  circumstance 
derstands  it,  and  this  without  their  sus-  operates  on  their  minds.  They  construe 
peeling  it.  Such  words  however  were  too  it  to  mean  something  against  them  ;  but  in 
much  for  the  heart  of  man,  at  least  such  what  way  they  know  not.  They  do' not  re- 
a  man  as  he  was,  to  bear  :  it  is  no  wonder,  proach  the  man,  the  lord  of'  the  land 
therefore,  that  he  "  turned  himself  about  though  it  is  likely  from  his  treatment  of 
from  them  and  wept !  "  But,  having  re-  them  that  they  would  suspect  some  ill  de- 
covered  himself",  he  returned  to  them,  and  sign  against  them  :  but,  overlookin<r second 
with  an  austere  countenance  took  Simeon,  causes,  they  ask,  "  What  is  this  that  God 
and  bound  him  before  their  eyes.  This  hath  done  to  us  V  To  his  righteous  judg- 
must  be  cutting  work  on  both  sides.  On  ment  they  attributed  what  they  had  a1- 
the  part  of  Joseph,  it  must  he  a  great  ready  met  with,  ver.  21,22;  and  now  it 
force  put  upon  his  feelings.;  and,  on  theirs,  seems  to  them  that  he  is  still  pursuing 
it  would  seem  a  jirelude  to  greater  evils,  them  in  a  mysterious  way,  and  with  a  de- 
There  might  be  a  fitness  in  taking  Simeon  sign  to  require  their  brother's  blood  at 
rather  than  any  other.  He  had  proved  their  hand.  Such  a  construction,  though 
himself  a  ferocious  character  by  his  con-  painful  for  the  present,  was  the  most  useful 
duct  towards  the  Shechemites  ;  and  there-  to  them  of  any  that  could  have  been  put 
fore  it  is  not  unlikely  he  was  one  of  the  upon  it. 
foremost  in  the  cruelty  practised  towards       Ver.  29— 35.     Arriving  at  their  father's 


846 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


house,  (hey  lell  him  of  all  that  hv.d  1  efal- 
leii  them  in  Egypt,  that  they  may  account 
lor  their  coming  home  wiiliout  Simeon, 
and  their  leing  required  \\hcii  they  went 
again  to  take  Benjamin  with  them.  But 
tlie  mysterious  circumstance  of  the  money 
being  found  by  the  way  in  their  sacks  they 
appear  to  have  concealed.  Mention  is 
made  ot  only  one  of  the  sacks  being  open- 
ed;  yet,  by  what  they  afterwards  said  to 
the  steward,  ch.  xliii.  21,  it  appears  that 
tiiey  opened  them  all,  and  found  every 
man's  money  in  his  sack's  mouth.  But 
they  might  think  their  lather  would  have 
blamed  liiem  for  not  leturning  with  it 
when  they  were  only  a  day's  journey  from 
Egypt,  and  therefore  agreed  to  say  nothing 
to  iiim  ai)oul  it,  but  leave  him  to  find  it 
out.  Hence  it  is  that  they  are  repre- 
sented, on  opening  their  sacks,  as  discover- 
ing the  money  in  a  manner  as  it  they  knew 
nothing  of  it  before;  not  only  participating 
with  liieir  father  in  las  apprehensions, 
but  seeming  also  to  join  A\ilhhim  in  his 
surprise. 

Ver.  36 — 3S.  If  the  discovery  of  the  mon- 
ey affected  Jacob,  much  more  ihe  require- 
ment of  his  darling  son.  This  touclies 
him  to  the  quick.  He  cannot  hei|)  think- 
ing of  the  end  that  Joseph  had  come  to. 
The  reasons  he  htd  to  suspect  some  foul 
dealing,  in  that  affair,  had  proliai  ly  made 
him  resolve  longagothat  Benjamin  should 
never  be  trusted  in  their  hands  !  Yet 
things  are  now  so  circumstanced  that  he 
must  go  with  them.  It  was  a  distressing 
case.  Jacob  speaks,  as  well  he  might,  in 
great  anguish  ;  having  in  a  manner  lost 
all  his  earthly  hopes,  save  one  ;  and  of 
that  he  is  now  in  danger  of  being  deprived. 
His  words  have  too  much  [)eevish  sorrow 
al)out  them  :  they  certainly  reflect  upon 
his  sons  ;  and  the  last  sentence  would  al- 
most seem  to  contain  a  reflection  i  pon 
providence.  The  words  "  all  these  things 
are  against  me  "  must  have  some  refer- 
ence to  the  promise,  "  I  will  surely  do 
thee  good  ;"  and,  if  so,  they  were  like 
saying.  Is  this  the  way  1  Surely  not! — 
Yet  so  it  was.  The  conduct  of  God  to- 
wards Jacob  is  covered  with  as  great  a 
mystery  as  that  of  Joseph  towards  his 
brethren;  but  all  will  be  right  at  last. 
Much  present  trouble  arises  from  our  not 
knowing  the  whole  truth. 

In  mentioning  the  name  of  Joseph, 
Jacob  had  touched  a  tender  place ;  an  old 
wound,  which  providence  too  had  been 
lately  probing.  On  this  occasion,  all  that 
were  guilty,  you  will  perceive,  are  silent. 
Reuben  is  the  only  one  that  speaks,  and 
he  dares  not  touch  that  subject;  but  with 
strong  and  passionate  language  seems  to 
aim  to  divert  his  mind  from  it,  and  to   fix 


it  upon  Benjamin  only:  "Slay  my  two 
sons,  if  I  bring  him  not  to  thee."  This 
language  so  f^r  answers  the  end  as  that 
no  more  is  said  of  their  having  "bereav- 
ed "  him  of  Josejih  :  but  he  still  dwells 
upon  his  leing  "dead,''  nor  can  he  at 
present  be  persuaded  to  j  art  with  his 
i;rother.  "  It  mischief,"  saith  he,  "  befal 
him  in  ihe  way  in  which  ye  go,  then  shall 
ye  I  ring  down  my  grey  hairs  with  sorrow 
to  the  grave." 


DISCOURSE    L. 

THE    SECOXD      INTERVIEW    BETWEEN    JO- 
SEPH   AND    HIS    BRETHREN. 

Gen.  xliii. 

Ver.  1,2.  The  relief  obtained  by  the 
fiist  journey  to  Egypt  is  soon  exhausted  : 
for  "the  famine  was  sore  in  the  land,'" 
and  therefore  nothing  of  its  native  pro- 
ductions could  le  added  to  the  other 
to  make  it  last  the  longer.  "  Go,"  said 
Jacob  to  his  sens,  "  and  buy  us  a  little 
food."  Avarice  and  distrust  woi  Id  have 
wished  for  much,  and  have  been  for  hoard- 
ing it  in  such  a  time  as  this  :  1  ut  Jacob  is 
confcnled  with  a  little,  desirous  that  others 
should  have  a  part  as  well  as  himself;  and, 
with  respect  to  futurity,  he  puts  his  trust 
in  God. 

Ver.  3 — 5.  But  here  the  former  difficul- 
ty recurs  :  they  cannot,  must  not,  will 
not,  go  without  their  younger  lirofher. 
This  is  trying.  Nature  struggles  with  na- 
ture ;  the  affection  of  the  father  with 
the  calls  of  hunger  :  but  the  former  must 
yield.  Jacob  does  not  appear,  however, 
at  present,  to  be  entirely  willing  :  where- 
fore Judah,  considering  it  as  a  fit  oppor- 
tunity, urges  the  matter,  alleging  the  pe- 
remptory language  of  the  man,  the  lord  of 
the  land,  on  the  subject. 

Ver.  6,  7.  This  brings  forth  one  more 
feeble  oljection,  or  rather  complaint,  and 
which  must  be  the  last  :  "  Wherefore  dealt 
ye  so  ill  with  me  as  to  tell  the  man  wheth- 
er ye  had  a  brother'?"  To  which  ihey 
very  propeily  answer  that  they  could  not 
do  otherwise,  being  so  strictly  examined; 
nor  was  it  possible  for  them  to  know  the 
use  that  would  be  made  of  it. 

Ver.  8 — 10.  While  matters  were  thus 
hanging  in  suspense,  Judah  very  season- 
al ly  and  kindly  attempts  to  smooth  the 
difficulty  to  his  father,  by  offering  in  the 
most  solenm  manner  to  be  surety  for  the 
lad,  and  to  bear  the  blame  forever  if  he 
did  not  bring  him  back  and  set  him  before 
him.     In  addition  to  this,  he  alleges  that 


THE  SECOND  JOURNEY  INTO  EGYPT. 


847 


fVie  life  of  the  whole  family  depenlvl  upon 
his  fatiicr's  acquiescence,  ami  tlial  ihey 
had  been  ton  loii^  detaineil  already. 

Ver.  11 — 14.  Anil  now  Jacob  jnust 
yield — must  yield  up  his  beloved  B^nja- 
mi  1,  tliauijh  n  )l  wiilnul  a  inixluru  of 
painful  rcluctanL-e  :  hut  imperious  necessity 
demands  it.  He  who  a  lew  weeks  bcf.ire 
had  said,  "  My  son  shall  not  go  down  with 
you,"  is  now  upon  the  whole  constrained 
to  part  with  him.  Thus  have  we  often 
seen  the  tender  relative,  who  in  the  first 
stages  of  affliction  thought  it  impossible 
to  sustain  the  loss  of  a  beloved  object, 
gradually  reconciled,  and  at  length  wit- 
nessinj:  the  pangs  of  wasting  disease,  al- 
most desirous  of  the  removal.  Thus  it  is 
that  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  are 
seen  in  our  bereavements  :  the  burden 
which  at  first  threatens  to  crush  us  into 
the  grave,  being  let  down  griylually  upon 
our  shoulders,  becomes  not  only  tolerai)le, 
but  almost  desirable. 

But  mark  the  manner  in  which  the  pa- 
triarch acquiesces  :  his  is  not  the  sullen 
consent  of  one  who  yields  to  fate,  but  in 
his  heart  rebels  against  God.  No,  he 
yields  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a  man  of 
God  ;  proposing  first  that  every  possible 
means  should  be  used  to  conciliate  the 
man,  the  lord  of  the  land,  and  then  com- 
mitting the  issue  of  the  whole  to  God. 
J  st  thus  he  had  acted  when  his  brother 
Eiau  was  coming  against  him  with  four 
h  mdred  men. — Chapter  xxxii.  6 — 12. 
"Take  of  the  best  fruits  of  the  land  in 
your  vessels,  and  carry  d.)wn  the  man  a 
present— take  double  money  in  your  hands, 
and  the  money  that  was  brought  again  in 
the  mouth  of  your  sucks — take  also  your 
brother — and  God  almiirhty  give  you  mer- 
cy before  the  man,  that  he  may  send 
away  your  other  brotlier,  and  Benjamin. 
If  I  be  bereaved,  I  am  bereaved  !  "  The 
fruits  of  Canaan,  especially  in  a  time  of 
famine,  would  be  a  great  token  of  respect; 
the  diuble  money  might  be  necessary,  as 
the  continuance  of  the  famine  might  en- 
hance the  price  of  corn  ;  an  1  the  restora- 
tion of  that  which  was  returned  would 
prove  their  integrity. 

But  we  must  not  pass  over  the  conclu- 
ding part  without  noticing  two  or  three 
things  in  particular.  1.  The  f/inrnc<er  un- 
der which  the  Lord  is  addressed  :  "  God 
almighty,"  or  God  all-sufficient.  This 
was  the  name  uniler  which  Abraham  was 
blessed  :  "  I  am  God  almighty  ;"  and 
which  was  used  by  Isaac  in  his  blessing 
Jacob:  "  Gjd  almighty  bless  thee,  and 
give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abraham."  It 
is  natural  to  sup[)ose  thnt  Jacob,  in  put- 
ting up  this  prayer,  thought  of  these  cove- 
nant promises  and  blessings,  and  that  it 
was  the  prayer   of  Jaitk.      2.    The   mis' 


take  on  which  the  prayer  is  founded,  which 
yjl  was  acct;|)lable  to  God.  He  prayed 
f.»r  the  turning  of  the  man's  heart  in  a 
way  of  mercy  ;  but  the  man's  heart  diil 
no  need  lurning.  Yet  Jacob  thoui-ht  it 
did,  and  had  no  means  of  knowing  other- 
wise. The  Irulh  of  things  may  in  some 
cases  l)e  concealed  from  us,  to  render  us 
more  imfiortunale  ;  and  this  impoitunily, 
though  it  may  appear  at  last  to  have  been 
unnecessary,  yet,  being  rij:ht  according  as 
circumstances  appeared  at  the  time,  God 
will  approve  of  it,  and  we  shall  find  our 
account  in  it.  3.  The  re-iignalion  with 
which  he  concludes  :  "  If  I  be  bereaved, 
I  am  beiea\ed  !"  It  is  God's  usual  way, 
in  trying  those  whom  he  loves,  to  touch 
them  in  the  tcnderest  part.  Herein  (he 
trial  consists.  If  there  be  one  object 
round  which  the  heart  has  entwined  more 
than  all  others,  that  is  it  which  is  likely 
to  be  God's  rival,  and  of  that  we  must  be 
deprived.  Yet  if,  when  it  goes,  we  hum- 
bly resign  it  U|)  into  God's  hands,  it  is  not 
unusual  for  him  to  restore  it  to  us,  and  that 
with  more  than  double  interest.  Thus 
Abraham,  on  giving  up  Isaac,  received 
him  again  :  aiul  David,  on  giving  up 
himself  to  God  to  do  with  him  as  seemed 
good  in  his  sight,  was  preserved  in  the 
midst  of  peril. 

Ver.  15,  16.  Jacob's  sons  now  betake 
themselves  to  their  second  journey,  and 
do  as  their  father  had  directed  them.  On 
arriving  in  Egypt,  they  are  introduced  to 
Joseph.  Joseph,  looking  upon  them,  be- 
holds his  brotlier  Benjamin.  It  is  likely 
that  his  eyes  would  here  be  in  some  dan- 
ger of  betraying  his  heart  ;  and  that,  be- 
ing conscious  of  this,  he  instantly  gives 
orders  to  his  steward  to  take  these  men 
home  to  his  house,  and  prepare  a  dinner, 
for  that  they  must  dine  with  him  at  noon. 
By  this  means  he  would  be  able  to  com- 
pose hiujself,  and  to  form  a  plan  how  to 
conduct  and  in  what  manner  to  discover 
himself  to  them,  which  it  ajipears  by  the 
sequel  it  was  his  design  at  at  this  time  to 
have  accomfdished.  See  how  fruilful  love 
is  of  kind  contrivance,  seeking  and  find- 
in.iT  o|iportuniiies  to  gratify  itself  by  closer 
and  cl'iser  interviews.  Thus  when  two 
of  John's  disciples  were  kindly  asked, 
"What  seek  ye  I"  they  answer,  "  Mas- 
ter, where  dwellest  thou  ?"  As  who  should 
say,  We  want  to  be  better  acquainted  with 
thee,  and  to  say  more  than  could  he  sitid 
in  this  public  place.  And  thus  when  Je- 
sus himself  would  commune  with  his  dis- 
ciples, he  sailh  unto  them  "Children, 
com  >  and  dine  I" 

Ver.  17,18.  But  to  Joseph's  brethren 
things  still  wear  a  mysterious  and  con- 
founding aspect  :  that  which  he  meant  in 
love,  they  construed  as  a  design  to  ensnare 


848 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


and  enslave  them.  The  mind,  while  in  a 
state  of  dark  suspense,  is  apt  to  view  eve- 
ry th'uvj[,  through  a  discouraging  medium. 
It  will  misconstrue  even  goodness  itsell', 
and  fiud  fear  where  no  fear  is.  Thus  it  is 
that  souls  depressed  under  God's  hand 
often  misinterpret  his  providences,  and 
draw  dismal  conclusions  from  the  same 
things  which  in  another  state  of  mind 
would  afford  them  relief.  When  the  soul 
is  in  such  a  frame  as  to  "  refuse  to  be 
comforted,"  it  will  "remember  God,  and 
be  troubled." — Psa.  Ixxvii.  2,3. 

Ver.  19 — 23.  Being  introduced  into  the 
house  of  Joseph,  however,  though  it  ex- 
cited their  fears,  yet  it  afforded  an  oppor- 
tunity during  his  alisence  of  speaking  to 
the  steward  concerning  the  money  found 
in  their  sacks,  which  was  the  circumstance 
that  at  present  most  alarmed  them.  It 
was  wise  in  them  to  be  first  in  mentioning 
this  matter,  that,  if  any  thing  were  after- 
wards said  by  Joseph  about  it,  they  might 
appeal  to  the  steward,  and  he  could  de- 
clare on  their  behalf  that,  without  any  ac- 
cusation, they  had  of  their  own  accord 
mentioned  the  whole  business  to  him,  and 
returned  the  money.  But  the  answer  of 
the  steward  is  surprising.  He  could  scarce- 
ly have  spoken  more  suitably,  if  he  had 
been  in  the  secret.  I  do  not  suppose  he 
knew  that  these  were  Joseph's  brethren  ; 
but  he  would  know  that  they  were  his 
countrymen ;  and  perceiving  the  interest 
which  he  took  in  them,  and  the  air  of 
mystery  which  attended  his  conduct  to- 
wards them,  he  would  be  at  no  loss  to 
conclude  that  there  was  no  ill  design 
against  them.  It  is  likely  he  knew  of  the 
money  being  returned  by  Joseph's  order  ; 
and  he  knew  his  master  too  well  to  sup- 
pose that,  whatever  might  be  his  design  in 
it,  he  would  hurt  the  poor  men  for  what 
had  been  done  by  his  own  order.  More- 
over, this  steward,  whoever  he  was,  ap- 
pears to  have  learnt  something  by  being 
with  Joseph  concerning  the  true  God,  the 
God  of  the  Hebrews.  His  answer  is  kind, 
and  wise,  and  religious.  "  Peace  be  unto 
you,  fear  not  ;  your  God,  and  the  God  of 
your  father,  hath  given  you  treasure  in  your 
sacks  :  I  had  your  money."  q.  d.  Let 
your  hearts  be  at  rest  :  I  will  be  answera- 
ble that  you  paid  what  was  due  :  inquire 
no  farther  about  it  :  providence  brought 
it,  and  let  that  satisfy  you.  To  render 
them  still  more  at  ease,  Simeon  is  brought 
out  of  his  confinement  and  introduced  to 
them  ;  which,  being  done  by  the  order  of 
Joseph,  was  a  proof  of  his  being  satisfied. 
The  deliverance  of  the  hostage  was  an 
evidence  that  all  was  well.  Thus  the 
"  bringing  again  from  the  dead  our  Lord 
Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep," 


was  to  us  a  token  for  good,  and  therefore 
is  ascribed  to  God,  as  the  God  of  peace. 
— Heb.  xiii.  20. 

Ver.  24,  25.  While  Joseph  is  busy 
about  his  concerns,  and  thinking  how  he 
shall  conduct  himself  towards  his  brethren, 
they  are  busy  in  washing  and  dressing 
themselves  to  appear  before  him,  and  in 
preparing  the  present  which  they  had 
brought  for  him.  What  was  done  required 
to  be  done  in  a  handsome  manner,  and 
they  are  disposed  to  do  their  best. 

Ver.  26,  27.  And  now,  the  business  of 
the  nmrning  being  over,  Joseph  entei^s. 
They  immediately  request  his  acceptance 
of  the  spices  and  sweetmeats  of  Palestine, 
sent  as  a  present  by  their  father,  bowing 
down  their  faces  to  the  earth,  as  they  had 
done  before.  Thus  Joseph's  dream,  which 
was  lepeated  to  him,  is  repeated  in  its  ful- 
filment. There  is  nothing  said  of  his  man- 
ner of  receiving  it ;  but  doubtless  it  was 
kind  and  affable.  And,  as  they  would 
present  it  in  the  name  of  their  father,  this 
would  furnish  a  fair  opportunity  to  inquire 
particularly  respecting  him;  a  subject  on 
which  his  feelings  would  be  all  alive.  It 
is  charming  to  see  how  he  supports  the 
character  which  he  had  assumed,  that  of 
an  Egyptian  nobleman,  who  remembered 
what  they  had  said  about  a  venerable  old 
man,  of  whose  welfare  he  very  politely  in- 
quires. "  Is  your  father  well,  the  old  man 
of  whom  ye  spake  1     Is  he  yet  alive  1" 

Ver.  28.  They  answer  very  properly,, 
and  call  their  father  his  servant,  and  again 
make  obeisance.  Tlius,  in  them,  Jacob 
himself  bowed  down  to  Joseph;  and 
thereby  that  part  of  his  dream  was  also 
fulfilled. 

Ver.  29.  When  Joseph  first  saw  his 
brethren,  his  eyes,  perhaps  without  his  be- 
ing aware  of  it,  were  fixed  on  Benjamin. 
— Ver.  16.  But,  having  detected  himself 
in  that  instance,  he  appears  to  be  more  up- 
on his  guard  in  this.  He  receives  the  pres- 
ent, and  converses  with  them  about  their 
father's  welfare,  without  once  turning  his 
eyes  towards  his  brother.  But,  having 
done  this,  he  thinks  he  may  venture  a  look 
at  him.  He  "lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw 
his  brother  Benjamin,  his  mother's  son, 
and  said  "  to  the  others,  but  still  under  the 
same  disauise,  "  Is  this  your  younger 
brother,  of  whom  ye  spake  unto  mel"  If 
he  could  have  waited  for  an  answer,  they 
would  douV)tless  have  told  him  it  was ; 
but  his  heart  is  too  full.  No  sooner  is  the 
question  out  of  his  lips  than  (it  may  be 
with  his  hand  upon  his  head)  he  adds, 
"God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  my  son!" 
Oh  Joseph,  on  what  tender  ground  dost 
thou  presume  to  walk!  This  benediction, 
though  under  the  disguise  of  a  good  wish 


THE    CUP    IN    BENJAMIN  S    SACK. 


849 


from  a  stranger,  was  in  reality  an  effusion 
of  a  full  he  rt,  which  in  this  manner 
sought  lor  ease.  Genuine  love  longs  to 
express  itself. 

Ver.  30,  This  little  indulgence  of  affec- 
tion, however,  had  well  nigh  betrayed 
him.  Ardent  desires  will  always  plead 
hard  to  go  a  little  way,  and  presume  not 
to  go  too  far;  i'ut  to  indulge  (hem  a  little 
is  like  letting  air  into  a  room  on  lire.  Jo- 
seph is  so  affectctt  hy  what  has  passed  that 
he  is  obli<.'ed  to  quit  the  company  and  re- 
tire into  his  chamber  to  weep  there. 

Ver.    31.      Having   recovered    himself, 
and  washed  liis  face,  that  they  might  not 
discover  his  tears,   he  re-enlcrs,  and  be- 
haves with  mu'.h  hospitality  and  attention. 
Ver.  32 — 34.     And  now  I  apprehend  it 
was  Joseph's  wish  to  discover  himself  to 
his  brethren,  or  rather  to  enable  them  to 
discover  him.     There  are  three  things  in 
particular,  while  they  were  at  dinner,  each 
tending  to  this  end,  and,  as  I  conceive,  de- 
signed for  it.      1.   The  order  of  the  tables. 
One  for  himself,  one  for  the  strangers,  and 
one  for  the  Egyptians.     The  design  of  this 
was    to  set  them  a  thinking  of  him,   and 
who  he  was,  or  could  be.     That  the  Egyp- 
tians and   Hel)rews  should  eat  apart  they 
could  easily  account  for  :  but  who  or  what 
is    this    man!     Is    he  not   an   J^gyptian ! 
Yet,  if  he  be,  why  eat  by  himself!      Sure- 
ly he  must  be  a  foreigner.     '2.  The  order 
in  which  they  themselves  were  seated  :   it 
was  "  before  him,"  so  that  they    had   full 
opportunity  of  looking  at  him  ;  and,  what 
was  astonishing  to  them,  every  man  was 
placed  "  according  to  his  age."     But  who 
can  this  be,  that  is  acquainted   with  their 
ages  so  as  to  be  al)le  to  adjust  things  in 
this  order!     Surely  it  must  be  some  one 
who  knows  us,  though  we  know  not  him. 
Oris  he  a  diviner!      Who  or  wiiat  can  jie 
be!     They  are  said  to  have  "marvelled 
one  at  another,"  and  well   they  might.     It 
is  marvellous  that  they  did  not  hence  sus- 
pect who  he  was.     3.   The   peculiar  favor 
which  he  expressed  to  Benjamin,  in  send- 
ing him  a  mess  five  times  more  than  the 
rest.     There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that 
Benjamin  ate  more  than  the  rest  :   but  this 
was  the  manner  of  showing  special  favor 
in  those  times. — See  chap.  xlv.  22,  23.     It 
was  therefore  saying,  in  effect,  I  not  only 
know  all  your  ages,  but  tow  ards  that  young 
man  I  have  more  than  a  common  regard 
....  Look  at  all  this,  and  look  at  me  .... 
Look  at  me,  my  brotiier  Benjamin.     Dost 
thou  not  know  me  ! — But  all  was  hid  from 
them.     Their  eyes,  like  those  of  the  dis- 
ciples towards  their  Lord,  seem  to  have 
been  holden,  that  they  should  not  know 
him.     Their    minds,   however,  are    eased 
from  all   apprehensions,   and    they    drank 
and  were  cheerful  in  his  company. 
VOL.  I.  107 


DISCOURSE   LI. 

THE    CUP    IN    benjamin's    SACK. 
Gen.  xliv.  I — 17. 

Ver.  1,  2.  As  every  measure  which 
Joseph  had  yet  taken  to  lead  his  brethren 
to  discover  who  he  was  had  failed,  he 
must  now  have  recourse  to  another  expe- 
dient to  detain  them.  Their  sacks  are 
ordered  to  be  filled,  and  their  beasts  lad- 
en with  as  much  corn  as  they  can  carry, 
their  money  restored  as  before,  and  a  silver 
cup  put  into  the  sack's  mouth  of  the  young- 
est. All  this  is  love  :  but  it  is  love  still 
working  in  a  mysterious  w  ay.  The  object 
seems  to  be  to  detain  Benjamin,  and  to  try 
the  rest. 

Ver.  3 — 6.  Having  stopped  over  the 
night,  next  morning  at  break  of  day  they 
are  dismissed,  and  set  off  for  home.  Af- 
ter the  treatment  which  they  had  received, 
we  may  suppose  they  were  now  all  very 
happy.  Simeon  is  restored,  Benjamin  is 
safe,  and  they  are  well  laden  with  provis- 
ions for  the  family.  They  would  now  be 
ready  to  anticipate  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
their  father  and  easing  his  anxious  heart. 
But  lo  !  another  dark  cloud  presently  over- 
spreads their  sky.  They  had  scarcely  got 
out  of  the  city  before  the  steward  over- 
takes them,  and  charges  them  w  ith  the  hei- 
nous crime  of  having  stolen  his  lord's  cup  ; 
a  crime  which  would  have  been  highly  of- 
fensive at  any  time,  but  much  more  so  af- 
ter the  generous  treatment  which  they  had 
received.  And,  to  perplex  them  the 
more,  he  intimates  as  if  his  lord  were  a 
diviner,  and  must  needs  be  able  to  find  out 
stolen  (jrojierty  !  Such  we  see  was  hea- 
tlienism  in  those  early  ages;  and  such  hea- 
thenism is  found  even  in  Christian  coun- 
tries to  this  day. 

Ver.  7—9.  At  this  they  are  all  thun- 
derstruck with  surprise;  yet,  conscious 
of  their  innocence,  they  disown  the 
charge,  and  express  the  utmost  abhor- 
rence at  such  a  conduct.  They  appeal 
also  to  a  fact  with  which  the  steward  was 
well  acquainted  ;  namely,  their  having 
brought  again  the  money  which  they  had 
found  in  their  sacks.  Did  this  conduct 
comport  with  the  character  of  thievesi 
Can  it  be  supposed  after  this,  say  they, 
that  we  should  steal  out  of  my  lord's 
house  either  silver  or  gold  !  Search  us 
throughout.  On  whomsoever  it  be  found, 
let  him  die,  and  we  will  all  consent  to  be- 
come slaves  I — Such  was  their  confidence 
that  the  charge  was  unfounded  ;  and  their 
invoking  so  severe  a  penalty  would  be  a 
presumptive  evidence  that  it  was  so. 


850  EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 

Ver.  10,  11.  The  steward,  who  is  well  particularly  mentioned,  as  having  a  special 
aware  of  some  profound  design  on  the  interest  at  stake  on  account  of  his  surety- 
part  of  his  master,  tliough  he  knew  not  ship:  but  neither  he  nor  iiis  brethren  tan 
the  whole  of  it,  humors  the  thing  with  utter  a  word,  but  wait  in  this  humble  pos- 
much  addiess.  He  accedes  to  the  mode  ture  to  hear  what  is  said  to  them, 
of  trial,  but  softens  the  penalty,  proposing  Joseph,  having  carried  matters  to  this 
that  none  but  the  guilty  should  suffer,  and  height,  once  more  assumes  the  tone  of  a 
he  nothing  more  than  the  loss  of  lit  erty.  great  man,  highly  oflentled  ;  suggesting^ 
With  this  they  readily  acquiesce;  and  being  witlial,  that  they  ought  to  have  known  that 
slung  with  reproach,  they,  with  indignant  such  a  man  as  he  could  certainly  divine, 
sensations,  hastily  unlade  every  man  his  and  that  therefore  it  would  I  e  in  vain  to 
beast,  in  order  to  disprove  the  charge,  think  of  escaping  with  his  property  un- 
How  willing  is  conscious  innocence  that    detected. 

things  should  be  searched  to  the  bottom;  As  Judah  appeared  foremost  on  their 
and  how  confident  of  an  honorable  acquit-  entrance,  Joseph's  words  would  probably 
tal  !  be  directed   to   him   for  an  answer.     But 

Ver.  12.  And  now  search  is  made  from  what  answer  can  be  given  1  The  surety 
the  eldest  to  the  youngest.  Ten  out  of  and  the  advocate  is  here  dumb  ;  for  he  had 
eleven  are  clear,  and  enjoy  the  triumph  of  been  a  party  in  guilt;  not  indeed  in  the 
a  good  conscience  ;  but,  lo,  in  the  sack  of  present  instance,  but  in  another.  He  can 
the  youngest  the  cup  is  found!  Every  therefore  only  exclaim,  "  A\hat  shall  we 
thing  seems  contrived  to  give  an  edge  lo  say  unto  my  lord  1  What  shall  we  speak, 
their  sorrow.  It  was  when  they  were  or  how  shall  we  clear  ourselves  1  God 
leaving  Egypt  in  high  spirits,  that  they  hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of  his  servants  ! 
were  stopped;  and  now  when  they  have  Behold,  we  are  my  lord's  servants;  both 
disproved  the  charge,  except  in  one  in-  we,  and  he  also  with  whom  the  cup  is 
stance,  lo,  that  instance  fails  them!  To  found!"  He  did  not  mean  by  this  to 
have  their  hopes  raised  within  one  step  of  plead  guilty  to  the  charge;  tut  neither 
an  acquittal,  and  then  to  be  at  once  disap-  dare  he  plead  innocent,  for  that  would 
pointed,  was  very  affecting.  "Thou  hast  have  been  accusing  the  offended  party  of 
lifted  me  up  and  cast  me  down."  having  ensnared  them,  and  so  have  made 

But  what  a  confounding  event!  Could  the  case  still  worse  ;  neither  was'he  able 
they  really  think  for  a  moment  that  Ben-  to  confront  the  evidence  which  aj)peared 
jamin  had  been  guilty  of  the  mean  and  against  his  younger  brother.  What  can 
wicked  action  which  seems  to  I  e  prov-  he  say  or  do  1  He  can  only  suggest  that 
ed  upon  him  1  I  do  not  suppose  they  could,  ii  is  a  mysterious  providence,  in  which  it 
They  must  remember  having  found  the  appears  to  be  the  design  of  God  to  punish 
money  in  their  sacks'  mouths,  when,  nev-  them  for  their  formkr  crimes.  This 
ertheless,  they  knew  themselves  to  be  in-  answer,  which  was  manifestly  dictated  by 
nocent.  Nay,  and  in  searching  for  the  what  lay  up|ermost  in  all  their  minds,  was 
cup,  though  nothing  is  now  said  of  the  at  the  same  time  the  most  delicate  and 
money,  yet  they  must  have  found  it  there  modest  manner  in  which  he  could  possibly 
a  second  tin)e.  All  this  would  acquit  Ben-  have  insinuated  a  denial  of  tb.e  charge, 
jamin  in  their  account.  Yet  what  can  While  it  implied  their  innocence  in  the 
they  allege  in  his  favor,  without  reflecting  present  instance,  it  contained  no  reflec- 
upon  his  accusers  1  The  article  is  found  tion  upon  others,  but  an  acknowledgment 
upon  him;  which  is  a  species  of  proof  that  of  the  divine  justice,  and  a  willingness  to 
seems  to  admit  of  no  answer.  A  deep  and  bear  the  punishment  that  might  1  e  inflit  ted 
dismal  silence  therefore  pervades  the  ( cm-  upon  them,  as  coming  from  abo\e.  If 
pany.  In  very  agony  they  rend  their  Joseph  had  really  1  een  the  character 
clothes,  reload  their  beasts,  and  return  which  he  a|  peared  to  I  e,  such  an  answer 
into  the  city.     As  they  walk  along,  their    must  have  gone  far  towards  disarming  him 

thoughts    turn    upon    another   event an    of   resentment.     How    forcil  le   are  right 

event  which  had  more  than  once  occurred  words!  7  he  simple  and  genuine  utterance 
to  tht  ir  remembrance  already.  It  is  the  of  the  heart  is  the  most  irresistible  of  all 
Lord!     W^e  are  murderers;    and,  though    eloquence. 

we  have  escaped  human  detection,  yet  di-  Jose)  h,  in  answer,  disclaims  every  thing 
vine  vengeance  will  not  suffer  us  to  live,  that  might  wear  the  appearance  of  cruelty. 
There,  though  guilty,  we  were  acquitted  :  No,  he  will  not  make  bondujen  of  them, 
here,  though  innocent,  we  shall  be  con-  but  merely  of  him  on  whom  the  cup  was 
demned  !  found.     Such  is  the  sentence.    They  may 

Ver.  IS — 17.  Arriving  at  Joseph's  go  about  their  business;  but  Benjamin 
house,  where  he  still  was,  no  doul  t  ex-  must  be  detained  in  slaxery.  Alas!  and 
pecting  their  return,  Judali  and  his  breth-  is  this  sentence  irrevocable^  Better  all 
ren  fall  prostrats  beforo  bim.     Judah  is    ba  detained  than  ho ;   fur  it  will  bo  tho 


Jl'DAH   b    INTERCE88IO?«. 


551 


rlealh  of  his  talher !  What  can  he  saiH, 
Dr  done  }  Tlie  surety  now  becomes  the 
advocate,  ami  llial  to  purpose.  Sui  h  an 
intercession  as  that  which  lollows  we  shall 
no  where  tind,  unless  it  he  in  His  wlioin 
the  Father  "  heareth  always."  But  I 
sliall  here  close  the  present  discourse,  with 
only  a  reflection  or  two  on  the  sul>ject. 

1.  We  see  a  strikinfi  analogy  Itetwcen 
the  conduct  of  Josepii  towards  his  hrotiier 
Benjaiain  and  that  of  Jesus  towards  his 
people.  "  Whom  I  love,  1  rei)uke  and 
chasten."  Benjamin  must  have  thought 
himseIC  peculiarly  unhappy  to  he  one  day 
marked  out  as  a  favorite,  anil  the  ne.\t 
convicted  as  a  criminal  ;  and  yet  in  nei- 
ther instance  able  to  account  tor  it.  It 
niiglit  teach  him,  however,  when  the  mys- 
tery came  to  he  unravelled,  n:)t  to  draw 
hasty  conclusions  from  uncertain  premises; 
but  to  wait  and  see  the  issue  of  things, 
before  he  decided  upon  them.  Sucli  a 
lesson  it  will  he  well  lor  us  to  learn  from 
it.  The  Lord  often  brings  us  into  dilTi- 
culties,  that  he  may  detain  us,  as  I  may 
say,  from  leavinvr  him.  Were  it  not  lor 
these,  he  would  lave  fewer  importunate 
applications  at  a  throne  of  grace  than  he 
has.     He  does  not"af]lict   willingly,"  or 

Jroni  his  heart :  but   from    necessity,  and 
that  he  may  bring  us  nearer  to  him. 

2.  We  see  also  a  striking  analogy  be- 
tween Joseph's  conduct  towards  his  l)reth- 
ren  and  that  of  the  Lord  towards  us.  In 
all  he  did,  I  suppose,  it  was  his  design  to 
try  them.  His  putting  the  cuj)  into  Ben- 
jamin's sack,  and  convicting  him  of  the 
supposed  guilt,  would  try  their  love  to 
him,  and  to  their  aged  father.  Had  they 
been  of  the  same  disposition  as  when  they 
sold  Joseph,  they  would  not  have  cared 
for  him.  Their  language  would  have  been 
somewhat  to  this  effect : — Let  this  young 
favorite  go,  and  be  a  slave  in  Egypt.  If 
he  have  stolen  the  cup,  let  liim  suffer  for 
it.  We  have  a  good  riddance  of  him  ; 
and  without  1  eing  under  the  necessity  of 
dealing  with  him  as  we  did  with  his 
brother.  And,  as  to  ihe  old  man,  if  he 
will  indulge  in  such  ))artial  Ibmlness,  let 
him  take  the  consequence. — But,  happily, 
th?y  are  now  of  another  mind.  God  aj)- 
pears  to  have  made  use  of  this  mysterious 
providence,  and  of  Joseph's  behavior, 
among  other  things,  to  bring  them  to  re- 
pet.lancc.  And  the  cup  being  found  in 
Benjamin's  sack  would  give  them  occasion 
to  maniiest  it.  It  must  have  afforded  the 
most  heart-felt  satisfaction  to  Joseph, 
amidst  all  the  pain  which  it  cost  him,  to 
witness  their  tender  conrern  for  Benja- 
min, and  for  the  life  of  their  aged  f-ither. 
This  of  itself  was  sufficient  to  excite,  on 
his  part,  the  fullest  forgiveness.  Thus 
God  is  represented  as  "looking  upon  a 


contrite  spirit,"  and  even  overlooking 
heaven  and  earth  for  it. — Isa.  Ix\i.  1,  2. 
Next  to  the  gilt  of  his  Son,  he  accounts 
it  the  greatest  blessing  he  can  bestow  upon 
a  sinful  creature.  Now,  that  on  which  he 
sets  so  high  a  value  he  may  be  expected 
to  produce,  even  though  it  may  be  at 
the  exi)ense  of  our  present  peace.  Nor 
have  we  any  cause  of  complaint,  but  the 
contrary.  What  were  the  suspense,  the 
anxiety,  and  the  distress  of  Joseph's 
brethren,  in  comparison  of  that  which 
followed  ]  And  what  is  the  suspense,  the 
anxiety,  and  the  distress  of  an  awakened 
sinner,  or  a  tried  believer,  in  comparison 
of  the  joy  of  faith,  or  the  grace  that  shall 
be  revealed  at  the  appearing  of  Jesus 
Christ]  It  will  then  be  found  that  our 
liiiht  aflliction,  which  was  but  for  a  mo- 
ment, has  been  working  for  us  a  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 


DISCOURSE    LII. 

jud.\h's    intercession. 

Gen.  xliv.  18—34. 

Joseph,  in  the  character  of  a  judge, 
has  sternly  decided  the  cause,  that  Benja- 
min, the  supjjosed  offender,  should  be  de- 
tained a  bondman,  and  the  rest  may  go  in 
peace.  But  Judah,  the  surety,  wounded 
to  the  heart  with  this  decision,  presumes 
as  an  advocate  to  i)lead,  not  that  the  sen- 
tence may  be  annulled,  but  that  it  may  be 
chanired  with  respect  to  its  object.  It  was 
a  difficult  and  delicate  undertaking;  for, 
when  a  judge  has  once  decided  a  cause, 
his  honor  is  pledged  to  abide  by  it.  He 
must,  therefore,  have  felt  the  danger  of 
incurring  his  displeasure,  by  attempting  to 
induce  him  in  that  stage  of  tin;  business  to 
alter  his  purpose.  But  love  to  his  father, 
and  to  his  brother,  with  a  recollection  of 
his  own  engagement,  impose  upon  him  the 
most  imperious  necessity. 

Ver.  IS.  Prompted  by  these  sentiments, 
he  approaches  the  judge.  His  first  at- 
tempt is  to  conciliate  him  :  "Oh  I  my 
lord,  let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  speak  a 
word  in  my  lord's  ears,  and  let  not  thine 
anger  burn  against  thy  servant ;  for  thou 
art  even  as  Pharaoh.'''  This  hiief  intro- 
duction was  admirably  calculated  to  soften 
resentment,  and  obtained  a  patient  hearing. 
The  respectful  title  given  him,  My  lord — 
the  entreaty  for  permission  to  f^peok — the 
intimation  that  it  should  be  but  as  it  were 
a  word — the  defirecation  of  his  anger,  as 
being  in  a  manner  equal  to  that  of  Pha- 
r  loh — and  all  this  prefaced  with  an  inter- 
jection of  sorrow,  as    though  nothing  but 


852 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS, 


the  deepest  distress  should  have  induced 
hiin  to  presume  to  speak  on  such  a  subject, 
— showed  him  to  be  well  qualified  lor  his 
undertaking. 

Ver.  19.  And  now,  perceiving  in  his 
judge  a  willingness  to  hear,  he  proceeds, 
not  by  passionate  declamations  and  appeals 
to  his  generosity,  but  by  narrating  a  simple 
tale,  and  then  grounding  a  plea  upon  it. 
Truth  is  the  best  weapon  wherewith  to 
assail  the  heart :  only  let  truth  be  repre- 
sented in  an  affecting  light.  His  object, 
remember,  is  to  persuade  the  judge  so  far 
to  reverse  the  doom  as  to  accejit  ot  him, 
the  surety,  for  a  bondman,  instead  of  the 
supposed  offender.  Mark  how  every  thing 
he  says  leads  to  this  issue.  "  My  lord 
asked  his  servants,  saying.  Have  ye  a  fa- 
ther, or  a  brother  1"  Here  the  judge  is 
gently  reminded  that  the  occasion  ot  this 
unhappy  young  man  coming  at  all  into 
Egypt  was  what  he  himself  had  said.  He 
does  not  mean  to  reflect  upon  him  for  it ; 
but  he  might  hope  that  merely  this  circum- 
stance would  have  some  weight  in  soften- 
ing his  resentment  against  him.  It  is  ob- 
servable, however,  that  in  repeating  the 
questions  of  Joseph,  or  their  own  former 
answers  to  him,  he  does  not  confine  him- 
self to  terms.     Joseph  did   not  say,  in    so 

many  words,  Have  ye  a  father,  &c 

nor  did  they  make  answer  in  the  exact 
form  as  is  here  repeated  ;  but  he  pretends 
only  to  repeat  the  tenor  of  what  passed,  of 
the  justness  of  which  the  judge  himself 
would  be  well  acquainted.  Nor  is  this 
verbi^l  deviation  to  be  attributed  merely  to 
the  failure  of  memory  ;  for  he  avails  him- 
self of  it  to  introduce  every  affecting  cir- 
cumstance that  could  possibly  touch  the 
heart,  which  if  he  had  adhered  to  a  mere 
verbal  rehearsal  would  have  been  lost. 
Of  this  the  following  words  are  a  remark- 
able instance. 

Ver.  20.  "  And  we  said  unto  my  lord. 
We  have  a  father,  an  old  man,  and  a  child 
of  his  old  age,  a  little  one  ;  and  his  broth- 
er is  dead,  and  he  alone  is  left  of  his  moth- 
er, and  his  father  loveth  him."  All  these 
things  were  said,  I  believe,  either  express- 
ly or  by  implication,  but  not  in  this  order. 
As  they  were  said  before,  they  were  mere- 
ly rays  of  light  dififused  in  the  air;  but 
here  they  are  reduced  to  a  focus,  which 
burns  every  thing  before  it.  I  need  not 
repeat  how  every  word  in  this  inimitable 
passage  tells  ;  how  it  touches  every  princi- 
ple of  compassion  in  the  human  n)ind  ;  in 
short,  how  it  rises,  like  a  swelling  wave, 
till  it  overcomes  resistance,  and  in  a  man- 
ner compels  the  judge  to  say,  in  his  own 
mind,  "  Well,  whatever  this  young  man 
has  done,  he  must  not  be  detained  !  " 

Ver.  21—29.  Having  already  intima- 
ted that  the  coming  of  the  lad  was  occa- 


sioned by  the  inquiries  concerning  the 
family,  and  made  a  pro])er  use  of  that,  the 
advocate  proceeds  another  step,  and  re  ■ 
minds  his  judge  that  it  was  in  obedience  to 
his  command:  "Thou  saidst,  Bring  him 
down  unto  me,  that  I  may  set  mine  eyes 
upon  him."  This  circumstance,  though  it 
conveyed  no  reflection,  any  more  than  the 
former,  yet  would  work  upon  a  generous 
mind,  not  to  distress  an  aged  lather  by  tak- 
ing advantage  ot  an  affair  which  had  oc- 
curred merely  from  a  willingness  to  oblige 
him.  To  this  he  adds,  that  they  discov- 
ered at  the  time  a  reluctance,  on  their  fa- 
ther's account,  to  comply  with  this  part  of 
his  request;  but  he  would  have  no  denial, 
protesting  that,  except  their  younger 
brother  came  with  them,  they  should  see 
his  face  no  more.  Nor  was  this  all  :  not 
only  did  ihey  leel  reluctant  on  their  fa- 
ther's account,  but  he,  when  told  of  it  on 
their  return,  I'elt  a  still  great  r  relvctance. 
The  manner  in  which  he  introduces  his 
father's  objection,  repeating  it  in  his  own 
words,  or  rather  in  his  own  words  at  dif- 
ferent times  reduced  as  to  a  focus,  is 
amazing.  We  repeated,  q.  d.,  the  words 
of  my  lord  to  our  father ;  and  when, 
feeling  the  imperious  calls  of  nature,  he 
requested  us  to  go  again  and  buy  a  little 
food,  we  answered  him  that  we  could  not 
go  without  our  younger  brother,  for  we 
could  gain  no  admittance  except  he  were 
with  us.  On  this  painful  occasion  thy  ser- 
vant, our  father,  addressed  us  as  follows  : 
— "Ye  know  that  vify  wife  bare  me  two 
sons.  And  the  one  went  out  from  me,  and 
I  said.  Surely  he  is  torn  in  pieces  :  and  I 
saw  him  not  since.  And  if  ye  take  this 
also  from  me,  and  mischief  befal  him, ye 
shall  bring  down  my  grey  hairs  with  sorrow 
to  the  grave  !  " 

To  point  out  the  force  of  this  overwhelm- 
ing argument  requires  a  view  of  the 
human  mind,  when,  like  a  complicate 
machine  in  motion,  the  various  powers 
and  passions  of  it  are  at  work.  The 
whole  calamity  of  the  family  arising  from 
obedience  to  the  judge's  own  command; 
an  obedience  yielded  to  on  their  }>art  with 
great  reluctance,  because  of  the  situation 
of  their  aged  lather;  and  on  his  part  with 
still  greater,  because  his  brother  was  as 
he  supposed  torn  in  pieces,  and  he  the 
only  surviving  child  of  a  beloved  wife ; 
and  the  declaration  of  a  venerable,  grey- 
headed man,  that  if  he  lose  him  it  will  be 
his  death  ....  was  enough  to  melt  the 
heart  of  any  one  possessed  of  human  feel- 
ings. If  Joseph  had  really  been  what  he 
appeared,  an  Egyptian  nobleman,  he 
must  have  yielded  the  point.  To  have 
withstood  it,  would  have  proved  him 
not  a  man,  much  less  a  man  who  "  fear- 
ed   God,"  as    he    had    professed   to   be. 


JUDAH   S    INTERCESSION. 


853 


But,  if  such  would  have  been  his  feelings 
even  on  that  su|)|)ositi()n,  what  inu?it  lliey 
have  been  to  know  what  he  knew  ]  What 
im|»ression  must  it  have  made  upon  his 
mind  lo  be  told  of  Jacob's  words  :  "  My 
wife  hare  me  two  sons;  an  1  the  one  went 
out  from  me,  and  I  said,  Surely  he  is  torn 
in  pieces!  " 

It  is  also  observatile  wilh  what  singu- 
lar adroitness  Judah  avoids  making  men- 
tion of  this  eider  brother  of  tiie  lad,  in 
any  other  than  his  lather's  words.  He 
did  not  say  he  was  torn  in  pieces.  No  ; 
he  knew  ii  was  not  so  !  But  his  father 
had  once  used  that  language  ;  and,  thou'ih 
he  had  lately  spoken  in  a  manner  which 
bore  liard  on  him  and  iiis  brethren,  yet  this 
is  passed  over,  and  nothing  hinted  but  what 
will  turn  to  account. 

Ver.  30,  31.  The'inference  of  what  ef- 
fect the  detention  of  Benjamin  would  have 
on  the  aged  parent  might  have  been  left 
for  the  judge  to  make  ;  but  it  is  a  part  of 
the  subject  which  will  bear  a  little  enlarge- 
ment, and  that  to  a  very  good  purpose. 
Thus  therefore  he  proceeds  :  "  When  I 
come  to  thy  servant  my  father,  and  the 
lad  be  not  with  us  (seeing  that  his  life  is 
bound  up  in  the  lad's  life),  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  when  he  seeth  that  the  lad  is 
not  with  us,  he  will  die  ;  and  thy  servants 
shall  bring  down  the  grey  hairs  of  thy 
servant  our  father  with  sorrow  to  the 
grave!"  The  whole  of  this  intercession 
taken  together  is  not  the  twentieth  part 
the  length  of  what  our  best  advocates 
would  have  made  of  it  in  a  court  of  jus- 
tice :  yet  the  speaker  finds  room  to  expa- 
tiate upon  those  parts  which  are  the  most 
tender,  and  on  which  a  minute  description 
will  heighten  the  general  effect.  We  are 
surprised,  delighted,  and  melted  with  his 
charming  parenthesis:  '' seeins;  that  bis 
life  is  bound  up  in  the  lad's  life."  It  is 
true  it  does  not  seem  to  inform  us  of  any 
thing  which  we  might  not  have  known 
without  it ;  but  it  re|)resents  what  was  be- 
fore stated  in  a  more  affecting  light.  It 
is  also  remarkable  how  he  repeats  things 
which  are  the  most  tender;  as,  "When 
I  come,  and  the  lad  be  not  ivith  us."  "It 
shall  come  to  pass,  when  he  seeth  that 
the  lad  is  not  with  us."  So  also  in  de- 
scribing the  effect  this  would  produce  : 
"When  he  seeth  that  the  lad  is  not  with 
us,  Ae  will  die;  and  we  shall  bringdown 
the  grey  hairs  of  thy  servant  our  father 
with  sorrow  to  the  grave."  This  last  sen- 
tence, also,  not  only  repeats  the  death  of 
the  aged  parent  in  a  more  affecting 
manner  than  the  first,  but  contains  a  plea 
forBenjamin's  release  founded  on  the  cruel 
situation  of  their  being  otherwise  forced 
in  a  manner  to  become  parricides  ! 

Ver.  32 — 34.     One  plea  more  remains, 


which  will  at  once  contain  an  apology  for 
his  importunity,  and  make  way  for  uliat, 
with  iiumlile  submission,  he  means  (o  pro- 
pose. This  is,  "Thy  servant  became 
surely  lor  the  lad  unto  my  father."  And, 
that  it  may  make  the  deeper  impression, 
he  repeats  the  terms  of  it  :  "  If  1  bring 
him  not  unto  ihee,  let  me  bear  the  blame 
forever."  And  now,  having  stated  his 
peculiar  situation,  he  presumes  to  express 
iiis  petition.  But  why  did  he  not  mention 
that  at  first,  and  allege  what  he  has  alleged 
in  support  of  it  1  Such  might  have  been 
the  process  of  a  less  skilful  advocat'-  ;  but 
Jud.di's  leelitigs  tauiihl  Idm  better.  His 
withholding  that  to  the  last  was  holding  the 
mind  of  his  judge  in  a  stale  of  atfecting  sus- 
pense, and  preventing  the  objections  which 
an  al>ru()t  introduction  of  it  at  the  beginning 
might  have  created.  He  might  in  that  case 
have  cut  him  short,  as  he  had  done  before, 
saying,  "  God  fori)id  that  I  should  do  so: 
the  man  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is  found, 
he  shall  be  my  servant."  But  he  could 
not  refuse  to  hear  his  tale;  and  by  that 
he  was  prepared  to  hear  his  petition. 
Tiius  Esther,  when  presenting  her  |)eli- 
tion  to  Ahasuerus,  kept  it  i)ack  till  she 
had,  l)y  holding  him  in  suspense,  raised 
his  desire  to  the  utmost  height  lo  know 
wiiat  it  was,  and  induced  in  him  a  predis- 
position to  gvant  it. 

But  what  is  Judah's  petition  ]  That 
the  crime  may  be  passed  over,  and  that 
they  may  all  return  home  to  their  father  1 
No  :  "  Let  thy  servant,  1  pray  thee,  abide 
instead  of  the  lad  a  bondman  lo  my  lord, 
and  let  the  lad  go  up  with  his  brethien  !  " 
If  we  except  the  grace  of  anotlier  and 
greater  substitute,  never  surely  was  there 
a  more  generous  proposal  !  And  when  to 
this  is  added  the  filial  regard  from  which 
it  proceeds,  "  for  how  shall  I  go  up  to  my 
father,  and  the  lad  be  not  v.ith  me  ;  lest 
peradventure  I  see  the  esil  that  shall  come 
on  my  father  I  "  this  in  itself,  distinct  from 
all  which  had  gone  before  it,  was  enough 
to  overcome  every  objection. 


DISCOURSE  LIII. 

JOSEPH  MAKES    HIMSELF    KNOWN    TO    HIS 
BRETHREN. 

Gen.  xlv. 

Ver.  1—3.  The  close  of  Judah's 
speech  must  have  been  succeeded  by  a  sol- 
emn pause.  Every  heart  is  full;  but  eve- 
ry tongue  is  silent.  The  audience,  it  Ihey 
understood  the  language,  would  he  all  in 
tears.  The  ten  brethren,  viewing  the 
whole  as  the  righteous  judgment  of  God 


S54 


EXrOSlTION    OF    GENESIS. 


Upon  Ihetn,  would  be  full  of  fearful  amaze- 
ment as  to  tlie  i?sue.  Bcnjpniiii  would 
feel  1  olli  (or  his  dear  fallier  and  his  1  eiov- 
ed  hrollier  who  had  olfered  to  give  himself 
for  him  !  B.it  what  saith  thejudiiel  How 
does  he  stand  afTected  1  I  have  no  dotift 
1  ul  that  he  must  have  covered  his  face 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in 
Avhich  Judah  had  I  een  |  leading  :  and  now 
this  wili  nut  sulRte.  I'lie  fire  l.urns  with 
in  him,  and  it  must  have  vent.  "  Cause 
every  man,"  said  he.  "to  depart  irom 
nie  !  "  And  then  he  breaks  out  in  a  loud 
weeping,  so  that  the  Egyptians  from  with- 
out heard  him.  Their  minds  no  doubt 
must  be  filled  with  amazement,  and  desire 
to  know  the  cause  of  this  strange  affair; 
while  the  parties  within  would  be  still 
more  confounded,  to  witness  suc!i  a  burst 
of  sorrow,  Irom  him  who,  hut  awhile  be- 
fore, was  all  sternness  and  severity.  But 
now  the  mystery  is  at  once  revealed,  and 
that  in  a  lew  word^— T  AM  JOSEPH  !  !  ! 
Doth  my  father  yet  live  1  If  they 
had  been  struck  liy  an  electrical  shock,  or 
the  most  tremendous  j)eal  of  thunder  had 
instantly  been  heard  over  their  heads,  its 
effect  had  been  nothing  in  comparison  of 
that  which  these  words  must  have  [uo- 
duced.  They  aie  all  struck  dumb,  and  as  it 
were  petrified  with  terror.  If  he  had  been 
actually  dead,  and  had  risen  and  appeared 
to  them,  they  could  not  have  felt  greatly 
diff'erent.  The  flood  of  thoughts  which 
would  at  once  rush  in  upon  their  minds  is 
past  description.  No  words  could  better 
express  the  general  effect  than  those  which 
are  used  :  "  They  could  not  answer  him  ; 
for  ihey  were  troubled  at  his  presence  !" 

Ver.  4 — 8.  A  little  nnnd,  amidst  all 
its  sympathy,  might  have  enjoyed  the 
trium|)h  which  Joseph  now  had  over  them 
who  once  hated  him,  and  have  been  wil- 
ling to  make  them  feel  it :  but  he  has  made 
them  feel  sufficiently  already  ;  and,  hav- 
ing Ibrgiven  them  in  his  heart,  he  remem- 
bers their  sin  no  more,  but  is  full  of  ten- 
der solicitude  to  heal  their  wounded  spirits. 
"  Come  near  unto  me,"  sailh  he,  "  I 
pray  you  ;  and  they  came  near  :  and  he 
said,  I  am  Joseph  j'our  brother,  whom  ye 
sold  into  E!.'y[)t."  This  painful  event  he 
does  not  seem  to  have  mentioned  hut  for 
the  sake  of  convincing  them  that  it  was 
he  himself,  even  their  brother  Joseph,  and 
not  another  ;  and  lest  the  mention  of  it 
should  he  taken  as  a  reflection,  and  so  add 
to  their  distress,  he  immediately  follows 
it  up  witli  a  dissuasive  from  overmuch  sor- 
row :  "  Now  therefore  he  not  grieved,  nor 
angry  with  yourselves  that  ye  sold  me 
hither  :  for  God  did  send  me  before  you 
to  preserve  life.  For  these  two  years  hath 
the  famine  been  in  t!ie  land  :  and  yet  there 
are  five  )  ears  in  the  which  there  shall  be 


neither  earing  nor  harvest.  And  God  sent 
me  before  you,  to  preserve  a  posterity  in 
the  earth,  and  l()sa\e  yourlives  by  a  great 
deliverance.  So  now  it  was  not  you' that 
sent  me  hither,  b.t  God  :  and  he  hath 
made  me  a  father  to  Pharaoh,"  &c. 

In  this  soothing  and  lender  strain  did 
this  excellent  irian  pour  I  aim  into  their 
wounded  hearts.  A  less  delicate  mind 
would  have  talked  of  forgiving  them  ;  but 
he  entreats  them  to  forgise  themselves,  as 
though  the  other  was  out  of  the  question. 
Nor  did  he  mean  that  they  should  abuse 
the  doctrine  of  providence  to  the  making 
light  of  sin  ;  but  merely  that  they  should 
eye  the  hand  of  God  in  all,  so  as  to  he 
reconciled  to  the  event,  though  they  might 
weep  in  secret  for  the  part  w  liich  lliey  had 
acted.  And  it  is  his  desire  that  they  should 
for  the  present,  at  least,  view  the  suhject 
much  in  that  point  of  light,  which  would 
arm  them  against  despondency  and  a  be- 
ing swallowed  up  of  overmuch  sorrow. 
Their  viewing  things  in  this  light  would 
not  abate  their  godly  sorrow,  hut  rather 
increase  it:  it  would  tend  only  to  exjiel 
the  sorrow  of  the  world,  which  v^oiketh 
death.  The  analogy  between  all  this,  and 
the  case  ol  a  sinner  on  Christ's  first  man- 
ifesting himself  to  his  soul,  is  very  strik- 
ing. I  cannot  enlarge  on  particulars : 
suffice  it  to  say,  the  more  he  views  the 
doctrine  of  the  cross,  in  which  God  hath 
glorified  himself,  and  saved  a  lost  world 
by  those  very  means  which  were  intended 
for  evil  by  his  murderers,  the  better  it 
will  he  with  him.  He  shall  not  he  able  to 
think  sin  on  this  account  a  less,  but  a 
greater,  evil  ;  and  yet  he  shall  be  so  armed 
against  des(:ondency  as  even  to  rejoice  in 
what  God  hath  wrought,  while  he  trembles 
in  thinking  of  the  evils  from  which  he  has 
escaped. 

Ver.  9 — 11.  It  is  not  in  the  power  of 
Joseph's  brethren  to  talk  at  present  :  he 
therefore  talks  to  them.  And  to  divert 
their  minds  from  terror,  and  gradually  re- 
move the  effects  of  the  shock,  he  goes  on 
to  tell  lliem  they  must  make  haste  home 
to  his  father,  and  say  thus  and  thus  to  him 
in  his  name  ;  and  invite  him  and  all  his 
family  to  comedown  fbrlhwiih  into  Egypt, 
where  he  and  they  shall  be  well  provided 
for  during  the  five  years'  famine  yet  to 
come,  and  where  he  shall  lie  near  unto 
him. 

Ver.  12 — 15.  While  he  is  thus  talking 
with  his  brethren,  they  would  be  apt  to 
suspect  whether  all  could  he  true,  and 
whether  Ihey  were  not  in  a  dream,  or  im- 
posed upon  in  some  supernatural  way.  To 
obviate  these  nnsgivings  of  mind,  he  adds, 
"  And  heboid,  your  eyes  see,  and  the  eyes 
of  my  brother  Benj;:niin,  that  it  is  my 
mouth  which  speakelh  unto  you,  and  you 


JOSEPH  MADE  KNOWN  TO  HIS  buethre:*.  S55 

shall    tell    my  father  of  ;ill    my    glory    in  and    meat    for    him    liy  the  way.     Tlicse 

Esiypt."     '1  i)e  lormer  part  of  ih  s   speech  things  iiiij;hl  not  he  all   necessary:  Jacob 

must  needs  have    produced  in  him  a  liesh  would  need  no  more  for  himsell   than  any 

flood  ol   tears.      As  to   them,  1   know    not  other  indi\idual  o(  the  taniily  ;   hut,  as  we 

whether  ihey  could  weep  at  (iresenl.   Noth-  saw  in  tiie  mess  which  was  sent  to  Benja- 

ing  is  said  ol   the   kind  ;   and  it    is    natural  min,  this  was  the  mode  at  that  time  of  e\- 

to  sufi|)()se  that  they  had  too  much   fear  as  pressing  peculiar    afl'ection.     To  all    this 

yet  mingled  with  their  sorrow  to    admit  of  kindness    he  added    a    word    of    counsel: 

its  heing  vented  in  this  manner.    He  how-  "  Sec  that  yc   fall   not  out    hy  the   way." 

ever,     having     made     mention     of     Ben-  Joseph   had  alre.idy   heard    from    Reul  en 

juniin,    cannot    fbrhear   failing   upon     liis  some   severe   reflections   on    his   lirelhren 

neck  and  weo[>ing  over   him:   and    Benja-  (ch.    xlii.   '22);    and    mijiht    supjiuse    that 

min,    not    feeling    that     petrilying     guilty  such  things  would  ie  repeated  when  Ihey 

sh;)ck  which  must   have  con'ounded  them,  were   alone.       One    might    he    accused   of 

fell  upon  his  neck,  and  wept  wiih  him.  this,   and    another    of     that,   till    all    their 

Joseph  had  said  nothing  to  his  1  rcthren  minds    would    he    grieved    and    wounded. 

of    forgiving   them  ;     hut    he  would     now  But  he  that  could  find   in  his  heart  to  love 

express  as  much,  and  more,  I  y  his  actions  ;  them,   after   all   their    unworthy  conduct, 

giving  an  afleclionate  kiss  to  every  one  of  gives  them,  as  I   may  say,   "a  new  com- 

thcm,  accon)panied  with   tears    of  tender-  mandnient,  that  they  should  love  one  an- 

ncss.     This  ap[)ears  more  than    any   thing  other!" 

to  have  removed  their  terror,  so  that  now  Ver.  25 — 23.     And  now  the  young  peo- 

they    are   sufTiciently    composed     to    talk  pie   betake   tiumselves   to  their  journey, 

with  him,  if  not  to  mingle  their  fears  with  and  in  a  little  time   arrive  at  their  father's 

Lis.  house.     Jacob  liad  doul  tiess  I  een  I  )oking 

Ver.  16 — 24.  The  secret,  heing  once  and  longing  for  their  return,  and  that  with 
disclosed  vvithin  doors,  soon  got  out  ;  and  many  fears  and  misgivings  of  mind.  If 
news  of  Joseph's  brethren  being  come  flies  the  matter  was  announced  as  suddenly  as 
thiough  the  city,  and  reaches  ihe  palace,  it  is  here  related,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
Pharanh  and  his  court  too  are  well  pleas-  "Jacob's  heart  fainted,  and  that  he  he- 
ed with  it;  or,  if  there  were  any,  who  lieved  them  not."  It  must  appear  too 
might  envy  Joseph's  high  honor,  they  much  to  I  e  true.  The  suddenness  of  the 
would  not  dare  to  express  it.  transition   would   p,roduce    an    effect    like 

In  other  cases,  Pharaoh   had   left   every  that  of  fire  and  water  coming   in  contact  : 

thing  to  Joseph  ;  and  Joseph  know  ing  what  and  though   he  had  suspected   that  Joseph 

he  had  done,  and  the  confidence  which  he  had  not  been  fairly  treated  by  his  brethren, 

j)ossessed,  had  given  orders  in  this  case  ;  yet  he  never  seems  to  have  doubled   that 

yet,  to  save  his  feelings  in  having  to  invite  he  was  dead.      It   would  appear  therefore, 

his  own   relations   as  it    were   to  another  at  first,  as  if  they  meant  to  tantalize  him. 

man's  house,  as  well  as  to  express  the  grat-  Perhaps,  too,  we  may   partly  account  for 

itude  of  the  nation  to  so  great  a   beiielac-  this  incredulit}  from  the  aptness  there  is 

tor,  the  king   in   this  instance  comes   for-  in    a    dejected    mind    to    1  clieve    what    i.s 

ward,  and  gives  orders  himself.     His  or-  against  him  rather  than  what   is  for  him. 

ders  loo  were  more  liberal   than  those  of  When  ihey   brouiiht    the  bloody  garment 

Jose[)h  :   he  had  desired  them  to  bring  with  he    readily   believed,  saying,    "Joseph    is 

them  all  the  projierty  they  had  ;  1  ut  Pha-  without    doubt    rent    in    pieces  !  "        But, 

raoh  I  ids  them  to  disregard  their  stuff,  for  wiien  good  news   is   told  him,  it  seems  loo 

that  the  good  of  all  the  land  of  Egy|)t  was  good  to  be  4rue. 

theirs.       Joseph  had  said   nothing   about  They  went  on,  however,  and  told  him 

the    mode    of   conveyance;    but    Pharaoh  of  all    the    words    of  Josejih ;  that    is,   of 

gives  orders  for  waggons,  or  chariots,  as  the    invitations    which   he   sent   hy  them  ; 

the  word   is   sometimes    rendered,    to   be  and,  as   a   proof,  pointed   to   the   waggons 

sent  to  letch  them.  which  were  come  to  take  him  down.    The 

Joseph,    however,   in    executing    these  sight  of  these   overcomes  the  incredulity 

orders,  gives  fresh  testimonies  of  affection,  of  the    patriarch,  and    revives    his    spirit, 

not  only  in  furnishing  them  with  "  provis-  "It   is   enough,"    said    he:   "Joseph    juy 

ions  by  ihe  way,"  bul  to  each  man  changes  son  is  yet  alive.     I  will   go   and   see  him 

of  raiment,  and  to  Benjamin  his    1  lothcr  before  I  die  !  "     Yes,  this  was  enouuh,  not 

three   hundred    pieces   ol   silver,  and    five  only  to  remove  his  doul  ts,  but  to  heal  his 

changes  of  raiment.     An:l   to  his  honored  wounded   heart,  to  set  ,A\    riglit,  to  solve 

father,  though   he  could  not  on  account  of  all  mysteries,  and  to  satisfy  his  soul.     He 

business  go  and  fetch  him,  yet   he  sends  had  no  more  wishes  on  this  side  the  grave, 

the    richest    present;    namely,    ten    asses  No  mention   is   made  of  how    he  received 

laden  witii  the  good   things  of  Kgypt,  and  the  gifts,  or  w    at  he  said  of  his  son's  glo- 

teo  she  asseg  laden  with  corn  and  bread  ry  :  it  was  enough  for  him  that  he  was 


856 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


alive.  The  less  must  give  way  to  the 
greater.  He  seems  to  have  considered 
death  as  near  at  hand,  and  as  though  he 
had  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  and  see  him, 
and,  like  old  Simeon  by  the  Saviour,  de- 
part in  peace. — Ch.  xlvi.  30.  But  he 
must  live  a  few  years  longer,  and  reflect 
upon  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in 
all  these  mysterious  events. 


DISCOURSE   LIV. 
Jacob's  going  down  into  egypt. 

Gen.  xlvi. 

The  patriarch,  having  resolved  to  go 
and  see  liis  beloved  Joseph,  soon  gets 
ready  (or  his  journey,  and  takes  with  him 
"all  (hat  he  had."  It  was  generous  in 
Pharaoli  to  j)ropose  his  leaving  tiie  stuff 
behind  hini;  liut  Jacob  was  not  eUited  uilh 
the  riches  of  Egypt,  and  might  vvish  to 
put  his  friends  to  as  little  expense  as  pos- 
sible. Those  things  wliich  Pharaoh  would 
call  stuff  might  also  have  a  peculiar  value 
in  his  esteem,  as  having  been  given  him 
in  answer  to  prayer. — Chap,  xxviii.  20. 
What  is  given  by  our  best  iriend  should 
not  be  set  at  nought. 

But  does  not  Jacob  acknowledge  God 
in  this  undertaking.  It  is  a  very  impor- 
tant one  to  him  and  to  his  posterity.  Sure- 
ly he  does  not  "  use  lightness  "  in  such  an 
affair;  and  "  the  thing  which  he  purpos- 
eth  is  not  according  to  the  flesh."  No, 
he  will  solen)nly  invoke  the  divine  bless- 
ing, but  not  till  he  has  gone  one  day's 
journey.  He  had  doubtless  committed 
his  way  to  God,  and  we  hope  was  satis- 
fied as  to  the  path  of  duty  ;  but  he  might 
have  a  special  reason  for  deferring  his 
public  devotions  till  he  should  arrive  at 
Beersheba.  This  was  a  distinguished 
spot :  what  had  there  taken  place  would 
tend  to  assist  him  in  his  approaches  to 
God.  It  was  there  that  Abraham,  after 
many  changes  and  trials,  "  called  on  the 
name  of  the  everlasting  God  ;"  and  there 
that  Isaac  had  the  promise  renewed  to 
him,  "  built  an  altar,  and  called  also  upon 
the  name  of  Jehovah."  This  therefore 
shall  be  the  place  where  Jacob  will  offer 
a  solemn  sacrifice,  and  invoke  the  divine 
blessing  on  himself  and  his  children. 

Arriving  at  the  a[)pointed  place  towards 
evening,  he  and  all  his  company  stop;  and 
having  reared  an  altar,  or  repaired  that 
which  had  been  built  aforetime,  "  offered 
sacrifices  to  the  God  of  his  father  Isaac." 
Jacob,  in  his  approaches  to  God,  did  not 
forget  to  avail  himself  of  the  covenant 
made  with   his   forefathers,   and    of   the 


promises  already  on  record.  His  comjfig 
to  this  place  seems  to  have  been  with  the 
very  design  that  his  eyes,  in  beholding  the 
surrounding  objects,  might  assist  his  mind 
and  affect  his  heart  in  the  recollection. 
Nor  must  we  in  ours  forget  to  avail  our- 
selves of  the  covenant  of  God  in  Christ, 
in  which  is  all  our  salvati^m.  The  re- 
meml)rance  of  the  godliness  of  our  prede- 
cessors also,  in  like  circumstances  with 
ourselves,  may  have  a  happy  influence  on 
our  devotions.  It  is  sweet  to  a  holy  mind 
to  be  able  to  say,  "  He  is  my  God,  and  I 
will  exalt  him  :  my  father's  God,  and  I 
will  build  him  a  habitation!  " 

Ver.  2 — 1.  Jacob,  having  closed  the  day 
by  a  solemn  act  of  w  orsiiip  retires  to  rest ; 
and,  as  in  a  former  instance,  God  ap- 
peared and  spake  to  him  in  visions  of  the 
night  ;  calling  liim  twice  by  name,  "Jacob, 
Jacob  !  "  To  which  the  patriarch  answers, 
"  Here  am  I,"  ready  to  hear  what  God 
the  Lord  will  speak  .  nto  his  servant.  And 
he  said,  "  I  am  God."  To  one  so  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  divine  character  as  Jacob 
was,  this  would  be  cheering;  especially  as 
it  would  indicate  his  acceptance  of  the  sa- 
crifice, and  his  being  with  him  in  the  way 
he  went.  It  would  seem  enough  for  a 
godly  mind  to  know  that  God  is  with 
him.  But,  in  compassion  to  Jacob,  it  is 
added,  "the  God  of  thy  father."  As  such 
he  had  sought  him,  and  as  such  he  found 
him.  This  language  amounted  to  a  re- 
newal of  the  covenant  of  Abraham,  that 
"  God  would  bless,  and  make  him  a  bless- 
ing; and  that  in  him,  and  his  seed,  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  should  be  iilessed." 
And,  lest  this  should  be  thought  too  gen- 
eral it  is  added,  "  Fear  not  to  go  down  in- 
to Egypt;  for  I  will  there  make  of  thee 
a  great  nation.  I  will  go  down  with  thee 
into  Egypt ;  and  I  will  also  surely  bring 
thee  up  again,  and  Joseph  shall  put  his 
hand  upon  thine  eyes."  Though  Jacob's 
affection  to  Joseph  made  him  resolve  at 
first  to  go  and  see  him,  yet  it  is  likely  he 
had  afterwards  some  misgivings  of  mind 
upon  the  subject.  Abraham  went  once 
into  Egypt;  but  he  left  it  under  a  cloud, 
and  never  went  again.  Isaac,  in  a  time 
of  famine,  was  forbidden  to  go. — Chap, 
xxvi.  2.  And,  though  Jacob  had  sent  his 
sons  to  buy  corn,  yet  it  did  not  seem  to  be 
the  place  for  him.  But  God  removes  his 
fears,  and  intimates  that  Egypt  is  design- 
ed lo  be  the  cradle  of  that  great  nation 
which  should  descend  from  his  loins. 
They  were  idolaters,  and  should  prove  in 
the  end  oppressors  :  but  the  promise  of 
God  to  go  withhim  was  enough.  Neither 
tem[)tation  nor  persecution  need  dismay 
us,  when  we  are  led  into  it  by  the  Lord  : 
if  he  lead  us  into  it,  we  may  hope  that  he 
will  keep  us  in  it.     The  Lord,  in  promis- 


Jacob's   going  into   lgvpt.  b57 

in»  J;icob  t'lat  h"  wn-il  1  s'jrclj  briii';  him  self,    his   son  Joseph,    and   his  two    sons 

u:>  ajfiin,  (iiil    n  )t    iiiejii    ih.il    he    hiiiisi'lf  Ephrnim  an.l  Manassch,  who  tame  in  his 

sh  >ul;i   conit;   liuck   agiiiii   alive;  1)  .1  thai  I>)iih,  "were    threescore  and  ten." — ver. 

his    posterity    should,    alter     ln'iomin>,'    a  '21.     But   Stephen    says,   "  J()ve|)h    callrd 

jrreat   nation.      With    respect    to    himselt,  his  latliL-r  Jacob  to  him,  and  all  his  kindred, 

he    was   i!;iven   to  expect   that    his  lieloved  threescore     and     lilteen     souls."      Moses 

Joseph  siionld  survive  him,  and  he  present  speaks  ol  him  and  those  who  "  descended 

at    his    death    to  rl  )ne   his   eycfi.     But   his  from  his  loins,'  to  the  exdu.sion  of  "his 

descendants  shi)uld  he  hrought  hack  with  sons'  wives;"  but  Stephen  of  his  kindred 

a  hii^h  hand  :   and,  as  what   «as  spoken  ol'  in  general,  which  would  include  them, 

brinu'ing  him   up  ag^ain  respected  tiu-in,  so  V^er.  2^.     Drawing  nigh  to   Eizypt,  Ju- 

that  ol   going  down  with    him   extended  to  dali  is  sent  helore  to  a|»prize  Joseph  of  his 

them  also.  lather's    arrival.      Judah     had    acquitted 

Ver.  5 — 7.     Alter  so  signal  an  instance  himself  well  in  a  former  case  of  great  del- 

of    mercv,   Jacob    can    leave    Beersheba  icacy,  and  this  might  recomtncnd  him  in 

will)  a  cheerful   heart.     He  is  now  so  far  the    present    instance.       He     who    could 

advanced  in  life,  however,  as  to  be  glad  of  plead  so  well  for  his   lather  shall  have  the 

a  carriage  to  convey   him,  and  of  all   the  honor  of  introducing  him.     It  is  lilting,  too, 

kind  and  dutiful  assistance  of  his  sons   t<»  that  the  latiier  of  the   royal   tribe,  and   of 

accommodate    him.      Time   was    when  he  the  Messiali  himself,  should  not  be  the  last 

wanted  ni  accommodation    of  this    sort;  in  works  of  honor  and  usefulness,  but  rath- 

but  set  off  on  a  much  longer  journey   with  er  that  he  should   have  the  pre-eminence, 

only    a   staf;    but    sixty    years'   toil    and  When  inquiry   was   made  in  the  limes  of 

trouble,  added  to  the  seventy   which   had  the   judges,    "  Who    shall    go     up    for    us 

gone  before,  have  reduced  him  to  a  state  against  the  Canaanites  first  to  fight  against 

of  feebleness  and  debility.     Nature  is  or-  them  !     Tiie    Lord  said,  Judah    shall    go 

dain  d    to   decay  :   but,    if  grace    do    but  up." 

thrive,   it   need    not   be    regretted.     It    is  Ver.  29.     Joseph,  on  receiving  the  intel- 

wisely    and    mercifully    ordered    that    the  ligence,  makes  ready  his  chariot  to  go  and 

strong  sh.iuld  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  meet  his  lather  :   for  being  in  high  office  he 

weak,  and  that  those  who  in  infancy  and  m'jst  act  accordingly  ;  else   another  kind 

childhood  have  been  borne  by  their  parents  of  carriage,  or  perhaps  a  staff  only,  would 

should  return  the  kindness  due  to  them  un-  have  satisfied   him  as   well  as  his  father; 

der  the  imliecilily  of  age.  but  situations  in  life  often  impose  that  up- 

In  taking;  all   his  sul)stance,  as  well  as  on  huml)le    minds   which  they   would  not 

all  his  kindred,  he  would  cut  off  occasion  covet    of    their  own  accord.     The    inter- 

from  those  who  might  be  dis|)osed,  at  least  view  is,  as  might  be  expected,  tender  and 

in  after  limes,  to  re(iroach  the  famdy  with  affecting.     The  account  is  short  but  ap- 

having  come    into    Egypt   empty-handed,  propriale.     He  presents  himself  to  his  ven- 

and  thrown  themselves  upon  the  bounty  of  erai)le  father;   but,  unalile  to  speak,  "fell 

the  country.  upon  his  neck,  and  wept  a  good  while  !  " 

Ver.  8 — 27.  The  names  of  Jacob's  de-  And  who  that  reflects  on  the  occasion  can 
scendants  who  came  wilh  him  into  Egyp.t  forbear  to  weep  with  him  1 
are  here  particularly  recorded.  Com-  Ver.  30.  As  to  the  good  old  man,  he 
pared  with  the  families  of  Abraham  and  feels  so  happy  that  he  thinks  of  nothing 
Isaac,  they  ap[)ear  to  be  numerous,  and  af-  but  dying.  Perhaps  he  thougiit  he  should 
ford  a  pros|)ect  of  a  great  nation  :  yet,  die  soon  :  having  enjoyed  as  much  as  he 
compared  with  those  of  Ishmael  and  Esau,  could  desire  in  this  world,  it  was  natural 
they  are  but  few.  Three-and-twenly  now  to  wish  to  go  to  another.  Having 
years  ago  there  was  "  a  company  of  Ish-  seen  all  things  brought  to  so  blessed  an  is- 
maeliles,"  who  bought  Joseph  :  and,  as  to  sue,  both  in  his  circumstances  and  in  the 
Esau,  he  seems  to  have  become  a  nation  character  of  his  children,  it  is  not  surpri- 
in  a  little  time.  We  see  hence  that  the  sing  that  he  should  now  desire  to  quit  the 
most  valuable  blessings  are  often  the  long-  stage.  "  Lord,  now  let  thy  servant  depart 
est  ere  they  reach  us.  "  The  just  shall  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  sal- 
live  by  failli."  vatinn  I  "     Yet  Jacob  did  not  die  for  sev- 

There  seems  to  be  some  difference  be-  enteen  years;  a  proof  this  that  our  feel- 

tween  the  accoimt  of  Moses  and  that  of  in'i^s  are  no  certain  rule  of  what  shall  be- 

Stephen    in    Ac^s    vii.    14.      Moses    says,  fal  us. 

"All  the  souls  that  came  with  Jacob  into  Ver.  31 — 34.    As  soon  as  the  tenderness 

Eiiypt,  which  came  out  of  his  loins,  be-  of    the    interview    would    permit,  Joseph 

sides  his  sons'  wives,  were  threescore  and  kindly    intim.Ues    to    his    father    and    his 

six. — ver.  26.     And  all  the  souls   of  the  brethren  what  was  proper  to  be  done,  as 

sons  of  Jacob  which  came    into  Eeypt,"  to  their  being  introduced  to  the  king  :  and, 

that  is,  first  and  last,  including  Jacob  him-  that  they  might  be  prepared  for  that  piece 

VOL.  I.  108 


858 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESiS. 


of  necessary  formality,  he  gives  them 
some  general  instructions  what  to  answer. 
And  here  it  is  observable  liow  careful  he 
is  to  keep  them  clear  of  the  snares  of 
Egypt.  A  high-minded  young  man  would 
have  been  for  introducing  his  relations 
into  posts  of  honor  and  })rotit,  lest  they 
should  disgrace  him.  But  Joseph  is  more 
concerned  for  their  purity  than  their  out- 
ward dignity.  "  I  will  go  before  you," 
says  he,  "and  tell  the  king  that  you  are 
shepherds,"  and  have  been  so  all  your 
lives,  and  your  fathers  before  you.  This 
will  prevent  his  making  any  proposals  lor 
raising  you  to  posts  of  honor  in  the  state  ; 
and  he  will  at  once  feel  the  propriety  of 
assigning  you  a  part  of  the  country  which 
is  suited  to  the  sustenance  of  your  flocks 
and  herds,  and  where  you  may  live  by 
yourselves  unconlaminated  by  Egyptian 
customs.  And  when  you  come  before  the 
king,  and  he  shall  ask  you  of  your  occu- 
pation, then  do  you  confirm  what  I  have 
said  of  you  :  and  as  the  employment  of  a 
shepherd  is  njeanly  accounted  of  in  Egypt, 
and  those  that  follow  it  are  despised  and 
reckoned  unfit  for  the  higher  offices  of  the 
state,  this  will  determine  the  king  to  say 
nothing  to  you  on  that  subject,  but  to 
grant  you  a  place  in  Goshen. 

Thus,  while  men  in  general  are  pressing 
after  the  highest  stations  in  life,  and  sac- 
rificing every  thing  to  obtain  them,  wc  see 
a  man  who  had  for  nine  years  occupied 
one  of  these  posts,  and  felt  both  its  ad- 
vantages and  its  disadvantages,  carefully 
directing  his  dearest  friends  and  relations 
into  another  track  ;  acting  up  to  Agur's 
prayer  :  "  Give  me  neither  poverty  nor 
riches;  but  give  me  food  convenient." 
The  cool  and  sequestered  path  of  life  is 
the  safest,  happiest,  and  most  friendly  to 
true  religion.  If  we  wish  to  destroy  our 
souls,  or  the  souls  of  our  children,  let  us 
seek,  for  ourselves  and  them,  great  things  ; 
but,  if  not,  it  becomes  us,  having  food  and 
raiment,  therewith  to  be  content.  A  rage 
for  amassing  wealth,  or  rising  to  emi- 
nence, is  a  whirlpool  in  which  millions 
have  perished. 


DISCOURSE    LV. 

Joseph's  conduct  in  the  settlement 
of  his  brethren,  and  in  the  af- 
fairs of  egypt. 

Gen.   xlvii. 

Ver.  1,  2.  Joseph  having  adjusted 
matters  with  his  father  and  his  brethren, 
with  respect  to  their  appearance  before 
the  king,  takes  with  hira  five  of  the  lat- 


ter, and  introduces  them.  His  object  is 
not  merely  a  compliance  with  the  rules  of 
respect  which  were  proper  on  such  an 
occasion,  but  to  ol)tain  tor  them  a  resi- 
dence in  Goshen,  where  they  might  pur- 
sue their  usual  avocations,  and  be  near 
unto  him.  To  this  end  he  mentions  that 
they  were  in  that  part  of  the  country  with 
their  flocks  and  their  herds;  hoping  that 
this  miglit  induce  the  king  to  consent  to 
their  continuance  there. 

Ver.  3,  4.  The  young  men  appearing 
before  Pharaoh,  he  asks  them,  as  Joseph 
supposed  he  would,  what  was  their  occu- 
pation. A  very  proper  question  to  be  put 
by  a  magistrate  to  young  men  at  any  time; 
but  the  object  in  this  case  seems  to  have 
been  to  ascertain  what  posts  in  the  state 
they  were  qualified  to  fill.  He  took  it  lor 
granted  that  they  were  of  some  lawful 
calling;  and  every  government  has  aright 
to  require  that  those  who  enjoy  its  pro- 
tection should  not  be  mere  vagrants,  but 
by  their  industry  contribute  in  some  way 
to  the  public  good.  Their  answer  accords 
with  their  previous  instructions  :  they 
were  "shejiherds,  both  they  and  (heir  fa- 
thers." To  this  they  added  what  was 
their  wish,  if  it  might  please  the  king,, 
which  was,  not  to  be  naturalized,  but 
merely  to  sojourn  for  a  season  in  the 
country,  with  their  flocks  and  their  herds,, 
which  were  starved  out  by  the  severity  oi" 
the  famine  in  their  own  land.  This  lan- 
guage implies  their  faith  in  the  divine 
promises  ;  for  they  that  say  such  things 
declare  plainly  that  they  seek  another 
country.  It  would  also  tend  to  second  the 
endeavors  of  Josejdi,  in  removing  from 
the  king's  mind  all  thoughts  of  promoting 
them  to  places  of  honor,  and  obtaining  for 
them  a  residence  in  Goshen.  Their  an- 
swer concludes  with  an  express  petition 
for  this  object. 

Ver.  5,  6.  Pharaoh,  turning  himself  to 
Joseph,  with  much  politeness  and  frank- 
ness, thus  addressed  him  :  Thy  father  and 
thy  brethren  are  come  unto  thee  :  the  land 
of  Egypt  is  before  thee.  In  the  best  of 
the  land,  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  seeing 
they  prefer  it,  let  them  dwell.  And,  as  to 
promoting  them,  it  does  not  seem  to  suit 
their  calling  or  their  inclinations  to  be 
raised  in  the  manner  which  I  might  have 
proposed  on  their  behalf:  I  will  tlierefbre 
leave  it  to  you  to  make  them  haj)py  in 
their  own  way.  If  there  be  one  or  more 
of  them  better  qualified  for  business  than 
the  rest,  let  them  be  appointed  chief  of 
my  herdsmen. 

Ver.  7 — 10.  The  grand  object  being 
accomplished,  all  hearts  are  at  rest,  and 
now  Joseph  introduces  to  the  king  his  aged 
father ;  not  upon  business,  but  merely  in 
a  way  of  respect.     When  the  young  men 


JACOB  AND  HIS  SONS  APPKAR  BEFORK  PHARAOH.  859 

nere  presented,  they  stood  before  liim  ;  Heb.  xi.  13,  14,  where  it  is  called  a  con- 
)nit  Jarol),  in  honor  of  his  years,  and  iit  fcssion,  and  its  iinplicalion  is  insisted  on  : 
cniMpassion  lo  liis  inlirmities,  is  [)lace(i  up-  "They  that  say  suchthinj^s  declaie  plain- 
on  a  sfo/.  Thelirst  olijecl  thalniecls  his  ly  thai  they  seek  a  couulry."  We  may 
eyes  is  Pharaoli,  sitting  in  his  royal  rolics  see  in  it  a  charming  example  of  spiritiial- 
helbre  him.  'I'iio  sii;iil  of  a  prince  who  ity,  and  how  sucli  a  slate  of  mind  will  tind 
had  shown  sucii  kindness  to  itim  and  hi?,  in  a  way  of  introducing  religion,  even  in  an- 
a  time  ofdistress,  calls  lorlh  the  must  lively  swer  to  the  most  simple  and  common  qucs- 
sensationsol'gratitude,  which  he  is  prompt-  tions.  We  go  into  the  company  of  a  great 
«d  to  express  by  a  solemn  Wessing!  How  man,  and  come  away  without  once  thi-nk- 
befniing  and  "how  affecting  is  this  !  It  ing  of  introducing  religion  :  nay,  it  would 
was  reckoned  by  the  apostle  as  a  truth  seem  to  us  almost  rude  to  attempt  it.  But 
*' beyond  all  contradiction  that  the  less  is  wherefore]  Because  of  our  want  of  spirit- 
blessed  of  the  better,"  or  greater.  In  one  ual -mindedness.  If  our  spirits  were  im- 
respect  Pharaoh  was  greater  than  Jacob;  bued  with  a  sense  of  divine  things,  we 
but,  in  another,  Jacob  was  greater  than  should  think  of  the  most  common  concerns 
he;  and  Jacob  knew  it,  and  thought  it  no  of  life  in  a  religious  way  ;  and,  so  think- 
presumption  to  act  upon  such  a  principle,  ing  of  them,  it  would  be  natural  to  speak 
He  was  a  son  of  Abraham,  whose  i)ecu-  of  them.  Jacob,  in  answer  to  this  simple 
liar  honor  it  was  that  he  and  his  |)osteiity  question,  inlroiluces  several  important 
should  be  blessings  to  inankind  :  "  I  will  truths,  and  that  without  any  force  orawk- 
blcss  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  blessing."  wardness.  He  insinuates  to  Pharaoh  that 
He  was  also  himself  a  man  who,  "as  a  he  and  his  fathers  before  him  were  stran- 
prince,  had  power  with  God  and  men,  and  gers  and  pilgrims  upon  the  earth;  that 
prevailed."  The  blessing  of  such  a  man  their  portion  was  not  in  this  world,  but  in 
■was  of  no  small  account  ;  for  God  suffered  another;  that  the  life  of  man,  though  it 
not  the  words  of  his  servants  to  fall  to  the  extended  to  a  hundred  and  thirty  years, 
ground.  ^vas  but  a  few  days  ;  that  those  few    days 

It  Avouid  seem  at  first  sight  as  if  Pha-  were  mixed  with  evil  ;  all  which,  if  the 
raoh  was  not  struck  with  the  blessing,  but  king  properly  reflected  on  it,  would  lead 
merely  with  the  venerable  aspect  of  the  him  to  set  light  by  the  earthly  glory  with 
man,  and  therefore  proceeded  to  inquire  which  he  was  loaded,  and  to  seek  a  crown 
his  age  :  but  I  incline  to  think  he  was  which  fadcth  not  away.  It  is  admirable 
chiefly  struck  with  the  former.  He  must  to  see  how  all  these  sentiments  could  be 
have  perceived  a  wide  difference  between  suggested  in  so  prudent,  so  modest,  so 
this  and  any  thing  he  had  ever  met  with  natural,  and  so  inoffensive  a  manner.  If 
from  the  Egyptian  sages,  something  Pharaoh  was  alfectcd  with  Jacob's  bless- 
heavenly  and  divine:  and  as  the  steward  ing  him,  and  wished  by  his  question  to  turn 
appeared  to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  the  conversation  to  something  less  tender^ 
religion  of  the  family,  telling  the  brethren  he  would  be  in  a  manner  disappointed, 
that  "their  God  and  the  God  of  their  He  is  now  in  company  with  a  man  who, 
father,  had  given  thom  the  treasure  talk  on  what  he  will,  will  make  him 
in  their  sacks"  (chap,  xliii.  23);  so  we  feel;  and  yet  it  shall  be  in  a  way  that 
may  suppose  was  Pharaoh  himself,  cannot  hurt  him,  for  he  says  nothing  about 
He  would  see  also  in  this  solemn  blessing,  him,  but  speaks  merely  of  himself, 
in  which  Jacob  no  doubt  made  use  of  Having  thus  made  a  suitable  con/essjon, 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  something  perfectly  the  patriarch,  whose  heart  was  \uU,  could 
correspondent  with  what  might  have  been  not  take  leave  of  the  king  without  repeat- 
ex(>ected  from  the  father  of  "  a  man  in  ing  his  solcTun  blessing.  Whether  Pha- 
whom  was  tiie  Spirit  of  God."  If  he  felt  raoh  ever  saw  him  again  we  are  not  told  : 
the  force  of  these  things,  it  would  over-  but,  if  what  was  then  said  had  a  proper 
come  him,  and  render  him  scarcely  aide  to  effect,  he  would  remember  this  inter- 
speak;  and  hence  it  would  he  natural,  in  view  asoneof  the  most  interesting  events 
order  to  recover  himself,  to  turn  the  con  -   of  his  life. 

versation  upon  a  less  affecting  topic,  in-  Ver.  11,  12.  Joseph,  having  obtained 
quiring,  "  How  old  art  thoul  "  The  an-  the  consent  of  the  king,  places  his  father 
swer  to  this  question  is  very  pathetic  and  and  his  brethren  in  the  situation  he  intend- 
impressive  :  "  The  days  of  the  years  of  my  ed,  and  there  continues  to  nourish  and 
pilgrimage  are  a  hundred  and  thirty  years  ;  cherish  them,  "as  a  little  child  is  nourish- 
i'ew  and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of  ed."  And  thus  he  is  made,  more  than  at 
my  life  been,  and  have  not  attained  unto  the  birth  of  Manasseh,  to  foitret  all  his  toil 
the  days  of  the  y^ars  of  the  life  of  my  and  all  the  distresses  which  he  had  met 
fathers  in  the  days  of  their  pilgrimage."  with  in  his  father's  house. 
We  have  a  comment  upon  this  answer   in        Ver.  13 — 28.    The  sacred  writer  inforra 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


US,  as  a  matter  by  the  bye,  of  the  state  of 
things  in  Egypt  during  the  remaining  five 
years  of  famine,  under  Joseph's  adminis- 
tration. The  famine  was  so  sore  in  the 
land  that  to  purchase  the  necessaries  of 
life,  the  inhabitants  first  parted  with  all 
their  money  ;  and  not  only  liiey  but  the 
countries  adjacent  ;  so  that  the  king's 
treasury  became  greatly  enriched.  And, 
when  money  failed,  their  cattle  were  re- 
quired ;  and  last  of  all  their  lands,  and 
their  persons,  save  only  that  the  lands  of 
their  priests,  or  |)rinces,  were  not  sold  :  for 
being,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  country 
considered  as  a  part  of  the  royal  house- 
hold, they  were  not  under  the  necessity  of 
selling  their  estates.  Iiut  were  participants 
of  all  the  advantages  which  Pharaoh  deri- 
ved by  Joseph. 

This  part  of  Joseph's  conduct  has  been 
thought  by  some  very  exceptionable,  as 
tending  to  reduce  a  nation  to  ))overty  and 
slavery.  I  am  not  sure  that  it  was  entire- 
ly right,  though  the  parties  concerned  ap- 
pear to  have  cast  no  reflection  upon  him. 
If  it  were  not,  it  only  proves  that  Joseph, 
though  a  good  and  great  man,  yet  was  not 
perfect.  But  difference  of  time  and  cir- 
cumstances may  render  us  incompetent 
to  judge  of  his  conduct  with  accuracy. 
The  following  remarks,  if  they  do  not 
wholly  exculpate  him,  may  at  least  ser\e 
greatly  to  extenuate  the  evil  of  his  con- 
duct. 1.  He  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  employed  by  the  country,  but  by  the 
king  only,  and  that  for  himself.  He  did 
not  buy  up  corn  during  (he  plentiful  years 
at  the  public  expense,  but  at  that  of  the 
king,  paying  the  peo[)le  the  full  price  for 
their  commodities,  ;ind,  as  it  would  seem, 
out  of  the  king's  private  |)iirse.  2.  Ifllie 
Egyptians  had  believed  the  word  of  God, 
as  the  king  did,  ihey  had  the  same  op- 
portunity, and  might  have  laid  by  grain 
enough,  each  f;imily  for  itself,  during  the 
seven  plentiful  years,  fully  to  have  supfili- 
ed  their  own  wants  during  the  years  of 
famine.  But  it  seems  they  paid  no  re- 
gard to  the  dreams  nor  to  the  interpre- 
tation, any  more  than  the  antediluvians 
did  to  the  preparations  of  Noah.  All 
the  plenty  which  had  been  poured  upon 
them,  according  as  Joseph  had  foretold,  did 
not  convince  them  :  the  only  use  they  made 
of  it  was  to  waste  it  in  luxury  as  it  came. 
It  was  just,  therefore,  that  they  should 
now  feel  some  of  the  consequences.  3. 
In  supplying  their  wants,  it  was  absolute- 
ly necessary   to  distribute  the   provisions 


not  by  gijt  but  by  sale;  and  that  according 
to  what  we  should  call  (he  market  price: 
otherwise  the  whole  would  ha\e  l.een  con- 
sumed in  half  the  time,  and  the  country 
have  perished.  4.  The  slavery  to  which 
they  were  reduced  was  n)eiely  that  of  I  e- 
ing  tenants  to  the  king,  who  accepted  of 
one  fifth  oi  the  })roduce  for  his  rent.  In- 
deed it  was  scarcely  possible  for  a  whole 
nation  to  be  greatly  oi)pressed,  without 
feing  driven  to  redress  themselves  ;  and 
probal  ly  what  they  [laid  in  afierlimes  as  a 
rent  was  much  the  same  thing  as  we  pay 
in  taxes,  enabling  the  king  to  maintain 
his  state  and  support  his  governnient,  with- 
out any  other  burdens.  There  is  no  men- 
lion,  I  believe,  in  history,  of  this  event 
producing  any  ill  effects  upon  the  coun- 
try. Finally  :  Whatever  he  did,  it  was 
not  for  himself,  or  his  kindred,  but  for 
the  king  by  whom  he  was  employed. 
The  utmost  therefore,  that  can  be  iriade 
of  it  to  his  disadvantage  does  not  affect 
the  disinterestedness  of  his  chararter. 

Ver.  27,  23.  The  sacred  historian, 
now  returning  to  Israel,  inlbrms  us  that 
they  "  dwelt  in  Goshen,  and  had  pos- 
sessions, and  grew  and  multiplied  exceed- 
ingly;" and  this  during  the  lifetime  of 
Jacob,  who  lived  seventeen  years  in 
Egypt.  The  vision  which  he  had  at 
Beersheba  contained  an  intimation  that 
he  should  die  in  that  country,  ebe  we 
may  suppose  he  would  have  been  for  re- 
turning as  soon  as  the  famine  had  sub- 
sided :  but  Jacob  is  dire,.ted  by  the  will  of 
heaven,  as  his  descendants  were  by  the 
cloud  in  the  wilderness. 

Ver.  29 — 31.  And  now,  the  time  draw- 
ing nigh  that  Israel  should  die,  he  sends 
for  his  son  Joseph,  and  engages  him  by 
a  solemn  oalh  to  bury  him,  not  in  Egypt, 
but  in  the  sepulchre  of  his  fathers.  This 
request  was  not  merely  the  effect  of  nat- 
ural affection,  but  of  faith.  As  it  was 
by  faith  that  Joseph  gave  commandment 
cjncerning  his  bones,  doubtless  tliis  arose 
from  the  same  principle.  The  patriarch, 
relying  on  the  covenant  made  with  his 
fathers,  and  believing  that  his  posterity 
wovdd  hereafter  possess  the  land,  wished 
to  lie  among  them,  and  to  have  his  body 
carried  up,  to  take  a  kind  of  previous 
possession  on  their  behalf.  To  this  re- 
quest of  his  father  Joseph  readily  consents. 
The  venerable  man,  however,  is  not  yet  at 
the  point  of  denth,  but  is  desirous  of  set- 
ting things  in  order,  that  when  he  comes  to 
die  he  may  have  nothing  else  to  think  about. 


JOSEPH   S    INTERVIEW     WITH     HIS     DYING     FATHER. 


S61 


DISCOURSE  LVI. 

Joseph's  interview    with    his    dyinc; 
fatheh,     with    the     hlessinc    of 

HIS     SONS. 

Gen.  xKiii. 

Ver.  1.  Jacol>  dill  not  die  iiii'i  ediatrly 
after  having  sent  tor  his  son  Josepii  ;  1  ut 
he  seems  iit  that  time  to  have  1  een  conlin- 
ed  to  his  "  bed,"  and  prol  aV>ly  it  was  liy 
the  same  affliction  which  is>iue(l  in  his 
death.  Joseph,  as  soon  as  he  was  tohi  of 
liis  lather  I  einir  sick,  w  ilhoiit  waiting  to 
be  sent  for  another  time,  proceeded  lo  ihc 
place,  and  took  his  two  sons  lo  ol  tain  his 
dyini^  benediction. 

Ver.  2.  On  enterinjr  the  house  his  name 
is  announced  ;  tlie  mention  of  which  i;ives 
the  veneralile  patriarch  a  portion  of  new 
life.  He  "  strentrthencd  himself  and  sat 
upon  the  bed."  And  now  we  may  e\pr>ct 
to  hear  somethins^  worthy  of  attention. 
The  words  of  dying  men  to  their  chihiron 
are,  or  should  I  c,  interesting,  especially 
of  good  men,  and  still  more  of  men  inspir- 
ed of  God. 

Ver.  3.  The  man  of  God  has  neither 
time  nor  streng  h  to  lose  in  ceremony  :  he 
comes  therefore  immediately  to  the  point. 
"  God  Almighty,"  said  he,  "appoareil  to 
me  at  Luz,  in  tlie  land  of  Canaan,  and 
blessed  me,  and  said  unto  me,  Bciiold  I 
will  make  thee  fruitful,  and  multiply  thee; 
and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  multitude  of 
people,  and  will  give  this  land  to  thy  seed 
after  thee,  for  an  everlasting  possession." 
Observe,  1.  The  appearance  at  Luz,  or 
Belhel. — Chap,  xxviii.  If  it  was  not 
the  first  time  in  which  God  had  made 
himself  known  to  Jacob,  it  was  certainly 
the  most  remarkaf)le  epoch  in  his  life  ; 
and  almost  all  that  had  gone  before  it  was 
nothing,  or  worse  than  nothing.  2.  Though 
the  mention  of  Luz,  or  Bethel,  must  ever 
be  sweet  to  Jacob,  and  tlioujili  he  could 
have  told  what  a  support  the  promise 
*here  made  had  been  to  him  through  the 
pilgrimage  of  life,  yet  he  confines  himself 
at  present  to  the  aspect  which  it  bore  to 
his  posterity,  whom  he  was  now  abo  t  to 
bless.  The  promise  made  to  Abraham's 
seed  involved  all  the  goodness  intended 
for  the  world  in  after  ages  ;  and  tliis  occu- 
pies the  chief  attention  of  Jacob.  The 
dying  words  of  David  dwell  upon  the  same 
thing:  the  everlasting  co\enant,  \vliich 
contained  "all  his  salvation,  and  all  his 
desire,"  was  that  in  which  God  had  prom- 
ised of  his  seed  to  raise  up  the  Messiah, 
whose  kingdom  should  endure  to  all  gen- 
erations.    To  "see  the  good  of  his  chos- 


en, (o  rejoice  in  the  gladness  of  his  nation, 
and  to  glory  witli  ids  ihlioriiance,"  is 
en(uiuh  lor  a  servant  ol  God  :  and  l(»r  an 
aged  piiieni,  after  seeing  much  c\il  in  his 
family,  lo  le  able  io  l.ikc  leine  ol  ihciii 
in  I  c  lull  expedatioii  ol  ihediviue  i  Icss- 
ing  allentling  ihein,  is  a  death  whuli  let- 
ter rharacleis  than  Balaam  might  wish  lo 
die.  3.  The  nienlion  of  Canaan  to  Jo- 
seph was  de>^igned  to  draw  oil"  his  atten- 
tion from  a  pci  manent  settlement  in  Et'ypI, 
and.  to  fix  his  faith  up<on  the  promise; 
that,  like  his  fathers  before  him,  he  might 
pass  his  life  as  a  pilgrim  till  ii  should  be 
accomplished. 

Ver.  4 — 7.  And  now,  having  tiven  this 
general  intimation  lo  Jose|  h,  he  si.binnly 
adopts  his  two  sons,  E|  iiiaim  and  INianas- 
scii,  as  ins  own,  ( (uistitiiting  them  two 
tril  es  in  Israel,  'ihus  Josej  h  had  ,\  dou- 
1  le  portion,  Ihc  first  lirthriLlit  Icing  taken 
(rom  Reui  en  and  given  to  him. —  1  Chron. 
V.  1,  2.  And  thus  his  sons,  as  well  as 
himself,  were  tauL'ht  to  l\\  liieir  faith  and 
hope,  not  in  Egypt,  whatever  mi^ht  le 
tlicir  expectations  as  Ihc  descendants  of 
Josepi)  by  an  Egy|>tian  piincess,  but  in  Ca- 
naan, or  ratiier  in  tlic  promise  of  the  (Jod 
of  Israel.  The  mention  of  tiie  death  and 
burial  of  Rachel  might  be  partly  to  fur- 
nish Joseph  will)  another  motive  of  allach- 
ment  to  Canaan  ;  and  partly  to  account 
for  tiiis  doul  le  portion  being  conferred 
upon  him,  she  being  in  the  most  proper 
sense  his  wile,  and  he  in  a  sense  his  first- 
born son. 

Ver.  8 — 11.  Jacol>  Iiad  made  nienlion 
of  Ephraim  and  JVIanasseh  1  efore,  I  ut  he 
had  not  seen  them.  Lifting  u[)  his  eves, 
iie  perceives  two  young  men  standing  by 
llie  side  of  ids  beloved  Joseph,  and  in- 
quires who  liiey  are.  "  They  are  my 
sons,"  said  Joseph,  "  whom  God  hath 
given  mc  in  this  jdace."  On  tiiis  he  re- 
quests them  to  bo  brought  unto  liim,  that 
he  might  I  less  them.  He  could  scarcely 
see  liiem,  for  his  eyes  were  dim  of  age; 
but  liis  h^art  was  lull  of  tendeincss  to- 
wards them,  for  liieir  (allicr  s  srke,  and 
for  the  sake  of  the  hope  of  wiiicli  tiiey 
were  heirs;  tiierelore  he  kissed  jind  cm- 
braced  tiieni.  And,  1  eing  full  of  holy  af- 
fection, he  looks  1  ack  upon  his  past  sor- 
rows, and  admires  the  grace  of  God  to- 
wards him  and  his.  "  I  had  not  thougiit," 
said  lie  to  Joseph,  " /o  Fee  Ihy  fit  e  ;  and, 
lo,  God  hath  showed  me  also  thy  seed." 
How  much  better  is  God  to  us  than  our 
fears!  Only  let  us  wait  witli  faitli  and 
patience,  and  our  desponding  tlioughls  will 
lie  turned  into  songs  of   [iraise. 

Ver.  12 — 14.  After  this  affei  tionale 
embrace,  Joseph  brought  forti)  the  two 
young  men  from  between  his  father's 
knees,  and  bowed  himself  with  his  face  to 


QQ2  EXPOSITION  OF    GENESIS. 

the  earth,  in  token  of  thankfulness  for  the  him,"  answered  the  venerable  man,  "  dur* 

kindness  conferred  upon  himself  and   his  ina;  all   which  lime   he   never   did  me  any 

sons,  and  in  expeclalion  of  a  farllier  IMess-  injury:     how   then   can   1    lilasiilienie   him 

ins;;.'  And  liaving  prolaMy  observed   the  who  is  my  king  and  my  Saviour  V  Heark- 

order    in     which    his     iather    had  spoken  en,   oh  '  young     people,    to   this    atl'ecting 

of  them,  putting  E[)hraim  before  Manas-  language  !     It  is   a  juinciple   dictated   liy 

seh    ver.  5   he   wished   to   correct  it   as   a  common  prudence,   "Thine    own    friend, 

mistake    and  therefore  placed  the  young  and  thy  father's  friend,  forsake  not  :"  and 

men  accordini;;  to  their  age,  Ephraim   to-  how  much  more  forcibly   does  it  apply  to 

•wards  Israel's  left  hand  and  Manasseh  to-  the  God  of  your  fathers  !     4.   This    God 

wards  his  riuht  hand,  and  in  tliis  manner  is  called  "  the   Angel  who  redeemed  him 

presented  them  iiefore  him.     But  the  con-  from    all    evil."     Who  this  was  it  is    not 

duct  of  the  patriarch  was   not   thus  to  be  difficult  to  decide.     It   was  the  Angel,  no 

corrected.      God,  from  whom  the  blessing  doubt,  with  whom  Jacob  wrestled  and  pre- 

proceeded,   directed   him    in   this   case    to  vailed,  and  concerning  whom  he  said,   "  I 

cross  hands.     Nor  is  this  the  only  instance  have  seen   God   face  to  face,  and   my  life 

in  which  tlie   order  of  nature  is   made   to  is  preserved." — Ch.xxxii.24 — 30.     Hos. 

give  way  to  that  of  grace  ;  for  of  this  Ja-  xii.  2.     5.  The  blessing  of  God,  under  all 

cob  himself  had  been  an  example.  these  endearing  characters,  is  invoked  up- 

Ver.  15,  16.    In  this  attitude  Jacob  pro-  on  the  lads,  their  forefathers'  names  put 

ceeds  to  bless  the  lads.     "  And   he  bless-  upon  them,  and  abundant  increase  prom- 

ed  Joseph,   and  said,   God,  before  whom  ised  to  them.     Surely  it  is  good  to  be  con- 

my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac  did  walk,  nected    with    them    that    fear     God  :    yet 

the  God  which  fed  me  al!  my  life  long  un-  those  only  who  are  of  faith  will  ultimate- 

to  this   day,   the  Angel    which  redeemed  ly  be  blessed  with  their  faithful   predeces- 

nie  from  all  evil,  bless  the  lads  !      And  let  sors. 

my  name  be  named  on  them,  and  the  name  Ver.  17 — 20.  Joseph's  enjoyment  of 
of  my  fathers,  Aiiraham  and  Isaac;  and  let  this  sweet  and  solemn  blessing  was  sadly 
them  grow  into  a  multitude  in  tiie  midst  of  interrupted  by  the  unpleasant  circum- 
the  earth."  Observe,!.  Though  Ephraim  stance  of  his  father's  crossing  his  hands, 
and  Manasseh  were  both  constituted  heads  and  he  could  not  refrain  from  respectfully 
of  tribes,  yet  they  were  blessed  Ml //le  per-  remonstrating.  Thus  our  frail  minds  are 
son  of  their  father  Joseph:  He  blessed  liable  to  be  rufiled  by  some  trivial  event, 
Joseph,  &c.  in  this,  as  in  many  other  in-  even  on  the  most  solemn  occasions,  and  so 
stances,  God  would  exemplify  the  great  to  lose  the  advantage  of  some  of  the  hap- 
principle  on  which  he  designed  to  act  in  piest  opportunities.  Jacob,  however,  is 
blessing  mankind  in  the  name  and  for  the  not  to  be  dissuaded.  He  had  been  guided 
sake  of  another.  2.  Jacob,  thougii  now  by  an  unseen  hand  ;  and,  like  Isaac  after 
amono"  the  Etryptians,  and  kindly  treated  having  blessed  him,  he  could  not  repent, 
by  them,  yet  makes  no  mention  of  their  "  I  know  it,  my  son,"  said  he,  "  I  know  it 
gods,  but  holds  up  to  his  posterity  "  the  — He  shall  be  great;  but  truly  his  young- 
living  and  true  God."  In  proportion  as  er  brother  shall  be  greater  than  he."  God 
Euypt  was  kind  to  the  young  people,  such  is  as  immutable  as  he  is  sovereign.  It 
would  be  their  danger  of  being  seduced  :  does  not  become  us  to  contend  with  him  ; 
but  let  them  remember  the  dying  words  and  it  is  to  the  honor  of  Joseph  that,  as 
of  their  venerable  ancestor,  and  know  soon  as  he  perceived  his  father  knew  what 
whence  their  blessedness  Cometh.  3.  The  he  did,  believing  him  to  be  directed  from 
God  whose  blessing  was  bestowed  upon  above,  he  acquiesced.  Hence  the  patri- 
them  was  not  only  the  true  God,  but  "  the  arch  went  on  without  farther  interruption, 
God  of  their  fathers  ;"  a  Ccd  in  covenant  saying,  "In  thee  shall  Israel  bless,  say- 
Avith  the  family,  who  loved  them,  and  was  ing,  God  make  thee  as  Ephraim,  and  as 
loved  and  served  by  them.      "  God,  before  Manasseh  !  " 

whom  my  fathers,  Abraham  and  Isaac,  Ver.  21.  A  word  or  two  more  to  Jo- 
did  walk."  How  sweeland  endearing  the  seph,  and  the  present  interview  is  closed, 
character;  and  what  a  recommendation  of  "  I  die,"  said  Israel;  "but  God  shall  be 
these  holy  patterns  to  the  young  people  !  with  you,  and  bring  you  a^;ain  unto  the 
Nor  was  he  merely  the  God  of  Abraham  land  of  your  fathers."  All  that  he  had 
and  Isaac,  but  Jacob  himself  also  could  said  before  tended  to  break  oft"  their  at- 
spcak  well  of  his  name;  adding,  "The  tachment  to  Egypt,  and  to  tix  their  faith  in 
God  who  fed  me  all  my  life  long  unto  this  the  divine  promise  :  such  also  wa«  the  de- 
day  !  "  Sweet  and  soletnn  are  the  recom-  sign  of  these  words.  How  satisfactory  is 
mendations  of  aged  piety.  "  Speak  re-  it  to  a  dying  saint  to  consider  that  God 
proachfully  of  Christ,"  said  the  persecu-  lives,  and  will  carry  on  his  cause  without 
tors  to  Polycarp,  when  leading  him  to  the  him  as  well  as  with  him.  The  great  John 
stake.     "  Eighty-six  years  I  have  served  Owen,  two  days  before  he    died  (which 


THE    BLESSING    OF    RKUBEN,   SIMEON    \SD    LEVI.  S63 

was  in  1683,  a  time  when  popery  and  ar-  The  word  is  used  I  Itcliove  in  only  three 
lijlrary  power  tliroateiu-d  to  overspread  the  other  places  in  the  OKI  Tes(aMieiU  (Judges 
lanii),'lhus  wrote  in  a  letter  to  a  IVieiid  : —  ix.  4,  Jer.  \xiii.  32,  Z.v\,\\.  iij.  4);  and  in 
"  I  am  leasing  the  ship  ol  the  church  in  a  llu-rn  il  is  rendered  ligfif,  or  lif^hlnens  :  de- 
storm  ;  but,  whilst  the  ;:reat  Pilot  is  in  noting' not  only  a  readiness  to  turn  aside 
it,  the  loss  of  a  poor  under-rower  will  be  for  want  of  solid  principles,  but  that  spe- 
ineonsitierabie."  c"*-'s  ol   le\ity  in  particular  which   lidongs 

Ver.  22.  One  more  special  token  of  to  a  lasci\ious  mind,  and  wliich  is  ordi- 
love  is  added  to  Joseph's  portion  ;  namely,  narily  denominated  looseness,  or  lewdness. 
a  parcel  of  ground  which  had  been  origin-  ^nd\  was  the  spirit  o(  Reuben,  or  he  could 
ally  bought  of  the  sons  of  Hamor  ;  but,  not  have  acted  as  he  did  towards  Billiah,  his 
as  it  would  seem,  being  seized  by  some  of  lather's  wile. — Chap.  xwv.  22.  The  man- 
Iheir  descendants,  Jacoi)  was  necessitated  ner  in  whicli  the  patriarch  expatiates  up- 
to  recover  it  by  force  of  arms. — Cli.  xxxiii.  on  tliis  crime  shows  how  I.einjus  il  was 
18—20.  This  portion  he  gave  to  Josepli,  i'»  his  eyes.  " 'I'hou  weiitisl  up  to  thy 
and  the  triHe  ol  E|)liraim  afterwards  pos-  father's  bed  ;  then  delildedst  thou  il." 
sessed  it.— John  iv.  5.  The  hazard  at  And,  to  show  his  ai>horrence,  he  turnsnway 
which  tliis  portion  was  obtained  would  no  'loni  him,  and  addresses  his  other  sons,  as 
doubt  endear  it  to  Joseph  ;  for  we  prize  't  "ere  by  way  ot  appeal  :  "  He  went  up 
those  tilings  which  they  who  were  dear  to  to  my  couch  I  "  For  this  lewd  behavior 
us  acquired  at  a  great 'expense.  On  this  he  \s  ln\d,  he  sltall  tiut  excel.  Il  is  a  brief 
principle  we  have  often  been  admonished  mode  of  expression,  alluding  to  the  ex- 
to  hold  fast  our  civil  lilierties.  On  tliis  cellence  of  dignity  and  of  power  which 
principle  especiallv  it  liecomes  us  to  value  pertained  to  him  as  the  first-born;  and 
our  reliijious  advantages,  for  which  so  denotes  ihat  all  his  advantages  were  re- 
much  blood  has  been  shed.  And  on  this  versed  by  his  base  conduct,  and  that  which 
principle  we  are  called  to  prize,  more  than  would  otherwise  have  feen  a  blessing  was 
any  thing,  the  hope  of  the  gospel,  to  ob-  turned  into  a  curse.  The  double  portion 
tain  which  our  Saviour  laid  down  his  ilfc  !    ^vas    taken    from   him,   and    given,   as  we 

have  seen,  to  Joseph  (chap,  xlviii.  5 — 7), 
the  kingdom  to  Judali,  and  the  priesthood  to 

Levi  ;   and  thus  the  excellence  of  dignity, 

and   the  excellence  of  power,  were  sepa- 
rated from  his  tril  e,  which  never  sustained 
any  conspicuo  is  characler  in  Israel. 
,  From  w  hat   is  said  of  Reuben    we  may 

JACOB   S    BLESSING  ox  THE  TRIBES.  i^ ,l„      «-      „•.         .l  I    I        ■  j    .1 

learn  the  ottensive,  the  debasmg,  and  the 
daiuerous  nature  of  that  light-mindedness 
which    indulges    in   fillhiness    and    foolish 

Ver.  1,  2.  Jacob  having  blessed  Jo-  talking,  jesting,  and  lewd  behavior.  Such 
seph's  sons,  and  feeling  that  he  drew  near  appears  to  have  l|een  the  spirit  ol  the 
his  end,  sent  for  the  rest  of  his  children,  ^''^.^^  prophets  in  the  times  ol  Jeremiah, 
that  he  might  in  the  same  prophetic  style  ''''^"".^  ''•^^  and  lightness  caused  God  s 
declare  to  them  what  should  befal  them,  People  to  err.-Jer.  xxiii  32.  And  such, 
and  their  posterity  after  them.  The  sol-  alas  !  is  the  charac-ter  of  too  many  who 
emn  manner  in  which  he  called  them  to-  ^^^'"  "'^  name  o(  Christians  and  even  of 
gether  and  bespoke  their  attention  shows  Christian  ministers,  at  ll.is  day  Assur- 
that,  being  under  a  divine  inspiration,  he  ^^''^  ^''«>'  '''^''  "^^  '^^^  '  «"'^'  "'^'l?"] 
wouhl  deliver  thimrs  of  great  importance,  repentance,  woe  unto  them  when  God 
and  such  as,  corresponding  in  many  instan-  ^''^j'  ^'l"  **^^'V«  account! 
ces  not  only  with  the  meaning  of  their  ^  !,':•  ^-^-  ^he  next  in  order  of  years 
names,  but  with  their  personal  conduct,  are  Sfmeon  a,ic/  Lei-i  who  also  in  their 
would  furnish  matter  for  reflection  and  en-  P«'^'erity  shall  reap  the  bitter  fruits  of 
courairement.  their  early  sins  ;  and  having   not  only  de- 

Ver.  3,  4.  Reuben,  being  his  first-born  scended  Irom  the  same  parents,  but  been 
son,  is  first  addressed.  He  is  reminded  of  ff  o^'ates  in  iniquity,  they,  according  to 
his  superior  advantages.  He  was  ihe  first  ^'^^  "waning  ol  the  name  ol  the  latter,  are 
eflfect  of  "  his  misrht/'  or  "  the  be^rinning  jomed  together  in  reeeiving  the  rewar.l  of 
of  his  strenoih  ;"^and  to  him  as  such  nat  '^•.„^'  "'",  ^'"'^  V''«"  ^''*^,^«  -V"','"'''  '"*^"' 
urally  belonged  "  the  excellence  of  dicr-  ^^"  ^  ,<^.^"'''  treaehery  and  cruelly,  look 
nitv,  and  the  excellence  of  power."  But,  each  his  sword  and  slew  the  Shechemiles, 
as  Es  HI  and  othe.s  forfeited  the  birthright,  ^'''t  f^l""^''^:'  '"'  clisapproi  at.on  ol  the 
so  did  Reuben.  His  character  did  not  an-  ^''^f '  '  ''"^  "^l!  '^  censures  .1  in  the  strong- 
»,..«_♦    .1      i-     •.  .     r  u- •     i.,..-   „       ij  est  terms.      "instruments   ol  crue  tv  are 

swer  to  the  disrnity  ol  his  situation.     He  is    •     ,.    •    ■    ■  •.     ■  ,,      i-  ■    •  ■    -^  , 

«K„_  „i  -.u  T  ■  ti  .  ui  „  .  51  in  their  hanitalions ;  which  is  saving  that 
charged  with  being "  unstable   as  water.       ^i  ii      i  a-         j  ■   o  •^""'^ 

°  °  they  were  bloody  men.      Ainsworth  ren^ 


DISCOURSE  LVII. 


Gci).  .\li.s. 


864 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


ders  it,  "  snjournincc  hnMtati-ins,"  which 
heiiihleiK  Ihe  sin,  as  being  cMininilleil  in 
a  place  where  I  hey  had  na  residence  In  I 
by  the  courtesy  of  the  country.  "  O  my 
soul,  coin3  not  thou  into  their  secret;  un- 
to their  assernhly,  mini'  honor,  he  not  thou 
united!"  Wluit  we  cannot  prevent,  we 
must  lie  conlenlod  to  disavow,  having  '  no 
felioweliij)  with  the  unlruitlul  works  of 
darkness."  These  young  men  took  coun- 
sel together:  they  were  very  careful  to 
cf)nceal  their  design  from  Jaco!)  their  fa- 
ther, knowing  hefoi'eiiand  that  lie  would 
be  certain  to  oppose  ti.eir  scheni'^s  ;  and 
now  Jacob  is  no  less  careful  to  disavow 
all  connection  wilh  them  in  the  horrid 
deed.  Such  a  disavowal,  though  it  must 
give  the  most  acute  pain  to  tlie  sons,  yet 
was  worthy  of  tlie  father.  A  great  deal 
of  evil  ha(i  been  wrought  in  his  family  ; 
but  be  it  known  to  all  the  world,  by  the 
dying  testimony  which  he  bears  against 
it,  that  it  was  altogether  contrary  to  his 
mind.  And,  let  young  people  hear  and 
know  that  liie  crimes  of  youth  will  some 
time  find  them  out.  It  they  lepent  and 
ol;tain  mercy,  as  there  is  reason  to  1  elieve 
these  young  men  did,  yet  ih^y  shall  reap 
the  bitter  fruits  ol  their  sin  in  tlie  [iresent 
life:  and,  if  they  remain  impenitent,  trib- 
ulation and  anguish  will  overtake  them  in 
the  next. 

The  crime  of  these  brethren  is  thus 
described:  "In  their  anger  they  slew  a 
man,"  even  Hamor,  king  of  the  countrv, 
as  well  as  Shechem  his  son;  and  that  not 
in  the  Of)cn  field  of  contest,  but  by  assas- 
sination !  Anger  in  general  is  outrageous; 
but  in  young  men,  whose  immature  judg- 
ment and  slender  experience  affonl  but 
liitle  check  to  it,  is  comtnonly  the  n)ost 
mischievous.  "In  their  selt-will  they 
digged  (hwn  a  wa'l,"  or,  as  some  render 
it,  "  they  houghed  the  oxen."*  The  for- 
mer would  express  their  breaking  into 
houses  to  murder  the  inhai  itants,  and  the 
latter  their  cruelty  extending  even  to  the 
dumb  animals.  Anger,  when  accomjianied 
with  self-will,  rages  like  fire  before  the 
wind.  How  inipor'ant  is  the  government 
of  one's  own  spirit:  and,  considering 
■what  human  natuie  is,  what  a  mercy  it  is 
that  the  wrath  of  tnan  is  under  the  divine 
control!  If  Simecn  and  Levi  had  not  re- 
pented of  this  sin,  it  is  likely  that  the  curse, 
like  that  of  Noah  on  Canaan,  would  have 
fallen  upon  their  j)ersons  ;  but,  as  it  was, 
it  alights  only  upon  their  dispositions  and 
actions  :  "  Cursed  1  e  their  anger,  for  it 
was  fierce  ;  and  their  wrath,  for  it  was 
cruel  !"  God  in  mercy  torgave  them, 
but  took  vengeance   of    their   inve.itions. 

*  Fifr'i(,>r',T»''i<i  Tur/f)>.— I.XX.  rm  rather, 
"  They  exteimiiiated  a  piiiice."     See  p.  194. 


And,  with  respect  to  the  tribes  of  which 
they  were  \.hj  heads,  they  were  to  be 
"  divided  and  scattered  in  Israel."  "  The 
Linites,"  says  Mr.  Henry,  "  were  scat- 
tered throughout  all  t  e  tribes,  and  Sim- 
eon's lot  lay  not  together,  and  was  so 
strait  that  many  of  that  tribe  were  forced 
to  disperse  themselves  in  quest  of  settle- 
ments and  subsistence.  This  curse  was 
a'terwards  turned  into  a  blessing  to  the 
Leviies  ;  but  the  Simeoniles,  for  Zimri's 
sin,  had  it  bound  on. --Numb.  xxv.  Sliaine- 
fui  divisions  are  the  juH  |)unishment  of 
sinful  uni(ms  and  con  ederacies." 

Ver.  8 — 12.  From  what  was  said  of 
the  first  three  sons,  the  rest  might  begin 
to  tremble,  lest  the  whole  should  le  a 
s  ccession  ol  curses  instead  of  blessings. 
But  in  what  respects  Judalt  we  see  a 
glorious  reverse.  The  bdessodness  of  Ihis 
tribe  principally  consi-;ts  in  that  blessing 
whii-h  was  in  it,  the  Lord  Messiah.  "Ju- 
dah,"  saith  the  patriarch,  "thou  art  he 
whom  thy  brethren  shall  praise  ;  thy  hand 
shall  be  in  the  neck  of  thine  enemies  :  thy 
faiher's  children  shall  bow  down  befoie 
thee."  In  the  first  sentence  allusion  is 
had  to  his  name,  which  signifies /?raJse  ; 
and  the  meaning  of  the  whole  is  tliat  this 
tribe  should  be  distinguished,  first  by  its 
victories  over  the  Canaanites,  and  after- 
wards by  i!s  being  the  tribe  which  God 
would  choose  to  bear  ru/e  in  Israel.  Hence 
also  it  is  represented  in  verse  9,  by  a  Hon, 
Ihe  most  m.ijestic  of  animals,  and  the 
proper  emi  lem  of  royalty.  Much  of  this 
prophecy  was  doubtless  fulfilled  in  David 
and  his  successors  :  but  all  was  prefigura- 
tive  of  the  Messiah,  who,  in  allusion  to 
this  passage,  is  called,  "  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah."  In  him  all  that  is  said 
of  Judah  is  eminently  fulfilled.  He  is 
indeed  the  object  of  [)raise,  his  hand  has 
been  in  the  neck  of  his  enemies,  and  be- 
fore him  his  brethren  have  bowed  down. 
Grappling  with  the  powers  of  darkness, 
we  see  him  as  a  lion  tearing  the  |)rey  ; 
ascending  above  all  heavens,  as  a  lion  go- 
ing up  from  Ihe  prey  ;  and  seated  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  as  a  lion  couchant,  or 
at  rest  after  his  toils,  where  it  is  at  the 
[)eril  of  Ihe  greatest  monarchs  to  rouse 
him  up. — Psa.  ii.  10 — 12. 

That  which  before  is  represented  under 
strong  figures  is  in  verse  10  declared  plain- 
ly ;  viz.  that  Judah  should  be  the  govern- 
ing tribe,  and  that  its  chief  glory  should 
consist  in  the  Messiah,  who  should  de- 
srend  frcm  it  :  yea,  the  very  time  of  his 
coming  is  marked  out.  The  sceptre,  or 
government,  should  not  depart  from  Judah, 
nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until 
Shiloh  came.  The  governnient  de[)arted 
from  ten  tribes,  out  of  the  twelve,  during 
the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  and  has  never  been 


THE     BLESSING    OF    JUDAH,    ZEBULO?(    AND    ISSACHAR. 


865 


restored:  hut  Judali  continued  to  rule 
with  God.  At  icnglli  ihey  also  were  car- 
ried into  Ci\|)livily;  yet  God's  eye  was 
upon  tliein,  and  in  seventy  years  tliey  were 
restored.  And,  notwithstanding  the  many 
overlurnings  of  the  diadem  by  the  suc- 
cessive monarchies  ot  Persia,  Greece,  and 
Rome,  yet  it  continued  till  the  coming  of 
Christ.  The  theocracy  then  licing  dis- 
solved, and  the  power  given  to  him  whose 
right  it  was,  Judah  in  a  few  years  ceased 
to  lie  a  l;ody  politic,  or  to  have  any  gov- 
ernment ot  its  own.  If  there  he  such  a 
thing  as  an  irrefragable  proof,  surely  this 
is  one,  that  Shiloh,  the  peaceable,  the 
prosperous,  [he  Saviour,  \s  come;  and  it 
is  a  mark  of  judtcial  blindness  and  hard- 
ness of  heart  in  the  Jews  that  they  con- 
tinue to  disbelieve  it. 

Of  Shiloii  it  is  added,  "To  him  shall 
the  gathering  of  the  people  be."  As  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel  gathered  together,  and 
anointed  David  king  in  Hebron  ;  so  all  the 
tribes  of  tnan  shall  sooner  or  later  submit 
to  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  During  his 
ministry,  his  enemies,  touched  with  fear 
and  envy,  were  ready  to  say.  Behold  the 
world  is  gone  after  him  !  And  no  sooner 
was  he  lilted  up  upon  the  cross  than  he 
began  to  draw  all  men  unto  him.  Multi- 
tudes of  his  own  countrymen,  who  had 
before  seen  no  form  or  comeliness  in  him, 
now  believed  on  him.  Now  also  began  to 
be  fulfilled  all  the  prophecies  which  had 
gone  before,  of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles. 
For  such  was  the  value  of  his  sacri- 
fice and  mediation  that  it  was  considered 
as  a  light  thing  for  him  merely  to  raise  up 
the  tribes  of  Jacob  :  he  must  be  a  light  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  God's  salvation  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth.  Nor  has  this  promise 
yet  spent  its  force  :  probably  the  greater 
part  of  it  is  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  What  is 
foretold  to  the  church  in  the  60th  of 
Isaiah,  of  multitudes  of  all  nations  gath- 
ering together  unto  her,  will  be  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  promise  concerning 
Christ;  for  those  that  are  gathered  to  her 
are  first  gathered  to  him. 

The  11th  and  r2lh  verses  are  express- 
ive of  the  great  plenty  of  wine  and  milk 
which  the  tribe  of  Judah  should  possess. 
Vines,  even  the  most  choice,  should  be  so 
common  that  you  might  have  tied  your 
beasts  to  them,  as  you  would  here  tie 
them  to  an  elm  or  ash  ;  or  so  abundantly 
productive  that  it  should  be  the  ordinary 
practice  to  bind  a  colt  to  the  vine,  and 
load  it  with  its  fruits.  Wine  with  them 
should  be  so  plentiful  that  you  might  have 
washed  your  garments  in  it.  The  inhab- 
itants, even  the  common  people,  might 
drink  of  it  till  their  eyes  were  red  ;  and 
such  an  abundance  should  there  be  of  the 
milk  of  kine   that  their  teeth   might  be 

VOL.   I.  109 


white  with  it.*  This  p/en/y  of  milk  and 
wine  may  have  a  larther  reference,  how- 
ever, to  the  plenty  of  evangelical  blessings 
under  the  reign  of  the  iMcssiah,  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  dominion  ascribed  to 
Judah  has  an  ultimate  reference  to  his 
dominion.  The  language  used  by  Isaiah, 
"  Come,  buy  wine  and  milk,  without  money 
and  without  price,"  cei  lainly  refers  to  the 
great  |)lenty  of  those  articles  in  the  land 
of  promise,  and  seems  to  allude  to  the 
very  words  of  Jacob  in  this  prophecy. 

Ver.  13.  The  blessing  ot  Zebulon  pre- 
dicts the  situation  of  that  tribe  in  the 
promised  land.  They  should  be  a  mari- 
time people,  bordering  upon  the  sea  of 
Galilee  eastward,  and  upon  the  Mediter- 
ranean on  the  west.  Its  "border  reach- 
ing unto  Zidon"  does  not  mean  the  city, 
but  the  country  of  that  name,  that  is,  Phe- 
nicia.  If  the  future  settlement  of  the 
tribes  had  been  ot  choice,  it  might  have 
been  said  that  they  contrived  to  fulfil  these 
predictions  :  but,  being  bij  lot,  the  hand  of 
God  is  seen,  both  in  them  and  their  ac- 
complishnjcnt.  There  seems  to  be  a  dis- 
tinction made  between  Zebulon  being  "at 
the  haven  of  the  sea,"  and  his  being  *'for 
a  haven  of  ships."  The  tbrmer  may  de- 
note his  advantages;  and  the  latter  the 
benevolent  use  he  should  make  of  them, 
opening  his  harbors  for  the  reception  of 
distressed  mariners.  We  have  all  our 
situations  and  advantages  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  and  should  be  concerned 
to  employ  them  to  a  good  purpose.  This 
tribe  had  also  its  disadvantages  :  being  far 
from  the  seat  of  divine  instruction,  its  in- 
habitants are  described  as  "sitting  in  dark- 
ness." Upon  them,  however,  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  by  the  personal  ministry  of  our 
Lord,  sprung  up. 

Ver.  14,  15.  Next  follows  the  blfessing 
of  Issackar.  The  character  given  to  thiif 
tribe  intimates  that  it  should  be  addicted 
to  husbandry,  as  Zebulon  was  to  the  dan- 
gers and  perils  of  the  sea.  He  is  com- 
pared to  a  "  strong  ass,  couching  down 
between  two  burdens  ;  "  not  on  account  of 
any  thing  mean  in  him,  but  for  his  indus- 
trious, patient,  and  peaceable  disposition. 
This  situation  would  neither  require  the 
heroic  qualities  of  Judah,  nor  the  enter- 
prizing  ones  of  Zebulon  ;  and  his  dispo- 
sition should  coincide  with  it,  preferring 
the  fruits  of  peace  and  industry,  though 
obliged  to  pay  tribute  for  them,  to  the 
more  splendid  fortunes  of  commerce,  or 
triumphs  of  war.  Some  men  would  pro- 
nounce Issachar,  ar>d  those  of  his  mind, 
mean  spirits  ;  but  let  not  this  part  of  th« 

♦  Or  if  may  lie  renflere^, 

Hitey^s  shall  b«  more  sparkling  than  wina. 
And  nis  teeth  whiter  than  milk.    See  LXX. 


365  EXPOSniOlS'    OF   GEiNESIS, 

community  be  tliought  light  of.  If  it  be  those  of  the  Moabites,  the  Ammonites, 
less  lirilliant,  it  is  not  less  uselui  than  the  and  the  Syrians.  But  it  is  predicted  that, 
others.  The  kini;,  is  served  hy  the  lield.  however  ihey  mij,4it  for  a  time  be  over- 
No  condition  of  liTe  lias  iewer  teniptalioiis,  come,  yet  tliey  should  overcome  at  last; 
nor  is  any  more  Irieniiiy  to  true  religion,  and  this  exactly  accords  with  their  his- 
Thou'"h  the  people  ot  lliis  tribe  were  still  tory. — Judges  x.  xi.  xii ;  1  Chron.  v.  IS 
and  peaceable;  yet  there  were  among  — :^2.  In  this  blessing  we  see  not  only 
them  "men  who  had  understanding  ol  the  an  exam[)le  of  the  life  of  every  believer, 
times  and  who  knew  what  Israel  ought  but  the  wisdom  of  God  in  so  ordering  it, 
to  do  :  "  nor  w  as  it  any  dispai  agement  to  as  an  antidote  to  presumption  and  despair, 
their  "  brethren  to  be  at  their  command-  Present  defeats  have  a  tendency  to  pre- 
jjjgi^l" — 1  Chron.  xii.  32.  serve  us  irom  the  one,  and  the  promise  of 

Ver.  16,  17.  The  blessing  of  Dan  al-  being  finally  viclorious  from  the  other, 
hides  to  the  meaning  of  his  name,  that  is,  Ver.  20.  Next  follows  Asher,  whose 
j  id  gins;,  and  signifies  that  he  should  main-  name  signifies  the  happy,  or  the  blessed,  or 
tain  his  authority  ;  not  oidy  in  respect  ot  making  happy  ;  and  with  his  name  corres- 
h  s  rank  among  the  tribes,  but  in  tlie  pre-  })onds  his  I  lessing.  The  meaning  is,  that 
servation  of  order  in  his  own  territory,  his  lot  should  be  a  rich  one  ;  yielding  not 
His  beinp-  compared  to  "a  serpent  by  tlie  only  necessaries,  bnt  dainties,  even  royat 
way,  an  adder  in  ihe  jiatii,  that  bileih  the  dainties.  Such  is  llie  lot  of  a  few  in  this 
horse-heels,  so  thai  his  rider  shall  fall  woild,  and  it  is  well  that  it  is  but  a  lew; 
backward,"  would  seem  to  intimate,  how-  for,  while  men  are  what  they  are,  great 
ever,  that  the  Daniles  would  be  a  subtle  fulness  would  soon  render  ihem  like  Sod- 
and  mischievous  people,  carrying  on  their    om  and  Gomorrah. 

•wars  more  by  stratagem  and  artful  sur-  Ver.  21.  Naphtali  is  descrilied  by  "a 
prise  than  by  conflict  in  the  open  field,  hind  let  loose,''  and  is  said  to  "  give  good- 
Such  were  the  wars  of  Sampson,  who  was  ]y  words."  The  description  would  seem 
of  this  tribe,  against  the  Philistines.  lo    hold   up,  not   a   warlike  tribe,    nor   a 

Ver.  18.  Here  the  man  of  God  seems  tri!)e  noted  for  its  industry  ;  but  rather 
ta  have  paused,  periiaps  on  account  ot  a  people  distinguishsd  by  their  vivaci- 
bodily  weakness;  and,  biting  up  his  eyes  ty,  timidity,  and  softness  of  man- 
to  heaven,  said,  "  I  have  waited  ior  ihy  ners.  The  diversity  of  natural  disposi- 
salvation,  O  Lord."  Had  these  words  (ions  contribules  upon  the  whole  to  hu- 
followed  the  blessing  of  Judah,  we  might  man  happiness.  Men  have  their  partial- 
have  supposed  tliat  the  salvation  he  refer-  ities,  some  to  this,  and  ofhers  to  that; 
red  to  was  the  coming  Messiah:  but,  and,  if  their  wishes  could  be  gratified, 
standing  where  it  does,  it  appears  to  have  would  commonly  shape  all  others  by  their 
been  merely  a  sudden  ejaculation,  sent  up  own  favorite  model :  but,  after  all,  variety 
at  the  close  of  his  pilgrimage,  in  a  view  is  the  best.  As  the  delicate  could  not 
of  being  delivered  from  all  its  evils.  It  subsist  without  the  laborious  and~  the  res- 
serves  to  show  the  state  of  the  patriarch's  olute,  so  many  a  rugged  spirit,  both  iiv 
mind;  and  that,  while  pronouncing  bless-  the  world  and  in  the  church,  would  be 
inss  on  his  posterity,  in  respect  to  their  worse  than  useless,  but  for  its  union  witlr 
settlemeni  in  the  earthly  Canaan,  he  was  others  more  gentle  and  affectionate, 
himself  going  to  a  better  country,  even  a  Ver.  22 — 26.  We  next  com-e  to  the 
heavenly  one.  When  he  thought  that  Jo-  blessing  of  Jof-eph,  and  on  this  the  patri- 
sei  h  was  dead,  he  talked  of  "  going  down  arch  delights  to  dwell.  Plis  enrbl'em,  tak- 
into  his  grave  mourning;  "  and  afterwards,  en  from  Ihe  meuning  of  his  name,  is  that 
when  he  found  him  alive,  he  seems  as  if  of  "a  fruitful  bough,"  situated  liy  a  well, 
he  could  have  descended  into  it  rejoicing  by  which  its  roots  were  watered,  and  its 
(chap,  xxxvii.  35;  xlvi.  30):  but  it  was  branches  caused  to  run  over  the  wall, 
not  for  him  to  determine  the  time  of  his  The  meaning  is,  that  his  posterity  should 
departure,  but  to  wait  his  appointed  time,  be  distinguished  by  their  extraordinary 
Old  aee  is  the  time  tor  the  patience  of  increase.  But  now  the  imagery  is  drop- 
hope  ito  bear  its  richest  fruits;  and  a  ped,  or  rather  chanoed,  and  his  personal 
pleasant  thing  it  is  to  see  this  and  other  history  reviewed.  He  was  attacked  at  an 
o-races  in  full  lloom,  while  the  jiowers  of  early  period,  as  by  a  band  of  archers,  who 
nature  are  filling  into  decay.  "sorely   grieved    him,   shot    at  him,   and 

Ver.  19.  The  patriarch,  resuming  his  hated  him."  There  is  a  delicacy  in  his 
subject,  proceeds  to  bless  the  tiibe  of  Gad.  speaking  of  the  brethren  (who  were  stand- 
His  name  sis-nified  a  troop,  and  it  is  inti-  ing  by)  in  the  third  person  rather  than  the 
mated  that  they  should  be  a  warlike  peo-  second,  and  that  under  a  figure  :  let  him 
]  e.  Their  situation  was  east  of  Jordan,  express  it,  however,  in  what  form  he  will, 
where  they  were  exposed  to  the  incursions  they  must  feel  it.  He  adds,  "But  his 
ot  the  neighboring  nations ;    particularly   bow   abode  m  strength,  and  the  arras  of 


THE     BLESSING    OF     li  K.\J  A  :M  I.N DCATH    OP    JA(.  OB. 


867 


his  hnnds  were  made  strong  liy  liic  mii.'lily 
God  ol  Jaiol> ;  lioin  llience  is  llie  shep- 
herd, the  stone  ol  Israel.'"  As  his  breth- 
ren were  a  liaiul  ol  arehers,  he  is  deseril)- 
ed  iiiuler  the  same  character,  Imt  as  one 
©nly  against  many.  Their  arrows  were 
those  of  haired,  Imt  his  ol  love,  overcom- 
ing evil  with  good.  They  streiiglhcned 
one  a/ioliier  in  an  evil  cause  ;  hut  he  was 
strengthened  l>y  "  the  mighty  God  of  Ja- 
cob." In  these  particulars,  surely,  he 
was  a  type  of  Christ  ;  and  still  more  in 
being,  by  the  blessing  o(  tlie  God  of  Ja- 
cob, "  the  shepherd  and  stone  of  Israel  ;" 
providing  for  their  wants,  and  supporting 
their  interests. 

In  Messing  Joseph,  Jacob  feels  his  heart 
enlarged  ;  |)0uiing  upon  him  the  blessings 
of  almighty  God,  the  God  of  his  father; 
blessings  of  heaven  aliove,  blessings  of 
(he  deep  that  iielh  under,  blessings  of  the 
breasts  and  of  the  womb;  imihialing  al- 
so that  his  power  of  blessing  when  ter- 
minating on  him  exceeded  that  of  his  fa- 
thers, extending  not  only  to  the  land  in  gen- 
eral, but  to  the  very  mountains  on  which 
his  children  should  reside.  And  that 
which  drew  upon  his  head  all  these  bless- 
ings was  the  painiul,  but  endearing,  cir- 
cumstance of  his  having  been  "sepaiatcd 
frotn  his  brethren." 

Joseph  considered  his  separation  as  or- 
dered of  God  for  the  good  of  others  (ch. 
xlv.  7,  S) ;  and  he  seems  all  along  to  have 
acted  upon  this  principle:  but  a  life  so 
spent  shall  lose  nothing  by  it  in  the  end. 
God  will  take  care  of  that  man,  and  pour 
the  richest  blessings  upon  his  herd,  whose 
great  concern  it  is  to  glorily  him,  and  do 
good  in  his  generation.  Jacoii  felt  much 
for  Joseph's  separation.  The  spirit  of 
his  benediction  was,  By  how  much  he  was 
afflicted  for  the  sake  of  others,  by  so  much 
let  him  be  blessed  and  honored,  and  that 
to  th*;  latest  |)OsterityI — And  such  is  the 
mind  of  God,  and  all  his  true  friends, 
concerning  a  greater  than  Joseph.  "  For 
the  suffering  of  <leath,  he  is  crowned  with 
glory  and  honor. — And  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  round  aliout  tlie  throne, 
and  the  living  creatures,  and  the  elders: 
and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of 
thousands  ;  saying,  vvokthy  is  tlie  Lamb 
that  icas  slain  to  receive  power,  and  rich- 
es, and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  blessing! — Unto  Hin)  that 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  .from  our  sins  in 
his  own  lilood,  and  hath  made  us  kings 
and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father;  to 
Hivi  be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and 
ever.     Amen." 

Ver.  27.  The  last  Messing  is  that  of 
Benjamin.  Ol  him  it  is  said.  "  He  shall 
ravin  as  a  wolf:  in  the  morning  he  shall 


devour  the  pr-^y,  and  at  night  he  shall  di- 
vide the  spoil."  in  '.ills  we  see  thai  it 
should  be  a  war'.ilie  tribe;  and  this  it 
was,  or  it  could  not  have  resisted 
all  the  tribes  of  Israel  in  the  manner  it 
did,  as  recorded  in  the  last  chapters  of 
Judges.  But  this  is  saying  no  more  than 
might  have  been  said  of  manyo!  the  heathen 
nations.  If  Jacob  had  been  inllueiiccd  by 
natural  atVcction^  there  had  doubtless  been 
something  tender  in  the  blessing  of  Ben- 
jamin, as  well  as  in  that  of  Joseph  :  hut 
he  was  guided  by  a  spirit  of  prophecy, 
and  therefore  foretold  the  thing  as  it  was. 

Ver.  28.  Such  were  the  tribes  of  Is- 
rael, and  such  "  the  blessings  wherewith 
their  father  blessed  them."  But  how 
blessed  them'?  It  might  be  thought  that 
the  first  three  at  least  were  cursed,  rather 
than  I  lessed.  No,  they  were  rebuked, 
1-ut  not  cursed,  nor  cast  off,  like  Esau  : 
they  still  continued  among  the  triles  of 
Israel.  It  n>ust  have  been  very  affecting 
for  these  brethren  thus  to  stand  bv  and 
hear,  as  from  the  n)outh  ot  Gnd,  what 
wovdd  be  the  conscfpiences  of  their  early 
conduct  on  their  distant  posterity  :  and, 
as  their  minds  were  now  tender,  it  may  be 
supposed  to  have  wrought  in  them  renew- 
ed rei)cntance,  or  gratitude,  a.s  the  subject 
required. 

Ver.  29 — 33.  The  patriarch  now  gives 
directions  concerning  his  burial.  He  de- 
sires to  be  interred,  not  in  Egypt,  but  in 
the  burying-place  at  Mamre,  where  lay 
Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac  and  Rebecca, 
and  Leah.  If  he  had  been  governed  by 
natural  affection,  he  might  have  chosen  to 
lie  by  the  side  of  his  beloved  Rachel  : 
but  he  "  died  in  faith,"  and  therefore  re- 
quests to  mini.de  dust  with  his  fathers, 
who  had  been  heirs  with  him  of  the  same 
promise.  Having  said  all  he  had  to  say, 
he  cheerfidly  resigned  his  soul  into  the 
hands  of  him  that  gave  it,  and  was  num- 
bered with  his  departed  ancestors. 

Thus  died  Jacob  ;  a  man  whose  con- 
duct on  some  occasions  was  censurable, 
whose  life  was  tilled  up  with  numerous 
changes,  but  whose  end  was  such  as  his 
worst  enemies  might  envy. 


DISCOURSE    LVIH. 

THE  BURIAL  OF  JACOI! JOSEPH  RE- 
MOVES THE  FE.^RS  OF  HIS  BRETHREN 
THE  DEATH  OF    JOSEPH. 

Gen.  1. 

Ver.  1.  We  have  seen  tl)e  venerable 
patriarch  yielding  up  tiie  ghost  ;  and  now 
we  see  the  expressions   of  affection  to- 


S68 


EXPos!TIO^"   or  genf.sis. 


ward  him  by  the  survivors.  Let  the  mem- 
ory of  the  just  be  blessed.  It  was  reveal- 
ed to  Jacob  in  his  lile-time  that  Joseph 
should  "  put  his  hand  upon  his  eyes  ;" 
and  Joseph  not  only  did  this,  but,  in  ihe 
fulness  of  his  heait,  "  iell  upon  his  face 
after  he  was  dead,  and  wept  upon  him, 
and  kissed  him."  This  is  all  that  we  can 
do  towards  the  most  beloved  ohjet.'is,  when 
death  has  performed  his  ofTice.  The  mind 
is  gone ;  the  body  only  remains;  and  of 
this  we  mr.st  take  a  long  farewell.  Faith, 
however,  looks  forward  to  a  joyful  resur- 
rection, and  teaciies  us  not  to  sorrow  as 
those  that  have  no  hope. 

Ver.  2.  Josejili  next  proceeds  to  have 
the  dead  body  embalmed  with  sweet  spices. 
This  was  an  art  carried  to  great  perfec- 
tion in  Egypt  :  the  effects  of  it  are  not 
totally  extinct  even  to  this  day.  It  was 
suitably  applied  in  the  present  instance, 
not  only  as  an  honor  done  to  a  great  and 
good  man,  but  as  a  means  of  preserving 
the  body  from  putrel'action,  during  its  re- 
moval to  Canaan. 

Ver.  3.  Nor  was  this  the  only  honor 
that  was  paid  to  him.  The  iamily  no 
doubt  mourned  very  sincerely  lor  him  ; 
and,  to  express  their  respect  for  Josepii,  liie 
Egyptians,  probably  the  court  and  the  gen- 
try, went  into  mourning;  ami  not  merely 
forty  days,  which  was  customary  it  seems 
for  every  one  who  had  the  honor  of  being 
Cirpbalmed,  but,  in  this  instance,  another 
month  v/as  added.  The  customs  of  polite 
nations,  though  often  consisting  of  mere 
forms,  yet  servo  in  some  instances  to  show 
what  should  be.  They  expressed,  in  this 
case,  a  respect  for  departed  v/orth,  and  a 
sympathy  with  alilicted  survivors,  weep- 
ing \vith  them  that  v/eep. 

Ver.  4 — 6.  The  days  of  formal  mourn- 
ing being  ended,  Joseph  next  proceeds-  to 
the- burial  of  his  father.  .  But  for  this  he 
must  first  obtain  leave  of  absence  from 
the  king;  and,  desirous  of  conducting  the 
business  with  propriety^  he  applies  to  some 
of  the  -royal  household  to  make  the  re- 
quest, for  him  :  not,  as  some  b.ave  suppos- 
ed, because  it  was  improper  for  him  to  ap- 
pear before  the  king  in  mourning  apparel  ; 
for  "  the  days  of  his  mourning  were  jiast  ■;" 
but  with  a  view  of  honoring  the  sovereign, 
and  cultivating  the  esteem  of  those'-about 
him.  A  modest  behavior,  is  said  to  be 
rarely  found  in  royal  favorites  :  but  by  the 
grace  of  God  it  was  found  in  Joseph.  The 
plea  he  urged  was  nothing  less  than  his 
being  under  a  solejnn  oath,  imposed  upon 
him  by  the  dying  request  of  his  father  :  a 
plea  to  which  Pharaoh  could  make  no  ob- 
jection, especially  as  it  was  accompanied 
with  a  promise  of  a  return. 
-,  Ver.  7—11.  We  now  behold  the  fune- 
ral procession.     The  whole  family  (except 


their  little  ones,  who,  with  their  cattle, 
were  left,  behind),  were,  as  we  should  say. 
the  first  iollowers  ;  but  all  the  elders  of 
respectability,  of  the  court,  and  of  the 
counlry,  with  both  chariots  and  horsemen, 
were  in  the  Irain.  It  was  "  a  very  great 
company,"  not  only  in  number,  but  in 
quality.  For  grandeur  and  magnificence 
it  is  said  (o  be  without  a  paraliel  in  histo- 
ry. This  great  honor  was  not  in  conse- 
quence of  any  wish  on  the  part  of  Jacob  : 
ail  l;e  desired  was,  to  be  carried  by  his 
sons,  and  iiuried  in  the  land  of  promise. 
His  desire  was  that  of  faith,  not  of  ami  i- 
tion.  But,  as  in  the  case  of  Solomon, 
seeing  he  asked  ibr  that  which  God  ap- 
proved, he  should  have  his  desire  in  that, 
and  the  other  should  be  added  to  it.  Thus 
God  delights  to  honor  those  v/ho  honor  him. 
And,  as  it  was  principally  for  Joseph's 
sake  that  this  great  honor  was  conferred 
on  his  father,  it  shows  in  what  high  es- 
teem he  was  held  in  Egypt,  and  serves 
to  prove  that,  whatever  modern  adversa- 
lies  may  say  of  his  conduct,  he  was  con- 
sidered at  the  time  as  one  of  the  greatest 
benefactors  to  the  country. 

Nothing  remarkable  occurred  in  the 
procession  till  they  came  to  the  threshing,- 
fioor  oi'  Atad,  which  was  within  the  land 
of  Canaan,  near  to  Jericho,  and  not  many 
miles  from  the  place  of  interment.  Here 
they  stopped,  it  would  seem,  for  seven 
days,  performing  funeral  obsequies,  or 
"  mourning  with  a  great  and  sore  lamenta- 
tion."' So  great  was  it  thatit  drew  the 
attention  of  the  Canaanites,  who,  on  see- 
ing and  hearing  what  passed,  ob.served  one 
to  another,  "  This  is  a  grievous- mourning 
to  the  Egyptians, '-'{for  such  they  consid- 
ered them,  seeing  they  came  from  Egypt); 
wherefore  (he  name  of  the  place  was  after- 
wards called  Ahd'Mizraini — "  tiie  mourn- 
ing of  the  Egyptians." 

Ver.  12 — 21.  Joseph  and  his  brethren, 
having  buried-  their  father  in  the  place 
where  he  requested  to  iie,  return  to  Egypt, 
v/iih  the  company  which  went  with  them. 
The  pomp  and  hurry  of  the  funeral,  wjiile 
it  lasted,  would  occupy  their  attention  ; 
but,  this  having  subsided,  the  thoughts  of 
the  ten  brethren  were  directed  to  other 
things.  The  dealli  of  great  characters 
being  often  followed  by  great  changes, 
conscious-guilt  being  always  alive  to  fear, 
and  the  chasm  which  succeeds  a'funeral 
inviting  a  flood  of  foreboding  apprehen- 
sions, they  find  out  a  new- source  of  troub- 
le :  Peradventure,  all  the.kindhess  hitherto 
shown  us  has  been  only  for  our  father's 
sake  .  .  .  .  Peradventure,  Joseph,  after  all, 
never  forgave  us  in  his  heart'.  .  .  .  and 
now  our  father  is  dead,  so  as  not  to  be 
grieved^  by  il,  peradventure  he  will  feel 
that  hatred  to  us  which  we  once  felt  to 


BEATH    or    JOSEPH 


869 


him;  and,  if  so,  he  will  certninly  requite 
the  evil  whirh  we  have  done  unto  him. 
Oh  jealousy  !  Is  it  not  rightly  said  ol  thee, 
Thou  art  cruel  as  the  prave  \ 

But  how  can  ihcy  disclose  their  suspi- 
cions ?  To  have  douo  it  personally  would 
have  been  too  much  lor  either  him  or  Ihcui 
to  bear,  let  him  take  it  as  he  mi>;lit.  So 
they  "sent  inessen-iers  unto  him,"  to 
sound  him.  We  know  not  who  they 
were  ;  hut,  if  Benjamin  was  one  of  them, 
it  is  no  more  than  might  he  expected. 
Mark  the  delicacy  and  exquisite  tender- 
ness of  the  messaj^e.  Nothing  is  said  of 
their  suspicions,  only  that  the  petition  im- 
plies them  :  yet  it  is  expressed  in  such  a 
manner  as  caimol  offend,  but  must  needs 
melt  the  heart  of  Joseph,  even  though  he 
had  been  possessed  of  less  affection  than 
he  was.  1.  They  introduce  themselves 
us  acting  under  the  directioii  of  a  media- 
tor, and  this  mediator  was  none  other  than 
their  deceased  father.  He  comtnanded 
us,  say  they,  before  he  died,  that  we 
should  say  thus  and  thus.  And  was  it 
possible  for  Josejih  to  1  e  offended  with 
them  for  obeying  Ais  orders'?  Bxitstop  a 
moment — May  not  tee  hmitea-similar  use 
of  what  our  Saviour  said  to  us  before  he 
died  1  He  commanded  us  to- say,  "  Our 
Futher — forgive  us  our  debts."  Can  we 
Hot  make  the  same  use  of  this  as  Jacob's 
sons  did  of  their  father's  commandment  1 
2.  They  present  the  petition  as  cvniing 
from  their  father.  "  Forgive,  I  pray  thee, 
the  trespass  of  thy  brethren,  and  their  sin  ; 
for  they  did  unto  thee  evil."  And  was  it 
possible  to  refusL-  complying  with  his  la- 
ther's desire]  The  intercessor,  it'  is  to 
be  observed,  does  not  go  about  to  extenu- 
ate the  sin  of  the  offenders  ;  but  frankly 
acknowledges  it,  and  that,  if  justice  were 
to  take  its  course,  they  must  be  punished. 
Neither  does  he  plead  their  subsequent 
repentance  as  the  ground  of  pardon  ;  but 
requests  that  it  may  be  done  for  his  sake, 
or  on  account  of  the  love  which  the  of- 
fended bore  to  him.  3.  They  unite  their 
own  confession  and  petition  to  that  of 
their  father.-  It  was  certainly  proper  that 
they  should  do  so  :  for,  though  they  no 
more  plead  their  own  repentance  as  the 
ground  of  forgiveness  than  the  mediator 
had  done,  yet  it  was  fit  they  should  re- 
pent, and  acknowledge  their  transgres- 
sions, ere  they  obtained  mercy.  More- 
over, though  they  must  make  no  merit  of 
anything  pertaining  to  them*;elves;  yet, 
if  there  be  a  character  which  the  offended 
party  is  known  to  esteem  above  all  others, 
and  they  be  conscious  of  sustaining  that 
character,  it  will  be  no  presumption  to 
make  mention  of  it.  And  this  is  what 
they  do,  and  that  in  a  manner  which-rnust 
make  a  deep  impression  upon  a  heart  like 


that  of  Joseph.  "And  now,  we  pray 
thee,  forgive  the  trespass  of  the  servants 
of  ihe  God  of  thy  lather!"  It  were  suf- 
ficient to  have  gained  their  point,  even 
though  Joseph  had  been  reluclani,  to  h.ive 
pleaded  their  being  children  of  Ihe  same 
father,  and  that  father  making  il,  as  it 
were,  his  dying  request  :  but  ihi;  consid- 
eration of  their  being  the  servui.ts  of  his 
father'ft  God  was  overcoming.  Were  we 
to  look  lack  to  some  former  periods  of 
their  history,  wo  could  not  have  consider- 
ed them  as  entitled  to  this  character  :  but 
since  that  time  God  had  brought  them 
through  a  series  of  trials,  ly  means  of 
which  he  had  turned  them  to  himself. 
And  though  they  are  far  trom  considering 
their  present  state  of  mind  as  obliterating 
the  guilt  of  their  former  crimes,  yet, 
knowing  that  Jose|)h  was  himself  a  ser- 
vant of  God,  they  knew  that  this  consid- 
eration would  make  a  dee|)  impression 
upon  him.  It  is  no  wonder  that,  at  the 
close  of  this  part  of  the  ^lory,  it  should 
be  added,  "  And  Joseph  wept  when  they 
spake  unto  him  !  " 

But  this  is  not  all  :  they  go  in  person, 
and  "  fall  before  his  face,"  and  offer  to 
be  his  ser cants.  This  extreme  al  nsement 
on  their  part  seems  to  have  given  a  kind 
of  gentle  in('ignancy  to  Jose[ih's  feelings. 
His  mind  revolted  at  it.  Il  seemed  to 
liim  too  much.  "  Fear  not,"  saith  he  ; 
"  for  am  I  in  the  place  of  God  1"  As  if  he 
should  say.  It  may  belong  to  God  to  take 
\engeance  :  but  for  a  sinful  worm  of  the 
dust,  who  himself  needs  forgiveness,  to 
do  so,  were  highly  presumptuous  :  you 
have  therefore  nothing  to  fear  from  me. 
What  farther  forgiveness  you  need,  seek 
it  of  him. 

Ver.  20,  21.  There  was  a  delicacy  in 
the  situati(m  of  the  ten  brethren,  in  respect 
to  this  application  to  Joseph,  as  it  would 
imply  a  doubt  of  his  former  sincerity. 
They  were  aware  of  this,  and  therefore  in 
every  thingthey  say,  whether  by  messen- 
gers or  in  personal  interview,  are  careful 
to  avoid  touching  upon  that  subject.  Nor 
is  there  less  delicacy  in  Joseph's  answer. 
He  does  not  coTTi|)lain  of  this  implication, 
nor  so  much  as  mention  it  :  but  his  answer- 
ing them  in  nearly  the  same  words  as  he 
had  done  seventeen  years  before,  "  Ye 
thought  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant 
it  unto  good,  to  bring  to  pass  as  it  is  this 
day,  to  save  much  people  alive;"  Isav, 
his  answering  the?n  in  this  language  was 
saying,  in  effect.  Your  suspicions  are  un- 
founded :  what  I  told  you-  seventeen 
years  ago  J  meant;  and  the  considera- 
tions which  then  induced  me  to  pass  over 
it  induce  me  still  to  do  the  Sf»me.  "Now, 
therefore,  tear  ye  not  :  I  will  nourish  you 
and  your  little  ones."     I  will  not  be  your 


870 


EXPOSITION    OF    GENESIS. 


mossier,  but  your  brother,  and,  as  it  were 
yoar  lather.  In  this  manner  did  he 
"cotnfort  them,  and  spake  kindly  unto 
them." 

Ver.  22,  23.  Joseph  was  about  fifty- 
six  years  old  when  his  lather  died  ;  he 
must  therefore  have  lived  fifiy-four  years 
aiterward^  ;  durinji  which  period  he  saw 
Epliraim's  children,  of  the  ihird  genera- 
tion ;  and  the  grandsons  of  Manasseh 
were  brought  up,  as  it  were,  upon  his 
knees. 

Ver.  24 — 23.  And  now  the  time  draws 
near  that  Joseph  also  must  die  ;  and  like 
his  worthy  ancestors  he  dies  in  faith.  1. 
He  is  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  God  to 
his  covenant  promises.  "I  die,"  saith 
he;  "and  God  shall  surely  visit  you, 
and  bring  you  out  of  this  land  unto  the 
land  which  he  sware  to  Aliraham,  to 
Isaac,  and  to  Jacob."  2.  Under  the  in- 
fluence of  this  persuasion  he  taUes  "  an 
oath  of  the  children  of  Israel,"  that 
when  they  should  depart  from  Egypt 
they  would  take  his  "  bones  with  them." 
Such  a  desire  might  have  arisen  merely 
from  a  wish  to  mingle  dust  with  his  fore- 
fathers :  but  we  are  directed  to  attribute 
it  to  a  higher  motive.  It  is  in  reference 
to  this  exercise  of  faith  that  his  name  is 
enrolled  in  the  catalogue  of  believing 
worthies. — Heb.  xi.  22.  Having  said  all 
he  wished  to  say,  "he  died,  being  a  hun- 
dred and  ten  years  old  ;  and  they  embalm- 
ed him,  and  he  was  put  in  a  cotfin  in  Egypt. 
As  the  burial  of  Jacob  in  Canaan  would 
attract  the  minds  of  Israel  to  that  coun- 
try, so  the  depositing  of  Joseph  in  a 
moveable  chest,  together  with  his  dying 
word,  would  serve  as  a  memento  that 
Egypt  was  not  their  home. 


CONCLUSION. 

I  HAVE  endeavored  to  intersperse  re- 
flections on  the  various  subjects  as  they 
have  occurred  ;  but  there  are  a  few  others 
which  arise  from  a  review  of  the  whole  ; 
and  with  these  I  shall  conclude. 

First  :  The  truth  of  recelntion,  and  its 
leadini^  doctrines.  That  which  accounts 
for  things  as  they  are,  or  as  they  actually 
exist  in  the  world,  and  that  in  such  a 
manner  as  nothing  else  does,  carries  in  it 
its  own  evidence.  Lor)k  at  tilings  as  they 
are,  and  look  at  this,  and  you  will  find 
that  as  face  answerelh  to  face  in  water,  so 
doth  the  one  answer  to  the  other. 

Look  at  the  material  creation  around 
you,  and  ask  the  philosophers  of  all  ages 
how  it  came  into  lieing.  One  ascribes  it 
to    a    fortuitous    assemblage    of     atojns; 


another  conceives  matter  to  have  been 
eternal;  another  imagines  God  himself  a 
material  being.  But  revelation,  like  ihe 
light  shining  upon  chaos,  dissipates  in  a 
few  wordi  all  this  darkness,  iniorming  us 
that,  "In  the  beginning,  God  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth." 

Look  at  hutnan  nature  as  it  now  is  : 
depraved,  miseral)le,  and  subject  to  death. 
Ask  philosophy  to  account  for  this.  The 
task  will  be  found  to  surpass  its  powers. 
None  can  deny  tiie  fact  that  men  are 
what  they  ought  not  to  be  ;  but  how  they 
came  to  be  so  cannot  be  told.  To  say,  as 
many  do,  that  the  stock  is  good,  but  that 
it  gets  corrupt  in  rearing,  is  to  reason 
in  a  manner  that  no  one  would  have 
the  face  to  do  in  any  other  case. 
If  a  tree  weje  found  which  in  every  cli- 
mate, every  age,  every  soil,  and  under  eve- 
ry kind  of  cultivation,  broug-ht  forth  the 
fruits  of  deatii,  nobody  would  hesitate  to 
pronounce  it  of  &  poisonous  nature.  Such 
is  the  account  given  us  by  revelation,  and 
this  book  informs  us  how  it  became  so. 
It  is  true  it  does  not  answer  curious  q  es- 
tions  on  this  awful  subject.  It  traces  the 
origin  of  evil  as  far  as  sobriety  and  humil- 
ity would  wish  to  inquire.  It  states  the 
fact,  that  God  hath  "  made  man  upright," 
and  that  he  "  hath  sought  out  many  inven- 
tions ;"  but  there  it  leaves  it.  If  men  will 
object  to  the  equity  of  the  divine  pro- 
ceedings, and  allege  that  what  is  in  conse- 
q\ience  of  their  first  father's  transgression 
is  on  their  part  guiltless,  they  must  go  on 
to  ol^jecl.  Every  man's  conscience  tells 
him  that  he  is  accountalde  for  all  he  does 
from  choice,  let  that  choice  have  iieen  in- 
fluenced by  what  it  may  ;  and  no  man 
thinks  of  excusing  his  neighbor  for  his  ill 
conduct  towards  him  because  he  is  a  son  of 
Adam.  Out  of  their  own  mouth,  there- 
fore, will  such  objectors  be  judged. — But 
if  the  doctrine  of  the  fall,  as  narrated  in 
this  book,  be  admitted,  that  of  salvation 
by  free  grace,  through  the  atonement  of 
Clirist,  will  follow  of  course.  I  do  not 
say  that  redemption  l)y  Christ  could  be 
inferred  from  the  fall  itself;  but,  being 
revealed  in  the  same  sacred  book,  we  can- 
not believe  the  one  without  feeling  the  ne- 
cessity of  the  other. 

Look  at  the  page  of  history,  and  you 
will  find  yourselves  in  a  world  of  the  ex- 
istence of  which  you  can  find  no  traces 
till  within  about  four  thousand  years.  All 
beyond  is  darkness ;  and  all  pretensions 
to  earlier  records  carry  in  them  self-evi- 
dent marks  of  fable.  These  things  are 
accounted  for  in  this  book.  If  the  world 
was  destri\ved  by  a  flood,  there  could  no 
nations  have  existed  till  a  little  before  the 
tiujes  of  Abraham.     Nay,  this  book  gives 


tO.NCLUSIO-N.  571 

us  ihe  origin  of  all  the   nations,  and  calls  their  virissitudes,  narrating  the  trials  and 

many   ol   ihein  liy   the    iranjes    wiiicli    tliey  tnuniplis  oi  laiUi  in  iiicsc  luily  nit-n  ;  wlwlc 

sustain  to  this  day.  tlie  l^niMaeis,  tlic  JLiaans,  i.nil  ull  w  liu  apus- 

Finally  :   Look  at   the   antipathy  which  lalizcd  Iroin  the  ti  ue    (joil,  arc  gisen   up, 

is  every    where   to    l)e  seen    I),  iwecn    the  anC  lost  in  llie  great  world,     it  traces  tlie 

righteous   and    the    wicked,  helweun  thcrn  spiritual  kingiiuni  of  God    to  its   smallest 

that  tear  (>od  and  them  that  lear  him  not.  I'Cginnings,  and  lullows   it  through  its  va- 

*'\ll   the  narratives  which   have  passed  un-  rious  obstructions;   while  the   wars,  con- 

der  review,  as   those  ol   Cain   and   Ahel,  quests,  and  intrigues  ot   the  great  nations 

Enoch  and  his   contemporaries,  Isaac  and  ol   antiquity  are  passed  over  as   unworthy 

Ishmael,  Jacoli  and  Esau,  are   pictures   ol  ol    notice.     In    all    this    we    see  that  the 

originals  w  hich  the  world  continues  in  ev-  things  which  are  higidy   esteemed  anion"- 

ery  age  to  exhilit.     But   this    hook  traces  men  are   lul  lighll)    accounted  ot  hy   the 

this  antipathy  to   its  source,  and    gives    us  Loid  ;  and  that  lie  who   hath   heaven   lor 

reason  to  expect  its  continuance  till  Satan  his    liuone,   and    eartii    lor   his  loolslool, 

and  his  cause  shall  lie   hruiscil   under   our  overlooks   both,  in  comparison  ol  a  poor 

ieet.  and  contrite  spirit. 

Secondly  :     7Vte  peculiar   characters  of  Easily  :    Die  slow  but  certain  progress 

sacred  history.     It    is    the    most   concise,  of    the    divine    designs.     God    promised 

anti  yel  comprehensive,  ol'  any  record  that  Abraham  a  son  when  he  was   se\enty-lhe 

iias  ever  yet  ap|)eared  in  Ihe   world.     In  years  old;   i)ut  he  was  not  born  till  he  was 

the   book  ol  Genesis   only  we   have  gone  a    hundred.     And,  when    he    is    borji,   he 

over    the    history  ot   two   Ihfmsaiid,   three  lives    lorty    years    unmarried  :    and   when 

hundred,  and  sixty-nine  years.     A  com-  married,    under   an  expectation  ot    great 

luon     historian    might    have    used    more  IVuillulness,  it   is   twenty  years   more  ere 

words  in  giving  us  an   account  of  one  ol  Rebecca    bears    children;  and    then  it  is 

Niinrods  expeditions.     Yet  it  is  not  like  not    without    earnest  prayer.     And,    now 

the  abridged   histories  of  human   writers,  tiiat    he    has    two     sons     born,  Jacob,    in 

which  often  contain  a  string  olunconnect-  whom  the  promise  is  to  be   lultillcd,  lives 

ed  facts,  which  leave   no  imjiression,  and  seventy-live  years  single,  and  his  lile  is  a 

are    nearly    void    of    useful    information,  kind  ot   blank:   and,  when  he  goes  to  Pa- 

You  see  human  nature,  as  created,  as  de-  dan-aram  for  a  wife,  he   must   wait   seven 

praved  and  as  renewed  1  y  the  grace  of  God:  years  longer  ere  he  oblains  her  :  and  when 

you   see  the  motives  of  men  and   the  rea-  he   has   a    family   of  children,  tiiey  j)rose 

son   of  things  so  as  to  enable  you  to  draw  some   of   the   worst   of  characters.     Ihe 

from  every  story  some    important   lesson,  only  one  that  is  any  way  hopelul  is  taken 

some   warning,   caution,   counsel,  encour-  away,  lie  knows  lot  how  ;   and   a  long  se- 

agement,  or  instruction  in  righteousness.  ries  of  afflictions  follow  ,  one  upon  anoth- 

The  reason  of  so  much  being  included  er,  ere  any  thing  like  hope  makes    its  ap- 

in  so  small  a  compass  is,  it  is  select.     It  is  pearance.     Yet    all    this   while   the  Lord 

not  a  history  of  the  world,  but  of  jiersons  had    promised,    "  I    will    surely    do    thee 

and  things  which  the  world  overlooks.     It  good  ;"  and  in  the   end   the  good    is  done, 

keeps    one   great  object  always  in  vievv  ;  G  d  s  ways  fetch  an  astonishing  compass. 

n?ime\y,  the  progress  of  the  church  of  God,  His  heart   is   large,  and    all  his   plans   are 

and  touches  other  societies  and  their  con-  great.     He  does  not  make  haste  to  fulfil 

cerns  only    incidentally,  and  as   they  are  his  counsels  ;   but  waits,  and  causes  us  to 

connected  with  it.     The  things  which  are  wait,    the   due    time.     But    at    thai    time 

here    recorded    are    such  as   would    have  they  are  all  (ulfilled. 

teen  mostly  ovcilooked  by  common  histo-  We  may  observe  a  difference,  however, 

lians,  just  as  things  of  the  same  kind  are  as  to  the  lime  taken  for  the  fulfilment  of 

overlotd<ed  to  this  tiay.     If  you  read  many  dilTerenl    promises.      Those    which    were 

of  even    our    Church   histories,    you    will  made    to  Abraham's    other  children,  and 

perceive  but   little  of  the   history  oi'  true  which  had  no  immediate  relation  to  God's 

religion  in  them.     There  are  more  of  the  spiritual  kingdom,  as  has  been  remarked 

genuine    exercises    of  grace  in  a  |)age  of  in  the  course  of  the  work,  were  very  soon 

Ihe  life  of  Aliraham,  Isaac,  or  Jacob,  than  accomplished,  in  comparison  ol  that  which 

you  will  frequently  find  here  in   a  volume,  was  confined  to  Isaac.     Small  legacies  are 

If  the  world  overlooks  God  and  his  cause,  often  received  and  spent  before  the  heir 

God,  in  return,  overlooks  them  and  theirs,  comes  to  the  full  possession  of  his  iidier- 

His  history  holds  up  an   Enoch,  and   pre-  itance.     And  even  those  which  are  made 

serves    a   Noah,   wldle    a    world  lying  in  to  the  cliunh  of  God,  and  have  respect  to 

wickedness  is  destroyed  by  an  overw  helm-  his  s|uritual   kingdom,  vary  in  some  pro- 

ing   flocd.     It    f(.llows    an    Abraham,    an  portion  to  their  magnitude.     "  God  made 

Isaac,  a  Jacob,  and  a  Joseph,  through  all  promise  of  a  son  to  Abraham  :  five-and- 


S72                                                         EXPOSITION  OF    GENESIS. 

twnnty  years  elapsp  ere  this  is  arcomplish-  the  church  in  the  latter  days.     The  things 

cd.      He  also  [iroitiised  the  land  ol'Canaan  promised  are  here  so  great  and  so  ghirious 

for   a    possession    to  his   posterity  :   there  that  they  may  well  he  supposed  to  fetch  a 

the  performance  required  a  period  ofnear-  htrtre  compass,  and  to  require  a   period  of 

ly  five  hundred  years.     At  the  same  time  long  and  paintul  suspense  ere  they  are  ac- 

Aliraham   was   assured   that   the   Messiah  complished.     The  night  may  he  expected 

should  descend  from  his  loins,  and  that  in  to  hear  some  proportion  to  the  day  that 

him  ail  the  n.ilions  of  the  earth  should  be  succeeds  it.     It  is  a  consolation,  however, 

blessed:   this  pvomise  was  nearly  two  thou-  tlial  the  night  with  us  is  far  spent  and  the 

sand   years  ere   it   came  to  pass.     These  day  is  at  hand.     The  twelve  hundred  and 

events   resemble    the   oval   streaks   in  the  sixty  years  of  antichrist's  dominion,  and 

trunk  of  a   tree,   which    mark  its    annual  of  the  church's  affliction,  must  needs  he 

growth  :  each  describes  a  larger  compass  drawing  towards  a  close;  and  a  season  so 

than  ihat  which  precedes  it,  and  all  which  dark,  and  so  long,  augurs  glorious  times 

precede  it  are  preparatory  to  that  which  before  us.     We  may  have  our  seasons  of 

follows.     The  establishment  of  Abraham's  despondency,    like    the    patriarchs;    but 

posterity  in  Canaan  v.-as  a  greater  event  there  will  come  a  time,  and  that  probably 

than  the  birth  of  Isaac,  and  greater  prep-  not  very  distant,  when  what  is  said  of  Is- 

arations  were  made  for  it.     But  it  was  less  rael  in  the  times  of  Joshua  shall  be  fulfil- 

thm  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  required  led  on    a   larger  scale:   "And   the   Lord 

less  time  and  labor  to  precede  it."  gave  them  rest  round  about,  according  to 

From   this  ordinary  ratio,  if  I   may  so  all     that    he    sware    unto    their    fathers — 

speak,  in  the  divine  adininislration,  we  are  There  failed  not  aught  of  any  good  thing 

furnished  with  motives  to  [)atience,   while  which  the  Z/ord  had  spoken  unto  the  house 

waiting  for  the  fulfilment  of  promises  to  of  Israel;  all  came  to  pass." 


•^11^ 


